极容易误会的英文
极容易误会的英文
sporting house 妓院(不是“体育室”)
go Dutch AA制 (不是去荷兰)
french letter 避孕套(不是法文信哦)
dead president 美钞(上印有总统头像)(并非“死了的总统”)
personal remark 人身攻击(不是“个人评论”)
sweet water 淡水(不是“糖水”或“甜水”)
confidence man 骗子(不是“信得过的人”)
horse sense 常识(不是“马的感觉”)
capital idea 好主意(不是“资本主义思想”)
familiar talk 庸俗的交谈(不是“熟悉的谈话”)
black tea 红茶(不是“黑茶”)
black art 妖术(不是“黑色艺术”)
black stranger 完全陌生的人(不是“陌生的黑人”)
white coal (作动力来源用的)水(不是“白煤”)
white man 忠实可靠的人(不是“皮肤白的人”)
yellow book 黄皮
(法国政府报告书,以黄纸为封)(不是“黄色书籍”)
red tape 官僚习气(不是“红色带子”)
bigdog 保镖 (不是大狗)
dear John?s letter 绝交信 (不是亲爱的约翰的信)
green hand 新手(不是“绿手”)
American beauty 一种玫瑰,名为“美国丽人”(不是“美国美女”)
English disease 软骨病(不是“英国病”)
Indian summer 愉快宁静的晚年(不是“印度的夏日”)
Greek gift 害人的礼品(不是“希腊礼物”)
Spanish athlete 吹牛的人(不是“西班牙运动员”)
French chalk 滑石粉(不是“法国粉笔”)
pull one?s leg 开玩笑(不是“拉后腿”)
in one?s birthday suit 赤身裸体(不是“穿着生日礼服”)
eat one?s words 收回前言(不是“食言”)
an apple of love 西红柿(不是“爱情之果”)
handwriting on the wall 不祥之兆(不是“大字报”)
bring down the house 博得全场喝彩(不是“推倒房子”)
have a fit 勃然大怒(不是“试穿”)
make one?s hair stand on end 令人毛骨悚然—恐惧(不是“令人发指——气愤”)
be taken in 受骗,上当(不是“被接纳”)
think a great deal of oneself 高看或看重自己(不是“为自己想得很多”)
pull up one?s socks 鼓起勇气(不是“提上袜子”)
have the heart to do (用于否定句)忍心做……不是“有心做”或“有意做”)
You don?t say! 是吗~(不是“你别说”)
You can say that again! 说得好~(不是“你可以再说一遍”)
I haven?t slept better. 我睡得好极了。(不是“我从未睡过好觉”)
You can?t be too careful in your work. 你工作越仔细越好。(不是“你工作不能
太仔细”)
It has been 4 years since I smoked. 我戒烟,年了。(不是“我抽烟4年了”)
People will be long forgetting her. 人们在很长时间内会记住她的。(不是“人们会永远忘记她”)
It can?t be less interesting. 它无聊极了。(不是“它不可能没有趣”)
A-1
[例句]That house is really A-1.
[误译]那间房子的门牌确实是A-1号。
[原意]那间房子确实是一流的。
[说明]A-1,也作A1(形容词),意为“头等的”,“一流的”, “极好的”, “最优秀的”。
a baker?s dozen
[例句]He bought a baker?s dozen of biscuits. [误译]他买了面包师做的12块饼干.
[原意]他买了13块饼干.
[说明]虽然一打(a dozen)=12个,但a baker?s dozen是引自一个典故的习语,意为"13".
a bull of Bushman
[例句]A bull of Bushman woke the sleeping child with his noise. [误译]贝兴的一头公牛弄醒了那个酣睡的孩子.
[原意]一个大嗓门的人把那个酣睡的孩子吵醒了。
[说明]a bull of Bushman 是习语,意为"大嗓门的人??.
a cat in the pan
[例句]He was a cat in the pan.
