荷花叶子发黑枯萎:数字习语翻译

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数字习语翻译之我见作者:顾 磊    文章来源:网络    点击数:565    更新时间:2008-5-17         唐代诗人张志和曾写过一首十个一的描写江景的数字诗: 
  一蓑一笠一扁舟,一丈长竿一钓钩 
  一拍一歌又一笑,一身独占一江笑 
  此例中数字如何翻译,对我们来说可能比较棘手,尤其汉语一些习语中经常含有的数字,怎么翻译,怎样做到既形似又神似,很值得探讨,数词在汉语习语中占有相当的行量。下面就一些常用数词的汉英习语作一比较。 
  习语中的数词有些具有实质意义,如“一箭双雕”中的数词量词“一”、“双”都是实指其数,是实义。有些则是虚指,如“五”和“十”是虚义,并不是指五种光和十种颜色,“五”和“十”表示多的概念。而有些原义就不表示数量之多少,如“张三李四”、“五大三粗”,此类习语中的数词也属虚义。相对而言,汉语习语中为数的虚义现象较英语中的同类情况多,特别是最后一种现象。 
   
  二、完全对应:指的是汉英两种习语中的数字完全吻合,一对一,二对二。 
   
  1.Boy is a boy,two birds with one stone.(一石二鸟) 
  2.An oak is not falled at one chop.(一刀砍不倒一棵树,一锹挖不成一口井。) 
  3.Have two strings to one’s bow.(一弓应备二弦)作好两手准备。 
  4.Between two stools one falls.(脚踏两只凳会跌倒)脚踏两只船,早晚会落水。 
  5.Every march of a thousand miles begins with one step.千里之行,始于足下。 
  6.Fifteen buckets being hurriedly lawered into a well for water —Eight going down while seven were coming up.十五个吊桶打水,七上八下。 
  7.The friendship will last for 10000 years and still be forever green.友谊万古长青。 
  8.A fall into a pit,again in your wit.吃一堑,长一智。 
  9.Let a hundred flowers bloom,a hundred schools contend.百花齐放,百家争鸣 
   
  三、部分对应:此类汉英习语中都包含有数词,但数字并不吻合或不完全吻合。如: 
   
  1.Two heads are better than one.三个臭皮匠胜过一个诸葛亮。(一脑难敌二人。) 
  2.It is a poor mouse that has only one hole.狡兔三窟(再差劲的老鼠也不止一个窝。) 
  3.As like as two peas in a pod.(像一条豆荚里的两颗豌豆一样)一模一样 
  4.It takes two and sevens.乱七八糟,七上八下。 
  5.In two minds三心二意 
  6.Sweet seventeen(甜蜜的十七岁)二八年华 
  7.The first step being taken,the rest is easy.(迈出第一步以后就顺当)万事开头难。 
  8.Six of one and half a dozen of the other.(六和半打)半斤八两 
  9.Twenty ti one十有八九 
  10.By ones or twos三三两两 
  11.In two twos立即,转眼间 
   
  四、不对应:就习语里的数字来说,有时英有汉无,有时汉有英无,以下习语则小、属于这类情况。如: 
   
  1.新官上任三把火。A new broom sweeps clean.(新扫帚扫得干净) 
  2.五十步笑百步。The pot calls the kettle black.(锅嫌壶黑) 
  3.小洞不补,大洞叫苦。A stitch in time saves nine.(一针不补,十针难缝)。 
  4.鹬蚌相争,渔翁得利。Two dogs strive for a bone and the third runs away with.(两只狗争一根骨头,结果却被第三只狗叼了去)。 
  5.一朝被蛇咬,十年怕草绳。A burnt child dreads the fire.(烧伤的小孩见火就怕) 
  6.不经一事,不长一智。You can’t gain knowdge without practice wisdom comes from experience. 
  7.竹篮打水一场空。Draw water in a bamboo basket. 
  8.刘雨生回到乡政府,把老谢的话,一五一十,告诉了邓秀梅和李月辉(周力波《山乡巨变》)。 
  When Liu Yusheng got back to the wenship government,told everything LaoXie had said in detail to Deng Xiumei and Li Yue hui. 
  9.一不怕苦,二不怕死。Fearing neither hardship nor death. 
  10.一瓶子不响,半瓶子晃荡。Empty vessels make the most noise. 
  11.宝蟾心里也知十之八九了,也就半推半就(《红楼梦》)。Well awared of what he wanted,she only made a show of resisting. 
  这里十之八九译为“well awared of what he wanted” 
  半推半就译为“Only made a show of resisting” 
  12.习语“丢三落四”翻译为We’ve forgotten this and the other. 
  13.在田径运动中 
  Decathlon代表(男子)十项全能 
  Pentathlon代表(女子)五项全能 
  Heptathlon代表(女子)七项全能 
   
  五、汉有英无 
   
  1.颠三倒四incoherent,disorderly.(不连贯,乱七八糟) 
  2.五体投地Admire sb from the bottom of one’s heart.(从心底钦佩某人) 
  3.举一反三Draw inferences from one example.(从一个例子得出推论) 
  4.费九牛二虎之力Spend an immense amount of energy. 
  5.一言难尽Be a long story.(是个长故事) 
  6.双鸟在林不如一鸟在手。A bird in the hand is worth than two in the bush. 
  7.三人知,天下知。When three know it,all know it.(要想保守秘密,决不能让第三个人知道) 
  8.猫有九命A cat has nine lives. 
  9.朝三暮四Blow hot and cold. 
  10.随后我睡着了,直到日高三丈方才醒来。And then I fell asleep and only woke at broad way. 
  这里at broad way翻译为“日高三丈” 
  11.As well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb.一不做,二不休 
  12.By the skin of one’s teeth人死一生,幸免于难 
  13.Like a chicken with its head cut off.四处碰壁 
  14.Tweedledee and tweedledom半斤八两 
  15.Birds of a feather一丘之貉 
  16.As poor as the church mouse一贫如洗 
  总之,英汉数字习语浩如烟海,内涵极其深广,中西文化传统生活习俗,价值观念千差万别,因此,了解习语中的数字的实指意义与虚指意义对于正确理解和掌握英汉数字习语至关重要。 
   
  参考文献: 
  [1]毛荣贵.译谐译趣.中国对外翻译出版公司,2005. 
  [2]喻云根,吕瑞昌.汉英翻译教程.陕西人民出版社,1983. 
  [3]郭著章.英汉互译实用教程.武汉大学出版社,2003. 
  [4]张培基.英汉翻译教程.上海外语教育出版社,1980. 
  [5]朱原.朗文当代高级英语词典.商务印书馆,1998.  http://www.ryedu.net/syy/yywh/200805/7301.html
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