卷一：唐朝

唐朝始于618年，终于907年，是中国历史上最灿烂的时期。经过三百年的发展，唐代中国成为世界上最繁荣的强国，其首都长安是世界上最大的都市。这一时期，经济发达，商业繁荣，社会秩序稳定，甚至边境也对外开放。随着城市化的财富的增加，艺术和文学也繁荣起来。李白和杜甫是以作品简洁自然而著称的诗人。他们的诗歌打动了学者和普通人的心，即使在今天，他们的许多诗歌仍广为儿童及成人阅读背诵。

这话段可以分为六个句子。

【第一句】唐朝始于618年，终于907年，是中国历史上最灿烂的时期。

“始于”，“终于”，可能有些同学一下子反应不出来，但是其实就是很简单的start和end，在翻译的过程中如果反应不出来的话直接用“from … to”就可以了。灿烂也有很多表述，一个比较简单的可以是glorious。

这句可以翻译为：

The Tang Dynasty started in 618 and ended in 907. It was the most glorious time in Chinese history.

【第二句】经过三百年的发展，唐代中国成为世界上最繁荣的强国，其首都长安是世界上最大的都市。

这里的“经过”，我们可以理解为“经过……之后”，翻译成after就好了。

繁荣prosperous，首都capital。

这个长句子可以用一个复合句来翻：

After developing for 300 years, Tang became the most prosperous country in the world.

当然，我们也可以把它拆分成两个简单句。

The Tang Dynasty developed for 300 hundred years. It became the most prosperous country in the world.

【第三句】这一时期，经济发达，商业繁荣，社会秩序稳定，甚至边境也对外开放。

这句话里的难词比较多，我们一个一个来看。发达develop，繁荣prosper，社会秩序social order，稳定stable，边境borders

在句式上，因为涉及的主语比较多，我们可以分成几个小短句来写。

Economy developed. Commerce prospered. Social order was stable. Even the borders were open to other countries.

【第四句】随着城市化的财富的增加，艺术和文学也繁荣起来。

这句话的难词是城市化urbanization，财富wealth，增加accumulation，这句话里的繁荣可以换一个同义词，用thrive。

把这些词都用上，这句话就可以翻成：

With the development of urbanization and the accumulation of wealth, art and literature also thrived.

【第五句】李白和杜甫是以作品简洁自然而著称的诗人。

这句话里的“简洁”是concise。它的难点在于如何处理“著称”。

简单的翻译可以分成两个简单句：

Li Bai and Du Fu were famous poets. They were famous for their concise and natural works.

而如果把这两个句子整合成一句话，就是：

Famous poets like Li Bai and Du Fu were known for the concise and neat language in their works.

【第六句】他们的诗歌打动了学者和普通人的心，即使在今天，他们的许多诗歌仍广为儿童及成人阅读背诵。

“打动某人的心”翻译成touch someone’s heart这个词组，其他几个难的单词是学者scholar，背诵recite。

这句话的翻译就是：

Their poems touched the hearts of scholars and ordinary people. Even today, many children and adults are still reading and reciting their poems.

全文翻译：

基础版：

The Tang Dynasty started in 618 and ended in 907. It was the most glorious time in Chinese history. After developing for 300 years, Tang became the most prosperous country in the world. Its capital, Chang’An, was the biggest city in the world. At this time, economy was developed. Commerce was prosperous. Social order was stable. Even the borders were open to other countries. With urbanization and growing wealth, art and literature also thrived. Li Bai and Du Fu were famous poets. They were famous for their concise and natural works. Their poems touched the hearts of scholars and ordinary people. Even today, many children and adults are still reading and reciting their poems.

进阶版：

Initiated from AD 618 to AD 907, the Tang dynasty was regarded as the most glorious period of Chinese history. After developing for 300 years, China in Tang dynasty became the most prosperous country in the world, and its capital Chang’an the biggest metropolis. China in this period enjoyed a splendid era with overwhelmingly developed economy and commerce, and the social order also remained stable, even the borders were open to other countries. With the development of urbanization and the accumulation of wealth, art and literature also thrived. Famous poets like Li Bai and Du Fu were known for the concise and neat language in their works. Their poems touched everyone, ranging from scholars to ordinary people. Even today, their poems are still being read and recited by both children and adults.

