优萌杯历届试题及部分参考译文

首届“优萌杯”翻译竞赛试题请将下面文章译成现代英语。猫说余家苦鼠暴，乞诸人，得一猫，形魁然大，爪牙铦且利。余私计，鼠暴当不复虑矣。以其未驯也，絷维以伺，候其驯焉。群鼠闻其声，相与窥其形，类有能者，恐其噬己也，屏不敢出穴者月余日。既而以其驯也，遂解其维絷。适睹出壳鸡雏，鸣啾啾焉，遽起而捕之。比家人逐得，已下咽矣。家人欲执而击之，余曰：“勿庸。物之有能者必有病，噬鸡雏是其病也，独无捕鼠之能乎？”遂释之矣。已则伈伈（小心恐惧）泯泯（茫茫无知），饥哺饱嬉，一无所为。群鼠复潜视，以为彼将匿形致己也，犹屏伏不敢出。既而鼠窥之益熟，觉其无他异，遂历穴相告曰：“彼无为也。”遂偕其类复出，为暴如故。余方怪甚，然复有鸡雏过堂下者，又亟往捕之而走，追则啮者过半矣。余之家人执至前，数之曰：“天之生材不齐，有能者必有病，舍其病，犹可用其能也。今汝无捕鼠之能，有噬鸡之病，真天下之弃材也哉！”遂笞而放之。ThestoryofacatMyhouseissufferingfromrampagingrats.ThereforeIentreatedmanypeopletogetacat.Thecatwasinimmenseshapewithsharppawsandteeth.SosecretlyreflectedI,thatnomoreworrinesswouldtheratrampageentail.Sincethecathathnotbeentamed,Itieditwithastring,fedit,andwaiteduntilthedaywhenitwouldbecomeobedient.Havingheardthenoise,togethertheratspeepedatthecat.Capablethecatseemedlike,andonfearingtobeswallowed,ratsconfinedthemselvesinthecaveformonths.Afterthecatwastamed,Iuntieditsstring.Thecathappenedtoseeachirpingnewbornchickallofasudden,andpreyedonit.Notuntilmyservantcaughtupwiththem,alreadyhadthecatgulpeddownthechick.Myservantheldthecatandwasabouttoslapit.“Doitnot,”butIsaid,“Thingswithcertaintalentmustownsomeweakpoints.Huntingchicksisthecat’sweakness.Itcan’tbejustlackingtheskilltocatcharat!”Hence,freedwasthecat.Eversincethen,cautiously,leisurely,thecatdothnothingbutpreywhenstarved,playwhensatiated.Thistime,ratsspiedonthecatagain,believingthatit’sonlyapretencethecatmadetolurethemout.Sotheydarenotmakeastirorastepout.Beforelong,asratshavegotmorefamiliarwiththecat,theysensednothingabnormal.Sotheyranaboutonecaveafteranother,passingonthemessage:“Thecatisgood-for-nothing.”Thereupon,acomebackwassummonedinaccompany,outrageouslylikebefore.JustwhenIfeltexceedinglysurprisedabout,achickpassedthroughthemainhall.Thecatrapidlyranuptoseizethechickandthenjustleft.Onlyhalfthechickwasremainedwhenmyservantcaughtupwiththecat.Hebroughtthecattome,resentfullyscoldingit:“Thingsareborntohaveimperfections.Capablebeingsmustholdsomedefects.Yetbydiscardingtheweakpoints,wecanstillmakeuseofthebeneficialones.Now,thoucarrynoskillinratcatching,buttheproclivityofhuntingchicks.Alas!Indeedthouartdoomedtobeabandonedbytheworld!”Thecatwasatlastwhippedandletgo.第二届“优萌杯”翻译竞赛将下面两篇短文译成现代英语。视听箴人一其视而不一其明，故目有时盲；人一其听而不一其聪，故耳有时聋。盖目之盲，由物乱其睛；耳之聋，由声惑其聪。且玉者咸知其玉也，石者咸知其石也，而碔砆乱焉。宫者咸知其宫也，商者咸知其商也，而郑卫惑焉。夫人者，孰欲弃真而取伪，背正而归邪？谅视不详而听不审耳！俾视不详而听不审者，岂不以碔砆、郑卫之故乎？吁！天下之大，万物之众，其乱目惑耳者，非特碔砆、郑卫而已。则知非圣贤，其不惑于视听者稀矣！俭者寿现在，人们对长寿的追求恐怕是近百年来的高峰期。冬补什么，夏补什么，头头是道。其实，还有一条长寿之道，述者甚少，那就是：不补！不仅不补，而且平常也不用吃得太好。明代有个徐榜，他就主张：俭者寿。他说：“人之受用，自有剂量，省啬淡泊，有长久之理，可以养寿”。意思是说，节省一点，可以活得长。