翻譯社提供以下資訊
1. 有他這顆掃帚星,什麼事情都辦不成。
[錯誤翻譯] With a comet like him, nothing can be accomplished.
[正確翻譯] With a jinx like him, nothing can be accomplished.
注:“掃帚星”是華人對“慧星”(comet)的俗稱,因其後面拖著一條像掃帚一樣的長尾巴而得名。在古代,“掃帚星”被認為是災難的預兆,並被用來比喻不吉利的人或事;禍根:(person or thing that is thought to bring)bad luck(to sb/sth);curse。英文的comet 雖然沒有這層含義,但卻有一個對應的說法,即jinx。
例:There's a jinx on/Someone's put a jinx on this car: it's always giving me trouble.(這輛汽車上有什麼妨礙人的東西,總給我找麻煩。)
2.蘿蔔青菜,各有所愛。
[錯誤翻譯] Some prefer radish but others prefer cabbage.
[正確翻譯] Tastes differ.
注:Tastes differ/vary .是句英文諺語,除此以外,本句還可翻譯成 No dish suits all tastes.或 You can never make everyone happy. 等。此外我們還可以這樣說:One man's meat is another man's poison. 總之應採取意譯。
3.他一向嘴硬,從不認錯。
[錯誤翻譯] He has always got a hard mouth and never admit a fault
[正確翻譯] 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. 這句話主要是男孩們打架時的用語,當一方想制服另一方時,就用命令的口氣說:“Say uncle!”這時,有的孩子為了表示不服輸,就是不說。後來,say uncle 就成了“服輸”的代名詞,而 not say uncle 就相當於“嘴硬”了。
4.老師很喜歡這個嘴甜的小姑娘。
[錯誤翻譯]The teacher likes this sweet-mouthed little girl very much.
[正確翻譯] The teacher likes this honey-lipped little girl very much.
注:華人喜歡說“嘴甜”,但 honey-lipped 更符合英美人的語言習慣。
5.同學們都很討厭他,因為他經常拍老師的馬屁。
[錯誤翻譯]The students all dislike him because he often pats the teacher's ass.
[正確翻譯] The students all dislike him because he often licks the teacher's boots.
注:以前在歐洲,臣民見到國王與王后往往要親吻他們的靴子。後來,人們將 lick the boots 引申為“為了某種目的而討好某人”,它與漢語的“拍馬屁”含義一樣。在美國英文中,“拍馬屁”還有另一種說法,即 polish the apple,源於以前的學生用擦亮的蘋果來討好老師。
6.你聽說了嗎?邁可把他的女朋友給甩了。
[錯誤翻譯] Have you ever heard that Mike broke up with his girlfriend?
[正確翻譯] Have you ever heard that Mike dumped his girlfriend?
注:break up with sb. 雖然表示“與某人分手了”,但並沒說明是誰先提出來的。而 dump 的原意指“傾倒垃圾”,用在這裡則表示像倒垃圾一樣地甩掉。
7.人都是這山望著那山高,對自己的現狀沒有滿意的時候。
[錯誤翻譯]Almost all people think that the other mountain is higher than the one he's standing on. They never feel satisfied with what they've already got.
[正確翻譯]Almost all people think that the grass is greener on the other hill. They never feel satisfied with what they've already got.
注:“這山望著那山高”是指人不滿足於現狀的心理,它在英文中已經有了現成的說法,即 the grass is greener on the other hill(他山的草更綠),因此我們借用即可,這樣既方便又更有利於與西方人溝通。
8.轉戰南北
[錯誤翻譯] fight south and north
[正確翻譯] fight north and south
注:在地理方位的表達習慣上,中英文有一定的區別。華人習慣于於“東西”後“南北”,而且在涉及“南北”時,習慣於先說“南”,再說“北”,如:“南征北戰”、“南來北往”等。而英美人與此正好相反,如“江蘇在中國的東南部”英文是 Jiangsu is in the south-east of China, 而“新疆在中國的西北部”應翻譯為 Xinjiang is in the north-west of China。
如有其他疑問也可以跟我們翻譯社詢問~~