外贸信件中较为常见的英语翻译错误

在一些由中文翻译的英语样本、合同、广告和其他文件材料中常见一些翻译错误，现仅举几个出现频率较高的例子，试作分析。 1. 由港澳国际投资公司投资的海口电站工程因其建设速度和质量得到高度评价。 原译文：the haikou power station project invested by the hongkong-macau international investment co., ltd. was highly appraised for its construction speed and quality. 注：投资某项工程应为invest in a project，在被动语态中不能漏去前置词in。应译为：the haikou power station project invested in（在某些情况下可用financed or funded） by the hongkong-macau international investment co., ltd. was highly appraised for its construction speed and quality. 2. 上海sfeco拥有5个控股子公司。 原译文：shanghai sfeco group has 5 share-holding companies. 注：share-holding company指控制或持有某公司股权的股东公司。上述译文意思是5个公司持有shanghai sfeco group的股份，换句话说，这5个公司是“老子”公司，因此显然不符合中文原意。应译为：shanghai sfeco group is a holding company of 5 subsidiary companies.或shanghai sfeco group holds shares of 5 subsidiary companies. 3. 中国民生银行有限公司。 原译文：china minsheng banking corporation, ltd. 注：corporation本身即为有限公司，相当于limited company，英译中无需再加“ltd”。应译为：china minsheng banking corporation 4. 项目中标之后，我们将立即始前期准备工作。 原译文：after the bid is awarded, we shall immediately start our advance-phase preparation. 注：项目中标应为accept a bid or award the contract。显然上述译文把两种表达法相混淆了。应译为：after the bid is accepted （or the contract is awarded）， we shall immediately start our advance-phase preparation. 5. 欢迎您参观我们交易会。 原译文：welcome you to visit our fair! 注：译文中welcome是动词，因此此句是祈使句形式，省略的主语为第二人称你（你们），而不是中文所含的我（我们）之意。应译为：we welcome you to visit our trade fair!更简洁而地道的译法是：welcome to our trade fair! 6. 我公司出口工业产品、化工产品、医药等。 原译文：our company exports industrial products, chemicals, medicines and etc. 注：etc.等于and so on或and others，已含有and的成分，上述译文无需加上and一词。应译为：our company exports industrial products, chemicals, medicines, etc. 7. 我们将委托贵公司作为我公司在毛里求斯的业务。 原译文：we hereby entrust your company to be our business agent in mauritius. 注：entrust一词在作委托解时用法为entrust somebody with something or entrust something to somebody。应译为：we hereby appoint your company to be our business agent in mauritius. 8. 本合同签订之后，签约双方中任何一方不得将合同内容泄露给第三方。 原译文：any of the two parties can not divulge the contents of the contract to a third party after the conclusion of the contract. 注：双方中任何一方为either of the two parties，三方（或三方以上）中任何一方才用any of the parties，因本句为否定句，应译为：neither of the two parties can divulge the contents of the contract to a third party after the conclusion of the contract.