王逢鑫
夏季到了,天氣炎熱,人們常常流汗。在劇烈運動之后,身體發(fā)熱,人們也會流汗。
sweat/perspiration(汗)首先與heat(熱)相關。例如:
1. 汗是哺乳類動物皮膚的汗腺分泌出的含有鹽分的液體。Sweat/Perspiration is the salty liquid given off by sweat glands in the skin of mammals.
第二,人們在繁重體力勞動之后會流汗。sweat比喻hard work或great effort。例如:
2. 他靠流汗吃苦而獲得了成功。He achieved success by the sweat of his brow (= by working very hard).
3. 蓋這所房子讓我們流了許多汗,受了許多累。It took a lot of sweat and toil for us to build the house.
4. 運氣是流汗吃苦的結果。流汗越多,越有運氣。Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.
第三,sweat與疾病(illness/sickness)有關。人們在生病時會出虛汗(to sweat due to debility),或盜夜汗(to have night sweats、to perspire during sleep at night)?!俺龊跪尯?,英語譯為to sweat out the cold、to sweat it out。例如:
5. 這個病人因身體虛弱而經(jīng)常盜夜汗。As the patient is weak, he often has night sweats.
6. 覺得要患流感時,你應該上床睡覺,出汗驅寒。When you feel flu coming on, you should get into bed and sweat it out.
第四,sweat還與fear(恐懼)、anxiety(焦慮)和worry(擔憂)相關?!懊袄浜埂弊g為to break out in a cold sweat。例如:
7. 他一想到蹦極,就因恐懼而全身冒冷汗。He breaks out in a cold sweat all over through fear just at the thought of bungee jumping.
8. 這個學生臨考前總是急得一身汗。The student is always all of a sweat before the exam.
9. 這個學生考試后一直擔憂最后的分數(shù)。①After the student took the test, he was sweating over (= worrying about) his final score. ②After the student took the test, he was in a sweat about (= worrying about) his final score.
10.在等待與老板談話時,這名雇員精神十分緊張。The employee was sweating bullets (= very nervous) while he waited to talk to his boss.
11. 不必為微小細節(jié)著急。There’s no need to get in a sweat about minor details.
12. ——汽車不能啟動了。我們該怎么辦?The car won’t start. What are we going to do? ——不用擔心。修車的事,我全會。Don’t sweat (= worry about) it. I know all about fixing cars.
第五,sweat還有一個意思是condensation of moisture on a cold surface,指“物體表面遇冷凝結水珠”。例如:
13. 當我驅車出城時,車窗玻璃開始凝結水珠。When I drove out of the city, the glass of my car windows began to sweat.
流汗是常見生理現(xiàn)象,漢語有許多同義詞,包括出汗、排汗、淌汗、發(fā)汗、滴汗、冒汗、滲汗等。同樣,英語也相應具有大量同義表達方法,包括to sweat、to be sweaty、to drip sweat、to drop sweat、to work up a sweat、to break out in a sweat、to perspire、to induce perspiration、to pour、to trickle、to ooze等。例如:
14. 由于幾天沒洗澡,他一身臭汗。As he has not taken a bath for several days, he is disgustingly sweaty.
15. 做家務活兒真的會出汗。You can really work up a sweat doing housework.
16. 汗水從這個士兵頭盔下面流出,沿纖細的發(fā)尖流下。Sweat poured from underneath the soldier’s helmet and down the thin points of his hair.
17. 我看見一粒汗珠從他的額頭流下。I saw a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead.
18. 當他小心翼翼向后倒退時,汗水從他發(fā)亮的額頭滲出。The sweat oozed from his shiny forehead as he backed cautiously away.
輕微流汗,即“汗津津”,英語可以譯為to be somewhat sweaty、to be wet with sweat、to be wet with perspiration、to be moist with sweat、to be moist with perspiration、to be damp with sweat、to be damp with perspiration、to dampen、to be dripping with sweat、to be dripping with perspiration。例如:
19. 他的皮膚汗津津的。His skin was damp with sweat/perspiration.
20. 他的臉和脖子都汗津津的。Sweat/Perspiration dampened his face and neck.
大量流汗,即“汗淋淋”“汗漉漉”或“大汗淋漓”,英語可以譯為to sweat a lot、to sweat heavily、to sweat violently、to sweat buckets、to sweat like a pig、to sweat profusely、to profuse sweating、to perspire profusely、to stream with sweat、to leave puddles of sweat behind、to pour off sb、to wring wet。例如:
21. 這場籃球比賽使我大汗淋漓。The basketball game left me perspiring profusely.
22. 烈日下在田里干活,他大汗淋漓。Working in the field in the hot sun, he was wringing wet.
“渾身是汗”,英語可以譯為to sweat all over、to be all of a sweat。例如:
23. 由于天氣炎熱,我們都渾身是汗。As it was very hot, we sweated all over.
“被汗水浸透”,英語可以譯為to be sweated through、to be covered with sweat、to be drenched in sweat、to be soaked in sweat、to be soaked (through) with sweat、to be sweat-soaked、to be bathed in sweat、to be saturated with sweat、to be soggy with sweat、to be completely run with sweat等。例如:
24. 由于天氣太熱了,他們的身體被汗水浸透。As it was too hot, their bodies were drenched in sweat.
25. 跑完萬米之后,他被汗水浸透。After running 10,000 meters, he was soaked through with sweat.
26. 烈日當空,所有干活兒的人都被汗水浸透。In the scorching sun, all the working people were bathed in sweat.
27. 他的白襯衫被汗水浸透。His white shirt was saturated with sweat.
28. 他從口袋里掏出一封被汗水浸透的信。From his pocket, he took out a letter which was soggy with sweat.