英语口译教程(第二版)--中级 UNIT 7-9

上海紧缺人才培训工程教 学系列丛书.英语口语口 译资格证书考试.中级口 译教程.第二版.第三盒 ;

Unit seven ;

Interpreting Persuasive Speeches English-Chinese Interpretation ;

7-1 The Examination- oriented Education ;

Text for Interpretation ;

Interpret the following passage from English into Chinese: ;

Mr.Chairman, Ladies and gentlemen, ;

The greatest wish of every caring responsible society is ;

to do something important and meaningful ;

to improve the lives of its children. ;

The most obvious way of doing this is to free childhood from ;

the unacceptable burden of examinations ;

and selection created by our educational system. ;

At the lender age of 13 or 14,children are selected and pushed into ;

examination classes which will effectively decide their futures. ;

Then, at the age in their lives when most of them are least receptive to learning, ;

they are forced to sit exams ;

where the penalties for failure are as final as death sentence. ;

The lives of secondary school children are ruled by these exams in this country. ;

Some schools do offer a wide range of interesting subjects, ;

but only for those who have already been labeled as failures. ;

So parents continue to push,pull,threaten and force their children through exams, ;

or search anxiously for schools with "high standards" to do the pushing ;

and forcing for them, because this is what our universities demand. ;

But is there any need for all that?Why do we put such pressure on our young people ;

at a time when the brain is biologically at its least receptive? ;

And we know that if children took the wrong course at the age of 14. ;

then their lives could be ruined. ;

So why do we choose this period in their lives as the time to make or break them? ;

If the pressures of selection at 16 were removed, ;

secondary education could become a different process altogether. ;

From about 13 onwards children could be free to study if they choose; ;

or they could choose to study for part of the lime only. ;

They could spend exactly as long as they wanted doing the subjects ;

they wanted to do.If they wanted to spend half the day ;

in the art rooms or doing drama,that would be their decision. ;

Children complain that their classes are boring, ;

their textbooks are boring,and their teachers are boring. ;

However,the voice of the children is rarely beard; ;

and all too often,when they have to write, ;

they simply write what they know the teacher wants to read. ;

I am deeply convinced that children under a less compulsory system ;

would actually learn more and be more cooperative with adults ;

and authority in general.1 am sure they would be happier and more creative, ;

and therefore more useful to the society. ;

We shouldn't have to spend so much time threatening 13 and 14 year-olds ;

that if they don't study all day,every day, ;

they will end up as failures for the rest of their lives. ;

Therefore,ladies and gentlemen.I'm sure you ;

will agree that you have no choice but to agree with today's motion. ;

The system that exists today is certainly harmful to our children ;

and therefore must be changed.Thank vou. ;

7-2 The Effects of Misleading Advertising ;

Text for Interpretation ;

Interpret the following passage from English into Chinese: ;

I'm speaking to denounce a disease with our modern society, ;

that is,the sex role of misleading advertisements and commercials. ;

Advertising affects all of us throughout our lives. ;

Adolescents,especially female adolescents,are particularly vulnerable, ;

however,because they are new and inexperienced consumers ;

and are the prime targets of many advertisements. ;

Advertisers are fully aware of their role and do not hesitate ;

to take advantage of the insecurities and anxieties of young people, ;

in the guise of offering solutions. ;

A cigarette provides a symbol of independence. ;

A pair of designer jeans or sneakers conveys status. ;

The right perfume or beer resolves doubts about femininity or masculinity. ;

No politician or educator is more pervasive or persuasive ;

than advertising.It teaches us to he consumers, ;

to value material things above all else, to feel that happiness can be bought, ;

that there are instant solutions to life's complex problems, ;

and that products ran fulfill us and meet our deepest human needs. ;

The value of a person, especially the value of a young woman, ;

depends upon the products used. ;

For a woman, conventional beauty is her only attribute. ;

She is supposed to have no lines or wrinkles,no scars or blemishes. ;

She is thin,generally tall and long legged, and above all young. ;

All "beautiful" women in television commercials conform to this norm. ;

The image is artificial and can only be achieved artificially. ;

Desperate to conform to an ideal and impossible standard, ;

many women go to great lengths to manipulate and change their faces and bodies. ;

