“ 內鬼” 是貶義詞, 英語譯為mole,其原意是“鼴鼠”,其比喻意義相當于漢語的“內鬼”。例如:
1. 鼴鼠是一種體小而幾乎什么都看不見的動物,身上長著暗灰色或黑色毛皮,在地下打洞,而且大部分時間待在地下。A mole is a small and almost blind animal with dark grey or black fur, that digs tunnels and stays underground most of the time.
2. 內鬼在一個政府部門或組織內工作,秘密地將重要信息傳遞給敵對國家或組織。A mole works within a governmental department or an organization and secretly passes important information to a rival country or organization.
3. 這家跨國公司經理發現了他的一個競爭對手制訂的一項計劃,派一名該對手公司招募和培訓的內鬼打入他的公司充當會計。The manager of the transnational corporation discovered a plan worked out by one of his rival companies to infiltrate his company with a mole posing as an accountant who had been recruited and trained by his rival company.
“臥底”是中性詞,英語譯為planted agent。例如:
4. 這名警察在這個販毒團伙內當了3年臥底,最后幫助警方成功地搗毀販毒集團,并捉住了毒梟。The policeman served as a planted agent in the drug gang for three years, and finally helped to succeed in destroying the drug gang and capturing its drug king.▲
(本欄目供稿:王逢鑫教授)