原 文:
She has an expensive taste in clothes.
原 译:
她在衣服方面有一个费钱的爱好。
辨 析:
taste是一个抽像名词,可以指具体的「滋味」、「口味」,如:
This soup is to my taste.(这汤合我的口味。)
也可以指「爱好」、「情趣」等较抽像的概念。
a man of taste表示「有情趣/情趣爱好高雅的人」。
That young guy is in bad taste.(那个年轻人很粗俗。)
动词短语have a taste for something是「爱好某物」的意思,taste之前常可加上各种形容词,表示各式各样的情趣和风格,如:
have a distinctive taste,
have an aromatic taste,
have an exquisite taste,
have a fastidious taste,
have an intellectual taste,
have an elegant taste,
have an elevated taste,
have a bad taste,
have a vulgar taste,
have a savage taste,
have a critical taste等。
have an expensive taste的意思是说所爱好的东西很贵,与之类似的说法have a fashionable taste指喜爱时髦的东西。
have a taste in something则指喜欢某种东西,如果将原句中have an expensive taste in clothes作为一个整体概念考虑,只要稍稍动一下脑子就可译成地道的汉语:她爱好(买/穿)高档的衣服。那么have an acquired / developed taste for something 怎么讲呢?这里的acquired / developed译成汉语时最好译成状语:后来 / 逐渐喜欢上了某物。