参考译文

Buses used to be the main means of transportation for the Chinese people. In recent years,with the number of private cars increasing, cities have been facing increasingly severe traffie problems. To encourage more people to travel by bus, many cities have been making efforts to improve their bus service quality. Bus facilities have been continuously renovated, and the bus speed has also increased dramatically. However, the prices of buses are still quite cheap. Now, in most cities, many local elderly citizens can take a bus for free.

难点注释

1.第一句中有时态提示词“曾”,因此要用过去时;“主要交通工具”可以译为 the main/mayor means of transportaton。

2.翻译第二句时,要注意应该用现在完成时;“私家车数量”可以译为 the number of private cars或 prvate car ownership;“交通问题”可以直译为 traffic problems,也可以具体翻译为 traffic jams。

3.翻译第三句时,要注意时态的确定,“一直在…”表示一直进行的事情,且属于已经发生的事,应该用现在完 成进行时;“乘坐公交车出行”可译为 travel get around by bus;“改善公交车的服务质量”可译为 improve bus service quality。

4.翻译第四句时,“车辆的设施不断…,车速也…”前后属于并列关系;“车辆的设施”可译为 bus facilites; 车速”可译为 the bus speed。

5.翻译第五句时,注意前后的转折关系;“相当低廉”可译为 quite cheap/affordable。

6.翻译第六句时,“当地老年市民”可译为 local elderly./ senior citizens;“免费乘坐公交车”可译为 take a bus for free或者意译为 be entitled to free bus rides。