英语谚语研究
1.英语动物谚语研究性学习
“纸老虎”,译成 paper tiger. “狐假虎威”,译为 the tiger behind the fox. 还有:“一燕不成夏”,译成:One swallow does not make a summer. 这句话的意思相当于 It is unwise to form a judgment on the basis of a single instance. 英译后,既保留了原谚语的本意,又恰当地传达了寓意(做事或判断不能太片面),外国人看后也能理解和接受。
不宜用直译的谚语,可采用意译或加注的方法。如:“牵马河边易,逼它引水难”,译成:You may take a horse to the water, but you can't make it drink. 这句谚语在翻译时采用了直译加意译的手法,意思相当于 Good suggestions can be made but people cannot be forced to do what they don't want to. “驴子扇耳朵”,译成 All asses wag their ears, 意思相当于 sb. who is ignorant pretends to know much. 即无知装聪明。更多的实例如下:
⑴ 浑水摸鱼:to fish in troubled waters
⑵ 吠犬不咬人:Barking dogs do not bite.
⑶ 好鱼居深渊:The best fish swim near bottom.
⑷ 一石二鸟(一箭双雕):To kill tow birds with one stone.
⑸ 骑虎难下:To ride the tiger.
⑹ 披着羊皮的狼:A wolf in sheep's clothing.
⑺ 掉鳄鱼泪:To shed crocodile tears.
⑻ 纸老虎:Paper tiger
⑼ 驴子扇耳朵,无知装聪明:All asses wag their ears
⑽ 同时追两兔,全都抓不住:If you run after two hares, you will catch neither.
比如:“掉鳄鱼泪”,译成:To shed crocodile tears. 为了更确切地表达原意,可采用加注的方法,掉鳄鱼泪即假慈悲,类似的说法还有“猫哭耗子-假慈悲”,英文相当于 sb. pretend to be sad about sth, but they are not really sad at all.。
⑴ 初生牛犊不怕虎:Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
⑵ 狗嘴吐不出象牙:A filthy mouth can't utter decent language.
⑶ 心猿意马:To have a head like a sieve
⑷ 鸦雀无声:Be utterly quiet (or: dead silence)
⑸ 不入虎穴,焉得虎子:Nothing venture, nothing have.
⑹ 鸡飞蛋打:Fall between two tools
⑺ 塞翁失马,安知非福?A loss many turn out to be a gain.
⑻ 黔驴技穷:A fool's bolt is soon shot.
⑼ 呆若木鸡:Clutch up
⑽ 守株待兔:Waiting for gains without pains.
谚语中动物词汇遗漏指汉语的谚语中有动物词汇,但是由于文化内涵不同,人的思维方式有差异,因此这些谚语在译成英语后,为保留其英语谚语的特色,动物词汇消失,相对应的英语谚语中不再有动物词汇。这些谚语大致涵义相同,各有其别致新颖之处,各自反映了自己文化的特色。
2.求一篇研究性学习论文
英语谚语(研究性学习论文) A:Hi,B. There you. My dogs are barking. I want to tell you a good news. B: Is it that we will point the town red? A: Yes, I would have told you of blue. We know you have green fingers, so we want you to look after some flowers. B: It's a piece of cake. I will face the music. 这一简短的对话,对于一个英语不大熟悉的人来说,恐怕就不那么容易理解了。
因为这其中包含了七八个谚语,如:My dogs are barking.(我的脚走得都痛了);point the town red(狂欢);out of blue(出其不意);a piece of cake(小菜一碟);face the music(负责任)等。 英语谚语的起源,十分简单,一是来自平凡人民,二是来自名人。
民间的大抵通俗的、有调侃的、风趣的话,如“He is the life of the party.”(他是聚会的灵魂人物);“Travel broadens the mind.”(旅行可增长见闻。注:讽刺守财奴);“You are what you eat.”(吃什么像什么);“Hired、tired and fired.”(被录用,劳碌工作而后被吵鱿鱼)。
然而,有更多的俚语、习语却不易懂,如:“Beauty lies in the lovers' eyes.”(情人眼里出西施);“A new brown sweeps clean.”(新官上任三把火);“Fast and loose;off and on.”(三天打鱼,两天晒网);“It's lonely at the top.”(高处不胜寒);“A dog is the manger.”(占着茅坑不拉屎)等。名人的警句,反因为多是鞭策或表达某种观点而显得一目了然,如:“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it's not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.”(命运不是机会,而是一种选择;命运不能靠等待,只能靠争取);“To a crazy ship all winds are contrary.”(对于一艘盲目航行的船来说,所有方向的风都是逆风);“By ignorance we mistakes, and by mistakes we learn.”(由于无知我们犯错误,由于犯错误我们长见识);“You can not lose what you never had.”(你不曾有过的东西,你不可能失去);“Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.”(办不成大事不在于体力,而在于毅力)等。
