2017考研：历年英语翻译真题（11）

1991年考研英语翻译真题及答案解析

Section V English-Chinese Translation

Read the following passage carefully and then translate the underlined sentences into Chinese. (15 points)

The fact is that the energy crisis, which has suddenly been officially announced, has been with us for a long time now, and will be with us for an even longer time. Whether Arab oil flows freely or not, it is clear to everyone that world industry cannot be allowed to depend on so fragile a base. (1) The supply of oil can be shut off unexpectedly at any time, and in any case, the oil wells will all run dry in thirty years or so at the present rate of use.

(2) New sources of energy must be found, and this will take time, but it is not likely to result in any situation that will ever restore that sense of cheap and plentiful energy we have had in the times past. For an indefinite period from here on, mankind is going to advance cautiously, and consider itself lucky that it can advance at all.

To make the situation worse, there is as yet no sign that any slowing of the world’s population is in sight. Although the birth-rate has dropped in some nations, including the United States, the population of the world seems sure to pass six billion and perhaps even seven billion as the twenty-first century opens.

(3) The food supply will not increase nearly enough to match this, which means that we are heading into a crisis in the matter of producing and marketing food.

Taking all this into account, what might we reasonably estimate supermarkets to be like in the year 2001?

To begin with, the world food supply is going to become steadily tighter over the next thirty years -- even here in the United States. By 2001, the population of the United States will be at least two hundred fifty million and possibly two hundred seventy million, and the nation will find it difficult to expand food production to fill the additional mouths. (4) This will be particularly true since energy pinch will make it difficult to continue agriculture in the high-energy American fashion that makes it possible to combine few farmers with high yields.

It seems almost certain that by 2001 the United States will no longer be a great food-exporting nation and that, if necessity forces exports, it will be at the price of belt-tightening at home.

In fact, as food items will tend to decline in quality and decrease in variety, there is very likely to be increasing use of flavouring additives. (5) Until such time as mankind has the sense to lower its population to the point where the planet can provide a comfortable support for all, people will have to accept more “unnatural food”.

答案解析

Section V: English-Chinese Translation (15 points)

1. 石油供应可能会随时中断;不管怎样，以目前这种消费速度，只需30年左右，所有的油井都会枯竭。

2. 必须找到新的能源，这需要时间;而过去我们感觉到的那种能源价廉而充足的情况将不可能再出现了。

3. 食品供应的增加将赶不上人口的增长，这就意味着我们在粮食的生产和购销方面正陷入危机。

4. 这种困境将是确定无疑的，因为能源的匮乏使农业无法以高能量消耗这种美国耕种方式继续下去了，而这种耕种方式使投入少数农民就可获得高产成为可能。

5. 除非人类终于意识到要把人口减少到这样的程度：使地球能为所有人提供足够的饮食，否则人们将不得不接受更多的“人造食品”。