2008-2009 French Translators Sample Exams

8/12/2019 2008-2009 French Translators Sample Exams

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UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES

Concours 2008 de recrutement de traducteurs/rdacteurs de

comptes rendus analytiques de sance

PREMIERE EPREUVE

Dure : DEUX HEURES ET DEMIE (2H30)

INSTRUCTIONS

Traduire en franais le texte ci-joint. Ecrire LISIBLEMENT sur le fascicule de rponse fourni cet effet.

Laisser une marge suffisante lintention du correcteur.


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Texte gnral

Projecting their own experience onto the rest of the world, Americans generally belittle the role of ethnic

nationalism in politics. After all, in the United States people of varying ethnic origins live cheek by jowl

in relative peace. Within two or three generations of immigration, their ethnic identities are attenuated by

cultural assimilation and intermarriage. Surely, things cannot be so different elsewhere.

Americans also find ethnonationalism discomfiting both intellectually and morally. Social scientists go

to great lengths to demonstrate that it is a product not of nature but of culture, often deliberately

constructed. And ethicists scorn value systems based on narrow group identities

rather than cosmopolitanism. But none of this will make ethnonationalism go away. A

familiar and influential narrative of twentieth-century European history argues that nationalism twice led

to war, in 1914 and then again in 1939. Thereafter, the story goes, Europeans concluded that nationalism

was a danger and gradually abandoned it. Nationalism, in this view, had been a tragic detour on the road

to a peaceful liberal democratic order.

Yet, far from having been superannuated in 1945, in many respects ethnonationalism was at its apogee

in the years immediately after World War II.

In short, ethnonationalism has played a more profound and lasting role in modern history than is

commonly understood, and the processes that led to the dominance of the ethnonational state and the

separation of ethnic groups in Europe are likely to reoccur elsewhere.

Ethnonationalism draws much of its emotive power from the notion that the members of a nation are part

of an extended family, ultimately united by ties of blood. The central tenets of ethnonationalist belief are

that nations exist, that each nation ought to have its own state, and that each state should be made up of

the members of a single nation.

Today, people tend to take the nation-state for granted as the natural form of political association and

regard empires as anomalies. But over the broad sweep of recorded history, the opposite is closer to the

truth. Most people at most times have lived in empires, with the nation-state the exception rather than the

rule. So what triggered the change?

Ethnonationalist ideology called for a congruence between the state and the ethnically defined nation,

with explosive results. The process of "making the state and the nation commensurate" took a variety of

forms, from voluntary emigration (often motivated by governmental discrimination against minority

ethnicities) to forced deportation (also known as "population transfer") to genocide. Although the term

"ethnic cleansing" has come into English usage only recently, its verbal correlates in Czech, French,

German, and Polish go back much further. Much of the history of twentieth-century Europe, in fact, has

been a painful, drawn-out process of ethnic disaggregation.


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Massive ethnic disaggregation began on Europe's frontiers. In the ethnically mixed Balkans, wars to

expand the nation-states of Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia at the expense of the ailing Ottoman Empire

were accompanied by ferocious interethnic violence.

The effects of ethnonationa1ism, of course, have hardly been confined to Europe. For much of the

developing world, decolonization has meant ethnic disaggregation through the exchange or expulsion of

local minorities.

The legacy of the colonial era, moreover, is hardly finished. When the European overseas empires

dissolved, they left behind a patchwork of states whose boundaries often cut across ethnic patterns of

settlement and whose internal populations were ethnically mixed. It is wishful thinking to suppose that

these boundaries will be permanent. As societies in the former colonial world modernize, becoming more

urban, literate, and politically mobilized, the forces that gave rise to ethnonationalism and ethnic

disaggregation in Europe are apt to drive events there, too.

Since ethnonationalism is a direct consequence of key elements of modernization, it is likely to gain

ground in societies undergoing such a process. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that it remains among

the most vital - and most disruptive - forces in many parts of the contemporary world.