他这话是在讲节俭的好处时说的。他讲节俭可以养神那一条，同样有利于长寿。他说：“醉浓饱鲜，昏人神智，若蔬食菜羹，则肠胃清虚，无渣无秽，可养神也。”这是很有道理的。一说俭，有人认为那是穷人的事。这话正确的成分不到一半。穷人固然要俭，而那富人更应该俭。富而俭那才谈得上高尚。荣毅仁是穷是富大概是不用介绍了。荣氏几十年如一日坚持纸张用两面。在当了共和国副主席以后也是这样。他拒不游山玩水，就是怕副主席出游，兴师动众，花钱太多。官员都知道四菜一汤谓之俭，很少有人知道荣副主席在家吃饭常常不到四菜。俭，是高节；俭，也是荣毅仁活到九十多岁的一个原因。AnAdmonitiononSeeingandListeningWeallhaveeyestosee,butoureye-sightdiffers,hencesometimesweareblindtocertainthings;weallhaveearstolisten,yetourhearingvaries,thereforesometimeswearedeaftocertainsounds.Thereasonslieinthefactthateyesarecheatedbyfalseimagesandearsbyconfusingsounds.Morever,itisknowntousallthatajadeisajadeandastoneisastone,butWufu,thejade-likestoneconfusesus,makingitdifficultforustotellwhetherWufuisastoneorajade.Likewise,itiseasyforusalltotellthatGong,onemusicalnoteinancientChina,isGongandShang,anothermusicalnote,isShang,yetthefolkmusicofancientstatesZhengandWeiinthepre-Qinperiodpuzzlesus,makingitdifficultforustodistinguishGongfromShanginthefolkmusic.Whowouldliketoeliminatethetrueandretainthefalse,andwhowouldliketodeviatefromtherightandapproachthewrong?Isupposetheconfusionandpuzzlementarecausedjustbecausepeopledon’tseeclearlyandlistenintently,aren’ttheyjustliketheconfusionandpuzzlementcausedbyWufuandthefolkmusicofZhengandWei?Alas!Inthisboundlessworldwithnumerousthings,thosethingsthatconfuseoureyesandpuzzleourearsarenotmerelyWufuandthemusicofZhengandWei.Thusweknowforthosewhoarenotsage,fewcouldescapebeingconfusedbyseeingandlistening!FrugalityLeadstoLongevityThecurrentpursuitoflongevitymighthavereacheditspeakinthepastonehundredyears.Peoplespeakratherpersuasivelyonwhattonicisappropriateforhealthindifferentseasons.Asamatteroffact,thereisanotherless-mentionedwayofprolonginglife,whichis:notonicatall!Norisitnecessaryforonetoeatbetterthanwell.XuBang,ascholarintheMingdynasty,heldthebeliefofleadingalonglifebyfrugality.“One’snormalconsumptionhasitsownlimit.Havingasparingandsimplelifeembodiesthefundamentalprincipleofalong-lastingexistence,whichhelpslengthenone’slifespan.”heremarked.Whathewasdrivingatisthatbypracticingfrugalityonecanhavealonglife.Hemadethisremarkwhenelaboratingonthebenefitsoffrugality.Hispointthatpracticingfrugalityisbeneficialtoone’svitalityalsoservestheverypurposeofprolonginglife.Hesaidexactly,“whileheavyfoodanddrinkdullthesenses,plaindietclearsthebodyofvariouswastes,thusbenefitingone’svitality.”Hedidtalkalotofgoodsense.Whenitcomestothesubjectoffrugality,somewouldlikelydismissitasmerelytheconcernofthepoor.Thisviewisnotevenhalfright.Admittedly,poorpeoplehavetopinchandscrape.Buttherich