四C標準

準確用詞關(guān)系到表達的正確和地道,一般而言涉及四個“C”：
第一個“C”為connotation(內(nèi)涵),它比meaning(意義)更為深入.例如,discount的意思為“折扣”,但英語中“30%discount”指原價100元現(xiàn)在賣70元；而漢語中“三折”指原價100元現(xiàn)在賣30元.漢語表達的很多意思在英語中沒有完全對應(yīng)的說法,但可以盡量找接近的,以提高表達的“精確度”.《新東方英語》2004年第1期29頁一篇講詞匯知識的文章說“有時候會犯些小錯(mistake),有時候會鬧大笑話(blunder)”,其實blunder是強調(diào)錯誤的“嚴重”和“非故意”,howler才和“大笑話”對應(yīng).
第二個“C”為collocation(搭配).它除了影響地道性(如big rain不如heavy rain地道),還與詞義有關(guān),例如apply與for和to搭配時意思分別為“申請”和“運用”.須注意的是entitle若和to搭配意思就不是通常的“冠名,命名”,而是“擁有某種權(quán)利、地位、榮譽等”.“be entitled to”的用法首先出現(xiàn)于1995年研究生入學(xué)考試第25題,2003年上海高考第53題“再現(xiàn)”時答對率僅11%(顯然其中還有許多是猜對的).
第三個“C”為contest(上下文).上下文會影響詞的意義,筆者曾討論過不同上下文中詞義截然相反的情況(本報2003.10.3).當然,廣義的contest還包括場合.例如,“生意興隆通四海,財源茂盛達三江”可以簡單地表達為“Far and wide trade booms；here andthere money comes”,但在正式場合譯為“Home and abroad business thrives；hither and thither profit arrives”更好,因為這樣用詞較為莊重和古雅(hither and thither是here and there在古英語中的說法).
第四個“C”為culture(文化),這需要考慮使用不同語言的人的思維方式、風俗習(xí)慣和可能的心理反應(yīng)等因素.例如,東西方對狗的情感態(tài)度不同,狗在西方并不像在東方一樣可鄙.英語中“dog-eat-dog”并不像漢語中“狗咬狗”一樣帶有鄙夷甚至幸災(zāi)樂禍的感情色彩,而是強調(diào)殘酷甚至有點痛惜.這一差異在英譯漢的時候尤其應(yīng)該重視.口譯時若把“as faithful as a dog”譯為“像狗一樣忠實”很容易引起東方人的反感,活譯為“像老黃牛一樣忠誠”則效果會好得多.又如,海燕(storm petrel)在中、俄兩國是進步和新銳力量的象征,但在西方經(jīng)濟界則指引起恐慌和震蕩的人或事物,因此可以視具體情況用pioneer,vanguard,gazelle或bellwether等詞替代.
(文/華東師大 竇東友 材料工程博士,英語教育博士后）

（1）bad egg壞蛋,歹徒.
Trust him nothing；he is a bad egg.別信他,他是個壞蛋.
（2）crocodile tears鱷魚的眼淚,假慈悲.
Don't weep crocodile tears with his misfortune. I know you have always detested him and are only too happy to see him get into trouble.別假惺惺地為他的不幸難過了,我知道你一直討厭他,看到他倒霉,心里可高興哩!
（3）cry wolf呼喊“狼來了”,發(fā)假情報.
That politician cries wolf in every speech he makes.那個政治家在他的每篇演說中都發(fā)假警報.
（4） （that is） easier said than done說起來容易做起來難.
Easier said than done,let's pay more attention to practice.
說起來容易做起來難,讓我們多注意些實踐吧!
（5）fish in troubled waters混水摸魚,乘人之危.
He's always been good at fishing in troubled waters; he made a lot of money by buying houses that were bombed in the war.他總是善于乘人之危大撈一把,他靠購買在戰(zhàn)爭中遭過轟炸的房屋而賺了大量的錢財.
（6）fish out of water離水之魚,不得其所.
She felt like a fish of water at the evening party because she knew no one. 她在晚會上感到很局促,因為她一個人也不認識.
（7）gives someone an inch and he will take an ell得寸進尺.
If you give those people an inch,they'll take an ell；we told them they might use our side path to reach their garden,now they have fenced in the path so that we cannot use it ourselves.那些人就是得寸進尺；我們對他們說,他們可以經(jīng)過我們的小道進他們的花園,現(xiàn)在他們已在小道上修起了籬笆,以致我們自己也無法走這條小路過去了.
（8）go west上西天,死,失敗.
Poor John was one of those who went west in the explosion.可憐的約翰是在這次爆炸中魂歸西天的人物之一.
（9）in a word一句話,簡而言之
I have no time to tell you the whole story, in a word, they become hostile to each other.我沒時間把全部經(jīng)過告訴你,一句話,他們相互成了仇敵.
（10）lose face丟臉；失面子.
Certain country often loses face in regard to its relations with small weak countries on account of its dirty tricks某個國家在與弱小國家交往中因其使用卑鄙手段而總是丟臉.
（11）odds and ends零零碎碎.
What shall we do with all those odds and ends?我們用那些殘余的東西可做什么呢?
（12）play with fire玩火,作無謂而危險的事.
He who plays with fire gets burned．玩火者必自焚.
（13）strike while the iron is hot趁熱打鐵.
Father is in a good mood at the moment．Strike while the iron is hot and ask him to let you go to the circus.這時父親的情緒很好,乘此機會求他讓你去看馬戲.
（14）there’s no smoke without fire無火不冒煙；無風不起浪.
The story is all over the town. It is being spread by someone or by some people. There's no smoke without fire.這個傳說遍及全城,有人或有些人還在散布.真是無火不冒煙.
（15）a thorn in the flesh （side）肉中刺；棘手的事,不斷使某人煩惱的根源.
（l6）The memory of this act will be a thorn in the flesh for the rest of your life,my boy.這種行動會使你不斷引起回憶.使你終生煩惱,我的朋友.