翻译练习12篇_附参考答案.doc

翻译练习1 Nature vs nurture: hard facts and strong storiesANYONE who still believes that our psychological dispositions are due largely to our genes will learn a lot from this book. The same goes for those who think they are predominantly shaped by our environment. Jerome Kagan, an emeritus professor of psychology at Harvard University, has spent much of his career unpacking the complexities behind human personality and behaviour. In The Temperamental Thread he navigates a path through the conflicting evidence with great skill and eloquence.The thesis behind the title is that everyone is born with a biologically based temperamental bias that is evident in infancy and influences our future behaviour, but how that pans out as we grow up depends strongly on a range of factors such as our ethnicity and gender, how our parents treat us, their social class, the size of our home town and whether or not we have older siblings. Temperamental bias, he explains, resembles the inherited components of a birds song: Although the birds genes contribute to the basic components of the song, they do not determine the specific songs the adult bird will sing.Kagans expertise derives partly from an exhaustive longitudinal study in which he followed the lives of more than 450 people from 16 weeks old to adulthood. He found that those who become distressed or strongly aroused as infants when confronted with unfamiliar objects, such as brightly coloured mobiles, tend to grow into timid or anxious adolescents, while less reactive infants develop a more relaxed, spontaneous disposition.However, he stresses that these outcomes are not fixed since the developmental environment can powerfully distort the effect of genes. For example, while the possession of a gene variant which disrupts serotonin(血清素) activity in the brain can result in social anxiety in a woman raised in a stable middle-class family, it can contribute to criminality in a man brought up in poverty by abusive parents.This kind of analysis leads Kagan into some interesting areas, such as the origins of psychological differences between the sexes and between members of different ethnic groups. He is also happy to throw in the occasional wild speculation, such as the idea that women are better placed than men to save the world from ecological disaster.None of this undermines the serious messages in his book, perhaps the most important of which is that we are still largely ignorant about the biology that underlies behavioural predispositions and the cascade of psychological processes that flow from them.先天对后天：确凿的事实与强力的证明无论你是认为心理定势主要源于基因遗传，还是认为心理定势主要受环境支配，本书都可以使你受益匪浅。哈佛大学名誉心理学教授杰罗姆卡根几乎倾注了毕生的精力，致力解开人类性格和行为内在的复杂性。在性格密码一书中，卡根以高超的技巧和雄辩的语言梳理互相矛盾的证据，做出自己的结论。书名隐含的论点是，每个人天生具有生物学意义上的性格偏向，这一偏向在儿童期就已经显现，并影响今后的行为，然而我们在成长过程中，天生的偏向所起的作用很大程度上是由诸如族裔、性别、父母对待我们的态度、他们的社会阶层、家乡的面积大小以及我们有无哥哥、姐姐等因素决定的。卡根解释说，性格偏向类似于鸟鸣的遗传构成：“尽管鸟类的基因对鸟鸣的基本构成产生影响，但他们不能决定成年鸟具体的鸣唱方式。”卡根的专业知识部分来源于穷尽性的跟踪研究，他跟踪调查了共450人从16周大到成年人的全部生活过程，发现在婴儿期即受到不熟悉的物体，比如色彩鲜艳的风铃等的干扰而痛苦或备受刺激的人，容易成长为胆怯、焦虑的人。相反那些不易受干扰的婴儿，容易成长为性格放松、率性而为的人。然而，卡根强调这些结果不是一成不变的，因为环境的变化可以大大逆转基因的影响。例如，虽然拥有破坏大脑血清素活动的一种基因变型可能导致稳定中产家庭长大的女性的社交焦虑，然而它可以导致受父母虐待的贫穷家庭成长的男子走向犯罪。这种分析也把卡根领入了某些有趣的领域，比如男女之间以及不同族异群体成员之间的心理差异的起源问题。他偶然会乐不可支地提出某些疯狂的推断，比如女人天生比男人更具备拯救世界脱离环境灾难的能力。