河南省第五届翻译竞赛

竞赛试题

专业组：

(考试时间为120分钟)

一、汉译英（50%）

中国还没有形成勇于提问的风气

杨福家曾经与耶鲁大学校长莱文讨论为什么那么多的耶鲁校友回报母校，其中大多数是本科毕业生。莱文的回答很简单：因为他们认为学校改变了自己的一生。

莱文举了一个美国8岁小孩的例子。一天上课，这个小孩对老师说，你写的字拼错了。老师说“真的吗？让我查一下字典”。这位小孩立刻说“不必查，我保证你拼错了”。

这个敢于质疑老师的小孩不仅没有被批评，反而被校长在家长会和全校大会上表扬了。

杨福家特别感慨，这是中美文化的不同之处：美国孩子放学了，父母会问：你今天问了多少个问题；而中国孩子放学了，父母会问：你今天考了多少分。

在他看来，这也是为什么一直回答不了钱学森之问的原因之一。“中国没有形成质疑的环境，孩子从小就不敢提问。然而，没有问题就不会有创造。”杨福家说。

二、英译汉（50%）

The Longevity Gap between Men and Women

A century ago American men outnumbered and outlived the women. But in the 20th century, women began living longer, primarily because pregnancy and childbirth had become less dangerous. The gap grew steadily. In 1946, for the first time ever in the United States, females outnumbered males.

Part of the reasons are self-inflicted. Men smoke more than women, drink more and take more life-threatening chances. Men are murdered (usually by other men) three times as often as women are. They commit suicide at a higher rate and have more than twice as many fatal car accidents as women do. Men are more likely to be involved in alcohol-related fatalities.

But behavior doesn't explain away the longevity gap. Nor is stress the answer.

In the 1950s, as heart disease claimed more and more male victims, pressure in the corporate boardroom was blamed. Let women venture out of the home and into the line of fire, doctors said, and they would begin dying at the same rate as men. But a funny thing happened on the way to the funeral.

Between 1950 and 1985, the percentage of employed women in the United States nearly doubled. Those working women, several studies have found; are as healthy as women at home.

Today, some scientists studying the gender gap believe that the data point to one conclusion: Mother Nature may be partial to women.

答案部分：

一、汉译英（50%）

Questioning Atmosphere Not Created in China Yet

Mr. Yang Fujia once had a discussion with Levin, President of the Yale University, about why so many alumni of the University, most of whom were bachelor degree holders, made contributions to their alma mater. Levin gave a simple answer: “Because they believe their alma mater has changed their lives.”

Levin gave an example of an eight-year old boy. One day in class, the boy said to his teacher: “You’ve made a mistake in spelling.” “Really? Let me look it up in the d ictionary.” replied the teacher. “It’s not necessary. I’m sure about that”, responded the boy immediately.

Instead of being scolded, the boy was praised by the headmaster at the parents' meeting and the school assembly.

Yang Jiafu heaved a deep sigh and said that it was due to the differences between Chinese culture and American culture: In America, when the children come back home from school, their parents usually ask them how many questions they have raised at school while Chinese parents may focus on their scores in examinations.

In his opinion, that partly accounts for the lack of a satisfactory answer to Mr. Qian Xuesen’s question. “A questioning atmosphere has not been created in China yet. Children are discouraged from asking questions since their early days. But there will be no creation without questions.” Yang Fujia added.

二、英译汉（50%）

男女寿命差异（版本一）

一百年前，美国男性不仅数量比女性多，寿命也比女性长。到了20世纪，随着怀孕和分娩越来越安全，女性的寿命不断提高，男女之间的寿命差异稳步变化。到了1964年，美国女性的数量首次超过了男性。

造成这一现象的部分原因在于男性自身。相较女性，男性抽烟多，喝酒多，从事的高危活动也多。男性遭到谋杀（杀人者往往也是男性）的几率是女性的三倍，自杀率也比女性高。男性死于车祸者是女性的两倍多，因饮酒而丧生者也多于女性。

但所有这些行为，包括精神压力在内，均不足以解释男女寿命上的差异。上世纪五十年代，越来越多的男性因心脏病而失去生命，人们普遍将其归咎于公司会议室里的压力。不少医生指出，如果让女性走出家门，投身社会的枪林弹雨，她们会和男人一样短寿。正当人们要为此“盖棺定论”的时候，一个有趣的现象发生了。