到底英语谚语有何用处,最现实的无非是对高考有益。因此,我们平时就必须注重积累,用句话来说就是If a window of opportunity appears, don't pull down the shade(假如机遇窗出现,切勿拉上窗帘),更重要的切勿It goes in one ear and out the other(左耳进,右耳出)。
如上课时老师说过的“You are a luck dog!”(你是一个幸运的家伙);“I am counting on you.”(我就指望你了);“Good question.”(问得好);“You hit the bull's eye.”(没错,就是这样);“Don't beat around the bush.”(你到底要说什么)等我们就可以记下来。试题中的谚语也必须注意,如:“You can't have your cake and eat it too.”(鱼和熊掌,不可兼得);“Don't let it get you down.”(不要担心);“Better than nothing.”(别人家的草总是绿些);“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”(冬天来了,春天还会远吗?)等。
再说当今社会是人才竞争的社会,随着中国加入WTO,英语在我国就显示出了它的重要性,而英语谚语作为英语的重要组成成分,就显得尤为重要。毕竟说一口地道的英语,可以增加亲切感,当你祝朋友一路顺风时别忘了溜一句“It was smooth all the way.” 大多数英语都反映了人们的观点,如:“All things are difficult before they are easy.”(万事开头难);“Action speaks louder than words.”(事实胜于雄辩);“In unity there is strength.”(团结就是力量);“He that is ill to himself will be good to nobody.”(不能自爱焉能爱人);“Time and tide wait for no man.”(岁月不饶人)等。
其中有些英语谚语具有一定的警告性,我们可以拿来当作座右铭以鞭策自己,如:“If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron rod into a needle.”(只要功夫深,铁杵磨成针);“Opportunity knocks (at the door),but once.”(机不可失,时不再来);“Pride goes before a fall.”(骄兵必败);“Circumstances are the rulers of the weeks, instruments of the wise.”(弱者困于环境,智者利用环境);“Confidence in yourself is the first step on the road to success.”(自信是跨上成功的第一步)等。 通过学习英语谚语我们可以更好地了解一些欧美文化,而倘若你对英语谚语一无所知的话,便会闹出许多笑话。
曾经有一位中国女大学生到美国去打工,有一回她有事找经理请假,经理听完后说:“Let me sleep on it.”这位女大学生误以为是经理在羞辱她。其实,这句话的意思是:“让我考虑一下!”还有,假如现在我对你说:“Can you scratch my back!”你可能会误以为我是在叫你为我搔背,其实这句话的意思是:“你可以帮我一下忙吗?”更糗的是,倘若你正在给一个人讲一件繁琐冗长的事时,对方问你:“What's the beef?”(重点在哪儿?),而你却以为他是在问你“牛肉是什么”,那时你会恨不得挖个洞钻进去。
还有当别人对你说:“You are really something else!”(你真是百里挑一),。
3.有关英语谚语翻译的论文或资料
(英语系毕业论文)英文谚语的文化场景在中译文中的缺失与弥合
摘 要
本文从谚语文化角度着手,分析谚语中的文化因素,以及英汉谚语中的文化差异,尝试研究在谚语的英汉翻译过程中发生文化缺失时如何弥合。最终通过意译手段实现英语谚语的可译性,从而顺利完成跨文化交际活动,实现国际间的文化交流与传播。
关键词 谚语文化; 文化缺失; 意译; 翻译补偿
Contents
Abstract Ⅰ
Keywords Ⅰ
摘要 Ⅱ
关键词 Ⅱ
Introduction 1
I. The Brief Introducton to Proverb 3
II. Proverb Culture 5
A.Cultural Factors in Proverb 5
B.The Different Cultures Between English and Chinese Proverb. 5
1.Custom 5
2.Religious Belief 6
3.Different Living Conditions. 8
III. English Proverb Translation 9
A.Attentions in English to Chinese Translation 9
1.Misinterpretation of English Proverb 9
2.The National Feature 10
3.The Art of Language 10
B.Transliberation 11
C.Translation Compensation 12
Conclusion 14
Acknowledgements 15
Bibliography 16
4.浅谈英语谚语的文化价值
语言是文化的表现形式。谚语同文学作品、诗歌一样是语言的精华。英语谚语是富于色彩的语言形式,一般具有生动形象、喻义明显、富于哲理的语言特征。在一定程度上,英语谚语反映了英语民族的文化特点。因此,翻译英语谚语时,仅仅以语言之间词汇的同义性(等价性)为前提,寻求对等的表现是不够的。译者须较多运用汉语的表现手段,力求能再现英语谚语的语言风格和丰富内涵。只有多注意英语谚语字面以外所特有的语言内涵色彩,才能使译文讽喻得当,宜于说理,又不失原来谚语所具有的语言形象。
某些英语谚语和汉语成语、俗语在表现形式和含义方面是一致的或基本一致的。汉译这些英语时,可惜用与其喻义相同或相近的成语或谚语及俗语直接对译。这样不但可以比较好地保持原文的神韵和形式,又使译文易于为读者或听者接受。
