十句常用“中式英语”纠错全解析

　　英语中的俚语典故、俗语常用说法，不理解、不脑补常常会让你在社交中闹出不大不小的笑话，速速get吧，不要在Qnglish的路上渐行渐远且不自知啦！

1. 人都是这山望着那山高，对自己的现状没有满意的时候。

[误 ]Almost all people think that the other mountain is higher than the one he's standing on. They never feel saisfied with what they've already got.

[正] Almost all people think that the grass is greener on the other hill. They never feel saisfied with what they've already got.

注解：“这山望着那山高”是指人不满足于现状的心理，它在英语中有现成的说法，即 the grass is greener on the other hill（他山的草更绿），因此我们借用即可，这样既方便又更有利于与西方人沟通。

2. 北京申奥成功的消息令我们热血沸腾。

[误] Beijing's winning the bid for the Olympics makes our blood boil.

[正] Beijing's winning the bid for the Olympics makes us excited.

注解：Make one's blood boil是指“激怒某人”，而非“使人激动”。英语中“使人激动”的说法除了make one excited，还有较为口语化的make one's spine tingle。

3. 别听他们胡说八道，根本就没那回事。

[误] Don't listen to their babbling. Nothing of the sort.

[正] Don't be fooled by their babbling. Nothing of the sort.

注解：这里的“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。

4. 我们这儿的人都觉得他有婚外恋。

[误] People around here all feel that he has affairs outside his own marriage.

[正] People around here all feel that he is leading a double life.

注解：Affair本身就指“私通”或“暧昧关系”，当然是“婚外”的事，所以outside one's own marriage是多此一举了。英语中“有婚外恋”的地道说法应该是lead a double life。

5. 别看别人不把她当回事，在家里她可是父亲的掌上明珠。

[误] Although other people never take her seriously, she is the pearl on her father's hand at home.

[正] Although other people never take her seriously, she is the apple of her father's eye at home.

注：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。

6. 都十点钟了。起床了，懒虫！

[误] It's ten o'clock. Get up, lazy worm!

[正]It's ten o'clock. Get up, lazy bones!

注解：“懒虫”并非真是一条虫，只不过被用来形容人很懒惰罢了。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！

7. 我唯一的资本就是勤奋。

[误] My only capital is diligence.

[正] My only means to success is diligence.

注：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。

8. 这家商店开辟了休息处，受到顾客的称赞。

[误] This department store has set up a resting-place, much to the customers' appreciation.

[正] This department store has set up a lounge, much to the customers' appreciation.

注解：英语中的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，而“休息处”不是这个意思。Lounge指in a hotel, club, or other public place, a room where people can sit and relax，正是“休息室”之意。

9. 大家都怀疑汤姆是个间谍。

[误] Everyone doubts that Tom is a spy.

[正] Everyone suspects that Tom is a spy.

注解：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”。第一句译文犯了两个错误：首先，doubt不能接that从句，只有not doubt that和 doubt if/whether；其次，它所表达的意思是“大家对汤姆是间谍这件事表示怀疑”，即“大家不相信汤姆是间谍”，与原文的意思恰好相反。

10. 我们俩关系最好，他经常来我这儿蹭饭吃。

[误] We are best friends. He always comes here to have meals for free.

[正] We are best friends. He always comes here to bum meals off me.

注解：第一句只表明“他常到我这儿来白吃白喝”，但朋友这间那种亲密关系没有体现出来。而 bum sth. off sb.指向非常熟的朋友要一些不起眼的小东西，而朋友也不会介意还不还。