More than a million dollars is spent every hour on cosmetics in this country. ;

A woman is conditioned to view her face as a mask and her body as an object, ;

as things separate from and more important than her real self. ;

She is constantly in need of alteration, improvement, and disguise. ;

She is made to feel dissatisfied with and ashamed of herself, ;

whether she tries to achieve "the look" or not. ;

Ironically,the heavily advertised products, ;

such as cosmetics and weight-reduction drinks, ;

are even detrimental to physical attractiveness. ;

There is very little emphasis in the media on nutrition and ;

exercise and other important aspects of health and vitality. ;

Adolescent females are also discouraged from growing up and becoming adults. ;

Growing older is the great taboo.Although boys are allowed and ;

encouraged to become mature adults,girls are encouraged to ;

remain little girls, to be passive and dependent, never to mature. ;

Somehow placed in a double bind,they are supposed to be sexy and virginal, ;

experienced and naive, seductive and pure. ;

Misleading advertisements and commercials depict a world in which love ;

and passion are reserved solely for products, ;

in which sexuality becomes a commodity, ;

and in which young women are the worst victims. ;

7-3 The Future Is Ours to Build ;

Text for Interpretation ;

Interpret the following passage from English into Chinese: ;

Indies and gentlemen, History beckons again. ;

We have begun to write a new chapter for peace and progress in our histories, ;

with America and China going forward hand in-hand. ;

We must always he realistic about our relationship, ;

frankly acknowledging the fundamental differences in ideology ;

and institutions between our two societies. ;

Yes,let us acknowledge those differences; let us never minimize them; ;

but let us not be dominated by them. ;

I have not come to China to hold forth on what divides us, ;

but to build on what binds us,1 have not come to dwell on a closed-door past, ;

but to urge that Americans and Chinese look to the beautiful future. ;

I am firmly convinced that,together,we can and will make tomorrow a better day. ;

We may live at nearly opposite ends of the world. ;

We may be distinctly different in language, customs,and political beliefs; ;

but on many vital questions of our time there is little distance ;

between the American and Chinese people. Indeed. ;

I believe if we were to ask citizens all over this world ;

what they desire most for their children, and for their children's children, ;

their answer, in English,Chinese,or any language would likely be the same: ;

We want peace.We want freedom.We want a belter life. ;

Their dreams,so simply stated,represent mankind's deepest aspirations ;

for security and personal fulfillment. ;

And helping them make their dreams come true is what our jobs are all about. ;

We have always believed the heritage of our past is ;

the seed that brings forth the harvest of our future. ;

And from our roots, we have drawn tremendous power from faith and freedom. ;

Our passion for freedom led to the American Revolution. ;

We know each of us could not enjoy liberty for ourselves ;

unless we were willing to share it with everyone else. ;

And we knew our freedom could not be truly safe, ;

unless all of us were protected by a body of laws that treated us equally. ;

Trust the people these three words are not only the heart and ;

soul of American history, ;

but the most powerful force for human progress in the world today. ;

Like China,our people see the future in the eyes of our children. ;

And,like China,we revere our elders. ;

To be as good as our fathers and mothers, we must he better. ;

Over a century ago. Grant,who was then a former president, ;

visited your country and saw China's great potential. ;

"I see dawning," Grant wrote,"the beginning of a change. When it does come, ;

China will rapidly become a powerful and rich nation ... ;

The population is industrious,frugal, intelligent,and quick to learn. " ;

Today,China's economy crackles with the dynamics of change. ;

Unlike some governments,which fear change and fear the future, ;

China is beginning to reach out toward new horizons,and we salute your courage. ;

We Americans have always considered ourselves pioneers, ;

so we appreciate such vitality and optimism. Today, ;

I bring you a message from my countrymen: As China moves forward on this new path. ;

America welcomes the opportunity to walk by your side. ;

I see America and our Pacific neighbors going forward ;

in a mighty enterprise to build strong economies and a safer world. ;

For our part,we welcome this new Pacific tide. ;

Let it roll peacefully on ,carrying a two-way flow of people and ideas ;

that can break down barriers of suspicion and mistrust, ;

and build up bonds of cooperation and shared optimism.The future is ours to build. ;

7-4 The New Beginning of an Old Story ;

