三、习语的译法
习语是人们长期沿袭使用的定型词组或短句。习语一般具有结构严谨、形式简练、含义精辟、形象鲜明、表达生动等特点，因而为人们所喜闻乐用、广泛流传。习语的翻译比较复杂。但是只要我们遵循原文的思想内容，联系上下文和语言结构的整体来进行翻译，避免死译硬译，习语的翻译也没什么难的。现将经常用到的有关汉语习语的几种译法分别介绍如下：
1 直译
直译能够比较完整地保留原习语的比喻形象、民族色彩和语言风格。但直译必须以不引起读者误解和不违背译文表达习惯为前提。例如：
处理人民内部的矛盾，必须坚持和风细雨的方法，坚持“团结—批评—团结”的方法。
译文：It is essential to persist in using methods as mild as a drizzle and as gentle as a breeze，and to adhere to the formula of“unity-criticism-unity”，in dealing with contradictions among the people.
分析：原文中用“和风细雨”形象地说明一项政策，直译成as mild as a drizzle and as gentle as a breeze，形象、喻义与原文相同，读者亦不难理解。
咳！这一来，竹篮子打水一场空了！
译文：Ah！We were drawing water in a bamboo basket.
分析：歇后语“竹篮子打水一场空”的前一部分“竹篮子打水”全照字面直译了，而后一部分“一场空”虽然省略不译，但喻义十分明确，故仍应归入直译法。
2 意译
当直译有困难或勉强译出而英语读者无法理解时一般应采用意译法。意译主要是指在翻译时抓住内容和喻义这一重要方面，结合上下文灵活地传达原意。例如：
她怕碰一鼻子灰，话到了嘴边，她又把它吞了下去。
译文：She was afraid of being snubbed，so she swallowed the words that came to her lips.
分析：“碰一鼻子灰”如直译成英语，外国读者未必能理解其含义，故采用意译法译作being snubbed。
我所热爱的，却是驾车长征，去看天涯海角。（复旦大学2011年真题）
译文：What I really love to do is driving and enjoying a long journey to the jumping-off of the sun.分析：原句中的“天涯海角”比喻的是世界的尽头，保留其喻义，译为the jumping-off of the sun，jumping-off表示尽头，起点。
3 借用英语中的同义习语
英语里有一些习语和汉语的一些习语采用相同或极其相似的形象或比喻，表达相同或极其相似的喻意。如“隔墙有耳”和walls have ears，“一帆风顺”和plain sailing，“煽风点火”和to fan the flame（s），“泼冷水”和to throw cold water on等。遇到类似这种情况，就不妨借用英语中同义习语来译。但在借用英语习语时，必须注意两种习语各自的特点，避免在时间、地点、条件、民族习惯、情感等方面与原文的上下文形成矛盾。现举例如下：
破釜沉舟地跟他们拼，或许还有翻身的那一天！
译文：All you can do is to burn your boats and fight them in the hope that one dayyou'll come out on top.
分析：汉语成语“破釜沉舟”借用英语to burn one’s boats来表达，无论在内容、形式、情感等方面都十分吻合。
只要世界人民同心协力，形成战胜一切挑战的巨大力量，人类文明进步的航船就必将乘风破浪地前进。（武汉大学2011年真题）
译文：So long as the people of the world work in unison and form a strong force to tackle all challenges，mankind with its civilization will continue to march forward against all odds，like a ship braving the winds and the waves.
分析：“乘风破浪”，这里借用英语同义习语brave winds and waves来表达，也很妥帖。
4 直译和意译结合
在采用直译以保留原文比喻形象的同时，又兼用意译，有时略作适当补充，使译文能更加明确地传达原文的含义。例如：
她孤身一人，无亲无故……
译文：But this girl was all by herself and far from home，without a single relative or friend to help her.
