现在，有不少学生学习英语，无论在翻译、写作或遣词造句等方面，经常出现一些不该有的失误。主要表现在：
1. 把词义和用法割裂开来；
2. 汉语意思跟英语词汇的字面意思过于对应；
3. 没有真正掌握或理解词语的含义。
例如，我们常说“为人民服务”，有的学生则完全按照汉语的思维，翻译为：Serve for the people.殊不知，英语的serve是及物动词，本身就是“为......服务”，应该说：Serve the people.不需要再加介词for。
“他回来时，已经10点了。”翻译成It was ten o’clock when he returned back.此句多了一个back，因为return这个词语，本身就表示“回来”，不需要再加back。若说came back则可以。
“太阳从东方升起，从西方落下”。翻译成The sun rises from the east and sets from the west.实际是说，“太阳升在东方，落在西方。”正确的翻译是：The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. “在东方”和“在西方”，属于方位词，应说in the east和in the west。尤其使用from the west大错而特错，因为“在西方下落”，逻辑上根本没有from的含义。
许多中国学生认为，miss跟lose差不多，是“丢掉，丢失”的意思，这实际是一种误解。miss the bus是“错过了乘车”，不是“丢了公交车”。“丢了自行车”，我们说lose the bike，不说miss the bike。lose的含义是，原来有这个东西，后来丢失了，没了。我们说miss the chance，虽然翻译成“失掉机会”，但实际意思是“错过机会”，这个机会原来并没有。虽然在不同的语境里，miss的词义有细微差异，但其基本含义是“错过，错失”。例如：
1. If you miss something such as a plane or train, you arrive too late to catch it.
例如：miss one’s flight错过了航班；miss the last bus错过了末班车
2. If you miss something such as a meeting or an activity, you do not go to it or take part in it.
例如：miss the lecture未参加讲座；miss one’s lessons没有听课
3. If you miss a chance or opportunity, you fail to take advantage of it.
例如：too good an opportunity to miss机会太好不容错过
4. If you miss something, you fail to notice it.
例如：never miss a detail决不放过一个细节
此外，有的学生一看到kill，就马上联想到“杀死”。但是，下面这些句子是否可以翻译成“杀死”呢？
The mistake has killed his chances.那个错误使他失去了机会。
His rude manners killed the conversation.他的无礼终止了谈话。
The newspaper editor killed the story.报纸编辑删掉了那篇报道。
He often drinks to kill the pain.他经常喝酒止疼。
The red sofa kills the effect of the gray wall.红色沙发破坏了灰色墙壁的效果。
The noise killed the music.噪音淹没了音乐。
They have the right to kill a bill in Parliament.他们有权使法案在国会不能通过。
My back is killing me.我的背疼得要命。
We played cards to kill time until the bus came.车子来之前，我们打牌消磨时间。
Those stairs kill me every time!每次走那些台阶使我精疲力尽!
A young fellow, dressed to kill, came. 一个穿着十分惹眼的小伙子走了过来。
此外，学生一看到on one’s back，马上联想到“在背上”，例如：
The tourist carried a pack on his back.观光旅行者背了个包。
I patted him on his back, and told him what a brave boy he was. 我拍了拍他的肩膀，称赞他是个勇敢的孩子。
I will carry you down the mountain on my back.我愿意背你下山。
The burden on his back seemed to be crushing him to the earth. 他背上的重负似乎要把他压倒在地。
但是，下列句子是否也可以这样翻译呢？
He lay on his back and looked up at the sky. 他仰卧着，观看天空。
原来，on one’s back有两层意思：介词on除了表示“在......上面”之外，还有一个意思就是，“（身体重量）由（某部位）支撑”：You use on to say what part of your body is supporting your weight. 由此构成的短语一般跟lie, stand, stay, remain, be等动词连用。lie on one’s back表示“仰着身子”。例如：
He continued to lie on his back and look at the clouds. 他仍旧仰卧着，望着天上的云彩。
He raised himself on his elbows, squinting into the sun.用胳膊肘支起身子，眯着眼睛看了看太阳。
The man was on his hands and knees in the bathroom. 那个人趴在浴室的地上。
When he woke up, he tried to stand on his feet, but he failed.当他醒来要努力站起来时,但他失败了。
The wind was so strong that little Hans found it difficult to stand on his feet.风这样猛烈，小汉斯感到自己站也站不住。
In a busy gasoline station, the attendant is on his feet all day.在忙碌的加油站，工作人员整天都走动着。
After six whiskies Harry was finding it difficult to stay on his feet. 6杯威士忌下肚，哈里两腿站不住了。
He stood on his head to make the baby laugh.他倒立着使婴儿发笑。
In return for this, the beggar stood on his head and sang songs.这个乞丐倒立着唱了几支歌作为报答。
He lay on his stomach, making an earnest business of sleeping.他这会儿趴在床上，看样子好像睡得正熟呢。
有时候，学生可能还会出现这样的句子翻译：
“我把钥匙忘在家里了。”译为：I forgot my key at home.
