2005年11月三級筆譯實務(wù)真題

Section 1 英譯漢 (60分)

美國首都貧富不均情況加重

美國首都獨立研究機構(gòu)華盛頓特區(qū)財政政策研究院(DC Fiscal Policy Institute)于7月22日公布的一份其最新的研究報告顯示，華盛頓特區(qū)的貧富差距居全美40個大都會區(qū)之冠，20%最富有的家庭其年收入高達(dá)$186,830美元，是 20%最貧窮家庭年收入(僅$6,126美元)的31倍。雖然亞大蘭大和邁阿密兩市的貧富差距與華盛頓相當(dāng)，但其貧富不均的情況卻不如華盛頓明顯。

報告指出，華盛頓特區(qū)貧富差距逐漸加大主要是發(fā)生在90年代。在過去十年中，20%最富有的家庭其年收入增長了36倍，而20%最貧窮家庭的年收入僅僅增加了3倍。

“我認(rèn)為中高收入家庭過分集中在特區(qū)的情況仍然會持續(xù)下去，在未來十年內(nèi)貧富鴻溝恐怕難以拉近，”布魯金斯學(xué)院(Brookigns Institution)專攻大華盛頓地區(qū)經(jīng)濟和社會形勢的高級研究員大衛(wèi)·蓋立森(Daivd Garrison)對《華盛頓觀察》周刊說道。

這份報告將華盛頓特區(qū)的貧富鴻溝歸咎于當(dāng)?shù)靥厥獾墓ぷ鳈C會。而這些工作往往會吸引高收入家庭搬到此地。特別是華盛頓也是美國聯(lián)邦政府的所在地，而聯(lián)邦政府和與政府相關(guān)的行業(yè)，如院外游說團(tuán)體和政府合約承包商等等，不斷提供高薪工作，也使得華府的高收入家庭有不斷增加的趨勢。舉例來說，一個單身的年輕專業(yè)人士從法學(xué)院畢業(yè)后，在華府的律師事務(wù)所服務(wù)第一年的年收入可高達(dá)$100,000美元。

“此外，華盛頓特區(qū)也提供高品質(zhì)的住宅(high-quality housing)，這也是為什么高薪家庭選擇在華府居住的主因之一，”蓋立森分析道，“而一般中低收入家庭，在有余力的情況下，為了孩子能夠上較好的學(xué)校而選擇搬離華盛頓特區(qū)，移至分布于馬里蘭州和弗吉尼亞州的住宅區(qū)。”

“在高收入家庭不斷遷移到特區(qū)、中低階層的家庭移出，而最貧窮的家庭又面臨無處，也無力可搬的窘境時，就造成我們現(xiàn)在看到的，貧富懸殊的華盛頓特區(qū)，”蓋立森對《華盛頓觀察》周刊說到。

蓋立森此處所指的華盛頓特區(qū)指的是約有56萬人口的都市(District of Columbia)本身，不包括整個華盛頓大都會區(qū)(Greater Washington Metro Area)，“整個華盛頓大都會區(qū)人口高達(dá)500萬人，但低收入戶卻只往華盛頓特區(qū)集中，”他特別解釋道。

“不論我們?nèi)绾闻ξ碳业饺A盛頓特區(qū)投資，華府有一部分的低收入家庭就是無法從中受惠，沒有辦法得到特區(qū)獨特的高薪工作機會。”華盛頓市長辦公室發(fā)言人托尼·布拉克(Tony Bullock)說，“貧富差距的背后許多復(fù)雜的原因，是不能在一夕之間就改變的。”他言談間頗有對特區(qū)的貧富懸殊無可奈何之嘆。

蓋立森則認(rèn)為，特區(qū)政府的確應(yīng)該吸引高收入家庭到特區(qū)居住，因為這樣能夠帶來更多稅收，對市政建設(shè)有積極作用。“但同時，特區(qū)政府也應(yīng)該重視窮人的權(quán)益，設(shè)立好的學(xué)校、提供健全的社會福利等等，這些市政措施都能有效地改善特區(qū)嚴(yán)重的貧富不均狀況。”

但蓋立森對未來貧富差距是否真能拉近不是十分樂觀，他尤其對這波經(jīng)濟復(fù)蘇是不是能幫助到窮人保持懷疑的態(tài)度：“布什的減稅方案雖然帶動了美國這波經(jīng)濟復(fù)蘇，有工作的人和富人的確享受到不少好處，但對窮人的幫助雖然不能說是完全沒有，也只能說是不如富人的獲益高，”蓋立森分析道，“美國一般的工薪族(working class)，也就是那些做初級工作、拿最低工資、老老實實繳稅的人，實在沒有從布什的減稅案得到太大益處。”

蓋立森總結(jié)說：“美國許多城市并沒有享受到美國經(jīng)濟好轉(zhuǎn)所帶來的積極價值，但華盛頓特區(qū)一直以來受到聯(lián)邦政府的庇佑，它貧富懸殊的情況仍然如此嚴(yán)重，確實值得深入的研究和檢討。”

Section 2 漢譯英(40分)

Over the past 25 years, China has been firmly pressing ahead with the implementation of the reform program and the initiative of opening up to the outside world. With the establishment of a preliminary socialist market economy, and the nation’s economy attaining an outward-oriented perspective, the productive forces and the comprehensive national competence have been on the rising curve constantly. And various social undertakings have been developing in full swing. The living standard of the Chinese people as a whole has undergone a historical leap from a subsistence level to the level of moderate prosperity.

In the 25 years between 1978 and 2003, the annual growth rate of China's economy was running at an average of 9.4 percent, with its GDP jumping from 147.3 billion US dollars to over 1.4 trillion US dollars.

25 years ago, China’s foreign trade value and foreign exchange reserves each stood at 20.6 billion and 167 million in US dollars, but last year they shot up to 851.2 billion US dollars and 403.3 billion US dollars respectively. China has now become the sixth largest economy and the fourth largest trader in the world.

The tremendous changes in China are attributed to the fact that we have adhered to the path of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and persevered in our reform and opening endeavors, which brought into full play the Chinese people's initiative, enthusiasm and creativeness.

Though China has scored impressive achievements in its development, we must not lose sight of our problems: overpopulation, a weak economic foundation, underdeveloped productivity, highly uneven development, and the fairly sharp contradictions between the country's ecological environment and natural resources on the one hand and its economic and social development on the other.

China's per capita GDP, though reaching the record high of 1,000 US dollars last year, still ranks well behind the 100th place in the world. To realize China's modernization program and offer all the Chinese people a prosperous life there is yet an uphill battle to fight.

We have already set our vision for the first 20 years of this century, which involves the building of a moderately prosperous society of a higher standard in an all-round way for the benefit of well over one billion Chinese people. By 2020 the GDP will be quadrupled from the figure of 2000 to 4 trillion US dollars, with the per capita level averaging at 3,000 US dollars. By then the nation will be immersed in an ambience of greater social harmony with an improved quality of life for the people, featuring a more developed economy, more sound democracy, more thriving culture and more advanced science and education.