中文原文：

互聯(lián)網(wǎng)給每位網(wǎng)民提供一個(gè)與別人自由溝通的渠道。

錯(cuò)誤譯文：

The Internet provides every user with a free channel to communicate with others.

正確譯文：

1 The Internet provides every user with a channel to communicate freely with others.

2 The Internet offers every user a channel for his free communication with others.

翻譯加油站：

作為形容詞，free有多重意思，因而容易引起歧義。如果free 修飾channel，意思是“免費(fèi)渠道”。上面錯(cuò)誤譯文的意思是：“互聯(lián)網(wǎng)給每位網(wǎng)民提供一個(gè)與別人溝通的免費(fèi)渠道”，與原文相距甚遠(yuǎn)；只有free 修飾communication，意思才是“自由溝通”。

free基本上有4種含義。第一層意思是able to act as one wants，即“主觀上可以隨心所欲的自由”，例如：

1. 你想上哪兒，就上哪兒。 / 你有想上哪兒就上哪兒的自由。
1) You are free to go anywhere you wish.
2) You have the freedom to go anywhere you wish.
free的第二層意思是not limited in any way, esp. by rule or custom，
即“客觀上不受任何事物，尤其是不受制度或習(xí)俗約束的自由”，例如：

2. 我們的人民有言論自由和出版自由的權(quán)利。
1) Our people have the right to free speech and a free press.
2) Our people have the right to the freedom of speech and the freedom of a press.
free的第三層意思是with out payment of any kind，即“免費(fèi)的, 不花錢的”，例如：

3. 世上沒(méi)有免費(fèi)的午餐。
1) There's no free lunch in the world.
2) There's no free lunch served / provided in the world.
3) There is no free lunch available in the world.
4) There is no lunch free of charge in the world.

free的第四層意思是not busy或with out work or duty，即“有空閑的”，例如：

4. 你有空時(shí)，來(lái)看我。
1) Come and see me when you are free.
2) When you get free Tim, please come to see me.
5. 現(xiàn)在許多人忙于賺錢，難得有空閑時(shí)間。
1) Now many people are busy making money, thus hardly having any free time.
2) Many people are now busy making money, thus getting little free time.