滑 坡

句子：這個裝置的目的是使汽車在滑坡時安全而省油。

誤譯：The device is aimed at making a car safe and petrol-saving when it is landsliding.

正譯：The device is aimed at making a car safe and petrol-saving when it is running downslope.

解釋：landslide 一般當名詞用，意思是a mass of earth, rock, etc. that falls down the slope of a mountain，即“山體滑坡”，指自然現象，不是指汽車滑坡。

“滑坡”的第一個意思是指“地表斜坡上大量的土石在重力作用下整體下滑的自然現象”。英語可以譯為 landslide, landslip。例如：滑坡會對建筑物、公路和森林造成很大破壞。Landslide can cause great damages to buildings, highways and forests.

“滑坡”的第二個意思是指“汽車下坡行駛或順坡下滑”。英語可譯為 to run/slide downslope。如：

今天早晨，這里發生了汽車滑坡事故。This morning, here occurred an accident in which a car slided downslope.

“滑坡”的第三個意思是比喻“經濟或成績急劇下降”。英語動詞可以譯為 to decline, to slump, to landslide, to go downslope；名詞可以譯為decline, slump, landslide, downslide。例如：由于自然災害，這個地區的經濟嚴重滑坡。As a result of natural disasters, there has been a massive decline/landslide in economy in this area.▲（本欄目供稿：王逢鑫教授）