翻譯二級筆譯實務(wù)2010年05月

翻譯二級筆譯實務(wù)2010年05月SectionⅠEnglish-ChineseTranslation1.

IntheEuropeanUnion,carrotsmustbefirmbu（江南博哥）tnotwoody,cucumbersmustnotbetoocurvedandceleryhastobefreeofanytypeofcavity.Thiswasthelaw,onethatbannedoverlycurved,extra-knobblyoroddlyshapedproducefromsupermarketshelves.

ButinavictoryforopponentsofEuropeanregulation,100pagesoflegislationdeterminingthesize,shapeandtextureoffruitandvegetableshavebeentornup.OnWednesday,EUofficialsagreedtoaxeruleslayingdownstandardsfor26products,frompeastoplums.

Indoingso,theauthoritieshopetheyhavekilledoffregulationsroutinelyusedbycritics—mostnotablyintheBritishmedia—toridiculethemeddlingtendenciesoftheEU.

Afteryearsofnewsstoriesaboutthepermittedangleorcurvatureoffruitandvegetables,thedecisionWednesdayalsocoincidedwiththerisingpriceofcommodities.Withthecostoftheweeklysupermarketvisitontherise,ithasbecomeincreasinglyhardtodefendtheactofthrowingawayfoodjustbecauseitlooksstrange.

BeginninginJulynextyear,whenthechangesgointoforce,standardsonthe26productswilldisappearaltogether.Shopperswillthenbeabletochoosetheirproducewhateveritsappearance.

Underacompromisereachedwithnationalgovernments,manyofwhichopposedthechanges,standardswillremainfor10typesoffruitandvegetables,includingapples,citrusfruit,peaches,pears,strawberriesandtomatoes.

ButthoseinthiscategorythatdonotmeetEuropeannormswillstillbeallowedontothemarket,providingtheyaremarkedasbeingsubstandardorintendedforcookingorprocessing.

"Thismarksanewdawnforthecurvycucumberandtheknobblycarrot,"saidMariannFischerBoel,Europeancommissionerforagriculture,whoarguedthatregulationswerebetterlefttomarketoperators.

"Inthesedaysofhighfoodpricesandgeneraleconomicdifficulties,"FischerBoeladded,"consumersshouldbeabletochoosefromthewidestrangeofproductspossible.Itmakesnosensetothrowperfectlygoodproductsaway,justbecausetheyarethe'wrong'shape."

Thatsentimentwasnotsharedby16oftheEU's27nations—includingGreece,France,theCzechRepublic,Spain,ItalyandPoland—whichtriedtoblockthechangesatameetingoftheAgriculturalManagementCommittee.

Severalworriedthattheabolitionofstandardswouldleadtothecreationofnationalones,saidoneofficialspeakingonconditionofanonymitybecauseofthesensitivityofthediscussions.

Copa-Cogeca,whichrepresentsEuropeanagriculturaltradeunionsandcooperatives,alsocriticizedthechanges."WefearthattheabsenceofEUstandardswillleadmemberstatestoestablishnationalstandardsandthatprivatestandardswillproliferate,"saiditssecretarygeneral,PekkaPesonen.

Butthedecisiontoscalebackonstandardswillbewelcomedbyeuro-skepticswhohavelongpilloriedtheEUexecutive'sinterestinintrusiveregulation.

Onesuchcontroversyrevolvedaroundthecorrectdegreeofbendinbananas—atypeoffruitnotcoveredbytheWednesdayruling.

Infact,thereisnopracticalregulationontheissue.CommissionRegulation(EC)2257/94saysthatbananasmustbe"freefrommalformationorabnormalcurvature,"thoughClass1bananascanhave"slightdefectsofshape"andClass2bananascanhavefull"defectsofshape."

Bycontrast,thecurvatureofcucumbershasbeenapreoccupationofEuropeanofficials.CommissionRegulation(EEC)No1677/88statesthatClassIand"Extraclass"cucumbersareallowedabendof10millimetersper10centimetersoflength.ClassIIcucumberscanbendtwiceasmuch.

