问答题 Passage 1
下面你将听到外商有关中国零售业发展情况的一段讲话。
China's economy, once reliant on state spending in heavy industry, has increasingly looked to the retail sector for growth. Market-oriented reforms begun in 1978 have created a growing private sector, and much of that is concentrated in the retail trade. The state has also moved aggressively to tap the retail market as reforms put money in the pockets of the nation's consumers. That has created a service economy where, sometimes, the customer really is king.
Before the reforms took hold, a shopping excursion often meant a test of wills, with sleepy attendants at state-owned stores with little incentive to sell. Goods were often shoddy and carelessly displayed. Shortages were common and ration coupons were needed to buy anything from rice to cloth and cooking oil. Those days are all but forgotten now.
Broadly defined, retail consumption, estimated in excess of US $450 billion, is growing by about 10% annually. With a value added tax of 17% applied to all goods, the retail trade is a major contributor to state revenue. Since 1978, the private sector has embraced retailing in a big way. Government-owned factories have been forced to lay off millions of workers to trim costs and start making a profit. That has driven many of those workers into the retail sector, with a high percentage operating privately-run comer shops, convenience stores, clothing shops, bars and restaurants, and even beauty parlors and dry cleaners.
Foreign investors have also moved into the market in force, investing more than US $3 billion in China since 1992. Headed by the likes of Carrefour and Wal-Mart, some 300 foreign-funded retailers with 2,200 chain stores have been approved and the pace is certain to accelerate following China's entry into the WTO. While foreign-invested stores still account for only 2-4% of all retail sales, their impact has been profound. Their presence has forced local retailers to compete by expanding their scale of business and making their stores more attractive to customers. The new entrants in the market have brought an array of goods. While foreign brands were once reserved for the elite or wealthy foreigners, they are now aimed at local customers.
【正确答案】[参考译文]
中国经济一度靠国家投资重工业来维持增长，而目前零售业已日趋成为经济的增长点。1978年开始的市场经济改革使私人经济不断扩大，而其中很大部分都集中在零售业。随着改革使消费者的收入日益提高，国家加速了零售业的发展。服务产业的形成使顾客有时也有了当“上帝”的感觉。
改革前，逛街购物通常意味着对意志的考验，国营商场里那些昏昏欲睡的售货员们卖东西的积极性不高。货物的质量往往不够好，商品的摆放也是漫不经心。缺货断货是常有的事，大米、布匹、食用油都要凭票购买。那样的日子早已一去不复返了。
广义上的零售消费额估计超过4500亿美元，并以每年10%的速度递增。加上所有商品17%的增值税，零售业已成为国家财政收入的主要来源之一。自1978年以来，私营经济大规模进入零售业。国有企业为了降低成本和赢利被迫大批裁减职工。许多下岗职工进入零售业，不少人经营小卖铺、便利店、服装店、酒吧、餐馆，甚至美容店和干洗店。
国外投资商也大举进入零售市场。自1992年以来，他们在中国的投资已超过30亿美元。以家乐福和沃尔玛为首，约300家外资零售商获准在中国设立2200家连锁店。随着中国的入世，这一发展速度肯定还要加快。虽然外商在零售总额中只占2%～4%，但他们对市场却产生了深远的影响。外商的存在促使国内零售企业在竞争中不断扩大规模，增强对顾客的吸引力。新来者为市场带来了大量的商品，原来仅为精英人士和外国富人准备的外国名牌商品，现在也瞄准了中国本地的消费者。
