中譯英常見慣用法錯誤例析

摘 要： 一般來說，中譯英時，詞匯和語法方面的錯誤容易避免，但慣用法方面的錯誤，稍不留神就會出現在譯文中。本文指出《英語世界》中一些中譯英譯文的錯誤，通過實例，分析造成錯誤的原因，并給出地道的譯文。

關鍵詞： 中譯英 慣用法 錯誤糾正

一、Choosy的慣用法錯誤

甚至連我老婆都說，自從積攢外幣著魔以后，連吃飯都不再挑嘴了。

《英語世界》8/2014，p.114，所給的譯文如下：

Even my old wife cannot help praising me that I have no longer been choosy with food after I reclaimed my hobby of collecting foreign coins.

原譯文中形容詞choosy 后跟with，不符合英語的表達習慣，be choosy 后要跟介詞about搭配使用。例如：

1.I’m very choosy about my clothes.我對自己的衣著很講究。

2.She’s very choosy about what airline she travels on.她對旅行時乘哪家航空公司的航班非常挑剔。

3.Europeans are getting choosier about what they eat.歐洲人對食品越來越挑剔了。

另外，在fussy，picky，selective，fastidious 及particular后，都可跟about搭配連用。例如：

1.She was always very fussy about her clothes.她對自己的衣服總是十分挑剔。

2.Phil’s not picky about his appearance.菲爾并不十分關注自己的外表。

3.People are becoming more and more selective about what foods they buy.人們對買什么樣的食品變得越來越愛精挑細選了。

4.He is very fastidious about how a suitcase should be packed.他對如何打點行裝要求很嚴格。

5.Marty’s very particular about his food.馬蒂對食物很講究。

因此，原譯文宜改為：Even my old wife cannot help praising me for the fact that I have no longer been choosy about food since I reclaimed my hobby of collecting foreign coins.原譯文中除了choosy with用得不妥外，動詞praise處的句型也有問題，根據英語的表達習慣，praise 后一般不可跟that-從句，常見的句型是：praise sth.，praise sb.及praise sb.for sth.。此外，原譯文中的連詞after也應改為since，after不跟現在完成時連用，而since則可以。

二、Clue的慣用法錯誤

由此看來，貼年畫的風俗在宋代已經初露端倪。

《英語世界》3/2014，p.114，所給的譯文如下：

This is a suggestive clue of the New Year picture custom in the making during the Song Dynasty.

根據英語的表達習慣，clue后不跟介詞of，要跟to或about，有時也可跟as to。例如：

1.Unexplained weight loss may be an early clue to a health problem.不明原因的體重減輕可能是早期健康問題的跡象。

2.The police think the videotape may hold some vital clues to the identity of the killer.警方認為那盤錄像帶可能錄有能確認兇手身份的一些重要線索。

3.Scientists examine fossils for clues about how dinosaurs lived and died.科學家們研究恐龍化石尋找恐龍如何生活和死亡的線索。

4.This research might provide an important clue about how cancer develops.這項研究可能為癌癥如何發展提供一個重要的線索。

5.Childhood experiences may provide a clue as to why some adults develop eating disorders.童年經歷可能提供線索，為什么有些成年人會飲食失調。

因此，原譯文宜改為：This is a suggestive clue to（或about或as to）the New Year picture custom in the making during the Song Dynasty.

三、Find的慣用法錯誤

絕大部分在國內已無從得見。

《英語世界》8/2014，p.107，所給的譯文如下：

Most of them are not anywhere to find in China today.

原譯文有誤，根據英語的表達習慣，be not anywhere 或nowhere后跟不可跟動詞find的主動式to find，而要跟被動式to be found。例如：

1.The lion was not anywhere to be found.那只獅子哪兒也找不到。

2.We searched the house，but it wasn’t anywhere to be found.我們在屋里找了個遍，但是哪兒也沒有看見它。

3.I wanted to talk to him but he was nowhere to be found.我想和他談談，但哪兒也找不到他。

4.When her parents came into her room，Emma was nowhere to be found.當艾瑪的父母走進她的房間，艾瑪不見了。

因此，原譯文宜改為：Most of them are not anywhere to be found in China today.

