Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry-William Shakespeare-but there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), which presents superb productions of the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon. And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the tourists who come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway‘s Cottage, Shakespeare‘s birthplace and the other sights.
The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue. They frankly dislike the RSC‘s actors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness. It‘s all deliciously ironic when you consider that S hakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor (with a beard) and did his share of noise - making.
The tourist streams are not entirely separate. The sightseers who come by bus- and often take in Warwick Castle and Blenheim Palace on the side –don‘t usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford. However, the playgoers do manage a little sight - seeing along with their play going. It is the playgoers, the RSC contends, who bring in much of the town‘s revenue because they spend the night (some of them four or five nights) pouring cash into the hotels and restaurants. The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall.
The townsfolk don‘t see it this way and local council does not contribute directly to the subsidy of the Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford cries poor traditionally. Nevertheless every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wing or cocktail lounge. Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet Hamburger Bars, the Lear Lounge, the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive.
Anyway, the townsfolk can‘t understand why the Royal Shakespea re Company needs a subsidy. (The theatre has broken attendance records for three years in a row. Last year its 1,431 seats were 94 per cent occupied all year long and this year they‘ll do better.) The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low.
It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford‘s most attractive clientele. They come entirely for the plays, not the sights. They all seem to look alike (though they come from all over) –lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing jeans and sandals, eating their buns and bedding down for the night on the flagstones outside the theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing-room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them when the box office opens at 10:30 a.m.
1. From the first two paragraphs , we learn that
A. the townsfolk deny the RSC ‘ s contribution to the town‘s revenue
B. the actors of the RSC imitate Shakespeare on and off stage
C. the two branches of the RSC are not on good terms
D. the townsfolk earn little from tourism
2. It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that
A. the sightseers cannot visit the Castle and the Palace separately
B. the playgoers spend more money than the sightseers
C. the sightseers do more shopping than the playgoers
D. the playgoers go to no other places in town than the theater
3. By saying ―Stratford cries poor traditionally‖ (Line 2-3, Paragraph 4), the author implies that
A. Stratford cannot afford the expansion projects
B. Stratford has long been in financial difficulties
C. the town is not really short of money
D. the townsfolk used to be poorly paid
4. According to the townsfolk, the RSC deserves no subsidy because
A. ticket prices can be raised to cover the spending
B. the company is financially ill-managed
C. the behavior of the actors is not socially acceptable
D. the theatre attendance is on the rise
5. From the text we can conclude that the author
A. is supportive of both sides
B. favors the townsfolk‘s view
C. takes a detached attitude
D. is sympathetic to the RSC.
参考答案：
A B C D D
TEXT A
Ricci‘s ―Operation Columbus‖
Ricci, 45, is now striking out on perhaps his boldest venture yet. He plan s to market an English language edition of his elegant monthly art magazine, FMR , in the United States. Once again the skeptice are murmuring that the successfu l Ricci has headed for a big fall. And once again Ricci intends to prove them wr ong.
Ricci is so confident t hat he has christened his quest ―Operation Columbu s‖ and has set his sights on discovering an American readership of 300,000. That goal may not be too far-fetched. The Italian edition of FMR — the initials, of course, stand for Franco Maria Ricci-is only 18 months old. But it is already the second largest art magazine in the world, with a circulation of 65,000 and a profit margin of US $ 500,000. The American edition will be patterned after th e Italian version, with each 160-page issue carrying only 40 pages of ads and no more than five articles. But the contents will often differ. The English-langua ge edition will include more American works, Ricci says, to help Americans get o ver ―an inferiority complex about their art.‖ He also hopes that the magazine will become a vehicle for a two -way cultural exchange — what he likes to think of as a marriage of brains, culture and taste from both sides of the Atlantic.
To realize this vision, Ricci is mounting one of the most lavish, enterpris ing —and expensive-promotional campaigns in magazine —publishing history. Between November and January, eight jumbo jets will fly 8 million copies of a sample 16-page edition of FMR across the Atlantic. From a warehouse in Michigan, 6.5 million copies will be mailed to American subscribers of various cultural, art and business magazines. Some of the remaining copies will circulate as a spe cial Sunday supplement in the New York Times. The cost of launching Operation Co lumbus is a staggering US $ 5 million, but Ricci is hoping that 60% of the price tag will be financed by Italian corporations.― To land in America Columbus had to use Spanish sponsors,‖ reads one sentence in his promotional pamphlet. ―We would like Italians.‖
Like Columbus, Ricci cannot know what his reception will be on foreign shor es. In Italy he gambled — and won — on a simple concept: it is more important to show art than to write about it. Hence, one issue of FMR might feature 32 fu ll-colour pages of 17th-century tapestries, followed by 14 pages of outrageous e yeglasses. He is gambling that the concept is exportable. ―I don‘t expect that more than 30% of my reader... will actually read FMR,‖ he says. ―The magazine is such a visual delight that they don‘t have to.‖ Still, he is lining up an impr es sive stable of writers and professors for the American edition , including Noam Chomsky, Anthony Burgess, Eric Jong and Norman Mailer. In addition, he seems to be pursuing his won eclectic vision without giving a moment‘s thought to such e s tablished competitors as Connosisseur and Horizon. ―The Americans can do almost everything better than we can,‖ says Rieci, ―But we(the Italians)have a 2,000 year edge on them in art.‖
16. Ricci intends his American edition of FMR to carry more American art works in order to___.
A. boost Americans‘ confidenc e in their art
B. follow the pattern set by his Italian edition
C. help Italians understand American art better
D. expand the readership of his magazine
17. Ricci is compared to Columbus in the passage mainly because___.
A. they both benefited from Italian sponsors
B. they were explorers in their own ways
C. they obtained overseas sponsorship
D. they got a warm reception in America
18. We get the impression that the American edition of FMR will probably ___.
A. carry many academic articles of high standard
B. follow the style of some famous existing magazines
C. be mad by one third of American magazine readers
D. pursue a distinctive editorial style of its own
TEXT B
My mother‘s relations were very different fro m the Mitfords. Her brother, Uncle Geoff, who often came to stay at Swimbrook, was a small spare man with th oughtful blue eyes and a rather silent manner. Compared to Uncle Tommy, he was a n intellectual of the highest order, and indeed his satirical pen belied his mil d demeanor. He spent most of his waking hours composing letters to The Times and other publications in which he outlined his own particular theory of the develo pment of English history. In Uncle Geoff‘s view, the greatness of England had r isen and waned over the centuries in direct proportion to the use of natural man ure in fertilizing the soil. The Black Death of 1348 was caused by gradual loss of the humus fertility found under forest trees. The rise of the Elizabethans tw o centuries later was attributable to the widespread use of sheep
manure.