Text for Interpretation ;

Interpret the following passage from English into Chinese: ;

Distinguished guests and my fellow citizens, ;

the peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history,yet common in our country. ;

With a simple oath,we affirm old tradition and make new beginnings. ;

I am honored and humbled to stand here, ;

where so many of America's leaders have come before me, ;

and so many will follow.We have a place,all of us,in a long story-- ;

a story we continue, but whose end we will not see. ;

It is the story of a new world that became a friend and liberator of the old, ;

a story of a slave- holding society that became a servant of freedom, ;

the story of a power that went into the world to protect but not possess, ;

to defend but not to conquer.It is the American story — ;

a story of flawed and fallible people, ;

united across the generations by grand and enduring ideals. ;

The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding American promise that everyone belongs, ;

that everyone deserves a chance,that no insignificant person was ever born. ;

Americans are called to enact this promise in our lives and in our laws. ;

And though our nation has sometimes halted, and sometimes delayed, ;

we must follow no other course. ;

While many of our citizens prosper, others doubt the promise. ;

even the justice, of our own country. ;

The ambitions of some Americans are limited by failing schools and ;

hidden prejudice and the circumstances of their birth. ;

And sometimes our differences run so deep,it seems we share a continent, ;

but not a country. We do not accept this, and we will not allow it. ;

Our unity, our union, is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation. ;

America,at its best, is a place ;

where personal responsibility is valued and expected. ;

Encouraging responsibility is not a search for scapegoats; ;

it is a call to conscience.And though it requires sacrifice, ;

it brings a deeper fulfillment.We find the fullness of life not only in options, ;

but in commitments. And we find that children and community ;

are the commitments that set us free. ;

Our public interest depends on private character, ;

on civic duty and family bonds and basic fairness,on uncounted, ;

unhonored acts of decency which give direction to our freedom. ;

Sometimes in life we are called to do great things.But as a saint of our times has said, ;

every day we are called to do small things with great love. ;

The most important tasks of a democracy are done by everyone. ;

What you do is as important as anything government does. ;

I ask you to seek a common good beyond your comfort; ;

to defend needed reforms against easy attacks; ;

to serve your nation, beginning with your neighbor. ;

I ask you to be citizens,not subjects; responsible citizens, ;

building communities of service and a nation of character. ;

Americans are generous and strong and decent, not because we believe in ourselves, ;

but because we hold beliefs beyond ourselves. ;

When this spirit of citizenship is missing, ;

no government program can replace it.When this spirit is present, ;

no wrong can stand against it. Never tiring,never yielding, ;

never finishing,we renew that purpose today, ;

to make our country more just and generous, ;

to affirm the dignity of our lives and every life. ;

Sentences in Focus ;

Interpret the following sentences from English into Chinese: ;

1.With a simple oath, we affirm old tradition and make new beginnings. ;

2.I'm speaking to denounce a disease with our modern society, ;

that is,the sex role of misleading advertisements and commercials. ;

3.A caring and responsible society should do something important ;

and meaningful to improve the lives of its children, ;

rather than create heavy academic and psychological hurdens for the children ;

at their tender age of 12，and force them to sit exams where the penalties ;

for failure are as final as death sentence. ;

4.I am deeply convinced that ;

children under a less compulsory system would actually learn more; ;

they would be more creative and cooperative with ;

adults and authority in general. ;

5.In the world today, no political speech or academic lecture ;

is more pervasive or persuasive than advertising. ;

6.Female adolescents are particularly vulnerable to. ;

and have been the prime targets of,many advertisements and commercials. ;

7.Advertisers are fully aware of their role ;

and do not hesitate to take advantage of the insecurities and ;

anxieties of young people,in the guise of offering them ;

solutions to any problems conceivable. ;

8.A consequence of advertising is that it conveys the message ;

that the value of a person is dependent upon  the value of products used, ;

and that it makes us feel that happiness can be bought, ;

that there are instant solutions to life's complex problems, ;

and that products can fulfill us and meet our deepest human needs. ;

9.All "beautiful"women in television commercials conform ;

to the norm by which one is supposed to bo thin,generally tall and long legged, ;

and have no lines or wrinkles,and no scars or blemishes. ;

