翻译资格练习题社会记实篇附答案四

　　日本文化事务部的一份报告指出，日本语言中的敬语正被普遍滥用或误用。敬语是一种复杂的语言形式，包括规则名词和动词的各种变化，或者是完全不同的单词。在对长辈或职位、资历比自己高的人讲话时，通常要用敬语，比如在对顾客讲话时就要用敬语，用来显示讲话者谦逊的态度，表示对聆听者的尊重。

　　政府小组委员会提议出版一些解释敬语正确用法的手册。

　　“不仅仅是年轻人，一些成年人也不会正确使用敬语。我们希望能通过语言方面的指导来推广日语的正确用法。”法新社援引日本教育部官员和久保田修的话说。

　　政府小组委员会引用了2003年的一份关于日语的调研报告，报告显示96%的日本人认为敬语仍然很重要，但研究者们指出敬语还是无法避免被误用的厄运。比如说，“是”这个动词在非正式日语中是iru，在礼貌日语中是imasu，而在敬语中则是irras haimasu。

　　政府报告还建议重新评估国民读写汉字的能力，汉字是日语的支柱。11月的一项调查显示，日本私立大学有20%的学生的语言能力比高中生还差。有些成年人因为（过度）依赖电脑，有时很难记住汉字的书写方法，不得不向他们的孩子们请教。

Japanese people need help to brush up on their polite language, a government panel has proposed.

A report for the Agency for Cultural Affairs said 'keigo' - honorific Japanese - was being widely misused.

Keigo is a complicated form of the language which involves different conjugations of regular nouns and verbs, or different words entirely. It is used to address seniors - a customer, for example - and is meant to humble speakers and elevate listeners.

The government panel has proposed publishing manuals explaining to people how the language should be used.

"Not just young people, but grown-ups are not using honorific Japanese properly. With the language guidelines, we hope to spread the correct use of the Japanese language," education ministry official Osamu Kubota was quoted as saying by the French news agency AFP.

The government panel cited a 2003 survey on the Japanese language which found that 96% of people believe keigo remains important, but the researchers noted that it was nevertheless being used incorrectly.

For example, the verb "to be" is iru in informal Japanese, imasu in polite Japanese, and irrashaimasu in honorific Japanese.

The government report also suggested that the country's ability to read and write Chinese characters - the mainstay of the Japanese language - be re-evaluated.

A survey in November found that 20% of students at private universities had poorer language abilities than high school pupils.

Adults sometimes find it difficult to remember how to write characters because they rely on computers, and have to ask their children for help.