篇一：羊年英文翻译：sheep或goat
The zodiac animal of China's coming Lunar New Year has caused much confusion in the English world, as its translation results in at least two candidates: sheep or goat.
中国农历新年即将到来，但今年的生肖却让英语国家的人们感到非常困惑，因为它至少有两种英文翻译：绵羊或山羊。
Chinese folklorists say the animal symbol can be either a sheep or a goat but more likely goat, given the latter's popularity as a farm animal among Han Chinese.
The Chinese lunar calendar assigns an animal symbol to each year in every 12-year cycle. Yet the Chinese character for the eighth zodiac animal is "Yang", which can refer to either of the two ruminants when used without attributes.
Huang Yang, a prominent researcher on the role of sheep/goats in Chinese culture, says tracing the origin of the zodiacal Yang could be difficult, as the Chinese zodiac first appeared after the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), when the Chinese people did not differentiate2 between sheep and goats in language or in sacrificial offering.
Both species have a long history of domestication3 in China and have appeared on oracle4 bone scripts and other artifacts since prehistoric5 times, according to Huang, who in 2012 challenged the saying that Chinese are "descendants of the dragon" by arguing that the earliest Chinese actually worshipped the meek6 ruminants.
"But if we judge from the fact that the Chinese zodiac is a Han tradition, Yang are more likely goats, which are more common livestock7 for the Han Chinese," he tells Xinhua in a phone interview.
Shaggy sheep are a common sight in north China's prairies and were domesticated8 by Chinese earlier than goats, but goats are more commonly raised in areas populated by Han Chinese, Huang says.
Images on China's zodiac stamps and papercuttings are often bearded goats. The replica9 of the Yang bronze statue that once formed part of a zodiac fountain in the looted Old Summer Palace also has a goat head.
Fang10 Binggui, a folklorist1 based in southeast China's Fuzhou City, says the image of the zodiac Yang is open to regional interpretation11. "People depict12 the zodiac
animal based on the most common Yang in their region. So it's often sheep in the north while goats in the south."
Few ordinary Chinese are troubled by the sheep/goat distinction.
"I've never thought about that question before. Do we have to tell them apart?" asks Chen Xufeng, an office clerk in Beijing.
"I've seen more goats in zodiac images, but I prefer to buy a sheep mascot13, as sheep are more fluffy14 and lovely," he says.
However, the ambiguity15 has whipped up discussion in the West. A story run by the Associated Press said this year's animal "is subject to interpretation".
"We just had this discussion a few weeks ago. What exactly is it?" AP quoted a worker in Brooklyn Chinatown as saying. "It can be a ram16, sheep or goat -- any ruminant mountain animal with horns."
In England, the Manchester Evening News also posed the question: "Later this month, we will enter the Chinese Year of the Ram. Or should that be sheep? Or even Goat?"
Other media outlets17, including Bloomberg, have described the coming Lunar New Year as the Year of the Sheep, Goat or Ram.
Xiang Daohua, a teacher of Chinese language and culture at China Foreign Affairs University, believes cultural connotations should be taken into consideration in translation.
"The English word 'sheep' better fits the Yang image in traditional Chinese cultures, which is meek and even a bit weak," he says.
