Working languages: English to ChineseJapanese to ChineseGerman to Chinese
| Flora Zhou
Quality Work, Quality People
Shanghai, Shanghai Local time: 03:48 CST (GMT+8)
Native in: Chinese  , English | | Willingness to Work Again  |  No feedback collected |
| | |
|
| Freelancer and outsourcer | | Blue Board: Rappo Translation | | Translation, Interpreting, Website localization, Software localization, Desktop publishing, Vendor management | | Specializes in: | | Chemistry; Chem Sci/Eng | Computers: Software | | Computers: Systems, Networks | Engineering: Industrial | | Furniture / Household Appliances | Law: Patents, Trademarks, Copyright | | Medical: Health Care | Printing & Publishing | | Automation & Robotics |
| Also works in: | | Computers: Hardware | Tourism & Travel | | Social Science, Sociology, Ethics, etc. | Physics | | Paper / Paper Manufacturing | Medical: Pharmaceuticals | | Materials (Plastics, Ceramics, etc.) | Internet, e-Commerce | | Insurance | IT (Information Technology) | | Human Resources | History | | Games / Video Games / Gaming / Casino | Environment & Ecology | | Energy / Power Generation | Economics | | Manufacturing |
More Less | English to Chinese - Standard rate: 0.10 USD per word / 50 USD per hour
| Sample translations submitted: 2 | English to Chinese: F1-Toy | Source text - English
CITY BREAKER
The new Toyota Yaris is an urban dweller that also loves the long haul, as we found on our Euro tour
WORDS: PAUL FEARNLEY PHOTOGRAPHY: MARC WRIGHT
Lying at the hub of Germany¡¯s Rhine-Ruhr industrial region, Cologne boasts a welter of modern architecture. One of its newest headline buildings is the Arena, an impressive glass-and-steel 18,000-seater stadium completed in 1998.
It looks a picture (aka a photograph) lit up at night for an ice hockey match. Its car park is jam-packed though, and we have to wait until after the game is over to access exactly the right bay for ¡®framing¡¯ purposes. At this point we set to: lights are positioned to pick out our Satin Silver all-new Toyota Yaris; a Polaroid is taken to assess composition and light levels; film is installed in the back of the camera, and then... the stadium is plunged into darkness. The lights have been turned off, including the keynote 76-metre ¡®bow¡¯ that arches over its roof. All is black, except the air around us, which is blue, blue, blue. Fortunately, we still have three more days ¨C and three more countries ¨C remaining.
We pack up the kit into our Yaris ¨C a 1.4-litre D-4D diesel version ¨C and get ready to move on with our inter-city express mission. Earlier, we picked it up from Panasonic Toyota Racing¡¯s headquarters in the outskirts of Cologne. This evolution of Toyota¡¯s petite star is distinguished by its ergonomic, spacious layout: perfectly small for navigating cities, big enough to cover long distances in comfort.
So we set out for a slice of living proof, by going from the F1 factory to the pre-season event which will feature the TF106 challenger in Valenciennes, northern France, at Toyota¡¯s state-of-the-art Yaris factory. OK, it¡¯s only three hours¡¯ drive straight, but our task is to take three days, and on the way discover the sights and sounds of some of northern Europe¡¯s most popular destination cities. Let the Yaris revel in the urban environment, and then ¡®break out¡¯ into the countryside to reach the next city. And take pictures of the lot, except the Cologne Arena...
So, the Yaris is soon whipping down the A4 autobahn in the next morning¡¯s rush, past Herr Schumacher¡¯s kart track at Kerpen, occasionally surprising the headlights-ablaze, pretend Schumachers that abound. The 40 miles to Germany¡¯s westernmost city go quickly.
Aachen was guaranteed fame and fortune once Charlemagne had selected it as his retreat in 768 AD. When this human dynamo ¨C King of the Franks, King of the Lombards, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire ¨C wasn¡¯t putting down a revolt in Aquitaine, crossing the Alps to conquer Lombardy, slugging it out with the Saxons (18 battles in 30 years!), campaigning for Christianity in Moorish Spain or fending off the Slavic hordes, he was introducing administrative reforms and encouraging scholarship and literature.It was on his rare days off that he enjoyed relaxing in the hot sulphur springs of Aachen, his trusty sword Joyeuse no doubt wedged against the bathhouse¡¯s door. He liked the place so much that he built a palace, the chapel of which morphed into the cathedral. Consecrated in 805, it¡¯s the oldest in northern Europe, and hosted coronations of Holy Roman Emperors between 936 and 1531.
