中国政府网站自2006年1月1日开通以来，受到了国内外的好评。“建设中国政府网，是推进政府管理方式创新，建设服务型政府的重要举措，对于促进政务公开，改进公共服务，提高行政效能，便于公众知情、参与和监督，具有重要意义。”其中，英文版开设了“今日中国”、“中国概况”、“国家机构”、“中国与世界”、“政府动态”、“领导活动”、“商务中国”、“政府出版物”、“法律法规”、“ 外籍人士服务”和“专题专栏”等主要栏目，发布中国的政务信息和数据资料，介绍中国在政治、经济、文化等各领域的对外政策，以及对国际事务的外交立场等，提供外籍人士来华旅游、留学、经商、投资等相关活动的综合服务内容，为国外人士更好地了解中国提供了方便。
作为中华人民共和国的一名普通公民，对中国政府增加执政透明度感到由衷高兴。身为高校英语教师，对中国政府网站中的英语网页极为关注，因为这关系到国家对外形象。由于前段时间发现国内许多著名大学的英语网页存在严重的英语表达问题，因此对于政府英语网页是否存在同样问题感到担心。不看不知道，一看吓一跳。政府英语网页中的翻译问题不容乐观，其中笔者在Education部分中就发现了上百处值得商榷的表达问题。现将其中部分问题提出来，希望引起关部门重视。同时，呼吁政府聘请专家对英文版进行仔细修改。
1. In 2003, the educational sector made new progress in reforms and development in line with the objective of building a well-off society and improving educational services to satisfy people's demands and in implementation of the guideline of national rural education work conference.
问题1：new progress明显受汉语思维影响，带有中式英语痕迹。progress当然是new，因此new是多余的。除非特意强调，一般不会这样说。
问题2：the guideline of national rural education work conference容易导致误解，以为“方针”（guideline）是召开“工作会议”（work conference）时要采取的方针，而实际上指工作会议上提出的方针，而且该词在英语中总是使用复数形式。因此，建议改为：the guidelines put forward at the national rural education work conference。
问题3：不知为何在in reforms and development表达方式中，一个名词用复数，一个名词用单数？我们知道，这两个词语在英语中既可作不可数名词使用，也可作可数名词使用。从上下文看，这里表示抽象用法，以使用单数形式为佳。
问题4：这句的意思是说，教育在两个方面取得了进步，一个是reform and development（改革与发展），另一个方面是“在贯彻全国农村教育工作会议方针”方面。但由于reform and development后面接了一个很长的介词短语作定语，因此，读者在理解时会感到困惑，因此应对句子结构进行相应调整。
问题5：national rural education work conference属于特指，应添加定冠词，而且作为一次专门会议的名称，改为大写可能更好，即改为the National Rural Education Work Conference。
建议改为：In 2003, the educational sector made great progress in two aspects: first, in reform and development in line with the objective of building a well-off society and improving educational services to satisfy people's demands; second, in the implementation of the guidelines put forward at the National Rural Education Work Conference.
2. 12 provinces and municipalities have realized the requirement of the plans.
问题：显然，这里的requirement应改为复数形式更为恰当。
3. Due to readjustment of school setups and the decreasing population at schooling age, the number of primary schools and pupils studying at school were on the decline.
问题1：setup表示“设置”时一般用单数。
问题2：该句的主语是number，按照英语主谓数一致的原则，谓语动词应该使用单数形式was，而不是were。
问题3：pupils studying at school有中式英语之嫌，studying at school完全多余。
4. The five-year consolidation rate for the pupils at primary school was 98.80 percent, basically the same with 2002.
问题1：学生“巩固率”能翻译成consolidation rate吗？英语中表示学生“巩固率”这个意思有三个说法：1. stability rate（稳定率），这是相对于mobility rate（流动率）而言的；2.dropout rate（流失率），指学生中途退学的比率；3.graduation rate（毕业率），指学生一直在该校就读，直到毕业。根据中国的实际情况，作第二种理解更为准确。
问题2：the pupils at primary school显得累赘，可以简化为the primary students。
问题3：the same with存在搭配错误，应改为the same as。另外，这里比较的对象是流失率，不是年份，因此，应改为the same as that of 2002.
因此，译文可以改为：The five-year dropout rate of the primary students was 1.20 percent, basically the same as that of 2002.
