译员遇到第三类谚语时，常常会因“形”生“意”，造成误译。例如英语谤语A horse stumbles that has four legs.，若将其直译成“有四条腿的马会失蹄”，这自然会给听者的理解带来困难，甚至会产生一种莫名 其妙的感觉。对于这类谚语的翻译，应采取“形相远而意相近”的译法， 即以完全不同的词语将甲方语句的寓意准确地传达给乙方。如果我们 将上例A horse stumbles that has four legs.译成“人非圣贤，孰能无过”或“金无足赤，人无完人”，不失为成功的处理方法，汉译后，其形虽变，然其意仍存。以下各例谚语的双解均体现了“形相远而意相近”的翻译原则：
A clear conscience is a sure card.为人不做亏心事，半夜不怕鬼敲门。
A bad conscience is a snake in one's heart.做贼心虚。
All your swans are geese.事与愿违。
Justice has long arms.天网恢恢，疏而不漏。
Late fruit keeps well.大器晚成。
Take things as they come.既来之，则安之。
A hedge between keeps friendship green.君子之交淡如水。
Rest breeds rust.生命在于运动。
Names are debts.树大招风。
Common fame is a liar.盛名之下，其实难副。
Many kiss the baby for the nurse’s sake.醉翁之意不在酒。
Nothing venture, nothing have. 不入虎穴，焉得虎子。
Do in Rome as the Romans do.入乡随俗。
Things done cannot be undone.木已成舟。/覆水难收。
True blue will never stain.真金不怕火炼。
Everybody's business is nobody's business.三个和尚没水喝。
The moon is not seen when the sun shines.小巫见大巫。
Penny wise and pound foolish.因小失大。
He knows most who speaks least. /Still water runs deep.大智若愚。
As you make the bed, so you must lie in it.自食其果。
The pot calls the kettle black.五十步笑百步。
Short pleasure, long lament. 一失足成千古恨。
Don't count the chicken before they are hatched.请勿盲目乐观。
What is done by night appears by day.若要人不知，除非己莫为。
Danger is next neighbor to security.塞翁失马，安知非福？
Misfortune might be a blessing in disguise.祸兮福所倚，福兮祸所伏。
What we lose in hake we shall have in herring.失之东隅，收之桑榆。
Stick together through thick and thin.有福同享，有祸同当。/患难与共。/风雨同舟。
Save your breath to cool your porridge.各人自扫门前雪，莫管他人瓦上霜。
A watched pot never boils.心急吃不了热豆腐。/有意栽花花不 开，无心插柳柳成荫。
A leopard cannot change its spots. / You cannot make a crab walk straight.江山易改，本性难移。
Don't trouble trouble until trouble troubles you.顺其自然。/随遇而安。/车到山前必有路。
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