2018 年天津商业大学语言学及翻译考研真题 Part I Linguistics (100 marks) I. Studying linguistics, we have come across a lot of technical terms, some of which are listed below. Please write out the most acceptable definitions for each of them. (10 %) a) language; b) linguistics; c) morphology: d) duality; e) intercultural communication: f) sociolect; g) syntax; h) synonyms; i) pragmatics; j) speech community II. Studying linguistics we have been acquainted with many linguists, five of whom are listed below. Write out a phrase that may best represent their contributions to linguistics. （10%） a) Edward Sapir; b) Noam Chomsky; c) M. A. K. Halliday d) H. P. Grice; e) Leonard Bloomfield III. Linguistics as a specified discipline has its own technical ways of operation. Try to fill the blanks to demonstrate your technical sense of linguistics. (15%) 1. Please give the corresponding sound segments according to the descriptions: voiceless labiodental fricative: a)________; voiced alveolar stop: b)_________ front, close, short: c)__________ 2. Prescriptive and descriptive represent two different types of linguistic study. If a linguistic study aims to describe and analyze the language people actually use, it is said to be d)____________; if the linguistic study aims to lay down rules for “correct and standard” behavior in using language, i.e. to tell people 

what they should say and what they should not say, it is said to be e)_________ . Modern linguistics is mostly f)__________. 3. What functions does language perform? Three main functions are often recognized of language. The g)___________ function, also referred to differently as the cognitive, or referential, or propositional function, is assumed to be the primary function of language. The h)______________ function, also called the emotive or attitudinal function, supplies information about the user’s feelings, preferences, prejudices, and values. And the i)____________ function, also referred to as the interpersonal function, serves to establish and maintain social relations between people. 4. There are 4 maxims in Cooperative Principle, namely, the maxim of j)__________, the maxim of k)_________,the maxim of l)__________and the maxim of manner. 5. Over the time many words remain in use, but their meanings have changed. There are three processes of semantic change, namely semantic m)______________, (when the meaning of a word becomes broader, for example, the word holiday, which originally meant “holy day” or “a day of religious significance”, but now it signifies any day on which people don’t have to work); semantic n)_________________(when the semantic change has narrowed the meaning of some words which are still used in Modern English, for example , girl, once meaning “young person of either sex”, now refers to “young person of the female sex”) and semantic o) ____________ (when a word undergoes a change in meaning, for example, the word inn refers to a small hotel or pub, usually an old one, but now a well-known nice hotel may use inn as its name). IV. To be a student of linguistics, it is important to develop a sense of critical thinking. Please answer the following questions to demonstrate your critical potentials. (35%) 1. Language exists in time and changes through time. The description of a language at some point of time in history is a synchronic study; the description of a 

language as it changes through time is a diachronic study. Which approach enjoys priority in modern linguistics? And why? 2. The distinction between langue and parole was made in the early 20th century. Why was this distinction made? 3. The classic semantic triangle was suggested by Ogden and Richards to explain the relationship between words and things. What is the shortcoming of this triangle? 4. First consider the following sentence: Tom is rich but he is not greedy. Then answer the question: what conventional implicature can you get about rich people from this utterance? And which word (or words) helps you get such an implicature? 5. First read the following passage: Tianjin to start winter heating early as cold front continues Xinhua | Updated: 2017-10-30 15:5 TIANJIN -- North China's city of Tianjin turn on its central heating Wednesday, 15 days earlier than in previous years, to combat a cold front affecting the region. The city government made the announcement Monday. Temperatures in Tianjin have dropped nearly 20℃ due to the recent cold front, and the chilly weather has been accompanied by strong winds. The city has adjusted the time to turn on the central heating several times in the past. Then try to analyze the passage in terms of field of discourse, tenor of discourse and mode of discourse. V. Write two short essays on the following topics to demonstrate your potential of doing linguistics. (30%) 1. Read the following passage first and then try to compare the differences in 

addressing between Chinese and English-speaking people. In many English-speaking countries, people address each other by just using their first names, e.g. Tom, Michael, Ellen, or Sophie. This is particularly true in the United States, where equality is greatly valued on different levels of social life. Therefore, it is not strange for a student to call his or her teachers by their first name or a mother-in-law to be called in the same way by her daughter-in-law, although some seniors may prefer to be called by their surname. 2. The following two passages will reveal how language can vary in the degree of formality: Passage A: It has been noted with concern that the stock of books in the library has been declining alarmingly. Students are asked to remind themselves of the rules for the borrowing and return of books, and to bear in mind the needs of other students. Penalties for overdue books will in the future be strictly enforced. Passage B The number of books in the library has been going down. Please make sure you know the rules for borrowing, and don’t forget that the library is for everyone’s convenience. So from now on, we’re going to enforce the rules strictly. You have been warned! Passage A is obviously more formal than Passage B. Now please compare the two passages and try to point out, with examples, what makes Passage A more formal. Part II Translation (50 points) VI. Please translate the following passage into Chinese. (25 points) With decades of hard work, socialism with Chinese characteristics has crossed the threshold into a new era. This is a new historic juncture in China’s development. This is what socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era means: The Chinese nation, which since modern times began had endured so much for so long, has achieved a tremendous transformation—it has stood up, grown rich, and become strong; 

and it now embraces the brilliant prospects of rejuvenation. It means that scientific socialism is full of vitality in 21st century China, and that the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics is now flying high and proud for all to see. It means that the path, the theory, the system, and the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics have kept developing, blazing a new trail for other developing countries to achieve modernization. It offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence; and it offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach to solving the problems facing mankind. VII. Please translate the following passage into English. (25 points) 孔子学院 (Confucius Institute) 是中国在世界各地设立的教育和文化交流机构。推 广汉语、传播中国文化是设立该机构的目的。孔子学院最重要的一项工作就是给世界各地 的汉语学习者提供标准的教材以及正规的汉语学习渠道。全球首家孔子学院于2004年在韩 国首尔 (Seoul)成立，目前已遍布106个国家。孔子学院有力地推动了中国文化与各国文化 的交流与融合。