Search from various English teachers...
China flagTakara Yukari
Prose Translation: 1, Country's Hardship and the Well-Developed People,艰难的国运与雄健的国民,李大钊,写于1923年 The pavement of history is not flat, and sometimes there would be extreme hardships. Which only with well-developed spirits we could go through. 历史的道路,不全是平坦的,有时走到艰难险阻的境界,这是全靠雄健的精神才能够冲过去的。 A great river has chance to encounter with wideness. Where is huge plain and the river will goes on the way to far away. Sometimes with narrowness there would be hills and high cliffs on the sides, and the river's run is curved, bend and dangerous. The process and the experience of a nation's improvement are also like this. 一条浩浩荡荡的长江大河,有时流到很宽阔的境界,平原无际,一泻万里。有时流到很逼狭的境界,两岸丛山叠岭,绝壁断崖,江河流于其间,回环曲折,极其险峻。民族生命的进程,其经历亦复如是。 The life of humankind in the history is like traveling. The people would go through kinds of places, sometimes flat plains, and sometimes rugged hills. For those who want a wonderful travel, would be happy at pleasant places, and be more interested at hard ways. They thought beauty of adventure lies in that hardships. 人类在历史上的生活正如旅行一样。旅途上的征人所经过的地方,有时是坦荡平原,有时是崎岖险路。志于旅途的人,走到平坦的地方,因是高高兴兴地向前走,走到崎岖的境界,愈是奇趣横生,觉得在此奇绝壮绝的境界,愈能感到一种冒险的美趣。 The Chinese nation is in the middle of the time river with hardships. Extreme beauty lies there and the passers-by would find it magnificent. But the magnificence is only for people with well developed spirits. Otherwise one would see it lamentable. 中华民族现在所逢的史路,是一段崎岖险阻的道路。在这一段道路上,实在亦有一种奇绝壮绝的景致,使我们经过这段道路的人,感到一种壮美的趣味。但这种壮美的趣味,没有雄健的精神是不能够感觉到的。 Our Yangtze River and Yellow River represent our nation's spirit that they would go through deserts, hills, cliffs or whatever terrains ahead, because the two rivers contains so many things and so much water which push them unstoppably forward. The conditions now, with hardships, cannot stop our nation's steps. We should show the well developed spirits, sing marches, and walk firmly forward in the songs. It would be a favor to build a country in such hardships... 我们的扬子江、黄河,可以代表我们的民族的精神,扬子江及黄河遇见沙漠、遇见山峡都是浩浩荡荡地往前流过去,以成其浊流滚滚、一泻万里的魄势。目前艰难境界,哪能阻抑我们民族生命的前进?我们应该拿出雄健的精神,高唱着进行的曲调,在这悲壮歌声中,走过这崎岖险阻的道路。要知在艰难的国运中建造国家,亦是人生最有趣味的事……

Corrections · 3

0
Just some additional comments: "The course of history never runs smooth". Here the "course" is compared to the flow of a river. So I would translate into Chinese as 历史河流非顺畅. If the original is Chinese, 历史的道路, 不全是平坦的then I would translate into English as, "The road of History never runs smooth in its entire course" This is because of the words, 不全. "pavement" definitely is wrong choice word.
0
一条浩浩荡荡的长江大河,有时流到很宽阔的境界,平原无际,一泻万里。 ”A mighty long river sometimes flows through a broad section with plains lying boundless on either side, its waters rolling on non-stop for thousands upon thousands of miles.“ ”有mighty,section,一泻万里。“有时流到很逼狭的境界,两岸丛山迭岭,绝壁断崖,江河流于期间,回环曲折,极其险峻。民族生命的进展,其经历亦复如是。 ”Sometimes it comes up against a narrow section flanked by high mountains and steep cliffs, winding through a course with many a perilous twist and turn. A nation, in the course of its development, fares likewise.“ “有come up against,flank,wind through,fare。” 这几个词都不复杂,但是含义准确到位,一泻万里的表达也不是成语,熟词生义部分了解不够。
0
In ZHANG Peiji's version, the title is "National Crisis vs Heroic Nation". There are more "difficult" and specific words in his version, and I could only use some very basic words once and once again. For the 1st paragraph, he translates it as this: 历史的道路,不全是平坦的,有时走到艰难险阻的境界,这是全靠雄健的精神才能够冲过去的。 “The course of history is never smooth. It is sometimes beset with difficulties and obstacles and nothing short of a heroic spirit can help surmount them.” I didn't know the usage of "course" in this way, referring the flow of rivers. And "smooth". Also basic ones and I, or we, would forget many of them in writing and only one left in each aspect, or zero. I must have learned "obstacles" during high school, but, sigh. "Heroic", good, new word.

Want to progress faster?

Join this learning community and try out free exercises!

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to learn a language from the comfort of your own home. Browse our selection of experienced language tutors and enroll in your first lesson now!

Start Learning Today