第一篇:全新版大學(xué)英語(yǔ)(第二版)綜合教程_第五冊(cè)_Unit 1 Love of Reading——One Writers Beginnings
What attitudes did your family have toward reading when you were a child? Did books surround you? Which books did your parents or other relatives read to you or suggest that you read? How did you feel about books as a child growing up? Read on to see if your experiences in any way match those of the author.------------------當(dāng)你還是個(gè)孩子時(shí),你家人對(duì)閱讀持什么態(tài)度?你周?chē)稍懈鞣N書(shū)籍?父母親戚給你念哪些書(shū)?推薦你讀哪些書(shū)?作為一個(gè)漸漸長(zhǎng)大的孩子,你對(duì)書(shū)有些怎樣的感受?請(qǐng)讀本文,看看你的經(jīng)歷是否與本文作者的經(jīng)歷有相同之處。
One Writer's Beginnings
Eudora Welty I learned from the age of two or three that any room in our house, at any time of day, was there to read in, or to be read to.My mother read to me.She'd read to me in the big bedroom in the mornings, when we were in her rocker together, which ticked in rhythm as we rocked, as though we had a cricket accompanying the story.She'd read to me in the dining room on winter afternoons in front of the coal fire, with our cuckoo clock ending the story with “Cuckoo”, and at night when I'd got in my own bed.I must have given her no peace.Sometimes she read to me in the kitchen while she sat churning, and the churning sobbed along with any story.It was my ambition to have her read to me while I churned;once she granted my wish, but she read off my story before I brought her butter.She was an expressive reader.When she was reading “Puss in Boots,” for instance, it was impossible not to know that she distrusted all cats.------------------作家起步時(shí)
尤多拉·威爾提
我從兩三歲起就知道,家中隨便在哪個(gè)房間里,白天無(wú)論在什么時(shí)間,都可以念書(shū)或聽(tīng)人念書(shū)。母親念書(shū)給我聽(tīng)。上午她都在那間大臥室里給我念,兩人一起坐在她那把搖椅里,我們搖晃時(shí),椅子發(fā)出有節(jié)奏的滴答聲,好像有只唧唧鳴叫的蟋蟀在伴著讀故事。冬日午后,她常在餐廳里燒著煤炭的爐火前給我念,布谷鳥(niǎo)自鳴鐘發(fā)出“咕咕”聲時(shí),故事便結(jié)束了;晚上我在自己床上睡下后她也給我念。想必我是不讓她有一刻清靜。有時(shí)她在廚房里一邊坐著攪制黃油一邊給我念,故事情節(jié)就隨著攪制黃油發(fā)出的抽抽搭搭的聲響不斷展開(kāi)。我的奢望是她念我來(lái)攪拌;有一次她滿足了我的愿望,可是我要聽(tīng)的故事她念完了,她要的黃油我卻還沒(méi)弄好。她念起故事來(lái)富有表情。比如,她念《穿靴子的貓》時(shí),你就沒(méi)法不相信她對(duì)貓一概懷疑。It had been startling and disappointing to me to find out that story books had been written by people, that books were not natural wonders, coming up of themselves like grass.Yet regardless of where they came from, I cannot remember a time when I was not in love with them — with the books themselves, cover and binding and the paper they were printed on, with their smell and their weight and with their possession in my arms, captured and carried off to myself.Still illiterate, I was ready for them, committed to all the reading I could give them.------------------
當(dāng)我得知故事書(shū)原來(lái)是人寫(xiě)出來(lái)的,書(shū)本原來(lái)不是什么大自然的奇跡,不像草那樣自生自長(zhǎng)時(shí),真是又震驚又失望。不過(guò),姑且不論書(shū)本從何而來(lái),我不記得自己有什么時(shí)候不愛(ài)書(shū)—— 書(shū)本本身、封面、裝訂、印著文字的書(shū)頁(yè),還有油墨味、那種沉甸甸的感覺(jué),以及把書(shū)抱在懷里時(shí)那種將我征服、令我陶醉的感覺(jué)。還沒(méi)識(shí)字,我就想讀書(shū)了,一心想讀所有的書(shū)。Neither of my parents had come from homes that could afford to buy many books, but though it must have been something of a strain on his salary, as the youngest officer in a young insurance company, my father was all the while carefully selecting and ordering away for what he and Mother thought we children should grow up with.They bought first for the future.------------------
我的父母都不是來(lái)自那種買(mǎi)得起許多書(shū)的家庭。然而,雖然買(mǎi)書(shū)準(zhǔn)得花去他不少薪金,作為一家成立不久的保險(xiǎn)公司最年輕的職員,父親一直在精心挑選、不斷訂購(gòu)他和母親認(rèn)為兒童成長(zhǎng)應(yīng)讀的書(shū)。他們購(gòu)書(shū)首先是為了我們的前程。Besides the bookcase in the living room, which was always called “the library”, there were the encyclopedia tables and dictionary stand under windows in our dining room.Here to help us grow up arguing around the dining room table were the Unabridged Webster, the Columbia Encyclopedia, Compton's Pictured Encyclopedia, the Lincoln Library of Information, and later the Book of Knowledge.In “the library”, inside the bookcase were books I could soon begin on —
and I did, reading them all alike and as they came, straight down their rows, top shelf to bottom.My mother read secondarily for information;she sank as a hedonist into novels.She read Dickens in the spirit in which she would have eloped with him.The novels of her girlhood that had stayed on in her imagination, besides those of Dickens and Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson, were Jane Eyre, Trilby, The Woman in White, Green Mansions, King Solomon's Mines.------------------
除了客廳里有一向被稱作“圖書(shū)室”的書(shū)櫥,餐廳的窗子下還有幾張擺放百科全書(shū)的桌子和一個(gè)字典架。這里有伴隨我們?cè)诓妥琅誀?zhēng)論著長(zhǎng)大的《韋氏大詞典》、《哥倫比亞百科全書(shū)》、《康普頓插圖百科全書(shū)》、《林肯資料文庫(kù)》,以及后來(lái)的《知識(shí)庫(kù)》。“圖書(shū)館”書(shū)櫥里的書(shū)沒(méi)過(guò)多久我就能讀了—— 我的確讀了,全都讀了,按著順序,一排接著一排讀,從最上面的書(shū)架一直讀到最下面的書(shū)架。母親讀書(shū)最重要的不在獲取信息。她是為了享受快樂(lè)而埋頭讀小說(shuō)。她讀狄更斯時(shí)的神情簡(jiǎn)直就像要跟他私奔似的。她少女時(shí)代讀的小說(shuō)印在了她心頭的,除了狄更斯、司各特和羅伯特·路易斯·斯蒂文森等人的作品之外,還有《簡(jiǎn)·愛(ài)》、《切爾比》、《白衣女士》、《綠廈》和《所羅門(mén)王的礦藏》。To both my parents I owe my early acquaintance with a beloved Mark Twain.There was a full set of Mark Twain and a short set of Ring Lardner in our bookcase, and those were the volumes that in time united us all, parents and children.------------------
多虧了我的父母,我很早就接觸了受人喜愛(ài)的馬克·吐溫。書(shū)櫥里有一整套馬克·吐溫文集和一套不全的林·拉德納作品集,這些書(shū)最終將父母和孩子聯(lián)結(jié)在一起。Reading everything that stood before me was how I came upon a worn old book that had belonged to my father as a child.It was called Sanford and Merton.Is there anyone left who recognizes it, I wonder? It is the famous moral tale written by Thomas Day in the 1780s, but of him no mention is made on the title page of this book;here it is Sanford and Merton in Words of One Syllable by Mary Godolphin.Here are the rich boy and the poor boy and Mr.Barlow, their teacher and interlocutor, in long discourses alternating with dramatic scenes — anger and rescue allotted to the rich and the poor respectively.It ends with not one but two morals, both engraved on rings: “Do what you ought, come what may,” and “If we would be great, we must first learn to be good.”------------------
我一本接一本閱讀擺在我面前的書(shū),讀著讀著便發(fā)現(xiàn)一本又破又舊的書(shū),是我父親小時(shí)候的。書(shū)名是《桑福徳與默頓》。我不相信如今還有誰(shuí)會(huì)記得這本書(shū)。那是托瑪斯·戴在18世紀(jì)80年代撰寫(xiě)的一本著名的進(jìn)行道德教育的故事書(shū),可該書(shū)的扉頁(yè)上并沒(méi)有提及他;上面寫(xiě)的是《桑福徳與默頓簡(jiǎn)易本》,瑪麗·戈多爾芬著。書(shū)中講的是一個(gè)富孩子和一個(gè)窮孩子與他們老師巴洛先生之間的冗長(zhǎng)的談話,其間穿插著戲劇性場(chǎng)面—— 分別寫(xiě)了富孩子和窮孩子如何發(fā)火、如何獲救。書(shū)末講的道德寓意不是一條,而是兩條,都印在環(huán)形圖案里:“不管發(fā)生什么,該做的就去做”,還有“想做偉人,必須先學(xué)會(huì)做個(gè)好人”。This book was lacking its front cover, the back held on by strips of pasted paper, now turned golden, in several layers, and the pages stained, flecked, and tattered around the edges;its garish illustrations had come unattached but were preserved, laid in.I had the feeling even in my heedless childhood that this was the only book my father as a little boy had had of his own.He had held onto it, and might have gone to sleep on its coverless face: he had lost his mother when he was seven.My father had never made any mention to his own children of the book, but he had brought it along with him from Ohio to our house and shelved it in our bookcase.------------------
這本書(shū)沒(méi)了封面,封底用幾條紙片粘牢,有好幾層,如今都泛黃了,書(shū)頁(yè)上污跡斑斑,邊角處都破碎了;書(shū)中花哨的插圖脫了頁(yè),但都保存良好,夾在書(shū)里。即使在少不更事的童年,我就覺(jué)得那是我父親小時(shí)候擁有的惟一一本書(shū)。他一直珍藏著這本書(shū),或許還枕著這本沒(méi)了封面的書(shū)睡覺(jué):他7歲時(shí)就沒(méi)了母親。我父親從來(lái)沒(méi)跟自己的孩子提起過(guò)這本書(shū),但他從俄亥俄一路把它帶到我們的家,把它放進(jìn)我們的書(shū)櫥。My mother had brought from West Virginia that set of Dickens: those books looked sad, too — they had been through fire and water before I was born, she told me, and there they were, lined up — as I later realized, waiting for me.------------------