Many of Uncle Geoff‘s letters-to-the-editor have fortunately been preserv ed in a privately printed volume called Writings of a Rebel. Of the collection, one letter best sums up his views on the relationship between manure and freedom
. He wrote:
Collating old records shows that our greatness rises and falls with the li ving fertility of our soil. And now, many years of exhausted and chemically murd ered soil, and of devitalized food from it, has softened our bodies and still wo rse, softened our national character. It is an actual fact that character is lar gely a product of the soil. Many years of murdered food from deadened soil has m ade us too tame. Chemicals have had their poisonous day. It is now the worm‘s t urn to reform the manhood of England. The only way to regain our punch, our char acter, our lost virtues, and with them the freedom natural to islanders, is to c o mpost our land so as to allow moulds, bacteria and earthworms to remake living s oil to nourish Englishmen‘s bodies and spirits.
The law requiring pasteurization of milk in England was a particular targe t of Uncle Geoff‘s. Fond of alliteration, he dubbed it ―Murdered Milk Measure ‖, and established the Liberty Restoration League, with headquarters at his house i n London, for the specific purpose of organizing a counteroffensive. ―Freedom n o t Doctordom‖ was the League‘s proud slogan. A subsidiary, but nevertheless imp or tant, activity of the League was advocacy of a return to the ―unsplit, slowly s m oked fish‖ and bread made with ―English stone-ground flour, yeast, milk, sea s alt and raw cane-sugar.‖
19. According to Uncle Geoff, national strength could only be regained by ___.
A. reforming the manhood of England
B. using natural manure as fertilizer
C. eating more bacteria-free food
D. granting more freedom to Englishmen
20. The tone of the passage can most probably be described as___.
A. facetious
B. serious
C. nostalgic
D. factual
TEXT C
Interview
So what have they taught you at college about interviews? Some courses go t o town on it, others do very little. You may get conflicting advice. Only one th ing is certain: the key to success is preparation.
There follow some useful suggestions from a teacher training course co-ordi nator, a head of department and a headteacher. As they appear to be in complete harmony with one another despite never having met, we may take their advice seri ously.
O xford Brookes University‘s approach to the business of application and in t erview focuses on research and rehearsal. Training course co-ordinator Brenda St evens speaks of the value of getting students ―to deconstruct the advertisement , see what they can offer to that school, and that situation, and then write the letter, do their CVs and criticize each other‘s.‖ Finally, they role play inte rviewer and interviewee.
T his is sterling stuff, and Brookes students spend a couple of weeks on it. ―The better prepared students won‘t be thrown by nerves on the day, ‖says Ms St evens. ―They‘ll have their strategies and questions worked out. ‖ She also sa ys, a trifle disconcertingly, ―the better the student, the worse the interviewee. ‖ She believes the most capable students are less able to put themselves forward. Even if this were tree, says Ms Stevens, you must still make your own case.
―Beware of infernality,‖ s he advises. One aspirant teacher, now a head of d epartment at a smart secondary school, failed his first job interview because he took his jacket off while waiting for his appointment. It was hot and everyone in the staffroom was in shirtsleeves but at the end of the day they criticized h is casual attitude, which they had deduced from the fact that he took his jacket off in the staffroom, even though he put it back on for the interview.
I ncidentally, men really do have to wear a suit to the interview and women really cannot wear jeans, even if men never wear the suit again and women teach most days in jeans. Panels respond instantly to these indicators. But beware: it will not please them any better if you are too smart.
F ind out about the people who will talk to you. In the early meetings they are likely to be heads of departments or heads of year. Often they may be concer ned with pastoral matters. It makes sense to know their priorities and let them hear the things about you that they want to hear.
D uring preliminary meetings you may be seen in groups with two or three oth er applicants and you must demonstrate that you know your stuff without putting your companions down. The interviewers will be watching how you work with a team
But remember the warning about informality: however friendly and co-operat ive the other participants are, do not give way to the idea that you are there j ust to be friends.
R outin e questions can be rehearsed, but ―don‘t go on too long,‖ advises th e department head. They may well ask: ―What have been your worst/best moments w h en teaching?‖, or want you to ―talk about some good teaching you have done. ‖ The experts agree you shoul d recognize your weaknesses and offer a strategy for over coming them. ―I know I‘ve got to work on classroom management —I would hope fo r some help,‖ perhaps. No one expects a new teacher to know it all, but they ho pe for an objective appraisal of capabilities.
Be warned against inexpert questioning. You may be asked questions in such a way that it seems impossible to present your best features. Some questions may be plain silly, asked perhaps by people on the panel who are from outside the s ituation. Do not be thrown, have ways of circumnavigating it, and never, ever le t them see that you think they have said something
foolish.
Y ou will almost certainly be asked how you see the future and it is import ant to have a good answer prepared. Some people are put off by being asked what they expect to be doing in five or ten years‘ time. On your preliminary visit, s ays the department head, be sure to give them a bit of an interview of your own, to see the direction the department is going and what you could contribute to i t.
The headteacher offers his thoughts in a nine-point plan. Iron the application form! Then it stands out from everyone else‘s, which have been folded and battered in the post. It gives an initial impression which may get your application to the top of the pile. Ensure that your application is tailored to the particular school. Make the hea d feel you are writing directly to him or her. Put yourself at ease before you meet the interviewing panel: if you are nervous , you will talk too quickly. Before you enter the room remember that the people are human beings too; take away the mystique of their roles. Listen. There is a danger of not hearing accurately what is being said. Make ey e contact with the speakers, and with everyone in the room. Allow your warmth and humanity to be seen. A sense of humour is very important.
Have a portfolio of your work that can link theory to practice. Many sch ools wa nt you to show work. For a primary appointment, give examples from the range of the curriculum, not just art. (For this reason, taking pictures on your teaching practice is important. ) Prepare yourself in case you are asked to give a talk. Have p rompt cards ready, and don‘t waffle.
Y our speech must be clear and articulate, with correct grammar. This is importa nt: they want to hear you and they want to hear how well you can communicate wit h children. Believe in yourself and have confidence.
Some of the people asking the questions don‘t know much about what you do. B e ready to help them.
T hus armed, you should have no difficulty at all. Good luck and keep your jac ket on!
21. Ms. Brenda Stevens suggests that before applying job applicants should ___.
A. go through each other‘s CVs
B. rehearse their answers to questions
C. understand thoroughly the situations
D. go to town to attend training course
22. Is it wise to admit some of your weaknesses relating to work?
A. Yes, but you should have ideas for improvement in the future.
B. Yes, because it is natural to be weak in certain aspects.
C. No, admitting weaknesses may put you at a disadvantage.
D. No, it will only prompt the interviewees to reject you.
23. The best way to deal with odd questions from the interviewers is to ___.
A. remain smiling and kindly point out the inaccuracies
B. keep calm and try to be tactful in your answers
C. say frankly what you think about the issues raised
D. suggest something else to get over your nervousness
24. The suggestions offered by the headteacher are ___.
A. original
B. ambiguous
C. practical
D. co ntroversial
TEXT D
F amily Matters
This month Singapore passed a bill that woul d give legal teeth to the moral obligation to support one‘s parents. Called the Maintenance of Parents Bill,i t received the backing of the Singapore Government.
