六级翻译第三套 青海湖
原文:
青海湖位于海拔3205米,青海省省会西宁以西约100公里处。是中国最大的咸水湖,面积4317平方公里,最深处25.5米,有23条河注入湖中,其中大部分是季节性的。百分之八十的湖水源于五条主要河流。青海湖位于跨越亚洲的几条候鸟迁徙路线的交叉处。许多鸟类把青海湖作为迁徙过程中的暂息地,湖的西侧是著名的“鸟岛”,吸引着来自世界各地的观鸟者。每年夏天,游客们也来这里观看国际自行车比赛。
解析:
【第一句】青海湖位于海拔3205米,青海省省会西宁以西约100公里处。
整句话主语为青海湖,译为Qinghai Lake,而谓语的位于,是指青海湖位置,用be located in/situated in 来翻,但注意,位于并非指海拔高低,而是方位,故意群为位于…以西,译为is located/situated about 100 km west of…。海拔的名词为altitude,故海拔3205米,可作状语,译为at the altitude of 3,205 metres。但若童鞋不知单词altitude,也可以用sea level替换,译为3,205 metres above sea level。
故整句话可译为:
Qinghai Lake is 3,205 metres above sea level. It is about 100 km to the west of Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province.
高端版的译文为:
Qinghai Lake is situated about 100 kilometres west of Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province, at the altitude of 3,205 metres.
【第二句】是中国最大的咸水湖,面积4317平方公里,最深处25.5米,有23条河注入湖中,其中大部分是季节性的。
句子主语还是青海湖。前半句意群为湖水面积和深浅,而后半句为有河流注入湖中。故翻译时可拆分为两句话。第1句,谓语是…咸水湖,咸水湖译为salt lake或saline lake,面积…实则表示湖水的表面面积,可作状语置于句首,故译为with a surface area of 4,317 square kilometres,但这里也可简化,将它拆成一个新的句子,译为its size is 4317 km²。同理,后面最深处…也可拆开成一个新的句子,译为The deepest point of the lake is 25.5 metres或its maximum depth is 25.5 metres。第2句分析后,主语为23条河,而注入为谓语,也可理解为流入,可译为flow into,或更精确的empty into(河川注入),季节性为seasonal,而整句话的两个分句可用and或定语从句将其连接。
故整句话可译为:
It is the largest salt lake. Its size is 4317 km². The deepest point of the lake is 25.5 metres. 23 rivers flow into the lake, and most of the rivers are seasonal.
高端版的译文为:
With a surface area of 4,317 square kilometres, Qinghai Lake is the largest saline lake in China and its maximum depth is 25.5 metres. Twenty-three rivers and streams empty into Qinghai Lake, most of which are seasonal.
【第三句】百分之八十的湖水源于五条主要河流。
这句话的谓语为源于可表示湖水从何而来,故可用come from,但也可以倒过来,五条河流提供了百分之八十的湖水,也可用provide。湖水既可以说water in the lake,也可以用更精确的influx(n.汇集,流入),表示这些湖水是从别的河流汇聚而成。
故整句话可译为:
80% of the water in the lake comes from 5 main rivers.
高端版的译文为:
Five major rivers provide 80% of total influx.
【第四句】青海湖位于跨越亚洲的几条候鸟迁徙路线的交叉处。
这句话的核心结构为青海湖位于…交叉处,划线部分为交叉处的修饰定语。交叉处可译为crossroads或crossing point,位于交叉处,be (located) at the crossroads,跨越亚洲的,可用介词短语across Asia作后置定语,候鸟迁徙为bird migration,路线可用path 或route。
故整句话可译为:
Qinghai Lake is at the crossing point of several bird migration paths across Asia.
高端版的译文为:
The lake is located at the crossroads of several bird migration routes across Asia.