翻譯資格考試英語(yǔ)口譯中級(jí)模擬題：測(cè)驗(yàn)

　　Some time ago, I received a call from a colleague. He asked if I would be the referee on the grading of an examination question. He was about to give a student a zero for his answer to a physics question. But the student argued that he was competent in the subject and should be given a full score; he believed he would if the grading system were not set up against the student. I was then selected to make a judgment and decision.

　　前些日子，我接到一位同事的電話， 問(wèn)我是否愿意做仲裁人，為一道考題評(píng)分。 這是一道物理題，同事打算給一個(gè)學(xué)生打零分。 這位同學(xué)卻堅(jiān)持認(rèn)為自己在該問(wèn)題上的回答表現(xiàn)出色，應(yīng)該得滿分。他深信，如果評(píng)分制度不與學(xué)生作對(duì)，那他就應(yīng)該得滿分。 結(jié)果同事便來(lái)找我定奪。

　　I went to my colleague's office and read the examination question: "Show how it is possible to find the height of a tall building with the help of a barometer."

　　來(lái)到同事辦公室，我閱讀了這道考題。其內(nèi)容為：說(shuō)明借助氣壓計(jì)測(cè)量大樓高度的可能方法。

　　The student had answered: "Take the barometer to the top of the building, attach a long rope to it, lower the barometer to the street, and then bring it up, measuring the length of the rope. The length of the rope is the height of the building."

　　那位同學(xué)的答案是：“將氣壓計(jì)帶到樓頂，系一根長(zhǎng)繩。用繩子把氣壓計(jì)從樓頂送至樓下的大街上，再將繩子拉上來(lái)，測(cè)其長(zhǎng)度。繩子的長(zhǎng)度便是大樓的高度。”

　　I pointed out that the student really stood for full credit, since he had answered the question completely and correctly. The problem is, the answer did not show that the student had showed his knowledge of physics. I suggested that, in order to prove him a somewhat competent student, he have another try at answering the question. I was not surprised that my colleague agreed, but I was surprised that the student did.

　　我的態(tài)度是，該生回答得既完整又正確，應(yīng)該得滿分。 可問(wèn)題在于，這種回答無(wú)法反映該生所掌握的物理知識(shí)。 為了證明他是個(gè)合格的學(xué)生，我提議，再給他一次回答這一問(wèn)題的機(jī)會(huì)。 同事表示同意，對(duì)此我并不感到意外。那位同學(xué)竟然也表示同意，這倒真有些出人意料。

　　I gave the student six minutes to answer the question. I warned him though that his answer should show some knowledge of physics. At the end of five minutes, he had not written anything. I asked if he wished to give up, but he said no. He had many answers to this problem; he was just thinking of the best one. I excused myself for interrupting him, and asked him to please go on. In the next minute, he quickly wrote out his answer, which read: "Take the barometer to the top of the building. Drop the barometer, timing its fall with a stopwatch. Then using the formula S=1/2 gt 2, calculate the height of the building."

　　我給這位同學(xué)六分鐘時(shí)間回答問(wèn)題， 并提醒他，答案必須反映出一定的物理知識(shí)。 五分鐘過(guò)去了，他只字未寫。 我問(wèn)他是否打算放棄，他回答無(wú)此念頭， 而且告訴我這道題有很多答案，他實(shí)際上是在考慮哪個(gè)答案最好。 我為自己上前打攪他表示抱歉，并請(qǐng)他繼續(xù)答題。在隨后的一分鐘里，他迅速寫出了答案，內(nèi)容如下：“將氣壓計(jì)帶到樓頂。把氣壓計(jì)扔下樓，用秒表計(jì)時(shí)。然后用S = 1/2 gt 2這個(gè)公式，計(jì)算大樓的高度�！�

　　At this point, I asked my colleague if he would give up. He gave up, and I gave the student almost full credit.

　　此時(shí)，我問(wèn)那位同事是否愿意放棄。 他放棄了，而我給這位同學(xué)幾乎打了滿分。

　　In leaving my colleague's office, I recalled that the student had said he had other answers to the problem, so I asked him what they were. "Oh, yes," said the student, "There are many ways of getting the height of a tall building with the aid of a barometer. For example, you could take the barometer out on a sunny day and measure the height of the barometer, the length of its shadow, and the length of the shadow of the building, and by the use of simple proportion, find the height of the building."

　　離開(kāi)同事辦公室時(shí)，我想起那位同學(xué)說(shuō)過(guò)他還有其他解答方法，便問(wèn)他還有哪些方法。 他答道：“是呀，有很多種借助氣壓計(jì)測(cè)量大樓高度的方法。比如說(shuō)，你可以在陽(yáng)光明媚的時(shí)候把氣壓計(jì)帶出去，先測(cè)量氣壓計(jì)的高度及其影子的長(zhǎng)度，再測(cè)出大樓影子的長(zhǎng)度，然后利用單比例關(guān)系，就能計(jì)算出大樓的高度�！�

　　"Fine," I said, "And the others?" “真不錯(cuò)，”我說(shuō)道，“還有其他方法嗎?”

　　"Yes," said the student, "There is a very basic measurement method that you will like. In this method, you take the barometer and begin to walk up the stairs. As you climb the stairs, you mark off the length of the barometer along the wall. You then count the number of marks, and this will give you the height of the building in barometer units. A very direct method."

　　“有啊，”他說(shuō)，“有一種最基本的測(cè)量方法，你一定會(huì)喜歡。這種方法需要你帶著氣壓計(jì)去爬樓梯，一邊上樓，一邊沿著墻壁按氣壓計(jì)的高度做記號(hào)，然后數(shù)數(shù)做了多少個(gè)記號(hào)，就知道大樓的高度是多少個(gè)氣壓計(jì)的單位高度了。這是很直接的方法�！�

　　"Probably the best way of solving this problem," he said, "is to take the barometer to the basement and knock on the superintendent's door. When the superintendent answers, you speak to him as follows: 'Mr. Superintendent, here I have a fine barometer. If you will tell me the height of this building, I will give you this barometer.'"

　　“也許最好的解決辦法，”他說(shuō)，“就是帶著氣壓計(jì)到地下室去敲大樓管理員的門。管理員開(kāi)門后，你就這樣說(shuō)：'管理員先生，我這里有個(gè)精美的氣壓計(jì)。如果你告訴我這座大樓的高度，我就把它送給你。'”

　　At this point, I asked the student if he really did not know the usual answer to this question. He admitted that he did. But he said that he was fed up with high school and college instructors. They have been trying to teach him how to think, to use the "scientific method," and to go deep into the inner logic of the subject in a pedantic way, rather than teaching him some creative ways of solving problems.

　　此時(shí)，我問(wèn)這位學(xué)生是否真的不知道這道考題的通常答案。 他承認(rèn)自己知道答案。 不過(guò)他說(shuō)，他煩透了高中老師和大學(xué)老師。 他們總是教他如何思考，如何使用“科學(xué)方法”，如何以書呆子的方式探索學(xué)科的內(nèi)在邏輯，但卻從沒(méi)教過(guò)他如何創(chuàng)造性地解決問(wèn)題。

　　With this in mind, he decided to voice his discontent in disguise of a fool.

　　就是因?yàn)榭紤]到這種情況，他決定以佯扮傻瓜的方式，宣泄心中的不滿。