That does not mean it hasn‘t generated discussion. Several members of the P arliament o pposed the measure as un-Asian. Others who acknowledged the problem o f the elderly poor believed it a disproportionate response. Still others believe it will subvert relations within the family: cynics dubbed it the ―Sue Your So n‖ law.
Those who sa y that the bill does not promote filial responsibility, of cour se, are right. It has nothing to do with filial responsibility. It kicks in wher e filial responsibility fails. The law cannot legislate filial responsibility an y more than it can legislate love. All the law can do is to provide a safety net where this morality proves insufficient. Singapore needs this bill not to repla ce morality, but to provide incentives to shore it up.
Like many other developed nations, Singapore faces the problems o f an incre asing proportion of people over 60 years of age. Demography is inexorable. In 19 80, 7.2% of the population was in this bracket. By the end of the century that fi gure will grow to 11%. By 2030, the proportion is projected to be 26%. The probl em is not old age per se. It is that the ratio of economically active people to economically inactive people will decline.
But no amount of government exhortation or paternalism will completely elim inate the problem of old people who have insufficient means to make ends meet. S ome people will fall through the holes in any safety net.
Traditionally, a person‘s insurance against poverty in his old age was his family, lifts is not a revolutionary concept. Nor is it uniquely Asian. Care an d supp ort for one‘s parents is a universal value shared by all civilized societ ies.
The problem in Singapore is that the moral obligation to look after one‘s parents is unenforceable.
A father can be compelled by law to maintain his child ren. A husband can be forced to support his wife. But, until now, a son or daugh ter had no legal obligation to support his or her parents.
In 1989, an Advisory Council was set up to look into the problems of the ag ed. Its report stated with a tinge of complacency that 95% of those who did not have their own income were receiving cash contributions from relations. But what a bout the 5% who aren‘t getting relatives‘ support? They have several options : (a) get a job and work until they die; (b) apply for public assistance(you hav e to be destitute to apply); or(c) starve quietly. None of these options is soci ally acceptable. And what if this 5% figure grows, as it is likely to do, as soc iety ages?
The Maintenance of Parents Bill was put forth to encourage the traditional virtues that have so far kept Asian nations from some of the breakdowns encounte red in other affluent societies. This legislation will allow a person to apply t o the court for maintenance from any or all of his children. The court would hav e the discretion to refuse to make an order if it is unjust.
Those who deride the proposal for opening up the courts to family lawsuits miss the , point. Only in extreme cases would any parent take his child to court. If it does indeed become law, the bill‘s effect would be far more subtle.
First, it will reaffirm the notion that it is each individual‘s—not so ci ety‘s—responsibility to look after his parents. Singapore is still conservativ e enough that most people will not object to this idea. It reinfor ces the tradit ional values and it doesn‘t hurt a society now and then to remind itself of its core values.
Second, and more important, it will make those who are inclined to shirk th eir responsibilities think twice. Until now, if a person asked family elders, cl ergymen or the Ministry of Community Development to help get financial support f rom his children, the most they could do was to mediate. But mediators have no t eeth, and a child could simply ignore their pleas.
But to be sued by one‘s pa rents would be a massive loss of face. It would be a public disgrace. Few people would be so thick-skinned a s to say, ―Sue and be damned‖. The hand of the conciliator would be immeasurably strengthened. It is far more likely that some sort of amicable settlement would be reached if th e recalcitrant son or daughter knows that the alternative is a public trial.
It would be nice to think Singapore doesn‘t need this kind of law. But th at belief ignores the clear demographic trends and the effect of affluence itsel f on traditional bends. Those of us who pushed for the bill will consider ourselv es most successful if it acts as an incentive not to have it invoked in the firs t place.
