Welcome to Reading and Translation 4

“ 英语读译”课程小组

Course Introduction

◆Reading and Translating 4

◆2 Credits( 学分 )

◆Required course （必修课）

Assessment

• Written final exam 70 %

• Assignment 15%

• Class activity participation 10%

• Attendance 5%

Unit 1

Objectives

I. Objectives 1) to learn basic reading principles

2) to learn the new terms and expressions in the passages

3) to understand long and difficult sentences

4) 掌握英汉翻译技巧

basic reading principles

• 1. reading involves thinking.

• 2. reading rate is adjustable.

• 3. everyone can read better .

• 4. to read well, one must want to read well.

axioms of reading• 1. each student should understand the

personal advantages of reading.

• 2. each student should know how well he or she reads.

• 3. each student should know that reading can be improved

• 4. reading material should be appropriate.

testing your reading comprehension and speed

• fast reading 1

• fast reading 2

• fast reading 3

• check the answers

• answer students’ questions

answers to the fast reading exercises

• fast reading 1

• fast reading 2

• fast reading 3

a a d c c

d c a b c

c b c d a

Objective of the text:

It is to know :

the process of conceiving a story

and developing it into a perfect work

of art.

Genius and the Craftsman

Time Arrangement: • About two periods of class will be

used for the analysis and discussion of the passage itself.

Contents: I. Related Information II. Comprehension III. Difficult Points

I. Related Information: • Many people admire writers for their

exquisite stories, but few of them know with what painstaking efforts writers work to bring a story into the word.

• The following passage discusses the process of writing a story in terms of genius and craftsman.

II. Comprehension (Structure Analysis):

Part I (the first three paragraphs):

It is an introduction to the topic.

Part II (the rest of passage):

(1) The necessity of understanding the creative function.

(2) The process of conceiving a story.

(3) The process of developing a story into a perfect work of art.

II. Comprehension (Questions):

(1) Why does the writer think it necessary to know the creative function?

----The writer believes that understanding of the creative function increases our wisdom in dealing with the emerging story by making us aware of two things:

genius and craftsman or craftsmanship.

II. Comprehension Questions

(2) How is a story conceived?

-- A story is conceived when some experience of the present provokes the combination of one’s early impressions.

II. Comprehension (Questions):

(3) What is the principle of a story’s life?

-- Like any seed, the seed of a story has its own principle of growth:

a) a process of intelligent selection,

b) rarely presents itself as a whole.

II. Comprehension (Questions):

(4) What are the three functions of the craftsman?

-- Trust, write, and

generating skill.

III. Difficult Points: 1. The understanding of genius and

craftsmanship (craftsman):

--- Genius is the creative function of the human mind. There is no person without it, however undeveloped it may be.

--- Genius works at the level of origins; its business is to create. Craftsmanship is not a natural part of our mental equipment. It must be learned by practice.

--- Genius creates a story, while craftsmanship provides the story with a body of words.

III. Difficult Points:

2. What is the magic in the intention of excellence?

--- It makes your work interesting. Your work will never be a failure.

--- You gain a complete knowledge of the story. You gain a facility which no other things can possibly give you. You’ll continually improve your skill.

Information Related to the Text• 1. Robert Frost• Robert Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San

Francisco and died on January 29, 1963 in Boston. Frost was an American poet and poet-in- residence at a number of colleges and universities. He was best known for his use of colloquial language, familiar rhythms, and symbols taken from common life to express the quiet values of New England life.

•

• His major works include the books of poems A Boy's Will (1913), North of Boston (1914), Mountain Interval (1916) New Hampshire (1923), Steeple Bush (1947), In the Clearing (1962), just mention a few. He also wrote verse Plays, such as A Masque of Reason (1945), and A Masque of Mercy (1947), etc.

• 2. sputnik ['spʌtnɪk]

• n. 人造卫星（前苏联制造）• a Russian word, man-made satellite

launched by the former Soviet Union.

Detailed study of the text

• I saw nothing of the tree’s origin, nothing of the might which had forced open a pit you could break your teeth on, and nothing of the principle which held it separate from the oaks and the grasses.(para.1)

oak

橡树

might

• might: power, physical strength, force

• mighty:

• eg: The United Kingdom was a mighty empire before World War I

• eg: A mighty force was about to break loose.

