句子:欺世盜名的人早晚會(huì)栽跟頭。
誤譯:Those who try to win popularity by deception will fall down sooner or later。
正譯:Those who try to win popularity by deception will make a fool of themselves sooner or later。
解釋:這句話的“栽跟頭”不是“摔倒”的意思,而是“出丑”。to fall down 的字面意義是“摔倒”,而其比喻意義是 to be not true or not good enough,即“不夠好”,都沒有“出丑”的含義。
“跟頭”的第一個(gè)意思是“身體向下彎曲而翻轉(zhuǎn)的動(dòng)作”,亦作“筋斗”。可以譯為 somersault?!胺^”,英語(yǔ)可以譯為 to do/make/turn/perform a somersault, to somersault。例如:
1. 孫悟空一個(gè)筋斗十萬八千里。Starting with a somersault, the Monkey King could cover as far as one hundred and eight thousand li。
“跟頭”的第二個(gè)意思是“失去平衡而摔倒的動(dòng)作”。英語(yǔ)可以譯為fall?!霸愿^”或“摔跟頭”。英語(yǔ)可以譯為to have a fall, to fall down, to go head over heels。例如:
2. 她在結(jié)冰的道路上摔了一個(gè)大跟頭,結(jié)果摔斷了胳膊。She had a bad fall on the icy road and broke her arm。
“跟頭”的第三個(gè)意思是比喻“遭遇挫折,犯錯(cuò)誤,失敗或出丑”。表示這個(gè)意義的“栽跟頭”或“摔跟頭”,英語(yǔ)可以譯為to make a mistake, to meet with a setback, to suffer a setback, to make a fool of oneself, to come to a failure。例如:
3. 如果你這么胡來,早晚是要栽跟頭的。If you keep on acting recklessly like this, you’ll suffer a setback sooner or later。
