●漢語關鍵詞
封口、封口費
●英語關鍵詞
seal, heal, heal over, heal up, seal sb's mouth, close one's mouth about, shut one's mouth about, keep silent about, keep quiet about, speak with a tone of finality, close one's door to further compromise, shut one's door to further negotiation, set it as the maximum limit, flap, hush money
●句 子
這個礦主給記者們發封口費，使他們對這次礦難封口。
●誤 譯
1) The mine owner paid the journalists hush money, so as to close their mouth about the mine accident.
2) The mine owner paid the journalists hush money, so as to shut their mouth about the mine accident.
●正 譯
The mine owner paid the journalists hush money, so as to seal their mouth about the mine accident.
●解 釋
to close/shut one's mouth的意思是「當事人封自己的口」即「閉嘴」或「閉口」；而to seal one's mouth的意思是「當事人封別人的口」。在這句話裡，礦主是當事人。他發封口費的目的是封別人的口。
「封口」的第一個意思是「封閉信封或容器開口的地方」。英語可以譯為to seal。例如：
1．這封信還沒有封口。
1) The letter is not sealed.
2) The letter is unsealed.
2．這是一封還沒有封口的信，而不是封口的信。
This is an unsealed letter, instead of a sealed letter.
3．我們寄信時要用漿糊、膠水或膠棒給信封封口。
We must seal the envelope with paste, glue or glue stick before posting the letter.
4．他用稀泥給罈子封口。
He sealed the jar with mud.
「封口」的第二個意思是「傷口癒合」。英語可以譯為to heal, to heal over, to heal up。例如：
5．我腿上的傷已經封口了。
The wound in my leg has healed over.
6．如果你保持傷口乾淨，很快就會封口。
The wound will soon heal up if you keep it clean.
7．瘡還沒有封口。
The sore has not healed yet.
「封口」的第三個意思是「堵住別人的嘴，不讓呼吸或說話」，也可以說「封嘴」。英語譯為to seal sb's mouth。例如：
8．綁匪用破布給不停叫喊的人質封住口。
With rug, the kidnapper sealed the mouth of the hostage who had been crying.
9．我用雙手封住病人的口，形成一個管道，通過這個管道向他的鼻子吹氣。
I used my hands to seal the patient's mouth and to form a tube through which to blow air into his nose.
「封口」的第四個意思是「閉嘴不說，保持緘默」。英語可以譯為to close one's mouth about, to shut one's mouth about, to keep silent about, to keep quiet about。例如：
10．關於這個政治醜聞，他決定封口。
He decided to close his mouth about this political scandal.
11．這件事不是我想封口，實在是頭頭兒不讓我說。
It is not that I wanted to shut my mouth about the incident, but that our boss didn't allow me to talk about it.
12．關於這個新的商業計劃，公司總經理叫他的員工們封口。
The general manager of the company told his staff to keep silent about this new commercial plan.
13．關於他跟他哥哥的爭議，他一直試圖封口。
He has tried to keep quiet about his dispute with his brother.
「封口費」，可以譯為hush money。例如：
14．目擊者從地下團夥那裡拿了「封口費」，就對他所見到的事守口如瓶了。
Taking hush money from the underworld gang, the witness kept his mouth shut about what he saw.
15．他因為揭露了一個貪官給記者「封口費」的事實而出了名。
Because he exposed a corrupt official's offer of "hush money" to journalists, he became well known.
「封口」的第五個意思是「把話說死，不再改口」。也可以說「封嘴」或「封門」。英語可以譯為to speak with a tone of finality, to close one's door to further compromise, to shut one's door to further negotiation。例如：
16．由於對方已經封口了，我們沒法兒再談了。
As the other side has spoken with a tone of finality, we can't have any more discussion.
17．說話不要輕易封口，要留有餘地。
You mustn't speak with a tone of finality, and you should leave room for further consideration.
18．談判雙方都已封口了。
Both parties have closed the door to further negotiation.
19．他沒有封口，還有商量的餘地。
As he hasn't shut the door to further compromise, there is still room for discussion.
「封口」的第六個意思是比喻「使規定的限度不突破」。英語可以譯為to set it as the maximum limit。例如：
20．銀行給我們的貸款就是這20萬，已經封口了。
The bank has made a loan of only two hundred thousand yuan to us and set it as the maximum limit.
「封口」的第七個意思是「信封、封套等可以封起來的地方」。英語可以譯為flap。例如：
21．當我收到這封信時，信封的封口是沒粘住的。
The flap of the envelope was unstuck when I received the letter.
22．他粘上信封的刷膠封口。
He sealed the gummed flap of the envelope.