[误译]他是盘子中的一只猫
[原意]他是个叛徒。
[说明]a cat in the pan 是习语,意为“叛徒”,“变节的人”。
a[the]hair of the dog(that bit one)
[例句]Even a hair of the dog didn?t make him feel better.
[误译]即使一根狗毛也不会使他觉得好些。
[原意]即使是再喝解宿醉的一杯酒,也不会使他觉得好些。
[说明]a [the] hair of the dog(that bit one)是口语,意为“用以解宿醉的一杯酒”。
a Jonah
[例句]Is he a Jonah?
[误译]他就是叫约拿吗,
[原意]他是带来厄运的人吗,
[说明]a Jonah喻意为“带来厄运的人”。
a man of woman
[例句]Angela is a man of a woman.
[误译]安吉拉是个有妇之夫。
[原意]安吉拉是个像男人的女人。
[说明]a[an] + 名词(1)+ of + a [an, that, 物主代词]+ 名词(2)意为“像(1)的(2)”,“(1)般的(2)”。名词(1)和名词(2)也可有复数形式,此时a [an]和that 以及物主代词也要作相应的变动。例如:their Palace of houses (他们的宫殿式的房子)。
a white elephant 沉重的负担
A white day 良辰吉日
green room 温室
lady bird 瓢虫
barber?s cat 面黄肌瘦的人
morning glory 牵牛花
Chinese puzzle 难解之谜
Russian blue 蓝灰色,浅蓝色
French leave 不告而别
City 罗马 Seven-Hill
eight-ball 老实人
to the tens 打扮得极为华丽
crack me up 不是把我敲裂, 是逗得我忍不住大笑
lose my marbles, 不是失去我的大理石, 而是我忘記失憶了
have a ball, 不是有一個球, 而是玩的開心 have a good time
rob Peter to pay Paul, 不是搶彼特來付保羅, 而是挖東牆補西壁
Raining cats and dogs 不是天上下貓狗, 而是雨下的很大
the wall has ears 是隔墙有耳, 不是墙有耳朵
I am all ears 不是我是耳朵, 而是我在細心聆聽
catch 22 不是抓到22, 而是不上不下左右為難
give you a heads up 不是讓你抬頭,而是提前
/警告
the whole nine yards 不是整九碼, 而是全部
fair and square 完全公平公正
an old flame 不是舊火花, 而是老情人
pink slip, 粉紅色不一定浪漫, 這個是解僱通知書
cross the t?s, dot the i?s 做最後的檢查,保證完美不出錯。
cost an arm and a leg 付出手和腳的代價, 當然是非常昂貴了
spill the beans 大嘴巴,傳播別人的秘密
Once in a Blue Moon 見到藍月亮的機會有多高, 當然不是經常了
drama queen 不是戲劇皇后, 而小題大作來吸引注意的人
Jack of all trades 周身刀,沒把利。 什麼都懂一點就是沒有專長。
got stood up 不是讓你站起來, 而是被放鴿子了
a matter of
[例句]He paid a matter of 1000 yuan.
[误译]他付了1000元的货物帐。
[原意]他大约付了1000元。
[说明]a matter of是习语,意为“大约”。
a nice [pretty,fine] kettle of fish
[例句]It is a nice kettle of fish! I have a stomachache.
[误译]这是一锅好鱼,(可惜)我胃痛。
[原意]真糟糕,我胃痛了。
[说明]a nice [pretty,fine] kettle of fish 是口语, 意为“乱七八糟”,“非常混
乱”,“一塌糊涂”,“处境困难”,“糟糕通顶”。
a nose of wax
[例句]She is a nose of wax.
[误译]她的鼻子是蜡制的义鼻。
[原意]她没有主见。
[说明]a nose of wax 是习语,在本例中意为“无主见的人”,“易受摆布的人”
a small fortune
[例句]Glen spent a small fortune on a tour round the world.
[误译]格伦花了一笔小钱周游世界.
