英语长句如何翻译成中文

二、交替传译技能课内练习：数字传译训练

1．传译以下短文。听录音，在停顿处开始传译。注意灵活运用数字传译技巧。

Vocabulary

Higher Education Statistics Agency　高等教育统计局

leapfrog　跳过

year-on-year　与上年同期数字相比的

Number of Indian Students in Britain Growing

There has been a 15.1 percent rise in the number of Indian students coming to Britain，according to the latest figures by the Higher Education Statistics Agency（HESA）．India is now second to China in the number of overseas students in Britain．There has been a fall of 3.7 percent in the Chinese students，but the overall figure is still the highest in the list of overseas students—over 50，000．//

There were 19，025 students from India in Britain during 2005-2006．This constitutes 5.8 percent of non-UK students．India leapfrogged Greece into second place in the table as the UK saw a 10.2 percent fall in the number of students from Greece．//

Business and administrative studies retained its status as the most popular subject group with 140，040 students，an annual increase of 1.9 percent．Creative arts＆design and social studies followed in second and third place with 113，625 and 103，180 students respectively．//

Meanwhile，the number of full-time undergraduates aiming for a first degree has risen by 3.3 percent from 1，039，130 in 2004-2005 to 1，073，775 in 2005-2006．Most subject areas recorded an increase in students and the largest percentage increase was in the architecture，building and planning subject area，which saw a 13.8 percent year-on-year growth in full-time students aspiring to a degree．//

2．传译以下短文。听录音，在停顿处开始传译。注意灵活运用数字传译技巧。

Vocabulary

enrollment　登记，注册

offset　弥补，抵消

Number of International Students in the US

The number of international students enrolled in the US higher education institutions decreased by 2.4％in 2003 to a total of 572，509．The 2.4％drop follows minimal increase the prior year，0.6％in 2002，preceded by five years of steady growth．//

The drop in enrollments in 2003 is the first absolute decline in foreign enrollments since 1971 when enrollments dropped 3％to 140，126，although several years of less than 1％minimal growth were reported in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s．//

An increase of 2.5％in the total number of international students enrolled at the graduate level partially offset a 5％decline in the number of international undergraduate students in 2003．//

India remains the largest sending country origin for the 3rd year，and its numbers increased by 7％over the prior year，to a total of 79，736 in 2003，offsetting decreases from a number of other countries which experienced sharp declines．//

However，India's rate of increase in 2003 has slowed from the prior year's dramatic 12％growth．Among the leading five places of origin，total enrollments fell by 5％for students from China，still the second largest sending country with 61，765 and fell by 11％for Japan，the fourth largest sending country with 40，835．//

Numbers of students rose by approximately 2％from Republic of Korea，the third largest sending country with 52，484 and Canada，the fifth sending country with 27，017．//

International students brought over 13 billion dollars to the US economy in money spent on tuition，living expenses，and related costs．Nearly 75％of all international students reported that their primary source of funding comes from personal and family sources．//

Rising tuition costs and weak economies in some countries place a substantial economic burden on students and their families，and make cheaper study opportunities at home and elsewhere a more attractive option，contributing to the overall decline in the US enrollments．

难点分析

1）The drop in enrollments in 2003 is the first absolute decline in foreign enrollments since 1971 when enrollments dropped 3％to 140，126，although several years of less than 1％minimal growth were reported in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s．

本段落中有很多长句，造成一定难度。在翻译时需要先将英文长句进行合理切分，然后根据汉语的习惯重新组合。期间要适当地调整语序、改变词性并做必要的增补和删减。例如这个英文长句首先可以在since和although这两处切分一下，然后，根据汉语通常按照时间先后顺序对事件进行描述的特点，翻译时先说1971年怎样，然后20世纪80年代和90年代中期发生了什么，最后描述2003年的情况，给听众提供了一个非常清晰的思路。另外，英文中比较喜欢用名词，而汉语里则多用动词，因此像“decline”、“growth”这样的名词在汉语里最好改变词性，翻译成动词“下降”和“上升”。

2）India remains the largest sending country origin for the 3rd year，and its numbers increased by 7％over the prior year，to a total of 79，736 in 2003，offsetting decreases from a number of other countries which experienced sharp declines．

这是本文中的另一个长句，有标点符号可以帮助切分。这里要提示的是，最后一个现在分词分句，可以翻译成“弥补了许多其他国家赴美留学生的数量急剧减少带来的损失”，“带来的损失”是增补的部分，使译文更符合汉语的习惯。因此在翻译英文长句时，要灵活使用翻译方法，在准确的基础上使译文听起来更加自然。