1、人山人海:在詩詞用語(poetic expression)里,老外也有使用:"a (the) sea offaces",頗有咱的"人山人海"的味道。
例如:Looking out upon the sea of faces, Mr. A delivered a touchingspeech.(望著一片人山人海的聽眾,A先生發(fā)表一篇動人的演說。)
Standing at his podium, President Clinton saw a sea of faces waving athim.(克林頓總統(tǒng)站在講臺上看到人山人海的人群揮手向他致意。)
可見,說話者通常要在臺上或高處,才有"人海"的感覺。因此,可以說:"I saw a sea of faces from the top of thebuilding. "但在平地的人群中,就不說:"I saw the sea of faces."也不說:"There is a sea offaces."只說:"I saw a large crowd of people."
2、家家有本難念的經:有人譯成:"Every family cooking - pot has a blackspot."(意思是:每個家庭的鍋子都有黑色的污點)這樣說法,老外恐怕不能充分了解。
不過老外最常的說法是:"Many families have skeletons in thecloset.(許多家庭的衣柜里都有骨骸,骨骸就是指家丑。)"
或者說:"Every family has its own source ofshame.(每個家庭都有自己的丑事)";當然在說白些,就是:"Every family has its own problem."
3、天下無不散的宴席:有人直譯為:"There are no feasts in the world which do not break up atlast."老外聽后,也許很難體會其中意義。
如果按照美語說法,也許更易理解:"All good things come to anend."(意思是:所有好的事情,總有結束的一天。);假如是指好友最后也有分別的一天,那么可以說:"Eventually, all bosom friendswill drift apart." (bosom friend是指知心的好友)
4、平時不燒香,臨時抱佛腳:有人照字直譯為:"When times are easy, we do not burn the incense,butwhen the trouble comes, we embrace the feet of the uddha." 這種說法,老外也會一知半解。
美語里一般說法是:"Worship God every day; not just in times ofadversity.(要每天敬拜神,不是只在困難時。)";當然,對學生也可以說:"If you study hard every day, exams willnot seem overwhelming.(如果你每天用功,考試就不會形成壓力。)"
5、掛羊頭,賣狗肉:有人照字直譯為:"He advertises mutton, but sells dog's flesh."或"He hangsup a sheep's head at the shopfront and sells dogmeat."這兩種譯法,恐怕老外都難理解,尤其談到"狗肉",他們更會反感,因為狗是他們最愛的寵物。
不過老外倒有相近的說法:"He applied bait-and-switch factics inbusiness.(他經商的策略是先引誘顧客來,再改變貨物的品質。)","Bait-and-switch"當名詞用,也可不用連字號"This storeuses bait and switch policy."或者簡單的說:"Let the buyer be aware!(讓消費者提高警覺)"或"Say onething and do another."
6、一言既出,駟馬難追:有人譯成:"One word lets slip and four horses will fail to catch it.或 A statement that once let loose cannot be caught by four gallopinghorses."這兩種說法,中文味道嫌重,老外未必理解。不過他們倒有類似的說法:"A word once let go cannot berecalled."或者說:" You can not take back what you have said.(你說出的話,就不能再收回來。)"
7、禍從口出,言多必失:有人譯為:"The mouth is the gate of misfortune andevil."老外聽了,恐怕不能完全理解。最好說成:"Careless talk leads to trouble.(不小心說話,會帶來麻煩)或"The lesssaid the better.(說的愈少愈好)"甚至也可以說:"Shut the mouth and open theeyes.(閉嘴少說,張眼多看)"
單詞,是雅思考試的基礎。對于雅思備考而言,單詞很重要,需要投入大量的時間去積累和記憶。希望以上內容可以給考生們提供一點幫助。