【答案解析】[综合解析]
本文主要讨论中国零售业发展的情况。文章将中国市场经济改革前的情况和改革后的情况作了比较，说明中国零售业的迅速发展。文章认为国外投资商大举进入中国零售市场和中国加入世贸组织会对中国零售市场产生深远影响。文章使用了大量的数字统计，以使观点更具有说服力。
本文要求考查应试者对中国零售业方面基本知识的掌握情况，包括某些专门用语、具有中国特色的表达、数字单位的换算、专有名词等的掌握情况，以确定其翻译的基本素质；在此基础上，应试者还要在相当短的时间内对长难句理解并准确完整地翻译；对某些短语和单词确切理解其含义并能理解其在上下文语境中的确切用法，使全文的翻译不仅准确完整，而且符合本族语的语言习惯。
■基本素质采分点
以下单词或短语是本文的基础知识点，包括具有中国特色的表达法、专有名词、经济术语、数字单位的换算等，需要应试者正确理解并翻译。
1．market-oriented reform 市场经济改革
2．state-owned 国有的
3．ration coupon 配额票据(这里指中国经济改革前实行凭票供应的各种票据)
4．US $450 billion 4500亿美元
5．value added tax 增值税
6．lay off 下岗
7．Carrefour 家乐福(国外著名大超市连锁店名)
8．Wal-Mart 沃尔玛(国外著名大超市连锁店名)
9．WTO 世界贸易组织
■结构理解采分点
以下各句是本文出现的长难句，需要应试者在很短时间内，判断其结构、大意并组织翻译语言，且保证信息的完整和准确。这要求在听时，应试者要注意长句的基本结构，而后补充次要结构的内容。但组织语言时，因原句信息过于庞杂，这就要求应试者不仅能用符合本族语言习惯的方式表述信息，而且要保证信息在表述过程中不会缺失或误译。
1．China's economy, once reliant on state spending in heavy industry, has increasingly looked to the retail sector for growth．
该句是简单句，其主要结构是China's economy...has looked to the retail sector for growth，而once后面的reliant on形容词短语是对China's economy的修饰和补充。翻译时，可按照汉语句短的特点，将全句拆成两个句子，又因是口译，可按原句的天然顺序组合信息。因此，原句可译为“中国经济一度靠国家投资重工业来维持增长，而目前零售业已日趋成为经济的增长点。”
2．With a value added tax of 17% applied to all goods, the retail trade is a major contributor to state revenue．
该句是简单句，其主要结构是the retail trade is a major contributor...，该句前with表伴随状态的结构中还有applied过去分词短语修饰a value added tax，翻译时要将这个过去分词短语译为前置定语。该句主要结构中contributor to是动词词组contribute to(对……作出贡献)的变化形式，在口译时可根据上下文情景灵活翻译，因此，原句可译为“加上所有商品17%的增值税，零售业已成为国家财政收入的主要来源之一。”
3．That has driven many of those workers into the retail sector, with a high percentage operating privately-run comer shops, convenience stores, clothing shops, bars and restaurants, and even beauty parlors and dry cleaners．
该句虽然很长，但是简单句，主要结构是with短语之前的部分，with短语部分是现在分词独立主格结构做全句的状语，该部分信息量大，以并列结构形式出现，口译时，需要注意不要漏译。由于with短语部分内容庞杂，可将其加主语，译为一句话，因此，原句可译为“许多下岗职工进入零售业，不少人经营小卖铺、便利店、服装店、酒吧、餐馆，甚至美容店和干洗店。”
4．Headed by the likes of Carrefour and Wal-Mart, some 300 foreign-funded retailers with 2,200 chain stores have been approved and the pace is certain to accelerate following China's entry into the WTO．
该句是and连接的并列句，包含信息量大。全句主要结构是some...retailers... have been approved and the pace is certain to accelerate...。该句句首headed by过去分词短语和句尾following现在分词短语均为句中状语成分，以使该句的信息量丰满。全句可按照自然语法单位和自然顺序，拆成三个分句，因此，原句可译为“以家乐福和沃尔玛为首，约300家外资零售商获准在中国设立2200家连锁店。随着中国的入世，这一发展速度肯定还要加快。”
5．While foreign-invested stores still account for only 2-4%of all retail sales, their impact has been profound．
该句是复合句，while表“虽然”引导让步状语从句。该句的翻译要点是正确理解while的含义。因此，原句可译为“虽然外商在零售总额中只占2%～4%，但他们对市场却产生了深远的影响。”
■言语表达采分点
在注意了整体表达的基础上，应试者还应该正确处理对某些重要短语或单词的理解和翻译，以使译文完整通畅。
1．take hold 主管
2．incentive 刺激，动力
3．in excess of 超过
4．state revenue 国家财政收入
5．embrace 拥抱；采取；包含(该词必须在上下文情景中翻译)
6．trim cost 降低成本
7．in force 大量地，大批地
8．account for 占
9．an array of 一系列的
10．elite 精英人士