翻译资格考试英语口译中级模拟题：测验

　　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，我接到一位同事的电话， 问我是否愿意做仲裁人，为一道考题评分。 这是一道物理题，同事打算给一个学生打零分。 这位同学却坚持认为自己在该问题上的回答表现出色，应该得满分。他深信，如果评分制度不与学生作对，那他就应该得满分。 结果同事便来找我定夺。

　　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."

　　来到同事办公室，我阅读了这道考题。其内容为：说明借助气压计测量大楼高度的可能方法。

　　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."

　　那位同学的答案是：“将气压计带到楼顶，系一根长绳。用绳子把气压计从楼顶送至楼下的大街上，再将绳子拉上来，测其长度。绳子的长度便是大楼的高度。”

　　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.

　　我的态度是，该生回答得既完整又正确，应该得满分。 可问题在于，这种回答无法反映该生所掌握的物理知识。 为了证明他是个合格的学生，我提议，再给他一次回答这一问题的机会。 同事表示同意，对此我并不感到意外。那位同学竟然也表示同意，这倒真有些出人意料。

　　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."

　　我给这位同学六分钟时间回答问题， 并提醒他，答案必须反映出一定的物理知识。 五分钟过去了，他只字未写。 我问他是否打算放弃，他回答无此念头， 而且告诉我这道题有很多答案，他实际上是在考虑哪个答案最好。 我为自己上前打搅他表示抱歉，并请他继续答题。在随后的一分钟里，他迅速写出了答案，内容如下：“将气压计带到楼顶。把气压计扔下楼，用秒表计时。然后用S = 1/2 gt 2这个公式，计算大楼的高度。”

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

　　此时，我问那位同事是否愿意放弃。 他放弃了，而我给这位同学几乎打了满分。

　　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."

　　离开同事办公室时，我想起那位同学说过他还有其他解答方法，便问他还有哪些方法。 他答道：“是呀，有很多种借助气压计测量大楼高度的方法。比如说，你可以在阳光明媚的时候把气压计带出去，先测量气压计的高度及其影子的长度，再测出大楼影子的长度，然后利用单比例关系，就能计算出大楼的高度。”

　　"Fine," I said, "And the others?" “真不错，”我说道，“还有其他方法吗?”

　　"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，”他说，“有一种最基本的测量方法，你一定会喜欢。这种方法需要你带着气压计去爬楼梯，一边上楼，一边沿着墙壁按气压计的高度做记号，然后数数做了多少个记号，就知道大楼的高度是多少个气压计的单位高度了。这是很直接的方法。”

　　"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.'"

　　“也许最好的解决办法，”他说，“就是带着气压计到地下室去敲大楼管理员的门。管理员开门后，你就这样说：'管理员先生，我这里有个精美的气压计。如果你告诉我这座大楼的高度，我就把它送给你。'”

　　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.

　　此时，我问这位学生是否真的不知道这道考题的通常答案。 他承认自己知道答案。 不过他说，他烦透了高中老师和大学老师。 他们总是教他如何思考，如何使用“科学方法”，如何以书呆子的方式探索学科的内在逻辑，但却从没教过他如何创造性地解决问题。

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

　　就是因为考虑到这种情况，他决定以佯扮傻瓜的方式，宣泄心中的不满。