Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.(10 points)
Part C
Directions :
It was only after I started to write a weekly column about the medical journals, and began to read scientific papers from beginning to end, that I realised just how bad much of the medical literature frequently was. I came to recognise various signs of a bad paper: the kind of paper that purports to show that people who eat more than one kilo of broccoli a week were 1. 17 times more likely than those who eat less to suffer late in life from pernicious anaemia. (46) There is a great deal of this kind of nonsense in the medical journals which, when taken up by broadcasters and the lay press, generates both health scares and short-lived dietary enthusiasms.
Why is so much bad science published? A recent paper, titled “ The Natural Selection of Bad Science", published on the Royal Society's open science website, attempts to answer this intriguing and important question. It says that the problem is not merely that people do bad science, but that our current system of career advancement positively encourages it. What is important is not truth, but publication, which has become almost an end in itself, There has been a kind of inflationary process at work: (47) nowadays anyone applying for a research post has to have published twice the number of papers that would have been required for the same post only 10 years ago. Never mind the quality, then, count the number.
(48) Attempts have been made to curb this tendency, for example, by trying to incorporate some measure of quality as well as quantity into the assessment of an applicant's papers. This is the famed citation index, that is to say the number of times a paper has been quoted elsewhere in the scientific literature, the assumption being that an important paper will be cited more often than one of small account. (49) This would be reasonable if it were not for the fact that scientists can easily arrange to cite themselves in their future publications, or get associates to do so for them in return for similar favours.
Boiling down an individual's output to simple metrics, such as number of publications or journal impacts, entails considerable savings in time, energy and ambiguity. Unfortunately, the long-term costs of using simple quantitative metrics to assess researcher merit are likely to be quite great. (50) If we are serious about ensuring that our science is both meaningful and reproducible, we must ensure that our institutions encourage that kind of science.
【总体分析】:
本文节选自 The Spectator《旁观者》2017.06.06一篇题为 WhyIs So Much Bad Science Published(为什么这么多劣质科学文章被发表)的文章。这是一篇问题分析型文章,首段由作者亲身经历引出全文话题“太多劣质论文被发表”,第二段进而分析原因“当前科研人员晋升体制过分注重论文发表数量”,第三段点评指出相应解决措施并非十分合理,末段呼吁调整当前制度,激励有意义且具可复制性的科学研究。
参考答案
