My Dream
My dream has always been to work somewhere in an area between fashion and publishing. Two years before graduating from secondary school, I took a sewing and design course thinking that I would move on to a fashion design course. However, during that course I realized that I was not good enough in this area to compete with other creative personalities in the future, so I decided that it was not the right path for me. Before applying for university I told everyone that I would study journalism, because writing was, and still is, one of my favourite activities. But, to be absolutely honest, I said it, because I thought that fashion and me together was just a dream - I knew that no one, apart from myself, could imagine me in the fashion industry at all!
【參考譯文】
我的夢想
我的夢想一直是在時裝設計和出版界之間找尋一個工作。在我中學畢業的兩年前，我參加了一個縫紉和設計課程，原以為我能再繼續參加一個時裝設計的課程。然而，就在這個課程上，我意識到，將來在這個領域，我是無法和那些富於創新精神的精英們相媲美的。於是，我斷定到這條路走不通。在申請上大學之前，我和所有人都講，我想學新聞學，因為，寫作曾經是，現在也是我最喜歡的'活動之一。但是，說實話，我之所以這樣說，是因為我以為從事時裝設計不過是一個夢想，我也知道，除了我之外，沒有人能想象出我會從事時裝設計的工作。
【翻譯解析】
1. My dream has always been to work somewhere in an area between fashion and publishing.
參考譯文：我的夢想一直是在時裝設計和出版界之間找尋一個工作。
句子分析：這個句子是簡單句，句子主幹是My dream has always been to work，後面的部分是狀語。難點的地方在於狀語部分somewhere in an area between fashion and publishing, 這裡somewhere不需要翻譯出來避免後面的介詞短語重複，抽象理解為在時尚設計和出版界之間找尋一個工作。
2. Two years before graduating from secondary school, I took a sewing and design course thinking that I would move on to a fashion design course.
參考譯文：在我中學畢業的兩年前，我參加了一個縫紉和設計課程，原以為我能再繼續參加一個時裝設計的課程。
句子分析：句子主幹為I took a sewing and design course 後面是現在分詞短語thinking that I would move on to a fashion design course作伴隨狀語。
3. However, during that course I realized that I was not good enough in this area to compete with other creative personalities in the future, so I decided that it was not the right path for me.
參考譯文：然而，就在這個課程上，我意識到，將來在這個領域，我是無法和那些富於創新精神的精英們相媲美的。於是，我斷定到這條路走不通。
句子分析：句子結構是i realized +that 引導的賓語從句，so引導的結果狀語從句，結果狀語從句中that引導賓語從句。第一個賓語從句中主幹是I was not good enough in this area，其後有動詞不定式短語做目的狀語。
4. Before applying for university I told everyone that I would study journalism, because writing was, and still is, one of my favourite activities.
參考譯文：在申請上大學之前，我和所有人都講，我想學新聞學，因為，寫作曾經是，現在也是我最喜歡的活動之一。
句子分析：句子結構為i told everyone +that引導的賓語從句，because引導的狀語從句。
5. But, to be absolutely honest, I said it, because I thought that fashion and me together was just a dream - I knew that no one, apart from myself, could imagine me in the fashion industry at all!
參考譯文：但是，說實話，我之所以這樣說，是因為我以為從事時裝設計不過是一個夢想，我也知道，除了我之外，沒有人能想象出我會從事時裝設計的工作
句子分析：本句主句為i said it ，其後又because 引導原因狀語從句，原因狀語從句中that 引導了賓語從句。破折號之後的句子結構為I know +that引導的賓語從句。
