阅读理解精练

2008-05-21

中学生英语高中综合天地 2008年5期

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Foreigners will find it easier to order a meal in Beijing during the Olympics as most dishes and drinks will have proper English translations.

Beijing Tourism Bureau has released a list of translations for 2,753 dishes and drinks to solicit(征求) public opinions.

The list, once finally fixed, will be used in restaurants across the country, to replace confusing, even ridiculous translations, according to the bureau.

In preparing for the 2008 Olympic Games, the city has also moved to standardize English translations of public facilities, including road signs, and the hotel service.

Bad translations of Chinese dishes are headaches for foreign epicures. There used to be translations like “Virgin Chicken” and “Burnt Lions Head”, which are actually dishes based on young chicken and pork ball resembling lions head. These translations either scare or embarrass foreign customers and may cause misunderstanding on Chinas diet habits.

A team set up by the Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office and Beijing Tourism Bureau has been working on the problem since March last year, backed by a committee of 20 language experts and catering(餐饮) service managers.

“The names of Chinese dishes have long been part of our culture. We should translate them in a way that people of other cultures can understand them,” said Feng Dongming, the head of this translation program and Vice Dean of Tourism School of Beijing Union University.

The names of Chinese dishes have combined cultural and artistic elements in them, some with historical, geographical and political background, some with origins from Chinese fairy tales and folk tales. Often the dishes are named with stories understood only by people who know their culture well.

Translators have divided the dish names into four catalogues: named by materials, by cooking method, by tastes, by name of a person or a place.

1. Which of the following is NOT a reason why Chinese dishes need proper English Translations ?

A. Foreighers may misunderstand the old translations .

B. Foreighers may be scared or embarrassed by some names like “Burnt Lions Head ”

C. Some dishes are named with stories understood only by thepeople familiar with their culture.

D.The old translations are not attractive

2. We can conclude from the passage that _________.

A. Chinese dishes need improving.

B. The Chinese government spare no efforts to make foreigners satisfied in the 2008 Olympic Games .

C. Every dish and drink will have a new and proper translation.

D. The dish “Burnt Lions Head”is actually based on pork ball resembling a lions head .

3. Which is the best title for the passage?