英译汉指导：大学英语四级考试翻译练习12_大学英语翻译

英译汉指导：大学英语四级考试翻译练习12

　　In short, the course of economic development in general depends in a fundamental way on the performance of farmers. This performance, in turn, depends on how agriculture is organized and on the economic environment, or market structure, within which it functions. In the following pages the performance of American agriculture is examined. It is appropriate to begin with a consideration of its market structure.

　　Passage Three

　　Another thing to remember in connection with concrete is that you are not allowed very much leeway(余地)for errors in either measurements or location. Once you have a solid mass of concrete set in place, it is going to stay there. You have a difficult job ahead of you if you try to remedy a mistake. Make very sure, before you fill the form, that everything is where and how you want it.

　　There are numerous rules regarding the proper mixing, handling, and finishing of concrete, but the essential one concerns the amount of water to use. The less water in the mix, the less the finished job will shrink. The less water used, the harder and more enduring the job after it has set.

　　The amateur concrete worker is annoyed with two desires. One is to use enough water to have the concrete nice and soft and easy to push around. You have been warned against that. The second is to take off the wooden forms too early, to see what the job looks like. That is really fatal. If the forms are stripped off too soon, while the concrete is still green, two things are likely to cause a major crack or defect in the body of the work. An excellent rule is to wait until you are sure the concrete is properly hardened, and then wait another day before removing the forms.