医学期刊中充斥着这类无稽之谈,这些东西一经广播和非专业报刊传播,就会引起健康方面的恐慌和对某些饮食的短暂追捧。
解析
①本句为复合句,主句为 there be 句型,which 定语从句中嵌套一个 when 时间状语从句。翻译的难点在于将主从句语义关联准确译出。主句与定语从句间实际存在“原因一结果”语义关联(generates意表“引发/激起……”),而时间状语从句则与定语从句间存在“条件一结果”语义关联( when意表“当【某种条件出现】时会(产生某种状况〕”),因此三者实际可以处理为"……有……,一经……就会引发……”。②take up本义为“开始处理”,此处因其后行为主体(即施动者)为 broadcasters、lay press(即新闻媒体),故而可将其意译为“报道或传播”。③scare用作名词时既表“惊恐,惊吓”,也表“〔社会上的〕大恐慌”,此处结合上文语境“期刊传播、媒体报道”暗示此处应指某种社会现象,故而取后者更契合文意。因此 health scares 与 short-lived dietary enthusiasms应相应地分别处理为社会现象“健康(方面的)恐慌”“短暂饮食热潮/对某些饮食的短暂追捧”更为合理。
参考答案
今天,任何一个科研岗位的申请者需要发表文章的数量比短短十年前申报同一岗位时整整翻了一番。
解析
本句为一个包含定语从句的复合句,难点在于结合句中两处定语表达(后置定语 applying for...及that定语从句)将比较文意准确译出。首先由 twice the number of(固定用法,意表“两倍于……,是……的两倍,翻番”)前后内容 nowadays...has to have published←→papers...required for thesame post only 10 years ago可知比较对象实为“现在,需要发表的文章数量 VS10年前,同一岗位需要发表的文章数量”,其次由主语 anyone applying for aresearch post 可知发表文章的人物主体为“任何一个科研岗位的申请者”,最后由定语从句中 required for thesame post可知比较所限条件为“同一科研岗位申请时(需要发表的文章数量)”,因此全句可初步处理为“现在,任何一个科研岗位的申请者需要发表文章的数量比短短十年前申请同一岗位时翻了一番/现在,科研岗位申请者需要发表的文章数量是 10年前同一岗位所需要发表的文章数量的两倍”。
参考答案
为遏制这一倾向已经采取了若干措施,比如在评定岗位申请者的论文时,尝试引入一项兼顾数量和质量的评估指标。
解析
本句为包含一个较长方式状语的简单句,翻译难点在于如何处理主句的被动语态和较长的方式状语。根据汉语多主动的表达习惯,主句谓语部分 have been made可按汉语表达习惯译为主动,译文的主语有两种处理方式,可译为常见的一种汉语句式--无主句,也可根据上下文,在句首补充主语“科学界”。原文主语 attempts可按逻辑关系译为宾语,译为“已经做出诸多尝试……”;也可根据其后 by所体现出的方式方法之意,推测此处 attempts 意指措施,从而将其意译为“已经采取了若干措施”。bv方式状语的基本结构为 by trying to incorporate...into...,即“尝试将……引人……过程中”,亦可转换为“在……过程中/时,尝试引人……”;其中宾语部分 some measure of quality as well as quantity 中又嵌套 as well as“除……之外,也”结构,翻译时要按照“A as well asB结构中语义重心在 A”稍作调整,处理为“一项兼顾数量和质量的评估指标”。
参考答案
要不是因为科研人员轻易就能在将来的论文里自我引用,或找同行引用以回报自己提供的类似好处,这项措施本该是合理的。
解析
本句基本结构为包含一个虚拟条件句的主从复合句,其中“从句中又嵌套一个含有两个并列成分的同位语从句。首先,同位语从句中or引导的两个并列谓语可以直接处理为汉语结构“……或者……”;其次,根据“英语重心在前,汉语重心在后”的原则以及过从句中否定表达可初步将全句大框架搭建为“如果不是因为/要不是因为……或……,倒也/本该……”。
参考答案
如果我们真想保证我们的科研既有意义又可复制,就必须确保我们的体制能激励这样的科研。
解析
①本句为主从复合句,主句和“f引导的条件状语从句分别包含一个宾语从句,难点在于根据语境准确翻译多义词 serious、institutions。本句句子结构和汉语表达习惯基本相同,可顺译。serious 在句中指我们对于改变现状的“认真态度”,表示“当真的,认真的”,结合语境 serious about ensuring 可译为“真想保证”。institutions 为熟词僻意,意表“〔由来已久的〕风俗习惯,体制”,呼应第二段 system,译为“体制”。
【全文翻译】:
直到我开始写一个有关医学期刊的每周专栏,并开始通读科学论文之后,我才意识到很多医学文献经常有多糟糕。我渐渐辨别出劣质论文的各种迹象:那种自我标榜为证实“每周吃一公斤以上西兰花的人晚年罹患恶性贫血症概率是那些吃得较少的人的 1.17 倍”的论文。(46)医学期刊中充斥着这类无稽之谈,这些东西一经广播和非专业报刊传播,就会引起健康方面的恐慌和对某些饮食的短暂追捧。
为什么这么多劣质科学被发表?最近,一篇发表于英国皇家学会开放科学网站、题为《劣质科学的自然选择》的论文试图回答这个今人不解却又重要的问题。文章表示,问题不仅在于人们做劣质研究。还在于现行职业晋升制度助纣为虐。重要的不是事实,而是发表,发表本身几乎已经成为终极目标。这其中有一种通货膨胀式的过程在起作用:(47)今天,任何一个科研岗位的申请者需要发表文章的数量比短短十年前申报同一岗位时整整翻了一番。既然如此,那就别管质量,就数数发表的论文好了。
(48)为遏制这一倾向已经采取了若干措施,比如在评定岗位申请者的论文时,尝试引入一项兼顾数量和质量的评估指标。这就是著名的引文索引,即指一篇论文在其他科学文献中被引用的次数,其前提假设是重要论文比不太重要论文更常被引用。(49)要不是因为科研人员轻易就能在将来的论文里自我引用,或找同行引用以回报自己提供的类似好处,这项措施本该是合理的。
将个人产出压缩为简单的度量指标,如论文发表数量或期刊影响力,会节省大量时间和精力并避免诸多分歧。不幸的是,使用简单的量化指标来评定研究者价值,长远来看可能会付出巨大代价。(50)如果我们真想保证我们的科研既有意义又可复制,就必须确保我们的体制能激励这样的科研。