问答题 After nearly a year of emotional arguments in Congress but no new federal laws, the national debate over the future of human cloning has shifted to the states. Six states have already banned cloning in one form or another, and this year alone 38 anti-cloning measures were introduced in 22 states.
The resulting patchwork of laws, people on all sides of the issue say, complicates a nationwide picture already clouded by scientific and ethical questions over whether and how to restrict cloning or to ban it altogether.
Since 1997, when scientists announced the birth of Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal, the specter of cloned babies, infants that are in essence genetic carbon copies of adults, has loomed large in the public psyche and in the minds of lawmakers.
Today, there is widespread agreement that cloning for reproduction is unsafe and should be banned. Now, the debate has shifted away from the ethics of baby-making and toward the morality of cloning embryos for their cells and tissues, which might be used to treat diseases. The controversy pits religious conservatives and abortion opponents, who regard embryos as nascent human life, against patients' groups, scientists and the biotechnology industry.

问答题 After nearly a year of emotional arguments in Congress but no new federal laws, the national debate over the future of human cloning has shifted to the states.

【正确答案】国会经过将近一年的激烈争论，但未通过新的联邦法律后，关于克隆人的未来的全国性辩论已转移到各个州。

【答案解析】[解析] 这里的but no new federal laws明显省略了has been passed，翻译时可添加动词以使译文通顺。又如：
My teaching, my family and my friends are more than enough to fill my time.我要教学、料理家务、结交朋友；这些事使我忙得不可开交。
Skills, know-how and efficient communications are critical in developing efficient foreign exchange operations.运用各种操作技巧、专门知识和开展有效的相互交流对于外汇交易的成功是举足轻重的。

问答题 Six states have already banned cloning in one form or another, and this year alone 38 anti-cloning measures were introduced in 22 states.

【正确答案】有六个州明令禁止各种形式的克隆，仅今年一年，就有22个州提出了38项反克隆措施。

【答案解析】[解析] 将by，in，for等介词后面的宾语翻译成主语，而将原文的主语变成宾语，有时还可使用“把……”、“使……”字句等结构。如：
Another subway line has been built in the city.该市建造了又一条地铁线路。
The new building has been completely destroyed by the fire.大火把这幢新大楼完全烧毁了。
Customers have been marketed more intensely by an increasing number of financial institutions.越来越多的金融机构正以越来越强化的手段争取客户。
The agricultural industry in New Zealand has developed a comprehensive extension service, which allows for new ideas to be disseminated widely to the farming community.新西兰的农业已形成一套综合传播服务机制，从而可以向广大农户传播新的农业知识。

问答题 The resulting patchwork of laws, people on all sides of the issue say, complicates a nationwide picture already clouded by scientific and ethical questions over whether and how to restrict cloning or to ban it altogether.

【正确答案】在克隆问题上持各种立场的人都这么说，由此拼凑起来的法律会使全国性立法复杂化，而关于是否要限制及如何限制克隆或者彻底禁止克隆的科学问题和伦理问题已经使全国性立法变得扑朔迷离。

【答案解析】[解析] 主体结构是The resulting patchwork of laws, people on all sides of the issue say, complicates a nationwide picture。其中people on all sides of the issue say是插入语，翻译时可提前。clouded by scientific and ethical questions为分词作后置定语修饰picture，由于定语长，可采取分译。whether and how to restrict cloning or to ban it altogether是介词over引导的宾语从句，说明是关于什么样问题，可译作汉语“问题”的定语。on all sides of the issue是介词短语，译作汉语时增加动词“持”。又如：
He was about to become, for lack of anyone or anything better, a very influential intellectual—the wrong man at a wrong place with the wrong idea.由于找不到比他更合适的人，或更好的办法，于是，他即将成为一个很有影响的知识分子，这真是在错误的地方用错误的人去实行错误的主张。
patchwork，picture，clouded三词均为隐喻义。patchwork原义指由各种颜色和形状的许多小块织物拼缝而成的东西，patchwork of laws可译作“拼凑起来的法律”。picture原意为“图画”，在上下文中指“(事件展现在人们面前的)情形”。可根据上下文将其具体化，译作“立法”。clouded是指“像迷雾般的笼罩”，这里译为“扑朔迷离”。词语的字面意思和引申的比喻义是翻译的一大难点，在笔译和口译中对上述问题的准确把握可有效提升翻译水平。

问答题 Since 1997, when scientists announced the birth of Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal, the specter of cloned babies, infants that are in essence genetic carbon copies of adults, has loomed large in the public psyche and in the minds of lawmakers.