5. The enrollment rate of the pupils to junior high school was 97.9 percent, rising 0.88 percentage points.
问题：rise为不及物动词，正式说法为rising by 0.88 percentage points。
6. The number of the teachers and staff members in primary schools decreased slightly and the qualification rate of full-time teachers was on the rise.
问题：the number of后接的名词一般不带定冠词，应改为the number of teachers and staff members。这个问题多次出现。
7. There were 6,256,200 teachers and staff members in primary schools in the country, decreasing 84,000 from previous year.
问题1：previous year属于特指，其前应加定冠词the。
问题2：应把decreasing 84,000改为decreasing by 84,000。
8. The qualification rate of full-time teachers of primary school was 97.85 percent, rising 0.46 percentage points over the previous year.
问题：primary school应改为primary schools。
顺便一提的是，译者似乎意识到了冠词的使用问题，因此这里的previous year前加了定冠词the。这么正式的文体中，为什么不能保持一致呢？
9. With the realization of the target of popularization of nine-year compulsory education and due to the decrease of the children at schooling age, the number of enrollment to junior high schools slightly declined.
问题1：With the realization of the target of popularization of nine-year compulsory education带有很强的中式英语味，完全可以简化为with the successful popularization of nine-year compulsory education。
问题2：“学龄”在英语中有固定表达方式school age。
10. But the number of students at school and students graduated from school increased.
问题：students graduated from school应改为students graduating from school。事实上，这还不是地道的英语表达方式。上述说法完全可以简化为graduates。
11. There were 64,700 junior high schools (including 1,019 vocational junior high schools), decreasing 1,000 from 2002.
问题1：根据英语的替代规则，括号里面的vocational junior high schools应简化为vocational ones。
问题2：与前面一样，decreasing 1,000最好改为decreasing by 1,000。
12. The school conditions of junior high schools and primary schools were further improved.
问题：the school conditions中的school显然多余。
问题1：65.68 junior high schools不符合英语省略习惯，应改为65.68 of junior high schools。
问题2：该句译文中一处使用had their sport fields or gymnasium reached targeted area，另一处又使用had their musical instruments meet the requirements，即have在有的地方后面接动词过去分词，而有的地方又接动词原形，说明译者对have的用法没有把握。事实上，这里从语意上来说，不论使用have + something + v.还是 have + something + v-ed的表达方式都不符合英语表达习惯。
问题3：把“运动场”翻译成sport field似乎不符英语表达习惯，应改为playground或sports venue。
问题4：为什么reached targeted area中不加定冠词，而reached the target中确加冠词？显然译文随意性太强。而且这种动宾搭配似乎也不符合英语习惯。译文中这种随意使用定冠词的情况非常普遍，如在接下来的说明特殊学生“上学”比例的一句中，就有at the school，in the school，at special school，at school几种说法。
问题5：该句中的表达累赘问题也是显而易见的。
全句试改为：50.2 percent of primary schools and 65.68 junior high schools reached the target in terms of the area of playground or gymnasium; 38.66 percent of primary schools and 53.95 percent of junior high schools met the requirements for musical instruments; 36.69 percent of primary schools and 52.43 percent of junior high schools reached the standard in fine art fittings; and 49.8 percent of primary schools and 70.17 percent of junior high schools reached the target in mathematical and experimental instruments.
14. Of the students, blind students at special school for the blind were 38,300; those at special school for the deaf, 109,800; retarded ones at the special school, 216,600.
问题1：blind students at special school for the blind属于表达累赘，后面的for the blind完全多余。
问题2：译文中三次使用at special school，不符合英语表达习惯，根据上下文，全句完全可以简化为Among them, blind, deaf and retarded students numbered 38, 300 and 109, 800 and 216, 600 respectively.
15. There were 15,800 general senior high schools, increasing 400 over 2002; the enrolled students were 7,521,300, rising 754,300 or 11.15 percent; the number of the students at school was 19,648,300, rising 2,810,200 or 16.69 percent; the number of students graduated from senior high school was 4,581,200, increasing 743,600 or 19.38 percent.
问题1： general senior high schools（普通高中）中的general完全多余，另外国人莫名其妙。
问题2：如把the enrolled students were中的were改为totaled，则前后两部分的逻辑关系更加清楚。
问题3：把说明相应比例的or … percent放在括号中，更符合英语表达习惯。
问题4：the number of students graduated from senior high school 完全可以简化为the number of senior high school graduates。
16.