10.Desperate to conform to an ideal and impossible standard,many women, ;

under the influence of advertising,go to great lengths to manipulate ;

and alter their faces and bodies,as if they were things separable ;

from and more important than their real selves. ;

11.Ironically,the heavily advertised products, ;

such as cosmetics and weight-reduction drinks, ;

are even detrimental to physical attractiveness. ;

12.Misleading advertisements and commercials depict a world in which love ;

and passion are reserved solely for products, ;

in which sexuality becomes a commodity, ;

and in which young women are the worst victim. ;

13.We must frankly acknowledge the fundamental differences ;

in ideology and institutions between our two societies. ;

14.I have come to China not to hold forth on what divides us. ;

but to build on what binds us.not to dwell on a closed-door past, ;

but to urge us look to the beautiful future. ;

15.I have always believed the heritage of our past is the ;

seed that brings forth the harvest of our future, ;

16.Today,China's economy crackles with the dynamics of change, ;

and you are beginning to reach out toward new horizons,and we salute your courage. ;

17.Let the Pacific tide roll peacefully on. ;

carrying a two-way flow of people and ideas that can break down barriers of ;

suspicion and mistrust,and build up bonds of cooperation and shared optimism. ;

18.We find the fullness of life not only in options, but in commitments. ;

19.Our public interest depends on private character, ;

on civic duty and family bonds and basic fairness,on uncounted, ;

unhonored acts of decency which give direction to our freedom. ;

Unit 8 说服性口译 ;

Interpreting Persuasive Speeches Chinese-English Interpretation ;

8-1 Acquiring a Second Culture ;

Text for Interpretations ;

Interpret the following passage from Chinese into English: ;

文化是指一个民族的整体 生活方式。这一简单定义 的含义使文化包括了这样 一些内容， ;

即一个民族的风俗， 传统，社会习惯，价值 观，信仰，语言、 思维方式以及日常活动。 ;

文化还包含了文明史。 从广义上说，有两种文 化，即物质文化和精神 文化。 ;

物质文化是具体的、 可见的，而精神文化则 比较蕴蓄、比较抽象。 ;

由于人类语言是文化的 直接表现，所以第二语言 的学习涉及了第二文化的 学习。 ;

第二语言教师应该引导 学生注意并了解他们所 学语言的文化内容。包括 理解外族文化的价值观， ;

掌握外族文化的礼仪， 了解外族文化与本族文化 之间的差异。 ;

随着学生外语学习的深 化，他们会增进对所学语 言民族的文化特征的认 识。 ;

这种开阔了的文化认识 可以涉及文化的所有方 面：外族人的生活方式， 以及外族社会的地理、 ;

历史、经济、艺术和科学 等。我们知道，每个民族 的文化有不同于其他民族 文化的礼仪规范。 ;

因此，学生在上外语课时 应该学习操目标语的民族 那些恰当得体的礼仪规 范， ;

学习如何理解陌生的文化 习俗，学习在与外族人 交际时应有的言谈举止。 ;

8-2 Environmental Protection ;

Text for Interpretation ;

Interpret the following passage from Chinese into English: ;

女士们、先生们： 中国作为一个发展中国 家，面临着发展经济与 保护环境的双重任务。 ;

从国情出发，中国在全面 推进现代化的过程中， 将环境保护视为一项基本 国策， ;

将实现经济持续发展视 为一项重要战略, ;

同时在全国范围内开展污 染防治工作和生态环境 保护活动。 ;

自改革开放以来，中国国 民生产总值的年均增长 率为10％左右， ;

同时环境恶化的状况已基 本得到了控制，在许多地 区还得到了改善。 ;

实践证明，我们协调经济 发展与环境保护两者之 间关系的做法是行之 有效的。 ;

中国作为国际社会中的 成员，在努力保护自己 环境的同时，还积极参与 国际环保事务． ;

促进国际环保合作，并认 真履行了国际义务。 ;

所有这些都充分表明了中 国政府和人们保护全球 环境的诚意和决心。 ;

中国为保护自己的环境作 了哪些努力呢?中国环境 保护的形势又如何呢? ;

概括说来，我们做了以下 几件事： ;

——选择持续发展的实施 战略； 一逐步改进法律和行政 制度； ;

