【原文】
中国的老龄人口在快速增长。预计到2050年,全国将有三分之一的人口超过60岁。然而,在中国的大多数城市,养老院(nursing home)数量很少且针对性的服务远远落后。这就是为什么大多数中国人在他们变老时,更愿意留在自己的子女或配偶身边。一些政协委员(CPPCC member)建议增加保障老龄人口权益的国家财政预算,给养老院提供更多的基础设施(infrastructure)并提高其服务质量。
【解析】
1.第2句中的“预计……”用句型it is predicted that…来表达,更符合英语的表达习惯。二分之用短,one out of three 来表达比 one third 更生动。
2.第3句中的“养老院数量很少”可逐字译成nursing home are few,或转译成there be结构。
3.最后一句中“建议”后的内容“增加……”为无主语句,故可将该句译成suggest doing sth. 的结构,或可译成 suggest that…的从句,无主语句部分则译为被动句,同时注意“建议”suggest后接的宾语从句必须用虚拟语气“(should+)动词原形”。“给养老院提供……服务质量”跟前半句看起来是并列关系,但经分析可发现这一句可看作是“保障老龄人口权益”的方式,故用介词by引导现在分词短语来表达。
【参考译文】
China's aging population is growing rapidly. It is predicted that by 2050 one out of three Chinese will be over 60 years old. However, in most Chinese cities, there are few nursing homes, and their targeted services lag far behind. That's why for most Chinese, when they grow old, they would rather stay with their children or spouses. Some CPPCC members suggest that more national budget should go towards protecting aging population's rights and interests, by building more infrastructure and improving service in nursing homes.
【原文】
广州以“购物天堂”著称。这里有众多的市场、商业街和购物中心。各种世界名牌商品(commodity)都可以在这里找到,你可以在市中心买到几乎任何你想要的东西。在广州,同类型的商店通常扎堆在一起,久而久之就形成了许多具有鲜明特色的街道。夜市是从黄昏开市至午夜,销售曰常用品、衣服和食物。它不仅方便了购物者,也是一种夜生活。
【解析】
1.第1句中的“以……著称”用短语be known as来表达,后面跟表示某种职业或某种身份的名词或名词短语。而be known for后面跟闻名的原因。
2.第3句由两个分句组成,两个分句句意完整且逻辑主语不同,故可处理成and连接的并列句。注意前一个分句中的“可以在这里找到”实际上隐含被动的意味,故译成被动语态。“任何你想要的东西”译成anything you want.
3.第4句中有两个并列的动作扎堆在一起“和”形成,二者语义独立,故用and来连接。定语具有鲜明特色的较长,故将其处理成后置定语,用介词with distinct characteristics来表达。
4.倒数第2句中有两个谓语:“开市”和“销售”,但均较短,故可选用“开市”作为句子的谓语,将“销售日用品……”处理成现在分词短语selling daily articles……,作“开市”的伴随动作。
【译文】
Guangzhou city is known as "shopping paradise".There are huge amounts of markets. Commercial streets and shopping malls. All sorts of world-famous brand commodities can be found here, and you can get almost anything you want in down town area In Guangzhou, shops of the same kind usually gather together and gradually form many streets with distinct characteristics. Night markets open from dusk to midnight, selling daily articles,clothes and food. It is not only convenient for shoppers but also a sort of nightlife.
【原文】
火锅(hot pot)是中国的传统饮食方式之一,拥有几千年的历史。在寒冷的冬天,人们軎欢吃能立即暖身和提神的火锅。如今在许多现代家庭里,用煤炭加热的(coal-heated)传统火锅已经被电磁炉(induction cooker)火锅所取代。各地火锅风格各异,所使用的火锅原料也不尽相同。-般来说,用于火锅的肉类包括猪肉、牛肉、鸡肉、鸭肉等,其他的菜则包括蔬菜、蘑菇、面条等。
【解析】
1.第1句中含有“是……”和“拥有……”两个动宾结构,如果沿用原结构翻译,则略显生硬,故将“拥有几千年的历史”用介词短语with a history of…来表达,使句子结构简练且符合英语表达习惯。
2.第2句中的定语“能立即暖身和提神的”较长,可用引导的定语从句来表达,“暖身”和“提神”可译成两个并列的动宾成分,表达为that instantly warms their bodies and lifts their spirits.
3.第4句“各地火锅风格各异,所使用的火锅原料也不尽相同”,此句的实际意义为—火锅风格和火锅原料因地方不同而不同,英语中”因……而异有vary from…to…的表达方式,故此处可表达为hot pot styles and ingredients vary from region to region.
4.最后一句中的定语“用于火锅的”按英文表达习惯,可将其处理成“肉类”的后置定语used for hot pot,由于通篇讲的都是hot pot的话题,故此处可省略for hot pot,以避免重复啰嗦,使行文言简意赅。
【参考译文】
With a history of several thousand years, hot pot is one of the traditional Chinese diets. In the cold winter,people like to eat the hot pot that instantly warms their bodies and lifts their spirits. Today in many modern homes,the traditional coal-heated hotpots have been replaced by induction cookers.Hotpot styles and ingredients vary from region to region in China. Generally, the common meats used include pork, beef, chicken, duck and others, while other hot pot dishes are vegetables, mushrooms, noodles, etc.