注:这句又可说成 rise out of the wrong side of the bed.一开头就错误,自然一天都不高兴。至于 wrong 一词,常指不正当的事,如说 He was born on the wrong side of the blanket.(私生子)。She laughs on the wrong side of the mouth.(哭)
69.Go it while you are yong.
去吧,当你正年轻的时候。(误) 青春不再,趁早努力。(正) 注:go 在此为及物动词。go it= act with vigour and daring advocate or speak strongly, live freely, 故说 go it blind,(fast, strong, bald-headed,etc.)例如 I don't like to go it blind.(毫不了解的事我不愿做。)come 也有同样的用法,例如 He comes it strong.(过于夸大,恭维过度,行为过激等。) You can't come it = You cannot succeed.(你不会成功的。)
70.My shoes are the worse for wear. 我的皮鞋更加不好穿了。(误) 我的皮鞋穿破了。(正) 注:这句话的意思是“因为穿的太久的结果,破烂不堪”(My shoes are badly worn as a result of long wear.)他例如 He was plainly the worse for drink.明显地他是喝醉了酒。)I am none the worse for a single failure.(一度失败我并不灰心。)
71.Everybody brindled at his remarks. 人人都尽量控制自己说的话语。(误) 大家听了他说的话都感愤怒。(正)
注:原意为马缰的brindle一词,虽引申可作“控制”解,如 Try to brindle your temper.(设法控制你的脾气。)但用作不及物动词时,就作“昂首”(表示愤怒、傲慢或轻视)解,如 brindle up, brindle with anger, brindle at somebody's remarks 等。例如 She brindles at the least slight.(她略为受到一点藐视就要昂首发怒。)
72.Fight shy of the theoretical method of approach to the learning of English. 从理论上来讲,学英语的方法,就是要战胜害羞。(误) 学英语要尽量避免讲理论而不务实际。(正)
注:形容词的 shy 普通作“羞怯的”解,如 I am shy of doing it.(我怕作此事。)又可作“畏缩的”解,如 The boatmen were shy of the rapids.(船夫畏惧险滩。) 但此词在动词 fight 后,就有“避开”,“敬远”(avoid, keep aloof from)之意。
73.He changed his condition only a week ago. 他的健康状态在一星期以前改变了。(误) 他刚在一星期前结了婚。(正)
注:句中的 change 改为 alter 也是一样, condition 普通指健康状态,此处指生活状态。
74.He got married accepting a leap-year proposal. 他在闰年接受提议而结婚了。(误) 他接受女方提出的求婚而结婚了。(正)
注:闰年不比常年,闰年提出的求婚,当然也是不平常的,普通总是男方向女方
提出求婚,现在反过来由女方提出,故云。
75.All my advice falls flat on him. 我的忠言使他平地跌倒。(误) 他把我的忠告当作耳旁风。(正) 注:fall flat 这个成语有二义:(1)直接地跌倒(be prostrate),如 The wounded man staggered, and fell flat on the floor.(伤者蹒跚了几步,便直挺地倒在地上。)(2) 终于完全失败,毫无反应,一点效果也没有,如 His best jokes fell flat.(他最好的笑话也未能使人发笑。)现将此成语译成汉语的耳旁风(preaching to the wind)似乎是再恰当没有了。
76.He is free with his money. 他有钱很自由。(误) 他用钱豪爽。(正)
注:这个 with 不作“持有”解,而作“关于”解。free with,意为“大方的”,“不吝啬的”(lavish)。例如 He is very free with his advice. = He gives plenty of advice.(他给与很多的忠告。)如说 make free with = use another person's things as if they were one' own. 当作自己的一样随便使用别人的东西。例如 They entered the house and made free with whatever they could lay their hands on.(他们一进屋,随意取用所有的东西。)
77.She has been a widow only six months. 她只做了六个月的寡妇。(误) 她的丈夫死了至今不过半年。(正)
注:这句英语意为 It is only six months since she became a widow.若译成“只做了六个月的寡妇”,则不免有很快再嫁之嫌。
78.An airplane was ordered from France. 从法国来定了一架飞机。(误) 向法国去定了一架飞机。(正)
注:普通作“从”解的 from,与 order 连用时,就有“向”的意思,不是“从法国来定”,而是“向法国去定”。
79.He left his watch with me.
