21.If Iraq sticks to the road map laid out for it by the United Nations,sanctions could be lifted without more ado.如果伊拉克恪守聯合國有關決議,那麼無需更多的麻煩就能取消對它的制裁。注:Road map,交通圖、道路圖;此處直譯是“如果伊拉克按照聯合國交通圖向前走不偏離方向”。ado是“紛擾“、”麻煩“的意思,如:much ado about nothing,無事生非。
22. To ask that companies in such capital-intensive industries as oilexploration be swayed by the political whims of their home government wouldrock business confidence.要求本國政府用經常是隨心所欲的政策決策左右石油勘探等資本密集型行業的公司,那就會動搖商界信心。注:capital intensive,資本密集型(technology intensive,技術密集型; laborintensive,勞動密集型);oil exploration,石油勘探。注意:to ask後面帶賓語從句,從句中是虛擬語氣。
23. The plan gives the government a useful tool with which to allocateresources optimally.這項計劃爲政府優化資源配置提供了有效手段。注此處翻譯時把英文副詞optimally當作動詞(optimize,優化); allocate原意是“分配”、“分派”、“劃歸”,轉義“配置”;tool此處作“手段”。
24. The bribery scandal sparked a squabble between radicals and moderates inthe parliament.這個賄賂醜聞在國會激進派和溫和派之間引發了一場爭吵。注:radicals,激進派;moderates,溫和派。
25. Recalcitrant backbenchers hamstrung the prime minister’s attempt torailroad the bill through the Commons.不屈不撓的後座議員們挫敗了首相操縱下議院匆忙通過這個法案的企圖。注:backbencher指英國下議院坐在後排的議員,即普通議員(包括首相在內的現任內閣成員和反對黨的影子內閣成員坐在前排);railroad,此處作動詞,意思是匆忙通過。
26. To end the war in Bosnia, the West abandoned impartiality and junked theidea of proportionate response.爲了結束波斯尼亞戰爭,西方放棄了不偏不倚的立場,擯棄了均衡反應的主張。注:proportionate response均衡反應,指對戰爭(或爭議)雙方做出在力度、方式上均衡的反應。
27. The West may accommodate zigs and zags in Russian foreign policy as theprice for helping Yeltsin keep his job.西方國家也許能容忍俄羅斯外交政策曲折多變——這是爲幫助葉利欽保住總統職位付出的代價。注:zigs,(行進路線、政策等的)改變方向,急變;zags(曲折行程中方向的)急轉,方向突變;helping Yeltsin keep his job,此處job指葉利欽的總統職位。
28. Japanese prime ministers tend to have a short shelf life and a weakbrand image.日本歷屆首相往往是上臺不久就下臺,而且品牌形象也欠佳。注:句子中用了兩個商業詞彙作比喻,shelf life和brand image,商品貨架期,即商品擺在貨架上出售的最大期限,例如在歐洲,麪包的貨架期最多3天,過期賣不出去的予以銷燬。Brand image品牌形象。對“品牌形象”,中國人比較熟悉,但“商品貨架期”並不是人人都知道。考慮到中國商品經濟仍然不發達這個現實,爲了讓讀者明白,我們採取瞭解釋的翻譯方法。此處“首相”用的是複數,指“歷屆首相”。
29. Without thorough-going reform, no amount of tinkering with the ruleswill get Mexico out of its murky political swamp.沒有徹底的改革,無論怎樣修補(政治遊戲)規則也無法使墨西哥從爾虞我詐的政治泥沼中擺脫出來。注:thorough-going,徹底;tinker,作名詞時的意思是“補鍋匠”、“小爐匠”,用作動詞時轉義爲“修補”。
30. The opposition offered to draw a line under the abuses of the past, inreturn for seats in the transitional cabinet.反對黨建議給過去執政黨濫用權力劃一條底線,以此換取過渡內閣的席位。注:the opposition=the opposition party,反對黨(the party in power,執政黨)。這句話的意思是反對黨爲了政治交易,規定追究的最大程度。
31. He is the standard bearer of those who still keep faith in the statusquo.在仍然信守現狀的人們中,他是旗手。注:standard bearer,旗手,如:Lu Xun was the standard bearer of theliterary revolution.(魯迅是文學革命的旗手。)Status quo to,現狀,如:maintain the status quo,維持現狀;keep faith in,信守、堅持。
