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英语习语
一、Idioms的定义：
广义的idioms包括：1. set phrase短语，2. proverbs谚语，3. sayings俗语, 4. epigrams警句，5. slang俚语，6. colloquialisms 口语，7. quotations名言/语录，8. two-part allegorical sayings寓言 9. allusions典故
汉语中包括：1. 成语set phrases， 2. 谚语proverbs， 3. 俗语colloquialism, 4. 歇后语allegorical saying 二、英语idioms的来源
1．From the Bible圣经故事: 1) Cast pearls before swine对牛弹琴；白费好意
这个成语源自《新约。马太福音》第7章：“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you”.
2）Don’t you see the writing on the wall? 难道你没有看出大难临头了吗？（writing on the wall意为
“不详之兆”，典出《旧约全书》） 2. From the fables寓言故事: 1) Veper and File出自《伊索寓言》，说的是一条蝰蛇（Viper）发现一把铁锉（File），以为是一顿美餐。但铁锉说，它的天职是咬别人，而不是被别人咬。后人借此比喻“骗人者反受人骗”，汉译时要作直译或意译处理。
2) kill the goose to get the eggs，源于希腊寓言，说的是曾有一个乡下人，因为发财心切杀死了自己饲养的那只能下金蛋的鹅，以为如此就可一次获得全部想象中的金块，但其结果一无所获。 3．From fairy tales神话故事： 1) rain cats and dogs，源于北欧神话，猫对天气有很大影响，英国水手至今说：“猫尾巴藏大风”。据说驾暴风雨的巫士化为猫形。狗是风的信号，狗和狼都是暴风雨神奥丁的随从。在德国古画中，风被画成狗头和狼头。因此，猫被年作暴雨的象征，狗是伴随暴雨的强风，to rain cats and dogs就是to rain heavily/hard，汉译便为“下倾盆大到雨”。
2) Analthea’s horn，汉译常为“丰饶的羊角”。阿玛尔忒亚（Amalthea），希腊祖籍中一神女，是宙斯（Zeus为主神，相当于罗马神话中的朱庇特Jupiter）的保姆。婴儿时宙斯由神女阿玛尔忒亚喂以羊乳。为了感思，宙斯敲下一羊角送给她。许诺让羊角主人永远丰饶。
3) the sword of Damocles达摩克利斯的剑，临头的危险（希腊神话，廷臣达摩克利斯羡慕国王狄奥尼修斯的国王生活，国王于是用一根头发将一把到件剑悬挂在王位上，让达摩克利斯坐在上面）
4。From history allusion /legend历史典故/传说 1) burn one’s boats（bridges），此成语中的bridges为美国人所使用，原指古罗马朱力斯·凯撒大军乘船越过Rubicon后就把船烧了，以此向士兵指明后路已断，不可能后退。现借用来比喻“不留后路，下定决心干到底”，同汉语的“破釜沉舟“。
2）Leave no stone unturned，相传公元前447年波斯奖军马多尼奥斯在希腊的普拉蒂亚兵败被杀后，留下一大批财宝在军帐里。底比斯的波利克拉特斯搜寻却一无所获，请示德尔斐神谕后知道要“翻转所有的石头”，最后找到了财宝。现借此比喻想方设法等，汉译为“千方百计，想尽办法” 3）a Spartan look 简朴的; 艰苦的 （古希腊斯巴达人以简朴和不畏艰辛著称） 4）a Trojan Horse 奸, 暗藏之敌 5）the heel of Achilles 致命的弱点 6）Gordian Knot 难题；僵局
7）have an axe to grind别有用心,另有企图
5. From literature works文学作品: 1) Simon Legree“残暴之徒，尖酸刻薄、好吹毛求疵的人”
Simon Legree是美国女作家斯陀夫人所著《汤姆大伯的小屋》一书中管黑奴的工头，此人既凶狠又尖酸刻薄，将心地善良的汤姆大伯活活打死。 . . . .
