False Friends in Translation.doc

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1、False Friends in TranslationAIM: By the end of this lecture, students should have a better command of some false friends in English.FOCUS: false friendsAPPROACH: Analysis and practiceFalse Friends：DefinitionFalse friends are words or expressions which have the same form in two or more languages but

2、convey different meanings (Baker). (字面意义、语义结构上相似或相同,但含义却截然不同的词汇或句子结构)。They are often associated with historically or culturally related languages such as English, French and German, but in fact false friends also appear among totally unrelated languages. We list false friends here for the purpose of

3、 attaching enough attention to them. Most of the false friends are not easy to recognize and will easily be translated into their literal meaning. This requires the translator to command a large amount of knowledge and keep alert in translating, especially when there are awkward connections between

4、sentences. 1. False Friends in Vocabulary and Idiomsoil skin 油布(并非油性皮肤) ;American beauty 红蔷薇（并非美国美女）;fish - wife 卖鱼女(并非雌性鱼) ;political campaign竞选活动（并非政治活动）;white day 吉日(并非白色的天) ; smell a rat 怀疑(并非嗅到了老鼠) ;red meat 牛、羊肉(并非红色的肉) ;blue coat 警察(并非兰色上衣) ;red - cap 搬运服务人员(并非红帽子) ;table knife 餐刀(并非桌子上的刀) ;m

5、ad doctor 精神病医生(并非发疯的医生) ; dogear 书的折角(并非狗耳朵) ;familiar talk 庸俗的交谈(并非熟悉的谈话) ; bad sailor晕船的人（并非糟糕的水手）pull up ones socks 鼓起勇气(并非拉上袜子) ;busboy餐馆勤杂工（并非公汽售票员）husband like 善于管理农活的(并非像丈夫的) ;good seats 好票(并非好的席位) cock - and - bull story 无稽之谈(并非鸡和牛的故事) ;blue blood贵族血统（并非蓝血）bite the thumbs at 对.嗤之以鼻(并非咬大拇指)

6、;street woman妓女（并非街道妇女）twice - told tale 老掉牙的故事(并非讲过两次的故事) ;bulls eye靶心(并非牛的眼睛) divorce lawyer 办理离婚案件的律师(并非离婚的律师) ;yellow book 黄皮书(法国政府报告书,黄色纸封面) (并非黄色书刊) When a dog is drowning every one offers him drink. （狗若落水人人救，强调人人伸出援之手。Lock the stable-door after the horse is stolen.贼去关门。 （不宜译作亡羊补牢，其原意是马盗锁厩门，为时

7、已太晚.）亡羊补牢（强调受到损失后想法弥补，以免再受损失。）John likes to pat himself on the back. 约翰喜欢捶自己的背。（正确译法：约翰喜欢自吹。）In choosing a wife and buying a sword we ought not to trust another.择妻如选剑， 不能靠别人。（不宜译为 择妻和选剑不能靠别人。）There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.黑夜不能阻止日出， 难题无法抹杀希望。（不宜译为 黑夜和难题无法击败日出和

8、希望）People will be long forgetting her.人们会长久记住她的。（不宜译为 人们在很长时间内会忘记她.）2. False Friends in Negative Construction2.1 cannot.too / over- 再怎么样或无论怎样也不为过，越.越好I cannot thank you too much. 我无论怎样感谢你都是不够的。It cannot be too much emphasized that agriculture is the foundation of national economy.农业是国民经济的基础再怎么强调也不过分

9、。A green hand cannot be too careful in buying stocks.新手在玩股票时越谨慎越好。The importance of market research cannot be overstated.市场调研的重要性无论怎么强调都不为过。2.2 never.but.每.必.It never rains but pours.(谚) 不雨则已,一雨倾盆(指事情不发生则已,一发生则接踵而来) 。I never think of summer but I think of childhood.一想到夏天，我就会想起童年。2.3 nothing if not.极

10、其，非常She is nothing if not polite.她彬彬有礼。He is nothing if not a gentleman.他是个很有教养的人。2.4 too.to.The applicant was too eager to know the result of his interview.这位求职者迫不及待地想知道面试结果。The board of directors are only too pleased with the new acquisition proposal.董事会对新的收购提议非常满意。Hes too angry not to say that .他

11、气愤已极,难免会说出那样的话。Hes too wicked not to meet a bad end some day.他太坏了,总有一天会得到恶报的。2.5 It is.that.2.5.1 that 分句的形式为否定时，无论否定体现在谓语动词上，还是宾语上，一般可直接译成肯定意义的句子，或用“否定+否定”的结构来翻译。例如：It is a good workman that never blunders.智者千虑，必有一失。It is a wise father that knows his son.再聪明的父亲也不见得了解自己的儿子。It is a bold mouse that ne

12、stles in cats ears.再胆大的老鼠也不敢在猫的耳朵里做窝。It is a good divine that follows his instructions.劝教者未必总是按照自己的劝教行事（能说者未必能行）。It is a good horse that never stumbles. 凡马皆有失蹄时；凡人皆有错误；金无足赤，人无完人。 It is a long lane that has no turning. 路必有弯；凡事必有变化。（不可译为：那是个永不转弯的长巷子。）It is a good man that never stumbles and a good wif

13、e that never grumbles. 世间没有不犯错误的丈夫，也没有从不唠叨的妻子。It is a good tree that has neither knar nor gaw. 世间没有不带疤节的树。It is small flock that has not a black sheep.再小的羊群也有杂色羊。（树多出杂木，人多出怪物。）2.5.2 that 分句的形式为肯定形式时，则译成否定，或将主句译成否定。It is a good man that never stumbles, and a good wife that never grumbles.好丈夫也有过失，好妻子也

