清朝末期，雕刻精美、描绘华丽的折扇大量在中国广东生产，后被西方商人青睐。运往欧洲和美国后成为西方贵妇的重要时尚配件(accessories)。中国折扇的材质多为镂雕精巧的象牙、珍珠贝壳、漆木(lacquer)。扇面上描绘了众多清朝官员及夫人的形象。因为具有神秘的东方情调，当时西方中上层贵妇人手一把，以此来炫耀自己的财富和高贵。
参考翻译:
Chinese Fans
During the late Qing Dynasty, a large number of Chinese fans exquisitely carved and gorgeouslypainted were produced in Canton (now called Guang dong). These fans later were in goodgraces of western merchants. After they were shipped to Europe and America, they becamefashionable accessories for noblewomen. The materials used to make Chinese fans were mostlyexquisitely carved ivory, pearls and shells and lacquer. These Chinese fans showed manyfigures of Mandarins and their consorts. Mysterious oriental sentiment as they presented, eachlady in upper-middle class family at that time owned a Chinese fan to show off her wealth andnobility.
1.雕刻精美、描绘华丽:“精美”可译为exquisitely; “华丽”可译为gorgeously;这两个词都不常用，也可以用beautifully一词表达。
2.被…青睐:可译为 find favour in one's eyes 或 be in good graces of,属固定表达。
3.运往:译此词时需注意到19世纪的主要运输工具是船运，所以最好用ship。
4.成为西方贵妇的重要时尚配件:运往欧洲自然是提供给“西方”贵妇，英译时不必再译出western;配件为accessories,注意该词的拼写。
5.清朝官员:可直译为Qin officials。但在英语中也可以用Mandarin来表示旧中国的官员。
6.夫人:在书面语中表达“夫人”用consort比wife要更正式一些。
7.情调:指“情感体验”，可译为sentiment或者sentimental tone。
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