自隋朝起,封建政府開始從科舉考試(imperial examination)合格的者中選拔官員。參加科舉考試的人有兩種:一種由學館選送的學生構(gòu)成,叫做生徒 (shengtu);另一種叫做鄉(xiāng)貢(xianggong),由縣試合格者構(gòu)成。唐朝的科舉考試一般由禮部(Ministry of Rites)主持。考生考取后,再經(jīng)吏部(Ministry ofPersonnel)復試,根據(jù)成績授予相應(yīng)的官職。科舉制度一直被多朝沿用,直到中國最后一個封建王朝—清朝。然而,明清時期,科舉制度演變成嚴格、呆板的制度,阻礙了中國考試制度的現(xiàn)代化和科學化發(fā)展。

參考翻譯：

Since the Sui Dynasty,the feudal government started to select officials from the qualifiedcandidates in the imperial examinations.There were two kinds of people taking theimperial examination.One was comprised of students chosen by academies,who werecalled shengtu;the other kind,called xianggong,was made up of those who had passedthe examinations held by counties.The imperial examination in the Tang Dynasty wasusually held by the Ministry of Rites.Those who passed the examination would be re-examined by the Ministry of Personnel and be conferred with relevant official positionsaccording to their examination results.The imperial examination system was usedthroughout many dynasties until China's last imperial dynasty,the Qing Dynasty.However,during the Ming and Qing Dynasties,the imperial examination system became a strict andrigid institution which stopped China from adopting modern and scientific methods.

翻譯詳解：

1.選拔官員:可譯為select officials。

2.學館:即古代的學校,此處的“學校”可以推薦當官,可見譯為school不合適, 能夠推薦當官的應(yīng)該是高等學府,故譯為academy。

3.由…構(gòu)成:可用詞組be comprised of來表達,還可以用詞組consist of,be made up of。

4.生徒:中國古代特有名詞,英語中沒有對應(yīng)的詞,故可用漢語拼音譯為shengtu。后面的“鄉(xiāng)貢”也同理,譯為xianggong。

5.縣試:即由縣里組織的考試,故可譯為examinations held by counties。

6.復試:可以用re-examine表達。

7.呆板的:可譯為rigid。

8.阻礙了中國考試制度的現(xiàn)代化和科學化發(fā)展:可理解為“阻礙了中國采用現(xiàn)代化和科學的方法”,故可譯為定語從句which stopped China from adopting modern and scientific methods。