英语翻译中选词常见错误分析

英语翻译中选词常见错误分析
英语翻译中选词常见错误分析
翻译常见错误分析
英汉翻译常见问题与错误分析
一、不要无视简单字眼的翻译
我们在平常的学习过程中，对英语词汇的理解不要停留在外表的字词对应
关系，而是要抓住其实质特征，只有这样，才能从根本上把握词义。

请看下面
几个常用词。

Well 在以下各例中， well 都不宜译作“好〞。

1.The bridge was so well built that it lasted for 100 years.
2.The demand for electricity may get well below the average level.
3.Radar waves go through clouds or fog quite well, whereas light waves do not.
4.This paper is well written except for
a little miscalculation.
5. The temperature is well above the set value.
6.The house is well situated.
7.Shake the bottle well before experiment.
8.It may well be true.
9.Plants can ’wt growell in the absence of water.
10.Examine the account well before you pay it.
11.桥建得很牢，至少能用 100 年。

12.电的需求量可能远远低于平均水平。

13.雷达波能非常容易地穿过云和雾，
而光波却不行。

14.这篇论文写得不错，不过有一点儿
计算失误。

15.温度大大高于定值。

16.房屋的地理位置十分优越。

17.实验之前将瓶内液体摇晃均匀。

18.这很可能是真的。

19.没有水植物就不能茁壮生长。

20.付款之前须仔细核实账目。

Last:在以下各例中，last都不宜译作
“最后〞。

1.He is the last man to accept a bribe.
2.He is the last man for such a job.
3.He is the last man to consult.
4. Bikini was the last thing she’ d like to wear.
5.He should be the last man to blame.
6.This is the last place where I
expected to meet you.
7.Money is the last thing he wants, and
you won ’ t succeed by offering it.
8. This would be the last place the colonialists would leave, for in it lay riches and natural resources.
1.他决不会受贿。

2.他最不适合这项工作。

3.他根本不值得请教。

4.她最不喜欢穿比基尼泳装。

5.怎么也不应该责备他。

6.怎么也没想到我会在这个地方见到你。

7.他决不想要你的钱，你给他钱也白搭。

8.这是殖民主义者最不愿意离开的地
方，因为这里的自然资源极为丰富。

challenge 在以下各例中， challenge 都
不宜译作“挑战〞。

1.I challenge my own conclusion.
2.I challenge you to answer the question.
3.China challenges the world in discipline. .
4.Recent discoveries have challenged the old notions.
5.His question challenges us to think.
6.Survival in enemy-occupied territory challenged skill.
7.我要重新考虑我的结论。

8.我谅你答不出这个问题。

9.中国的纪律居世界第一。

10.最近的一些发现使一些老观念成了问题。

11.他的问题促使我们思考。

12.在敌占区生存需要有高超的技术。

Delicate
delicate skin 娇嫩的皮肤
delicate porcelain 精致的瓷器
delicate upbringing娇生惯养
delicate living 奢侈的生活
delicate health 虚弱的身体
delicate stomach 容易吃坏的胃delicate vase 容易碰碎的花瓶
delicate diplomatic question 微妙的外交问题
delicate difference 讲不大清楚的差异delicate surgical operation 难做的外科手术
delicate ear for music 对音乐有鉴赏力delicate sense of smell 灵敏的嗅觉delicate touch 生花妙笔 delicate food 美味的食物
二、切忌望文生义
It was as though someone had taken a huge brush and painted a bull ’s-eye around every place Americans gather, every icon we revere, every service we depend on, and vowed to take them out or shut them down, or force us to do it ourselves.?
好似是有人用一把巨大的刷子将靶心
刷上美国人聚集的任何地点—我们所敬仰的每一个图标，我们所依靠的每一个机构，并发誓要去掉它们，关闭它们，或是迫使我们自己这样干。

