滑 坡

句子：这个装置的目的是使汽车在滑坡时安全而省油。

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

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

解释：landslide 一般当名词用，意思是a mass of earth, rock, etc. that falls down the slope of a mountain，即“山体滑坡”，指自然现象，不是指汽车滑坡。

“滑坡”的第一个意思是指“地表斜坡上大量的土石在重力作用下整体下滑的自然现象”。英语可以译为 landslide, landslip。例如：滑坡会对建筑物、公路和森林造成很大破坏。Landslide can cause great damages to buildings, highways and forests.

“滑坡”的第二个意思是指“汽车下坡行驶或顺坡下滑”。英语可译为 to run/slide downslope。如：

今天早晨，这里发生了汽车滑坡事故。This morning, here occurred an accident in which a car slided downslope.

“滑坡”的第三个意思是比喻“经济或成绩急剧下降”。英语动词可以译为 to decline, to slump, to landslide, to go downslope；名词可以译为decline, slump, landslide, downslide。例如：由于自然灾害，这个地区的经济严重滑坡。As a result of natural disasters, there has been a massive decline/landslide in economy in this area.▲（本栏目供稿：王逢鑫教授）