BEREA, Ohio - Maybe Morticia Addams was the wedding planner. As well-wishing zombies and witches in formal gore attire looked on, a couple wed at the 7 Floors of Hell haunted house Wednesday night.
in formal gore attire,这是个非同寻常的词组。理解起来,尤其是翻译起来,是非常麻烦的。attire,用作名字是“服装”;用作动词是“穿装打扮”。formal,“状似”。gore ,流出的血;成块的血。 因此,formal gore就是“形状像是血的血”。言外之意,就是这些衣服上有血,但不是真的,只是看上去很像的血,说得文一点,叫做“可以乱真的血”。这三个貌不惊人的小词的“含金量”如此之高。用含义如此丰富的四个词来做修饰语,翻译成中文,如果字对字地硬译,就是“身穿带有状似真血块的衣服的祝福僵尸和女巫”,这么复杂的一个词组,如果单说也就罢了,而偏偏只是全句的一部份,具体讲就是分句中主语的修饰语。这样一来,如果偏要采取字对字硬译的方法,而且偏要照原来语序翻译成一个整句,就会成为:
"It's weird watching your son get out of a coffin," said his father, Robert Seifer II. "Usually when you see someone in a coffin, they're going the other way — in, not out."
"This is the sweetest wedding that I've ever been to," said co-worker Tim Perrien, his face caked in makeup. His date, Jessica Repas, was dripping with blood as the lead character in the horror move " Grim Reaper,."
his face caked in makeup,其中的caked是“结成块”的意思。比如:There is a pair of shoes caked with mud on the floor. 地板上有一双粘着泥块的鞋。Mud caked on his shoes. 泥块粘在他的鞋上。在这里显然是说他那张脸上抹的化妆品太浓太厚,都结成块了。
"It was morbid," gushed friend Katie O'Malley. "Beautiful." “毛骨悚然,”朋友凯蒂。奥玛雷极其热情地说。“但是很美。”