【四级翻译真题】
鱼是春节前夕餐桌上不可或缺的一道菜,因为汉语中“鱼”字的发音与“余”字的发音相同。正由于这个象征性的意义,春节期间鱼也作为礼物送给亲戚朋友。鱼的象征意义据说源于中国传统文化。中国人有节省的传统,他们认为节省得愈多,就感到愈为安全。今天,尽管人们愈来愈富裕了,但他们仍然认为节省是一种值得弘扬的美德。
【参考译文】
Fish is a very necessary dish on the dinner table on the eve of Spring Festival, for the reason that the “fish” in Chinese sounds the same as the Chinese character “Yu” (which means the amount of grains and money received is greater than the amount you need.) Because of this symbolic meaning, fish are also given as gifts to relatives and friends during the Spring Festival. The symbolic meaning of fish is said to be rooted in traditional Chinese culture. Having a tradition of saving, the Chinese think the more they save, the more secure they feel. Today, although people are getting richer, they still regard saving as a virtue worth promoting.