“Art is long; life is short.” (Geoffrey Chaucer) 是不是覺得這個句子很簡單？嘗試翻譯壹下吧。“藝術很長，生命很短。”自己覺得如何？要把握英文前重心，中文後重心的語言特點。英語原文側重強調藝術的重要，這樣中文至少應譯成：“生命很短，藝術很長。”發現語言過於口語化，那就雕琢壹下：“人生如氤氳，藝術永不朽。”如再運用中文標誌性的四字辭格加以改寫，則變成“人生苦短，藝術彌香。” 數種譯文，哪種更能吸引評分老師？答案壹目了然。
再舉壹例：“That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”(The Book of Ecclesiastes)——典型的英語竹節句式，轉換過程中對比中文流水句特點，再次運用四字辭格：“已有之事，後必再有；已行之事，後必再行。太陽之下，並無新事。”大家看看效果如何？
兩個例子說明，把握雙語的句型獨特特性後再來翻譯，事情就簡單多了。
漢語有其自身的特點和魅力，遣詞造句以詞組、散句、小句或分句為主要手段；擅長於按照時間、事件的先後邏輯順序進行線性或橫排式敘述；有時各種邏輯關系貌似不露，甚至出現斷句不嚴、外形疏散的現象——這是因為漢語是時間型的動態結構，主要體現在形式較為自由，富有彈性。與此形成鮮明對比的是，英語是以“主謂”主幹結構為重心，添加各種語言成分，句界之間關系分明，外形嚴密，枝葉繁茂。下文以歷年真題為例，講解各大中文句型的翻譯要領。
主謂單句
翻譯過程中對照中文句式，以直譯為主，適當調整語序。
2007年真題在河灣之畔，壹群羊正在低頭覓食。
A group of sheep are lowing their heads, eating by the river bank.
2005年真題我國歷代的勞動人民及大政治家、大思想家等等都莫不如此。
Laborers, great statesmen as well as the great thinkers in our history, past and present, all treat their lives the same way, without exception.
註意事項
1、避免機械對應。
● 中國近幾年發生了巨大變化。
A. China has been crackling with the dynamics of changes these years.
B.Great changes have taken place in China these years.
C.These years have witnessed great changes in China.
D.There have been great changes in China these years.
E.China has been experiencing great changes these years.
2、翻譯漢語句子的非動詞謂語時，需補加動詞。
●於先生很聰明。Mr. Yu looks clever.
●專八考試並不困難。TEM-8 is not difficult.
3、避免謂語動詞的機械對應。
●“打”：打球play，打架fight，打車grab/take
●妳們要搞調查研究。You have to do some investigation and study.
●別搞那麽多菜了。Don’t make/cook so many dishes.
●妳搞什麽鬼？What on earth are you up to?
●他身體搞垮了。He has ruined his health.
由此牽涉出壹個英漢互譯中應該關註的現象——壹詞多義。
●馬克思同誌的思想和學說是永存的。thought; teachings
●關於新東方建設總路線的基本思想 ideas
●破除迷信，解放思想 the mind
●毛澤東軍事思想的壹個重要組成部分，是關於人民戰爭的思想 thinking; concept
●政治問題和思想問題ideological
無主語句
2007年真題如果走近了，會發現它們那可愛的神情，潔白的牙齒，那豐富而單純的表情。
When approaching near, one would find their lily-white teeth and a variety of innocent facial expressions.
2006年真題況中國古代素來以不滯於物，不為物役為最主要的人生哲學。
Besides, the ancient Chinese people have always regarded it as their fundamental philosophy of life that one should neither be confined to material things, nor be enslaved by them.
註意事項
1、漢語祈使句，英譯依法照譯。
●裏面裏面！Inside please!
●妳的身份證！Your ID card！
2、漢語中敘事或論理的無主句，譯時補加主語。
●三十而立，四十不惑。
At thirty, one is well-established. At forty, one is free from any doubt.
●學而時習之，不亦說乎？有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎？
Is it not a pleasure after all to practice in due time what one has learnt? Is it not a delight after all to have friends come from afar?
3、漢語習慣性無主句轉換為there be結構，也可采用主謂單句或被動句式。
●剩下的時間不多了。 There is very little time left.
●沒有不透風的墻。The walls have ears.
