汉译英试题训练

请将下面这段话翻译成英文：
筷子，作为中国人的主要餐具（tableware),已经有3000多年的历史了。筷子的出现使我们的祖先不再用手抓食物吃，因为它象征着文明的到来。最早的筷子是用骨头和玉制成的，在春秋时期(the Spring and Autumn period)又出现了铜制和铁制的筷子。在古代，富人家用玉筷子或金筷子以显示家庭的富有。许多帝王用银制的筷子以检查他们的食物是否被人投毒。筷子在传统意义上被当做新娘的嫁妆（dowry）,因为筷子在汉语中读作kuaizi,听起来很像“快得子”。

翻译及详解

参考翻译

As one of the main tableware of Chinese people，chopsticks have a history of over 3,000 years. Thanks to the invention of chopsticks, our ancestors no longer grabbed food to eat. So chopsticks are the signal of civilization. The earliest chopsticks were made of bones and jade. During the Spring and Autumn period, copper chopsticks and iron chopsticks appeared. In ancient times, rich people used I jade or gold chopsticks to show their wealth. Many emperors and their family members used silver chopsticks to see if the food was poisoned.Traditionally, chopsticks are part of dowry, for its pronunciation “kuaizi” in Chinese sounds like having a baby quickly.

翻译讲解

1.筷子的出现:“出现”即“发明”，可译为theinvention of chopsticks.
2.象征着文明的到来:直接翻译成signal of civilization(文明的象征)即可，“到来”不必译出。
3.被人投毒:即“食物被下毒了”，可译为the food was poisoned.
4.被当做新娘的嫁妆:可译为chopsticks are part of dowry,也可译为chopsticksare used as dowry。
5.听起来很像:可译为sound like。
6.快得子:即筷子的谐音，表达人们美好的祝愿，可译为having a baby quickly,或者having a baby soon。