读葛浩文Howard Goldmlatt翻译的莫言《天堂蒜苔之歌》The Garlic Ballads，选几句他翻译的话，供大家一乐

跑得了和尚跑不了庙： The monk can run away, but the temple stays.

好比鲜花插在牛粪上，又好比花蝴蝶嫁给屎壳郎： Marrying him would be like planting a flower in a pile of cow dung, or seeing a gorgeous butterfly fall in love with a dung beetle.

翻脸的猴子变脸的狗 A treacherous ape, a turncoat dog---

忘恩负义古来有    Ingratitude has existed since ancient times.

自古笑贫不笑娼Since the dawn of time harlots have been spared laughter reserved for the poor.

人是铁，饭是钢, people are iron and food is steel.

坦白从宽，抗拒从严：Leniency to those who confess, severity to those who refuse.

不会冤枉一个好人，也不会漏掉一个坏人： A good person has nothing to worry about, and a bad person has no place to hide.

躲过了初一，躲不过十五：You make it past the first of the month, but never past the fifteenth.

只当军师，不当分师：Better to be a military advisor than a property divider.

当官不为民做主，不如回家卖红薯： Officials who don’t bail people out of jams should stay home and plant their yams.