[原意]格伦花了巨资周游世界.
[说明]a small fortune是口语,意为"大笔钱??,"巨资??
street walker 妓女 不是站街的人
chicken wire 雞做的電線, 是鐵絲網啦
soft shoulder 軟肩膀, 那是公路邊上沒鋪水泥的地方
live hand to mouth 賺得剛夠糊口,過著沒有隔夜糧的生活
cold feet 腳發冷,臨陣退縮
Jane Doe 不是姓 Doe 名 Jane, 而是無名女系
John Doe 不是姓 Doe 名 John, 而是無名男系
go bananas 和香蕉沒什麼關係, 就是有點情緒激動有點生氣。
you are nuts 你不是乾果, 而是瘋掉
compare apples and oranges 沒有意義去比較不同的東西
till the cows come home 牛都回家了,意思是很久,很晚
face the music 面对不愉快的局面或面对尴尬的境地
white goods 家用电器
white-headed 受宠的
blue and black 青一块紫一块
Daisy started her business on a shoe-string of 10,000 yuan.
【关键词】shoe-string
【误译】黛西开始做10 000元的鞋带生意。
【原意】黛西以10 000元的小额资本开始做买卖.
【说明】本例的shoe-string(名词,美国口语),意为“小额资本”。^_^
甲之砒霜,乙之蜜糖 one man?s trash is another man?s treasury
千里之行,始于足下
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
(出处:《老子》第六十四章:“合抱之木,生于毫末;九层之台,起于累土;千里之行,始于足下。”)
福兮祸之所伏,祸兮福之所倚 (老子)
Luck and Misfortune comes in turn
福至心灵
good luck comes when one has good ideas
塞翁失马,焉知非福
Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise
爱屋及乌Love me, love my dog.
百闻不如一见Seeing is believing.
比上不足,比下有余 worse off than some, better off than many; to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst
笨鸟先飞A slow sparrow should make an early start.
不眠之夜white night
不以物喜,不以己悲 not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personnal
losses
不遗余力spare no effort; go all out; do one?s best
不打不成交"No discord, no concord.
拆东墙补西墙rob Peter to pay Paul
辞旧迎新bid farewell to the old and usher in the new; ring out the old year and ring
in the new
大事化小,小事化了try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then
to reduce it to nothing at all
大开眼界open one?s eyes; broaden one?s horizon; be an eye-opener
国泰民安The country flourishes and people live in peace
过犹不及going too far is as bad as not going far enough; beyond is as wrong as
falling short; too much is as bad as too little
功夫不负有心人Everything comes to him who waits.
好了伤疤忘了疼once on shore, one prays no more
好事不出门,恶事传千里Good news never goes beyond the gate, while bad news spread far and wide.
和气生财Harmony brings wealth
活到老,学到老One is never too old to learn.
既往不咎let bygones be bygones
金无足赤,人无完人Gold can?t be pure and man can?t be perfect.
金玉满堂Treasures fill the home
脚踏实地be down-to-earth
脚踩两只船sit on the fence
君子之交淡如水the friendship between gentlemen is as pure as crystal;
a hedge between keeps friendship green
老生常谈,陈词滥调cut and dried, cliché
礼尚往来Courtesy calls for reciprocity.
留得青山在,不怕没柴烧"Where there is life, there is hope."
马到成功achieve immediate victory; win instant success
名利双收gain in both fame and wealth
茅塞顿开be suddenly enlightened
没有规矩不成方圆Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards.
每逢佳节倍思亲
On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of one?s dear ones far away.
It is on the festival occasions when one misses his dear most.
谋事在人,成事在天"The planning lies with man, the outcome with Heaven. / Man proposes, God disposes. "
弄巧成拙be too smart by half; Cunning outwits itself.
拿手好戏masterpiece
赔了夫人又折兵throw good money after bad
抛砖引玉a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale
破釜沉舟cut off all means of retreat;burn one„s own way of retreat and be determined to fight to the end
抢得先机take the preemptive opportunities
巧妇难为无米之炊If you have no hand you can?t make a fist./ One can?t make
bricks without straw.