The current building is the result of more than a millennium¡¯s worth of extensions: the amazing, lofty and light Gothic choir hall ¨C known locally as the ¡®glass house¡¯ ¨C and its attendant ring of chapels was consecrated in 1414; the Baroque dome high above the original chapel was completed in 1669; and the 74-metre western tower-with-spire was topped-out in 1884. It makes for a terrific photo opportunity.
Despite being at the axis of the bustling old town, we happen across a large but empty square just to the north, park up (possibly illegally) and do our thing. Naturally, a bright orange truck manoeuvres into shot at precisely the wrong moment but, with a slight adjustment, we complete our task ¨C just as it starts to rain.
Splashing further west towards Brussels, over that washboard surface Belgian autoroutes seem to have claimed for themselves, loaded down with kit ¨C photographers do not travel light ¨C and under a steel grey sky, is not my idea of unabashed fun. But again the Yaris does its best to raise our spirits. It drives ¡®bigger¡¯ than its size, feels securely planted, stops with surefooted accuracy and surrounds you with airbags and various other safety features. Its stereo isn¡¯t too dusty either. We crank it up and roll into Belgium¡¯s capital on the humongous wave of riffs that is Led Zep II.
During my three previous visits, admittedly hurried ones, I hadn¡¯t been impressed by Brussels. But my attitude softens when I stumble across Grand Place. Quite how this chocolate box confection of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque one-upmanship had eluded me is staggering. This rectangular square, formed by the town hall, the King¡¯s House and various guildhalls, is breathtaking.
We, however, had already shot our Brussels photographic bolt at the Atomium. Designed by architect Alexandre Waterkeyn and built in Heysel Park for Expo ¡¯58, this mind-boggling structure was supposed to only last six months. However, the locals fell in love with it, deemed it a symbol of their modernity and insisted that it remain.
It¡¯s just undergone a complete refurbishment, and its nine 18-metre-diameter spheres have had their faded aluminium cladding replaced by shiny stainless steel. More than ever, it resembles a game of wildly distorted boules. It¡¯s actually meant to symbolise the unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. And, no, that doesn¡¯t make much sense either. It probably contravenes numerous EU directives too, but as any cold and hungry photographer about to put another one ¡®in the can¡¯ will tell you, that only adds to the joy of the place.
But even the Atomium is not as photogenic as Bruges. This ¡®Venice of the North¡¯ went into decline when its access to the sea silted up during the 16th century, causing it to cede local trading supremacy to Antwerp. The upshot is that Bruges has remained a picture-postcard-perfect medieval walled city, complete with canals and cobbles. Less romantic than Venice, less knowing than Amsterdam, it strikes a delightful ¡®blue collar¡¯ balance between the two. If you haven¡¯t been to Bruges, go.
But be warned: it¡¯s the most frustraating (sic) place you¡¯ll ever drive around. After crossing most of its 80 bridges at least twice, we eventually find one with all the right attributes. The warren of one-way streets, however, defeats us during our search for the hotel. We set off on foot, and on arrival ask the receptionist how to get the Yaris to the hotel car park. His initial two marks on the map are encouragingly adjacent; his eventual route linking the two in pink highlighter is laughably complex.
If the evening is to be saved by a curry (I heartily recommend Bhavani on Simon Stevinplein) and several excellent local brews, more shoe leather will have to be expended. We decide to drop the Yaris at a ¡®closer¡¯ public car park ¨C we locate it on our second circuit ¨C and lug our bags through the Markt, the square at the city¡¯s core.
It¡¯s still dark when we set off the next morning for Holland, an hour¡¯s drive north. Zeeland is the only part of that country south of the gaping Westerschelde estuary. It was a contested area from 1299 until the defeat of Napoleon in 1815 and the creation of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. To glance at the map is to place it firmly in Belgium, but today nobody is kicking up a fuss that it¡¯s not. I don¡¯t blame them. Apparently, the resort of Cadzand-Bad is a mecca for sun- and surf-worshippers that more than quadruples its population at the height of the summer. In the depths of winter it¡¯s dull, dank and desolate. Leaden skies meld seamlessly with the leaden sea, a scene that¡¯s leavened only by the fluorescent orange bills of noisy nearby oystercatchers. We¡¯re on a beach, but I don¡¯t have to pretend when the snapper asks me to stick my hands in pockets and hunch my shoulders against the chill.
Back aboard the Yaris, neat rotary heater and blower switches turned to the max, we set off for France. It¡¯s true that traversing Belgium hardly ranks as the most arduous of cross-country drives ¨C and being flat and featureless, nor is it the most pleasing to the eye.
