英汉双语中“蛇”及其习语的文化内涵与翻译
英汉语言中动物词语的对比
世界各民族语言中有大量有关动物的习俗语和谚语,这些语言背后蕴藏着深厚的文化积淀,反映不同民族对动物相同或不同的情感态度。
文章在前期对中国传统文化中十二生肖动物及其它动物词语研究的基础上,主要对汉语和英语语言中有关动物的成语、习俗语和谚语进行对比分析,从有关动物词语的字面意义出发,探讨挖掘他们的比喻意义、联想意义,寻找出英汉语言中动物词语的共同点和差异,揭示两种语言中动物词语在语义表达上的主要特点。
指出英汉语言中包含动物名称的词语语义形成的基础,两种语言中运用动物词语进行语义表达的对等性特点,以及这些包含动物的词语所蕴涵的文化特征。
动物是自然界的一部分,是人类生活中密切相关的重要组成部分。
世界各民族语言中出现了大量有关动物的成语、习俗语、格言等词语,它们反映了不同民族对动物的认识,体现人们对动物大致相同或不同的情感态度,因而这些语言中蕴涵着丰富的文化内涵。
笔者以中华民族传统的的十二生肖动物为切入点,通过查阅词典、文献资料等,搜集整理了大量含有动物名称的相关词语,在进一步分析对比的基础上,探讨这些词语所表达的各种意义,进而挖掘它们隐含的文化内涵。
一、动物词语的语义基础之所以在汉语和英语中人们借助动物构成各种语言形式,表达丰富的语言意义,是和其生活地域、生活习性、人与自然关系、文化价值观等因素有关联,有着深厚的语义形成基础。
(一)根据形体、生活习性特征表达的语义英汉语言都有根据动物的形体生理特点及生活习性所形成的词语。
它们形象逼真地反映了这些动物的生活规律,以感性认识为基础,从而引申出一定的语言意义,例如,蛇(snake)是一种爬行动物,体形柔软易弯曲,在行走时,蜿蜒曲折前行,因而英汉语言中都有“蛇行(snake its way through)”。
另外蛇能分泌毒液,隐匿于草丛中,因而有“阴险、狠毒”的联想意义,英语中有“a snake in the grass”,比喻伪装成朋友的阴险之人。
又如,鸡(cock)的生活习性之一是清早鸣叫,因而汉语中有“闻鸡起舞、雄鸡一唱天下白”等词语,英语中有“cock-crow(黎明)”等词语。
英汉翻译的动物文化意象 Animals in translation
引起纷乱或争吵
2、不同动物象表达相同近的文化内，很多习语就和牛有联系， 如：“初生牛犊不怕虎”．“力大如牛”、“对牛 弹琴”、“牛饮”、“风马牛不相及”、“九牛一 毛”等。而在历史上战争频繁的西方，没有马便无 法生存。所以很多习语就用马来表示。
as strong as a horse 力大如牛 drink like a horse 牛饮 a horse of a different color风马牛不相及 talk horse 吹牛
Animals in translation 动物文化意象与翻译
14翻译 许言
1、动物意象文化内涵完全对等
狼 wolf
cruel/greedy/dangerous
hold the wolf by the ears
(比喻处境危险) the big bad wolf
(令人恐怖的人或物)
wake a sleeping wolf (自找麻烦）)
才是百兽之王，它是权势和勇猛的象征。
Lioness 母老虎
one should not twist the lion’s tail 老虎的屁股摸不得
a lion in the way or a lion in the path 拦路虎 like a donkey in a lion’s hide 狐假虎威 beard the lion in his den 虎口拔牙
make a monkey out of sb
拿某人当猴耍 ，戏弄某人
蛇 snake
cool-blooded/insidious/cunning
a snake in the grass 隐藏的敌人/隐患
cherish a snake in one’s blossom 姑息坏人
画蛇添足的习语英汉翻译
画蛇添足原文楚有祠者，赐其舍人卮酒，舍人相谓曰：“数人饮之不足，一人饮之有余，请画地为蛇，先成者饮酒。
”一人蛇先成，引酒且饮之，乃左手持卮，右手画蛇曰：“吾能为之足。
”未成，一人之蛇成，夺其卮曰：‘蛇固无足，子安能为之足？’遂饮其酒。
为蛇足者，终亡其酒。
译文楚国有个搞祭祀活动的人，祭祀完了以后，拿出一壶酒赏给门人们喝。
门客们互相商量说：“这壶酒大家都来喝则不足够，一个人喝则有剩余。
我们各自在地上比赛画蛇，先画好的人就喝这壶酒。
”有一个人先把蛇画好了，他拿起酒壶正要喝，却左手拿着酒壶，右手继续画蛇，说：“我能够给它画脚。
”没等他画完，另一个人已把蛇画成了，把壶抢过去说：“蛇本来是没有脚的，你怎么能给它画脚呢！”然后他便把壶中的酒喝了下去。
为蛇画脚的人，最终失去了酒。
成语寓意编辑以后人们根据这个故事引申出"画蛇添足"这句成语，比喻有的人自作聪明，常做多余的事，反而把事情办糟了。
比喻节外生枝，多此一举，反而坏事。
英译版本There was a man in the state of Chu who was engaged in sacrificial activities. After the sacrifice, take out a pot of wine for the door people to drink.When the door people saw that there was only one pot of wine, they agreed with each other, "this pot of wine is not enough for several people to drink together; if one person drinks it, there will be some surplus. We can draw snakes on the ground together. Whoever draws the snake first will drink the pot of wine. "So, we found branches and tiles and quickly drew them on the ground.A man drew a snake first, and was about to drink it when he picked up the wine. He found that no one else had finished the painting, so he held the wine pot in one hand, and then drew again in the other hand. While drawing, he said triumphantly, "I can also add some feet to the snake! "Before he had finished drawing the snake's feet, another man had finished drawing the snake. He grabbed the wine pot and said, "the snake has no feet. How can you draw feet for it? "After that, he raised his neck and gulped up the wine. The man who added feet to the snake stood beside him, looking blankly at the loss of a chance to drink。
英汉人名习语的文化内涵刍议
国 王 欧 律 斯 透 斯 １ 年 ， 完 成 １ 件 万 分 困 难 的 任 务 。 历 ２ 去 ２ 他 尽 千 辛 。 于 创 下 １ 项 英 雄 业 绩 。 位 魁 梧 、 实 、 颈 长 终 ２ 这 结 短 身 的 英 雄 成 了 许 多 英 语 习 语 的 典 故 ， ： ｅＨｅｃ ｌａ ｆ 如 ｔ ｈ ｒ ｕ ｅ ｎｅ － ｆｒｓ ｏ ￣ ｔ 克 勒 斯 在 完 成 ｌ 件 任 务 及 取 金 羊 毛 时 作 出 的 ２ 努 力 是 巨 大 的 ，相 当 于 中 国 成 语 中 的 “ 牛 二 虎 之 力 ” 九 。 Ｈｅ ｃ ｌｓ ｃ ｏｃ 赫 拉 克 勒 斯 幼 年 时 受 享 乐 女 神 和 善 德 女 ｒ ｕｅ ’ ｈ ｉｅ 神 的诱 导 ， 者许 他 物 质享 受 ， 者 许 他 长 生 不老 。他选 前 后 择 了 后 者 ．经 历 无 数 艰 难 困 苦 ，终 成 为 一 名 长 生 不 老 的 神 。 该 习 语 指 “ 弃 享 乐 ， 动 吃 苦 而 得 到 的 回 报 ” 放 主 。 （ ） 有 崇智 的价 值观 。 慧 虽 然 不直 接 是力 量 ， 二 具 智 但 充 当 着 力 量 的 表 现 者 和 施 行 者 ，是 人 实 现 志 向 和 愿 望 的 必 备 素 质 。儒 家 思想 中 有 “ 者不 惑 ， 者 无忧 ， 者 不 智 仁 勇
支 配 的 地 位 。 而 表 现 在 价 值 观 上 ， 汉 民 族 的 群 体 取 向 因 与
相 反 ， 语 文 化重 视 个人 价值 。 尚个 人 主 义 。 英 崇 （ ） 出人 们 坚 强 意 志 、 民 造 福 的 习 语 。 类 汉 语 一 突 为 此 人 名 习语 有 “ 公 移 山” “ 禹 治水 ”“ 卫 填 海 ” 。英 愚 、大 、精 等
The Cultural Connotations of English Idioms and Their Translation 英语习语文化的文化内涵和它的翻译
The Cultural Connotations of English Idioms andTheir Translation英语习语文化的文化内涵和它的翻译摘要论文以习语来源分析文化对成语的影响，并对英语习语的翻译进行了分析和阐述。
习语是语言的艺术，是语言的一种特殊表达方式。
首先，习语是文化的特征，表现形式多种多样，并且富含各种修辞，习语本身也是一种修辞：除了持久的生命力，习语还有着语义整体性和结构稳定性的特征。
从他的来源来看，习语与文化有着紧密的联系，有的习语来源于人们的生活，风俗习惯和地理环境，另外一些习语来源于宗教信仰，历史，寓言和神话故事，或文学作品，有的习语甚至来源于外来语的借用。
蕴含着丰富文化特质的习语给翻译工作带来很大的挑战。
在阅读了大量的有关习语的翻译作品后，作者在论文中对习语不同的翻译方法进行了深入的分析和探讨。
习语不是由组成它的词语的单个意义的简单相加，一些习语的语言不符合语法逻辑，不能按常理来理解他。
不同的文化背景的人对同一句话有不同的理解，因为他们对目标文化了解的很少。
所以，学习中国和西方国家文化的不同是必要的。
这本论文中，作者以文化的一部分--习语作为例子来探讨英语的翻译。
除了这些，作者介绍了两种和四种英语成语的翻译方法。
译者应该根据具体的语境来采用不同的方法。