母親則從西弗吉尼亞帶來(lái)了那套狄更斯:那套書(shū)看上去也慘不忍睹—— 她告訴我,我還沒(méi)出生,這些書(shū)就歷經(jīng)水火之災(zāi),可現(xiàn)在它們還是整齊地排列在那兒—— 后來(lái)我意識(shí)到,是等著我去讀。I was presented, from as early as I can remember, with books of my own, which appeared on my birthday and Christmas morning.Indeed, my parents could not give me books enough.They must have sacrificed to give me on my sixth or seventh birthday — it was after I became a reader for myself-the ten-volume set of Our Wonder World.These were beautifully made, heavy books I would lie down with on the floor in front of the dining room hearth, and more often than the rest volume 5, Every Child's Story Book, was under my eyes.There were the fairy tales — Grimm, Andersen, the English, the French, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”;and there was Aesop and Reynard the Fox;there were the myths and legends, Robin Hood, King Arthur, and St.George and the Dragon, even the history of Joan of Arc;a whack of Pilgrim's Progress and a long piece of Gulliver.They all carried their classic illustrations.I located myself in these pages and could go straight to the stories and pictures I loved;very often “The Yellow Dwarf” was first choice, with Walter Crane's Yellow Dwarf in full color making his terrifying appearance flanked by turkeys.Now that volume is as worn and backless and hanging apart as my father's poor Sanford and Merton.One measure of my love for Our Wonder World was that for a long time I wondered if I would go through fire and water for it as my mother had done for Charles Dickens;and the only comfort was to think I could ask my mother to do it for me.------------------
從記事起我就收到給自己的書(shū)了,那是在生日時(shí),還有圣誕節(jié)早晨。我父母真的是送給我再多的書(shū)都嫌不夠。在我6歲或7歲生日時(shí)—— 那是在我自己能讀書(shū)之后—— 他們送我一套10卷本的《我們的神奇世界》,為此,準(zhǔn)是作了不少犧牲。那套書(shū)真漂亮,厚厚的,我總是帶著它躺在餐廳壁爐前的地板上,讀得最多的是第5卷:《兒童故事》。那都是些童話故事—— 格林的、安徒生的、英國(guó)童話、法國(guó)童話,“阿里巴巴和四十大盜”; 還有伊索寓言和列那狐的故事;還有神話和傳奇故事,如羅賓漢、亞瑟王、圣喬治和龍,甚至還有歷史故事圣女貞德;還有一部分《天路歷程》,以及一長(zhǎng)段《格列佛游記》。每篇故事都有精彩的插圖。我早已讓自己走進(jìn)這些故事中去了,一翻就能翻到自己喜愛(ài)的故事和插圖;《黃膚色小矮人》常常是我的首選,沃爾特·克萊恩繪的彩色插圖中黃膚色小矮人看著令人害怕,他左右還有火雞侍立。如今這冊(cè)書(shū)已經(jīng)跟父親那本損壞的《桑福徳與默頓》一樣,又破又舊,最后幾頁(yè)掉了,書(shū)頁(yè)散了。有很長(zhǎng)一段時(shí)間,我一直想自己能不能像母親為查爾斯·狄更斯做的那樣,為《我們的神奇世界》這套書(shū)赴湯蹈火,從這一點(diǎn)也可想見(jiàn)我對(duì)這套書(shū)是多么珍愛(ài);惟一令人安慰的是我相信我可讓母親為我這么做。I believe I'm the only child I know of who grew up with this treasure in the house.I used to ask others, “Did you have Our Wonder World?” I'd have to tell them The Book of Knowledge could not hold a candle to it.------------------
在所有認(rèn)識(shí)的孩子們當(dāng)中,我想自己是惟一有家藏寶庫(kù)伴隨著長(zhǎng)大的孩子。過(guò)去我常常問(wèn)別人:“你有《我們的神奇世界》嗎?”我常常得跟人解釋?zhuān)吨R(shí)庫(kù)》根本沒(méi)法跟這套書(shū)比。I live in gratitude to my parents for initiating me — as early as I begged for it, without keeping me waiting — into knowledge of the word, into reading and spelling, by way of the alphabet.They taught it to me at home in time for me to begin to read before starting to school.------------------
我感激父母通過(guò)認(rèn)識(shí)字母對(duì)我—— 早在我要求之時(shí),而沒(méi)有讓我等待—— 進(jìn)行文字啟蒙,教我閱讀和拼寫(xiě)。他們?cè)诩依锝涛?,我得以在上學(xué)前就開(kāi)始了閱讀。Ever since I was first read to, then started reading to myself, there has never been a line read that I didn't hear.As my eyes followed the sentence, a voice was saying it silently to me.It isn't my mother's voice, or the voice of any person I can identify, certainly not my own.It is human, but inward, and it is inwardly that I listen to it.It is to me the voice of the story or the poem itself.The cadence, whatever it is that asks you to believe, the feeling that resides in the printed word, reaches me through the reader-voice: I have supposed, but never found out, that this is the case with all readers — to read as listeners — and with all writers, to write as listeners.It may be part of the desire to write.The sound of what falls on the page begins the process of testing it for truth, for me.Whether I am right to trust so far I don't know.By now I don't know whether I could do either one, reading or writing, without the other.------------------
從最初聽(tīng)故事,到后來(lái)自己開(kāi)始讀書(shū),從來(lái)沒(méi)有一行讀過(guò)的字我不聞其聲。當(dāng)我的目光掃過(guò)一個(gè)句子時(shí),就會(huì)有個(gè)聲音默念給我聽(tīng)。那不是母親的聲音,也不是我能辨認(rèn)的某個(gè)人的聲音,當(dāng)然也不是我本人的聲音。那是人的聲音,但是內(nèi)在的,我傾聽(tīng)的正是內(nèi)心深處的聲音。對(duì)我而言,那就是故事本身的聲音,就是詩(shī)本身的聲音。那抑揚(yáng)頓挫的聲音,不論它要你相信的是什么,那印刷文字中蘊(yùn)含的情感,通過(guò)誦讀者的聲音傳遞給我:我一直猜想,卻始終沒(méi)能證實(shí),所有的讀者都如此—— 邊讀邊聽(tīng),所有的作者都如此—— 邊寫(xiě)邊聽(tīng)。那或許是寫(xiě)作欲望的一部分。對(duì)我而言,落在紙頁(yè)上的聲音可幫助測(cè)試寫(xiě)下來(lái)的是否是實(shí)事真情。我不知道我相信到這個(gè)程度是否對(duì)頭。如今我也不知道自己能不能做到只讀不寫(xiě),或只寫(xiě)不讀。My own words, when I am at work on a story, I hear too as they go, in the same voice that I hear when I read in books.When I write and the sound of it comes back to my ears, then I act to make my changes.I have always trusted this voice.------------------
在寫(xiě)小說(shuō)時(shí),我也能聽(tīng)見(jiàn)文字落紙的聲音,與我讀書(shū)時(shí)聽(tīng)到的聲音一樣。我寫(xiě)著,那聲音傳入耳內(nèi),于是我聞聲而動(dòng),加以修改。我一直信賴這一聲音。1.rocker n.rocking-chair 搖椅
e.g.The old lady was reading a newspaper in her rocker.2.tick vi.make light, regularly repeated sounds 發(fā)出滴答聲
vt.put a small mark against(names, figures, etc.)to show that sth.is correct 在...上打勾 n.滴答聲;記號(hào),勾形符號(hào)
e.g.I could hear the clock on the wall ticking.3.rhythm n.regular successions of weak and strong stresses, accents, sounds of movements(in speech, music, dancing, etc.)(說(shuō)話、音樂(lè)、舞蹈等的)節(jié)奏,韻律
e.g.The audience clapped in rhythm as we sang.4.in rhythm有節(jié)奏地 5.cricket n.蟋蟀;板球(運(yùn)動(dòng))
e.g.About 1,000 kinds of crickets have been discovered by scientists.6.give sb.no peace keep disturbing sb.讓某人不得安寧
e.g.The baby kept coughing all night, giving her mother no peace.7.churn v.beat and shake(cream)in a tub;make(butter)in this way 攪拌(乳脂);攪拌乳脂制(黃油)
e.g.Cream may be churned into butter.8.sob vi.draw in breath sharply and irregularly from sorrow or pain, esp.while crying;make the sound like that of sobbing 嗚咽,啜泣,抽噎;發(fā)嗚咽聲 n.act or sound of sobbing 嗚咽(聲),啜泣(聲)
e.g.I found her sobbing in the bedroom because she'd broken her favorite doll.9.ambition n.strong desire(to be or do sth.);object of such a desire 抱負(fù),雄心,野心;目標(biāo),夙愿;
e.g.Her ambition was to become a cinema actress.10.expressive a.(esp.of words or a face)full of feeling and meaning 富有表情的;富有意味的e.g.She had large expressive eyes.11.puss n.(word used to call a)cat(叫喚貓時(shí)用語(yǔ))貓咪
e.g.Here, puss.12.boot n.靴;(BrE)(汽車(chē)后部的)行李箱
e.g.My boots are too tight.13.illiterate a.unable to read or write, with little or no education 目不識(shí)丁的;未受教育的e.g.For many illiterate people television is the one means of getting news.14.salary n.payment for regular employment 薪金,薪水
e.g.This position offers a weekly salary of $200.15.all the while all the time 一直
e.g.All the while she talked of Annie’s good spirits and cleverness.16.encyclopedia n.book, or set of books, giving information about every branch of knowledge, or on one subject, with articles in alphabetical order 百科全書(shū)
e.g.The best way to learn how to use an encyclopedia is simply to practice with it.17.unabridged a.(of sth.written)given in full form, not shortened 未經(jīng)刪節(jié)的;完整的e.g.There is an unabridged dictionary on the library table.18.secondarily ad.次要地,從屬地
e.g.The trading patterns of the European Union countries are primarily with one another;secondarily with other industrial market economy countries.19.secondary a.coming after, less important than, what is first or chief;(of school, etc.)following elementary school 次要的,從屬的;(學(xué)校等)中等的20.sink into indulge in, be absorbed into 沉溺于
e.g.As months went by, he sank into a deep depression.21.hedonist n.believer in the idea that pleasure is the chief good 享樂(lè)主義者
e.g.The hedonist seeks only pleasure and self-gratification.22.elope v.(of a woman)run away from home or a husband(with a lover)(指女子)私奔
e.g.Alan and Lucy eloped against Lucy's parents' wishes last week.23.stay on remain after the usual or expected time for leaving 久留不去,逗留
e.g.It’s so lovely here;let’s stay on for a bit.24.beloved a.dearly loved 所鐘愛(ài)的,受愛(ài)戴的
e.g.Sir Henry Wyatt(1460-1537)is said by historians to have been “the most beloved man in England”.25.moral a.concerning principles of right and wrong;good and virtuous 道德(上)的;有道德的
n.that which a story, event or experience teaches;standards of behavior, principles of right and wrong 寓意;道德(規(guī)范),品行
e.g.Our moral sense controls passion.26.interlocutor n.person taking part in a discussion or dialogue 參與討論者,對(duì)話者
e.g.The role of the interlocutor is very important in the flow of conversation.27.discourse n.conversation;speech, lecture;treatise 談話;演說(shuō);論文
e.g.The priest delivered a long discourse on the evils of untruthfulness.28.allot vt.make a distribution of 分配,撥出
e.g.How much time has been allotted to this work? 29.respectively ad.separately or in turn, and in the order mentioned 各自地,各個(gè)地,分別地
