如今道路縱橫交錯,認路本領卻直線下降,一不小心就容易迷路,尤其是到了不熟悉的國外。如果要向老外表達自己迷路了,想問路該咋說呢?
最常見的是to get lost:
I wouldn’t have gotten lost, if I had asked for directions.
要是我問過路,就不至于迷路了。
這里要注意的是,get lost在口語中常表示“走開,別搗亂”,與get out的感情色彩有點像,所以要盡量不要用,顯得很沒禮貌。
我們常見的迷路一般是got lost,雖然看起來只是時態的差別,但是感情色彩完全不一樣。
相比之下,下面的這些說法更地道,尤其是第一個lose one’s way,更常用來表示“迷路”。
to lose one’s way(正式)
The child had lost his way.
那個小孩迷路了。
to take the wrong road(不常用)
Finally we found ourselves having taken the wrong road.
最后,我們發覺我們迷路了。
to go the wrong way(常用)
I am afraid we are going the wrong way.
恐怕我們走錯路了。
so lose one’s bearings(正式)
One might lose his bearings in an unfamiliar place.
一個人在不熟悉的地方最容易迷路。
can’t find one’s way(常用)
They went on in the desert until at last they couldn’t find their way.
他們在沙漠里繼續走,直到他們最后迷了路。
to stray(正式)
They strayed in the woods.
他們在森林中迷路了。
注意:to go astray是“走入迷途,走上歧途”的意思,不要用錯了。