词汇解析表：
1 folklorist
民俗学研究者
参考例句：
2 differentiate
vi.(between)区分；vt.区别；使不同
参考例句：
You can differentiate between the houses by the shape of their chimneys.你可以凭借烟囱形状的不同来区分这两幢房子。
He never learned to differentiate between good and evil.他从未学会分辨善恶。 3 domestication
n.驯养，驯化
参考例句：
The first was the domestication of animals. 第一个阶段是驯养动物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
In northwestern China, there is no evidence for endemic domestication of any animals. 在中国西北，没有任何当地动物驯化的迹象。 来自辞典例句
4 oracle
n.神谕，神谕处，预言
参考例句：
In times of difficulty,she pray for an oracle to guide her.在困难的时候，她祈祷神谕来指引她。
It is a kind of oracle that often foretells things most important.它是一种内生性神谕，常常能预言最重要的事情。
5 prehistoric
adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的
参考例句：
They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。
6 meek
adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的
参考例句：
He expects his wife to be meek and submissive.他期望妻子温顺而且听他摆布。 The little girl is as meek as a lamb.那个小姑娘像羔羊一般温顺。
7 livestock
n.家畜，牲畜
参考例句：
Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。 8 domesticated
adj.喜欢家庭生活的；（指动物）被驯养了的v.驯化( domesticate的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He is thoroughly domesticated and cooks a delicious chicken casserole. 他精于家务，烹制的砂锅炖小鸡非常可口。 来自《简明英汉词典》
The donkey is a domesticated form of the African wild ass. 驴是非洲野驴的一种已驯化的品种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
9 replica
n.复制品
参考例句：
The original conservatory has been rebuilt in replica.温室已按原样重建。
The young artist made a replica of the famous painting.这位年轻的画家临摹了这幅著名的作品。
10 fang
n.尖牙，犬牙
参考例句：
Look how the bone sticks out of the flesh like a dog's fang.瞧瞧,这根骨头从肉里露出来，象一只犬牙似的。
The green fairy's fang thrusting between his lips.绿妖精的尖牙从他的嘴唇里龇出来。 11 interpretation
n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理
参考例句：
His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。 12 depict
vt.描画，描绘；描写，描述
参考例句：
I don't care to see plays or films that depict murders or violence.我不喜欢看描写谋杀或暴力的戏剧或电影。
Children's books often depict farmyard animals as gentle,lovable creatures.儿童图书常常把农场的动物描写得温和而可爱。
13 mascot
n.福神，吉祥的东西
参考例句：
The football team's mascot is a goat.足球队的吉祥物是山羊。
We had a panda as our mascot.我们把熊猫作为吉详物。
14 fluffy
adj.有绒毛的，空洞的
参考例句：
Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
篇二：羊年说羊：那些与“羊”有关的英文成语俗语
羊年说羊：那些与“羊”有关的英文成语俗语 泛瑞翻译
腊鼓催神骏，春风送吉羊。春节将至，2015年羊年到来，你想不想字阖家团圆庆羊年的时候秀一下你的地道“羊”式英语呢？下面让我们借着新年的东风来看看那些与“羊”有关的英文成语俗语吧。
羊在中国上古人的眼中，形象漂亮，温驯忠厚，腼腆害羞，羊羔跪乳，羊肉可口，因此便有了甲骨文的“美”“善”“义”“鲜”“羞”等汉字，英语（课程）中“羊”一词常出现在《圣经》中，作为《圣经》发源地的西亚、北非地区及地中海沿岸诸国在《圣经》形成时以游牧业为主，“羊”在相当程度上解决了人们的吃与 穿两大生活难题。“羊”在满足人们物质需求的同时，其精神价值也得以升华和充实，上升到令基督教教徒顶礼膜拜的高度。《圣经》中把耶稣基督喻为羔羊，有时也把普通的基督教信徒比喻为羊。略有不同的是，耶稣常为未成年的“羔羊(lamb)”，而信徒们却是成年的“绵羊(sheep)”。《圣经》中，羊象征耶稣是因为人们认为，羊具备许多人类所具有的高贵品质：心地善良、温良谦恭、纯洁无暇，本性上很少有挑衅性但却有宽容度，因而基督教徒对它的赞扬几乎达到登 峰造极的地步。
“sheep”在英语里指“绵羊”，“a grass-eating farm animal that is kept for its wool and its meat”;“goat”是指“山羊”,“an animal a little like a sheep that can climb steep hills and rocks”。英文的sheep具有汉语“羊”的“善”与“羞”，如：She had a rather sheepish smile.她笑起来很害羞的样子。而goat富含贬义：act the goat(行为愚蠢)、 old goat(老色鬼)。所以，生肖“羊”应该选择“sheep”译名。英语中颇有一些与“羊”有关的典故,十分有趣。
1.Separate the sheep from the goats
区分绵羊和山羊→辨别好人坏人
成语出自《圣经?马太福音》第25章。该章讲到，当救世主坐上他的宝座时，“万民都要聚集在他面前，他要把他们分别出来，好像牧羊的分别绵羊、山羊一般。” (And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from the other, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.)他把绵羊(好人)置于右边，山羊(坏人)置于左边。右边的人将受到天父的祝福而永生，左边的人则会遭受炼狱的折磨。成语喻区分善恶和好坏，区分有用的和没用的东西。因此才有“the sheep and the goats好人与坏人，sheep and goats善人与恶人”的说法。
2.I had rather be a tick in a sheep than such a valiant ignorance.
