翻译题目
在中国，风筝具有独特的艺术价值。风筝首先出现在春秋时代(the Spring and Autumn Period)的战争中。随着时代的发展，现在风筝已成为一项世界性的体育和休闲活动。风筝的主要材料为竹子和纸，并加以各种绘画来装饰。风筝具有各种形状，如昆虫、金鱼(goldfish)和云彩等，大的可达数百平方米，最小的甚至可以放在信封里。这些富有魅力的风筝反映了手工艺人(craftsman)的高超技艺。
表达难点
1.第2、3句都是论述风筝的发展，语义顺承，故考虑将其合译为一句，而重点放在现在的状况，所以把后一句处理成主句，前一句用过去分词短语引出，表达为first appeared…，now…it has become…。
2.第4句宁的两个分句“风筝的主要材料为竹子和纸”及“并加以各种绘画来装饰”的逻辑主语不同，分别是 “材料”和“风筝”，若按原文字面来译，需译成两个句子，较繁琐，故考虑将两个分句的主语统一为“风筝”，承前用 it 指代风筝，译为 it is mainly made of…and decorated with…，表达清晰顺畅。
3.倒数第2句中的“风筝具有各种形状”可处理为with引导的伴随状语With different shapes such as…。最后两个分句语义上表对比，可译成while引导的并列句。“大的可达数百平方米”可译成a large kite can measure hundreds of square meters 或 a large kite can be as large as hundreds of square meters.
4.最后一句中的“富有魅力的”，不少人首先想到的词是charming，这里也可以译为attractive.“手工艺人的高超技艺”中的中心词是“技艺手工艺人的”可处理成后置定语of the craftsmen.
参考译文
The kite is considered to have unique artistic value in China. First appeared in the wars of the Spring and Autumn Period, now with the development of times, it has become a worldwide sport and leisure activity. It is mainly made of bamboo and paper and decorated with various kinds of paintings. With different shapes such as insects, goldfish and cloud, a large kite can measure hundreds of square metere while the smallest can even be put into an envelope. These attractive kites show the superb skills of the craftsmen.
