1.第1句“面江古城位于……,是……的地方”可用并列结构译为the ancient town of Lijiang is located in... and is home to...,但这样处理稍显生硬,不如将前半句处理成地点状语,用过去分词短语located in...来表达,主句为the ancient town of Lijiang is home to...,译文主次分明、结构紧凑。
2.第2句中有3个动词“建于”、“距今有”和“得以保存”,可按原文结构译出:it was built in... and has a history of.., and its original look has been kept intact。但仔细分析可发现,第1、2分句关系较紧密,可以用介词in将这两个分句连接起来,译作It was built 800 years ago in the Song Dynasty。第3个分句用并列结构and its original look...来表达。
3.第4句中的“中国历史文化名城中”是地点状语,翻译“在……中唯一……”这种句式时,一般会把状语“在 ……中”放于句首,表达为Among..., it is the only...。定语“没有城墙的”后置,可用定语从句which has no walls来表达,亦可用介词短语without walls来表达,但都不如译文中增译built—词好,增译built更能确切地表达“建城时就没有城墙”的意义。
4.在翻译倒数第2句中的纳西、白、藏、汉四个民族”时,先译出其总括词four nationalities,再用namely 或i.e.引出具体内容。