从1950年到1985年，美国职业女性的数量几乎翻了一番。多项研究表明，职业女性的健康状况与家庭妇女相比并无两样。当代一些研究性别差异的学者认为，从众多数据中可以得出的唯一结论就是：女性是大自然的宠儿。

男女寿命差异（版本二）

一百年前，美国男性无论在数量上还是在寿命上都超过了女性。可到了20世纪，女性寿命则越来越长了（女性却越来越长寿），其主要原因是，妇女怀孕、生孩子（妊娠、分娩）都没以前危险了。男女之间的寿命差异稳步变化。1964年美国女性数量第一次超过了男性。

其部分原因是男性自己造成的。因为与女性相比，男性抽烟的多，喝酒的多，冒生命危险的几率也多。男性遭谋杀（通常是遭另一个男性谋杀）的几率是女性的三倍，自杀的比率也比女性高，而且，车祸丧生的几率也是女性的两倍多。另外，男性也很容易因饮酒而丧生。

不过行为本身并不能解释男女寿命之间的差异。精神压力也解释不了。20世纪50年代，越来越多的男性因心脏病而失去生命，于是就有人将其归罪于董事会会议室里的压力。医生说，若让女性也走出家门到外面去冒险，处于竞争的火线上，她们的死亡率也会和男性一样高。当人们正要以此作出定论的时候，一件有趣的事情发生了。

从1950年至1985年期间，美国女性就业人数几乎翻了一番。可好几项研究都表明，从业的女性和居家的女性一样健康（健康状况相同）。当代一些研究性别差异的学者认为，从众多数据得出的唯一结论就是：女性是大自然的宠儿。

非专业组：

(考试时间为120分钟)

一、汉译英（50%）

空巢老人

在中国，我们会经常看到对“空巢老人”的报道，这些老人因为没有子女在身边，过着孤独的生活。其实，英国也存在这种现象。我就曾遇见过一位孤独的英国老人。

诺瓦克太太是位波兰人，在英国已生活了六十多年，说她是英国本土人也不为过。我是在自己打工的那家超市认识她的。那是一家在英国很有名的超市，每个星期五晚上超市都会有一些快过期的食物打折出售，而诺瓦克太太每周五晚都会出现在超市里。我打工的时间刚好是每周五晚上和周六白天，所以我们就这么认识了。

二、英译汉（50%）

The English Words

The foreign student of English may be discouraged and dismayed when he learns that there are over 400,000 words in the English language, without counting slang. But let him take courage. More than half of these words are dead. They are not in current use. Even Shakespeare used a vocabulary of only some 20,000 words. The average Englishman today probably has a vocabulary range of from 12,000 to 13,000 words. It is good to make your vocabulary as complete as you can, but a great deal can be said and written with a vocabulary of no more than 10,000 words. The important thing is to have a good control and command over the words you do know. Better know two words exactly than three vaguely. A good carpenter

is not distinguished by the number of his tools, but by the craftsmanship with which he uses them. So a good writer is not measured by the extent of his vocabulary.

参考答案:

一、汉译英

Empty Nesters

In China, empty nesters, or lonely senior citizens without their adult children living at home, are often reported. In fact, it is also true in Britain where I once met a lonely elderly lady.

Mrs. Novak, a Polish, was better called a British for she had been living in Britain for over 60 years. I got to know her in the supermarket where I worked. It was a very famous supermarket where discount foods close to expiration were sold on Friday nights when Mrs. Novak would always appear. I worked on Friday nights and Saturdays, and that was how we met.

二、英译汉

英语单词

英语有四十多万单词——这还不包括俚语。外国学生往往闻之气馁，意冷心灰。不过不要怕——这些单词多半早已作古，无人再用。即使是莎士比亚，所用单词也不过两万而已。当代普通英国人的词汇量可能在一万二到一万三左右。虽说词不压身，多多益善，但要满足言谈写作之需，一万词足矣。关键不在量，而在于运用自如。与其似是而非地了解三个词，不如确切地掌握两个词。好木匠之所以出类拔萃，不在于工具多，而在于用得好。同理，作家是否优秀，也不能用词汇量来衡量。