英汉翻译实训教程Chapter Three- Idiom Translation.ppt

Contents Warm-up Exercises Translate the following sentences into Chinese, and pay attention to the italicized idioms that have been used: 1. The crafty enemy was ready to launch an attack while holding out the olive branch. 2. His father’s as rich as Croesus. He owns several houses in England and also has property in Italy. 3. The young man tried to tell police he had nothing to do with the theft, but when they looked in the trunk of his car he was caught red-handed. 4. Better get a hair cut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You want to put a best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job. 5. What will it be when the increase of yearly production is brought to a complete stop? Here is the vulnerable place, the heel of Achilles, for capitalistic production. Listen to Doctor Translator 1. The crafty enemy was ready to launch an attack while holding out the olive branch. [译文]:狡猾的敌人，一边伸出橄榄枝，表示愿意讲和；一边准备发动新的攻击。 [点评]：英语许多习语含有比喻或象征意义，汉译时一般要直译后加解释。西方人用 “olive branch”来象征和平。为明确“holding out the olive branch”的意思，还可 以加上“表示愿意讲和”的释义 。 2. His father’s as rich as Croesus. He owns several houses in England and also has property in Italy. [译文]：他的父亲是个大财主。他在英国有几幢房子，在意大利还有财产。 [点评]：Croesus 是公元6世纪小亚细亚吕底亚国最后一位国王，以富有闻名。若直 译为“像科里瑟斯一样富有”，会让读者费解，因为中国读者多不知此公是何许也； 而加注释又多费笔墨，况此处也是意重于典，因此，译为“十分富有”即可。 Listen to Doctor Translator 3. The young man tried to tell police he had nothing to do with the theft, but when they looked in the trunk of his car he was caught red-handed. [译文]：那个年轻人对警察说他与这宗盗窃案无关，但警察看了他的汽车行李箱， 将其人赃并获。 [点评]：“caught red-handed ”原指手上沾满鲜血的杀人犯被逮个现行。在例句中 译为“人赃并获”，也指犯有任何罪行者当场被捉。 4. Better get a hair cut before you go to that job interview tomorrow. You want to put a best foot forward because there are twenty other people after the same job. [译文]：你明天去那个公司面试前最好去理下发，你得给他们留一个好印象，因为 有20多个人都在争夺这个工作。 [点评]：“put your best foot forward” 原指全力以赴，表现出最佳的一面；在此 例中译为“给某人一个好印象。” Listen to Doctor Translator 5. What will it be when the inc