核心问题
Living in the central Australian desert has its problems, ____ obtaining water is not the least.
A. for which B. to which C. of which D. in which(全国四级,98.1-42)
[原译]生活在澳大利亚沙漠中有一些麻烦,其中获取水还不是最严重的。(《大学英语四级历年考试试题详解》,外文出版社,p.145,《大学英语四六级考试全真试题集详解》,航空工业出版社,p.89)
词典解答
上面的译文是与原意相悖的。究其原因, 是译者误解了 least 的含义。least 的词义是: smallest in amount, extent, or significance(最少的, 最小的, 最不重要的)。我们从常用短语 last but not least(最后的但并非不重要的) 和 not least(主要地, 尤其是) 也可以看出 least 的这一含义:
And last but not least there is the question of adequate funding. 最后,同样重要的是要有足够的资金的问题。
They refused to admit her, not least because (= there were several reasons but this was an important one) she hadn't got her membership card with her. 他们拒绝让她进入，很重要的一个原因是她没有带会员证。
[试题句意]生活在澳大利亚中部沙漠地带会遇到许多困难,其中,弄到水就是一个很大的问题。