句子:倾盆大雨淹没街道,许多汽车泡汤了。
误译:The torrents of rain flooded the street, and many cars drowned.
正译:The torrents of rain flooded the street, and many cars were drowned.
解释:在这里,“泡汤”有“被水淹没”的意思。to drown 的意思是to completely cover sth in water,即“淹没”,为及物动词。“汽车泡汤”,就是“汽车被淹没”,应该用被动语态。
“泡汤”的第一个意思是“浸泡在汤里”。英语可以译为 to be immersed in soup。例如:
1. 我认为吃米饭泡汤对胃不好。
I don't think that eating the rice immersed in soup does any good to the stomach.
“泡汤”的第二个意思是“被水淹没”。英语可以译为 to be drowned, to be immersed in water。例如:
2. 这场倾盆大雨过后,至少有20辆汽车在被水淹的地下车库泡汤了。
After the heavy rainfall, at least 20 cars were immersed in water in the flooded underground car park.
“泡汤”的第三个意思是“在温泉里沐浴或洗浴”。英语可以译为 to bathe in a hot spring。例如:
3. 冬天,他喜欢到温泉泡汤。
In winter, he enjoys bathing in a hot spring.
“泡汤”的第四个意思是“怠工”或“磨洋工”。英语可以译为 to dawdle, to loiter。例如:
4. 现在干活泡汤的吃不开了。
Those who dawdle over their work have now become unpopular.
“泡汤”的第五个意思是“落空”。英语可以译为to come to nothing, to dash to pieces,to fall through。例如:
5. 由于管理不善,他的投资全部泡汤了。
As a result of bad management, his investment came to nothing at all.
6. 由于干旱歉收,村民丰收的希望泡汤了。
Due to the crop failure caused by drought, the villages' hope for good harvest dashed to pieces.
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(来源;原版英语 作者:王逢鑫 编辑:Julie)