问题1：显然，这句话中的统计数字仅限于中国大陆，用China作主语会造成误解。
问题2：这句中的表达累赘问题也是显而易见的。
全句可以简化为：There were 407 universities and 313 research institutes eligible to provide postgraduate programs on the mainland of China, amounting to 720.
17. Of the number, 48,700 for doctor degrees and 220,200 for master degrees.
问题：这句话没有动词，属于片断句（fragments）错误。可以改为：Of the number, 48,700 candidates were for doctor degrees and 220,200 for master degrees.
18. The number of graduates that completed study and left school was 111,100, rising 30,300 over 2002.
问题：难道还存在没有完成学业的“毕业生”（graduates）?定语从句完全多余。
19. The work of "two basic education plans" (plans for popularizing nine-year compulsory education and eliminating illiteracy among young and middle-aged people) made new progress. 问题1：这句话是典型的中式英语，不符合英语表达习惯，应改为Progress was made in the implementation of the “two basic education plans”.
问题2：“两基”的具体内容前面已经作过介绍，括号里的内容完全可以省略。
20. By the end of 2003, of the 699 counties in ethnic autonomous regions and prefectures (including ethnic autonomous counties and banners), 405 counties have reached the targets of "two basic education plans", accounting for 57.9 percent of the total.
问题1：banners指什么？英语国家的人读了，肯定如坠雾里。由于中国行政划分的复杂性，不宜直译，建议采用较为笼统的说法，如county-level administrative regions。
问题2：全文其他地方在谈到2003年的情况时都使用一般过去时，这里竟然使用现在完成时，与全文不符。而且，按照英语语法规则，by the end of + 过去时间短语作时间状语时，句子应用过去完成时。
试译为：By the end of 2003, 405 county-level administrative regions inhabited by ethnic minorities had achieved the goal of “the two basic education plans", accounting for 57.9 percent of the total of 699.
21. The special policies and measures for the cultivation of ethnic minority talents and supporting development of higher education in ethnic minority group inhabited areas were further improved.
问题1：ethnic minority group inhabited areas存在语法问题，应改为areas inhabited by ethnic minority groups或ethnic-minority-group-inhabited areas。
问题2：这句话的主语the special policies and measures与谓语improved存在搭配问题。
问题3：for the cultivation of ethnic minority talents and supporting development of higher education存在结构不平行问题，可以把the cultivation of改为cultivating。
问题4：全句结构不平衡，头重脚轻。
试译为：Special policies and measures were reinforced for cultivating ethnic minority talents and developing higher education in ethnic-minority-group-inhabited areas.
22. Some remarkable progress was achieved in the support from inner areas to the development of the education in the ethnic minority group inhabited areas and in the education of unity among ethnic groups in primary and secondary schools.
问题1：some remarkable progress was achieved in the support中存在逻辑问题。
问题2：inner areas指“内地”吗？如果是指内地，应改为inland areas。
问题3：the education of unity（关于“团结”的教育）中，应把介词of改为on。
全句试译为：Great support was provided by people from inland areas to the development of the education in ethnic areas, and remarkable progress was made in primary and secondary schools in the education on solidarity among ethnic groups.
23. In May 2003, the Ministry of Education issued the experiment draft of Standard for Ideological and Ethic Education Curricula for full-time compulsory education. Thus, the standard for all ideological and ethic education for compulsory education was fulfilled.
问题1：“试行草案”的英语表达方式不是experiment draft，而是experimental draft。
问题2：前一句说“教育部公布了《思想道德教育纲要》试行草案”，后一句就说“因此，义务教育的思想道德教育标准已经达到”，显然存在逻辑问题。Fulfill一词不当。而且，前后两句表达方式重复。
全句试译为：In May 2003, the Ministry of Education issued the experimental draft of Standard for Ideological and Ethic Education Curriculum for full-time compulsory education.
24. To implement the guideline of the 16th CPC National Congress on ideological and ethnic education among teenagers and the State Council on education for prevention of AIDS and drug, and on environment, the ministry organized experts to formulate the outline for the education on prevention of AIDS among students at middle and primary school and that for the education on prevention of drug, and that for environment.
问题1：如前所述，guideline这个词应该用复数形式，改为guidelines。
问题2：这里的the ministry特指教育部，似乎改为大写the Ministry更好。
问题3：这句话看起来很长，实际上完全是表达累赘造成的，完全可以简化。试比较：To implement the guidelines put forward at the 16th CPC National Congress on ideological and ethnic education among teenagers and by the State Council on prevention of AIDS and drugs as well as on environment protection, the Ministry organized experts to formulate relevant programs.
