Translation (翻译)
Translation (翻译) is the fourth HSK 4 domain. It tests sentence-level transfer: you receive a sentence in one language and must produce a faithful sentence in the other. Scoring weighs meaning, grammar and natural collocation, so a word-for-word rendering loses marks even when every individual word seems correct.
Core rules
- Segment the sentence first: main clause, subordinate clause, modifiers. Translate the main clause before adding detail.
- When producing Chinese, put time and place phrases before the verb, use 了/过/着 for aspect, and keep 把/被 structures complete. Supply measure words for counted nouns.
- When producing English, check tense, articles, subject-verb agreement, prepositions and the dummy subject it for weather and time.
- Keep names, numbers and places unchanged. Do not add explanations or omit a negative.
- Check paired connectives as a unit: 虽然...还是, 因为...所以, 不但...而且, 只有...才.
Worked example
虽然雨下得很大，他还是准时到了办公室。 / Although it was raining heavily, he still arrived at the office on time. Reasoning: 虽然...还是 maps to although...still. 雨下得很大 uses 下雨 for weather and the 得 complement for degree, so English needs "it was raining heavily", not "rain fell big". 准时 is "on time"; 到了办公室 is "arrived at the office", with 了 showing completion. If Chinese is the source, English needs the dummy subject it and the preposition at. If English is the source, Chinese needs the 虽然...还是 frame, the 得 complement and 了.
Traps
Literal translation produces errors such as "although rain under very big" or "arrived office". Missing the dummy subject it, dropping 了, or translating 把 as "take" are frequent deductions. Also watch direction: English present perfect often becomes Chinese 了 or 过, not a literal 已经. Leave time to reread the target sentence for agreement and punctuation.