25. The Maintenance of Parents Bill ___.
A. received unanimous support in the Singapore Parliament
B. was believed to solve all the problems of the elderly poor
C. was intended to substitute for traditional values in Singapore
D. was passed to make the young more responsible to the old
26. By quoting the growing percentage points of the aged in the populatio n, the author seems to imply that ___.
A. the country will face mounting problems of the old in future
B. the social welfare system would be under great pressure
C. young people should be given more moral education
D. the old should be provided with means of livelihood
27. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
A. Filial responsibility in Singapore is enforced by law.
B. Fathers have legal obligations to look after their children.
C. It is an acceptable practice for the old to continue working.
D. The Advisory Council was dissatisfied with the problems of the old.
28. The author seems to suggest that traditional values ___.
A. play an insignificant role in solving social problems
B. are helpful to the elderly when they sue their children
C. are very important in preserving Asian uniqueness
D. are significant in helping the Bill get approved
29. The author thinks that if the Bill becomes law, its effect would be ___.
A. indirect
B. unnoticed
C. apparent
D. straightforward
30. At the end of the passage, the author seems to imply that success of the Bill depends upon ___.
A. strict enforcement
B. public support
C. government assurance
D. filial awareness
SECTION A
TEXT A
短文大意：本文介绍的是艺术月刊FMR打算在美国出版的原因以及该杂志的特点。
16.答案：A
【参考译文】Ricci为何计划在美国版的FMR上登载更多美国艺术品？
【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】短文第二段倒数第二句说―The English-language edition will include more American works, Ricci says, to help Americans get over ?an inferiority complex about their art‘.‖由此可知，登载更多美国艺术品是为了帮助美国人树立自信心，因为他们对其没有太长历史的文化艺术而感到自卑。故选项A为正确答案。
17.答案：B
【参考译文】本文将Ricci和哥伦布相比的主要原因是什么？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】众所周知，哥伦布是一位探险家，他发现了美洲大陆，而Ricci是想要开拓美国的艺术杂志市场，是一位商业探索者。因此他们同是探索者，故答案选B。
18.答案：D
【参考译文】我们对美国杂志FMR的印象如何？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】短文倒数第二段说―In addition, he seems to be pursuing his won eclectic vision without giving a moment‘s thought to such established competitors as Connoisseur and Horizon.‖即该杂志的编辑方式不同于其他艺术杂志，故选项D―追求自己独特的艺术风格‖为正确答案。
TEXT B
短文大意：本文主要介绍了Geoff舅舅对于英国发展史的看法。
19.答案：B
【参考译文】根据Geoff舅舅的观点，只有怎样做才能恢复国力？
【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】Geoff舅舅在写给报社的信中提到―The only way to regain our punch, our character, our lost virtues, and with them the freedom natural to islanders, is to compost our land so as to allow moulds, bacteria and earthworms to remake liv ing soil to nourish Englishmen‘s bodies and sp irits.‖由此可知，Geoff舅舅认为英国的兴衰与使用天然肥料是成正比的，故选项B―使用天然肥料‖为正确答案。
20.答案：A
【参考译文】本文作者很可能是什么语气？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】通读全文可知，作者在描述Geoff舅舅时用的语言幽默风趣，充满了诙谐、嘲弄的语气。故选项A―滑稽可笑的‖为正确答案。
TEXT C
短文大意：本文主要介绍的是面试者如何做好面试的准备工作。
21.答案：C
【参考译文】Brenda Stevens女士建议求职者在求职前应该怎样？
【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】短文第三段第二句说―Brenda Stevens speaks of the value of getting students to deconstruct the advertisement, see what they can offer to that school, and that situation, and then write the letter, do their CVs and criticize each o othe r‘s.‘‖由此可知，面试训练班的目的是让学生对所处场面的了解，故Brenda Stevens 女士建议求职者在求职前应该是C―彻底了解所处的场面‖。
22.答案：A
【参考译文】承认自己工作中的一些弱点是否明智？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】短文第十段第三句说―The experts agree you should recognize your weaknesses and offer a strategy for overcoming them.‖这里以专家的观点说明应聘者应该正视自己的弱点，并且要有克服它们的策略。故答案选A。
23.答案：B
【参考译文】对于面试者提出的古怪问题，应聘者最好的应对方法是什么？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】短文第十一段谈到如果面试者提出愚蠢问题时，应聘者应该―Do not be thrown, have ways of circumnavigating it, and never, ever let them see that you think they have said something foolish.‖ 即应试者应从侧面巧妙地避开问题，并且千万不要让面试者看出你
认为他们问了愚蠢的问题。故选项B为正确答案。
24.答案：C
【参考译文】校长所提的建议如何？
【试题分析】本题为归纳总结题。
【详细解答】短文中共列出了校长提出的九点建议，均是关于具体处理问题的办法，故选项C ―实用的‖为最佳答案。
TEXT D
短文大意：本文主要对新加坡的―赡养父母议案‖的讨论。
25.答案：D
【参考译文】―赡养父母议案‖如何？
【试题分析】本题为细节理解题。
【详细解答】短文首句说―This month Singapore passed a bill that would give legal teeth to the moral obligation to support one‘s parents.‖由此可知，选项D―该议案的通过是为了让年轻人对老年人更尽义务‖为正确答案。
26.答案：A
【参考译文】作者引用老年人比例不断上升，似乎是在暗示什么？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】短文通过具体数字告诉我们，在新加坡确实存在老龄人口比例增大的问题，这所带来的影响是：―It is that the ratio of economically active people to economically inactive people will decline.‖即国家将面临严重的经济问题。故选项A为正确答案。
27.答案：B
【参考译文】下列哪一种说法是正确的？
【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】短文第七段第二句说―A father can be compelled by law to maintain his children.‖这与B的说法一致，故选项B为正确答案。
28.答案：C
【参考译文】作者似乎在暗示传统价值观怎样？
【试题分析】本题为细节题。
【详细解答】短文第九段首句说―The Maintenance of Parents Bill was put forth to encourage the traditional virtues that have so far kept Asian nations from some of the breakdowns encountered in other af fluent societies.‖这里是说亚洲国家的传统美德使得他们有别于那些富有的国家，这表明传统美德在保持亚洲国家的特色方面起着重要作用，故答案选C。
29.答案：A
【参考译文】作者认为如果这项议案成为法律的话，它将会产生怎样的效果？
【试题分析】本题为推理题。
【详细解答】短文第十段最后一句说―If it does indeed become law, the bill‘s effect would be far more subtle.‖ 在接下来的几段里，作者讲到赡养父母是个人的责任，并非社会的责任。而有些人碍于情面，不得不重新考虑赡养父母的问题。因此该议案起到了间接的作用。故选项A为正确答案。
30.答案：D
【参考译文】在文章的结尾部分，作者似乎在暗示该议案的成功有赖于什么？
【试题分析】本题为总结题。
【详细解答】文章的最后一句说―Those of us who pushed for the bill will consider ourselves most successful if it acts as an incentive not to h ave it invoked in the first place.‖ 这句话表明该
议案是否成功要看它能否激励人们维护传统道德观念，而不是首先考虑对簿公堂，故选项D―孝顺意识‖为正确答案
Section A原文：
加拿大的温哥华1986年刚刚度过百岁生日，但城市的发展令世界瞩目。以港立市，以港兴市，是许多港口城市生存发展的道路。经过百年开发建设，有着天然不冻良港的温哥华，成为举世闻名的港口城市，同亚洲、大洋洲、欧洲、拉丁美洲均有定期班轮，年货物吞吐量达到8，000万吨，全市就业人口中有三分之一从事贸易与运输行业。
温哥华（Vancouver）的辉煌是温哥华人智慧和勤奋的结晶，其中包括多民族的贡献。加拿大地广人稀，国土面积比中国还大，人口却不足3000万。吸收外来移民，是加拿大长期奉行的国策。可以说，加拿大除了印第安人外，无一不是外来移民，不同的只是时间长短而已。温哥华则更是世界上屈指可数的多民族城市。现今180万温哥华居民中，有一半不是在本地出生的，每4个居民中就有一个是亚洲人。而25万华人对温哥华的经济转型起着决定性的作用。他们其中有一半是近5年才来到温哥华地区的，使温哥华成为亚洲以外最大的中国人聚居地。
Section B原文：
In some societies people want children for what might be called familial reasons: to extend the family line or the family name, to propitiate the ancestors; to enable the proper functioning of religious rituals involving the family. Such reasons may seem thin in the modern, secularized society but they have been and are powerful indeed in other places.
In addition, one class of family reasons shares a border with the following category, namely, having children in order to maintain or improve a marriage: to hold the husband or occupy the wife; to repair or rejuvenate the marriage; to increase the number of children on the assumption that family happiness lies that way. The point is underlined by its converse: in some societies the failure to bear children (or males) is a threat to the marriage and a ready cause for divorce.
