一提起“中小”，我们常常会想到“中小企业”等；一看到“一、二、三线”，我们首先会联想到当今所谓的“一线城市”、“二线城市”、“三线城市”等等。在实际编辑工作中，笔者偶尔看到有个别作者将“中小企业”翻成“medium small enterprise”, 把“一线城市”、“二线城市”、“三线城市”分别翻成“one line city”、“two line city”、“three line city”。这些都是随心所欲的“对等直译”。

正确的译法：“中小企业”应为small and medium-sized enterprise; “一线城市”、“二线城市”、“三线城市”分别应为Tier 1 city, Tier 2 city, Tier 3 city或者Tier 1 cities, Tier 2 cities, Tier 3 cities. 例如，“北上广是一线城市”应翻成Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are Tier 1 cities；“西安是二线城市”应为Xi’an is a Tier 2 city.

下面是几个相关例子，供读者参考。

★Small and medium-sized developers, which account for more than four-fifths of industry revenue and assets, are particularly vulnerable given their smaller margins and higher debt levels than larger competitors.

★The country’s other threeTier 1 citiesalso did well in May on a month-on-month basis. According to NBS, Beijing prices were up 1.1%, Guangzhou 1.4%, and Shanghai 2.2%.

★Inventory levels of unsold housing stock have climbed to as high as 77 months of sales in “Tier 3” cities such as ..., and even fifteen months’ worth in Tier 1 cities such as ... and ..., sparking reports of the country's “ghost cities.”