英文原文:
Tom had a load on at Mary's party.
錯誤譯文:
湯姆在瑪麗的生日聚會上感到有負擔/背上了包袱。
正確譯文:
湯姆在瑪麗的生日聚會上喝醉了。
翻譯加油站:
原譯將had a load on譯成“感到有負擔”或“背上了包袱”都不對,have a load on是美國俚語,意思是“喝醉了”。這一俚語來自load一詞詞義的引申。Load的原義是“裝載”,a load of/loads of的意思是“很多”、“大量”,而load后來又有了“猛吃狂喝”的意思,free load則指“白吃”或“白喝”,甚至可用作動詞:Some people successfully free load their way through life.(有些人居然能白吃白喝過一輩子。)所以原文應該譯成:湯姆在瑪麗的生日聚會上喝醉了。
飲酒時一種文化現象,英語里有很多表示“酒醉”的習語,有的很形象,下面舉一些例子:
1、He felt good after a few glasses.(不是“感覺良好”,而是微醉)
2、That man was soon full to the gill.(灌了一肚子酒,一直滿到腮幫子,也說stewed to the gill或up to the gill)
3、That guy looked bright in the eye.(喝醉時眼里會有一種特殊興奮的神色)
4、He walked like three sheets in the wind.(像紙片被風吹得亂飄)
5、Soon he was as high as a kite.(醉得飄飄然,好像風箏飛上了天)
6、Now he was really full as an egg.(肚子灌滿了酒,搖搖晃晃站不穩,倒是有點像雞蛋)
7、He went to bed in his boots last night.(醉鬼倒頭就睡,才懶得脫衣脫鞋呢)
8、He was now blind to the world.(醉得不諳世事了)
9、He went to the tavern and got completely bombed.(醉成一攤,或者像炸暈了一樣)