翻译题目

皇铺(pawnshop)是中国最古老的金融行业之一。长期以来，它们为身处危急时刻的人们提供现金。然而在过去的几十年间，当铺渐渐消失了。如今它们正迎来一个繁荣发展的新时期。究其原因就是典当行能为顾客提供快速、便捷的金融服务。此外，黄金、珠宝(jewellery)、手表以及其他值钱的东西都可以典当。到前年底，全国已有5000多间典当行，总交易额(total transaction)超过2000亿人民币。

表达难点

1.第2句中的“为（人）提供（物）可用短语provide sth. with sth.或provide sth. to sb.来表达，译文中分期采用这两种表达来翻译第2句的“为人们提供现金”和第6句的为顾客提供金融服务以避免重复，第2句的时间状语“长期以来”可译为for a long time，但不如直接用副词long置于have provided之间来得简洁。

2.第3句中的时角状语“在过去的几十年里”可直译为in/during故over the past few decades、也可省略few，表示“几年”、“几十年”时，可以直接表达为years和decades。

3.第6句中的“黄金、珠宝、手表以及其他值钱的东西”翻译时在gold jewellery and watches前面增译 items（物品）来说明性质，表达为items like gold...，使语义表达更为清晰明确。

4.最后一句中的“总交易额超过2000亿人民币”可处理成伴随状语，用介词短语with a total transaction of over 200 billion RMB 来表达即可。

参考译文

Pawnshops are one of the oldest financial businesses in China. They have long provided people with cash during desperate times. But over the past few decades, pawnshops have disappeared gradually. Now they are welcoming a new booming era. The reason is that pawnshops can provide swift and convenient financial services to customers. In addition, items like gold, jewelleiy, watches and others valuable can be pawned. By the end of the year before last, more than 5,000 pawnshops were opened around the country with a total transaction of over 200 billion RMB.