Final exam orientation
for English/Chinese
translation (1)
Prepared by
Cai Jing and Wang Heng
Overview
1. What abilities will you be tested in the
final exam?
2. What skills can you adopt when sitting
for the final exam?
3. What procedures can you follow when
preparing for the final exam?
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1. What abilities will you
be tested in the final
exam?
Focus of the final exam:
Translation theories
Objective: To test testees’ understanding of
essential translation theories and major
differences between English and Chinese
Source: The textbook
Item type: T/F, blank-filling
Item number: 10
Total points: 10x1=10
Weight: 10%
Time: 15 minutes
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Focus of the final exam:
Translation of phrases
 Objective: To test testees’ ability of translating English
phrases into Chinese with proper treatment of the
linguistic and cultural differences between English
and Chinese
 Source: The textbook and outside the textbook
 Item type: Multiple-choice, to translation English
phrases into Chinese
 Item number: 10 + 10
 Total points: 10 x 1.5+10 x 1=25
 Weight: 25%
 Time: 20 minutes
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Focus of the final exam:
Translation of sentences
 Objective: To test testees’ ability of translating English
sentences into Chinese with proper use of translation
skills
 Source: The textbook and outside the textbook
 Item type: To translate English sentences into
Chinese
 Item number: 5 + 5
 Total points: 10 x 3=30
 Weight: 30
 Time: 25 minutes
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Focus of the final exam:
Translation of paragraphs
 Objective: To test testees’ ability of translating English
paragraphs into Chinese with proper use of
translation skills and proper treatment of stylistic
features
 Source: The textbook and outside the textbook
 Item type: To translate English paragraphs (each in
around 150 words) into Chinese
 Item number: 1+1
 Total points: 1 x 20 +1 x15=35
 Weight: 35%
 Time: 60 minutes
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2. What skills can you
adopt when sitting for
the final exam?
Do’s and don’ts about
the exam papers
 Do write your name, your student ID number and your
learning center on both papers.
 Do examine before you start that the test paper does not
miss pages.
 Do hand in both papers when you finish the exam.
 Do write your answers on the Answer Sheet.
 Do write your answers beside the corresponding question
numbers.
 Don’t miss questions.
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Translation of
English phrases (1)
Focus on the differences between English
and Chinese in the positions of modifiers.
Focus on the change of part of speech.
Focus on the collocation of Chinese
characters.
Focus on the associative meaning of an
English word in a specific context.
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Translation of
English phrases (2)
 a concept inconceivable before
 一个以前无法想象的概念
 一个概念，在以前无法想象
 be behind schedule
 落后于计划
 在计划后面
 play the flute
 玩笛子
 吹笛子
 like a cat on hot bricks
 烫砖上的猫
 热锅上的蚂蚁
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Translation of
English phrases (3)
内容
每处单词或短语误译或漏译,扣1.5分。
语言
每处译文表达不通顺,或不符合中文习惯（未能
恰当运用翻译技巧处理英汉差异），扣1分。
书写
拼写有误，每两处扣0.5分。
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Translation of
English sentences (1)
 Read through the whole sentence, sorting out its
main structure.
 Read through the sentence again, gaining a
correct understanding of its meaning.
 Read the sentence the third time, paying special
attention to the particular meanings of the content
words and the inner logic among the different
clauses.
 Decide on the use of one or more of the translation
skills covered in the textbook based on the
language differences between English and
Chinese.
 Avoid spelling, grammatical or punctuation
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mistakes.
Translation of
English sentences (2)
 Modern skyscrapers began to appear in
the city, taking away much of its ancient
charm and mystery, which was considered
a great pity by many people.
富有现代化气息的摩天大楼开始出现在这座
城市，使得这座古城失去了不少古老的风韵
和神秘，许多人叹为可惜。(转句译法、断句
译法、被动转主动译法)
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Translation of
English sentences (3)
 内容
 每处句子或从句误译或漏译,扣2分。
 每处单词或短语误译或漏译,扣1分。
 语言
 每处译文表达不通顺,或不符合中文习惯（未能恰当运
用翻译技巧处理英汉差异），扣2分。
 每处译文用词欠精准（搭配、程度、色彩、语域等），
扣0.5分。
 书写
 拼写及标点符号使用有误，每两处扣0.5分。
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Translation of
English paragraphs (1)
 Read through the whole paragraph, identifying the logical
relations among the sentences and its stylistic features.
 Read through the paragraph again, gaining a correct
understanding of its meaning.
 Write your first translation on a piece of draft paper with a literal
transmission from English to Chinese.
 Revise your first translation, checking on the choice of words,
construction of the Chinese sentences and treatment of
cohesive or rhetoric devices.
 Copy your finally revised translation onto the Answer Sheet.
 Avoid spelling, grammatical or punctuation mistakes.
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Translation of
English paragraphs (2)
 I discovered the worth of super-slow reading years ago.
