Peacocks strut; bowerbirds build lovenests; spiders giftwrap flies in silk. 【F1】 Such courtship rituals play an important role i

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问题     Peacocks strut; bowerbirds build lovenests; spiders giftwrap flies in silk. 【F1】 Such courtship rituals play an important role in what Charles Darwin called sexual selection: when the female of a species bears most of the costs of reproduction, males use extravagant displays and gifts to demonstrate their "reproductive fitness" and females choose between them. For human males, shards of a crystalline form of carbon often feature. A diamond engagement ring signals a man’s taste, wealth and commitment, all to persuade a woman that he is a good bet.
Now, that promise is dimming. Though a growing Chinese middle class will probably prop up demand for a while, millennials in Western countries seem keener on memorable experiences than on bling. 【F2】 Diamonds’ image has been blemished by some being mined in warzones and sold to pay for the fighting. Meanwhile, laboratory-grown "synthetic" diamonds, long fit only for industrial use, are becoming good enough to compete with gems from out of the ground.
    Greater equality for women might seem to render male-courtship displays redundant. But mating preferences evolved over millennia and will not change quickly. If diamonds were to cease being a way to signal a man’s marriageability, what might take their place?
    A different gift, perhaps. In China skewed sex ratios mean that a prospective bridegroom must own an apartment and shower his future in-laws with cash. But a glittering stone goes to the woman, not her family. 【F3】 And it is more than a gift; it is a status symbol, demonstrating that even as a man approaches the expenses of married life, he can still splash out on a bauble. Or a man could rely on more generic forms of display, such as a fancy degree, good job or sharp suit. But these can impress one woman as easily as another, or several simultaneously. He must show commitment—a need not unique to courtship. Salvadoran gangsters get extravagant tattoos; Japanese yakuza cut off a fingertip. These visible signs of allegiance make it hard to defect, and impose heavy costs. But as marriage proposals they would fall short.  Few women would feel proud to carry around their fiancé’s severed pinkie.
    Love is a multifaceted thing.
    【F4】 Many millennial women seek a mate who is creative, charitable and earns enough not to live with his parents. The millionaire founder of a startup that makes an app to teach yoga to orphans would be ideal. 【F5】 As a token of his commitment, a suitor might offer the object of his affections 51% of his shares—so much nicer than a joint bank account. Less eligible men could offer instead to link Uber accounts , thus entwining the couple’s reputations: their joint five-star rating would be at risk if either misbehaved. Uber-linking would also allow each to keep track of the other’s whereabouts, discouraging infidelity. Whatever ultimately replaces diamonds, it will surely be digital, not worn on a digit.
【F2】

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答案有些钻石是在战区开采出来的,成为了军费开支的资金来源,这已损害了钻石的形象。

解析 本句为简单句,本句主干为Diamonds’image has been blemished。by引导的为方式状语,being mined…and sold为分词作some的后置定语,这里的some为代词,指代前面的diamonds,to pay for the fighting作目的状语。综合历年考研英语英译汉试题发现,被动语态出现频率较高,几乎每年都包含一句被动语态的翻译。翻译时,将英语的被动句译成汉语的主动句。英语中被动语态使用广泛,因此,在翻译英语的被动态时,大部分应转译为汉语的主动句,少部分仍可译为被动句。本句中,Diamonds’image译为宾语。原文中的主语在译文中作宾语,例:By the end of the war,800 people had been saved by the organization,but at cost of over 200 Belgian and French lives.大战终了时,这个组织拯救了800人,但这是以两百多比利时人和法国人的生命为代价的。本句的being mined,译成带表语的主动句,可译为“是...的”,“由……的”,例:The movement to oppose racial discrimination was personally initiated and led by a famous Negro leader.这场反对种族歧视的运动是一位著名的黑人领袖发起和领导的。
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