自PConline:
我们常说一句口头禅叫“我惹不起还躲不起吗?”这让我想起英文中一个很实用的表达:ward off, 它的意思是“避开某人某物”。
Some people use insect repellents to ward off mosquitoes in summer.
(译文:在夏天,许多人用杀虫剂来避蚊子。)
片语ward off something中的ward本来意思是“保护、防守”,从字面上看,这个片语意思是指“因为离开(off)而起来保护作用”,所以含有避开某物而得到保护,使之不受伤害的意思,我们常直译为:“避开某物或某人。”To ward off something means to do something to try to protect yourself from something bad, such as illness, danger, or attack. 大家都知道,手是最容易滋生细菌的地方,医生常告诉我们要常洗手,从而避开疾病的侵袭,看看下面的句子是如何说的:
Many doctors advised washing my hands often to ward off many types of illness.
(译文:许多医生建议我多洗手来避开多种疾病。)