2012春上海英语中级口译第二阶段考试分析(1)
日期:2012-06-13 13:49

(单词翻译:单击)

笔者感言:
很多考生要么连基本的考试流程都不知晓(提示音响起居然不知要开口翻译),要么虽然段段译得都很流畅,殊不知大部分译文都与原文差之千里,完全是凭想象胡乱翻译,考完却仍自以为胜券在握。诸如此类的考生每次考试都屡见不鲜。作为考官,笔者为他们深深惋惜。反问一句,既然不辞辛苦来到考场,为何不提前做好功课,对考试、对自己作以充分的了解?
故此,笔者建议各位考生考前务必做好一定量的考试模拟工作,即安排好充足的时间完全按照真实考试的流程演练:1. 口语话题准备并表达;2. 播放真题mp3; 3. 在草稿纸上做笔记并按录音要求进行口译。用录音笔或其它录音设备将全程录音,反复播放自己的录音,结合标准答案为自己打分,找出不足并进行改进。照此 流程至少完成五套真题。不断将经验作以总结。
如此,大家的口译水平与考场表现必然大幅提升。



INTERPRETATION TEST (Paper 0107) Part A
Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear 2 passages in English. After you have heard each sentence or paragraph, interpret it into Chinese. Start interpreting at the signal...and stop it at the signal...You may take notes while you are listening. Remember you will hear the passages only once. Now, let us begin Part A with the first passage.
Passage 1 is about the Sino-US relations.
中口英译汉部分每段开头都有梗概介绍,一定要引起足够重视,因为它提供了段落的线索,是理解的着眼点与围绕点。如本篇介绍中美关系,因此预期本篇可能从中国的视角看待中、美两国的异同,对中、美关系进行回顾与展望等;这样就可有的放矢地听与译。
Passage 1:
Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to attend this luncheon, meeting all the friends, old and new. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the people present here, for your dedicated efforts to promote cooperation and friendship between our two peoples.
本段不难,利用梗概中所告知的中美关系这一主线,结合pleasure,opportunity,thank,efforts,cooperation,friendship,two peoples这些字眼,完全可以将本段口译完成。但是,历来考试的第一段考生的表现都不理想,因为考生的紧张情绪分散了其注意力,使其无法进入状态。对此,建议考生在听directions的时候就可以开始做笔记了,以求定神与热身。
History beckons again today. We have begun to write a new chapter for peace and progress in our histories, with America and China going forward hand-in-hand.
本段也不难,只不过生词(如beckon)总是会打击考生的信心,使考生无法集中注意力完成下文的听解与记录。其实本段属于套话,平和地跳过beckon听全段,应能得出“history再次召唤/发出信号/…”的表述。对于生词的问题,词汇量扩大是一种解决途径;但更要多做口译练习,培养上下文理解意识与逻辑推理能力,并锻炼对生词的免疫力。
We must always be realistic about our relationship, frankly acknowledging the fundamental differences in ideology and institutions between our two societies.
be realistic about…是“对…采取现实/实事求是态度”之意,但许多考生没有正确译出,很可能是因为没有听出speaker连读的缘故。这一方面说明考生平时缺乏对连读的朗读与听解,另一方面说明考生对这个词组不熟悉。倘若是后者,则至少说明考生的阅读量、朗读量不够。
此外,本段的难度还在于对acknowledge,ideology,institution这几个词造成的理解障碍及由此产生的心理冲击。事实上,acknowledge是常用词,为方便记忆可简单替换为admit,建议记住Pride and Prejudice中的经典开篇句:It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife(有钱的单身汉总要娶位太太,这是举世公认的真理)。
institution在本段中的意思是“制度”,如“制度建设”是institution building;它的另一个常用意思是“(社会公共)机构”,包括school,hospital,prison,church等,如“高等院校”就是institutions of higher learning。
Yes, let us acknowledge those differences; let us never minimize them; but let us not be dominated by them. I have not come to China to hold forth on what divides us, but to build on what binds us.
minimize(使…最小化;使…减少/缩小到最低限度)与maximize相对,还有optimize一词可同记,意为“最优化;完善”。这三个词都有对应的形容词/名词形式,即minimum,maximum,optimum,注意观察它们的构词规律以优化记忆,而且要多朗读以强化听力反应。
dominate意为have control of或have a very strong influence on,如a white dominated society (白人统治/支配的社会)。还要注意其形容词dominant,意为“占优势的;支配的;统治的”,如the dominant figure in the conference (会议上举足轻重的人物)。
对众多考生来说,此段最后一句话听起来很绕口。解题之道是把握句式及其潜在逻辑:框架not come to…but to即”来的目的不是…而是…”,既然是转折的结构,就有对比之意,遵循这一逻辑,再结合对简单结构what divides us的理解,就可得出what binds us的意思是“让我们维系/团结起来的东西”,综合以上认识,应能得出对整句话的合理表述。可见,句式结构的解读在平时阅读、笔译、口译中要给予足够重视。

