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2012考研英语一 · 翻译
本页为 2012考研英语一 翻译的完整原文、正确答案与逐题解析（原文约 425 词，共 5 题）。建议先自己作答，再逐题核对解析里的原文定位与干扰项说明。
2012考研英语一翻译原文
Section II Reading Comprehension / Part C
Since the days of Aristotle, a search for universal principles has characterized the scientific enterprise. In some ways, this quest for commonalities defines science. Newton's laws of motion and Darwinian evolution each bind a host of different phenomena into a single explicatory framework.
(46) In physics, one approach takes this impulse for unification to its extreme, and seeks a theory of everything – a single generative equation for all we see. It is becoming less clear, however, that such a theory would be a simplification, given the dimensions and universes that it might entail. Nonetheless, unification of sorts remains a major goal.
This tendency in the natural sciences has long been evident in the social sciences too. (47) Here, Darwinism seems to offer justification, for if all humans share common origins, it seems reasonable to suppose that cultural diversity could also be traced to more constrained beginnings. Just as the bewildering variety of human courtship rituals might all be considered forms of sexual selection, perhaps the world's languages, music, social and religious customs and even history are governed by universal features. (48) To filter out what is unique from what is shared might enable us to understand how complex cultural behavior arose and what guides it in evolutionary or cognitive terms.
That, at least, is the hope. But a comparative study of linguistic traits published online today supplies a reality check. Russell Gray at the University of Auckland and his colleagues consider the evolution of grammars in the light of two previous attempts to find universality in language.
The most famous of these efforts was initiated by Noam Chomsky, who suggested that humans are born with an innate language-acquisition capacity that dictates a universal grammar. A few generative rules are then sufficient to unfold the entire fundamental structure of a language, which is why children can learn it so quickly.
(49) The second, by Joshua Greenberg, takes a more empirical approach to universality, identifying traits (particularly in word order) shared by many languages, which are considered to represent biases that result from cognitive constraints.
Gray and his colleagues have put them to the test by examining four family trees that between them represent more than 2,000 languages. (50) Chomsky's grammar should show patterns of language change that are independent of the family tree or the pathway tracked through it, whereas Greenbergian universality predicts strong co-dependencies between particular types of word-order relations. Neither of these patterns is borne out by the analysis, suggesting that the structures of the languages are lineage-specific and not governed by universals.
参考译文与得分要点
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46请翻译第 46 处划线句。
参考译文在物理学中，有一种做法把这种寻求统一的冲动发挥到了极致，它试图找到一种万有理论——一个能生成我们所看到的一切的方程式。
解析句子主干为 one approach takes ... and seeks ...，后接破折号对 theory of everything 作同位解释。impulse for unification 宜译“寻求统一的冲动”，takes ... to its extreme 对应“发挥到极致”，generative equation 点出“能生成……的方程式”。参考答案把被动意味的 for all we see 转成“我们所看到的一切”，破折号保留原文层次。失分常在漏译 impulse、把 generative 机械译成“生成性”而不补出功能，或把 theory of everything 写成生硬的“万物理论”而不点明“万有/统一”。
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47请翻译第 47 处划线句。
参考译文在此，达尔文主义似乎提供了依据，因为如果全人类有共同的起源，那么文化多样性也可以追溯到更为有限的开端，这一设想似乎是合理的。
解析主干是 Darwinism seems to offer justification，后接 for 引导的原因从句，从句内含 if 条件与 it seems reasonable to suppose 的嵌套。justification 译“依据/合理性”，constrained beginnings 对应“更为有限的开端”，trace to 用“追溯到”。参考答案把 it seems reasonable to suppose 后置为“这一设想似乎是合理的”，理顺汉语因果。易漏 if 条件、把 constrained 译成“受约束的”而不点出“有限”，或把 Here 空译成“这里”而不接上文社会科学语境。
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48请翻译第 48 处划线句。
参考译文滤除独特性、保留共性，或许能让我们理解复杂的文化行为是如何产生的，以及它在进化或认知层面受何引导。
解析不定式 To filter out A from B 作主语，might enable us to understand 后接 how 与 what 两个宾语从句。filter out ... from 宜译“滤除……、保留……”，what is unique / shared 对应“独特性/共性”，in evolutionary or cognitive terms 译“在进化或认知层面”。参考答案把抽象 what 名词化并拆成两个问句，符合汉语节奏。失分点是漏译 filter 的对比关系、把 terms 译成“术语”，或 how/what 从句粘连成一句导致层次不清。
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49请翻译第 49 处划线句。
参考译文第二次努力由乔舒亚·格林伯格作出，他采用更为实证的方法来研究普遍性，找出许多语言共有的特征（尤其是词序方面），这些特征被视为由认知约束产生的偏向。
解析主干 The second ... takes a more empirical approach，identifying 分词作伴随，which 从句修饰 traits。empirical 译“实证的”，traits shared by many languages 对应“许多语言共有的特征”，biases ... cognitive constraints 译“由认知约束产生的偏向”。参考答案增补“第二次努力……作出”，把 which 后置为独立小句。常见错误是漏 particularly in word order、把 biases 译成“偏见”，或把 result from 因果说反。
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50请翻译第 50 处划线句。
参考译文乔姆斯基的语法应当显示出独立于谱系树或其演化路径的语言变化模式，而格林伯格式的普遍性则预言特定类型的词序关系之间存在很强的共变依赖。
解析对比结构 Chomsky's grammar should show ... whereas Greenbergian universality predicts ...。independent of the family tree or the pathway 译“独立于谱系树或其演化路径”，co-dependencies 对应“共变依赖/相互依存”，word-order relations 点出“词序关系”。参考答案用“应当……而……则预言”体现 whereas 对照。易失分在 pathway tracked through it 漏译、把 co-dependencies 写成“合作依赖”，或把 family tree 直译“家庭树”而不用“谱系/语系树”。
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