2002年，中央编译局翻译出版了《公民道德建设实施纲要》的英译本，题目是《Program for Improving Civic Morality》。这是一个很好的译本。把原文和译文对照学习，一方面可以更好地领会文件的精神，一方面也可借以提高翻译能力，真是一举两得。

       全文共40条。下面我只就第1条中的前两点以注释的形式谈谈我的学习体会。

        例1：

       社会主义道德建设是发展先进文化的重要内容。在新世纪全面建设小康社会，加快改革开放和现代化建设步伐，顺利实现第三步战略目标，必须在加强社会主义法制建设、依法治国的同时，切实加强社会主义道德建设、以德治国，把法制建设与道德建设、依法治国与以德治国紧密结合起来，通过公民道德建设的不断深化和拓展，逐步形成与发展社会主义市场经济相适应的社会主义道德体系。这是提高全民族素质的一项基础性工程，对弘扬民族精神和时代精神，形成良好的社会道德风尚，促进物质文明与精神文明协调发展，全面推进建设有中国特色社会主义伟大事业，具有十分重要的意义。

       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. “建设”一词在这里译作improve是很恰当的，improving socialist morality是一个很好的搭配。我们一看见“建设”，往往首先想到construction，其实在很多情况下是不用这个词的。“建设”一词在这一段里多次出现。“建设小康社会”译作building a society in which people lead a fairly comfortable life，“现代化建设”译作modernization，“加强社会主义法制建设”译作strengthening the socialist legal system，有时也译作improvement of the legal system。究竟怎样译，全看具体情况而定。

       注2. “内容”一词在这里译作aspect，也是一个很好的选词。我们一看见“内容”二字，往往首先想到content，有时可以用，有时则不行，此处就不能用。翻译不能追求表面上词语的对应。

       注3. 原文第2句很长，有140字，以极其精炼的语言对公民道德建设的重要性作了高度的概括。句中包含的政治概念和术语很多，译文若也用一句话来表述，句子可能会很臃肿，外国读者也难以领会。仔细分析一下，这句话包含三部分。“必须”之前是第一部分，说的是我们正在做的事，也就是提出这一文件的背景。“必须”引出的是第二部分，说的是我们要做的事。“通过”引出的是第三部分，说的是所要达到的目的。因此，译者就把这一句译成了三句。第一句和第二句都加we作主语，第三句以a socialist moral system...为主语，和谓语will gradually take shape and develop搭配。

       注4. 原文第3句也较长，先说这是一项什么工程，又说它在四个方面的重要意义。译文分成了两句。第2句根据英语的习惯，评价性的话要先说，然后再说各项细节，因此译文以It has great significance开始。此外，“时代精神”译作spirit of the times，这是最常见的一种译法。

        例2：

       党的十一届三中全会特别是十四大以来，随着改革开放和现代化建设事业的深入发展，社会主义精神文明建设呈现出积极健康向上的良好态势，公民道德建设迈出了新的步伐。爱国主义、集体主义、社会主义思想日益深入人心，为人民服务精神不断发扬光大，崇尚先进、学习先进蔚然成风，追求科学、文明、健康生活方式已成为人民群众的自觉行动，社会道德风尚发生了可喜变化，中华民族的传统美德与体现时代要求的新的道德观念相融合，成为我国公民道德建设发展的主流。

       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)