关键词：成语来源文化翻译The Cultural Connotations of English Idiom and Its Translation Abstract: On the basis of analysis of source of idiom,this thesis mainly probes into the translation of English idiom.idiom is a special kind of expressing way of language,or a kind of art of human language.the first,as well as most important feature of idiom is that it is a mirror of culture.the second is that English are rich in figures,which have plentiful varied expressing styles,and idiom itself is a kind of figure too.the semantic unity and structural stability are the third and forth features of English idioms;the final one is long-lasting vitality.Idiom are very close with culture,which can be testified by its origins,some idioms are originated form people's lives,custom and environment while other idioms are originated from religious belief,history,allegoric and mythical story,or literal works,still others originated from the foreign borrowing.From the origins of English idioms,we know idiom,the culture-specific item,would like to challenge the translator's proficiency owing to the rich cultural connotation of idiom,there are always some difficulties to make a sensible translation.after reading numerous translation works of English idiom,the thesis goes deep into the different translation versions of English idiom,and explores the problems occurring in the existing translation works.idiom's meaning is not a simple combination of that of each constituent word.some idioms are not logical grammatically,cannot be understood by common sense.People from different cultures may have different understandings of the same sentence because they know little about the target cultures. Thus, it is necessary for us to study the cultural differences between China and Western countries. In this thesis, the author takes idiom—a part of culture as an example to study English translation.Besides, the author introduces two methods and four skills of English idiom translation. Translators should adopt different methods and skills according to specific conditions.Key words: Idiom, Origin,Culture,TranslationIntroductionTranslation is not only one kind of simple correspondence switching process between two languages, but is one kind of cultural exchange and transmission.Therefore,translating idioms is a concrete operating process.The translators must fully understand the intrinsic meaning of the Chinese idioms and they should utilize several different translation methods,this thesis analyse the definition of idiom and his region of idiom,let the reader know more about the idiom and his relationship with culture.Beside those,author introducte some methods and skills to leach how to translate English idiom.reader get a deep understanding with the help of some examples.it is useful for the English learner.Chapter 1 Definition of Idiom1.1.Idiom is originated form Greek;it means a special kind of expressing way of human language ,or a kind of art of human language.its form can be a few words,phrase,clause or short sentence.Oxford advanced learner's English-Chinese dictionary defines idiom as:phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning if its individual word and which must be learnt as a whole unit,such as"give way,a change of heart"etc.Thus,we can define that:English idiom is a set of phrases or one sentence,whose meaning is not obvious through knowledge of the individual meaning of the constituent words,but must be learnt as a whole.it is a social phenomenon,which appeared during the long history of language development,in a broad sense,it includes idiom,proverb,allusion,allegorical saying,maxim and colloquialism.1.2.For instance, “to fall out” means “to quarrel”, but neither “fall” nor “out” has a sense of quarrel. Another example is “a feather in one…s cap”, which means “an honor or a success, of which one can be proud”. The meaning of this idiom is metaphorical. “Under the rose” is also very difficult to understand from the literal meanings of its component words. Its true meaning is “secretly”. “To have a bee in one…s bonnet” means “to have a strange fixed idea about something”. “To kick the bucket or to bite the dust” means “to die”. The figurative interpretation of “shoot the breeze” is “to talk without purpose”. Unlike literal language, it is impossible to explain idioms from the literal meaning of the individual words because they are a combination of two or more words, which function as a unit of meaning. Thus, English idioms are difficult to understand and acquire.1.3.For we Chinese students, English idioms are a stumbling block. It is very possible that they often not only feel at a loss in understanding conversations because of a key idiom but also misuse idioms. In this paper, the author is going to make a study of the relationship between idioms and culture and how to translate English idioms.As we all know, language is closely related to culture and can be said as a part of culture. From a dynamic view, language and culture interact with each other and shape each other. Language is the carrier of culture which in turn is the content of language. We can dig out cultural featuresfrom language and explain language phenomena with culture.Idioms as a special form of language exist in both of them and carry a large amount of cultural information such as history, geography, religion, custom, nationality psychology, thought pattern and etc, and therefore are closely related to culture. They are the heritage of history and product of cultural evolvement. Consequently, we can know much about culture through studying idioms and