The era of cheap and convenient sources of energy is coming to an end. A transition to more expensive but less polluting sources

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问题     The era of cheap and convenient sources of energy is coming to an end. A transition to more expensive but less polluting sources must now be managed. Energy contributes positively to human’s well-being by providing such consumer services as heating and lighting. But the costs of energy—including not only the money and other resources devoted to exploiting it but also environmental impacts—diminish the well-being.
    For most of the past 100 years, the problems of excessive energy costs have seemed less threatening than the problems of insufficient supply. However, it became possible to think that expanding some forms of energy supply could create costs exceeding the benefits as energy was getting costlier in all respects.
    There are a variety of other energy resources that are more abundant than oil and gas. But none of them can deliver large quantities of electricity at costs comparable to those of the cheap coal-fired plants of the 1960’s.

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答案 能源既廉价又便利的时代即将结束。目前必须设法转向价格更贵但污染较轻的能源。从积极的方面来看,能源造福人类,为他们提供诸如供热和照明等消费服务。但另一方面,能源的成本——不仅包括投入开采该能源的资金和其他资源,而且包括该能源对环境所造成的影响——却有损人类幸福。 在过去100年的大部分时间里,能源代价过高似乎还不如能源短缺所造成的威胁大。然而,人们有可能认识到,随着能源在各个方面的代价不断增加,加大某些能源的供应所需付出的代价可能大于其所带来的益处。 尚有许多其他能源资源比油气资源丰富。但是要用这些资源来大量发电的话,从成本上看,没有哪一种能够跟20世纪60年代的廉价燃煤发电站相比。

解析     1.第一段第二句是个被动句,按照汉语表达习惯,通常将英文的被动语态转化成主动语态。A transition to…be managed可译作“设法实现……的转变”,也可将名词transition转译成动词,处理为“设法转向……”。由被动句转换为主动句时,一般需加上主语,此处的主语不明确,且该主语无须刻意强调,故翻译时可省略掉,处理成无主语句:目前必须设法转向……。
    2.第二段第二句是一个主从复合句,其中句首的it为形式主语,真正的主语是后面的不定式结构to think that…,由于该不定式结构较长,如果按英文原句的句式结构对全句进行对等翻译,处理为“认识到……,成为可能”,容易造成句子“头重脚轻”,也不符合中文的表达习惯。翻译时可将主句(it became possible to think that...)中的表语形容词possible转译成汉语的副词“有可能”,同时增译“人们”作为think的主语,将该主句处理成一个分句,译作“人们有可能认识到”。that所引导的宾语从句较长,宜单独翻译成一个分句,其中谓宾结构could create costs不宜直译为“创造代价”,这句话讲的是扩大某些能源供应的代价可能大于收益,译作“付出的代价”更符合语义逻辑。此外,as引导的时间状语从句译成中文后,宜置于相关事件前,以符合中文的表达习惯。
    3.最后一段最后一句中有明显表对比的标志词comparable to,要翻译好这一句,首先得弄清楚比较的对象是什么。根据句子前部的deliver large quantities of electricity可知,本句要比较的内容是“大的发电量”,而依据的标准是“at costs(从成本上看)”。为了更清楚地表达对比之意,宜将对比内容和依据提前,即处理成“用这些资源来大量发电的话,从成本上看,……能相比”。
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