外刊表达丨微博外刊表达回顾(6)
原文:http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzI5MzQ0NjMyMw==&mid=2247486622&idx=1&sn=dabaaeaf251f5e2d62a0eb5f420732dc&chksm=ec70bb42db073254a608681affe7de267758e1a7a575490da1de1fcabebf16383a98a1b22f41#rd
以下内容整理自新浪微博@Soren是个书呆子 以及微博的评论补充,希望你们能喜欢!❤️
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https://m.weibo.cn/7155809834/4413091209233465
2019年9月6日的《经济学人》Espresso中有篇短文谈到了美国经济下行压力加大:Figures due today will provide the latest snapshot of the economy.
今天公布的数据能让人们大致了解经济运行的最新情况。
due today 的意思是“预定于今日公布的”,due 在这里是形容词,表示“预定、预期”,其英文解释更好理解一些:If something is due at a particular time, it is expected to happen, be done, or arrive at that time. 举个例子:The results are due at the end of the month...
A grand military parade is due on October 1st.
文中 due today 是形容词作后置定语,修饰 figures,不构成句子的主干成分。Figures will provide the latest snapshot of the economy.
snapshot 的本义是“快照、抓拍”(a photograph taken quickly and often not very skilfully),比如:a snapshot of his girlfriend 一张他女友的抓拍。在实际使用中,常引申为“简况、大致情况”(If something provides you with a snapshot of a place or situation, it gives you a brief idea of what that place or situation is like)。文中 provide the latest snapshot of the economy 的意思就是:提供经济的最新的大致情况,说人话就是:让人们大致了解经济运行的最新情况。
在图表类写作中,我们就可以用“provide a snapshot of X”来描述图表的内容,比如关于电商营业额的图表,我们可以说:This chart provides us with the latest snapshot of the e-commerce in China.
再比如,有关就业/教育情况的图表中,我们可以说:The diagram provides the latest snapshot of the employment rate / educational level across the world.
3. short of... / deep-pockets
《经济学人》记者对任正非进行采访,任表示:在考虑以数百亿美元的价格和竞争对手分享5G业务。看图:Having posted losses last year, they are also short of cash.
这句话可以 get 到关于“公司出现亏损”的表达:a company posts losses,也可以把 post 换成 record:a company records losses.
如果具体到多少元,只需在 losses 前加上钱的数额的英文表达即可,比如:post $3bn losses 出现了30亿美元的损失。香港人喜欢把 post / record 翻译成“录得”:企业录得...元损失,这样更好理解。
还要注意 be short of 这个表达,它很简单,指“缺少”“短缺”,比如,be short of time 缺时间,be short of tickets 票卖光了,文中 be short of cash 就是“没钱”的意思,此外也可以说 cash-strapped.
strap 作名词有“带子”的意思,作动词指“(用带子)捆绑、束缚”,cash-strapped 就是被钱束缚住了,即“没钱的、窘迫的、手头紧巴的”,写作中可以用来替换 poor。
Samsung, a South Korean electronics giant, has deep pockets and a smallish but growing networking-gear business.
韩国电子巨头三星财力雄厚,其网络设备业务虽然略显弱小,但在不断发展。
这句话出现了和 be short of cash 的意思截然相反的表达:have deep pockets.deep pockets 的字面意思是“很深的口袋”,比喻“钱多”,有种财大气粗的感觉,可以说have deep pockets 或with deep pockets,也可以用其形容词形式:be deep-pocketed.《经济学人》中曾有篇文章讲到了无人驾驶,里面就出现了这个表达:
The arrival of new competitors such as Tesla, and deep-pocketed tech giants intent on disrupting the transport industry such as Google, Apple and Uber, make dealmaking an even more pressing need.谷歌、苹果、优步等科技巨头财大气粗,意欲颠覆交通行业,这些企业和特斯拉一同加入到无人驾驶汽车的竞争中来,令并购之计更是迫在眉睫。
“搁置、暂停(计划、法案)”:suspend, shelve
“废除(计划、法案)”:scrap, withdraw, abandon“没钱”:be short of cash、cash-strapped“有钱”:with deep pockets、have deep pockets、be deep-pocketed“公司出现...元亏损”:the company posts / records... lossesThis chart / diagram provides the latest snapshot of X.