虎年話說漢英詞典中的“虎”

肖福壽

虎，又稱“山君”，自古以來就有“萬獸之王”之美譽，是中華文化不可或缺的元素?！墩f文解字》曰：“虎，山獸之君也”;《風(fēng)俗通義·祀典》云：“虎者，陽物，百獸之長也，能執(zhí)搏挫銳，噬食鬼魅?！薄吨芤住で晕摹芬灿小霸茝凝?，風(fēng)從虎”的說法，虎與龍并稱，可見虎之地位。

中華虎文化源遠流長，始于原始社會舊石器時代的虎圖騰，傳說黃帝就曾率領(lǐng)以虎圖騰崇拜為主的部落盟軍打敗了炎帝。事實上，虎的形象與稱謂已經(jīng)滲透到中華語言、文學(xué)、雕塑、繪畫、神話、傳說、戲曲、民俗等眾多領(lǐng)域。比如說，文學(xué)名著《水滸傳》有武松打虎的經(jīng)典片段;民間童話中有《老虎學(xué)藝》的故事;唐代詩人王建在《寄汴州令狐相公》中有“三軍江口擁雙旌，虎帳長開自教兵”的詩句;《古今圖書集成·禽蟲典》中記載有諸如“戲貓”“委虎”“尤耳”“騶吾”“開明虎”“窮奇虎”“離離”等各種老虎，京劇《智取威虎山》中有名段《打虎上山》;古代文學(xué)中以青龍、白虎、朱雀、玄武來象征東、西、南、北四個方位;百姓用虎畫、虎臉來祈福辟邪。可以說，虎在中華文化中無所不在。

2022年是中國農(nóng)歷壬寅年，即民間生肖紀年的虎年。在虎年來臨之際，讓我們重新檢閱一下漢英詞典中一些與虎相關(guān)的表達法，聊作一種新年之樂吧。

本文的語料主要選自陸谷孫教授主編的《中華漢英大詞典》，均為該詞典的編纂者自以為迻譯尚有特點的與虎有關(guān)的表達法，其目的在于與廣大讀者共享，并敦請廣大讀者質(zhì)疑與指謬。

一、二字表達法

1.1 虎變? <lit> ①colourful （of tiger skin） ②<fig> to innovate and make great changes ③<fig> to act unexpectedly （of extraordinary person）： 大賢～愚不測 unbeknownst to the common run， the great would pull off something spectacular

1.2 虎倀? <lit> ①tiger’s helper [from the legend that the ghost of a person devour-ed by a tiger helped the tiger to devour other human beings] ②<fig> jackal; pawn see 為虎作倀 /wèi - zuò -/

1.3 虎螭? <lit> ①tiger and dragon ②<fig> brave and mighty

1.4 虎隊? <fig> brave or gallant army

1.5 虎夫? valiant fighter

1.6 虎虎? ①tigerish; mighty; powerful; forceful; vigorous： 打起拳來～生風(fēng) brandish one’s fist in boxing as if kicking up gusts of wind ②whoosh; swish： 北風(fēng)～的在發(fā)威 the north wind is roaring ferociously

1.7 虎喙? <lit> ①tiger’s mouth ②<fig> dangerous situation

1.8 虎將? brave （and mighty） general

1.9 虎勁? <colloq> ①drive and daring; dash： 有一股子～ be like a hot shot ②（to do sth） vigorously

1.10 虎舅? <lit> cat [another name for 貓 /māo/ ]

1.11 虎吏? merciless official （as ferocious as a tiger）

1.12 虎臉? <dial> to put on a fierce look; to pull a long face

1.13 虎貔? <fig> <lit> valiant fighter

1.14 虎女? <laud> outstanding girl

1.15 虎士? <lit> valiant soldier

1.16 虎子? ①tiger cub ②<fig> vigorous child

二、三字表達法

2.1 打死虎? <idiom> （to beat a dead tiger） to attack or finish off sb powerless

2.2 虎彪彪? intrepid; truculent： ～的武士們 strapping warriors

2.3 虎而冠? <idiom> （tiger wearing a human hat） cruel and ferocious at heart not-withstanding one’s human get-up

2.4 虎負嵎? <idiom> （like a tiger taking refuge in a corner of a hill） to fight back with one’s back to the wall; to put up a desperate resistance

2.5 虎啃虎? <dial> （tiger gnawing at a tiger） to meet the tough head-on with toughness

2.6 虎剌孩? ①thief [from Mongolian] ②<vern> mean fellow; bastard; scoundrel

2.7 虎辣人? <colloq> spitfire; peppery person; short-tempered person

2.8 虎狼窩? <idiom> extremely dangerous place

2.9 虎狼心? greedy and cruel heart

2.10 虎列拉? <old> <tl> cholera see 霍亂 /huò luàn/

2.11 虎生生? <colloq> spirited; vigorous; dashing： ～的大眼睛 radiant big eyes

2.12 虎式子? rude and violent attitude

2.13 虎字頭? the radical 虎 [as in 虎， 虛 /xū/， etc.]

