中級口譯考試中的閱讀答題技巧[下]

中級口譯考試中的閱讀答題技巧[下]


對策③：不拘泥於詞或短語的本義，而從其引申義來考慮。
例一：2000年9月試題第23題
23. The phrase "take off (paragraph 4) means _________.
(A) transfer to another vessel (B) cause to lose weight (C) begin to develop markedly (D) cause to leave the ground
請看原文：
Over here, in Britain, Computertowns have taken off in a big way, and there are now about 40 scattered over the country. David Tebbutt thinks they are most successful when tied to a computer club.
take off本義爲（飛機）起飛或物體離開地面，選項D即爲take off的本義，但是把D帶到原文中解釋不通，可見，出題者並不是想考我們take off的本義，而是在文中的引申義。請注意原文中緊跟take off的方式狀語in a big way，後面指出已有約40個之多的Computertown散佈在全國各地，後面successful一詞進一步說明Computertown是朝着positive方向發展的, 所以答案明顯爲表示快速發展的C。
例二：2001年3月試題第11題
11. The word "wasteland" (para.1) is used to describe ________.
(A) western badlands (B) average television programs (C) TV film studios (D) theatrical plays
請看原文：
When the television is good, nothing-not the theatre, not the magazines, or newspapers-nothing is better. But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite you to sit down in front of your television set when your station goes on the air and stay there without a book, magazine, newspaper, or anything else to distract you and keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that you will observe a vast wasteland. You will see a procession of game shows, violence, audience-participation shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, more violence, sadism, murder, Western badmen, Western goodmen, private eyes, gangster, still more violence, and cartoons. And endlessly, commercials that scream and cajole and offend. And most of all, boredom. True, you will see a few things you will enjoy. But they will be very, very few. And if you think I exaggerate, try it.
wasteland本義爲land that is desolate, barren, or ravaged,即荒地，廢地。A中badland即爲wasteland的本義，帶到原文中等於同義替代，並沒有作出解釋，顯然不是出題者的意圖所在。而從wasteland後面的內容可以看出電視節目中充斥着暴力、血腥、謀殺、俗套的喜劇種種格調不高的內容，總之無聊透頂，所以答案不言自明，B是也。作者採用了metaphor(暗喻）的手法，對令人失望的電視節目大加諷刺，從另一個側面反映了西方社會精神食糧的匱乏和作者在看似調侃的語調中對電視文化流露出的失望和憤慨。順便賞析一下陰影部分，難道你不覺得作者這樣寫很風趣幽默嗎？我們是否在寫作時也可模仿一下，比如：When money is good, nothing is better. But when money is bad, nothing is worse. If you thank I exaggerate, try it. 你覺得如何呢？

對策④：解釋法。
例：2000年9月試題第29和30題
29. Breeding the hybrid offspring to fix desirable traits is called _________.
(A) naturally selecting (B) inbreeding (C) pedigree breeding (D) pure-breeding
30. A farmer imported several fine long wool Tomney sheep from Australia to breed with his Debouittet sheep in hopes of increasing the value of the flock's wool. This is an example of _________.
(A) pure-breeding (B) crossbreeding (C) reproducing (D) cloning
請看原文：
Individual specimens with the desired traits are crossbred. The hybrid offspring are then inbred to preserve and fix the desirable characteristics and eliminate unfavorable characteristics from the stock.
29題基本是對原文中inbred(原形inbreed，表近親