1. 未经允许,任何人不得入内。
[误] Anybody can not come in without permission.
[正] Nobody can come in without permission.
注:“任何......都不”是汉语中常用字的否定句式,而在英语中,any 构成的合成词及其所修饰的词语作主语时,谓语动词是不能用否定形式的。因此,any ... not 的用法不符合英语的表达习惯,须用“否定形式的主语+肯定形式的谓语”替换。但是,any 构成的合成词及其所修饰的词语作主语时,如果带有后置定语,那么其谓语也可以用否定形式。如:Anyone who does that isn’t honest(干那种事的人都是不诚实的)。
2. 布衣蔬食。
[误] cotton clothes and vegetables
[正] coarse clothes and simple fare
注:“布衣蔬食”是形容一个人生活俭朴,但直译成英文却会令人难以理解。因为现在的英、美等国,cotton clothes and vegetables(棉布衣服和青菜)已没有“生活俭朴”的任何联想了,它们早已成了富翁们的最爱,而且价格也比其他产品贵,没钱人还享用不起呢!而第二句译文不仅忠实于原文,而且 fare 一词作“食物”讲还略带古色,恰好反映出了原文的风格。
3. 你真是红光满面。
[误] Your face is all red.
[正] You are in ruddy health.
注:“红光满面”是说一个人身体很好,而 You face is all red 则指对方满脸通红,似乎“不好意思”或“牌窘境”,皮肤过敏也未可知,总之与原句不符。a ruddy complexion 虽然有“面色红润”的意思,但没能充分表达出汉语“身体健康,精力充沛”的意思。当然,除了第二句译文,还可以用 You look so healthy and full of pep 或 You look the very picture of health and energy 来表达。
4. 你该吃晚饭了。
[误] It’s time to eat your dinner.
[正] It’s time to have your dinner.
注:不是所有的“吃”字都能翻译为英语 eat 的,英语中有许多固定搭配,如:take one’s medicines(吃药);lead an idle life(吃闲饭);be very popular(吃香);I hd some meat for lunch(午餐我吃了些肉)等。
5. 我们一起跟着音乐跳舞吧!
[误] Let’s dance with the music.
[正] Let’s dance to the music.
注:英语一般说 dance with sb.,即“跟某人一起跳舞”,“音乐”是无生命的东西,怎么能跟它 dance 呢?这里正确的说法是用介词 to。又如:sing to the piano 等。
1. 车来了。您先请。
[误] Here comes the car. You go first, please.
[正] Here comes the car. After you.
注:第一句译文虽然把“请”翻译出来了,但还是带有命令的口吻。地道的说法应该是 After you。另外,不少人以为汉语的“请”等同于英语的 please,其实并非如此。例如,在餐桌上请人吃菜或喝酒就不用 please,地道的说法是 Help yourself。
2. 房间里有一张床、两张桌子和五把椅子。
[误] There are one bed, two desks and five chairs in the room.
[正] There is one bed, two desks and five chairs in the room.
注:there be 句型中,be 动词的单复数取决于离它最近的那个词。原文虽然一共列举了八件家具,但是根据英语的谓语就近原则,one bed 决定了应该使用 is。
3. 我不想听他那些空话。
[误] I don’t want to hear his empty words.
[正] I don’t want to hear his hollow words.
注:虽然 empty 和 hollow 都有“空洞的”之意,但表达“空话”时,英语习惯用 hollow words 或 empty talk。
4. 他是我们的死敌。
[误] He is our dead enemy.
[正] He is our deadly enemy.
注:dead 作形容词时表示“死的,无感觉的”,而 deadly 才表示“致命的,不共戴天的”。
5. 奥斯本名义上是个医生,但他整天都呆在股票交易所里。
[误] Osborne is a doctor by name only, but he stays in the stock exchange all day long.
[正] Osborne is a doctor in name only, but he stays in the stock exchange all day long.
注:by name 和 in name 虽然形似,但涵义却有区别。by name 相当于 by the name of,常放在专有名词之后,表示所说的人或事物的确实名称。例如:There was a great poet in China, Qu Yuan by name(中国有个伟大的诗人,名叫屈原)。而 in name 是贬义词,表示“名义上的”或“徒有虚名”。