科技英语词语：与科技文体格格不入时，尤其要留神。

ball bearing, test bed, carrier rocket,
pneumatic cushion, tractor shoe, monkey driver, ball cock, automatic pecker, worm auger, decay daughter, sister metal, foreign tissue, getter pump, ghost image, heel block, heartman, downer, at farm, mosquito bomb, plastic stockings, nose cap ， flu mask, first aid, fire engine, skid chain, sweet water, drug-fast, vital capacity
I-bar, O-ring, T-square, octahedron, zigzag chain, gable roof, cross stitch, set square, arch dam, cam shaft, cone buoy, U-bolt
滚珠轴承，实验台，运载火箭，气压式缓
冲器，拖拉机履带片，锤式打桩机，球阀，自动穿孔器，螺旋钻，裂变产物，同类金属，异体组织，抽气泵，叠影，垫块(板)，心脏移植者，镇静剂，减肥
中心，杀蚊弹，玻璃丝袜，防毒面具，卫生口罩，急救，救火车，防滑链，饮用水，抗药性，肺活量
工字梁，环形圈，丁字尺，八面体， Z 形链，人字屋顶，十字缝，三角尺，拱坝，凸轮轴，锥形浮标， U 形螺栓
三、注意语义分析
1.根据词性确定词义：
1)He saw a man sawing trees with a saw. 他看见一个人正用锯子锯树。

2)Needing some light to see by, the burglar crossed the room with a light step to light the light with the light green shade.
3)Eat what you can and can what you cannot. 能吃的吃掉，吃不掉的就做成罐头。

2.词的褒贬色彩
ambition ( 抱负，野心 )，ambitious ( 雄心
勃勃的，野心勃勃的 )，envy (羡慕，妒
忌 )， envious (羡慕的，妒忌的 )， luxury ( 舒适环境，奢侈豪华 ) ，luxurious ( 十分舒适的，奢侈豪华的 )，pride (自豪，骄傲 )，proud (自豪的，骄
傲的 )， encourage (鼓励，怂恿 )，
protect ( 保护，庇护 )，rebellion ( 对抗，
叛乱 )，uprising ( 起义，暴乱 )，等。

Mr. Brown is a very white man. He was looking rather green the other day. He
has been feeling blue lately. When I saw him he was in a brown study. I hope he ’ll soon be in the pink again.
布朗先生是个非常忠实可靠的人。

那
天，他脸上颇有病容，近来他闷闷不乐。

我见到他时他在沉思之中。

希望他早日恢复健康。

3.语境与逻辑：改错
1.In 1872, he published the results in a paper titled The Calvanie Chain, Mathematically Treated.
误：在 1872 年，他用“电流的链、数学化处理〞为标题在报纸上出版了这个结果。

正： 1872 年，他以“电流的链、数学化处理〞为标题的论文里发表了这个
结果。

2.Great was his joyous pride when he proved to his own satisfaction, by patient experiments of his own, the explanations given in the lectures.
误：当时他由于自己勤奋的试验和讲课
中所得到的解释显得满意时，他是兴高采烈的。

正：当他通过自己耐心的试验满意地证
明了讲课中所作的解释时，他那种欣喜无比的自豪感简直难以形容。

3.Scientific discoveries and inventions
do not always influence the language in proportion to their importance.
误：科学的发现与创造，就其重要性的比例而言，并不一定对语言有什么影响。

正：科学的发现与创造，并不总是会对
语言产生与其重要性相当的影响。

4. How wild his white hair looked —as if it had been electrified.
误：他满头白发，十分凌乱──简直像刚电烫过一般。

正：他满头白发，十分凌乱──简直像
英语翻译中选词常见错误分析
通了电一般地向上竖。

5. The importance of superconductor in
the uses of electricity cannot be
overestimated.
误：超导体在电器应用上的重要性不
能被估计过高。

正：对超导体在电器应用上的重要性
怎么估计也不会过高。

6. All your moods are created by your
thoughts, or“ cognitions〞.“ You feel th way you do right now because of the
thoughts you have at this moment.〞
误：所有的情绪都是由思维产生的，或
者说来源于“认识〞，“你之所以感
到这么做是对的，那是因为你的大脑就
是这么想的。

〞
正：所有的情绪都是由思维产生的，或者
说来源于“认识〞，“你现在有这样的
感觉是因为你此刻有这样的思想。

〞7. The pilot lamp stopped to represent the termination of the operation.
误：指示灯停止显示操作终止。

正：指示灯熄灭，以表示操作终止。

8.If a designer were to design a bracket to support 100 lb. when it should have been figured for 1000 lb., failure would be forthcoming.
误：如果设计者所设计的托架能支撑
100 磅，当它被设计为 1000 磅时，事故一定会出现。

