Translation Tips:给力
句子:江苏给力“文化强省出国夏令营”。
误译:They have given a strength to Jiangsu for a culturally powerful province.
正译:They have given strength to Jiangsu for a culturally powerful province.
解释:strength 作“力量”解时,是不可数名词,前面不能加不定冠词。如果strength前加不定冠词,就变成可数名词,即“优点”或“长处”ll的用法。“给力”的第一个意思是“很牛”、“很棒”、“很酷”或“很精彩”。英语可以译为great, cool, fabulous, awesome, fantastic, wonderful, marvelous。
“给力”的第二个意思是“带劲”、“令人振奋”、“令人鼓舞”,用作形容词,多与个人利益相关,是主观情感的流露。英语可以译为exciting, encouraging。例如:
1.老板又给员工加薪了,真给力。The boss has given his employees a pay ri. It is very exciting!
“不给力”的意思是“令人失望”、“令人沮丧”。英语可以译为disappointing, discouraging。
例如:
动画片大全
2.这堂课上得好枯燥,不给力呀!The class is very tedious. That is really disappointing.
“给力”的第三个意思是“给予力量”、“给予支持”,用作动词。英语可以译为to give strength, to give a support。例如:
3.我们的计划已经制订好了。大家要给力啊!Since our plan has been worked out, every of us should give a support. ▲(本栏目供稿:王逢鑫教授)
Translation Tips:兔年说兔
语音信箱明年是兔年,说起兔子,中国人会联想到月宫中的玉兔或兔爷儿。在中国文化中,兔子给人的印象是温柔可爱。但英语中的rabbit和hare 却具有全然不同的意义。
三月是野兔发情的季节,March hare(三月的野兔)因为在交配期间行为怪异而被称为“发狂的兔子”。英语有短语as mad as a March hare,字面意思是“像三月的野兔一样发疯”,比喻 mentally ill或 very silly,即“疯癫”或“犯傻”。
英国人有狩猎的传统,英语中hare 常表现为猎犬捕捉的对象。如:
1. If you run after two hares, you will catch neither. 如果你同时追两只野兔,一只也捉不到。
2. You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. 你不可能既和野兔一起跑,又和猎狗一起追。
as fast as a hare意思是“像野兔一样快”。兔子胆小,英语有短语as timid as a rabbit/hare,意思是“胆小如兔”,汉语则要说成是“胆小如鼠”。另一方面,汉语有些习语中的兔子,由于文化差异,在对应的英语习语中变成了别的动物。例如:
3.It is a poor mou that has only one hole. (相当于“狡兔三窟”,“兔子”变成吸血鬼日记第四季14“耗子逃避心理”。)英文版动画片
4. The fox preys farthest from home. (相当于“兔子不吃窝边草”,“兔子”变成“狐狸”。)▲(本栏目供稿:王逢鑫教授)
Translation Tips:嫦娥的故事
今年国庆发射的嫦娥(Chang'e, the Lady in the Moon,一些英文报刊称为Goddess of the Moon)二号卫星由长三丙(长征三号丙型Long March 3C)火箭直接送入地月转移轨道(
earth-moon transit obit),行程比嫦娥一号缩短了7天。
嫦娥二号圆满完成了预定的任务,为无人月球车(正式名称为lunar rover vehicle,美国人常称之为moonbuggy)登月(land on the moon)、乃至最终中国宇航员登陆打下了基础。外电评论说“中国向航天强国迈出了一大步”(has made a big stride towards major country space flight)。
中国命名系列探月卫星(moon probe / exploration satellite)为“嫦娥号”是因为关于嫦娥的传说包含着人类登月的理想。据说远古时代(in remote antiquity),天上有十个太阳,大地被晒得焦枯,民不聊生(live in dire poverty),一位名叫后羿的力士(man of unusual strength)用箭射落了九个太阳。
为此西天王母娘娘(Queen Mother of the Western Heaven)送了他一包服后能立即成仙登天(become a celestial and ascend to heaven)的仙药(elixir)。后羿把仙药交给他美丽的妻子嫦娥保管。
有一天,后羿的朋友趁后羿外出来到后羿家,用剑企图强逼嫦娥交出此药,情急之下(in urgent)嫦娥把药吞下,立即感到身体变轻,然后飘向空中,一直升到了月宫。后羿
思念妻子,只能烧香遥拜(burns incen and makes remote obeisance to her)。据说中秋祭拜月亮的习俗就是由此而来的。▲(本栏目供稿:陈德彰教授)
Translation Tips:恶性竞争
句子:最近,这两家公司一直在搞恶性竞争,而不是良性竞争。
误译:Recently, the two companies have been carrying on a malignant competition, instead of a virtuous one.