14、会唠叨。It is a silly fish that is caught twice.再蠢的鱼儿也不会上钩两次。It is a poor heart that never rejoices. 再伤心的人也有快乐的时候。It is a good divine that follows his own instructions. 能说者未必能行。It is a good dog that can catch anything. 什么东西都抓的狗是不存在的。It is a good goose that is always dropping. 世间没有连续下蛋的鹅。（意思是：不要过多地向朋友讨要东

15、西。）It is a bold mouse that nestles in the cats ear. 再勇敢的老鼠也不会在猫耳朵里安家。（做不必要的冒险，算不得真勇敢。）It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest. 再坏的鸟也不会弄脏自己的窝。（家丑不外扬）It is a good doctor that follows own advice. 名医不自医。It is a silly fish that is caught twice with the same bait. 智者不上两回当。2.6 not a littleShe was not a l

16、ittle surprised.她很是吃惊。Manufacturers spend not a little on advertising of products.制造商在产品广告方面投入很多。Every machine here is not produced in our factory.这里的机器并非台台都是我厂的产品。2.7 Other false friends in negative constructionThe US dollar is not strong at all times. 美元并非在任何时候都是坚挺的。All that glitters is not gold.闪

17、光的不一定都是金子。We havent called the meeting to discuss this question. 我们召开这个会不是来讨论这个问题的。I have not come to you for money.我来不是找你要钱的。There is no love lost between them.他们互相憎恨，毫无爱情可言。I couldnt care less what happens.发生什么我都不在乎。 I cant wait to see you.我恨不得马上见到你。He was the last man to say such things. 他决不会说这样的

18、话。That company is the last one with which we will conduct business from now on due to its lack of sincerity.我方今后决不与那家公司做生意，它缺乏诚意。He didnt half like the proposal.他非常喜欢这个提议。I couldnt feel better.We couldnt agree with you more.If that isnt what I want!我所要的就是这个呀！More often than not, each one of us simul

19、taneously plays several roles in life.在一生中，每个人往往同时扮演著很多的角色。As likely as not, she has forgotten all about it.But for the rain we would have had a nice holiday.But that I saw it, I wouldnt have believed it.要不是亲眼目睹，我还不信呢。No man is so old but that he may learn.没有人因为太老而不能学习。（活到老，学到老。）Nothing is so beauti

20、ful but it betrays some defect on close inspection.再漂亮的东西，如果仔细观察，也会发现某种缺陷。He is not such a fool but (that) he can see the reason. 他没有愚蠢到不明事理的地步。He is not the president and chairman of the company.他并非既是公司总经理又是董事长。3. False Friends in Comparative Construction3.1 no more.than.同.一样不A home without love is

21、 no more a home than a body without a soul is not a man.没有爱的家不称其为家，正如没有灵魂的躯体不称其为人一样。The new edition is no more expensive than theold edition.旧版本和新版本都不算贵。Compare:The new edition is not more expensive than the old edition.新版本不比旧版本更贵。I have no less than 50 yuan.I have no more than 50 yuan.3.2 no less.t

22、han.同.一样Sufficient fund is no less necessary than good management to the normal operation of a firm.充足的资金和良好的管理对公司的正常运转同样重要Drunken driving is no less than suicide and killing.酒后驾车无异于自杀和杀人。3.3 more.than. / less.than.The child is more frightened than hurt. The child is less hurt than frightened.The ch

23、ild is not so much hurt as frightened.与其说这孩子受了伤，倒不如说他受到了惊吓。The oceans do not so much divide the world as unite it与其说海洋把世界分割开来，不如说把它连接起来了。.Her typing is more neat than accurate.她的字打的整洁，但不够准确。3.4 as.as.He was as experienced in business as his brother was green.他经商经验丰富，而他弟弟则年幼无知。Containerization is an

24、efficient mode of shipment because it is as simple as time-saving.集装箱运输是一种高效运货方式，因为这种方式既省时又简单。Bill Gates is as rich as any billionaire in the world.比尔盖茨是世界上最富有的亿万富翁。The dog was as courageous an animal as ever scoured the woods.狗是出没于森林的动物中最勇敢的。This year SONY has produced as many game machines again a

25、s Mircrosoft.今年索尼公司生产的游戏机是微软的两倍。3.5 of all things / of all othersShe is the sales manager of all others for the position.她担任总经理这个职位最合适。You are one of the others the boss wants to see. 老板最想见的就是你。3.6 Other special cases of comparative construction要赶上他都很困难，更不用说超过他。It is difficult to catch up with him,

26、still more to surpass him.要赶上他都不容易，更不用说超过他。It is not easy to catch up with him, still less to surpass him.It is none other than Mr. White. 正是怀特先生本人。他比我大4岁。He is 4 years senior to me.我喜欢读书，不喜欢交谈。I prefer reading to talking. I prefer to read rather than talk.It is in studying as in eating; he who does it gets the benefits, and not he who sees it done.读书和吃饭一样，得益的是吃饭的人，而不是旁观者。If I had been rich at that time, I would have gone to Japan. As it is, I missed the chance.如果当时有钱，我就会去了日本，可实际上我没有钱，因而失去了机会。To a company, capitals are what food is to men.资本对于企业来说，如同食物对于人一样重要。5