Chinglish，一個(gè)英語(yǔ)世界里的神奇存在

How are you? How old are you?

怎么是你?怎么老是你?

You ask me, me ask who?

你問(wèn)我，我問(wèn)誰(shuí)?

We two who and who?

咱倆誰(shuí)跟誰(shuí)?

還記得這些朗朗上口的經(jīng)典Chinglish嗎?

這些傻萌傻萌的中式英語(yǔ)被小伙伴們當(dāng)段子，當(dāng)笑話口口相傳是有普遍原因噠!據(jù)說(shuō)很多同學(xué)學(xué)了新單詞明白意思之后卻要通過(guò)進(jìn)一步學(xué)習(xí)才能熟練運(yùn)用。

不過(guò)例如“long time no see”這種中式英語(yǔ)據(jù)說(shuō)也在英語(yǔ)世界里得到了廣泛普及。那么Chinglish到底是個(gè)怎樣的神奇存在?看看下面的正誤例子吧!

 

 

1. 蘿卜青菜，各有所愛(ài)。

[誤] Some prefer radish but others prefer cabbage.

[正] Tastes differ.

注：Tastes differ/vary 是句英語(yǔ)諺語(yǔ)，除此以外，原句還可翻譯成 No dish suits all tastes 或 You can never make everyone happy 等。

2. 他一向嘴硬，從不認(rèn)錯(cuò)。

[誤] He has always got a hard mouth and never admit a fault.

[正] 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.主要是男孩們打架時(shí)的用語(yǔ)，當(dāng)一方想制服另一方時(shí)，就用命令的口氣說(shuō)：“Say uncle!”這時(shí)，有的孩子為了表示不服輸，就是不說(shuō)。后來(lái)，say uncle 就成了“服輸”的代名詞，而 not say uncle 就相當(dāng)于“嘴硬”了。

3. 這個(gè)教授教得很爛。

[誤] The professor teaches badly.

[正] The professor is so terrible.

注：有人認(rèn)為第二句的意思是“這個(gè)教授很可怕”，其實(shí)不然。英語(yǔ)中 terrible 意思很靈活，例如：feel terrible 指身體“不舒服”; The food is terrible 則是說(shuō)食物“難吃極了”。而第一句純屬中文式的表達(dá)。

4. 我們這兒的人都覺(jué)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.

注：affair 本身就指“私通”或“曖昧關(guān)系”，當(dāng)然是“婚外”的事，所以 outside one's own marriage 無(wú)疑是多此一舉了。英語(yǔ)中“有婚外戀”的地道說(shuō)法應(yīng)該是 lead a double life。

5. 別看別人不把她當(dāng)回事，在家里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.

注：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(gè)很好的例子。這種情況我們一般應(yīng)尊重各國(guó)文化和習(xí)俗，翻譯時(shí)取目的語(yǔ)的固定說(shuō)法，而不必直譯，這有助于將意思更有效地傳達(dá)給讀者。the apple of one's eye 源自圣經(jīng)《舊約》，當(dāng)時(shí)人們用 apple 指人的瞳孔。盡管瞳孔現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)用 pupil 來(lái)表示，不再是 apple 了，但這一用法卻延續(xù)了下來(lái)。

6. 我希望你不要拖我的后腿。

[誤] I hope that you won't pull my leg.

[正] I hope that you won't hold me back.

注：pull one's leg 是“愚弄某人，開某人的玩笑”的意思，相當(dāng)于 make fun of sb.。英語(yǔ)中與“拖后腿”相對(duì)應(yīng)的表達(dá)是 hold sb. back 或 be a drag on sb. 等。

7. 嘿，小伙子，千萬(wàn)別灰心。

[誤] Hey, lad, don't lose your heart.

[正] Hey, lad, don't lose heart.

注：lose one's heart (to sb.) 是“心被……被俘虜去，愛(ài)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(guān)系最好，他經(jīng)常來(lái)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.

注：第一句只表明“他常到我這兒來(lái)白吃白喝”，但朋友間那種親密關(guān)系沒(méi)有體現(xiàn)出來(lái)。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(huì)介意還不還。

9. 原來(lái)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.

注：So it is 的意思是“的確如此”，用來(lái)表示對(duì)對(duì)方觀點(diǎn)的贊同。例如：

A: It is a fine day today!

B: So it is.

而在表達(dá)恍然大悟時(shí)，英文要用 So that's how it is 或 So that explains it, 或更簡(jiǎn)單地道的說(shuō)法 Oh, I see。

10. 干杯!要一飲而盡。

[誤] ---Cheers! Bottom up.

[正] ---Cheers! Bottoms up.

注： bottoms up 雖然只比 bottom up 多一個(gè) s，但是兩個(gè)詞組的意思卻相差十萬(wàn)八千里。bottoms up 里的 bottom 是指“(酒杯的)底部”，那么杯朝天就是“一飲而盡”的意思，而且因?yàn)楦杀瓡r(shí)肯定不止一人一飲而盡，所以要用復(fù)數(shù);而 bottom up 表示“屁股朝天”。