这样的推断并没有损害他书中内容的严肃性，也许最重要的是，我们一直大大忽视了行为倾向的生物性，以及由这些倾向所产生的大量心理过程。练习2 我之于书 夏丏尊Xia Mianzun Books and I二十年来，我的生活费中至少十分之一二是消耗在书上的(2)。我的房子里(3)比较贵重的东西就是书。 For twenty years past, books have eaten into at least 10-20 percent of my pocket. Now the only things of some value under my roof, if any（汉译英时，添加以增强逻辑性）, are my books. (Ihadto dipintomypockettopayfor theholiday. 我得自己掏腰包支付度假的费用.)我一向没有对于任何问题作高深研究的野心，因此所买的书范围较广，宗教、艺术、文学、社会、哲学、历史、生物，各方面差不多都有一点。最多的是各国文学名著的译本，与本国古来的诗文集，别的门类只是些概论等类的入门书而已。Since I have never entertained （抱有想法，书面语）ambition for making a profound study of any subject, the books I have acquired （也可以用procured）cover almost(pretty much) everything（are almost all-embracing）-religion, art, literature, sociology, philosophy, history, biology, etc. Most of them are Chinese translations of literary works by famous foreign writers and anthologies of Chinese poetry and prose through the ages. (On top of my book list are )The rest, often called an outline or introduction, are merely on rudiments of various subjects. 我不喜欢向别人或图书馆借书。借来的书，在我好像过不来瘾似的(4)，必要是自己买的才满足。这也可谓是一种占有的欲望。买到了几册新书，一册一册在加盖藏书印(5)记，我最感到快悦的是这时候。 I never care to borrow books from other people or a library. It seems that books bought can better satisfy my bibliomania than books borrowed. You may also attribute this to some sort of desire for personal possession. Whenever I have some new acquisitions(呼应上文), it always gives me great pleasure and satisfaction to stamp（贴） my ex-libris （藏书票）on them one by one. 书籍到了我的手里，我的习惯是先看序文，次看目录。页数不多的往往立刻通读(6)，篇幅大的，只把正文任择一二章节略加翻阅，就插在书架上。除小说外，我少有全体读完的大部的书，只凭了购入当时的记忆，知道某册书是何种性质，其中大概有些什么可取的材料而已。什么书在什么时候再去读再去翻，连我自己也无把握，完全要看一个时期一个时期的兴趣。关于这事，我常自比为古时的皇帝，而把插在架上的书籍诸列屋而居的宫女(7)。 As soon as a new book comes to hand, I always read the preface first and then the table of contents. If it happens to be a thin one, I often finish reading it at one sitting. Otherwise, I often browse through one or two chapters or sections before putting it onto my bookshelf. I seldom read a thick book from cover to cover unless it is a novel. By dint of the first impression it made on me at the time of buying, （这里语法有些问题，at the time of buying 是人的行为，可惜句子的主语是it，我觉得似乎可以翻译成at the time of joining my book list，不过也有一些矫情）I have a rough idea of what a book is about and what useful materials in it are available to me. But I have little idea which book is to be read or looked over again at what time. It is completely subject to the whims of the moment. This often prompts me to liken myself and the books on my shelves respectively to an ancient emperor and his concubines housed separately in a row of adjoining rooms. 我虽爱买书，而对于书却不甚爱惜。读书的时候，常在书上把我认为要紧的处所标出。线装书竟用红铅笔划粗粗的线。经我看过的书，统体干净的很少。 Much as I love books, I take little care of them. In doing my reading, I often mark out what I regard as important in a book. If it is a thread-bound Chinese book, I use a writing brush to draw small circles as markings. Otherwise, I use a red pencil to draw heavy underlines. Consequently, the books I have read are rarely clean. 据说，任何爱吃糖果的人，只要叫他到糖果铺中去做事，见了糖果就会生厌。自我入书店以后，对于书的贪念也已消除了不少了，可不免要故态复萌(8)，想买这种，想买那种。这大概因为糖果要用嘴去吃，摆存毫无意义，而书则可以买了不看，任其只管插在架上的缘故吧。 