25. In 2003, China has enlisted 269,697 graduates for Master- and Doctor-degree studies (not including those enlisted into military universities and students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan), increasing 34.46 percent over 2002.
问题1：把“招生”翻译成enlist不恰当，该词的意思是“招兵，征兵”。
问题2：时态与全文不一致。
问题3：译文太拘泥于原文结构，导致表达累赘。
全句试译为：269,697 undergraduates were enrolled for Master and Doctorate programs in 2003, not including those enrolled into military universities or from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, with an increase of 34.46 percent over 2002.
26. In 2003, about 100,000 students registered for the examination for Ph. D. study, rising 20.5 percent. 48,899 were enlisted into Ph. D. programs, rising 29.1 percent over 2002.
问题1：register for the examination for Ph.D. study是中式英语，不妨改为entered for the entrance examination for Ph. D. programs。
问题2：enlisted into Ph.D. programs存在语法搭配问题，而且enlist也用词不当。
问题3：全句表达累赘显而易见。
全句试译为：In 2003, about 100,000 students entered for the entrance examination for doctorate programs, rising by 20.5 percent. Of them, 48,899 were admitted, rising by 29.1 percent over 2002.
27. In 2003, 2,153 students from Hong Kong and Macao SAR and
问题1：Hongkong and Macao SAR是两个独立的特别行政区，因此应使用复数形式，即把SAR改为SARs。
问题2：applied for改为 entered for更为恰当。
全句试译为：2,153 students from Hong Kong and Macao SARs as well as Taiwan Province entered for the entrance examination postgraduate programs on the mainland, rising by 17.8 percent over 2002.
28. Of the 527,400 students studying or studied abroad, 356,600 are continuing their study abroad, or engaging in cooperative research and academic visiting programs (with 36.45 percent in America, 28.06 percent in Europe, 22.01 percent in Asia, 12.89 percent in Oceania, 0.59 percent in Africa).
问题1：从英语语法角度来说，students studying or studied abroad应改为students studying or having studied abroad。
问题2：“学术交流项目”的英语表达应为academic exchange programs，而不是academic visiting programs。
问题3：按照英语习惯，最后一个列举项目0.59 percent in Africa前应加and。
全句试译为：Of the 527,400 students studying or having studied abroad, 356,600 are continuing their further education there, or engaging in cooperative research and academic exchange programs. Of them, 36.45 percent were in
29. From 1978 to 2003, the total number of Chinese students studying abroad reached 700,200 while the number of returned ones was 172,800.
问题：应把the number of returned ones改为the number of students who returned或the number of returnees，否则让人误解为这些学生是“被强制回国的”。
30. In 2003, the central government increased investment in vocational education and they have invested 750 million yuan into the education.
问题1：这句话存在时态不一致问题，应将have invested改为invested。
问题2：译者显然还没有达到使用英语复杂结构的能力，全句完全可以简化为：In 2003, the central government increased investment in vocational education, totaling 750 million yuan.
31. There were 11.82 million students at school, basically the same with the previous year.
问题：同前，这里存在介词搭配错误，应把the same with改为the same as。
32. By 2007, all rural students in poverty, whose total family income is below 625 yuan ($75.5) annually, at compulsory education age (between seven to 16) are eligible for exemption from tuition and textbook fees. Poor boarding students are offered a living allowance.
问题1：这句话谈的是未来的目标，句子应用将来时态，应将are eligible改为will be eligible，将are offered改为will be offered。
问题2：between seven to 16中，一个数字用英语表示，另一个数字却用阿拉伯数字，显然不规范。
问题3：“寄宿生”有个专门词语boarder。
问题4：这句中前半部分的结构安排还有待于改进。
试比较：By 2007, all rural students from poor families with an annual total income of less than 625 yuan ($75.5) but at compulsory education age (ranging from 7 to 16) will be eligible for exemption from tuition and textbook fees. Besides, such boarders will be offered a living allowance.
33. The goal of the system is to allow no student to drop from school due to inability to pay the costs.
问题：这句完全是死译，不符合英语表达习惯，可以改为the goal of the system is to ensure that no student drops from school for financial reasons.
34. National funding for education in rural areas reached 99 billion yuan ($11.96 billion), increasing 1.3 times in five years time.
