翻译技巧:汉译英最易翻错的100句(13)万圣节成就
[误] Here comes the car. You go first, plea.
六下英语 [正] Here comes the car. After you.
刻骨铭心的近义词 注:第一句译文虽然把“请”翻译出来了,但还是带有命令的口吻。地道的说法应当是 After you。另外,不少人以为汉语的“请”等同于英语的 plea,其实并非如此。例如,在餐桌上请人吃菜或喝酒就不用 plea,地道的说法是 Help yourlf。
62. 房间里有一张床、两张桌子和五把椅子。游泳方法
[误] There are one bed, two desks and five chairs in the room.
说话检讨书
[正] There is one bed, two desks and five chairs in the room.
注:there be 句型中,be 动词的单复数取决于离它最近的那个词。原文虽然一共列举了八件家具,但是依据英语的谓语就近原则,one bed 打算了应当使用 is。
63. 我不想听他那些空话。
李贞 [误] I don’t want to hear his empty words.
[正] I don’t want to hear his hollow words.
七的寓意 注:虽然 empty 和 hollow 都有“空洞的”之意,但表达“空话”时,英语习惯用 hollow words 或 empty talk。
64. 他是我们的死敌。
[误] He is our dead enemy.
[正] He is our deadly enemy.
注:dead 作形容词时表示“死的,无感觉的”,而 deadly 才表示“致命的,不共戴天的”。
65. 奥斯本名义上是个医生,但他成天都呆在股票交易所里。
[误] Osborne is a doctor by name only, but he stays in the stock exchange all day long.
[正] Osborne is a doctor in name only, but he stays in the stock exchange all day long.
唯美的词
注:by name 和 in name 虽然形似,但涵义却有区分。by name 相当于 by the name of,常放在专出名词之后,表示所说的人或事物确实实名称。例如:There was a great poet in China, Qu Yuan by name(中国有个宏大的诗人,名叫屈原)。而 in name 是贬义词,表示“名义上的”或“徒有虚名”。