English Idioms and Idioms translation

Content

Abstract - 2 -

I.  Introduction of English idioms - 3 -

II. Influence of English idioms - 3 -

2.1 English idioms and customs - 3 -

2.2 English idioms and Christianity. - 3 -

2.3 English idioms and literary Art - 3 -

III. The Translation of English idioms - 3 -

3.1 cultural gaps - 3 -

3.1.1 Living circumstances - 3 -

3.1.2 Social custom and habit - 3 -

3.1.3 The gaps in religions - 3 -

3.1.4 Historical allusion. - 3 -

3.2 The methods of translation idioms - 3 -

IV.  Conclusion. - 3 -

REFERENCES. - 3 -

Abstract

Learning how to use idioms is a difficult but by no means impossible task. An idiom is different from other literal expressions in that you could not guess its meaning just by understanding all the words in it. Because of their characteristics, learning idioms requires both rote-learning and analytical skills. Bearing this in mind, we have designed the following features to help you learn idioms. If you are interested in knowing more about the linguistic characteristics of idioms, read the sections on Characteristics of Idioms and Criteria for Identifying Idioms. There is a also a list of Useful References on idioms for you to explore.

Keyword:

I.  Introduction of English idioms

Language is a social phenomenon, and each language stands for one culture. To some extent, language and culture develop simultaneously as an idea is firmly held that language occupies a very special position in culture when compared with other elements, though language is apart of the parallel of culture in a larger sense. With the development of modern society and the tendency towards globalization, English, as a international language, is gradually becoming a necessity for people of our day. However, when learning English, some native speakers as well as nonnative speakers often express their surprise at the wide use and distribution of English idioms. They are sometimes at a loss to understand what they are reading and hearing because of the use of these idioms. As a result, they may not be able to fully understand the English culture.

English is a language particularly rich in idioms----those modes of expression peculiar to a language (of dialect) that frequently defy logical and grammatical rules. Without idioms English would lose much of its variety and humor both in speech and writing while using it properly, people will not only enhance the ability to express all sorts of ideas but also the ability to appreciate culture, which then improves the linguistic ability. English idiom relate so closely to English culture that they are like a drop in the ocean of English culture and reflect the significance of English culture throughout history.

II. Influence of English idioms

2.1 English idioms and customs

Customs are a kind of social phenomenon. They are not the product of individuals but that of the collective in the society, which are affected by politics, economy, religion, literary art and so on and then affect those things in reverse. English idioms are thus greatly influenced by English customs, which concern almost every respect of social life. As a special part of culture, language, especially idioms, inevitably reflects the customs of the nationality. There is no exception to English idioms.

1. English idioms influenced by diet habits

1.1 English idioms related to some daily food

The dietary habits of a nation have a very close relation with its geographical environment and lifestyle, thus they indirectly relate with the language, especially with the idioms. Bread, butter, jam and cheese are some daily food eaten in English families and there are many idioms originated from them. Here are some examples as follows:

⑴baker’s dozen

At the first sight of the idiom, we may think it means “baker’s twelve” because “dozen” refers to “12” as a cardinal number. However, the real meaning of the idiom is quite different from what we thought of.

It was first used in Britain in the 1400s. At that time, the government imposed very strict rules on the weight of all kinds of bread. However, at that time, it was not so easy to ensure the exact weight of the bread. To avoid punishment on the lack of weight, bakers often gave customers one more bun for free. In this way, “baker’s dozen” later gets the meaning of “thirteen” instead of “twelve”. Little by little, more people began to use this idiom for they had to buy buns almost every day. The reason for its popularity also lies in that British people think the number of “13” is an omen and may bring about bad luck so “baker’s dozen” is used as an euphemism for “13” in British culture.

E.g.1 My mother bought a baker’s dozen of apples in the supermarket.

⑵know (on) which side one’s bread is buttered

In this idiom, all the words seem simple and easy yet when combining them together, we are really at a loss as to its meaning. We know butter is a kind of dressing used to make the bread more delicious. If a person knows “on which side one’s bread is buttered”, he will have tastier bread. It’s just like that in real life, if one knows how to win people over, he will get more benefit. The two have some similarities in nature. So the idiom is relevant to the meaning “know how to cultivate popularity”.

E.g.2 He wouldn’t get angry with his boss’ daughter---he knows on which side his bread is buttered.

