问答题 Intelligence quotients (IQs) testing is controversial and regarded by some as a crude indicator of ability or potential. When comparing nations, measured average IQ tends to be affected by class, nutrition, and cultural factors including education. There is also disagreement over the influences of nature and nurture.
IQs have risen in developed nations for almost a century. But in Britain, research has found a reversal of this trend. The average had declined by two points on average, but by as much as six points among teenagers in the top half of the IQ scale, a fall that wiped out the previous two decades of gains in that group.
No cause for this fall in IQs has been established: the internet, the dumbing down of education, and an obsession with exam results have been suggested. Flynn has argued that youth culture has made a contribution.
【正确答案】
【答案解析】人们对智商测试颇有争议,有人将其视为个人能力和潜能的粗略衡量指标。各个国家相比而言,测试得到的平均智商水平往往受到阶层、营养状况以及教育等文化因素的影响。人们对先天条件和后天教育培养的影响也存在分歧。
近一个世纪以来,发达国家的智商水平持续上升。然而研究表明,英国的这种趋势出现了逆转。智商平均值平均下降了2%,但智商水平居前50%的青少年中,降幅高达6%,这一衰退让该群体在过去20年间的进步付之东流。
智商倒退的原因尚无定论,有舆论提出互联网、教育的低智化以及对考试成绩的过度重视或许难辞其咎。福林指出,青年文化对此已有所影响。 Intelligence quotients (IQs) testing is controversial and regarded by some as a crude indicator of ability or potential.
crude在这里应该翻译为“粗略的”,crude indicator译为“粗略的指标”。
人们对智商测试颇有争议,有人将其视为个人能力和潜能的粗略衡量指标。
There is also disagreement over the influences of nature and nurture.
nature and nurture是固定搭配,这里的nature不是“自然”的意思,而是“天生”的意思,而nurture指的是“后天教育”。“天赋和后天教育”对人的影响一直是教育上一个很有争议的问题。
人们对先天条件和后天教育培养的影响也存在分歧。
The average had declined by two points on average, but by as much as six points among teenagers in the top half of the IQ scale, a fall that wiped out the previous two decades of gains in that group.
这是由but连接的并列句。a fall...是对前面整句内容的补充说明,翻译时需要另起一句。
as much as six points,意思是“高达6%”。teenagers in the top haft of the IQ scale,意思是“智商水平居前50%的青年人”。“wipe out”意思是“擦去”,但是在句中应该翻译为“使……付诸东流”。gains in that group,这里的gains并不是收获的意思,而是指智商在过去20年中的进步。
智商平均值平均下降了2%,但智商水平居前50%的青少年中,降幅高达6%,这一衰退让该群体在过去20年间的进步付之东流。
No cause for this fall in IQs has been established: the internet, the dumbing down of education, and an obsession with exam results have been suggested.
主句部分是冒号前面的句子。冒号后面的内容是补充说明。
no cause...has been established,意思是“至今……还尚无定论”,而不能翻译为“……的原因还未建立起来”。冒号后面的内容是对智商下降原因的猜测,主语是几个并列名词,其中的the dumbing down of education比较难理解,dumb作为形容词,表示“愚蠢的”,作为动词构成的短语dumb down的意思是“将……简化以使每个人都能理解”,往往表示贬义,翻译的时候我们可以译为“教育的低智化”。an obsession with exam results,意思是“对考试成绩过度重视”。
智商倒退的原因尚无定论,有舆论提出互联网、教育的低智化以及对考试成绩的过度重视或许难辞其咎。
Flynn has argued that, youth culture has made a contribution.
make a contribution在这里不是“作出贡献”的意思,而是“起到一定的作用”,“有所影响”的意思。
福林指出,青年文化对此已有所影响。