我宁愿做羊身上的虱子，不愿做这种没有头脑的勇士。
语出莎士比亚悲喜剧《特洛伊罗斯与克瑞西达》(Troiles and Cressida)第三幕第三场战士Thersites的话。在特洛伊战争中，Ajax是个有勇无谋的将领，他答应同特洛伊主将Hector单独决斗，结果落入对方的圈套。Thersites见到Achilles谈到Ajax的鲁莽时说了这样一句话。人们也可以此讽喻那些没有头脑、没有主见的鲁莽的人。
3.Return to one’s sheep/muttons
回到本题
这则习语的来源有两种：一种说法认为，它是直译法国田园诗中的一句：多情的牧羊男女在牧场上谈恋爱，海阔天空，但最终还是要回到现实，回到自己的羊群中来。这个成语就是“回到实际问题，言归正传”的意思。另一种说法：“Let us come back to our sheep.(回过头来谈我们的羊吧。)”仿自法语“Revenons à nos moutons”，即Return to one’s muttons。这是法国一位佚名作者创作的《巴特兰讼师的闹剧》中的一句话。法语中“羊”叫做mouton，英语中“羊”叫做sheep。法语进入英语后，mouton演变成mutton。在英语中，mutton只指“羊肉”而不指“羊”，因为当时在英国的法国人是贵族，有钱吃得起“羊肉mutton”，而牧羊的盎格鲁撒克逊穷人就把“羊”称做sheep。久而久之，英语中就把“羊”称作sheep，而将“羊肉”叫做mutton。
4. A lost sheep
迷途的羔羊
出自《圣经?马太福音》第18章。耶稣传道时曾用寻找迷途的羔羊的故事比喻上帝拯救有罪的人。“一个人若有一百只羊，一只走迷了路……他岂不撇下这九十九 只，往山里去找那只迷路的羊吗?若是找着了，我实在告诉你们，他为这一只羊欢喜，比为那没有迷路的九十九只欢喜还大呢!”(...if a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone stray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.)成语比喻误入迷途的人。
5.One might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.
偷一只大羊和偷一只小羊一样都是问吊。一不做二不休
成语先见于英国自然科学家约翰?雷(John Ray, 1627–1705)的《英语成语》(English Proverbs,1678)。这说法反映了这样一种心态：既然犯严重的罪案和较轻微的罪案惩罚都一样的话，干脆一不做二不休，索性蛮干，犯案就犯严重的好了，比喻一个人下 决心豁出去，干什么都不在乎。
6. Set the wolf to keep the sheep
请狼来看羊，引狼入室
典出《伊索寓言?牧人与狼》(“The Shepherd and the Wolf”)。牧人找到一只狼崽，把它和自己的狗养在一起。后来小狼长大了，野性也就渐渐暴露出来，有一次狼来叼羊时，它也追上去吃了一份。没有狼来拖羊 时，它也在偷偷地吃羊。成语比喻做了非常愚蠢的事，把事情委托给不可靠的、只会给自己带来危害的人。类似的表达法英语里还有Let the fox guard the henhouse(让狐狸来看守鸡舍)等。
7. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
披着羊皮的狼
典出《伊索寓言》中的同名故事。一只狼披上羊皮混进羊群中企图偷吃羊羔，结果给牧人识破。此外，《圣经》中也有“你们要防备假先知，他们到你们这里来，外面披着羊皮，里面却是残暴的狼”的说法(Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.)(见《马太福音》第7章)。成语比喻在善良脸孔下掩盖自己丑恶用心、虚伪残暴的坏人。
