give someone a run for their money (idiom)
有時,翻譯有出入,是因定義不同的緣故,如
give sb a run for his money
簡單不明確的為:to not allow someone to win easily
說明正確詳盡的: this idiom is usually used when talking about games, sports or competitions. The idea is the favored person or team to win will have to work harder in order to stay in the lead position. They can’t just relax and assume that they will win for sure.
但,大多時候,是因例句看得不夠多,不夠詳盡,無法在不同的語境中找出適當的語意所致!
1. Although we didn’t win, we gave the other team a run for their money.
雖然我們沒有贏,但我們讓對手苦戰了一番。(Teacher Sammy)
2. We're going to give the other candidate a run for her money. 我們不會讓另外的那個候選人輕易獲勝的。(劍橋)
3. Amy was an excellent supermodel and could have given any other professional a run for their money. 艾美過去是一名非常優秀的超模,可能是其他任何專業模特兒的競爭對手。(英語之家)
在提例詳解這句話之前,先讓大家有個基本概念:
如果你經常看運動比賽,在雙方實力相當、比賽呈現激烈狀況時,你會聽到最後勝出的人說:Although I defeated him, he gave me a run for my money. 我雖然打敗了他,他卻讓我吃盡苦頭。
你也會聽到觀眾說:We like to watch him play because he always gives us a run for our money.。我們喜歡看他打球,因為他總是讓我們大呼過癮。
所以,很多時候,你得有專業認知,才能正確翻譯困難的語句,不看運動比賽的人,實在難以聯想到,中文「讓...吃進苦頭」跟「讓..大呼過癮」在英文是相同的一句話,所以,不管翻譯甚麼,我們都要詳看語例,分析語境,才能正確解出實際語意。
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give sb a run for his money (idiom)
1.讓…吃盡苦頭
1.讓…吃盡苦頭
While the Lakers have home court advantage in the series and are heavily favored, the Pistons will definitely give them a run for their money.
湖人隊在冠軍系列賽中固然擁有主場優勢,並且大大被看好,但活塞隊必然會讓他們吃盡苦頭。
2.給…造成莫大的挑戰
Everyone thinks The Storm by Martin Collins will win the best book prize this year, but the new book by Pauline Young will really give Collins a run for his money.
大家都認為Martin Collins 的Storm會贏得今年的最佳圖書獎,但Pauline Young這本新書確實會給Collins造成莫大的挑戰。
3.給...強大的危脅
So far Germany has won 232 gold medals at the Olympics, but Italy is giving them a run for their money with 227 gold medals.
目前德國在奧運會已贏得232面獎牌,但義大利拿了227面,給德國強大的危脅。
A new computer company is giving the others a run for their money.
新的電腦公司給其他業者強大的危脅。
4 .讓…大呼過癮
Abigail Eames gave me a run for my money as a performer in Shivaa.
女星Abigailn Eames在Shivaa這部片中的演出讓我大呼過癮。
中譯英:
1. 我雖然打敗了他,他卻讓我吃盡苦頭。Although I defeated him, he gave me a run for my money.
1. 我雖然打敗了他,他卻讓我吃盡苦頭。Although I defeated him, he gave me a run for my money.
2. 別低估我們今天的對手,我認為他們會讓我們吃盡苦頭。Don't underestimate our opponents today—I think they'll give us a run for our money.
重點:翻譯是不是正確,看能不能用來翻譯中文即知!!!
補充說明:有人質疑我的翻譯,認為在競爭中,這句話的主要意思是「讓...陷入苦戰」而非「讓...吃盡苦頭」,我必須經過縝密的思考,詳細判斷情況,才能說明兩者的差異:
通常,在一場比賽中,如果對方實力高於你,評估你無勝面,但你不認輸,使出拚勁,奮戰不懈,緊咬不捨,讓對手必須從頭到尾都緊繃精神全力以赴,才能在毫不鬆懈的情況下艱苦獲勝,這樣,即使你吃敗戰,你也讓他吃盡了苦頭。
「讓...陷入苦戰」則非如此,它通常是指在比賽中因為你的計策或對手本身的緣故讓他實力突然無從發揮,失去原有水平,以致打來十分掙扎,屢屢處於挨打的局面,在這情況下,比賽不會有相互還以顏色的激戰場面,勝負也很容易看出,觀眾不會感到緊張刺激。
資料來源 <莊修談翻譯>
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