1. 汉语中的“请随便吃”,译成英语不能是 Please eat, 可用Please help yourself.
2. 汉语中的“吃饭”,英语通常用 have 或 take, 其实也可以用eat, 只是不那么常见。如:
He ate his breakfast quickly. 他快快地吃了早餐。
We have [take, eat] three meals a day. 我们每天吃三餐。
3. 比较 eat up 与 eat out:前者意为“吃完”、“消灭”;后者表示“在外面吃”、“下馆子”。如:
Eat up your dinner. 把你的饭吃完。
The flames ate up the forest. 大火把树林烧光了。
I’m too tired to cook tonight; shall we eat out? 今晚我累得不想做饭了,咱们出去吃饭好吗?
4. 许多汉语中的“吃”译成英语不能用eat,如:
Do have one more. 务请再吃一个。
This food tastes good. 这菜好吃。
She’s become used to a vegetarian diet. 她已习惯吃素。
Let’s talk about it after dinner. 咱们吃完晚饭再谈这事。
He took a lethal dose of sleeping pills. 他吃了致命剂量的安眠药片。
One evening he asked me to dinner. 有天晚上他邀请我吃晚饭。
She felt much better after taking the medicine. 吃完药后她感觉好多了。
Do you think they will be back for lunch? 你认为他们会回来吃午饭吗?
Not a word did they exchange during the meal. 在吃饭时他们一句话也没交谈。
They have almost (nearly) run out of food. 他们的食品几乎(差不多)已经吃完了。
They had food and clothing sufficient for their need. 他们有足够的吃穿。
On Saturday afternoons she invited her neighbours to tea. 每星期六下午她都邀请邻居来吃下午茶。