某"國際機場集團公司"被譯為"International Airport Group Corporation"。 "corporation"指"Groups of persons authorized to act as an individual,eg,for Business purposes",實際上該詞本身有總公司的意味,因而"group"是多餘的,有些總公司就是用這個詞來表示。查一些影響較大的詞典都沒有發現"group corporation",但有"group company"之說。
6."square","plaza"分別指什麼廣場?
"square"意為"four-sided open area,eg,in a town,used as a garden or for recreation,or one enclosed by streets and buildings","buildings and street surroundings","blocks of buildings bounded by four streets; distance along one side of such a block",所能指的廣場大概相當於"天安門廣場"、"五一廣場"之類。現在新出現的眾多的冠以"廣場"名稱的商業性質的寫字樓群應該用"plaza",意為"a complex of stores, banks and movie theatres, etc"。目前我國廣場,如"國貿廣場","財經廣場",大都源於該詞。
7."store"、"shop"規模有多大?
"store"是一個賣東西的地方,"shops selling many varieties of goods""shop"意思相近,指"building or part of a building where goods are shown and sold retail",規模並不大。目前,這兩個詞被濫用了,結果往往是把自己降格了,不能表達許多商業場所本身所具有的規模。多功能的商場,比如帶有娛樂場所或銀行分點的,宜用"plaza"或"mall",後者指"a large retail complex containing stores and restaurants in adjacent buildings, or in a single large building"。當然,"store"在國外也有用來指很大的商店,有的建築面積達二十幾萬平方米,服務員上班時穿溜冰鞋工作,但此時所用的是合成詞"hyperstore",目前我們國內能冠以該詞的店鋪可能還非常少,
一個學生把「我的朋友去北京出差了。」譯成 「My friend went to Beijing on evection.」。查《英漢大詞典》evection果然解釋為「出差」,但仔細看,這是一個天文學辭彙,是指「由於太陽的吸引而在月球軌道上引起的攝動」。我想這位學生大概是背誦GRE辭彙時,只記中文解釋,而不理解其真正意思造成的。其實,這句話只要譯成; 「My friend went to Beijing on business.」就行了。此「出差」非彼「出差」,做翻譯查詞典,千萬不可粗心大意,有時最好要看看其原文解釋。