中国文化博大精深，而俗语正是其中一典型代表，它代表着中国文化在语言中的结晶，往往具有丰富的文化内涵，因此，无论是在领导人讲话中，还是文章创作中，都不乏对俗语的使用，这就给翻译工作带来了不小的挑战。本文将通过对翻译实践中遇到的一些示例，向大家分享一些有关俗语翻译的经验。

原文1：在日本菅家利和强奸杀人案中，菅家利和1992年被判终身监禁，2009年无罪释放，判有罪和判无罪的主要证据之一都是DNA鉴定结论，正所谓成也萧何、败也萧何。

暂译：In Japan’s Toshikazu Sugaya rape and murder case, the man was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment in 1992 and exonerated in 2009. The primary evidence behind both the “guilty” and “not guilty” verdict is DNA evidence. It can be said that his destiny is determined by the same factor, DNA test.

原文2：同时，相比较错案的纠正，我们必须要更加重视“防患于未然”，要做“事前诸葛亮”，使潜在的可能发生的冤假错案无法形成。

暂译：Meanwhile, while wrongs must be corrected, more preventive measures should be taken to avoid similar cases in the future.

以上两处译文中“成也萧何、败也萧何”以及“事前诸葛亮”均为中国习语。翻译习语时，需要考虑读者的文化习俗、思维方式、知识层面。鉴于“萧何”以及“诸葛亮”均为中国历史人物，并不为外国读者熟知，若翻译出来则还需要对其进行补充解释，且此处最重要的是进行信息的传达，因此译员在这两处并未采用可从网上查找到的对这两个俗语的翻译，即“Success or failure, Xiao He is the man behind it”和“be wise before the event”,而是均化抽象为具体，将“成也萧何、败也萧何”结合其前句意思进行解释，译为“It can be said that his destiny is determined by the same factor, DNA test.”；将“事前诸葛亮”与这一句中的“防患于未然”融合翻译（因其所表达的意思是一致的），用“preventive measures”表示。

由此可见，翻译俗语时，除了考虑它所含的文化意义之外，在其出现在文中时，还要结合整句考虑，从而力求准确传达原文信息。

附上一些关于常见的俗语的翻译，供参考：

事后诸葛亮

Mr. Second Guess

合抱之木，生于毫末

Great oaks from little acrons grow

吃错药

get on the wrong side of the bed

打开天窗说亮话

put all cards on the table

赶鸭子上架

put one on the spot

隔墙有耳

walls have ears

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

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

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 beyond the limit is as bad as falling short; excess is just as bad as deficiency;

too much is as bad as too little

好了伤疤忘了疼

once on shore, one prays no more

好事不出门，坏事传千里

Bad news travels fast.

和气生财

harmony brings wealth;

friendliness is conducive to business success

活到老学到老

never too old to learn

既往不咎

let bygones be bygones

金无足赤，人无完人

There are spots even on the sun.

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; be a fence-sitter; have a foot in either camp

君子之交淡如水

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 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.