Beyond all that is the profound significance of children to the very institution of the family itself. To many people, husband and wife alone do not seem a proper family —they need children to enrich the circle, to validate its family character, to gather the redemptive influence of offspring. Children need the family, but the family seems also to need children, as the social institution uniquely available, at least in principle, for security, comfort, assurance, and direction in a changing, often hostile, world. To most people, such a home base, in the literal sense, needs more than one person for sustenance and in generational extension。
part A
参考译文：
The glory of Vancouver has been achieved through the wisdom and the industry of the Vancouver people, including the contributions of many ethnic groups. Canada, sparsely populated, has a territory larger than that of China, but its population is only less than 30 million. Consequently, to attracting immigrants from other countries has become a national policy long practiced/followed/cherished by Canada. All Canadians except the American Indians, so to speak, are foreign immigrants, differing only in the length of time they have settled in Canada. Vancouver, in particular, is one of the few most celebrated multi-ethnic cities in the world. Among the 1.8 million Vancouver residents, half of them are non-natives and one out of every four residents is from Asia. The 250,000 Chinese there have played a decisive role in the transformation of Vancouver‘s economy. Half of them have come to settle in Vancouver over the past five years only,
rendering Vancouver the largest area outside Asia where the Chinese inhabit
Part B
参考译文：
在某些社会中，人们希望拥有孩子是出于所谓的家庭原因：传宗接代，光宗耀祖，讨好祖辈，使那些涉及到家庭的宗教仪式得以正常进行。此类原因在现代世俗化的社会中似显苍白，但它们在其他地方曾一度构成并确实仍在构成强有力的理由。
此外，有一类家庭原因与下列类别不无共通之处，这便是：生儿育女是为了维系或改善婚姻：能拴住丈夫或者使妻子不致于无所事事；修复或重振婚姻；多子多孙，以为家庭幸福惟有此法。这一点更可以由其反面得到昭示：在某些社会中，无法生儿育女（或无法生育男孩）对婚姻而言是一种威胁，还可作为离婚的现成借口。
后代对于家庭这一体制本身所具有的深远意义远非如此。对许多人来说，夫妻两人尚不足以构成一个真正意义上的家庭——夫妻需要孩子来丰富其两人小天地，赋予该小天地以真正意义上的家庭性质，并从子孙后代身上获取某种回报。
孩子需要家庭，但家庭似乎也需要孩子。家庭作为一种社会机构，以其特有的方式，至少从原则上说，可在一个变幻莫测、常常是充满敌意的世界中让人从中获取某种安全、慰藉、保障，以及价值取向。
2019年英语专八考试翻译模拟训练4 Tombs and temples of ancient Egypt follow the Nile well into Sudan. Driving southward from Cairo into the valley, I entered a landscape that owed little to the present era. For the next 1,800 miles the thin blue ribbon of the Nile, flowing slowly north, unwound over brown soil and green fields, some only a few yards wide, others as broad as an Iowa cornfield. At the edge of the fields, rising in dramatic hills or stretching flat to the horizon, lay the brown barren deserts. The road followed the course of the Nile, now passing through the fields, now drawing a black line separating them from the desert. (参考答案) 尼罗河沿岸直到苏丹境内很远的地方，到处能够见到古埃及的坟墓和寺庙。我从开罗驱车南行，进入尼罗河河谷，这里的景色还没有受到多少现代的影响。从这里再往前一千八百英里，尼罗河像一条细细的蓝色丝带，缓缓流向北方，沿途穿过棕色的土地和绿色的田野，这田地窄的不过几码，宽的则赶得上美国伊阿华州的玉米地。田地外边是寸草不生的棕色沙漠，有的地方突然隆起像是小山，有的地方则平平地伸向地平线。公路是顺着尼罗河修筑的，有时穿过庄稼地，有时像是划的一条黑线，这边是庄稼，那边是沙漠。 汉译英 在中国，最重要的节日是农历新年。因为它是依据农历而来，所以大约比阳历新年晚了一个月。传统上，中国新年节庆约持续一个月，但为了不让工作期间中断太久，现在都已缩短为一个星期左右。中国农历年和西方阳历年有些相似之处，譬如像大扫除、全家团圆。所有的债务都要还清，这样新年才有个新开始。与家人、朋友共享盛宴，街
专八翻译 主讲老师：聂磊 概况 一、题型：汉-英(划线) →英-汉(划线)；各150字 二、时间：各30分钟 三、分值：各10分 四、考纲要求： 汉-英：我国报刊上的文章、国情介绍和一般文学作品；译文忠实、流畅。 英-汉：英美报刊杂志上的文章和文学原著；译文忠实、流畅。 面临的问题 一、词汇：词汇积累不够，活跃词汇量低。 二、阅读：质低、量小、面偏。 三、课堂教学：违反翻译的认知与实践规律；练习密度差、强度小。 四、学习：练习密度差、强度小；欣赏有余、对比、分析、思考、总结不足。 备考策略 一、坚持扩大词汇量。 二、加大练习力度，以练促学、代学，拒绝赏析。 三、练习即模考。 四、语篇练习为主。 五、以真题为本，反复练习。 六、对比、分析、思考、总结四合一。 时间规划—22周 一、第1-6周：熟悉翻译技巧，每周练2篇。 二、第7-14周：熟悉考试及考场，每周3篇。 三、第15-20周：应试强化练习，每周4篇。 四、第21周：总结应试技巧、经验。 五、第22周：继续总结，模考1-2次。 时间规划—14周 一、第1-2周：熟悉翻译技巧，每周练2篇。 二、第3-8周：熟悉考试及考场，每周3篇。 三、第9-12周：应试强化练习，每周4篇。 四、第13周：总结应试技巧、经验。 五、第14周：模考3篇。 应试策略 一、开头与结尾要多分配时间。 二、英译汉多注意理解，汉译英多注意表达。 三、英语译文必须语法正确。 四、英汉语表达多用有把握的词句。 五、谨慎对待考场灵感。 六、对待难点宜“软”不宜“硬”。 七、在试卷上做适当的勾划。 推荐书目 一、英语专业八级考试(单项突破)系列书目之《翻译与写作》(上海外语教育出版社，邹申) 二、《大学英语翻译教程》(上海外语教育出版社,蔡基刚) 三、《汉英翻译技巧示例》(外文出版社，唐义均)
历年专业八级考试真题：翻译 历年专业八级考试真题：翻译 Opera is expensive: that much is inevitable. But expensive things are inevitably the province（范围）of the rich unless we abdicate（退位、放弃）society’s power of choice. We can choose to make opera and other expensive forms of culture, accessible（易接近的，可达到的）to those who cannot individually pay for it. The question is: why should we? No body denies the imperatives（必要的）of food, shelter, defence, health and education. But even in a prehistoric cave, man-kind stretched out a hand of not just to eat, drink or fight, but also to draw. The impulse（冲动）towards culture, the desire to express and explore the world through imagination and representation（表述、陈述）is fundamental. In Europe, this desire has found fulfillment（完成、成就）in the masterpieces of our music, art, literature and theatre. These masterpieces are the touchstones （标准、试金石）for all our efforts; they are the touchstones for the possibilities to which human thought and imagination may aspire（立志、追求目标、渴望）; they carry the most profound （深厚的、深刻的）messages that can be sent from one human to another. 参考译文： 欣赏歌剧是一种奢侈：你必须为此支付昂贵的票价。然而，享用昂贵的东西并不完全是富人的特权，除非我们放弃社会选择的权利。我们有权利使歌剧和其他昂贵的文化形式面向大众，面向那些个人没有支
