那些神似的中英互译

 　　虽然中英思维在很多地方有差别，但是在学习过程中我们不难发现一些特别神似的中英表达，也正是因为这些与中文相似的用法，我们在第一次看到它们的时候就能记住，不信就来试试吧：

　　1. eye-opener

　　An eye-opener means¹ an event, experience, etc. that is surprising and shows you something you didn’t already know. 也就是咱们中文常说的“大开眼界的事物”，例如：

　　Travelling around India was a real eye-opener for me.

　　2. no-brainer

　　A no-brainer is a decision or a problem that you do not need to think about much because it is obvious what you should do. 对应到中文就是“无需用脑的事情”，例如：

　　The question of who to support in this election² should be a no-brainer.

　　3. photographic memory

　　Photographic memory is the ability to remember things accurately³ and in great detail after seeing them. 咱们中文有个表达叫做“过目不忘”，这个对应的英文表达即神似又形象!就像脑子里有个照相机，把看到的东西都自动拍下来存在脑子里了一样。

　　4. praise somebody/something to the skies

　　This means to praise somebody or something a lot. 中文里有句话叫做“把…夸上天”，英文里原来也是这么个说法啊!

　　5. blind somebody with science

　　It means to confuse somebody by using technical or complicated⁴ language that they do not understand. 这种现象应该大家不陌生，就是用一堆专业术语技术名词砸晕你!例如：

　　Don’t try to blind me with science, explain it in layman's terms, please.

　　6. laugh all the way to the bank

　　This means to make a lot of money easily and feel very pleased about it. “一路笑到银行”，简直不能再形象了!

　　7. have/want it both ways

　　It means to have or want to have the advantages of two different situations or ways of behaving that are impossible to combine. 也就是我们的“鱼和熊掌不能兼得”，例如：

　　You can’t have it both ways. If you can afford to go out all the time, you can afford to pay off some of your debts⁵.

　　8. be/act your age

　　It means to behave in a way that is suitable⁶ for somebody of your age and not as though you were much younger. 一般我们说一个人行为幼稚，常常讲“你都这么大个人了!”或者“能不能像个XX岁的人?”这句就是它的英文版喽!例如：

　　Isn’t it time you started acting⁷ your age?

　　9. Blood is thicker than water.

　　这是一句saying，表示family relationships are stronger than any others，就是原封不动的“血浓于水”嘛!

　　10. There’s a first time for everything.

　　这也是一句saying，一般是用幽默的口吻来表达the fact that something has not happened before does not mean that it will never happen. 跟我们的“凡事都有第一次”语气很接近。

　　除了上面的神似互译，中英文之间还有很多由于文化背景或表达习惯不同导致的类似但却不完全的对译，例如中国有句成语叫“班门弄斧”，但是英文里表达同样意思的句子里跟斧头却一毛钱关系都没有，它的对应表达是：Teach your grandmother to suck⁸ eggs(to tell or show somebody how to do something that they can already do well, and probably better than you can)。再比如我们说富二代的孩子们是“含着金汤勺出世”，但是英文里对应的却是“born with a silver spoon in your mouth”，可能那个时候那边的银子比金子值钱吧……

1 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

2 election   

n.选举，选择权；当选

参考例句：

• There is no doubt but that he will win the election.毫无疑问，他将在竞选中获胜。
• The government will probably fall at the coming election.在即将到来的大选中，该政府很可能要垮台。

3 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

4 complicated   

adj.错综复杂的，麻烦的，结构复杂的

参考例句：

• The poem is so complicated that I cannot make out its meaning.这首诗太复杂，我理解不了它的意思。
• This is the most complicated case I have ever handled.这是我所处理过的最为复杂的案子。

5 debts   

债( debt的名词复数 )； 负债情况； 人情债； 情义

参考例句：

• They were behindhand in settling their debts. 他们没有及时还清债务。
• I need to pay off all my debts before I leave the country. 我得在离开该国前偿清所有债务。

6 suitable   

adj.合适的，适当的，适宜的

参考例句：

• Tomorrow will be quite suitable.明天挺合适。
• Is she suitable for the job?她适于做这工作吗？

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 suck   

vt.吸，吮，吸入，吮吸，吸收，获得；vi.吸，吸奶；n.吸，吸入，吮吸

参考例句：

• It's good to suck in such clean fresh air for a change.换个环境，吸点清新空气，真是好极了。
• Bees suck honey from flowers.蜜蜂从花中吸吮蜜汁。