Day和一天的关系

翻译辨误之“Day”就是“一天”吗？

原文：At the end of the day, it's his responsibility, and there's nothing you can do.

译文：到这一天结束的时候/到了晚上，这就是他的责任了，你什么也不能做。

辨析：译文让人觉得不知所云，误译的原因在于未能理解句首成语的确切含义，而是照字面揣测。At the end of the day 是英语成语，常用于口语，意思是when all is taken into consideration（当一切都考虑进去时，即分析了各种可能性后得出结论）或when everything has happened or been settled。

所以原文可译为：不管怎么说，这是他的责任，你一点儿办法也没有。

带有at the end of...的英语成语很多，下列句子仅是几例：

1.With all the homework to be done, he was at the end of his rope.

有那么多功课要做，他简直累坏了。

At the end of his rope意思是“束手无策”、“筋疲力尽”或“忍无可忍”，也作at the end of one's row at the end of one's tether

2.Their washing machine has long been at the end of the road.

他们的洗衣机早就坏了。

At the end of the road意思是“用坏的”、“完蛋的”，与“路”没关系。

3.A hundred years ago, this place was at the end of the rainbow, and people were rushing there through all means.

一百年前，那儿是（美国）实现梦想的地方，人们千方百计到那儿去。The end of the rainbow出自神话传说，指“所有愿望都能实现的地方”

英语里有很多成语，其意思从字面上看不出来，常构成翻译的误区，所以翻译时要勤查字典。