习题二

2000年9月考题

TRANSLATION TEST (1) (30 minutes)

Directions: Translate the following passage into Chinese and write your version in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

 

The biggest problem of the third industrial revolution is as easy to explain as it is difficulty to solve. Technology is creating a global economy that is rapidly supplanting our old national economies. National governments cannot control this new economy, yet no one, least of all Americans, wants to create the form of global government that might be able to control it. As a result we were going to be living in a fundamentally unmanaged economic system. The difficulties of containing the 1997 Asian economic meltdown are just the first of many such difficulties we can expect.

National governments, which used to worry about managing and maintaining their economic systems, are slowly being pushed out of business. Changes in global finance overwhelm all but the largest governments. Governments have lost much of their influence over the movement of information and capital. They cannot control who crosses their borders either physically or culturally.

Conversely, the power of global business is growing with companies’ ability to move to the most advantageous locations and play countries off against one another in bidding for attractive investment projects.

 

分析：

①The biggest problem of the third industrial revolution is as easy to explain as it is difficulty to solve.

  译文：第三次工业革命的首要问题容易说明，却很难解决。

  考点： as…as的翻译：既……又……；这里有转折

            比较级的翻译

英语的比较结构是非常复杂的，其表现形式是多样性的。就其等级而言，有原级（positive degree）、比较级（comparative degree）、最高级（superlative degree）。就其性质而言，有强化性质的比较，递增和递减性质的比较、否定性质的比较、选择性质的比较、限制性质的比较、含蓄性质的比较等。

 

一、强化语势的比较

more than+原级：表示强调

She is more than charming and lovely.

译文：她分外多娇。

 

You do me more than pride.

译文：你使我感到不胜荣幸。

 

After all these years of working together, he is more than a friend to me.

译文：他和我共事那么多年，岂只是我的普通朋友//我们已成莫逆之交。

 

as…as…：不仅……而且……；既……又……

Your composition is as concise as potent.

译文：你的文章短小精悍

 

still less=much less：更谈不上，何况，甚至……还

For the sake of scientific research, we spare no sacrifice of life, much less time and energy.

   译文：为了科学研究，我们甚至不惜牺牲生命，还舍不得付出实践与精力吗？

 

far/much/considerably/appreciably/a lot/a good deal/+比较级：远胜于；远比……多

In a sense, translation is considerably more difficult than composition. As an English proverb goes, “a genuine translator must necessarily be ‘a man of common sense’.”

译文：从某种意义上说，翻译比写作难得多，正如英语谚语所说的那样，“一个真正的翻译家必定是有‘常识的人’。”

 

no+比较级：并不；一点也没有

He is no better after taking the pills.

   译文：他吃完药后一点也没好。

 

second to none：比……毫无逊色；最好的

China is a highly civilized nation. She cherishes a time-honored cultural tradition. Chinese architecture is second to none in artistic style.

译文：中国是一个高度文明的国家，她有历史悠久的文化传统，其建筑在艺术风格方面，与其他国家的相比毫无逊色。

 

二、递增级和递减级

the more…the more：越……越……；愈……愈……

The more developed is industry, the more serious is environmental pollution.

   译文：工业越发达，环境污染越严重。

 

more…, less…：越……，反而更……

More haste, less speed.

   译文：欲速则不达。

 

最高级……最高级：越……越……；最……最……

He who smiles last smiles best.

   译文：谁笑到最后，笑得最好。

 

all the+比较级：反而更……

He is suffering from insomnia. Hence, he usually takes overdose of methaqualone, and that is all the worse for his health.

译文：他患失眠症，因而时常服用过量的安眠酮，但这对他的健康，反而更加不利。

 

no less than：不但……而且……

He is no less proficient in astronomy than in geography.

译文：他不仅精通天文，而且精通地理。

 

more than：很……；……有余

He is more than a gentleman, who will give his seat to the elderly on the bus.

