汉译英最易翻译错的句子

中文：

1. 老师很喜欢这个嘴甜的小姑娘。

翻译：

[误] the teacher likes this sweet-mouthed little girl very much.

[正] the teacher likes this honey-lipped little girl very much.

注释：

中国人喜欢说“嘴甜”，但 honey-lipped 更符合英美人的语言习惯。

2.同学们都很讨厌他，因为他经常拍老师的马屁。

[误] the student all dislike him because he often pats the teacher's ass.

[正] the students all dislike him because he often licks the teacher's boots.

注释：

以前在欧洲，臣民见到国王与王后往往要葡匐到在，亲吻他们的靴子。后来，人们将 lick the boots 引申为“为了某种目的而讨好某人”，它与汉语的“拍马屁”含义一样。

在美国英语中，“拍马屁”还有另一种说法，即 polish the apple，它典出以前的学生用擦亮的苹果来讨好老师。