It¡¯s long enough, however, to further (mentally) warm to the Yaris. This supermini is definitely inter-city as well as intra-, and as we veer left into France I¡¯m happy to up the pace over some give-and-take roads: we¡¯re running out of time and light. Our last task had sounded easy: find a typical caf¨¦ tabac, drink a coffee, read a newspaper, take a photograph. As we hare around Nord-Pas de Calais, we happen across plenty, but there¡¯s always reason to think that a prettier one is just around the corner. It never is. It would have been easier to find a French-made Gauloise. This workmanlike area of northeast France doesn¡¯t do pretty-pretty.
Instead, we settle for a final sprint into Lille, where another one-way wrestle during an unfamiliar rush hour allows the Yaris to reconfirm its bob-and-weave credentials. I like it. Lille, too, proves far more arresting than I had been prepared for. We find the perfect blend of 19th century poise and 21st century noise in the main square, Place du General de Gaulle, and set up our final photo shoot with the Yaris under a statue of the goddess D¨¦esse, illuminated by a whirring ferris wheel.
Next morning, we make the short 40-minute blast to the huge Yaris factory on the outskirts at Valenciennes. Our new friend is home, back where it was made. Before it¡¯s F1 glitz time, we gaze at a huge, 500-metre-squared mass of parked Yaris cars. With these, you could ¡®weekend break¡¯ to every major city in the world.
| Translation - Chinese
城市快船
在环游西欧的旅行中，我们发现新款丰田Yaris车非常适合那些喜爱长途驾驶的城市居民
撰文：PAUL FEARNLEY 摄影:MARC WRIGHT
科隆位于德国莱茵-鲁尔工业区的中心，拥有众多的现代建筑。其中最新的标志性建筑之一就是“竞技场”，这是一座能够容纳18000人的、规模宏大的玻璃-钢结构体育场，于1998年竣工。
在晚上举行冰球比赛时，灯光照耀下的体育场呈现出一幅美丽的画面。不过，这里的停车场十分拥挤，我们不得不等到比赛结束后，才能进入恰当的位置进行“取景”。在这个地点，我们开始工作：调整灯光来照亮缎银色的全新丰田Yaris车；拍摄一张宝丽来照片，对构图和照明度进行分析；把胶卷装进照相机，然后...体育场变成一片黑暗。所有灯光都被关闭了，包括矗立在体育场屋顶上方、长达76米的“拱桥”。四周一片漆黑，只有我们周围的空气呈现出忧郁的蓝色。幸运的是，我们还剩下足足三天，并且还要前往三个不同的国家。
我们把装备塞进Yaris（这是一款1.4升D-4D柴油车型），准备继续我们在各个城市之间的高速旅程。之前，我们从位于科隆市郊的松下•丰田车队总部接收了这辆车。这款丰田袖珍轿车以其宽敞的工效学布局而独具特色：它的小巧身材非常适合市区行驶，同时又有足够的空间，能够舒适地完成长途旅行。
为了证明这些特点，我们从F1工厂出发，准备前往位于法国北部瓦朗谢讷的现代化丰田Yaris工厂，那里将要举行包括TF106挑战者在内的F1赛前活动。虽然直线车程只有三个小时，我们的任务却会持续三天，并一路观赏欧洲北部诸多著名城市的风光。我们会让Yaris在市区纵情行驶，然后“冲入”乡村，开向下一座城市。同时沿途拍摄大量照片，当然科隆的竞技场除外...
