翻译题目

清明节(Tomb Sweeping Day)是中国最重要的传统节日之一。它起源于周朝（the Zhou Dynasty），有2500多年的历史。清明节是中国人扫墓祭祖的重要日子。扫墓时，人们携带酒食果品和纸钱到墓地，将食物供祭在亲人墓前，为坟墓添加新土、焚烧纸钱、行礼祭拜、最后吃掉酒食回家。除了扫墓，人们还参与包括荡秋千、放风筝等各种活动。

表达难点

1.第2句“它起源于周朝，有2500多年”中含有两个并列的动词“起源”和“有”，如果直译成并列结构，句子略显生硬，故把后半句处理成介词短语with a history of more than 2,500 years。
2.第3句的主干是“清明节是……重要日子”，“日子”如果再译为day则与The Tomb Sweeping Day中的day重复，英语行文中忌讳重复用词，故换用同义单词occasion。其修饰成分较长，故把修饰成分放于 occasion之后,作后置定语。
3.第4句是典型的汉语句式：散句多、按照横排式表达。汉译英时应采用“断句”译法。根据动作先后关系，将整句话断为两个句子，“人们携带……到墓地”为一个句子。“将食物……吃掉酒食回家”为一连串动作的描述。采用并列排序方式合为另一句。句末的“吃掉酒食”如译为eat up the food and the wine则不符合英文的动宾搭配。和wine搭配的动调应为drink，故应表达为eat up the food and drink the wine。
4.最后一句的“参与”与后面的“活动”搭配。故译成attend或take part in等。

参考译文

The Tomb Sweeping Day is one of the most important traditional festivals in China. It started from the Zhou Dynasty with a history of more than 2,600 years. The Tomb Sweeping Day is an important occasion for people to sweep the tombs and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. When visiting tombs, people carry wine, food, fruits and paper money. They put the food in front of the tombs, add some fresh soil to the tombs, bum paper money, kneel down in prayer and worship their ancestors, and finally eat up the food and drink the wine before going back home. Apart from sweeping the tombs, people also take part in a variety of activities, such as playing on a swing, flying kites, etc.