in turn get better understanding of idioms by learning the cultural background behind them. Chapter2. The origins of the idiomAfter we know the definition of idiom, it is better to talk about the origin of the idiom.Getting to the roots of idioms, we can find that they originated from literary masterpieces, the Bible, Greek and Roman mythologies, ancient fables, historic events, anecdotes, customs, seafaring, agriculture, daily life, animal habitual behaviors, etc, which involved every aspect of life. That is why idioms are hard to understand.The essential point of studying idioms well is to learn them through the background of the traditional culture, thought pattern, geography, religion, and custom.2.1. Literary masterpiecesMany popular western literary masterpieces have the classic words, phrases and sentences that attract people greatly. They are shaped to evolve the hidden meaning. For example:Screw up one‟s courage: to overcome one‟s fear; to stop oneself from being afraid.Man Friday: a faithful and willing attendant, ready to turn his hand to anything. The young savage found by Robinson Crusoe on a Friday, and kept as his servant and companion on the desert island.To the manner born means …be born to do‟. HamletPound of flesh: fair but unreasonable request. The Merchant of VeniceIf we do not read literary masterpieces, it is difficult for us to get the meaning of them. Guess is not a way to know them, reading more books is a best and only way to deal with the problem of understanding English idiom.2.2. The BibleIt is a firm concept of western people that God created people. They think that God is omnipotent and sacred. God, Christ, devil, Adam and some educational segments of the stories in the Bible are passed down because of people‟s favor or even some historical and political causes. For example: Judas‟s kiss: a deceitful act of courtesy. Judas betrayed his Master with a kiss. Matt.xxvi, 49 Much cry and little wool: a proverbial saying expressive of contempt or derision for one whopromises great things but never fulfils the promises. Originally the proverb ran,” Great cry and little wool, as the Devil said when he sheared the hogs”; and it appears in this for m in the ancient mystery of David and Abigail, in which Nabal is represented as shearing his sleep, and the Devil imitates the act by “shearing a hog”.Turn the other cheek: to take no action against the person who has hurt or harmed one, esp. to allow him to do it again. Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also…——New Testamente.g.: The murders have made me change my mind about capital punishment. We should bring back hanging. It is time to stop turning the other cheek.The widow‟s cruse: a small supply of anything that, by good management, is made to go a long way and to be apparently inexhaustible. In allusion to the miracle of the cruse of oil in 2 kings,ⅳSo when we learn idioms from Bible, we can read Bible, which will increase our knowledge and help us to be familiar with the features of western culture and have a clear understanding of the hidden meanings of idioms.2.3. Greek and Roman mythologiesMythologies are ancient stories that are based on popular beliefs or that explains natural or historical events because the people of the primeval society were scared of the nature and longed for the nice future.Midas touch: the excellent skill of making money. Midas is a legendary king of Phrygia who requested of the gods that everything he touched might be turned into gold. His request was granted, but as his food became gold the moment he touched it, he prayed the gods to take their favor back. He was then ordered to bathe in the Pacto´lus, and the river ever after rolled over golden sands.Pandora ‟s Box: a prolific source of troubles. In Greek mythology a box containing all the evils of mankind and given by Zeus to the mythological Pandora, who opened it against the command of Zeus, thus, all the evils flew forth and they have ever since continued to afflict the world, only Hope remained in the bottom; something that produces many unforeseen difficultiesSphinx‟s riddle means …the difficult riddle‟ Sphinx is a monster of ancient mythology; T he Grecian Sphinx was generally said to be a daughter of Typhon and Chimaera; she infested Thebes, setting the inhabitants a riddle and devouring all those who could not solve it. The riddle was——What goes on four feet, on two feet, and three. But the more feet it goes on the weaker it be?and it was at length solved with the answer that it was a man, who as an infant crawls upon all-fours, in manhood goes erect on his two feet, and in old age supports his tottering legs with a staff. On hearing this correct answer the Sphinx slew herself, and Thebes was delivered.2.4. Ancient fablesthough short and refined, ancient fable stories teach people many philosophic and educational theories while being narrated. They are also parts of preliminary education of Chinese children. It is obvious that they are popular even among Chinese people. They, especially Aesop…s Fables are the favorites of Chinese people. For example, naked truth means the plain, unvarnished truth