e.g.Bob, Dick and Tom are 6, 8, and 10 years old, respectively.30.respective a.of or for or belonging to each of those in question 各自的,各個(gè)的,分別的 31.engrave vt.cut or carve(lines, words, designs, etc.)on a hard surface;impress deeply(on the memory or mind)雕刻;使銘記,使牢記
e.g.He had his name engraved on his watch.32.fleck vt.mark with small spots or patches 使有斑點(diǎn);飾以斑點(diǎn) n.斑點(diǎn)
e.g.The bird's breast is flecked with red.33.garish a.unpleasantly bright;over-colored or over-decorated 炫耀的;過(guò)于艷麗的;過(guò)分裝飾的e.g.Her dress is garish in taste and color 34.illustration n.pictures, diagrams, etc that are used to explain or reveal;using examples, data, quotes, etc to explain or show a point 插圖,圖解;例證說(shuō)明
e.g.Are there any illustrations on this page? 35.unattached a.unconnected 分開(kāi)的,不相連的
e.g.Please enclose your signed cheque and payment slip unattached and unfolded.36.heedless a.unmindful, careless;inattentive 漫不經(jīng)心,粗心大意的;不注意的
e.g.I was silly and heedless, ignoring the advice of people who were trying to help me.37.coverless a.(of books, magazines, etc.)without a cover 無(wú)封面的e.g.He took the coverless book from her hand.38.shelve vt.put on a shelf 將?置于架上
e.g.The books were shelved in alphabetical order.39.hearth n.floor of a fireplace, the area near the fireplace 爐床,壁爐邊
e.g.Even in their handsome brick home they delighted to sit at the hearth in the evening.40.legend n.old story handed down from the past, esp.one of doubtful truth;famous person 傳說(shuō),傳奇故事;傳奇人物
e.g.There are many legends about the exploits of Robin Hood.41.whack n.(infml)portion, share 部分,一份
e.g.Have you all had your whack? 42.flank vt.place at the side of or on either side of 將?置于的一側(cè)(或兩側(cè))n.側(cè)面;側(cè)翼;脅
e.g.Two stone lions flanked the entrance.43.backless a.(of books, magazines, etc.)without the back cover 無(wú)書(shū)脊的,無(wú)封底的e.g.a worn and backless book 44.go through fire and water face great hardship and danger 赴湯蹈火,冒一切危險(xiǎn)
e.g.I'd go through fire and water for my dear Mildred.45.not hold a candle to not nearly so good as, not to be compared to 比不上,不能與...相比
e.g.He cannot hold a candle to John when it comes to learning foreign languages.46.in gratitude to be thankful to 對(duì)?心存感激
e.g.I am in gratitude to your kindness.47.initiate vt.give(sb.)elementary instruction;set(sth.)working 使初步了解;發(fā)起,創(chuàng)始
e.g.He decided to initiate us into the art of Chinese cookery.48.by way of via, through 通過(guò)
e.g.We shall go to Wales by way of Shrewsbury.49.alphabet n.the letters used in writing a language, arranged in order 字母表
e.g.The Latin alphabet is a development from the Greek alphabet.50.inward a.deep in mind or soul;situated within, inner 內(nèi)心的;里面的,內(nèi)部的
e.g.His latest CD gives us a thoughtful and inward interpretation of the music.51.inwardly ad.in mind or spirit 內(nèi)心里,精神方面
e.g.“Read, mark ,learn and inwardly digest” means read carefully in order to understand.52.cadence n.rhythm in sound;the rise and fall of the voice in speaking 韻律;節(jié)奏;抑揚(yáng)頓挫
e.g.Poetry is easy to remember because of its rhythms and cadences.53.reside vi.be present;live 居住
e.g.Her charm resides in her happy smile.※ Translate the following passage into English, using the words and phrases given below:------------------expressive illiterate
illustration
initiate
legend all the while
give sb.no peace
in gratitude to in rhythm
我的祖母不識(shí)字, 可是她有一籮筐的神話和傳奇故事。小時(shí)候我總是纏著她,要她給我講故事。而她在忙完家務(wù)之后,總會(huì)把我抱到膝上,一邊講故事一邊有節(jié)奏地晃動(dòng)我。這些故事加上她豐富的表情,深深地吸引住了我。
我父母發(fā)現(xiàn)了我對(duì)故事的濃厚興趣后,不失時(shí)機(jī)地引導(dǎo)我進(jìn)行閱讀。他們給我買(mǎi)了許多帶插圖的故事書(shū),有空的時(shí)候就一遍遍地讀給我聽(tīng)。慢慢地我認(rèn)識(shí)了很多字,能夠自行閱讀了。
直到今天,我還要感謝祖母和雙親。沒(méi)有他們,我今天不可能成為一名作家。Answer:
Although my grandmother was illiterate, she had a good stock of myths and legends.When I was young I gave her no peace, constantly asking her to tell me stories.After she had finished her housework, she would lift me onto her lap and tell stories, all the while rocking me in rhythm.These stories and her expressive face appealed profoundly to me.Having noticed my interest in stories, my parents lost no time in initiating me into reading.They bought many storybooks with illustrations, and whenever free, they would read these stories to me over and over again.By and by I had a vocabulary large enough to read on my own.Today, I still live in gratitude to my grandmother and my parents.Without them, I could never have become a writer.
第二篇:全新版大學(xué)英語(yǔ)第二版綜合教程Unit6_Romance_Part2_Translation
Ⅱ.Translation
1.Translate the sentences into English, using the words or phrases in brackets.1)我上大學(xué)之前,祖父對(duì)我說(shuō)的那幾句充滿智慧的話給我留下深刻印象。(wisdom)
Before I went off to university, my grandfather gave me a few words of wisdom which impressed me deeply.2)千萬(wàn)別把我的傷勢(shì)告訴我父母,我會(huì)很感激你的。(be grateful to sb.for sth.)Never tell my parents about my injuries and I’ll be very grateful to you(for it).3)我們有幾個(gè)同事在會(huì)上提出了改進(jìn)工作環(huán)境的合理意見(jiàn)。(sensible)
At the meeting some of our colleagues put forward sensible suggestions about improving our working environment.4)迫于工會(huì)的壓力,資方(management)同意給工人增加10%的工資。(in response to)
The management has/have agreed to grant the workers a 10% pay rise in response to union pressure.5)女主人考慮得很周到,在我們到來(lái)之前把屋子打掃得干干凈凈。(thoughtful)It was very thoughtful of the hostess to give the house a thorough cleaning.2.Translate the passage into English, using the words and phrases given below.李大伯自己雖然并不富裕,但在幫助別人時(shí)他從不猶豫。退休前他通過(guò)希望工程(Project Hope)找到兩個(gè)家境貧窮但渴望求學(xué)的農(nóng)村孩子的地址。此后他定期給他們寄錢(qián)。這兩個(gè)孩子后來(lái)都考上了大學(xué),還獲得了海外留學(xué)的機(jī)會(huì)。make one’s waylocateoverseas hesitateprevious tokeen
Not rich himself, Uncle Li never hesitates to help others.Previous to / Before his retirement, through Project Hope he located the addresses of two country kids who grew up in poor families but had a keen desire to study.From then on he sent them money regularly.Later the two made their way to college, and even got a chance to study overseas.
第三篇:全新版大學(xué)英語(yǔ)第二版綜合教程4答案
全新版大學(xué)英語(yǔ)第二版綜合教程4答案
Uint1
Mr.Doherty and his family are currently engaged in getting the autumn harvest in on the farm.We must not underestimate the enemy.They are equipped with the most sophisticated weapons.Having been cut of a job/Not having had a job for 3months, Phil is getting increasingly desperate.Sam, as the project manager, is decisive, efficient, and accurate in his judgment.Since the chemical plant was identified as the source of solution, the village neighborhood committee decided to close it down at the cost of 100 jobs.Unit3
1)Despite theinadequate length of the airstrip in this emergency landing, theveteran pilot managed to stop the plane after taxiing for only a short while.2)Grilled by the reporters, the movie star eventually blurted(out)that she had undergone two plastic surgeries.3)We have the technology and ourpartner has the capital.Working together, we’ll have the future in our hands.4)If I had known beforehand that you would bring so many friends home, I would have made better preparations.Yousee, I have barely enough food and drinks for a snack.5)People gave generously upon learning that new school rooms with stronger structures were to be built in the earthquake-stricken area.Unit5
I have an instinct that Henry will seek to join the expedition, because he is something of an adventurer.He is capable of sticking to the task at hand, even if he is exposed to noises.The trademark was registered in accordance with the laws hitherto in force.Oddly enough, many people volunteered to help organize the meeting, but only a few turned up.The teacher’s affectionate words, along with his candid comments, changed the way Mike perceived the society and himself
Uint6 They are exploring the new frontiers of medical science in an attempt to find remedies for incurable diseases/ cures for diseases that are beyond remedy so far.Her unique teaching methods apart, Ms Wilson, my math teacher, never tried to cram knowledge into my head.The regular weather forecast by the Central TV Station keeps us up with the changes of weather wherever we go on a trip.The appalling explosion started a big fire and caused the partial collapse of the building.In the modern world, there are more ways than ever to waste away time, and all kinds of distractions are eating into our precious time.
