你的chinglish好吗(30句最常见的Chinglish你中了几枪)
谁在学英语的过程中没有说过几句Chinglish呢?,我来为大家科普一下关于你的chinglish好吗?以下内容希望对你有帮助!
你的chinglish好吗
谁在学英语的过程中没有说过几句Chinglish呢?
今天就给大家盘点盘点那些最容易说错的表达,让我们和中式英语说白白~
那个小童星长残了。
❌ The child star became ugly as he grew up.
✅ The child star is aging badly.
第一句的语法没错,但听起来非常别扭。长残了,最常用的说法就是age badly/terribly或者not age well,age是动词,表示年岁渐老。如果是小朋友长残了,还可以说grow up (to be) ugly。
我觉得很痛。
❌ I am painful.
✅ I am in pain.
“我感到高兴”是 I am happy,“我感到累了”是 I'm tired,但“我感到很痛”却不是 I am painful。因为 painful 表示“使人痛苦的,让人疼痛或讨厌的”,它的主语往往不是人,而是事物或人体的某个部位,如:The foot is painful(脚痛),The lessons are painful(教训是惨痛的)等。
所以没有 I am painful 这个说法,如果你非要这样说,别人会以为你全身带电或浑身长刺,别人碰了你就会疼,是你让别人痛苦,而不是你自己痛苦。
“我很痛”的习惯说法是I'm in pain. “你觉得痛吗?”就是Are you in pain?
我好热呀!
❌ I'm so hot!
✅ It's so hot!
呃,第一句很容易引起歧义,多半会被理解成,我好性感呀……除非这是你的本意……
老师很喜欢这个嘴甜的小姑娘。
❌ The teacher likes this sweet-mouthed girl.
✅ The teacher likes this honey-lipped girl.
中国人喜欢说“嘴甜”,但 honey-lipped 更符合英美人的语言习惯,表示会说话。
萝卜青菜,各有所爱。
❌ Some prefer radish but others prefer cabbage.
✅ Tastes differ.
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,表达得很生动。 总之,应采取意译。
同学们都很讨厌他,因为他经常拍老师的马屁。
❌ The students all dislike him because he often pats the teacher's ass.
✅ The students all dislike him because he often licks the teacher's boots.
以前在欧洲,臣民见到国王与王后往往要匍匐在地,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
如果你一定要用ass这个词表达拍马屁,那就说kiss someone's ass,但注意这是很粗鄙的说法,谨慎使用。
我们要把祖国建设成为社会主义的现代化强国。
❌ We will build our motherland into a socialist modern powerful country.
✅ We will build our motherland into a modern powerful socialist country.
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。
人都是这山望着那山高,对自己的现状没有满意的时候。
❌ Almost all people think that the other mountain is higher than the one they're standing on. They never feel satisfied with what they've already got.
✅ Almost all people think that the grass is greener on the other side. They never feel satisfied with what they've already got.
“这山望着那山高”是指人不满足于现状的心理,它在英语中已经有了现成的说法,即 the grass is greener on the other side(对面的草更绿),因此我们借用即可,这样既方便又更有利于与西方人沟通。
转战南北
❌ fight south and north
✅ fight north and south
在地理方位的表达习惯上,中英文有一定的区别。中国人习惯于先“东西”后“南北”,而且在涉及“南北”时,习惯于先说“南”,再说“北”,如:“南征北战”、“南来北往”等。
而英美人与此正好相反,如“江苏在中国的东南部”英文是Jiangsu is in China's southeast. (Or, Jiangsu is in southeast China.)而“新疆在中国的西北部”应译为 Xinjiang is in China's northwest. (or, Xingjian is in northwest China.)
我唯一的资本就是勤奋。
❌ My only capital is diligence.
✅ My only means to success is diligence.
原文的“资本”是借喻,实际指“可以依靠并取得成功的手段”。而英语的 capital 指 money used to produce more wealth or for starting a business,并没有中文那样的引申意思。所以,这里的“资本”不能与 capital 画等号。也有人用 advantage 来翻译“资本”,虽然不尽意,但至少可以让读者理解。
这家商店开辟了休息处,受到顾客的称赞。
❌ This department store has set up a resting-place, much to the customers' appreciation.
✅ This department store has set up a lounge, much to the customers' appreciation.
