【原文】

太极拳(Taijiquan)是中华民族的宝贵财富，是东方文化的重要组成部分。作为中国古老的武术(maritialarts)之一。其主要功能是武术攻防、锻炼身体和修身养性(self-cultivation)。太极拳在演练时，动作柔缓，但能以突然爆发的力量将对手击退。经过几个世纪的发展，太极拳已发展为多个分支，每个分支都有自己的特点。如今，太极拳在中国乃至世界受到越来越多人欢迎。

 

【解析】

1.第1句可译为并列结构Taijiquan is precious wealth…and an important part…，系动词“是”(is)只需译出一个。

 

2.第2句中的“其主要功能是”可直译为its main functions are to但稍显生硬，宜转述为“它通常用于”(it is usually used for…)。“攻防”在中文里是一个词，但实际包含了两层意思，故分译为attacking and defending；同理，第3句的“柔缓”译为gentle and slow.

 

3.第3句中的“太极拳在演练时”实为被动句，“太极拳”为受动者，故译作When Taijiquan is being practice…。“但能以突然爆发的力量……”处理为which引导的非限制性定语从句which，however，can defeat.“突然爆发的力量”可译为sudden strength或sudden force，因为sudden已包含有“突然爆发”的意思，故“爆发”一词不需再译。

 

4.最后一句中的“在中国乃至世界受到越来越多人欢迎”，除译文外，还可以有多种译法，如is welcomed by more and more people both in China and overseas; is accepted by more and more people in China and the world as well.

 

【参考译文】

Tajiquan is precious wealth of Chinese nation and an important part of the eastern culture. As one of the ancient martial arts in China, it is usually used for attacking and defending, body building and self-cultivation. When Tajiquan is being practiced, the movements are gentle and slow, which, however,can defeat the opponent with sudden strength. Through centuries of development, Taijiquanhas developed into several branches, and everyone has its features. Now Tajiquan has become increasingly popular both in China and abroad.

 

【原文】

算盘(abacus)是中国古代的一项伟大发明。在古代，人们用小木棍进行计算随着社会的发展，需要计算的数目越来越大，用小木棍已无法宪成计算。于是，人们发明了更为高级的计算工具一一算盘。由于算盘操作方便、简单易学，因此在中国被广泛使用。在算盘的基础上，有人发展了珠心算(mental abacus)，即把算盘的形象描绘在脑海中来计算数字。

 

【解析】

1.第1句由3个短句构成，第1个短句译成介词短语With the special development或连词as引出的从句As the society developed；第2个短句可处理为主句，当中的定语“需要计算的”可译为分词短语needed to calculate，作后置定语；第3个短句则处理成用which引导的非限制性定语从句，套用make it impossible for sb./sth. to do sth.的结构，译成which made it impossible for the rods to fulfill the task，为了避免重复，把“完成计算”转译成了“完成任务”。

 

2.第4句中破折号后的内容“算盘”是前面“更为高级的计算工具”的同位语，译文处也可用破折号引出。

 

3.第5句中的“由于算盘操作方便、简单易学”可套用英语常用句式It is+ a. + to do sth.，译为Since it was convenient to use and easy to learn.虽然中文出现了“由于……因此……”，但译为英语时不能同时出现“Since…so…”。

 

4.最后一句中的“有人发展了珠心算”如果逐字对译为someone has developed…则显晦涩，且主语“有人”无需强调，故转换主语为“珠心算”，用there came句型，表存现状态。“即把算盘的形象……”是对“珠心算”的补充说明，可用介词短语 with the image of an abacus in mind to calculate the figures 来表达。

 

【参考译文】

The abacus is a great invention in ancient China. In the old times, people used small rods to count, With the social development, numbers needed to calculate were increasingly greater, which made it impossible for the rods to fulfill the task. Thus,people invented a more advanced calculating device the abacus. Since it was convenient to use and easy to learn，the abacus was widely used in China. On the basis of the abacus, there came the mental abacus with the image of an abacus in mind to calculate the figures.

