句子:
Emily really went to town for her birthday party.
誤譯:
艾米莉?yàn)樽约旱纳张蓪φ娴倪M(jìn)城了。
正譯:
艾米莉?yàn)榱伺e辦自己的生日派對花了很多錢。
翻譯加油站:
從誤譯看,這個(gè)派對好像是到城里去開的。問題是這里的go to town并不是其本義“進(jìn)城”的意思,而是一則由俚語發(fā)展成的美國常用習(xí)語。人們進(jìn)城的目的無非是買東西、吃飯,或娛樂,由此,這則俚語在不同的上下文中發(fā)展出了許多意思,可以表示:
1、揮霍,大量花錢,如:
They have really gone to town on decorating their new home.他們真舍得花大價(jià)錢裝修房子。
2、做事起勁,如:
The hungry boys really went to town on the pie.孩子們餓慌了,見了餡餅就狼吞虎咽起來。
3、順利進(jìn)行,如:
The engineers really went to town on those plans.工程師們執(zhí)行那些計(jì)劃真的很快/將那些計(jì)劃完成得很順利。
4、(語言或行為)放肆,毫無顧忌,如:
When you make a complaints you don't spare their feelings, do you? You really go to town!你提意見時(shí)弄得他們很難堪,對嗎?你太放肆了!