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Concours 2008 de recrutement de traducteurs/ rdacteurs de


DEUXIEME EPREUVE

Dure : UNE HEURE ET DEMIE (1H30)

INSTRUCTIONS

Traduire en franais UN TEXTE au choix parmi les quatre textes de troisime langue (arabe,

chinois, espagnol, russe) proposs.

Les candidats titulaires dun diplme de droit, qui ne justifient pas dune troisime langue

devront traduire, en lieu et place, le texte juridique.

Les candidats qui connaissent une troisime langue pourront choisir de traduire un texte dans

cette langue ou le texte juridique.

Ecrire LISIBLEMENT sur le fascicule de rponse fourni cet effet.

Prsenter la traduction en indiquant le texte choisi (par exemple, texte espagnol, texte chinois,

etc.)



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Texte espagnol

Desde el punto de vista del inmigrante, la lengua es un elemento ms, pero no el principal

determinante, en la eleccin del pas de destino. Todo indica que en esta decisin pesan ms factores

como la demanda de trabajo y las oportunidades de mejora en el pas de destino; las posibilidades de

admisin y permanencia; y la existencia de cauces de entrada y de redes de acogida.

Para el Estado receptor es a priori una ventaja que el inmigrante tenga su misma lengua y cultura cercana,

pues reduce determinados costes de integracin (retraso educativo, conflictos culturales). En Espaa, la

preferencia por la inmigracin de habla hispana se advierte en las polticas de admisin, aunque de forma

indirecta. Hay razones de peso para favorecer la naturalizacin de iberoamericanos y descendientes de

espaoles; pero a efectos de posibles polticas de gestin de los flujos no deben descuidarse otros criterios

de admisin que sirvan a objetivos nacionales tales como cumplir con la obligacin de dar asilo y refugio,

contribuir al desarrollo de los pases de origen 0 satisfacer las propias necesidades del mercado de trabajo

en Espaa.

Aunque hay evidencias de que hablar la misma lengua 0 tener cierta cercana cultural puede favorecer la

integracin del inmigrante en la sociedad de acogida, las medidas que emplean estos criterios en laspolticas de admisin e integracin son slo eficaces en situaciones de control estricto de los flujos; y

tienen efectos limitados sobre los verdaderos problemas planteados por la inmigracin (economa

sumergida, sobrecarga de los servicios pblicos, inseguridad ciudadana, marginacin socio-econmica) y

pueden entrar en contradiccin con la tradicin jurdica espaola.

Cabra concluir sealando una paradoja. La masiva emigracin de latinoamericanos a EEUU ha tenido

un efecto colateral inesperado: un impulso sin precedentes a la lengua espaola y la cultura "latina" en el

mundo, apoyado en la capacidad de irradiacin de la cultura estadounidense. Espaa ha sabido

aprovechar este impulso y desde hace quince aos utiliza con cierto xito la proyeccin internacional de

la lengua espaola para difundir su cultura y sus valores en el mundo, y promover en definitiva su

imagen en el exterior. Hasta ahora, sin embargo, la poltica exterior espaola no ha tenido tanto xito al

intentar crear una "relacin especial" con quienes de algn modo son, sin saberlo, protagonistas de todo

este auge: los hispanos de EEUU.


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Texte juridique I

Under international law, states and other international legal persons enjoy certain immunities from the

exercise of jurisdiction. In addition, such immunities may be granted by municipal law. Of course, when

an immunity exists under international law, its denial by municipal law may create a claim for violation

of international law. But nothing prevents a state from granting more extensive immunities than those

granted by international law. Consequently, in determining the jurisdictional immunities to which an

international legal person is entitled, both international and municipal law must be studied.

Since jurisdiction may be exercised on the legislative, the judicial, and the enforcement level,

immunities from jurisdiction may also operate on these three levels. However, traditionally, primary

consideration has been given to immunity from judicial and enforcement jurisdiction.

