红旗牌轿车

例文四　红旗牌轿车

原文:

红旗牌轿车是中国最早生产的豪华型高级轿车。1959年8月1日，中国长春第一汽车制造厂制造出第一辆红旗牌高级轿车，到1989年底，共生产了1549辆。红旗车车体宽大，最高时速可达160公里。

红旗轿车曾是中国国家领导人及省部级干部的公务用车，1964年，它被确定为国家级的礼宾用车，用来接待外国来宾。因此，在过去相当长的一段时间内，红旗牌轿车代表着身份和地位。

1997年一汽经过改进，生产出新型红旗轿车并投入市场。这年，美国盖洛普咨询公司在中国消费者中进行的调查表明，在国内品牌的知名度方面，红旗轿车排在中国银行和青岛啤酒之后，位列第三。

随着外国汽车的不断引进，很多新的品牌车不断出现，虽然红旗车仍在生产，但开红旗车的人越来越少了。红旗车也少了往日的风采，也许将来有一天会退出历史舞台，但作为中国很长的一段历史的见证，红旗车会永远留在人们的记忆中。

译文一

Red Flag Sedan

Red Flag Sedan was the first luxury limousine produced in China.On August 1，1959，the Number One Automobile Manufacturing Plant in Changchun made the first Red Flag car.By the end of 1989，a total of 1549 such cars had been manufactured.The car body is wide and large，and can reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h.

Red Flag Sedan was once specially used for Chinese national leaders and high officials at the provincial and ministerial level.In 1964，it was designated to be the car used for ceremonial guests and visiting foreign dignitaries.Therefore，for many years in the past，Red Flag Sedan represented status and rank.

In 1997，the Number One Automobile Manufacturing Plant improved the car and produced a new type of Red Flag Sedan which was soon introduced to the market.The American consulting company Gallup made a survey on Chinese consumers and found that in terms of their knowledge about domestic brands，Red Flag Sedan was number three，just behind the Bank of China and Qingdao Beer.

With more and more foreign cars imported in China and home-made new brands produced，the number of users of Red Flag Sedan has fallen，although the car continues to be produced.Red Flag may no longer be used in the future，but it will continue to be remembered as a very important historical witness in China.

译文二

Red Flag

The first Red Flag rolled off the assembly line at the No.1 Changchun Automobile Plant on August 1，1959，marking the beginning of luxurious car making in China.By the end of 1989，1549 Red Flags had been manufactured.

For many years，Red Flag，a wide body limousine with a top speed of 160 km per hour，was a status symbol as it was designed for use by government high-ranking officials on business trips，and was added to the motorcades of visiting foreign VIPs in 1964.

In 1997 with technical innovations，Red Flag began its production for commercial purposes and soon became the third best-known brand name in China after the Bank of China and Tsingtao Beer，according to a Gallup poll survey.

With the influx of foreign-made cars into China，and increase of new brand names in the country，the market of Red Flag has dwindled and its halo dimmed.This decline may continue，but the brand name will remain in the collective memory of the nation.

【分析】红旗牌轿车曾经在20世纪中叶的中国历史上发挥了重大作用，它不仅象征着我国豪华汽车工业的发端，也见证了我国对外交往的成就，但是这一篇介绍文章写得并不是很精彩，因此在译文中需要润色的地方较多。译文一基本上是直译，离信达雅的标准还有很大的差距，须作必要的调整。详细分析如下:

1)红旗车车体宽大，最高时速可达160公里——这句话在原文中单独为一句话，但从内容上讲，所在位置与上下文缺少连贯，不应成为主句，因此在译文中将其作为同位语处理:For many years，Red Flag，a wide body limousine with a top speed of 160 km per hour，was a status symbol□

2)省部级干部——译文一直译为high officials at the provincial and ministerial level。其实没有必要这样译，因为要外国读者了解省部级干部到底有多高，光这一句话还不够，再费些笔墨，也未必能传达出原文要说的意思。原文其实想说的就是“级别很高的官员”，所以，译文二译成government high-ranking officials比较合适。

3)公务用车——译文一没有点明，不妥，译文二译成on business trips甚为妥当。

4)礼宾用车，用来接待外国来宾——译文一译成used for ceremonial guests and visiting foreign dignitaries，意思过于笼统，译文二译得清楚:was added to the motorcades of visiting foreign VIPs。motorcade是礼宾车队，有很强的象征意义。

5)代表着身份和地位——这层意思在英语中有现成的表达法:status symbol，译文一的翻译:represented status and rank属于画蛇添足。

6)红旗车也少了往日的风采，也许将来有一天会退出历史舞台，但作为中国很长的一段历史的见证，红旗车会永远留在人们的记忆中。——这是本文的最后一句话，应该译得有分量，但是，译文一译得却很平淡:Red Flag may no longer be used in the future，but it will continue to be remembered as a very important historical witness in China。译文二改译为the market of Red Flag has dwindled and its halo dimmed.This decline may continue，but the brand name will remain in the collective memory of the nation，突出了“雅”的效果，其中dwindled、halo dimmed、collective memory是英语中现成的常用词汇，不但达意，而且自然。尤其是halo一词选得好，其意思是a ring of light around a religious drawing or painting，例如Artists usually put halos around the heads of saints，angels and Jesus Christ，用在这里再合适不过了。