最近,美国报刊报道了一则感人的消息:一对贫困的美国夫妇,两人都失业了,由于付不起房租,不得不搬出了久居的家,带着儿子在汽车里住了几个星期。一天他们在路上发现一个钱包,里面有2500美元,这对于贫困中的他们是多么急需呀,丈夫认为应交给警察局,妻子闪了一念“留

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问题     最近,美国报刊报道了一则感人的消息:一对贫困的美国夫妇,两人都失业了,由于付不起房租,不得不搬出了久居的家,带着儿子在汽车里住了几个星期。一天他们在路上发现一个钱包,里面有2500美元,这对于贫困中的他们是多么急需呀,丈夫认为应交给警察局,妻子闪了一念“留下”之后,也觉得应该交还失主。很快,失主就来认领了,按照美国的惯例,失主应付给捡拾者20%左右的酬金。然而,他却分文未给就走了,对此,警察感到非常失望和遗憾,便将此事告知了新闻界,于是报纸、电视都报道了这件事。
    一时间,警察局收到全国成百上千的来信,信中赞扬这对夫妇的诚实,有的信中还夹着100美元或200美元。一位先生问清了钱包里的钱数,如数寄来了2500美元。这对夫妇前后收到总数达6000美元。还有一位愿免费向这对夫妇提供住房,直到他们的经济状况转好为止。

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答案 Recently, some newspapers and magazines in the United States have focused on a moving story concerning an unemployed couple. Poverty-stricken and unable to pay the rents, the couple and their young son had to move out of the house they had lived so long and had been sheltered only by their own automobile for the past several weeks. One day on the road, they came across a wallet with 2500 dollars in it------a sum of money the destitute family was in burning need of it! The husband suggested, however, that the money be handed to the police station immediately. And the wife agreed after a "wavering second", though. Soon the wallet was claimed by the loser. According to the conventional practice in the United States, the owner of the wallet should pay the couple 20 % of the amount of the recovered money as remuneration. Regrettably, the wallet owner left the police station without giving a cent. The police thought it was unfair and therefore informed the press circle of the whole story about the couple and the wallet, which then became publicly known through newspaper and TV reports. Shortly afterwards, the police station was invaded with an avalanche of letters from all over the country, praising the honest couple. Some letters were stuffed with 100 or 200 dollar bank notes or checks. A gentleman, after making sure that the lost and found wallet had contained 2500 dollars, remitted the exact amount of money to the couple. The total amount of money the couple received in this fashion exceeded 6000 dollars. There is another person who volunteered to provide the couple with accommodation free of charge until they are financially capable.

解析     这段文字节选自《诚实的回报》,讲述了一对贫穷的美国夫妇捡到钱包,如数归还的故事,从一个侧面体现了美国文化非常重视人的诚实与可信。人们会因为你的品德而对你肃然起敬。
报刊:意为“报刊和杂志”,故译为“some newspapers and magazines”。
报道:此处指报刊竞相报道,故译为“have focused on…”。
在汽车里住了几个星期:译作“had been sheltered only by their own automobile for the past several weeks”,其中“shelter”一词较好地体现了当时这对夫妇生活的窘境。
发现:译为“came across”,含有“偶然”的意思。
这对于贫困中的他们是多么急需呀:译成“a sum of money the destitute family was in burning need of it”。其中“Destitute”表示“without food.clothes and other things necessary for life(缺乏衣、食及其他必需品的;穷困的)”。例如,When Mr.Hill died,his wife and children were left destitute.(当希尔先生去世的时候,他的妻子儿女皆陷于穷困。)“burning”表示“intense(激烈的;强烈的)”。
妻子闪了一念“留下”之后,也觉得应该交还失主:  “闪了一念‘留下’”,表示妻子稍作犹豫状,但最后还是同意丈夫的提议,将钱包交给警察局。故译为:  “And the wife agreed after a‘wavenng second’,though.”。
按照美国的惯例:  “惯例”指“通行的做法”,译为“According to the conventional practice in the United States”。
捡拾者:此处“捡拾者”即“这对贫困的夫妇”,故译为“the couple”。
20%左右的酬金:意为“捡到数额的20%作为酬金”,故译为“20%of the amount of the recovered money as remuneration”。其中“remuneration”表示“payment;reward (酬劳;报酬)”,符合原意。
他却分文未给就走了:  “分文”带有中国色彩,译为英文时可以使用“cent”,故译成“the wallet owner left the police station without giving a cent”。
警察局收到全国成百上千的来信:即“信件像雪片般蜂拥而至”。译为“the police station was invaded with an avalanche of letters from all over the country”。其中“invade”作比喻义,表示“crowd into;enter(蜂拥而至;进入)”;  “avalanche”原本意为“雪崩”,现常用其比喻义,例如,an avalanche of letters/words/questions(如雪片飞来的信件/滔滔不绝的言辞/一涌而至的问题)。
有的信中还夹着100美元或200美元:寄来的钱可能是纸币,也可能是支票,故译为“Some letters were stuffed with 100 or 200 dollar bank notes or checks.”。
如数寄来了2500美元:译为“remitted the exact amount of money to the couple”,其中“remit”表示“send(money,etc.)by post(汇钱等)”。
直到他们的经济状况转好为止:  “经济状况”一类的词可以用副词表示,  “经济状况转好”即经济上可以自足,故译为“until they are financially capable”。
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