正译:
1) Recently, the two companies have been carrying on a malignant competition, instead of a benign one.
2)Recently, the two companies have been carrying on a vicious competition, instead of a virtuous one.
解释:malignant 的反义词是benign,如“恶性肿瘤”是malignant tumour,而“良性肿瘤”grammar是b
enign tumour。vicious 布莱尔 邓文迪的反义词是 virtuous,如“恶性循环”是vicious circle,而“良性循环”是
virtuous circle。表示“恶性竞争”和“良性竞争”时,要用malignant competition和benign competition,或 vicious competition和 virtuous competition,不可混淆。
“恶性”的意思是“能产生严重或危险后果的”。英语可以译为vicious, malignant, pernicious, grave, cutthroat。例如:
1. 圈地的后果是将贫穷农民陷入贫困的恶性循环。The effect of the land enclosure was to leave the poor peasants in a vicious circle of poverty.
2. 中药治疗恶性肿瘤有其独特的优势。The treatment of malignant tumour with traditional Chine medicine has its unique advantage.
3. 大学生毕业后面临着恶性竞争。University students are confronted with cutthroat competition after graduation.
“恶性通货膨胀”可译为 galloping inflation, runaway inflation, rampant inflation, malignant inflation, vicious inflation, virulent inflation, boiling inflation, hyperinflation。
例如:
4. 政府已采取有效措施遏制恶性通货膨胀。The government has taken effective measures to curb/check/halt/curtail the galloping inflation.
5. 这次加息的目的是为了防止恶性通货膨胀。The increa in interest rates this time is for the purpo of preventing malignant inflation.▲(本栏目供稿:王逢鑫教授)
Translation Tips:奴族
由“奴隶”简化的“奴”字是一个词素,不知从何时起,“奴”时髦了起来,一下子涌现出了许多新“奴”,有人把他们统称为“奴族”(the slave race),其中包括“房奴”(mortgage slave)、“车奴”(car slave)、“孩奴”(slave of the child)等。
“卡奴”(card slave)也是人们常说的。因为信用卡可以凭卡记账消费(buy on credit),还可以适度透支(get an overdraft),因而形成了一种新的消费方式,即先借银行的钱花,然后再还。由于这样提前消费很有吸引力,诱惑人成为购物狂(entice people into shopping spree),购买本来不想买或买不起的大件商品(四级作文万能模板major durable consumer good
s)和奢侈品(luxury goods),不知不觉中背上了一笔笔债。有人说,只要及时还钱就不用付利息,何乐而不为呢(Why not enjoy doing it)?银行当然是不会吃亏的。使用信用卡的人刚开始还能记得及时还债,如果忘了不但要付利息,还要交滞纳金(fine for late payment,从英文可看出“滞纳金”也是一种罚款)。
有的人拥有多张信用卡,到后来白白给银行扣去很多钱。这样的人已经是名副其实的卡奴了。美国有不少人,欠了一家银行的债还不起,干脆在另一家银行再办一张信用卡借钱来还第一家银行,典型的拆东墙补西墙(rob Peter to pay Paul),俗话说,“虱多不痒,债多不愁”(When there are too many lou stings you don't feel much about the itch, and when one is up to one's ears in debt one stops worrying.),结果窟窿越滚越大,无法收拾,反倒变得心安理得(have an easy conscience)。
最近又出现了“自行车奴”(bicycle slave)一说。原来是偷车的人太多。北京原来流行过一句话:“如果你没有被偷过三次自行车,你就算不得是真正的北京人。”(You will not be considered as a Beijinger if you haven't experienced your bicycles being stolen three times.)自行车上几把锁也奈何不了小偷(can never stop bicycle stealers)。被偷一辆就得花钱再买一辆,这对一般工薪阶层,绝不是一个小负担,可不成了“自行车奴”了吗?▲
(本栏目供稿:陈德彰教授)