翻译闲谈 （10）

a sight for sore eyes 的灵活译法

嘉中

a sight for sore eyes 中的“sore eyes”指“疲劳的眼睛”, 疲劳的眼睛看到赏心悦目的好景

色，该是什么样的心情呀，因此 a sight for sore eyes 的基本意思是指“悦目之人或物”。

查到的英文注释是：If something or someone is a sight for sore eyes, you are glad to

see them. 至于具体译法，要视语境而定。待你认真读了下列例句，你就有体会了。我们学习

英语词汇和词语，关键一定要掌握好其基本意思，在不同的语境中，可引申出不同的含义，懂

得这一点，翻译时就可灵活发挥你的文采了。

例句：

Its been raining here for a week, so it really was a sight for sore eyes when we saw

the sun this morning.

这儿天已经下了一周的雨，所以当今天早上看到太阳出来了真是高兴极了（欣喜万分）。

Hey, David! You’ re a sight for sore eyes. Man, haven’t seem you for ages.

嗨, 大卫! 你真是稀客。老兄，好久没有见你了。

After the long, dusty hike, the lake and its cool water was a sight for sore eyes.

经过风尘仆仆的跋涉之后，看到清澈的湖水真让人感到心旷神怡, 赏心悦目。

Wow, did your see her? She’s a sight for sore eyes.

哇，你看到她了吗? 她可真养眼啊！

Man, you’re a sight for sore eyes. I’ve been stuck without a care for two days.

Lend me your car for a while, wont you?

伙计, 你可真是救星，我已经两天没有车开了。把你的车借我开一会儿，好吗？

Oh, a sweet cup of coffee. That’s a sight for sore eyes. I am really a bit sleepy.

哦，好香的咖啡！太好了（太棒了），我还真有点睏了。

Youre a sight for sore eyes, all dressed up in your new outfit.

你穿上这套新衣服，真漂亮极了。

Did you watch the new performance of the “mummer’s Dance” by the Richold

Players at the Great Theatre last evening？It was truly a sight for sore eyes.

昨晚，你去看李考德剧团在大剧院演出的“假面舞剧”了吗？这舞剧真是令人耳目一新。

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怎么样？你掌握 a sight for sore eyes 的用法来吧。今后不妨试着用用。