Chinglish，一個英語世界里的神奇存在

How are you? How old are you?

怎么是你?怎么老是你?

You ask me, me ask who?

你問我，我問誰?

We two who and who?

咱倆誰跟誰?

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被小伙伴們當段子，當笑話口口相傳是有普遍原因噠!據(jù)說很多同學學了新單詞明白意思之后卻要通過進一步學習才能熟練運用。

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

 

 

1. 蘿卜青菜，各有所愛。

[誤] Some prefer radish but others prefer cabbage.

[正] Tastes differ.

注：Tastes differ/vary 是句英語諺語，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，從不認錯。

[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。后來，say uncle 就成了“服輸”的代名詞，而 not say uncle 就相當于“嘴硬”了。

3. 這個教授教得很爛。

[誤] The professor teaches badly.

[正] The professor is so terrible.

注：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.

注：affair 本身就指“私通”或“曖昧關(guān)系”，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(yīng)該是 lead a double life。

5. 別看別人不把她當回事，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 就是一個很好的例子。這種情況我們一般應(yīng)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，這有助于將意思更有效地傳達給讀者。the apple of one's eye 源自圣經(jīng)《舊約》，當時人們用 apple 指人的瞳孔。盡管瞳孔現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)用 pupil 來表示，不再是 apple 了，但這一用法卻延續(xù)了下來。

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，相當于 make fun of sb.。英語中與“拖后腿”相對應(yīng)的表達是 hold sb. back 或 be a drag on sb. 等。

7. 嘿，小伙子，千萬別灰心。

[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“他常到我這兒來白吃白喝”，但朋友間那種親密關(guān)系沒有體現(xiàn)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.

注：So it is 的意思是“的確如此”，用來表示對對方觀點的贊同。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. 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 s，但是兩個詞組的意思卻相差十萬八千里。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，而且因為干杯時肯定不止一人一飲而盡，所以要用復數(shù);而 bottom up 表示“屁股朝天”。