上海翻譯公司：如何翻譯口語(yǔ)化的用語(yǔ)

       上海翻譯公司是一家有資質(zhì)的翻譯公司，在口譯工作中，譯員常遇到一些口語(yǔ)化的用語(yǔ)，通俗淺顯，但含義深邃，翻譯成英文時(shí)，既要符合原文的意思，又要順乎英文的語(yǔ)言習(xí)慣，使對(duì)方能正確理解講話人的意思。這是口譯工作中的一個(gè)難點(diǎn)。這里涉及兩種文化和思維方式的相通。既要“知己”，即對(duì)中國(guó)思維方式的理解，又要“知彼”，即了解對(duì)方的思維方式和語(yǔ)言習(xí)慣。上海翻譯公司譯境翻譯收集了一些通俗的口語(yǔ)，試譯成英文，很不成熟，僅供口譯工作者參考。 
　　1. 辛苦了 
　　當(dāng)外賓剛抵達(dá)（下飛機(jī)）時(shí)，可以說(shuō): 
　　“You’ve had a long flight(or tiring journey)”. 
　　“Did you have a good trip?” 
　　對(duì)工作勞累和辦事“辛苦”，可說(shuō)： 
　　“You’ve been working hard.” “You’ve had a hectic day(or tiring)day.” 
　　“Thank you for all the trouble you’ve taken.” 
　　這事恐怕又得“辛苦”您了。 
　　“I am afraid we’ll have to trouble you again.” 
　　在檢閱時(shí)，首長(zhǎng)對(duì)列隊(duì)人員說(shuō)“同志們，辛苦了！” 
　　在這種場(chǎng)合，既不能用“hard work”, 也不能用太長(zhǎng)的語(yǔ)句來(lái)表達(dá)，可以簡(jiǎn)單地說(shuō)“Salute, (or How are you,) comrades!” 
　　2. 客隨主便 
　　Guests must suit the convenience( or comply with the wishes) of the host. 
　　3. 入鄉(xiāng)隨俗 
　　When in Rome, do as the Romans do. 
　　4. 一見(jiàn)如故。一回生，二回熟。 
　　Feel like old friends at first sight(or meeting). First time strangers, 
　　second time friends. 
　　5. 今天活動(dòng)太緊張了。 
　　You’ve had a long (busy) day. 
　　We’ve kept you very busy today. 
　　You’ve had a crowded (tight) programme today. 
　　今天怎么搞？ 
　　What will be the scenario today? 
　　6. 照顧不周，請(qǐng)?jiān)彙?nbsp;
　　Please forgive us if we haven’t looked after you well. 
　　Please forgive us for not having looked after you well. 
　　Please forgive us if there are any oversights on our part. 
　　7. 來(lái)到這里過(guò)得慣嗎？ 
　　How do you find life here(in Beijing)? 
　　How do you like Beijing? 
　　Have you become accustomed to the life here ? 
　　Have you adjusted yourself to the life here? 
　　8. 這是我們應(yīng)該做的。 
　　It’s our pleasure. It’s our duty. 
　　The pleasure is mine(ours). 
　　9. 您太客氣了。您過(guò)獎(jiǎng)了。我不敢當(dāng)。 
　　It’s very(most) kind of you. Thank you for your kind words.(Your compliments). 
　　You are being very considerate. You speak too highly of me. You overrate us. 
　　It’s very kind of you to say so, but it more than we deserve. I am flattered. 
　　10. 請(qǐng)留步，不用送我們出來(lái)了。 
　　Please don’t bother. We’ll (I’ll) see ourselves(myself) out. 
　　Please don’t bother to come to the door with me. 
　　I’ll see myself out. 
　　11. 水酒一杯，為各位洗塵接風(fēng)。 
　　May I offer you this glass of wine to greet you after your long journey (all the way to China). 
　　12. 你的話有道理。 
　　You have a point in saying that. 
　　You have a point there. 
　　13. 講穿了；極而言之；話說(shuō)回來(lái)，話沒(méi)有說(shuō)死。 
　　To put it bluntly. 