【正确答案】自1997年科学家宣布第一只克隆的哺乳动物多利羊出生以来，人们对克隆的婴儿这一在本质上是成年人基因的复制模样感到恐惧，而这种恐惧一直萦绕在公众的心理上和立法者的头脑里。

【答案解析】[解析] 主体结构为the specter of cloned babies has loomed large。Since 1997是时间状语，when scientists announced the birth of Dolly the sheep为非限制性定语从句，修饰“1997”，the sheep和the first cloned mammal都是Dolly的同位语。infants是cloned babies的同位语，后接定语从句that are in essence genetic carbon copies of adults，修饰infants。介词短语in the public psyche和in the minds of lawmakers作地点方位状语。译文将原句分割为两个分句：主语部分the specter of cloned babies，infants that are in essence genetic carbon copies of adults被译作完整的句子“人们对克隆婴儿这一在本质上是成年人基因的复制模样感到恐惧”。然后另起一句，添加了重复的“这种恐惧”作主语，has loomed large in the public psyche and in the minds of lawmakers作谓语，译作“而这种恐惧一直萦绕在公众的心理上和立法者的头脑里”。

问答题 Today, there is widespread agreement that cloning for reproduction is unsafe and should be banned.

【正确答案】今天，广泛一致的意见是，用于繁殖的克隆技术是不安全的，应予禁止。

【答案解析】[解析] 存在句there be不一定译为“有”、“存在”一类句型，而是可根据上下文译作判断句，there is widespread agreement that...译作“广泛一致的意见是”就是一例。也可直接译作谓语，将there be后面的名词转换为动词或增加与该名词搭配的动词，如：
There is a paradox in all our countries. Just as a new global economy creates more to look forward to than ever before, it also brings more uncertainty and more change to worry about than ever before.所有国家都面对着一个矛盾的现实：新的全球经济给我们带来了前所未有的期盼，同时也使我们对前所未有的不确定性和多变性而忧虑不安。(2008年3月高口)
There is an increasing demand for consumer goods对消费品的需求量大大增加。
There is a growing acceptance among the parents of their children's participation in various social activities.越来越多的家长对让孩子们参加各种社会活动表示同意接受。
cloning for reproduction被译作“用于繁殖的克隆技术”，译文添加“技术”一词，将原文隐含的意义表达出来。如：
Resort to arms is not the best solution to a quarrel between countries.用武力来处理国与国之间的争端并非最好的解决方法。
Both sides are willing to hold face-to-face talks in order to ease tension.双方都愿意举行面对面的会谈以缓和紧张局势。

问答题 Now, the debate has shifted away from the ethics of baby-making and toward the morality of cloning embryos for their cells and tissues, which might be used to treat diseases.

【正确答案】现在辩论已经从制造婴儿的伦理问题，转向克隆胚胎是否违背道德的层面上，尽管从克隆胚胎中可以提取用于治疗疾病的细胞和组织。

【答案解析】[解析] 译文出现了两处动词的添加，一是the morality of cloning embryos被译作“克隆胚胎是否违背道德”，此处增加了动词“违背”及表示选择关系的系词“是否”，另一处是for their cells and tissues被译作“为提取细胞和组织”，增加了动词“提取”，与之相应，句式也做了适当调整。

问答题 The controversy pits religious conservatives and abortion opponents, who regard embryos as nascent human life, against patients' groups, scientists and the biotechnology industry.

【正确答案】这一争论形成互相对立的两大阵营：一方是认为胚胎是新生的人的生命的宗教保守派和堕胎反对派，另一方是患者群体、科学家和生物技术行业。

【答案解析】[解析] pit...against...的意思是“使对抗”。本句主体结构为The controversy pits A against B，其中A是religious conservatives和abortion opponents两种人，后另接一定语从句who regard embryos as nascent human life对这两种人作进一步说明。B即patients' groups, scientists and the biotechnology industry三项。本句作为宾语A和B的内容较长，翻译时可先总述“这一争论形成互相对立的两大阵营”，再分别说明哪两个对立面。这样一来，译文便可显得清晰明了。