一预防与控制工业污染， 综合整治城市环境； 一大规模地进行国土控管 和农村环保； ;

一保护生态环境，保护 植被，退耕还林，退耕 还草，封山绿化： ;

——加速环境科技的开发 ， 一在人民中宣传环保知 识，提高人们对环保道德 与行为准则的认识； ;

一采取强有力的措施促进 环保工作的国际合作。 ;

女士们，先生们，人类在 解决环境与发展问题中 仍面临着大量的难题． 任重而道远。 ;

中国将一如既往，与其他 国家合作，为保护我们 的生存环境， ;

为人类的幸福和繁荣， 为造福下一代而努力。 谢谢！ ;

8-3 Meeting the Challenge ;

Text for Interpretation ;

Interpret the following passage from Chinese into English: ;

这个世界每天都在变化。 世界正在不断地调整自 己。变化是当今最流行 的字眼。 ;

我们正处在一个从工业 化社会向服务和信息社会 的转轨过程之中。 ;

同样，中国也在发生变 化，也在调整自己。 ;

中国正处在建立和完善 社会主义市场经济体制 的改革进程中。 ;

中国社会正在改革中变 化，在变化中进行改革。 中国社会的变化， 使许多问题得到解决， ;

同时也产生了一些新的 问题。其中有四个问题对 人民的现在甚至未来的 影响作用最大。 ;

1．人口老龄化。老人和 高龄老人的数量在增加， 儿童的比例—尤其是在 城市中在减少。 ;

这将影响我国的经济发 展，威胁我国保健制度、 退休制度以及其他一些 福利制度的健康发展。 ;

2．就业问题。不断推进 的产业结构调整限制了 就业。服务性行业的增 多， ;

对高技术劳动力需求的 不断增长，国际国内日益 激烈的竞争压力， 农村人口大量流人城市， ;

这些对现阶段以及未来的 就业，对全面提高生活水 平的可能性，都构成了 严重的威胁。 ;

3．对家庭和儿童构成的 威胁。我国离婚率相对 增长， ;

整整一代青年人在独生子 女家庭的环境中成长， 人们频繁的职业和居住 地的变动等等， ;

这些都给家庭和儿童造成 了威胁。 4．对传统社会价值观的 挑战。 ;

中国社会中的拜金主义， 对自我的日益关注以及对 公益事业的淡漠使中国的 许多传统美德受到冲击。 ;

这些问题的存在值得我们 每个人重视．因为它们 会影响到我们每个人的 生活质量。 ;

这些问题渊源于经济和社 会条件的变化，它们是全 国性、甚至是世界性的 问题。 ;

这些问题伴随着都市化和 现代化的进程而产生。 ;

我们无法回避这些问题， 惟一的出路在于学会如 何处理它们。 ;

然而，不断变化着的社会 不仅给我们带来了问题， 也给我们带来了机会。 ;

变化可以被认为是不断产 生的挑战和危机，而挑战 在我们看来则是建设更好 社会的机遇。 ;

汉语中“危机”这个词由 两 个字组成——“危”和“ 机”。 因此，“危机”也孕育着 机会。 ;

中国的社会变更给社会带 来了许多问题，同时也给 人们带来了更多的机遇。 ;

在世界经济日趋一体化 的今天，让我们迎接挑 战，拥抱机遇．承担 责任， ;

共同建设更美好的明天。 ;

8-4 Practicing Martial Art for Your Health ;

Text for Interpretation ;

Interpret the following passage from Chinese into English: ;

欢迎各位来北京武术馆习 武健身。我可不想劝说 任何人，也不打算说服 任何人， ;

因为健身是每个人自己的 事，是为将来作投资。 ;

当然，如果您在寻找可 以健身、减肥、结交朋友 以及了解中国文化的场 所， ;

您找对了地方。您只需在 这里填写一张登记表， 再拿一张会员卡即可。 ;

这些事只需几分钟即 可办完。您在这里可以 欣赏古代格斗术，您也可 以在这里习武。 ;

由中国武术协会创立的 武术馆为您准备了精彩 的、扣人心弦的表演节目 ;

——您除了可以观赏武术 家 的表演外，还可以观赏京 剧节目和杂技表演。 ;

