1、人山人海:在诗词用语(poetic expression)里,老外也有使用:"a (the) sea offaces",颇有咱的"人山人海"的味道。
例如:Looking out upon the sea of faces, Mr. A delivered a touchingspeech.(望着一片人山人海的听众,A先生发表一篇动人的演说。)
Standing at his podium, President Clinton saw a sea of faces waving athim.(克林顿总统站在讲台上看到人山人海的人群挥手向他致意。)
可见,说话者通常要在台上或高处,才有"人海"的感觉。因此,可以说:"I saw a sea of faces from the top of thebuilding. "但在平地的人群中,就不说:"I saw the sea of faces."也不说:"There is a sea offaces."只说:"I saw a large crowd of people."
2、家家有本难念的经:有人译成:"Every family cooking - pot has a blackspot."(意思是:每个家庭的锅子都有黑色的污点)这样说法,老外恐怕不能充分了解。
不过老外最常的说法是:"Many families have skeletons in thecloset.(许多家庭的衣柜里都有骨骸,骨骸就是指家丑。)"
或者说:"Every family has its own source ofshame.(每个家庭都有自己的丑事)";当然在说白些,就是:"Every family has its own problem."
3、天下无不散的宴席:有人直译为:"There are no feasts in the world which do not break up atlast."老外听后,也许很难体会其中意义。
如果按照美语说法,也许更易理解:"All good things come to anend."(意思是:所有好的事情,总有结束的一天。);假如是指好友最后也有分别的一天,那么可以说:"Eventually, all bosom friendswill drift apart." (bosom friend是指知心的好友)
4、平时不烧香,临时抱佛脚:有人照字直译为:"When times are easy, we do not burn the incense,butwhen the trouble comes, we embrace the feet of the uddha." 这种说法,老外也会一知半解。
美语里一般说法是:"Worship God every day; not just in times ofadversity.(要每天敬拜神,不是只在困难时。)";当然,对学生也可以说:"If you study hard every day, exams willnot seem overwhelming.(如果你每天用功,考试就不会形成压力。)"
5、挂羊头,卖狗肉:有人照字直译为:"He advertises mutton, but sells dog's flesh."或"He hangsup a sheep's head at the shopfront and sells dogmeat."这两种译法,恐怕老外都难理解,尤其谈到"狗肉",他们更会反感,因为狗是他们最爱的宠物。
不过老外倒有相近的说法:"He applied bait-and-switch factics inbusiness.(他经商的策略是先引诱顾客来,再改变货物的品质。)","Bait-and-switch"当名词用,也可不用连字号"This storeuses bait and switch policy."或者简单的说:"Let the buyer be aware!(让消费者提高警觉)"或"Say onething and do another."
6、一言既出,驷马难追:有人译成:"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."这两种说法,中文味道嫌重,老外未必理解。不过他们倒有类似的说法:"A word once let go cannot berecalled."或者说:" You can not take back what you have said.(你说出的话,就不能再收回来。)"
7、祸从口出,言多必失:有人译为:"The mouth is the gate of misfortune andevil."老外听了,恐怕不能完全理解。最好说成:"Careless talk leads to trouble.(不小心说话,会带来麻烦)或"The lesssaid the better.(说的愈少愈好)"甚至也可以说:"Shut the mouth and open theeyes.(闭嘴少说,张眼多看)"
单词,是雅思考试的基础。对于雅思备考而言,单词很重要,需要投入大量的时间去积累和记忆。希望以上内容可以给考生们提供一点帮助。