习语
1.Literal translation
Misfortunes never come singly.
祸不单行。
Like father, like son.
有其父必有其子。
to be armed to the teeth
武装到牙齿
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
厨子多了煮坏汤
Blood is thicker than water.
血浓于水。
如鱼得水
Feel just like fish in water
临阵磨枪
Sharpen one’s spear only before going into battle
猫哭老鼠
The cat weeps over the mou
对牛弹琴
Play the harp to a bull
一寸光阴一寸金
An inch of time is an inch of gold
打草惊蛇
Beat the grass and startle the snake.
易如反掌
As easy as turning over one’s hand.
宁为玉碎 不为瓦全
rather be a shattered vesl of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery.
2. Replacement （套译法）
两个习语的字面意义和蕴涵意义基本一致
Fish in troubled waters
浑水摸鱼
冬天的故事
Wall have ears
隔墙有耳
Practice makes perfect
熟能生巧
Facts speak louder than words
事实胜于雄辩
Seeing is believing眼见为实
II. 两个习语的比喻形象有所差异，但比喻意义基本一致
Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.
宁为鸡首，不为牛后。
Some prefer turnips and others pears.
高级警司
萝卜白菜，各有所爱。
He cries wine and lls vinegar.
挂羊头，卖狗肉。
Fish begins to stink at the end.
上梁不正下梁歪。
关于月亮的现代诗One boy is a boy, two boy half a boy, three boys no boy
一个和尚挑水吃．两个和尚抬水吃，三个和尚没水吃
Among the blind the one-eyed man is king.
山中无老虎，猴子称霸王
A hedge between keeps friendship
green.
君子之交淡如水。
Money makes the mare go.
有钱能使鬼推磨。
To laugh off one’s head
Seek a hare in hen’s nest
There is no smoke without fire
New brooms sweep clean
君子之约Go for wool and come back shorn
fish in the air
to throw a sprat to catch a whale
to gild the lily
to turn a new leaf
to talk black into white
He robs Peter to pay Paul.
无风不起浪
画蛇添足
新官上任三把火
指鹿为马
水中捞月
缘木求鱼
拆东墙补西墙
脱胎换骨
笑掉大牙
偷鸡不着蚀把米
抛砖引玉
梦春to show one's clean heels
第二次世界大战的转折点逃之夭夭
Every family is said to have at least one skeleton in the cupboard.
俗话说， 见不得人的事儿家家有。
to pull somebody's leg
开玩笑（不是拖后腿）
To break the ice, Ted spoke of his interest in mountain climbing, and they soon had a conversation going.
为了打破沉默（僵局），特德说自己对爬山感兴趣，这样他们很快就交谈起来。
they don’t invite Bob to their party becau he is a wet blanket.
他们不邀请鲍勃参加他们的聚会，因为他是一个令人扫兴的人。
Among so many well-dresd and cultured people, the girl felt like a fish out of water.
同这么多穿着体面而又有教养的人在一起，这位乡下姑娘感到很不自在。
Mary and her mother are as like as two peas. 玛丽和她妈妈长得一模一样。
今年高考他又名落孙山了。
This year he failed again in the entrance examinations for college students.
手忙脚乱
立竿见影
噤若寒蝉
明火执仗
牵肠挂肚
藕断丝连
五光十色
归心似箭
鸡毛蒜皮
黔驴技穷
顺手牵羊
守株待兔
Trifling
Walk off with something
Do evil things openly
新生儿护理要点
Multicolored
at one’s wits’ end
In a frantic rush红歌歌词
Keep quiet
Be full of anxiety and worry
Trust to chance and stroke of luck
Have not cut off relations completely
Get instant results
Be very anxious to return home
歇后语的意译
对期货交易，我是擀面杖吹火---- 一窍不通。
I don’t know the first thing about futures.
我就来它个骑着毛驴看唱本--- 走着瞧，看他怎么跟我解释。
Let me wait and e what he would say about the matter.
我这人你也知道，说话向来是袖筒里入棒槌---直入直出。
You know me--- I speak frankly and to the point.
4.Amplification
Literal translation with footnotes or explanatory phra
Examples:
东施效颦
Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi
身在曹营心在汉
Body in Cao, heart in Han.
Notes: During the three kingdoms period (220-280) of Ancient China, Cao Cao, one of the most prominent warlords, waged a war against Liu Bei, another notable warlord, in which Guan Yu, a great commander of Liu Bei, was defeated and captured. Guan Yu surrendered to Cao Cao, but always embraced the intention of returning to Liu Bei.
三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮。
Three cobblers with their wits combined equal Zhugeliang the master mind.
临时抱佛脚。
To embrace Buddha's feet in one's hour of need-- to ek help at the last moment.
throw in the sponge
认输，投降
（注：若拳击运动员的副手把擦身用的海绵抛向空中，则表示这个运动员认输因而不进入下一轮比赛。）
pour oil on troubled waters
平息风波，息事宁人
（注：传说航海遇到风浪时，若把油倒进海里，可起到使海浪平息的作用。）
open same
敲门砖， 过难关的秘诀
（注：《天方夜谈》中的《阿里巴巴与四十大盗》故事说：一个山洞内藏有无数的金银财宝，但洞门紧闭，必须用咒语"开门芝麻"才能打开。）
Good wine needs no bush.
酒好客自来。（注：英国从前流行一种风俗， 人们常在商店的门口外挂某种东西作为该店经营某种商品的标志， 挂常春藤ivybush标志的常为酒店。）
One can’t make a silk pur out of a sow’s ear.
1. Literal translation
母猪的耳朵做不成丝线袋。
2. Replacement
朽木不可雕也
不入虎穴，焉得虎子
1. Free translation
How can one get tiger cubs without entering the tiger’s lair?
2. Replacement
No venture, no gain
雨后春笋
1. Literal translation
Like bamboo shoots after a spring shower
2. Replacement
springing up like mushrooms
1. 势如破竹
like a hot knife cutting through the butter
like splitting bamboo
2. 引狼入室
t a fox to keep one’s gee
show a wolf into one’s home
