英语翻译资格考试二级笔译综合能力

12003年12英语二级《笔译综合能力》试题Part1SummaryWriting1.ReadthefollowingEnglishpassageandthenwriteaChinesesummaryofapproximately300wordsthatexpressesitsmainideasandbasicinformation(40points,50minutes)Deceptivelysmallincolumninches,arecentNewYorkTimesarticleholdslargemeaningforusinbusiness.TheitemconcernedoneDanielProvenzano,38,ofUpperSaddleRiver,N.J.Hereistherelevantportion:WhenheownedaFortLeeprintingcompanycalledAdviceInc.,Mr.Provenzanosaidhefoundoutthatasalesrepresentativeheemploymenthadstolen$9,000.Mr.Provenzanosaidhetoldthemanthat“ifhewantedtokeephisemployment,Iwouldhavetobreakhisthumb.”HesaidanotherAdviceemployeedrovethesalesrepresentativetoHolyNameHospitalinTeaneck,brokethethumbwithahammeroutsidethehospital,andthenhadacarservicetakethemanhomeafterthethumbwasrepaired.Mr.Provenzanoexplainedthathe“didn’twanttosetanexample”thatworkerscouldgetawaywithstealing.Theworkereventuallypaidback$4,500andkepthisjob,hesaid.Iknowthatyou’rethinking:Thisisanoutrage.I,too,wasshockedthatProvenzanowasbeingprosecutedforhisastutemanagement.Indeed,Ithinkhis“modestproposal”hasalottoteachmanagersastheystrugglewiththeproblemsofourpeople-centeredbusinessenvironment.Problemssuchas….Dealingwiththebottom10%.GEmadethesystemfamous,butplentyofcompaniesareusingit:Everyyearyougetridoftheworst-evaluatedworkers.Manymanagersobjectthatthispracticeisinhumane,butnotdealingwiththatbottom10%leadstobigperformanceproblems.Provenzanofoundakinder,gentleranswer.Afterall,thisemployeewouldhavebeenfiredvirtuallyanywhereelse.ButatAdviceInc.,hestayedonthejob.Andyouknowwhat?Ibethebecomeavery,very—very—productiveemployee.FormostmanagersProvenzano’sinnovativeresponsewillbeawelcomenewadditiontotheirexecutivetoolkit.Andbytheway,“executivetoolkit”isclearlymorethanjustametaphoratAdviceInc.Beingtheemployerofchoice.Withtoptalentscarceeverywhere,mostcompaniesnowwanttobetheirindustry’sortheircommunity’smostdesirable.AdviceInc.understood.Theemployeeinquestionwasn’tsimplydisciplinedinhissupervisor’sofficeandsenthome.No,that’showanordinaryemployerwouldhavedoneit.ButatAdviceInc.,anotheremployee—theHRmanager,perhaps?—tooktimeouthisbusydayanddrovetheguyrighttotheemergencyroom.Andthen—thedetailthatsaysitall—thecompanyprovidedacarservicetodrivetheemployeehome.Themessagetotalentedjobcandidatescomesthroughloudandclear:AdviceInc.isacompanythatcares.Settinganexampletoothers.Aneternalproblemformanagersishowtoletallemployeesknowwhathappenstothosewhoperformespeciallywellorbadly.Afewcompaniesactuallyposteveryone’ssalaryandbonusontheirintranet.Butpayissoone-dimensional.AtAdviceInc.,aproblemthatwouldhardlybementionedatmostcompanies—embezzlement—wasundoubtedlythetopicofrichdiscussionsforweeks,atleastuntiltheemployee’scastcameoff.Anyemployeetheftprobablywentway,way—way—down.WhenthegreatRobertoGoizuetawasCEOofCoca-Colaheusedtotalkaboutthisproblemofsettingexamplesandonceobserved,“Sometimesyoumusthaveanexecutioninthepublicsquare!”Butofcoursehewasspeakingonlyfiguratively.Ifhehadjustlistenedtohisownwords,GoizuetamighthavebeenanevenbetterCEO.Differentiation.ThisisoneofJackWelch’sfavoriteconcepts—theideathatmanagersshouldtreatdifferentemployeesverydifferentlybasedonperformance.Welchlikedtodifferentiatewithsalary,bonus,andstockoptions,butnow,inwhatmusthenceforthbeknownasthepost-Provenzanomanagementera,wecanseethatGE’sgreatmanagementthinkerjustwasn’tthinkingbigenough.ThisTimesarticleistantalizingandfrustrating.Injustafewsentencesitopensawholenewworldofmanagement,yetmuchmoresurelyremainstobetold.WemustallurgeProvenzanotowriteabookexplaininghiscompletemanagerialphilosophy.2.ReadthefollowingChinesepassageandthenwriteanEnglishsummaryofapproximately250wordsthatexpressesitscentralideasandmainviewpoints(40points,50minutes)越是对原作体会深刻，越是欣赏原文的每秒，越觉得心长力，越觉得译文远远的传达不出原作的神韵。返工的次数愈来愈多，时间也花得愈来愈多，结果却总是不满意。……例如句子的转弯抹角太生硬，色彩单调，说理强而描绘弱，处处都和我性格的缺陷与偏差有关。自然，我并不因此灰心，照样“知其不可为而为之”，不过要心情愉快也很难了。2工作有成绩才是最大的快乐：这一点你我都一样。另外有一点是肯定的，就是西方人的思想方式同我们距离太大了。不做翻译工作的人恐怕不会体会到这么深切。他们刻画心理和描写感情的时候，有些曲折和细腻的地方，复杂繁琐，简直与我们格格不入。我们对人生琐事往往有许多是人为不值一提而省略，有许多只是罗列事实而不加分析的；如果要写情就用诗人的态度来写：西方作家却多半用科学家的态度，历史学家的态度（特别巴尔扎克），像解剖昆虫一半。译的人固然懂得了，也感觉到它的特色，妙处，可是要叫思想方式完全不一样的读者领会就难了。思想方式反映整个的人生观，宇宙观，和几千年文化的发展，怎能一下子就能和另一民族的思想沟通呢？你很幸运，音乐不像语言的局限那么大，你还是用音符表达前人的音符，不是用另一种语言文字，另一种逻辑。（《博雷家书》）Part2ReadingComprehension(20points,20minutes)Inthissectionyouwillfindaftereachofthepassagesanumberofquestionsorunfinishedstatementsaboutthepassage,eachwithfour(A,B,CandD)suggestedanswersorwayoffinishing.Youmustchoosetheonewhichyouthinkfitsbest.ToErrIsHumanbyLewisThomasEveryonemusthavehadatleastonepersonalexperiencewithacomputererrorbythistime.Bankbalancesaresuddenlyreportedtohavejumpedform$379intothemillions,appealsforcharitablecontributionsaremailedoverandovertopeoplewithcrazysoundingnamesatyouraddress,departmentstoressendthewrongbills,utilitycompanieswritethatthey’returningeverythingoff,thatsortofthing.Ifyoumanagetogetintouchwithsomeoneandcomplain,youthengetinstantaneouslytyped,guiltylettersfromthesamecomputer,saying,“Ourcomputerwasinerror,andanadjustmentisbeingmadeinyouraccount.”Thesearesupposedto