2017年英語六級翻譯練習(xí)：宋朝

　　宋朝始于960年，一直延續(xù)到1279年。這一時期，中國經(jīng)濟大幅增長，成為世界上最先進的經(jīng)濟體，科學(xué)、技術(shù)、哲學(xué)和數(shù)學(xué)蓬勃發(fā)展。宋代中國是世界歷史上首先發(fā)行紙幣的國家。宋朝還最早使用火藥并發(fā)明了活字(movable-type)印刷。人口增長迅速，越來越多的人住進城市，那里有熱鬧的娛樂場所。社會生活多種多樣，人們聚集在一起觀看和交易珍貴藝術(shù)品。宋朝的政府體制在當(dāng)時也是先進的。政府官員均通過競爭性考試選拔任用。

　　這是一段介紹了古代中國非常著名，同時也讓中國歷史走向新的鼎盛時期的宋朝。整個段落分為了8個句子，其中前兩句為一個意群，介紹宋朝的基本情況。第二個意群則是三四句，即宋朝的發(fā)明。第三個是第五六句，講宋朝的社會生活經(jīng)狀況。第四個是最后兩句，講官僚制度。

　　【第一句】宋朝始于960年，一直延續(xù)到1279年。

　　在這一句里，”延續(xù)“不僅是從始到終的過程，其中還暗示其“命運多舛”，在其政權(quán)統(tǒng)治上分成了“北宋”和“南宋”，還不斷受到北方民族的侵犯。到了后來，最終為元朝所滅。

　　因此，“延續(xù)”可以用continue來解釋。如在維基百科中，對宋朝的存續(xù)時間的介紹就是這樣的：

　　The Song dynasty was an era of Chinese history that began in 960 and continued until 1279

　　借鑒這個句子，可以翻譯如下：

　　The Song Dynasty began in 960 and continued until 1279.

　　【第二句】這一時期，中國經(jīng)濟大幅增長，成為世界上最先進的經(jīng)濟體，科學(xué)、技術(shù)、哲學(xué)和數(shù)學(xué)蓬勃發(fā)展。

　　這是一個長句，信息量不少。首先切一下句子的意思：

　　1、宋朝在經(jīng)濟方面取得的成績：經(jīng)濟大幅增長，成為世界上最先進的經(jīng)濟體

　　2、在科學(xué)技術(shù)等其他方面的發(fā)展：科學(xué)、技術(shù)、哲學(xué)和數(shù)學(xué)蓬勃發(fā)展

　　對于這樣的一個長句，可以分用分句法來斷句，即按意思分成兩句。不過，為了與第一句有一個語義上的關(guān)聯(lián)性，突顯宋朝“經(jīng)濟”方面取得的成就——“最先進的經(jīng)濟體”，建議用一個強調(diào)句式，即：

　　It was an era that the economy grew substantially and rose to one of the leading economies in the Earth.

　　對于“蓬勃發(fā)展”一詞，可以“thriving development”。在這一句里，科學(xué)、科學(xué)、技術(shù)、哲學(xué)和數(shù)學(xué)的“發(fā)展”更多地是按“進化論”的角度來看的，即是累積式變化。因此，development一詞能很好地揭示這種變化規(guī)律�？铝炙乖诰�辭典的解釋是：

　　Development is the gradual growth or formation of something. 生長、發(fā)育

　　不過，在這一句里，發(fā)展是動詞，蓬勃自然是修辭動詞“發(fā)展”的。在英譯中，需要將變成動詞develop一詞，但thriving改成thrivingly，就不符合習(xí)慣了。

　　這時，我們可以用另外一個詞來表示類似的意思，即flourish�？铝炙乖诰�辭典對于這個詞的解釋如下：

　　If something flourishes, it is successful, active, or common, and developing quickly and strongly.

　　在這個意思中，包括了develop一詞，甚至還將“蓬勃”一詞的意思也含括在內(nèi)了。

　　在維基百科中，也有一個類似的句子

　　Technology, science, philosophy, mathematics and engineering flourished over the course of the Song.

　　參照這個句子，第二句可試譯如下：

　　Science, technology, philosophy and mathematics flourished.

　　不過，這個拆分句子，顯得這一個意群內(nèi)在的聯(lián)系不夠緊湊(即第二句與第一句的“an era”的關(guān)聯(lián)性不強)，句子與句子之間的關(guān)系非常松散�？梢試L試合成一個句子：

　　It was an era that the economy grew substantially to be one of the leading economies in the Earth, and science, technology, philosophy and mathematics flourished.

