桂林是中国著名的风景旅游城市。它位于广西东北部，面积有2.78万平方公里，人口500万。拥有2000多年历史的桂林还是一个历史文化名城。自北宋(the Northern Song Dynasty)以来，桂林就已成为广西的政治、 经济及文化中心。桂林山水以山青、水秀、洞奇、石美闻名天下;桂林的交通、通讯和住宿都非常便利发达。因此每年有成千上万的国内外游客来到桂林旅游。

　　表达难点

　　1.第2句“它位于......，面积有......，人口......”有3个分句，如果逐字对译为It is located in..., the area is...，and the population is...则译文拖沓繁冗。宜将“它位于......”处理为过去分词短语，作地点状语，“面积有......”处理为主干，“人口......”处理为介词短语，表伴随状态，整句译作Located in..., Guilin covers an area of... with a population of...。

　　2.第3句中“桂林”的定语“拥有2000多年历史的”较长，可考虑将其处理成定语从句，整句译为Guilin which has a history of..., is also a...，但翻译出来的句子稍显头重脚轻。故将定语转换为状语，用介词短语译出，表达为 Guilin is a... city with a history of...。

　　3.翻译第5句的“桂林山水以山青、水秀、洞奇、石美闻名天下”时，此处的“桂林山水”是指“桂林风景”，故翻译为Guilin scenery，而翻译整个句子时，可先译出主干“桂林山水闻名天下”Guilin scenery is famous,再用介词短语译出原因状语“以山青......”，译为 for its green mountains, clear water, magic holes and beautiful stones。

　　4.最后一句的“有成千上万的国内外游客来到桂林”如译为There are thousands of tourists from home and abroad come to Guilin，则因为(there) are和come to两个动词都能作谓语而译文错误，故应省略 “有”的动作不译而整句译为 Thousands of tourists from home and abroad are attracted to...，此处“来到”译为are attracted to...比come to译得更精准、更体现出桂林的魅力。

　　参考译文

　　Guilin is China's well-known tourist scenic city. Located in the northeast of Guangxi, Guilin covers an area of 27,800 square kilometers with a population of 5 million. Guilin is also a famous historic and cultural city with a history of over 2,000 years. Guilin has been the center of politics, economy and culture of Guangxi since the Northern Song Dynasty. Guilin scenery is famous for its green mountains, clear water, magic holes and beautiful stones. The transportation, communication, and accommodation in Guilin are convenient and well-developed. Therefore, thousands of tourists from home and abroad are attracted to travel here every year.