双关(pun)，是汉英共有的一种辞格，又名“多义关联”，是指在特定的言语环境中，借助语音和语义的联系，使语句同时关涉两种事物，达到言在此而意在彼的修辞效果。其作用是多方面的：或者用以表达弦外之音；或者借题发挥，即物抒怀；或者是幽默辛辣，于笑中明理。总之，运用双关的主要意图是要把内容表达得更加含蓄，加深语言的余味，以便听者（读者）深入思考，多方联想，从而增加语言的感染力。

按照结构成分所起的作用，双关可分为两大类：谐音双关（又称语音双关）和语义双关。曹雪芹巧妙地利用语言环境及条件，赋予语言以双关内容，造成“兴发乎此而义归于彼”的艺术境界，提高了语言的表现力，从而收到了出语惊人的效果。

谐音双关是利用同音、近音的条件构成双关。

1) （贾赦）因说道：“一家子一个儿子最孝顺。偏生母亲病了，各处求医不得，便请了 一个针灸的婆子来。婆子原不知道脉理，只说是心火，如今用针灸之法，针灸针灸就好了。这儿子慌了，便问：‘心见铁即死，如何针得？’婆子道：‘不用针心，只针肋条就是了。’儿子道，‘肋条离心甚远，怎么就好？’婆子道：‘不妨事。你不知天下父母心偏的多呢。’”（第七十五回）

杨译：

"The son of a certain family was most filial," he began. "One day his mother fell ill, and unable to find physicians able to cure her they called in an old woman who practiced acupuncture. As she knew nothing of the principles of pulse-taking, she diagnosed the illness as fire in the heart which a few acupuncture treatments would set right.

"The son asked in alarm, 'How can you needle her heart? Won't that kill her?’

"The old woman said, 'there's no need to needle the heart. Just needling the ribs will do.'

"He protested, 'But the heart isn't anywhere near the ribs.'

"She said, 'That doesn't matter. Don't you know that all parents are biased, so that their hearts always incline to one side?'"

霍译：

...and then told the following story.

'This one is about a dutiful son whose mother was ill. He tried everywhere to get a doctor for her, but couldn't find one, so in the end he was reduced to calling in an old woman who practised acupuncture. Now this old dame knew nothing of physiology, nevertheless she assured the son that it was inflammation of the heart that his mother was suffering from and that she could cure it instantly with her needle. The son became very alarmed.

'"If metal in any form comes into contact with the heart, " he said, "it means death. Surely you're not going to put a needle in her heart?"

"'No, no, I shan't put it in the heart," said the old woman. "I mean to put it in here, over the ribs."

'"But that's too far from the heart," said the son. "Surely if you put it in there, it won't do any good?"

'"Oh yes it will," said the old woman. "A mother's heart always inclines towards one side."'

贾赦讲的这个笑话，整个是由谐音双关构成的。“肋条离心甚远” 就意味着“偏心”，这个“偏心”又与“你不知天下父母心偏的多呢”之 “偏心”双关，而且它的言外之意又与贾母的“偏心”双关。所以引得贾母最后不乏幽默和风度地“笑道：‘我也得这个婆子针一针就好了’”。这个笑话结合人物性格、故事情节，夹杂运用双关辞格，于戏谑笑谈中，表现了贾赦与贾母的矛盾，增添了文章的趣味。

但是，如何使这趣味引起英语读者的共鸣，却并非易事。“汉语里某一个词或句能一语双关，把它译成英语时，很难把一语双关的效果译出来，常常需要‘二语双关’的手法才能达到这个目的，……”在上述的两个译本中，杨译就是典型的以“二语双关”译 “一语双关”的译法。译者分別用all parents are biased和their hearts always incline to one side来表达原文里的双关;相比而言，霍译则是“一语双关”译法：这个译法的巧妙之处在于充分利用了“偏心”的“心”字在英文里的对应词heart也具备与汉语原文相似的构成双关的条件，因而直译原文即可完全表情达意，令读者领会其中的言外之意。显然，杨译中的heart —词自始至终用其本义(人体的器官: 心脏），而霍译的最后一句“A mother's heart always inclines towards one side”则一词二意：除本义外，还包含双关意义，即表示抽象的思 想、感情等。这种情况在双关语的汉英互译中是一个特例。