问答题 In-state tuition. For decades, it was the one advantage big state schools had that even the Ivy League couldn't match, in terms of recruiting the best and the brightest to their campuses. But these days, that's no longer necessarily the case. Starting this September, some students will find a Harvard degree cheaper than one from many public universities. Harvard officials sent shock waves through academia last December by detailing a new financial-aid policy that will charge families making up to ＄180,000 just 10% of their household income per year, substantially subsidizing the annual cost of more than ＄45,600 for all but its wealthiest students. The move was just the latest in what has amounted to a financial-aid bidding war in recent years among the U.S.'s élite universities.
Though Harvard's is the most generous to date, Princeton, Yale and Stanford have all launched similar plans to cap tuition contributions for students from low-and middle-income families. Indeed, students on financial aid at nearly every Ivy stand a good chance of graduating debt-free, thanks to loan-elimination programs introduced over the past five years. And other exclusive schools have followed their lead by replacing loans with grants and work-study aid. And several more schools are joining the no-loan club this fall. Even more schools have taken steps to reduce debt among their neediest students.

问答题 In-state tuition. For decades, it was the one advantage big state schools had that even the Ivy League couldn't match, in terms of recruiting the best and the brightest to their campuses.

【正确答案】州内居民上学学费。几十年来，这是颇具规模的州立大学在招收顶尖学生方面所具有的一大优势，就连常春藤联合会的名牌大学也无法与之媲美。

【答案解析】[解析] 美国州立大学学费一般包括两种：In-state tuition，州民学费，针对本州居民的学费，条件是学生为本州居民，至少是美国公民，其学费相对较低。这种低廉的学费有助于州直大学吸引成绩优异、但家境较差的学生；out-of-state tuition，非州民学费，则针对本州以外的考生，其收费往往是in-state tuition的3至4倍。Ivy League通常译为“长春藤盟校”，包括著名的 Harvard(哈佛大学)、Yale(耶鲁大学)、Princeton University(普林斯顿大学)、University of Pennsylvania(宾夕法尼亚大学)、Dartmouth College(达特茅斯学院)、Columbia University(哥伦比亚大学)、Cornell University(康乃尔大学)和Brown University(布朗大学)。这些大学都是私立名校，以高质量的教学和高昂学费著称。

问答题 But these days, that's no longer necessarily the case. Starting this September, some students will find a Harvard degree cheaper than one from many public universities.

【正确答案】但是，近来州立大学未必再有这一优势。从今年9月开始，一些学生会发现在哈佛大学攻读学位，其学费要比许多公立大学低廉。

【答案解析】[解析] 在名词前加上动词(有的是动名词)，是英汉翻译常用的一种技巧。在翻译第二句时，增添了动词“攻读”以符合汉语表达习惯。再如：
In the evening, after the banquests, the concerts and the table tennis exhibitions, he would work on the drafting of the final communique.晚上在出席宴会、音乐会、观看乒乓球表演之后，他还得起草最后公报。(此句在名词前增加原文中虽无其词而有其意的动词，译为“在出席宴会、音乐会、观看乒乓球表演之后”，形成三个动宾词组，意思明确，读起来也较通顺自然，符合汉语习惯。)
There were no speeches, no foreign diplomats, no "ordinary Chinese" with paper flags and bouquets of flowers.没有发表讲话，没有各国外交官到场，没有“普通中国人”挥舞纸旗和花束的场面。
Various departments are in close touch with each other all the time.各部门相互间一直保持密切接触。
This was a record increase.这是个破记录的增长数字。

问答题 Harvard officials sent shock waves through academia last December by detailing a new financial-aid policy that will charge families making up to ＄180,000 just 10% of their household income per year, substantially subsidizing the annual cost of more than ＄45,600 for all but its wealthiest students.

【正确答案】去年12月，哈佛的行政管理人员详细介绍了一项新的助学政策，规定家庭收入在18万美元以下的，只需支付其家庭年收入的10%作为学费。除了那些来自极为富有家庭的学生，其余学生每人每年可获得超过45600美元的补贴。哈佛的这一举措在学界引起了轩然大波。

【答案解析】[解析] 这是一主从复合句，主句含介词短语、内嵌的定语从句和分词短语，句子结构复杂，是典型的英语“形合”句。翻译时可采用顺势断句法。现代英语简化的一个重要标志是大量使用名词作定语，根据上下文，shock waves引申为“冲击、巨大的影响”。再如：
ocean floor 洋底 water pollution control 水污染控制
rocket basic 火箭(试验)基地 failure current 反常电流
base address 〔计〕基本地址 space shuttle 航天飞机
production line 流水线 traffic jam 交通拥挤

问答题 The move was just the latest in what has amounted to a financial-aid bidding war in recent years among the U.S.'s élite universities.

