西北大学2010年博士入学英语考试翻译部分：汉译英（10分）
原文：
大学之所以有理由存在，是因为它使老少两代人在富于想象力的学习中，保持了知识与生活热情之间的联系。大学提供信息，但它是富于想象地提供信息。至少这是它应该为社会发挥的作用。一所大学如果不做到这一点，就没有理由存在。富于想象的思维可以营造出一种令人兴奋的氛围，而这种氛围又可以转化知识。事实不再是纯粹的事实，它被赋予了种种可能性。它不再是记忆的负担，而是充满活力，犹如能描绘我们梦境的诗人，能实现我们意图的建筑师。
初步翻译：
As why the university could exist, is that it keeps the relationship between knowledge and the passions of life during their study progress in the two generations of the young and the old. The university provides information with imagination. This is the function to the society at least. There is no reason for a university to exist if it can’t make this point. Imaginational atmosphere brings exciting atmosphere, well thus can transform into knowledge. The truth is no longer the pure truth, it gains variety of possibilities. It’s no longer the burden of the memory, but the active poet who could represent our dreams, or the architect who can achieve our intentions.
重新修改后：
As the reason why the university could exist, is that it keeps the relationship between knowledge and the passions of life during their study progress in the two generations of the young and the old. The university provides information, while with imagination inside the information. This is the function it should to the society at least. There would be no reasons for a university to exist if it couldn’t make this point. Imaginational atmosphere brings exciting atmosphere, well thus can transform into knowledge. The truth is no longer the pure truth, but was given variety of possibilities. It’s no longer the burden of the memory, but the active poet who could represent our dreams, or the architect who could achieve our intentions.
