最近在读张培成的《汉英对比与英语学习》,让我在当下机翻、译后编辑盛行的大环境下,重拾了自我思考的能力。语言的魅力,语言的鲜活,不应该是一台机器可取代的,与机器共舞的前提是我们要一直保持自我思考的能力。为了督促自己把这厚本大书读完,决定不定时分享我的读书笔记。 -中式英语的破局之旅- 2023.03.20 1 A miss is as good as a mile ≠ 差之毫厘,谬以千里A miss is as good as a mile意思是“小错误和大错误结果都一样”,也就是大错小错都是错。而“差之毫厘,谬以千里”意思是开始只是相差一点,结果却造成大错。看这个句子:I failed the exam by only 2%. A miss is as good as a mile. 意思是:“不及格就是不及格,即使差两分也是不及格。”2 One cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.”然后,这句话通常被翻译成“巧妇难为无米之炊”,不对。因为英语说的是差和好的关系,汉语强调的是无和有的关系,不是一回事。3 Beggars can't be choosers.不少词典翻译成“饥不择食”,不对。
这里汉语说的是由于迫切、紧急我们不会挑三拣四,强调的是情况紧迫,而英语说的是没有众多选择,只好如此,别无他路,强调的是没有选择。 另外,很多谚语都是成语的出处。比如成语a stich in time(及时的补救或措施)来自于谚语A stitch in time saves nine.(一针及时省九针。)成语a bird in the hand(已经到手的东西,有把握的事情)和a bird in the bush(未到手的东西,没把握的事情)来自于谚语a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.(一鸟在手胜过两鸟在林。) 谚语是通俗易懂的话语,蕴含着人类体验世界的经验与智慧。在写作(非学术写作)中适当的使用谚语,不仅能增加你的论点,也能让文章的语言更丰富更鲜活。 比如,现在甲流盛行,请你分享想如何保持健康预防感冒的诀窍。谚语敏感的你,可能会想到这么一句话,an apple a day keeps the doctor away.我们可以用这样一句“普世真理”建议大家“饮食清淡,多吃蔬菜和水果,补充维C”等。An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Joyfulness is half your health. The beginning of health is sleep. If you want to live long, be healthy and fat, drink like a dog and eat like a cat. A healthy man is a successful man. Health is better than wealth. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Eat well, drink in moderation, and sleep sound, in this three-good health abound. A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book. Diseases come to horseback and return on foot. 今天的分享就是这些,大拇指和在看超过10,就免费赠送一期“读书”话题相关的谚语。 下篇小文分享英语作文里的陈词滥调(cliche),非常有用的内容,走过路过不要错过。比如,写作中,我们要少用这样的套话 as far as I can see,或模板里的套话(虽然我也迷恋过写作万能模板,为了考试总结过不少写作的万能模板,但读书让人开智,学习使人进步,就把那模板当作学步车,凡事都有一个过程,写作也是),因为老师会审美疲劳,我们要学的是差异化表达,闪瞎老师眼睛的那种。
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