与颜色有关的英语单词、短语
1) black and white 黑白分明,是非分明
2) feeling blue 感觉难过,心情忧郁
3) green with envy十分嫉妒
4) golden opportunity绝好的机会
5) tickled pink 非常开心,高兴的要命 选自OMG美语
颜色black系列一。
black list 黑名单;black box飞机上记录飞行数据的黑盒子;blackberry黑莓(手机);blackbelt 黑带级选手 ;black-eyedpeas 黑眼豆豆演唱团;BlackFriday 黑色星期五(感恩节过后大减价的购物日);Black Monday倒霉的星期一,复活节后的星期一 ; black hole 黑洞;black ice 黑冰 (指柏油马路上薄薄一层几乎看不见的冰)。blackmail 敲诈,勒索 ;blackout 断电,中断 ; blackball 反对票; black sheep害群之马; black tea 红茶; black eye 发青的眼圈, 不好的名声 ;blackboard黑板
颜色black系列二。
in the black 赚钱,相对 in the red亏损。
black out 失去知觉。My legs gave way and Iblacked out. 我两腿一软,昏了过去。black out 也可以说 pass out. I felt like I was gonna pass out and had to sitdown for a while. 我感觉要昏,只好坐下歇会。blackout连在一起是停电
颜色black系列三。
a black mark 污点。The incident left a blackmark on his record. 这件事在他的记录上留下了污点。
the black sheep of the family 败家子,不孝子。还有 (something) is thenew black. 意思是某件事是时下最流行的。如:Microblogging is the new black. 时下流行微博。
颜色white系列一。
a white lie善意的谎言;white-collar白领;White House白宫;white pages电话查询簿;Snow White白雪公主;white noise白噪音;white waterrafting 激流漂流;white chocolate 白巧克力;white Christmas 白色圣诞节;raise the white flag 举白旗;whitelist 将…列入优秀者名单;white-knuckle 神经紧张的,引起神经紧张的
颜色white系列二。
white elephant 累赘,负担。Jack won a boat on thegame show. It turned out to be such a white elephant. He had to paythrough his nose for its maintenance.Jack在有奖竞猜游戏节目中赢了一条船,保养费贵得要命,简直就是个累赘。
颜色white系列三。
in black and white 白纸黑字。Please write it down inblack and white. 请写下来。Here is the evidence, in black and white.这是证据,白纸黑字。另:black-and-white 黑白分明的。It's very complicated. It's not a black-and-whiteissue. 这事很复杂,不是要么对,要么错。
颜色white系列四。
white-bread 白面包,买三明治时别人会问你what kind ofbread, white or wheat? white就是白面包,wheat 是麦面的。white-bread 也形容传统的,没有新意的事物,如 He left the white-bread life in a small town andwent to the big city. 他抛弃了无聊的小镇生活,到大城市去。
颜色white系列五。
as white as a sheet面色苍白;She was as white as asheet when she heard the news. 她听到消息后,脸色苍白。white knuckle something历险。The roller coaster was soscary. I had to white knuckle the entire ride.这个云霄飞车吓死人了,从头到尾我一直胆战心惊。
颜色green系列一。
green card 绿卡,Green Bay Packers绿湾包装工队(美国著名橄榄球队);the GreenBerets 绿色贝雷帽,专指美国陆军特种部队;the Masters green jacket指的是美国大师高尔夫球赛冠军得主穿的绿色西装上衣;还有推动环保的国际性非政府组织 Greenpeace 绿色和平。
颜色green系列二。
the green-eyed monster 嫉妒。She is suffering from amajor case of the green-eyed monster. 她嫉妒得要命。或:someone is green with envy. 如:She was green with envy whenshe saw her ex-boyfriend with another girl.她看到前男友跟另外一个女孩在一起,嫉妒得要命。
颜色green系列三。
green light 是绿灯,give someone the greenlight 意思是批准。My boss gaveme the green light to implement the plan.老板批准我开始落实计划。have a greenthumb 特别擅长种花种草。I didn'tknow you had such a green thumb.我以前还真不知道你这么擅长种东西。
颜色blue系列一。
blue-blooded 带有皇室血统的;blue-eyed蓝眼睛的,白人的,受宠爱的blue-eyedboy 宠儿blue-collar蓝领,体力劳动者;blue book value(一般指美国人在买卖旧车时参考的价格标准);bluechip 蓝筹股;bluetooth 蓝牙;还有 Blue Cross Blue Shield(美国最大的医疗保险公司之一,蓝十字蓝盾牌保险公司);bluemovie 色情电影;blueberry 蓝莓;bluebell 野风信子,风铃草;blueprint 蓝图,设计图 ;blues 布鲁斯音乐,忧郁的情绪 R&B =rhythm and blues
颜色blue系列二。
out of the blue 突如其来的。I haven't heard a wordfrom him for 10 years, and one day he just showed up out of theblue. 他一连十年音信皆无,有一天突然出现。
once in a blue moon 很少见。他们特抠门。They only go out toeat once in a blue moon. 很少出去吃饭。
颜色blue系列三。
black-and-blue 青一块紫一块。 until you are blue inthe face 说破大天(别人也不会听)。You can try to persuade me until you're blue in the face,but I won't change my mind. 你就算说破大天,我也不会改主意。
blue-and-white 青花 TheBlue-and-white PorcelainPorcelain青花瓷
baby blues 产后忧郁. She is suffering frombaby blues.
