Which is more valuable, lamp or man? You're not used to wearing pattens, so get them to carry the horn lantern in front and take this one yourself, since it's handy and bright and meant to be used in the rain. Wouldn't that be better? You can send it back later. And even if your drop it, it won't matter. What's come over you suddenly that you want to 'cut open your stomach to hide a pearl'? (translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang)
解析:“剖腹藏珠”意思为为了一点小利益而牺牲大利益,译文直接按照字面意思翻译为“cut open your stomach to hide a pearl”,比喻十分形象生动。译文读者理解字面意思,能够获得英语对等成语“penny wise and pound foolish”同样的效果。
例3
竭泽而渔 to drain a pond to catch all the fish
(相当于kill the goose that lays the golden eggs)
打草惊蛇 to stir up the grass and alert the snake
(相当于wake a sleeping dog)
守口如瓶 to keep one's mouth closed like a bottle
(相当于keep a still tongue in one's head)
解析:但是这种方法并不适用于一切成语翻译。比如“狗血淋头”,在汉语里通常形容骂人骂得凶,绝对没有“淋狗血”的意思。翻译成“pour dog's blood on sb.”,懂英语的中国人可能心领神会,但外国人却大为不解。成语是一个民族文化的精华,越是民族的越具有特色,中西成语和谚语中也只有少部分吻合。
二、灵活翻译
1)比喻形象不能被译文读者所接受,意译为佳。
例4
沉鱼落雁
直译:something makes the fish dive down and geese fall.