专八翻译笔记 武汉新东方刘畅? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9 第一章综述 一、何谓翻译？ ? T —— tell ? R —— reader ? A —— authentic ? N —— native ? S —— smooth ? L —— language ? A —— and ? T —— touch upon ? E —— essence ? 英语的翻译“translation”是由trans-和-late构成。翻译是指两种语言的信息转换，即甲方说的意思换成乙方的语言表达。Steiner说：“翻译就是理解。”理解的对象就是原文的意义，理解原文的意义是达到翻译标准“忠实、通顺”的前一项（忠实）的前提，“通顺”只是表达阶段的事。不论是什么翻译，意义为先，形式为次。因此，可以说，理解为先，表达为次。 ? 二、大纲要求 ? 1、教学大纲 ? 能运用翻译的理论和技巧，将英美报刊上的文章以及文学原著译成汉语，或将我国报刊、杂志上的文章和一般文学作品译成英语，速度为每小时250~300个英文单词。英文要求忠实原意，语言流畅。能担任一般外事活动的口译。 ? 2、考试大纲 ? 汉译英项目要求应试者运用汉译英的理论和技巧，翻译我国报刊杂志上的论述文和国情介绍，以及一般文学作品的节录。速度为每小时250~300汉字。译文必须忠实原意，语言通顺。 ? 英译汉项目要求应试者运用英译汉的理论和技巧，翻译英美报刊杂志上有关政治、经济、历史、文化等方面的论述文以及文学原著的节录。速度为每小时约250~300词。译文要求忠实原意，语言流畅。 ? 三、试题特点 – 1、文体： ? 汉译英：记叙、介绍、散文、论说 ? 英译汉：散文、论说、评论、演讲 – 2、语域： ? 人文历史，无科技翻译 – 3、内容：无专门学术领域知识 ? 注意： ? 1、各年的翻译选段都是较正式的语体，未见不正式的讽刺性杂文，也未见不正式的小说对话。即使涉及文学，也是作家的作品或思想介绍。 ? 2、为了帮助考生更好地理解待翻译的篇段，一般都提供较多的上下文。但考生务必只翻译划线部分。
专八翻译 第一部分汉译英 1.2000年试题 中国科技馆的诞生来之不易。与国际著名科技馆和其他博物馆相比，它先天有些不足，后天也常缺乏营养，但是它成长的步伐却是坚实而有力的。它在国际上已被公认为后起之秀。 世界上第一代博物馆属于自然博物馆，它是通过化石、标本等向人们介绍地球和各种生物的演化历史。第二代博物馆属于工业技术博物馆，它所展示的是工业文明带来的各种阶段性结果。这两代博物馆虽然起到了传播科学知识的作用，但是，它们把参观者当成了被动的旁观者。 世界上第三代博物馆是充满全新理念的博物馆。在这里，观众可以自己去动手操作，自己细心体察。这样，他们可以更贴近先进的科学技术，去探索科学技术的奥妙。 中国科技馆正是这样的博物馆。它汲取了国际上一些著名博物馆的长处，设计制作了力学、光学、电学、热学、声学、生物学等展品，展示了科学的原理和先进的科技成果。 The first generation museums of sciences are those devoted to natural history, which show through fossils and specimens the evolutionary changes of the earth and organisms. Those of the second generation are museums of industrial technology exhibiting achievements made in various periods of the industrial age. These two types of museums, while functioning as disseminators of scientific knowledge, treat their visitors as mere viewers. Science museums of the third generation are entirely different from their predecessors. They stress visitor participation, encouraging those interested to make detailed study of the exhibits on their own by trying their hands on them. The experience so gained will enable them to understand advanced technologies better and help them in their quest for what is still unknown in science （陶文好李孚声，《2000年英语专业八级汉译英词汇误译心理认知分析》，《上海科技翻译》，2001年第1期第36-41页） 2.2001年试题 乔羽的歌大家都熟悉。但他另外两大爱好却鲜为人知，那就是钓鱼和喝酒。 晚年的乔羽喜爱垂钓，他说：“有水有鱼的地方大都是有好环境的，好环境便会给人好心情。我认为最好的钓鱼场所不是舒适的、给你准备好饿鱼的垂钓园，而是那极其有吸引力的大自然野外天成的场所。”钓鱼是一项能够陶冶性情的运动，有益于身心健康。乔羽说：“钓鱼可分三个阶段：第一阶段是吃鱼；第二阶段是吃鱼和情趣兼而有之；第三阶段主要是钓趣，面对一池碧水，将忧心烦恼全都抛在一边，使自己的身心得到充分休息。” 译文 1 In his later years (Late in his life), Qiao Yu has become enamored of fishing (developed a penchant / special fondness for fishing). He asserts: “Mostly speaking, a place with water and fish must necessarily be blessed with a nice setting, which in return keeps people in good mood. I believe that the optimum fishing places are not those commercial fishing centers which provide the fishermen with all the conveniences and where fish are kept hungry for ready capture, but those naturally-formed places in the wilderness w hich exert a special appeal.” According to him, fishing can constitute an activity conducive to the cultivation of one’s
英语专业八级翻译练习题（一） The Rewards of Living a Solitary Life The other day an acquaintance of mine, a gregarious and charming man, told me he had found himself unexpectedly alone in New York for an hour or two between appointments. He went to the Whitney and spent the "empty" time looking at things in solitary bliss. For him it proved to be a shock nearly as great as falling in love to discover that he could enjoy himself so much alone. 参考译文： 独自生活的报偿 前些日子，我的一个熟人，一位热爱交际并很受欢迎的男士告诉我，他在纽约的两个约会之间偶然有一两个小时的空闲，他便去了惠特尼博物馆，四处浏览着展品，无比幸福的度过了那些时光。发现自已独自一人，也能如此的幸福，他感觉像坠入爱河那般震惊。 英语专业八级翻译练习题（二） What had he been afraid of, I asked myself? That, suddenly alone, he would discover that he bored himself, or that there was, quite simply, no self there to meet? But having taken the plunge, he is now on the brink of adventure; he is about to be launched into his own inner space to the astronaut. His every perception will come to him with a new freshness and, for a time, seem startlingly original. 