一、人生哲理与处世智慧
这类成语富含生活智慧,翻译时需抓住其核心寓意。
塞翁失马,焉知非福:A loss may turn out to be a gain. / Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise. (意译,完美传达了“坏事变好事”的哲学。)
愚公移山:The Foolish Old Man who removed the mountains. (直译,故事性强,常用来比喻 "Where there is a will, there is a way." 的毅力。)
守株待兔:Wait for gains without pains. / To trust to chance and windfalls. (意译,批评不劳而获的心态。)
画蛇添足:To gild the lily. (借用英语谚语,表示多此一举,弄巧成拙。)
对牛弹琴:Cast pearls before swine. (借用英语谚语,意为“对不懂的人说理”。)
入乡随俗:When in Rome, do as the Romans do. (完全对应的英语谚语。)
未雨绸缪:Save for a rainy day. (对应的英语习语。)
熟能生巧:Practice makes perfect. (对应的英语谚语。)
水滴石穿:Constant dripping wears away the stone. (直译,寓意也被英语文化理解。)
知足常乐:Content is happiness. / A contented mind is a perpetual feast. (意译。)
欲速则不达:More haste, less speed. (对应的英语谚语。)
眼见为实:Seeing is believing. (对应的英语谚语。)
入木三分:With keen insight. (意译,形容分析深刻。)
自力更生:Regeneration through one's own efforts. / Self-reliance. (直译意译结合。)
实事求是:Seek truth from facts. (直译,已成为政治术语。)
与时俱进:Advance with the times. (直译。)
百闻不如一见:It is better to see once than to hear a hundred times. (直译,意思清晰。)
物极必反:Things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme. (意译。)
否极泰来:After a storm comes a calm. (用英语谚语表达“苦尽甘来”。)
乐极生悲:Extreme joy begets sorrow. (直译。)
二、勤奋、成功与坚持
这类成语激励行动,翻译需传达出积极向上的力量。
勤能补拙:Diligence is the means by which one makes up for one's dullness. (意译。)
笨鸟先飞:A slow sparrow should make an early start. (直译,形象易懂。)
全力以赴:Go all out. (对应的英语习语。)
不屈不挠:Unyielding. / Indomitable. (用形容词意译。)
持之以恒:Persevere. / Keep on. (动词意译。)
有志者事竟成:Where there is a will, there is a way. (对应的英语谚语。)
精益求精:Constantly improve. / Strive for perfection. (意译。)
脚踏实地:Be down-to-earth. (直译,已被英语吸收。)
兢兢业业:Cautious and conscientious. (意译。)
自力更生:Self-reliance. (名词意译。)
白手起家:Start from scratch. (对应的英语习语。)
废寝忘食:Forget food and sleep. (直译,意思明确。)
分秒必争:Every second counts. (对应的英语表达。)
孤注一掷:Put all one's eggs in one basket. (对应的英语习语。)
破釜沉舟:Burn one's boats. (对应的英语习语,源于罗马历史。)
锲而不舍:Work with perseverance. (意译。)
水滴石穿:Constant effort brings success. (意译。)
夜以继日:Day and night. (直译。)
再接再厉:Make persistent efforts. (意译。)
自力更生:Pull oneself up by one's bootstraps. (用英语习语表达“靠自己成功”。)
三、负面行为与警示
这类成语多含批评或警示,翻译需准确传达其贬义。
自相矛盾:Self-contradictory. (直译。)
掩耳盗铃:Bury one's head in the sand. (借用英语习语,意为“自欺欺人”。)
滥竽充数:Pass oneself off as one of the players in an ensemble. (意译典故,指“浑水摸鱼”。)
狐假虎威:The fox borrows the tiger's fierceness. (直译,寓意清晰。)
井底之蛙:A frog in a well. (直译,也指一个人眼光狭隘,a person with a very limited outlook。)
