我唯一的资本是勤奋

我唯一的资本是勤奋 1975年，我进入北京工业学院（现在是北京理工大学）时，实际文化程度 才是初中一年级，困难是很大的。我必须用三年的时间，走完如今一个大学 生将近九年的路。头一年，在班上我的成绩是中等偏下，我唯一的资本是自 己的毅力。我想了这样一个道理：什么叫大学？大学是一种优势，国家是用 成千上万的投资维持和创造这种优势的。这种优势也许会给别人，但现在给 了我。要把这种优势化作自己的优势，关键在于刻苦学习。 1978年，我以当时比较好的成绩考上了研究生，同年又考上了出国研究生。 1979年10月去英国，第一次看到国外的情况，对比自己的国家，我心里比 较难受。我觉得有责任为建设自己的国家出一份力。我是一个“工农兵大学 生”，对能否作出一篇博士论文心里没有底。有了研究方向，我便一头扎进 图馆，一呆就是两个月，收集有关的学习文献资料。我吃饭和休息尽可能 简化，每天实际工作十四五个小时。有一年圣诞节前夜，导师格雷教授路过 学校看到实验室还亮着灯，第二天对我说：你连昨晚都在工作，使我们深感 惭愧。在英国，我多次参加国际学术会议，我的博士论文被校方评为1982 －1983年度最佳物理学博士论文。 1983年底我回国后，感到现在是该我出力的时候了。1984年，我申请了中 国科学院科学基金，从事热自燃理论研究。1987年，我开始独立指导研究 生。我编出了两本专著、三本教材，有些论文代表了国际上本领域的先进水 平。 我唯一的资本是勤奋 My Only Asset was Assiduity in Study and Work My Only Capital was Diligence Diligence was My Only Capital/Wealth Capital: wealth,, esp money used to produce more wealth or for starting a business. Asset: property (that has value and that may be sold to pay a debt); a valuable quality, skill, or person. e.g. A sense of humour is a great asset in this job./ She is a tremendous asset to the company. 1975年，我进入北京工业学院（现在是北 京理工大学）时，实际文化程度才是初中 一年级，困难是很大的。我必须用三年的 时间走完如今一个大学生将近九年的路。 a. When I entered Beijing Industrial College in 1975 (now is Beijing University of Polytechnics), my real cultural level was only grade one of junior middle school and I had much difficulty. b. In 1975, when I enrolled in Beijing Industrial college, I was trapped in trouble for study because my actual educational level was only Junior One. c. In 1975, when I entered …, I only had an education equal to Grade One of Junior High School, which was very difficult for me. Ref version one: In 1975 when I had only just entered Beijing Industry College (now Beijing Science and Engineering University), culturally as a matter of fact I was merely with the first year of junior middle school, encountering tremendous difficulties, having to to accomplish within three years what it takes an ordinary university student to in nine. Ref version 2: In 1975 when I had only just entered Beijing Industry College (now Beijing Science and Engineering University), as a matter of fact I merely had an education of the first year of junior middle school (/my educational level was in fact merely equaled to that of the first year of junior middle school). Therefore I encountered tremendous difficulties as I had to accomplish within three years what it took an ordinary university student to in nine. 头一年，在班上我的成绩是中等偏下，我唯 一的资本是自己的毅力。 a. In the first year, I was below the medium in the class… b. In the first year, my study was at the level of average below, and what I could depend on was willpower… c. In the first year of my college I was below average students, but the… In the first year my study record was merely fair to middling. My single asset was perseverance, though. Fair: quite good, large, etc.; reasonable. e.g. His knowledge of the language is fair. Her written work is excellent, but her practical work is only fair-to-middling. 我想了这样一个道理：什么叫大学？大学是一 种优势，国家是用成千上万的投资维持和创造 这种优势的。 a. I held such a theory:what is a university? It is a social advantage… b. I thought such a truth…. c. I though and got a principle: what was college? College was a kind of social advantage. The country maintained and created this advantage by providing thousands of investment. I fell to meditating about the reason for the existence of a university. To my mind it was a kind of social superiority created and supported by the country with umpteen financial investment. Superiority: the quality of being better, more skillful, more powerful. Privilege: a special advantage limited to a particular person or group. E.g. Education is a privilege, not a right in many countries. 在翻译的时候必须注意词义的相容性。（semantic compatibility) Firth: You know a word by the company it keeps. (theory of mutual expectancy) e.g. 疯狂的侵略 frenzied aggression vs blatant/flagrant aggression. Frenzied: a state of wild uncontrolled feeling; a sudden, but not lasting, attack of madness. 