 

【原文】

据说《茉莉花》(Jasmine Flower)是流传到海外的第一首中国民歌。许多国外学者在研究中国音乐史时都提到了《茉莉花》，不少外国人学唱中文歌时首选这首歌。2004年雅典奥运会(Athens Olympics)闭幕式上， 一位中国小姑娘唱起《茉莉花》，给所有观众留下了深刻的印象。2008年北京奥运会，《茉莉花》被选为颁奖典礼(awarding ceremony)的音乐。这首歌带给我们美好艺术享受的同时也带给我们骄傲。

 

【解析】

1.第1句“据说《茉莉花》是……第一首中国民歌”可译为It is said that Jasmine flower is the first…，但不如译文说的Jasmine Flower is said to be the first…来得简单。定语“流传到海外的”较长，故将其处理成后置定语，用表被动的过去分词短语introduced to foreign countries来表达。

 

2.第2句中的“在研究中国音乐史时”为时间状语，处理成从句，英译时需增译出从句主语they，表达为when they study the history of Chinese music，置于主句之后。“不少外国人学唱中文歌时首选这首歌”可逐字对译为 many foreigners who would like to learn to sing Chinese songs would first choose this song，但译文繁冗拗口。根据“汉语多用动词，英语多用名词”的表达差异，考虑将“首选这首歌”译为the first choice，用结构 it is the first choice for sb.译出。

 

3.第3句中的“给所有现众留下了深刻的印象”可用并列结构and greatly impressed…，但不如将其处理成非限制性定语从句好，译作which greatly impressed all the audiences更能体现原文的逻辑关系。

 

4.最后一句“这首歌带给我们……的同时也…”可套用句型sth brings sb. both…and…，故译为This song brings us both great artistic enjoyment and pride.

 

【参考译文】

Jasmine Flower is said to be the first Chinese folk song introduced to foreign countries. A lot of scholars abroad have mentioned Jasmine Flower when they study the history of Chinese music. It is the first choice for many foreigners who would like to learn to sing Chinese songs. In closing ceremony of the 2004 Athens Olympics, a Chinese girl sang this song, which greatly impressed all the audiences. In 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was chosen as the music played in awarding ceremony.This song brings us both great artistic enjoyment and pride.

 

【原文】

黄河全长约5000公里，是中国第二长河，仅次于长江(the Yangtze River)。黄河发源于青海省，流经中国青海、四川、甘肃、宁夏、陕西等9个省区，最后流入渤海。由于夹带了大量的泥沙(silt)。黄河的河水呈黄色。在中国历史上，黄河流域给中华文明带来了巨大的影响，也是中华民族最主要的发源地。因此黄河被称为“中华文明的摇篮(cradle)”和中国的“母亲河”。

 

【解析】

1.第1句中的“全长……公里”可表达为is…kilometers long，也可表达为has a length of…， kilometers.“第二长河”，在数量、规模等方面要表达“第几长”、“第几大”时应该是序数词加上形容词的最高级，故这里译为the second longest river.“仅次于”可以表达为only second to或second to，如“他举世无双”，译为He is second to none.

 

2.翻译第2句“黄河发源于……，流经……，最后流入……，可沿用原文的结构，译作The Yellow River has its origin in…，flows through…， and finally pours itself into…，但此种译法稍显生硬、平淡。可将 ”黄河发源于…“处理为状语，用介词短语With its origin in…表达，使译文主次分明。”青海、四川、甘肃、宁夏、陕西等9个省区“翻译时可以先译中心词”9个省区“，具体的省区名称可以用such as引出，作为进一步说明。”流经“、”流入渤海“，这里的”流“可译为flow，但为了避免用词重复、译文表达丰富，”流人渤海“可更换表达为 enter the sea, reach the sea或pours itself into the sea.

 

3.第3句中的原因状语“由于夹带了大量的泥沙”表达为because it carries a lot of silt.“呈黄色”表达为in yellow 或 in the color of yellow，介词 in 表示“处于某种状态”。

 

4.第4句中的“黄河流域给中华文明带来……”可直译为the Yellow River basin brings significant influence…“但这样处理不如将名词短语”巨大的影响“转译为动词短语来得简单明了，表达为the Yellow River basin influences…significantly.

 

【参考译文】

The Yellow River is about 5,000 kilometers long. It is the second longest river in China, only second to the Yangtze River. With its origin in Qinghai Province, the Yellow River flows through nine provinces of China such as Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, Ningxia, and Shanxi, and finally pours itself into the Bohai Sea.Because it carries a lot of silt, the water of the River is in yellow. In Chinese history, the Yellow River basin influences Chinese civilization significantly and is also the major birthplace of Chinese nation. Therefore, the Yellow River is called "the Cradle of Chinese Civilization" and "Mother River" of China.