口译实践中，译员经常会遇到习语、引语的互译。特别是为国家元首、高级官员、文化人士、社会名流做口译时，译员会发现他们在事先精心准备的讲话或随意交谈中 , 时常出其不意的借用本国或外国习语，引用名人或名著中的妙语佳句来表达自己的立场、观点或赞颂对方的民族和文化。 例如，英国前首相撒切尔和美国前几届总统访华时，都在不同场合的讲话中有意引用中国习语或引语，借以表达他们的立场和观点。
美国总统尼克松 1972 年 1 月访华时在宴会祝酒词中引用毛泽东主席诗词中的话。他说： Chairman has written: So many deeds cry out to be done, and always urgently; the world rolls on, time presses. Ten thousand years are too long ； seize the day ， seize the hour! This is the hour. This is the day for our two people… （毛出席写过：多少事，从来急；天地转，光阴迫。一万年太久，只争朝夕！现在就是我们两国人民只争朝夕的时候了 …… ）
英国首相撒切尔在她 1982 年 9 月的访华讲话中引用唐代诗人的佳句： In a poem addressed to a departing friend, one of your Tang poets said: “provided our friendship survives, distances mean very little; although dwelling on far horizons we can still be as near neighbors. ” （在一首送别朋友的诗中，贵国唐代一位诗人曾写道：“海内存知己，天涯若比邻。”）
美国总统里根 1984 年 4 月访华时在人民大会堂的讲演中说 : We only regret that our visit is so brief that we can only look at the flowers while riding on horseback ， But you have a saying from the Book of Han which says: “To see a thing once is better than hearing about it a hundred times. （遗憾的是我们的行程太匆忙，只能走马观花地看一看。但你们在《汉书》中也有一句话，叫做“百闻不如一见”。）他在欢迎宴会的祝词中说： And as a saying from the Book of Changes goes, “ if two people are of the same mind, their sharpness can cut through metal.” （正如你们《易经》中一句话说的那样，“二人同心，可以断金”。）
美国总统乔治﹒布什在他 1989 年 2 月的访华讲话中说 : Let us plant trees together, so that the next generation, yours and ours can sit together in the shade. （让我们来一起种树，这样，我们的后代就能一起在树下乘凉。）
美国总统克林顿 1998 年 6 月访华时在国宴祝词中说： In so many different ways, we are upholding the teachings of Mencius, who said: “ A good citizen in one community will befriend the other citizens of the community; good citizens of the world will befriend of the other citizens of the world.” （我们是以如此不同的方式在维护孟子的教导，他说：“一乡之善士斯友一乡之善士，天下之善士斯友天下之善士。”）
同样，江泽民主席访美时在哈佛大学的演讲中引用中国古代思想家的话“亲仁善邻，国之宝也。” ( Loving people and treating neighbors kindly are most valuable to a country ) 他在为他举行的欢迎宴会的讲话中引用了美国诗人朗费罗的诗句：“只要行动起来，我们每个明天都会比今天进步。”“行动起来吧，让我们马上就开始。 ” （ But to act that each tomorrow finds us farther than today. Act-----act in the living present. ）
朱镕基总理 1999 年 4 月访美时，在一次记者招待会上回答某记者有关人权问题的提问时 , 引用了“民为贵，社稷次之，君为轻。”的古语， ( The people are the most important element in a state. Next are the gods of land and grain; least is the ruler himself. ) 表明中国向来十分重视人权问题。
任何一种语言的习语、引语都与使用该语言的民族的历史、经济、文化、风俗习惯、价值观念、地理位置等密切相关。因此，习语、引语有明显的民族特色，是人民群众智慧的结晶，是经过长期使用而提炼出来的妙语名言。习语、引语准确、快速、流利的互译可以简明、生动、形象、有力地表达说话人的思想、观点和情感，增强语言的魅力和表达效果。习语、引语的口译也是译员经常遇到的难题之一。那么，口译中译员怎样才能准确、快速、生动形象地进行习语、引语的互译呢？
习语就其广义而言，包括成语、俗语、谚语、歇后语等。习语、引语的成功口译主要靠译员两种语言的扎实功底，包括对两种语言的词汇、文学、文化背景知识的丰富积累和口译技巧的熟练掌握。习语的口译主要有三种方法：直译、直译与转换相结合和意译法。
1. 直译法
对结构和意义上完全对应的习语应采用对等直译法。把原语的习俗、比喻移植到译入语中，这样既能确切地表达原意，又能保留原语生动、形象、鲜明的民族色彩。直译是习语口译中最容易、最便捷，也是效果最佳的译法。英汉两种语言中很多习语，包括很多汉语歇后语都可以采用直译法。这是英汉两种文化互相交流和两种语言相互溶入的结果。以下英汉习语的互译就属这一类。
英语习语的汉译
stony heart / have a heart of stone 铁石心肠
plain sailing 一帆风顺
in black and white 白纸黑字
flesh and blood 亲骨肉；亲人
as firm as a rock 坚如磐石
to be led by the nose 被牵着鼻子走
to show one"s cards 摊牌
to be armed to the teeth 武装到牙齿
to turn a deaf ear to… 充耳不闻
to pick bones from an egg 鸡蛋里面挑骨头
Facts speak louder than words. 事实胜于雄辩
Failure is the mother of success. 失败乃成功之母
Honesty is the best policy. 诚实是上策
Children and fools tell the truth. 童愚吐真言
Evil is rewarded with evil. 恶有恶报
Content is happiness. 知足者常乐
Know your own faults before blaming others for theirs.