Originally, jurisdictional immunities were regarded as being absolute. A state could invoke them,

irrespective of the nature of its sovereign activities. But as states have become increasingly involved in

commercial activities, the pressures towards limiting jurisdictional immunities have grown apace. At

present, the absolutist approach to jurisdictional immunities is in general decline. A restrictive doctrine

has emerged, which denies immunity when a foreign state claims it in regard to an activity or propertythat is commercial rather than public, that belongs to the sphere of ius gestionis rather than to that of ius

imperii. This development has greatly enhanced the significance of distinguishing between the three

types of jurisdiction against which a plea of immunity is advanced. For since the factual premises for the

exercise of these types of jurisdiction may differ, the propriety of a claim of immunity may depend on the

particular form of jurisdiction from the exercise of which immunity is sought.

Problems of jurisdictional immunities arise when an action is brought in the tribunals of one state against

another state or its instrumentalities or property. When such an action is brought, the first question that

arises is whether the local tribunal has judicial jurisdiction over the foreign state. This question is one ofimmunity from judicial jurisdiction. The second question that arises is whether the forum has the

authority to evaluate the foreign state's conduct under the rules of law applicable to such conduct. This

raises a question of immunity from legislative jurisdiction. The final question, one of immunity from

enforcement jurisdiction, that arises is whether a judgment rendered by the local tribunal may be enforcedagainst the foreign state or its property.


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Texte Russe

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TROISIEME EPREUVE

Dure : UNE HEURE (1H00)

INSTRUCTIONS

Rsumer en franais le texte en anglais ci-joint.

Le rsum doit tre rdig au style indirect, la troisime personne du singulier. Sa longueur

devra reprsenter le tiers au plus de celle du texte original. Les candidats devront faire preuve de

jugement pour dgager les ides essentielles, choisir les lments qui mritent d'tre mis en reliefet respecter l'quilibre gnral du discours original.




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Rsum

Mr. President

Distinguished Members of the General Assembly,

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

We meet at a time when the situation in Myanmar is attracting unprecedented world attention. The fast-

moving developments have brought into sharp focus the international context in which Myanmar finds

itself today and the role the United Nations is expected to play through its good offices efforts in

addressing the multiple challenges faced by the country.

It is in this context that I have the honour to present the report of the Secretary-General on the human

rights situation in Myanmar today. This report is mandated by general Assembly resolution 61/232

which, inter alia, asks the Secretary-General to continue to provide his good offices and to pursue his

discussions on the situation of human rights and the restoration of democracy with the Government

and the people of Myanmar. While the report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human

rights in Myanmar, Mr. Paolo Sergio Pinhero, addressed the human rights aspects of the resolution,

the Secretary-General's report focuses on the good offices aspects of the resolution covering the period

since October 2006 until October 2007.

Efforts to engage the Myanmar authorities through the good offices have continued since October last

year, including a second visit to Myanmar by then Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Mr.

Ibrahim Gambari, from 9 to 12 November 2006. On 22 May 2007, the Secretary-General designated Mr.

Gambari to continue to pursue the good offices mandate. The present report details the activities

undertaken on behalf of the Secretary-General since last year, including cooperation extended by the

Government of Myanmar to the United Nations system by engaging in a dialogue with several senior

officials, and the agreement reached between the International Labour Organization and the Government.

In the interest of time, however, my introductory remarks will focus mainly on recent developments

which led to more intense activities by the Secretary-General and his designated Special Envoy in pursuit

of the good offices mandate.


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Mr. President,

The sudden decision by the Government of Myanmar, on 19 August 2007, to sharply Increase fuel prices

directly affected the livelihood of the entire population in a dramatic way. This triggered peaceful

demonstrations against the Government's economic policies and overall political and socio-economic

conditions in the country. The demonstrations, while small in scale, spread from Yangon to other cities,

and the Government arrested several "88 Generation Students" leaders, activists and members of the

opposition. The demonstrations quickly grew in size when monks and nuns started marching in protest

against the Government's initial response and, by some reports, between fifty thousand and one hundred

thousand people demonstrated peacefully in the streets of Yangon, Mandalay and other cities. After

showing initial restraint,

the authorities moved forcefully to suppress the peaceful protests by deploying security units

throughout the cities and declaring a ban on public assembly and a curfew.