or the truth without trimmings. The fable says that Truth and Falsehood went bathing; Falsehoodcame first out of the water, and dressed herself in Truth‟s garments. Truth, unwilling to take those of Falsehood, went naked.Sour grapes, disparage something that is beyond one‟s reach. The allusion is to Aesop‟s well-known fable of the fox, which tried in vain to get at some grapes, but when he found they were beyond his reach, he went away saying, “I see they are sour.”Bell the cat: risk one‟s own life to do something dangerous. The allusion is to the f able of a cunning old mouse, who suggested that they should hang a bell on the cat‟s neck to give notice to all mice of her approach.Cat‟s paw: the tool of another, the medium of doing another‟s dirty work. The allusion is to the fable of the monkey who wanted to get some roasted chestnuts from the fire, and used the paw of his friend, the cat, for the purpose.The lion‟s share: the largest part: all or nearly all. In Aesop‟s Fables, several beasts joined the lion in a hunt; but, when the spoil was divided, the lion claimed one quarter in right of his prerogative, one for his superior courage, one for his dam and cubs, “and as for the fourth, let who will dispute it with me.” Awed by his frown, the other beasts yielded and silently withdrew.2.5. Historic affairsIn most languages, people embellish their speech or writing with references to characters or events from their history, that is to say, idiomatic expressions are closely related to a country‟s history.A lot of English idioms cannot find Chinese equivalents because the histories of the two countries are quite different. Many idioms are from their own history. The English language has much less idioms from historical events than the Chinese language because English just has a history of more than one thousand years during which less important historical events happened. For example, “to meet one‟s Waterloo” is from the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, which means to be completely defeated.2.6. AnecdotesMan for all seasons: the person who is erudite and adaptable.Mickey Mouse: small, insignificant, or worthless person. From the name of a mouse-like cartoon character created by Walt Disney 1901-1966, US cartoonist2.7 CustomsIndian File: one after the other, singly. The American Indians, when they go on an expedition, march one by one. The one behind carefully steps in the footprints of the one before,and the last man of the file is supposed to obliterate the footprints. Thus, neither the track nor the number of invaders can be traced.A feat her in one‟s cap: an honor; something to be proud of. The allusion is to the very general custom in Asia and among the American Indians of adding a feather to the headgear for every enemy slain.Nest egg: money laid by. The allusion is to the custom of pl acing an egg in a hen‟s nest to induce her to lay her eggs there. If a person has saved a little money, it serves as an inducement to him toincrease his store.The skeleton at the feast: the thing or person that acts as a reminder that there are troubles as well as pleasures in life. Plutarch says in his Moralia that the Egyptians always had a skeleton placed in a prominent position at their banquets.2.8. The animals‟ habitual behaviorsAs wide as owls: very clever. The owl was given to Minerva as her symbolNo spring chicken: the woman who is no longer young.Swan‟s song: the last work of a poet, composer, etc. The song fabled to be sung by swans at the point of death.Bury one‟s head in the sand: refuse to take any notice of a difficulty; refuse to admi t that something is a problem and hope that it will get better by itself.2.9. SeafaringKeep one‟s head above water: avoid bankruptcy. The allusion is to swimming; so long as one‟s head is above water one‟s life remains, but bad swimmers find it hard to k eep their heads above water.On the rocks: “stony broke,” having no money.A phrase from seafaring; a ship that is on the rocks will very quickly go to pieces unless she can be got off; so will a man.(All) at sea: wide of the mark; quite wrong; As we all know, if a person is in the open ocean without compass or chart, he will get lost.With colors nailed to the mast: to the bitter end. If the colors are nailed to the mast, they cannot be lowered to express submission.e.g.: If they catch you at disadvantage, the miners for your life in the word; and so we fight them with our colors nailed to the mast. ——Scott: The Pirate, ch. XxiTo sail under false colors: to act hypocritically; to try to attain one‟s object byappearing to be other than you are. The term is a nautical one, and refers to the practice of pirates approaching their unsuspecting prey with false colors at the mast.2.10. AgricultureTo hold out the olive branch: to make overtures for peace. In allusion to the olive being an ancient symbol of pea ce. In some of Numa‟s medals the king is represented holding an olive twig, indicative of a peaceful reign.To nip in the bud: to destroy before it has had time to develop; usually said of bad habits, tendency to sin, etc. Shakespeare has——The third day comes a frost, a killing