真题
中国的长城是世界上最伟大的建筑之一，它蜿蜒于崇山峻岭之间，总长度超过万里，因此被称作“万里长城”。长城始建于公元前7世纪，最初是为了防御北方游牧民族的入侵而修建的。在随后的几个世纪中，长城不断被修缮和扩建，成为了一个庞大的防御工程体系。长城不仅是中国古代劳动人民智慧和勤劳的结晶，也是中华民族坚韧不拔精神的象征。如今，长城已成为中国的象征之一，每年吸引着成千上万的国内外游客前来参观。
 
参考译文
The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest architectural wonders in the world. It winds its way through rugged mountains and hills, with a total length exceeding ten thousand li, which is why it is called the "Great Wall of Ten Thousand Li" or simply the "Great Wall." Construction of the Great Wall began in the 7th century BC, initially built to defend against invasions by northern nomadic tribes. Over the following centuries, the Great Wall was continuously repaired and expanded, becoming a vast defensive engineering system. The Great Wall is not only a testament to the wisdom and hard work of the ancient Chinese laborers but also a symbol of the Chinese nation's indomitable spirit. Today, the Great Wall has become one of the symbols of China, attracting tens of thousands of domestic and international tourists every year.
 
翻译要点分析
长城的描述
“中国的长城是世界上最伟大的建筑之一”
翻译为：The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest architectural wonders in the world。
使用“one of the greatest architectural wonders”来表达“最伟大的建筑之一”，“in the world”强调其全球性意义。
“它蜿蜒于崇山峻岭之间，总长度超过万里，因此被称作‘万里长城’”
翻译为：It winds its way through rugged mountains and hills, with a total length exceeding ten thousand li, which is why it is called the "Great Wall of Ten Thousand Li" or simply the "Great Wall"。
使用“winds its way through”来表达“蜿蜒于……之间”，“exceeding ten thousand li”对应“总长度超过万里”，“which is why...”解释“因此被称作……”。
历史背景的描述
“长城始建于公元前7世纪，最初是为了防御北方游牧民族的入侵而修建的”
翻译为：Construction of the Great Wall began in the 7th century BC, initially built to defend against invasions by northern nomadic tribes。
使用“Construction began in...”来表达“始建于……”，“initially built to defend against...”说明其最初目的。
“在随后的几个世纪中，长城不断被修缮和扩建，成为了一个庞大的防御工程体系”
翻译为：Over the following centuries, the Great Wall was continuously repaired and expanded, becoming a vast defensive engineering system。
使用“Over the following centuries”来表达“在随后的几个世纪中”，“was continuously repaired and expanded”对应“不断被修缮和扩建”，“becoming a vast defensive engineering system”说明其最终形成。
文化意义的描述
“长城不仅是中国古代劳动人民智慧和勤劳的结晶，也是中华民族坚韧不拔精神的象征”
翻译为：The Great Wall is not only a testament to the wisdom and hard work of the ancient Chinese laborers but also a symbol of the Chinese nation's indomitable spirit。
使用“not only... but also...”结构来表达“不仅……而且……”，“a testament to...”对应“……的结晶”，“a symbol of...”对应“……的象征”。
“如今，长城已成为中国的象征之一，每年吸引着成千上万的国内外游客前来参观”
翻译为：Today, the Great Wall has become one of the symbols of China, attracting tens of thousands of domestic and international tourists every year。
使用“has become one of the symbols of China”来表达“已成为中国的象征之一”，“attracting tens of thousands of domestic and international tourists”说明其吸引力。
 
翻译技巧
使用被动语态
在描述长城的修缮和扩建时，使用被动语态（如“was continuously repaired and expanded”），使句子更加客观。
列举法
使用“one of the symbols of China”来表达“中国的象征之一”，使句子更加简洁明了。
定语从句的运用
在描述长城的长度时，使用定语从句“which is why it is called...”来进一步说明其名称的由来。
固定搭配
使用“winds its way through”“a testament to”“attracting tens of thousands of...”等固定搭配，使翻译更加地道。