英语专业八级考试翻译题2.docVIP

英语专业八级考试翻译题2 ①Opera is expensive: that much is inevitable. ②But expensive things are not inevitably the province of the rich unless we abdicate societys power of choice. ③We can choose to make opera, and other expensive forms of culture, accessible to those who cannot individually pay for it.④ The question is: why should we? ⑤Nobody denies the imperatives of food, shelter, defense, health and education.⑥ But even in a prehistoric cave, mankind stretched out a hand not just to eat, drink or fight, but also to draw. ⑦The impulse towards culture, the desire to express and explore the world through imagination and representation is fundamental. ⑧In Europe, this desire has found fulfillment in the masterpieces of our music, art, literature and theatre. ⑨These masterpieces are the touchstones for the possibilities to which human thought and imagination may aspire; they carry the most profound message that can be sent from one human to another. 参考译文 欣赏歌剧是一种奢侈的享受，你必须为此支付昂贵的票价。然而只要我们不放弃社会的选择权，昂贵的东西就不一定只有富人才能享受。如果愿意，我们完全可以使歌剧或其他昂贵的文化形式面向那些个人没有支付能力的普通大众。但问题是我们为什么要这么做?没有人会否认人类需要吃、住、防卫、健康以及接受教育。但是，即使是在史前时期的洞穴里，人们伸出手来不仅是为了吃饭、喝水或打仗，也可能是要去画画。对文化的向往，以及通过想象和表演来表达、探索世界是人类的基本愿望。在欧洲，这种愿望在我们的音乐、艺术和文学杰作里得到了体现。这些杰作是试金石，通过它们可以看出人类的思想和想像力可能达到的程度。它们所包含的最为深刻的思想可以广为传播。 译文分析与说明 这段文章所表达的思想深刻而又严谨，无论理解还是表达都不容易。它论述的主要意思是我们为什么要演歌剧。 原文第一句语言简练而含意深刻、丰富。此句中expensive怎么解释?是指歌剧的门票昂贵，一般人欣赏不起，还是说歌剧需要的投资很大?我们倾向于第一种理解。随后的两句，尤其是第二句We can choose to make opera and other expensive forms of culture, accessible to those who cannot individually pay for it。容易使我们对第一句产生误解。即使我们准确地把握了这句话的“意思”，从字面译为“歌剧很贵，看一场歌剧免不了要花那么多钱”，仍是生硬晦涩的“翻译腔”。如果抛开原文的形式意译，原文简洁有力的风格很可能就荡然无存，第二句中的province的意思也值得好好推敲。根据Collins COBUILD English Dictionary for Advanced Learners，这个 province应该是If you say that a subject or activity is a particular person’s province，you mean that this person has a special interest in it, a special knowledge of it, or a special responsibility for it.的意思来理解。如Arvo avoided committing himself。Im afraid that’s not my pr