1.2 English idioms related to pubs

In Britain, pubs (abbreviation for Public House) with a long history can be seen almost everywhere in the country. They are divided into public bars and lounge bars where whiskey and beer are sold. In Britain, a pub is an important cultural location and a place where adults chat and make friends with each other. In the pub, people get relaxed after a day’s work, thus the pub culture comes into being and many idioms are generated from such a culture.

⑴ small beer

As is known, there are different sorts of beer and small beer is not very strong in taste, which may not leave a very deep impression upon people’s mind. So the metaphorical meaning of it is “trivial things or people of little importance”.

E.g.3 The other things seemed very small beer to me in comparison with study.

⑵ beer and skittles

We know the meaning of “beer” and that of “skittle” but we may not know the meaning of this idiom. Actually, it is easy to guess the right idea. Suppose that we are playing skittles while drinking beer on the playground. Then what do you think of it? Surely you will feel relaxed and comfortable. So “beer and skittles” stand for “the carefree life one enjoys most”.

2. English idioms influenced by pet words

As the most complex animal, mankind co-exists with other animals on our planet throughout history. For all the years, animals have a very close relation with mankind. Due to the development of modern science and technology, mankind seems to no longer depend on animals as much as before but still they regard them as their good friends. One thing illustrated for this is that people keep animals as pets and hence forms “pet culture”. Interesting enough, pet culture bears strong characteristics in terms of nationality and region. This point is best represented in the various understandings of the animal “dog” as it will be mentioned in the following paragraphs.

To most people, dogs are very familiar with as they are one of the first animals tamed by human beings and they contribute a lot to the development of human society. They serve as the house guard when people go out and they are good companions when hunters go hunting… For British people especially, dogs are often associated with good words. They consider dogs to be loyal and dependable and think highly of them among all the animals though at times they also mean something bad with words related to dogs. In contrast to this, we Chinese people usually use “dogs” in cursing words to show our scorn to someone. Most of the time what leaves in our impression is that dogs are dirty and filthy. Such a difference may lead to misunderstandings and therefore, there is a need to learn more about the knowledge of cultural background in different nations.

2.2 English idioms and Christianity

Being one of the social phenomena, religion is a chief part of human being’s culture. Christianity, a most well-known religion, played an important role in history and thus influenced English language in a broad sense, especially the classic works of Christianity---the Bible, contributed a lot to the development of English. It had a significant impact on the formation of English idioms. People quoted the Bible almost everywhere during their daily life. An American lexicologist once said that it is hard to imagine one can learn English well without reading the Bible. We are not discussing whether what he said was true or not. However we are on the YES side about the Bible's contribution to the language.

As is known, the Bible is made up of two parts---the Old Testament and the New Testament. Being the classic works of Judaism, the Old Testament is the holy book of Jews, the primary content of which is comprised of commandments of the Jewish people. Later, the Christians called the Jewish book The Old Testament, showing that it was established by people and god in the past in order to distinguish it from their own classics. The New Testament came into shape in about 1 or 2 AD after the birth of Jesus Christ when Christianity gained its popularity among people. It consisted of the legends and the speeches in relation to Jesus Christ. The Zion soon made the two testaments into one and gave it a new name the Bible. John Wycliffe, a theological professor of the Oxford University, translated the Bible into English, which expedited the diffusion of the Bible in the UK. From then on, the Bible had a far-reaching influence. As a part of the language carrying the most cultural information, English idioms are deeply affected by it.

⑴doubting Thomas

As mentioned in the Bible, God was nail fasted on the cross, but he revived and turned up before his disciples three days later. Thomas, one of God’s disciples, happened not to be there when God showed up. Famous for his suspicion, Thomas did not believe what the others said without seeing God with his own eyes. From then on, people use “doubting Thomas” to refer to those who are skeptical about the truth of something.

E.g.5 Several of the country’s most respected doctors have stated that smoking harms one’s health, but there are still many doubting Thomases who are not yet persuaded.

⑵cast pearls before swine

This idiom is taken from The Sermon on the Mount (St Matthew, 7:6): “Give not that which is holy, unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.” Here, God admonished people not to give precious things to those who do not cherish the values. If not, it is similar to play music before the cows that have no idea at all of what music is.

E.g.6 Give them advice if you like. It will only be casting pearls before swine. They are incapable of understanding good taste and manners.

From examples above, a conclusion may be drawn that phrases or sentences in the Bible always have deep, or we can say, connotative meanings and what we read does not always correspond with what it stands for. So we must turn to the book or the dictionary to find out the right answer and should never take anything for granted.

