转战南北

　　✖ fight south and north

　　✔ fight north and south

　　在地理方位的表达习惯上，中英文有一定的区别。中国人习惯于先“东西”后“南北”，而且在涉及“南北”时，习惯于先说“南”，再说“北”，如：“南征北战”、“南来北往”等。

　　而英美人与此正好相反，如“江苏在中国的东南部”英文是Jiangsu is in China's southeast. (Or, Jiangsu is in southeast China.)而“新疆在中国的西北部”应译为 Xinjiang is in China's northwest. (or, Xingjian is in northwest China.)

　　我唯一的资本就是勤奋。

　　✖ My only capital is diligence.

　　✔ My only means to success is diligence.

　　原文的“资本”是借喻，实际指“可以依靠并取得成功的手段”。而英语的 capital 指 money used to produce more wealth or for starting a business，并没有中文那样的引申意思。所以，这里的“资本”不能与 capital 画等号。也有人用 advantage 来翻译“资本”，虽然不尽意，但至少可以让读者理解。

　　这家商店开辟了休息处，受到顾客的称赞。

　　✖ This department store has set up a resting-place, much to the customers' appreciation.

　　✔ This department store has set up a lounge, much to the customers' appreciation.

　　英语的 resting-place 虽然有“休息处”的意思，但更经常的是用来指“坟墓”，即“最后安息之处”。因此，把公共场所的“休息处”译为 resting-place 不很合适。也有人将它译为 rest-room，但那更不妥当，因为英语中的 rest-room 是“厕所”的委婉说法。

　　别听他们胡说八道，根本就没那回事。

　　✖ Don't listen to their babbling. It's nothing of the sort.

　　✔ Don't be fooled by their babbling. It's nothing of the sort.

　　原文中的“听”不能用 listen to 来表示，因为 listen to 指“听”的动作，而原文中的“别听”不是不让他“听”，而是劝告他“不要听信”，因此，用 not be fooled by 才更达意。

　　别看别人不把她当回事，在家里她可是父亲的掌上明珠。

　　✖ Although other people never take her seriously, she is the pearl on her father's hand at home.

　　✔ Although other people never take her seriously, she is the apple of her father's eye at home.

　　中英文常用不同的喻体表明相同的喻义，“掌上明珠”与 the apple of one's eye 就是一个很好的例子。这种情况我们一般应尊重各国文化和习俗，翻译时取目的语的固定说法，而不必直译，这有助于将意思更有效地传达给读者。The apple of one's eye 源自圣经《旧约》，当时人们用 apple 指人的瞳孔。尽管瞳孔现在已经用 pupil 来表示，不再是 apple 了，但这一用法却延续了下来。

　　都十点钟了。起床了，懒虫!

　　✖ It's 10 o'clock. Get up, lazy worm!

　　✔ It's 10 o'clock. Get up, lazy bones!

　　“懒虫”英语里与之对应的说法是 lazy bones(懒骨头)。注意，这里的 bone 应以复数形式出现，也许是因为不会只有一根骨头懒吧!

　　大家都怀疑斯内普教授是个间谍。

　　✖ Everyone doubts that Snape is a spy.

　　✔ Everyone suspects that Snape is a spy.

　　Doubt 作“怀疑”讲，是“不相信”的意思;而 suspect 作“怀疑”讲，是指“对...有所察觉”。第一句译文所表达的意思是“大家对教授是间谍这件事表示怀疑”，即“大家不相信教授是间谍”，与原文的意思恰好相反。

　　我希望你不要拖我的后腿。

　　✖ I hope that you won't pull my leg.

　　✔ I hope that you won't hold me back.

　　Pull one's leg 是“愚弄某人，开某人的玩笑”的意思，相当于 make fun of sb。英语中与“拖后腿”相对应的表达是 hold sb. back 或 be a drag on sb 等。

　　学校里，那些长得人高马大的家伙常来找我的麻烦。

　　✖ At school, those big and strong guys always come to find my trouble.

　　✔ At school, those big and strong guys always come to pick on me.

　　英语中“找某人的麻烦”用短语 pick on sb. 它不仅表示“挑剔某人、找某人的碴”，而且还包含 tease(取笑、戏弄)或 bully(威胁、欺侮)的意思。

　　原来如此。一经你解释我就明白了。

　　✖ So it is. I understood soon after your explanation.

　　✔ Oh, I see. I understood soon after your explanation.

　　注：So it is 的意思是“就是这样，的确如此”，表示赞同对方观点。例如：

　　A: It is a fine day today!

　　B: So it is.

　　而在表达恍然大悟时，英文要用 So that explains it, 或更简单地道的说法 Oh, I see.

　　我没料到这个无耻的女人居然同她好友的丈夫调情。

　　✖ I had not expected that this shameful woman would flirt with her best friend's husband.

　　✔ I had not expected that this shameless woman would flirt with her best friend's husband.

　　Shameful 通常指某事物是“可耻的，丢脸的”，而 shameless 表示 having or showing no feeling of shame; immodest or impudent，它一般用来指人“不知羞耻的，不要脸的”或“伤风败俗的”。原文也可译为：It's shameful that the woman would flirt with her best friend's husband.