frost; And, when he thinks, good easy man, full surely His greatness is a-ripening, nips his root, And then he falls, as I do. HenryⅧ,ⅲ, 2.As cool as a cucumber: perfectly composed; not in the least angry or agitated.cucumber-time: the dull season in the tailoring tradeThe last straw: the only hope left; the last penny; an addition to a set of troubles, which makes them at last too much to bear. The allusion is to the old proverb, “It is the last straw that breaks the camel‟s back.” In weighing articles, as salt, tea, sugar, etc., it is the last pinch which turns the scale; and there is an ultimate point of endurance beyond which calamity breaks a man down. Turn on a new leaf: to begin a new course of improved behavior, habit, etc.To beat the bush: to allow another to profit by one‟s exertions. The illusion is to beaters, whose business is to beat the bushes and start the game for a shooting party.2.11. Daily lifeA dark horse: a person who keeps his true capabilities to himself till he can produce them to the best advantage. a horse whose merits as a racer are not known to the general publicSee how the cat jumps: like “see which way the wind blows”; which of the two alternatives is likely to be the successful one before you give any opinion of its merit or adhesion to it, either moral or otherwise. The allusion is either to the game called “tip-cat”, in which before you strike y ou must observe which way the “cat” has jumped up, or to the cruel sport mentioned above.Idioms are the essence of a language, which have strong national colors and distinctive cultural connotations. So it is necessary for Chinese readers to understand English idioms thoroughly and learn the translation methods.Chapter 3.The difficulties in the translation of English idiomsIn the 1950‟s the American writer Hackett put forward the concept “random holes in patterns” which means “the accidental gap” in con servation when contrasting two languages.There must be information drains in any course of conservation and the absolute equity is never possible. The goal of translation is conservation in maximum to enable the foreign readers understand the source culture. There are two reasons as follows. Firstly, the formation and solidification of English idioms are in relationship with the different histories, environments and cultural backgrounds. It contains certain national culture characteristics and information. Furthermore, Chinese and English live in different regions, so their living environments and experiences are different, especially in their ways to observe the world, understand the world and transform the world. Their culture atmospheres are unique. Secondly, Chinese belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family while English belongs to the Indo-European language family, so their language structures are different. All mentioned above enrich the idioms and make them more complex.3.1 The development of translation principleThe principle of translation between English and Chinese has developed for a long time. For translation standards, translators from home and abroad put forward different opinions. From Yan Fu‟s “faithfulness, expressiveness, elegance” to Mr. Zhang Peiji‟s “faithfulness and smoothness”; from Fu Lei‟s “approximation in spirit” to the American famous translation theoretician Eugene Nida‟s “functional equivalence” or “dynamic equivalence”, we may see that these positions affect each other, supplement each other although their emphases are different. However, the focus is to translate the source text faithfully, meanwhile, to keep the original taste as much as possible.The quality of idioms translation has the direct influence on the entire article. In order to be loyal to the original text, the translation must not only maintain its original taste and flavor, but also conform to the demand of writing in the target language. However, the idiom translation is difficult to meet these two standards at the same time. It is extremely important to translate idioms faithfully, and translators must pay attention to the following three points:3.1.1.Idioms are heavily culture-loaded; they have manifested different national flavors. Therefore, the translation of idioms must try to keep the original taste and not to use those target words that have strong national characteristics.3.1.2. Chinese idioms stress to the rhythm and structure. So it is necessary to augment or readjust the original language structure when translating English idioms.3.1.3. Do one‟s best to translate the original images, metaphoric meaning and rhetoric of the source language.Chapter4. Translation Methods of English Idioms4.1 Two main translation methods of English idiomsDomestication and foreignization are two main methods of translation. The US translation theoretician Venuti defines the two methods as follow:Domestication adopts the national center principle, enables the source language text to satisfy the value of target language and culture, and leads the source language readers into the target culture, while foreignization means to accept the differences between foreign language culture and target language