The Translation of Colloquialisms, Slang and Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings

I. Translation of Colloquialisms 1. A comparison study of the translation of four-character idioms and colloquialisms The translation of the four-character idiom is rather formal while the translation of the colloquialism is translated in the oral way. ① 敲诈勒索（成语） blackmail and impose exactions upon 敲竹杠（惯用语/俗语） overcharge; soak sb

② 趋炎附势 hurry to the glorious and hang on to the influential 抱粗腿 latch on to the rich and powerful ③ 一扫而空 sweep clean at one attempt 连锅端 get rid of the whole lot

④ 狼狈为奸 act in collusion with each other 穿连档裤 work hand in glove with ⑤ 针锋相对 stand in diametrical opposition to 唱对台戏 put on rival show

stroke a tiger’s whiskers 走下坡路 go downhill 2. Translating Skills A. Literal translation 可直译的惯用语不多，一般都是比喻性特强的 连根拔 tear up by the roots 走后门 get in by the back door 捋虎须 stroke a tiger’s whiskers 走下坡路 go downhill

一窝蜂 like a swarm of bees 及时雨 timely rain 病急乱投医 turn to any doctor one can find when critically ill

B. Literal Translation + Free Translation 卷铺盖 pack up and quit 饱眼福 feast one’s eyes on sth 单打一 concentrate on one thing only 咬耳朵 whisper in one’s ear 扇阴风，点鬼火 （煽风点火） fan the winds of evil and spread the fires of turmoil

C. Free Translation ① 门外汉 a man outside the gate the uninitiated / a layman ② 小广播 a small broadcast station spreading of hearsay information / bush telegraph ③ 风凉话 cold words irresponsible and sarcastic remarks

commit suicide /take one’s own life ⑥ 炒冷饭 ④ 扣帽子 put a cap on sb put a label on sb ⑤ 寻短见 look for a short view commit suicide /take one’s own life ⑥ 炒冷饭 比喻重复已经说过的话或做过的事，没有新的内容． fry the cold rice dish up the same old stuff

give one’s enemy a wife and lose one’s soldiers as well 有些俗语带有很浓的中国文化特色，含有 历史典故或古代人名地名，直译会让英美 读者感到十分费解，必须用意译。 ① 赔了夫人又折兵 give one’s enemy a wife and lose one’s soldiers as well suffer a double loss instead of making a gain ② 跑的了和尚跑不了庙 He monk may run away, but the temple can’t run with him. A fugitive must belong to some place that can provide clues.

③ 不到黄河心不死 not stop until one reaches the Yellow River not stop until one reaches one’s goal ④ 说曹操曹操就到 mention Cao Cao and there he is talk of the devil and he will appear

D. Equivalent Translation 煞风景 be a wet blanket 拍马屁 lick one’s boots 放空炮 spout hot air / talk big 绕圈子 beat about the bush

摆架子 put on airs 灌迷汤 butter sb up 露马脚 let the cat out of the bag

在翻译英语惯用语时，我们可考虑在汉语译文中适当使用口语性强的俗语，而不应该用文气十足的四字成语. Hait hasn’t got a mind of his own on any matter of importance; he just goes with the tide. 海特在任何重要问题上都没有自己的主见，他只是随大流. 这里不宜译成“随波逐流”。

They didn’t give him a raise, though he had licked his boss’s boots for years. 尽管他这几年一直拍他老板的马屁，但他们并没有给他涨工资。 这里不宜译成“对他老板阿谀逢迎”。 “Now stop playing tricks, or I’ll shoot you at once,” the big man threatened and raised his gun. 这个大汉举起枪，威胁道：“别耍花招了，要不老子马上就崩了你。” 这里不宜译成“别搞阴谋诡计了”。

II. Translation of Slang Slang can be classified into three groups: euphemism (the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant委婉语), expletive (meaningless words used for swearing，to express violent feelings诅咒语 ) and vulgar slang (unrefined language粗俗语).