倘若您想有一种身人其境 的体验，中国武术协会将 随时派出最好的教学人 员， ;

我们这里有中国顶尖的武 林高手、身怀绝技的优秀 教头和无懈可击的武术 表演家。 ;

无论您身居何处，您若想 在自家门前学习武术， 中国武术协会都可派出 一流教员， ;

指导个人或团体皆可。 如果您在市场上寻购武术 工具或资料、中国武术协 会也为您准备好了一切， ;

价格从优。我们还有货物 齐全的书店，出售您感 兴趣的一切有关中华武术 的图书资料、 ;

录像带和DVD激光视盘。 女士们，先生们，这里是 您的理想之地，我们愿 为您效劳。 ;

Sentences in Focus ;

Interpret the following sentences from Chinese into English ;

1．文化是指一个民族的 整个生活方式，即一个民 族的风俗、传统、社会 习惯、价值观、信仰、 ;

语言、思维方式以及 日常活动。 ;

2．每个民族的文化有不 同于其他民族文化的礼 仪规范。 ;

3．由于人类语言是文化 的直接表现，所以可以 说， ;

第二语言学习涉及对 所学语言的民族文化特征 的认识和理解。 ;

4．中国作为一个发展中 国家，面临着发展经济与 保护环境的双重任务。 ;

5．中国在全面推进现代 化的过程中，不仅将实现 经济持续发展视为一项重 要战略， ;

同时也将生态环境的保护 视为一项基本国策。 ;

6．中国作为国际社会中 的一员，认真履行国际义 务，积极参与国际环保事 务，促进国际环保合作。 ;

7．我们必须在人民中宣 传环保知识，提高人们对 环保道德与行为准则的 认识。 ;

8．我们在解决环境与发 展问题中仍面临着大量的 难题，任重而道远。 ;

9．中国将一如既往，与 其他国家合作，为保护 我们的生存环境，为人类 的幸福和繁荣， ;

为造福下一代而奋斗。 ;

10．我们正处在一个由 工业化社会向服务与信 息社会转轨的过程中。 ;

11．中国正处在一个摆脱 僵硬的计划经济体制， 建立和完善社会主义市场 经济体制的改革进程中。 ;

12．人口老龄化将影响我 国的经济发展，威胁我国 的保健制度、 ;

退休制度以及其他一些福 利制度的健康发展。 ;

13．不断推进的产业结构 调整使服务性行业增多， 使高科技以及熟练 劳动力的需求增长。 ;

14．拜金主义、对自我的 日益关注以及对公益事业 的淡漠使中国许多传统 美德受到冲击。 ;

15．这些问题渊源于经济 和社会条件的变化，是都 市化和现代化所带来的 问题。 ;

16．不断变化着的社会 不仅给我们带来了问题， 也给我们带来了机会。 ;

17．在世界经济日趋一 体化的今天， ;

让我们迎接挑战，拥抱 机遇，承担责任，共同 建设更美好的未来。 ;

18．您在这里可以欣赏 精彩的、扣人心弦的武术 表演，也可以观赏京剧 节目和杂技表演。 ;

19．我不想说服任何人去 习武健身，因为这是个人 的事，是人们为将来所做 的投资。 ;

Unit 9 Interpreting Academic Speeches English- Chinese Interpretation ;

9-1 The Linguistic System Text for Interpretation ;

Interpret the following passage from English into Chinese: ;

There are as many as three thousand languages which are spoken today. ;

These languages are very different one from another. ;

Indeed,it is primarily the fact that they are ;

so different as to be mutually unintelligible ;

that allows us to call them separate languages. ;

A speaker of one of them, no matter how skillful and fluent, ;

cannot communicate with a speaker of another unless one of them, ;

as we say."learns the other's language." Yet these differences, great as they are, ;

are differences of detail —of the kinds of sounds used ;

and the ways of putting them together. In their broad outlines, ;

in their basic principles,and even in the way they approach ;

certain specific problems of communication, ;

languages have a great deal in common. We are all intimately familiar with ;

at least one language, yet few of us ever stop to consider what we know about it. ;

The words of a language can be listed in a dictionary, ;

but not all the sentences, ;

and a language consists of these sentences as well as words. ;