culture to take target language readers to see the foreign scene. From the definitions, we can see both of them hold different metodes toward the cultural differences. But the author believes that domestication is the best way to enrich the expression of target language. Adopting domestication in maximum can enable the target language readers emerge the same or the similar association as the source language readers.4.2 Four concrete translation skills of English idiomsThere are some concrete translation skills between English and Chinese, which are cited as follows:4.1.Literal translation4.2. Free translation4.3. Borrowing4.4. Literal translation with annotation4.5. Literal translationLiteral translation can fairly retain the English idioms‟ analogy, image, national and local flavors, in the position of not violating the standard of translation or causing the readers to misunderstand. This way of translation can not only retain the original intention, but also enrich Chinese language. It can be seen clearly in the following examples:An apple of discord comes from Greek mythology. The story is like this : a goddess named discord is angry and never forgives King Paris and his wife because they don‟t invite her to participate in their wedding banquet. In order to give vent to the hate, she abandons a golden apple on the table of the wedding banquet, declaring that this apple is given to the most beautiful lady in this wedding banquet. There are three goddesses who want to obtain this golden apple. And then it causes a wrangle in a mess. From then on, the meaning of “an apple of discord” spreads. It becomes the synonym of “the cause of disaster” and “the source of the disagreement”.These are the Greek gifts for you. The literal translation of this idiom is 希腊人的礼物, which comes from the well-known epic poem “Odyssey”. When the Greek had left Troy, they left behind a big wooden horse outside the Troy city. Priest Laocoon tried his best to persuade his king not to accept the thing that the Greek stayed behind. H e said that, “I fear the Greek, even when bringing gifts.” But what a pity, the king and the people did not listen to his advice. They pulled the big wooden horse into their city. Actually, in the wooden horse there hid the most excellent Greek soldiers. At that night, they killed the Trojan and fired the city. This wooden horse brought disaster to the Troy. In English Greek gifts is equal to the proverb: When the fox preaches, take care of your geese. The similar Chinese idiom is黄鼠狼给鸡拜年―不安好心(the yellow weasel goes to his respects to the hen-----with the best of intention)4.6.Other examples are：Achilles' heel which means the only weakness, or strategic point;Cut the Gordian knot means taking the drastic measures;The sword of Damocles, the sword hanging above Damocles‟ head is compared to the worrying mentality.Furthermore, we should never neglect the following facts. Make a general survey of the history oftranslation, we are not difficult to see many literal translations are temporary means to meet emergency. The most remarkable represent is transliterations. However,going through a long time, transliteration stands firmly and slowly and is gradually accepted by Chinese. In the end they become our everyday terms. Like “humor, sofa, hamburger” and so on. And we should realize another two ways of translation: one is imitating the original text that is more or less a little nondescript, and the other is explaining the original text clearly, but it would be lengthy. Translating the allusion in English idioms is the same.Here is a typical example on transliteration. Right now the Chinese are probably familiar with these two words: science and democracy. But in fact, they are not locally born. On the early 20th century, the translations of these two words were rather strange to us. The former is transliterated into 赛因斯or shortened as Mr. Sai(赛先生), while the latter is 德谟克拉西or shortened as Mr. De（德先生）. Afterwards they are changed into 科学and 民主. Even Mr. Lu Xun also has made the very interesting attempt in this aspect. He translated English word “fair play” into 费尔泼赖which was accepted by the Chinese at that time. Actually, either “science” or “fair play” is just a temporary ideal approach of translation in the situation that had no equivalents in Chinese. There is another example. In the 1960‟s there was a large quantity of young men called “the decadents” in America. They were discontented with the social situation, hated anything, held the resistance to the traditional value, did anything new and different in order to be out of ordinary, kept the long hair, wore the outlandish clothes, and advocated intercourse freely. They were called “hippies” in English. How to translate it into Chinese? Since in Chinese glossary, no ready-made word can express the above section of speeches, summarizing the word as “the men to counter tradition” or “people dissatisfying the reality” unavoidably lose the cultural meaning. So transliterating “hippies” into 嬉皮士can well solve this problem.4.6.1.Free translationFree translation is similar to domestication. It refers to such a translation method: when the translators are confined by the cultural differences; they have to discard the cultural message to keep the original content and its communicative function. Free translation is an incorporating explanation to deal with cultural differences. Obviously free translation in the process of dealing with cultural difference is very important. Regarding the readers who never get in touch with “Mongolia and Peacey” which is translated into 达蒙和皮西阿斯, they do not have any ideas of this idiom even if the translation looks so faithful. Even more, the source information loses completely.Both literal translation and free translation are loyal to the original text. In fact, here is a dialectical unification. Because the traditional translation is too subjective, Nida proposed。
英汉习语的文化差异及翻译
英汉习语的文化差异及翻译当我们在翻译英汉习语时，往往会遇到文化差异带来的挑战。
文化差异指的是不同文化背景的人们在价值观、习俗、传统和社会习惯等方面的差异。
这些差异在习语中得到了生动的体现，使得我们在翻译时必须深入了解其文化内涵。
从词汇角度来看，英汉习语中的文化差异尤为明显。
例如，英语中的“in the same boat”和汉语中的“同舟共济”都表达了共同的意境，但在文化背景上却大相径庭。
英语中的“in the same boat”源自欧洲的航海文化，而汉语中的“同舟共济”则源自中国的传统水文化。
同样，英语中的“black sheep”和汉语中的“害群之马”虽然都表示“不合群的人”，但在文化意象上却存在差异。
因此，在翻译时需要深入理解习语的文化内涵，以确保译文的准确性和生动性。
从语法和表达方式方面来看，英汉习语之间也存在显著的文化差异。
英语常常采用比喻、拟人、反语等修辞手法，而汉语则更注重对仗、平衡和和谐。
例如，英语中的“talking through one's hat”和汉语中的“纸上谈兵”都表示“空谈”，但英语中的比喻让人产生更加直观的感受。
英语中的习语往往言简意赅，而汉语中的习语则更为凝练、含蓄。
例如，“a skeleton in the cupboard”和“家丑不可外扬”都表达了相似的意境，但英语中的习语更显得简洁有力。
针对这些文化差异，我们在翻译英汉习语时需要采取适当的翻译方法。
对于一些具有特定文化背景的习语，我们可以采用直接音译的方法。
这种方法能够保留原文的文化意象，同时使读者更容易产生共鸣。
例如，英语中的“情人节”（Valentine’s Day）就直接音译为“瓦伦丁节”，既保留了其文化源头，又让中国读者更容易接受。
对于一些在意象和语法表达上存在明显差异的习语，我们可以采用意译的方法。
这种方法更注重译文的生动性和准确性，能够让读者更好地理解原文的内涵。
例如，“to break the ice”可意译为“打破僵局”，形象生动地表达了原意。
浅析英汉语动物词语的文化异同——以十二生肖为例
龙所 代表 的文化形 象却截 然不 同。在 中国人 的眼中 ，龙 是尊贵 、权 力和吉祥 的 集合体 ，它 也中华 民族 的象 征 ，我们常 把 自己说 成是 “ 龙的 传人 ” 。在封 建社 会 ，龙 是帝 王 的象 征 ，而普 通百 姓则 常 祭祀 龙这 种神 灵 ，以求 五谷 丰 登 因此 ，含 “ ”的成 语大多 有较好的 寓意 ，如 “ 飞凤舞 ”“ 龙卧虎 ” 龙 龙 藏 “ 望子 成龙 ”等 。而在 西方 的文化 中 ，龙有 着完全 相反 的形 象 ，它 代表 着罪 恶和 背叛 。其 实 ，这 一说 法 源 于圣 经 ，其 中 无 恶不 作 的撒 旦就 被 比作 “ ａ ｇ ｅ ｔｄａ ｏ ” ｒ ａ ｒ ｇ ｎ 。所 以在西方 的文学作 品中 ，龙 （ ｒ ｇ ｎ）常 常与撒旦 、毒 ｄａ ｏ
蛇和 罪恶的形 象联 系到一起 ，像 “ｈ ｏｄ ｒｇ ｎ ｔ ｅ ｌ ｄ ａ ｏ ”就 用来指代 魔鬼 ６ 巳蛇— — Ｓ ａ ｅ ｎｋ
英汉 语 中蛇的形 象 几乎是 一致 的。 当人们 说到蛇 ，便 禁不住 不寒 而栗 。 汉语 中有很 多成 语来 表达 人们对 蛇这种 动物 的厌 恶和 恐惧 ，像 “ 心如 蛇蝎 ” “ 龙斗 不过地 头蛇 … 美女 蛇” 等等 。西方 文化 中 ，蛇 的形 象同 样与狡 猾 、 强 邪 恶联 系到 了一 起。像圣 经里 ，撒旦就 是以蛇 的形象 出现 ，引诱 夏娃和亚 当 偷 食禁 果。在 英语 中 ，有 许多关 于蛇 （ｎ ｋ ）的习语 ，如 “ ｓ ａ ｅ ｎ ｓａｅ ａ ｎ ｋ ｉ ｔｅ ｇａｓ ｈ ｒ ｓ”便 指那些假 装视你为 朋友却背 地伤害你 的人 ，“ ｎ ｋ ｎ ｔ ｅ Ａ ｓ ａ ｅ ｉ ｈ ｂ ｓ ｍ”指 的是背信弃 义的人 ，而 “ ｋ ｅ ｄ ｏ ｎ ｋ ｎ ｈ ｒ ｓ ” ｏｏ Ｔａ ｅ ｂ ｅ ｆ ｓ ａ ｅ ｉ ｔ ｅ ｇ ａ ｓ 则 是在 提醒人 们 提 防那 些暗 中破坏 的 小人 。 ７ 午马—— Ｈ ｒｅ ｏ ｓ 马是 中西 方人 都很 喜爱 的 动物 。它 们广 泛地 出现 于人 们 的生 活 中的某 些方 面 ，像 交通工 具、娱 乐生活 等 汉 语中 ，含 “ 马” 的成语通 常带 有积极 向上 的含义 ，如 “ 一马 当先”“ 马到成 功… 龙 马精神” 等等 。在 英语 中，也 常出现 有马 （ ｏ ｓ ）的习语 ，“ ｏ ｓ ｙ ｓｕ ｌ ｏ ｏ ｒ ｆｅ 便 ｈ ｒｅ ａ ｈ ｒｅ ｍａ ｔ ｍｂ ｅ ｎ ｆｕ ｅ ｔ 译为人 有失足 ，马 有失蹄 ，“ｏ ｋ ｈ ａ ｎ ｏ ｒ ａ ｔ ｒ ｔ ｅ ｈｏ ｓ ｓ ｌ ｃ ｔ ｅ ｂ ｒ ｄ ｏ ｆｅ ｈ ｒ ｅ ｉ ｓ ｏｅ ”译 为亡羊 补牢 ，“ ａ ｋ ｏ ｓ ”则直译 为黑马 ，表示一个 人意 外获 ｔ ｌｎ ｃ ｒ ｈ ｒｅ ｌ 得 成功 ，而 “ ｏ ｄ ｙ ｕ ｏ ｓ ”则是 在提醒 人们凡 事不要 进行的那 么快 ， ｈ ｌ ｏ ｒ ｈ ｒｅ 要 懂得 停 下来 动脑 思考 。 ８ 未 羊—— Ｓ ｅ ｐ ｈ ｅ 在各种 动物 当中 ，羊 经常被视 为是一种 弱势群 体。它们 安静 、温 顺 、易 于 被掌 控。所 以 ，在英 汉语 中羊 的形 象多为 可怜 的 、令 人 同情的 。汉语 中 ， 我 们 有 “ 虎 吞羊 ”“ 手牵 羊… 羊毛 出 在羊身 上 ”等 等 。而英 语 中，羊 饿 顺 （ｈ ｅ ）常用作形 容不能 独立进 行思考 总是随 波逐流的人 。“ ｌｃ ｈ ｅ ” ｓ ｅｐ Ｂａ ｋ ｓ ｅｐ 当然 不能译作 黑羊 ，应该 是害群之 马的意思 。还有许 多其他含 ｓ ｅｐ的 习语， ｈｅ
浅析英汉动物习语的文化差异
企业导报2014年第13期作者简介：崔意茁(1990-)，女，辽宁大连人，天津外国语大学，国际商务英语硕士研究生。
浅析英汉动物习语的文化差异崔意茁（天津外国语大学，300204）摘要：本文将从英汉习语中的动物词汇含义方面进行对比，并通过分析其文化差异及其背后的原因，旨在使英语学习者更好地理解英汉文化差异以实现最小障碍的跨文化交际。
关键词：习语；含义；文化差异一、英汉动物习语文化内涵对比分析每个词汇都有其本身的含义，但是当其出现在特定的富有喻意的句子中时，这些词汇就被赋予了内涵。
许力生对内涵的定义是：内涵指的是单词或短语超出其中心含义所具有的附加意义。
他认为，人们通过这些附加意义来表达其在特定场合的态度和感受。
不论在中英文中，人们都会用不同的动物隐喻表达其情感或描述其行为活动。
但是因为不同民族之间的文化异同，动物词语的文化内涵在英语和汉语中有的相近甚至相同，有的则截然不同，本文将从三个方面分析习语中动物词语的文化内涵差异。
（一）同一动物词语在英汉习语中具有相同的文化内涵。
在英汉习语中，某些动物的文化内涵是相近甚至相同的，这说明文化是相通的，不同民族对同一事物的认识会产生共识，进而产生文化重合现象。
“蛇”在英文和汉语中都是贬义的，暗含狡猾、残忍之义。
如英文中的“a snake in the grass ”指的是暗藏危机，“a serpent in one ’s bosom ”意思是姑息养奸。
在汉语中，人们用“蛇蝎心肠”来形容心肠狠毒的人，用“佛口蛇心”来比喻说话好听，心肠却极狠毒。
在英汉习语中，马的内在含义也很相似。
英文会用“like a horse ”来赞扬某人辛勤工作，而中文也会有“马到成功”、“一马当先”等祝福语。
“鼠”在汉语中是“怯”的代名词，在英语中也如此。
英文中有“as timid as a mouse ”，汉语中则有“胆小如鼠”，都是用来形容胆子特别小的人。
再者，“狼”一贯象征着凶残和贪婪。
英汉动物类习语比较及其翻译
英汉动物类习语比较及其翻译Ξ欧 忆 贾德江(南华大学大学外语部 衡阳市 421001)摘 要 动物习语在英汉两种语言中的出现频率都很高。
英汉民族思维方式和文化背景不同,同一动物所承载的喻义也就会出现差异。
一方面,指称意义相同的动物形象,其喻义,即它在原语和译语中的语用含义可能相去甚远,甚至完全相悖。
另一方面,有些动物形象,在原语中含有丰富的语用意义,而在译语中却丢失,因而在译语中不能产生等值的意象联想。
关键词 英汉习语 动物名称 设喻比较 动物习语来源 翻译手法Abstract There are a lot of animal idioms in both English and Chinese.Their modes of thinking and cultural backgrounds are different,so the implied meanings of the same animal are possibly different.On the one hand, their conceptual meanings are the same but pragmatic implications are different.On the other hand,some animals’names have rich pragmatic implications in original language but not in target language,so they cannot produce e2 qual image association.K ey w ords English and Chinese idioms animals’names comparison of metaphors source of animal idioms translation techniques 人类与动物可以说在生态环境中结下了不解之缘。
英汉动植物词语的文化内涵对比及翻译
英汉动植物词语的⽂化内涵对⽐及翻译英汉动植物词语的⽂化内涵对⽐及翻译陈⾦连摘要：语⾔与⽂化是相互依存的，语⾔蕴含着⼀个民族的社会意识、历史⽂化、风俗习惯等各⽅⾯的社会特征。
在⼀种语⾔被翻译成为另⼀种语⾔的时候，⼀定要考虑这种语⾔所涉及的⽂化因素。
意义上，翻译就是⼀种跨语⾔跨⽂化的交流活动。
它的最终⽬的是促进不同⽂化之间的交流，不同的国家有不同的⽂化，因为⽂化的背景和传统的不同，使中西⽅在思维⽅式，价值观，⾏为习惯和⽣活上有着很⼤的⽂化差异。
