英语翻译二级笔译实务模拟试题及答案解析（1）.docx

英语翻译二级笔译实务模拟试题及答案解析（1）.docx

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英语翻译二级笔译实务模拟试题及答案解析

（1）

（l/2）SectionIEnglish-ChineseTranslation

TranslatethefollowingtwopassagesintoChinese.

PartACompulsoryTranslation

第1题

"WisdomoftheCrowd":

TheMythsandRealities

Arethemanywiserthanthefew?

PhilBallexploresthelatestevidenceonwhatcanmakegroupsofpeoplesmarter—butcanalsomakethemwildlywrong.

IsTheLordoftheRingsthegreatestworkofliteratureofthe20thCentury?

IsTheShawshankRedemptionthebestmovieevermade?

Bothhavebeenawardedthesetitlesbypublicvotes.Youdon'thavetobealiteraryorfilmsnobtowonderaboutthewisdomofso-called"wisdomofthecrowd",

Inanageroutinelydenouncedasselfishlyindividualistic,it'scuriousthatagreatdealoffaithstillseemstoliewiththejudgmentofthecrowd,especiallywhenitcanapparentlybefaroffthemark.Yetthereissometruthunderpinningtheideathatthemassescanmakemoreaccuratecollectivejudgmentsthanexpertindividuals.Sowhyisacrowdsometimesrightandsometimesdisastrouslywrong?

Thenotionthatagroup'sjudgementcanbesurprisinglygoodwasmostcompellinglyjustifiedinJamesSurowiecki's2005bookTheWisdomofCrowds,andisgenerallytracedbacktoanobservationbyCharlesDarwin'scousinFrancisGaltonin1907.Galtonpointedoutthattheaverageofalltheentriesina"guesstheweightoftheox"competitionatacountryfairwasamazinglyaccurate—beatingnotonlymostoftheindividualguessesbutalsothoseofallegedcattleexperts.Thisistheessenceofthewisdomofcrowds:

theiraveragejudgmentconvergesontherightsolution.

Still,Surowieckialsopointedoutthatthecrowdisfarfrominfallible.Heexplainedthatonerequirementforagoodcrowdjudgementisthatpeople'sdecisionsareindependentofoneanother.Ifeveryoneletthemselvesbeinfluencedbyeachother'sguesses,there'smorechancethattheguesseswilldrifttowardsamisplacedbias.Thisunderminingeffectofsocialinfluencewasdemonstratedin2011byateamattheSwissFederalInstituteofTechnology（ETH）inZurich.Theyaskedgroupsofparticipantstoestimatecertainquantitiesingeographyorcrime,aboutwhichnoneofthemcouldbeexpectedtohaveperfectknowledgebutallcouldhazardaguess—thelengthoftheSwiss-Italianborder,forexample,ortheannualnumberofmurdersinSwitzerland.Theparticipantswereofferedmodestfinancialrewardsforgoodgroupguesses,tomakesuretheytookthechallengeseriously.

Theresearchersfoundthat,astheamountofinformationparticipantsweregivenabouteachother'sguessesincreased,therangeoftheirguessesgotnarrower;andthecentreofthisrangecoulddriftfurtherfromthetruevalue.Inotherwords,thegroupsweretendingtowardsaconsensus,tothedetrimentofaccuracy.

Thisfindingchallengesacommonviewinmanagementandpoliticsthatitisbesttoseekconsensusingroupdecisionmaking.Whatyoucanendupwithinsteadisherdingtowardsarelativelyarbitraryposition.Justhowarbitrarydependsonwhatkindofpoolofopinionsyoustartoffwith,accordingtosubsequentworkbyoneoftheETHteam,FrankSchweitzer;andhiscolleagues.Theysaythatifthegroupgenerallyhasgoodinitialjudgement,socialinfluencecanrefineratherthandegradetheircollectivedecision.

Nooneshouldneedwarningaboutthedangersofherdingamongpoorlyinformeddecision-makers:

copycatbehaviourhasbeenwidelyregardedasoneofthemajorcontributingfactorstothefinancialcrisis,andindeedtoallfinancialcrisesofthepast.

TheSwissteamcommentedthatthisdetrimentalherdingeffectislikelytobeevengreaterfordecidingproblemsforwhichnoobjectivelycorrectanswerexists,whichperhapsexplainshowdemocraticcountriesoccasionallyelectsuchastonishinglyineptleaders.

There'sanotherkeyfactorthatmakesthecrowdaccurate,ornot.Ithaslongbeenarguedthatthewisestcrowdsarethemostdiverse.That'saconclusionsupportedina2004studybyScottPageoftheUniversityofMichiganandLuHongofLoyolaUniversityinChicago.

Theyshowedthat,inatheoreticalmodelofgroupdecision-making,adiversegroupofproblem-solversmadeabettercollectiveguessthanthatproducedbythegroupofbest-performingsolvers.

Inotherwords,diversemindsdobetter;whentheirdecisionsareaveraged,thanexpertminds.

Infact,here'sasituationwherealittleknowledgecanbeadangerousthing.Astudyin2011byateamledbyJosephSimmonsoftheYaleSchoolofManagementinNewHaven,ConnecticutfoundthatgrouppredictionsaboutAmericanfootballresultswereskewedawayfromtherealoutcomesbytheover-confidenceofthefans'decisions,whichbiasedthemtowardsalleged"favourites"intheoutcomesofgames.

Allofthesefindingssuggestthatknowingwhoisinthecrowd,andhowdiversetheyare,isvitalbeforeyouattributetothemanyrealwisdom.