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READING COMPREHENSION
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TEXT 1
LOST IN TRANSLATION?
There’s a well-known story in the world of literary translators about the
translator who was thrilled to see his work appear at great length in an article in
a prestigious magazine. He had translated a number of novels by a little-known
Scandinavian novelist, who he believed had been neglected and not received
the attention or praise he deserved. He had dedicated much of his working life
to trying to get this novelist some recognition. The article agreed with his
assessment of the novelist’s work and illustrated its view of his worth by
quoting long passages from the translations.
But something was missing. The translator searched in vain for a mention of
his name. It didn’t appear anywhere. The translator’s joy at the coverage of his
favourite author was considerably spoiled by this. He felt that he himself
should have had some recognition in the article. The implication was that the
translations had just appeared from nowhere, or even perhaps that the novelist
had done them himself. It was as if the translator did not exist, and all the
efforts he had made had never happened.
This incident raises a fundamental question about the status and function of the
literary translator. Most people would agree that it was wrong of the magazine
to omit any mention of the translator. However, it is also true that readers
themselves operate in exactly the same way, and for them it is also as if the
translator didn’t exist. When people read a translation of a novel, they want to
feel they are reading what the novelist, and not someone else, wrote. They
don’t want to be reminded that they are not reading, and would not be able to
read, the original novel as created by the novelist. The translator has fulfilled a
necessary function for them, but they do not wish to know who the translator
was or pay any attention to what they have done. Readers are simply the
receivers of what the translator does. So even though we might wish for direct
contact with the novelist, we depend on the translator.
In this global age, translators have become even more important. More and
more works of fiction are being translated into more and more languages.
Readers are now able to experience and understand other cultures more than
ever through the reading of translated novels. The works of more and more
novelists are now accessible to people in other parts of the world. This applies
not only to new novels but also to fresh translations of old classics. The
adventurous reader can now enjoy novels from many eras and many cultures
that previously they would not have been able to.
CUID-UNED CURSO 2015-16
IDIOMA: Inglés NIVEL: C1
PRUEBA ESCRITA
And central to this is the translator, working heroically to come up with the
translation that captures exactly what is in the original work, and often poorly
paid. Although readers may be happy for them to remain obscure, perhaps they
should be getting the recognition they deserve.
TEXT 2
Read the article and choose the correct answer, A, B or C.
TEXT 3
Read the text about how different animals locate their food. Are these sentences
true (T), false (F) or not given (NG)?
Time is clearly important to the human race. For thousands of years we have used
different things to measure time and its passage. Evidence of this obsession is all around
us. There are the stone circles in places like France and England that are thought to be
some type of calendar – Stonehenge in south-west England is probably one of the most
famous of these. There are also artefacts dating back more than 6,000 years which
indicate that the moon was used to calculate time.
An array of different devices have been invented to keep track of time. Over 3,500 years
ago the Egyptians used a very crude sundial. It was made of a metal T-square which
was placed facing eastwards in the morning and then turned around at noon so it could
cast a shadow in the evening. The most accurate devices of the ancient world were
water clocks or clepsydra. Unlike sundials, they could be used at night to keep track of
the hours. The only drawback was that they had to be kept topped up with water and so
relied on someone maintaining the water and making sure it was flowing.
Of course, over time, the devices for measuring time improved. The water clocks that
were used in much of the Arab world were far more sophisticated, but it wasn’t until the
11th century that the first mechanical clocks were invented. And, like many inventions,
it was the Chinese who led the way.
In the 17th century, the famous Dutch astronomer and mathematician invented the
pendulum clock – a device that is still used today and can be found in many clocks.
Nowadays the most precise timekeeping devices are atomic clocks. They are accurate to
within a second over a period of a million years – although how anyone can measure
that is open to question.
Such devices are used in many different ways, but one of the most important is in
Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The link between time and space has been with us
ever since we started trying to measure time, so it is no surprise that knowing where we
are also relies on us knowing what time it is.
There are many concepts of time, and even serious disagreement of whether time
actually exists or is simply a construct of humans to help us explain the world we live
in. However, there can be little disagreement that time has played an important role in
how we see the world and how we live our lives.
16. Thousands of years ago, the moon was more important in terms of
measuring time than the sun was.
a) T b) F c) NG
17. Sundials weren’t a very reliable or effective way of measuring time.
a) T b) F c) NG
18. Mechanical clocks were used throughout the Arab world as far back
as the 11th century.
a) T b) F c) NG
19. Pendulum clocks are no longer around, as they have been replaced
by atomic clocks.
a) T b) F c) NG
20. There is no evidence that time really exists.
a) T b) F c) NG
CUID-UNED CURSO 2015-16
IDIOMA: Inglés NIVEL: C1
PRUEBA ESCRITA
TEXT 4