　　To speak in extreme terms. 
　　To revert to the point. Back to the point. 
　　There is no firm agreement as yet. There is no definitive word as yet. 
　　14. 話要說(shuō)明白，說(shuō)話算數(shù)。 
　　Make one’s views amply clear or make one’s position abundantly clear. 　
　　Our word counts. We mean what we say. What we Chinese say counts. 
　　15. 扯皮 
　　Wrangling or buck-passing. 
　　They keep wrangling without getting anywhere. 
　　雙方互相扯皮，推卸責(zé)任。 
　　They argued back and forth, each trying to shift the responsibility onto the other. 
　　Passing the buck to somebody. (“Buck”是撲克牌游戲中，輪到某牌手做莊時(shí)，置于其前面的莊家標(biāo)志。) 
　　我說(shuō)了算。 
　　The buck stops here.(這是美國(guó)總統(tǒng)杜魯門(mén)的名言) 
　　誰(shuí)說(shuō)了算？ 
　　Where should the buck stop? 
　　16. 搞小動(dòng)作 
　　Petty manoeuvres. The U.S has continued to hurt the feelings of the Chinese people by petty manoeuvres. 
　　17. 互挖墻角 
　　Undermine each other’s efforts. Each trying to cut ground( or pull the rug) from under the other’s feet. 
　　18. 唱對(duì)臺(tái)戲 
　　Set one against the other. Each sings an opposite tune. The Soviet union and the U.S are setting themselves again each other. The Soviet Union and the U.S. are putting up a rivalry show. 
　　19. 天塌不下來(lái) 
　　The sky won’t fall. That won’t be the end of the world. 
　　20. 沒(méi)有什么了不起。 
　　It’s (There is) nothing terrible. It’s no big deal. What does it matter? We don’t care. 
　　21. 放心 Don’t worry. 
　　你辦事，我們放心。 
　　With you in charge, we don’t have to worry( or we can all relax). 
　　22. 不放心 
　　Lack of faith(or trust) in somebody. 
　　Have doubts about somebody’s intention. 
　　Be skeptical about somebody’s purpose. 
　　How can we feel easy if the threat is not eliminated. 
　　23. 談不上 
　　Without……, anything will come to naught (or nothing can be accomplished) 
　　Out of the question: 
　　例：“On the peaceful use of atomic energy, China is willing to provide help. As for asking us to help make the bomb, that is out of the question.” 
　　Still less, or let alone. 
　　例：“China has never had any contact with the South African authorities, still less(or let alone)nuclear cooperation.(更談不上核合作)。 
　　24. 交底 
　　Bottom line. 
　　We have given you the bottom line. We hide nothing from you. 
　　25. 不買賬 
　　We are not going to take it from either of the two superpowers. 
　　We won’t buy the stuff of either of the two superpower. 
　　26. 破格 
　　破格接待 Break the protocol to honor somebody. 
　　We have been given exceptionally warm reception(or exceptional hospitality). 
　　破格提撥 
　　Make an exception or break the rule in promoting somebody. Get an exceptional promotion. 
　　Promote somebody over the head of others. 
　　27. 談得攏，談不攏。 
　　See eye to eye; do not see eye to eye. 
　　談得攏，談不攏，都不要緊。 　
　　It doesn’t matter whether we can agree or not. 
　　談得很投機(jī)。 
　　We’ve had a very pleasant (or agreeable) conversation. 
　　28.（某某）成不了什么氣候（不可能有大的作為）。 
　　They cannot prevail( cannot get anywhere; cannot have their way; cannot hold away. 
　　They are incapable of doing much; they are not capable of accomplishing much. 
　　29.要適可而止。 
　　One should stop before going too far. One should have a sense of proportion. 
　　手（不要）伸得太長(zhǎng)了。 
　　It has overreached(overextended) itself. One must not overextend oneself. 
　　30.皮球踢給你了。 
　　The ball is now in your court. 
　　31.怎么樣？就這樣，不怎么樣。 
　　How is everything? Just so so. It’s not terribly good（British understatement）. 