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2) Life is but an empty dream，其汉译为“人生如梦”。源于美国诗人Longfellow的诗文 3) as busy as a bee (From Chaucer's Canterbury Tales)
4）Catch-22 situation 不可逾越的障碍（源自美国作家约瑟夫·赫勒的小说Catch-22）
6. From social custom社会风俗: 1) a feather in your cap，汉译为“值得荣耀的事、荣誉”。源于广泛流行于亚洲和美洲印第安人当中的一种风俗：每杀死一个敌人就在头饰或帽子上加插一根羽毛，以此来显示战绩与荣誉。 2) have a ball at one’s foot，汉译为“有成功的机会”，源于足球运动。 3）When you are down, you are not necessarily out.遇到挫折，并不一定丧失成功的机会。（拳击规则，被击倒还有10秒可爬起来） 三、汉语成语的分类：
1． 联合式：山盟海誓，粗枝大叶，昂首阔步， 2．动宾式：为所欲为，闻所未闻，
3．主谓式：盛气凌人，想入非非，心怀叵测，忠心耿耿，自惭形秽， 4．偏正式：泰然自若，洋洋得意（得意洋洋），小心翼翼，半途而废，奋不顾身，泰然处之， 5．连动式：投笔从戎，见异思迁，挖肉补疮，触类旁通，无地自容， 6．兼语式：引狼入室，调虎离山， 7．紧缩式：脍炙人口 联合结构：不学无术，
四、Idioms的翻译方法：
1． 直译法：按原语字面意义翻译（异化译法） 1）kill two birds with one stone一石双鸟 2) Forbidden fruit is sweet.禁果格外香。
3) Friends are thieves of time.朋友是时间的窃贼。 4) Truth is the daughter of time. 真理是时间的女儿。 5) One swallow does not make a summer.一燕不成夏。
1) 薛蟠也来上学，不过是三日打鱼，两日晒网。Xue Pan enrolled as a student. But he was like the
fisherman who fishes for three days and then suns his net for two”…
2) 他对乡里的情况，了如指掌。He knew everything about the township like the back of his hand. 3) 旁边一人鼓掌大笑曰：“此事易如反掌，何必多议？” （《三国演义》）Then one of those about him suddenly clapped his hands, crying, ?t’s as easy as turning over one’s hand! Why so much talk?”
4) 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.
6) 这工作花了我九牛二虎之力。The work cost me the strength of nine bulls and two tigers. 7）中国有句古话是这样说的：“山不在高，有仙则名；水不在深，有龙则灵。”
An ancient Chinese saying goes that “Any mountain can be famous with the presence of an immortal, and any river can be holy with the presence of a dragon.”
7) 山不在高，有仙则名 \
there is a fairy; \
8）城门失火，殃及池鱼。A fire on the city wall brings disaster to the fish in the moat. 9) 木已成舟The wood is already made into a boat. 10）十年树木，百年树人。
It takes ten years to grow trees, but one hundred years to rear people. It takes three generations to make a gentleman. (套译)
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画饼充饥to draw a cake to satisfy one’s hunger 犬马之劳to serve like a dog or a horse
声东击西to shout in the east and strike in the west 刻骨铭心to be engraved on one’s heart and bones 井底之蛙to be like a frog at the bottom of a well 调虎离山to lure the tiger from the mountain 口蜜腹剑to be honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted 2. 意译法
1）There is a skeleton in the cupboard.家家有本难念的经。
(the family skeleton / the skeleton in the cupboard家丑) 2）The die is cast.木已成舟。
3）Experience must be bought.吃一堑，长一智。 5）Let the cat out of the bag.泄漏天机。 6）Put the cart before the horse.本末倒置。
7）The eye is bigger than the belly.贪多嚼不烂。
8）When Greek meets Greek , then comes the tug of war. 两雄相争,其斗必烈。/飞杀岳飞，杀得满天飞
9）get the sack（To be dismissed from a job，to be told to leave your job）解雇
① He got the sack when they found out that he'd lied about his qualifications. ② After only 2 weeks she was given the sack for being rude to a customer.
take a French leave不辞而别 break the ice打破僵局（沉默、拘束） drive pig to the market 鼾声如雷 under the rose，秘密地、私下地
baker’s dozen一打零一、十三 keep one’s nose down to the grindstone埋头苦干 1) 他把老的话一五一十告诉了邓秀梅。
He recounted everything Lao Xie had said in detail to Deng Xiumei. 2) 你要有个三长两短，我也不想活了.
If anything should happen to you, I don’t want to live.
3) 木已成舟，也只好如此了。What’s done is done, and can’t be undone. 4)“你真是不到黄河心不死”,她低声说,无可奈何地摇摇头。(《寒夜》)
“You really do refuse to give until all hope is gone. ”She murmured , shaking her head
helplessly
6) 我对他简直佩服得五体投地。I simply admire him from the bottom of my heart. 7）你这人真是“狗嘴里长不出象牙”。
A filthy mouth cannot utter decent language. You are really such a person. 8）他初出茅庐，没有什么经验。He is a green hand.
