气 候

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句子：人类正在遭受气候变化带来的危害。

误译：Humankind is suffering from the harm caused by weather change.

正译：Humankind is suffering from the harm caused by climate change.

解释：weather 的意思是“天气”，指在一个特定地点和时间的大气状况，天气是一个时刻(point of time)概念。而气候是一个时段(period of time)概念。“气候”的第一个意思是“一定地区里经过观察所得到的概括性的气象状况”。可译为climate(名词)，climatic(形容词)。如：1. 9月22日，胡锦涛在纽约出席联合国气候变化峰会开幕式并发表重要讲话。On September 22, Hu Jintao attended the opening session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in New York and issued an important speech.

“气候”的第二个意思比喻“社会动向”或“社会环境”。可译为climate。如：2. 这个亚洲国家的政治气候正在发生重大转变。A great change is taking place in the political climate in this Asian country.

“成气候”的第一个意思是比喻人“有成就”或“有发展前途”。可译为to make achievements, to get somewhere。“不成气候”或“成不了气候”的意思是比喻人“没有成就”或“没有发展前途”。可译为 to make no achievements, wont get anywhere, will get nowhere。如： 3. 人们普遍承认中国足球队在短期内是难成气候的。It is generally acknowledged that Chinese football teams can hardly get anywhere in a short period of time.

“成气候”还比喻事物“流行”。可译为to become prevalent, to become well received, to become popular。如：4. 我国网上书店已成气候。In our country, online bookshops have become prevalent.▲

（本栏目供稿：王逢鑫教授）