   译文：他很绅士，在公交车上会给老年人让座。

 

三、否定性质的比较

比较级+than+原级：……有余而……不足；有……而无……

The commander is more brave than wise.

译文：司令官有勇无谋。

 

You are more cautious than decisive.

   译文：你谨慎有余而果断不足。

 

比较级+of+名词+than+被比较的名词：与其说……不如说……

He is more of a strategist than a statesman.

   译文：与其说他是一个政治家，不如说他是个战略家。

 

more than+名词：非……

His feeling is more than words can describe.

   译文：他的感情非语言所能描绘。

 

more than+动词：毫不……

He more than hesitated to undertake this task and expressed his firm resolution to overfulfill it ahead of time.

   译文：他毫不迟疑地承担了这项任务，而且表示决心，一定要提前超额完成。

 

否定词+than(prep)：并不；并非

Through his lack of experience, he is no more skillful than Alice in practical operation.

   译文：由于缺乏经验，他在实际操作方面，并不比艾丽丝熟练。

 

四、选择性比较和限制性比较

had better：最好……；以……为妙

You‘d better look before you leap.

译文：凡事要三思而后行。

 

prefer to…rather than…：宁可……不愿……；与其……不如……；宁……毋……

The hero preferred to die standing rather than live kneeling.

   译文：这位英雄宁可站着死，不愿跪着生。

 

so/as far/long as：只要

So long as my lingering gasp lasts, I will never cease studying.

   译文：只要我一息尚存，就要学习不止。

 

②Technology is creating a global economy (that is rapidly supplanting our old national economies.)

  译文：科技正在创造一种全球经济，来迅速代替我们陈旧的国民经济体制。

  考点：单独出现technology不要翻译成“技术”，最好翻译成“科技”。

         定语从句：前置╳ 省略法★

         具体译法：national economies→国民经济体制

 

③National governments cannot control this new economy, yet no one, least of all Americans, wants to create the form of global government (that might be able to control it).

  译文：各国政府无法掌控新经济，也没有人想要建立能够掌控这种新经济的全球性政府机构/形式，就更别提美国人了//美国人就更不用说了。

  考点：增词译法：governments→各国政府

         比较级表否定：least of all: to an insignificant degree 最不

                          eg. Least of all would I lie to you. 我绝不会对你撒谎。

         定语从句的翻译：前置法

 

④As a result we were going to be living in a fundamentally unmanaged economic system.

  译文：从而我们可能/似乎要生活在一个根本没有管理/无法掌控的经济体制中。

  考点：were going to=would 表示假想的现在的动作或事件

            eg. It would be a pity to miss the film. 要是赶不上电影就可惜了。

1） 与imagine，say，think各词连用表示偏爱

eg. I would be only too glad to help you. 我非常高兴能帮忙。

2） 用来评述特有的行为

eg. That’s just what he would say. 那正是他会说的话。

    It would rain on the day we chose for a picnic. 我们选定野餐的那天偏要下雨。

3） 用于so that，in order that之后，以表示目的

eg. She burned the letters so that her husband would never read them.

    她把那些信都烧了，这样她丈夫就永远看不到它们了。 

 

⑤The difficulties of containing the 1997 Asian economic meltdown are just the first of many such difficulties we can expect.

  译文：抑制/遏制1997年亚洲经济灾难/崩溃所遇到的麻烦，只不过是我们可以预料到的溃堤蚁穴/麻烦的开始。

  考点：meltdown: catastrophe 彻底垮台；灾难

         具体译法：just the first of many such difficulties→溃堤蚁穴

 

⑥National governments, (which used to worry about managing and maintaining their economic systems), are slowly being pushed out of business.

  译文：过去常常为各自经济制度的管理和维系而殚精竭虑的各国政府，正渐渐地变得无所作为//正日渐没落。

  考点：定语从句的翻译：前置法（如像参考文那样翻译，则主语削弱）

         转型译法：动词→名词  manage→管理   maintain→维系

         转态译法：被主交换  are slowly being pushed out of business→日渐没落

                      out of business→破产

 

⑦Changes in global finance overwhelm all but the largest governments.