批判师道尊严：to criticize the dignity of a teacher VS to criticize the absolute authority of a teacher. 深化改革： to deepen reform VS to deepen one’s commitment to reform To deepen crisis/understanding 汉英翻译中，也要注意英文结构上的相容 性。（syntactic compatibility): e.g. He challenged me to a game of tennis. They challenged the authority of the court. 汉英词序不同的问题： 维持和创造； 大小； 迟早； 东南西北； 我你 他； 前后；左右；衣食住 Created and maintained by the country/ small and large / sooner or later/ north, south, east and west/ you, he and I / back and forth / right and left / food, clothing and housing 这种优势也许会个别人，但现在给了我。要 把这种优势化做自己的优势，关键在于刻苦 学习。 a. This advantage would be given to others, but now it was mine. In order to transfer the advantage from social to private, I had to work hard. b. Such an advantage may be not certainly on me, now it has been given to me. In order to transfer such an advantage into internalized advantage, hard-working is the key. …… Ref: This superiority was given to me as to others. Now I had this share, how hard I must try to turn it to the best possible account, the linchpin lying in my leaning over backwards! 1978年。我以当时比较好的成绩考上了研究生，同年又考 上了出国研究生。 a. In 1978, I was admitted to be a postgraduate with excellent marks in entrance examination. In the same year I won the chance of of doctorate research abroad. b. In 1978, I passed the postgraduate exam with a quite good mark and the exam of overseas postgraduate. c. I became a postgraduate with comparatively better remark at that time, and I was admitted to study postgraduate abroad in the same year. Ref: In 1978 I passed the examination with comparatively good results and (according to the requirements of the time) was admitted as a postgraduate student. Later in the same year I succeeded in another examination for going abroad for further studies. 1979年10月去英国，第一次看到国外的情况，对 比自己的国家，我心里比较难受。我觉得有责任 为建设自己的国家出一分力。 a. I went to Britain. For the first time I saw other country’s situation. Compared with my own country, I felt very upset and thought it was my responsibility to contribute to the building of my country. b. I went to Britain and had seen the condition of a foreign country, I felt a little bit sad. I realized that I had the responsibility to exert myself to the construction of my country. …… Ref: In October, 1979 I went to England. There I came to see conditions quite new to me; comparing them with those in my own country I could not help feeling disheartened and that I for one had the absolute responsibility to make some contribution towards our country’s construction. 我是一个“工农兵”大学生，对能否做出一篇博士论 文心里没有底。 a. I was a …student. I was not sure whether I could write an article of Doctor / doctor’s thesis. b. I’m one of the students from workers, peasants and soldiers. I was not full convinced whether I could work out a doctoral thesis. c. I was uncertain whether I could finish my doctor paper. Ref: Having been from the worker-peasant- soldier category of students, I had little self- confidence as to whether I could write a doctorate dissertation. 有了研究方向，我便一头扎进图书馆，一呆就是 两个月，收集有关的学习文献资料。我吃饭和休 息尽可能简化，每天实际工作十四五个小时。 a. With the research orientation set, I plunged into the library and spent about two months collecting reference materials. I tried to finish my meal and rest as quickly as possible and actually worked for 14 or 15 hours per day. b. Buried myself in the library and stayed there for 2 months, …collecting related documents…. Simplified the process of eating and sleeping. Ref: Nevertheless, once given the direction of research work I plunged myself into it and frequented the library for two months nonstop, browsing books and collecting reference materials. I allowed myself only snacks in order to save time for study and cut the time for rest down to the minimum. 有一年圣诞节前夜，导师格雷教授路过学校看到 实验室还亮着灯，第二天对我说：你连昨晚都在 工作，使我们深感惭愧。 