9) 祸兮福所依，福兮祸所伏fortune or misfortune may lead to the opposite
（直译：misfortunes may promise fortunes while fortunes may promise misfortunes） 两袖清风to remain uncorrupted
望子成龙 --- to expect one's son to become a great personage
3. 借译（套译）法：套用目的语现成的成语、谚语、熟语（归化译法）
1) Every potter praises his pot.王婆卖瓜，自卖自夸。 9) hold a wolf by the ears骑虎难下 2) After praising the wine they sell us vinegar.挂羊头卖狗肉 10) hang by a hair千钧一发 3) to cast pearls before swine对牛弹琴/明珠投暗11）kill two birds with one stone一箭双雕 4）kill the goose that lays the eggs沙鸡取卵/竭泽而渔12）show the cloven hoof露出马脚 5）Six of one and half a dozen of the other半斤八两 13）ay sixes and sevens乱七八糟、
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6）Time tries all.路遥知马力，日久见人心。 14）to laugh off one’s head笑掉大牙 7）It is easy to be wise after the event.事后诸亮好当。 8）The pot calls the kettle black.五十步笑百步。
15）Rome is not built in a day.冰冻三尺，非一日之寒。
16）Too much knowledge makes the head bald.学问太多催人老/聪明的头脑不长毛。 17）Two is company but three is none.一个和尚挑水喝，两个和尚没水喝。 18）You cannot eat your cake and have it.鱼与熊掌，不可得兼。
19）Be just to all, but trust not all.害人之心不可有，防人之心不可无。 20）Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.初生牛犊不怕虎。 21）我没有想到他对同志们的批评竟充耳不闻。
I didn’t expect him to turn a deaf ear to the comrade’s criticism. 22) 又要马儿好，又要马儿不吃草. You can’t eat your cake and have it! 23) 难怪他数学那么好，他父母都是大学教授。“龙生龙，凤生凤，老鼠生儿打地洞”嘛！
No wonder he is good at maths---his parents are professors of maths. “Like father, like son.” indeed. 24) 酒后吐真言Truth lies at the bottom of a decanter./ In wine there is truth.Wine in, truth out.（三杯
下肚，真话出口 。 ）
25) 遗憾的是我们的呼吁如石沉大海。It is regrettable that our appeal remained a dead letter.。 26) 三思而后行。Look before you leap.(直译：Think twice and then do it.)
44) 吃一堑，长一智 a fall in pit, a gain in wit; experience teaches/ Experience must be bought. 27) 不入虎穴，焉得虎子Nothing venture, nothing have.
28) 有眼不识泰山Entertain an angel unawares. 良机勿失。Make hay while the sun shines.
贪多嚼不烂。The eye is bigger than the belly. 如坐针毡 like a fish out of water 过河拆桥kick down the ladder 水中捞月to fish in the air 不辞而别take a French leave 洗心革面turn over a new leaf
小题大做make a mountain out of a molehill 赴汤蹈火go through fire and water 木已成舟。The die is cast. （直译：What’s done is done.） 鼾声如雷drive pig to the market
① I heard you driving your pigs to market last night
② “The whole house shook when you drove your pigs to market,” Mrs. Leung said to her husband. “你打鼾时，整座房子都在晃动。”梁太太对丈夫说。 洗耳恭听all ears
① Go ahead and explain, I’m all ears.=Go ahead and explain, I am fully listening.你解释吧，我洗耳恭听。
乳臭未干be wet behind the ear没有经验的；无知的
① Forgive her, she’s still wet behind the ears! 原谅她吧，她毕竟还不成熟老练。
左右为难/进退维谷/骑虎难下/进退两难/无所适从/莫衷一是/腹背受敌between the devil and deep sea/between two fires/between Scylla and Charybdis /hold a wolf by the ear/with one’s back to the wall/stick in the mud
4. 增补法：
A. 直译加解释 :
1）a bull in a china shop公牛闯进瓷器店──肆意捣乱/一动就闯祸 2）to shed crocodile tears流鳄鱼眼泪──假慈悲
3) The best fish swim (are) near the bottom. 好鱼居水底--有价值的东西不能轻易得到。 4）Fish begins to stink at the end.鱼要腐烂头先烂--上梁不正下梁歪。
5）拔苗助长try to help the shoots grow by pulling them upward—spoil things by excessive enthusiasm
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