英联邦在第一次世界大战前曾是一个强大的帝国。

一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。

• try to translate the sentence into good Chinese.

• take into account:

• 1. read the original sentence and understand the meaning clearly and thoroughly

• 2. organize language, make sure to use the correct Chinese sentence structure and words

• 3. translate with the proper expression

• 4. check the translation

give your version

• A. 我完全看不到这棵树最初的模样，看不到曾穿透果核的力量，这果核硬的能嘣碎你的牙齿，也看不到使它不同于橡树和绿草的本质。

• B. 我一点儿也看不见这棵树最初的样子，看不见那种曾穿透硬得能崩碎你牙齿的果核的力量，也看不见把它同橡树和青草区分开来的根源。

• So it is with the reader who comes upon an outstanding story: spellbound, he takes it to his heart, no question asked. （ para. 2)

• so it is with: the same is true with

• e.g. San Fransisco is a big city, so it is with Shanghai

(当读者读到一部杰出的小说时，他也会这样如痴如狂，欲将小说字字句句刻骨铭心，绝不会提出任何问题。 )

translation

adj. 被咒语所镇住的；出神的；被迷住的；茫然不知所措的

• …there is more to a story's life than the body of words which carries it into the world.(para.3)

• (除那将小说带到世上的文字主体之外还有更多的因素才能构成小说的生命。 )

• the body of words: the words that a story is composed of

• …it does not begin with writing, but with conception in the dark of the mind.(para. 3)

• (小说并不始于写作，而始于在隐密的内心深处的构思。 )

• The secret construction of a story in the innermost part of one's mind, rather than the writing of it, is the very beginning of the whole creating process of a story. The pronoun it refers to a story's life.

• in the dark: in secrecy.

• e.g. The transaction is made in the dark.

• Mastery is genius afoot. It is genius cultivated, developed, and exercised.(para.5)

mastery

英 ['mɑːst(ə)rɪ] 美 ['mæstəri]

• n. 掌握；精通；优势；征服；统治权• eg: If you use this in your daily life you will

stun people with your mastery of English.在日常生活中，如果你使用这个 (句子 )，人们将会对你掌握英语的程度目瞪口呆。

If you show mastery of a particular skill or language, you show that you have learned or understood it completely and have no difficulty using it.

afoot/əfʊt/

• If you say that a plan or scheme is afoot, it is already happening or being planned, but you do not know much about it. 在进行中的 ; 在酝酿中的

• eg ： Everybody knew that something awful was afoot.每个人都知道糟糕的事在酝酿之中。

eg: But bigger changes are also afoot但更大的变化还在进行中。

your version of translation

A. 对技艺的掌握是天赋的显现，是经过培养，发展了的和受过训练的天赋。

B. 高超的技艺是酝酿中的天赋，是经过培养、发展和训练了的天赋。

• While genius is a natural part of our mental equipment, like perception, memory, and imagination, craftsmanship is not. （ para. 6)

• equipment: the qualities or traits that make up the mental and emotional resources of an individual

• e.g. You have the necessary equipment for leadership.

（天赋正如理解力、记忆力和想象力一样是我们的精神禀赋中天然的一部分，而技艺却不是。）

• If the stories that rise within us are to emerge and flourish, each must be provided with a strong, handsome body of words, and only sound craftsmanship can provide this.(para. 6)

• sound craftsmanship ： highly trained skills.

• e.g. The work of art is a full representation of it's creator's genius and sound craftsmanship.

(如果要使在我们内心深处浮现的故事跃然纸上，并光彩照人，那么，每个故事都须有感染力极强的优雅文笔。只有功底深厚的技艺才能使我们做到这一点。 )

• …it may depend on the individual, as so much does in writing.(para. 7)

• (这可能取决于个人，正如写作中很多事都取决于个人。）

• The age one begins writing may depend on the individual, and much in writing depends on the individual.

• The pronoun it refers to the age at which people are said to begin writing.

•

• Enigma, wonder, fear, rapture, grandeur,

• and trivia in every degree and combination, these early impressions throb and wait for what? Completion of some kind? For recognition of their own peculiar truth?

• （ page 2. para.2)

enigma• [ɪ'nɪgmə]• n. 谜，不可思议的东西• [ 复数 enigmas 或 enigmata ] • eg: Why the universe is as it is remains an

enigma to science.

