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中文有成语和俗语
英文有谚语
当中文的成语和俗语
被翻译成英文时
会擦出怎样的火花呢？
What happens when Chinese idioms are translated into English?
01
有些中国成语
有现成的英文谚语来对应
There are some Chinese idioms similar to the ready-made English proverbs.
比如
Such as
爱屋及乌= Love me,love my dog.
倾盆大雨= rain cats and dogs
02
而有些成语/俗语
需要自行翻译
由此也引申出
许多笑点和槽点
一起来看看吧
Some Chinese idioms need to be translated, let"s learn these idioms!
拆东墙补西墙
意思是拆倒东边的墙
以修补西边的墙
比喻临时勉强应付
在英语中
它被翻译成
Rob Peter to pay Paul
Taking down the east wall to mend the western wall is translated into English as Rob Peter to pay Paul.
看上去高大上
直译过来就是
抢劫Peter，付给Pual
颇有一种
borrow money from Alipay to pay Wechat-Pay
的尴尬
说曹操，曹操到
曹操
东汉末年杰出的
政治家、军事家、文学家
Cao cao, an outstanding politician, strategist, litterateur in the late eastern han dynasty.
说曹操，曹操到
形容对方出其不意的
出现在说话者面前
常常给人惊喜
There is a Chinese idiom: speak of Cao cao and Cao cao comes.
这句话的英文是
Speak of the devil and he"s sure to appear.
提到魔鬼，魔鬼就出现了
The English translation is “Speak of the devil and he"s sure to appear.”
所以
曹操 = 魔鬼？
So, Cao cao = devil?
赔了夫人又折兵
英文翻译是
Lose the bait along with the fish
bait是鱼饵
fish是鱼
直译过来就是
「赔了鱼饵又折鱼」
跟中文形成了绝妙的对应
“Lose your wife and lose your soldiers” is translated as “Lose the bait along with the fish”
有情人终成眷属
「有情人终成眷属」的英译
「Jack shall have Jill , all shall be well.」
Jack将拥有Jill, 一切都会好
“The lovers finally got married” is translated as “Jack shall have Jill , all shall be well”
03
有很多成语/俗语
有特定的典故和修辞
是没法翻译的
我们只能翻出它的引申义
因此在英文中
便失去了中文的文学性
There are many idioms with certain allusions and tropes that cannot be translated, when they are translated, they usually lost the literariness of Chinese.
世外桃源
被翻译成
A retreat away from the turmoil of the world
直译过来是
「一个远离混乱世界的隐居处」
Xanadu is translated into “A retreat from the chaos of the world”
但《桃花源记》中
那个落英缤纷
鸡犬相闻的桃花源
就难以被外国人了解了
It is difficult to be understood by foreigners about sweet smelling peach blossoms in Xanadu.
破釜沉舟
被翻译成
Cut off all means of retreat
直译是「切断所有撤退的方法」
而项羽凿沉船只、打破饭锅
以示决一死战的事件
则没法翻译进去
"Cut off all means of retreat”can"t tell the story that Xiang Yu chipped away at shipwrecks and broke rice cookers.
04
汉语的寥寥数字
在英文中可能需要
很多单词来解释
A few words in Chinese may be required lots of words to explain in English.
大事化小，小事化无
被翻译成
Try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all
心照不宣
被翻译成
Thoroughly understand each other, without having exchanged a word of explanation.
这么一对比
中文真的
简洁很多了
With comparision, Chinese is much easier.
你见过哪些特别的翻译？
What funny translation have you seen?
本文如果对你有帮助，请点赞收藏《中文谚语的奇葩翻译 How to say these Chinese idioms in English?》，同时在此感谢原作者。
