2017年翻译考试高级英语口译练习题：《祭鳄鱼文》
维年月日，潮州刺史韩愈使军事衙推秦济，以羊一猪一，投恶溪之潭水，以与鳄鱼食，而告之曰：
昔先王既有天下，烈山泽，罔绳擉刃，以除虫蛇恶物，为民害者，驱而出之四海之外。及后王德薄，不能远有，则江汉之闲，尚皆弃之，以与蛮夷楚越，况潮岭海之闲，去京师万里哉?鳄鱼之涵淹卵育於此，亦固其所。
今天子嗣唐位，神圣慈武。四海之外，六合之内，皆抚而有之。况禹迹所揜，扬州之近地，刺史县令之所治，出贡赋以供天地宗庙百神之祀之壤者哉?
鳄鱼!其不可与刺史杂处此土也!刺史受天子命，守此土，治此民。而鳄鱼睅然不安溪潭，据处食民畜，熊豕鹿獐，以肥其身，以种其子孙;与刺史抗拒，争为长雄。刺史虽驽弱，亦安肯为鳄鱼低首下心。伈伈睍睍，为民吏羞，以偷活于此耶?且承天子命以来为吏，固其势不得不与鳄鱼辨。
鳄鱼有知，其听刺史言!潮之州，大海在其南。鲸鹏之大，虾蟹之细，无不容归，以生以食，鳄鱼朝发而夕至也。今与鳄鱼约：尽三日，其率丑类南徙於海，以避天子之命吏!三日不能，至五日;五日不能，至七日;七日不能，是终不肯徙也;是不有刺史，听从其言也;不然，则是鳄鱼冥顽不灵，刺史虽有言，不闻不知也。夫傲天子之命吏，不听其言，不徙以避之，与冥顽不灵而为民物害者，皆可杀。刺史则选材技吏民，操强弓毒矢，以与鳄鱼从事，必尽杀乃止。其无悔!
The Sacrifice to the Crocodile
On a certain day of a certain month in a certain year, Han Yu, Prefect of Chaochow, sent a military officer, Ching Tsi, to throw a lamb and a pig into the gloomy gorge of E-chi to feed the crocodile and to give the proclamation:
“After the Kings of the ancient times had come into possession of this country, they set fire to the mountains and marshes, destroyed with weapons and captured with nets the reptiles, snakes, and cruel beasts, and drove out those which were injurious to the people beyond the seas. The later kings, owing to their little virtue, were unable to stretch far their authority, and administrate the distant parts. Those regions lying between the rivers were abandoned to the savage tribes. It is not surprising, then, since Chaochow is a district between the Ling Mountains and the sea and ten thousand li off from the capital, that the crocodile should there make his home and nourish its young. But since the reigning Emperor, divine, sacred, kind, and brave, has ascended the throne of the Tang Dynasty, the lands beyond the Four Seas are in his possession, to say nothing of the land (Chaochow) fixed by Yu, adjacent to Yang Chow, governed by the prefect and the district magistrate, whence comes the tribute for the Emperor, and the contribution for the sacrifice to Heaven and Earth and for the ancestral temple of the Imperial family, and for all the gods! It is impossible for the crocodile to live on the same spot with the prefect who has been appointed by the Emperor to protect this land and govern this people. You crocodile, however, are headstrong and will not dwell quietly in this gorge, but must swallow up the cattle of the people, the bears, swine, deer, and roebuck, so that you fatten yourself and breed your young, defying the prefect as your rival in power. Although the prefect is feeble and old, do you think he is willing to bow his head and humble himself to a crocodile, and to be in constant fear? Is he willing to spend a miserable existence here, despised and flouted by the people? Since he has been appointed the prefect of this place by the Emperor, he is bound to oppose you. O, crocodile, you will hear my words, if you are a wise crocodile. To the south of Chaochow, there is a great sea where abound great monsters, the whale and roc, and delicacies such as the crabs, the lobsters, and every other thing. Ah! There you can live and eat. You will arrive there in the evening if you set out in the morning.
Now I will make an agreement with you. I will give you three days in which you must lead your ugly crew and remove them from the presence of the appointed servant of the Emperor. If three days be not enough, then take five; and if you cannot do it in five, then have seven. If even seven days be not enough, it is evident you do not want to move at all, and that you will not obey the words of the prefect. If it be not so, then it must be that you are stupid and dull, and will neither hear nor understand the words of the prefect. Those who despise the officer of the Emperor, and who refuse to listen to his words, and who do not move off and avoid him, as well as the stupid and dull who are a cause of injury to the people, are all fit for slaughter. I will select skilful men, give them strong bows and poisoned arrows, to come to begin their work till no one of you is remained. Then it will be too late for you to regret.”
(Henry Bain 译)
