翻译技巧：汉译英最易翻错的100句(1)

01. 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，因其后面象拖着的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：There’s a jinx on/Someone’s put a jinx on this car: it’s always giving me trouble. “这辆汽车上有什么妨人的东西，总给我找麻烦”。
　　02.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。《新概念英语》第三册第23课的标题是：One man’s meat is another man’s poison，表达的很生动。 总之，应采取意译。
　　03.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。
　　04.老师很喜欢这个嘴甜的小姑娘。
　　[误] The teacher likes this sweet-mouthed little girl very much.
　　[正] The teacher likes this honey-lipped little girl very much.
　　注：中国人喜欢说“嘴甜”，但 honey-lipped 更符合英美人的语言习惯。
　　05.同学们都很讨厌他，因为他经常拍老师的马*。
　　[误] The student all dislike him because he often pats the teacher’s ass.
　　[正] The students all dislike him because he often licks the teacher’s boots.
　　注：以前在欧洲，臣民见到国王与王后往往要葡匐到在，亲吻他们的靴子。后来，人们将 lick the boots 引申为“为了某种目的而讨好某人”，它与汉语的“拍马*”含义一样。在美国英语中，“拍马*”还有另一种说法，即 polish the apple，它典出以前的学生用擦亮的苹果来讨好老师。