Speakers use a finite set of rules to produce and understand ;

an infinite set of sentences.These rules comprise the grammar of a language, ;

which is learned when you acquire the language. ;

The grammar of a language includes the sound system, ;

how words may be combined into phrases and sentences, ;

and the way in which sounds and meanings are related. ;

The sounds and meaning of words are related in an arbitrary fashion. ;

That is,if you had never heard the word "grammar", you would not. ;

by its sounds,know what it meant. Language,then, ;

is a system that relates sounds with meanings, ;

and when you know a language,you know this system. ;

This linguistic knowledge, or linguistic competence, ;

is different from linguistic behavior, known as linguistic performance. ;

If you woke up one morning and decided to stop talking, ;

you would still have the knowledge of your language. ;

If you do not know the language,you cannot speak it; ;

but if you know the language,you may choose not to speak. ;

Language is a tool of communication. ;

But if language is defined merely as a system of communication, ;

then language is not unique to humans. ;

We know birds,bees, crabs,spiders,whales, ;

and most other creatures communicate in some way. ;

However,there are certain characteristics of human language ;

not found in the communication.systems of any other species. ;

A basic property of human language is its creative aspect— ;

a speaker's ability to combine the basic linguistic units to ;

form an infinite set of "well-formed",or grammatical, sentences, ;

most of which are novel,never before produced or heard. ;

The grammar of human language can generate infinite messages, ;

a property unique to the human species. ;

9-2 Two Kinds of Brain Text for Interpretation ;

Interpret the following passage from English into Chinese: ;

Good afternoon,ladies and gentlemen.I would like to thank you for ;

inviting me to talk about the subject of ;

the difference between a brain and a computer. ;

The difference between a brain and a computer can be expressed in a single word: ;

complexity. The large mammalian brain is the most complicated thing, ;

for its size,known to us.The human brain weighs three pounds, ;

but in that three pounds are ten billion neurons and a hundred billion smaller cells. ;

These many billions of cells are interconnected in a vastly complicated ;

network that we can't begin to interpret as yet. ;

Even the most complicated computer man has yet built can't compare ;

in intricacy with the brain.Computer switches and components number ;

in  the thousands rather than in the billions.What's more, ;

the computer switch is just an on off device- whereas the brain cell is itself possessed of ;

a tremendously complex inner structure. Can a computer think? ;

That depends on what you mean by "think." ;

If solving a mathematical problem is "thinking." ;

then a computer can "think" and do so much faster than a man. ;

Of course,most mathematical problems can be solved quite mechanically ;

by repealing certain straightforward processes over and over again. ;

It is frequently said thai computers solve problems only ;

because they are "programmed" to do so. They can only do what men have them do. ;

One must remember that human beings also can only do what they are "programmed" to do. ;

Our genes "program" us and our potentialities are limited by that "program. " ;

Our "program" is so much more enormously complex,though, ;

that we might like to define "thinking" ;

in terms of our creativity in literature,art.science and technology. ;

In that sense. computers certainly can't think. ;

Surely,though,if a computer can be made complex enough, ;

it can be as creative as we.If it could be made as complex as a human brain, ;

it could be the equivalent of a human brain and do whatever a human brain can do. ;

But how longs will it take to build a computer complex ;

enough to duplicate the human brain? ;

Perhaps not as long as some think. ;

Long before we approach a computer as complex as our brain, ;

we will perhaps build a computer that is at least complex enough ;

to design another computer more complex than itself. ;

This more complex computer could design one still more complex. ;

The point of concern is that mankind is not only creating a servant, ;

but also a threatening rival. ;

9-3 The Biological Revolution ;

Text for Interpretation ;

Interpret the following passage from English into Chinese: ;

Respected Mr. President,Dear faculty and students, ;

Thank you for inviting me to talk about the emerging biological revolution. ;

In his book Brave New World,published in 1932, ;

Aldous Huxley predicted a big biolechnological revolution ;

about to take place; the hatching of people not in wombs but in test tube; ;

the drug which gave people instant happiness; ;

the sensation which was simulated by implanted electrodes; ;

and modification of behavior through the administration of ;

various artificial hormones.With 70 years ;

separating us from the publication of this book, ;

we can see that Huxley's technological predictions ;

are startlingly accurate.Many of the technologies that Huxley envisioned are ;

already here or just over the horizon. But this revolution has only just begun. ;

