第一：要对翻译的重要性有深刻的、充分的认识，翻译的对与错、好与坏有时会产生绝然不同的效果。例如，把海南岛的“天涯海角”翻译成了“世界末日”： the End of the World (应为Land’s End / End of the Earth)。再如某航空公司的广告中承诺的“一小时内免费送机票上门”变成了“一小时内送免费机票上门”：We give you tickets freeof charge within one hour.(应为We offer free delivery of your air ticketswithin one hour after your booking confirmation.)

　　第二：要善于仔细地、深入地、准确地理解中文原文的意思。这是因为准确的理解是做好翻译的前提。例如，我们常用“摸着石头过河”这个俗语来形容我国的改革开放事业是没有先例。那么“摸着石头过河”应如何翻译成英语呢?有的人把它按字面翻译为crossing the river byfeeling thestones。翻译的人根本就没有去认真地理解“摸着石头过河”是什么意思，应该怎样表达才能让外国人能够理解。

　　正确的做法应该是按照下面的步骤去做：

　　1.“摸着石头过河”的字面意思如何理解?

　　2. 它有什么暗含或延伸的意思?

　　3. 英语里有没有相同或类似的说法?.如果有，就可以直接借用;如果没有，是进行直译还是意译?

　　4. 如果直译为 crossing the river by feeling the stones是否能被外国人理解?

　　5. 过河是乘船过(crossing by boat)还是淌水过(wading across)，动词用什么形式?

　　6. 这里的河是大河、中河还是小河 (river, stream, brook, etc.)?

　　7. 摸的方式是用手摸还是用脚触?

　　8. 石头是大石头还是小石头(rock, stone, pebble, etc.)?

　　9. 如果意译为 learning by experiment / by trial and error是否可取?

　　10. 直译和意译相结合wading across the stream by feeling the way如何?

　　Since there is no previous experience to fall back on, we have to"wade across the stream by feeling the way," as we say in Chinese.

　　第三：中文和英文的对应词有时意思并不相同或者不完全相同，不能照字面翻译。例如下面例子中的“外国人”和foreigner:如果我们要把“他的英语说得真好，就像外国人一样。”翻译成这样的英语He speaks English so well, he soundslike a foreigner.那么这里的修饰语like a foreigner是指说得不好，听起来很别扭。这种看上去非常准确的翻译其效果却适得其反。正确的翻译方法应该是：He speaks English sowell, he sounds like a native speaker.

　　“拉动经济增长”不能翻译为pull economic growth，这不符合英语的表达习惯，而要用下列动词才能与economic growth相匹配：push/lift/increase/boost/stimulate/

　　spur/drive/fuel/speed up/accelerate/generate/ fire up/ propel/ facilitate/reinforce/

　　aid/assist/support/promote/encourage/foster/(sustain/maintain)。

　　我们也不能把“素质教育”翻译成quality education，那是指“高质量的教育”。正确的翻译应该是caliber-focused education 或trait-centered education。

　　第四：有时候中文字面的意思表达不充分，部分信息被省略了或被隐藏起来了。例如下面的例子：特区是个窗口，是技术的窗口，管理的窗口，知识的窗口，也是对外政策的窗口。有人把它翻译为：The special zone is a window. It is a widow forintroducing technology, management and knowledge. It is also a windowfor foreign policy.

　　这样的翻译外国人是无法理解的，我们必须把那些被省略了或被隐藏起来的信息都翻译出来：The special economiczones are a window opening onto the outside world. They are a windowthrough which to bring in from abroad sophisticated technology,advanced managerial expertise and up-to-date know-how. It is also awindow through which to disseminate China’s external policies.

　　与此相似的例子还有很多，如“退耕还林”不是return farmland toforest(把耕地退还给森林)，而应该是restore "woodland-converted farm-plots" back forafforesting (把从林地开垦出来的耕地还原成林地，即重新进行植树造林)。“春运”也不能简单地说成是springtransportation(春季的运输) 而是the rush / peak season of passengertransportation during the Spring Festival(春节期间的客运高峰)。

　　第五：有些中文词语没有什么特殊涵义，而与之相对应的英文词语却有着特殊的涵义。例如，与“便宜”、“价廉”相对应的“cheap,”它有时候会带有贬义，成为“质次价低”的意，如cheap jewelries, cheap dresses, cheap furniture等。我们可以说I bought a cheap watch for my child，对小孩无所谓;但不能说I bought a cheapdress for my girlfriend. 因为这样说会冒犯对方。在后一种情况下必须用inexpensive一词。

　　第六：避免用中式英语进行表达，而要尽量用地道的英语进行表达。假如我们要把“我过去学过一些法语，但现在都忘了，都还给老师了”这句话翻译成英语，最好不要说 I learned some French in the past. Now I have forgotten it.I've returned it to the teacher. 比较好的说法是 I used to know some French,but I've forgotten it. It has found its way back to my teacher.

　　再比如我们要用英语说“我攒了一大堆赃衣服，等着周末来洗，”最好不要说I have accumulated a largeamount of dirty clothes. I'm going to wash them at the weekend. 比较好的说法是I have a lot of laundry to catch up at the weekend.

　　第七：根据不同场合，英语的表达有庄重(formal) 与随意(informal) 之分。比如“禁止吸烟”(No Smoking)、“请勿吸烟”(Thank you for not smoking) 和“为了您和他人的健康，请勿在此吸烟”(For hygiene's sake, please refrain yourself from smoking in thisroom.)下面两组例子中都各包含有formal- normal - informal 三种文体风格(style):

　　Please await instructions before dispatching items.

　　Please wait for instructions before sending items off.

　　Don't send anything off until you're told to do so.

　　Essential measures should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity.

　　One should undertake any necessary measures at the earliest opportunity.

　　You should do whatever you have to as soon as you can.