首先要說,大家都做得很棒!!!
【Chinese to English】
- 善戰者鮮能善和,善和者寡能善戰。
Those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace, and those who can make a good peace can rarely win a war.
注:原句來自丘吉爾:"Those who can win a war well can rarely make a good peace and those who could make a good peace would never have won the war.”
https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/winston_churchill_164036
不過我覺得大家說得比丘吉爾更簡潔明了。:)
- 對穀歌的使用價值再怎麽估計也不會過高。
The usefulness of Google cannot be overestimated.
注:參見 https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/overestimate
If you say that something cannot be overestimated, you are emphasizing that you think it is very important. 網上的例句: The importance of participating in the life of the country cannot be overestimated.
很高興看到大家早都掌握了這個句型。記得過去這個句型對國人挺有難度,會有不少人把 “cannot be overestimated" 翻成 ”一定不能過高估計“,和英文的原意”再高的估計都不過分“正相反了。
- 是金子不一定都發光。
All that is gold does not glitter.
注:這個句子出自《指環王》,是從莎士比亞的《威尼斯商人》裏的名句變來的。莎翁原句是,“All that glitters is not gold",按莎翁原意,標準的翻譯是 (1)"並非所有的金子都發光"。 但其實這個英語句子是多義的,其第二個意思是(2)“所有的金子都不發光”。這裏最有意思的是,國人看到莎翁的句子一般隻會想到(2),但母語為英語的人,譬如莎翁,卻首先會想到是(1)。 這個和中文與英文的否定詞有關,中文中的否定詞在任何層麵都不能移動,所以它所修飾的東西不變。而英文的否定詞在理解層麵卻是能移動的,“not" 如果原地不動,就是(2),如果在理解層麵移到最前麵,就是(1)。 而母語為英語的人更習慣(1),因為英語這種深層淺層的移動很普遍,譬如疑問詞和代詞 (What did you do ___ ? I borrowed the book that you were reading ___ yesterday. I wonder where they are going ___ .)
https://medium.com/mindset-matters/who-said-not-all-those-who-wander-are-lost-22142f72856d
- 隻要功夫深, 鐵杵磨成針。
Constant/continual dropping wears away a stone.
Another, literal, Translation: If you work hard enough at it, you can grind even an iron rod down to a needle.
【English to Chinese】
1. All cookies are not fattening.
a. 所有的曲奇都不會肥人。
b. 不是所有的曲奇都肥人。
注:這個也是 "All ... not ... " 句型。 :)
(https://www.reddit.com/r/logic/comments/5j93wa/syllogistic_logic_apparently_you_cannot_say_that/)
- Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy and an amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him to the public.
這個大家都翻得很棒,下麵的僅供參考:
寫書如探險。剛開始它是件玩具,是種娛樂。接下來你享受它不輸偷情,繼而它成了你的一位主子,再然後它成了無上暴君。到最後,就在你準備聽天由命俯首帖耳的關頭,你卻成功屠龍,並把它拖出去示眾。
意譯: 寫書形如探險,始之遊戲爾爾,繼而上癮難離,而後為其有舍,再而惟命是從。最後,眼看要心甘情願俯首帖耳了,你卻決然揮別,棄之與世人。
【Idioms】
- The biggest bank heist in history was about to go down. (happen)
- I loved the first book but the sequel is a different kettle of fish. (totally different)
【改錯】
Seeing that the police (was) were coming, the robbers (the money was) left the money (by the robbers) beside the cash register.
People should stop (to smoke) smoking (cigarette) cigaretts as (cigarettes) cigarette smoking has been shown to cause cancer.