2019年翻译资格考试英语笔译初级模拟题：历史学

　　While there are almost as many definitions of history as there are historians, modern practice most closely conforms to one that sees history as the attempt to recreate and explain the significant events of the past. Caught in the web of its own time and place, each generation of historians determines anew what is significant for it in the past. In this search the evidence found is always incomplete and scattered; it is also frequently partial or partisan. The irony of the historian' s craft is that its practitioners always know that their efforts are but contributions to an unending process .

　　Interest in historical methods has arisen less through external challenge to the validity of history as an intellectual discipline and more from internal quarrels among historians themselves. While history once revered its affinity to literature and philosophy, the emerging social sciences seemed to afford greater opportunities for asking new questions and providing rewarding approaches to an understanding of the past. Social science methodologies had to be adapted to a discipline governed by the primacy of historical sources rather than the imperatives of the contemporary world. During this transfer , traditional historical methods were augmented by additional methodologies designed to interpret the new forms of evidence in the historical study.

　　Methodology is a term that remains inherently ambiguous in the historical profession. (74 )There is no agreement whether methodology refers to the concepts peculiar to historical work in general or to the research techniques appropriate to the various branches of historical inquiry. Historians, especially those so blinded by their research interests that they have been accused of "tunnel method , " frequently fall victim to the "technicist fallacy. " Also common in the natural sciences , the technicist fallacy mistakenly identifies the discipline as a whole with certain parts of its technical implementation.( 75 ) It applies equally to traditional historians who view history as only the external and internal criticism of sources, and to social science historians who equate their activity with specific techniques.

　　参考译文

　　几乎每个历史学家对史学都有自己的界定，但现代史学家的实践最趋于认为历史学是试图重现过去的重大史实并对其做出解释。由于受时间和地点的限制，每一代史学家都要重新判断过去哪些史料对其有重要价值。在这种探索中所发现的证据总是不完整的、零碎的，而且常常是有偏见的或带有派别意识的。实际从事历史研究的人总是知道，他们的努力只不过是为永无止境的探索过程添砖加瓦，这就使其工作颇具讽刺意味。

　　人们之所以关注历史研究的方法论，主要是因为史学界内部意见不一，其次是因为外界并不认为历史是一门学问。尽管历史学曾经崇尚它与文学和哲学的相似性，但新兴的社会科学似乎为人们提出新问题和提供了解过去的有效途径开辟了更为广阔的天地。社会科学研究的方法必须改变以适应这样一条指导，即以史料为基础，而不是为当代社会之需。在这种转变中，历史学家研究历史时，那些解释新史料的新方法充实了传统的历史研究方法。

　　在历史学界，方法论这个词从来都是模棱两可的。所谓方法论究竟是指一般的历史研究研究中的特有概念，还是指历史探究中各个具体领域适用的研究手段，人们对此意见不一。史学家，尤其是那些局限于他们的研究兴趣，以致被指责为“单方同研究法”的史学家，常常成了“单纯技术方法论”的牺牲品。这种谬论在自然科学领域里也是屡见不鲜的，它错误地把整个学科与学科研究的某些操作方法等同起来。这种谬论同样存在于历史传统派和历史社科派;前者认为历史就是史学界内部和外部人士对各种史料来源的评论;后者认为历史的研究是具体方法的研究。

　　词义推敲：

　　While 虽然，尽管

　　as many … as … 和……一样多，多达……

　　modern practice 现代实践

　　practice：a habitual or customary action or way of doing something 习惯习惯性或惯例性的行为或办事方式

　　most closely conforms to 最符合于

　　conform：to correspond in form or character; be similar 一致在形式或特征上相符;相似

　　one：指代“definition”，译作“一个定义”。

　　attempt：an effort or a try 企图或努力

　　to recreate 再现，重现(不能说重新创造历史)

　　events 事件，结合上下文引申为史实

　　Interest in historical methods (人们)对历史(研究)方法的关注(兴趣)

　　less through … and more from … “更少是通过……更多是来自……”没有“与其说是因为……不如说是因为……”好。

　　through 和from意思相同

　　external：外部的，客观的

　　challenge：a demand for explanation or justification; a calling into question 质疑要求解释或证明为正当;质疑

　　validity 真实性，正确性，效度

　　reliability信度

　　as an intellectual discipline作为一门学问/学科

　　intellectual：appealing to or engaging the intellect 知性的需用或使用智力的

　　discipline：a branch of knowledge or teaching 学科;科目知识或教学的分支

　　internal quarrels 内部意见不统一，内部分歧

　　this transfer：这个转变。

　　transfer：(instance of) transferring or being transferred 转移，调动，转变

　　were augmented by：增加了

　　augment 充实，补充

　　additional methodologies 新方法

　　methodology：方法，方法论

　　designed to用来/旨在

　　the new forms of evidence 新的证据形式，根据上下文意译为在历史学研究中的新史料

　　in the historical study 在研究历史时

　　there is no agreement 人们尚未达成一致意见

　　agreement 统一的意见，一致看法

　　whether... or ... 究竟是……还是……

　　refer to 指

　　the concepts / peculiar to / historical work / in genera多重后置定语——后浪推前浪。我们翻译为: 一般的历史研究中的特有概念

　　the research techniques / appropriate to / the various branches of / historical inquiry：重后置定语——后浪推前浪。我们翻译为:历史探究中各个具体领域使用的研究手段

　　the research techniques 研究手段、手段

　　historical inquiry 历史探究

　　the various branches 各个领域

　　appropriate to 适用于，合适于

　　It指示代词，联系上下文可以看出是指“technicist fallacy”(这种谬论)。

　　apply to 适用于

　　traditional historians 传统历史学家，历史传统派

　　view history as 把历史看作是

　　sources 源泉，引申为史料来源

　　social science historians 社会科学历史学家，历史社科派

　　their activity 活动，引申为历史学研究活动，历史研究

　　equate... with 把……等同于，认为……是

　　specific techniques 具体方法