潇潇语言实验室No. 002

发布时间：2007-07-23

作者：潇潇

来源于：昂立外语网站

续回上集，讲回猫：

"fat cat"是指那些富的流油的有钱人。

无论是在中学还是大学，身边都有人的花名叫做猫，或许是因为猫敏捷，乖巧吧。
自己高中时也有个外号叫Supercat，听起来很super，其实那只是"Kinder"朱古力广告里面的大肥猫而已。

但其实在西方文化中，cat是有些不太好的含义的。cat也可指 A mean and unpleasant woman.

但是各位爱猫的女生不必介意，因为这一层意思很少人们使用。

《飘》的续集SCARLETT中Scarlett和Rhett的第二个可爱女儿就取名为Cat。

有人将"欲擒故纵"译为"play cat and mouse"字典的解析为 "let someone think that they are getting or doing what they want, then prevent them from getting or doing it.
意思模糊近似吧。

俗语中说的"吊高来买"在英文中为"play hard to get"

I'm sure it is not that Juliet doesn't want to date you. She's only playing hard to get. -我肯定Juliet不是不想和你约会。她只是在吊你胃口而已。

人有时就是这样，给他他不要，得不到的他偏要苦苦地去追。
玩玩"play hard to get"的游戏，可以刺激征服欲强的他/她.

我们说的"放电"在英文中为"turn on the charm"。

"turn on"通常指打开电开关，所以"turn on the charm"解作"放电"也很贴切。
It is difficult to refuse Lara when she turns on the charm.

相反，"turn sb. off"意为"让人恶心"或"让人兴趣全无"。

The radio turned me off, so I turned it off.－－电台（节目）让我恶心，所以我把它给关了。

Back to "rain" again－
我们说的"未雨绸缪"在英文中也有相应的说法"save it for a rainy day"--to save something, esp. money, for a time when you will need it.

"雨季"可译为"rainy days" or "rainy season"

雨季总让人有少许的失落，"失落感"－"sense of loss"
"这是我的损失"－"The loss is mine."

我求职失败时总会用一句话来安慰自己，"这是他们的损失"－"That's their loss."

"不知所措"－"at a loss"

Yvonne is at a complete loss as to how to excel in her new job.

"lost in thought"--"陷入沉思"

"feel lost in the crowd"--to not feel confident about what to do or how to behave, esp. among people you do not know.

"Get lost!"--"滚开！"

"There is no love lost between them."--they dislike each other. －他们讨厌彼此。

Well, to be continued...