注:pull one's leg 是“愚弄某人,开某人的玩笑”的意思,相当于 make fun of sb.。英语中与“拖后腿”相对应的表达是 hold sb. back 或 be a drag on sb. 等。
23. 学校里,那些长得人高马大的家伙常来找我的麻烦。
[误] At school, those big and strong guys always come to find my trouble。
[正] At school, those big and strong guys always come to pick on me。
注:find my trouble 是“发现我的难处”的意思,而英语中“找某人的麻烦”用短语 pick on sb. 它不仅表示“挑剔某人、找某人的碴”,而且还包含 tease(取笑、戏弄)或 bully(威胁、欺侮)的意思。
24. 原来如此。一经你解释我就明白了。
[误] So it is. I understand soon after your explanation。
[正] So that's how it is. I understand soon after your explanation。
注:So it is 的意思是“的确如此”,它是用来表示对对方观点的赞同的。例如: A: It is a fine day today!
B: So it is。
而在表达恍然大悟时,英文要用 So that's how it is 或 So that explains it, 或更简单地道的说法 Oh, I see。
25. 我没料到这个无耻的女人居然同她好友的丈夫调情。
[误] I had not expected that this shameful woman should flirt with her best friend's husband。
[正] I had not expected that this shameless woman should flirt with her best friend's husband。
注:shameful 通常指某事物是“可耻的,丢脸的”,而 shameless 表示 having or showing no feeling of shame; immodest or impudent,它一般用来指人“不知羞耻的,不要脸的”或“伤风败俗的”。原文也可译为:It's shameful that the woman should flirt with her best friend's husband。
26. 我每天都要在网吧里呆上10个小时,是个不折不扣的网虫。