《高级英汉翻译理论与实践》翻译实践及详解（AgricultureintheUnitedSta

《⾼级英汉翻译理论与实践》翻译实践及详解（AgricultureintheUnitedSta
9. Agriculture in the United States
In North America, agriculture had progressed further before the coming of the Europeans than is commonly supposed.
Until the 19th century, agriculture in the U.S. shared the history of European and colonial areas and was dependent on European sources for seed, livestock, and machinery. That dependency, especially the difficulty in procuring suitable implements, made American farmers somewhat more innovative. They were aided by the establishment of societies that lobbied for governmental agencies of agriculture; the voluntary cooperation of farmers through associations; and the increasing use of various types of power machinery on the farm①. Government policies traditionally encouraged the growth of land settlement. The Homestead Act of 1862 and the resettlement plans of the 1930s were the important legislative acts of the 19th and 20th centuries.
In the 20th century steam, gasoline, diesel, and electric power came into wide use. Chemical fertilizers were manufactured in greatly increased quantities②, and soil analysis was widely employed to determine the elements needed by a particular soil to maintain or restore its fertility. The loss of soil by erosion was extensively combated③by the use of cover crops(quick-growing plants with dense root systems to bind soil), contour plowing (in which the furrow follows the contour plowing of the land and is level, rather than up and down hills that provide
channels for runoff water), and strip cropping(sowing strips of windbreaks in fields of plants with loose root systems)④. Selective breeding produced improved strains of both farm animals and crop plants. Hybrids⑤of desirable characteristics were developed; especially important for food production was the hybridization of corn in the 1930s. New uses for farm products, by-products, and wastes were discovered. Standards of quality, size, and packing were established for various fruits and vegetables to aid in wholesale marketing. Among the first to be standardized were apples, citrus fruits, celery, berries, and tomatoes. Improvements in storage, processing, and transportation also increased the marketability of farm products. The use of cold-storage warehouses and refrigerated railroad cars was supplemented by the introduction of refrigerated motor trucks, by rapid delivery by air-plane, and by the quick-freeze process of preservation, in which farm produce is frozen and packaged the same day that it is picked⑥. Freeze-drying and irradiation have also reached practical application for many perishable foods.
Scientific methods have begun to be applied to pest control, limiting the widespread use of insecticides and fungicides and applying more varied and targeted techniques. New understanding of significant biological control measures and the emphasis on integrated pest management have made possible more effective control of certain kinds of insects.
From New Encyclopedia by Funk & Wagnalls 【参考译⽂】
北美农业在欧洲⼈来到之前的进步程度⽐⼀般的想象要来得⾼。

直到19世纪，美国农业的历史与欧洲殖民地并⽆⼆致。

它依赖欧洲的种⼦、牲⼝和机械来源。

这种依赖，特别是要得到合适的⼯具⼗分困难，使得美国农民更富有创新精神。

他们建⽴了社团，游说设⽴政府的农业部门，通过协会⾃发合作，农场上更多地使⽤各种动⼒机械，这⼀切使他们如虎添翼①。

传统上政府的⽅针是⿎励发展⼟地的开拓。

1862年的《宅地法案》与1930年代的迁居计划是19世纪和20世纪的重要⽴法。

本世纪中蒸汽、汽油、柴油、电⼒被⼴泛使⽤。

化肥产量激增②，⼟壤分析得到普及，以确定某⼀块⼟地要保持或恢复肥⼒究竟需要哪些元素。

全国各地都整治⽔⼟流失③，使⽤了覆盖作物(⽣长快，根系发达的植物，使⼟壤结合在⼀起)、等⾼耕作(犁沟沿⼟地等⾼线前进呈⽔平线，⽽不是依⼭势升降，导致⽔⼟从沟中流⾛)、间条作物法(播种密根植物形成条带，成为疏松根系作物⽥中的⽔障或风障)④。

选择育种产⽣了家禽与作物的改良品系。

开发了具有优良特点的杂交品种⑤，⽽对于⾷品⽣产尤为重要的是20世纪30年代进⾏的⽟⽶的杂交。

还发现了农副产品与废料的新⽤途。

各种⽔果蔬菜都建⽴了品质、⼤⼩、包装标准，以利批发销售。

最早进⾏标准化的有苹果、柑橘、芹菜、草莓、番茄。

储存、加⼯、运输⽅法的改进也增加了农产品的适销性。

先是使⽤冷库与铁路冷藏车，后来⼜新添了冷藏卡车、空运速递、速冻保鲜⼯艺，即农产品当⽇采摘，当⽇速冻包装⑥。

对于易腐烂的⾷品，冷冻⼲燥与辐射法也达到了实⽤阶段。

⾍害控制也开始⽤上科学⽅法，限制杀⾍剂、杀真菌剂的⼴泛应⽤，⽽使⽤丰富多彩的⽬标定向技术。

对重要的⽣物控制⼿段的新了解和重视整体的⾍害管理这两点，更有效地控制了某些⾍害。

(王之光译) 【翻译要点】
①本句中by后的宾语较长，包含多个并列成分，且主句为被动句，翻译时可考虑将其转换为主动句，并将by后的宾语进⾏词性转换，译为分句，⽽将主句置于最后。

如establishment，cooperation，increasing use可分别译为“建⽴”“开展合作”“更多地使⽤”。

另外，lobby for意为“游说⽀持”，在句中可理解为“游说设⽴”。

句⼦最后使⽤“如虎添翼”这⼀四字成语也符合“得到帮助”的意思，形象⽣动。

②原⽂为被动句，译为汉语可考虑使⽤主动句或不带被动标志的被动形式。

此外，句中的manufacture可进⾏词性转换，与状语中的quantity合译为“⽣产量”，⽽将做修饰成分的greatly increased转为动词短语，做谓语成分。

③the loss of soil by erosion可根据上下⽂和语境，译为“⽔⼟流失”，简短⽽专业。

本句为被动句，也可在译⽂中转换为主动形式，将extensively理解为“全国各地”，做主语。

此外，combat原意为“与…战⽃”，在这⾥理解为“整治”较为合适。

④cover crops，contour plowing，strip cropping，level，windbreak等词为专业词汇，翻译时可参照农业类词汇标准翻译。

对括号内的补充成分也要进⾏灵活处理，尽量简短准确。

⑤hybrids在此处为名词复数形式，表⽰“杂交品种”。

⑥原句句⼦较长，且成分复杂，翻译时可将use，introduction等名词形式转换为动词，将句⼦分为多个分句来译。

另
外，supplement作为主要的谓语，原意为“补充；增补”，此处可灵活处理为“先…，后⼜新增…”，显得前后逻辑清楚，语意明确。