第四篇:全新版大學(xué)英語(yǔ)綜合教程3(第二版)漢譯英
一單元
1.并非每個(gè)人對(duì)什么是對(duì).什么是錯(cuò)都持有一樣的看法
Not everyone agrees on what is right and what is wrong
2.但是遺憾的是,金錢(qián)并非一切
but, unfortunately, money isn't everything
3.并非所有美國(guó)人都喜歡吃
not all Americans like them
4.人的興趣不盡相同
Not all people share the same interests
二單元
1.我們方懂得珍惜生命的價(jià)值
we come to appreciate the value of life.2.人們總有一天會(huì)喜歡轉(zhuǎn)基因農(nóng)作物
people will come to like genetically modified crops someday
3.我們逐漸意識(shí)到平請(qǐng)一位計(jì)算機(jī)保安專(zhuān)家的必要性
we have come to realize the necessity of hiring a computer-security expert.4.逐漸認(rèn)識(shí)到中國(guó)人喜歡“把著手教”
came to under?stand that the Chinese preferred “teaching by holding the hand”.三單元
1.因特網(wǎng)已不再是一個(gè)不同尋常的字眼
Internet is not such an unusual word as it used to be.2.大多數(shù)男人穿上西服看上去倒不是沒(méi)有魅力
Most men do not look unattractive in them.3.盡管她富裕,她對(duì)突然遭到解雇并非無(wú)動(dòng)于衷
Wealthy as she is, she is not unconcerned by her sudden unemployment.4.鑒于嚴(yán)重犯罪活動(dòng)的大幅下降,這樣的聲音并非不切實(shí)際
This claim is not unrealistic in view of a sharp decrease in the city's violent crimes.5.他身體欠佳,與他不健康的生活方式不無(wú)關(guān)系
His poor health is not unrelated to his unhealthy way of life.五單元
1.人們理所當(dāng)然的認(rèn)為
it was taken for granted
2.大多數(shù)年輕人呢把自來(lái)水看成理所當(dāng)然
Most young people take tap water for granted
3.想當(dāng)然的認(rèn)為他們已經(jīng)結(jié)婚
took it for granted that they were married.4.第二封禮物更是理所當(dāng)然的the second is taken for granted.
第五篇:全新版大學(xué)英語(yǔ)(第二版)綜合教程4譯文
Unit 1
冰雪衛(wèi)士
1812年,法國(guó)皇帝拿破侖·波拿巴率大軍入侵俄羅斯。他準(zhǔn)備好俄羅斯人民會(huì)為保衛(wèi)祖國(guó)而奮勇抵抗,他也準(zhǔn)備好在俄羅斯廣袤的國(guó)土上要經(jīng)過(guò)長(zhǎng)途跋涉才能進(jìn)軍首都莫斯科,但他卻沒(méi)有料到在莫斯科他會(huì)遭遇勁敵——俄羅斯陰冷凄苦的寒冬。
1941年,納粹德國(guó)元首阿道夫·希特勒進(jìn)攻當(dāng)時(shí)被稱作蘇聯(lián)的俄羅斯。希特勒的軍事實(shí)力堪稱無(wú)敵,他的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)機(jī)器掃除了歐洲絕大部分地區(qū)的抵抗。希特勒希望速戰(zhàn)速?zèng)Q,但是,就像在他之前的拿破侖一樣,他得到的是痛苦的教訓(xùn)。仍是俄羅斯的冬天助了蘇維埃士兵一臂之力。拿破侖發(fā)起的戰(zhàn)役
1812年春,拿破侖在俄國(guó)邊境屯兵60萬(wàn)。這些士兵受過(guò)良好訓(xùn)練,作戰(zhàn)力強(qiáng),裝備精良。這支軍隊(duì)被稱為大軍。拿破侖對(duì)馬到成功充滿自信,預(yù)言要在5個(gè)星期內(nèi)攻下俄國(guó)。
不久,拿破侖的大軍渡過(guò)涅曼河進(jìn)入俄國(guó)。拿破侖期盼著的速?zèng)Q速勝卻遲遲沒(méi)有發(fā)生。令他吃驚的是,俄國(guó)人并不奮起抵抗。相反,他們一路東撤,沿途焚毀莊稼和民居。大軍緊追不舍,但它的長(zhǎng)驅(qū)直入很快由于糧草運(yùn)輸緩慢而停頓下來(lái)。
到了8月,法俄兩軍在斯摩棱斯克交戰(zhàn),這一戰(zhàn)役中,雙方各有上萬(wàn)人陣亡??墒牵韲?guó)人仍能在自己的國(guó)土上繼續(xù)后撤,拿破侖未能取得決定性的勝利。此刻他面臨著一個(gè)重要抉擇:是繼續(xù)追擊俄國(guó)軍隊(duì),還是把軍隊(duì)駐扎在斯摩棱斯克,在那兒度過(guò)將到的冬天?
拿破侖孤注一擲,決定向遠(yuǎn)在448公里之外的莫斯科進(jìn)發(fā)。1812年9月7日,法俄兩軍在莫斯科以西112公里外的鮑羅季諾激戰(zhàn)。夜幕降臨時(shí),3萬(wàn)名法國(guó)士兵以及4萬(wàn)4千名俄國(guó)士兵或傷或亡,倒在了戰(zhàn)場(chǎng)上。
俄國(guó)軍隊(duì)再次撤往安全之處。拿破侖順利進(jìn)入莫斯科,然而,對(duì)該市的占領(lǐng)成為毫無(wú)意義的勝利。俄國(guó)人棄城而走。法國(guó)人進(jìn)城不久,一場(chǎng)熊熊大火將整個(gè)城市燒毀了三分之二。拿破侖向亞歷山大一世提出停戰(zhàn),但沙皇深知他可以等待時(shí)機(jī):“且讓俄羅斯的嚴(yán)冬為我們戰(zhàn)斗吧?!?/p>
拿破侖很快意識(shí)到,他無(wú)法在冬天向遠(yuǎn)在莫斯科的軍隊(duì)供應(yīng)糧草、提供御寒衣物和宿營(yíng)之地。1812年10月,他命令大軍撤出莫斯科。
法軍的撤離成為一場(chǎng)噩夢(mèng)。俄國(guó)人出沒(méi)于田野與森林,采用打了就跑的戰(zhàn)術(shù),向法國(guó)人發(fā)起攻擊。剛出莫斯科城,氣溫就降到攝氏零下4度。11月3日降下初雪。困乏的馬匹倒地而死,大炮陷入雪中,裝備只得被用作燃料焚燒,士兵們?nèi)静鏊?。法?guó)士兵拖著腳步行進(jìn),一路上留下無(wú)數(shù)死尸。
正當(dāng)俄羅斯軍隊(duì)集聚兵力之時(shí),法國(guó)人卻不得不逃離俄國(guó),以避免注定的失敗。在別列津納河,俄國(guó)人焚燒了漲水的河道上的橋梁,差點(diǎn)將后撤的法軍困于河邊。僥幸的是,拿破侖居然突擊造起兩座橋。成千上萬(wàn)法國(guó)士兵得以逃脫,但卻損失了5萬(wàn)人。渡過(guò)別列津納河,潰不成軍的幸存者一瘸一拐地向維爾紐斯行進(jìn)。
拿破侖發(fā)兵60萬(wàn)進(jìn)入俄國(guó),只有不到10萬(wàn)士兵返回。元?dú)獯髠姆▏?guó)軍隊(duì)在歐洲繼續(xù)西撤。不久,英國(guó)、奧地利、俄國(guó)以及普魯士組成強(qiáng)大的聯(lián)盟,攻擊這些散兵游勇。1814年3月,巴黎被占,拿破侖退位去過(guò)流放生活,他締造的帝國(guó)隨之滅亡。希特勒的入侵
到1941年初,納粹德國(guó)元首阿道夫·希特勒已經(jīng)控制了歐洲大部分地區(qū)。希特勒的德意志帝國(guó)的東部與蘇聯(lián)毗鄰。1941年6月22日,希特勒不宣而戰(zhàn),入侵蘇聯(lián),發(fā)動(dòng)了歷史上規(guī)模最大的一場(chǎng)陸地戰(zhàn)役。希特勒自信能速戰(zhàn)速?zèng)Q,預(yù)計(jì)這一戰(zhàn)役不會(huì)超過(guò)3個(gè)月。他計(jì)劃采用征服了歐洲其余地區(qū)的閃電式戰(zhàn)略。入侵計(jì)劃包含三大目標(biāo):向列寧格勒與莫斯科進(jìn)攻,并橫掃烏克蘭。
蘇聯(lián)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人約瑟夫·斯大林被打了個(gè)措手不及,他指示全國(guó)人民在德國(guó)入侵者到來(lái)之前實(shí)行“焦土”政策。農(nóng)場(chǎng)和工廠被焚燒毀壞,或被弄得無(wú)法運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)。在入侵的最初10個(gè)星期內(nèi),德國(guó)人一路東進(jìn),俄國(guó)人傷亡人數(shù)多達(dá)一百多萬(wàn)。
在北方,德國(guó)人包圍了列寧格勒。盡管忍受著極大困苦,列寧格勒的人民絕不投降。列寧格勒保衛(wèi)戰(zhàn)一直持續(xù)到冬季,此時(shí)該市的處境變得危急。由于食品匱乏,人們因饑餓與疾病死去。1941年到1942年之間的嚴(yán)冬時(shí)節(jié),幾乎每天有4千人餓死;列寧格勒之圍造成近百萬(wàn)人死亡。在俄國(guó)中部,希特勒的目標(biāo)是占領(lǐng)莫斯科。由于德國(guó)人指望速戰(zhàn)速?zèng)Q,他們沒(méi)有準(zhǔn)備過(guò)冬的補(bǔ)給。10月來(lái)臨,大雨不停,“泥濘將軍”拖延了德國(guó)人閃電式進(jìn)攻的行動(dòng)。
正當(dāng)希特勒的軍隊(duì)逼近莫斯科時(shí),寒冷的冬季早早地降臨蘇聯(lián),而且是多年不遇的嚴(yán)寒。氣溫降到攝氏零下48度,大雪紛飛。對(duì)俄國(guó)的嚴(yán)寒冬季毫無(wú)思想準(zhǔn)備的德國(guó)士兵身著單薄的夏裝,一個(gè)個(gè)被凍傷,德國(guó)人的坦克掩埋在深深的雪堆中。俄羅斯的冬季阻止了德國(guó)人的攻勢(shì)。
