句子：倾盆大雨淹没街道，许多汽车泡汤了。

　　误译：The torrents of rain flooded the street, and many cars drowned。

　　正译：The torrents of rain flooded the street, and many cars were drowned。

　　解释：在这里，“泡汤”有“被水淹没”的意思。to drown 的意思是to complete cover sth in water，即“淹没”，为及物动词。“汽车泡汤”，就是“汽车被淹没”，应该用被动语态。

　　“泡汤”的第一个意思是“浸泡在汤里”。英语可以译为 to be immersed in soup。例如：

　　1.我认为吃米饭泡汤对胃不好。I don't think that eating the rice immersed in soup does any good to the stomach。

　　“泡汤”的第二个意思是“被水淹没”。英语可以译为 to be drowned, to be immersed in water。例如：

　　2. 这场倾盆大雨过后，至少有20辆汽车在被水淹的地下车库泡汤了。After the heavy rainfall, at least 20 cars were immersed in water in the flooded underground car park。

　　“泡汤”的第三个意思是“在温泉里沐浴或洗浴”。英语可以译为 to bathe in a hot spring。例如：

　　3. 冬天，他喜欢到温泉泡汤。In winter, he enjoys bathing in a hot spring。

　　“泡汤”的第四个意思是“怠工”或“磨洋工”。英语可以译为 to dawdle, to loiter。例如：

　　4. 现在干活泡汤的吃不开了。Those who dawdle over their work have now become unpopular。

　　“泡汤”的第五个意思是“落空”。英语可以译为to come to nothing, to dash to pieces，to fall through。例如：

　　5. 由于管理不善，他的投资全部泡汤了。As a result of bad management, his investment came to nothing at all。

　　6. 由于干旱歉收，村民丰收的希望泡汤了。Due to the crop failure caused by drought, the villages' hope for good harvest dashed to pieces。

       来源：环球时报 (作者：王逢鑫教授)