原 文:
He said he had a bone in his throat.
原 譯:
他說他感到骨鯁在喉。
辨 析:
“骨鯁在喉”其實是半個成語,后面的“一吐為快”常常省掉,但意思不變,是說某人感到心里憋著話,必須說出來才痛快,盡管表面上看和英語原句中的have a bone in one's throat相似,但意思不一樣,英語是不想表態(tài)的一種借口,很難找到確切的漢語現(xiàn)成說法,可譯成“(因為骨頭卡在喉嚨里)說不出話來了”。(真的喉嚨啞而不適,可以說have a frog in one's throat;因傷心等喉嚨哽住了則可說have a lump in one's throat。)所以原句可譯成:他說他的喉嚨說不了話了。英語中還有一個類似的說法:have a bone in one's leg / arm,意思為腿 / 胳膊抬不起來了(動彈不了),其實也是不愿意去某地或做某事時的一個借口而已。
英語中有許多由“have something +在身體某部位”構(gòu)成的成語,實際上是一種特殊的隱喻,很形象,有的能從字面上猜出其意思,有的則猜不出來, 但都值得玩味和學(xué)習使用:
have a drop in one's eye有點醉
have bags under one's eyes (因未睡好等而)眼袋下垂
have roses in one's cheeks臉色紅潤(尤指女孩子)
have eggs on one's face丟丑,丟臉
have the gallows in one's face 長著一副不得善終的臉相;
have eyes at the back of one's head / neck有高度警惕性(能眼觀六路)
have a hole in one's head 糊涂,缺心眼兒
have rocks in one's head 愚蠢,沒有判斷力
have a maggot in one's brain 想法離奇
have a flea in one's ear 遭拒絕,碰釘子
have a plum in one's mouth 講話的樣子像上層社會的人
have a spark / cowweb in one's throat 口渴
have a worm in one's tongue 愛吵架
have an ox on one's tongue 受賄而緘口
have a soft place in one's heart (for somebody or something) 喜愛,有好感
have a turkey on one's back 醉酒或吸毒成癮
have a wolf in one's stomach 餓極了;have butterflies in one's stomach (做某事前)感到緊張
have bats in one's belfry 顯得古怪,精神失常
have sand in one's craw 有勇氣,有膽量