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e different associations and contain different connotations. Animal idioms are a case in point. Different animals in two languages represent certain characters. For example, the horse in English often plays the role of the ox in Chinese such as “ as strong as a horse” and “壮得像头牛”, and the lion in English often assumes the image of the tiger in Chinese such as “a lion in the way” and “拦路虎”. So it is necessary to make appropriate transference. In fact, this is one way of “cultural transference”. Here are some examples of translation containing different images of animals in Chinese and English idioms with animal words. (21) Better be the head of an ass than the tail of a horse. 宁为鸡头，毋为风尾。 (22) as timid as a rabbit 胆小如鼠 (23)牛饮 to drink like a fish (24)老虎屁股摸不得 One should not twist the lion’s tail. 4.4 Literal translation plus annotation In spite of the differences between the source culture and target culture, it is still understandable after making some special explanation. The following examples are given to illustrate this method, which is mainly used to translate Chinese literary allusion-stressed idioms and English allusive idioms, e.g. (25) An early owl called; but to Charles it seemed an afternoon singularly without wisdom. 早起的猫头鹰叫了起来，但对查尔斯来说，这半天却毫无智慧可言。（在英国文化中，猫头鹰是智慧的象征。） (26) 这样，他采取“守株待兔”的态度，还是当他的乡董。 Accordingly, having adopted this attitude of “watching the stump and waiting for a hare”, he continued with his councillorship. (From the story of a peasant who, seeing a hare run headlong against a tree-stump and break its neck, abandoned his plough and waited by the stump in the hope that another hare would do the same thing.) 4.5 Literal plus free translation All the illustrations considered, it is not hard to infer that “literal translation” is in a sense something like “formal correspondence”, while “free translation” like “functional equivalence”. Generally, whether we should use literal translation or free translation depends upon the interrelation between the source language and the target language. Chinese and English have similarities and differences in their ways of expression. We may adopt the proper method of translation in accordance with concrete situations and context. However, as stated above, both literal and free translations have their own merits and demerits. Literal translation, so to speak, can helpfully provide a broader cultural vision and retain original charms and flavors by borrowing original images or modes of expression. But sometimes, literally-translated images and expressions are not easy to understand, some of which even lead to misunderstandings or errors; whereas free translation can make the translated texts easily understood, being succinct and smooth in style. But it lacks vivid images so as not to create “an exotic atmosphere”, nor enrich the target language vocabulary. Here, literal plus free translation is in fact a method of the overlapping translation in which literal and free translations bring out their own merits and offset their demerits to convey accurately and faithfully the meanings of the original texts. For example, “黄鼠狼给鸡拜年” is literally translated into “The weasel goes to pay his respects to the hen”. The English people might understand the literal meaning, but the implicated meaning is hard to figure out. Thus something more should be added to convey the implicated meaning. Through the employment of the method of literal plus free translation, “黄鼠狼给鸡拜年” is