本篇曾经在2011年下半年的考试中出现过。实际上,本篇选自《中级口译教程》第五单元第三篇Our Future(P133)。每一次考试几乎都会有从教材上选取的一篇,希望大家引起足够重视。
  (参考答案)
  女士们、先生们:我很高兴出席今天的午餐会,与新老朋友欢聚一堂。我愿借此机会感谢在座的诸位,感谢你们为增进两国人民的合作与友谊所作的积极努力。
  今天,历史又在召唤。美中两国携手并进,已开始在我们的历史上为和平与进步谱写新的篇章。
  我们必须始终现实地看待我们的关系,坦率地承认我们两个社会在意识形态和制度上存在着的根本差异。
  是的,让我们承认这些差异,让我们永远不要轻视这些差异,但是我们不要被这些差异所压倒。我来中国不是为了评说那些将我们分隔开来的东西,而是为了强化那些将我们维系在一起的东西。
Passage 2 is part of a lecture on the subject of happiness.
听到happiness时,可以问问自己,对happiness有多少见解与感悟?如果我们对话题有深入的了解,碰到具体问题就有丰富的背景知识帮助自己理解。因此,大家切记要广泛进行阅读、听解,吸取多方面的知识与见解。
Passage 2:
Well, before I start to talk on the subject of happiness, I’d like to tell you a story. One day a woman came and said to me, “I loved my husband so much, but it wasn’t easy being married to someone so unhappy.”
本段的主要问题在于it wasn’t easy being married to someone so unhappy一句。很多考生将该句译成“嫁给这样的人不开心”,甚至译成“与这样不开心的人离婚不容易”,这说明这些考生因为未能把握住being married… wasn’t easy的结构而断章取义。要注意it作为形式主语的用法。
This woman enabled me to put into words what I had been researching for. I told her that we all wanted to make others happy. But it wasn’t easy. I myself was not happy. I often took pleasure in my anger.
本段通过率不高,在于第一句和最后一句。首先,enable sb to do的结构就有考生未听出来,这是基本结构,说明这些考生平时就不常在口语表达中使用这一结构。其次,put into words中的into words其实是将put与其宾语what I had been researching for进行了分隔,如果本结构简化成put it into words,就不成其为问题了。这种分隔形式在书面表达中较为常见,有基于衔接的考虑,也有基于句子平衡的考虑。比如常用词组take sth into account/consideration(对…加以考虑;考虑…)就经常以take into account/consideration sth的形式出现。再如:
We need to set in motion the immune system that normally protects the body against specific infections. 我们需要启动通常保护身体免受某种感染的免疫系统。(set…in motion意为“启动”,set和其宾语部分the immune system that…infections被in motion分隔)
Each bacterium can take into itself food and oxygen, which are needed for its survival. 每个细菌都能将食物与氧气摄入体内,这些是其生存所需的物质。(into itself将take和其宾语部分food and oxygen, which…survival分隔)
The paper of this page looks white because it sends back to our eyes all the colours in the light that reach it. 这页纸看上去是白色的,因为到达纸上的光中所有的颜色都被纸反射到我们眼中。(to our eyes将send back与其宾语部分all the colours…it分隔)
本段最后一句I often took pleasure in my anger也让许多考生不知所措。大家如果知道take delight in代表“以…为乐”或take pride in表示“以…为荣”,则可以理解相同结构take pleasure in是“以…为乐”的意思。
Later on, I realized that I was taking the easy way out. The true happiness lies in struggling for achievements. We have to work at happiness.
take the easy way out本意为“以最省事(可能并非最得体)的方法回避困难或尴尬的处境”。
A lies in B是常用句式,意为“A取决于B”。
本段即使不清楚take the easy way out这一表达,也可从happiness lies in struggling,have to work这样的字眼中理解出“获得幸福不会很容易,需要努力争取”之意。
再次强调:口译的基础是听力+理解,其中后者需要大家大量实践(做听解或阅读理解),从逻辑主线着手多多进行语篇分析,方能得以充分利用上下文的线索求得全盘理解。
  We assume that happiness is a feeling that comes as a result of good things. And happiness is largely under our control. To achieve happiness, we need to overcome a lot of difficulties in our life.
这一段通过率相对高一些。A comes (about) as a result of B是常用句式,意为“A由B得来”或“A来自于B”。
  (参考答案)
  在我开始以快乐为主题的报告之前,我想讲个故事。一天,一位女士前来对我说:“我非常爱我的丈夫,可是同一个不快乐的人做夫妻真不是一件容易的事情。”
  这位女士使我对一直在研究的东西说上几句。我告诉她,我们都想使他人尽可能地快乐,但不容易。我自己就不快乐,我常常苦(怒)中求乐。
  后来,我意识到,我是在贪图安逸。真正的快乐在于为成就而努力奋斗之中。我们必须努力去争取快乐。
  我们都以为,快乐是一种感觉,来自我们干成好事之后。因此,快乐很大程度上在我们控制之中。要想获得快乐,我们需要克服生活中的许多困难。

Part B
Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear 2 passages in Chinese. After you have heard each sentence or paragraph, interpret it into English. Start interpreting at the signal...and stop it at the signal...You may take notes while you are listening. Remember you will hear the passages only once. Now, let us begin Part B with the first passage.

