120 年龄可以“穿”吗？
原 文：
Mr. Smith is wearing well.
原 译：
史密斯先生穿得笔挺。
辨 析：
wear的基本意思是“穿”、“戴”，所以将wear well 译成“穿得笔挺”似乎理所当然。但是wear和中文的“穿”、“戴”还是有所不同，除了衣服鞋帽外，还可以有其他宾语（wear不能译成“穿”、“戴”）：
He sat there wearing what Terry called his "work face". 他坐在那儿，脸上一副特里称之为“工作相”的样子（一本正经的样子）。
He was probably wearing a gun. 他也许带 / 佩带着枪。
She usually wears her hair in a bun. 她通常将头发绾成一个髻。
She still wore the same perfume that evening. 那天晚上，她身上仍然散发着同样的香水味。（wear译成“喷”、“洒”、“抹”、“搽”、“用”似乎都不好。）
Most of the people you profiled are really entrepreneurs, a title to wear proudly. 你描写的人物大多数是实业家，这是个颇让人感到自豪的头衔。
She wears the slimness of her mother. 她（的身材）和她妈妈一样苗条。（不能译成“遗传了她妈妈苗条的身材”。）
Nor is he a fellow who wears his faith on his sleeve. 他也不是那种让人一眼就能看得出来有什么信念的人。
当然wear也可以是不及物动词，意为“磨损”或“经久耐用”，如：The cloth won't wear.（这种布不耐磨。）原句中的wear well应作“不显老”、“显得年轻”讲，所以应译成：史密斯先生一点也不显老/保养得很好。不过wear用做及物动词也可表示此意：Mr. Smith wears his age / his years well. 当然也可用其他句型，如：Mr. Smith doesn't look his age.（Mr. Smith looks younger than his real age. 则太直， 不是最佳选择。）至于“史密斯先生穿得笔挺”可译为：Mr. Smith is well dressed.