千里之行始于足下a thousand-li journey begins with the first step--the highest eminence is to be gained step by step
前事不忘,后事之师Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future. 前人栽树,后人乘凉 One sows and another reaps.
One generation plants the trees in whose shade another generation rests.
前怕狼,后怕虎 fear the wolf in front and the tiger behind/ hesitate in doing something
强龙难压地头蛇 Even a dragon (from the outside) finds it hard to control a snake in its old haunt - Powerful outsiders can hardly afford to neglect local bullies.
强强联手win-win co-operation
瑞雪兆丰年A timely snow promises a good harvest.
人之初,性本善Man?s nature at birth is good.
人逢喜事精神爽Joy puts heart into a man.
人海战术huge-crowd strategy
世上无难事,只要肯攀登"Where there is a will, there is a way. "
世外桃源a fictitious land of peace away from the turmoil of the world;
死而后已until my heart stops beating
岁岁平安Peace all year round
上有天堂,下有苏杭"Just as there is paradise in heaven, ther are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth."
塞翁失马,焉知非福Misfortune may be an actual blessing.
三十而立"A man should be independent at the age of thirty.
At thirty, a man should be able to think for himself."
升级换代updating and upgrading (of products)
四十不惑Life begins at forty.
谁言寸草心,报得三春晖"Such kindness of warm sun, can?t be repaid by grass. "
水涨船高When the river rises, the boat floats high.
时不我待Time and tide wait for no man.
杀鸡用牛刀break a butterfly on the wheel
实事求是seek truth from facts; be practical and realistic; be true to facts
说曹操,曹操到Talk of the devil and he comes.
实话实说speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is
实践是检验真理的唯一
Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.
山不在高,有仙则名"No matter how high the mountain is, its name will spread far and wide if there is a fairy; "
韬光养晦hide one?s capacities and bide one?s time
糖衣炮弹sugar-coated bullets
天有不测风云Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue
团结就是力量Unity is strength.
“跳进黄河洗不清”"eve if one jumped into the Yellow River, one can not wash oneself clean--there?s nothing one can do to clear one?s name "
歪风邪气unhealthy practices and evil phenomena
物以类聚,人以群分Birds of a feather flock together.
往事如风"The past has vanished (from memory) like wind.; What in past, is past."
望子成龙hold high hopes for one?s child
屋漏又逢连阴雨Misfortunes never come singly. When it rains it pours.
文韬武略military expertise; military strategy
唯利是图draw water to one?s mill
无源之水,无本之木water without a source, and a tree wiithout roots
无中生有make/create something out of nothing
无风不起浪There are no waves without wind. There?s no smoke without fire.
徇私枉法bend the law for the benefit of relatives or friends
新官上任三把火a new broom sweeps clean
虚心使人进步,骄傲使人落后Modesty helps one go forward, whereas conceit makes one lag behind.
蓄势而发accumulate strength for a take-off
心想事成May all your wish come true
心照不宣have a tacit understanding; give tacit consent; tacit understanding
先入为主First impressions are firmly entrenched.
先下手为强catch the ball before the bound
像热锅上的蚂蚁like an ant on a hot pan
现身说法warn people by taking oneself as an example
息事宁人pour oil on troubled waters
喜忧参半mingled hope and fear
循序渐进step by step
一路平安,一路顺风speed somebody on their way; speed the parting guest
严以律己,宽以待人be strict with oneself and lenient towards others
鱼米之乡a land of milk and honey
有情人终成眷属"Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well." 有钱能使鬼推磨Money makes the mare go. Money talks.
有识之士people of vision
有勇无谋use brawn rather than brain
有缘千里来相会Separated as we are thousands of miles apart, we come together
as if by predestination.
