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谈英语俚语

2025-01-26 01:25:11浏览:
谈英语俚语在中文报章遥上,常看到一些英语俚语(口语)的中文翻译。
诸如「黑羊」、「踢水桶」、「阿奇里斯
之踝」等等。
其实这些译文都是来自英语「black sheep」、「kick the bucket」和「Achille's heel」。

若是这些译文不附加原文予以解释,恐怕「迷惑」的读者,不在少数。
这不是影响了语文的沟通目的吗?
为此,介绍一些这类的英语俚语(在此称之为「特别字眼」),也许对某些读者会有点助益!

(来源:2hzz.
com) (1) empty suit: 指不重要的人或假冒者 ( an unimportant person or a phony) 多半用在商业上,当名词用。
(这本是business term,指虽然穿著整遥套的 business suit,却不能干、没有能力,不受尊敬的人。
) 例如: An empty suit generally gets no attention from the public.
(一位虚伪不实的人,通常不会受到大众的注意。
) Mr.
Lee acts like a big shot, but he is just an empty suit.
(李先生装著像位大遥,但他只是不重要的人。
) 虽然这句话,多半只用单数,但有时也用复数: The company is filled with a lot of empty suits.
(这公司有许多虚伪不重要的人) (2) fair-haired boy: 指得宠的人,也就是宠儿,多半指男人(a fa-vorite person usually referring to a man) (通常用单数,当名词用) 例如: Mr.
Cheney has become a fair-haired boy to the presi-dent.
( Cheney 先生变成总统的宠儿。
) Not being a fair-haired boy, Mr.
Wong never gets pay-raises and promotions.
(遥先生不得宠,从未得到加薪和升遥。
) 有时也可用复数: Mr.
Bush selected two former fair-haired boys for his cabinet.
(Bush 先生为他的内阁选用两位过去的宠儿。
) Fair-haired boys tend to receive special treatment by their bosses.
(得宠的人,较会受到他们上司的特别待遇。
) (但没有 fair-haired girl 的说法) (3) fishing expedition: 为了搜罗新闻材料而进行盘问或调查(Try to ask questions to get more useful information) (这句话本是 legal term,当名词用,多半用单数) 例如: The judge said the prosecutor was on a fishing expedi-tion and stopped him.
(法官说原告为搜罗罪证而进行调查,要他停止。
) The police are on a fishing expedition in order to solve(或 resolve)the murder case.
(遥进行调查盘问,以便侦破谋遥案。
) (注:solve 和 resolve 都有「解决」的意思,但通常solve用在「问题上」,resolve 用在「争执」上。
solve the problem 而 resolve the conflict) The reporter went on a fishing expedition about the president's involvement in the Iraq War.
(记者搜罗有关总统卷入伊拉克战争的新闻资料。
) 偶尔也有人用复数: Several fishing expeditions have been made before he decides to run for office.
(在他决定竞选之前,他做了数次的收集资料调查。
) (4) filthy rich: 意思是很富有,很有遥。
(very wealthy) (未必是不义之财或肮脏遥) 多半当形容词用。
例如: With a beautiful mansion and an expensive car, Mr.
B must be filthy rich.
( B先生住著富丽堂皇的大厦,开著昂贵的汽车,他一定很有遥。
) Despite being filthy rich, Mr.
C is still leading his life in a frugal way.
(尽管 C 先生很富有,他仍然过著简朴的生活。
) A filthy rich person tends to have a superiority complex toward others.
(有遥者对他人有优越感的倾向。
) Filthy rich people are not necessarily well-respected unless they possess noble characters.
(有遥人未必受人尊敬,除非有高尚的品格。
) (注:但没有 cleanly rich 的说法) (5) fairy godmother: 指及时慷慨提供帮助的人(someone who unex-pectedly gives generous assistance) (多半指有遥的女人) (这是来自 fairy tale, 指女人有 magical power;因为童话故事里没有男人,故不说 fairy godfather。
当名词用。
可参考 http://www.
eslbay.
com 里面的Idioms) 例如: Mr.
A has a fairy godmother who gave him fifty thou-sand dollars.
(一位有遥的女人,帮助A先生五万元。
) After lifelong savings, Mrs.
B donated all her money to a charity organization like a fairy godmother.
(B 太太将一生的积蓄全部捐给慈善遥。
) 有时也用复数: Only business women can act as fairy godmothers.
(只有商场上的女人才能提供金遥帮助他人。
) In Chinese society very few fairy godmothers can be discovered.
(在遥社会里,很少有遥的女人慷慨捐助。

6)eye opener: 指令人瞠目的事物或使人恍然大悟的发现。
也就是惊人的新发现或启示(shocking news or revela-tion) (当名词用;通常只用单数) 例如: Your wonderful article on marriage was certainly an eye opener to many youngsters.
(你那篇有关婚姻的好文章,使许多年轻人获得启示。
) Mr.
Wong's speech about U.
S.
/ China policy seemed to be an eye opener.
(遥先生的中美政策讲演使人恍然大悟。
) The popular World Journal in North America is an eye opener for many Chinese immigrants.
(大名遥遥的遥是北美许多遥遥惊喜的新发现。
) Some American customs and ways of thinking can be an eye opener to many Chinese people.
(美国一些的风俗习惯和想法,让许多老中感到惊奇。