【原文】

我们要创造更加良好的政治环境和更加自由的学术氛围,让人民追求真理、崇尚理性、尊重科学,探索自然的奥秘、社会的法则和人生的真谛。做学问、搞科研,尤其需要倡导“独立之精神,自由之思想”。正因为有了充分的学术自由,像牛顿这样在人类历史上具有伟大影响的科学家,才能够思潮奔腾、才华迸发,敢于思考前人从未思考过的问题,敢于踏进前人从未涉足的领域。不久前,我同中国科学家交流时提出,要大力营造敢于创造、敢冒风险、敢于批判和宽容失败的环境,鼓励自由探索,提倡学术争鸣。

我们历来主张尊重世界文明的多样性,倡导不同文明之间的对话、交流与合作。我国已故著名社会学家费孝通先生,上世纪30年代曾就读于伦敦政治经济学院并获得博士学位,一生饱经沧桑。他在晚年提出:“各美其美,美人之美,美美与共,世界大同。” 费老先生的这一人生感悟,生动反映了当代中国人开放包容的胸怀。

【参考译文】

We should create a better political environment and a freer academic atmosphere in which people can pursue truth, exercise reasoning and respect science, in which the mysteries of nature, the laws governing society and the true meaning of life can be fully explored. The spirit of independence and freedom in thinking is particularly important in academic studies and research. It was in an environment of academic freedom that great scientists like Isaac Newton, who had a profound impact on human history, were able to bring out their best, probe issues not questioned by predecessors and blaze a new trail. In my recent conversation with some Chinese scientists, I called for creating an environment which encourages innovation, criticism and risk-taking and tolerates failure, an environment that encourages free exploration of new things and stimulates academic debate.

We have always called for respecting the diversity of civilizations and advocated dialogue, exchanges and cooperation among them. The late Mr. Fei Xiaotong, a well-known Chinese sociologist, received his PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the 1930s. Having gone through many vicissitudes in life, he concluded in his late years that "The world will be a harmonious place if people appreciate their own beauty and that of others, and work together to create beauty in the world." These thoughts best illustrate the open and inclusive mindset of China today.

【评析】

出自温总理在英国皇家学会上的演讲。6月27日,温总理到访英国皇家学会,发表了“中国改革开放以来的发展变化及未来中国的走向”为主题的演讲,其中涉及大量国家政治经济、社会建设、科技发展、人民生活等宏大议题。

文中关键词有:独立精神,spirit of independence;学术自由,academic freedom;文明多样性,diversity of civilizations;学术争鸣,academic debate等。

文中开篇第一句的难点在于断句并找出文中暗含的关系。同学们一般采用的就是全部并列,忽略前后之间暗含的关系,示范译文处理为“in which”的关系。

“大力营造敢于创造、敢冒风险、敢于批判和宽容失败的环境”考察的是学生在汉译英时词性转换的能力,译文通过“encourages innovation, criticism and risk-taking and tolerates failure”意译出原文。

专有名词,如牛顿、伦敦政治经济学院,也比较考验学生的常识积累。

“各美其美,美人之美,美美与共,世界大同。”这就要求拥有一定的文化积淀,准确理解其内涵,并用通俗易懂的语言转化为英文。