以下分別舉例說明。
(1)等值翻譯:
a drop in the ocean滄海一粟
within a stones throw一箭之遙
ki11 two birds with one stone一箭雙雕
A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit..吃一塹,長一智。
(2)不等值翻譯:
at sixes and sevens亂七八糟
on second thoughts再三考慮
by ones and twos兩兩地,零零落落地
Two heads are better than one.三個臭皮匠勝過諸葛亮。
Can you come down a little? --Sorry, its one price for all.
你能便宜一點賣嗎?對不起,不二價.
He had one over the eight after be drank only half bottle ofthewine。
他才喝了半瓶酒就醉得七歪八倒了。
(3)不必譯出
One mans meat is another mans poison.人各有所好。
Ill love you three score and ten.我會一輩子愛你的。
Ten to one he has forgotten it.很可能他已經(jīng)忘了。
His mark in math is second to none in the class.
他的數(shù)學分數(shù)在班上是名列前茅的。
She is a second Lei Feng。她是雷鋒式的人物。
I always believe my sixth sense。我總相信我的直覺。
He talks about you nine times out of ten when we haveachitchat.
每次我們閑聊他幾乎都談及你。
The parson official1y pronounced that they became one。
牧師正式宣告他們成婚。
I used to study in France in the year one。我早年曾在法國學習。