汉语的旅游宣传资料讲究语言工整、音韵和谐，大量使用成语、四字结构，喜欢引经据典，采用铺排夸张的描写方法。译者看到这些文字，往往觉得无法下手。好在英文的旅游文本并不崇尚这种写作风格，直译为英文反而出力不讨好。

英文的景物描写则讲求客观、忠实、朴实无华，是一种白描的手法。知道了这一区别，就可以撷取原文中有用的信息，以灵活自然的方式在译文中予以传递，而不是生硬地转换语言形式。

原文：荣昌地理环境优越，自然风光秀丽。古人盛赞“山环绕而蜿蜒，地宽广而爽垲”，“群峰秀拔，二水纤回”，雅称“海棠香国”译文:

It is situated in a hilly area of striking natural beauty, described admiringly by the ancients as an open country with pleasantly dry weather”, with “two rivers winding between lofty peaks”. It is also known as the Land of Begonia Fragrance.

分析：原文是典型的中文景物描写，英文变为平铺直叙的语言。尽管用了一些形容词，但程度不及中文。当然，如果有能力翻译得文雅一些，也可以，如：

Established in 759 during the Tang dynasty, this l, 300 year-old beauty is endowed with the gifts and graces of nature. Ancients delight in extolling Rongchang's “girding hills undulating across its vast lands enwrapped in fresh crisp air and its “spirited waters meandering among lofty mountains.” It is also known as the Land of Begonia Fragrance.

原文：城区鸟语花香，绿树成荫，环境优美；瀚溪河、池水河如练环绕，岸堤垂柳依依；星罗棋布的各型休闲广场、林立的现代高楼、众多的桥梁古寺、古塔、古教堂，以及羊肉汤、卤鹅肉、黄凉粉、铺盖面、烤乳猪等美景、美食，是人们不可多得的旅游休闲圣地。

译文：There are many trees and flowers, and it is dotted with recreational spaces and modern buildings; the banks of the winding Laixi and Chishui Rivers are lined with weeping willows and criss-crossed by many bridges that take visitors to ancient temples, pagodas, and churches.

The food too is delicious: mutton soup, stewed five-spice goose, cold pea jelly strips, roast suckling pig, wide noodles in savory broth.

Beautiful scenery and excellent food make this a special place to visit for both fun and rest.

对比原文和译文会发现，译文完全摆脱了原文的语言形式，仅就原文在华丽的词藻下掩盖的事实性信息就行了传译。“鸟语花香”变成了“花”；“绿树成荫”变成了“很多树”；“如练环绕”概为winding；“垂柳依依”简化为“垂柳”；“星罗棋布”、“各”浓缩为一个表示复数的“s”(recreational spaces)等。可以说，原文雍容华贵的美，被英文简洁朴实的美所取代。

另外值得注意的是，译文还对原文信息的结构进行了调整，并把一句话变为三句话来译。面对大众的语言，区别于法律或学术语言，应尽量使用短句，有明确的主语。