四、Lliken的慣用法錯誤

在局外人眼里，我的行為似已近乎瘋癲。

《英語世界》8/2014，p.114，所給的譯文如下：

An outsider may liken my behavior as crazy.

原譯文中的liken用法有誤，按照英語的表達習慣，動詞liken后要跟介詞 to，而不跟as。例如：

1.Life is often likened to a journey.人們常把人生比作旅程。

2.The heart can be likened to a pump.心臟可以比作水泵。

3.Critics have likened the new theater to a barn.評論家把新劇院比作一座谷倉。

因此，原譯文宜改為：An outsider may liken my behavior to craziness.也可改為：An outsider may regard（或consider）my behavior as crazy.動詞regard和consider作“認為”解時，可同介詞as連用。

五、Not only的慣用法錯誤

不僅磁帶已經轉化為激光唱盤，書庫也增加了若干本原版美術畫冊，而且青少年時期曾一度害過的收集外國硬幣癖又舊病復發。

《英語世界》8/2014，p.113，所給的譯文如下：

Not only the cassettes give way to laser CDs and the library expands with deluxe albums of fine arts，but the numismatist heat which I had suffered from in my adolescence broke out once more in my coveting foreign coins.

原譯文中的not only 用法有誤，按照英語的表達習慣，在not only ... but（also）連接的句子中，否定詞位于句首，要用倒裝語序。例如：

1.Not only is he deeply interested in the subject but all his brothers study it night and day.不僅他對這門功課非常感興趣，而且他所有的哥哥弟弟日夜學習這門課。

2.Not only did they send home substantial earnings，but they also saved money.他們不僅把可觀的工資寄回家，而且存錢。

3.Not only had the poor man been arrested，but he had been sent to prison as well.那個可憐的人不僅被捕，而且被送進監獄。

如果位于句首的not only ... but also 連接的是兩個并列主語，則用正常的語序，不用倒裝結構。例如：

1.Not only the workers but also the students in the city went on strike.這個城市不僅工人罷工，而且學生罷工。

2.Not only the switches but also the old wiring has been replaced.不僅開關已更換，而且老電線更換。

因此，原譯文宜改為： Not only do the cassettes give way to laser CDs and the library expands with deluxe albums of fine arts，but the numismatist heat which I had suffered from in my adolescence broke out once more in my coveting foreign coins.

六、Think的慣用法錯誤

在表面風光的背后，他們又如何看待自己的未來？

《英語世界》2/2014，p.118，所給的譯文如下：

They are everything they seem.But deep in their hearts how do they think of their future？

原譯文有誤，根據英語的表達習慣，how 不可同think of/about搭配連用，要改為what。例如：

1.What did you think of the film？你覺得這部電影怎么樣？

2.What do you think of his wife/my new hairstyle？你對他的妻子/我的新發型怎么看？

3.I still do not know what he really thinks about it.我還不知道他對此的看法。

4.What do you think about this latest government scheme？你覺得政府的這個最新計劃怎么樣？

但是，how和what都可同feel about搭配連用，意思同what和think of/about搭配用法相仿。例如：

1.How do you feel about all these changes in the curriculum？ 你覺得課程中的所有這些變化怎么樣？

2.The survey asked what people felt about abortion.調查征求人們對墮胎的看法。

因此，原譯文宜改為：They are everything they seem.But deep in their hearts what do they think of their future？也可改為：They are everything they seem.But deep in their hearts how do they feel about their future？

綜上所述，我們不難看出，在《英語世界》2014年的期刊中，可能由于原譯者的疏忽，因此相關的中譯英譯文存在不少英語慣用法方面的錯誤。考慮到《英語世界》是有影響力的期刊，發行量很大，譯文中的錯誤很有可能會誤導讀者，筆者認為有必要把這些錯誤提出來，同原譯者商榷，供讀者參考。

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