疫情期间,为了防止病毒传播,我们需要在公共场所保持一定的社交距离。那“保持社交距离”的地道英语是什么呢?
新冠疫情爆发初期,美国的公共场所都有类似下面这种提醒标识:
这个标识牌展示了“保持社交距离”的两种表达方式:
Please keep your social distance. (请保持社交距离。)
Social distancing means 6 feet apart from others.(保持社交距离意味着与别人相距6英尺。)
此外,以下的表达方式也是非常地道的英语(均摘自美国网站):
How Can You Maintain Social Distance at Your Office?
Coronavirus: How To Maintain Social Distance?
If you must go in public for essentials, practice social distancing — that is, maintaining physical space around you.
Social distancing works because it prevents healthy people from coming in close contact with sick people or those who are asymptomatic carriers.
所以,“保持社交距离”的地道英语至少有以下三种表达方式:
Keep social distance
Maintain social distance
Practice social distancing
其完整的句子形式为:
Please keep your social distance. (请保持社交距离。)
How Can You Maintain Social Distance at Your Office?(如何在办公室保持社交距离?)
If you must go in public for essentials, practice social distancing.(如果你必须出去采购生活必需品,请保持社交距离。)
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作者简介:从事英汉口译和笔译36年的英语爱好者;全国第一届和第二届“韩素音青年翻译奖”竞赛一等奖获得者;地道英语和传神翻译的倡导者和实践者。)