到1942夏天,希特勒又發(fā)起兩場(chǎng)新的攻勢(shì)。在南方,德國(guó)人占領(lǐng)了塞瓦斯托波爾。希特勒隨后向東推進(jìn)到沿伏爾加河綿延48公里的大工業(yè)城市斯大林格勒。盡管艱苦,但蘇聯(lián)抵抗者拒絕放棄斯大林格勒。
1942年11月,俄國(guó)人發(fā)起了一場(chǎng)反攻。德國(guó)軍隊(duì)在斯大林格勒城內(nèi)外幾乎沒(méi)有擋風(fēng)避寒的地方,食品和補(bǔ)給的匱乏更使其元?dú)獯髠V钡?943年1月德國(guó)人才放棄圍城,進(jìn)攻斯大林格勒的30萬(wàn)德國(guó)人只剩下9萬(wàn)忍饑挨餓的士兵。斯大林格勒一戰(zhàn)的失利最終使希特勒走向窮途末路。部分地由于俄羅斯的冬季,德國(guó)人走向失敗了。
在1943年與1944年期間,蘇聯(lián)軍隊(duì)將德軍陣線往西逼退。在北方,1944年1月15日,紅軍發(fā)起突然襲擊,解除了列寧格勒長(zhǎng)達(dá)3年之久的圍困。列寧格勒那些英勇無(wú)畏的幸存者看著入侵者在兩個(gè)星期內(nèi)全部撤離。到了1944年3月,烏克蘭的農(nóng)村又回到了蘇維埃手中。1944年5月9日,塞瓦斯托波爾從德國(guó)人手中被解放出來(lái)。至此,俄國(guó)人開(kāi)始向柏林進(jìn)發(fā)。
就希特勒而言,入侵蘇聯(lián)成為一場(chǎng)軍事災(zāi)難。對(duì)俄羅斯人民來(lái)說(shuō),這場(chǎng)入侵帶來(lái)了無(wú)法形容的苦難,蘇維埃在第二次世界大戰(zhàn)中死亡的人數(shù)幾乎達(dá)到2千3百萬(wàn)。俄羅斯的冰雪衛(wèi)士
任何軍事行動(dòng)都必須考慮到自然的因素。拿破侖和希特勒都低估了俄羅斯冬季的嚴(yán)酷。冰雪和極低的氣溫使兩支侵略軍付出了慘重的代價(jià)。對(duì)俄羅斯人民而言,嚴(yán)冬是他們的冰雪衛(wèi)士。Unit 2
智能汽車(chē)
即便是過(guò)去70年間基本上沒(méi)有多少變化的汽車(chē)工業(yè),也將感受到計(jì)算機(jī)革命的影響。
汽車(chē)工業(yè)是20世紀(jì)最賺錢(qián)、最有影響力的產(chǎn)業(yè)之一。目前世界上有5億輛車(chē),或者說(shuō)每10人就有1輛車(chē)。汽車(chē)工業(yè)的銷(xiāo)售額達(dá)一萬(wàn)億美元左右,從而成為世界上最大的制造業(yè)。
汽車(chē)及其行駛的道路,將在21世紀(jì)發(fā)生重大變革。未來(lái)“智能汽車(chē)”的關(guān)鍵在于傳感器?!拔覀儠?huì)見(jiàn)到能看、能聽(tīng)、有知覺(jué)、具嗅覺(jué)、會(huì)說(shuō)話并能采取行動(dòng)的車(chē)輛與道路,”正在設(shè)計(jì)未來(lái)智能汽車(chē)和智能道路的通用汽車(chē)公司ITS項(xiàng)目的技術(shù)主任比爾·斯普雷扎預(yù)言道。
美國(guó)每年有大約4萬(wàn)人死于交通事故。在汽車(chē)事故中死亡或嚴(yán)重受傷的人數(shù)太多,我們已經(jīng)不屑在報(bào)紙上提及。這些死亡的人中至少有半數(shù)是酒后開(kāi)車(chē)者造成的,另有許多死亡事故是駕駛員不小心所導(dǎo)致。智能汽車(chē)能消除絕大多數(shù)這類(lèi)汽車(chē)事故。它能通過(guò)會(huì)感測(cè)空氣中的酒精霧氣的電子傳感器檢測(cè)開(kāi)車(chē)者是否喝醉酒,并拒絕啟動(dòng)引擎。這種車(chē)還能在遇竊后通報(bào)警方,告知車(chē)輛的確切地點(diǎn)。
能監(jiān)控行車(chē)過(guò)程以及周?chē)熊?chē)狀況的智能汽車(chē)已經(jīng)制造出來(lái)。藏在保險(xiǎn)杠里的微型雷達(dá)能對(duì)周?chē)钠?chē)作掃描。如果你發(fā)生重大行車(chē)失誤(如變道時(shí)有車(chē)輛在你“盲點(diǎn)”內(nèi)),計(jì)算機(jī)立即會(huì)發(fā)出警報(bào)。
在麻省理工學(xué)院媒介實(shí)驗(yàn)室,業(yè)已制造出能測(cè)知你行車(chē)時(shí)有多少睡意的樣車(chē),這對(duì)長(zhǎng)途卡車(chē)司機(jī)意義重大。一連數(shù)小時(shí)注視著中間分道線這樣一個(gè)單調(diào)、幾乎能催眠的過(guò)程是被嚴(yán)重低估的威脅生命的重大隱患。為消除這一隱患,藏在儀表板里的一架微型相機(jī)可對(duì)準(zhǔn)開(kāi)車(chē)者的臉部及眼睛。如果司機(jī)的眼簾合上一定時(shí)間,行車(chē)變得不穩(wěn),儀表板里的計(jì)算機(jī)就會(huì)向司機(jī)發(fā)出警報(bào)。
開(kāi)車(chē)最頭疼的兩大麻煩是迷路和交通堵塞。雖然計(jì)算機(jī)革命不可能徹底解決這兩個(gè)問(wèn)題,但卻會(huì)帶來(lái)積極的影響。你汽車(chē)上與繞軌道運(yùn)行的衛(wèi)星發(fā)出的無(wú)線電信號(hào)調(diào)諧的傳感器能隨時(shí)精確地確定你汽車(chē)的方位,并告知交通阻塞情況。我們已經(jīng)有24顆環(huán)繞地球運(yùn)行的導(dǎo)航衛(wèi)星,組成了人們所說(shuō)的全球衛(wèi)星定位系統(tǒng)。通過(guò)這些衛(wèi)星我們有可能以小于100英尺的誤差確定你在地球上的方位。在任何一個(gè)特定時(shí)間,總有若干顆全球定位系統(tǒng)的衛(wèi)星在11, 000英里的高空繞地球運(yùn)行。每顆衛(wèi)星都裝有4個(gè)“原子鐘”,它們根據(jù)量子理論法則,以精確的頻率振動(dòng)。衛(wèi)星從高空經(jīng)過(guò)時(shí)發(fā)出能被汽車(chē)上計(jì)算機(jī)里的接收器辨認(rèn)的無(wú)線電信號(hào)。汽車(chē)上的計(jì)算機(jī)就會(huì)根據(jù)信號(hào)傳來(lái)所花的時(shí)間計(jì)算出衛(wèi)星有多遠(yuǎn)。由于光速為人熟知,接收衛(wèi)星信號(hào)時(shí)的任何時(shí)間遲緩都能折算出距離的遠(yuǎn)近。
在日本,具有某種導(dǎo)航能力的汽車(chē)已有一百萬(wàn)輛之多。(有些導(dǎo)航裝置通過(guò)將方向盤(pán)的轉(zhuǎn)動(dòng)與汽車(chē)在地圖上的位置并置來(lái)測(cè)定汽車(chē)的方位。)
隨著微芯片價(jià)格的大幅度下降,未來(lái)對(duì)全球衛(wèi)星定位系統(tǒng)的應(yīng)用幾乎是無(wú)限的?!爸圃爝@一商品的工業(yè)定會(huì)飛速發(fā)展,”生產(chǎn)導(dǎo)航系統(tǒng)的麥哲倫航儀公司的蘭迪·霍夫曼說(shuō)。盲人可以在手杖里裝配全球衛(wèi)星定位系統(tǒng)傳感器,飛機(jī)可以通過(guò)遙控著陸,徒步旅行者可以測(cè)定自己在林中的方位 —— 其潛在的應(yīng)用范圍是無(wú)止境的。
全球衛(wèi)星定位系統(tǒng)其實(shí)只是叫做“遠(yuǎn)程信息學(xué)”的這一更大行動(dòng)的一部分,這一行動(dòng)最終將把智能汽車(chē)送上智能高速公路。這種高速公路的樣品已經(jīng)在歐洲問(wèn)世,加州也在進(jìn)行試驗(yàn),在高速公路上安裝計(jì)算機(jī)芯片、傳感器和無(wú)線電發(fā)射機(jī),以便向汽車(chē)報(bào)告交通擁擠堵塞情況。
在圣迭戈以北10英里的15號(hào)州際公路一段8英里長(zhǎng)的路面上,交通工程師正在安裝一個(gè)由麻省理工學(xué)院設(shè)計(jì)的引進(jìn)“自動(dòng)司機(jī)”的系統(tǒng)。這一計(jì)劃要求計(jì)算機(jī)在公路上埋設(shè)的數(shù)千個(gè)3英寸長(zhǎng)的磁釘?shù)膮f(xié)助下,在車(chē)輛極多的路段完全控制車(chē)輛的運(yùn)行。車(chē)輛會(huì)編成10輛或12輛一組,車(chē)距僅6英尺,在計(jì)算機(jī)的控制下一齊行駛。
這種計(jì)算機(jī)化的公路的倡導(dǎo)者對(duì)其未來(lái)的應(yīng)用充滿希望。到2010年,遠(yuǎn)程信息技術(shù)很可能應(yīng)用于美國(guó)的一條主要公路。如果成功的話,到2020年,當(dāng)微芯片的價(jià)格降到一片一美分以下時(shí),遠(yuǎn)程信息技術(shù)就會(huì)應(yīng)用在美國(guó)成千上萬(wàn)英里的公路上。這對(duì)環(huán)保也會(huì)很有利,能節(jié)省燃油、減輕交通阻塞、減少空氣污染,還可用作公路擴(kuò)建的替代辦法。Unit 3
得到你想要的工作
我經(jīng)營(yíng)著一家有350名左右員工的制造公司,我本人常常要對(duì)求職者進(jìn)行面試,決定是否聘用。我喜歡與可能成為銷(xiāo)售人員的人交談,因?yàn)樗麄兪俏覀兣c顧客聯(lián)系的紐帶。
不久前一個(gè)新近畢業(yè)的大學(xué)生到我辦公室來(lái)謀求一份銷(xiāo)售工作。我問(wèn)他為這次面試做過(guò)哪些準(zhǔn)備。他說(shuō)他在什么地方看到過(guò)有關(guān)本公司的一些情況。
他有沒(méi)有給麥凱信封公司的人打過(guò)電話,好更多了解本公司的情況?沒(méi)打過(guò)。他有沒(méi)有給我們的供應(yīng)廠商打過(guò)電話?還有我們的客戶?都沒(méi)有。
他可曾在就讀的大學(xué)里查問(wèn)過(guò)有沒(méi)有校友在本公司就職,以便向他們了解一些情況?他可曾請(qǐng)朋友向他提問(wèn),對(duì)他進(jìn)行模擬面試?可曾去圖書(shū)館查找過(guò)有關(guān)本公司的剪報(bào)?