第二天早上的高峰时间，Yaris驶上了A4高速公路，经过位于卡平的舒马赫卡丁赛车场。我们不时亮起前灯高速行驶，好象舒马赫就在车上。通往德国最西面城市的40英里路程很快就过去了。
亚琛的声名和财富源远流长，公元768年，查理大帝就选择这里作为他的疗养地。这位精力充沛的人物身兼法兰克国王、伦巴第国王和神圣罗马帝国皇帝，除了平息阿基坦的反叛、翻越阿尔卑斯山去征服伦巴第、打击撒克逊人（30年间共发生18场大战！）、在摩尔人统治下的西班牙进行圣战、或是防御斯拉夫大军的进攻以外，他还进行了王国的行政改革，并鼓励学术研究和文艺的兴盛。在不多的闲暇日子里，他会来到亚琛沐浴在硫磺温泉中，而他久经沙场的宝剑Joyeuse则会静静躺在浴室门外。他非常喜欢这里，为此修建了一座宫殿，其中的礼拜堂后来演变成了一座大教堂。这座教堂于805年被圣化，是欧洲北部最古老的教堂，在936至1531年之间，这里是为神圣罗马帝国皇帝举行加冕仪式的地方。
现在我们所见到的这座建筑是一千多年来不断扩建的产物：轻灵而高耸的哥特式唱诗厅（当地人把它叫做“玻璃房”）及其周围的众多小礼拜堂于1414年圣化；老礼拜堂上方高高的巴洛克圆顶于1669年完工；而高达74米的西侧尖顶宝塔则于1884年封顶。这是摄影师的绝佳取景地。
尽管这里是车水马龙的老城中心，我们还是在北边找到了一块空旷的广场，在那里停车（或许是违法的）并进行我们的工作。没办法的是，一辆桔黄色的大卡车正好在按下快门的时候进入了我们的镜头。稍事调整之后，我们幸运地在开始下雨前完成了任务。
在铁灰色的天空下，拉着一车的装备（摄影师的装备可不会少），沿着起伏的比利时高速公路，冒雨继续西行驶往布鲁塞尔，这可不是我所想象的欢乐旅程。不过，Yaris再次让我们打起了精神。在行驶中，它的体积看起来没有那么小，令人感觉结构坚固，制动能力准确可靠，同时还采用了安全气囊和其他各种安全装置。音响效果也相当不错。在澎湃的Led Zep II 即兴重复段伴奏声中，我们驶入了比利时首都。
在前三次造访布鲁塞尔的时候，我都是匆匆而过，并没有对这里留下很深的印象。但当我们经过大宫时，我的看法发生了转变。难以相信，以前我居然没有注意到这座融和了哥特式、文艺复兴式和巴洛克式风格的杰作。这个长方形的广场被老镇城墙、王宫和各种会所围绕，它的美动人心扉。
不过，我们在布鲁塞尔的摄影任务已经在Atomium（原子模型）完成了。这座令人叹为观止的建筑是由建筑师Alexandre Waterkeyn设计，为了1958年世博会而在海塞尔公园修建的，当时只计划保留6个月时间。不过，当地人民非常喜欢它，认为它是现代化的象征，并强烈要求予以保留。
它刚刚经过了一次全面整修，9个直径18米的大圆球上，闪亮的不锈钢表面代替了斑驳的铝层。它比以往任何时候都更象一堆形状怪异的梨形宝石。实际上，它象征着放大了1650亿倍的铁晶体晶格。不过这似乎也不大对。也许它还违反了一大堆欧盟规定，不过，我们这些又冷又饿、还必须继续拍摄的摄影师认为，它给这里增添了无穷的情趣。
即便如此，哪怕是Atomium 也没有布鲁日那样上镜。这座“北方威尼斯”从16世纪开始衰落，因为它的出海口被淤泥堵塞，所以其地区贸易中心角色逐渐让位于安特卫普。可喜的是，布鲁日仍然是一座城墙环绕中如同图画一般美丽的中世纪古城，保留了它的运河和鹅卵石马路。其浪漫色彩不及威尼斯，出名程度不如阿姆斯特丹，但却是集二者之长的一座令人愉悦的“蓝领”城市。布鲁日确实值得一去。
但请注意：对开车的人来说，它可能是最糟糕（原文如此）的一个地方。在最终找到一座十全十美的桥之前，我们至少两次经过了这座城市的大部分桥梁（共有80座）。令人头晕的众多单行道让我们在去旅馆的路上大费周折。最后，我们步行来到旅馆，询问前台接待员如何把Yaris开到旅馆的停车场来。他首先在地图上标出似乎很近的两个记号，然后画出了两点之间的路线。这条用粉红色荧光笔画出的路线看起来是那么复杂而可笑。
如果今晚要享用咖喱饭（我衷心推荐西蒙•斯蒂文广场旁的Bhavani饭店）和淳厚的本地产啤酒，我们不得不多依靠自己的腿了。我们决定把Yaris停在一处“近一些”的公共停车场（这是在我们绕第二个圈子时发现的）里，然后拖着行李穿过市中心的Markt广场。
第二天清晨，当我们出发前往荷兰的时候，天色还很暗。我们将向北行驶一个小时。泽兰是这个国家在宽阔的韦斯特谢尔德河口以南的唯一一块领土。从1299年开始，直到1815年拿破仑被打败以及荷兰王国的建立，这里一直是一块有争议的地区。如果只是从地图上看，任何人都会认为它属于比利时。不过，现在已经没有人会为此过不去了，包括我在内。显然，Cadzand-Bad度假地是喜爱阳光和冲浪的人们的一块圣地，这里的人口会在每年夏季膨胀四倍以上。而在深冬，这里昏暗、阴冷而无人。铅灰色的天空和大海在地平线上融合在一起，只有附近海滩上蛎鹬的桔黄色喙子和发出的叫声才给这副景象带来了一些生机。虽然我们在海滩上，我并不需要同车人的提醒，也知道在寒风中把手插进口袋，把脖子缩进衣领里。
回到Yaris车上，我们把旋转式加热器和吹风机开到最大，然后向法国进发。穿越平坦而单调的比利时确实不是什么艰苦的越野驾驶经历，也不是什么景色优美的观光旅程。不过这段路程对于在Yaris车上取暖（在精神方面）来说已经足够长了。这款超小型汽车绝对适合城际旅行以及市区驾驶。
随着我们左转进入法国，我很高兴能够避开一些不必要的道路，因为我们的时间不多了，而天色也在变暗。我们的最后一项任务听起来很简单：找到一处普通的烟草咖啡店，喝杯咖啡，看看报纸，然后拍张照片。快速驶过加莱海峡区的时候，我们经过了不少这样的地方，但都没有停车，因为我们认为前面总会有更好的地方。我们错了。也许我们应该在来的路上享受一下法国产的Gauloise烟。这块位于法国东北部的工业区没有什么看起来能够满足我们要求的东西。
我们最终决定冲向里尔。在下班高峰时间里，我们又一次陷入了单行道的迷阵。这段路程再次验证了Yaris的出色性能。我很喜欢它。又一次，我在毫无准备的情况下被里尔深深吸引住了。戴高乐将军广场完美地结合了19世纪的典雅和21世纪的喧嚣，在Déesse女神雕像下，在旋转摩天轮的灯光照耀下，我们为Yaris拍摄了最后一组照片。