卷二：宋朝

宋朝始于960年，一直延续到1279年。这一时期，中国经济大幅增长，成为世界上最先进的经济体，科学、技术、哲学和数学蓬勃发展。宋代中国是世界历史上首先发行纸币的国家。宋朝还最早使用火药并发明了活字（movable-type）印刷。人口增长迅速，越来越多的人住进城市，那里有热闹的娱乐场所。社会生活多种多样，人们聚集在一起观看和交易珍贵艺术品。宋朝的政府体制在当时也是先进的。政府官员均通过竞争性考试选拔任用。

本段文字介绍了古代中国的宋朝，整个段落分为了8个句子，我们来具体分析。

【第一句】宋朝始于960年，一直延续到1279年。

本句相对简单，“始于”可以使用begin, start，词汇积累更丰富的同学也可以选择initiate。

【第二句】这一时期，中国经济大幅增长，成为世界上最先进的经济体，科学、技术、哲学和数学蓬勃发展。

本句较长，并且前半部分描述宋朝在经济方面取得的成绩，后半部分描写的是在科学技术等其他方面的发展，因此在翻译时可以选择拆分成两句。

句子中“大幅增长”“蓬勃发展”可以用grow, increase, develop, boost + greatly,dramatically, rapidly, substantially。需要提醒的是，下文中遇到类似表达，尽量选择不同的动词，增加句子的多样性。“经济体”其实可以直接用“economy”表示；而先进则可以选择“advanced”、“leading”等词。

【第三、四句】宋代中国是世界历史上首先发行纸币的国家。宋朝还最早使用火药并发明了活字（movable-type）印刷。

可以注意到，三、四两句都提到了宋朝在世界上“首先”（发行、使用、发明）某物。因此其实两句话可以整合成一个句子，使得句子更紧凑。

出现的生词有“纸币”banknote, 火药gunpowder

【第五句】人口增长迅速，越来越多的人住进城市，那里有热闹的娱乐场所。

本句出现的“增长迅速”表述与第二句“大幅增长”近似，不过尽量换一种表述哦~

【第六句】

社会生活多种多样，人们聚集在一起观看和交易珍贵艺术品。

略

【第七、八句】

宋朝的政府体制在当时也是先进的。政府官员均通过竞争性考试选拔任用。

“体制”其实就是“system”，选拔可以用“select”，“任用”一词比较难“appoint”或“assign”，如果词汇量稍微薄弱些的同学，也可以使用“position was given”的形式。

基础版：The Song Dynasty started in 960, and continued until 1279. In this era, Chinese economy grew greatly, and became the largest economy in the word. Science, technology, philosophy and mathematics boomed. Song China was the first country to issue paper money in world history. The Song Dynasty was the first to use gunpowder and to invent movable-type printing. Population grew rapidly. More and more lived in cities. There were lively places for fun. There were many forms of social life. People got together to watch and trade valuable artifacts. The system of the government of the Song Dynasty was the most advanced in the world at that time. Government officials were chosen and employed through competitive exams.

提高版：Initiated from AD 960 to AD 1279, the Song dynasty was an era when China’s economy boosted substantially to become the most advanced economy in the world. It’s also an era that both science and technology, philosophy and mathematics flourished. This dynasty also saw the first known use of banknote, gunpowder as well as the invention movable-type.

During the Song dynasty, the population of China grew quickly and more and more people surged in to cities, where settled bustling entertaining sites. The social life were abundant and varied, people gathered together to visit and trade valuable works of art.