“我把钥匙丢在家里了。”译为：I lost my key at home.
上述两个翻译对吗？为什么？怎么让学生明白leave, forget和lose这三个动词的用法和区别？
上述两个翻译都是错误的。其实，有时汉语说“我把钥匙忘在家里了。”和“我把钥匙丢在家里了。”是一回事，都是“我把钥匙留在（放在）家里了。”用forget或lose都不对，而应改为leave。正确的表达应该是：I left my key at home.以下句子都用leave，例如：
What a fix that I left my key inside.多糟，我把钥匙忘在里面了。
I left my key in the reading room.我把钥匙忘在阅览室了。
I left my key at school, and I had to leave the door closed.我把钥匙忘在学校了，只能让门关着。
It occurred to me that I had left my keys behind.我想起了我忘记带钥匙。
I've left my keys at home and can't get my books.我把钥匙丢在家里了, 我的书拿不着了。
I left my keys in my room when I rushed out for school.我急着去上学的时候把钥匙留在房间里了。
I left my keys behind.我忘了带钥匙了。
I left my key inside my room.我把钥匙忘在屋里了。
You left the key in the lock!你把钥匙留在锁上了吧。
英语对leave的释义是：If you leave something in a particular place, you let it remain there when you go away. 其真正含义是，把某物留在了某个具体的地方，肯定能找到。不是丢失，因为丢失的东西不一定能找到。既然把东西留在某地，后面肯定接一个地点，所以，“leave the key+地点”，意思是“把钥匙留在某地方了”。
那么，forget the key可不可以说呢？当然可以，但是意思不同。例如：
Mum often forgets the keys when she goes out.妈妈出门常常忘记带钥匙。
I forgot my key. I have left it at home.我忘了带钥匙，放在家里了。
Oh, no! I've forgotten my key again.真该死! 我又忘了带钥匙了。
As I have forgotten my key, the only expedient is to climb in through the window.我忘了带钥匙,权宜之计只有从窗户爬进去了。
I forgot to bring my key. We are shut out.我忘了带钥匙。我们被关在门外了。
英语对forget的释义是：If you forget something or forget to do something, you cannot think of it, although you knew it or knew how to do it in the past. 其真正含义是，大脑中忘记了某物，或忘记了做某事，fortget the key，意思是“大脑中忘了钥匙这件东西，或者忘了带钥匙这件事”。forget因为是忘记了某物，不存在跟地点状语连用的问题。
那么，lose the key可不可以说呢？当然可以，但这是“丢了钥匙，找不到了”。例如：
Maybe I lost my key on the palyground.也许我把钥匙丢在操场上了。
He just lost his key under the sofa. 他只是在沙发下面丢了钥匙。
I lost my key and had to smash the window open.我把钥匙弄丢了，只好把窗户撞开进屋了。
First my car broke down, then I lost my key.先是我的汽车出了故障，接着又丢了钥匙。
I am unfortunate to lose my keys. I wonder if I can get them back. 我很倒霉丢了钥匙。我想知道能否找回来。
英语对lose的释义是：If you lose something, you do not know where it is, for example because you have forgotten where you put it. 其真正含义是，因不慎把某件物品丢失了，暂时找不到了。lose the key，意思是“把钥匙丢失了”。后面可以跟一个地点状语，说明丢失的地方。
【总结】leave the key +地点：把钥匙放在、留在某个地方，能找到。forget th key：不跟地点，意味着“忘了钥匙这东西，或者忘了带钥匙这件事”。lose the key (+地点)：可以接地点，也可不接地点，意思是“把钥匙丢失（在某地方）了，找不到了。”