【正确答案】正确答案： The Chinese lantern has a long history, and can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty 1,800 years ago world. Before the annual Lantern Festival, red lanterns were hung up to create a festival atmosphere in ancient times. Combining the craft of lantern with traditional painting, calligraphy, paper cutting and embroidery, Chinese lantern craftsmen created a rich array of lanterns. In the long history of China, lanterns played a significant role, symbolizing happiness and reunion. It still occupies a special place in contemporary society. It serves as an essential element of Chinese style decoration and a preferred ornament in joyous festivals.

【答案解析】解析：1．第一句的主语是“中国灯笼的历史”，后面有两个谓语，为使句子紧凑，翻译时可将“起源于1800多年前的西汉时期”译为并列句and Can be traced back to…。 2．第二句中的“人们都会挂起红灯笼，来营造一种节日氛围”，翻译时可以使用被动语态red lanterns were hung up to…，突出“红灯笼”而不突出“人们”。 3．第四句“灯笼在中华民族……”的结构与第一句类似，主语“灯笼”后面有两个谓语动词“扮演着”和“象征着”，翻译时将“象征着灿烂的……”译作symbolizing the glorious．．．，使用现在分词结构，使句型更加多样化。 4．倒数第二句中的“有着特殊的地位”和上文的“扮演着重要的角色”意思相近，为避免重复，此处可译为occupies a special place。