上节练习
工业革命前的中国 第三部分
Yet there was a bigger movement in the air by 1750.
Water had become the engineers' element, and men like Bridnley were possessed by it.
Water was gushing and fanning out all over the countryside.
It was not simply a source of power, it was a new wave of movement.
James Brindley was a pioneer in the art of building canals or, as it was then called, 'navigation'.
逐句对比
比较自己的翻译和庄绎传先生的, 学习差异所在.
Yet there was a bigger movement in the air by 1750.
我的译文：不过在 1750 年还有一项更大的改进。
参考译文：然而到了 1750 年，一场更大的运动已经在酝酿之中。
in the air 我漏掉了，字面意思在空中，引申Ï就是还悬着，但已经是在传播中了，大家多少都耳闻了。
in the air
1 : felt or sensed by many people
There was a great sense of anticipation in the air as game time approached.
2 : expected to happen soon
Many changes are in the air.
还有几个一起记一下：
up in the air
: not yet settled or decided
Our vacation plans are still up in the air.
鼻孔朝天就是这表达吧，哈哈。
nose in the air
◇ If you have your nose in the air, you behave in a way that shows you think you are better than other people.
She walks around with her nose in the air like she's some big shot.
Water had become the engineers' element, and men like Bridnley were possessed by it.
我的译文：水成了工程师喜爱的东西，Brindley 他们很擅长利用水。
参考译文：水成了工程师们大显身手的对象，像布林德雷这样的人对它都着了迷。
element 有意思啊，感觉可以套用在 这是我的菜 上了，表示某人擅长的元素，游刃有余之处。
在剑桥字典中查到这段解释：水是鱼儿最舒适呆的地方了
element:
a natural or suitable environment, especially for an animal:
Water is a fish's natural element.
在经济学人的一篇文章 Air strikes on Pakistan may win Narendra Modi India’s election 中，有这么用到 in his element,
Mr Modi is in his element again.
Settling scores, he says proudly, is “my habit”.
原来同样意思，得心应手 in one's element, 反之则是 out of one's element
IDIOMS
in your element doing what you are good at and enjoy:
She's really in her element at parties.
out of your element in a situation that you are not used to and that makes you feel uncomfortable:
I feel out of my element talking about politics.
Water was gushing and fanning out all over the countryside.
我的译文：农村各地到处都在放水流出。
参考译文：水在农村到处涌流漫溢。
gush: to flow or send out quickly and in large amounts 喷出；涌出；冒出
fan out: 开闸放水的感觉哈哈，想象一下地铁站开门的人群。。。
If a group of people or things fan out, they move forwards away from a particular point in different directions.
It was not simply a source of power, it was a new wave of movement.
我的译文：水不仅仅是能量的来源，它还是一股新的改进之流。
参考译文：水不仅是一种能源，而且带来了一场新的运动。
这句简单，然而我的翻译太生硬了。
James Brindley was a pioneer in the art of building canals or, as it was then called, 'navigation'.
我的译文：James Brindley 是建水道的行家，那时候人们称水道为航行。
参考译文：布林德雷是开凿运河的先驱者，当时人们把开凿运河叫做navigation。
不太明白为啥参考译文没有翻译 navigation? 我比较倾向于译成 航行(navigation)。
pioneer 先驱者，细想一下，先行者未必一定是行家，我想多了。
工业革命前的中国3
来练习一下吧
参考译文见下一篇翻译练习.
工业革命前的中国 第四部分
Brindley had begun on his own account, out of interest, to survey the waterways that he travelled as he went about his engineering projects for mills and mines.
The Duke of Bridgewater then got him to build a canal to carry coal from the Duke's pits at Worsley to the rising town of Manchester...
Brindley went on to connect Manchester with Liverpool in an even bolder manner, and in all laid out almost four hundred miles of canals in a network all over England.