Passage 1:
随着经济全球化的深入,中国将在加快国内经济发展的同时,积极参与国际竞争和技术合作。“随着…”的表达主要可以采取两种模式:一种是用with+n,此例中为With the deepening of the economic globalization;另一种是as+主谓结构,此例中为As the economic globalization deepens。两种结构都望考生熟练运用。
第二句的基本框架为“在…的同时,…”,可采取“While…, …”的结构,也可用“…, at the same time/in the meanwhile, …”。面对充满机遇和挑战的21世纪,中国政府充分认识到提高国民教育水平的重要性,因为它是我国参与国际竞争的前提条件。历次考试中让笔者哭笑不得的是,笔者面前的考生中至少有50%会把“21世纪”译成twenty-one century。如果大家做考官,这样的考生你会怎样给他打分?基本功在于关注细节。此外,“面对”一词译为face时经常有考生用错:face在主动句中为“A faces B”,变为被动句则为“B is faced with A”。许多考生将二者混淆,常说出A faces with B或A faces to B的病句。本段中既可使用facing,也可使用faced with,但不可使用facing with。
“前提条件”可用prerequisite,也可用premise。
未来20年,中国政府将继续优先发展教育,使全民族的科学文化素质明显提高。本段通过率较高。“优先…”可用give (top) priority to或(Top) Priority is given to。要实现这一目标,我们必须对现有的教育体制进行改革,为中国培养一大批高素质的科技人才。本段通过率较高。“高素质的…”可用…of high quality或… of high caliber。
  (参考答案)
  With the deepening of the economic globalization, China will participate in international competition and technical cooperation, while speeding up its domestic economic development and building up a well-off society in an all round way.
  Facing various opportunities and challenges in the 21st century, the Chinese Government is fully aware of the importance of increasing the national educational level of the Chinese people because it is the prerequisite for China to participate in international competition and to meet the challenges of economic globalization.
  In the next 20 years, the Chinese Government will continuously give priority to the development of education, and obviously heighten the national cultural and scientific qualities.
  To realize this target, we must reform the existing educational system, and redesign the pattern in personnel training so as to train a large number of high-tech personnel of high quality.

Passage 2:
今天, 我们中国和非洲的各国领导人在此聚会,就在平等友好的基础上,交换意见,我感到十分必要和重要。

本段属于套话,通过率较高。但始终要有结构意识:汉语习惯将重点置于次重点之后,所以有了本段第二句的结构;而英语恰恰相反。有鉴于此,第二句我们应从后翻起,即I feel it very necessary and important to…。

由于经济危机,我们面临着许多机遇和挑战。这就要求我们建立一个新的合作伙伴关系,而且要有新的观念和方法。

本段通过率较高。“观念”可译为idea/notion/concept,“方法”可译为method/approach/methodology。其中methodology意为“一套方法”,如a methodology for statistical analysis (统计分析方法);methodology也有“方法论”的意思。
我认为新的合作伙伴关系必须建立在平等互利的基础上。我们应该共同努力,增进互相理解和信任。

本段通过率较高。

我们希望非洲各国在保持本国社会稳定的同时,加强与中国在经济、文化、卫生领域的合作与交流。
本段通过率较高。本段的基本框架为“在…的同时,…”,可采取“While…, …”的结构,也可用“…, at the same time/in the meanwhile, …”。
  (参考答案)
  Today, we, Sino-African state leaders, are gathered together here. I find it necessary and important for us to share our views based on equality and friendship.
  Because of the economic crisis, we are faced with many opportunities and challenges, which calls for new concepts and new methodology to establish a new partnership.
  I believe that a new partnership should be constructed on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. We should seek common ground while putting aside differences and enhance mutual understanding and trust.
  We hope that African countries will strengthen the exchange and cooperation with China in the areas of economy, culture and public health, while maintaining their own social and political stability.

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重点单词
  • figuren. 图形,数字,形状; 人物,外形,体型 v. 演算,
  • minimizev. 将 ... 减到最少 [计算机] 最小化
  • stabilityn. 稳定性,居于修道院
  • optimizevt. 乐观对待,使 ... 完善
  • dedicatedadj. 专注的,献身的,专用的
  • controln. 克制,控制,管制,操作装置 vt. 控制,掌管,支
  • qualityn. 品质,特质,才能 adj. 高品质的
  • competitionn. 比赛,竞争,竞赛
  • delightn. 高兴,快乐 v. (使)高兴,(使)欣喜
  • patternn. 图案,式样,典范,模式,型 v. 以图案装饰,仿造