问题1：在本段其他句子都用现在完成时的情况下，该句突然改用一般过去时，似乎没有道理。
问题2：in five years time中的time完全多余，应去掉。
35. The average funds for primary and middle schools in rural areas are much lower than that of the national average.
问题：应去掉that of。
36. Even in areas that have installed compulsory education, there are sharp differences between rural and urban education, especially in terms of access to technology.
问题1：areas that have installed显然是中式英语思维模式，应改为areas where compulsory education has been installed.
问题2：install一词不恰当，应改为enforce。
全句试译为：Even in areas where compulsory education is enforced, there are sharp differences between the countryside and the city, especially in terms of access to technology.
37. To pay teaching staffs and administer facilities, rural schools short of funds are compelled to collect money from students.
问题：从结构和语意思上考虑，administer facilities（管理设施）似乎应改为 facility maintenance。
38. Lack of funds also leads to lack of teachers in rural areas.
问题：英语忌讳重复，尤其在同一句中，不应两次或多次使用同一词语，因此第二个lack of改为shortage of为佳。
39. Because of poverty, lots of teachers have tried to transfer to other places and some have quit their schools and changed to other jobs since the school is short of staff, many teachers have to teach several subjects, like Chinese, mathematics, music and physical education.
问题：这是一个run-on sentence，即把两个独立句连在一起，中间没有任何标点符号或连接词，表达混乱。应在jobs后面加句号，since第一个字母改为大写，另起一句。
40. As of 2004, the fund fee for textbooks will increase from 200 million yuan ($24.15 million) in 2003 to 400 million yuan ($48.31 million) every year.
问题：the fund fee应改为the funded fees或the fees funded by the government。
41. As
问题1：also应移置can之后。
问题2：从句使用主动语态更恰当。
问题3：rural western region存在顺序排列不当问题。
全句试译为：As the poor population concentrates in China's western rural region, the difficulty in rural education will also exist there.
42. Urban school teachers have it vastly better than their rural counterparts in western
问题1：it指什么？莫名其妙。
问题2：have it vastly better不符合英语语法。
全句试译为：Urban school teachers get much better pay than their rural counterparts in western China.
43. The Ministry of Education takes information technology as the key to improve the education in the west.
问题：the key to后接名词短语，因此应把the key to improve the education in the west改为the key to the improvement of education in the west。
44. A total of 10,000 experimental schools were set up in western areas already.
问题：根据上下文及英语语法，这句的时态应改为现在完成时，即把were set up in western areas already改为have already been set up in western areas。
45. With the joint efforts of educational and financial departments, the program went on smoothly and achieved major progress.
问题：这句存在语态使用不当问题，应把achieved major progress改为major progress was achieved。
46. The development of the program: First, the funds for the program is well arranged.
问题1：The development of the program是片断句，应改为完整句。
问题2：the funds是复数，谓语动词is应改为are.
问题3：这句话描述2003年项目发展情况，应使用一般过去时，以便与下文保持一致。因此，is应改为were。
47. By September 2003, 4.6 billion yuan was allocated to the program, accounting for 97.9 percent of the planned funds for the program, including 30 billion yuan from the central level and 1.6 billion yuan from localities.
问题1：这里出现数字拼写错误，应将30 billion yuan改为3 billion yuan。
问题2：localities的意思是“位置，地点”。而这里的意思是“地方当局”，因此应改为local governments。
问题3：表达累赘。
全句试译为：By September 2003, 4.6 billion yuan was allocated to the program, accounting for 97.9 percent of the planned funds, with 3 billion yuan from the central government and 1.6 billion yuan from local authorities.
48. Second, the implementation of the program achieved remarkable progress.
问题：这句话存在语态错误，应改为被动语态Second, remarkable progress was made in the implementation of the program.
由于译文缺乏变化，在不同的地方表达相同意思时都使用同一句型，所以上述错误重复出现，限于篇幅，没有一一列举。读完译文，笔者的总的感觉是，译者太拘泥于原文的结构和措辞，以至于出现许多死译、硬译的情况，中式英语现象严重；英语语法问题不少；句式单调，不符合英语注重变化的特点；没有从篇章的角度进行处理，结果出现大量表达累赘的情况，句与句之间的衔接也不够。当然，由于没有中文本对照，笔者提出的一些修改意见只是在原文基础上提出来的，不一定是最佳的。
――本文摘自黄卫峰教授出版的《英语语言文化散论》（国防科技大学出版社）