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.我们这儿的人都觉得他有婚外恋。 [误] Pepple around here all feel that he has affairs outside his own marriage. [正] Pepple around here all feel that he is leading a double life. 注：affair 本身就指“私通”或“暧昧关系”，当然是“婚外”的事，所以 outside one's own marriage 无疑是多此一举了。英语中“有婚外恋”的地道说法应该是 lead a double life。 别看别人不把她当回事，在家里她可是父亲的掌上明珠。 [误] Although other people never take her seriousy, she is the pearl on her father's hand at home. [正] Although other people never take her seriousy, she is the apple of her father's eye at home. 注：中英文常用不同的喻体表明相同的喻义，“掌上明珠”与 the apple of one's eye 就是一个很好的例子。这种情况我们一般应尊重各国文化和习俗，翻译时取目的语的固定说法，而不必直译，这有助于将意思更有效地传达给读者。the apple of one's eye 源自圣经《旧约》，当时人们用 apple 指人的瞳孔。尽管瞳孔现在已经用 pupil 来表示，不再是 apple 了，但这一用法却延续了下来。 .都十点钟了。起床了，懒虫！ [误] It's ten o'clock. Get up, lazy worm! [正] It's ten o'clock. Get up, lazy bones! 注：“懒虫”并非真是一条虫，只不过被用来形容人很懒惰罢了。英语里与之对应的说法是 lazy bones（懒骨头）。注意，这里的 bone 应以复数形式出现，也许是因为不会只有一根骨头懒吧！ 大家都怀疑汤姆是个间谍。 [误] Everyone doubts that Tom is a spy. [正] Everyone suspects that Tom is a spy. 注：doubt 作“怀疑”讲，是“不相信”的意思；而 suspect 作“怀疑”讲，是指“对...有所察觉”。第一句译文犯了两个 错误：首先，doubt 不能接 that 从句，只有not doubt that 和 doubt if/whether；其次，它所表达的意思是“大家对汤姆是间谍这件事表示怀疑”，即“大家不相信汤姆是间谍”，与原文的意思恰好相反。 我们俩关系最好，他经常来我这儿蹲饭吃。 [误] We are best friends. He always comes here to have meals for free. [正] We are best friends. He always comes here to bum meals off me. 注：第一句只表明“他常到我这儿来白吃白喝”，但朋友这间那种亲密关系没有体现出来。而 bum sth. off sb. 指 向非常熟的朋友要一些不起眼的小东西，而朋友也不会介意还不还。 这个教授教得很烂。 [误] The professor teaches badly. [正] The professor is so terrible. 注：有人认为第二句的意思是“这个教授很可怕”，其实不然。英语中 terible 意思很灵活，例如：feel terrible 指 身体“不舒服”； The food is terrible 则是说食物“难吃极了”。而第一句纯属中文式的表达。 我希望你不要拖我的后腿。 [误] I hope that you won't pull my leg. [正] I hope that you won't hold me back. 注：pull one's leg 是“愚弄某人，开某人的玩笑”的意思，相当于 make fun of sb.。英语中与“拖后腿”相对应的表达是 hold sb. back 或 be a drag on sb. 等。 |
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