散步的英文中级口译阅读题解法

中级口译阅读题解法

04

年

9

月真题

The

danger

of

misinterpretation

is

greatest,

of

course,

among

speakers

who

actually

speak

different native tongues, or come from different cultural backgrounds, because cultural difference

necessarily implies different assumptions about natural and obvious ways to be polite.

Anthropologist Thomas Kochman gives the example of a white office worker who appeared

with

a

bandaged

arm

and

felt

rejected

because

her

black

fellow

worker

didn't

mention

it.

The

doubly

wounded

worker

assumed

that

her

silent

colleague

didn't

notice

or

didn't

care.

But

the

co-worker was purposely not calling attention to something her colleague might not want to talk

about.

She

let

her

decide

whether

or

not

to

mention

it,

being

considerate

by

not

imposing.

Kochman says, based on his research, that these differences reflect recognizable black and white

styles.

An

American

woman

visiting

England

was

repeatedly

offended

—

even,

on

bad

days,

enraged

—

when the British ignored her in setting in which she thought they should pay attention.

For example, she was sitting at a booth in a railway-station cafeteria. A couple began to settle into

the opposite seat in the same booth. They unloaded their luggage; they laid their coats on the seat;

he

asked

what

she

would

like

to

eat

and

went

off

to

get

it;

she

slid

into

the

booth

facing

the

American.

And

throughout

all

this,

they

showed

no

sign

of

having

noticed

that

someone

was

already sitting in the booth.

When the British woman lit up a cigarette, the American had a concrete object for her anger.

She began ostentatiously looking around for another table to move to. Of course there was none;

that's

why

the

British

couple

had

sat

in

her

booth

in

the

first

place.

The

smoker

immediately

crushed out her cigarette and apologized. This showed that she had noticed that someone else was

sitting

in

the

booth,

and

that

she

was

not

inclined

to

disturb

her.

But

then

she

went

back

to

pretending the American wasn't there, a ruse in which her husband collaborated when he returned

with their food and they ate it.

To

the

American,

politeness

requires

talk

between

strangers

forced

to

share

a

booth

in

a

cafeteria,

if

only

a

fleeting

you

mind

if

I

sit

down?

or

a

conventional,

anyone

sitting

here?

even

if

it's

obvious

no

one

is.

The

omission

of

such

talk

seemed

to

her

like

dreadful

rudeness.

The

American

couldn't

see

that

another

system

of

politeness

was

at

work.

By

not

acknowledging

here

presence,

the

British

couple

freed

her

from

the

obligation

to

acknowledge

theirs. The American expected a show of involvement; they were being polite by not imposing.

An American man who had lived for years in Japan explained a similar politeness ethic. He

lived,

as

many

Japanese

do,

in

extremely

close

quarters

—

a

tiny

room

separated

from

neighbouring

rooms

by

paper-thin

walls.

In

this

case

the

walls

were

literally

made of

paper.

In

order to preserve privacy in this most unprivate situation, his Japanese neighbour with the door

open,

they

steadfastly

glued

their

gaze

ahead

as

if

they

were

alone

in

a

desert.

The

American

confessed

to

feeling

what

I

believe

most

American

would

feel

if

a

next-door

neighbour

passed

within

a

few

feet

without

acknowledging

their

presence

—

snubbed.

But

he

realized

that

the

intention was not rudeness by omitting to show involvement, but politeness by not imposing.

The

fate

of

the

earth

depends

on

cross- cultural

communication.

Nations

must

reach

agreements, and agreements are made by individual representatives of nations sitting down and

talking to each other

—

public analogues of private conversation. The processes are the same, and

so are the pitfalls. Only the possible consequences are more extreme.

1

16.

In Thomas Kochman's example, when the white office worker appeared with a bandaged arm,

why did her colleague keep silent?

(A) Because she didn't care about her white colleague at all.

(B) Because she was considerate by imposing on her.

(C) Because she didn't want to embarrass her white colleague.

(D) Because she was aware of their different cultural backgrounds.

17.

What is the best definition for the word

(A) Unreasonably expecting someone to do something.

(B) Using your authority to make sure a rule is kept.

(C) Acting in a grand, impressive way.

(D) Causing troubles to oneself.

18.

Which of the following can he concluded from the passage?

(A) The British would like to avoid talking to strangers in public.

(B) The American would like to be imposed in different settings.

(C) The British expect a small talk between strangers who are forced to share a booth in a

cafeteria.

(D) The American enjoy being ignored in unfamiliar settings.

19.

What seems to be 'Japanese' behaviour in order to preserve privacy in close quarters?

(A) They would separate their rooms by paper-thin walls.

(B) They act as if they have never known someone living next to them.

(C) They are very friendly and considerate to their neighbours.

(D) They pull their face long and glue steadfastly their gaze ahead.

20.

Which of the following can serve as the best title for the passage?

(A) An American Woman's Overseas Experience

(B) The Cultural Wave

(C) Mixed Metamesssage across Cultures

(D) Pitfalls and Possible Consequences

【参考答案】

CAABC

【概要】

本文探讨了文化间信息的误传。

文章第一段点题：

语言及文化的 差异使人们对彼此的礼

貌习惯产生了误解。

第二至第五段举例论 证主题：

1

）黑人员工尊重同事的隐私，不过问其

伤势，

结果被误解为刻意排挤。

2

< br>）英国夫妇在咖啡馆不想打扰同桌客人而不打招呼，被美

国人误解为无礼、粗鲁。

3

）日本人为了隐私而不与近邻寒暄，却被美国人误解为冷谈。 第

七段强调文化交流的重要性：不同文化的国家应在人们彼此的交流中加深了解。

16.

In Thomas Kochman's example, when the white office worker appeared with a bandaged arm,

why did her colleague keep silent?

【题型与定位】

< br>结论推断题。答案出处为原文第二段。

【判断依据】

第二段中提到

the co-worker was purposely not calling attention to something her

colleague might not want to talk about

。

D

）项 在原文中没有提到。

A

）

、