参考译文： “他一直在害怕什么呢？”，我问自已。 怕突然一个人呆着会发现自已厌烦自己，或者怕会失去自我？但是有了这次偿试，他便要开始探险了。他就要发射到自已内心的宇宙之中。他的所见所感对他来说将会是全新的，一度会新颖的让人惊奇。 英语专业八级翻译练习题（三） For anyone who can see things for himself with a naked eye becomes, for a moment or two, something of a genius. With another human being present vision becomes double vision, inevitably. We are busy wondering, what does my companion see or think of this, and what do I think of it? The original impact gets lost, or diffused 参考译文： 因此每个能用肉眼观看事物的人，一时之间便成为天才。身边有别人存在，一个看法便不可避免地变成了双重看法。我们急于知道周边人的看法，以及我对它是怎么看的？” 最初的印像消失了，或者变得模糊不清。 、管路敷设技术通过管线不仅可以解决吊顶层配置不规范高中资料试卷问题，而且可保障各类管路习题到位。在管路敷设过程中，要加强看护关于管路高中资料试卷连接管口处理高中资料试卷弯扁度固定盒位置保护层防腐跨接地线弯曲半径标高等，要求技术交底。管线敷设技术包含线槽、管架等多项方式，为解决高中语文电气课件中管壁薄、接口不严等问题，合理利用管线敷设技术。线缆敷设原则：在分线盒处，当不同电压回路交叉时，应采用金属隔板进行隔开处理；同一线槽内，强电回路须同时切断习题电源，线缆敷设完毕，要进行检查和检测处理。、电气课件中调试对全部高中资料试卷电气设备，在安装过程中以及安装结束后进行 高中资料试卷调整试验；通电检查所有设备高中资料试卷相互作用与相互关系，根据生产工艺高中资料试卷要求，对电气设备进行空载与带负荷下高中资料试卷调控试验；对设备进行调整使其在正常工况下与过度工作下都可以正常工作；对于继电保护进行整核对定值，审核与校对图纸，编写复杂设备与装置高中资料试卷调试方案，编写重要设备高中资料试卷试验方案以及系统启动方案；对整套启动过程中高中资料试卷电气设备进行调试工作并且进行过关运行高中资料试卷技术指导。对于调试过程中高中资料试卷技术问题，作为调试人员，需要在事前掌握图纸资料、设备制造厂家出具高中资料试卷试验报告与相关技术资料，并且了解现场设备高中资料试卷布置情况与有关高中资料试卷电气系统接线等情况，然后根据规范与规程规定，制定设备调试高中资料试卷方案。 、电气设备调试高中资料试卷技术电力保护装置调试技术，电力保护高中资料试卷配置技术是指机组在进行继电保护高中资料试卷总体配置时，需要在最大限度内来确保机组高中资料试卷安全，并且尽可能地缩小故障高中资料试卷破坏范围，或者对某些异常高中资料试卷工况进行自动处理，尤其要避免错误高中资料试卷保护装置动作，并且拒绝动作，来避免不必要高中资料试卷突然停机。因此，电力高中资料试卷保护装置调试技术，要求电力保护装置做到准确灵活。对于差动保护装置高中资料试卷调试技术是指发电机一变压器组在发生内部故障时，需要进行外部电源高中资料试卷切除从而采用高中资料试卷主要保护装置。
2016年专八翻译题及答案详解 “流逝”表现了南国人对时间最早的感觉。子在川上曰：“逝者如斯夫。”他们发现无论是潺潺小溪，还是浩荡大河，都一去不复返，流逝之际青年变成了老翁而绿草转眼就枯黄，很自然有错阴的紧迫感。流逝也许是缓慢的，但无论如何缓慢，对流逝的恐惧使人们必须用“流逝”这个词来时时警戒后人，必须急匆匆地行动，给这个词灌注一种紧张感。 【参考译文1】 They have found that the flowing water,either a murmuring stream or a mighty river, passes quickly and never returns. With the passage of time, the young become the old and the green grass turns yellow. People naturallyhave a sense of urgency to value every bit of time. As time goes by,no matter how slowly it elapses, people always use the word “liushi” to warn thelater generations for fear of time’s flowing away. They tell their descendants to treasure every single minute and make a hurried action, which adds a sense of tension to the word. 【参考译文2】 They find that either a murmuring stream or a mighty river has gone forever and that the passage of time turns a young man into an old one, and yellows of the grass, which sends a massage of how time flies. Maybe the passing of time is slow. But no matter how slow it is, it makes people so fearful that they use “passage” to warn the later generations to rush. And the use of “passage” also infuses a sense of tension into the word. 【参考译文3】
My First Job When I reached the age of twelve I left the school for ever and got my first fulltime job, as a grocer’s boy. I spent my days carrying heavy loads, but I enjoyed it. It was only my capacity for hard work that saved me from early dismissal, for I could never stomach speaking to my “betters” with the deference my employer thought I should assume. But the limit was reached one Tuesday — my half holiday. On my way home on that day I used to carry a large basket of provisions to the home of my emplo yer’s sister-in-law. As her house was on my way home I never objected to this. On this particular Tuesday, however, just as we were putting the shutters up, a load of smoked hams was delivered at the shop. “Wait a minute,” said the boss, and he opened the load and took out a ham, which he started to bone and string up. I waited in growing impatience to get on my way, not for one minute but for a quite a considerable time. It was nearly half-past two when the boss finished. He then came to me with the ham, put it in the basket beside me, and instructed me to deliver it to a customer who had it on order. This meant going a long way out of my road home, so I looked up and said to the boss: “Do you know I finish at two on Tuesday?” I have never seen a man look m ore astonished than he did then. “What do you mean?” he gasped. I told him I meant that I would deliver the groceries as usual, but not the ham. He looked at me as if I were some unusual kind f insect and burst into a storm of abuse. But I stood firm. He gave me up as hopeless and tried new tactics. “Go out and get another boy,” he yelled at a shop-assistant. “Are you going to deliver them or not?” the boss turned to me and asked in a threatening tone. I repeated what I had said before. “Then, out of here,” he shouted. So I got out. This was the first time I had serious trouble with an employer.
