从“cities and cities”的译法说起

∷闫跃

最近翻看《牛津高阶英汉双解词典（第9版）》，在第67页看到这样一个句子：

I like city life but there are cities and cities.我喜欢城市生活，但城市之间也有差异。

请注意词典对后一个分句的翻译。乍一看，我们很容易将“cities and cities”译为“城市和城市”，但明显又逻辑不通。从形式上看，它是两个相同名词由and连接而成的词组；从意义上看，这类词组可以用来突出同类事物彼此之间的差异。因此，“cities and cities”不可直译，而是表示“这样的城市和那样的城市”“彼此不同的城市”。再如：

There are books and books.既有好书，也有坏书。

There are doctors and doctors.既有良医，也有庸医。

这类名词词组也可用来强调事物的数量之大。例如：

There are ants and ants on the ground.地上到处都是蚂蚁。

They talked for hours and hours and finally reached an agreement.他们谈了好几个小时，最终达成一致。

像上面这种用and把两个词连接起来，表示一个完整概念的词组叫做成对词。英语成对词种类繁多，其中一种是具有重复关系的成对词，通常用来加重语气或描述一个持续的过程，本文现对这类重复型成对词作一简述。

1.again and again：再三地，反复地。同义词组为over and over。例如：

The clothes have been patched again and again.这几件衣服上补丁摞补丁。

Over and over,the same stories kept cropping up.同样的一些故事老是反反复复地冒出来。

2.around and around：该词组具有介词和副词的功能，表示“环绕着……（不停地转动）”“一圈又一圈地”，用以描述某一连续不断的动作。同义词组为round and round。例如：

The little child was running around and around the tree.那个小孩子绕着树一圈又一圈地跑。Don Quixote attacked the windmill but it was still turning round and round.堂吉诃德攻击风车，但风车仍在不停地转动。

3.in and in：同种繁殖，近亲结婚，同种类内部地。例如：

We are against marrying in and in.我们反对近亲结婚。

该词组也可用作前置定语，但需加上连字符。例如：

Degeneration is the result of in-and-in breeding.生物退化是同种繁殖的结果。

4.neck and neck：并驾齐驱，不分上下，难分高低，势均力敌。例如：

They were running neck and neck to the finishing line.他们并驾齐驱跑向终点线。

The candidates were (running) neck and neck in this election.这场选举中候选人难分高下。

5.on and on：不停地，连续不断地，持续很长时间地。例如：

Jack drove on and on through the dense and blowing snow.杰克在大雪纷飞中不停地驱车前进。

It is difficult to survive a desert of ice stretching on and on.在无边无际的冰雪荒原中生存下来是很难的。

Today it was washing,ironing tomorrow,next day baking,after that scrubbing—thus on and on.今天洗衣服，明天熨衣服，后天烤完面包擦地板，如此这般，周而复始。

6.out-and-out：十足的，公开的，不折不扣的，不加掩饰的。例如：

This is out-and-out big-power chauvinism.这是彻头彻尾的大国沙文主义。

The Olympic theme tune“Amigos para Siempre”proved an out-and-out success.事实表明，奥运主题曲《永远的朋友》获得了极大的成功。

He was an out-and-out liar and what he said was an out-and-out lie.他是个不折不扣的骗子，他说的话从头到尾都是谎言。

7.so-and-so：（用作代词）某某事，某某人；（用作名词）坏蛋，卑鄙的人，讨厌的家伙；（用作副词）如此这般地。例如：

He asked them to do so-and-so.他叫他们做某某事。

Ask so-and-so.He will be able to tell you,I am sure.问某某人，我相信他会告诉你的。

The wicked so-and-so was arrested by the police and held for questioning.那个可恶的混蛋被警方逮捕并拘押讯问。

8.such and such：某某（人、物、时间或数量），这样那样的（人或事）。该词组用作限定词或代词，也可写作such-and-such。例如：

If they tell you to go to such and such places,don’t agree unless it is convenient.如果他们叫你去某些地方，你若不方便就不要答应。

If you don’t mind being asked about your personal income,the normal reply will be that you earn such and such per year.如果你不介意被人问到个人收入，通常的回答就会是你每年挣多少多少钱。

9.through and through：完全，彻底，地地道道地，彻头彻尾地。例如：

The rain drenched him through and through.雨淋得他浑身湿透。

She knows Mr.Evans through and through.她对埃文斯先生了解得很透彻。

You are your father’s child through and through.你真是你爸的孩子，处处像他。

I will say one thing for Sandra—she is a professional through and through.我要为桑德拉说一句——她是个真正意义上的专家。

10.thus and thus：如此这般。同义词组为thus and so。例如：

He reported that he had done thus and thus in the matter.他报告说，那件事他是如此这般做的。

The teacher is very fussy about the way you write your report.If you don’t do it thus and thus,she will give you a lower mark.老师对写报告的方式吹毛求疵。你如果不按照她规定的方式去写，她就会扣分。