第三天早上，经过40分钟的短途行驶，我们来到了位于瓦朗谢讷市郊的、规模庞大的Yaris工厂。我们的新朋友回家了，回到了它的出生之地。在它出席F1盛大发布仪式之前，我们长久凝视着那停满了Yaris轿车的、方圆500米的巨大停车场。这些“周末快船”能够让您充满信心地驶向世界上的任何一座著名城市。
| | English to Chinese: ABB | Source text - English
www.abb.com | Translation - Chinese
www.abb.com.cn |
More Less | | Master's degree - University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA | | Years of translation experience: 6. Registered at ProZ.com: Nov 2005. | | N/A | English to Chinese (Asociación Argentina de Traductores e Intérpretes)
| | Peking University | | FrameMaker, illustrator, Microsoft LocStudio, PageMaker, QuarkXPress, SDL TRADOS, SDLX | | http://www.rappo.com.cn |  CV/Resume (DOC) | | About me Being a freelancer/translator of many local and overseas agencies, ever since April 2001, I'v translated over 3 million words of various materials in 6 years.
I use Trados to do most works, and my familiar tools include: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, FrontPage, Dreamweaver, PageMaker, Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, Coreldraw, TRADOS, FrameMaker, QuarkExpress.
Many local and overseas companies, such as Kodak, FedEx, Toshiba, Encad, ABN Bank, GE, Hitachi, Logitech, ViewSonic, Lenovo, Sony Ericsson, Microsoft, BENQ, CHRISTIE, EPSON, Marantz, MEDIOSTREAM, BOI (Bank of Ireland), ACER, Fuji, GrapeCity, HP, Intel, Sonic, DELL, ZTE, have benefited from my translation and localization services.
Jan. 2006: Translation of Microsoft CBSF UI review guide
Project Description: using Microsoft LocStudio. 4.60
Nov. 2005: Translation of StepExhibition Materials
Project Description: Exhibition Materials, product's web pages.
Sep. 2004-Jan. 2005: Translation of Haas product Materials
Project Description: Translate Haas Operation Manual
May. 2004: Translation of FedEx Training Materials
Project Description: Translate Training file
April 2001 -- Present: Translation of Kodak Imaging Device's Materials
Some other projects:
- Technology User Manual
- Philips news releases
- Intel Active Management Technology whitepaper and leaflet
- Microsoft Partner Learning Center Online Help
|
|
Keywords: Translator Chinese, English-simplified/traditional Chinese, IT PC Computer Hardware Software System Network Information Technology Internet e-Commerce Printing Publishing localization Trados web Philips, Kodak, FedEx, Toshiba, Encad, GE, Hitachi, Logitech, ViewSonic, Lenovo, SonyEricsson, Microsoft, BENQ, EPSON, Marantz, BOI (Bank of Ireland), ZTE, ACER, ABIT, Fujitsu, GrapeCity, HP, Sonic, DELL
Profile last updated
Feb 25, 2007 |
The translation workplace 
Expertise