2.14 捋虎須? <idiom> （to stroke a tiger’s whiskers） to take great risks

2.15 笑面虎? <idiom> （smiling tiger） person with a kindly face but a cruel heart; wolf in sheep’s clothing

三、四字表達法

3.1 藏龍臥虎? <idiom> （hidden dragons and crouching tigers） talented people who remain obscure to the undiscerning eye; undiscovered talent

3.2 虎背熊腰? <idiom> （with back of a tiger and waist of a bear） of blocky build; stalwart; sturdy; as strong as an English oak

3.3 虎步龍驤? <idiom> （to walk like a dragon and pace like a tiger） to walk in martial gait see 龍驤虎步

3.4 虎斗龍爭? <idiom> （the tiger struggles and the dragon fights） fierce battle between formidable foes see 龍爭虎斗

3.5 虎踞龍盤? <idiom> （crouching like a tiger and coiled like a dragon） forbid-ding; difficult of access （of a city， etc.）： ～今勝昔 the once inaccessible city out-shines its ancient glories

3.6 虎口拔牙? <idiom> （to pull a tooth from a tiger’s mouth） to do sth extremely dangerous; to dare the greatest danger; to beard the lion in his den： 你這么做無異于～ what you are doing is but picking up nickels in front of steamrollers

3.7 虎口余生? <idiom> （to escape from a tiger’s den） to have a narrow escape from death; to survive a close call; to experience a near shave

3.8 虎里虎氣? <colloq> spirited; vigorous; tigerish： ～的小伙子 a strong and sanguine young man

3.9 虎皮羊質(zhì)? <idiom> （a sheep in tiger’s skin） outwardly strong， but inwardly weak; fierce of mien but faint of heart

3.10虎入羊群? <idiom> （a tiger running into a flock of sheep） wanton slaughter of the weak by the strong

3.11 虎聲虎氣? <colloq> loud and commanding; rude; impolite; unmannerly

3.12 虎視眈眈? <idiom> （to glare like a tiger eyeing its prey） to stare at sth ma-liciously and covetously; to eye sth covetously and menacingly

3.13 虎頭虎腦? <idiom> robust and good-natured （usu of child）： 這孩子長得～的 the child looks robust and lovely

3.14 虎頭蛇尾? <idiom> （the head of a tiger and the tail of a snake） to have a strong beginning but a weak ending; to start with a bang and end with a fizzle; in like a lion， out like a lamb： 工作不能～ we should not let the work tail off anticlimatically once it gets started

3.15 將門虎子? <idiom> worthy son of a distinguished （military） family

3.16 如虎添翼? <idiom> （like a tiger with wings added） even more powerful

3.17 燕頷虎頸? <idiom> （with a swallow’s pointed chin and a tiger’s neck） ma-jestic appearance （esp of a warrior）

3.18 鷹揚虎視? <idiom> （the eagle flies and the tiger gazes） mighty and intrepid

四、五字表達法

4.1 伴君如伴虎? <idiom> （attending upon a sovereign is like keeping company with a tiger） the ruler’s whims flip-flop

4.2 虎毒不食子? <idiom> （even a cruel tiger never eats its own cubs） no man， good or bad， will ill-treat his own children

4.3 虎父無犬子? <idiom> （tigers do not father dogs） the brave do not father a coward; like father， like son

4.4 虎虎有生氣? <familiar> to be full of vigour; to be bursting with vim and vigour

4.5 虎老雄心在? <idiom> （though old， the tiger is still full of ambitions） one remains ambitious though in old age

4.6 虎門無犬種? <idiom> prestigious family will have outstanding children

4.7 苛政猛于虎? <idiom> （harsh government is fiercer than a tiger） despotism devours man

4.8 養(yǎng)虎自遺患? <idiom> （to raise a tiger is to court calamity for oneself） to allow an enemy to grow strong; to appease an enemy is to invite trouble

