Question

英语长句翻译+分析

In the past 30 years the Chinese search for a spouse has, like so much else, been transformed. Confucian thought emphasised a match’s significance for society rather than for the individuals involved. Though formal arranged marriages were banned in 1950, parents and colleagues continued well into the new century to help couples pair up (some still do).

The recent decline of such practices, especially in cities, in favour of choosing your own mate, has coincided with huge demographic shifts. China’s skewed birth ratio (118 boys to every 100 girls) means that there will be a surplus of about 24m bachelors by 2020. And women’s increasing socio-economic freedom makes them pickier when choosing a husband.

其中第二段的第一句：“The recent decline of such practices, especially in cities, in favour of choosing your own mate, has coincided with huge demographic shifts.”
如何准确翻译。
“such practices”指的是上文中的什么？
“in favour of choosing your own mate"是神马？

我想破头也没弄懂.... 求高手指点

Answer 1

The recent decline of such practices, especially in cities, in favour of choosing your own mate, has coincided with huge demographic shifts.
翻译：近年来这种（包办婚姻）的势头有所下滑，尤其是在城市里，人们更趋向于自己选择伴侣。这与巨大的人口结构变化息息相关。

本想就翻译一句就完了，没想到楼上这么多机械翻译。。。
such practices中的practices，你可以查下《简明英汉词典》或者是英英词典。词义一目了然。你的问题不是指代，而是你没理解practices的全部释义。
至于第二个问题，已经在翻译中回答你了。
个人拙译，仅供参考，好歹是非机械的。。。

PS：别在百度问关于翻译的问题。你得到的，基本都是谷歌，在线翻译的产物。看看上面的翻译。
1楼的：没翻译全句，不表态了。

2楼的：【近期此类活动下降，尤其是在城市中的下降，有利于选择自己真正的伴偶，这有巨大的人口结构变化是一致的。 】
整个中文语序就不对，表示下降的词汇很多。一句话连续用两个下降。不知道这样的译文，他自己有没有认真读过。

3楼的：最近，尤其在城市里，人们自己挑选伴侣而更少地通过父母朋友介绍的这种现象，是伴随着巨大的人口机构的变化而产生的。
漏译不说，语序也有问题。什么是in favour of choosing your own mate完全没理解。中间的【人们自己挑选伴侣而更少地通过父母朋友介绍的这种现象】读起来真心的拗口。

Answer 2

such practices指的是第一段中“parents and colleagues continued well into the new century to help couples pair up”的这种行为，即父母和同事帮忙相亲的这种作法。
in favour of choosing your own mate在这里是”转而选择自己的伴侣“的意思（包办婚姻的现象有所下降，为什么呢？人们自己找对象了，in favour of 是针对decline of practices而言的）。

The recent decline of such practices, especially in cities, in favour of choosing your own mate, has coincided with huge demographic shifts整句话的意译：
最近，尤其在城市里，人们自己挑选伴侣而更少地通过父母朋友介绍的这种现象，是伴随着巨大的人口机构的变化而产生的。

Answer 3

such practices指的是包办婚姻。
The recent decline of such practices, especially in cities, in favour of choosing your own mate, has coincided with huge demographic shifts

近期此类活动下降，尤其是在城市中的下降，有利于选择自己真正的伴偶，这有巨大的人口结构变化是一致的。

Answer 4

这个文字主要说城市里人口性别比例失衡，男多女少。
“such practices”指的是撮合一对，尽管包办婚姻已经在20实际50年代禁止了，新世纪的父母们还是喜欢撮合年轻人为一对。（Though formal arranged marriages were banned in 1950, parents and colleagues continued well into the new century to help couples pair up ）

“in favour of choosing your own mate"是指帮助适龄青年寻找到合适的人生伴侣