摆脱中式英语 30|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

267. 好吧,我告诉你.但你必须守口如瓶.
[误] OK,I'll tell you, on condition that you keep it as a bottle.
[正] OK,I'll tell you, on condition that you be as dumb as an oyster.
注:牡蛎是一种类似于蚌的水生有壳动物.秘密在一个嘴巴闭得像牡蛎一样紧的人那里是再安全不过了.英国是一个岛国,牡蛎在那里十分常见,所以才有这样的比喻.

268. 在他看来,她的美沉鱼落雁,闭月羞花.
[误] In his eyes, her beauty would make fishes sink, wild geese fall, moon an flowers hide for shame.
[正] In his eyes, her beauty would put the flowers to shame.
注:"沉鱼落雁,闭月羞花"典出我国古代的四大美女,直译出来大多数外国人难以理解,所以不如选择一个他们容易理解的词, 而不必重复.

269. 瓮中之鳖
[误] a tortoise in an urn
[正] a rat in a hole
注:英语中原本就有 a rat in a hole(洞中之鼠)的说法,与我们的"瓮中之鳖"意思一样,所以不妨一借.

270. 中国政府正在施行稳健的货币政策.
[误] The Chinese government is launching a steady monetary policy.
[正] The Chinese government is launching a sound monetary policy.
注:"稳健"不仅指 steady 所包含的"稳定,扎实",而且还有"合理,健康"的意思.而 sound 做形容词时有"合理的,明智的, 稳妥的"等意思,用在这里十分贴切.

271. 经她的一番添油加醋,这件事情的性质竟被完全改变了.
[误] After her adding oil and vinegar to this affair, the nature of the whole matter has been completly altered.
[正] After her adding highly colored details to this affair, the nature of the whole matter has been completely altered.
注:"油"和"醋"都是中国菜的重要调料,加了它们,菜的味道就不一样了.但西餐与中餐完全不同,所以在这里采取直译的方法会使不了解中国饮食文化的西方人无法理解.

272. 我的表妹玛丽总觉得很孤单,我想这可能是因为她是个独生子女.
[误] My cousin Mary often feels lonely; I supose it's because she is a single child.
[正] My cousin Mary often feels lonely; I suppose it's because she is an only child.
注nly child 是一个固定搭配,而且 only 强调"唯一,只有一个",而 single 常用于指"单身的".例如:Mary is single(玛丽还没有成家).

273. 同时爱上海伦使这两个好朋友成了情敌.
[误] Falling in love with Helen simultaneously makes these two good friends become competitors in love.
[正] Falling in love with Helen simultaneously makes these two good friends become rivals in love.
注:rival in love 是固定搭配.而且,competitor 多用于比赛等特定环境中的竞争对手,而 rival 的使用范围则较为宽泛与笼统.例如:business rival(商业上的竞争对手);a violinist without rivals(无与伦比的小提琴家)等.

274. 弱肉强食是自然法则.
[误] It's the law of nature for the stronger to eat the weaker.
[正] The law of jungle is the law of nature.
注:the law of jungle(丛林法则)就是"胜者为王"或"弱肉强食".它形象,贴切,又不乏想象空间,比照字面直译更深刻地把握了原文的内涵.又如:"人生的机遇是可遇而不可求的"就可以译为 Life is something of a lottery.因为拿彩票来比喻变幻莫测的人生是再贴切不过了.

275. 他的理论没有科学根据.
[误] His theory has no scientific base.
[正] His theory has no scientific basis.
注:base 和 basis 虽然都有"基础"的含义,但 base 指物质上的,具体的"基础",常表示"基地"或"根据地",如:After bombing the targets, the planes returned safely to their base;而 basis 则指理论,信念,思想或某项工作所依据的抽象的"基础"或"根据".

276. 如果你早将这些蔬菜放进冰箱里的话,它们就不会变黄了.
[误] If you had put these vegetables in the refrigerator earlier, they wouldn't have turned yellow.
[正] If you had put these vegetables in the refrigerator earlier, they wouldn't have rusted.
注:英语中用 rust(生锈)来描述蔬菜因失去水分和营养而变黄的状态.

277. 许多无名小国成了洗钱的天堂.
[误] Many small nabeless countries have become the heaven of money-washing.
[正] Many small nameless countries have become the heaven of money-laundering.
注:launder 的原意是"洗涤衣服",但后来被引申为"洗黑钱",即把来路不正的钱弄得貌似合法.

278. 他经历了一场刻骨铭心的网恋.
[误] He experienced an unforgettable net love.
[正] He experienced an unforgettable cyber love.
注:net 多实指,表示"网"或"网状物",但"计算机网络"却不用它表达,而用 cyber 或 web.如:网吧(cyber cafe),网友 (cyber acquaintance),网迷)(web fan),网站(web site)等.

279. 我们一开始都把总裁当成了普通员工.
[误] We all took the president as an ordinary employee at first.
[正] We all took the president for an ordinary employee at first. 注:"take...for..."是"误把......当成......"的意思,而"take...as..."则表示"把...... 当......看待",如:He took what she said as a compliment(他把她的话看作是恭维).

280. 这辆车的后窗玻璃上写着"教练车".
[误] There is a sign on the rear window of the car, saying "coach car". [正] There is a sign on the rear window of the car, saying "student car".
注:student 用作定语时可以表示"实习的",所以"教练车"应用 student car 表示.

281. 你还教育起我来了!
[误] How dare you educate me.
[正] How dare you lecture me. 注:educate 虽然指"教育",但不能表达原文"教育"中"教训"的含义.lecture 常做名词,如 give a lecture(讲课,演讲), 做动词时则有"训诫,说教"的意思,正好符合原义

文本来源：佛山英语培训机构 首选爱德华国际英语