pronoun

But there are weaknesses in the English gentleman's ability to rule us today. He usually knows nothing of political economy and less about how foreign countries are governed. He does not respect learning and prefers 'sport'. The problem set for society is not the virtues of the type so much as its adequacy for its function... (New Concept English, Book 4, p.61)

[原译]但是英国绅士统治我们的能力现在有了一些薄弱处。他通常对政治经济学一窍不通，更少知晓外国的治国方法。他不尊重学问而把“消遣”看得更为重要。社会所要答复的问题并不是这类人物有无美德，而是他是否胜任他的职务。[《新概念英语》（四），上海科技文献出版社版，p.193]

上面的译文把英文的he译为“他”，总觉得不大对劲。但又说不出为什么。请分析。

[I can read every word that Dr. Johnson wrote with delight, for he had good sense, charm and wit. ] No one could have written better if he had not wilfully set himself to write in the grand style. (W. S. Maugham)

[原译][我读约翰逊博士的著作,每句话都使我感到愉快,因为这个人有头脑,有魅力,

有机智。]任何人，如果不是一心一意地写文体庄重的文章，就不可能比他写得更好。（《翻译通讯》，1982年第5期，p.47）

原译文将句中的he理解为替代one的，但这样译出来似乎很难理解。

After all, all living creatures live by feeding on something else, whether it be plant or animal, dead or alive. . . (New Concept English, Book 4, p. 108)

[原译]因为,毕竟所有活着的生物,不论是植物还是动物,死的还是活的都靠吃某种别的东西生存。(上外教版,p.16)

译文说：“活着的生物”包括“死的”，而“死的”还要“靠吃别的东西生存”，这显然是不合逻辑的。请分析造成误译的原因。

This result merely confirms earlier American and British studies: if there is any effect of noise upon mental health it must be so small that present methods of psychiatric diagnosis cannot find it. That does not prove that it does not exist; but it does mean that noise is less dangerous than, say, being brought up in an orphanage... (New Concept English, Book 4, p. 106) [原译]这个结果只不过肯定了早些时候美国和英国的研究结论:如果噪音对于精神健康有任何影响的话,这影响一定是如此微小以致现代的精神病诊断方法无法发觉。然而这并不证明它不存在,但是它的确意味着噪音的危险不及,譬如说,在孤儿院中被抚养成人的那种危险大……(上海科技文献出版社版,p. 208)

“它的确意味着”里的“它”字到底是代表什么？

The engineer has been a principal developer of these concepts because of the need for their capabilities.

[原译]工程师由于人类需要他们的能力,已经成为这些知识的主要奠基人。(《英语高考应试指南》)

句中的 their 是指“工程师的”吗？

Stone does not decay, and so the tools of long ago have remained when even the bones of the men who made them have disappeared without trace. (New Concept English, Book 4, L. 1)

[原译]石头是不会腐烂的,所以当连制造它们的人的尸骨都已消失得无影无踪的时候,很久以前的工具仍安然无恙。(中译本)

我认为句中的 them 是替代 the tools 的,但译文中“它们”似乎是替代“石头”的。请分析。

He( = A psychologist) would point out that observation or perception is a concept which refers not so much to acuteness of sight, hearing, etc., or to the care with which they are applied, as to the ability to relate phenomena to a complex network of previous experiences and theories, i.e. to a meaningful frame of reference. (A Course in Basic Scientific English, p.77)

[原译]他会指出观察或感觉是一个概念。这概念指的与其说是视觉、听觉等等的敏锐性或使用这些知觉的敏锐性的谨慎小心，倒不如说是把这些现象同先前的经历与理论的复杂网络联系起来的能力，也就是说同一个有意义的参照系联系起来的能力。（中译本）

原译文把 they 理解为指“敏锐性”，这似乎讲不通。请您帮助分析一下。

Fortunately, however, ancient men made tools of stone, especially flint, because this is easier to shape than other kinds. (New Concept English, Book 4, L. 1)

[原译1]然而幸运的是，古代人用石头，特别是燧石，制造工具，因为石头比其它东西

更容易成形。(上海外语教育出版社,p.1)

[原译2]幸而，古代人用石头，特别是燧石制作工具，因为石头比其它东西更易成形。原文中的this是代替stone，还是代替flint呢？这本书我教了好几遍了，至今也未弄清楚。

At the same time, however, insects are strangely fascinating. We enjoy reading about them, especially when we find that, like the praying mantis, they lead perfectly horrible lives. We enjoy staring at them, entranced as they go about their business ... (New Concept English, Book 3, p. 132)

[原译1]然而，昆虫却甚迷人。我们乐于阅读有关昆虫的书籍，特别是当我们发现前肢高举的螳螂之类过着一种全然恐怖的生活时尤为如此。我们喜欢凝视着螳螂全神贯注地做着自己的事情……（上海外语教育出版社版，p.30）

[原译2]然而，昆虫确实令人迷惑。我们乐于阅读有关昆虫的书籍，特别当我们发现螳螂之类过着一种全然恐怖的生活时尤为如此。我们喜欢凝视着螳螂全神贯注地做着自己的事情，而不知道(但愿如此)我们的存在。(朗文出版公司、世界图书出版公司,1993年版,p.254)。

原文中的 they, them, their 是代替 the praying mantis 吗？虽然两个译本都是这么翻译的，但是我抱有怀疑态度。