中国位于亚洲东部、太平洋的西岸，总面积约960万平方公里，是世界第三大国家。中国南北相距约5500公里，东西相距约5200公里，在地图上的形状像一只雄鸡(rooster)。中国地势(terrain)西高东低，地形多种多样，包括山地、高原(plateau)、丘陵(foothill)、盆地、平原。中国山地面积广大，几乎占陆地面积的三分之二，蕴藏着丰富的矿产资源。中国大陆海岸线长达18000公里，沿海岛屿数量众多，台湾岛是最大岛屿。中国有许多河流湖泊，是中国地理环境的重要组成部分。

　　参考翻译:

　　Situated in eastern Asia, on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean, China is the world's third largest country with a total area of 9.6 million square kilometers. Extending about 5,500 kilometers from north to south and 5,200 kilometers from west to east, the shape of China on the map is like a rooster. Its terrain is higher in the west and lower in the east with great varieties, including mountains, plateaus, foothills, basins and plains. China's mountainous areas, broad and vast, occupy nearly two-thirds of the land area and have abundant mineral resources. Mainland China has a coastline of 18,000 kilometers and a large number of offshore islands, with Taiwan Island the biggest one. There are numerous rivers and lakes in China, which make up an important part of China's geographical environment.

　　1.第一句话中有三个短句，首先将“中国是世界第三大国家”确定为英文句的主干;“位于…译成situated in...，用过去分词短语作状语，置于句首;“总面积约960万平方公里”可处理为with引导的介宾结构，紧跟在“世界第三大国家(theworld's third largest country)”之后。

　　2.第二句较长，同样先确定“中国的形状像一只雄鸡”为句子主干，再将“中国南北相距约5500公里”和“东西相距约5200公里”处理为现在分词短语作状语，即extending about...from north to south and...from west to east。

　　3.“地形多种多样”，可采用with引导的介宾短语来表达，译成with great varieties，补充说明句子主语terrain 的特点。

　　4.第四句“中国山地…”中的“山地面积广大”可处理成插人语broad and vast，而“几乎占陆地面积…”和“蕴藏着…”则译成句子主干的两个并列谓语occupy nearly...and have abundant...。