Italsosayscucumbersmustbefreshinappearance,firm,cleanandpracticallyfreeofanyvisibleforeignmatterorpests,freeofbittertasteandofanyforeignsmell.

Suchrestrictionswilldisappearnextyear,andabout100pagesofrulesandregulationswillgoaswell,amovewelcomedbyNellParish,chairmanoftheEuropeanParliament'sagriculturecommittee.

"Foodisfood,nomatterwhatitlookslike,"Parishsaid."Tostopstoressellingperfectlydecentfoodduringafoodcrisisismorallyunjustifiable.CreditshouldbegiventotheEUagriculturecommissionerforpushingthroughtheseproposals.Consumerscareaboutthetasteandqualityoffood,nothowitlooks."正確答案：胡蘿卜必須硬挺水靈，黃瓜不能太彎，芹菜不能有任何孔洞，這是歐盟之前一度實行的硬性規(guī)定。按照該規(guī)定，如果蔬果彎度過大、疙疙瘩瘩或者奇形怪狀，將禁止在超市上架銷售。

不過，有關(guān)蔬果尺寸、形狀和口感的長達100頁的法律規(guī)定將予以廢除，對于一向反對該項法律的人士來說這是一大勝利。周三，歐盟官員通過決議，將取消對豌豆、李子等26種蔬果設(shè)定的強制標準。

此前，批評人士特別是英國媒體經(jīng)常拿這些規(guī)定開涮，指責歐盟有過度干預(yù)之嫌。通過修改這部法律，歐盟希望不再授人口實。

多年來，有關(guān)蔬果彎度標準的報道經(jīng)常見諸媒體報端。在歐盟周三通過上述決議之際，商品價格也在節(jié)節(jié)攀升。民眾用于超市購物的生活成本不斷增加，此時再僅以外形不達標為由禁止相關(guān)蔬果上架銷售就更加站不住腳了。

修訂后的法律于明年7月開始正式生效，屆時有關(guān)26種產(chǎn)品的強制標準將被徹底廢除，同類產(chǎn)品不論外觀如何將同時上架，供消費者隨意挑選。

歐盟許多成員國反對修改這部法律。按照歐盟委員會與各成員國政府達成的折中方案，對包括蘋果、柑橘類水果、桃、梨、草莓和西紅柿在內(nèi)的10種蔬果的強制標準將予以保留。

不過，這10類蔬果中即使相關(guān)產(chǎn)品不達標也可上市銷售，但必須注明是不達標產(chǎn)品或者烹調(diào)、加工專用產(chǎn)品。

歐盟委員會農(nóng)業(yè)專員瑪麗安·菲舍爾·伯爾認為，最好由市場運營商自行做出相關(guān)規(guī)定。她說：“法律修訂對于彎黃瓜和有節(jié)胡蘿卜而言是新黎明的到來/法律修訂后意味著彎黃瓜和有節(jié)胡蘿卜今后也可以上市銷售了?！?/p>

“當前食品價格居高不下，經(jīng)濟大環(huán)境也不景氣，”菲舍爾·伯爾補充說，“應(yīng)該給消費者提供盡可能多的選擇。有些產(chǎn)品本身品質(zhì)沒什么問題，如果僅僅因為外形不達標就白白扔掉的話，實在說不過去?！?/p>

歐盟27個成員國中有16個對這種說法持有異議。希臘、法國、捷克、西班牙、意大利和波蘭等國家曾在農(nóng)業(yè)管理委員會的一次會議上試圖阻止歐盟修改這項法律。

一位因問題敏感而要求不具名的歐盟官員說，有幾個國家擔心，一旦取消了歐盟強制標準，各國可能會紛紛推出本國標準。

代表歐洲農(nóng)業(yè)工會和合作社的游說團體柯巴—柯杰卡(Copa-Cogeca)也反對修改這項法律。該團體秘書長佩卡·貝松寧說，“我們擔心，如果取消了歐盟統(tǒng)一強制標準，各成員國將紛紛設(shè)定國家標準，私立標準也將會激增?！?/p>