　　32.水漲船高，你追我趕。 
　　It’s like a boat rising (or going up)with the water level, each trying to outdo the other. 
　　Each seeking to gain one-upmanship over the other. 
　　Engage in competitive one-upmanship or in spiralling (progressive) escalation. 
　　33.對(duì)某人或某國(guó)做工作。 
　　To talk to somebody about 
　　To try to persuade somebody to do something, or dissuade somebody from doing something. 
　　34.擊中要害。 
　　Hit where it hurts. 
　　擊不中要害。 
　　Not scratch where one itches. 
　　The Americans do not scratch where we itch. 
　　35.打腫臉充胖子。 
　　Boast about one’s pink cheek after having been slapped. 
　　Try to satisfy one’s vanity when one cannot really afford to do so. 
　　36.講真理，不講面子。 
　　Keep to the truth and not spare the feeling of those who are criticized. 
　　37.翻老賬，不要翻老賬。 
　　Bring up old scores. 
　　We do not want to bring up old scores. 
　　38.對(duì)不起人。做對(duì)不起人的事。 
　　To let somebody down; to do disservice to someone; to do something wrong. 
　　例：We have done nothing wrong to them. We’ve never been unfair to them. We’ve done nothing we should feel sorry for them. We’ll not do any disservice to you. I would have let you down if I do not keep my word. 
　　39.與某某鬧翻了。 
　　To fall out with somebody. 
　　他們翻了。They fell out with each other. 
　　40.解開(kāi)疙瘩。 
　　To untie the knot or remove the grudge. 
　　例：The knot in its relations with the 1.3 billion Chinese people cannot be untied. 
　　The grudge of the 1.3 billion Chinese people cannot be removed. 
　　41.有骨氣，守信用。 
　　中國(guó)人有骨氣 The Chinese people have backbone. 
　　窮得有骨氣 Though poor, he is a man of integrity. 
　　中國(guó)人是守信用的 China keeps good faith. China is trustworthy. China’s good faith is impeccable. 
　　42.苦差事，吃力不討好。 
　　It’s a demanding and unrewarding( or thankless) job. 
　　43.有求于人。（有求于美國(guó)） 
　　one-sided need 
　　例：It would be wrong to regard China’s desire for developing Sino-U.S relations as her one-sided need, a need for China to seek help from the U.S., as her dependence on U.S. assistance. 
　　44.自知之明。 
　　Self-knowledge; wisdom of knowing one’s own limitaions. 
　　缺乏自知之明。 
　　Lack of self-knowledge; having no self-knowledge at all. Overrating oneself; being blind to one’s own weaknesses. 
　　人貴在有自知之明。 
　　It’s important to know one’s own limitations ( or weaknesses).A man’s virtue lies in taking a proper measure of himself. 
　　45.（我是）矮子里拔將軍。 
　　I have been chosen for lack of a better one. 
　　I’ve been selected from among the mediocre. 
　　46.小道消息。 
　　Back alley news, something learnt through the grapevine. 
　　47.整人。 
　　Try to fix somebody; to make somebody suffer; to make things difficult for somebody; give somebody a hard time; to make somebody the target of criticism and attack. 
　　48.這是沒(méi)有辦法的辦法。 
　　This is the only possible solution under the present impossible circumstances. 
　　49.以意識(shí)形態(tài)劃線。 
　　Condition our attitude towards someone (or relationship with somebody) upon ideology. 
　　50.關(guān)系有所松動(dòng)。 
　　Things are moving in the relationship between…. 
　　There is some measure of flexibility(or lessening of rigidity) in bilateral relations or trade, etc. 
　　立場(chǎng)沒(méi)有松動(dòng)。 
　　Their position has not softened. 
　　The U.S has not relaxed its stance on the Iraq issue. 
　　51.有回旋余地。 
　　Room for manoeuvre; allow some latitude. 
　　留點(diǎn)回旋余地。 
　　Leave some room for manoeuvre. 
