本文出自一篇评论达尔文在现代科学中的价值和地位的文章。文章选材和题点设置没有违背近年来的命题思路和趋势，整体难度与06年相仿，难于07年，大大难于05年。话题难度稍微减弱，但翻译技巧点设置加深了一些难度，全局理解关键点为一个词组的情况只出现了一次，但由于翻译题的评分标准为分段给分、综合扣分的特殊方式，释义点分散加大了试题难度，但并没有加大得分难度。以下是简单分析，供参考。
    
    He points out that he always experienced much difficulty in expressing himself clearly and concisely, but he believes (opines) that this very difficulty may have had the compensating advantage of forcing him to think long and intently about every sentence, and thus enabling him to detect errors in reasoning and in his own observations.
    
    他相信，这种困难或许正好能够扬长避短，使他不得不长时间专注地思考每一个句子；因此使他能在推理和自己的观察中发现错误。考点设置了宾语从句的翻译，复杂介词短语、不定式、副词结构的翻译，没有偏难词汇，句式流畅，基本不涉及大规模的句式调整，整体难度适中。
    
    He disclaimed the possession of any great quickness of apprehension or wit, such as distinguished Huxley. He asserts, also, that his power to follow a long and purely abstract train of thought was very limited, for which reason he felt certain that he never could have succeeded with metaphysics or mathematics.
    
    他还断言道，在理解冗长且纯粹抽象的观点上，他的能力是非常有限的。由此，他曾确信自己在形而上学和数学方面根本无法成功。名词性从句为主要结构性考点，难度中下，并列的名词结构由于较长的定语造成了一定理解障碍，但不难组织译文。难词中的assert原词重现于1994年真题，专题详细讲过，考得是一个细致。Metaphysics有译玄学，但为了保证难度在在考试中被取消。
    
    His memory, too, he described as extensive, but hazy. So poor in one sense was it that he never could remember for more than a few days a single date or a line of poetry. On the other hand, he did not accept as well founded the charge made by some of his critics that, while he was a good observer, he had no power of reasoning.
    
    另一方面，他并不接受一些批评家对他“尽管善于观察，但完全无法推理”的指责，他认为该指责由来无据。As well短语的理解容易造成歧义，well实为founded的副词，形成well founded这一形容理论站得住脚常用的短语。同位语从句按技巧应另起一句翻译，故涉及较大程度的句式调整，译为“另一方面，批评家指责他尽管善于观察，但无法推理，对此，他并不接受且认为观点不成立。”(唐静老师版本)可以说是更好的一个答案，但对大家临场的能力和技巧的课后熟悉过程提出了严峻的考验。此句偏难。
    
    This, he thought, could not be true, because the Origin of Species is one long argument from the beginning to the end, and has convinced many able men. No one, he submits, could have written it without possessing some power of reasoning. He was willing to assert that I have a fair share of invention, and of common sense or judgment, such as every fairly successful lawyer or doctor must have, but not, I believe, in any higher degree. He adds humbly that perhaps he was superior to the common run of men in noticing things which easily escape attention, and in observing them carefully.
    
    他谦卑地补充道，或许他“和普通人比起来，更能够注意到那些容易为人所忽略的东西，并且更能够对其加以仔细地观察”。本句仍然是简单的宾语从句直译模式，引文中sueperior是关键词，并列两个in引导的状语，需理解并译出两个并列的比较级概念。形成译文并不困难。Common run的run需在理解的基础上减词处理，小规模的定语从句前置翻译，escape的否定意义需翻出。Observe重复出现，如果没掌握的话，损失惨重。
    
    I have also almost lost my taste for pictures or music. Music generally sets me thinking too energetically of what I have been at work on, instead of giving me pleasure. I retain some taste for fine scenery, but it does not cause me the exquisite delight which it formerly did. Darwin was convinced that the loss of these tastes was not only a loss of happiness, but might possibly be injurious to the intellect, and more probably to the moral character……
    
    达尔文相信，失去对音乐和绘画方面的(这些)兴趣，不仅失去了快乐，而且还可能损伤智力，甚至可能会伤害道德。指代结构可以还原出音乐和绘画的具体含义，如若不能，应以“这些”保底；tastes的择义比较困难，用我们讲过的夹选法可以得出兴趣、爱好等释义，皆可。Not only, but 结构统领多成分逻辑关系，应该驾轻就熟，递进并列的过渡词选择也不是难题。词汇中intellect译为智能可以算分，源于intellectual beauty为“智能美”已有先例，injurious用词根词缀不难推测，character仿96年真题中同词讲解，不算难。
    
    综合来看，这篇文章的statement成分大于argument，相对来说是比较喜闻乐见的一种翻译题材，讲述的对象距离我们提过的生物相关概念可以说是擦边而过，好在达尔文也是一个比较熟悉的概念，提供了一定的理念基础和阅读信心。词汇考点中规中矩，技巧考点面比较窄，还是局限在常考的几个主要技巧范围之内，给今后的同学们提供了良好的技巧示例。同时，在长难句解析的能力要求上有所增强，但是在译文组织特别是词义选择的难度上比较适中。