1998年英语专八考试：翻译真题及参考答案

1998年英语专八考试翻译真题及参考答案

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，见到同一款式的服饰，读到摆在书架上的同一风格的书籍。在大洋两岸，人们的思想观念，就容易同人员与货物一样，可以自由交流，尽管有时会略显迟缓。谈到美国人的习惯、美国人的思维等概念时，我想在“美国式的”这几个词前面再加上某种修饰，因为欧美之间(尤其是英美之间)的差异往往只是程度上的差异而已，而且在有的时候，是极低程度上的差异而已。差异的程度微乎其微，很可能会使审视美国的英国人感到迷惑不解。重要的是，英国人所审视的这个国家诞生于英国，并在不少方面仍与英国相差无几---然而，实实在在是个异邦。两地有着莫名的共同之处，以及令人深感突兀的陌生感。原先的亲戚已形同陌路，就仿佛隔着马路招呼，等看到对方一脸茫然时，我们才意识到认错人。转自:考试网 - [telnote.cn]

1998年C-E原文：

1997年2月24日我们代表团下榻