Practical Chinese-English Idioms Dictionary

Author: Zhang Chunbai
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-07-01
Features: This dictionary is a medium-sized Chinese-English idioms dictionary, containing over 5,000 Chinese idioms (including idioms, proverbs, and colloquialisms). In a sense, this dictionary is a compilation and revision of existing Chinese-English idioms dictionaries. According to the compilers' observations, existing similar dictionaries mainly have the following problems:
1. The selection of entries is somewhat arbitrary. For example, some dictionaries even omit common idioms like "" (to mend the fold after the sheep is lost) and "" (to show off one's skill where it is not wanted), which clearly indicates a lack of clear criteria in the selection process.
2. The translations are disorganized and lack a unified principle. Sometimes only one translation is provided, while at other times multiple translations are offered. Sometimes only literal translations are given, while at other times only free translations are provided. Sometimes only equivalent idioms in English are listed. Many people believe that equivalent idioms (if they exist) are the best choice for translation, and literal or free translations should only be considered when no equivalent idiom is available. In fact, this is a misunderstanding. In reality, every translation has its own advantages and disadvantages. In translation practice, the choice of a specific translation depends on many factors, such as the type of text, style, readers, and the purpose of the translation, and cannot be generalized.
3. The translations provided are not logically categorized or arranged. Sometimes literal translations come first, followed by free translations, and then equivalent idioms in English. In summary, it gives a sense of chaos and disorder. This dictionary has made some efforts to address the above issues. First, in terms of entry selection, this dictionary basically includes all the idioms from the Modern Chinese Dictionary and adds some other idioms appropriately. Second, for each entry, this dictionary strives to include three different translation methods: literal translation, free translation, and equivalent idioms. Sometimes each method may have several different translations, providing readers with options. However, not every entry provides all three translation methods, as some Chinese idioms are difficult or even impossible to translate literally into English, and some Chinese idioms do not have equivalent idioms in English. Additionally, in the arrangement of these three translation methods, this dictionary follows the order of literal translation – free translation – equivalent idioms. Literal translations convey the original meaning of the Chinese idiom; free translations explain the idiom; and equivalent idioms provide readers with more "natural" expressions in English. In conclusion, this dictionary is a new attempt in the compilation of Chinese-English dictionaries, aiming to offer readers a more practical Chinese-English idioms dictionary compared to existing ones. However, due to the compilers' limitations, there may still be many errors and omissions, and we sincerely invite readers to point them out.