常見中文俗語諺語英譯技巧大綱

1. 人山人海：在詩詞用語（poetic expression）裏，英美人也有使用：“a (the) sea of faces”，頗有咱的“人山人海”的味道。例如：Looking out upon the sea of faces, Mr. A delivered a touching speech.（望着一片人山人海的聽衆，A先生髮表一篇動人的演說。）Standing at his podium, President Clinton saw a sea of faces waving at him.（克林頓總統站在講臺上看到人山人海的.人羣揮手向他致意。）。可見，說話者通常要在臺上或高處，纔有“人海”的感覺。因此，可以說：“I saw a sea of faces from the top of the building. ”但在平地的人羣中，就不說：“I saw the sea of faces.” 也不說：“There is a sea of faces.”只說：“I saw a large crowd of people.”

2、家家有本難唸的經：有人譯成：“Every family cooking-pot has a black spot.”（意思是：每個家庭的鍋子都有黑色的污點。）這樣說法，英美人恐怕不能充分了解。不過英美人最常見的說法是：“Many families have skeletons in the closet.（許多家庭的衣櫃裏都有骨骸，骨骸就是指家醜。）”；或者說：“Every family has its own source of shame.（每個家庭都有自己的醜事）”；說白些，就是：“Every family has its own problem.”

3、天下無不散的宴席：有人直譯爲：“There are no feasts in the world which do not break up at last.” 英美人聽後，也許很難體會其中意義。如果按照美語說法，也許更易理解：“All good things come to an end.（意思是：所有好的事情，總有結束的一天。）”；假如是指好友最後也有分別的一天，那麼可以說：“Eventually, all bosom friends will drift apart.（bosom friend是指知心的好友）”

4、平時不燒香，臨時抱佛腳：有人照字面意思直譯爲：“When times are easy, we do not burn the incense, but when the trouble comes, we embrace the feet of the Buddha.”這種說法，英美人也會一知半解。美語裏一般說法是：“Worship God every day; not just in times of adversity.（要每天敬拜神，不是隻在困難時。）”；對學生也可以說：“If you study hard every day, exams will not seem overwhelming.（如果你每天用功，考試就不會形成壓力。）”

5、掛羊頭，賣狗肉：有人照字直譯爲：“He advertises mutton, but sells dog’s flesh.”或“He hangs up a sheep’s head at the shop front and sells dog meat.”這兩種譯法，恐怕英美人都難理解，尤其談到“狗肉”，他們更會反感，因爲狗是他們最愛的寵物，不過英美人倒有相近的說法：“He applied bait-and-switch tactics in business.（他經商的策略是先引誘顧客來，再改變貨物的品質。

）”，“Bait-and-switch”當名詞用，也可不用連字號“This store uses bait and switch policy.” 或者簡單的說：“Let the buyer be aware!（讓消費者提高警覺）”或“Say one thing and do another.”

6、一言既出，駟馬難追：有人譯成：“One word lets slip and four horses will fail to catch it. 或 A statement that once let loose cannot be caught by four galloping horses.”這兩種說法，中文味道嫌重，英美人未必理解。不過他們倒有類似的說法：“A word once let go cannot be recalled.”或者說：“You cannot take back what you have said.（你說出的話，就不能再收回來。）”

7、禍從口出，言多必失：有人譯爲：“The mouth is the gate of misfortune and evil.”英美人聽了，恐怕不能完全理解。最好說成：“Careless talk leads to trouble.（不小心說話，會帶來麻煩）或“The less said the better.（說的愈少愈好）”甚至也可以說：“Shut the mouth and open the eyes.（閉嘴少說，張眼多看。）”