摆脱中式英语 1|佛山英语培训

文本来源：佛山商务英语培训首选爱德华国际英语

01.有他这颗扫帚星,什么事情都办不成.
[误] With a comet like him, nothing can be accomplished.
[正] With a jinx like him, nothing can be accomplished.
注:"扫帚星"是中国人对"慧星"(comet)的俗称,因其后面象拖着的一条像扫帚一样的长尾巴而得名.在中国古代,"扫帚星"被认为是灾难的预兆,并被用来比喻不吉利的人或事;祸根person or thing that is thought to bring)bad luck (to sb/sth);curse.英语的 comet 虽然没有这层含义,但却有一个对应的说法,即 jinx. 例:There's a jinx on/ Someone's put a jinx on this car: it's always giving me trouble. "这辆汽车上有什么妨人的东西,总给我找麻烦".

02.萝卜青菜,各有所爱.
[误] Some prefer radish but others prefer cabbage.
[正] Tastes differ. 注:Tastes differ/vary 是句英语谚语,除此以外,
原句还可翻译成:No dish suits all tastes. / You can never make everyone happy. / 等.《新概念英语》第三册第23课的标题是no man's meat is another man's poison.

03.他一向嘴硬,从不认错.
[误] He has always got a hard mouth and never admit a fault.
[正] He never says uncle.
注:say (cry) uncle: to give up or in; to surrender; to admit defeat. Mainly used by boys, as when fighting.主要是男孩们打架时的用语,当一方想制服另一方时,就用命令的口气说:"Say uncle!"这时,有的孩子为了表示不服输,就是不说.后来,say uncle 就成了"服输"的代名词,而 not say uncle 就相当于"嘴硬"了.

04.老师很喜欢这个嘴甜的小姑娘.
[误] The teacher likes this sweet-mouthed little girl very much.
[正] The teacher likes this honey-lipped little girl very much.
注:中国人喜欢说"嘴甜",但 honey-lipped 更符合英美人的语言习惯.

05.同学们都很讨厌他,因为他经常拍老师的马屁.
[误] The student all dislike him because he often pats the teacher's ass.
[正] The students all dislike him because he often licks the teacher's boots.
注:以前在欧洲,臣民见到国王与王后往往要葡匐到在,亲吻他们的靴子.后来,人们将 lick the boots 引申为"为了某种目的而讨好某人",它与汉语的"拍马屁"含义一样.在美国英语中,"拍马屁"还有另一种说法,即 polish the apple,它典出以前的学生用擦亮的苹果来讨好老师.

06.你听说了吗迈克把他的女朋友给甩了.
[误] Have you ever heard that Mike broke up with his girlfriend.
[正] Have you ever heard that Mike dumped his girlfriend. 注:break up with sb. 虽然表示"与某人分手了",但并没说明是谁先提出来的.而 dump 的原意指"倾倒垃圾",用在这里则表示像倒垃圾一样地甩掉.

文本来源：佛山商务英语培训首选爱德华国际英语