问答题
Yet the U.S. benefited greatly from the colonial strife next door. Broke after its Haitian defeat, France sold a large region to the U.S. for $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase would prove to be one of the most profitable real estate transactions ever made. Napoleon would not have sold his claims except for the courage and obstinate resistance of Haitian inhabitants. It would take six decades for the U.S. to acknowledge Haiti's independence. Meanwhile, Haiti, burdened by its post-independence isolation and the 100 million francs in payment it was forced to give France for official recognition, began its perilous slide toward turmoil and dependency, resulting in a 19year U.S. occupation and two subsequent in starvations in the past 100 years. Jefferson once presented dire warnings about what might happen to the U.S. political system in a worst-case scenario, but his words turned out to be a more accurate prophecy for America's plundered neighbor: "The spirit of the times ... will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt... The shackles... which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of war, will remain on long, will be made heavier." Given a fair chance, Haiti could have flourished and prospered. If that had been the case, this year Haiti would celebrating the bicentennial of its independence with fewer and lighter shackles.
问答题
Yet the U.S. benefited greatly from the colonial strife next door. Broke after its Haitian defeat, France sold a large region to the U.S. for $15 million.
【答案解析】[解析] strife意为“争吵，冲突”，其同义词有contradiction，conflict，inconsistency，clash等。 contradiction指言语行为自相抵触；conflict指民族、宗教争执冲突或领土争端导致的“矛盾”。“矛盾百出”可译为be full of inconsistencies，上下辈之间的“矛盾”可译为generational clash，“家庭矛盾”则为family/domestic strife，“他们俩闹矛盾”为The two of them have fallen out，“我的心情很矛盾”则为My feelings are mixed。
问答题
The Louisiana Purchase would prove to be one of the most profitable real estate transactions ever made.
【正确答案】“路易斯安那购地”被证明是以往所有的地产买卖中获利最丰的交易之一。
【答案解析】[解析] real estate根据上下文译为“房地产”或“地产”。表示“地产”的英语词语还有fixed property, immovable property和property assets等。
问答题
Napoleon would not have sold his claims except for the courage and obstinate resistance of Haitian inhabitants. It would take six decades for the U.S. to acknowledge Haiti's independence.
问答题
Meanwhile, Haiti, burdened by its post-independence isolation and the 100 million francs in payment it was forced to give France for official recognition, began its perilous slide toward turmoil and dependency, resulting in a 19-year U.S. occupation and two subsequent interventions in the past 100 years.
【答案解析】[解析] 该句为典型的英语形合句，谓语动词短语(began its perilous slide toward turmoil and dependency)的附着部分包括一过去分词短语和一现在分词短语，过去分词短语中还内嵌一定语从句。汉译时采用了拆句方法，把复杂的句式译为松散的汉语小句。其次，要准确理解词义，dependency本义为“依赖”，此处具体化为“附属”；perilous本义为“危险的”，在与slide搭配后可直译为“危险的滑坡”。
问答题
Jefferson once presented dire warnings about what might happen to the U.S. political system in a worst-case scenario, but his words turned out to be a more accurate prophecy for America's plundered neighbor: "The spirit of the times... will alter. Our rulers will become corrupt... The shackles... which shall not be knocked off at the conclusion of war, will remain on long, will be made heavier./
【答案解析】[解析] 本句前半部分注意措辞和语序，若直译what might happen to the U.S. political system in a worst-case scenario，就是“在最糟糕的前景/情况下美国政体会发生什么”，虽然也可以理解，但终究表意含混，表达拗口；另外还应考虑到汉语叙事的逻辑顺序，先译“警告”的内容，再译“就此提出警告”。
问答题
Given a fair chance, Haiti could have flourished and prospered. If that had been the case, this year Haiti would be celebrating the bicentennial of its independence with fewer and lighter shackles.