2017年6月英语六级翻译考题详解：唐朝
在2017年六月的大学英语六级试题中，中译英翻译有三道，分别是唐明宋三个朝代的介绍。
从出题人的角度以及内容来看，这三道题更多地是强调这三个朝代的历史地位以及在经济文化方面的成就。同时，词语也是现代人惯常使用的，富有时代感。
卷一：唐朝
唐朝始于618年，终于907年，是中国历史上最灿烂的时期。经过三百年的发展，唐代中国成为世界上最繁荣的强国，其首都长安是世界上最大的都市。这一时期，经济发达，商业繁荣，社会秩序稳定，甚至边境也对外开放。随着城市化的财富的增加，艺术和文学也繁荣起来。李白和杜甫是以作品简洁自然而著称的诗人。他们的诗歌打动了学者和普通人的心，即使在今天，他们的许多诗歌仍广为儿童及成人阅读背诵。
这话段有六个句子，可分成三个意群。一个意群是第一句，总领整段话，突出其“中国历史上最灿烂的时期”。第二个意群则是第二句和第三句，强调“强国”。第三个则是最后三句，即“艺术和文学”的繁荣程度，并以李白和杜甫的诗歌为代表。
【第一句】唐朝始于618年，终于907年，是中国历史上最灿烂的时期。
“始于”，“终于”，可是简单的用start和end来表示，也可以直接用“from… to…”的结构。在一些相对专业化的表示中，可直接写成AD 618-AD 907。
“灿烂”也有很多表述，一个比较简单的可以是glorious。
不过，有鉴于中国历史悠久，在封建制度不同的发展阶段均出现过多"盛及一时"的王朝。因此，从表达的严谨角度来说，唐朝并不能绝对称之为“中国历史上最灿烂的时期”——“最灿烂”之前没有限定语，很容易让饱受“进化论”影响的人误以为中国千年前就已达到了巅峰，现在不如唐朝了。于是乎，在翻译时，最好加上one of the most glorious times。
这句可以翻译为：
The Tang Dynasty started in 618 and ended in 907. It was the most glorious time in Chinese history.
或是：
The Tang Dynasty （AD 618-AD 907) was one of the most glorious times in the Chinese history.
【第二句】经过三百年的发展，唐代中国成为世界上最繁荣的强国，其首都长安是世界上最大的都市。
这里的“经过”，我们可以理解为“经过……之后”，翻译成after就好了。从语义角度来理解，唐代存世三百年——即第一句中提到的始终年份，社会发展达到了当时世界的强国地位。
另外，“首都长安是世界上最大的都市”一句中，也隐含了是“当时世界上”的意思。“都市”可以用metropolis一词来理解，即柯林斯在线词典的解释：
A metropolis is the largest, busiest, and most important city in a country or region
一国或一地区范围内面积最大、最繁华也最重要的城市。
也词典译成“首都”和“首府”的。 这个词与cosmopolis有所不同，后者是指“国际都市（由来自许多不同国家的人居住的大城市）”。
这个句子可以拆分成两个简单句：
The Tang Dynasty developed for 300 hundred years. It became the most prosperous country in the world.
不过，很明显，这样的拆分反而让意思很零碎，不简炼。尝试译成一个复合句：
Around 300 years, this dynasty had developed into one of the most prosperous countries in the world, and its capital, Chang'an, was the one of the metropolises in the world.
P.S. 这个将唐朝与长安分别称用one of来修饰，仍然是考虑到当时的历史中还有好几个大国（如阿拉伯帝国）以及繁华程度不亚于长安的首都城市。作为一名翻译，要尊重历史，即不妄自菲薄，也不狂妄自大。
【第三句】这一时期，经济发达，商业繁荣，社会秩序稳定，甚至边境也对外开放。
这句话里的难度在于有四个并列的主谓结构词组。如果单纯地按其字面意思来翻译，组成的英文句子则不仅会很长，还会很晦涩难懂。在此，我们通常要将这一类主谓结构的词组改成名词词组，即形容词+名词的结构：
经济发达：well-developed economy
商业繁荣：prosperious business
社会秩序稳定：stable society
边境对外开放：open to immigration
还有，“这一时期”指是的整个唐朝300多年的时间。不过，我们知道，整个唐朝有经历了21位帝王，按现代概念来说，也就是21个政权(reigns)。 我们可以这么理解，在“这一时期”是指“唐朝21位帝王执政时期”，用reigns of the Tang Dynasty来会更为清晰明确。同时，这也符合社会发展的规律，即社会进步与财富累积都是渐进性的。
这一句话可以译为：
Through the whole reigns of the Tang Dynasty saw well-developed economy, propserious business, stable society and even open to the immigration.
