文本来源：佛山商务英语培训 首选爱德华国际英语

 109. 在很久以前,这里曾经有座宫殿.
[误] There used to be a palace here before long.
[正] There used to be a palace here long before.
注:不要想当然地以为 before long 是指"在很久以前",恰恰相反,它的意思是"不久以后",例如:Harry Porter will be published before long(《哈利.波特》不久就要出版了).而 long before 才相当于 long,long ago,表示"在很久很久以 前".

110. 你真是不要脸,居然干出这种事.
[误] You are so faceless that you should have done such a thing.
[正] You are so shameless that you should have done such a thing.
注:虽然 -less 主要附在名词或动词后面构成否定形容词,表示"没有,无,不",如:fearless(无畏的),careless(不小心 的),doubtless(无疑的)等,但 faceless 的意思却是"姓名不详的,匿名的,不露面的".而"伤风败俗的,无耻的,不要脸 的(人)"则要用 shameless 来表达,而 shameful 一般用来指"可耻的,丢脸的(行为)",例如:shameful conduct(可 耻的行为),a shameless exploiter(无耻的剥削者).

111. 你们必须擦亮眼睛,弄清楚事情的真相.
[误] You should wipe your eye and find out the truth.
[正] You should remove the scales from your eyes and find out the truth.
注:英语里确实有 wipe one's eye 这一短语,但它表示"先发制人"或"使某人看到自己的狂妄",而且这里的 eye 要用单数形 式.而 scale 用作复数可比喻"障眼物",英文的 remove the scales from one's eyes 才对应于中文的"擦亮眼睛"

112. 瞧,树上有两只麻雀.
[误] Look, there are two sparrows on the tree.
[正] Look, there are two sparrows in the tree.
注:英语中,只有"长"在树上的东西才用介词 on,例如:There are lots of apples on the tree;其余均用介词 in,例如: The primitive built houses in the tree(原始人在树上建房子).本例句也不例外.


113. 裘德在乡下有一块菜地.
[误] Jude has a piece of vegetable field in the countryside.
[正] Jude has a piece of vegetable plot in the countryside.
注:英语里 field 的确可指"(一块)田地",如:a paddy field(一块稻田),terraced fields(梯田)等,但"菜地"却习惯称 为 vegetable plot,而不是 field. plot 指"小块土地,小块地皮",如:an experimental plot of cotton(一块棉花试验 田).


114. 我妻子总喜欢留朋友吃顿便饭.
[误] My wife is fond of asking her friends to stay for a casual meal.
[正] My wife is fond of asking her friends to stay for a light meal.
注:casual 可作"不拘礼节的,非正式的"讲,如:clothes for casual wear(便服).但"便饭"人们习惯用形容词 light,该 词也有"随便的,不重要的"之意,如:a light conversation(闲谈).

115. 要测量海水的深度不是一件容易的事情.
[误] It is a tough job to measure the depth of the sea.
[正] It is a tough job to fathom the depth of the sea.
注:要测量某人的身高,某人物体的长,宽,高,某两点间的距离,某物体的运动速度等,都可以用 measure 一词,例如: The room measures 10 meters across(这房间10米),但惟有测量水深时不用 measure,而要用 fathom.

116. 美国是个超级大国,不少人都梦想着能移民到那儿.
[误] The United States is a super country, and many people dream of immigrating into it.
[正] The United States is a superpower, and many people dream of immigrating into it.
注:super- 是一个前缀,表示"特大的,超级的"等含义,例如:supermarket(超市),superstar(超级明星), superman(超人)等.superpower 是"超级大国"的习惯表达,power 本身也有"强国,大国"的含义,如:an industrial power(工业强国),the imperialist powers(帝国主义列强)等.用 super country 表示"超级大国"是中国式的英语.

117. 哈罗德邀请一位女士到舞池里跳舞.
[误] Harold invites a lady to dance in the dance pool.
[正] Harold invites a lady to dance in the dance floor.
注ool 在英语里是指"水塘"或"水池",如 swimming pool(游泳池)等.而中文的"池"意思就多了,它在"舞池"中就指"旁 边高中间低的地方",再加上许多约定俗成的说法,所以,翻译时要具体情况具体对待.如:"舞池"英文是 dance floor,而"乐 池"则为orchestra pit.

文本来源：佛山商务英语培训 首选爱德华国际英语

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