Although CATTI Level 3 is considered the “entry level,” it actually corresponds to the basic level required for professional translators, not the beginner level of general English exams. Here are some reasons why the vocabulary feels challenging:
1. Oriented toward professional contexts
The vocabulary covers fields like foreign trade, official documents, international relations, finance, law, and technology. Words such as tariff, bilateral cooperation, macroeconomic policy are rarely seen in everyday English learning.
2. Emphasis on formal and standard expression
Compared with exams like CET-4 and CET-6, CATTI places more importance on formal and precise written expression, similar to the style used in official documents or news reports.
3. A lot of words are “passive vocabulary”
You may understand the meaning, but translation requires you to quickly retrieve and accurately produce the equivalent expression — which means crossing the gap frompassive recognition to active production.
Vocabulary learning is not just about understanding, but about translating properly. For example, safeguard is not simply “protect”. In diplomatic contexts, it should be translated as 维护 or 保障 to sound natural and professional.
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( 译文 ）
CATTI三级虽然被认为是“入门级”，但它对应的其实是专业翻译人员的基础水平，并不是普通英语考试的初级难度。之所以感觉词汇难，原因可能有以下几点：
1. 偏向专业场景
词汇涉及外贸、公文、国际关系、财经、法律、科技等领域，比如tariff, bilateral cooperation, macroeconomic policy 这种词，在日常英语学习中不常见。
2. 强调正式、规范表达
相比普通考试（如四级六级），CATTI更重视正式、严谨的书面表达，词汇语域更高，类似于公文或新闻报道中的英语。
3. 很多是“被动词汇”
你可能懂意思，但翻译时需要快速调动词汇并准确表达，属于passive recognition → active production 的跨越。
4. 词汇记忆不仅要懂，还要会“翻译表达”
例如 safeguard 不是只知道“保护”，还要知道在外交语境中译为「维护」或「保障」才自然。