【第四句】随着城市化的财富的增加，艺术和文学也繁荣起来。
这句话的难词是城市化urbanization，财富wealth，增加accumulation，这句话里的繁荣可以换一个同义词，用thriving。
这里有一个理解难点，“城市化的财富的增加”。从字面意思上，可以理解为，唐朝社会有更高的城市化程度，随之而来是带动了整个社会财富的增加。从历史的角度来看，唐朝的城市数量较之前的隋朝增加很多，社会富裕程度肯定也是如此。
另外，根据政治经济学的观点，“财富”与“艺术和文学”是有内在逻辑的，即“经济基础决定上层建筑”。因而，在中文中，“也”字就是这种逻辑关系的体现。在翻译时，要在英文句子结构上体现出这种逻辑关系。
这句话就可以翻成：
With urbanization advance and wealth accumulation, art and literature, therefore, thrived.
【第五句】李白和杜甫是以作品简洁自然而著称的诗人。
这句话里的“简洁”是concise。它的难点在于如何处理“著称”，而这个词通常可以用famous来翻译，也可以用be well-known for，且更为常用一些。
这一句简单翻译的话，可以分成两个简单句：
Li Bai and Du Fu were famous poets. They were famous for their concise and neat works of poem.
也可以整合成一句话，就是：
Li Bai and Du Fu, two most famous poest in the Tang Dynasty, were well-known for their works in concise and neat works of poem.
【第六句】他们的诗歌打动了学者和普通人的心，即使在今天，他们的许多诗歌仍广为儿童及成人阅读背诵。
“打动某人的心”可翻译成touchy。
"打动了学者和普通人"，其实是指各个层次的人群，不仅有学者，还有普通人，可能还有学生、官员甚至是家庭主妇。而学者与普通人是相对的群，表示的是所涉及的群体范围。在英语中，可以用(in a range) from scholars to ordinary people.
阅读背诵，这两个词其实可以理解成一个词read，即用眼睛的阅读和嘴巴的朗读。在这里，背诵一词更多地强调的是“朗读大脑中记忆的内容”。如果用recite来译“背诵”，则是强调“背”字，弱化了“诵”，可以会造成英文读者以为这些诗歌很难理解，需要不断地背才能记住。如此这般，就有“丑化”李杜诗歌的嫌疑了。
这句话的翻译分两个句子：
Their poems are so touchy to from scholars to ordinary people. Even today, many children and adults still love to read their poems.
或是一个句子：
Their poems are so touchy to from scholars to ordinary people that even today, children and adults still love to read their poems.
全文翻译：
在此先提供翻吧的参考版本，之后是沪江英语的“基础版”和“提高版”两个参考。
翻吧参考版：
The Tang Dynasty（AD 618-AD 907) was one of the most glorious times in the Chinese history. Around 300 years, this dynasty had developed into one of the most prosperous countries in the world, and its capital, Chang'an, was the one of the metropolises in the world.Through the whole reigns of the Tang Dynasty saw well-developed economy, propserious business, stable society and even open to the immigration. With the Tang's urbanization advance and wealth accumulation, art and literature, therefore, thrived. Li Bai and Du Fu, two most famous poets in the Tang Dynasty, were well-known for works of poem, concise and neat, and touchy to from scholars to ordinary people. Even today, many children and adults still love to read their poems.
沪江英语基础版：
The Tang Dynasty started in 618 and ended in 907. It was the most glorious time in Chinese history. After developing for 300 years, Tang became the most prosperous country in the world. Its capital, Chang’An, was the biggest city in the world. At this time, economy was developed. Commerce was prosperous. Social order was stable. Even the borders were open to other countries. With urbanization and growing wealth, art and literature also thrived. Li Bai and Du Fu were famous poets. They were famous for their concise and natural works. Their poems touched the hearts of scholars and ordinary people. Even today, many children and adults are still reading and reciting their poems.
沪江英语进阶版：
Initiated from AD 618 to AD 907, the Tang dynasty was regarded as the most glorious period of Chinese history. After developing for 300 years, China in Tang dynasty became the most prosperous country in the world, and its capital Chang’an the biggest metropolis. China in this period enjoyed a splendid era with overwhelmingly developed economy and commerce, and the social order also remained stable, even the borders were open to other countries. With the development of urbanization and the accumulation of wealth, art and literature also thrived. Famous poets like Li Bai and Du Fu were known for the concise and neat language in their works. Their poems touched everyone, ranging from scholars to ordinary people. Even today, their poems are still being read and recited by both children and adults.
注：本文部分内容参考了沪江英语的相关内容。
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