几个容易误译的英语短语

英语作文    发布时间:2025-07-02  
划词翻译

学英语的过程中,你有没有遇到过一些看似简单,实际意思却大相径庭的表达?今天我们就来聊聊那些容易误译的英语短语,避免你在交流中闹笑话!

1. at someone's expense:  可不是“在某人的花费上”!

"at someone's expense" 经常被误译为“在某人的花费上”,但它的真正含义是“以某人为代价”或“嘲笑某人”。

 例句:
 ✅ "Why did Berk have a good laugh at Allan’s expense?" (为什么伯克对艾伦大加嘲笑?)
 ✅ "He got promoted, but at the expense of his health." (他升职了,但以健康为代价。)
 ✅ "They built their wealth at the expense of the environment." (他们以牺牲环境为代价积累了财富。)

2.  look up:  不止是“向上看”!

"look up" 除了“向上看”,还有“查阅”、“拜访”、“好转”等含义。

 例句:
 ✅ "Look up the word in the dictionary." (查字典。)
 ✅ "I'll look you up next time I'm in town." (我下次进城会去看你。)
 ✅ "Things are looking up." (情况正在好转。)

3.  take after:  可不是“追赶”!

"take after" 不是“追赶”,而是“像,与…相似”。

 例句:
 ✅ "He takes after his father." (他像他父亲。)
 ✅ "She takes after her mother in terms of personality." (她的性格像她母亲。)

4.  break down:  不止是“(机器) 坏了”!

"break down" 除了指机器损坏,还可以表示“情绪崩溃”、“谈判破裂”、“分解”等。

 例句:
 ✅ "The car broke down on the highway." (汽车在高速公路上抛锚了。)
 ✅ "He broke down in tears." (他痛哭流涕。)
 ✅ "Negotiations between the two sides broke down." (双方谈判破裂。)
 ✅ "The body breaks down food into energy." (身体将食物分解成能量。)

5.  put up with:  可不是“忍受”的唯一表达!

虽然 "put up with" 的确表示“忍受”,但还有其他表达方式,例如 "tolerate", "bear", "endure" 等,可以根据语境选择更合适的表达。

 例句:
 ✅ "I can't put up with his rudeness any longer." (我再也无法忍受他的粗鲁了。)
 ✅ "She tolerated his bad habits for years." (她容忍了他的坏习惯多年。)
 ✅ "I can't bear the pain." (我无法忍受疼痛。)
 ✅ "They endured hardship during the war." (他们在战争期间忍受了苦难。)

学习英语,不仅要积累词汇,更要理解词汇的真正含义和用法。希望今天的分享能帮助你避免误译,更自信地使用英语!