在我国red(红色)是吉祥喜庆的标志,逢年过节总会用红色来装饰自己的住宅,希望来年能有个好兆头。但在西方国家却是危险的信号。Red flag 是我们在节日中悬挂的表示喜庆之物,而在英语中却可以把它理解为“危险讯号”(a danger signal)。Red light红灯)已被普遍采用为“夜间危险信号”(a light of red colour used at night as a dangersignal)或“禁止车辆通行的信号灯”(a signal to stop vehicles)。不同的文化背景和习俗会对同一颜色有着不同的理解。即使在英国和美国,有时也存在着某些差异。例如red cap(红帽)在英国是指“宪兵”(a military policeman),而在美国,则指“(火车站为旅客搬行李的)搬运工”(a man who carries things for travellers at railwaystation)。
颜色red系列一。
redhead 红头发的人。codered 紧急情况。red card红牌警告;The Red Cross红十字会;red meat红肉类(牛肉羊肉等生的时候是红颜色的肉,相对 redmeat 的是 whitemeat 鸡肉鸭肉等),redwine 红酒;red light红灯; 还有 red light district自然就是红灯区。
颜色red系列二。
in the red 入不敷出, My bank account was always in the red when I was in college. 我上大学的时候银行帐户经常透支。see red 暴怒。I really saw red today when I was wrongly accused of lying to my boss. 今天我被无端指责对上司撒谎,把我肺都要气炸了。be in red 穿红衣服
颜色red系列三。
to paint thetownred出去喝酒跳舞,玩得开心。Wewent out last night and painted thetownred. 我们昨天晚上出去玩,特别尽兴。runaredlight 闯红灯。I got aticket yesterday for runningaredlight. 我昨天因为闯红灯吃了张罚单。redenvelope 红包。
RIGHT ON! caught red-handed. 被抓了现行。He was caught red-handed while cheatingduring the exam. 他考试时被当场抓住作弊。go as red as a beet 因为不好意思而脸色通红。His face went as red as a beet when the girlslooked at him. 那些女孩看他时,他脸涨得通红。
Red tape, 意思是官僚羁绊。The relief efforts were stalled by redtape。救灾努力受到了官僚规定的阻碍。"The mayor promised to eliminate red tape thathampers business development," 市长保证要铲除那些阻碍商业发展的官僚障碍。
部分选自新浪微博“英语天天说”
颜色pink系列:
pink slip 解雇通知书I got apink slip. 我收到解僱通知书。
in the pink 非常健康 You're in thepink! 要想说人气色好,"You lookfine!"当然不错,可如果你说"You'rein thepink!"就妙得多了。实际上,在英语口语中,巧妙使用一些表示颜色的词能使得句子非常形象生动。She was lively and activeand in the pinkof condition她活泼好动,身体健康
be tickled pink 非常开心,高兴的要命 I was tickled pink by thecompliment。听到他们的称赞,我高兴的要命!
pink elephants n.幻觉,不可能的事情,离奇的事His father saw pinkelephants.他的父亲(因喝酒过量)而产生了幻觉。pink elephants(常用复数)意为(喝酒过量后而产生的)“幻觉”。
pinkeye流行性感冒,传染性结膜炎,红眼病 Thepinkeyeisgoing around again this summer.这个夏天红眼病再次流行。red eye 在英语里是"廉价的威士忌酒"的意思.pink eye是汉语里所称的"红眼病",指流行性结膜炎或急性传染性结膜炎的俗称;而to be green-eyed是envy的意思,喻指眼红,忌妒别人的富裕或成功.所以原文应根据语境译为pink eye或者to be green-eyed.
