Part IV Translation

参考译文

In Chinese culture, yellow is a very important color, because it has a unique symbolic meaning.1 In feudal society, it embodied the ruler's power and authority.2 At that time, yellow was exclusively used for emperors.3 Royal palaces were all painted yellow and the imperial robes had been invariably yellow.3 However, ordinary people were banned from wearing yellow clothes.3 In China, yellow is also the symbol of harvest.4 When crops become ripe in autumn, the fields will get golden everywhere.5 People will celebrate the great harvest cheerfully.6

译点精析

1.在中国文化中，黄颜色是一种很重要的颜色，因为它具有独特的象征意义：“在中国文化中”翻译为in Chinese culture；“黄颜色”原本既可以翻译为the color of yellow, 也可以直接译为yellow, 但此处后文“重要的颜色”中的“颜色”需译为color, 因此为了避免前后重复，此处“黄颜色”译为yellow即可；“具有独特的象征意义”翻译为has a unique symbolic meaning。

2.在封建社会中，它象征统治者的权力和权威：“在封建社会中”即in feudal society；“象征”翻译为embodied或symbolized；“统治者的权力和权威”即the ruler's power and authority。

3.那时，黄色是专为皇帝使用的颜色，皇家宫殿全都漆成黄色，皇袍总是黄色的，而普通老百姓是禁止穿黄色衣服的：该句中的几个小句需理清一下关系。“那时，黄色是专为皇帝使用的颜色”可作为一个独立的句子，翻译为At that time, yellow was exclusively used for emperors；“皇家宫殿全都漆成黄色，皇袍总是黄色的”这两个分句关系紧密，可以用并列连词and连接，翻译为一个并列句，即Royal palaces were all painted yellow and the imperial robes had been invariably yellow, 注意，“漆成黄色”需翻译为be painted yellow（主动结构为paint sth.yellow, 其中yellow是补足语），“皇袍”翻译为imperial robes；“而普通老百姓是禁止穿黄色衣服的”可以用转折连词however引出，作为一个单句，即However, ordinary people were banned from wearing yellow clothes, 其中“禁止穿”需翻译为be banned from wearing。

4.在中国，黄色也是收获的象征：本句中需注意“是……的象征”的译法，可译为be the symbol of…，“收获”即harvest。

5.秋天庄稼成熟时，田野变得一片金黄：句中有明显的时间状语“……时”，故翻译时应用when引导时间状语从句，即When crops become ripe in autumn；“田野变得一片金黄”翻译为the fields will get golden everywhere, 其中“一片”即“处处”，故可用everywhere来表达，“变得金黄”即get golden。

6.人们兴高采烈，庆祝丰收：首先需理清一下句内关系，按照英文表达习惯，可将“兴高采烈”作为“庆祝丰收”的状语，故“兴高采烈”可以用cheerfully一词来表达，修饰celebrate the great harvest（庆祝丰收）。