他丢下我和他的表走了。(误) 他将表托我保管。(正)
注:\宾语+介词+人“意为“将某物(事)托付某人”。I'll leave the matter to him.(这事我交给他去处理。) I left a message with your servant.(我留言要你的用人转告你。)
80.Men of millions are possessed with the idea. 几百万人都具有这种思想。(误) 百万富翁都具有这种想法。(误)
注:men of millions不可与 millions of men 相混。
81.He is behind time. 他已落伍。(误) 他迟到了。(正)
注:behind time =late,迟到。behind the times,时代落伍。
82.One fine morning he found himself a ruined man. 在一个晴天的早晨他发现自己衰颓了。(误) 一朝醒来,自己已成为一个破产的人了。(正) 注:one fine morning 中的fine一词,实无意义,可以不译,其用法与 one of these fine days(不久总有一天)相同。find oneself,不知不觉间,而自己已变成了。例如 She found herself a mother at fifteen.(她刚十五岁不知不觉之中已做了母亲。)
83.He measured his length on the floor as soon as he entered the room. 他一进房就在地板上测量了他的长度。(误) 他一进房便摔倒了。(正)
84.We searched him to no purpose. 我们寻找他毫无目的。(误)
我们搜查过了他的身上,但毫无所得。(正)
注:寻找一个人的踪迹,是 search for a person,单说 search a person,意为搜查一个人的身上看有无违禁品之类。 to no purpose=with no result。
85.What shall I go in? 我要加入什么?(误) 我穿什么出去呢?(正)
注:这个in 意为dressed in(穿衣)。例如 I have nothing to go in.(我没有衣服穿着出去。)
86.What does c-a-m-e-l spell? 骆驼怎么拼的?(误)
c-a-m-e-l拼成一个什么词?(正)
注:spell 除作“拼”解外,还有“拼成一词”(make up a word)的意思。如照误句的意思应说 How do you spell camel?
87.Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven.(Milton) 最好统治地狱,不要服侍天堂。(误) 宁为鸡头不为牛后。(正)
与其在天堂为仆,不如在地狱为主。 注:在 than后省去了不定词的 to。
88.If the election were held today, we would not have a prayer. 如果今天举行选举的话,我们就不去做祷告了。(误)
如果今天举行选举的话,我们就用不着感谢上帝了。(正)
注:既然失败,自然不必感谢上帝了。have a prayer=offer a prayer of thankfulness 或 啊prayer of thanks to God。
89.I would rather have his room than his company. 我宁肯要他的房间,不要他的公司。(误) 我宁愿他不在此。(正)
注:句中 room 作“余地”解,company 作“伴侣”解。his room 指“他的余地”或“他的空间”,即空了他,也就是说他不在。例句全文意思为“与其跟他同席,宁愿他不在场的好”,简译成“我宁愿他不在此。”
90.That women are bad drivers is open to question. 说女人不会驾车是公开的伪问题。(误) 说女人不会驾车实有疑问的余地。(正)
注:在 open 后无 to者,如 an open question(尚未解决的问题),但有 to 时,如open to =not protected 易受??的,招致??的。His conduct is open to objections.(他的行为易受严重的反对。)The evidence is open to doubt.(证据有可疑的余地。)
91.It is no proof that one cannot do a thing because one does not like it. 因为不喜欢就不能做,这是不能证明的。(误) 不喜欢做并不是不能做的证明。(正)
注:it 的真正主语,不是that以下的文句,而是because以下的文句。
92.I bought these books new. 我新进买了这些书。(误) 那些是我买的新书。(正) 注: new是补语。
93.He said nothing to that effect. 他说的话一点效果也没有。(误)
他没有说一点含有那种意思的话。(正)
注:to that effect 中的 effect=meaning.例如 He wrote to that effect.(他写的大意如此。)The letter is to the effect that.....(那信的大意为??)。
7. The grey mare is the better horse. 牝鸡司晨(女人干政,掌权)