  译文一：世界上只有最大的几个政府才能在全球金融动荡中屹立不倒。

  译文二：全球金融瞬息万变，唯一难不倒全球最大的几个政府。

  考点：change不要翻成“变化”，因为“金融变化”搭配不好。

         转性译法：名词→形容词  change→瞬息万变

         正反译法：overwhelm→屹立不倒；难不倒（反译）

         换序译法

 

⑧Governments have lost much of their influence over the movement of information and capital.

  译文：政府对信息和资本流动的影响已丧失大半/微乎其微。

 

⑨They cannot control who crosses their borders either physically or culturally.

  译文：无论是外人入境，或是文化入侵，政府都已无能为力。

  考点：physically: using violence 使用暴力地；动武地

            eg. Are you going to cooperate or go we have to get physical?

               你是跟我们合作，还是我们非得动武呢？

         转性译法：副词→名词  physically→外人  culturally→文化

         换序译法

 

⑩Conversely, the power of global business is growing with companies’ ability to move to the most advantageous locations and play countries off against one another in bidding for attractive investment projects.

  译文：截然相反的是，全球性大公司利用近水楼台先得月/迁往最有利的地方，唆使国与国之间为争取有吸引力/诱人的投资项目而鹬蚌相争，权力不断增长。

  考点：play A off against B: cause two people or groups to oppose each other, esp. for one’s own advantage. 挑拨离间（从中取利）

         具体译法：play off against→唆使……鹬蚌相争

 

 

TRANSLATIONS TEST (2) (30 minutes)

Directions: Translate the following passage into English and write your version in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.

知识和技术创新是人类经济、社会发展的重要动力源泉。中国将致力于建设国家创新体系，通过营造良好的环境，推进知识创新、技术创新和体制创新，这是中国实现跨世纪发展的必由之路。

中国政府支持科学家为了国家需求和科学发展开展基础研究，尊重科学家独特的敏感和创造精神，鼓励他们进行“好奇心驱动的研究”。在未来的50年甚至更长的时期里，中国的发展将在很大的程度上依赖于今天基础研究和高技术研究的创新成就，依赖于这些研究所必然孕育的优秀人才。

 

分析：

①知识和技术创新是人类经济、社会发展的重要动力源泉。

  译文：The innovation in knowledge and technology//Knowledge and technological innovation is/constitutes an important source of motive for/impetus to /incentive to/driving force for the economic and social development of mankind.

 

②中国将致力于建设国家创新体系，通过营造良好的环境，推进知识创新、技术创新和体制创新，这是中国实现跨世纪发展的必由之路。

  译文：Through creating a favorable background, China will be devoted to building a national system for innovation to promote/further the innovation in knowledge, technology and system, which is the only path/indispensable/essential for China to achieve cross-century/trans-century/century-crossing/turn-of-the-century development.

  考点：致力于→be devoted/dedicated/committed to

         必由之路→indispensable/essential/vital/required/crucial/requisite/key to

 换序译法

 转性译法：名词→形容词   必由之路→indispensable

 定语从句的翻译：重复法→“这”

 

③中国政府支持科学家为了国家需求和科学发展开展基础研究，尊重科学家独特的敏感和创造精神，鼓励他们进行“好奇心驱动的研究”。

  译文：The Chinese government supports scientists in carrying out fundamental research to meet the national demand, respects scientists’ unique sensitivity and creativity/originality/ingenuity, and encourages them to carry out/conduct curiosity-driven research//research driven by curiosity. 

 

④在未来的50年甚至更长的时期里，中国的发展将在很大的程度上依赖于今天基础研究和高技术研究的创新成就，依赖于这些研究所必然孕育的优秀人才。

  译文：During/Within/In the period of next 50 years or even longer, China’s development will depend, to a large extent, on the innovative achievements in the field of today’s fundamental and high-tech research and on the elites who are bound to be nurtured/bred in the course of//in the researches.