如果按照字面翻译成英语：“You are at such an old age but you are still in good health!”英美老人听了这样一句话会有什么反应呢？我们且不说老人不喜欢那个old，一个but更是大煞风景，他们会觉得“I am so old that I should not be in good health”，或者“It's abnormal that for people of my age to be still in good health。”这种感觉简直像中国老人听到有人骂他“老不死的！”一样。
可是，如果你对一个西方人说“You are having a fever. You must drink more water。”对方会觉得你把他当孩子，“I'm not a child. I surely know I should drink more water。”如果你将后一句直译成“You'd better go and see the doctor!”对方甚至会觉得你是在威胁他，要是他不去看医生，一切后果由他自负。(读者可以体会一下，You'd better give me the money this afternoon!完全是赤裸裸的威胁。)
如果你送别英美客人时说：“Please walk slowly!”老外一定觉得不可思议，“I have so many things to do at home, why should I walk‘slowly’?”而对外国主人说“Please stop here”(“请留步”的直译)更会使他莫名其妙，他会以为路上有什么大坑呢！