It is said that those who have a great liking for candies will sicken to see them when later they happen to work in a candy store. Likewise, ever since I began to work in a bookstore, my obsession with books has been very much on the decline. Nevertheless, I still can not help slipping back into the same old rut, eager to buy this and that book. This is probably because candies are to be eaten with the mouth and not worth keeping as knick-knacks while books can be bought without being read and just left on a shelf.(1)“我之于书”译为 Books and I ，比 I and Books 符合英语习惯，读音也较顺口。 (2)“我的生活费中至少十分之一二是消耗在书上的”译为books have eaten into at least 10-20 percent of my pocket，其中成语 to eat into 作“耗尽”或“花费”解，意同 to use up 或 to spend gradually；pocket 作“腰包”解。 (3)“我的房子里”译为 under my roof ,意同 in my house。 (4)“好像过不来瘾似的”中的“瘾”指“藏书癖”，故译为bibliomania，意即 desire or passion for collecting books。 (5)“藏书印”译为 ex-libris，为专用语。 (6)“往往立刻通读”译为 I often finish reading it at one sitting，其中at one sitting（亦作at a sitting）为成语，作“坐着一口气”或“一下子”解。 (7)“宫女”本可译为court ladies或palace maids，但原文实际上指的是“妃子”，故译为concubines。 (8)“故态复萌”译为slipping back into the same old rut，或relapsing into my old habit。 中年人的寂寞练习3We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergencya threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here. But there is hopeful news as well: we have the ability to solve this crisis and avoid the worst though not all of its consequences, if we act boldly, decisively and quickly. However, despite a growing number of honorable exceptions, too many of the worlds leaders are still best described in the words Winston Churchill applied to those who ignored Adolf Hitlers threat： They go on in strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all powerful to be impotent. So today, we dumped another 70 million tons of global-warming pollution into the thin shell of atmosphere surrounding our planet, as if it were an open sewer. And tomorrow, we will dump a slightly larger amount, with the cumulative concentrations now trapping more and more heat from the sun.Version 1：我们人类，正走在一场全球危机的当口，人类的生存和文明面临威胁。即使在我们聚在一起共商对策之际，灾难仍在集聚毁灭的力量，形势异常严峻。但令人欣慰的是：如果采取大胆、果断、迅速的行动，我们就能够扭转乾坤，解决当前危机，避免滑向不可收拾的极端险境。丘吉尔当年批评欧洲各国政要无视希特勒威胁的时候曾说：“他们在奇怪的悖论中苟且偷生，当断不断，瞻前顾后、随波逐流、自废武功。”这话用在时下世界各国为数不少的领导人身上真可谓恰如其分。 现如今，我们又向地球外薄薄的大气层倾倒了7000万吨的温室气体， 俨然把大气层当成了天然的大阴沟。明天我们排放的（温室气体）比这还要多一些，而日积月累的温室气体会吸纳越来越多的太阳热能。Version2：我们人类，正面临全球性的危机，我们的生存和文明受到威胁。尽管我们聚在一起共商对策，而灾难却在扩大，形势不容乐观。但也有令人欣喜的消息：如果行动大胆果断，反应迅速，我们有能力解决这场危机，避免其向最坏的方向发展。 但是，时下世界上的许多国家领导人可以用当年温斯顿丘吉尔批评欧洲诸政要忽视阿道夫希特勒的名言来形容，“它们在奇怪的悖论中前行，仅仅为一个决定而犹豫不决，有了决心却拖泥带水，信心犹疑不定，见解随波逐流，掌权者虚弱无力。” 而如今我们向这个星球脆弱的大气层倾倒超过七千万吨温室气体，把其当作天然排污口。明天我们还会变本加厉，堆积的温室气体吸纳了越来越多的太阳热度。a planetary emergency-a threat to the survival of our civilization(同位语)gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here (重复gather一词)e.g. Evenaswespeak,grimtimespeeds swiftaway.即使在我们讲话之际,无情的时光也会飞驰而去.the worst-though not all-of its consequences(英语特有的让步句式)despite a growing number of honorable exceptions （以示周全的英语让步句式）According to Wikipedia, the global annual CO2 emissions are 29,888,121 in 2008.练习4练习4在元朝末年，朝廷变得腐败无能。许多读书人都坚信蒙古人已失掉了天命，不再能统治天下了。可以合并处理: Toward the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the imperial government had become so corrupt and incompetent that many scholars were convinced that Mongols had lost the mandate of heaven to rule the country.如果不合并：In the final years of the Yuan Dynasty, the imperial government became corrupt and incompetent. Many scholars were 然而他们当中谁曾料到，天命竟然会落到朱元璋这样一位几乎终生目不识丁的人头上。