By 24 September, reports indicate the authorities used lethal force to disband the peaceful protestors.

The number of casualties among the demonstrators clearly suggest an excessive use of force by the

security forces. The incidents shocked the world and the Secretary-General was among the first to

express his concern, calling for maximum restraint and dialogue. His call for the release of all those

arrested during the demonstrations and for an end to the use of force against peaceful demonstrators was

joined by the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights

situation in Myanmar.

On 26 September, the Secretary-General dispatched Mr. Gambari to the region in anticipation of an

invitation from the Government to visit Myanmar. Mr. Gambari visited the country from 29 September

to 2 October. By the time his mission started, the protests on the streets had been largely put down but he

delivered clear and strong messages to the senior most leadership on behalf of the Secretary-General. In

the strongest possible terms, Mr. Gambari expressed the Secretary-General's and the international

community's deep concern about the events of the preceding weeks and made specific recommendationsfor immediate steps to de-escalate the situation.


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The situation in Myanmar remains of serious concern in light of continuing reports of human rights

violations by security and non-uniformed personnel, particularly at night. These have included raids on

private homes, intimidation, beatings, arbitrary arrests, and disappearances. A consensus resolution

adopted by the HumanRights Council on 2 October deplored the violent repression of peaceful

demonstrations and urged the Government to release detainees and other long-term political prisoners.

On 11 October, the Security Council issued a Presidential statement deploring the violence used against

peaceful demonstrations and stressed the need for the Government of Myanmar to create the necessary

conditions for a genuine dialogue.

The Government has since announced that the curfew has been completely lifted and that some 2,677

demonstrators have been released. It has also announced that it would welcome the visits of the

Secretary-General's Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, and a return visit

by Mr. Gambari.

Mr. President,

During his short visit following the crisis, Mr. Gambari was also tasked by the Secretary-General to

promote dialogue with the opposition as the best path to ending the crisis and to achieve national

reconciliation. He was able to resume the role he had started to play during has last visits to Myanmar by

conveying messages between the senior leadership and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained leader of

the National League for Democracy (NLD). The Government of Myanmar publicly announced on 4

October that Senior General Twan Shwe was prepared to meet with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on certain

conditions and on 8 October it announced the appointment of the Minister of Labour as the liaison officer

to facilitate relations with her. The first meeting between Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the Labour

Minister has since taken place.

The Secretary-General and the international community share the belief that a return to the status quo is

no longer an option, nor is it sustainable. Since the issuance of the present report, the Secretary-General

has asked Mr. Gambari to return to the region for consultation with the leaders of the region and to return

quickly to Myanmar. We are pleased that leaders in the region and the entire international community are

united in its support to the good offices efforts of the United Nations. The guiding principles for the

implementation of the good offices remain the


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same as outlined in the report, and have been further strengthened by the following key

objecti,:,es: (a) to follow-up on the implementation of the immediate steps recommended to the

Government to de-escalate the crisis; (b) to facilitate the implementation and recommendations

made by the Government to pursue an exclusive, participatory and transparent national

reconciliation process; and (c) to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations made to

the Government to address the socio-economic and humanitarian factors underlying the crisis.

Ultimately, the responsibility for the future of Myanmar rests with the Government and people of

Myanmar. The United Nations and the world is watching closely how that responsibility will be

exercised in the interest of all the people in Myanmar. The Secretary-General is committed to

making every effort, including by intensifying his good offices efforts, to work in partnership

with Myanmar for a peaceful and prosperous Myanmar. We will support efforts towards

national reconciliation, the transition to democracy and full respect for human rights as the

necessary foundation for Myanmar's for Myanmar's long-term stability and prosperity. We will

count on the continued support of the international community, including the General Assembly

as represented by this Committee. A renewed mandate from the General Assembly for the

Secretary-General's good offices would contribute to enhancing the efforts of the Secretary-

General and the United Nations. The more united the international community is, the better the

prospects for arriving at the shared goals of peace, democracy and prosperity for the people of

Myanmar.