英语专业八级考试翻译历年真题汇总 1998年E-C: I agree to some extent with my imaginary English reader. American literary historians are perhaps prone to view their own national scene too narrowly, mistaking prominence for uniqueness. They do over-phrase their own literature, or certainly its minor figures. And Americans do swing from aggressive over phrase of their literature to an equally unfortunate, imitative deference. But then, the English themselves are somewhat insular in their literary appraisals. Moreover, in fields where they are not pre-eminent — e. g. in painting and music —they too alternate between boasting of native products and copying those of the Continent. How many English paintings try to look as though they were done in Paris; how many times have we read in articles that they really represent an “English tradition” after all. To speak of American literature, then, is not to assert(断言、声称)that it is completely unlike that of Europe. Broadly speaking, America and Europe have kept step(同步). At any given moment(在任何时候) the traveler could find examples in both of the same architecture, the same styles in dress, the same books on the shelves. Ideas have crossed the Atlantic as freely as men and merchandise, though sometimes more slowly. When I refer to American habit, thoughts, etc., I intend some sort of qualification(限制、限定、资格) to precede(领先、超前) the word, for frequently the difference between America and Europe (especially England) will be one of degree(唯一只是在程度上), sometimes only of a small degree. The amount of divergence(分歧、差异) is a subtle (微妙的)affair, liable(有可能的) to perplex the Englishman when he looks at America. He is looking at a country which in important senses (重要的感觉)grew out of his own, which in several ways still resembles his own — and which is yet a foreign country. There are odd overlappings and abrupt unfamiliarities; kinship(亲缘关系) yields to a sudden alienation(疏远关系), as when we hail(打招呼) a person across the street, only to discover from his blank(没有表情的) response that we have mistaken a stranger for a friend. 参考译文(翻译第二段)： 因此，我们在说“美国”文学，并不表明我们认为美国文学与欧洲文学截然不同。一般来说，美国和欧洲一直在同步发展。无论何时，旅游者在两地都能看到同一式的建筑，见到
Test Two 幸福有时会同我们开一个玩笑，乔装打扮而来。机遇、友情、成功、团圆……它们都酷似幸福，但它们并不等同于幸福。幸福会借了它们的衣裙，袅袅婷婷而来，走得近了，揭去帷幔，才发觉它有钢铁般的内核。幸福有时会很短暂，不像苦难似的笼罩天空。如果把人生的苦难和幸福分置天平两端，苦难体积庞大，幸福可能只是一块小小的矿石。但指针一定要向幸福这一侧倾斜，因为它是生命的黄金。 Sometimes happiness may play tricks on us by coming in disguise. Things like opportunity, friendship, success and reunion, though quite similar, can never be the true happiness. They may approach us with elegance and charm like happiness really comes. However, a closer observation will unveil their steely core. Sometimes happiness is rather evanescent, is in no way like its foe distress. Therefore, it is always said when both are put on the ends of a balance respectively, obviously, the size of distress will be much larger than that of happiness which is only the size of loadstone. Nevertheless, its needle will always point to the side of happiness, for it is the gold of life. 回信，固然可畏，不回信，也绝非什么乐事。书架上经常叠着百多封未回之信，“债龄”或长或短，长的甚至一年以上，那样的压力，也绝非一个普通的罪徒所能负担的。一叠未回的信，就像一群不散的阴魂，在我罪深孽重的心底幢幢作祟。理论上说来，这些信当然是要回的。我可以坦然向天发誓，在我清醒的时刻，我绝未存心不回人信。问题出在技术上。给我一整个夏夜的空闲，我该先回一年半前的那封信呢，还是七个月前的这封信？隔了这么久，恐怕连谢罪自谴的有效期也早过了吧。在朋友的心目中，你早已沦为不值得计较的妄人。“莫名其妙！”是你在江湖上一致的评语。 其实，即使终于鼓起全部的道德勇气，坐在桌前，准备偿付信债于万一，也不是轻易能如愿的。七零八落的新简旧信，漫无规则地充塞在书架上，抽屉里，有的回过，有的未回，“只在此山中，云深不知处”，要找到你决心要回的那一封，耗费的时间和精力，往往数倍于回信本身。再想象朋友接信时的表情，不是喜出望外，而是余怒重炽，你那一点决心就整个崩溃了。你的债，永无清偿之日。不回信，绝不等于忘了朋友，正如世上绝无忘了债主的负债人。在你惶恐的深处，恶魇的尽头，隐隐约约，永远潜伏着这位朋友的怒眉和冷眼，不，你永远忘不了他。你真正忘掉的，而且忘得那么心安理得，是那些已经得到你回信的朋友。 An Excerpt from Limited Words vs. Boundless Friendship By Yu Guangzhong Replying a letter does make me flinch; however, unreplied letters allow me no release at all. Dozens of unreplied letters pile up on my bookshelf, like a sum of debt waiting to be paid. Some have been waiting there for over one year, while some have newly arrived. The pressure from paying off that debt is far beyond what a junior debtor can endure. The stack of unreplied letters are, like a group of haunting ghosts, continually pestering my guilt-loaded soul. Conventionally, the letters will certainly
（一）英译汉练习 1. The winds of November were like summer breezes to him, and his face glowed with the pleasant cold. His cheeks were flushed and his eyes glistened; his vitality was intense, shining out upon others with almost a material warmth. 十一月的寒风，对他就像夏天吹拂的凉风一样。舒适的冷空气使他容光焕发，两颊通红，两眼闪光。他生气勃勃，叫别人感到是一团炙手的火。（英语material warmth 字面意思是"物质的温暖"，这里具体译作"一团炙手的火"言明意清，让人一看就懂。） 2. It was morning, and the new sun sparkled gold across the ripples of gentle sea. The sea was wonderfully calm and now it was rich with all the color of the setting sun. In the sky already a solitary star twinkled. 清晨，初升的太阳照着平静的海面，微波荡漾，闪耀着金色的光芒。（英语the ripples of the gentle sea 译成汉语时在结构上作了调整，这样译文念起来意思清楚，行文漂亮。） 3. To appease their thirst its readers drank deeper than before, until they were seized with a kind of delirium. 为了解渴，读者比以前越饮越深，直到陷入了昏迷状态。这个句子的译文死抠原文形式，死抠字典释义，翻译腔严重，让人难以明白其意思，可改译为：读者为了满足自己的渴望，越读越想读，直到进入了如痴如醉的状态。所谓过分表达，就是指译文画蛇添足，增加了原文没有的东西；而欠表达则是省略或删节原文的内容。翻译时均应避免这类错误。 4. Early Reagan was a mirror image of early Carter. 里根上台时在做法上跟执政初期的卡特毫无二致。 （a mirror image 如直译为"镜子里的形象"，就让人感到非常别扭，远不如"毫无二致"自然。） 5. Up Broadway he turned, and halted at a glittering café, where are gathered together nightly the choicest products of the grapes, the silkworm and the protoplasm. 他拐到百老汇路上，在一家灯火辉煌的饭店前停下来，那里每晚汇集上好的美酒、华丽的衣服和有地位的人物。 6. Words are not themselves a reality but only representation of it, and the King's English, like the Anglo-French of the Normans, is a class representation of reality. 单词本身并不是客观物体，只不过是代表客观体而已；像日尔曼人的盎格鲁法语一样，标准英语也是一种代表客观体的语言。 （King's English 不能直译为"国王英语"，它是指标准英语，相当于汉语中的"普通话"。） 7. At 19 he had commenced one of those careers attractive and inexplicable to ordinary mortals for whom a single bankruptcy is good as a feast. 他19 岁时就已经走上了一条在普通人看来是极富吸引力而又不可理解的道路，普通人认为，只是一次破产就叫人够呛了。 (good as a feast 如直译为"像丰盛的宴席一样好",意思正好反了.直接释明其意"叫人够呛",地道通顺.) 8. Mr. Kingsley and his Red Brick boys will have to look to their laurels. 金斯利先生和他那些二流大学的学生们必须小心翼翼地保持已经取得的荣誉。 （Red Brick 又称Red Brick Universities，指英国除牛津、剑桥大学以外的其他地方性二流大学。因其建筑主要是红砖砌成，不象牛津、剑桥的建筑均为古色古香的石块所建成，故得此名。 9. I was extremely worried about her, but this was neither the place nor the time for a lecture or an argument. 我真替他万分担忧，但此时此地既不宜教训她一番，也不宜与她争论一通。英语中没有量词，汉译时就得根据汉语的表达习惯增加合适的量词 10. An individual human existence should be like a river-small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past boulders and over waterfalls.