3. 意译

还有一类习语，在结构和字面意思上，英汉两种语言似乎无相近之处。其确切的意思有时难以捉摸。遇到这一类习语，译员要根据交谈双方的话题、意图及谈话的背景和上下文意思等因素，充分理解所用习语的含义，采用意译、意译加注和其它变通方法，最重要的是译出话语的真正含义。同时，尽可能的保留原语的民族和地方色彩。不要按字面意思死译，以免造成歧义。以下习语的口译就属这一类。

a far cry from… 与……相差甚远；大不相同

to face the music 勇于承担后果

to spill the beans 不慎泄密

to be up to one's ears 有许多事情要做；忙于

to beat around the bush 旁敲侧击，转弯抹角

to cut corners 节约

to hold one's horses 别忙；耐心点；别沉不住气

in one's element 在行；擅长

on one's toes 机灵

once in a blue moon 极难得；千载难逢

to see eye to eye 与(某人)看法一致

straight from the shoulder 直截了当

to take something with a grain of salt 对某事半信半疑或不全信

to put all one's eggs in one basket 孤注一掷; 冒险

to teach one's grandmother to such eggs 班门弄斧；好为人师

to put the cart before the horse 本末倒置

to miss the boat 坐失良机

to burn the candle at both ends 过分耗费精力

to poke one's nose into… 探听; 干涉

to play for one's own hand 为自己的利益而做

to pull wool over one's eyes 蒙蔽某人

to call a spade a spade 实话实说, 直言不讳

Birds of a feature flock together. 物以类聚, 人以群分。

Love me; love my dog. 爱吾及犬；爱屋及乌。

Rome was not built in a day. 罗马不是一天建成的; 伟业非一日可成; 冰冻三尺, 非一日之寒。

Half the world knows not how the other half lives. 富人不知穷人苦; 饱汉不知饿汉饥。

有些汉语习语、俗语、歇后语有强烈而浓厚的民族色彩，意译不能确切表达原意。必须采用意译加注，说明必要的历史文化背景，才能很好传达原意。例如：

卧薪尝胆 to sleep on brushwood and taste gall-----to undergo self-imposed hardships so as

to strengthen one’s resolve to wipe out a national humility；to endure hardships to accomplish

some ambition.

望子成龙 to hope one’s child will become somebody in the future；to hope one’s child will

have a bright future; to hold high hopes for one’s child

不到长城非好汉。 He who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a true hero；not stop until one’s

aim is obtained

八仙过海，各显神通。 The Eight Immortals crossing the sea-----each shows his/her special prowess (in the legend, they were described as fairies with different magic arts)；Like the Eight Immortals soaring the ocean, each of you should show your true worth.

打破砂锅——问（纹）到底 breaking an earthenware pot -----(lit)-cracked to the bottom；

(pun) interrogate thoroughly；to get to the bottom of a matter

引语的口译主要靠译员平时的勤学和积累。一个成功的译员不仅要有熟练的英汉语言技能，而且要有广博的英汉文学、历史、文化知识，掌握一定数量的英汉名人格言、经典佳句。因此，译员只有平时用心铭记，注意收集，不断充实，用时才能左右逢源，得心应手。下边是一些广为流传的英汉名人格言和经典佳句，配有英汉译文，可供口译学习者参考。