Thank you Mr. President.


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QUATRIEME EPREUVE

Dure : UNE HEURE ET DEMIE (1H30)

INSTRUCTIONS

Traduire en franais UN TEXTE au choix parmi les quatre textes suivants (conomique,juridique, social ou scientifique) proposs.

Les candidats titulaires dun diplme de droit devront IMPERATIVEMENT choisir letexte juridique.


Prsenter la traduction en indiquant le texte choisi (par exemple, texte conomique, texte

juridique, etc.)



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Texte conomique

After maintaining strong momentum for six years, growth for the least developed

countries as a ""hole is expected to reach 7 per cent in 2007, up from the 6.6 per cent recorded

in 2006, although the expected acceleration reJ1ecls mostly the increase in the growth of

Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

In general, oil-exporting least developed countries continue to grow more strongly than

oil-importing countries. With the notable exception of Chad, other oil-exporting economics will

expand at a brisk pace owing not only to rising oil productions and increased public spending

but also to the remarkable performance of non-oil sectors such as mining and agriculture.

Some of the oil-importing least developed countries have also sustained relatively high

GDP growth over an extended period of time. Owing partly to increasing aid and/or continued

political and economic reforms, such countries as Cape Verde, Madagascar, Senegal, the

United Republic of Tanzania and Zambia will continue to grow at almost or more than 6 per

cent in 2007. Also, recovery is gaining traction in Nepal, where the still-fragile process of

political reform and stabilization is under way and public spending is rising.

Fiscal policies are expected to be relatively expansionary as most Governments step

up efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and to invest in infrastructure.

Despite an increase in public spending, especially in infrastructure and human capital, many

least developed countries continue to post fiscal surpluses or moderate fiscal deficit.

Bangladesh, where the fiscal deficit is forecast to widen, is one of the few exceptions,

however. Monetary policies will remain relatively tight, or at best neutral, as many countries

try to limit the potential inJ1ationary pressures associated with buoyant domestic demand

and/or attempt to synchronize their monetary policies with those of countries whose

currencies are used as pegs.

Many least developed countries have enjoyed preferential trade schemes in recent

years, contributing to rising export earnings. The trade preferences have not, however,

addressed some of the obstacles that limit exports, such as overly complex rules of origin and

quotas on products of interest to the least developed countries. More importantly, these

schemes have underestimated structural supply constraints in these countries. Thus, harnessing

potential benefits of trade preferences would require the international community to promote.

and to implement mechanisms through which to strengthen the production and trading

capacity of the least developed countries.


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Texte juridique II

The view that in the last analysis there is no rule of international law from which States cannot at

their own free will contract out has become increasingly difficult to sustain, although some jurists denythe existence of any rules of jus cogens in international law, since in their view even the most general

rules still fall short of being universal.

Moreover, if some Governments have expressed doubts as to the advisability of such a rule

unless it is accompanied by provision for independent adjudication, only onrquestioned the existence of

rules ofjus cogens in the international law of today. Accordingly, it was concluded that in codifying the

law of treaties one must start from the basis that today there are certain rules from which States are not

competent to derogate at all by a treaty arrangement, and which may be changed only by another rule of

the same character.

The formulation of such a provision is not free from difficulty, since there is no simple criterion

by which to identify a general rule of international law as having the character ofjus cogens. Moreover,the majority of the general rules of international law do not have that character, and States may contract

out of them by treaty. It would therefore be going much too far to state that a treaty is void if its

provisions conflict with a rule of general international law.

