【2016年12月英语四级翻译练习】
中国土地广阔，人口众多。尽管全国都讲汉语，但是不同地区的人说汉语的方式不同，这被称为方言。方言一般被称为地方话，是汉语在不同地区的分支，只在特定地区使用。汉语方言非常复杂。它们有以下三方面不同：发音、词汇和语法。发音的区别最为显著。2000多年前，中国人发现社交时应该使用同一的语言。和方言相比，普通话能被所有人理解。普通话有利于不同种族、地区人民之间的信息传递和文化交流。
【参考译文】
China has a vast land and a large population. Even though the Chinese language is spoken all over the country, people in different areas speak it in different ways, which are called dialects. Generally called local languages, dialects are branches of the Chinese language in different regions, and are only used in certain areas. Dialects of the Chinese language are very complicated. They differ from each other in three aspects: pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. And the difference in pronunciation is the most outstanding. Over 2000 years ago, Chinese people realized that a common language should be used in social activities. Compared with dialects, mandarin can be understood by all people in China. The use of mandarin can contribute to information transmission and cultural exchange between ethnic groups and people in different places.
词句点拨：
1、中国土地广阔，人口众多
China has a vast land and a large population
2、A在不同地区的分支
branches of A in different regions
3、信息传递
information transmission
4、文化交流
cultural exchange
5、社交活动
social activities