他事先有沒(méi)有寫(xiě)封信來(lái)介紹自己,告訴我們自己為這次面試在做哪些準(zhǔn)備,自己何以能勝任此項(xiàng)工作?面試之后他是否打算再寫(xiě)一封信,表明自己加盟本公司的誠(chéng)意?這封信會(huì)不會(huì)在面試后的24小時(shí)之內(nèi)送到我們手上,也許是親自送來(lái)?
他對(duì)上述每一個(gè)問(wèn)題的回答全都一樣:沒(méi)有。這樣我就只剩一個(gè)問(wèn)題要問(wèn)了:如果此人代表本公司去見(jiàn)可能成為我們客戶的人,他準(zhǔn)備工作會(huì)做得怎樣?答案不言自明。在筆者看來(lái),如欲被聘用,應(yīng)注意四個(gè)要訣:
1.準(zhǔn)備去贏?!耙蝗詹痪?,自己知道,”音樂(lè)家中有這樣的說(shuō)法?!皟扇詹痪殻魳?lè)評(píng)論家知道。三日不練,觀眾知道?!?/p>
我們?cè)谟^看世界級(jí)音樂(lè)家或頂尖運(yùn)動(dòng)員的表演時(shí),看到的并不是使他們成為出類(lèi)拔萃人物的長(zhǎng)年苦練。世界上諸如邁克爾·喬丹這樣的頂尖人物無(wú)疑具有非凡才能,但他們?cè)诨@球場(chǎng)上也是第一個(gè)到,最后一個(gè)走。同樣的苦練適用于人類(lèi)的各項(xiàng)活動(dòng)。若想被聘用,就要準(zhǔn)備去贏。
我大學(xué)畢業(yè)時(shí),極有可能終身從事同一個(gè)工作。當(dāng)時(shí)情況也的確如此。但如今已不再是一生被聘去做一個(gè)工作了。指導(dǎo)就業(yè)的專(zhuān)家認(rèn)為,今天的大學(xué)畢業(yè)生在他們的生涯中可能會(huì)經(jīng)歷多達(dá)10次的職業(yè)變動(dòng)。
聽(tīng)上去似乎壓力不小。然而,如果你作了準(zhǔn)備,壓力就是別人的——那些沒(méi)做準(zhǔn)備的人。
你不可能得到你想要的每份工作。最好的銷(xiāo)售人員也不可能每次都成交。邁克爾·喬丹投籃命中率勉強(qiáng)過(guò)半。但認(rèn)真準(zhǔn)備一次面試的時(shí)間不會(huì)多于馬馬虎虎準(zhǔn)備五次面試的時(shí)間,而你成功的可能性要多得多。
2.永不中斷學(xué)習(xí)。最近我和一位90高齡的老者搭檔打網(wǎng)球雙打。我琢磨著那會(huì)是什么結(jié)局;可我的擔(dān)心是多余的。我們以兩個(gè)6:1連勝兩局。
我們交換場(chǎng)地打第三局時(shí),他對(duì)我說(shuō):“我打反手擊球你不介意吧?我向來(lái)喜歡多練練自己的弱點(diǎn)?!焙靡粋€(gè)永不中斷學(xué)習(xí)的精彩實(shí)例。順便說(shuō)一下,我們6:1贏了第三局。
走出賽場(chǎng),我那90高齡的搭檔笑著說(shuō):“你也許想知道我在85歲以上年齡段的美國(guó)網(wǎng)球雙打排名第一!”他想的不是年屆90,想的甚至也不是85歲高齡。他想的是第一。
如果你努力克服自己的弱點(diǎn),發(fā)揮自己的優(yōu)勢(shì),你同樣可以做得那么好。要有能力競(jìng)爭(zhēng),就得終生學(xué)習(xí)。3.相信自己,哪怕沒(méi)人相信你。還記得那4分鐘跑一英里的往事嗎?幾百年來(lái),運(yùn)動(dòng)員們一直試圖實(shí)現(xiàn)這一目標(biāo),最終認(rèn)定人類(lèi)的身體無(wú)法做到。我們的骨結(jié)構(gòu)不適應(yīng),我們的肺活量跟不上。
可是,有一個(gè)人證明那些專(zhuān)家錯(cuò)了。奇跡中的奇跡是,在羅杰·班尼斯特打破4分鐘一英里的紀(jì)錄6個(gè)星期之后,約翰·蘭迪又以幾乎快出整整2秒的成績(jī)打破了班尼斯特的紀(jì)錄。此后,有大約800多名運(yùn)動(dòng)員打破了4分鐘一英里的記錄!幾年前,我和女兒米米參加了紐約馬拉松比賽。發(fā)令槍一響,23,000名運(yùn)動(dòng)員沖出起跑線——最后有21,244名運(yùn)動(dòng)員到達(dá)終點(diǎn)。第一名是一位以2小時(shí)11分鐘零1秒跑完全程的肯尼亞人。第21,244名運(yùn)動(dòng)員是一位越戰(zhàn)老兵。他用了3天9小時(shí)37分鐘跑完全程。沒(méi)有雙腿的他堅(jiān)持跑完了26.2英里。我和女兒在比賽的最初幾分鐘內(nèi)超過(guò)了他,當(dāng)時(shí)頓覺(jué)勇氣倍增,一定要跑完全程。
別聽(tīng)旁人說(shuō)你不能實(shí)現(xiàn)自己的目標(biāo)。誰(shuí)說(shuō)你不比你的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手更堅(jiān)強(qiáng)、更努力、更能干?要知道,所謂目標(biāo)就是有最后限期的夢(mèng)想:確確實(shí)實(shí),可測(cè)量,可確認(rèn),可實(shí)現(xiàn)。
4.想方設(shè)法顯得與眾不同。在我看來(lái),紐約大多數(shù)的出租車(chē)司機(jī)即使不算無(wú)禮透頂,至少也是不友好的。車(chē)輛大都十分骯臟,幾乎所有的車(chē)都觸目地裝有難以穿透的防彈隔離裝置。可近日我在拉瓜迪亞機(jī)場(chǎng)跳上了一輛出租車(chē),你猜怎么樣?車(chē)子竟然干干凈凈。放著優(yōu)美的音樂(lè),而且沒(méi)有隔離裝置。
“請(qǐng)到帕克街酒店,”我對(duì)司機(jī)說(shuō)。他笑容滿面地說(shuō):“你好,我叫沃利,”他說(shuō)著遞給我一份使命宣言。一份使命宣言!上面寫(xiě)著他將安全、禮貌、準(zhǔn)時(shí)地將我送到目的地。
車(chē)開(kāi)后,他拿出幾份報(bào)紙說(shuō):“請(qǐng)隨意翻閱?!彼€讓我隨意品嘗后座籃子里的水果。接著他又拿出手機(jī)說(shuō):“您要是想打電話,每分鐘1美元?!?/p>
我大吃一驚,脫口問(wèn)道:“你這么做有多久了?”他回答說(shuō):“有三四年了?!薄拔抑啦辉搯?wèn),”我說(shuō),“可是,你能多掙多少小費(fèi)?”“一年12,000到14,000美元左右,”他得意地回答說(shuō)。
他不知道他成了我心目中的英雄。他就是一個(gè)生動(dòng)的例證,說(shuō)明你總是可以爭(zhēng)取到成功的機(jī)會(huì)。我的良師益友柯特·卡爾森是明尼蘇達(dá)州的首富,擁有一家酒店和旅行社,營(yíng)業(yè)收入約達(dá)90億美元。一次我要去紐約赴會(huì),柯特慷慨地請(qǐng)我乘坐他的私人飛機(jī)。碰巧那天明尼蘇達(dá)州遭受多年不遇的暴風(fēng)雪襲擊。明尼阿波利斯·圣保羅國(guó)際機(jī)場(chǎng)幾十年來(lái)第一次關(guān)閉。
雖然暴風(fēng)雪仍在肆虐,機(jī)場(chǎng)還是特地為小型飛機(jī)清出了一條跑道。我們正在跑道上滑行準(zhǔn)備起飛時(shí),柯特轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)頭來(lái)興奮地說(shuō):“看哪,哈維,雪地上沒(méi)有痕跡啊!”