Nor would it be correct to say that a provision in a treaty possesses the character of jus cogens

merely because the parties have stipulated that no derogation from that provision is to be permitted, so

that another treaty which conflicted with that provision would be void. Such a stipulation may be inserted

in any treaty with respect to any subject matter for any reasons which may seem good to the parties. The

conclusion by a party of a later treaty derogating from such a stipulation may, of course, engage its

responsibility for a breach of the earlier treaty. But the breach of the stipulation does not, simply as such,

render the treaty void. It is not the form of a general rule of international law but the particular nature of

the subject matter with which it deals , that may, in the opinion of the Commission, give it the characterofjus cogens.


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Texte social

A UNI CEF report documents a rise in the incidence of child marriage among poor peoples in some

communities in Africa and Asia. The report was issued at a time when the marriage age has generally

been on the rise throughout the world. However, according to UNICEF, in a number of countries at leasthalf of all girls are married off before they reach the age of 18.

The report lists poverty as the primary reason for early marriage. In Bangladesh, for example, poverty-

stricken parents who can no longer afford to take care of their daughters are persuaded to part with them

through marriage, which is often a means of recruiting young girls into a life of prostitution abroad.

Out-of-wedlock pregnancies are yet another factor in the rush to marry early. In Niger, a recent survey

found that 44 percent of 20 to 24 year-old women were married before they reached the age of 15

because their fathers were concerned about the potential of pregnancies outside of marriage.

The report goes on to examine many of the implications of child marriage, from restrictions of personal

freedom to its impact on health and education. For both boys and girls, early marriage has devastating

physical, emotional, and intellectual consequences. The practice virtually ends a child's chances of

pursuing an education or exploring professional and social life opportunities. For girls, the end result of

child marriage has almost invariably been premature pregnancy. Girls aged 15 to 19 give birth to 15

million babies a year. Many of them do so without attending an ante-natal clinic or receiving the help of

a professional midwife. The consequences of early pregnancy include higher rates of maternal mortality

worldwide.

Child marriage also increases the risk of exposure to HIV / AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases

for teenage girls. And beyond the physiological damage of child marriage, girls are also more likely to

face a lifetime of domestic and sexual subservience.

Prevention of the practice comes through education of parents and children--married or not-about the

dangers of early marriage. In South Asia, UNI~EF runs an initiative which educates people about the

danger of preferring male babies and focuses on the unfair treatment girls receive in the family as well

as their lack of access to healthcare and education. The initiative also attempts to raise consciousness

about harmful traditional practices such as dowry, sexual harassment and early marriage.


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Texte scientifique

It is hard for some people to see the small cluster of cells known as a blastocyst as a human

being. Yet, all being well, it will become one - for a blastocyst is an early stage of embryonic

development. For that reason, other people regard the deliberate destruction of human blastocystsas wrong.

Those who cleave to the latter view include many conservative American politicians. That has

caused problems for American scientists who would like to study human embryonic stem

cells. These have the potential to generate any of the 220 or so sorts of specialised cell that

make up the human body. That pluripotency, as it is called, makes them of great scientific

interest. It holds the promise of important medical breakthroughs, such as the ability to grow

from scratch bodily organs destined for transplant.

Reserchers at the laboratories of Advanced Cell Technology think they have discovered a

technique that might allow the creation of new embryonic stem-cell lines without destroying

the embryo they are derived from.

The technique is derived from a procedure already used during in vitro fertilization. One

reason a couple might choose a Petri dish to unite their eggs and sperm rather than the

traditional method, is if one of them carries the gene for a disease. Once a fertilized egg has

divided into eight cells, one of those cells can be removed in a biopsy without reducing the

chance of a successful pregnancy. The removed cell can be examined and, if the gene in

question is present, the embryo it came from will not be implanted into the mother.

ACT's reserchers were not the first to think that such biopsied cells might, instead, be

encouraged to reproduce - thus generating a line of stem cells. But they are the first to have

succeeded. The trick was to culture the individual cells separately while allowing them to share

the same liquid medium. Previous attempts had isolated the cells. Culturing them together in

this way allowed them to encourage each other's growth by chemical signals through the

medium.


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Documents

2008-2009 French Translators Sample Exams