46. 你希望什么時候成家呢？
[誤] When do you want to start a family?
[正] When do you want to get married?
注：中文的“成家”是“結(jié)婚”的意思，而英文 start a family 的含義卻是“生第一個孩子”，二者完全不是一回事。
47. 寧做雞頭，不做鳳尾。
[誤] Better be the head of a cock than the tail of a phoenix.
[正] Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.
注：每種語言中都有許多約定俗成的表達(dá)，沒有什么道理好講，但使用時則需遵照各自的語言習(xí)慣。中文是“雞頭”和“鳳尾”比，而英語中卻要用“狗頭”和“獅尾”。
48. 海倫就像一只驕傲的公雞，從來不愛搭理別人。
[誤] Helen is proud as a cock, and she never talks to others.
[正] Helen is proud as a peacock, and she never talks to others.
注：“孔雀”在中國人眼里是美麗和吉祥的象征，而公雞因為常把頭昂得高高地，尾巴翹到了天上，擺出一副盛氣凌人的架子，因此成了“驕傲”的化身。但西方文化不注重孔雀美麗的一面，認(rèn)為它們很驕傲，所以英美人在形容一個人驕傲、狂妄和愛慕虛榮時，就把他（她）比作 peacock。
49. 因為沒有吃的，那個索馬里的小男孩瘦得像猴子。
[誤] That Somali boy is as thin as a monkey because of the lack of food.
[正] That Somali boy is as thin as a shadow because of the lack of food.
注：同一事物，在不同的文化里可能引起不同的聯(lián)想，具有不同的內(nèi)涵。所以，在一種語言中用這種事物作比喻，而在另一種語言中很可能會有不同的表達(dá)。這樣的例子中英文還有很多，例如：as timid as a hare（膽小如鼠），as strong as a horse（力大如牛），as poor as a church mouse（一貧如洗）等。
50. 索菲婭望子成龍心切，給兒子報名參加了許多補(bǔ)習(xí)班。
[誤] Sophia hopes to see her son become a dragon, therefore she enters his name for many classes of supplementary schooling.
[正] Sophia hopes that her son will have a bright future, therefore she enters his name for many classes of supplementary schooling.
注：“龍”在中國人心目中象征著神圣和萬能，但在西方人的印象中卻是可怕的，《圣經(jīng)》里就把“龍”描述成了罪惡的象征。
[誤] When do you want to start a family?
[正] When do you want to get married?
注：中文的“成家”是“結(jié)婚”的意思，而英文 start a family 的含義卻是“生第一個孩子”，二者完全不是一回事。
47. 寧做雞頭，不做鳳尾。
[誤] Better be the head of a cock than the tail of a phoenix.
[正] Better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.
注：每種語言中都有許多約定俗成的表達(dá)，沒有什么道理好講，但使用時則需遵照各自的語言習(xí)慣。中文是“雞頭”和“鳳尾”比，而英語中卻要用“狗頭”和“獅尾”。
48. 海倫就像一只驕傲的公雞，從來不愛搭理別人。
[誤] Helen is proud as a cock, and she never talks to others.
[正] Helen is proud as a peacock, and she never talks to others.
注：“孔雀”在中國人眼里是美麗和吉祥的象征，而公雞因為常把頭昂得高高地，尾巴翹到了天上，擺出一副盛氣凌人的架子，因此成了“驕傲”的化身。但西方文化不注重孔雀美麗的一面，認(rèn)為它們很驕傲，所以英美人在形容一個人驕傲、狂妄和愛慕虛榮時，就把他（她）比作 peacock。
49. 因為沒有吃的，那個索馬里的小男孩瘦得像猴子。
[誤] That Somali boy is as thin as a monkey because of the lack of food.
[正] That Somali boy is as thin as a shadow because of the lack of food.
注：同一事物，在不同的文化里可能引起不同的聯(lián)想，具有不同的內(nèi)涵。所以，在一種語言中用這種事物作比喻，而在另一種語言中很可能會有不同的表達(dá)。這樣的例子中英文還有很多，例如：as timid as a hare（膽小如鼠），as strong as a horse（力大如牛），as poor as a church mouse（一貧如洗）等。
50. 索菲婭望子成龍心切，給兒子報名參加了許多補(bǔ)習(xí)班。
[誤] Sophia hopes to see her son become a dragon, therefore she enters his name for many classes of supplementary schooling.
[正] Sophia hopes that her son will have a bright future, therefore she enters his name for many classes of supplementary schooling.
注：“龍”在中國人心目中象征著神圣和萬能，但在西方人的印象中卻是可怕的，《圣經(jīng)》里就把“龍”描述成了罪惡的象征。