【正确答案】近年来美国名牌大学竞相出台学费资助计划，并在幅度上相互比拼，哈佛这一举措不过是其新的一招。

【答案解析】[解析] 原文后半句what has amounted to a financial-aid bidding war in recent years among the U.S.'s élite universities是一典型的非人称主语句。而汉语往往用动作的发出者作为句子主语，因此在翻译该分句时进行了语序调整，译为“美国名牌大学之间在为学生提供资助方面展开争夺战”。

问答题 Though Harvard's is the most generous to date, Princeton, Yale and Stanford have all launched similar plans to cap tuition contributions for students from low-and middle-income families.

【正确答案】虽然迄今为止哈佛提供的资助最为慷慨，但是普林斯顿、耶鲁和斯坦福也已推出类似的计划，为来自中低收入家庭的学生提供更多的学费资助。

【答案解析】[解析] 句中cap一词是名词活用为动词，其引申义有几个，如“为……封顶，限制；给……定限额；使达极点、高点”等。1999年9月的高级口译中也出现过该词：
Critics believe it would also cap gains in profit margins and stifle economic vitality, especially in the absence of bold steps to open the door to new growth, industries.评论家认为这还会限制利润率增长，抑制经济活力，尤其是如果不采取大胆措施引进增长型产业，情况会更糟。
词类转性在现代英语中是新词构成的重要方法之一，尤其是名词转化为动词更为常见。具体名词转成动词后往往能表达更为复杂丰富的概念。如：
She and her roommate silently warred over matters ranging from when the lights should be turned off to how the furniture should be arranged.(战争→争吵)
Sarah's ability to solve her dilemma by rooming with her identical twin is unusual, but the conflict she faced is not.(房间→和……住在一起)
Although they didn't saw the room in half, near year's end, the two did end up in a screaming fight.(锯→分开)
Most roommate conflicts spring from such small, irritating differences rather than from grand disputes over abstract philosophical principles.(泉水→源于)
I would come into the room and find him pawing through my desk, looking for postage for a letter.(爪子→翻弄)

问答题 Indeed, students on financial aid at nearly every Ivy stand a good chance of graduating debt-free, thanks to loan-elimination programs introduced over the past five years.

【正确答案】事实上，由于过去五年中所推行的学费贷款减免方案，几乎任何一所常春藤大学的学生，只要是接受过学费资助的，大有可能在毕业时不欠债务。

【答案解析】[解析] 英语的词化程度与该语言中的派生词、转类词、单纯词和复合词、借词等的发达程度及词化过程有密切关系。debt-free就是一例，而相应的汉语则常通过一个短语(不欠债务)来表示。通过“名词+形容词”构词法形成的复合词很多，除构词后缀free之外，其他形容词也同样表现出很强的构词能力。如：
Recently our government has presented an environment-friendly Policy.最近我国政府提出了一项有利于环保的政策。
This year, Alaska again takes top honors as the most tax-friendly to residents.今年，阿拉斯加州再次获得殊荣，成为全国各州中居民纳税负担最小的州。
The design was the fruit of extensive market research showing that the fashion conscious were also health conscious.经过广泛的市场调查，发现那些留心时尚的人同样也关注健康，这款设计由此而来。
后缀conscious译为“对……在意的，对……关心的”。如：profit-conscious(唯利是图的)，security-conscious(为安全而提心吊胆的)，crime-conscious(提防犯罪)等等。After drinking the drivers are usually more accident-prone.酒后驾驶容易出交通事故。
后缀prone意为“倾向于……”，如：crisis-prone(危机四伏的)，divorce-prone(易离婚的)等。
Americans are trigger-happy when it comes to Iraq, Iran and North Korea.在伊拉克、伊朗和北朝鲜问题上，美国热衷于武力。
后缀happy意为“热衷于……的”，如：slap-happy(轻率的；得意忘形的)，money-happy(财迷的)，clothes-happy(喜欢衣服的)等等。

问答题 And other exclusive schools have followed their lead by replacing loans with grants and work-study aid. And several more schools are joining the no-loan club this fall. Even more schools have taken steps to reduce debt among their neediest students.

【正确答案】其他收费昂贵的学校也纷纷效仿，以助学金和工读补助来取代贷款。今年秋季，有好几所学校将加入无贷款的行列，甚至还有更多的学校业已采取措施为其家境最困难的学生减轻债务。

【答案解析】[解析] 英语中表示“津贴，补贴”概念的词汇化程度很高，除本文中提到的financial aid， subsidize，grant之外，还有其他几个词：
All employees are granted a travel allowance that covers hotel and restaurant bills.所有职工都有包括食宿费用的旅行补贴。
He has never asked or received any subsidy from city government.他从未请求、也从未得到过市政府的任何津贴。