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分类英语习语 1.Literal translation（直译法） Misfortunes never come singly. 祸不单行。 Like father, like son. 有其父必有其子。 to be armed to the teeth 武装到牙齿 Too many cooks spoil the broth. 厨子多了煮坏汤 Blood is thicker than water. 血浓于水。 如鱼得水Feel just like fish in water 临阵磨枪Sharpen one’s spear only before going into battle 猫哭老鼠The cat weeps over the mouse 对牛弹琴Play the harp to a bull 一寸光阴一寸金An inch of time is an inch of gold 打草惊蛇Beat the grass and startle the snake. 易如反掌As easy as turning over one’s hand. 宁为玉碎 不为瓦全 rather be a shattered vessel of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery. 2. Replacement （套译法） 两个习语的字面意义和蕴涵意义基本一致 Fish in troubled waters浑水摸鱼 Wall have ears隔墙有耳 Practice makes perfect熟能生巧 Facts speak louder than words事实胜于雄辩 Seeing is believing眼见为实 II. 两个习语的比喻形象有所差异，但比喻意义基本一致 Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion. 宁为鸡首，不为牛后。 Some prefer turnips and others pears.萝卜白菜，各有所爱。 He cries wine and sells vinegar. 挂羊头，卖狗肉。 Fish begins to stink at the end.上梁不正下梁歪。 One boy is a boy, two boy half a boy, three boys no boy 一个和尚挑水吃．两个和尚抬水吃，三个和尚没水吃 Among the blind the one-eyed man is king.山中无老虎，猴子称霸王 A hedge between keeps friendship green. 君子之交淡如水。 Money makes the mare go. 有钱能使鬼推磨。 To laugh off one’s head笑掉大牙 Seek a hare in hen’s nest 缘木求鱼 There is no smoke without fire无风不起浪 New brooms sweep clean新官上任三把火 Go for wool and come back shorn 偷鸡不着蚀把米 fish in the air 水中捞月。白费力气 to throw a sprat to catch a whale抛砖引玉 to gild the lily 画蛇添足 to turn a new leaf 脱胎换骨 to talk black into white 指鹿为马 He robs Peter to pay Paul. 拆东墙补西墙 to show one's clean heels 逃之夭夭 Every family is said to have at least one skeleton in the cupboard. 俗话说， 见不得人的事儿家家有。 to pull somebody's leg 开玩笑（不是拖后腿） To break the ice, Ted spoke of his interest in mountain climbing, and they soon had a conversation going. 为了打破沉默（僵局），特德说自己对爬山感兴趣，这样他们很快就交谈起来。 they don’t invite Bob to their party because he is a wet blanket. 他们不邀请鲍勃参加他们的聚会，因为他是一个令人扫兴的人。 Among so many well-dressed and cultured people, the girl felt like a fish out of water. 同这么多穿着体面而又有教养的人在一起，这位乡下姑娘感到很不自在。 Mary and her mother are as like as two peas. 玛丽和她妈妈长得一模一样。 今年高考他又名落孙山了。 This year he failed again in the entrance examinations for college students. Trifling鸡毛蒜皮 Do evil things openly 明火执仗 Multicolored 五光十色 at one’s wits’ end 黔驴技穷， 不知所措 In a frantic rush 手忙脚乱 Keep quiet 噤若寒蝉 Be full of anxiety and worry 牵肠挂肚 Trust to chance and stroke of luck 守株待兔 Have not cut off relations completely 藕断丝连 Get instant results 立竿见影 Be very anxious to return home 归心似箭 歇后语的意译 对期货交易，我是擀面杖吹火---- 一窍不通。 I don’t know the first thing about futures. 我就来它个骑着毛驴看唱本--- 走着瞧，看他怎么跟我解释。 Let me wait and see what he would say about the matter. 我这人你也知道，说话向来是袖筒里入棒槌---直入直出。 You know me--- I speak frankly and to the point. 4.Amplification 详述 Literal translation with footnotes or explanatory phrase Examples: 东施效颦Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi 身在曹营心在汉Body in Cao, heart in Han. Notes: During the three kingdoms period (220-280) of Ancient China, Cao Cao, one of the most prominent warlords, waged a war against Liu Bei, another notable warlord, in which Guan Yu, a great commander of Liu Bei, was defeated and captured. Guan Yu surrendered to Cao Cao, but always embraced the intention of returning to Liu Bei. 三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮。 Three cobblers with their wits combined equal Zhugeliang the master mind. 临时抱佛脚。To embrace Buddha's feet in one's hour of need-- to seek help at the last moment. throw in the sponge 认输，投降 （注：若拳击运动员的副手把擦身用的海绵抛向空中，则表示这个运动员认输因而不进入下一轮比赛。） pour oil on troubled waters 平息风波，息事宁人 （注：传说航海遇到风浪时，若把油倒进海里，可起到使海浪平息的作用。） open sesame 敲门砖， 过难关的秘诀 （注：《天方夜谈》中的《阿里巴巴与四十大盗》故事说：一个山洞内藏有无数的金银财宝，但洞门紧闭，必须用咒语"开门芝麻"才能打开。） Good wine needs no bush. 酒好客自来。（注：英国从前流行一种风俗， 人们常在商店的门口外挂某种东西作为该店经营某种商品的标志， 挂常春藤ivybush标志的常为酒店。） 1. Literal translation 母猪的耳朵做不成丝线袋。One can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. = 朽木不可雕也 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 1. Free translation How can one get tiger cubs without entering the tiger’s lair? = No venture, no gain 1. Literal translation 雨后春笋Like bamboo shoots after a spring shower = springing up like mushrooms 1. 势如破竹 Like a hot knife cutting through the butter. like splitting bamboo 2. 引狼入室 set a fox to keep one’s geese. show a wolf into one’s home 3. 大海捞针 Look for a needle in the vast sea. look for a needle in a bundle of hay 4. 新官上任三把火 a new official applies strict measures. a new broom sweeps clean 5. 猫哭老鼠假慈悲 the cat weeping over the dead mouse. shed crocodile tears 6．鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利 We are fighting hard in the boxing match, while the next player was waiting for our touch down with a coffee. When the snipe and the clam grapple, it’s the fisherman who stands to benefit. 7. 她有沉鱼落雁之容，闭月羞花之貌。 Her beauty would make the fish sink, the wild goose fall down and the moon hide herself, and put the flowers to shame. The girl’s beauty would put the flowers to shame. 8. 留得青山在，不怕没柴烧。 While there is life, there is hope. So long as the green hills remain, there will never be a shortage of firewood. |
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