Liberal translation is defined as a type of translation in which more attention is paid to producing a natural target language than to preserving the source language wording intact (Shuttleworth&Cowie, 2004:62). Comparing it with literal translation, Barkhudarov (1969:11) describes it as a translation “made on a level higher than is necessary to convey the content unchanged while observing target language norms”. According to Catford, it is a prerequisite of free translations that they should be unbounded as regards the level on which they are performed (1965:25).
《红楼梦》中歇后语的英译对比分析(3):http://www.751com.cn/yingyu/lunwen_66243.html