潛 伏

句子：這部電影描述了我黨地下工作者如何潛伏在敵人內部獲取機密情報。

誤譯：The film depicts how the underground workers from our Party concealed in the interior of the enemy to obtain secret information.

正譯：The film depicts how the underground workers from our Party hid in the interior of the enemy to obtain secret information.

解釋：to conceal 是及物動詞，與“隱藏東西”、“隱瞞事實”或“掩飾情感”有關，但是不涉及“人的躲藏或潛藏”。to hide 與to conceal既可以當及物動詞用，又可以當不及物動詞用。還可表示“人的躲藏或潛藏”。

“潛伏”第一個意思是“潛藏”、“暗藏”或“隱藏”,可譯為 to hide, to be latent, to lurk。例如：

1. 這艘核潛艇潛伏在海底，伺機出擊。The nuclear submarine hid at the bottom of the sea, waiting for an opportunity to launch an attack.

2. 有些癌癥能在人體內潛伏一段時間，而不需要立即治療。Some cancers can be latent in the body for some time, without requiring immediate treatment.

3. 這只獅子一動不動地潛伏在高高的草叢中，耐心等待機會抓小鹿。The lion lurked in the tall grass of the meadow, waiting for a chance to catch the young deer.

4. 這位經濟學家指出在如此虛假繁榮的背后潛伏著金融危機。The economist points out that a big financial crisis lurks behind such false prosperity.

“潛伏期”，英語可以譯為incubation/latent period。例如：

5. 肺癌的潛伏期有多長？How long is the incubation/latent period of lung cancer?

“潛伏”的第二個意思是“受命潛藏執行秘密任務”。英語可以譯為to lurk, to stay in hiding。如：

6. 解放前夕，一些國民黨特工人員在這座城市潛伏下來。On the eve of liberation, some KMT secret agents stayed in hiding in this city.

7. 警方獲悉幾名恐怖分子正潛伏在這個小區的一所公寓里。Police learned that several terrorists were lurking in an apartment in this residential area. ▲

（本欄目供稿：王逢鑫教授）