英语的 resting-place 虽然有“休息处”的意思,但更经常的是用来指“坟墓”,即“最后安息之处”。因此,把公共场所的“休息处”译为 resting-place 不很合适。也有人将它译为 rest-room,但那更不妥当,因为英语中的 rest-room 是“厕所”的委婉说法。
别听他们胡说八道,根本就没那回事。
❌ Don't listen to their babbling. It's nothing of the sort.
✅ Don't be fooled by their babbling. It's nothing of the sort.
原文中的“听”不能用 listen to 来表示,因为 listen to 指“听”的动作,而原文中的“别听”不是不让他“听”,而是劝告他“不要听信”,因此,用 not be fooled by 才更达意。
别看别人不把她当回事,在家里她可是父亲的掌上明珠。
❌ Although other people never take her seriously, she is the pearl on her father's hand at home.
✅ Although other people never take her seriously, she is the apple of her father's eye at home.
中英文常用不同的喻体表明相同的喻义,“掌上明珠”与 the apple of one's eye 就是一个很好的例子。这种情况我们一般应尊重各国文化和习俗,翻译时取目的语的固定说法,而不必直译,这有助于将意思更有效地传达给读者。The apple of one's eye 源自圣经《旧约》,当时人们用 apple 指人的瞳孔。尽管瞳孔现在已经用 pupil 来表示,不再是 apple 了,但这一用法却延续了下来。
都十点钟了。起床了,懒虫!
❌ It's 10 o'clock. Get up, lazy worm!
✅ It's 10 o'clock. Get up, lazy bones!
“懒虫”英语里与之对应的说法是 lazy bones(懒骨头)。注意,这里的 bone 应以复数形式出现,也许是因为不会只有一根骨头懒吧!
大家都怀疑斯内普教授是个间谍。
❌ Everyone doubts that Snape is a spy.
✅ Everyone suspects that Snape is a spy.
Doubt 作“怀疑”讲,是“不相信”的意思;而 suspect 作“怀疑”讲,是指“对...有所察觉”。第一句译文所表达的意思是“大家对教授是间谍这件事表示怀疑”,即“大家不相信教授是间谍”,与原文的意思恰好相反。
我希望你不要拖我的后腿。
❌ I hope that you won't pull my leg.
✅ I hope that you won't hold me back.
Pull one's leg 是“愚弄某人,开某人的玩笑”的意思,相当于 make fun of sb。英语中与“拖后腿”相对应的表达是 hold sb. back 或 be a drag on sb 等。
学校里,那些长得人高马大的家伙常来找我的麻烦。
❌ At school, those big and strong guys always come to find my trouble.
✅ At school, those big and strong guys always come to pick on me.
英语中“找某人的麻烦”用短语 pick on sb. 它不仅表示“挑剔某人、找某人的碴”,而且还包含 tease(取笑、戏弄)或 bully(威胁、欺侮)的意思。
原来如此。一经你解释我就明白了。
❌ So it is. I understood soon after your explanation.
✅ Oh, I see. I understood soon after your explanation.
注:So it is 的意思是“就是这样,的确如此”,表示赞同对方观点。例如:
A: It is a fine day today!
B: So it is.
而在表达恍然大悟时,英文要用 So that explains it, 或更简单地道的说法 Oh, I see.
我没料到这个无耻的女人居然同她好友的丈夫调情。
❌ I had not expected that this shameful woman would flirt with her best friend's husband.
✅ I had not expected that this shameless woman would flirt with her best friend's husband.
Shameful 通常指某事物是“可耻的,丢脸的”,而 shameless 表示 having or showing no feeling of shame; immodest or impudent,它一般用来指人“不知羞耻的,不要脸的”或“伤风败俗的”。原文也可译为:It's shameful that the woman would flirt with her best friend's husband.
你不好好学习,还想去牛津上大学。这可真是个不切实际的幻想哟!
❌ You don't study hard, yet you want to go to Oxford. What an impractical illusion!
✅ You don't study hard, yet you want to go to Oxford. What an illusion!
汉语中的修饰语往往用的很多,目的在于加强语气,但这种表达习惯在翻译时必须进行处理。Illusion 本身就有 impractical 的含义,而英语中在表意已经很明确的情况下是无需重复的。
想让他答应这样的要求恐怕不大可能。
❌ I'm afraid it is impossible for him to agree to such a request.
