“中国特色”表达的英语翻译辨析
句子大全 2012-11-09 05:13:05
注: 扫帚星 是中国人对 慧星 (comet)的俗称,因其后面拖着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。) 2.萝卜青菜,各有所爱。 [误] Some prefer radish but others prefer cabbage. [正] Tastes differ. 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。此外,我们还可以这样说:One man s meat is another man s poison. 总之,应采取意译。 3.他一向嘴硬,从不认错。 [误] He has always got a hard mouth and never admit a fault. [正] He never says uncle. 注:say (cry) uncle: to give up or in; to surrender; to admit defeat. Mainly used by boys, as when fighting. 这句话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。 4.老师很喜欢这个嘴甜的小姑娘。 [误] The teacher likes this sweet-mouthed little girl very much. [正] The teacher likes this honey-lipped little girl very much. 注:中国人喜欢说 嘴甜 ,但 honey-lipped 更符合英美人的语言习惯。 5.同学们都很讨厌他,因为他经常拍老师的马屁。 [误] The students all dislike him because he often pats the teacher s ass. [正] The students all dislike him because he often licks the teacher s boots. 注:以前在欧洲,臣民见到国王与王后往往要亲吻他们的靴子。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,源于以前的学生用擦亮的苹果来讨好老师。阅读剩余内容