时间:2019-1-29 10:21:36 作者:雅信博文翻译
像“PIG”一样愚蠢?
As stupid as a pig(像猪一样愚蠢),您看出问题了吗?下面现在由石家庄雅信博文翻译公司为大家介绍,在汉语中,我们确实经常说“蠢猪”这个词,来形容某个人很笨,因此在一般中国人的感觉中,猪就代表愚蠢。但在西方文化中,代表愚蠢的动物并不是猪,而是驴,因此这句话应当翻译成as stupid as an ass。写到这里,我想顺便再多说一句,在西方文化中,猪不仅不代表愚蠢,有时甚至还代表快乐,比如as happy as a pig(像猪一样快乐),因此我们有必要在这里为猪先生平反昭雪(笑)。
通过这个小例子,我们可以看出,在翻译这种与动物有关的比喻性句子(metaphoric sentence)时,我们一定要考虑西方文化的因素,避免用中国人的习惯说法代替西方人的习惯说话。由于这个问题并不是一个很重要的问题,一般的英语教科书上很可能没有介绍,因此我特意收集了一些常用的形容词与动物的搭配,供初学者朋友们参考,请看:
as blind as a bat (像蝙蝠一样盲目)
as hungry as a bear (像熊一样饥饿)
as busy as a beaver (像河狸一样忙碌)
as busy as a bee (像蜜蜂一样忙碌)
as songful as a bird (像鸟一样动听)
as angry as a bull (像公牛一样愤怒)
as changeful as a chameleon (像变色龙一样多变)
as bald as an eagle (像鹰一样秃顶)
as sly as a fox (像狐狸一样狡猾)
as tall as a giraffe (像长颈鹿一样高)
as silly as a goose (像鹅一样愚蠢)
as fast as a hare (像野兔一样快)
as playful as a kitten (像小猫一样喜欢嬉戏)
as gentle as a lamb (像小羊一样温和)
as brave as a lion (像狮子一样勇敢)
as stubborn as a mule (像骡子一样顽固)
as wise as an owl (像猫头鹰一样聪明)
as quick as a rabbit (像兔子一样快)
as slow as a snail (像蜗牛一样缓慢)
as graceful as a swan (像天鹅一样优美)
as slow as a turtle (像乌龟一样缓慢)
as hungry as a wolf (像狼一样饥饿)
最后我还想再补充一句:上面的搭配,并不是固定不变的,比如bull(公牛)这种动物,经常跟angry(愤怒)搭配,但它也可以跟mad(疯狂)、strong(强壮)等搭配,因此初学者朋友们千万不要搞教条,一定要灵活运用。
Every other class agreed to my proposal
有这样一句话“Every other class agreed to my proposal.”,读到这句话我们都知道“every other”起着十分重要的作用,这句话的意思到底是同意还是不同意?如果同意,有多少人同意?下面由石家庄雅信博文翻译公司为大家介绍。
我们都知道“every other”表示“隔一个”,“every other line”和“every other day”分别是“隔行”与“隔天”的意思。如果依照这个意思,那原句就翻译为“同学中每隔一个人同意我的建议。”意思指有一半人同意我的建议,但这句话要表达的并非这个意思。
“Every other”除了上面的意思之外,还有“其余的”意思,例如“Every other girl in the class received a gift but me.”(除了我以外,班上所有其他女孩都收到了礼物。)“Jerry was late but every other boy arrived in time.”(杰瑞迟到了,但其他男孩都来得很及时。)因此,开头的原句应该翻译为“其余的同学都同意我建议。”
在英语中,分别指两个事物,我们用“one, the other”,“every other”则指“两个中的一个”,即“隔一个”,所以“every three/four”是“每三/四个”的意思。例如“The postman came only every other four days.”(邮递员要每四天才来一次。)然而,“every”还有“所有的”意思,有时也起到限定词的强调作用,例如“He knows every single person in the school.”(他认识学校里的所有人。)“every now and then”中的“every”也是一种强调。