托福写作中译英：举例中文四字成语英译
猫头鹰在线写作实验室
ielts360toefl@hotmail.com
Jeenn Lee Hsieh 谢振礼
鹦鹉问：写英文作文，有时候满脑子里自然地冒出中文习惯用语，尤其是四字成语特别来电，这对于写英文有养分吗?
猫头鹰：夜猫子写英文也一样老是避不开中文思维，所以只得顺其自然，来中文想中文，来英文用英文想，但是一定要想得快写得快。母语中文与外语英文相互替换支持，并无冲突，因为此举乃是中文概念改换为近似英文概念，而不是逐字翻译的中式说法。应该期待的结果是中文里没有英文;英文里也没有中文。
中文的四字成语特别丰富，指不胜屈。猫头鹰举例中文vs.英文。中文支持英文，不过中文不是英文。二者可以替换，但是不可以搞乱，要不然老外也许看不懂。如果中英互换交替的字眼记不牢又用不灵，那还是少用为妙。
有些四字成语比较容易使用，几乎可以联想得到：
闭一只眼 to turn a blind eye
伸手援助 to give a helping hand
时间成熟 when the time is ripe
时间紧迫 to be pressed for time
黑市交易 to be in the black market
丧尽气力 to run out of steam
毫无疑问 without a doubt
沧海一粟 a drop in the ocean
死无对证 dead men tell no tales
随心所欲 to do whatever you like
物极必反 extremes meet
愚公移山 faith will move mountains
盛名之累 great honors are great burdens
习惯难改 old habits die hard
隔墙有耳 the walls have ears
财务赤字 to be in the red
洗耳恭听 to be all ears
牢记在心 to learn something by heart
重播猫头鹰上回讲义：
ielts360toefl@hotmail.com
一丝不乱--It does not have a hair out of place. 声名扫地--The name is mud. 美丽如画--to look a picture
大异其趣--a horse of a different color 铁石心肠--as hard as nails 阿狗阿猫--every Tom, Dick and Harry
暴跳如雷--to have a face like thunder 一成不变--to be fixed in one's way 三心两意--to be in two minds
住象牙塔--to live in an ivory tower 已成定案--to be signed, sealed and delivered 每况日下--to go downhill
静如泰山--as cool as cucumber 如坐针毯--to be on pins and needles 逃之夭夭--to flee in a hurry
恩将仇报--to bite the hand that feeds someone 走向极端--to go to extremes 决然不同--a world of difference
仁慈善良--to be full of the milk of human kindness 言不及义--to beat about the bush
有勇无谋--all brawn and no brain 喋喋不休--like a broken recorder 入不敷出--to live beyond one's means
无忧无虑--to be happy-go-lucky 白纸黑字--in black and white 完全失效--null and void
欣喜跳跃--to jump for joy 气色不佳--to be off-colors 十分内行--to know all the tricks of the trade
尽足温饱--to make one's ends meet 勉强糊口--to live from hand to mouth 不择手段--by hook or by crook
入死胡同--to go up a blind alley 颇有进展--to have come a long way 成败一举--to make or break
白手起家--from rags to riches 转败为胜--to have tables turned 前途无量--The sky's the limit.
双赢策略--a win-win strategy 不惜代价--at all costs 自不量力--above one's weight
美言几句--to put in a good word for 一石两鸟--to kill two birds with one stone
意想不到--beyond one's wildest dreams 稳操胜算--to hold all the aces 囊中取物--in the bag
无影无踪--to disappear into thin air 不妨一试--to take a chance on something 自寻死路--to dig one's own grave
得不偿失--to do more harm than good 不告而别--to take French leave 忍气吞声--to groan inwardly
卑鄙手段--to hit someone below the belt 盗亦有道--honor among thieves 弱肉强食--It's a dog-eat-dog world.
局势逆转--to fight a losing battle 群众心理--herd mentality 行为过分--to go too far
背后一刀--to stab someone in the back 白色谎言--a white lie 火上浇油--to add fuel to the fire
两头兼顾--to perform a balancing act 空白支票--a blank check 照常营业--business as usual
兵少将多--too many chiefs and not many Indians 关门大吉--to go out of business
千载难逢--a golden opportunity 稳居上风--to gain an upper hand 束手无策--to have one's hands tied
家传户晓--a household name 学来不易--to learn the hard way 无所不沾--a finger in every pie
如卵击石--like bringing a knife to a gunfight 按部就班--to behave like clockwork
多此一举--like taking sand to the beach 两者酷似--like two peas in a bud
东施效颦--like putting lipsticks on a pig 同出一源--like being cut from the same cloth
天壤之别--like worlds apart 面面俱到--to be all things to all people
天之骄子--to be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth 光装外表--to keep up appearances
棋逢对手--to meet one's match 随波逐流--to go with the flow 晴天朋友--a fair-weather friend
聊胜于无--Half a loaf is better than none. 本末倒置--to put the cart before the horse
缩紧腰带--to tighten one's belt 分期付款--a down payment 各付各的--to go Dutch
无恶不作--to break every rule in the book 来来往往--toing and froing 无事生非--much ado about nothing
一不留神--a false move 坏蛋一个--a bad egg 自成一格--to be in a class of one's own
爆出黑马--a dark horse 存心搅局--to rock the boat 赏罚并施--a carrot-and-stick approach
展开新叶--to turn a new leaf 穿着迷人--to be dressed to kill
