译林絮谈

沙枫

“中式英文”容易犯

关于“中式英文”的错误,商务印书馆出版上海外国语学院英语系编的《中国学生英语典型错误分析》一书,有一章举了不少的例子来加以说明。

该书说:“汉语式英语,指一些语法结构上看来并非不通,但实际上不合英语习惯的表达方式的句子。”

例一:“小李容易伤风”,英译如下:Hsiao Li is easy to catch cold.

此译误。英译应如下:Hsiao Li catches cold easily.

例二:“他单独处理这项工作是有困难的”,英译如下:He is difficult to handle the job alone.

上译为中式英语。英译应如下:It is difficult for him to handle the job alone.

例三:“那间谍当时隐瞒不了他的身份”,英译如下:The spy was impossible to hide his identity.

上译误。下面两种说法才对:

It was impossible for the spy to hide his identity.

The spy could not hide the identity any longer.

例四:“他一个人上哪儿去是危险的”,英译如下:He is dangerous to go there alone.

上译误,因为“危险”(dangerous)指的是“他一个人上那儿去”这件事,不是说“他本人是危险人物”。英译应如下:

It is dangerous for him to go there alone.

例五:“我膝盖关节疼痛”,英译如下:I am painful in my knee.

上译误。英译应如下:

I have a pain in my knee.

例六:“现在五点钟”,英译如下:Now is five o'clock.

上译误。英译应如下:'It is five o'clock now.

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