不過，取消強制標準的決議受到了歐元懷疑論者的歡迎。他們對于歐盟委員會干預(yù)性的規(guī)定一向頗有微詞。

其中一項爭議是香蕉彎度標準問題。在周三通過的決議中并沒有涉及香蕉。

事實上，關(guān)于這一問題根本就沒有具體規(guī)定。《歐盟委員會規(guī)定》中第2254/94條規(guī)定，香蕉產(chǎn)品“不得畸形或彎度異常”，不過，該規(guī)定還指出，一級香蕉可以有“輕度外形瑕疵”，二級香蕉則不限“外形瑕疵”。

相比之下，歐盟官員一直關(guān)注的是黃瓜彎度標準問題?！稓W盟委員會規(guī)定》中第1677/88條規(guī)定，一級和“特級”黃瓜的彎度標準為每10厘米長彎度不得超過10毫米，二級黃瓜不得超過20毫米。

該條款還規(guī)定，黃瓜必須外表新鮮、硬挺、干凈，不得有任何明顯異物或蟲害痕跡，無苦味、異味。

明年所有這些硬性標準都將壽終正寢，屆時長達百頁的相關(guān)規(guī)定也將予以廢除。歐洲議會農(nóng)業(yè)委員會主席尼爾·帕里什對此表示贊同。

“不管外觀如何，食品終究是食品”，帕里什說，“糧食危機期間禁止品質(zhì)沒有任何問題的產(chǎn)品上市銷售情理不容。歐盟衣業(yè)委員會最終通過了修改相關(guān)法律的決議，值得稱贊。消費者真正關(guān)心的是食品的味道和品質(zhì)，而不是外觀?！?/p>

2.

Askmotherswhybabiesareconstantlypickingthingsupfromthefloororgroundandputtingthemintheirmouths,andchancesarethey'llsaythatit'sinstinctive—thatthat'showbabiesexploretheworld.Butwhythemouth,whensight,hearing,touchandevenscentarefarbetteratidentifyingthings?

Sinceallinstinctivebehaviorshaveanevolutionaryadvantageortheywouldnothavebeenretainedformillionsofyears,chancesarethatthisonetoohashelpedussurviveasaspecies.And,indeed,accumulatingevidencestronglysuggeststhateatingdirtisgoodforyou.

Instudiesofwhatiscalledthehygienehypothesis,researchersareconcludingthatorganismslikethemillionsofbacteria,virusesandespeciallywormsthatenterthebodyalongwith"dirt"spurthedevelopmentofahealthyimmunesystem.Severalcontinuingstudiessuggestthatwormsmayhelptoredirectanimmunesystemthathasgoneawryandresultedinautoimmunedisorders,allergiesandasthma.

Oneleadingresearcher,Dr.JoelWeinstock,thedirectorofgastroenterologyandhepatologyatTuftsMedicalCenterinBoston,saidinaninterviewthattheimmunesystematbirth"islikeanunprogrammedcomputer.Itneedsinstruction."

Hesaidthatpublichealthmeasureslikecleaningupcontaminatedwaterandfoodhavesavedthelivesofcountlesschildren,butthey"alsoeliminatedexposuretomanyorganismsthatareprobablygoodforus."

"Childrenraisedinanultra-cleanenvironment,"headded,"arenotbeingexposedtoorganismsthathelpthemdevelopappropriateimmuneregulatorycircuits."

StudieshehasconductedwithDr.DavidElliott,agastroenterologistandimmunologistattheUniversityofIowa,indicatethatintestinalworms,whichhavebeenallbuteliminatedindevelopedcountries,are"likelytobethebiggestplayer"inregulatingtheimmunesystemtorespondappropriately,Elliottsaidinaninterview.Headdedthatbacterialandviralinfectionsseemtoinfluencetheimmunesysteminthesameway,butnotasforcefully.

Mostwormsareharmless,especiallyinwell-nourishedpeople,Weinstocksaid."Thereareveryfewdiseasesthatpeoplegetfromworms,"hesaid."Humanshaveadaptedtothepresenceofmostofthem."

Ruebushdeploresthecurrentfetishforthehundredsofantibacterialproductsthatconveyafalsesenseofsecurityandmayactuallyfosterthedevelopmentofantibiotic-resistant,disease-causingbacteria.Plainsoapandwa