蛇在中华传统的民俗信仰中，是一种神秘且吉祥的动物。这一动物极为神秘，据《说文解字》云：“它，虫也。从虫而长，象冤曲垂尾形。”这一动物极为吉祥，是中国龙的原型，民间则称之为“小龙”。由此可见，蛇在中华文化中占据了显著的地位，是中华文化不可或缺的一部分。

可以说，蛇的踪迹在中华文化中随处可见。中华民族的始祖女娲和伏羲，常被描绘为人首蛇身或“蛇身之神”，体现了蛇在中华古代文化中的神圣地位。两晋时期的文学家郭璞校注《山海经》云：“女娲，古神女而帝者，人面蛇身，一日中七十变。”东晋王嘉的志怪小说集《拾遗记》载：“蛇身之神，即羲皇（伏羲）也。”在文学作品中，蛇的身影更是屡见不鲜，常常象征着智慧、善良和正义。《诗经·小雅·斯干》就有“维虺维蛇，女子之祥”的诗句，屈原在《楚辞·天河》中发出了“一蛇吞象，厥大何如”等问语。西晋文学家与思想家傅玄在《灵蛇铭》中写道：“嘉兹灵蛇，断而能续。飞不须翼，行不假足。上腾云霄，下游山岳。逢此明珠，预身龙族。”《三国演义》讲述了大青蛇惊吓汉灵帝之事，《水浒传》把洪太尉遇蛇挡道的故事讲得活灵活现，《西游记》记叙了唐僧一行四众在驼罗庄遇蛇妖并战而胜之的故事，《警世通言》中的《白娘子永镇雷峰塔》描述了白娘子（白蛇）对小商人许仙的执着之情，《聊斋志异》不乏蛇题材的小说（如《螳螂捕蛇》《豢蛇》）。在婚配方面，就有“蛇盘兔”的民俗信仰，认为属兔的和属蛇的婚配是最吉利的；在饮食方面，山西、陕西等地就流行着一种名叫蛇婆婆的面食，象征着发家致富；在军事方面，就有古代著名的十大军阵，其首位是“一字长蛇阵”；在医学方面，蛇本身是一种重要的药材，是五毒之一。在众多关于蛇的民间传说中，最著名的当属《白蛇传》，故事中的白娘子是一个深受百姓喜爱的善良蛇精，是一个具有永恒魅力的艺术形象。种种迹象表明，蛇是中华文化中颇为独特的一部分。

2025年，是中国农历乙巳年，即民间生肖纪年的蛇年。在这蛇年来临之际，让我们重新检阅一下汉英词典中一些与“蛇”相关的表达法，聊作一种新年之乐吧。

本文的语料主要选自陆谷孙教授主编的《中华汉英大词典》，均为该词典的编纂者自以为迻译尚有特点的与“蛇”有关的成语与俗语，其目的在于与广大读者共享并敦请广大读者质疑与指谬。

一、与“蛇”相关的四字成语

1.1 巴蛇吞象 <idiom> （like a ba snake swallowing an elephant） to have an insatiable greed

1.2 杯弓蛇影 <idiom> （to see the reflection of a bow in a cup and mistake it for a snake） to worry about illusory things; to exaggerate a non-existent menace

1.3 笔走龙蛇 <idiom> （strokes meander like dragons and snakes） beautiful and vigorous calligraphy; handwriting full of delightful turns and twists

1.4 壁间蛇影 <idiom> （to see the wine-cup reflection of a bow hanging from a wall and mistake it for a snake） to worry about illusory things; to exaggerate a non-existent menace

1.5 春蚓秋蛇 <idiom> （spring earthworms and autumn snakes） poor calligraphy; cacography

1.6 打草惊蛇 <idiom> （to beat the grass and startle the snake） 1. to alert the enemy; to telegraph one’s punch 2. to strike one as a warning to others

1.7 毒蛇猛兽 <idiom> （venomous snakes and violent beasts） 1. harmful beasts 2. greedy and cruel people

1.8 封豕长蛇 <idiom> （large pigs and long snakes） greedy and brutish despots or invaders; evildoers

