参考答案:Traditional Chinese wedding is the essence of Chinese culture. Chinese ancestors believed that dusk was the luckiest time in a day, so they held the wedding at dusk. Chinese are fond of red color and regard red as the symbol of happiness, success, luck, loyalty and prosperity. Therefore, in traditional Chinese weddings, the main color is red. There are red candles, red ribbons, red flowers as well as the red dress and shoes worn by the bride. The food the bride eats has cultural significance. The bride usually has red dates, peanuts, longans and melon seeds, the symbolic meaning of which is evident in the Chinese pronunciation of these four foods. When pronounced together, it sounds like "zao sheng gui zi (Have a lovely baby soon)".
系统解析:
1.“吉利的”是汉语的表达,英文中对应的表达应该是“幸运的,好运的”。因此“最吉利的时间”可译为the luckiest time,也可译作 auspicious time。
2.“新娘的红衣和红鞋”如果逐字对译为the bride's red dress and shoes则显得有些生硬,此处宜译作the red dress and shoes worn by the bride,使用过去分词作定语,句子读起来更顺畅。
3.“新娘一般会吃……”,这个句子较长,为了让句子更加紧凑,后半句“其中的象征意义可以从这四种食物的读音中看出”在翻译时可以使用非限制性定语从句:the symbolic meaning of which is evident in the Chinese pronunciation of these four foods。
4.“当这四种食物放在一起读时”译成英文时主句和从句主语一致,可使用“when+分词”结构,译作when pronounced together。
参考答案:The brush pen is a traditional Chinese tool of writing and painting. Chinese people have used the brush pen to write or paint for thousands of years. There is a legend about Meng Tian's creation of the brush pen in Qin Dynasty. The nib of a brush pen is made of the hair of an animal, say, the rabbit, the sheep, the wolf, etc. The penholder is often made of bamboo. Because of the requirement of social economy and culture, the brush pen has been replaced by other writing tools, and has become an antique for collection and appreciation. Now it is still a hobby of many children and elderly people to write or paint with a brush pen, for it can make people calm, strong and healthy. The brush pen is an indispensable element in Chinese calligraphy and painting.
系统解析:
1.第二句“中国人使用毛笔……的传说”表达起来比较复杂,可以译成两个句子。前一句说明中国人使用毛笔的历史之久,后一句说蒙恬造笔的传说。这样可避免表达不清而出错。
2.“历史上有秦代蒙恬造笔的传说”中的“历史上”处在主语的位置,但是从逻辑关系来看,它不是“有”的施动者,本句缺少施动者,因此译文应使用there be句型。“历史上”可以不翻译,因为“秦代”这个时间状语已经包含“历史上”的意思。
3.第五句“现在,用毛笔……”中的主语是“用毛笔写字和作画”,在翻译时,为了避免头重脚轻,译文采用了作形式主语,将真正主语to write or paint with a brush pen放在后面,这样更符合英文的表达习惯。
4.第五句中的“平静心情”是两个词,但在翻译中,用calm—个词表达即可,因为calm本身暗含了“心情”的意思。