The Origins of Hinduism

与君同醉

Until the 19th century, Hinduism was considered the indigenous religion of the subcontinent of India and was practiced largely in India itself and in the places where Indians migrated in large numbers. In the 21st century, while still centered in India, Hinduism is practiced in most of the world’s countries and can thus rightly be considered a world religion. Its creation, unlike that of some world religions founded by known historical leaders, reaches into prehistory; we do not know the individuals who first practiced the religion (or set of religions that have merged to constitute present-day Hinduism) nor know exactly when its earliest forms emerged.

Hindu is a term from the ancient Persians. The Sindhu River in what is now Pakistan was called the “Hindu” by the Persians. The people who lived in proximity to the Sindhu therefore came to be called Hindus.

In academic terms the Hindu tradition, or Hinduism, is usually referred to as Brahmanism in its earlier phase, before circa 300 B.C.E., and referred to as Hinduism after that. In common usage, the term Hinduism is used for the entire span of the tradition.

Some practices of Hinduism must have originated in Neolithic times (c. 4000 B.C.E.). The worship of certain plants and animals as sacred, for instance, could very likely have very great antiquity. The worship of goddesses, too, a part of Hinduism today, may be a feature that originated in the Neolithic.

Carrie

      直到19世纪，印度教还被认为是印度次大陆上的本土宗教，主要在印度本土和有大量印度移民的地方奉行。到21世纪，印度教虽然仍然以印度为中心，但世界上大多数国家都信奉印度教，因此可以确切地认为它是一种世界性宗教了。它的创立，不同于一些由著名历史领袖创立的世界性宗教，可以追溯到史前时代; 我们既不知道是谁首先实践了这种宗教(或者是一组已经融合成今天印度教的宗教)，也不知道它最早的形式是什么时候出现的。
      印度教是取自古代波斯人的一个术语，现在巴基斯坦境内的辛杜河被波斯人称为“印度教”，因此，住在信德胡附近的人被称为印度教徒。
      在早期的学术术语中，印度教的传统，或印度教，通常被称为婆罗门教，而在大约公元前300年之后则被称为印度教。在通常用法中，印度教一词被用于整个传承过程中。
      印度教的一些习俗起源于新石器时代(公元前4000年左右)。例如，对某些植物和动物的神圣崇拜，很可能也有着非常古老的历史。对女神的崇拜，也是今天印度教的一部分，这也可能是起源于新石器时代的一个特征。

与君同醉

理解较到位，翻译较准确，句子较流畅，是篇不错的译文!

Until the 19th century, Hinduism was considered the indigenous religion of the subcontinent of India and was practiced largely in India itself and in the places where Indians migrated in large numbers. 直到19世纪，印度教还被认为是印度次大陆上的本土宗教，主要在印度本土和有大量印度移民的地方奉行。

In the 21st century, while still centered in India, Hinduism is practiced in most of the world’s countries and can thus rightly be considered a world religion.
到21世纪，印度教虽然仍然以印度为中心，但世界上大多数国家都信奉印度教，因此可以确切地认为它是一种世界性宗教了。
此译文有歧义。建议改为：到21世纪，印度教虽然仍以印度为中心，但已传播至世界上大多数国家，所以可以说是一种世界性的宗教了。

Its creation, unlike that of some world religions founded by known historical leaders, reaches into prehistory; we do not know the individuals who first practiced the religion (or set of religions that have merged to constitute present-day Hinduism) nor know exactly when its earliest forms emerged.
它的创立，不同于一些由著名历史领袖创立的世界性宗教，可以追溯到史前时代; 我们既不知道是谁首先实践了这种宗教(或者是一组已经融合成今天印度教的宗教)，也不知道它最早的形式是什么时候出现的。

Hindu is a term from the ancient Persians. The Sindhu River in what is now Pakistan was called the “Hindu” by the Persians. The people who lived in proximity to the Sindhu therefore came to be called Hindus.
印度教是取自古代波斯人的一个术语，现在巴基斯坦境内的辛杜河被波斯人称为“印度教”，因此，住在信德胡附近的人被称为印度教徒。
此处是“辛杜河”的错译吧。
因为这里涉及到英文词汇意义的变化，所以最好能加词解释一下。
建议改为：印度教的英文“Hindu”来自古波斯语。古波斯人把今巴基斯坦地区的辛杜河叫做“辛杜”（Hindu），而住在该河流域的人，则被称为“辛杜人”（Hindus），即今天的“印度教徒”的英文。

In academic terms the Hindu tradition, or Hinduism, is usually referred to as Brahmanism in its earlier phase, before circa 300 B.C.E., and referred to as Hinduism after that.
在早期的学术术语中，印度教的传统，或印度教，通常被称为婆罗门教，而在大约公元前300年之后则被称为印度教。
此处in its earlier phase修饰的不是academic terms，而是Brahmanism
建议改为：在学术术语中，印度教传统，或印度教，通常是指早期的婆罗门教，存在于大约公元前300年左右之前；而在此时间段之后，则被称为印度教。

In common usage, the term Hinduism is used for the entire span of the tradition.
在通常用法中，印度教一词被用于整个传承过程中。
这里暗含转折的意思，所以可以加“不过”
“整个传承”此处传达的语义有点含混不清
建议改为：不过一般文献中，“印度教”一词可以用来指这一宗教的所有发展阶段。

Some practices of Hinduism must have originated in Neolithic times (c. 4000 B.C.E.). The worship of certain plants and animals as sacred, for instance, could very likely have very great antiquity.
印度教的一些习俗起源于新石器时代(公元前4000年左右)。例如，对某些植物和动物的神圣崇拜，很可能也有着非常古老的历史。
建议改为：印度教的一些习俗应该是起源于

The worship of goddesses, too, a part of Hinduism today, may be a feature that originated in the Neolithic.对女神的崇拜，也是今天印度教的一部分，这也可能是起源于新石器时代的一个特征。