与时俱进advance with times
以人为本people oriented; people foremost
因材施教teach students according to their aptitude
欲穷千里目,更上一层楼"to ascend another storey to see a thousand miles
further; Ascend further, were you to look farther; Would eye embrace a thousand miles?
Go up, one flight."
欲速则不达Haste does not bring success.
优胜劣汰survival of the fittest
英雄所见略同Great minds think alike.
冤家宜解不宜结Better make friends than make enemies.
冤假错案"cases in which people were unjustly, falsely or wrongly charged
or sentenced; unjust, false or wrong cases"
一言既出,驷马难追A real man never goes back on his words.
招财进宝Money and treasures will be plentiful
债台高筑become debt-ridden
致命要害Achilles? heel
众矢之的target of public criticism
知己知彼,百战不殆Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight
a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.
纸上谈兵be an armchair strategist
纸包不住火Truth will come to light sooner or later.
左右为难between the devil and the deep blue sea; between the rock and the hard
place
to kill two birds with one stone 一箭双雕
趁热打铁 to strike while the iron is hot 火上加油 to pour oil on the flame
晴天霹雳 like a bolt from the blue
浑水摸鱼 to fish in the troubled water 轻如鸿毛 as light as a feather
空中楼阁 castle in the air
破釜沉舟 to burn the boat
如履薄冰 to be on the thin ice
守口如瓶 as dumb as an oyster; as silent as the graves; as close as wax
一贫如洗 as poor as a Church mouse
健壮如牛 as strong as a horse
血流如注 to bleed like a pig/to wake a sleeping dog
打草惊蛇to cast pearls before swine
对牛弹琴to paint the lily
画蛇添足to help a lame dog over a stile 雪中送炭 as easy as falling off a log
1.Practice makes perfect. 熟能生巧。
2.God helps those who help themselves. 天助自助者
3.Easier said than done. 说起来容易做起来难。
4.Where there is a will,there is a way. 有志者事竟成。
5.One false step will make a great difference. 失之毫厘,谬之千里。
6.Slow and steady wins the race. 稳扎稳打无往而不胜。
7.A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. 吃一堑,长一智。
8.Experience is the mother of wisdom. 实践出真知。
9.All work and no play makes jack a dull boy. 只工作不休息,聪明孩子也变
傻。
10.Beauty without virtue is a rose without fragrance. 无德之美犹如没有香味
的玫瑰,徒有其
。
11.More hasty,less speed. 欲速则不达。
12.It?s never too old to learn. 活到老,学到老。
13.All that glitters is not gold. 闪光的未必都是金子。 14.A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.千里之行始于足
下。
15.Look before you leap. 三思而后行。
a day. 伟业非一日之功。 16.Rome was not built in
17.Great minds think alike. 英雄所见略同。
18.well begun,half done. 好的开始等于成功的一半。
19.It is hard to please all. 众口难调。
20.Out of sight,out of mind. 眼不见,心不念。
21.Facts speak plainer than words. 事实胜于雄辩。 22.Call back white and white back. 颠倒黑白。 23.First things first. 凡事有轻重缓急。
24.Ill news travels fast. 坏事传千里。
25.A friend in need is a friend indeed. 患难见真情。
26.live not to eat,but eat to live. 活着不是为了吃饭,吃饭为了活着。
27.Action speaks louder than words. 行动胜过语言。
28.East or west,home is the best. 金窝银窝不如自家草窝。
29.It?s not the gay coat that makes the gentleman. 君子在德不在衣。
30.Beauty will buy no beef. 漂亮不能当饭吃。
31.Like and like make good friends. 趣味相投。
32.The older, the wiser. 姜是老的辣。
33.Do as Romans do in Rome. 入乡随俗。
34.An idle youth,a needy age. 少壮不努力,老大徒伤悲。
35.AS the tree,so the fruit. 种瓜得瓜,种豆得豆。
36.To live is to learn,to learn is to better live. 活着为了学习,学习为了更好的活着。