32. If they think that that clinches the argument against deregulation ofthe economy, they miss a crucial point.如果他們認爲那樣做就能證明反對撤消經濟調節之說言之有理,那麼他們就沒有抓住問題的要害。注:這個句子有兩個that,第一個是主句與賓語從句的連接次,第二個是賓語從句的主語,意思是“那樣做”。clinch在此處的意思是“有充分證據的證明”;regulationof the economy的意思是“經濟調節”,deregulation是regulation的反義詞,即“撤消調節”。另外,調控用control,如macro-economic control,宏觀經濟調控。
33. Confidence is the ingredient needed to revive Nigeria’s chastenedpolitical fortunes.如欲復甦尼日利亞歷經磨難的政治機運,信心乃是一個不可缺少的因素。注:chastened,歷經磨難、飽經滄桑的;ingredient此處轉義“因素”。
34. A country’s legal responsibility toward genuine refugees should not bemanipulated for political ends.一個國家對真正的難民所承擔的法律責任不應被政治目的所左右。注:manipulate,操縱。
35. The voter turnout was small and the margin tiny, in contrast to theprevious election, hen the populist Party swamped the opposition, which waswidely tout4ed as a pro-business lobby.選民參選率很低,兩黨得票差額極小,這與上次選舉形成對照:在上次選舉中,平民當以壓倒多數的選票戰勝了反對黨,當時反對黨被大事張揚地說成是商界利益代言人。注:這個句子的結構比較複雜。爲了把這些關係清楚地表示出來,我們重複了某些關鍵詞。例如which was widely touted as a pro-business lobby實際上是在說明上次選舉反對黨何以一敗塗地。Voter turnout,選民參選率;pro-business lobby中的lobby指資本主義國家的“院外遊說集團”,此處轉義“代言人”;pro-是“親……的意思”,如This is a pro-U.S. group.(這是一個親美組織。); widely,廣泛地,轉義爲“大事張揚”;to be touted as被吹噓成。
36. He rose to prominence under the tutelage of a former prime minister, andis cosy with the main ministers.他是在一位前總理的親自調教下功成名就的,因此他同內閣主要部門首長謹慎相處。注:看起來是並列句,但是兩個句子的意思內含因果關係。To be cosy with,謹慎從事;main ministers,直譯是“主要部長”。
37. The State Department countered the accusation with a lizard ofstatistics purporting to show improvement.國務院用大量自稱能說明工作有所改進的數據駁斥這一指責。注:the State Department,專指美國國務院(相當於其他國家的外交部),我國國務院的英文譯名是the State Council;blizzard,原意是“暴風雨”、“大風雪”此處轉義; purporting to,此處有“自稱”的意思,如:This book purports to be anoriginal work but it is actually a compilation.(這本書自稱是原著,實際上編撰而成的集子)
38. Talks between the two sides, brokered by the U.S. ambassador, havereached a stalemate.由美國大使說合的雙方談判陷入僵局。注:broker,原意“經紀人”,作動詞用時爲“說合”、“調停”之義;reach (cometo) a stalemate,陷入僵局。
39. Loopholes in the proposed tax law could mean that it is in for a bumpyride when it goes before the Senate, and may even be quashed by apresidential veto.建議中的稅法漏洞百出,被參議院通過的前景十分艱難,即使通過,也有可能因總統否決而無效。注:a bumpy ride,原意是“(乘車)顛簸不堪”;quash是法律名詞,意思是“撤消”、“廢止”、“宣佈無效”等等。美國參、衆兩院分別是the Senate、House ofRepresentatives; veto,否決權(n.)、否決(v.)。
40. The judiciary, not local tribunals, should have the last word inelectoral disputes.對於選舉爭議,只有政府司法部門而不是地方法庭纔有裁決權。注:the judiciary,一個國家的司法部或司法系統;tribunal,一般指審理特定案件的法庭,如:military tribunal,軍事法庭。
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