(1) Once the wife of a parson, always the wife of a parson.
嫁鸡随鸡,嫁狗随狗。
(2)One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy.
一个和尚挑水吃,两个和尚抬水吃,三个和尚没水吃。
(3) I was limp as a dish rag. My back felt as through it had been beaten with wires.
我软得像一团棉花,脊背疼痛得好像被钢丝抽打过一样。
(原文中limp as a dish rag,如直译为“像洗碟布一样柔软”,既不地道,又让人产生一种较恶心的`感觉,不如用汉语中常说的“软得像一团棉花”加以归化。)
(4) Everybody said how well the new Secretary was doing, but old Mr. Carr said shortly, “Yes. New brooms sweep clean.”
人人都说新任秘书干得好,但卡尔老先生却简慢地说:“新官上任三把火。”
(原文new brooms sweep clean的字面意思是“新扫把扫得干净”,比喻“新任职的人干得好”,和汉语中的“新官上任三把火”异曲同工,貌离神合。)
(5) Among the blind the one-eyed man is King.
山中无老虎,猴子称霸王。