中文原文:
不要太过敏,没有人在背后议论你。
错误译文:
Don't be too allergic; nobody is talking behind your back.
正确译文:
Don't be oversensitive / hypersensitive; nobody is talking behind your back.
翻译加油站:
“过敏”的第一个意思是“机体对某些药物或外界刺激产生异常反应”,是一种生理现象。英语可以用allergic表示。而过敏症用allergy表示。例如:花粉过敏症allergy to pollen,药物引起的过敏症drug caused allergy,过敏性反应allergic reaction, 过敏性皮炎allergic dermatitis。
在英语中allergic只能用作定语,或放在to be allergic to sth. 中,不能孤零零地作表语用。to be allergic to sth除了表示“对……过敏”以外,还可以表示“对……反感”。例如,to be allergic to eggs有歧义,可以是“对鸡蛋过敏”,也可以是“对鸡蛋反感”,即“讨厌吃鸡蛋”。这是一种因果关系。但是在下列句子里,to be allergic to sth. 只表示“对……反感”或“讨厌”:
1)他讨厌艰苦工作。He is allergic to hard work.
2)他讨厌家务劳动。He is allergic to house work.
3)他讨厌摇滚乐。He is allergic to rock music.
4)他讨厌冒风险。He is allergic to risk.
还可以用hypersensitive表示“对外界刺激反应过于敏感”。例如:
1)他对寒冷过敏。He is hypersensitive to cold.
2)她的皮肤过敏。Her skin is hypersensitive.
“过敏”的第二个意思是指“感情上或情绪上过于敏感”。用oversensitive或hypersensitive表示。例如:
1)我不是那个意思; 你只是过敏了。I didn't mean that; you are being oversensitive.
2)他对任何一种批评都过敏。He is hypersensitive to any kind of criticism.