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四级翻译练习：皮影戏
皮影戏是流行于中国的一门古老民间艺术。这种艺术形式产生于两千多年前，到了宋代，皮影戏已十分发达。13世纪时，皮影戏传到西亚，到了18世纪传到世界很多地方。1 皮影戏是世界上最早由人配音的影画艺术。它的成功给现代电影很大的启发。皮影戏的妙处不仅在于皮影的制作，更在于表演。2 其表演水平的高低，取决于演员的唱功和手上功夫。3 过去没有电影、电视等现代娱乐，皮影戏成为重要的娱乐形式。即使是在娱乐业高度发达的今天它仍然受到人们的广泛喜爱。2011年，皮影戏被列入人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录。 参考译文：
Shadow puppetry is an ancient folk art popular among the Chinese people. The art form first appeared 2,000 years ago and by the Song Dynasty it had become highly developed. In the 13th century it was introduced into West Asia, and by the 18th century it had spread to many parts of the world. Shadow puppetry is the world’s earliest movie art with the accompaniment of human voice. Its success has given much enlightenment to the development of modern movie. The appeal of shadow puppetry lies not only in its puppet-making, but more in its performance. How good a shadow play is depends on the singing of the performers and their handling of the puppets. In the past, without film, television, or other modern entertainments, shadow puppetry was an important form of entertainment. Even today when the entertainment industry is highly developed, shadow puppetry remains a welcome form of entertainment. In 2011, shadow puppetry was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
翻译简析
1 原文用了两个“传到”，译文分别译作was introduced into和spread to，避免重复使用相同的动词，更符合英文的行文习惯。
2 句中的“妙处”译作appeal，巧妙而传神。也可译为beauty或merit。
3 原文的“手上功夫”在翻译时作了具体化处理，译为their handling of the puppet。
翻译中有时需要在抽象和具体之间、虚与实之间进行转换，以便表意清楚明晰。 | 
