英語四級翻譯練習(xí)：甲骨文

甲骨文(oracle bone script)是中國現(xiàn)存最早的文宇。這些刻在龜甲(tortoise shell)或獸骨上的文字已相當(dāng)成熟。沒認識甲骨文之前，人們都把這些甲骨當(dāng)作藥材。清代(the Qing Dynasty)學(xué)者王懿榮偶然發(fā)現(xiàn)了這些龜甲和獸骨。在仔細研究之后，他認為這些刻在甲骨上的符號是3000多年前商代(the Shang Dynasty)的文字。從這些文字中可以大致了解商代統(tǒng)治者的日常生活情況。甲骨文為研究漢字起源提供了重要的資料。

The oracle bone script is the earliest existing characters in China. These characters carved ontortoise shells or animal bones are quite mature. Before recognizing the oracle bone script,people regarded the shells and bones as medical materials. Accidentally, a scholar of the QingDynasty, Wang Yirong, discovered these tortoise shells and animal bones. After careful study,he believed that these signs were the characters of the Shang Dynasty more than 3,000 yearsago. From these characters, people can roughly understand the daily life of the rulers at thattime. The oracle bone script provides important materials for research into the origin ofChinese characters.

1.第1句中的“現(xiàn)存最早的文字”是兩個形容詞修飾一個中心詞，其中一個為最高級。在英語中，當(dāng)比較級和最高級形容詞與其他形容詞連用時，比較級和最高級形容詞放在其他形容詞之前。故此處譯為the earliestexisting characters。

2.在第2句中，定語“刻在龜甲或獸骨上的”較長，可將其處理成后置定語，用過去分詞短語carve on tortoiseshells or animal bones 來表達，表被動。

3.倒數(shù)第2句“從這些文宇……”為無主語句，在翻譯時需補充其主語，此處應(yīng)增譯“人們”，表達為From thesecharacters, people can...。

4.在翻譯最后一句的“為研究漢字起源提供了重要的資料”時，可以用provide... for...(為……提供……)來表達，譯作 provide important materials for research into the origin of Chinese characters，也可譯作provide important materials for researching on the origin...。