a. One year, on the night before Christmas, Prof. Gray, my supervisor, walked past the school and saw the light the in lab still on. Next day he said to me, “we feel shameful that you were still working last night.” b. …he told me the next day that he felt ashamed. c. … “Your working last night really embarrassed us.” d. … “we were feeling ashamed because you even worked on Christmas eve.”. Ref: One year, on Christmas Eve my tutor Prof. Gray, happening to pass by the laboratory, saw the lights inside still on. The next morning he said to me: “Even last night you did not stop working! I must say that compared with you we feel ashamed of ourselves, indeed!” 在英国，我多次参加国际学术会议，我的博士论 文被校方评为1982-1983年度最佳物理学博士论 文。 a. In England I participated in international academic sessions for several times and my thesis was elected as the most remarkable doctoral thesis in physics. b. When I was in Britain, I took part in international conference many times. My doctor paper was chosen to be the best PHD thesis on physics in 1982 to 1983. Ref: During my sojourn in England I attended several symposiums on academic subjects. My doctorate dissertation was appraised by the authorities concerned as the best among others on physics for the year 1982-1983. 1983年底我回国后，感到现在是该我出力的时 候了。 a. I felt it was time for me to do my bit when I came back in 1983. b. At the end of 1983, I came back to China and felt it was time for me to do something. Ref: By the end of 1983 I came back to my home country. Now the time had come for me to work as best I could. 1984年，我申请了中国科学院科学基金，从事热自燃理论 研究。1987年，我开始独立指导研究生。我编出了两本 专著、三本教材，有些论文代表了国际上本领域的先进水 平。 a. I applied to the science fund of Science Academy of China for the research of spontaneous ignition in 1984. In 1987 I became a tutor. By now I had published 2 monographs, 3 teaching materials and some papers of which are in the leading position in the field. b. In 1984 I applied scholarship from Chinese Academy of Sciences to do research in…. … I began to direct my graduate student. I wrote 2 bookds and 3 textbooks and some theses or mine represented the advanced level of this field in the world. Ref: In 1984 I applied for and was awarded a fund from the China Academy of Sciences Foundation, which enabled me to get started with the research into spontaneous ignition. In 1987 I began to teach postgraduate students on my own while making use of my spare time in compiling two books on specialized subjects and also three textbooks. Some of my theses reflected advanced stages known internationally in the particular area. Additional Material: 如何翻译汉语中一些常见而自然、使用时信手拈 来的词汇和表达方式： e.g. 得病以前，我受父母宠爱，在家中横 行霸道，一旦隔离，拘禁在花园山坡上 一幢小房子里，我顿感打入冷宫，十分 郁闷不得志起来。……. 横行霸道：run amuck, like a tyrant, run wild, lord it over, play the bully, acting like an overlord. 隔离：isolate, segregate. 隔离病人：isolate the patient; 隔离审查：take somebody into custody and put him under investigation；种族 隔离： racial segregation. 拘禁：take into custody; put under arrest; imprison; put in jail 打入冷宫：fall into disfavor; to be in disfavor; Put into the cold palace like a disserted wife? 郁郁不得志：be in dismay; be in a dismal mood; be in low spirits; feel sad and gloomy; feel depressed; become melancholy. Ref: Before I was taken ill, I had been a spoiled child of my parents, getting things my way in the family. Once isolated and confined to a small house on the slope of a garden, I suddenly found myself in disfavor and my wings clipped. …. 一个春天的傍晚，园中百花怒放， 父母在园中设宴，一时宾客云集， 笑语四溢。我在山坡的小屋里，悄 悄掀起窗帘，窥见园中大千世界， 一片繁华，自己的哥姐、堂表兄 弟，也穿插其间，各各喜气洋洋。 一霎时，一阵被人摒弃，为世所遗 的悲愤兜上心头，禁不住痛哭起来。 One spring evening, with myriads of flowers in full bloom in the garden, my parents held a garden party in honor of many guests, whose arrival at once filled the place with laughing chats. In the small house of the slope, I quietly lifted the curtain, only to be met by a great and prosperous world with my elder brothers and sisters and my cousins among the guests, all in jubilation. All at once, seized by a fit of forlorn rage, I could not help bursting into tears.