註意：漢語無主句較為常見，轉換為英文應時刻提醒自己補充或還原主語。
讀者自己可嘗試翻譯：“松下問童子，言師采藥去。”
流水句
流水句即敘事類的句子。這類句子通常在壹句話裏把兩個或兩個以上的動詞並列使用，這樣的句子在英語中是不存在的。
2007年真題它們幾乎沒有壹個顧得上擡起頭來，看壹眼這美麗的黃昏。也許它們要抓緊時間，在即將回家的最後壹刻再次咀嚼。
Hardly any of them would spare some time to raise their eyes to have a glance at the beautiful dusk. They are, perhaps, making use of every minute to enjoy their last chew before being driven home.
2005年真題當他活著壹天，總要盡量多勞動、多工作、多學習，不肯虛度年華，不讓時間白白地浪費掉。
As long as they are alive, (even if there is only one day to live,) they always labor, work, and study as hard as possible, unwilling to dream away the time in vain and to let even one single second slip by without any gain.
註意事項
首推轉換為英文獨有的復合句形式；其次考慮譯為若幹個以主謂結構為主幹的分立單位或者平列散句，適當添加關聯詞。
●我有壹個問題弄不懂，想請教妳，妳能回答嗎？
Can you answer a question which I want to ask and which is puzzling me?
●我家放著壹堆雨傘，少說有十二把，五顏六色，大小不壹。
In my home lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors.
●不壹會，北風小了。路上浮塵早已刮凈，剩下壹條潔白的大道來，車夫也跑得更快。
Presently the north wind dropped a little. By now the loose dust had all been blown away, leaving the roadway clean. The rickshaw man quickened his pace.
意合句
2007年真題這是黃河灘上的壹幕。牧羊人不見了，他不知在何處歇息。
This is a picture of the Yellow River bank, in which the shepherd disappears, and no one knows where he is resting.
意合句指的是無關聯詞語的復合句。翻譯過程中先分析找出其中暗含的各種語義關系，然後選擇相應的關聯詞語或其他手段，把句子的深層含義體現出來。
●桂林山水甲天下，陽朔山水甲桂林。
Guilin’s mountains and waters rank first in China while Yangshuo’s even top those of Guilin.
●天長地久有時盡，此恨綿綿無絕期。
The eternal universe sometimes comes to an end, but my unceasing regret knows no limit.
●最新二三十年來，科學技術發展日新月異，專業化的分工更細，協作的規模更大。
Over the last 20 or 30 years, science and technology have made new headways day by day, resulting in a more minute division of labor on the basis of specialization and in more extensive cooperation.
主次信息句
需把主要信息譯成完整的英文單句，次要信息可譯成獨立結構或分詞結構，作為伴隨狀語或原因狀語。
●他沒有死，他的故事激勵了千百萬人的心。
He lives on, his story inspiring the hearts of millions of people.
●生亦何哀，死亦何苦？
Life is insignificant, death, of little consequence.
●天長地久。
Heaven is eternal, the earth, everlasting.
2006年真題中國民族自古以來從不把人看作高於壹切，在哲學文藝方面的表現都反映出人在自然界中與萬物占著壹個比例較為恰當的地位，而非絕對統治萬物的主宰。
The Chinese nation has never considered human beings to be superior to any other species since time immemorial. Human beings always share a quite appropriate proportion with everything else in nature, living in harmony rather than dominating the whole world, as is reflected in the field of philosophy, literature and art.
如果詞匯和句法知識過關，同學們把握住各大中文句型翻譯的基礎模式後，順利通過測試應遊刃有余。長期來看，You will enjoy a grander sight, by climbing to a greater height. 翻譯學習是壹輩子的事業。文豪莎士比亞說，“真愛之路永不平坦”。願妳我能在追求翻譯信、達、雅的道路上含笑收割，領略到語言的精髓，感受到文字的魅力。
註意事項
1、保證譯文質量的同時，提升翻譯速度。兩者發生矛盾時，考場上謹記保量>保質。(斟酌前面幾句話；兼顧中間幾句話；慢待最後幾句話。)
2、精雕細琢面子工程：卷面、字跡、包裝，壹個都不能少。
3、絕對難點果斷跳過，相對難點絕不放過，易點譯後飄過：
2003年真題But his cousin looks around bewildered. All she sees is a forest. “可是，表妹環顧四周，頗感茫然，因為，她所看到的不過是壹片樹林。” (越是簡單的翻譯任務，成為采分點的幾率越小。)
4、英漢語系不同，語言特性差異巨大。謹記三句箴言：結構不可譯，語意可譯；詞典意不可靠，語境重要；參考譯文只參考，譯對就好。