四级翻译提高训练第2关

1 为了让人们更好地记住年份，我们的祖先用12只动物来代表年份。即“十二生肖”(Chinese Zodiac)。每一年由一种动物代表，每隔12年进行一个循环，从鼠开始，以猪为结尾。每一种动物还有其独特的文化内涵 (cultural connotation)。例如，牛年出生的人据说“勤奋、冷静、可靠”，虎年出生的人则“强大、勇敢、但又急躁”。十二生肖在亚洲的其他国家，如韩国和日本也很流行。

参考答案：In order to remember the years more easily, our ancestors used twelve animals to represent the years, which is called the ‘Chinese Zodiac’. Every year is represented by an animal and every 12 years comes in a circle beginning with Rat and ending with Pig. Each animal has its unique cultural connotations. For example, a person born in the Year of Ox is said to be hard working, calm, and reliable, while the person born in the Year of Tiger is powerful, brave, and impatient. The Chinese Zodiac remains popular as well in other Asian countries, such as Korea and Japan.
系统解析：
1.第1句中的“为了让人们更好地记住年份”，如果直译成in order to make people remember the years more easily。表达不够地道，有中国式英语的感觉。“让人们”是汉语中约定俗成的表达，翻译时可“省译”，此处表达为in order to remember即可。“即‘十二生肖’”可紧跟上文，用which引导的非限制性定语从句来表达。
2.第2句中的“每隔12年进行一个循环”可以用every 12 years comes in a circle表达，主语every 12 years为整体概念的单数名词。“从鼠开始，以猪为结尾”用现在分词短语beginning with Rat and ending with Pig来表达，作“循环”的后置定语。
3.第4句中的“牛年出生的”宜处理成后置定语，用分词短语born in the Year of Ox来表达。“据说……”译为 is said to...。
4.翻译最后一句时，先译出主干(The Chinese Zodiac remains popular)。地点状语“在亚洲的其他国家”用介词短语 in other Asian countries 来表达。

2 在中国视频网站上，英剧已然成为新的焦点。中国一些主要门户网站近日已经发布近1000集英剧。这些网站开始探索新的市场。中国著名的视频网站——搜狐日前也在运营英国频道，其中既包含英剧，也有英国音乐。相比于美剧，英剧更短小精悍，也更深奥。根据中国一家公司的报告显示，中国的英剧爱好者多为受过良好教育的年轻一族。

参考答案：British dramas are the new focus for Chinese video websites. Some major websites in China have recently released about 1,000 episodes of British dramas to explore the new market. Sohu, a famous video website in China, is running a British channel that includes not only TV dramas, but also British music. Compared with American shows, British dramas are shorter and more sophisticated. A report released by a Chinese company shows that British drama lovers in China are mostly young and well-educated.
系统解析：
1.第3句“这些网站开始探索新的市场”与前一句关联性较大，主语都是“网站”，故将其处理成前一句的目的状语，译为to explore the new market。
2.在翻译第4句“中国著名的视频网站——搜狐……”时，把“搜狐”置于句首，同位语a famous video website in China紧跟其后，是较地道的英文表达。“其中既包含英剧，也有英国音乐”处理成that引导的定语从句，置于先行词channel的后面，not only... but also结构表示“既……也……”。
3.第5句中的状语“相比于美剧”用短语compared with/to American shows来表达；可置于句首或句末。
4.在翻译最后一句中的“根据中国一家公司的报告显示”时，“增译”出动词“发布”(release)，表达更精准，符合英语表达习惯。“受过良好教育的年轻一族”用两个并列的形容词young and well-educated来表达，既清晰又简洁。

3 中国传统婚礼反映着中国的哲学思想。婚礼上总是用红色的东西来表达祝福和尊重。这是因为中国人将红色看作是幸福、成功和好运的象征。婚姻不仅是一对新人的结合，也象征着两个家庭的结合。邀请亲朋好友来参加婚礼体现着人与人之间的关系和礼节(formality)。婚礼上奏乐的声音通常很响，响到足以让自然“听到”，同时也证明婚姻的重要性。

