阿房宮(Epang Palace)是秦始皇(the First Emperor of the Qin)擊敗六國后興建的新宮殿。據(jù)歷史記載，阿房宮是一座宏偉輝煌的建筑。根據(jù)司馬遷的描述，阿房宮建于公元前212年，長693米，寬116.5米。據(jù)說在秦朝末年(the last years of the Qin Dynasty)，項(xiàng)羽燒毀了阿房宮。因此，我們今天所能看到的只是它的遺址。阿房宮遺址現(xiàn)位于陜西西安。然而，有專家認(rèn)為阿房宮并未修建完成，而項(xiàng)羽燒毀的是另一座宮殿。

　　表達(dá)難點(diǎn)

　　1.第1句中的定語“秦始皇……興建的”較長，故將其處理成后置定語，可用that引導(dǎo)的從句that the First Emperor of the Qin built...來譯，但不如用過去分詞短語 built by the First Emperor of the 來得更為緊湊、更為地道。

　　2.第2句中的“據(jù)歷史記載”可用according to the historical record來表達(dá)，也可以用according to the written history，此類短語翻譯時(shí)一般置于句首。

　　3.第3句中的“阿房宮建于公元前212年，長693米，寬116.5米”如果按原文結(jié)構(gòu)翻譯(the Epang Palace was built..., it is...long and... wide)，譯文結(jié)構(gòu)則顯松散，故宜將“長693米，寬116.5米”處理成狀語，用介詞短語 with 693 meters long and 116.5 meters wide 來表達(dá)。

　　4.第5句中的主語“我們今天所能看到的”較長，故將其處理成由what引導(dǎo)的主語從句，譯作what we can see today。第6句“阿房宮遺址現(xiàn)位于陜西西安”的主語“阿房宮遺址”與前一句的賓語一致，故將其與前一句“合譯”，用which引導(dǎo)的非限制性定語從句來表達(dá)。

　　參考譯文

　　The Epang Palace was a new palace built by the First Emperor of the Qin after he defeated the other six countries. According to the historical record, the Epang Palace was a grand and glorious building. As described by Sima Qian, the Place was built in 212 BC with 693 meters long and 116.5 meters wide. It is said that in the last years of the Qin Dynasty. Xiang Yu had burst down the Epang Place . So, what we can see today is its ruins, which is now in Xi'an, Shanxi Province. However, some experts hold that the Epang Palace had not been totally completed, and what Xiang Yu had burnt down was another palace.

　　元代(the Yuan Dynasty)是中國瓷器(porcelain)發(fā)展史上—個(gè)重要的時(shí)期。基于先前朝代的燒制技術(shù)景德鎮(zhèn)成功地制作出青花瓷(the blue and white porcelain)。元青花瓷富麗雄渾，其風(fēng)格與傳統(tǒng)的瓷器大相徑庭。元青花瓷的出現(xiàn)也使景德鎮(zhèn)成為當(dāng)時(shí)世界制瓷業(yè)的中心。元青花瓷制作精美而且傳世極少，因此異常珍貴。青花瓷的制作在明清兩朝(the Ming and Qing Dynasties)得到進(jìn)一步發(fā)展，其中的精品是許多收藏家的終極目標(biāo)。

　　表達(dá)難點(diǎn)

　　1.第2句中的前半句“基于......”可處理為狀語，譯為Based on the firing techniques of former dynasties;后半句“景德鎮(zhèn)成功地......”若逐字對譯為Jingdezhen had successfully manufactured...則不符合英語表達(dá)習(xí)慣，“青花瓷”是此段落的主題，宜把“青花瓷”轉(zhuǎn)換為主語，用被動(dòng)語態(tài)強(qiáng)調(diào)受動(dòng)者，譯為the blue and white porcelains had been successfully manufactured in Jingdezhen。

　　2.第3句中的“其”指代的是前面提到的“元青花瓷”，翻譯時(shí)可將逗號(hào)后的“其風(fēng)格與……大相徑庭”處理成非限制性定語從句whose styles are quite different from...，使句子主次分明。

　　3.第4句中的“使景德鎮(zhèn)成為當(dāng)時(shí)世界制瓷業(yè)的中心”可用made sb./sth. ...(使某人/某物成為……)的結(jié)構(gòu)來表達(dá)，譯為 made Jingdezhen the center of porcelain industry...。

　　4.倒數(shù)第2句的前半句為因，后半句為果，若直譯，句子會(huì)稍顯頭重腳輕;此處可把果(即“元青花瓷異常珍貴”)處理成主干，即 the blue and white porcelains of the Yuan Dynasty are extremely precious，而把因處理成狀語，用表被動(dòng)的分詞短語來表達(dá)，即finely made and rarely handed down。

　　5.最后一句的兩個(gè)分句之間意思聯(lián)系不太緊密，可考慮拆譯成兩個(gè)獨(dú)立的句子，處理為The blue and white porcelains were further developed in... Some fine works are... for collectors。

　　參考譯文

　　The Yuan Dynasty is a key period in the development of Chinese porcelain industry. Based on the firing techniques of former dynasties, the blue and white porcelains had been successfully manufactured in Jingdezhen. The blue and white porcelains of the Yuan Dynasty are grand and splendid, whose styles are quite different from those of the traditional porcelains. The rising of blue and white porcelain in the Yuan Dynasty also made Jingdezhen the center of porcelain industry in the world at that time. Finely made and rarely handed down, the blue and white porcelains of the Yuan Dynasty are extremely precious. The blue and white porcelains were further developed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Some fine works are the dream targets for collectors。