翻译考试历年中级口译真题(18)_第6页

Questions 17～21                                                                            
     “It's not what you know but who you know that counts.” People who get on in life may be successful not because they deserve it, but because of influential friends or the right background. We say “Ah yes, he must have gone to the right school”. or“She must come from a good family.” We may suspect that some people in positions of authority are there because they belong to the right group or party. To get something done—a signature on a document.or a quick decision—it helps to know someone“on the inside”. At least, this is the widespread belief.

      It is a  comforting  belief  too.If  your boss strikes you as  incompetent, it is tempting to believe that he only got the job because his father pulled some strings. If someone else gets the job which you should have had, well, the“old boy network” must be operating. And yet, if we can get what we want by“having a word” with so-and-so, or by getting so-and-so to put  in a good word for us, which of us would not take advantage of the opportunity?

      Often it is quite harmless. For instance, when Miguel went with Julia to visit Michelle in hospital, he bumped into someone he knew, a doctor who had been at medical school with his father. As a result of this chance meeting, Miguel was able to find out a great deal about Michelle's condition. Julia was not only  grateful to him for making use of his connection, but delighted that she was able to learn so much by this means which she of his connection, but delighted that she was able to learn so much by this means which she might never have found out otherwise.

      At the other extreme it can be very destructive. I once met a brilliant young engineer who worked in a chemical plant. Because of her knowledge and experience, she should have been promoted to Production Manager. Instead, the job went to a man who was totally unsuited for the post. Everyone knew that he only got it because he was politically acceptable to his superiors. This injustice demoralized the young engineer and many of her colleagues. It also meant that the factory was much less efficient than it could have been.

      All the same, we should not be pessimistic. More and more, the modem world depends on having people who are in the job because they are good enough, not just because heir face fits. There is a story of a factory owner who sent for an engineer to see to a machine which would not go. He examined it, then took out a hammer and  tapped  it,once.The  machine started  up immediately. When he presented his bill, the owner protested,“This can't be fight! 100 pounds just for tapping a machine with a hammer?” The engineer wrote out a new bill:“For tapping a machine, 1 pound; for knowing where to tap it, 99 pounds.”

      Maybe it is what you know that really counts, after all. 

 17. It is believed that people have succeeded in life because_________.
     A. they are influential                                 B. they feel superior to others
     C. they are from rich families                     D. they have some special advantage
 18.Which of the following is the best definition of the expression“old boy network” (para. 2)?
     A. People who were at school together help each other to get goodjobs.
     B. Older people help younger people, especially if they are the children of friends.
     C. People of the same family background help each other to get ton in life.       
     D. The best jobs often go to people who have the right political connections.
19. Miguel took advantage of the fact that he knew the doctor in order to get more information about Michelle's condition. According to the writer, Miguel's action is.
    A. an example of how badly everybody behaves in using such opportunities
    B. an example of how some people have an unfair advantage over others
    C. an example of the way we can use such opportunities without hurting anyone else
    D. a good example of how to get something done by knowing someone“on the inside”.
20. The engineer at the chemical plant was not promoted because.
    A. it is very difficult for a woman to get a promotion to a managerial position
    B. her bosses did not think she had the right qualifications for the job
    C. the man who got the promotion was more experienced than she was
    D. her bosses did not approve of her political opinions
21. The engineer who repaired the machine was right to charge 100 pounds because
    A. he was the only person who could find out what was wring with it
    B. he was charging for his knowledge and expertise
    C. the factory owner could not have repaired it himself
    D. he hit the machine to get it stared again