New breakthroughs in biomedical technology are announced daily; ;

achievements such as the completion of the human genome project ;

portend much more serious changes to come. ;

According to Huxley, the most significant threat posed by ;

contemporary biotechnology is the possibility ;

that it will alter human nature and ;

thereby move us into a "posthuman" stage of history. ;

This is important because human nature exists and defines us as a species ;

with a stable continuity.It is what defines our most basic values. ;

Medical technology offers us in many cases a devil's bargain; ;

longer life,but with reduced mental capacity; ;

freedom from depression,together with freedom from creativity or spirit. ;

It will blur the lino between what we achieve on our own and what we achieve ;

because of the levels of various chemicals in our brains. ;

Consider the following three scenarios,all of which are distinct possibilities ;

that may unfold over the next generation or two. ;

The first has to do with new drugs.We know human personality is plastic. ;

Psychotropic drugs can affect traits like self-esteem ;

and the ability to concentrate.Stolid people can become vivacious; ;

introspective ones extroverts;you can adopt one personality on Wednesday ;

and another for the weekend. In the second scenario, ;

advances in stem cell research allow scientists to ;

regenerate virtually any tissue in the body, ;

so that lift: expectancies are pushed well above 100 years. ;

If you need a new heart or liver, ;

you just grow one inside the chest cavity of a pig or cow; ;

brain damage from Alzheimer's and stroke can be reversed. ;

The only problem is that there are many subtle aspects of human aging ;

that the biotech industry hasn't quite figured out how to fix: ;

people grow mentally rigid and increasingly fixed in their views as they age. ;

Worst of all,they just refuse to gut out of the way.not just of their children, ;

but their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. ;

In a third scenario, people will screen embryos ;

before implantation so as to optimize the kind of children they have. ;

If someone doesn't live up to social expectations, ;

he tends to blame bad genetic choices by his parents rather than himself. ;

Human genes have been transferred to animals and even to plants to ;

produce new medical products;and animal genes have been added to certain embryos to ;

increase their physical endurance or resistance to disease. ;

These will have serious and unexpected consequences. ;

We don't have to await the arrival of human genetic engineering to ;

foresee a time when we will be able to enhance intelligence. ;

memory,emotional sensitivity,and sexuality,as well as reduce ;

aggressiveness and manipulate behavior in a host of other ways. ;

The medical profession is dedicated to the proposition ;

that anything that can defeat disease and prolong life is ;

unequivocally a good thing.The fear of death is one of the deepest ;

and most abiding human passions,so it is understandable ;

that we should celebrate any advance in medical technology ;

that appears to put death off.But people worry about ;

the quality of their lives as well — not just the quantity. ;

Ideally,one would like not merely to live longer ;

but also to have one's different faculties fail as close as possible to ;

when death finally comes,so that one does not ;

have to pass through a period of debility at the end of life. ;

While many medical advances have increased the quality of life ;

for older people,many have had the opposite effect ;

by prolonging only one aspect of life and increasing dependency. ;

Alzheimer's disease — in which certain parts of the brain waste away, ;

leading to loss of memory and eventually dementia — is a good example of this, ;

because the likelihood of getting it rises proportionately with age. ;

At age 65,only one person in a hundred is likely to come down with Alzheimer's; ;

at 85,it is one in six.The rapid growth in the population suffering from ;

Alzheimer's in developed countries is thus a direct result of ;

increased life expectancies,which have prolonged the health of the body ;

without prolonging resistance to this terrible neurological disease. ;

We could find ways to preserve bodily health but would fail ;

to put off age-related mental deterioration. ;

Stem cell research might yield ways to grow new body pans. ;

But without a parallel curer for Alzheimer's, ;

this wonderful new technology would do no more than allow more ;

people to persist in vegetative stales for years longer than is currently possible. ;

The consequences of medical advances might be the world in which ;

people routinely live to be 120,or even up to 150,but the last ;

decades of life in a state of childlike dependence on caretakers. ;

We're still trying to make sense of what is happening. ;

Thank you again for my privilege of speaking at this famous university. ;