2.3 English idioms and literary Art

Literature is an art using language as the tool to explicit real life in vivid description thus the root of literature is in life. As for the words used in literature, they are usually from the people and are the essence of language. With the amendment made by the writers, people read the literary works and enrich their spiritual life. What’s more, due to the popularity of literature, some phrases from literary works later become idioms, thus promoting the development of culture.

William Shakespeare is considered the greatest dramatist and poet the world has ever known. No other writer's plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries as his. He not only created those great works, but also invented many of the most-used expressions in the language of English. Once someone gave a comment on the influence of Shakespeare’s works on the idioms as follows:

If you cannot understand my argument, and declare It's Greek to me, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; …if you have been tongue-tied, …if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I were dead as a door-nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then - by Jove! O Lord! Tut, tut! For goodness' sake! What the dickens! But me no buts - it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare.1

Many idioms of the worldwide English have first been seen in the works of Shakespeare's and have found their way to everyday use of English. Therefore, the English language owes a great debt to Shakespeare.

III.  Some English Translation of Chinese idioms

爱屋及乌Love me, love my dog.

　　百闻不如一见Seeing is believing.

　　比上不足，比下有余"worse off than some, better off than m12any; to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst

　　笨鸟先飞A slow sparrow should make an early start.

　　不眠之夜white night　

　　不以物喜，不以己悲not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personnal losses

　　不遗余力spare no effort; go all out; do one\'s best

　　不打不成交"No discord, no concord.

　　拆东墙补西墙rob Peter to pay Paul

　　辞旧迎新bid farewell to the old and usher in the new; ring out the old year and ring in the new

　　大事化小，小事化了try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all

　　大开眼界open one\'s eyes; broaden one\'s horizon; be an eye-opener

　　国泰民安The country flourishes and people live in peace

　　过犹不及going too far is as bad as not going far enough; beyond is as wrong as falling short; too much is as bad as too little

　　功夫不负有心人Everything comes to him who waits.

　　好了伤疤忘了疼once on shore, one prays no more

　　好事不出门，恶事传千里Good news never goes beyond the gate, while bad news spread far and wide.

　　和气生财Harmony brings wealth

　　活到老，学到老One is never too old to learn.

　　既往不咎let bygones be bygones

　　金无足赤,人无完人Gold can\'t be pure and man can\'t be perfect.

　　金玉满堂Treasures fill the home

　　脚踏实地be down-to-earth

　　脚踩两只船sit on the fence

　　君子之交淡如水the friendship between gentlemen is as pure as crystal; a hedge between keeps friendship green

　　老生常谈，陈词滥调cut and dried, cliché

　　礼尚往来Courtesy calls for reciprocity.

　　留得青山在，不怕没柴烧"Where there is life, there is hope."

　　马到成功achieve immediate victory; win instant success

　　名利双收gain in both fame and wealth

　　茅塞顿开be suddenly enlightened

　　没有规矩不成方圆Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards.

　　每逢佳节倍思亲

　　On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one\'s dear ones far away.

       It is on the festival occasions when one misses his dear most.

　　谋事在人，成事在天"The planning lies with man, the outcome with Heaven. / Man proposes, God disposes. "

　　弄巧成拙be too smart by half; Cunning outwits itself.

　　拿手好戏masterpiece

　　赔了夫人又折兵throw good money after bad

　　抛砖引玉a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale

　　破釜沉舟cut off all means of retreat；burn one‘s own way of retreat and be determined to fight to the end

　　抢得先机take the preemptive opportunities

　　巧妇难为无米之炊If you have no hand you can\'t make a fist./ One can\'t make bricks without straw.

　　千里之行始于足下a thousand-li journey begins with the first step--the highest eminence is to be gained step by step

　　前事不忘,后事之师Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.

　　前人栽树,后人乘凉One generation plants the trees in whose shade another generation rests.

　　One sows and another reaps.

　　前怕狼,后怕虎fear the wolf in front and the tiger behind/ hesitate in doing something

　　强龙难压地头蛇Even a dragon (from the outside) finds it hard to control a snake in its old haunt - Powerful outsiders can hardly afford to neglect local bullies.

　　强强联手win-win co-operation

　　瑞雪兆丰年A timely snow promises a good harvest.

　　人之初,性本善Man\'s nature at birth is good.