Translation of euphemism A. Equivalent Translation about “die” which is a language taboo to go to sleep to be no more to close one’s eyes to lay down one’s life to expire

to go to sleep 长眠 to be no more 没了，不在了 to close one’s eyes 闭眼； 合眼 to lay down one’s life 献身 to expire 逝世

to pay the debt of nature 了结尘缘 to depart to the world of shadow 命归黄泉 to close (end) one’ s day 寿终 to pay the debt of nature 了结尘缘 to depart to the world of shadow 命归黄泉 to give up the ghost 见阎王

to kick the bucket 翘辫子 to kick up one’s heels 蹬腿，翘脚 to lay down one’s knife and fork 吃不了饭了

to breathe one’s last 咽气，断气 to go west 归西 to pass away 逝世，永别，与世长辞 to depart from his life 离开人世，撒手人寰

to rest in peace 安息 to go to one’s last home to go to heaven 升天，先逝，进天堂 回老家 to go to heaven 升天，先逝，进天堂 to be called to God 去见上帝

about “be pregnant” 有喜、有身、身重、身怀六甲、梦兰 She is five months gone. 她已有五个月的喜了。 不能译成：她已经走了五个月了。 to be in a delicate condition to spoil a woman’s shape

be in a family way 妇女怀孕因体型不雅而“随意打扮” eating for two 怀孕妇女为两人吃饭，吃双份饭 a lady-in-waiting 孕妇

about “toilet” 厕所 lavatory, Ladies’ (Room), Men’s (Room) 盥洗室 bathroom, toilet WC (Water Closet) 女厕所 dressing room, powder room, lounge, wash room

上厕所： May I please be excused? May I go to the bathroom please? May I please leave the room? 在别人家里或单位： May I use the facilities? What is the geography of the house?

和熟人，朋友： I’m going to do my business. / I’m going to my private office.

Some euphemism about profession, containing commentary sense 含褒义性特征的职业委婉语 (1) “engineer” 指受过专门教育或技术训练的技术人员，于是各行各业竞相效仿，给某些职业名称也冠以engineer的美称 garbage collector → sanitation engineer

plumber → heating engineer salesman → sales engineer mechanic → automobile engineer dry cleaner → dry cleaning engineer

undertaker → mortician hairdresser → beautician (2) physician 医生是西方受人尊敬的 三大职业之一，不少职业也以 “-ician”结尾 undertaker → mortician hairdresser → beautician hairdresser → cosmetician shoemaker → shoetrician

foreman (工头) → supervisor wild animal trainer → wild animal trainor 提高某些职称的地位和身价 welder (焊接工) → weldor foreman (工头) → supervisor wild animal trainer → wild animal trainor teacher → professor pressman → press operator

Translation of expletive and vulgar language “damn” (原意为“上帝降罚”、“使入地狱”) I’ll be damned if I do. 我要干这件事，我就不是人！ God damn you! (Damn you!) 混账！该死的！

Damn it! 该死的！糟了！ Damn this work (rain/exam)! 这讨厌的雨！ Grammar be damned! 去他妈的语法！

Oh, hell! I’ve missed the last train. 真该死，我没赶上 末班车！ No need to worry; to hell with all this. 不必操心，让这一切都见鬼去吧！ What the hell do you want? 你到底要什么？ This is a hell of a place. 这个鬼地方！

He is a bloody character. 他是个讨厌的家伙！ It’s a bloody shame! You bloody fool! 你这个该死的蠢货！ He is a bloody character. 他是个讨厌的家伙！ It’s a bloody shame! 真是太丢脸！/ 真他妈的丢脸！ He’s bloody drunk! 他喝得烂醉！

Hang you! 不得好死！ You be hanged! 你这个杀千刀的！ Blast you! 挨刀货！

Translation of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings 《现代汉语词典》将歇后语定义为，“由两个部分组成的一句话，前一部分像谜面，后一部分像谜底，通常只说前一部分，而本意在后一部分。” 《辞海》将歇后语定义为，“熟语的一种。多为群众熟悉的诙谐而形象的语句。运用时可以隐去后文，以前文示意”。 我们的看法是，歇后语是俗语的一种，它与俗言和谚语的区别主要在形式上。歇后语很像谜语，通常由两部分构成，前一部分为谜面，后一部分为谜底，谜面通常具有比喻性质。

Classification: 1．典故型歇后语： 八仙聚会——又说又笑 王羲之写字——横竖都好 2．双关型歇后语： 狗撵鸭子呱呱(刮刮)叫 3．谐音型歇后语： 李双双见到丈夫——有喜旺（希望）了 邮包掉到水田里——半信半疑(泥) (谐音关联) 牛角抹油——又尖（奸）又滑（猾） 和尚打伞——无法(发)无天 空棺材出葬——目（木）中无人 孔夫子搬家——净是书（输） 灯草拐杖——做不得主（柱）

4.口语型歇后语： 火爆玉米——开心 章鱼的肚子——有墨水(语意关联) 5．比喻型歇后语： 竹篮打水——一场空(以事喻义) 天上的云——无拘无束(以物喻义) 大水冲了龙王庙——一家人不认一家人(以事喻义) 徐庶进曹营——一言不发(以人喻义)

1. Literal Translation “咱们俩的事，一条绳拴着俩蚂蚱，谁也跑不了！” We are like two grasshoppers tied to one cord: neither can get away. 泥菩萨过江，自身难保。 The clay idol fording the river— it’s as much as it can do to preserve itself from disaster.

