[17]搞改革，总难免要犯一些错误，这是历史经验证明了的。Mistakes are una鄄voidable in carrying out reforms，as past experience has proved.
[18]我们必须研究中国的历史情况和当前的社会状况。We must apply ourselves to the study of both China蒺s past and present.
[19]八十年代，中国发生了历史性的变化。Great historic changes took place inChina in the 80s.
汉语中的“历史冶甚至可以指”历程冶：
[20]现在大多数的私人企业只有十年多的历史，我们就要求它们那么好，这是不合理的。As most of our private enterprises are only a little over 10years old，itwould be unreasonable to ask too much of them.
[21a]香港特别行政区将保持自由港和独立关税区的地位。
汉语的“独立冶词义很广，如果把“独立关税区冶译成对应的“an independent cus鄄toms territory冶，有可能被误解为香港特别行政区是一个独立于中国的政治实体。从上下文来说应是”独立分开冶的意思：
[21b]The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will retain the status of a free port and a separate customs territory。
同样，汉语的“宣传冶，英语中根据中性和贬义分别有publicity 和propaganda，因此翻译：“这个工程得到很大的宣传冶应该是The project has gained much publicity。汉语的”回归冶，英语有return 和revert，前者是“物归原主冶的意思，后者是”期限到后将财产还给原捐赠人冶，所以香港回归，西方媒体用revert，中国人坚持用return。我们再以量词来讨论。汉语量词非常丰富，但英语量词同样如此（尽管不少学者并不认为英语有量词，我们暂且把汉语在英语中的相应表达看作量词）。
一盘鱼a plate of fish、一碟菜a dish of vegetable、一篮水果a basket of fruit、一碗饭a bowl of rice、一壶茶a pot of tea、一瓶水a bottle of water、一管牙膏a tube of toothpaste、一缸水a mug of water、一听烟丝a tin of tobacco、一筒箭a quiver of arrows、一铲煤a shovel of coal、一锹土a spade of soil、一包烟a pack of cigarettes、一团云a mass of clouds、一瓣蒜a clove of garlic、一滴水a drop of water、一片雪花a flake of snow、一卷纸a roll of pa鄄per、一捆柴a bundle of firewood、一套房a suite of rooms、一帮强盗a band of robbers、一窝土匪a nest of brigands、一群狼a pack of wolves、一串葡萄a cluster of grapes、一束花a bouquet of flowers、一匹布a bolt of linen。
我们发现，英语量词，除了a piece of、a pair of 少数几个量词比较笼统外（如：a piece of paper /bread /music /chalk /furniture，etc.一张纸/一片面包/一首曲子/一支粉笔/一件家具，a pair of glasses /scissors /trousers /shoes /earings，etc.一副眼镜/一把剪刀/一条裤子/一双鞋子/一对耳环），也分得较为细致，往往根据事物的质地、大小、强度等使用不同的量词。
（a）体积：如同样是“一桶水冶，英语小桶用a bucket /pail of water，大的用a pail of water。“一勺汤冶小的是a spoon of soup，大的是a ladle of soup。汉语”一袋冶用词不分大小，英语中，小袋、中袋、大袋用不同词：a sachet of sugar、a bag of rice、a sack of flour /cement。再如“一捆冶小的是a wisp of hay /straw /wheat，大的是a bale of hay /straw /cot鄄ton。英语中还有”容器+ful冶的量词，表示“多冶、”满冶，汉语中是没有的。如bagful of peanuts、a basketful of earth、a bucketful of water、a cupful of tea、a glassful of beer、a jugful of water、a mugful of coffee、a pocketful of coins、a roomful of people、a spadeful of soil、a tub鄄ful of water、an armful of books、a handful of rice、a mouthful of food、a capful of beans。
（b）质地：同样是“一杯冶，内是茶用a cup of tea，内是水或牛奶用a glass of milk。英语”一盒火柴冶是a box of matches，但“一盒冰激凌或黄油冶是a tub of ice鄄cream /mar鄄garine。英语”一罐啤酒冶是a can of beer，“一罐酱冶是a jar of jam，而”一罐果汁冶是a jug of juice。再如“一片冶：a sheet of clouds、a slice of bread、a slip of paper，a flake ofsnow，而汉语无论是白云、面包还是纸和雪花都是用同一量词。同样，汉语中”一块冶可指糖、肥皂、奶酪、面包、羔羊肉、煤和玻璃，但英语是不同量词：a cube of sugar、a bar of soap /chocolate、a cake of cheese、a chunk of bread、a cut of lamb、a joint of meat、a lump of coal、a sheet /chip of glass、a block of ice /stone。其他有“一条火腿/裤子/布/雨带冶：a leg of ham /mutton、a pair of trousers、a strip of cloth、a belt of rain；”一片水/土地/月光/草叶/面包冶：an expanse of water、a stretch of land、a flood of moonlight、a blade of grass、a piece of bread。复数量词英语范畴化更细。例如“一群冶，汉语可用于人物和动物：一群人/猴子/狗/豹/狐狸/野兔/狼/狮子/牛/羊/猫/骆驼等，但英语描写人和动物是用不同的量词。即使是指动物，还分不同动物种类甚至老幼大小：a host /barrel of monkeys、a kennel of dogs、a leap of leopards、a leash of foxes /hares、a pack of wolves /bears /lions、a pride of li鄄ons、a rout of wolves、a sloth of bears、a swarm of rats、a tribe of goats /cattle、a troop of ante鄄lopes、a bunch of cattle、a clowder /cluster /collection of cats、a gang of elks、a herd of cows /sheep /horses /pigs、an army of herring、a bale of turtle、a game /troop of whales、a pod of seals、a school of fish /dolphins、a cloud of birds、a colony of gulls、a company of widgeons、a bevy of swans、a cast of hawks、a flock of chickens /ducks、a herd of cranes、a host of spar鄄rows、a muster /pride of peacocks、a pack of owls、a plump of wildfowls、a team of ducks、an army /swarm of ants /bees、a cluster /college /hive of bees、a cloud /horde of locusts /flies /mos鄄quitoes、a flight of birds /doves、a drove of sheep /cattle、a gaggle of geese、a run of salmons /whales、a skull of foxes、a sounder of hogs、a stang of plovers、a walk of snipes、a watch of nightingales。汉语指小动物时有”一窝冶的量词，而英语更多：a brood of chickens /hens、a colony of ants /bees、a farrow of pigs、a kindle of hares /rabbits、a litter of puppies、a nest of ants /mice、a nide of pheasants。
人的群体，汉语用得最多是“一群冶的量词，而英语分褒义的：a galaxy of talent /beautiful women /film stars；中性：a host（crowd，multitude）of ；贬义：a band（gang，mob）of。可以说英语不同的职业和性质的人用不同的量词：a crew /crowd /mass /multitude of people、a circle /host of friends、a bevy of young women、a collection of people、a college of translators、a colony of artrists、a community of monks、a company of teenagers /pilgrims、a flock of visitors、a flood of callers /refugees、a galaxy of talent /beauties、an ocean of cheering crowds、a posse of policemen、a swarm of sightseers、a troop of boys、a gathering of people、a stampede of panic鄄stricken crowd。汉语有”一批冶，英语更多：a batch of students、an army of workers、a body of supporters、a cloud of horsemen、a wide sectrum of writers。汉语“一帮冶：a band of robbers /gangsters、a bunch of thieves、a gang of prisoners /slaves、a horde of savages、a pack of robbers /liars。汉语”一伙冶：a bundle of rascals、a mob of rioters、a party of madmen。