小粉红】In the pink 身体健康;tickled pink感觉非常荣幸或高兴;seeing pink elephants 喝醉了开始看到幻像;a pink slip解雇消息;pink-collar 粉领、女性雇员;pink of perfection 完美无缺;the pink of theevening 傍晚,黄昏。
颜色brown系列
brown rice 糙米brown bread 黑面包brown out 弄暗brown sugar 红糖, 黄糖
brown-noser【俚】拍马屁的人He is abrown-noser.他是个马屁精。He brown noses hissupervisor.他拍老板的马屁。
in a brown studyadv. 沉思(幻想, 心不在焉) I left him in abrownstudythinking over the question.我让他对这个问题深思。She stood there in abrownstudy。她站在那里沉思默想。
颜色yellow系列
yellow streak adj.胆怯(懦弱) He was apronouncedyellow streak. 他那胆怯的特质十分明显。He has a yellow streak in him. 他个性有些懦弱。
yellow-belly 胆小鬼,懦夫Everybody knows that heis a yellow-belly, so nobody likes him.
He isa yellow dog. 他是个卑鄙的人.
yellowback廉价小说yellowalert空袭的预备警报YellowPages电话黄页
yellow press黄色报刊: The yellow press cannotbe published in our country.
颜色紫色系列
purple紫色的,辞藻华丽的;紫色,皇室
Born in the purple(Born to thepurple)出身高贵或生于富贵人家
purple passage词藻华丽的段落
【词汇接力棒99-潮词】山寨:copycat 异地恋:long-distance relationship 熟女:cougar 炫富:flaunt wealth 潮人:trendsetter 愤青:young cynic 精神出轨:soul infidelity 水货:smuggled goods 拼车:car-pooling 闪婚:flash marriage 房奴:mortgage slave 菜鸟:rookie 娘娘腔:sissy 裸奔:streaking
英语中与颜色有关的短语
green-eyed 嫉妒的
green hand 新手
red eye
1. (尤指深夜从西海岸起飞清晨到达东海岸的)夜航航班
2. 廉价威士忌酒
blue blood贵族血统;贵族阶级;贵族
blue chip
1. 高值筹码
2. 优值股票
blue film/blue movie淫秽电影,色情片
blue flu【美】生病请假
blue law
1. 严格的法律
2. 【美】【史】禁止星期日饮酒,娱乐的法规
blue moon不可能或稀有的时期或事情
blue ribbon头奖
blue streak
1. 【口】一闪而过的东西
2. 【口】连珠炮似的话
yellow-bellied【俚】胆小的
pink slip【口】停止雇用的通知
black and blue遍体鳞伤
black and white写在纸上;墨画
black art魔术;妖术
black eye【口】丑事
black gold
1. 煤
2. 石油
black hole军营中的牢房
black sheep败类,害群之马
black taxi【旅游】黑车, 无证出租车
black tea红茶
white elephant
1. 累赘之物;精心设计而结果无用的冒险(或努力、建筑等)
2. 个人无用物品;无价值的东西
white feather1. 害怕的脸色;怯懦的表现
white hope【口】被寄予厚望的人;承担着艰巨任务的人
white lie无恶意的谎言
white night不眠之夜
white out用修正液掩盖错字
white room
1. (医院的)无菌室;绝尘室
2. 最清洁的房屋
3. (供组装精密零件的)洁白室(=clean room)
white sale售卖白布和白布制品
white slave受骗被迫卖淫的白种女子
white slavery逼良为娼;逼良为娼的买卖
white space【美】【口】空余时间
white top【美】【非正式】白发苍苍的体弱老人; 老年病弱者
gray market水货市场
gray matter【俚】头脑;智力,点子
brown goods【英】褐色家用电器(指电视、电脑等)
brown nosing讨好,奉承
brown study沉思;冥想
brown out
1.(为防空袭或节约用电)把灯火弄暗
2. 灯火管制;电压不足
颜色 :
①red letter days 纪念日,喜庆日子
②black letter days 倒霉的日子
③to paint the town red 狂饮,痛饮,胡闹
④roll out the red carpet for somebody隆重欢迎
⑤be in red 亏损
