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OxfordAsISeeit我所看到的牛津byStephenLeacock史蒂文·李考克著Newwordsdilapidated,(adj.)beinginastateofdecay:putrefactivefire-escapes,emergencyexitintheeventoffireventilation,circulationofairsanitation,disposalofsewage.up-to-date,adj.1.Informedoforreflectingthelatestinformationorchanges:anup-to-datetimetable.2.Beinginaccordwiththelatestideas,improvements,orstyles:up-to-datetechnology;up-to-datefashions.facilities,1.Somethingthatfacilitatesanactionorprocess.2.Somethingcreatedtoserveaparticularfunction:hospitalsandotherhealthcarefacilities.persist(v.)holdfirmly;beinsistent;insistlive,sticktoassertion(n.)theactoranexampleofstatingpositively:affirmation,asseveration,averral,avowal,declarationUnderlinethekeywords...Yetinspiteofitsdilapidatedbuildingsanditslackoffire-escapes,ventilation,sanitation,andup-to-datekitchenfacilitiespersistinmyassertionthatIbelievethatOxford,initsway,isthegreatestuniversityintheworld.Iamawarethatthisisanextremestatementandneedsexplanation.AnalysisofthetextParallelism:Yetinspiteofitsdilapidatedbuildingsanditslackoffire-escapes,ventilation,sanitation,andup-to-datekitchenfacilitiespersistinmyassertionthatIbelievethatOxford,initsway,isthegreatestuniversityintheworld.Leacockbeginshiscomparisoninthethirdsentence.译文…尽管牛津大学校舍破旧，缺少防火太平门、通风设备、卫生设备和现代厨房设施，我仍坚持，牛津以其特有的方式，是世界上最好的大学。我清楚，这说法太极端，还需要进一步解释。Newwordsendowment(n.)Agifttoacharityorcause:contribution,alms,benefaction,beneficence,charity,donation,bestowal,offering,grant`nowhere/`nEuhwZE/adv.1.Notanywhere.2.Tonoplaceorresult:protestedtherulingbutgotnowhere.n.1.Aremoteorunknownplace:acabininthemiddleofnowhere.UnderlinethekeywordsOxfordismuchsmallerinnumbers,forexample,thantheStateUniversityofMinnesota,andismuchpoorer.Ithas,orhadtillyesterday,fewerstudentsthantheUniversityofToronto.TomentionOxfordbesidethe26,000studentsofColumbiaUniversitysoundsridiculous.Inpointofmoney,the39,000,000dollarsendowmentoftheUniversityofChicago,andthe$35,000,000oneofColumbia,andthe$43,000,000ofHarvardseemtoleaveOxfordnowhere.Yetthepeculiarthingisthatitisnotnowhere.AnalysisofthetextOxfordismuchsmallerinnumbers,forexample,thantheStateUniversityofMinnesota,theUniversityofToronto,andtheColumbiaUniversitywhichhas26,000students.Inpointofmoney,Oxfordismuchpoorerthanthe39,000,000dollarsendowmentUniversityofChicago,andthe$35,000,000oneofColumbia,andthe$43,000,000ofHarvard.YetthepeculiarthingisthatOxfordisnotnowhere.译文比方，牛津大学的学生人数，比明尼苏达州立大学少得多，钱也少得多。牛津大学现在，或者说直到昨天，比多伦多大学的学生少。把牛津和有二万六千学生的哥伦比亚大学相提并论，显得很可笑。从钱的角度说，有三千九百万收入的芝加哥大学、三千五百万的哥伦比亚大学、四千三百万的哈佛大学，看来更使牛津无立身之地。奇怪的是，事情并非如此。Newwordsqueer(adj.)Deviatingfromestablishedoracceptedstandardsornorms:strange,peculiar,curious,unusual,singularprofound(adj.)Possessedoforexhibitingwisdom:wise,sagacious,enlightened,judicious,sageUnderlinethekeywordsBysomequeerprocessofitsownitseemstogetthereeverytime.Itwasthereforeoftheverygreatestinteresttome,asaprofoundscholar,totrytoinvestigatejusthowthispeculiarexcellenceofOxfordarises.AnalysisofthetextLeacockcomparesOxfordwithAmericanuniversitiesonthebasisofenrollmentandendowment.Thiscomparisonseemstoleadtotheconclusionthat“Oxfordisnotgreatatall.”However,thesentence“Yetthepeculiarthingisthat…”revealsthatitisnottheconclusionLeacockdraws.译文牛津大学通过本身的一些神奇方式，每次都不示弱。所以，作为一个堂堂的学者，我有极大的兴趣，要搞清牛津大学总是最好，是如何造成的。堂堂的:翻译时要传达原文内的戏谑口吻。翻译Profound，如不用自嘲，可用自谦：喜欢刨根问底的，但不能译成“造诣深”。总是最好：翻译时可以进行词性转换。Analysisoftheparagraph1Inparagraph1thecomparisondevelopsbystatingexplicitlyineachsentencewhatisbeingcompared(OxfordandAmericanuniversities)andthebasisofcomparison(enrollmentandendowment).Thuseachsentenceisaminiaturecomparison,completeinitself,andthetotaleffectisbuiltbytheadditionofseveralsuchsentences.Thistechniquekeepsarelativebalancebetweenthingscompare,althoughobviousoneofthemisparamount.Newwordsflourishv.tobeinaperiodofhighestproductivity,excellence,orinfluencefrankly(adv.)Withcandorandsincerity:candidly,directly,forthrightly,honestlylaughable,Causingordeservinglaughterorderision;ridiculousAppliedScience应用科学atheologicalcollege神学院dynamo发电机broaddaylight光天化日heat,热学plumbing,水暧工electricwiring,布线gas-fitting安煤气blow-torch喷灯，焊枪UnderlinethekeywordsItcanhardlybeduetoanythinginthecurriculumorprogrammeofstudies.Indeed,toanyoneaccustomedtothebestmodelsofauniversitycurriculumasitflourishesintheUnitedStatesandCanada,theprogrammeofstudiesisfranklyquitelaughable.ThereislessAppliedScienceintheplacethanwouldbefoundwithusinatheologicalcollege.HardlyasingleprofessoratOxfordwouldrecognizeadynamoifhemetitinbroaddaylight.TheOxfordstudentlearnsnothingofchemistry,physics,heat,plumbing,electricwiring,gas-fittingortheuseofablow-torch.译文这不可能是课程设置（美国叫curriculum，英国叫programmeofstudy)的原因。说真的，对任何熟知美国和加拿大的最流行和最好的课程设置的人来说，牛津大学的课程设置，坦率地说，是十分可笑的。牛津的应用科学课程，比我们这里的一个神学院开设的还要少。没有哪个牛津教授，在大白天遇到一个发电机，会认得出来。牛津大学的学生对化学、物理、热学、管子工、装电线、安煤气、用焊枪，一无所知。Daylight译成“光天化日之下”口气太重。Newwordsrunamotorcar,takeagasolineenginetopieces,washerAflatdisk,asofmetal,plastic,rubber,orleather,placedbeneathanutoratanaxlebearingorajointtorelievefriction,preventleakage,ordistributepressure.akitchentap,tap:n.1.Avalveandspo