柯特·卡爾森,當(dāng)時(shí)年屆70,富甲一方,竟然還會(huì)因?yàn)樽约菏堑谝粋€(gè)而如此興奮。
在我看來(lái),這些正是關(guān)鍵之所在。準(zhǔn)備去贏。永不中斷學(xué)習(xí)。相信自己,哪怕沒(méi)人相信你。想方設(shè)法顯得與眾不同。然后就出發(fā),在雪地上留下你自己的足跡。Unit 4
尋找達(dá)沃斯人
威廉·布勞德出生于新澤西州的普林斯頓,在芝加哥長(zhǎng)大,就讀于加利福尼亞州的斯坦福大學(xué)。但別叫他美國(guó)人。他今年40歲,過(guò)去16年來(lái)一直生活在美國(guó)以外的地方,先是在倫敦,1996年后在莫斯科經(jīng)營(yíng)他自己的投資公司。布勞德如今掌管著價(jià)值16億美元的資產(chǎn)。1998年,他放棄美國(guó)護(hù)照,成為英國(guó)公民,因?yàn)樗F(xiàn)在的生活中心在歐洲?!皣?guó)家認(rèn)同對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)不重要,”他說(shuō),“我覺(jué)得自己完全是個(gè)國(guó)際人。如果你有四個(gè)朋友,又喜歡你所做的事情,那么你在哪兒無(wú)關(guān)緊要。這就是全球化?!? 亞歷克斯·曼德?tīng)栆彩侨蚧目駸嵝磐?,但他?duì)自己的看法與布勞德不同。61歲的曼德?tīng)栐蚊绹?guó)電報(bào)電話公司總裁。他出生于奧地利,現(xiàn)在經(jīng)營(yíng)著一家法國(guó)技術(shù)公司,該公司在中國(guó)的業(yè)務(wù)與日俱增。他估計(jì)自己幾乎90%的時(shí)間都花在出差上。然而,盡管曼德?tīng)柸虻教幣埽呀?jīng)做了45年美國(guó)公民的他還是認(rèn)為自己是個(gè)美國(guó)人?!拔液敛贿t疑地把自己當(dāng)作美國(guó)人。我在其他地方度過(guò)很多時(shí)間,但是這一事實(shí)不能改變我是美國(guó)人,”他說(shuō)。
雖然布勞德和曼德?tīng)枌?duì)各自的國(guó)籍界定不同,他們都將國(guó)籍視為個(gè)人選擇,而不是由出生地決定的。而且,他倆都是達(dá)沃斯人,這可不是巧合。達(dá)沃斯人指的是那些每年長(zhǎng)途跋涉去瑞士阿爾卑斯山區(qū)小城達(dá)沃斯參加世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇——該論壇始于1971年——的國(guó)際商業(yè)精英們。本周,布勞德和曼德?tīng)枌⑼渌?200余名企業(yè)高管、政界人士、學(xué)者、記者、作家和少數(shù)幾位好萊塢明星一起,參加為時(shí)五天的交際活動(dòng)、宴會(huì)和沒(méi)完沒(méi)了的認(rèn)真的討論。討論話題林林總總,從大選后的伊拉克和非洲的艾滋病病毒到全球的石油供應(yīng)和納米技術(shù)的重大意義。然而今年,或許比以往更甚的是,達(dá)沃斯論壇的一個(gè)熱門(mén)話題就是達(dá)沃斯本身。盡管與會(huì)男女各不相同,但他們大多數(shù)有一個(gè)共同信念:全球化,亦即資本、勞動(dòng)力和技術(shù)不受阻礙地跨國(guó)界流動(dòng),是值得歡迎和不可阻擋的。在他們看來(lái),世界越來(lái)越像一個(gè)巨大的互相聯(lián)系的市場(chǎng)。在這個(gè)市場(chǎng)里,企業(yè)尋求采購(gòu)、生產(chǎn)及銷(xiāo)售產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)的最佳地點(diǎn)。
隨著邊界和對(duì)國(guó)家的認(rèn)同變得越來(lái)越不重要,有些人將此視作威脅,甚至危險(xiǎn)。哈佛大學(xué)教授塞繆爾·亨廷頓在一篇題為《死魂靈:美國(guó)精英的去國(guó)家化》的論文中將達(dá)沃斯人(該說(shuō)法最早在20世紀(jì)90年代引起廣泛注意)描寫(xiě)成為一個(gè)新興的全球超級(jí)物種和威脅。他寫(xiě)道,該階層的成員“不要什么對(duì)國(guó)家的忠誠(chéng),視國(guó)界為障礙,而萬(wàn)幸的是這種障礙正在消失,他們還把國(guó)家的政府看作是歷史遺留下來(lái)的東西,它們唯一的用處就是為精英們的全球運(yùn)營(yíng)提供方便?!焙嗤㈩D提出,達(dá)沃斯人以全球公民自居的自我形象,與大多數(shù)美國(guó)人的價(jià)值觀完全相悖。后者依然堅(jiān)定地忠于他們自己的國(guó)家。他說(shuō),這種脫節(jié)造成了“一個(gè)重大的文化斷層。在種種意義上,美國(guó)政府和私營(yíng)企業(yè)的當(dāng)權(quán)派們與美國(guó)大眾漸行漸遠(yuǎn)?!?/p>
許多達(dá)沃斯人自然不同意亨廷頓的說(shuō)法。世界經(jīng)濟(jì)論壇的創(chuàng)始人兼執(zhí)行主席克勞斯·施瓦布爭(zhēng)辯說(shuō),支持全球觀并不意味著抹去對(duì)國(guó)家的認(rèn)同?!叭蚧瘺Q無(wú)可能給予我們文化認(rèn)同,因?yàn)楹笳咴诒举|(zhì)上必須是本土的、民族的。”
全球貿(mào)易已經(jīng)持續(xù)了幾個(gè)世紀(jì);過(guò)去從中獲益的企業(yè)和國(guó)家在很大程度上滿足于將世界上的廣大地區(qū)視為自然資源的開(kāi)采地或成品的銷(xiāo)售地。即便到了20世紀(jì)80年代,資本全球化已經(jīng)加速,大多數(shù)外國(guó)投資仍在相對(duì)富裕的國(guó)家之間進(jìn)行,而不是從富裕國(guó)家流向較貧窮國(guó)家。美國(guó)的技術(shù)、企業(yè)和資金通常處于這一流動(dòng)的前沿。
然而,在過(guò)去二十年間,另外一些重大參與者出現(xiàn)了。發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家正在開(kāi)辟一條通向中國(guó)和印度大門(mén)的道路——而中國(guó)和印度的公司又將眼光投向海外,尋找未來(lái)增長(zhǎng)的機(jī)會(huì)。北京甚至提出了“走出去”的政策,鼓勵(lì)中國(guó)企業(yè)購(gòu)買(mǎi)海外資產(chǎn)。亞洲各國(guó)正在形成“一個(gè)創(chuàng)新的卓越環(huán)境,”思科系統(tǒng)公司的首席執(zhí)行官約翰·錢(qián)伯斯如是說(shuō)?!澳壳爸袊?guó)和印度的工科大學(xué)畢業(yè)生是我們美國(guó)的五倍還多?!边@就意味著美國(guó)和歐洲的公司現(xiàn)在面臨來(lái)自海外的高質(zhì)量、低成本的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。毋怪乎這么多西方工人擔(dān)心失業(yè)。“如果問(wèn)題涉及的是整個(gè)蛋糕的大小,那全球化已經(jīng)被證明是件好事?!必惗鞴芾碜稍児镜亩麻L(zhǎng)奧里特·加迪西說(shuō),“如果問(wèn)題在于蛋糕怎么分,而你又是西方人,那你就會(huì)質(zhì)疑全球化?!?/p>
最大的變化也許剛剛開(kāi)始。高盛集團(tuán)2003年做的一項(xiàng)意義深遠(yuǎn)的研究預(yù)測(cè)說(shuō),根據(jù)對(duì)各國(guó)人口和經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)的預(yù)計(jì),四大經(jīng)濟(jì)體——俄羅斯、巴西、印度和中國(guó)——在世界經(jīng)濟(jì)中的力量將超過(guò)普遍預(yù)期。中國(guó)的經(jīng)濟(jì)實(shí)力可能就在這個(gè)十年內(nèi)趕超德國(guó)。高盛集團(tuán)說(shuō),到2050年,這四大新經(jīng)濟(jì)體將有可能取代目前世界六個(gè)最大經(jīng)濟(jì)體中除了美國(guó)和日本之外的四個(gè)經(jīng)濟(jì)體。
近期資本流動(dòng)也完全有可能脫離達(dá)沃斯人式的全球化的軌跡。與達(dá)沃斯人相對(duì)的是馬尼拉女人。這些來(lái)自亞洲和其他地方的低薪流動(dòng)勞工正在全球提供越來(lái)越多的關(guān)鍵服務(wù)。英國(guó)一家醫(yī)療保健公司保柏集團(tuán)的首席執(zhí)行官瓦萊麗·戈丁說(shuō),要是沒(méi)有來(lái)自菲律賓、印度、尼日利亞和其他地方的移民護(hù)士,英美兩國(guó)的醫(yī)療保健體系就會(huì)崩潰。她說(shuō),這些人跟達(dá)沃斯人不一樣,他們毫不掩飾自己的強(qiáng)烈愛(ài)國(guó)情緒。
也不是所有達(dá)沃斯人都在追逐全球市場(chǎng)。帕特里克· 塞爾在法國(guó)經(jīng)營(yíng)一家名為尤拉吉奧投資集團(tuán)的私募股權(quán)公司。他抱怨說(shuō),歐洲跨國(guó)界經(jīng)營(yíng)中還有太多障礙,更別提全球經(jīng)營(yíng)了。所以他的尤拉吉奧投資集團(tuán)專(zhuān)注于國(guó)內(nèi)市場(chǎng)。“我是法國(guó)人,在法國(guó)做生意,對(duì)我而言要方便得多。”塞爾說(shuō)?!皠e處也一樣。如果你不是意大利人,而在意大利做生意,你沒(méi)辦法成功?!?/p>
這聽(tīng)上去也許像狹隘民族主義,但內(nèi)中確大有學(xué)問(wèn)?;叵胍幌?,在1861年前,意大利還不是一個(gè)統(tǒng)一的國(guó)家,而是由城邦組成的結(jié)合體。盡管意大利南北方之間關(guān)系緊張,保持地區(qū)認(rèn)同和國(guó)家認(rèn)同之間并無(wú)矛盾。例如,意大利電信公司的董事長(zhǎng)馬爾科·特隆切蒂·普羅維拉覺(jué)得自己是個(gè)米蘭人,同時(shí)又是個(gè)意大利人,盡管他經(jīng)營(yíng)的公司正力圖獲得更大的國(guó)際影響力。問(wèn)題是,達(dá)沃斯人是否需要再花上140年,才能搞明白如何在全球規(guī)模上取得同樣的平衡。Unit 6
