摆脱中式英语 19|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

163. 史密斯先生觉得自己是个小人物,他多希望有一天能成为大人物啊!
[误] Mr Smith always considers himself a small figure, and how he wishes to be a big figure one day!
[正] Mr Smith always considers himself nobody, and how he wishes to be somebody one day!
注:"小人物"也好,"大人物"也罢,是言其地位,而非体格.nobody 和 somebody 能准确表达这一中文意思,而 small figure 和 big figure 是指"小个子"和"大个子",不要混淆噢!

164. 三个臭皮匠,顶个诸葛亮.
[误] Three cobblers equal Zhuge Liang.
[正] Two heads are better than one.
注: 此类中文典故很难通过直译讲清楚,加上一大堆注释又无法传神,所以还不如用英文对应的习惯表达呢.

165. 文人相轻.
[误] Men of letters despise each other.
[正] Two of a trade never agree.
注: 虽然第二句英文说法比中文原文的所指范围要宽泛一些,但其精髓是相通的,值得比较记忆.

166. 一个巴掌拍不响,这事儿是他俩一块儿干的.
[误] One palm claps not ---this must have been done by them both.
[正] It takes two to tango ---this must have been done by them both.
注: 我们说"一个巴掌拍不响",而西方人习惯用"探戈舞是需要两个人一块儿跳的",但这两者的含义是那么的一致.

167. 江山易改,本性难移.
[误] It is easier to move the mountains than to change one's nature.
[正] A leopard can't change its spots.
注: "豹子改变不了身上的花斑",英语里常用动物来说明事理.

168. 汤姆破产以后,他的那些朋友都不见了 ---他们不过是一些酒肉朋友.
[误] None of his friends has ever turned up since Tom went bankrupt ---they are nothing but friends of wine and meat.
[正] None of his friends has ever turned up since Tom went bankrupt ---they are nothing but fine weather friends.
注: 英语中的 fine weather friends 是指"顺境中的朋友",其意思与我们的"酒肉朋友"是一样的,都是指"只能同甘,不能共苦的朋友".

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169. 他白手起家,把一家小工厂办成了跨国集团.
[误] He started from white hand, developing a small factory into an international business group.
[正] He started from scratch, developing a small factory into an international business group.
注: "白手"是"从零开始"的意思,而不是"白色的手".所以,有时候直译是会贻笑大方的.scratch 作名词时曾有"起跑线"之意,所以 start from scratch 才是"白手起家"的正确翻译.

170. 这班上最高的男生成了她的靠山.
[误] The tallest boy in the class has become her backing hill.
[正] The tallest boy in the class has become her security blanket.
注: "靠山"只是个比喻说法,它是指"保护人".但英国人不习惯用"靠山"作比喻,也不用我们常说的"保护伞".也许他们认为被毯子包裹起来更有安全感吧.

文本来源：佛山商务英语培训 首选爱德华国际英语