8. A scapegoat
替罪羊
古犹太人有所谓赎罪祭，就是说，人们要奉献活羊，两手按在羊头上，承认以色列人诸般的罪孽过错，而把这罪都归在羊的头上，让这羊担当他们一切的罪孽，带到无人之地。(见《圣经?利未记》第16章)羊本无罪，但要为人担当罪孽，因此，后人把替罪羊喻为因别人过失而承担罪责者，犹如替死鬼。
英语中与“羊”有关的习语则更多，如：
to be as mild as a lamb 温顺如羔羊;
play the goat 举止轻浮;
follow like sheep 盲从;
sheep without a shepherd 乌合之众;
make sheep’s eyes at somebody 愚笨地向某人献殷勤; a sheep in a tiger’s skin 羊质虎皮(outwardly strong); cast sheep’s eyes at sb. 对某人抛媚眼; stand out like a camel in a flock of sheep 鹤立鸡群。
篇三：细数那些和羊有关的英文
“羊”在英文中的用法和表达
羊在中国上古人的眼中，形象漂亮，温驯忠厚，腼腆害羞，羊羔跪乳，羊肉可口，因此便有了甲骨文的―美‖―善‖―义‖―鲜‖―羞‖等汉字。英语中―羊‖一词常出现在《圣经》中，作为《圣经》发源地的西亚、北非地区及地中海沿岸诸国在《圣经》形成时以游牧业为主，―羊‖在相当程度上解决了人们的吃与穿两大生活难题。―羊‖在满足人们物质需求的同时，其精神价值也得以升华和充实，上升到令基督教教徒顶礼膜拜的高度。《圣经》中把耶稣基督喻为羔羊，有时也把普通的基督教信徒比喻为羊。略有不同的是，耶稣常为未成年的―羔羊(lamb)‖，而信徒们却是成年的―绵羊(sheep)‖。《圣经》中，羊象征耶稣是因为人们认为，羊具备许多人类所具有的高贵品质：心地善良、温良谦恭、纯洁无暇，本性上很少有挑衅性但却有宽容度，因而基督教徒对它的赞扬几乎达到登峰造极的地步。
―sheep‖在英语里指―绵羊‖，―a grass-eating farm animal that is kept for its wool and its meat‖；英文的sheep具有汉语―羊‖的―善‖与―羞‖，
如：She had a rather sheepish smile.
她笑起来很害羞的样子。
―goat‖是指―山羊‖,―an animal a little like a sheep that can climb steep hills and rocks‖。goat富含贬义：act the goat（行为愚蠢）、old goat（老色鬼）。
所以，生肖―羊‖应该选择―sheep‖译名。英语中颇有一些与―羊‖有关的典故，十分有趣。
1. Separate the sheep from the goats
区分绵羊和山羊→辨别好人坏人（Divide things in two groups, those things that have value and those things that are less valuable / worthless）
成语出自《圣经马太福音》第25章。该章讲到，当救世主坐上他的宝座时，―万民都要聚集在他面前，他要把他们分别出来，好像牧羊的分别绵羊、山羊一般。‖(And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from the other, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.)他把绵羊（好人）置于右边，山羊（坏人）置于左边。右边的人将受到天父的祝福而永生，左边的人则会遭受炼狱的折磨。成语喻区分善恶和好坏，区分有用的和没用的东西。因此才有―the sheep and the goats