明太祖朱元璋出身极其微贱，除了天生才具之外一无所有。他的父母是极其贫苦的农民，因饥荒而背井离乡。为了不至于全家都饿死，他们把儿子卖进了寺庙。朱元璋做了几年小和尚，然后就跑掉当了土匪。在当时天下大乱、反叛四起的情况下，他这么做倒是顺理成章。过了一些年，他在南京登基坐殿，开创了明朝近三百年的江山。Towards the end of its rule the Yuan dynasty had became so corrupt and impotent that a great number of intellectuals were firmly convinced that the Mongols were no longer justified to rule China who had violated the mandate of heaven (Gods will or favor)（had lost the mandate of heaven to rule the country）. However, none of them had expected the destiny to fall on (the fate to favor) Zhu Yuanzhang, a man who had remained pretty much illiterate all his life (had expected that Zhu Yuanzhang, who had remained pretty much illiterate all his life, would become the emperor of the succeeding dynasty). Zhu Yuanzhang, the Emperor Taizu of Ming, was a man of the most humble origin，with nothing but his natural ability at his disposal. His parents were poor peasants. Forced to leave their homeland because of famine, they sold their son into a Buddhist monastery to save both his life and their own. After a few years as a novice monk, Zhu ran away and became a banditThis was a logical step for him to take, considering the great confusion of the age, with revolts breaking out everywhere. Some years later, he ascended the throne in Nanjing and proclaimed the founding of the Ming dynasty, which was to last nearly three hundred years.在元朝末年：in the final years of Yuan dynasty.腐败无能:corrupt and incompetent 读书人:scholars 蒙古人:the Mongols 天命:the mandate of heaven 落到:pass onto 终生目不识丁:remained virtually illiterate all ones life 出身极其微贱: a man of humble origin 饥荒: famine 寺庙 Buddhist monastery 小和尚: novice monk 土匪 bandit 顺理成章: a local step for 当时天下大乱、反叛四起的情况下: the great confusion of the age, with revolts breaking out everywhere. 登基ascended the throne练习5 Change Has Come to America (Barack Obamas Victory Speech)美国的变革时代已到来/美国迎来了变革时代(奥巴马胜选演说辞)If there is anyone out there（out there 本义是在外面，这里指外其他国家的人、不了解情况的人等等，翻译时可以省去）who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible（美国梦认为：只要努力，一切皆有可能。）, who still wonders if the dream of our founders（those founding fathers，开国的先辈们） is alive （意为抱持美国梦想）in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer（意指其本人的当选是美国梦实现的标志，实际上，美国开国元勋们并没有想到黑人有一天会当选美国总统）. 如果，还有人怀疑美国是一切皆有可能的国度，还有人怀疑国父们的梦想在我们的时代是否还存在，还有人怀疑我们的民主所拥有的力量，那么今晚，你听到了回答。美国是否暗藏一切皆有可能的巨大潜力？美国是否已经实现开国者锻造的美国梦？民主信仰是否具有强大力量？如果还有人对此报以怀疑，那么今晚这里发生的一切就是答案。（很好地拆分了句子）如果还有人仍在怀疑美国是否是一个一切皆有可能的国度的话，如果还有人仍在疑虑我们美国的缔造者的梦想是否还存在于我们这个时代的话，如果还有人仍在质疑我们民主的力量的话，今晚你就可以得到答案。Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference（即他们的投票决定了今天的结果）. 是那些今天在学校和教堂排着长队、数不胜数的选民做出了回答；是那些为了投票等待了三四个小时的人们做出了回答。他们中的很多人，是有生以来第一次投票因为他们相信，这次真的不同，他们的声音会让这次不同。 学校旁、教堂边，无数人都在排队投票，这一情景我们已经多年未见；3个小时、4个小时，他们为此而等候良久，这是很多同胞有生以来的第一次。因为他们相信，这一次，将不同以往；这一次，因为他们的呼声而有所不同。在这个国家的学校和教堂中人们曾焦急地等待着答案，一些人甚至从未像今天一样等待了34个小时，但是他们知道这一时刻非同一般，他们的声音也同样非同一般。Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. （我们的选举并非个人主义和党派利益的大拼盘，而是美国精神的体现）We are, and always will be, the United States of America. 这个回答来自青年、老人、穷人、富人、民主党、共和党人、黑皮肤、白皮肤、拉美人、亚裔、印第安人、同性恋和非同性恋者、残疾人和健全者。美国告诉世界，我们从来就不是一半红、一半蓝（译者：分别代表民主党和共和党），我们是美利坚合众国。无论老少贫富，无论共和党抑或民主党，不管是黑皮肤、白种人、拉丁后裔、亚裔子孙还是本土美国人；无论性向如何，不管健康抑或残疾，所有的美国人民都向全世界传递出这样一条信息：我们从来都不是红蓝阵营的政治堆砌，我们是，而且永远是，美利坚合众国。