2017年翻譯考試高級英語口譯練習(xí)題：《祭鱷魚文》
維年月日，潮州刺史韓愈使軍事衙推秦濟(jì)，以羊一豬一，投惡溪之潭水，以與鱷魚食，而告之曰：
昔先王既有天下，烈山澤，罔繩擉刃，以除蟲蛇惡物，為民害者，驅(qū)而出之四海之外。及后王德薄，不能遠(yuǎn)有，則江漢之閑，尚皆棄之，以與蠻夷楚越，況潮嶺海之閑，去京師萬里哉?鱷魚之涵淹卵育於此，亦固其所。
今天子嗣唐位，神圣慈武。四海之外，六合之內(nèi)，皆撫而有之。況禹跡所揜，揚(yáng)州之近地，刺史縣令之所治，出貢賦以供天地宗廟百神之祀之壤者哉?
鱷魚!其不可與刺史雜處此土也!刺史受天子命，守此土，治此民。而鱷魚睅然不安溪潭，據(jù)處食民畜，熊豕鹿獐，以肥其身，以種其子孫;與刺史抗拒，爭為長雄。刺史雖駑弱，亦安肯為鱷魚低首下心。伈伈睍睍，為民吏羞，以偷活于此耶?且承天子命以來為吏，固其勢不得不與鱷魚辨。
鱷魚有知，其聽刺史言!潮之州，大海在其南。鯨鵬之大，蝦蟹之細(xì)，無不容歸，以生以食，鱷魚朝發(fā)而夕至也。今與鱷魚約：盡三日，其率丑類南徙於海，以避天子之命吏!三日不能，至五日;五日不能，至七日;七日不能，是終不肯徙也;是不有刺史，聽從其言也;不然，則是鱷魚冥頑不靈，刺史雖有言，不聞不知也。夫傲天子之命吏，不聽其言，不徙以避之，與冥頑不靈而為民物害者，皆可殺。刺史則選材技吏民，操強(qiáng)弓毒矢，以與鱷魚從事，必盡殺乃止。其無悔!
The Sacrifice to the Crocodile
On a certain day of a certain month in a certain year, Han Yu, Prefect of Chaochow, sent a military officer, Ching Tsi, to throw a lamb and a pig into the gloomy gorge of E-chi to feed the crocodile and to give the proclamation:
“After the Kings of the ancient times had come into possession of this country, they set fire to the mountains and marshes, destroyed with weapons and captured with nets the reptiles, snakes, and cruel beasts, and drove out those which were injurious to the people beyond the seas. The later kings, owing to their little virtue, were unable to stretch far their authority, and administrate the distant parts. Those regions lying between the rivers were abandoned to the savage tribes. It is not surprising, then, since Chaochow is a district between the Ling Mountains and the sea and ten thousand li off from the capital, that the crocodile should there make his home and nourish its young. But since the reigning Emperor, divine, sacred, kind, and brave, has ascended the throne of the Tang Dynasty, the lands beyond the Four Seas are in his possession, to say nothing of the land (Chaochow) fixed by Yu, adjacent to Yang Chow, governed by the prefect and the district magistrate, whence comes the tribute for the Emperor, and the contribution for the sacrifice to Heaven and Earth and for the ancestral temple of the Imperial family, and for all the gods! It is impossible for the crocodile to live on the same spot with the prefect who has been appointed by the Emperor to protect this land and govern this people. You crocodile, however, are headstrong and will not dwell quietly in this gorge, but must swallow up the cattle of the people, the bears, swine, deer, and roebuck, so that you fatten yourself and breed your young, defying the prefect as your rival in power. Although the prefect is feeble and old, do you think he is willing to bow his head and humble himself to a crocodile, and to be in constant fear? Is he willing to spend a miserable existence here, despised and flouted by the people? Since he has been appointed the prefect of this place by the Emperor, he is bound to oppose you. O, crocodile, you will hear my words, if you are a wise crocodile. To the south of Chaochow, there is a great sea where abound great monsters, the whale and roc, and delicacies such as the crabs, the lobsters, and every other thing. Ah! There you can live and eat. You will arrive there in the evening if you set out in the morning.
Now I will make an agreement with you. I will give you three days in which you must lead your ugly crew and remove them from the presence of the appointed servant of the Emperor. If three days be not enough, then take five; and if you cannot do it in five, then have seven. If even seven days be not enough, it is evident you do not want to move at all, and that you will not obey the words of the prefect. If it be not so, then it must be that you are stupid and dull, and will neither hear nor understand the words of the prefect. Those who despise the officer of the Emperor, and who refuse to listen to his words, and who do not move off and avoid him, as well as the stupid and dull who are a cause of injury to the people, are all fit for slaughter. I will select skilful men, give them strong bows and poisoned arrows, to come to begin their work till no one of you is remained. Then it will be too late for you to regret.”
(Henry Bain 譯)
