易错翻译解析：125 “拖后腿”和“开玩笑”
125 “拖后腿”和“开玩笑”
原 文：
Obviously she is pulling his leg.
原 译：
她显然是在拖他的后腿。
辨 析：
这又是一个从字面出发想当然的错误套译。pull someone's leg和中文的“拖后腿”挨不上，是“骗人”的意思，尤其指开玩笑或愚弄某人。所以原句的确切意思是：她显然是在跟他开玩笑。
英语中涉及到leg的习语很多，有的很容易看出其意思，如：
The boys ran as fast as their legs could carry them. 男孩们拼命地跑。恨不得长四条腿（腿能跑多快就跑多快）。
Two months after the operation she was able to get on her legs again. 手术之后两个月，她又能站起来了。
The workmen were never off their legs the whole day. 工人们整天不得闲（老得站着）。
有的略有转义，但仍能猜出其意思，如：
He began to stand on his own legs ever since fifteen when his parents died. 15岁那年他父母去世后，他就自立了。
If you took the matter to court, you wouldn't have a leg to stand on. 假如你把此事弄到法庭上去，你是理亏的（站不住脚的）。
有的则完全是英语习惯说法，很难从字面看出其意思，如：
That fellow is all legs. 那家伙是个瘦高个子。
He has got his ice legs very soon. 他很快就学会了溜冰。（把“溜冰”的本领说成有ice legs，简单而形象，类似的说法还有get one's sea legs，意为学会在颠簸的船上站稳。）
If I could get a leg in, I could surely convince him. 他要是信得过我，我肯定能说服他。（get a leg in的意思是“取得某人信任”。）
It's nine o'clock. Show a leg, all of you! 已经9点钟了，你们都给我起来！（show a leg是口语用语，意思是“露面”或“起床”，注意不定冠词a不能漏掉，show leg是“逃跑”的意思。）
千万不要想当然地猜，如：have a bone in one's leg不是“坚强”，而是“腿动不了”（常用做不肯去某地的借口）；而have hollow legs不是“（腿里空空的）没有力气”，是“饭量很大”（食物一直可以灌到腿里）。
