1. 有他这颗扫帚星,什么事情都办不成。
[误] With a comet like him, nothing can be accomplished.
[正] With a jinx like him, nothing can be accomplished.
注:扫帚星是中国人对慧星(comet)的俗称,因其后面拖着一条像扫帚一样的长尾巴而得名。在中国古代,扫帚星被认为是灾难的预兆,并被用来比喻不吉利的人或事;祸根:(person or thing that is thought to bring)bad luck(to sb/sth);curse。英语的comet 虽然没有这层含义,但却有一个对应的说法,即jinx。
例:Theres a jinx on/Someones put a jinx on this car: its always giving me trouble. (这辆汽车上有什么妨人的东西,总给我找麻烦。)
2.萝卜青菜,各有所爱。
[误] Some prefer radish but others prefer cabbage.
[正] Tastes differ.
注:Tastes differ/vary .是句英语谚语,除此以外,原句还可翻译成 No dish suits all tastes.或 You can never make everyone happy. 等。此外,我们还可以这样说:One mans meat is another mans poison. 总之,应采取意译。
3.他一向嘴硬,从不认错。
[误] 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. 这句话主要是男孩们打架时的用语,当一方想制服另一方时,就用命令的口气说:Say uncle!这时,有的孩子为了表示不服输,就是不说。后来,say uncle 就成了服输的代名词,而 not say uncle 就相当于嘴硬了。
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