翻译题
When Oscar Pistorius was convicted of murder, the presiding judge described the case as a "human tragedy of Shakespearean proportions". 【F1】The Paralymyic (残奥会的) athlete's fall from grace had followed a narrative arc that made this comparison appropriate: overcoming severe disability to reach "Olympian heights", falling in love with a beautiful model, and, in a coincidence that wouldn't be out of place in one of Shakespeare's plays, taking her life on Valentine's Day. Mr. Pistorius's tragic flaw manifested itself in an enthusiasm for guns. Mr. Pistorius's case is, indeed, peculiarly Shakespearean. 【F2】But Justice Eric Leach, who delivered the judgment, is but one of a vast crowd who have turned to the playwright in times of legal need. Four years ago, Britain's High Court evoked "King Lear" in a trial regarding a "menacing" joke on Twitter— they eventually overturned a conviction on the grounds that social-media users "are free to speak not what they ought to say, but what they feel". These examples illuminate and beautify, and make court proceedings user-friendly. 【F3】Lawyers' love of Shakespeare is appropriate given that more of his lines are devoted to discussing law than any other profession. (Some think his knowledge of the law was so detailed that the "real" Shakespeare must have been a lawyer.) The words of Shakespeare are likely to echo around courtrooms for decades to come. There are sensible reasons behind this; the University of Southampton, in line with recent studies, states that it offers the opportunity to study law through a literary perspective in order to "help law students to become more ethically shrewd practitioners". 【F4】A study argues that reading literary fiction makes people show empathy, challenge preconceptions, and be more flexible in their decisionmaking—all of which are, presumably, desirable in practitioners of the law. A literary sensibility enables lawyers to present clear, structured opinions and briefs. But what is it about the work of Shakespeare, in particular, that lends itself to legal quotation and reflection? One answer lies in Shakespeare's status as an embodiment of high culture; citing him seeks to invest the judgment with credibility and invoke a sense of history. Another option is Shakespeare's universality—everyone has either read, or claims to have read, plays like "Hamlet". 【F5】Either way, 400 years after the playwright's death, Ben Jonson's assessment is as true as ever Shakespeare's plays and wisdom are "not of an age, but for all time".
【答案解析】①此句篇幅较长，但结构不复杂：主句是主谓宾结构，后面带有一个定语从句。冒号后面是三个并列的现在分词短语，第三个现在分词短语之前有一个that引导的定语从句修饰先行词coincidence。②fall from grace是名词短语，意为“堕入歧途”。定语从句1 that made this comparison appropriate修饰先行词a narrative arc，说明这是让对比显得合理的故事情节。③in a coincidence意为“在巧合的情况下”，作现在分词taking…的状语。其后that引导的定语从句2修饰先行词coincidence。be out of place意为“不合适的；不相称的”，此处说明“在莎士比亚的某场戏剧里没有不恰当的巧合之处”。
问答题2.【F2】
【正确答案】但是在有法律需求时，宣布判决的埃里克-利奇只是众多求助于莎士比亚这位剧作家的法官之一。
【答案解析】①本句为主从复合句，包含两个定语从句。②第一个who引导非限定性定语从句，修饰先行词Justice Eric Leach，说明这是宣布判决的法官。③第二个who引导的定语从句修饰限定语one of a vast crowd，说明这些人的特点：有法律需求时，向莎士比亚这位剧作家求助。in times of指“在……的时候”，因此句末处的介词短语in times of legal need意为“当有法律需求的时候”。
【答案解析】①本句为主从复合句，主句为主系表结构，包含一个原因状语从句。②given that连接原因状语从句，意为“考虑到；鉴于”，在句中表原因，主句内容为其结果。后面包含一个比较结构than any other profession，说明相比起其他专业领域来说，莎士比亚戏剧的台词更专注于讨论法律问题。
【答案解析】①本句为两个并列的简单句，两个分句都是主系表结构。②句首Either way为连词，意为“不管怎样；无论哪种方式”；400 years after the playwright's death是分句1的时间状语，表示“莎士比亚去世400年以后的今天”。分句1表语as true as ever表示同级比较，意为“像以往一样准确”。③冒号后面的句子起补充说明的作用，指出本-琼森所作出的评价；not of an age，but for all time由连接词not…but…构成，并列介词短语是of an age和for all time。