2002年，中央編譯局翻譯出版了《公民道德建設實施綱要》的英譯本，題目是《Program for Improving Civic Morality》。這是一個很好的譯本。把原文和譯文對照學習，一方面可以更好地領會文件的精神，一方面也可借以提高翻譯能力，真是一舉兩得。

       全文共40條。下面我只就第1條中的前兩點以注釋的形式談談我的學習體會。

        例1：

       社會主義道德建設是發展先進文化的重要內容。在新世紀全面建設小康社會，加快改革開放和現代化建設步伐，順利實現第三步戰略目標，必須在加強社會主義法制建設、依法治國的同時，切實加強社會主義道德建設、以德治國，把法制建設與道德建設、依法治國與以德治國緊密結合起來，通過公民道德建設的不斷深化和拓展，逐步形成與發展社會主義市場經濟相適應的社會主義道德體系。這是提高全民族素質的一項基礎性工程，對弘揚民族精神和時代精神，形成良好的社會道德風尚，促進物質文明與精神文明協調發展，全面推進建設有中國特色社會主義偉大事業，具有十分重要的意義。

       Improving (1) socialist morality is an important aspect (2) of developing an advanced culture. In the new century, we are building a society in which people lead a fairly comfortable life, quickening the pace of reform, opening up and modernization, and attaining the strategic goals for the third stage. While we are strengthening the socialist legal system and the rule of the country by law, we must earnestly improve socialist morality, rule the country by virtue, and closely integrate the improvement of the legal system with the improvement of morality and the rule of the country by law with the rule of the country by virtue. Through a continuous process of deepening and broadening the improvement of civic morality, a socialist moral system suitable for our socialist market economy will gradually take shape and develop. (3) This is a basic program for improving the quality of the whole Chinese nation. It has great significance for enhancing national spirit and a spirit of the times, cultivating good moral habits, coordinating material civilization with spiritual civilization, and advancing the great cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. (4)

       注1. “建設”一詞在這里譯作improve是很恰當的，improving socialist morality是一個很好的搭配。我們一看見“建設”，往往首先想到construction，其實在很多情況下是不用這個詞的。“建設”一詞在這一段里多次出現。“建設小康社會”譯作building a society in which people lead a fairly comfortable life，“現代化建設”譯作modernization，“加強社會主義法制建設”譯作strengthening the socialist legal system，有時也譯作improvement of the legal system。究竟怎樣譯，全看具體情況而定。

       注2. “內容”一詞在這里譯作aspect，也是一個很好的選詞。我們一看見“內容”二字，往往首先想到content，有時可以用，有時則不行，此處就不能用。翻譯不能追求表面上詞語的對應。

       注3. 原文第2句很長，有140字，以極其精煉的語言對公民道德建設的重要性作了高度的概括。句中包含的政治概念和術語很多，譯文若也用一句話來表述，句子可能會很臃腫，外國讀者也難以領會。仔細分析一下，這句話包含三部分。“必須”之前是第一部分，說的是我們正在做的事，也就是提出這一文件的背景。“必須”引出的是第二部分，說的是我們要做的事。“通過”引出的是第三部分，說的是所要達到的目的。因此，譯者就把這一句譯成了三句。第一句和第二句都加we作主語，第三句以a socialist moral system...為主語，和謂語will gradually take shape and develop搭配。

       注4. 原文第3句也較長，先說這是一項什么工程，又說它在四個方面的重要意義。譯文分成了兩句。第2句根據英語的習慣，評價性的話要先說，然后再說各項細節，因此譯文以It has great significance開始。此外，“時代精神”譯作spirit of the times，這是最常見的一種譯法。

        例2：

       黨的十一屆三中全會特別是十四大以來，隨著改革開放和現代化建設事業的深入發展，社會主義精神文明建設呈現出積極健康向上的良好態勢，公民道德建設邁出了新的步伐。愛國主義、集體主義、社會主義思想日益深入人心，為人民服務精神不斷發揚光大，崇尚先進、學習先進蔚然成風，追求科學、文明、健康生活方式已成為人民群眾的自覺行動，社會道德風尚發生了可喜變化，中華民族的傳統美德與體現時代要求的新的道德觀念相融合，成為我國公民道德建設發展的主流。

       Since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, and especially since the Fourteenth National Congress of the CPC, along with the deepening of the reform and opening up and the modernization drive, positive, healthy improvements have occurred in the development of socialist spiritual civilization, and significant progress has been made in the improvement of civic morality. (5) Patriotism, collectivism and socialist ideology increasingly fill people's hearts. The spirit of serving the people is growing. Admiration and emulation of models have become commonplace. (6) The people have begun pursuing scientific, culturally advanced and healthy lifestyles on their own initiative. (7) Gratifying changes are occurring in the prevailing customs of social morality. (8) The traditional morality of the Chinese people and new moral viewpoints that embody the needs of the times are merging. This becomes the main trend in the improvement of civic morality. (9)