原 文：

Mr. Smith is wearing well.

原 译：

史密斯先生穿得笔挺。

辨析

wear的基本意思是「穿」、「戴」，所以将wear well译成「穿得笔挺」似乎理所当然。但是wear和中文的「穿」、「戴」还是有所不同，除了衣服鞋帽外，还可以有其他宾语（wear不能译成「穿」、「戴」）：

• He sat there wearing what Terry called his "work face".
  他坐在那儿，脸上一副特里称之为「工作相」的样子（一本正经的样子）。

• He was probably wearing a gun.
  他也许带 / 佩带着枪。

• She usually wears her hair in a bun.
  她通常将头发绾成一个髻。

• She still wore the same perfume that evening.
  那天晚上，她身上仍然散发着同样的香水味。（wear译成「喷」、「洒」、「抹」、「搽」、「用」似乎都不好。）

• Most of the people you profiled are really entrepreneurs, a title to wear proudly.
  你描写的人物大多数是实业家，这是个颇让人感到自豪的头衔。

• She wears the slimness of her mother.
  她（的身材）和她妈妈一样苗条。（不能译成「遗传了她妈妈苗条的身材」。）

• Nor is he a fellow who wears his faith on his sleeve.
  他也不是那种让人一眼就能看得出来有什么信念的人。

当然wear也可以是不及物动词，意为「磨损」或「经久耐用」，如：The cloth won't wear.（这种布不耐磨。）原句中的wear well应作「不显老」、「显得年轻」讲，所以应译成：史密斯先生一点也不显老/保养得很好。不过wear用作及物动词也可表示此意：Mr. Smith wears his age / his years well. 当然也可用其他句型，如：Mr. Smith doesn't look his age.（Mr. Smith looks younger than his real age. 则太直， 不是最佳选择。）至于「史密斯先生穿得笔挺」可译为：Mr. Smith is well dressed.