I. Translate the following passages into Chinese and write your translation on the answer sheet. (50 points-25 points x 2)
Passage 1
In Defense of Translation
by Howard Goldblatt (葛浩文)
How’s this for an occupational testimonial: “There is no such thing as a good translator. The best translators make the worst mistakes. No matter how much I love them, all translators must be closely watched.”
Who are these people everyone loves to hate, and, if they’re so bad, how do they get away with what they’re doing? Well, I confess: I’m one of them. I’m a translator。
…
I am sometimes asked why I translate, since to many it seems a thankless vocation. Why, they ask, don’t I write my own novels, since I have lived (they assume) an interesting life and must by now have an idea of what a novel should be? I can only say that not all translators are closet novelists, and that I do not consider translation to be a lesser art — one that ought to lead to something better. The short, and very personal, answer to the question is: Because I love it. I love to read Chinese; I love to write in English. I love the challenge, the ambiguity, and the uncertainty of the enterprise. I love the tension between creativity and fidelity, even the inevitable compromises. And, every once in a while, I find a work so exciting that I’m possessed by the urge to put it into English. In other words, I translate to stay alive. The satisfaction of knowing I’ve faithfully served two constituencies keeps me happily turning good, bad, and indifferent Chinese prose into readable, accessible, and — yes — even marketable English books. Tian na! (276 words)
Passage 2
Downsizing in Vogue In recent years corporate downsizing has been on the rise throughout the world. Downsizing is reducing costs by dismissing employees and reassigning their duties to the employees who remain. They usually call it restructuring, rightsizing, reallocating resources, or job separation. They sometimes use dieting metaphors like “trimming the fat,” “getting lean and mean,” or “shedding weight.” Whatever the euphemism, employees affected by these practices know what the words mean to them: layoff. And no “kinder, gentler” words can do much to alleviate the anxiety and distress that come with losing a job.
In their quest to lower costs to stay competitive, companies often wield the ax with little or no regard for the well-being of the people involved. For example, in the past years AT&T have dismissed thousands of managers and employees through downsizing, though many of these people have twenty or more years of loyal employment with the firm. Industry analysts assert that if organizations wish to consider themselves responsible, ethical corporate citizens, they must demonstrate concern for their employees, even when they have to tell them they are no longer employed. (183 words)
II. Translate the following two short passages into English and write your translation on the answer sheet. (50 points-25 points x 2)
Passage I
读《大学》，谈“道”“德” 学风问题关乎国家命运——《大学》讲的就是大学风，其可贵之处在于将学风问题与治国实践相联系。“古之欲明明德于天下者，先治其国”：欲治其国，先正其心；正其心，当先正学风。学风不正，无以修身，无以齐家，最终是无以治国平天下。(108字)
Passage 2
文化——交流不可替代的载体 交流中最常见绊脚石——文化差异。典型事例是一美国代表团出访中国山东。行程结束前，尽管美方对中方的热情接待“非常感谢”，但他们并不忘了提出抗议——“我们不能喝酒，为什么非要我们喝呢？而且还要把我们喝趴下。”美国人直言这样的过分热情即“侵犯人权”。 再就是礼仪上的丢分。法国某大企业总裁直言不讳我们领导目中无人：“你们的领导是接见我们，还是接见你们的翻译？我再不想见你们这位团长了。”原来，“我们的领导”与对方交流时自始至终眼盯翻译，甚至两次握手也眼盯别处。没有目光交流的会谈使该总裁受到从未有过的伤害。于是经济合作就这样失去了，太亏了。不雅不当的国人习性，如吃东西出声，公共场合大声喧哗，不注意个人卫生，禁烟区吸烟，妨碍交通，打探隐私，抢话……如果说这些在国内是小事一桩，那么，跨出国门即外交无小事，正所谓细节决定成败。(354字)
III. Essay Writing. (50 points=25 points x2)
1. English writing: On behalf of School of English, Beijing Foreign Studies University, write a letter to the prospective students for MTI programme, focusing on its strength, benefits for future of career development and possible challenges students may face. (Around 200 words)
2. 中文写作：描述一个完整的翻译过程并进行解释或评述。(200字左右)
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北京外国语大学MTI真题下载（含英语翻译基础、翻译硕士英语和汉语写作与百科知识三门）：百度云