这件事，除了他三儿子和几个经手的 人以外，谁也不知道。他也不对任何 人提起。真是哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出。 No one knew of these transactions apart from his youngest son and the few people who had handled them, nor was he going to mention the matter to anyone else. He was like the dumb man eating the bitter herb: he had to suffer the bitterness of it in silence.

千里送鹅毛，礼轻情意重。 to send the feather of a swan one thousand li — the gift in itself may be insignificant, but the good-will is deep. 茶壶里煮饺子—有也倒不出。 A dumpling in a boiler (kettle) — cannot be poured out.

猪鼻子里插葱—装象。 A pig is sticking scallions into its nostrils to pretend to be an elephant. (如果是口译，只要一个词就行：“pretentious(自命不凡的)”或“vain”。) “朱斌这个人就是狗咬耗子多管闲事！” ( 吴江《红日》) “Chu Pin! He’s like a dog worrying a mouse, can’t mind his own business!”

那个宝玉是个“丈八的台灯——照见人家，照不见自己”的， 只知嫌人家脏。只是他的房子，有着你们糟蹋。 As for Baoyu, he’s like a ten-foot lampstand that sheds light on others but none on itself. He complains that other people are dirty, yet leaves you to turn his own rooms topsy-turvy（乱七八糟地）.

去设埋伏我们都没有信心， 想他一定在昨天晚上就早溜了，今天去也是瞎子点灯白费蜡了。 We had no confidence in today’s ambush because we were sure he had escaped last night. It seemed as useless as a blind man lighting a candle.

was very uneasy, but he had to entertain his unwanted visitor. 2. Free Translation （典故式歇后语或 双关式歇后语） ① 保留比喻形象，节译 （张金龙）突然来找小小子。小小子知道黄鼠狼给鸡拜年—没安好心眼；可又不能不接待他。 Chin-lung called on him, alone. Hsiao realized that it was a case of the weasel coming to pay his respects to the hen. He was very uneasy, but he had to entertain his unwanted visitor.

will be like ladling(以杓舀取) water with a wicker basket. 用心固然良苦，但前车可鉴， 到头来终究只能是竹篮打水一场空。 But as their previous experience showed, they can get nothing out of it for all their pains; as a Chinese saying puts it, their efforts will be like ladling(以杓舀取) water with a wicker basket.

王小二过年，一年不如一年。 Wang Xiao’er spending the New Year——one year is worse than another / like Wang Xiao’er’s life, one year is worse than another. Note: Wang Xiao’er in Chinese can mean any poor fellow at the bottom of the society. 癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉—痴心妄想。 A toad lusting after a swan's flesh —— aspiring after something one is not worthy of.

姨奶奶犯不着来骂我，我又不是姨奶奶家买了。“梅香拜把子，——都是奴才”罢咧！这是何苦来呢！ ② 转换形象套译，换译 姨奶奶犯不着来骂我，我又不是姨奶奶家买了。“梅香拜把子，——都是奴才”罢咧！这是何苦来呢！ You’ve no call to swear to me, madam. You didn’t buy me. We’re all bird of a feather—all slaves here. Why go for me?

怪不得人说你们“诗云子曰”的 人难讲话！这样看来，你好像 “老鼠尾巴上害疖子，出脓也不多” ！ No wonder they say you bookworms are hard to deal with: one might just as well try to squeeze water out of a stone.

“老混蛋，你吃的河水，倒管的宽，这是你说话的地方？” “Old bastard, poking your nose into things that don’t concern you! Who wants your opinion?”

他必审问我，我给他个“徐庶进曹营——一言不发”。 ③ 省译法，舍弃形象意译，特别是含有中国人名，地名，宗教，典故等文化色彩的词语 他必审问我，我给他个“徐庶进曹营——一言不发”。 He’s sure to ask questions but I’ll hold my tongue to begin with.