4.9 坐山觀虎斗? <idiom> （to sit on a mountain and watch tigers fight） to watch a fight from a safe distance， then reap the spoils when both sides are exhausted; to play one off against another

五、六字表達法

5.1 風(fēng)從虎，云從龍? <idiom> （winds follow the tiger， and clouds the dragon） things of a similar nature interact with one another

5.2 九牛二虎之力? <idiom> （strength of nine oxen and two tigers） tremendous strength; herculean effort or labour; most strenuous exertion： 費盡～ do something with all one’s might and main

5.3 拉大旗作虎皮? <idiom> （to cover one’s body with a flag as if it were tiger’s hide） to make an empty show; to bluff

5.4 老虎頭上搔癢? <familiar> （to scratch oneself against a tiger’s head） to invite trouble

5.5 前怕狼， 后怕虎? <idiom> （to fear the wolf in front and the tiger behind） full of fears

5.6 一山難容二虎? <familiar> （no two rival tigers can co-exist in the same mountain） when Greek meets Greek， then comes the tug of war

六、七字表達法

6.1 初生牛犢不怕虎? <idiom> （a newborn calf does not fear tigers） the young are intrepid daredevils; fools rush in where angels fear to tread

6.2 虎落平陽被犬欺? <idiom> （a tiger out of a mountain will even be bullied by a dog） a man who has lost power or influence may be insulted by an underling

6.3 畫虎不成反類犬? <idiom> （to try to paint a tiger but end up with the likeness of a dog） to attempt sth beyond one’s ability and fail; to attempt sth over-ambitiously and end in failure

6.4 畫虎畫皮難畫骨? <familiar> （it is harder to paint the bones of a tiger than his skin） it is difficult to know a person’s true nature or innermost feelings

6.5 老虎屁股摸不得? <familiar> （like a tiger who cannot be patted on the rear） dangerous to approach （of person）

6.6 老虎頭上撲蒼蠅? <idiom> （to swat a fly on the head of a tiger） to invite trouble; to court disaster; to ask for trouble

七、八字以上表達法

7.1 不入虎穴，焉得虎子? <idiom> （how can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger’s den） nothing venture， nothing gain/have/win; nothing ventured， nothing gained

7.2 二虎相斗，必有一傷? <idiom> （when two tigers fight， one of them is bound to be injured） when two big powers fight each other， there comes an irreconcilable battle

7.3 關(guān)門養(yǎng)虎，虎大傷人? <familiar> （to close the door and raise a tiger which hurts people when grown-up） to leave or breed trouble for the future

7.4 虎落平原，插翅難逃? <familiar> （a tiger on the plain cannot escape even though he had wings） to meet a dead end; to be confronted with an inescapable predicament

7.5 虎生三子，必有一彪? <idiom> （of three tiger cubs， one will be a fiendish） not all children turn out excellent

7.6 虎死留皮，人死留名? <familiar> （a tiger leaves its skin after death， while a man leaves behind his fame after death） a man should leave behind a good reputation

7.7 老虎不吃人——惡名在外? <familiar> （the tiger never eats humans—it has already had an evil reputation） one who has an evil reputation is easily misunderstood by outsiders

7.8 老虎借豬，相公借書? <familiar> （a tiger borrows pigs， and a scholar books） ①one tends to take possession of sth that is after one’s own heart ②tastes differ

7.9 老虎頭上捉虱子——不怕死? <familiar> （to catch lice on a tiger’s head—never fear death） it is a bold mouse that nestles in the cat’s ear

7.10 老虎推磨——不聽那套? <familiar> （a tiger turning a millstone—refuses to be harnessed） don’t accept or care about what others do or say

7.11 老虎嘴上拔胡采——不是好惹的? <familiar> （no one dare pull up a tiger’s moustache—it is not to be provoked） you cannot easily offend the vicious and powerful

7.12 前門拒虎，后門進狼? <idiom> （to drive the tiger away from the front door and let the wolf in through the back door） to fend off one danger only to fall prey to another; out of the frying pan into the fire; to go from bad to worse

的確，漢語中與“虎”有關(guān)的表達法實在太豐富了。諸如“虎彪”“虎戟”“虎闈”“虎?！薄盎⒁怼薄氨┗ⅠT河”“春冰虎尾”“餓虎撲食”“風(fēng)虎云龍”“狐假虎威”“照貓畫虎”等眾多表達法的英文翻譯，更待我們共同探索。