本质上，翻译是以不同的语⾔为载体进⾏的⽂化之间的转换活动。
关键词：语⾔⽂化翻译⼀、引⾔英汉语⾔词汇承载着不同的⽂化内涵，要把握好这两种语⾔就要把握好两种⽂化。
动植物在⼈类⽣活中是不可或缺的，⼈类的语⾔中也很多时候涉及到动植物的名称，⽽这些名称并⾮实指动物的本⾝，⽽是被赋予了⼀定的⽂化内涵意义。
但由于中西⽅国家在历史、⽂化以及⽣活环境上的差异，部分动植物名称被赋予的⽂化含义也不尽相同。
本⽂⾸先对英汉两种语⾔习语中的动植物意象进⾏举例⽐较，讨论动植物意象翻译的⼏种⽅法，最后得出如此结论：对动植物意象的正确翻译源于对动植物意象⽂化内涵之正确理解。
⼆、动物的⽂化内涵（⼀）狗英汉民族不同的价值标准⾸先体现在对狗的褒贬上。
在英汉语⾔中，狗（dog）的基本意义是⼀致的，都表⽰家养的，可以帮⼈看护家院的⼀种动物。
但是狗在汉语中是卑贱的动物，⼤多数情况下都是常遭谩骂的东西，如“⾛狗”，“狼⼼狗肺”，“狗眼看⼈低”等。
可是dog 在西⽅⼈⼼⽬中的地位很⾼，是“忠诚”的象征。
他们都把dog当成⾃⼰的好朋友，甚⾄家庭的⼀员。
英语中带“dog”的词语很多，⽽且多含褒义，如Love me，love my dog.（爱屋及乌。
）You are a luckly dog.（你是⼀个幸运⼉。
）Every dog has its day.（凡⼈皆有得意时。
）等。
很显然，这些说法反映了西⽅⼈的⽂化⼼理。
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英汉双语中“蛇”及其习语的文化内涵与翻译蛇是十二生肖之一，虽与人类的生活不是息息相关，但却为人们所熟知，它的形象也在人脑中存在已久，包含一定的内容，拥有丰富的内涵意义。
“蛇”文化渊源流长，在中国文化中可以追溯至遥远的上古时期，在英语文化中则可追溯至圣经时期。
从此后，蛇文化便逐渐丰富发展，形成今天的模式，这其中形成了许多蛇的习语或固定的延伸意义等。
在英汉文化中，蛇的象征意义差别甚大，所以本文特列举一些习语加以佐证。
有关蛇的习语在英汉互译中也就需要转换意义。
为了让人们更多地了解英汉蛇文化的差异，译者在翻译时也需根据具体情况采用不同的翻译策略。
标签：蛇习语文化意义翻译策略一、引言长期以来，人类与自然界中的各种动物关系密切，对各种动物的生活习性、特征也十分了解，因此对它们产生了丰富的联想。
蛇虽说不象猪那样能保障人类的肉食，但它的习性、特征完全为人类所熟悉，且人类对它产生了特定的情感并赋予其丰富的联想意义，进而用蛇的某些特征或联想意义来表达或解释周围客观世界及其相关事物。
这些表达法因其为人广泛使用而被固定了下来，形成了生动的习语和谚语，成为一国文化中不可缺少的组成部分。
在英汉语言中，蛇的形象和喻义既有相似也有差异。
英美人和大多数中国人都深知日常生活中常常会有提及蛇的时候，但要是真的见到了蛇总会有各种感情的表露，各种联想涌上心头。
但是，英汉语言中蛇文化有着不同的文化发展轨迹。
蛇在英汉语言中存在不同的文化涵义，有时即便在同一种语言文化中，有关蛇的文化内涵与联想意义也在不同时期呈现出多样性。
这些富含文化意义的习语在展现英汉两种语言独特韵味的同时，也给译者在选择翻译方法上带来了不小的困难。
一、蛇在汉语中的文化意义：蛇在汉语中的文化意义非常丰富，既有积极意义，又有消极意义，还有中性意义。
蛇积极的文化意义是人们喜闻乐见的，如在很多时候，蛇都被比作龙，蛇通常称作“小龙”，蛇蜕下的皮叫蛇蜕，也叫“龙衣”。
民俗农历二月二是蛇冬眠结束，开始出洞活动的日子，而这一天也被称作“龙抬头”。
龙的形象也是人们照着蛇的样子，加了点龙须、龙鳞、龙角等增加而成的。
蛇是龙的前身，《山海经·大荒经》中道：“西北海之外，赤水之北，有章尾山。
有神，人面蛇身而赤，直目正乘，其瞑乃晦，其视乃明。
不食不寝不息，风雨是谒。
是烛九阴，是谓烛”（在西北的海外，赤水北岸，有一座章尾山。
山上有尊神，人面蛇身，全身通红，身子长达一千里，竖立生长的眼睛正中合成一条缝，它闭上眼睛就是黑夜，睁开眼睛就是白昼。
它不吃饭不睡觉不呼吸，只以风雨为食物。
它能照耀阴暗的地方，因此称作烛龙）可见，古时候，蛇的地位在中国可算是比较高的，虽然与龙的地位仍然千差万别，但已享有相当高的的地位。
那时很多人崇拜的神人，如补天的女娲、伏羲、开天辟地的盘古等，都与蛇有着千丝万缕的联系。
女娲是人面蛇身，盘古是龙首蛇身，伏羲是人身蛇尾。
因此，在古代，蛇的地位相当高。
在那时，蛇本身并无贬义。
从东汉许慎对甲骨文的解释中可看出，古人对蛇并无半点恶意。
蛇身曲线有致，有如女性婀娜多姿的体态。
蛇还象征着知恩图报的高尚人格。
如蛇雀之报，“大蛇衔明珠、黄雀衔白环报恩的故事。
隋侯出行见大蛇被伤中断，以药封之，蛇乃能行，岁余，蛇衔明珠以报之，谓之隋侯珠、明月珠。
”（见《淮南子·览冥训》汉高诱注、晋干宝《搜神记》卷二十）此处的蛇便是知恩图报高尚人格的象征。
另外，蛇通常被用来比作书法笔画流畅，笔式雄健，或指文笔流畅，文思汹涌，下笔如有神助。
现列举几个成语加以说明：（1）笔走龙蛇：形容文笔极好，挥洒自如。
（2）走蚓惊蛇：像逃窜的蚯蚓，想受了惊吓的蛇。
比喻书法运笔迅速，笔式雄健。
出自“锦绣额赠新题走蚓惊蛇，丹青帧摸巧样回莺舞鹤。
”——明·汤式《一枝花·赠明时秀》套曲。
（3）飞鸟惊蛇：像飞鸟入林，受惊的蛇吓得立刻窜入草丛一样。
用于形容草书自然流畅。
出自《法书苑》：“唐时一僧释亚楼善草书，曾自题一联：‘飞鸟入林，惊蛇入草’”。
尽管蛇有如此多的积极意义，但它也有不少的消极意义。
这是因为人们一想到蛇，仍然会害怕。
它长相丑，会咬人，人人厌恶，且蛇通常神出鬼没，咬人时迅速而无声无息，非常致命，因此通常以蛇代指邪恶的人或事。
这可从很多成语、歇后语、谚语中见其一斑。
例如：（4）蛇蝎心肠：以剧毒之蛇和蝎比喻人心之恶毒。
形容人心歹毒，恶毒之至。
（5）阴沟石缝里的蛇蝎——暗伤人：指暗中伤人。
（6）牛鬼蛇神：比喻各色邪恶或各种恶人。
另外，蛇也指阴险的人。
如：（7）虚与委蛇：指对人虚情假意，敷衍应酬；（8）拨草寻蛇：比喻执意寻找某物或比喻招惹恶人，自找麻烦。
此处“蛇”可指“麻烦，坏事”然而，蛇在有些词中又是中性的，有时也可能既含褒义又含贬义，只是要看在什么情况下怎么解释。
例如：（9）打草惊蛇：本来想捉蛇，可是却惊动了它，给捕捉带来麻烦；不想被蛇所伤，或是想找出蛇在哪，故意打草。
（10）画蛇添足：蛇本来没有脚，画蛇却画上脚。
喻指做多余的事，反而不恰当。
在这一成语中，蛇本身并无褒义或贬义。
（11）打蛇打七寸：比喻做事要抓关键，这样才容易取胜。
二、蛇在英语中的文化意义英语文化受外来文化影响很深，从其中的蛇文化就见其一斑。
圣经文化及其他文化的影响使得英语文化中蛇的文化意义非常丰富。
英语文化中的蛇，其地位比在汉语文化中的蛇要低得多，蛇的意义也通常都与邪恶相关。
《圣经》中的那条大蛇，引诱亚当与夏娃偷吃禁果，从而遭到惩罚，被逐出伊甸园，终生爬行。
“农夫与蛇”故事中的那条蛇，忘恩负义，农夫出于善心救他，却因为无知打扰了它冬眠反而遭它所害。
蛇也常指阴险狡诈的人或事物。
如“snake in the grass”是指潜伏的危险或敌人，指人表面一套背地里一套，两面三刀，非常阴险狡诈。
“snake oil”指的是毫无用处的建议或问题的解决方案，是含有贬义的。
“A bad conscience is a snake in one’s heart.”相当于汉语中的“做贼心虚”。
在这句谚语中，“snake”指的是某人心中的一些隐秘，而这种隐秘通常与坏事有关。
“cherish a snake in one’s bosom”，其汉译为“养虎为患”，可见，句中想“snake”指的是那些忘恩负义之人，带贬义色彩。
“Take heed of the snake in the grass”，汉译为“草里防蛇”，也指阴险的人或事。
蛇在英语中也有意义为中性的时候，如“go at something like a boy killing snakes”，小男孩杀许多蛇是需要很大力气的，因此指的是精力充沛地去做某事。
另外，蛇也代表智慧，伊甸园中，在蛇的影响下，亚当夏娃纵然受到上帝的惩罚，可是换个角度想想，在此之前，他们毫无羞耻之心，而在此之后，他们才开始有了羞耻之心，用无花果叶子编成裙子来穿，如果没有蛇的影响，亚当和夏娃今天将仍在伊甸园当中，什么都不懂，什么都不会做，过着象在牙塔里生活的日子。
蛇在英语文化中也代表治愈的力量，这可从《圣经》中一段话而知：“Jesus uses the symbol of the snake on a pole to illustrate to Nicodemus God’s heal ing power over sin for anyone who can look upon Jesus and live.”因此，很多西方国家医院或诊所的标志都是蛇和针，这种力量不只针对肉体疾病，也针对精神上的罪恶。
三、与蛇有关的习语的翻译在英汉文化中，由于蛇的象征意义差别甚大，所以其文化意义各有不同，这自然就成了影响译者顺利翻译的障碍，为此本文特列举一些习语及其译文加以佐证。
证明有关蛇的习语在英汉互译中必须相互转换意义，同时译者也需根据具体情况采用不同的翻译策略。
只有这样，才能消除读者的理解障碍。
（一）直译直译指既保持原文内容、又保持原文形式的翻译方法。
它更倾向于原文，以原文为主导。
直译能更好地传达原文的精神，有助于读者了解原文原貌，了解源语的形式以及文化等。
（12）But beneath that placid surface the IMF sees a snake pit of threats.但在风平浪静的表面下，国际货币基金组织看到了种种蛇穴般的威胁。
（13）After a time，we noticed a snake charmer with two large baskets at the other side of the square，so we went to have a look at him.过了一会儿，我们注意到广场那头有一个背着两个大筐的耍蛇人，于是就走过去看看。
（14）A powerful dragon cannot crush a snake in its old haunts.（强龙不压地头蛇。
）（15）To kill a snake，you must first crush the head.（打蛇先打头。
）（二）意译由于英汉蛇文化的巨大差异，在翻译与蛇有关的习语时可能需要进行转换。
为了让读者更好地理解原文的文化意义，译者有时只能根据原文的大意来翻译，而不能作字面翻译，否则会显得过于生硬，难以理解。
有时候意译更能体现译文的语言文化特征。
由于意译法更侧重译文，因而源语的一些语言特征可能会在这一过程中丧失。
（16）I always thought John a true friend，but his action later proved him to be a snake in the grass. 我过去一直认为约翰是个真朋友，但他后来的行为证明他是个奸诈的人。
（17）The news wakes a lot of snakes. 这个消息引起了极大的骚动。
（18）As for Yemen，it is an ungovernable snake pit，home to rival tribes，secessionists and a local branch of al-Qaeda. 至于也门，这是一个无法管理的疯人院，这里是部落竞争对手的基地，也是分裂分子和基地组织的地方分会。
（19）For Sarah Palin and her pals，man-made global warming is nothing but a“bunch of snake oil science.”对莎拉·佩林（Sarah Palin）及其同党来说，由人类造成的全球变暖不过是些“江湖科学”罢了。
（三）借用法借用法是指借用其它喻体将所要表达的意思表达出来，虽然喻体有所改变，但意思却完整地表达出来了。