穷棒子闹翻身，是八仙过海， 各显其能。 When we pass from the old society to the new, each of us shows his true worth. 等他们赶来增援时，已是“正月十五贴门神——晚了半月啦。” But they were too late for a rescue.

我是想：咱们是孔夫子搬家——净是书（输），心里真有点不舒服。 关于含有谐音字(partial tone word ) ，双关语(pun)的歇后语最难翻译，一般只得舍去喻体形象，用省译法只译出意思。 我是想：咱们是孔夫子搬家——净是书（输），心里真有点不舒服。 Only I feel bad when we lose every fight.

我哪里管的上这些事来！见识又浅，嘴又笨，心又直，“人家给个棒槌，我就拿着认真（针）了”。 I’m incapable of running things. I’m too ignorant, blunt and tactless, always getting hold of the wrong end of the stick.

我在店里呢，是灯草拐杖，做不得柱（主）的。 My position in the company doesn’t permit me to make a decision individually. 可是他心中却想：骑驴看唱本——走着瞧吧，看究竟是啥原因。 But he was still thinking to herself: “Let’s wait and see what the reason for it turns out to be in the end.”

things will back to what they were before. 再试纺，顶多忙一阵子，过了几天，还不是外甥打灯笼——找舅（照旧）了。 And if we’re now going to have a check spinning, it’ll only mean that we’ll be busier than ever for a spell and then after a few days things will back to what they were before.

他吗，棺材里伸出手来——死要钱。他哪里会借钱给我？ No, he is still after my blood. How can you imagine he’d lend me anything. 他是和尚打伞---无发（法）无天。 He is an unruly person

对新药业，老实讲，我是擀面杖吹火—一窍不通！ To be quite honest with you, I don’t know the first thing about the modern drug business. 你这人是“八十老翁靠墙吃稀饭—卑鄙（背壁），无耻（齿），下流”。 You are base, shameless and dirty.

纳鞋不使锥子，针(真)好！ A sherbet in a midsummer night’s dream: cool! （套译） （虽说直译成中文“仲夏夜梦吃果露冰糕－真爽！”的时候双关丢了，但英文“cool”是双关。而如果将中文原文译成“To sew shoes without an awl, a needle is good.”不仅丢了双关，而且毫无意义。改换意境是为了在不偏主题的情况下求双关。）

3. Literal Translation + Note 在翻译利用典故的歇后语时,如果仅仅使用解释性增补方法是远远不够的,我们还应该对译文加以注释,从而从文化上和历史上更准确的传达汉语歇后语所包含的民族和文化特色.

八仙聚会——又说又笑 a gathering of Eight Immortals——speaking and laughing; like the Eight Immortals at a gathering, they are talking and laughing merrily. Note: The Eight Immortals refer to the eight Taoists in a Chinese legend, namely, Han Zhongli, Zhang Guolao, Lü Dongbin, Tieguai Li, Han Xiangzi, Cao Guojiu, Lan Caihe and He Xiangu.

王羲之写字——横竖都好 a character out of Wang Xizhi's hand——vertical strokes are as good as horizontal ones; like Wang Xizhi's calligraphy, it is good in every way Note: Wang Xizhi was a famous Chinese calligrapher and a Chinese character is usually composed of strokes, of which the vertical and horizontal ones are the most commonly used. Hengshu here has two interpretations: 1) the horizontal and vertical strokes; 2) horizontally or vertically, that is, in any way.

白骨精骗唐僧——一计不成又生一计 ① the White Bone Demon deceiving Monk Tang——when one scheme failed, she turned to another; ② like the White Bone Demon in trapping Xuanzang, a famous monk from the Tang Dynasty, they have thought out one scheme after another. Note: On his way to the west to obtain Buddhist scriptures, Xuanzang, a famous monk of the Tang Dynasty, met the White Bone Demon, who thought out one scheme after another to deceive the monk so that she could eat the monk and then would prolong her life forever. However, this is the story contained in the fiction entitled Journey to the West.

灶王爷扔石头——砸锅 the Kitchen God throwing stones— to break the pot or ruin the matter Note: The literal meaning of zaguo is to break a pot but it is usually used to mean ruining the matter.

李林甫当宰相——口蜜腹剑 Li Linfu serving as the prime minister——a man with honey at lips but swords at heart or a honey-mouthed but dagger-hearted man Note: Li Linfu, a prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, was notorious for his cunning and people say that he was honey-mouthed but dagger-hearted.