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中式英语之鉴(7)The English learner's guide to Chinglish(2007-12-09 12:26:10)
 
编者按:中式英语给国际交往带来诸多障碍或误会,应当引起重视。现将网上雨巷寻香英语角http://www.rainlane.com一些纠错句予以辑转载,与大家共享。在此感谢原创者的辛勤劳动。
 
中式英语之鉴(7)
The English Learner's Guide to Chinglish

101. 正如中国的一句俗话:“笨鸟先飞”。
[误] As an old Chinese saying goes, "Stupid birds
have to start flying early."
[正] As an old Chinese saying goes,"Clumsy birds
have to start flying early."

注:“笨鸟先飞”常用来比喻那些能力差的人,因为做事怕落后,所以就提前行动。这里的“笨”并非 stupid(智力低下的,愚蠢的)的意思,而用 clumsy(笨拙的,不灵巧的)更恰当。

102. 艾达把“发音”一词拼写错了,不过只是个笔误。
[误] Ida misspells the word "pronunciation",
however, it is only a mistake of pen.
[正] Ida misspells the word "pronunciation",
however, it is only a slip of the pen.

注:与 mistake(错误,误会,过失)相比,slip 更侧重于由于不经意或疏忽而造成的错误,所以“口误”一般译为 a slip of
the tongue,同样,“笔误”就翻译成 a slip of the pen。

103. 我们将口头对这一问题做个表决。
[误] We shall take an oral vote on this problem.
[正] We shall take a voice vote on this problem.

注:voice 除了指“说话声,嗓音”之外,还有“(公开或正式表达出的)意见,愿望”的意思。voice vote 又叫“呼声表决”,即参加表决者叫喊“同意”或“不同意”,按呼声响亮的一方决定。而 oral 则强调“以口头的方式”,例如:oral practice(口头练习),oral examination(口试),oral report(口头汇报)等,但“口头表决”英语却没有 oral vote 之说,而习惯用 voice vote。

104. 内德有一条瘸腿。
[误] Ned has a lame leg.
[正] Ned is lame in one leg.

注:lame 作“瘸的,跛的,残废的”讲,一般用作表语,且其主语往往是人或动物,例如:go lame(变成瘸子),be lame in/或 of one leg(一条腿跛的)。当 lame 用作定语时,它常表示“站不住脚的,有缺陷的”,例如:a lame excuse(站不住脚的借口),a lame imitation(低劣的仿制品)。

105. 我舅舅的胃病又犯了。
[误] My uncle has got another attack of
stomach disease.
[正] My uncle has got another attack of
stomach trouble.

注:英语同汉语一样,也有很多约定俗成的表达法。同样是“病”,心脏病可以说 heart disease,但胃病、肝病、眼病等就习惯说成 stomach/liver/eye trouble。

106. 奥尼尔是首位进入决赛的种子选手。
[误] O'Neil is the first seed player to reach the final.
[正] O'Neil is the first seed to reach the final.

注:seed 的愿意是“种子,萌芽”,后被引申为“种子选手”,所以这时不必再加 player。类似的词还有“植物
人(vegetable),它被翻译成英语时“人”字也不必译出。

107. 因为玛吉请了三天病假,所以她必须把落下的课补上。
[误] Since Maggie asked for a sick leave of
three days,she should make up for her lost lessons.
[正] Since Maggie asked for a sick leave of
three days,she should make up her lost lessons.

注:同样表示“弥补,补偿,补足”,make up 后面一般接具体的名词,如:make up a missed lesson(补课),
a make-up examination(补考)等;而 make up for 后面的名词通常比较抽象,如:make up for the lost time(弥补时间上的损失),make up for one's defects(补其所短)等。

108. 对不起,因为交通繁忙,我迟到了20分钟。
[误] Excuse me, I am twenty minutes late
because of the busy traffic.
[正] Excuse me, I am twenty minutes late
because of the heavy traffic.

注:busy 的确可以作“繁忙”讲,如:the busy
farming season(农忙季节),a busy day(繁忙的一天)等,但“交通繁忙”却是约定俗成的说法,要用 heavy 形容
traffic,而不是 busy。在大城市,交通一般都比较繁忙,尤其
在 rush hours(上下班的高峰期),常常会出现 traffic jam(交通阻塞)。如果要表达“街上车辆很少”,可以说
There is little traffic on the roads。

109. 在很久以前,这里曾经有座宫殿。
[误] There used to be a palace here before long.
[正] There used to be a palace here long before.

注:不要想当然地以为 before long 是指“在很久以前”,恰恰相反,它的意思是“不久以后”,例如:Harry Porter
will be published before long(《哈利.波特》不久就要出版了)。而 long before 才相当于 long,long ago,表示“在很久很久以前”。

110. 你真是不要脸,居然干出这种事。
[误] You are so faceless that you should have
done such a thing.
[正] You are so shameless that you should have
done such a thing.

注:虽然 -less 主要附在名词或动词后面构成否定形容词,表示“没有,无,不”,如:fearless(无畏的),careless(不小心的),doubtless(无疑的)等,但 faceless 的意思却是“姓名不详的,匿名的,不露面的”。而“伤风败俗的,无耻的,不要脸的(人)”则要用 shameless 来表达,而 shameful 一般用来指“可耻的,丢脸的(行为)”,例如:shameful conduct(可耻的行为),a shameless exploiter(无耻的剥削者)。


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