2006-2-28 10:33
tanlaoshi
The English Learner`s Guide to Chinglish 中式英语之鉴
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01.有他这颗扫帚星,什么事情都办不成。
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[误] With a comet like him, nothing can be accomplished.i
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[正] With a jinx like him, nothing can be accomplished.
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注:“扫帚星”是中国人对“慧星”(comet)的俗称,因其后面象拖着的一条像扫帚一样的长尾巴而得名。在中国古代,“扫帚星”被认为是灾难的预兆,并被用来比喻不吉利的人或事;祸根:(person or thing that is thought to bring)bad luck(to sb/sth);curse。英语的 comet 虽然没有这层含义,但却有一个对应的说法,即 jinx。 例:There's a jinx on/Someone's put a jinx on this car: it's always giving me trouble. “这辆汽车上有什么妨人的东西,总给我找麻烦”。 Ea(X+p9I
02.萝卜青菜,各有所爱。
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[误] Some prefer radish but others prefer cabbage.
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[正] Tastes differ.*k~6u]!r2B
注:Tastes differ/vary 是句英语谚语,除此以外,原句还可翻译成 No dish suits all tastes 或 You can never make everyone happy 等。《新概念英语》第三册第23课的标题是:One man's meat is another man's poison,表达的很生动。 总之,应采取意译。9\ NL e#HjPm
03.他一向嘴硬,从不认错。
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[误] He has always got a hard mouth and never admit a fault.
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[正] He never says uncle.^`|x!\3MC l(Vd
注:say (cry) uncle: to give up or in; to surrender; to admit defeat. Mainly used by boys, as when fighting。主要是男孩们打架时的用语,当一方想制服另一方时,就用命令的口气说:“Say uncle!”这时,有的孩子为了表示不服输,就是不说。后来,say uncle 就成了“服输”的代名词,而 not say uncle 就相当于“嘴硬”了。
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04.老师很喜欢这个嘴甜的小姑娘。+q9v S)z*@Bh
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[误] The teacher likes this sweet-mouthed little girl very much.*|3| H2]$[,p\
[正] The teacher likes this honey-lipped little girl very much.$f8p6x,d.}N
注:中国人喜欢说“嘴甜”,但 honey-lipped 更符合英美人的语言习惯。
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05.同学们都很讨厌他,因为他经常拍老师的马屁。
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[误] The student all dislike him because he often pats the teacher's ass.D]p(z x5KN6a
[正] The students all dislike him because he often licks the teacher's boots.
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注:以前在欧洲,臣民见到国王与王后往往要葡匐到在,亲吻他们的靴子。后来,人们将 lick the boots 引申为“为了某种目的而讨好某人”,它与汉语的“拍马屁”含义一样。在美国英语中,“拍马屁”还有另一种说法,即 polish the apple,它典出以前的学生用擦亮的苹果来讨好老师。
2006-2-28 10:33
tanlaoshi
<P><FONT color=#000000><FONT size=3><B>06</B>.你听说了吗?迈克把他的女朋友给甩了。<BR>[误] Have you ever heard that Mike broke up with his girlfriend.<BR>[正] Have you ever heard that Mike <FONT color=#ff0000>dumped</FONT> his girlfriend.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P><FONT color=#000000 size=3>注:break up with sb. 虽然表示“与某人分手了”,但并没说明是谁先提出来的。而 dump 的原意指“倾倒垃圾”,用在这里则表示像倒垃圾一样地甩掉。</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT color=#000000><FONT size=3><B>07</B>.我们要把祖国建设成为社会主义的现代化强国。<BR>[误] We will build our motherland into a socialist modern powerful country.<BR>[正] We will build our motherland into <FONT color=#ff0000>a modern powerful socialist country</FONT>.</FONT></FONT></P>1eE_@Ud6pk/I4]
<P><FONT color=#000000 size=3>注:形容词作为修饰语在汉语和英语中都很常用,但使用的先后次序却有所不同。在英语中我们一般遵循“靠近原则”,即越能说明本质属性的修饰词越靠近它所修饰的名词,当从这一点看不出区别时,就靠词的长短来决定,短的在前,长的在后。原文中最能说明“国家”本质的定语是“社会主义的”,所以 socialist 要最靠近它所修饰的中心词。</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT color=#000000><FONT size=3><B>08</B>.我想要一点白酒。<BR>[误] I'd like a little bit of white wine.<BR>[正] I'd like a little bit of <FONT color=#ff0000>liquor</FONT>.</FONT></FONT></P>
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<P><FONT color=#000000 size=3>注:汉语的“酒”可指任何酒,包括白酒、葡萄酒、啤酒,甚至米酒;但英语中则要分别用 liquor,wine,beer及 rice wine表示。所以要注意,英语的wine与汉语的“酒”是有区别的,它仅指点葡萄酒。而且 red wine 是红葡萄酒,white wine 是白葡萄酒。</FONT></P>
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<P><FONT color=#2b2bd5><FONT size=3><B>***此题待商榷。请参见</B>:</FONT></FONT><a href="http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardID=11&ID=10536" target="_blank" ><FONT color=#2b2bd5 size=3>http://www.rainlane.com/dispbbs.asp?boardID=11&ID=10536</FONT></A><FONT color=#2b2bd5><FONT size=3> <B>***</B></FONT></FONT></P>#["T%_(Jv)F)XB
<P><FONT color=#000000><FONT size=3><B>09</B>.中华人民共和国主席<BR>[误] Chairman of the People's Republic of China<BR>[正] <FONT color=#ff0000>President</FONT> of the People's Republic of China</FONT></FONT></P>