• eg: People love enigma and mystery.

• eg: Only the author has the key to this enigma. 只有作家本人才握有解开谜团的钥匙。

人们喜欢谜一样的事物。

宇宙为什么是今天这个样子在科学上还是个谜。

rapture ['ræptʃə]

Rapture is a feeling of extreme happiness or pleasure.

• n. 兴高采烈 vt. 使…狂喜• [ 过去式 raptured 过去分词 raptured 现在分词 rapturing ]

eg: His speech was received with rapture by his supporters. 他的演说受到了其支持者的热烈欢呼。eg: Those tiny bright red candled flowers and leaves as fine as the pine needles made me raptured.那些细小的，嫣红色烛型花，以及松枝一样的细叶。令我特别欢喜。

grandeur

• ['grændjə; -(d)ʒə]

• n. 壮丽；庄严；宏伟• eg: These ruins sufficiently attest the former

grandeur of the place这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

eg: He is wholly concerned with his own grandeur.他只关心他自己的显赫地位。

• trivia/trɪviə/. [复数，常用作单数 ] 不重要的事；琐事

• Trivia is unimportant facts or details that are considered to be interesting rather than serious or useful.

eg ： The two men chatted about such trivia as their favorite kinds of fast food.

• 那两位男子聊着诸如他们最喜欢的快餐之类的琐事。

translation • A. 困惑、彷徨、畏惧、喜悦、辉煌和平庸，在各种程度上以各种形式组合在一起。这些对往事的印象在心中悸动着，它们在等待什么呢？是在等待某种圆满？还是对它们特有真理的认可？

• B. 各种程度的迷惘、错愕、恐惧、狂喜、辉煌和琐碎做各种组合，这些早先的种种感受在心里悸动着、在等待些什么呢？等待某种圆满？等待对它们自己特有真理的认可？

• airy tracery of beauty given form （ para. 7)

• （这种飘渺的美就交织成了典雅的形式）• airy: ethereal.

• e.g. airy phantoms 幻影 of the mind

• tracery: ornamental work of interlaced and branching lines, especially the lacy openwork in a Gothic window.

• Thus variously laden, we move through life. （ para. 8)

• (我们就这样背负着各种记忆渡过一生。 )

• laden: oppressed, burdened

• e.g. laden with grief

•

• … now and then an experience, often slight, prizes the memory and seizes upon one of those live, expectant impressions of long age…(para. 8）

• prize: open

• e.g. Only with a long iron bar did we prize the top off the box.

(时而 ,一个小小的体验撬开了记忆之门，抓住了这些虽已年代久远，却依然栩栩如生，呼之欲出的印象。 )

• letting it cool in between times （ page 4. para.2)

• (在将其搁置一旁冷一段时间 )

• doing nothing about the story during the interval between two rewriting times in order to cultivate some new ideas about the story or wait for some ideas to rise.

• No matter how far short of the mark you fall, it is never failure…(page 4,para.3)

• (不论你的工作成果如何不如人意 , ... 这绝不是失败。 )

• fall short of: fail to reach an aim• e.g. I scheduled to work hard for two years to earn

an MA degree, but my plan fell short of the mark.•

• Things which slip past the eye in rereading leap at you and demand attention.

• (page 4,para. 5)

• (在反复阅读的过程中掠过眼前的事物向你跳跃着以求引起注意。 )

• slip: to pass gradually, easily, or imperceptibly

• e.g. It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by.

• Such expert knowledge of this one story gives you control…(page 4,para. 5)

• (对这部小说的彻底理解给你以控制力 ...)

• expert: having or demonstrating great skill, dexterity, or knowledge as the result of experience or training

• e.g. He had received expert academic advice.

Discussion

• 1. Is it possible for a writer to start writing on impulse and then catch some good ideas flashing into his mind during the process of writing? Cite examples to illustrate your point.

• 2. How does a writer produce good stories? Do you believe that a genius is a person who is able to accomplish things without going through any hardship?

• 3. Do you think that a good story is not written but rewritten? Why or why not?

key to exercises

• Exercises

• A. d

• B. c c b d c b b a

• D. a b c d b d d b a a

homework :read the text again after classtry to get a better understandingtranslate the sentences into Chinese Preview Unit 3

•thank you