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About time, too 是什么意思?
作者:陈根花  文章来源:本站原创  点击数  更新时间:2013-04-26  文章录入:admin  责任编辑:admin

 

About time, too 是什么意思?

 

■本站特约作者  陈根花

 

上海外语教育出版社翻译出版的《柯林斯·高级英语用法词典》的第61页有这样一组对话:

They’ve finished mending the road.

About time, too!

该书给出的翻译是:

They’ve finished mending the road. 他们把路修好了。

About time, too! 时间也差不多了!

但我们认为译文将 About time, too 译成“时间也差不多了”不妥。

麦克米伦高阶英语词典》(Macmillan Essential Dictionary for Advanced Learners of British English),该词典在 time 词条对 about time 的用法归纳了以下两条:

1. used for showing that you are annoyed because something has happened later than it should(用于表示因某事发生比应该发生的时间要晚而感到生气)

Here they are, and about time too. 麦克米伦高阶英语词典》对该例句的翻译是:他们来了,真拖拉。

2. used for saying that someone should do something soon:

Isn’t it about time we got a new car?

再查《剑桥高阶英汉双解词典》(Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionarytime词条,该词典在 time 词条对 about time 的用法说明是:about time (too) (ALSO not before time) INFORMAL said when someone does something or something happens that you think should have been done or have happened much sooner(与麦克米伦高阶英语词典》的解释一致

“So Ben’s finally found a job.” “Yes, and about time too.”

《剑桥高阶英汉双解词典》对该例句的翻译是:“这么说,本终于找到工作了。”“对,早就该找到了。”

很显然,上面《柯林斯·高级英语用法词典》中的对话将“About time, too!”译成“时间也差不多了!”不妥,可考虑改为“早就该修好了”。即:

They’ve finished mending the road. 他们把路修好了。

About time, too! 早就该修好了!

 

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