新视界大学英语第二册第四单元的话题是动物，为了拓展学生的相关英语文化背景知识，笔者与学生一起搜集了一些有关动物的习语。习语以其鲜明生动的形象以及精炼简洁的语言很快就吸引了兴趣盎然的学生，为了使更多同学能够了解饱含民族特色的英语习语，特将收集到的习语分享如下：
（1）英汉文化意象相同或相似的，可以采取直译的习语。
as sly as a fox狐狸般狡猾的 as strong as an ox强壮如牛的
as timid as a mouse 胆小如鼠的 as light as feather轻如鸿毛
as busy as a bee忙的团团转(蜜蜂) as fat as a pig非常胖(猪)
as blind as a bat完全看不见东西(蝙蝠) as brave as a lion非常勇猛 (狮子)
as gentle as a lamb性情温顺的（羊） as hungry as a wolf非常饿(狼)
as quiet as a mouse悄没声的（老鼠）
Once the tree falls, the monkeys on it will flee helter-skelter.树倒猢狲散。
Kill two birds with one stone.一石双鸟；一箭双雕；一举两得。
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.双鸟在林不如一鸟在手。
Each bird loves to hear himself sing.鸟儿都爱听自己唱。（自我欣赏）
You cannot catch old birds with chaff.用粗糠捉不住老鸟。（有经验的人难骗。）
A bird is known by its note, and a man by his talk.听音识鸟，闻言识人。
Birds in their little nests agree.同巢之鸟心儿齐。
A cat has nine lives.猫有九条命；吉人天相。
All cats are grey in the dark.黑暗之中猫都是灰色的。（人未出名时看起来都差不多。）
When the weasel and the cat make a marriage, it is a very ill presage. 黄鼠狼和猫结亲，不是好事情。
A gloved cat catches no mice.戴手套的猫，老鼠抓不到。（不愿吃苦的人成不了大事业。）
The cat shuts its eyes when stealing cream.猫偷吃奶油的时候总是闭着眼睛。（掩耳盗铃）
Who will bell the cat? 谁去给猫系铃？（谁愿意为大家冒风险？）
There are more ways of killing a cat than by choking it with butter. 杀猫的办法很多。（达到目的的途径很多。）
Care kills a cat.忧虑愁死猫。
When the cat away, the mouse will play.猫儿一跑,老鼠就闹。
Curiosity kills the cat.好奇害死猫。
Too much pudding will choke a dog.布丁太多噎死狗。
Dead dogs bite not.死狗不咬人。
All are not thieves that dogs bark at.狗见了叫的不一定都是贼。（不要以貌取人。）
Barking dogs don’t (seldom) bite.爱叫的狗很少咬人。
Every dog is a lion at home.狗在家门口就成了狮子。
Don’t be a dog (lying) in the manger.莫学狗占马槽不吃草。
Scornful dogs will eat dirty puddings.狗再傲慢也会吃脏布丁。
A son never thinks his mother ugly,and a dog never shuns its owner’s home however shabby it is.儿不嫌母丑，狗不嫌家贫。
Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.鸡蛋未孵出，先别数小鸡。（不要过早乐观。）
The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean.井底之蛙，不知大海。
The fox may grow grey, but never good.狐狸毛色可变灰，但是本性难移。
The fox preys farthest from his hole.狐狸捕食，远离洞府。（兔子不吃窝边草。）
When the fox preaches, then take care of your geese.每当狐狸说教，当心鹅群被盗。
The best fish swim near the bottom.好鱼常在水底游。
There’s as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it.海里的好鱼多的是。
If water is noisy, there are no fish in it.咆哮的水中无鱼。（夸夸其谈者无真才实学。）。
You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.不能既和野兔一起跑又和猎狗一起追。（人不应两面讨好。）
The tortoise wins the race while the hare is sleeping.兔子睡懒觉，乌龟跑赢了。
You can take a horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink.带马到河边容易，逼马饮水难。
A good horse cannot be of a bad colour.好马不会毛色差。
A horse may stumble on four feet.马有四条腿，亦有失蹄时。
A running horse needs no spur. 奔马无需鞭策。
Don’t put the cart before the horse. 不要将大车套在马前面。（处理问题应按先后次序，不要本末倒置。）
Hair by hair you will pull out the horse’s tail. 一根一根拔，拔光马尾巴。（水滴石穿）
The common horse is worst shod. 公用之马，掌子最差。
Lock the barn door after the horse is stolen. 失马之后锁马厩。（亡羊补牢）
He that makes himself a sheep shall be eaten by the wolf. 甘心做绵羊，必然喂豺狼。
A lazy sheep thinks its wool heavy.懒羊嫌毛重。
One swallow does not make a spring.孤燕不报春。
If you don’t enter a tiger’s den, you can’t get his cubs.不入虎穴，焉得虎子。
Don’t trust a goat with the kitchen-garden,or a wolf with sheepfold. 不能请羊管菜园，不能请狼管羊圈。
Who keeps company with wolves, will learn to howl.和狼在一起，就会学狼叫。
The mouse that has but one hole is quickly taken. 只有一个洞的老鼠，很快就被抓住。
Man is a wolf to man. 人对人是狼。（人心狠，人吃人）
A growing youth has a wolf in his belly. 年轻人，在成长，吃起饭来像饿狼。
A speck of mouse dung will spoil a whole pot of porridge. 一粒老鼠屎，坏了一锅粥。
（2）英汉文化意象相异需采取其他译法的习语。
as grave as an owl铁板着脸（猫头鹰） to be single-handed in doing something单枪匹马
Fine feathers make fine birds. 人要衣装，马要鞍。
It’s an ill bird that fouls own nest. 家丑不可外扬。
Birds of a feather flock together. 物以类聚，人以群分。
Cats hide their claws. 知人知面不知心。
A staff is quickly found to beat a dog with. 欲加之罪，何患无词。
Love me, love my dog. 爱屋及乌。
Every dog has his day. 人人皆有得意时。
Let sleeping dogs lie. 勿惹是生非。
Dog does not eat dog. 同类不相残。
Never offer to teach fish to swim. 不要班门弄斧。
It is a silly fish that is caught twice with the same bait. 智者不上两次当。
Don’t ride the high horse. 勿摆架子。
If one sheep leaps over the ditch, all the rest will follow. 榜样的力量是无穷的。
It is a poor mouse that has only one hole. 狡兔三窟。
The leopard can never change its spots. 江山易改，本性难移。
可见，要想更好的理解习语，就应该不断扩充中英历史文化知识，平时也应该加强对翻译理论的积累，不断提升自身的英语水平。
师资发展部外语系：韩春荣 |