⑥in the red 赤字
⑦black 构成短语的翻译:
call white black/call black white 混淆是非
black money 黑钱
in the black 盈利、赚钱、顺差
Black and white 遍体鳞伤
Black sheep 害群之马
Black Friday 耶稣受难日,不吉利的星期五
Black lie 用心险恶的谎言
The pot calls the kettle black.五十步笑一百步。
⑧white构成短语的翻译:
white war 没有硝烟的战争,常指“经济竞争”。
White sale 大减价
White money 银币
White elephant 无用而累赘的东西
White crow 罕见的事物
The white way 白光大街(指城里灯光灿烂的商业区)
A white lie 善意的谎言
White coffee牛奶咖啡
White feather胆怯
Oh, don,t forget Black and White ,which means .白纸黑字。
⑨在汉语翻译成英语时,某些场合的汉语的“白”字虽然是颜色,但英语应词中并没有white一词。如:白菜(Chinese cabbage)、白熊(polar)、白蚁(termite).但在另一些场合,白字与颜色毫无关系,表示徒劳(in vain)。如:白费事(all in vain , a waste of time and energy),白送(give away, free of charge ,for nothing)
与部位和颜色有关的英文词组
at hand, 就是近在咫尺。那个笑话中,可以说,帮助就是近在咫尺,Help was at hand. 谁料想这吝啬鬼就是不要呢。
在中文中,我们会说“落到某人手里了”在英文中就是fall into sb’s hands
eg. The town fell into enemy’shands.那个小镇落到敌人的手里了。被敌人控制了。
We don’t want these documents falling into thewrong hands.我们不想让这些文件落入不当的人的手中。
而get your hands dirty 指的是什么呢?会把手弄脏,这其实指的就是做体力工作,to do phisical work . eg. He’s not fritened ofgetting his hands dirty. 他不怕干体力活。
Guess what does “ask sb’s hand” mean? Well, takean example first. He asked the general for his daughter’shand. 从表面意思看是,他向将军要将军女儿的手。仔细想想,我们会发现,在西方电影中,我们常看到,婚礼上,
窗体顶端
窗体底端
新娘的父亲总会挽着女儿的手,然后在一段乐曲过后,缓缓走向新郎,将女儿的手交给新郎,这下,你猜到了吗?He asked the general for his daughter’shand.就指他请求将军把女儿嫁给他。
What about “hand sth. to sb. on aplate”?把东西放在盘子上交给别人,不就有点拱手让人的意思?Always remember that nobody’s going to hand yousuccess on a plate.要永远记住,没人会把胜利白白送给你。
在英国英语中,put your hand in your pocket 指出钱,掏腰包。I’ve heard he dosen’t like putting his hand inpocket.我听说他手头很紧,不愿多花钱。
而hold sb’s hand 不但指抓住某人的手,而且还引申为帮助某人一把的意思。Eg. Do youwant me to come along and hold yourhand?你需要我过去帮帮你吗?
Turn sb’s hand to sth , 能够做。Jim can turn his hand to most jobs around thehouse.吉姆能担当家里大部分的活。
人多好办事,众人拾柴火焰高,英文就是Many hands make light work..
说完了手,we’ll talk about some phrases aboutfoot.
Be rushed off your foot. or be run off your foot.means to be extremely busy; to have too many things to do.忙得不可开交;要做太多事。Eg. To repair the sports meeting, we’ve beenrushed off our feet.为了准备运动会,我们忙得不可开交。
Fall/land on your feet means to be lucky findingyourself in a good situation. or in getting out of adifficulty. 特别走运。安然脱离困境。Thank Goodness! You finally landed on yourfeet! 感谢上帝,你终于脱险了!