Previously, if I had been really interested in a book, I would race
from page to page, eager to know what came next. Now, I
decided, I had to become a miser with words and stretch every
sentence like a poor man spending his last dollar. I had started
with the practical object of making my book last. But by the end
of the second week I began to realize how much I was getting
from super-slow-reading itself. Sometimes just a particular
phrase caught my attention, sometimes a sentence. I would read
it slowly, analyze it, read it again-perhaps changing down into an
even lower gear-and then sit for 20 minutes thinking about it
before moving on. I was like a pianist studying a piece of music,
phrase by phrase, rehearsing it, trying to discover and recreate
exactly what the composer was trying to convey.
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Translation of
English paragraphs (3)
Stylistic features of a narration & description
Verbs
Grammatical phenomena
Rhetorical devices
Contextualized meanings of words
Application of translation skills
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Translation of
English paragraphs (4)
 几年以前，我发现了超慢速阅读的妙处。在那之前，我
要是对一本书真感兴趣，就会一页一页拼命往后翻，急
于想知道下文的究竟。但是现在，我决定当一个文字的
守财奴，把每个句子当作穷汉身上的最后一块钱，让它
尽量延长。我开始的目标很实际，就是想把自己读一本
书的时间拉长一些。但过了两个星期，我开始领略超慢
速阅读本身给我的教益。吸引我注意的有时是个别的短
语，有时是整个句子。我会慢慢地读，慢慢地分析，然
后再回头重读一遍--这次速度可能放得更慢--之后静坐
冥想20分钟，这才接着往下读。我就像一个钢琴演奏
家在品味一段音乐，一个乐段一个乐段地领会，接着练
习一番，尽可能挖掘并准确重现作曲家要表达的内容。
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Translation of
English paragraphs (5)
 内容
 每处句子或从句误译或漏译,扣2分。
 每处单词或短语误译或漏译,扣1分。
 语言
 每处译文表达不通顺,或不符合中文习惯(未能恰当
使用翻译技巧处理英汉差异)，扣1分。
 每处译文用词欠精准（搭配、程度、色彩、语域
等），扣0.5分。
 书写
 拼写及标点符号使用有误，每两处扣0.5分。
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3. What procedures
can you follow
when preparing
for the final exam?
Reviewing a unit (1)
Review the key points.
The activity and task titles in the textbook
The Key Points Summary (“课程辅导资料:
单元重点总结”)
The Review and Self-assessment (“复习与
自测”)
Review the relevant parts in the textbook to
consolidate the understanding of the key
concepts or skills.
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Reviewing a unit (2)
Review the mistakes in the exercises in the
textbook or in the Assignments (“作业”).
Review or do the Self-assessment (“自测”)
Review or do the Supplementary Translation
Exercises (“课程辅导资料：补充翻译练习”).
Review or watch the Supplementary
Translation Exercises Comments (“课程辅导
资料：补充翻译练习点评”).
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Reviewing
the translation theories
Review Activities One and Two in each unit of
the textbook.
Review the Key Points Summary.
Review the questions concerning the
translation theories in the Progress Report,
Self-assessment and Assignment.
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Reviewing the skills of
translating English phrases
Review all the exercises of translation of
phrases in the textbook.
Review the differences between English and
Chinese in the positions of modifiers.
Review your bank of English phrases.
Review the phrases concerning such
commonly-used verbs as “go”, “take”, “make”,
etc. or adjectives as “hard”, “blue”, “weak”,etc.
in the dictionary.
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Reviewing the skills of translatin
English sentences
 Review Activities Three and Four in each unit of the
textbook.
 Review or do the Supplementary Translation Exercises.
 Review or watch the Supplementary Translation Exercises
Comments.
 Review or do the exercises of translation of English
sentences in the Self-assessment.
 Review the exercises of translation of English sentences
in the Assignments, especially the errors you made in
such exercises.
 Obtain extra practice through doing exercises of
translation of English sentences in some other textbooks
on English/Chinese translation.
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Reviewing the skills of
translating English paragraphs
 Review Activity Five in each unit of the textbook.
 Review or do the Supplementary Translation Exercises.
 Review or watch the Supplementary Translation Exercises
Comments.
 Review or do the exercises of translation of English
paragraphs in the Self-assessment.
 Review the exercises of translation of English paragraphs
in the Assignments, especially the errors you made in
such exercises.
 Obtain extra practice through doing exercises of
translation of English paragraphs in some other textbooks
on English/Chinese translation.
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Sources of
the answers to you questions
The local tutor
The Key Points Summary
The Course Forum (“课程论坛”)
The Assessment Guidelines (“考核说明”)
The Final Exam Orientation (“课程辅导资料:
考前指导”)
The VOB of the Sample Test Paper Analysis
(“样题解析与考前答疑”)
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Review
By the end of this final exam orientation,
have you learned about the :
• focuses of the final exam?
• skills for you to use when sitting for
the final exam?
• procedures for you to go through
when preparing for the final exam?
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Thank you for your interest!
Wish you great success
with the final exam!