欲责他人，应先知己过；欲正人，先正己。
One swallow does not make a summer. 一燕难成夏。
汉语习语的英译
一心一意 with one heart and one mind
沧海一滴 a drop in the ocean
轻如鸿毛 as light as a feather
实事求是 to seek truth from facts
一见如故 to feel like old friends at the first meeting
同甘共苦 to share each other"s joys and hardships
掩耳盗铃 to plug one"s ears while stealing a bell
知识就是力量。 Knowledge is power.
一寸光阴一寸金 , 寸金难买寸光阴。 An inch of time is worth an inch of gold ， but an inch of gold cannot purchase an inch of time.
一回生，两回熟。 First meeting, strangers; second meeting, old friends.
一年之计在于春。 The whole year"s work depends on a good start in spring.
一鸟在手远胜两鸟在林。 A bird in hand is worth two in the bush.
兔子尾巴——长不了。 Like a rabbit tail-----it cannot grow any longer-----it won"t last long.
搬起石头砸自己的脚——自作自受 to lift a rock only to drop it on one"s own feet-----to suffer from what one has done
鳄鱼掉眼泪——假慈悲 crocodile shedding tears------pretending to be benevolent
2. 直译和转换相结合
对一些结构上对应或部分对应，比喻相似、意思相近的习语应采用直译和转换相结合的方法，对等部分直译，不对等部分进行适当转换。按照英汉两种语言各自的习俗、比喻和习惯表达方法译出，做到既能确切表达原意，又符合译入语的习俗和比喻。以下习语就是采用这种方法互译的。
as blind as a bat 有眼无珠
as timid as a hare 胆小如鼠
on pins and needles 如坐针毡
as poor as a church mouse 一贫如洗
to kill two birds with one stone 一箭双雕
to wake up a sleeping dog 打草惊蛇
to beat the dog before the lion 杀鸡给猴看
Lock the door after the horse is stolen. 亡羊补牢。
He who takes charge knows the responsibility. 不当家不知柴米贵。
Poor by condition ， rich by ambition. 人穷志不短。
Where there is a will ， there is a way. 事在人为。
It takes two to make a quarrel. 一个巴掌拍不响。
As a man sows ， so he shall reap. 种瓜得瓜 , 种豆得豆。
Don"t wash your dirty linen in public. 家丑不可外扬。
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 情人眼里出西施。
3. 意译
还有一类习语，在结构和字面意思上，英汉两种语言似乎无相近之处。其确切的意思有时难以捉摸。遇到这一类习语，译员要根据交谈双方的话题、意图及谈话的背景和上下文意思等因素，充分理解所用习语的含义，采用意译、意译加注和其它变通方法，最重要的是译出话语的真正含义。同时，尽可能的保留原语的民族和地方色彩。不要按字面意思死译，以免造成歧义。以下习语的口译就属这一类。
a far cry from… 与 …… 相差甚远；大不相同
to face the music 勇于承担后果
to spill the beans 不慎泄密
to be up to one"s ears 有许多事情要做；忙于
to beat around the bush 旁敲侧击，转弯抹角
to cut corners 节约
to hold one"s horses 别忙；耐心点；别沉不住气
in one"s element 在行；擅长
on one"s toes 机灵
once in a blue moon 极难得；千载难逢
to see eye to eye 与 ( 某人 ) 看法一致
straight from the shoulder 直截了当
to take something with a grain of salt 对某事半信半疑或不全信
to put all one"s eggs in one basket 孤注一掷 ; 冒险
to teach one"s grandmother to such eggs 班门弄斧；好为人师
to put the cart before the horse 本末倒置
to miss the boat 坐失良机
to burn the candle at both ends 过分耗费精力
to poke one"s nose into… 探听 ; 干涉
to play for one"s own hand 为自己的利益而做
to pull wool over one"s eyes 蒙蔽某人
to call a spade a spade 实话实说 , 直言不讳
Birds of a feature flock together. 物以类聚 , 人以群分。
Love me; love my dog. 爱吾及犬；爱屋及乌。
Half the world knows not how the other half lives. 富人不知穷人苦 ; 饱汉不知饿汉饥。
有些汉语习语、俗语、歇后语有强烈而浓厚的民族色彩，意译不能确切表达原意。必须采用意译加注，说明必要的历史文化背景，才能很好传达原意。例如：
卧薪尝胆 to sleep on brushwood and taste gall-----to undergo self-imposed hardships so as to strengthen one"s resolve to wipe out a national humility ； to endure hardships to accomplish some ambition.