正：如果一个托架应当被设计为1000 磅而设计者却将它设计为100 磅，那么肯定会出现事故。

9. They think along parallel lines and have to table the bill.
误：他们的见解一致，因此得将它列入
日程。

正：他们的见解不一致，因此得将它搁置起来。

四、注意区分比拟：
1.She bought a red and a yellow dress.
2.She bought a red and yellow dress.
3.She was with a child.
4.She was with child.
5.This tool is no more useful than that one.
6.This tool is not more useful than that one.
7.He hurled the bone to the dog.
8.He hurled the bone at the dog.
9.Quite properly, he was punished.
10.He was punished quite properly.
11.Although he is busy, Henry is in
high spirits.
12. He is busy, but Henry is in high spirits.
13.They say David is mad, and so he is.
14.He says Jane is mad, and so is he.
15.This cup of tea is fairly hot.
16.This cup of tea is rather hot.
17.He is anything but a teacher.
18.He is nothing but a teacher.
19.You may as well say so.
20.You might as well say so.
21.You have offended the girl as deeply as I.
22.You have offended the girl as deeply as me.
23.His success is out of question.
24.His success is out of the question.
25.It has been raining continually for two hours. ( 不断地 , 频繁地 )
26.It has been raining continuously
for two hours. ( 不断地 , 连续地 )
27.I regret to say he was wrong.
28.I regret saying he was wrong.
29.She spoke to the boy as a mother.
30.She spoke to the boy like a mother.
31.He stood there to watch the train come in.
32.He stood there watching the train come in.
33.I, as well as you, shall not do this test.
34.I shall not do this test as well as you.
35.The children who wanted to play soccer ran to an open field.
36.The children, who wanted to play soccer, ran to an open field.
五、注意语句中的“怪异现象〞(错误译文 )
1.They often talk horse. 他们常常谈论马。

2.That woman walks the streets. 那个妇女常在那些街上走。

3.I ’ llreport that official. 我要向那位官员报告。

4.The machine is in repair. 那台机器正在修理之中。

5.We’ ll stand up to the project. 我们都赞成这个工程。

6.Don’ tmake a fuss of them! 别对那些事大惊小怪！
7.She is in the dock. 她在码头上。

8.The boss gave her the sack. 老板给了她一个麻袋。

9. That girl student is in the green. 那个女学生身着绿装。

10. The old lady has gone to her rest.
那个老太太睡觉去了。

11. That young man has lost his heart.那个青年人失去了信心。

12.The old man often takes his medicine. 那老人常服药。

13.That fellow did hard labor for 3 years. 那个伙计干过三年艰苦的劳动。

14. The woman in labor is his wife. 那个劳动的妇女是他的妻子。

15.I ’ m not a little afraid of snakes.我一点也不怕蛇。

16.We charged him to do it. 我们指控他干了那个事。

17.They surprised him doing it. 他们惊吓得他做那个事。

18.I have seen him through. 我看透了他。

19.He is the Speaker. 他是讲演者。

20.Where is the Book? 那本书在哪？
21.Do you know anything about Japan? 你了解日本吗？
22.I bought some salts yesterday. 我昨天买了一些食盐。

23.The man is in the dumps. 那个人在垃圾堆里。

24.Don ’ t call him names!别叫他的名字！
25. The little boy is a love child. 那个小男孩是个可爱的孩子。

26.He is a confidence man. 他是个有
信心的人。

27.He is a medicine man. 他是一个医务工作者。

28.What he bought is invaluable. 他买的东西毫无价值。

29.This is a disused machine. 这是一台没有用过的机器。

31.He is disinterested in the affairs. 他对此事不感兴趣。

正确译文：
1.他们常常吹牛。

2.那个妇女是妓女。

3.我要检举那位官员。

4.那台机器状况良好。

5.我们将抵抗这个方案。

6.别讨好他们！
7.她在被告席。

8.老板解雇了她。

9.那女学生正值豆蔻年华。

10.那个老太太安息了。

11.那个青年人处于热恋之中。

12.那老人常忍受不愉快的事。

13.那个家伙服过三年劳役。

14.分娩的妇女是他的妻子
15.我很怕蛇。

16.我们责令他干那事。

17.他们撞上他做那个事。

18.我帮助他过难关。

(see sb. Through 使某人能维持 )
19.他是议长。

(Speaker 众议院议长 )
20.圣经在哪？ (Book 圣经 )
21.你了解日本漆吗？ (A black enamel or lacquer used to produce a durable glossy finish. 亮漆，假漆：用来制作持久的、有光泽的罩面漆的瓷漆或油漆 ) 22.我昨天买了一些泻药。

23.那个人神情沮丧。

24.别骂他！
25.那个小男孩是个私生子。

26.他是个骗子。

27.他是个巫医。

28.他买的东西价值连城。

29.这是一台废弃的机器。

30.他在此事上公正无私。