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1、汉语习语英译有朋友建议将这些汉语习语英译汇总一下，所以有了这个帖子，其中有一半是新内容，另一半是原来就贴过的。【不妙】something is to pay 经理感到事情有些不妙。The manager had a hunch that something was to pay. 汉语的“有些不妙”或“有点不对头”的概念常可用something is to pay 的句式来表示。这一短语常和feel 或have a hunch that 连用。DialogueBob: Didnt you see the writing on the wall? Sue: I even didnt have t
2、he slightest hunch. Bob: But you should be prepared for such an outcome. Sue: I had too much confidence in him. Bob: But he ruined your business. Sue: Well, if I knew there would be something to pay, I wouldnt should chalk it up to experience. Bob: Well, you should chalk it up to experience. Sue: Yo
3、ure right.【眼中钉】a thorn in someones flesh 不知为什么我成了他们的眼中钉了。我可从未错待过他们。I wonder why I become a thorn in their flesh. Ive never harmed them. 我们说的“眼中钉”与英美人讲的a thorn in someones flesh 指的是一回事，虽比喻有异，但意思相同。与此说法相似的还有“刺耳的话”（a flea in someones ear）。DialogueFrank: I dont know why I should become a thorn in the Jo
4、hns flesh. Betty: You mean your boss? Frank: Yeah. He seems to bear me a grudge. Betty: Thats because you are too much on the ball. Frank: But why should that make him hate me? Betty: Thats because you put him in the shade.【馋得流口水】make someones mouth water 桌上的美味佳肴馋得他直流口水。The delicacies on the table m
5、ake him mouth water. “使某人流口水”指“使某人垂涎”，是地道的汉语口语。这一概念一般是用make someone mouth water 的句式来表达的。DialogueSue: Wow! What a gracious table! Everything looks so beautiful. Bob: This might be the best dinner youve ever had. Sue: Surely it is. I can hardly wait. They make my mouth water. Bob: I feel itching, too.
6、 Lets start and try these delicacies.【胡说八道】shooting from the hip 他说我迷恋上李丽了？这简直是胡说八道！He thinks Ive got the hots for Lily? Its shooting from the hip!汉语口语中的胡说八道曾被译成break wind。其实，英美人更习惯用shoot from the hip 来表示这一说法。DialogueRose: I didnt know Joe was two-faced. He stabbed me in the back. Mark: What did he
7、do? Rose: He told my boyfriend that I had affairs with several men, which, of course, made my boy friend very suspicious of me. Mark: I didnt believe he would shoot from the hip like that! It was very vicious of him. You must not put up with him. Rose: Of course not! He will soon know what he deserv
8、es!【各奔东西】drift apart 毕业后我们班的同学就各奔东西了。After graduation my classmates drifted apart. “各奔东西”指的是“散开”或“不在一起”的意思，但“散开”或“分散开”的英语是disperse，常指“分散精力”，“疏散人群”或“驱散云雾”等概念。因而，“各奔东西”不宜使用disperse，而应该用drift apart。此语中的drift 是漂流的意思。DialogueJohn: What have you been doing these days, mark? Mark: Ive been trying to track
9、down some of our old friends. John: I havent been keeping in touch with them. We simply drifted apart. Mark: We lost track of each other somehow after we graduated. John: Did you ever bump into any of them? Mark: A few Some have settled down, some are tied down, some are living it up and others are
10、in a rut.【呕吐】shoot the cat他刚吃完饭就吐了。He shoot the cat right after the meal.Shoot the cat 是一条俚语，意即vomit。表示呕吐的概念时，除了用shoot, 还可以用jerk,形成jerk the cat 的说法。Sample Sentences1、他告诉医生说他一吃完饭就吐，不知道是为什么。He told the doctor that he would shoot the cat right after meals without knowing why.2、他又吐了，肯定又喝多了。Hes shooting
11、the cat again. He must have drank too many again.3、她说吃牛肉就吐，但是还特别想吃。She says she would shoot the cat after eating beef and she doesnt seem to be able to resist eating it. 【打嗝】make a belch 孩子打嗝儿了，让他喝口水吧。The kid is making a belch. Give him a drink. 汉语口语中的“打嗝儿”可以用动词belch 来表示，也可以用make a belch 的形式。作为动词使用，
12、belch 有“猛烈喷射”、“阵阵冒出”以及“打嗝”等意。在日常口语中，英美人一般使用make a belch 的说法。Sample Sentences 1、有人说当你打嗝儿时，想想别的事就会好的。Its said that when you are making a belch, think of something else and the belch will be off. 2、你快给他多穿点衣服吧。他都打嗝了。Hes making a belch. Give him more clothes to make him warm. 3、有人说打嗝时喝点儿热水就会好的。Its said d
13、rinking some warm water can help get over the belch. 【久等】cool ones heels 汉语口语中“久等”或“足足等了”之类的概念可以用Cool ones heels 来表示。比如：I have left cooling my heels since seven oclock.此语源于古时，人们一般骑马外出，当马走的路程太长或太疲惫时，马蹄就会发热，骑马的人必须停下来，让马休息，一直到马蹄凉下来再走。Sample Sentences 1、报社记者必须学会久等，这也是他们的一个任务。Newspaper reporters must lea
14、rn to accept cooling their heels as part of their job. 2、他们让我在经理办公室的门外等了好外。I was left cooling my heels outside the managers office. 3、让他久等？他是耐不住这个性子的。Asking him to wait ? He had no patience in cooling his heels. 注：但值得注意的是，英语cool ones heels 作为“久等”或“足足等了”的地道表示法，只能用于“白白等了”的情景之中，若“久等”而“白等”时就应该用be kept w
15、aiting 来表示。比如：对不起，让您久等了。Im sorry to have kept you waiting. 【各有利弊】cut both ways 在国营企业或合资企业工作各有利弊：在国营企业工作比较安定，但工资较少；在合资企业工业挣钱多一些，可是又不稳定。It cuts both ways to work in a state-run enterprise or a joint venture :the pay from a state-run enterprise is relatively lower but you feel more stable while in a joint venture you feel unassured, though the pay is relatively higher. “各有