不管你是年轻人还是老年人，是富人还是穷人，是民主党人还是共和党人，是黑人还是白人，也不管你是拉丁美洲人或亚洲人还是本土美国人，更无论你是否为同性恋者、是否是残疾人，这是美国人共同的答案。美国人向全世界传递一个声音，那就是我们的选举从不分红州或蓝州。我们属于，而且永远只属于美利坚合众国。在三个译文中，just 和a collection of individuals都没有准确的译出来，奥巴马说的是，美国的选举并非只是个人主义的演武场，美国选举也不是红蓝对立的政治秀，美国选举的价值导向永远都是美国利益至上。Another versionChange Has Come to America(Barack Obamas Victory Speech)If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. 如果，还有人怀疑美国是一切皆有可能的国度，还有人怀疑国父们的梦想在我们的时代是否还存在，还有人怀疑我们的民主所拥有的力量，那么今晚，你听到了回答。 Its the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference. 是那些今天在学校和教堂排着长队、数不胜数的选民做出了回答；是那些为了投票等待了三四个小时的人们做出了回答。他们中的很多人，是有生以来第一次投票因为他们相信，这次真的不同，他们的声音会让这次不同。 Its the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and always will be, the United States of America. 这个回答来自青年、老人、穷人、富人、民主党、共和党人、黑皮肤、白皮肤、拉美人、亚裔、印第安人、同性恋和非同性恋者、残疾人和健全者。美国告诉世界，我们从来就不是一半红、一半蓝（译者：分别代表民主党和共和党），我们是美利坚合众国。 练习6The American Falls do not inspire this feeling in the same way as the Canadian. It is because they are less in volume（水量）, and because the water does not fall so much into one place.尼亚加拉瀑布在美国那边别有洞天（观感不尽相同）。美国瀑布的水量不如加拿大瀑布那么大，水流也不似那么集中。相较之下，美国瀑布的美可以说触手即碎，瀑布外形极其规则（加拿大瀑布是U字形的，也称马蹄瀑布），仿佛长长的蕾丝挂帘，裹挟着水花。从对面观瞧，能看到太阳光照下，瀑布主体发出耀眼的白光，飞溅其上的朵朵浪花倒显出不少暗色来。水色的无穷变幻是两家瀑布共同的看点。绿、蓝、紫、白，交相辉映，由浓入淡、由淡返浓，随着光线幻化出不同的身影。（无论是美国这边的瀑布还是加拿大那边的，瀑布的颜色光怪陆离，缤纷多彩，可谓一大奇观，你看那绿的、蓝的、紫的、白的，彼此交融，忽隐忽现，随着光线的转移而异彩纷呈。-沈媛媛译） By comparison their beauty is almost delicate and fragile. They are extraordinarily level, one long curtain of lacework and woven foam. Seen from opposite, when the sun is on them, they are blindingly white, and the clouds of spray show dark against them. With both Falls the color of the water is the ever-altering wonder. Greens and blues, purples and whites, melt into one another, fade, and come again, and change with the changing sun. Sometimes they are as richly diaphanous as a precious stone, and glow from within with a deep, inexplicable light. Sometimes the white intricacies of dropping foam become opaque and creamy. And always there are the rainbows. If you come suddenly upon the Falls from above, a great double rainbow, very vivid, spanning the extent of spray from top to bottom, is the first thing you see. If you wander along the cliff opposite, a bow springs into being in the American Falls, accompanies you courteously on your walk, dwindles and dies as the mist ends, and awakens again as you reach the Canadian tumult.瀑布时而化作晶莹剔透的宝石，隐隐透出富丽气息，从内部散发着深不可测的神秘之光；时而化作奶油色的泡沫，飞溅的水花不再透明。彩虹永远是最亮丽的风景。设若你突然从上端俯视这瀑布，最早映入眼帘的一定是那无比精彩（令人叹为观止）的双层大彩虹，从上到下纵贯整个瀑布；设若你沿着对面的悬崖漫步，这瀑布就像一张弓（就会有一轮彩虹），谦恭地陪着你一路，随着雾气的消散香消玉殒（那彩虹也不见了），然而在你抵达喧闹的加拿大瀑布之后，她又奇迹般地复活了。大胆的游人径直走入美国瀑布下面，斗胆张开眼睛，赫然发现一条 And the bold traveler who attempts the trip under the American Falls sees, when he dare open his eyes to anything, tiny baby rainbows, some four or five yards in span, leaping from rock to rock among the foam, and gamboling beside him, barely out of hands reach, as he goes. One I saw in that place was a complete circle, such as I have never seen before, and so near that I could put my foot on it. It is a terrifying journey, beneath and behind the Falls. 赫然发现一条条初生的小彩虹，大小在四至五码之间，在水雾氤氲的岩石间跳来跳去，随着游人一路嬉戏而去，就在触手可及的地方。就在那儿我生平第一次看到一条彩虹，形成一个整圆，靠我这么近，我的脚就踩在了彩虹上。无论是穿行其下，还是从背后欣赏，瀑布之游都是一种“恐怖”的旅程（一样的惊心动魄-沈媛媛译）。在咆哮的水声和飞溅的水花双重夹击下，人的感官彻底崩溃，失去了效能（肆意地摧残着我的感官功能）；或曰（更确切地说），那声音不是水花溅落，只是重物垂下，发出毁灭一切的声响（透出毁灭感）。The senses are b