【翻译原文】

在古代，著作和铭文（inscription）通常写在竹片或丝绸上。但丝绸昂贵，竹片太重，使用起来都不方便。后来蔡伦开创了用树皮造纸的方法。传统上人们认为他是纸张和造纸术的发明者。尽管公元前2世纪中国就已经有了早期的纸，但蔡伦促成了纸张的首次重大改进，并通过添加至关重要的新材料使造纸过程标准化。蔡伦发现了造纸材料的组合方式，发明了造纸术。这项发明使蔡伦闻名于世，甚至使他在有生之年就已经得到了认可。

【表达难点】

1.第1句中的时间状语“纸张发明之前”可译为从句Before paper was invented或介词短语Before the invention of paper。主句“人们将文字刻在……”中的主语“人们”无需强调，习惯上将其译为被动句，用“文字”作主语。在上下文的语境中，“文字”指的是“中国的汉字”，故应译为characters，而非words或letters。

2.第2句中修饰“书”的定语“由竹片或木片制成”可处理为定语从句which weremade of…，或直接用过去分词made of…作后置定语。该句中的“竹片”和“木片”在上句已有提及，故此处可简化译作bamboo及wood。

3.第3句中的“得名‘蔡伦纸’”，是对蔡伦所造的纸的补充说明，可用过去分词短语译为named“Cai Lun Paper”或known as“Cai Lun Paper”；也可译为which引导的非限制定语从句which was named“Cai LunPaper”。

4.第4句中的“由于轻便价廉”可直译为because itwas light and cheap，但不如用形容词短语light and cheap作状语来说明主语的情况来得简洁。

5.最后一句中，把后半句“是中华民族……”处理成主句，“造纸术是中国的四大发明之一”处理为状语，译作asone of Chinese Four Great Inventions，突出主句的意义，使句子层次分明。

【精彩译文】

In ancient times，writing works and inscriptions were generally written on：tablets of bamboo or on pieces of silk.But silk being costly and bamboo heavy，they were both not convenient to use.Then Cai Lun initiated themethod ofmaking paper with the bark of trees.Traditionally，he is regarded as the inventor of paper and the technique of papermaking.Although early forms of paper had already existed in China since the 2nd century BC，he fostered the first significant improvement and standardization of papermaking by adding essential new materials into papers composition.Cai found the composition of paper and invented the technique of papermaking.Caiwas reputed for this invention in the world，and even in his own lifetime he was already given recognition for it.