问答题
I think that a successful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities. (46) It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful, and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive. It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes, both because they will not believe you, and because mistakes are an essential part of education. (47) But if you are one of those who are incapable of impersonal interests, you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with your children and grandchildren. In that case you must realize that while you can still render them material services, such as making them an allowance or knitting them jumpers, you must not expect that they will enjoy your company. Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is a justification for this feeling. (48) Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer. But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. (49) The best way to overcome it—so at least it seems to me—is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life . An individual human existence should be like a river—small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being. The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not suffer from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue. And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will not be unwelcome. (50) I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do and content in the thought that what was possible has been done. (423 words)
【答案解析】[译点精析] (1)两个强调句可按原句语序顺译，这样可以更准确地呈现原句含义，突出被强调部分。同时，为避免重复，第二个强调句中的in this sphere不直接译出，可用“在此处”来替代。 (2)句中的fruitful是形容词，根据汉语的表达习惯，翻译时最好将其转化为动词，译为“结出果实”，且根据上下文，翻译时应采用其比喻义，译为“结出累累硕果”。 (3)born of experience是修饰wisdom的后置定语，翻译时可采用逆译法，将其置于wisdom之前翻译，译为“由经验而产生的智慧”。 (4)介词短语without being oppressive是状语，修饰exercised。根据句意，可采用拆译法，将该介词短语单独成句进行翻译，即译为“在此处既有用武之地，而又不会让人觉得压抑”。
【答案解析】[译点精析] (1)此句中两个条件状语从句的主句均为you may find that your life will be empty，因此翻译时，可以改变原有语序，将两个从句并列起来置于主句之前翻译。 (2)impersonal interest是固定短语，意为“广泛的爱好”，incapable的意思是“不能的”，为符合汉语的表达习惯，宜将其转化为动词，即把be incapable of impersonal interests译为“没有什么广泛的爱好”。 (3)unless意为“如果不”，表示条件。concern oneself with意为“忙于(某事)，关心(某事)”。例如：There's no need to concern yourself with this matter; we're dealing with it．你不用关心此事了，我们正在处理。
【答案解析】[译点精析] (1)have reason to...意为“有理由做某事”，justifiably意为“有正当理由的；情有可原的”，二者的意思接近，可以合并翻译为一个词“有理由……”。然后，二者中间的to fear that they will be killed in battle可译为主语young men的前置定语；be killed in battle在原句中为被动语态，根据汉语表述中多用主动语态的习惯，翻译时应将被动语态转化为主动语态，于是这部分可译为“那些担心自己会战死沙场的年轻人”。 (2)in the thought意为“对于某一想法；一想到某事”，feel bitter意为“感到悲伤、痛苦”。 (3)thought的同位语从句过长，翻译时应单独成句。为使表述流畅，应把该从句置于主句的谓语之前翻译。be cheated of the best things应当译为“被骗走了……最美好的一切”。
【答案解析】[译点精析] (1)to overcome it这一短后置定语可直接译为前置定语；插入语so at least it seems to me按照原句语序顺译即可。 (2)wider和more impersonal是形容词的比较级，都作interests的宾语补足语。根据句意需要，宜将这两个词转化为动词，译为“拓展”和“使之超出个人之外”。 (3)bit by bit的意思是“一点点地，渐渐地”，例如：He saved money bit by bit until he had enough to buy a car.他一点儿一点儿攒钱直到够买一辆汽车。 (4)时间状语从句中的the walls of the ego是比喻用法，表面意思是“自我之墙”，根据上下文可意译出其本义，即“自我意识”。 (5)recede意为“后退；模糊；减弱”。例如：As the tide receded we were able to look for shells.潮水退去，我们就能寻找贝壳了。
【答案解析】[译点精析] (1)while still at work是省略句，补全后应为while I were still at work，翻译时，要把省略的部分补充完整，同时，该时间状语从句用来修饰不定式动词die，最好将其置于die之前翻译。主句与时间状语从句部分即可译为“我希望我能在工作中死去”。 (2)knowing...和content...都作die的伴随状语，为使译文表述通畅，翻译时应采用增补法在前面加上时间状语“临终时”，以使表述更加完整。 (3)in the thought that what was possible has been done这一状语宜置于content之前翻译，使之更符合汉语的表达习惯。其中has been done是被动语态，宜转换为主动语态。