参考答案：Traditional Chinese weddings reflect Chinese philosophy. People always fill their weddings with red things to express blessings and respects, for they regard the color red as the symbol of happiness, success, and good luck. A marriage is not only a combination of the couple but also the symbol of the unity of two families. Inviting relatives and friends to the wedding symbolizes the relationships and the formality between people. The sound of musical instruments in the wedding usually loud enough to make nature know and to demonstrate the importance of the marriage.
系统解析：
1.翻译第2句“婚礼上总是用红色的东西……”时，为符合英语表达习惯，应“增译”出动作执行者，表达为people always fill... with red things。“来表达祝福和尊重”表目的，故将其译作目的状语to express blessings and respects。
2.仔细分析可发现，第3句“这是因为中国人将红色看作是幸福、成功和好运的象征”中的“这”指代前面一句的论述，故可以将此句和前一句合译，用表原因的连词for引出状语从句for they...。“红色”在翻译时要增译the color才符合英语“形合”的特点。定语“幸福、成功和好运的”较长，故将其处理成后置定语，用of引出，表达为of happiness, success, and good luck。
3.第5句中的主语“邀请亲朋好友来参加婚礼”可用分词短语Inviting relatives and friends to the wedding来表达。根据主谓人称和数相一致的原则，此处主语是指一件事情，故谓语用第三人称单数形式。
4.最后一句“声音通常很响，响到足以……”，如果逐字对译为the sound is always loud, and loud enough to...译文显晦涩，按英语避免重复的表达习惯，“省译”一个loud。

4 复杂的汉字(Chinese characters)书写体系是中国古代文化遗留下来的瑰宝。而这一体系正面临着退化的命运。随着电脑和智能手机的迅速发展和普及，年轻人拿起笔却写不出字来的现象越来越常见。若不借助电子产品的帮助，很多人难以写出10万个日常用字。为此，中央电视台开播了一档汉字听写比赛(Chinese Character Dictation Competition)节目，以引起人们对汉字的重视，帮助观众提高汉字书写能力。

参考答案：The complex writing system of Chinese characters is a treasure of Chinese ancient culture. But this system is facing a decline. With the rapid development and popularity of computers and smart phones comes a more commonly seen phenomenon that young people are barely able to write with pen in hand. Without the help of an electronic product, many people find it hard to write 10,000 characters frequently used in daily life. Thus, the CCTV launched a program,‘Chinese Character Dictation Competition’, to arouse people's attention to Chinese characters and improve the audience's handwriting ability.
系统解析：
1.第1句中的“是中国古代文化遗留下来的瑰宝”如果逐字对译为is a treasure left over by Chinese ancient culture，则出现英文表达逻辑错误，left over by应后接施动者，而Chinese ancient culture显然不合适，故“遗留下来”应省译，而用介词of表达“汉字书写体系”和“中国古代文化”之间的所属关系。
2.第3句“随着……，……的现象越来越常见”可套用句型with... comes a commonly seen phenomenon that。年轻人拿起笔却写不出字来的“现象”的同位语，由that引出，译为young people are barely able to write with pen in hand,“拿起笔”可译为时间状语从句when they take up the pen，但不如介词短语with pen in hand来得简单、地道。
3.第4句中的“很多人难以写出10万个日常用字”可套用句型sb. find it hard/difficult to do sth.，译为 many people find it hard to write 10,000 characters frequently used in daily life。
4.最后一句中的“以引起……，帮助……”，两个并列结构均表目的，故将其译作状语to arouse... and improve...。

5 中国的体育运动经历了几千年的发展，但直到1949年中华人民共和国成立才成为一项国家事业。在过去的50多年中，我国的体育运动取得了可喜的成绩。2008年，北京成功举办了第29届奥运会，使这次奥运会成为弘扬奥林匹克精神(Olympic spirit)、促进世界和平、增进各国人民友谊的一次盛会。目前，为更好地发展中国体育，一个全国范围的体育运动网已经建立起来了。

参考答案：China's sports have undergone thousands of years of development. But it was not regarded as an undertaking of the state until 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded. In the past 50-odd years, great achievements have been made in China's sports. Beijing hosted the 29th Olympic Games in 2008 successfully, making it a grand gathering that carried forward the Olympic spirit, promoted world peace, and enhanced the friendship among people of the world. Now a nationwide network for sports has been set up to develop China's sports in a better way.
系统解析：
1.第1句中的“直到1949年……才成为一项国家事业”中“直到……才”采用not...until句型。“中华人民共和国成立”可处理成修饰“1949年”这个时间的定语从句，译作when the People's Republic of China was founded。
2.第2句中的“体育运动取得了可喜的成绩”如果直译成the sports have made great achievements则表达有误，因为“取得成绩”的是“人”，但此句不用强调施动者，故译为great achievements have been made in sports，表达更地道，也符合英语常用被动语态的习惯。
3.第3句中的“使这次奥运会成为……的一次盛会”表结果，故用分词短语作结果状语，译作making it a grand gathering，定语“弘扬奥林匹克精神、促进世界和平、增进各国人民友谊的”较长，故将其处理成定语从句，用三个并列动词来表达：that carried forward... promoted...，and enhanced...。
4.最后一句中的“一个全国范围的体育运动网已经建立起来了”虽然形式上是主动的，但意义上却表被动，故翻译时需转換成被动语态，译作a nationwide network for sports has been set up。“为更好地发展中国体育”表目的，故将其处理成目的状语to develop China's sports in a better way。