是时候改正一些中式英文了！,雅学粉思微信公众号文章

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你问我，我问谁？（You ask me, me ask who? ）

咱俩谁跟谁？（We two who and who?）

看过这一套经典的Chinglish，小伙伴们是不是都快笑翻了？下面这些Chinglish已得正解，小伙伴们不如先试试自己会怎么翻，再看答案吧！

1. 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。

2. 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。
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。

3. 这个教授教得很烂。

[误] The professor teaches badly.

[正] The professor is so terrible.

注：有人认为第二句的意思是“这个教授很可怕”，其实不然。英语中 terrible 意思很灵活，例如：feel terrible 指身体“不舒服”； The food is terrible 则是说食物“难吃极了”。而第一句纯属中文式的表达。

4. 我们这儿的人都觉得他有婚外恋。

[误] 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“暧昧关系”，当然是“婚外”的事，所以 outside one's own marriage 无疑是多此一举了。英语中“有婚外恋”的地道说法应该是 lead a double life。

5. 别看别人不把她当回事，在家里她可是父亲的掌上明珠.

[误] Although other people never take her seriously, she is the pearl on her father's hand at home。

[正] Although other people never take her seriously, she is the apple of her father's eye at home。

注：中英文常用不同的喻体表明相同的喻义，“掌上明珠”与 the apple of one's eye 就是一个很好的例子。
这种情况我们一般应尊重各国文化和习俗，翻译时取目的语的固定说法，而不必直译，这有助于将意思更有效地传达给读者。
the apple of one's eye 源自圣经《旧约》，当时人们用 apple 指人的瞳孔。尽管瞳孔现在已经用 pupil 来表示，不再是 apple 了，但这一用法却延续了下来。

6. 我希望你不要拖我的后腿。

[误] 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，开某人的玩笑”的意思，相当于 make fun of sb.。英语中与“拖后腿”相对应的表达是 hold sb. back 或 be a drag on sb. 等。

7. 嘿，小伙子，千万别灰心。

[误] Hey, lad, don't lose your heart.

[正] Hey, lad, don't lose heart.

注：lose one's heart (to sb.) 是“心被……被俘虏去，爱上……”的意思，而lose heart才表示”灰心丧气，丧失勇气或信心”。

8. 我们俩关系最好，他经常来我这儿白吃白喝。

[误] 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“他常到我这儿来白吃白喝”，但朋友这间那种亲密关系没有体现出来。而 bum sth. off sb. 指向非常熟的朋友要一些不起眼的小东西，而朋友也不会介意还不还。

9. 原来如此。你一解释我就明白了。

[误] 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“的确如此”，它是用来表示对对方观点的赞同的。
例如：
A: It is a fine day today!
B: So it is。
而在表达恍然大悟时，英文要用 So that's how it is 或 So that explains it, 或更简单地道的说法 Oh, I see。