1.9 弓影杯蛇 <idiom> （the shadow of a bow in a cup is mistaken for a snake） to be very suspicious; to entertain imaginary fears; to be an alarmist

1.10 虎头蛇尾 <idiom> （the head of a tiger and the tail of a snake） 1. to have a strong beginning but a weak ending; to start with a bang and end with a fizzle; in like a lion， out like a lamb 2. anticlimatical （ly）： 工作不能～ we should not let the work tail off once it gets started

1.11 画蛇添足 <idiom>  （to paint a snake and add legs to it） to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous; to over-egg the pudding; to paint the lily：①大雨后还给草地浇水真是～、多此一举的浪费 watering the grass after a good rain is wasteful and ridiculous excess②电影中的这个情节纯粹是～ this plot in the movie is completely superfluous

1.12 惊蛇入草 <idiom> （like a startled snake disappearing into grass） to write with vigour and ease （of Chinese calligraphy）

1.13 灵蛇之珠 <idiom> 1. pearl as a gift from a serpent [from the story about Duke Sui （隋侯） of the Spring and Autumn Period， who while on a trip treated a wounded serpent; in return， the serpent gave him a bright pearl in order to repay his kindness] 2. <fig> outstanding ability; remarkable literary talent or grace; fantastic endowment

1.14 龙蛇飞动 also 龙蛇飞舞，龙蛇飞腾 <idiom> （dancing dragons and snakes） bold and vigorous （of calligraphy）; swift movement （of calligraphy）： 只记得纸上～ I just remember the bold and passionate brush sweeps on the paper

1.15 龙蛇混杂 <idiom> （dragons and snakes are intermixed） 1. mixing of good and bad people; can’t tell good guys from bad guys： 人多了难免就会～ a large crowd will invariably involve the presence of saints and villains

1.16 龙头蛇尾 <idiom> （the head of a dragon and the tail of a serpent） 1. a beginning with no end; a good beginning with a poor ending： ～地告了终结 it started off as a mountain and ended up being a mouse 2. to dwindle away to nothing after an initial display of greatness see 虎头蛇尾

1.17 牛鬼蛇神 <idiom> （cow-headed ghosts and snake-bodied spirits） 1. monsters and freaks 2. <fig> forces of evil; bad elements 3. <fig> unreal and weird， illusory and absurd （of a literary work， etc）

1.18 蛇毛马角 <idiom> （like a snake growing hair and a horse growing horns） 1. the impossible; something impossible 2. person with a nominal role or position

1.19 蛇盘鬼附 <idiom> （like snakes coiling and demons attaching to each other） to collude with each other; to be in league with each other; to be thick as thieves

1.20 蛇蟠蚓结 <idiom> （like snakes coiling and earthworms writhing） to collude with each other

1.21 蛇雀之报 <idiom> （repayment of the snake with a pearl and of the siskin with white jade bracelets to their benefactors） repaying a debt of gratitude

1.22 蛇食鲸吞 <idiom> （like snakes devouring and whales swallowing） to swallow up the weak （of the powerful）

1.23 蛇螫断腕 <idiom> （a snakebite on the wrist may cause the wrist to be amputat-ed to stop the spread of venom） a petty harm can ruin the game

1.24 蛇头鼠眼 <idiom> （snake’s head and rat’s eyes） cunning or crafty look

1.25 蛇心佛口 <idiom> （snake’s heart and Buddha’s mouth） to be evil-minded but honey-tongued; to be malicious at heart but pay benevolent lip-service

1.26 蛇影杯弓 <idiom> （the shadow of a bow in a cup is mistaken for a snake） to be very suspicious; to entertain imaginary fears see 杯弓蛇影

1.27 岁在龙蛇 <idiom> （it has come to the years of the dragon and the snake） one’s days are numbered [allusion to the ancient belief that such years bode ill for noble-minded and talented people]

1.28 为蛇画足 <idiom> （to draw legs for the snake） to raise side issues， to create new problems （which is harmful）

1.29 握蛇骑虎 <idiom> （to hold a snake and ride a tiger） to be endangered; to be in a fix; to be in a perilous situation

1.30 虚与委蛇 <idiom> to show courtesy without sincerity; to feign courtesy and compliance

