英语陷阱(2)
You cannot be too careful. 你要特别小心.
此句不能按字面译作:”你不能过分小心.”因为cannot...too是个固定结构,其义为”无论如何...也不过分”.如用英语阐述,上句相当于:You should be as careful as possible. 我们在学习英语的时候,遇到这类实际意义与其字面意义大相径庭的句子,必须小心区别,正确地理解其涵义.下面请看几个类例:
We cannot recommend this book too strongly. 这本书很好,无论我们如何推荐也不过份.
You can‘‘t be too careful in doing this experiment. 在做这个实验时,你们愈仔细愈好.
One cannot be too careful in matters like that. 人们在处理这种事情时必须非常慎重.
要注意的是,cannot...too有几个变体结构,我们可以用mpossible,difficult等字去代替cannot;以enough,difficulty,sufficiently,exaggerate,to over-等字去替代too.