翻译题 46.On April 29th the Supreme Court ordered the next government to come up with a plan by the end of the year to reduce the amount of nitrogen dioxide (NO-2) in the atmosphere. The judgment could have big implications for several large infrastructure projects. It also suggests how dirty air is finally becoming a political issue.
The health effects of NO-2 have not yet been calculated for Britain, but are thought to be as potentially damaging as fine man-made particulate matter, says Gary Fuller. A report from a government advisory group in 2010 estimated that, if all fine particulate matter were removed from the atmosphere, it would increase the average life expectancy of those born in 2008 by six months.
Despite the mounting evidence of the harmful effect of dirty air, there has been little political desire to get it sorted. Politicians could often skirt the issue by pointing out that it was a Europe-wide problem.
【正确答案】 4月29日，英国最高法院责令下届政府年底前制定旨在减少大气中二氧化氮含量的方案。这一裁决可能对几项大型基建工程产生巨大影响。同时，它也展现了环境污染最终上升为政治问题的过程。
据加里-富勒称，虽然英国目前尚未统计二氧化氮对国人身体健康的影响，但据估计，其潜在的损害威力堪比人工合成的细微颗粒物。政府某家顾问团在2010年发布的一项报告估计称，如果将大气中的细微颗粒物全部清除，那么2008年出生者的平均寿命会延长6个月。
空气混浊产生的危害日益显著，但政治方面很少显露出治理的意向。政治家们声称空气污染问题需要整个欧洲合力加以解决，其往往借此来逃脱问责。
【答案解析】(1)该句主干为the Supreme Court ordered…to…。其中the Supreme Court为专有名词，译为“英国最高法院”。该句中考生需注意区分两个to的不同用法：第一个to为固定表达．即order sb．to do sth．；第二个to作整句的目的状语。
(2)fine有诸多含义，比如“优良的；细小的，精美的；健康的”，这里它与matter(物质)搭配，故译为“细小的”较为合适。根据语境，文中fine man-made particulate matter译为“细微颗粒物”。
(3)该句是以there开头的句子。despite译为“尽管；任凭”，后面只能跟名词(短语)或doing，相当于in spite of。翻译时，考生需将状语引导词翻译出来。此处代词it指代前文的harmful effect，其中get sorted译为“解决，处理”。
(4)固定搭配skirt the issue译为“避而不谈”，point out译为“指出，指明”。by引导方式状语，that引导的从句作point out的宾语。