【對焦中英翻譯】選擇英文辭典的重要性

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英文辭典有好的，也有不好的。好的，定義明確，例句詳實，讀者容易學習，不好的，定義模糊，例句不適用，讀者難理解，如call it a day 劍橋的定義與例句如下：
to stop what you are doing because you do not want to do any more or think you have done enough

1. I'm getting a bit tired now - let's call it a day.
2.After 14 years living and working in this country, she thinks it's time to call it a day.
例句1 大家都知道是「今天到此為止」的意思，例句2 卻沒人知道中文怎說，為什麼？
因為大家都不知道"have done enough"所指為何，換一本辭典THE FREE DICTIONARY來看，你會發現，上面清清楚楚地寫著：
If someone calls it a day, they retire from their job. It's no secret I want his job when he calls it a day.
大家都知道他退休時我要他的職位。 

我不相信，稍微有英文基礎的人，會看不懂這樣的說明，所以，對翻譯工作者來說，選擇字典是極其重要的事。