Get/have a /your foot in the door, to manage toenter an organization, a filed of business, etc, that could bringyou success. 设法加入,涉足某组织、行业等。Eg. I always wanted to work in TV but it took metwo years to get a foot in the door.我一直想从事电视工作,但花了2年时间才进了这个圈子。
Get/start off the right/ wrong foot with , tostart a relationship well/bedly 开始时关系良好或不好。I seem to have got off on the wrong foot with thenew boss. 看来我和新老板的关系一开始就不好。
在中文中,有脚踏实地这一说法,英文也一样。Keep your feet on the ground.就是了。Do keep your feet on the ground ;it’s the only wayto success.脚踏实地,这才是唯一通向成功之路。
Set foot in/on sth., to enter or visit aplace. 进入,访问,参观某地。Eg. Do you still remember the name of the man whois the first to set foot on the moon? 你还记得第一个登上月球的人的名字吗?
Set sb./sth. on their/its feet to make sb./sth.independent or successful.使独立,使成功。Eg. His business sense helped set the club on itsfeet again.他的经营意识使俱乐部重振雄风。
Stand on your own feet, means to be independentand able to take care of yourself. 自立。When his parents died , he had to learn to standon his own feet. 他父母过世后,他不得不学会自立。
试想一下,如果有什么东西在你脚下,你一定会觉得不自在吧。Under your feet 就是碍手碍脚。Eg. I don’t want you kids under my feet while I’mcooking.我做饭时,不希望你们这些孩子在这碍手碍脚。
如果,有一天,世界上只有黑与白两种颜色,会不会太单调了呢,我们应该高兴,我们生活在一个多彩斑斓的世界里。所以,有人问我,最喜欢哪种颜色时,我总觉得为难,因为每种颜色都很美丽。好了,我们今天就来介绍一下有关颜色的英语短语。
首先,我们说说红色,red。第一个词组:be in the red, which means that to owe money toyour bank because you have spent more than you in youraccount.其实,就指负债,亏空,财政赤字。赤——不就指红色吗?eg. The company has plunged 37million dollars intothe red; it’s in the red. 公司负债达3700万元。一定要有定冠词,不然be in red 指穿着红色的衣服,She is in red.
电视中,我们常看到有重要来宾,莅临指导,总是要铺红地毯,以示尊重。所以,the red carpet treatment 就指隆重接待。Eg. I didn’t expect to be given the carpettreatment. 我可没想到会受到隆重接待。
Cent 是美分, 那么,red cent 是什么呢?eg. I didn’t have a red cent for all mywork.我做了那么多工作,可一分钱也没拿到。可见,red cent 就指 很少的钱。值得注意的是,这个词组要用在否定句中。
下面这个词非常有意思,red-eye 。很自然地想到是红眼的意思,但它还有另一个意思就是夜间航班。不知,你们夜晚是否看见过飞机飞过,机头处总是红色的,一闪一闪,大概就是由此而来的吧。Eg. We took the red-eye toBoston.我们乘坐夜间航班抵达波士顿。
那么,接着我们说说绿色,Green。green hand 就指新手,新人。Green thumb 绿色的大拇指,其实指花匠。Tom is an excellent green thumb; he always takesgood care of his flowers in the garden. 汤姆是个优秀的花匠,他总能把花园里的花料理的很好。
然后再看看白色吧,白色代表纯洁。所谓无伤害的谎言就是white lie 。Though you’ve told a white lie, but lie is alie. 尽管你说的谎没有恶意,但谎言就是谎言。
与白相对就是黑了,还记得有一首歌,其中一句:I’m the black sheep of the family. Blacksheep 就指坏孩子,败家子。
Colors: I'm Feeling Very BlueToday
Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and TheirStories.
(MUSIC)
Every people has its own way of saying things, its ownspecial expressions. Many everyday American expressions are basedon colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans often use it to express heat.They may say they are red hot about something unfair. When they arered hot they are very angry about something. The small hot tastingpeppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hots for theircolor and their fiery taste. Fast loud music is popular with manypeople. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kindcalled Dixieland jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say theyare in the pink when they are in good health. The expression wasfirst used in America at the beginning of the twentiethcentury. It probably comes from the fact thatmany babies are born with a nice pink color that shows that theyare in good health.
Blue is a cool color. The traditional blues music in theUnited States is the opposite of red hot music. Blues is slow, sadand soulful. Duke Ellington and his orchestrarecorded a famous song – Mood Indigo – about the deep blue color,indigo. In the words of the song: “You ain’t been blue till you’vehad that Mood Indigo.” Someone who is blue isvery sad.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it isan unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feelingstomach may say she feels a little green. Apassenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves maylook very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not havesomething as nice as a friend has, like a fast new car. That personmay say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envybecause a friend has more dollars or greenbacks. Dollars are calledgreenbacks because that is the color of the back side of the papermoney.