✅ I'm afraid it is unlikely for him to agree to such a request.
Impossible 表示“完全不可能”,所以与原文有出入。在英语中,probable 表示的可能性最大,其次是 possible,再次是 likely。而常用的句式为 it is probable/possible/likely for sb to do sth,或 sb be likely to do sth。
她和男朋友吵了一架,冒着大雨跑了出去。
❌ She quarreled with her boyfriend and ran out in the big rain.
✅ She quarreled with her boyfriend and ran out in the heavy rain.
汉语中的“大”可以修饰很多名词,如“大风”、“大浪”、“湿气大”等,但在英语里却不能一一对应。例如,“大雨”就不能译成 big rain。英美人形容雨大习惯用“重”(heavy),heavy rain(大雨),heavy clouds(云雾大),heavy moisture(潮气大)等,这也许是因为他们认为有些事物用重量来衡量比用体积更好吧。
在皎洁的月光下,那个花花公子在我耳边悄悄说着情话。
❌ The playboy whispered love words into my ear under a bright moon.
✅ The playboy whispered sweet nothings into my ear under a bright moon.
因为“情书”是 love letter,“情歌”是 love song,所以不少人以为“情话”就应该是 love words,其实并非如此。英语中“情话”常用 lovers' prattle 或 sweet nothings 来表达。Prattle 有“孩子话,废话”的意思,所以 lovers' prattle 指“恋人之间孩子气的废话”;sweet nothings 更是一目了然,有“甜蜜而不中用”的意思。
给这位女士来杯威士忌,记在我的账上。
❌ Whisky for this lady, and put it on my bill.
✅ Whisky for this lady, and put it on my tab.
我们可以说 Could we have the bill, please? (请给我们账单好吗?)或 pay the bill(埋单),但“记在某某的账上”却不用 bill,而要用 put...on one's tab 表示。
Tab 是“小纸片”的意思,因为过去小店的生意都是靠住在附近的老主顾,赊账时有发生,于是老板们通常把每个人的赊账情况记在各自的小纸片上,也就是 put...on one's tab,以防遗忘。
现在put it on my tab也就是说先把账记在我开的账单上,我以后一起算清。
昨天晚上我们玩得很愉快。
❌ We played very pleasantly last night.
✅ We enjoyed ourselves very much last night. / We had a good time last night.
玩牌,打球,演戏之类就用 play,汉语这儿说的玩是指度过一个愉快的时候,最好译成 enjoy oneself 或 have a good time.
如果是和某人一起玩的话,最好说成hang out with sb,不要说play with sb,后者容易引起误会,带有性暗示。
嘿,小伙子,千万别灰心。
❌ Hey, lad, don't lose your heart.
✅ Hey, lad, don't lose heart.
Lose one's heart (to sb) 是“心被...俘虏去,爱上...”的意思,而 lose heart 才表示“灰心丧气,丧失勇气或信心”。
百里挑一
❌ one in a hundred
✅ one in a thousand
“百里挑一”常被用来形容“很特别,很出众”或“与众不同”,one in a thousand 也有相同的含义。但值得注意的是,汉语用“百”,而英语则以十倍于百的 thousand 来夸张。同样,汉语的“十分感谢”或“万分感谢”,英语则说 a thousand thanks(千分感谢)或 thanks a million times(百万次的感谢)。可见,英语比汉语要夸张。
周末许多人睡得很晚。
❌ Most people sleep late on weekends.
✅ Most people stay up late on weekends.
英语动词有短暂动词和持续动词之分。Sleep 是典型的持续动词,表示“在睡觉”的过程。而原文的睡表示“上床睡觉”的短暂动作,所以不能直接翻译成sleep late。睡得晚,就是stay up late,也可以说go to sleep late。
另外,sleep late的意思是早上起得晚。
一辆白色轿车前来接新郎新娘去教堂。
❌ A white car turned up to take the groom and the bride to the church.
✅ A white car turned up to take the bride and the groom to the church.
汉英两种语言均有各自固定的词序,因此,在翻译时要根据各自的语言习惯进行适当的调整,此处就是一个很好的例子。之所以将新娘放在前面,也许是西方文化中“女士优先”的又一体现吧!又如:“衣食住行”译成英语是 food, clothing, shelter and transportation; 同样,“左顾右盼”翻译成 look right and left。
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