好人与坏人，sheep and goats 善人与恶人‖的说法。
2. I had rather be a tick in a sheep than such a valiant ignorance.
我宁愿做羊身上的虱子，不愿做这种没有头脑的勇士。
语出莎士比亚悲喜剧《特洛伊罗斯与克瑞西达》(Troiles and Cressida)第三幕第三场战士Thersites的话。在特洛伊战争中，Ajax是个有勇无谋的将领，他答应同特洛伊主将Hector单独决斗，结果落入对方的圈套。Thersites见到Achilles谈到Ajax的鲁莽时说了这样一句话。人们也可以此讽喻那些没有头脑、没有主见的鲁莽的人。
3. Return to one's sheep/muttons
回到本题
这则习语的来源有两种：一种说法认为，它是直译法国田园诗中的一句：多情的牧羊男女在牧场上谈恋爱，海阔天空，但最终还是要回到现实，回到自己的羊群中来。这个成语就是―回到实际问题，言归正传‖的意思。另一种说法：―Let us come back to our sheep.（回过头来谈我们的羊吧。）‖仿自法语―Revenons à nos moutons‖，即Return to one's muttons。这是法国一位佚名作者创作的《巴特兰讼师的闹剧》中的一句话。法语中―羊‖叫做mouton，英语中―羊‖叫做 sheep。法语进入英语后，mouton演变成mutton。在英语中，mutton只指―羊肉‖而不指―羊‖，因为当时在英国的法国人是贵族，有钱吃得起―羊肉mutton‖，而牧羊的盎格鲁撒克逊穷人就把―羊‖称做sheep。久而久之，英语中就把―羊‖称作sheep，而将―羊肉‖叫做mutton。
4. A lost sheep
迷途的羔羊
出自《圣经马太福音》第18章。耶稣传道时曾用寻找迷途的羔羊的故事比喻上帝拯救有罪的人。―一个人若有一百只羊，一只走迷了路……他岂不撇下这九十九只，往山里去找那只迷路的羊吗？若是找着了，我实在告诉你们，他为这一只羊欢喜，比为那没有迷路的九十九只欢喜还大呢！‖（...if a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone stray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.）成语比喻误入迷途的人。
5. One might as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb.
偷一只大羊和偷一只小羊都会被吊死——不做二不休
成语先见于英国自然科学家约翰 雷(John Ray, 1627–1705)的《英语成语》(English Proverbs, 1678)。这说法反映了这样一种心态：既然犯严重的罪案和较轻微的罪案惩罚都一样的话，干脆一不做二不休，索性蛮干，犯案就犯严重的好了，比喻一个人下决心豁出去，干什么都不在乎。
6. Set the wolf to keep the sheep
请狼来看羊，引狼入室
典出《伊索寓言 牧人与狼》(―The Shepherd and the Wolf‖)。牧人找到一只狼崽，把它和自己的狗养在一起。后来小狼长大了，野性也就渐渐暴露出来，有一次狼来叼羊时，它也追上去吃了一份。没有狼来拖羊时，它也在偷偷地吃羊。成语比喻做了非常愚蠢的事，把事情委托给不可靠的、只会给自己带来危害的人。类似的表达法英语里还有 Let the fox guard the henhouse（让狐狸来看守鸡舍）等。
7. A wolf in sheep's clothing
披着羊皮的狼
典出《伊索寓言》中的同名故事。一只狼披上羊皮混进羊群中企图偷吃羊羔，结果给牧人识破。此外，《圣经》中也有―你们要防备假先知，他们到你们这里来，外面披着羊皮，里面却是残暴的狼‖的说法（Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.）(见《马太福音》第7章)。成语比喻在善良脸孔下掩盖自己丑恶用心、虚伪残暴的坏人。
8. A scapegoat
替罪羊
古犹太人有所谓赎罪祭，就是说，人们要奉献活羊，两手按在羊头上，承认以色列人诸般的罪孽过错，而把这罪都归在羊的头上，让这羊担当他们一切的罪孽，带到无人之地。（见《圣经利未记》第16章）羊本无罪，但要为人担当罪孽，因此，后人把替罪羊喻为因别人过失而承担罪责者，犹如替死鬼。
英语中与―羊‖有关的习语则更多，如：
to be as mild as a lamb 温顺如羔羊；
play the goat 举止轻浮；
follow like sheep 盲从；
sheep without a shepherd 乌合之众；
make sheep's eyes at somebody 愚笨地向某人献殷勤； a sheep in a tiger's skin 羊质虎皮(outwardly strong)； cast sheep's eyes at sb. 对某人抛媚眼；
stand out like a camel in a flock of sheep 鹤立鸡群。
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