「怎麼是你?怎麼老是你?(How are you? How old are you?)」; 「你問我,我問誰?(You ask me, me ask who? )」;「咱倆誰跟誰?(We two who and who?)」…… 看過這一套經典的Chinglish,小夥伴們是不是都快笑翻了?學了新單詞明白意思卻不知該咋用,一個不小心你就會鬧出貌似說得過去,其實更加逗比的Chinglish笑話。下面這些Chinglish已得正解,小夥伴們不如先試試自己會怎麼翻,再看答案吧!
1. 蘿蔔青菜,各有所愛。
[誤] Some prefer radish but others prefer cabbage.
[正] Tastes differ.
註:Tastes differ/vary 是句英語諺語,除此以外,原句還可翻譯成 No dish suits alltastes 或 You can never make everyone happy 等。
2. 他一向嘴硬,從不認錯。
[誤] He has always got a hard mouth and never admit a fault.
[正] He never says uncle.
註:say (cry) uncle: to give up or in; to surrender; to admit defeat. Mainly used by boys, as when fighting。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。
3. 這個教授教得很爛。
[誤] The professor teaches badly.
[正] The professor is so terrible.
註:有人認為第二句的意思是「這個教授很可怕」,其實不然。英語中 terrible 意思很靈活,例如:feel terrible 指身體「不舒服」; The food is terrible 則是說食物「難吃極了」。而第一句純屬中文式的表達。
4. 我們這兒的人都覺得他有婚外戀。
[誤] 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.
註:affair 本身就指「私通」或「曖昧關係」,當然是「婚外」的事,所以 outside one's own marriage 無疑是多此一舉了。英語中「有婚外戀」的地道說法應該是 lead a double life。
5. 別看別人不把她當回事,在家裡她可是父親的掌上明珠.
[誤] Although other people never take her seriousy, she is the pearl on her father's hand at home。
[正] Although other people never take her seriousy, she is the apple of her father's eye at home。
註:中英文常用不同的喻體表明相同的喻義,「掌上明珠」與 the apple of one's eye 就是一個很好的例子。這種情況我們一般應尊重各國文化和習俗,翻譯時取目的語的固定說法,而不必直譯,這有助於將意思更有效地傳達給讀者。the apple of one's eye 源自聖經《舊約》,當時人們用 apple 指人的瞳孔。儘管瞳孔現在已經用 pupil 來表示,不再是 apple 了,但這一用法卻延續了下來。
6. 我希望你不要拖我的後腿。
[誤] I hope that you won't pull my leg.
[正] I hope that you won't hold me back.
註:pull one's leg 是「愚弄某人,開某人的玩笑」的意思,相當於 make fun of sb.。英語中與「拖後腿」相對應的表達是 hold sb. back 或 be a drag on sb. 等。
7. 嘿,小夥子,千萬別灰心。
[誤] Hey, lad, don't lose your heart.
[正] Hey, lad, don't lose heart.
註:lose one's heart (to sb.) 是「心被……被俘虜去,愛上……」的意思,而lose heart才表示」灰心喪氣,喪失勇氣或信心」。
8. 我們倆關係最好,他經常來我這兒白吃白喝。
[誤] 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.
註:第一句只表明「他常到我這兒來白吃白喝」,但朋友這間那種親密關係沒有體現出來。而 bum sth. off sb. 指向非常熟的朋友要一些不起眼的小東西,而朋友也不會介意還不還。
9. 原來如此。你一解釋我就明白了。
[誤] So it is. I understand soon after your explanation.
[正] So that's how it is. I understand soon after your explanation.
註:So it is 的意思是「的確如此」,它是用來表示對對方觀點的贊同的。
例如:
A: It is a fine day today!
B: So it is。
而在表達恍然大悟時,英文要用 So that's how it is 或 So that explains it, 或更簡單地道的說法 Oh, I see。
10. 乾杯!要一飲而盡。
[誤] Cheers! Bottom up.
[正] Cheers! Bottoms up.
註: bottoms up 雖然只比 bottom up 多一個 s,但是兩個詞組的意思卻相差十萬八千裡。bottoms up 裡的 bottom 是指「(酒杯的)底部」,那麼杯朝天就是「一飲而盡」的意思,而且因為乾杯時肯定不止一人一飲而盡,所以要用複數;而 bottom up 表示「屁股朝天」。