【正确答案】Coal is the most abundant energy source in the world, but opponents to its use are more vocal than ever. Coal creates huge carbon emissions and leads to climate change, which has caused public concern. Coal’s competitiveness over other types of fuel has fallen. In the US, for example, the emergence of shale gas has meant some coal output has been priced out of the market. US coal demand last year was close to 920 million tons. A fall in the price of natural gas will cut US coal demands by 60 to 80 million tons this year. Coal still provides about 30 percent of global energy needs and generates more than 40 percent of the world’s electricity, according to an estimate. In the world’s most populous countries, China and India, the percentage of energy needs met by coal is even as high as about 70 percent. But coal consumption in China fell last year with imports down 11 percent, which was the first fall in a decade. China’s economic growth has slowed, and the country is also making strenuous efforts to cut coal use to reduce pollution. Coal-fired power plants are not running at full capacity, but there is an abundant supply of coal, which pushes down global coal prices. Export prices of coal have fallen about 60 percent from their peak last year.

【答案解析】1．煤炭是地球上储量最丰富的能源，但反对使用煤炭的声浪日益高涨。Coal is the most abundant energy source in the world，but opponents to its use are more vocal than ever． 分析 语言措辞类本句句式结构非常清晰，翻译方式也可以灵活多样。比如，英语句子一般重形合，而汉语句子则重意合，因此，可将“反对”和“声浪”分别译为opponents(反对者)和vocal(发声的；直言不讳的)，来表达汉语原句的主旨意图。2．煤炭巨大的碳排放量引起气候变化，从而引起公众的担忧，煤炭与其他类型燃料相比竞争力已经下降。Coal creates huge carbon emissions and leads to climate change，which has caused public concern．Coal’s competitiveness over other types of fuel has fallen． 分析 句子结构类 本句在翻译时要注意两点。第一点，根据上下文语境可判知，“煤炭与其他类型燃料相比竞争力已经下降”这个小句，与段落下一句的逻辑关系似乎更为紧密。因此，可采取断句译法，将其与本句中的前两个小句拆分开来，单独翻译。第二点，“煤炭巨大的碳排放量引起气候变化”，如果直译为The huge carbon emission created by coal leads to climate change，则容易造成上下文语义重心偏移到“排放”上，而非“煤炭”上，因此建议将主语译为主谓宾结构Coal creates huge carbon emissions，与leads to climate change和has caused public concern形成因果关系，强调“煤炭”目前所带来的连锁问题。3．中国的煤炭消费量在去年已经下降，煤炭进口下滑了11％，这是十年来的首次下降。But coal consumption in China fell last year with imports down 11 percent，which was the first fall in a decade． 分析 增词减词类 本句如果按照汉语句子顺句翻译，直译为But coal consumption in China fell last year，coal imports fell by 11 percent，it was the first fall in a decade。既不符合英语句子表达习惯和语法逻辑，也使译文呆板生硬且逻辑松散。根据汉语重意合，而英语重形合的特点，此处可在汉语句子各小句间适当增词减词，将未说明的部分或逻辑关系译出来，或是多余的部分省略，如增加with，which，以使语义和结构更加完整。4．由于燃煤发电厂没有满负荷运行，再加上煤炭供应充足，造成国际煤炭价格压低。Coal-fired power plants are not running at full capacity,but there is an abundant supply of coal，which pushes down global coal prices． 分析 语言措辞类 本句在翻译时要注意“满负荷运行”“供应充足”“价格压低”这几个词的措辞。“满负荷运行”可以译为run at full capacity，at full load，at full operation等；“供应充足”可以译为abundant supplies，sufficient supplies，strong supplies等；“价格压低”的动词有push down，decrease，depress等可选。不论采用哪种译法，一定要注意用词搭配的问题，既要传神达意，还要合乎语法结构和逻辑。另外，需要指出的是，根据本句语境可判知，市场上燃煤的供大于求，造成了全球燃煤价格的下降。因此，可将“再加上”意译为but，以凸显原句语境中的供求对立关系。