随着生活水平的提高,保健品(health care products)日益受到中国人的喜爱。人们花费大量金钱来购买能量饮料、维生素药片和美容饮品。这些保健品宣称含有抗氧化物(antioxidants),能使人增强体质、延缓衰老。 然而,最近有研究表明抗氧化物可能只是一个医学童话。几乎没有什么数据可以证明抗氧化物可以预防疾病。 专家认为,要打抗氧化作用(oxidative stress),就要多运动,多吃水果和蔬菜。
表达难点
1.第1句中,“随着生活水平的提高”是状语,可语为状语从句as the living standards improve,也可译为介词短语with the improvement of the living standards;“保健品H益受到中国人的喜爱”是句中的主体,翻译时,可沿用汉语句中的表达结构,译为health care products become increasingly popular with Chinese people,也可将主语转换为中国人(Chinese people),将保健品转换为宾语,译为Chinese people tend to welcome health care products。
2.第2句中的谓宾结构“花费大量金钱来购买……”可套用英讲常用表达spend time/money (in) doing sth.,译为spend quite a large sum of money (in) buying。
3.第3句“这些保健品宜称古有抗氧化物,能使人......”中包含3个动词,如果逐字对译为These health care products claim that they contain... and make people...则稍显生硬。分析该句可知,“能使人增强体质、延缓衰老”说的是抗氧化物(antioxidante)的作用,故在翻译时,可将其转译成抗氧化物的定语从句。
4.第5句的前半部分的“几乎没有什么数椐”可处理成There be结构,“几乎没有”用little表达;可以证明抗氧化物可以预防疾病”是补充说明“数椐”的情况,可用分词短语supporting...表达,其中的“抗氧化物可以......”说的是抗氧化物的作用,译作名词短语the use of antioxidants to...简洁明了,“可以预防疾病”表目的,用不定式短语to protect against diseases 来表达。
参考译文
Chinese people tend to welcome health care products as the living standards improve. They would spend quite a large sum of money buying energy drinks, vitamin pills and beauty drinks. These health care products claim that they contain the antioxidants which could build bodies and slow aging. However, recent studies show that antioxidants may be just a medical fairy tale. There is little data supporting the use of antioxidants to protect against diseases. Experts say that to fight oxidative stress, people need to do more exercise and eat more fruits and vegetables.