摆脱中式英语 34|佛山英语培训

文本来源：佛山英语培训机构 首选爱德华国际英语

321. 恭喜发财.
[误] May you become wealthy.
[正] May you be prosperous. /Wish you all the best.
注:"恭喜发财"是句祝福语,不能直译,应按照英语的习惯.

322. 他不得不口是心非地夸她的晚装很漂亮.
[误] He had to say "yes" in the mouth but "no" in the heart when he praised her for her beautiful dress.
[正] He had to say "yes" but mean "no" when he praised her for her beautiful dress.
注:第二句更为地道简洁.

323. 他俩上中学时堕入爱河,那时被别人称作早恋,但十年后他们竟真的结为夫妻了.
[误] They fell in love with each other when they were middle school students, and that was called "early love" by others. But ten years later, they actually get married.
[正] They fell in love with each other when they were middle school students, and that was called "puppy love" by others. But ten years later, they actually get married.
注:"早恋"指未成年男女过早地涉足爱情,它一般被认为是不成熟和不宜提倡的.在英语中,"早恋"的地道说法是 puppy love 或 calf love.如:He is mad about his biology teacher, but it's only puppy love.

341. 这件事告诉我们,他并不像我们想象的那样诚实.
[误] This tells us that he is not so honest as we thought.
[正] This shows that he is not so honest as we thought.
注:中文用的是拟人的修辞手法,但在这句话上英国人很较真,他们认为"事情"是不会像人一样开口说话的,只能 show(表明).

342. 玛丽姨妈最喜欢喝花茶了,所以妈妈让我多带些给她.
[误] Flower tea is Aunt Mary's favorite, so Mom asked me to bring a lot to her.
[正] Scented tea is Aunt Mary's favorite, so Mom asked me to bring a lot to her.
注:"花茶"的地道说法是 scented tea,但有些具体的花茶有它们自己的名称,如"茉莉花茶"就是 jasmine tea.

343. 如果不解决这些人的生活问题,社会就无法安定.
[误] There will be no social stability unless these peopl's living problems have been solved.
[正] There will be no social stability unless these people's daily needs have been met/satisfied.
注:living problems 会让人误以为是"住房问题",译成problems of livelihood 又太抽象了.其实这里的"解决生活问题"就是满足日常生活的需要,而英语中的 meet/satisfy the daily needs 正是这个意思的地道说法

350. 母细胞和子细胞
[误] mother sells and son cells
[正] parent cells and daughter cells
注:这是约定俗成的用法.

351. 人和动物不同,是有理性的.
[误] Man, different from animals, is a rational being.
[正] Man, different from other animals, is a rational being.
注:我们平常所说的"动物"是狭义的,不包括人,而且把人称作动物无异于在骂人.但英语的 animal 却是广义的,包括人,所以上面的句子应该加 other 才严谨,正确.

352. 那天晚上,这男子喝得烂醉如泥,连回家的路都找不着了.
[误] That night, the man was as drunk as mud and even lost his way home.
[正] That night, the man was as drunk as a fiddler and even lost his way home. 注:中文用"稀泥"来形容醉得很厉害,而英文却用"小提琴"来比喻醉汉.据说以前的提琴手所得的报酬是酒而不是钱,因此常常是不醉不归.了解了这一典故以后,这个英语说法也就不难记忆了.

353. 这农民还上诉,简直是以卵击石.
[误] Lodging an appeal, the farmer is no less than hurling an egg against a rock.
[正] Lodging an appeal, the farmer is no less than kicking against the pricks. 注rick 指"(赶牲畜用的)刺棒".牲畜挨了打,气得踢那根用来打它的刺棒,这不是明显的自讨苦吃吗 kick against the pricks 来自《圣经》故事,可算是历史悠久,而且与我们的"以卵击石"有异曲同工之妙.

354. 天网恢恢,逃逸了两年之久的罪犯终于落网了.
[误] The web of God is so broad that the criminal who had been away for as long as two years was finally caught.
[正] The mills of God grind slowly and the criminal who had been away for as long as two years was finally caught.
注:"天网恢恢"后面常省略"疏而不漏",它是指法律的效力无处不在,犯罪分子必将受到惩罚.相同的意思,而英文却用"上帝的磨碾得极慢(但却很细)"来表达.

355. 天完全黑了,可怜的姑娘掩面而泣,不知道去哪里寻找走失的妹妹. [
误] It was completely dark, and the poor girl cried with her face covered, not knowing where to find her lost sister.
[正] It was completely dark, and the poor girl put the finger in her eyes, not knowing where to find her lost sister.
注:"掩面而泣"在英语中有一个固定表达,即 put the finger in one's eyes.它来自莎翁的创造,后来又在许多童谣中被引述,广为流传,并成为习惯用语.

356. 你不必担心,他是个知道分寸的人.
[误] You can rest assured. He is a man who knows inches and metres. [正] You can rest assured. He is a man who knows his distance.
注:"分寸"二字在中文里是指"说话或做事的恰当限度",它译成英文时不可直译.know one's distance 出自莎士比亚的《终成眷属》,而且准确表达了原文的含义.

357. 在这里工作多年,她算是个了解内幕的人,因此告诉了我们许多鲜为人知的故事.
[误] Having worked here for many years, she is one of those who know what goes on behind the scenes, and is able to tell us a lot of things which are unknown to most people.
[正] Having worked here for many years, she is one of those who know the ropes, and is able to tell us a lot of things which are unknown to most people.
注:"内幕"翻译成 what goes on behind the scenes 固然没错,但 know the ropes 更简洁.我们还可以用 know the inside stories 表示相同的意思.

358. 叫他卷铺盖走人吧!
[误] Ask him to roll his quilt and go!
[正] Give him the sack! 注:"卷铺盖走人"和 give sb. the sack 都是"解雇"的意思,即"炒某人的鱿鱼",而且这两个表达在各自的文化背景中都十分形象.sack 指"袋子",它表示"解雇"源于17世纪,而且来自法文.属口语用法.

文本来源：佛山英语培训机构 首选爱德华国际英语