　　話已說(shuō)絕，再也沒(méi)有回旋余地了。 
　　The last word was said and no room was left for manoeuvre. 
　　留點(diǎn)回旋余地，別把話說(shuō)死了。 
　　Don’t make it so rigid (or inflexible), leave some leeway. 
　　52.不怕鬼，不信邪。 
　　We fear no evil spirits, nor any evil bluster. 
　　這種譯法比較簡(jiǎn)單有力。 
　　“不怕”如譯“are not afraid, are not daunted, scared, alarmed” 均不夠有力。“鬼”直譯是“ghost or devil”,太突顯?！靶判啊比缱g“don’t believe in evil cult”又不好懂。 “bluster”則含“boast and threat”之意，比較符合原意。 
　　53. 緣份 
　　Fate or chance that brings people together; predestination; predestined affinity or relationship. 
　　我們有緣份 
　　It seems that we are predestined to come together. We are brought together by fate( or by predestination). We are made for each other. 
　　54.不見(jiàn)不散 
　　Be there or be square. 
　　55.把柄 Vulnerability 
　　我沒(méi)有把柄在他們手里。 
　　I have no vulnerable points in their favor. They have nothing on me. They cannot manipulate me. 
　　56.宰人（敲竹杠） 　
　　Ripe-off(cheating by charging too much money for something) 
　　這家飯店真“宰人”。 
　　This hotel always tries to rip off its customers. 
　　一杯茶50元，真“宰人”。 
　　50Yuan for a cup of tea. What a rip-off! It’s gouging one’s customers. 
　　57.幫倒忙。 
　　Trying to help but causing more trouble in the process. 
　　Be counterproductive. 
　　你在這個(gè)時(shí)候吹捧他，真是“幫倒忙”。 
　　It’s counterproductive for you to pour praise on him at this juncture. 
　　58.擦邊球，直譯是 “edge ball or touch ball”. 
　　意譯為： Sailing close to the wind. 
　　Taking advantage of loopholes. 
　　59.拉拉隊(duì) Cheer-leading group. 
　　加油！ Go,go! 
　　60. 他屬“雞”。 He belongs to the zodiac year of rooster. 
　　He was borne in the year of rooster. 
　　虛歲 Nominal year of age. 
　　實(shí)歲 Full year of age. 
　　61. 撒嬌 To play(or behave like) the spoilt (or pampered)child. 
　　臺(tái)灣向美國(guó)撒嬌。The Taiwan authorities are playing the spoilt child before the Americans. 
　　62.舍不得 To be reluctant(loath) or hate to 
　　相處久了，舍不得離開(kāi)。 
　　As long-time friends, we hate (are reluctant) to part. 
　　舍得吃穿。 
　　He won’t grudge spending money on food and clothing. 
　　舍不得吃，留給孩子。 
　　We are loath to eat it and would save it for our kids. 
　　舍不得花錢(qián)。 
　　He is loath to spend his money. 
　　63.事后諸葛亮，放馬后炮。 
　　Monday-morning quarterback(美國(guó)英語(yǔ))。 
　　“Quarterback”是橄欖球隊(duì)中的后衛(wèi)，負(fù)責(zé)指揮本隊(duì)的進(jìn)攻。橄欖球賽一般在周末舉行，球隊(duì)往往于比賽后的星期一召集隊(duì)員對(duì)上周的比賽進(jìn)行總結(jié)，由“Quarterback”來(lái)評(píng)議上周進(jìn)攻中的優(yōu)缺點(diǎn)。因此, “Monday-morning quarterback”就轉(zhuǎn)化為“事后諸葛亮”或“放馬后炮”之義。 
　　64. 一個(gè)唱紅臉，一個(gè)唱白臉。 
　　One playing the tough guy and the other playing the soft (or nice) guy. 
　　65.沒(méi)勁，淡而無(wú)味，不痛不癢。 
　　這項(xiàng)聲明沒(méi)勁（淡而無(wú)味）。This statement is wishy-washy. 
　　這項(xiàng)決議案不痛不癢。This is an innocuous resolution.