成语是人民群众长期以来惯用的固定词组或短语,是语言的精华。它具有言简意赅,形象生动等特点,因而往往带有浓厚的民族色彩和地方色彩。它即是语言中的重要修辞手段,同时其本身也是各种修辞手段的集中表现。汉语中成语极为丰富,它主要以四字结构为主,其结构严谨、文字精炼、寓意深刻、音调和谐,在翻译中,如果我们恰当地加以应用,可以收到良好的表达效果，明显地提高译文质量。

法律英语(the English Language of Law),主要是指普通法国家( Common-law countries)在立法、司法和执法中使用的一种英语文体。它包括某些词汇、短语或具有特色的一些表达方法(mode of expressions)。法律英语的特点是:准确、严谨、庄重、通俗。正因为如此,真正能够用在法律文体中的成语只是很小的一部分。而且，在翻译时，要特别慎重,不能随意套用成语。法律英语文体中，成语用得少,并不是说在译文中不可以引用。只要我们运用得体,可以有助于译文在修辞上更符合法律文章的要求;有助于文字更简洁有力,色彩庄重;有助于准确表达用其他字眼难以表达的原文含义。

本文拟就法律英语翻译中运用汉语成语的几种情况作一简要阐述。

一、英语原文中已经使用成语或习惯用语的,为了更好地保存原文的语言风格,翻译时也应当尽量引用相当的汉语成语或习惯用语。

例如:

1.In long run, law and the economic development go hand in hand- one helps the other.

从长远来看,法律同经济的发展总是携手并进,相辅相成的。(go hand in hand译为“携手并进”, one helps the other译为“相辅相成”)。

2. They said that ccorruption orruption was so rampant then, and it was common for the judges to spend money like water.

他们说那时贪污横行、法官挥金如土已是司空见惯。

(spend money like water译成“挥金如土”。)

3. The jury took it for g ranted that he was there because his prints were found on the scene of the crime.

因为他的指纹在犯罪现场被发现,陪审团理所当然地认定他当时就在现场。(took it for granted译作“理所当然”。)

4. In the ancient society, for personal injuries it we common to ad according to the rule “an eye for an eye, a tooth fora tooth.”

在古代社会,对于个人的损害,通常是按照“以眼还眼,以牙还牙”的规则去行动的。(“ an eye for an eye , a tooth for a toot h”译作“以眼还眼,以牙还牙。”)

5. In almost every state of the Untited state, there are lawyers who offer cram courses in the law of that state. These lay down the law for you, with no ifs or buts.

在美国几乎每一个州都有律师就该州的法律举办速成班。这些速成班把法律明确交代给你而毫不拖泥带水。(no ifs or buts 译作“拖泥带水”。)

二.英语原文虽然没有成语或习惯用语，但是句子中的单词、词组,甚至分句在含义上与汉语中某个成语或习惯用语相同或接近,为了使译文精炼起见,可以引用汉语成语或习惯用语。

例如:

1. As Islamic nations separate law from religion, however, non- Islamic models of law tend to be followed.

随着伊斯兰国家法律同宗教的分离,遵循非伊斯兰的法律模式已是大势所趋了。(follow ed译作“大势所趋”。)

2.That illogical qualification show s how flimsy is the argument that capital punishment is a deterrent to murder.

那种不合逻辑的规定表明,所谓死刑能制止凶杀的这种论点是多么站不住脚。(flimsy译作“站不住脚”)

3. However. this does not mean that a legal system that is successful in one society may not worle with few, if any, change in another.

然而,这并不意味着,在一个社会行之有效的法律体系原封不动或稍加修改后用于另一社会,就会不起作用。( successful译作“行之有效”, with few change译作“原封不动”。)

4. The medieval doctrine of the primacy of law was deeply rooted until challenged in its theological aspect by the rise of the modern State.

中世纪法律至上的学说在其神学方面由于现代国家的兴起而受到攻击之前,是根深蒂固的。（deeply rooted译作“根深蒂固”。)

5.This resolution and the accompanying rationale ignore the community court's theory of separate legal orders since it places Community law and national law on an equal plane.

这一解决及其伴随的理由,无视共同体法院关于两个独立的法律秩序的理论—--因为它把共同体法和成员国法相提并论了。(on an equal plane译作“相提并论”)

6.Condit ions of probation may be imposed on the offender if the court considers them necessary for securing his good on duct or for preventing a repetition of the offences and the commission of further offences.

法院认为为了保证罪犯循规蹈矩或防止其再犯或重新犯罪,必要时得对罪犯规定假释的条件。(good conduct译作“循规蹈矩”。)

7. We know that nothing comes from nothing, that for instance, f he made an out- of - court settlement and paid$36, 000 they would not bring a charge against him.

我们知道,事出有因,比如,如果他在庭外和解并付给36, 000美元，他们就不会对他提起诉讼了。( nothing comes from nothing译作“事出有因”。)