即使知识广博的翻译家，如果碰到不熟悉的习语而不查词典也会出错。

王宇光译的、由瑞· 蒙克（ Ray Monk ）著的《维特根斯坦传   天才之为责任》第324页中，将“paint the town red ”照字面意思译为“把那个城市涂红”（页下注释）。很遗憾，这是一个不该犯的小错，错在没有查一下词典。

paint the town red  (informal)

to go out and enjoy yourself in the evening, often drinking a lot of alcohol and dancing

Engage in a riotous spree.

(idiomatic) To party or celebrate in a rowdy, wild manner, especially in a public place.

figurative (celebrate, party)

中文的意思是“痛痛快快玩乐享受、疯狂地庆祝、大肆狂欢、狂欢、欢庆、外出散心”。

来源于以下故事：

传说1837年沃特福德第三任侯爵为庆祝打猎成功，将英国麦尔登(Melton Mowbray)的高街/商业街/主干道（High Street）的建筑物上涂上红色油漆。（Reputedly from an incident in 1837, when the Third Marquess of Waterford celebrated a successful hunt by daubing red paint onto the buildings of the High Street of Melton Mowbray.）

更具体的见：http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/paint-the-town-red.html