分析：“无亲无故”译为without a single relative or friend，同时补充上to help her，点出含义，使全句意义完整。
每日训练
1.采用适当的方式翻译下列无主句。
1）一有问题就去解决，不要等问题成了堆才去作一次总解决。
2）不入虎穴，焉得虎子。
3）我身边的桌子上点着一盏灯，灯旁放着一只小盒子。
4）必须认真地做好建厂以前的准备工作。
5）前面坐着一位老人。
6）不努力便不会成功。
7）突然钻出一只狗，追着她咬，几乎把她吓糊涂了。
8）以其人之道，还治其人之身。
9）留得青山在，不怕没柴烧。
10）屋内悄无一人，只听见钟在滴答滴答地走着。
2.结合所学技巧翻译下列长句。
1）我们恢复和采取这些贸易方式的原因很简单：我们出口商品就是为了满足国外客户消费方面的需要。
2）也许有些人很可恶，有些人很卑鄙（despicable）。而当我设身为他想想的时候，我才知道：他比我还可怜。所以请原谅所有你见过的人，好人或者坏人。
3）当今经济社会转型过程正在引发一个新的管理转型问题。因为传统战略决策的基础与条件已发生了重大变化。
4）中国是个大国，百分之八十的人口从事农业，但耕地只占土地面积的十分之一，其余为山脉、森林、城镇和其他用地。
5）旧历新年快来了。这是一年中的第一件大事。除了那些负债过多的人以外，大家都热烈地欢迎这个佳节的到来。(https://www.daowen.com)
6）如果说宣布收回香港就会像夫人说的“带来灾难性的影响”，那我们要勇敢地面对这个灾难，做出决策。
7）比如军事指导员，他们并不对外发宣言，但是他们要和士兵讲话，要和人民接洽，这不是宣传是什么？
8）一定要言行一致，理论与实践密切结合，反对华而不实和任何虚夸，少说空话，多做工作，扎扎实实，埋头苦干。
9）要充分重视自然科学理论包括现代数学、高能物理、分子生物学等基础理论的研究，忽视这一点就不能掌握和运用世界上先进的科学技术成果，不能很好地解决我们建设中遇到的重大问题。
3.翻译下列各句，注意划线的习语的译法。
1）咱们不能黑影里点灯，只看脚下。
2）他咯咯地笑着说：“这叫画饼充饥！”
3）失败乃成功之母。
4）最重要的，她不是小姐堆里娇生惯养出来的人。
5）人怕出名猪怕壮。
6）送君千里，终有一别。
7）东风压倒西风。
8）夫妻无隔夜之仇。
9）打蛇先打头，擒贼先擒王。
10）他对乡里的情况了如指掌。
参考译文
1.1）Whenever a problem crops up，tackle it right away；don't let problems pile up and then try to settle them all at one go.
2）How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair？
3）On the table beside me a lamp was burning，and near it lay a little box.
4）Before the factory is set up，preparations must be made in real earnest.
5）Ahead sat an old man.
6）One can never succeed without making great efforts.
7）Suddenly a dog appeared from nowhere and began to chase after her，scaring her
almost out of her wits.
8）Deal with a man as he deals with you.Or Pay somebody back in his own coin.
9）As long as the green mountains are there，one need not worry about firewood.Or While there is life，there is hope.
10）No one was in the room；only the ticking of a clock could be heard.
2.1）The reason why we have restored and adopted these trade practices is very simple.Our export commodities are to meet the need of our foreign customers.
2）Some may be wicked，and some may be despicable.Only when I put myself in his position did I know he is more miserable than me.So forgive all that you have met，no matter what kind of persons they are.
3）The process of the economic society transformation is causing a new management transformation problem nowadays，because the foundation and condition of traditional strategies have changed dramatically.
4）China is a large country with four-fifths of the population engaged in agriculture，but only one tenth of the land is farmland，the rest being mountains，forests and places for urban and other uses.
5）The traditional New Year was soon approaching，the first big event of the year，and everyone，except those who owed heavy debts，was enthusiastically looking forward to it.
6）If the announcement of the recovery of Hong Kong would bring about，as Madam put it，“disastrous effects，”we will face up to that disaster and make a new policy.
7）Take the military commanders，for instance.Though they make no public statements they have to talk to the soldiers and have dealings with the people.What is this if not propaganda？
8）Deed and word must match，and theory and practice must be closely integrated.We must reject flashiness without substance and every sort of boasting.There must be less empty talk and more hard work.We must be steadfast and dedicated.
9）Full attention must be paid to theoretical research in the natural sciences，including such basic subjects as modern mathematics，high energy physics and molecular biology.Negligence in this respect will make it impossible for us to master and apply the results of advanced world science and technology and to properly solve important problems in our construction.
3.1）Let's not light a lamp in the dark which shows only our feet.
2）He chuckled and commented “That's called‘drawing a cake to satisfy your hanger’.”
3）Failure is the mother of success.
4）What's most important，she isn't one of those well-born young ladies who've been pampered and spoiled all their lives.
5）Fame is as fatal to man as fattening to pigs.
6）Although you may escort a guest a thousand miles，yet you must be parting at last.
7）The East wind prevails over the West wind.（or：The East wind subdues the West wind.）
8）Enmity between husband and wife doesn't last the night.
9）If you want to kill a snake you must first hit it on the head and if you want to catch a band of robbers you must first catch their leader.
10）He knew everything about the township like the back of his hand.