　　人逢喜事精神爽Joy puts heart into a man.

　　人海战术huge-crowd strategy

　　世上无难事，只要肯攀登"Where there is a will, there is a way. "

　　世外桃源a fictitious land of peace away from the turmoil of the world;

　　死而后已until my heart stops beating

　　岁岁平安Peace all year round

　　上有天堂，下有苏杭"Just as there is paradise in heaven, ther are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth."

　　塞翁失马，焉知非福Misfortune may be an actual blessing.

　　三十而立"A man should be independent at the age of thirty.

　　At thirty, a man should be able to think for himself." 


        升级换代updating and upgrading (of products)

　　四十不惑Life begins at forty.

　　谁言寸草心，报得三春晖"Such kindness of warm sun, can\'t be repaid by grass. "

　　水涨船高When the river rises, the boat floats high.

　　时不我待Time and tide wait for no man.

　　杀鸡用牛刀break a butterfly on the wheel

　　实事求是seek truth from facts; be practical and realistic; be true to facts

　　说曹操,曹操到Talk of the devil and he comes.

　　实话实说speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is

　　实践是检验真理的唯一标准Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.

　　山不在高，有仙则名"No matter how high the mountain is, its name will spread far and wide if there is a fairy; "

　　韬光养晦hide one\'s capacities and bide one\'s time

　　糖衣炮弹sugar-coated bullets

　　天有不测风云Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue

　　团结就是力量Unity is strength.

　　“跳进黄河洗不清”"eve if one jumped into the Yellow River, one can not wash oneself clean--there\'s nothing one can do to clear one\'s name "

　　歪风邪气unhealthy practices and evil phenomena

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

　　往事如风"The past has vanished (from memory) like wind.; What in past, is past."

　　望子成龙hold high hopes for one\'s child

　　屋漏又逢连阴雨Misfortunes never come singly. When it rains it pours.

　　文韬武略military expertise; military strategy

　　唯利是图draw water to one\'s mill

　　无源之水,无本之木water without a source, and a tree wiithout roots

　　无中生有make/create something out of nothing

　　无风不起浪There are no waves without wind. There\'s no smoke without fire.

　　徇私枉法bend the law for the benefit of relatives or friends

　　新官上任三把火a new broom sweeps clean

　　虚心使人进步,骄傲使人落后Modesty helps one go forward, whereas conceit makes one lag behind.

　　蓄势而发accumulate strength for a take-off

　　心想事成May all your wish come true

        心照不宣have a tacit understanding; give tacit consent; tacit understanding

　　先入为主First impressions are firmly entrenched.

　　先下手为强catch the ball before the bound

　　像热锅上的蚂蚁like an ant on a hot pan

　　现身说法warn people by taking oneself as an example

　　息事宁人pour oil on troubled waters

　　喜忧参半mingled hope and fear

　　循序渐进step by step

　　一路平安，一路顺风speed somebody on their way; speed the parting guest

　　严以律己,宽以待人be strict with oneself and lenient towards others

　　鱼米之乡a land of milk and honey

　　有情人终成眷属"Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well."

　　有钱能使鬼推磨Money makes the mare go. Money talks.

　　有识之士people of vision

　　有勇无谋use brawn rather than brain

　　有缘千里来相会Separated as we are thousands of miles apart, we come together as if by predestination.

　　与时俱进advance with times

　　以人为本people oriented; people foremost

　　因材施教teach students according to their aptitude

　　欲穷千里目，更上一层楼"to ascend another storey to see a thousand miles further; Ascend further, were you to look farther; Would eye embrace a thousand miles? Go up, one flight."

　　欲速则不达Haste does not bring success.

　　优胜劣汰survival of the fittest

　　英雄所见略同Great minds think alike.

　　冤家宜解不宜结Better make friends than make enemies.

　　冤假错案"cases in which people were unjustly, falsely or wrongly charged or sentenced; unjust, false or wrong cases"

　　一言既出，驷马难追A real man never goes back on his words.

　　招财进宝Money and treasures will be plentiful

　　债台高筑become debt-ridden

　　致命要害Achilles\' heel

　　众矢之的target of public criticism

　　知己知彼,百战不殆Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.

　　纸上谈兵be an armchair strategist

　　纸包不住火Truth will come to light sooner or later.

　　左右为难between the devil and the deep blue sea; between the rock and the hard place

3.2 The methods of translation idioms

IV.  Conclusion

REFERENCES