揠苗助长:Haste makes waste. (用英语谚语表达“急于求成反而坏事”。)
纸上谈兵:Be an armchair strategist. (用英语中的“armchair”表达“空谈”。)
杞人忧天:Entertain imaginary or groundless fears. (意译。)
囫囵吞枣:Skin deep understanding. (意译,指理解肤浅。)
班门弄斧:Show off one's skill with the axe before Lu Ban the master carpenter. (直译加解释。)/ Teach fish to swim. (用英语习语表达“在行家面前卖弄”。)
雪上加霜:Add frost to snow. (直译,意思明了。)/ Misfortunes never come singly. (用英语谚语“祸不单行”。)
得不偿失:The loss outweighs the gain. (意译。)
口是心非:Say yes and mean no. (意译。)
阳奉阴违:Overtly agree but covertly oppose. (意译。)
落井下石:Hit a person when he is down. (对应的英语习语。)
同流合污:Wallow in the mire with sb. (意译。)
无所事事:Twiddle one's thumbs. (用英语习语表达“无所事事”。)
怨天尤人:Blame everyone and everything but oneself. (意译。)
因小失大:Penny wise, pound foolish. (对应的英语谚语。)
坐吃山空:Sit idle and eat, and in time your whole fortune will be used up. (意译。)
四、神态、情绪与状态
这类成语描绘生动,翻译需找到同样形象的英文表达。
兴高采烈:In high spirits. (对应的英语习语。)
垂头丧气:Down in the dumps. (对应的英语习语。)
目瞪口呆:Stunned. / Dumbstruck. (形容词意译。)
胆战心惊:Tremble with fear. (意译。)
心花怒放:Be wild with joy. (意译。)
忧心忡忡:Heavy-hearted. (形容词意译。)
聚精会神:Concentrate one's attention. (意译。)
全神贯注:Be absorbed in. (意译。)
不知所措:At a loss. (对应的英语习语。)
得意忘形:Get swollen-headed. (意译。)
哄堂大笑:Set the room in a roar. (意译。)
热泪盈眶:Tears welling up in one's eyes. (直译。)
心平气和:Even-tempered and good-humored. (意译。)
大惊小怪:Make a fuss. (对应的英语习语。)
不耐烦:Impatient. (直接对应。)
从容不迫:Go easy. (意译。)
晕头转向:Confused and disoriented. (意译。)
沾沾自喜:Smug. / Self-satisfied. (形容词意译。)
雄心勃勃:Ambitious. (直接对应。)
精疲力尽:Exhausted. / Worn out. (直接对应。)
五、自然、事物与比喻
这类成语借物喻理,翻译时可酌情保留形象或直接说明事理。
一帆风顺:Plain sailing. (对应的英语习语。)
风雨无阻:Regardless of the weather. (意译。)
星罗棋布:Scattered all over like stars in the sky or pieces on a chessboard. (直译加解释。)
根深蒂固:Deep-rooted. (直译,已被英语吸收。)
海市蜃楼:Mirage. (直接对应。)
空中楼阁:Castles in the air. (对应的英语习语。)
枯木逢春:A new lease of life. (用英语习语表达“重获生机”。)
火上浇油:Add fuel to the flames. (对应的英语习语。)
雪中送炭:Offer fuel in snowy weather. (直译,寓意清晰。)/ Timely assistance. (意译。)
对牛弹琴:Play the lute to a cow. (直译。)
鹤立鸡群:A crane standing among chickens. (直译,指“才华出众”。)
虎头蛇尾:Fine start and poor finish. (意译。)
狼吞虎咽:Eat like a wolf or a tiger. (直译。)/ Wolf down. (对应的英语动词短语。)
鸡毛蒜皮:Trifles. / Trivial matters. (意译。)
千钧一发:Hang by a thread. (对应的英语习语。)
排山倒海:With the force of an avalanche. (意译。)
开源节流:Open up the source and regulate the flow. (直译,经济术语中意指 "Increase income and reduce expenditure.")
无穷无尽:Endless. / Inexhaustible. (直接对应。)
五花八门:Multifarious. / Of a wide variety. (意译。)
有的放矢:Shoot the arrow at the target. (直译,意为做事有明确目标。)