Part IV Translation

参考译文

Agriculture is an important industry in China with more than 300 million people engaged in it.1 The output of China's agriculture ranks the first all over the world, and it mainly produces rice, wheat and beans.2 Although China accounts for only 10 percent of world's farmland, it provides food for 20 percent of the world's population.3 China has begun to grow rice 7,700 years before.4 Long before machinery and fertilizer were in use, diligent and creative Chinese farmers had adopted various approaches to increase the output of crops.5 The latest development in Chinese agriculture is to promote organic farming6, which can simultaneously serve diverse purposes, including food security, public health and sustainable development.7

译点精析

1. 农业是中国的一个重要产业,从业者超过3亿:逗号前的句子是主干,注意“产业”的英文表达方式,即industry;“从业者超过3亿”是补充说明性内容,应该用with介词结构来表达,此处“从业者”即“从事农业的人”,因此翻译为people engaged in it,另外,还需注意中英文数字单位的差异,3亿对应的英文为300 million。

2. 中国农业产量全球第一,主要生产水稻、小麦和豆类:“中国农业产量”翻译为the output of China's agriculture;“全球第一”翻译为ranks the first all over the world;“主要生产水稻、小麦和豆类”翻译为it mainly produces rice, wheat and beans。

3. 虽然中国的农业用地仅占世界的百分之十,但为世界百分之二十的人口提供了粮食:“农业用地”即farmland;“仅占百分之十”可翻译为accounts for only 10 percent;“为世界百分之二十的人口提供了粮食”翻译为provides food for 20 percent of the world's population。

4. 中国7,700年前开始种植水稻:“种植水稻”可翻译为grow rice或plant rice,还可翻译为cultivate rice。

5. 早在使用机械和化肥之前,勤劳和富有创造性的中国农民就已经采用各种各样的方法来增加农作物产量:“早在使用机械和化肥之前”翻译成long before machinery and fertilizer were in use,其中“早在”翻译为long before,“使用”即 be in use;“勤劳和富有创造性的”翻译为diligent and creative;“采用”可翻译为used, adopted或employed;“方法”翻译为approaches。

6. 中国农业最新的发展是推进有机农业:“最新的发展”即the latest development,后面接介词in,表示“在……方面的发展”;“推进有机农业”虽表动作,但在此处是表语,因此需用不定式来表示,即to promote organic farming,其中“有机农业”需翻译成organic farming。

7. 有机农业可以同时服务于多种目的,包括食品安全、大众健康和可持续发展:本句因为和前一句关系相对紧密,所以翻译成which引导的非限制性定语从句;“同时服务于多种目的”翻译为simultaneously serve diverse purposes;“包括食品安全、大众健康和可持续发展”翻译为including food security, public health and sustainable development。平时应注意多积累相关英文表达,如此处的sustainable development(可持续发展)。