時(shí)間老人成了可怕的老人
從前,我們以為技術(shù)發(fā)展會(huì)使我們的生活變得更安逸。那時(shí)我們覺(jué)得機(jī)器會(huì)替代我們工作,我們則有越來(lái)越多的時(shí)間休閑娛樂(lè)。但技術(shù)發(fā)展沒(méi)有把我們解放出來(lái),而是使我們成為奴隸。新技術(shù)紛至沓來(lái),令人目不暇接:一年涌現(xiàn)的技術(shù)創(chuàng)新相當(dāng)于以前一千年。而每一項(xiàng)新發(fā)明問(wèn)世,就進(jìn)一步吞噬我們的光陰。
比如,汽車(chē)曾使我們希望個(gè)人出行會(huì)方便得讓人難以想像??扇缃瘢鞘熊?chē)輛運(yùn)行得比馬車(chē)時(shí)代還要慢,我們因交通堵塞而困在車(chē)內(nèi),徒然浪費(fèi)生命。
飛機(jī)也曾有可能為我們拓展新天地。問(wèn)題是,飛機(jī)提供了新的天地。它存在本身產(chǎn)生了對(duì)耗時(shí)的長(zhǎng)途旅行的需求,這種旅行,如越洋購(gòu)物,或遠(yuǎn)道前往地球的另一半?yún)⒓訒?huì)議,以前我們是根本無(wú)法想像的。
在大多數(shù)情況下,技術(shù)發(fā)展并未節(jié)省時(shí)間,而是使我們得以做更多的事。在家里,洗衣機(jī)可望使婦女?dāng)[脫繁重的洗衣勞作。但事實(shí)上,它們促使我們每天,而不是每星期換一次衣服,這就使熨洗衣物的工作量變成原來(lái)的7倍。同樣地,每周一次的沐浴為每日一次的淋浴所代替,使得用于個(gè)人穿著打扮的時(shí)間大大增加。
與此同時(shí),技術(shù)發(fā)展不僅聽(tīng)任工作侵入我們的閑暇時(shí)間——帶著便攜式電腦去海灘綜合癥——而且添加了收發(fā)傳真、電子郵件和語(yǔ)音郵件這些新的負(fù)擔(dān)。技術(shù)發(fā)展還使我們有時(shí)得一連幾小時(shí)在個(gè)人電腦上處理軟件故障,或?qū)⒁蛱鼐W(wǎng)上那些無(wú)用的信息塞進(jìn)自己的大腦。
除去技術(shù)發(fā)展,因特網(wǎng)指出了我們?yōu)楹胃械綍r(shí)間如此緊迫的第二個(gè)原因:信息爆炸。
若干世紀(jì)以前,人類(lèi)積累的幾乎所有知識(shí)都能裝在若干哲人的大腦之中。如今,這些大腦休想容納下一天中產(chǎn)生的新信息中的小小一部分。
各種消息、事實(shí)和見(jiàn)解從世界各個(gè)角落大量涌入。電視機(jī)能收到150個(gè)頻道。因特網(wǎng)網(wǎng)址多達(dá)千百萬(wàn)。雜志、書(shū)籍和光盤(pán)只讀存儲(chǔ)器的數(shù)量也激增。
“在18世紀(jì),整個(gè)國(guó)際學(xué)術(shù)界總共只有屈指可數(shù)的幾家科學(xué)刊物,出版一本書(shū)是件了不起的大事,”哈佛大學(xué)比較動(dòng)物學(xué)博物館昆蟲(chóng)館名譽(yù)館長(zhǎng)愛(ài)德華·威爾遜說(shuō)?!叭缃?,我本人就訂閱了60或70種期刊雜志,以便自己跟上不斷拓展的學(xué)術(shù)前沿中一個(gè)微小部分的發(fā)展動(dòng)向。”
我們產(chǎn)生日益加重的時(shí)間緊迫感還有一個(gè)原因:日漸繁榮富庶。生產(chǎn)的物品與提供的服務(wù)越來(lái)越多,總得有人去消費(fèi)。在廣告的推動(dòng)下,我們努力照辦:我們購(gòu)買(mǎi)得越來(lái)越多,旅游得越來(lái)越多,玩得越來(lái)越多,而且得盡力堅(jiān)持下去。于是我們就深受威爾遜所謂的極大富足帶來(lái)的不滿之苦——即無(wú)休止的選擇所造成的困惑。
當(dāng)然,并非人人感到時(shí)間過(guò)度緊迫。“說(shuō)我們都缺少時(shí)間只是隨意講講,我們應(yīng)該記住,這種說(shuō)法大約只適用于一半人,”倫敦一家研究公司的未來(lái)基金會(huì)主任邁克爾·威爾莫特說(shuō)。
“有些人早早退休了,有些人失業(yè)了,有些人或許只與經(jīng)濟(jì)活動(dòng)沾點(diǎn)邊,根本不會(huì)有這種情況。如果失業(yè)了,那你的問(wèn)題就是時(shí)間太多,而不是太少。”
總部設(shè)在倫敦的亨利中心預(yù)測(cè)小組組長(zhǎng)保羅·愛(ài)德華茲指出,壓力感也可能被夸大,或者被強(qiáng)加于自身?!叭巳硕即笳剦毫Γ灾劣诙噙_(dá)半數(shù)的失業(yè)者或退休人員都會(huì)跟你說(shuō),他們根本來(lái)不及把事情做完,”他說(shuō)。“這幾乎是到了羨慕壓力的程度。沒(méi)有感到有壓力,就不是成功者。人人都想表現(xiàn)幾分時(shí)間緊迫感,以顯示自己的重要?!?這一切還有另外一個(gè)方面。幾十年來(lái)由數(shù)千名志愿者所作的鐘點(diǎn)日志表明,英國(guó)在最近十年中工作時(shí)間只略微增加,而在美國(guó),即使對(duì)工作壓力最大的專(zhuān)業(yè)人士和管理人員而言,工作時(shí)間實(shí)際上減少了。
在美國(guó),馬里蘭大學(xué)社會(huì)學(xué)教授約翰·魯賓遜和賓夕法尼亞州立大學(xué)研究閑暇問(wèn)題的教授杰弗里·戈德比發(fā)現(xiàn),自20世紀(jì)60年代中期以來(lái),普通美國(guó)人每周增加了5小時(shí)空余時(shí)間,即工作、睡眠、乘車(chē)上下班、照料孩子和家務(wù)勞動(dòng)之余的時(shí)間。
但增加的時(shí)間分配得并不均勻。受惠最多的是未婚者和子女不在身邊的人。得益最少的——增加了不足1個(gè)小時(shí)——是有學(xué)前子女的雙職工夫婦,這或許反映了父母在撫養(yǎng)子女方面花費(fèi)更多時(shí)間這一傾向。
這里當(dāng)然也存在著性別問(wèn)題。家用器具的更新?lián)Q代或許鼓勵(lì)婦女去做有報(bào)酬的工作,但正如我們已經(jīng)注意到的,技術(shù)發(fā)展并沒(méi)有掃除家務(wù)雜活。其結(jié)果是,我們發(fā)現(xiàn)男女空余時(shí)間的分配驚人地不平等。據(jù)亨利中心的調(diào)查,在英國(guó),有工作的父親平均每周有48小時(shí)的空余時(shí)間。有工作的母親只有14小時(shí)。
除不平等外,時(shí)間不夠用的感覺(jué)也普遍存在,并引起了各種反應(yīng)。反應(yīng)之一是試圖投入最少的時(shí)間以獲取最大的滿足。如今人們需要快餐,需要電臺(tái)、電視臺(tái)播放簡(jiǎn)短要聞,什么都要得到即刻滿足。時(shí)間一旦被浪費(fèi),人們就會(huì)很不高興。
“人們談?wù)撝鴥?yōu)質(zhì)時(shí)間。他們需要最佳時(shí)光,”亨利中心的愛(ài)德華茲說(shuō)?!叭绻銕Ш⒆尤タ措娪盎蛉湲?dāng)勞,但度過(guò)的時(shí)光并不甜美,那你就浪費(fèi)了一個(gè)下午,感覺(jué)就像是你丟失了寶貴物品。錢(qián)丟失了還能掙回來(lái),但時(shí)間浪費(fèi)了就再也無(wú)法追回?!?/p>
人們還試圖購(gòu)買(mǎi)時(shí)間。任何能幫助我們提高生活效率的事物都有越做越大的市場(chǎng)。美國(guó)人所謂的家政服務(wù)——做家務(wù),帶孩子,修剪花木,居家裝飾——即為一例。網(wǎng)上零售商在看著銷(xiāo)售額大幅增長(zhǎng)——雖然利潤(rùn)尚未同樣大幅增長(zhǎng)。
對(duì)時(shí)間匱乏的第三個(gè)反應(yīng)是有關(guān)人的一生應(yīng)該工作多少年的爭(zhēng)論增多。你比過(guò)去更常聽(tīng)到人們?cè)缭缤诵荩艞墘毫Υ蟮墓ぷ魅氖鹿ぷ鲿r(shí)間短的工作。諸如英國(guó)全國(guó)工作年限論壇這樣的機(jī)構(gòu)像雨后春筍般出現(xiàn)了,敦促雇主終止讓管理人員長(zhǎng)時(shí)間加班的做法,而采取能適應(yīng)家庭生活的工作方式。
所有這些反應(yīng)的問(wèn)題在于,把時(shí)間解放出來(lái)——無(wú)論是靠更充分地利用時(shí)間,靠購(gòu)買(mǎi)他人的時(shí)間,還是靠縮短工作時(shí)間——是沒(méi)有意義的,如果贏得的時(shí)間又即刻被用于其他目的。
正如戈德比所指出的,我們的緊張感并非源于時(shí)間短缺,而是因?yàn)槲覀冊(cè)噲D在一個(gè)個(gè)時(shí)段中塞入過(guò)多的內(nèi)容。“就像糖果店里的孩子,”他說(shuō)?!坝心敲炊嗝篮玫氖虑橐?。選擇之多,令人眼花繚亂。我們的空余時(shí)間在增加,但其速度跟不上我們心中日益增多的必須做的事?!?/p>
更有效的解決方式或許在于去理解這一問(wèn)題,而不是回避這一問(wèn)題。
工業(yè)革命前,人們居住在交通聯(lián)系不方便的小社區(qū)里。在本村范圍內(nèi),人們自然而然地期望了解該了解的一切,見(jiàn)到該見(jiàn)的一切,做該做的一切。
如今,生性好奇的我們?nèi)栽噲D這么做。然而,地球村是一個(gè)有著無(wú)限可能的世界,我們永遠(yuǎn)無(wú)法實(shí)現(xiàn)自己的目標(biāo)。
我們需要的不是更多的時(shí)間:我們需要的是更少的欲望。我們需要關(guān)掉手機(jī),讓孩子們自己玩耍。我們需要少購(gòu)物,少閱讀,少出游。我們需要在有所為、有所不為方面給自己設(shè)定界限,不然則注定會(huì)越來(lái)越感到絕望。