The oracle bone script is the earliest existing characters in China. These characters carved ontortoise shells or animal bones are quite mature. Before recognizing the oracle bone script,people regarded the shells and bones as medical materials. Accidentally, a scholar of the QingDynasty, Wang Yirong, discovered these tortoise shells and animal bones. After careful study,he believed that these signs were the characters of the Shang Dynasty more than 3,000 yearsago. From these characters, people can roughly understand the daily life of the rulers at thattime. The oracle bone script provides important materials for research into the origin ofChinese characters.
1.第1句中的“现存最早的文字”是两个形容词修饰一个中心词，其中一个为最高级。在英语中，当比较级和最高级形容词与其他形容词连用时，比较级和最高级形容词放在其他形容词之前。故此处译为the earliestexisting characters。
2.在第2句中，定语“刻在龟甲或兽骨上的”较长，可将其处理成后置定语，用过去分词短语carve on tortoiseshells or animal bones 来表达，表被动。
3.倒数第2句“从这些文宇……”为无主语句，在翻译时需补充其主语，此处应增译“人们”，表达为From thesecharacters, people can...。
4.在翻译最后一句的“为研究汉字起源提供了重要的资料”时，可以用provide... for...(为……提供……)来表达，译作 provide important materials for research into the origin of Chinese characters，也可译作provide important materials for researching on the origin...。