The color black is used often in expressions. Peopledescribe a day in which everything goes wrong as a black day. Thedate of a major tragedy is remembered as a blackday. A blacklist is illegalnow. But at one time, some businesses refused toemploy people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopularorganizations.
In some cases, colors describe a situation. A brown out isan expression for a reduction in electric power.Brown outs happen when there is too much demand forelectricity. The electric system is unable tooffer all the power needed in an area. Black outs were commonduring World War Two. Officials would order all lights in a cityturned off to make it difficult for enemy planes to find a targetin the dark of night.
每个人都有自己描述事情的方式,自己独特的表达方式。许多美国日常短语都是基于颜色的。
红色red是一种热情的颜色。美国人经常用red来表述热量。他们可能会说,对一些不公平的事情感觉到red hot。如果说red hot,说明他们对某件事情非常生气。许多墨西哥食品中含有的红色的小辣椒因为颜色和味道而被称做red hots。快节奏,声音很大的音乐受许多人的欢迎,他们可能会说这些音乐red hot(炽热),尤其是迪克西兰爵士乐。
粉红色颜色要淡一些。有时,人们会用in the pink来表示身体很健康。这个短语在美国首次使用是在20世纪初期。可能是因为许多婴儿出生时皮肤是粉红色的,表明他们身体很健康。
蓝色是比较凉的颜色。美国传统的布鲁斯音乐正好与爵士乐相反。布鲁斯音乐是比较舒缓,忧伤和高尚的。Duke Ellington和他的乐队录制了一首非常著名的歌曲——Mood Indigo——是关于深蓝色的。有一句歌词是这样的:“You ain’t been blue till you’ve had that MoodIndigo.”如果说一个人非常blue,说明他很忧伤。
绿色是草木的自然颜色。但是也可以用来描述人。如果有人感觉到胃不舒服,可能会说她感到有点green。船上的乘客如果由于海浪而晕船,他看上去可能也非常green。
有时候一个人可能会感到心烦意乱,因为他朋友有的好东西他没有,比如一辆新车。这个人可能会说他green with envy。如果他的朋友比他有更多的美钞或者说greenback,他可能会green with envy (十分妒忌)。美元被称为greenbacks,因为美钞的背面是绿色的。
黑色也经常用在短语中。人们经常将老出问题的一天称为a black day。发生重大灾难的一天也被称为a black day。现在blacklist(黑名单)是不合法的。但是,曾经有一段时间,一些企业拒绝雇佣黑名单上的人,因为他们属于某个不受欢迎的组织。
有时候,颜色也被用来描述一种处境。 brown out用来表示电力减少。电量需求过度时就会出现Brown outs。电力系统有时不能供应整个区的用电需求。二战期间经常发生Black outs。官方会下令关闭所有电灯,让敌机在黑夜中无法找到目标。
一些容易译错的短语
1】 请到休息室去喝杯咖啡。
[误译]Please go to the restroom to have a cup ofcoffee.
[正译]Please go to the lobby to have a cup ofcoffee.
[评析] “restroom”与汉语并不对应,并非表示“休息室”,而是“厕所”。在美国,restroom, bathroom, washroom都是“厕所”的意思,是一种委婉的说法,如果对此文化现象不了解,又不去查字典,就会闹出笑话来。“休息室”可根据语境用crush-room, drawing room, foyer, lobby, retiringroom等。
【例2】红眼
[误译]red eye
[正译]pink eye
[正译]to be green-eyed
[评析]汉语里的"红眼"与red eye没有任何关系.red eye 在英语里是"廉价的威士忌酒"的意思.pink eye是汉语里所称的"红眼病",指流行性结膜炎或急性传染性结膜炎的俗称;而to be green-eyed是envy的意思,喻指眼红,忌妒别人的富裕或成功.所以原文应根据语境译为pink eye或者to be green-eyed.
【例3】日本以温泉驰名。
[误译]Japan boasts warm springs.
[正译]Japan boasts hot springs.
[评析]"温泉"在英语中不说warm spring,而说hot spring或thermal spring.这和上几例一样从某个侧面反映了两种语言看事物的不同视角.
