2006年英语专业八级考试·汉译英（附译文）

中国民族自古以来从不把人看作高于一切, 在哲学文艺方面的表现都反映出人在自然界中与万物占着一个比例较为恰当的地位, 而非绝对统治万物的主宰。因此我们的苦闷, 基本上比西方人为少为小；因为苦闷的强弱原是随欲望与野心的大小而转移的。农业社会的人比工业社会的人享受差得多；因此欲望也小得多。况中国古代素来以不滞于物, 不为物役为最主要的人生哲学。并非我们没有守财奴, 但比起莫利哀与巴尔扎克笔下的守财奴与野心家来, 就小巫见大巫了。中国民族多数是性情中正和平、淡泊、朴实、比西方人容易满足。

参考译文：

Chinese people has never thought of human being as the highest creature among everything since ancient times, whose reflection takes a quite appropriate proportion with all others in our natural world in both aspects of philosophy and arts, but not as an absolute dominant ruler. Therefore, our bitterness and depression are basically less than those of westerners, because the intensity of which is growing with the expansion of one’s desire and ambition. People in the agriculture society enjoyed far less than people in the industry society, thus their wants are far less either. Besides, ancient Chinese always regard "not confined by material, not driven by material" as the major philosophy. It not means we do not have misers, but in comparison with Mauriat and Balzac’s miser and aspirant, that is dwarfed. Chinese people almost characterized by moderation, peacefulness, insecular, plainness, and easier to get satisfied than westerners.