Washington D.C. is the capital of the nation situated on the Potomac River. It was named in honor of the first president of the

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问题     Washington D.C. is the capital of the nation situated on the Potomac River. It was named in honor of the first president of the country, George Washington. During the period between 1776 and 1783 when the colonial people worked hard for independence, there was not a permanent capital to house their government. In 1790, a bill was passed to authorize the president to choose a site on the Potomac River to house the government, a site which would be separate from any of the states. Then the president selected the present day capital and named the area the District of Columbia after Christopher Columbus. The construction began in 1793 after President Washington had laid a corner stone for the capital. The whole design was made by a French engineer but was completed by a black architect. In mid-June of 1800, John Adams, the new president ordered the government to be transferred from Philadelphia to the permanent capital — Washington D.C.
    The man after whom the city had been named did not live in it because he died only six months before it officially became the capital of the nation, but people will never forget him. They set up a monument to honor him. That is the Washington Monument. This is actually a long tapering vertical bar with eight windows in the top. Each side has two windows.
    There are two other memorials erected in the capital. One is the Lincoln Memorial honoring the 16th president of the U.S., Abraham Lincoln; and the other is the Jefferson Memorial built in honor of the third president.

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答案 美国的首都华盛顿特区坐落在波托马克河畔。它为纪念美国的第一任总统乔治.华盛顿而命名。1776一1783年间,殖民地人民为独立而奋斗拼搏时,还没有一个固定的首都来安置他们的政府。1790年通过了一项议案,授权总统在波托马克河流域选择一个地点作为政府所在地,而这一地点又必须与其他州相分隔。于是,总统选中了现在的首都并以克里斯托弗.哥伦布的名字把它命名为哥伦比亚特区。1793年,在华盛顿总统为首都奠下一块基石之后,新首都的修建工作便开始了。一位法国设计师组织了首都的整体设计,一位黑人建筑师完成了具体施工。1800年6月中旬,新上任的总统约翰.亚当斯下令将政府从费城迁往美国永久的首都——华盛顿特区。 这座城市为之命名的那个人并没有在这里住过,在华盛顿正式成为美国首都之前6个月,他去世了,但人民将永远记住他。美国人民建了一座纪念碑以示纪念。这就是华盛顿纪念碑。纪念碑实际上是竖直的锥形长条,在顶部开有8个小窗,一面2个。 滕都华盛顿还建有另外两座纪念碑。一座是林肯纪念碑,为纪念第16位总统亚伯拉罕.林肯而立。另一座则是为了纪念第三任总统而立的杰弗逊纪念碑。

解析     本篇介绍了美国首都华盛顿特区从选址到定都的过程。另外,美国人民为了纪念美国历史上享有赫赫战功的几位总统,在首都建立了三座纪念碑:华盛顿纪念碑、林肯纪念碑、杰弗逊纪念碑。语言简洁明快,文章结构清楚。翻译时,难度不大。
Washington D.C.is the capital of the nation situated on the Potomac River:  ”Washington D.C.”译为“华盛顿特区”,整句译成汉语时,可以不受英文句式束缚,将分词结构转化为谓语:  “美国的首都华盛顿特区坐落在波托马克河畔”。
house their government:译为“安置他们的政府”,其中“house”表示“provide a house or shelter for;find room for(供以房屋)”。例如,We can house you and your friends ifthe hotels are full.(如果旅馆已住满,我们可供给你和你朋友们住处。)
a bill was passed:中文往往省略主语,故译为“通过了一项议案”。
to authorize the president:  “authorize”表示“give authority to(授权于)”,故译为“授权总统……”。
named the area the District of Columbia after Christopher Columbus:译为“以克里斯托弗.哥伦布的名字把它命名为哥伦比亚特区”。其中“name sb./sth.after…”表示“以……的名字来命名”。
had laid a comer stone for the capital:泽为“为首都奠下一块基石”。其中“comer stone/cornerstone”表示“stone that forms a corner of the foundation of a building(often laid in position at a ceremony)(建筑物的基石)”;  “foundation(基础)”。例如,Hard work was the cornerstone of his success.(努力工作是他成功的基础。)
The whole design was made by a French engineer but was completed by a black architect:分析全句,可以发现法国设计师负责的是整体设计,而黑人建筑师负责具体施工。故译为“一位法国设计师组织了首都的整体设计,一位黑人建筑师完成了具体施工”。
The man...because he died only six months before it officially became the capital of the nation,but…:英文句式的逻辑性很强,而中文则是意合语言,这里无需使用表示原因的汉语词汇,因果关系也早已十分清晰。故译为“这座城市为之命名的那个人并没有在这里住过,在华盛顿正式成为美国首都之前6个月,他去世了,但人民将永远记住他。”
the Washington Monument:华盛顿纪念碑。
a long tapering vertical bar:汉语修饰语的位置与英语不尽相同,应作适当调整,译为“竖直的锥形长条”。其中“taper”表示“become gradually narrower towards one end (逐渐向一端尖细;渐尖)”。
the Lincoln Memorial:林肯纪念碑或林肯纪念堂。
the Jefferson Memorial:杰弗逊纪念碑或杰弗逊纪念堂。杰弗逊纪念碑是为纪念美国第三任总统杰弗逊而建,他是独立宣言和权利法案的起草人,对美国的独立有特殊的贡献,深获美国人民拥戴。
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