The government system of Song dynasty that all the government officials were selected and appointed through completive tests, was also unrivalled in world at that time
 

卷三：明朝

明朝统治中国276年，被人们描绘成人类历史上治理有序、社会稳定的最伟大的时代之一。这一时期，手工业的发展促进了市场经济和城市化。大量商品，包括酒和丝绸，都在市场销售。同时，还进口许多外国商品，如时钟和烟草。北京、南京、扬州、苏州这样的大商业中心相继形成。也是在明代，由郑和率领的船队曾到印度洋进行了七次大规模探险航行。还值得一提的是，中国文学的四大经典名著中有三部写于明朝。

这篇短文共有七句话。

【第一句】明朝统治中国276年，被人们描绘成人类历史上治理有序、社会稳定的最伟大的时代之一。

统治rule，描绘depicted，治理有序organized，稳定stable，时代era。这几个词略难，但是好在也有一些简单词可以替代。这句话是一个被动句，在翻译的时候也可以简单化，变成主动句。

简单地翻译出来：

The Ming Dynasty ruled China for 276 years. People say it was organized and stable. It was one of the greatest eras in human history.

而更高级的翻法是：

The Ming Dynasty, which had ruled China for 276 years, was depicted as the greatest era in human history because of its ordered and stable society.

【第二句】这一时期，手工业的发展促进了市场经济和城市化。

“手工业”这个词在考前的押题课中有学过，是handicraft。市场经济market-oriented economy城市化urbanization，这是两个个时事政策热词。

这句话可以翻译为：

During this period of time, the development of handicraft industry promoted the market-oriented economy and urbanization.

【第三句】大量商品，包括酒和丝绸，都在市场销售。

“酒”可以翻译为wine，但是它特指葡萄酒或者果酒，所以更准确的翻译应该是alcohol，泛指各种酒精饮料。

这句话包含了一个被动的语态，“商品在市场被销售”：

A large amount of goods, including silk and alcohol, were sold in markets.

【第四句】同时，还进口许多外国商品，如时钟和烟草。

进口import烟草tobacco

这句话的中文里没有主语，我们可以在翻译的时候加上一个it，当然也可以翻译成是一个被动句，“商品被进口”。

简单的主动句翻译：

At the same time, it imported many foreign products, such as clocks and tobacco.

高级的被动句翻译：

Meanwhile, a lot of foreign commodities like clocks and tobacco were imported.

【第五句】

北京、南京、扬州、苏州这样的大商业中心相继形成。

本句的句子结构比较简单，主要需要处理词汇。

“商业中心”对应的表达是“commercial center”，也可以写成“business center”

“相继形成”的英语表述为“continuously”,也可以简化为“One after another”

【第六句】

还值得一提的是，中国文学的四大经典名著中有三部写于明朝。

本句的句子结构比较接单，“四大名著中的三部”可以用three of four…的结构。

需要解决的词汇有：

“值得一提”对应的英语表述为“note worthy”，当然也可以简化为what’s more或者Besides

“四大经典名著”是专有名词，为“Four Great Classical Novels”,需要注意大写，词汇量相对薄弱的同学可以简化为four famous novels of China.

基础版：Ming Dynasty ruled China for 276 years. People say it was organized and stable. It was one of the greatest eras in human history. At this period of time, the development of handicraft industry promoted the market-oriented economy and urbanization. Many products, including alcohol and silk, were sold in markets. At the same time, it imported many foreign products, such as clocks and tobacco. Commercial centers like Beijing, Nanjing, Yangzhou and Suzhou formed one after another. Zheng Healso led a fleet to the Indian Ocean for seven large adventures in Ming Dynasty. What’s more, three of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature were written in Ming Dynasty.

提高版：The Ming Dynasty, which had ruled China for 276 years, was depicted as the greatest era in human history because of its ordered and stable society. During this period, the market economy and urbanization was stimulated by the development of handicraft industry. A large amount of goods, including silk and wine, was sold in markets. Meanwhile, a lot of foreign commodities like clocks and tobacco were imported. Mass commercial centers like Beijing, Nanjing, Yangzhou and Suzhou were also aroused continually during this era. It was also in the Ming Dynasty that China dispatched large fleets for 7 times, all led by Zhen He to the Indian Ocean for great adventure. It was also noteworthy that three of Four Great Classical Novels of China were written in the Ming Dynasty.