半只老虎半条蛇拼凑的怪物-英语点津
<p>半只老虎半条蛇拼凑的怪物</p><p>汉语里有一条成语叫“虎头蛇尾”，意思是批评有些人做事开头来势很猛，到后来却草草收尾。如果将此成语照字面译做<span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tiger">tiger</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="snake">snake</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="tail">tail</span>，老外看了会怎么想？有一次我真的去问一位英国专家，他想了想，然后回答说：“<span word="That">That</span> <span word="must">must</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="trick">trick</span> <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="deceive">deceive</span> <span word="people">people</span>.”动物形象在不同的语言里常常会有不同的文化含义。汉语含有“狗”字的成语往往带有贬义，<span word="dog">dog</span>在英语中是中性偏褒的，这一点在许多文章中都谈到过。现在我们再举一些例子。汉语里有多条成语涉及老虎，因为在中国传统文化中，老虎被认为是“百兽之王”虎口拔牙<span word="beard">beard</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lion">lion</span> 狐假虎威 <span word="ass">ass</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lion">lion</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="skin">skin</span> 拦路虎 <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lion">lion</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="way">way</span> 摸老虎屁股 <span word="twist">twist</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lion">lion</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="tail">tail</span> 虎落平阳被犬欺 <span word="Hares">Hares</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="pull">pull</span> <span word="dead">dead</span> <span word="lions">lions</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="bear">bear</span>. 本文开始时讲的成语“虎头蛇尾”不妨可借译为：<span word="In">In</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lion">lion</span>, <span word="out">out</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lamb">lamb</span>. 有些含义类似的动物在英语和汉语中还是有写细微的区别，如：</p><p><span word="pig">pig</span>：贪心、丑陋 猪： 懒、笨</p><p><span word="wolf">wolf</span>：贪心 狼：凶狠</p><p><span word="bear">bear</span>：脾气坏、没有规矩 熊： 动作慢、笨拙</p><p><span word="peacock">peacock</span>：傲慢 孔雀：美丽</p><p><span word="bee">bee</span>：忙碌 蜜蜂：勤劳</p><p>我国传统中长期以来用牛耕地，英国却用马。大家不妨找找这一点如何反映在汉语可英语的成语中。</p>
页:
[1]