1.31 一龙一蛇 <idiom> （a dragon and a snake） ups and downs; progress and frustration

1.32 一蛇二首 <idiom> （a serpent with two heads） impossibility of having orderly governments with two rulers

1.33 引蛇出洞  <idiom> （to draw a snake out of its hole） to induce sb to reveal his true colours： 他们采取了～的办法，一网打尽了一个抢劫团伙 they netted an entire gang of robbers at one go by luring them into the open

二、与“蛇”相关的俗语

2.1 打蛇打七寸  <familiar> （to hit the weakest or vital spot of the snake） to touch sb’s tender spot; to hit sb where it hurts

2.2 宁为蛇头，不为龙尾  <familiar> （better to be the head of a snake than the tail of a dragon） better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion; better to be a big frog in a little pond than a small frog in a big one; better to be the head of a small group than to hold a less powerful position in a large one

2.3 人心不足蛇吞象  <familiar> a man consumed with insatiable greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant

2.4 蛇无头不行  <familiar> （the snake cannot move without a head） people can accomplish nothing without a leader： ①～，草无根不生 just as a snake without a head cannot crawl， so grass without any roots cannot grow ②～，鸟无翅不飞 just as a headless snake cannot crawl， so a wingless bird cannot fly

2.5 蛇入筒中曲性在  <familiar> （the snake meanders even though it creeps into a tube） it is hard to alter a man’s nature; a leopard cannot change its spots

2.6 蛇吞鼠，鹰叼蛇，一物降一物  <familiar> （snakes swallow rats， eagles hold snakes in their mouths， and there is always one thing to conquer another） everything has its vanquisher

2.7 蛇走无声，奸计无形  <familiar> just as snakes crawl silently， so treacherous plots are invisible

2.8 蛇钻窟洞蛇知道  <familiar> （the snake knows the tunnel it digs） to be aware of one’s own deeds

2.9 一朝被蛇咬， 十年怕井绳  <familiar> （once bitten by a snake， one shies away from a coiled rope for the next ten years） once bitten， twice shy：真是～， 有了这回经历， 我再也不敢与陌生人同行了 once bitten， twice shy; having had this awful experience， I never dare to travel with a stranger again

的确，汉语中与“蛇”有关的表达法实在太丰富了，如“拔草寻蛇”“蝉蜕蛇解”“飞鸟惊蛇”“涸泽之蛇”“鲸吞蛇噬”“举笏击蛇”“龙屈蛇伸”“蛇眉鼠眼”“蛇珠雀环”“豕分蛇断”“贪蛇忘尾”“螳螂捕蛇”“膝语蛇行”“枭蛇鬼怪”“养虺成蛇”“斩蛇逐鹿”“踩着麻绳当蛇，大惊小怪”“打蛇不死打蚯蚓，怯大欺小”“打蛇随棍上，因势利导”“地头蛇，母老虎，不是好惹的”“地头蛇请客，福祸莫测”“冬天的蟒蛇，有气无力”“蛇不打死害众人，虎不打死当祸根”“蛇不分粗细，坏人不分大小”“蛇不知自己行迹，人不明自己身心”“蛇入曲洞，退路难”“蛇头上的苍蝇，自送一口肉”“蛇吞蝎子，以毒攻毒”“蛇吞象，不自量”“蛇无大小，毒性一般”“蛇无脚，自安脚”“蛇咬一口，入骨三分”“蛇遭蝎子蜇，一个比一个毒”“蛇钻窟窿，顾前不顾后”“蛇钻竹筒，没有回头的余地”“药铺里挂蛇皮，打着吓人的幌子”“是龙到处行雨，是蛇到处伤人”“是龙就上天，是蛇就钻地”“是龙来去大海，是蛇草里钻”“吞了烟袋油的蛇，离死不远”“弯扁担打蛇，两头不着实”“窝里的蛇，不知长短”“眼镜蛇摆手，好毒的一招”“眼镜蛇打喷嚏，满嘴放毒”“养蛇咬自己，惹祸上身”“一个洞里的蛇，早有勾结”“阴沟石缝里的蛇蝎，暗里伤人”“智者蛇行，愚者跳跃”等表达法的英文翻译，更待我们共同探索。