浅谈歇后语的翻译(2)

谐音或双关式歇后语的翻译方法

解释法：解释法是一种行之有效的翻译方法,也是揭示源语文化内涵的重要途径,它是指在译文里保留原来的文化色彩,并加上简要的解释说明以突出其形象性。
解释法可以细分为解释性替代和解释性增补两种类型。

解释性替代

解释性替代是指当词语在源语和译语中的内涵意义相同,但联想意义不同时,不能按照字面翻译,而应该用解释性替代的方法翻译原文。
汉语中的成语即谚语翻译一般用解释性替代的方法来进行翻译
例如: 挥金如土 spend money like water

解释性增补

解释性增补是指当源语中词语的内涵意义在译语中出现词汇空缺,其联想意义也出现空白时,译者必须保留源语的词语形象,而将其深层含义以解释的形式翻译出来,揭示出源语的文化特性或文化背景。
汉语中特有的歇后语在译成英语时,可以保留原语形象,再用解释性增补以表现其喻意。

利用汉语的谐音

牛角抹油——又尖（奸）又滑（猾）
spreading oil on an ox horn——to make it sharper and more slippery or cunning and treacherous
Note: the Chinese character jian, meaning sharp, is a homophone of jian, meaning cunning, and the Chinese character hua, meaning slippery, is a homophone of hua, meaning treacherous.

李双双见到丈夫——有喜旺（希望）

Li Shuangshuang sees her husband——she has Xiwang now; like Li Shuangshuang meeting her husband Xiwang, a homophone for the Chinese word xiwang meaning hope, there is hope now

利 用 双 关 语 义

井底雕花——深刻
carving a flower design on the bottom of a well——carving deeply or get to the essence of something

擀面杖吹火———一窍不通
a rolling pin used as a bellows —no good at all

王小二过年——一年不如一年

Wang Xiao’er spending the New Year——one year is worse than another; like Wang Xiao’er’s life, one year is worse than another

Note: Wang Xiao’er in Chinese can mean any poor fellow at the bottom of the society.

飞机上跳伞——一落千丈

bale out from a flying plane——drop down a thousand zhang or suffer a drastic decline; like jumping from a flying plane, they decline drastically
Note: A zhang is equal to 11/3 meters.

铁打的馒头——一个硬似一个
mantou made of iron——one harder than another；they are like steamed bread made of iron, one is harder, more stubborn or determined than another
热锅上的蚂蚁——走投无路
ants in a hot pot——nowhere to escape; like ants in a hot pot, they find nowhere to escape