　　【第三、四句】宋代中國是世界歷史上首先發(fā)行紙幣的國家。宋朝還最早使用火藥并發(fā)明了活字(movable-type)印刷。

　　這兩句話，有一個共同的特征，都是提到了宋朝的重要發(fā)明，并使用了“首先”和“最早”兩個詞。因此，將兩句話可以整合成一個句子，使得句子更緊湊。

　　在維基百科中，我們可以查到有關(guān)描述宋朝使用紙幣以及火藥的句子：

　　It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes

　　This dynasty also saw the first known use of gunpowder.

　　根據(jù)上述的句子，我們可以改成如下：

　　The Song was the first government in the world history to issue banknotes and saw the first know use of gunpoweder and movable-type printing.

　　【第五句】人口增長迅速，越來越多的人住進城市，那里有熱鬧的娛樂場所。

　　本句的重點并不在于人口的增長以及城市化， 而是偏重于城市人口增長，城市里就有了“熱鬧的娛樂場所”。 在選擇句型結(jié)構(gòu)時，則要強調(diào)人口增長與娛樂場所之間內(nèi)在的“因果關(guān)系”。

　　在翻譯“人口增長迅速”時，考慮到后面接著“越來越多人住進城市”，不一定必須用一個句子(the population grew/expanded rapidly)，可以用一個名詞短語(rapid expansion of population )。

　　“越來越多的人住進城市”中的“住進”即是"移居"(move)，可譯成more and more people moved to urban cities.

　　在維基百科里，有一句與“熱鬧的娛樂場所”相關(guān)：

　　cities had lively entertainment quarters.

　　這個句子試譯如下：

　　With rapid expansion of the population, more and more people moved to ruban cities, where there were lively entertainment quarters.

　　【第六句】社會生活多種多樣，人們聚集在一起觀看和交易珍貴藝術(shù)品。

　　這一句是典型的中文句式，在形式上，是以“總”(社會生活多種多樣)帶“點”(人們聚集在一起觀看和交易珍貴藝術(shù)品)，而在語義層面 ，則是兩個分開的，可以譯成兩句話。

　　在維基百科里有兩句話包含了上述中文里的意思：

　　Social life during the Song was vibrant. Citizens gathered to view and trade precious artworks, the populace intermingled at public festivals and private clubs, and cities had lively entertainment quarters.

　　如此，將這一句中文拆分成兩句話，讓意思更為清晰一些：

　　Social life during the Song was vibrant. Citizens gathered to view and trade precious artworks

　　【第七八句】宋朝的政府體制在當(dāng)時也是先進的。政府官員均通過競爭性考試選拔任用。

　　這兩句是與宋朝的行政體制(civil service system)有關(guān)的。“體制”其實就是“system”，選拔可以用“select”，“任用”一詞可用“appoint”或“assign”來表示，甚至也可用“recruit"。

　　"競爭性考試"，其實就是科舉制(civil service examination)，可以譯成competitive civil service examination.

　　在維基百科中，對于宋朝的civil service system有如下的描述：

　　(The civil service system of recruiting official) was based upon degrees acquired through competitive examinations,in an effort to select the most capable individuals for governance.

　　參與這個句子，可將第七八句試譯如下：

　　During this period, its civil service system was advanced as such government officials were all selected through competitive civial service examination.

　　參考譯文一：

　　The Song dynasty began in 960 and continued until 1279. It was an era that the economy grew substantially to be one of the leading economies in the Earth, and science, technology, philosophy and mathematics flourished. The Song was the first government in the world history to issue banknotes and saw the first known use of gunpoweder and movable-type printing. With rapid expansion of the population, more and more people moved to ruban cities, where there were lively entertainment quarters. During this period, the civil service system was advanced as such government officials were all selected through competitive civial service examination.

　　參考譯文二：

　　The Song Dynasty started in 960, and continued until 1279. In this era, Chinese economy grew greatly, and became the largest economy in the world. Science, technology, philosophy and mathematics boomed. Song China was the first country to issue paper money in world history. The Song Dynasty was the first to use gunpowder and to invent movable-type printing. Population grew rapidly. More and more lived in cities. There were lively places for fun. There were many forms of social life. People got together to watch and trade valuable artifacts. The system of the government of the Song Dynasty was the most advanced in the world at that time. Government officials were chosen and employed through competitive exams.

　　參考譯文三：

　　Initiated from AD 960 to AD 1279, the Song dynasty was an era when China’s economy boosted substantially to become the most advanced economy in the world. It’s also an era that both science and technology, philosophy and mathematics flourished. This dynasty also saw the first known use of banknote, gunpowder as well as the invention movable-type. During the Song dynasty, the population of China grew quickly and more and more people surged in to cities, where settled bustling entertaining sites. The social life were abundant and varied, people gathered together to visit and trade valuable works of art. The government system of Song dynasty that all the government officials were selected and appointed through completive tests, was also unrivalled in world at that time