【例4】我通常睡得很晚。
[误译]I usually sleep very late.
[正译]I usually go to sleep verylate.
[评析]汉语的“迟睡”英语须说go to sleep late或go to bed late。而sleep late意为“晚起”,即get up late。文化的不同,看问题的视解不同,表达的角度也不同,应多了解异国文化。
【例5】我们是1997级的学生。
[误译]We are students of the 1997grade.
[正译]We are students of the 1997enrolment.
[评析]表示上几年级的“级”须用grade。例如:她是二年级的学生。应译为:She is a student in the secondgrade.所谓1997级,1998级等的“级”是指在该年份注册入学的意思,应译为enrolment。如果要表示某某年毕业,可用to graduate或graduate。例如:
我们是1997届的学生。We are graduates of the 1997.
他是牛津大学1998届毕业生。He was(has been) graduated from Oxford in theclass of 1998.
【例6】 凶宅
[误译]fearful mansion
[正译]haunted house
[评析]汉语说"凶宅",英语要说闹鬼的屋子。如果译为fearful mansion,英美人就不太能理解。
A.red
无论是在英语国家还是在中国,红色往往与庆祝活动或喜庆日子有关。因为日历中,这些日子常用红色字体。因此,red letterday,指的是“纪念日”或“喜庆的日子”。红色还指“负债”或“亏损”,因为人们总是用红笔登记负数。于是就有了这些词组:
redfigure:赤字
red ink:赤字
in the red:亏损
red-ink entry:赤字分录
red balance:赤字差额
red cent:一分钱;
red gold:纯金;
red tip on stock market:指股票市场的最新情报
汉语中常用的带“红”字的词语,翻译成英语,可不一定用“red”。例如:
红糖:brown sugar
红茶:black tea
红榜:honour roll
红豆:love pea
红运:good luck
红利:dividend
红事:wedding
B.black
在英语中经常有“不好的”、“坏的”、“邪恶的”这种意味。例如:
blackmoney:黑钱(指来源不正当而且没有向政府报税的钱)
blackmarket:黑市交易或黑市(意为暗中进行政府禁止买卖的商品或外汇的交易,或指进行违法的投机市场)
black market price:黑市价格
black and blue:遍体鳞伤的
black sheep: 害群之马
black Friday:耶稣受难日;不吉利的星期五
black lie:用心险恶的谎言
blackmail:勒索
the pot calls the kettle black:五十步笑百步
a black look 恶狠狠地瞪
另外,英语中,和红色墨水是记帐时的意思相反,黑色还可表示盈利。例如:
black figure / inthe black:盈利、赚钱、顺差
black figure nation:国际收支顺差国
interest in the black:应收利息
call white black /call black white:混淆是非
black money:黑钱(指来源不正当而且没有向政府报税的钱)
black tie:黑领结;小礼服
in the black:盈利、赚钱、顺差
C. green
green-eyed:嫉妒/眼红
Green with envy: 非常嫉妒
green meat:鲜肉
a green hand:新手
look green: 脸色不好(苍白)
have green fingers: 很善于摆弄花草
green在财经领域还有下列意思:
the green stuff: 美钞
green back:美钞(因为美元背面为绿色)(用于口语)
green power:“金钱的力量”或“财团”
green stamp:指美国救济补助票,因印成绿色而得名
green sheet指政府预算明细比较表
green pound:绿色英镑(指共同体内部计算农产品价格而规定的高汇率英镑。)
give sb/sth the green light: 为某人某事开绿灯
D. white
在英语中white常使人联想起清白,如:
white war:没有硝烟的战争,常指“经济竞争”
有些事物因其颜色为白而得名,如:
white goods:指的是体积大、单价高的家用电器用具,这类物体常刷成白色,故名。
white money:银币
white coal:水力
white elephant:昂贵却派不上用场的物体或物主不需要但又无法处置之物
white sale:大减价
the white way:白光大街(指城里灯光灿烂的商业区)
white crow:罕见的事物
a white lie:善意的谎言
white coffee:牛奶咖啡
white feather:胆怯
Oh, don't forget Black and White. 这里,表示的是“白纸黑字”。
E. 其它颜色构成的词汇
如:
grey market:半黑市
grey area:灰色地区(指失业严重地区)
pink slip:解雇职工通知单
yellow pages:黄页(指分类电话簿,并非指黄书。)