“ 內(nèi)鬼” 是貶義詞， 英語譯為mole，其原意是“鼴鼠”，其比喻意義相當(dāng)于漢語的“內(nèi)鬼”。例如：

1. 鼴鼠是一種體小而幾乎什么都看不見的動(dòng)物，身上長著暗灰色或黑色毛皮，在地下打洞，而且大部分時(shí)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(nèi)鬼在一個(gè)政府部門或組織內(nèi)工作，秘密地將重要信息傳遞給敵對(duì)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(jīng)理發(fā)現(xiàn)了他的一個(gè)競(jìng)爭對(duì)手制訂的一項(xiàng)計(jì)劃，派一名該對(duì)手公司招募和培訓(xùn)的內(nèi)鬼打入他的公司充當(dāng)會(huì)計(jì)。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(gè)販毒團(tuán)伙內(nèi)當(dāng)了3年臥底，最后幫助警方成功地?fù)v毀販毒集團(tuán)，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）