望子成龙 to hope one"s child will become somebody in the future ； to hope one"s child will have a bright future; to hold high hopes for one"s child
不到长城非好汉。 He who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a true hero ； not stop until one"s aim is obtained
八仙过海，各显神通。 The Eight Immortals crossing the sea-----each shows his/her special prowess (in the legend, they were described as fairies with different magic arts) ； Like the Eight Immortals soaring the ocean, each of you should show your true worth.
打破砂锅——问（纹）到底 breaking an earthenware pot -----(lit)-cracked to the bottom ；(pun) interrogate thoroughly ； to get to the bottom of a matter
引语的口译主要靠译员平时的勤学和积累。一个成功的译员不仅要有熟练的英汉语言技能，而且要有广博的英汉文学、历史、文化知识，掌握一定数量的英汉名人格言、经典佳句。因此，译员只有平时用心铭记，注意收集，不断充实，用时才能左右逢源，得心应手。下边是一些广为流传的英汉名人格言和经典佳句，配有英汉译文，可供口译学习者参考。
英语引语
What"s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. 名称有什么关系？我们叫做玫瑰花的，叫别的名字同样芬芳。
To care for wisdom and truth and improvement of the soul is far better than to seek money and honor and reputation. 获得智慧，寻求真理，并使心灵美好，远比追求金钱、荣誉和名声好得多。
Knowledge is like the spring water under ground---the deeper you dig, the clearer is the water.知识好像地下的泉水，掘得越深越清澈。
Waste not, want not. 旧的不去，新的不来。
Carve your name on hearts but not on marbles. 把你的名字刻在人们的心上，而不是大理石上。
Time is a versatile performer. It flies, marches on, heals all wounds, runs out and will tell. 时间是多才多艺的表演者。它能飞逝，能大步向前，能治愈一切创伤， 能消失得无影无踪，也能揭露真相。
Time is money; trust is gold. 时间是金钱，信用是金子。
In the business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later. 在商业世界里，每个人都会获得两种形式的报酬：现钞和经验。最好先获得经验，这样现钞就会随之滚滚而来。
Seize the present; trust the future as little as you may. 抓住现在；尽量少指望未来。
Money is a bottomless sea, in which honor, conscience, and truth may be drowned. 金钱是深不可测的海洋，能淹没廉耻、良心和是非感；金钱是一个无底大海，节操、良心和真理可能在里面淹死。
Economy is not only a great virtue, but also a great revenue. 节约不仅是一大美德，而且是一大财源。
At twenty years of age, the will reigns; at thirty the wit; and at forty, the judgment. 二十岁时起支配作用的是意志，三十岁时是机智，四十岁时是判断。
Contentment is natural wealth; luxury is artificial poverty. 知足是天然的财富，奢侈是人为的贫困。
Money recommends a man everywhere. 钱使一个人畅行无阻。
Riches are gotten with pain, kept with care, and lost with grief. 财富得之不易，存之忧虑，失之悲痛。
Time and tide wait for no man. 时光如逝水，岁月不待人。
One today is worth two tomorrows. 一个今天抵得上两个明天。
汉语引语
己所不欲，勿施于人。 Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you.
知己知彼，百战不殆。 Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.
贫贱不能移，威武不能屈。 He is not to be subdued by force not swerved by poverty.
国家兴亡，匹夫有责。 The fortune of a country depends on the people in it.
识实务者为俊杰。 A man who knows where his interest lies will succeed.
流水不腐，户枢不蠹。 Running water does not get stale; a door hinge is never worm-eaten.
三人行，必有我师。 When I walk in the company of three men, there must be a teacher of mine.
一日为师，终生为父。 He who teaches me one day is my teacher for life.
学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆。 Learning without thought means labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.
业精于勤，荒于嬉。 Achievement is founded on diligence and wasted upon recklessness.
勤能补拙。 Diligence redeems stupidity.
一言既出，驷马难追。 A word once spoken cannot be taken back even by a team of four horses.
一人之失，百人之师。 A past mistake of one serves as a good lesson for all.
人勤地不懒。 If the tiller is industrious, the farmland is productive.
前事不忘，后事之师。 Repent what is past ； avoid what is to come.
兼听则明，偏听则暗。 Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened ； heed only one side and you will be benighted.
若要人不知，除非己莫为。 If you don"t want people to know about it, don"t do it.
其身正，不令而行；其身不正，虽令不行。 If the ruler is personally upright, all will go well even though he does not give order. But if he is not personally upright, even though he gives orders, they will not be obeyed.
悬崖勒马犹未晚，船到江心补漏迟。 It"s just in time to rein in at the brink of the precipice, but it"s too late to mend the ships leak in the middle of the river.
“人固有一死，或重于泰山，或轻于鸿毛”。为人民利益而死，重于泰山。 Though death befalls all men alike, it may weightier than
先天下之忧而忧，后天下之乐而乐。 Be concerned about the affairs of state before others, and enjoy comfort after others. Be the first to feel concern about state affairs and the last to enjoy yourself.