譯林絮談

沙楓

一些“虎”字成語的英譯

甲寅年，乃是虎年。中國產(chǎn)虎，幾千年前已有虎的記載。英國不產(chǎn)虎，有虎的成語實(shí)在難找。

中國有虎的成語就多了。例如，賴恬昌選譯的“Selected Chinese Sayings”（《成語選譯》）就選了有虎的成語十六句之多。

“騎虎難下”——直譯為：“It is difficult to get off the back of a tiger”，意譯為：“To have or hold a wolf by the ear”。

“九牛二虎”——直譯為：“Nine oxen and two tigers”，意譯為：“Great strength”，“Herculean”。

“狐假虎威”——直譯為：“The fox "borrowing" the awe of the tiger”，意譯為：“To assume someone else's authority as one's own”，“To browbeat others by virtue of one's position”，“The ass in the lion's skin”。

“虎父無犬子”——直譯為：“A tiger does not produce a dog”，意譯為：“A wise goose never lays a tame egg”，“Eagles do not breed doves”。

“虎口余生”——直譯為：“A narrow escape from a tiger's mouth”，意譯為：“snatched from the jaws of death”。

“虎視眈眈”——直譯為：“To glare like a tiger”，意譯為：“Covetous”。

“虎頭蛇尾”——直譯為：“A tiger's head but a serpent's tail”，意譯為：“Pretentious beginnings but poor results”，“Ending in smoke”。

“虎尾春冰”——直譯為：“The tiger's tail and the ice of spring”，意譯為：“To be extremely cautious in a dangerous position”。

“畫虎類犬”——直譯為：“His drawing of the tiger resembles the dog”，意譯為：“Bad imitation”。

“苛政猛于虎”——直譯為：“An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger”。

“不入虎穴焉得虎子”——直譯為：“If you do not venture into a tiger's den, how can you get the tiger's cub”，意譯為：“Nothing venture, nothing gain”。

“三人成虎”——直譯為：“Three persons make a tiger”，意譯為：“Fiction repeated often enough will be taken for fact”。

“談虎色變”——直譯為：“To turn pale at the mention of the tiger”，意譯為：“A burnt child (dreads the fire)”。

“調(diào)虎離山”——直譯為：“To get a tiger to leave the mountains”，意譯為：“To lure the enemy away from his base”。

“為虎作倀”——直譯為：“To act as guide to tiger”，意譯為：“To hold a candle to the devil”。

“為虎傅翼”——直譯為：“To give wings to a tiger”，意譯為：“To give courage to evil-doers”。語出《周書寤儆》。

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