新标准大学英语综合教程2 1-10 课后翻译、答案及课文翻译

Unit1

Complete the sentences with the words in brackets and the suffix -ment or -ism.

1. What is the going to do about this problem? (govern)

Correct answer

government

2. refers to a contemporary way of thinking, and is not easy to define. (postmodern)

Correct answer

Postmodernism

3. Post-war economic led to the creation of new universities in the 1960s. (develop)

Correct answer

development

4. We must combat money worship and extreme . (individual)

Correct answer

individualism

5. The two groups discussed for a long time, but couldn't reach an . (agree)

Correct answer

agreement

6. The best we can make for the future is to provide opportunities for the younger generation. (invest)

Correct answer

investment

7. is the belief that men and women should be treated differently. (sex)

Correct answer

Sexism

8. The of Wordsworth is evident in his poem on the French Revolution. (romantic)

Correct answer

romanticism

Rewrite the sentences using so / neither / nor + inversion. Follow the example.

Example:

The gap between childhood and college has shrunk.

The gap between college and the real world has shrunk, too.

The gap between childhood and college has shrunk, and so has the gap between college and the real world.

1. The world has changed a lot since the 1960s. Universities have changed a lot, too.

Suggested answer:

The world has changed a lot since the 1960s, and so have universities.

2. I really enjoyed my years at university. Jackie also enjoyed the time she spent at university.

Suggested answer:

I really enjoyed my years at university, and so did Jackie.

3. Choosing the right course is always a major problem for new students. Another major problem is organizing one's time on campus.

Suggested answer:

Choosing the right course is always a major problem for new students, and so is organizing one's time on campus.

4. I'm thinking of going to the lecture on post-colonial literature. Li Ming is thinking of going, too.

Suggested answer:

I'm thinking of going to the lecture on post-colonial literature, and so is Li Ming.

5. I think the facilities in our college have improved over the last few years. In my opinion the teaching has also got better.

Suggested answer:

I think the facilities in our college have improved over the last few years, and so has the teaching.

6. We can access the Internet in our student hostel, and it's the same for everyone else on campus.

Suggested answer:

We can access the Internet in our student hostel, and so can everyone else on campus.

7. I'm not very interested in politics. My friends aren't either.

Suggested answer:

I'm not very interested in politics, nor are my friends.

8. I won't be doing much tonight. My roommate won't be doing much either.

Suggested answer:

I won't be doing much tonight, nor will my roommate.

Rewrite the sentences using mean. Follow the example.

Example:

When you went to college you had your first taste of real freedom.

Going to college meant your first taste of real freedom.

1. When you start out at college you meet lots of interesting people.

Suggested answer:

Starting out at college means meeting lots of interesting people.

2. If you go to bed too late you won't be able to concentrate the next day.

Suggested answer:

Going to bed too late means not being able to concentrate the next day.

3. When you do a course in Lit Theory you spend a lot of time on difficult subjects.

Suggested answer:

Doing a course in Lit Theory means spending a lot of time on difficult subjects.

4. To be interested in literature is to have an open mind about other ways of life.

Suggested answer:

Being interested in literature means having an open mind about other ways of life.

5. To protest against the Vietnam War in the 1960s you went out onto the streets.

Suggested answer:

Protesting against the Vietnam War in the 1960s meant going out onto the streets.

6. When you go to college today you spend a lot of time thinking about what you will do afterwards.

Suggested answer:

Going to college today means spending a lot of time thinking about what you will do afterwards

Translate the sentences into Chinese.

1. On university campuses in Europe, mass socialist or communist movements gave rise to increasingly violent clashes between the establishment and the college students, with their new and passionate commitment to freedom and justice.

Suggested answer:

在欧洲的大学校园里，大学生以新的姿态和激情投入到争取自由和正义的事业中去，大规模的社会主义或共产主义运动引发了他们与当权者之间日益升级的暴力冲突。

2. These days political, social and creative awakening seems to happen not because of college, but in spite of it. Of course, it's true that higher education is still important. For example, in the UK, Prime Minister Blair was close to achieving his aim of getting 50 per cent of all under thirties into college by 2010 (even though a cynic would say that this was to keep them off the unemployment statistics).

Suggested answer:

现在，政治、社会和创造意识的觉醒似乎不是凭借大学的助力，而是冲破其阻力才发生的。当然，一点不假，高等教育仍然重要。例如，在英国，布莱尔首相几乎实现了到2010年让50％的30岁以下的人上大学的目标（即使愤世嫉俗的人会说，这是要把他们排除在失业统计数据之外）。

3. I never hoped to understand the nature of my generation or how American colleges are changing by going to Lit Theory classes. This is the class where you look cool, a bit sleepy from too many late nights and wearing a T-shirt with some ironic comment such as "Been there, done that and yes, this IS the T-shirt".

Suggested answer:

我从没指望通过上文学理论课来了解我这一代人的特征，或了解美国大学在如何变化。这门课是让你在课堂上扮酷的——带着一丝熬夜太多的困劲儿，穿着一件T恤衫，上面印着“去过那儿，干过那事儿，对，这就是那件T恤衫”，或诸如此类带有揶揄意味的俏皮话。

4. We're a generation that comes from what has been called the short century (1914–1989), at the end of a century of war and revolution which changed civilizations, overthrew repressive governments, and left us with extraordinary opportunities and privilege, more than any generation before.

Suggested answer:

我们这一代人来自所谓的短世纪（1914－1989），生于其后期。这个世纪充满了战争和革命，它改变了人类文明，推翻了强权政府，给我们留下了非同寻常的机会和特权。我们所得到的机会与特权比从前任何一代人都要多。

Done with this task.

5 Translate the sentences into English.

1. 政府采取的一系列措施不但没有化解矛盾，反倒激起更多的暴力冲突。反对党联合工会发动了一次大罢工，最终导致政府的垮台。 (give rise to; form an alliance with; launch; bring about)

Suggested answer:

Instead of resolving contradictions, the series of measures taken by the government gave rise to more violent clashes. The Opposition formed an alliance with the trade unions and launched a general strike, which ultimately brought about the downfall of the government.

2. 如今，大学与现实世界的距离越来越小，学生也变得越来越实际。从前，大学是一个象牙塔，学者追求的是学问本身而不是把学问作为达到目的的手段，但这样的时代已经一去不复返了。(shrink; gone are the days; a means to an end)

Suggested answer:

Nowadays, the gap between the university and the real world is shrinking and students are becoming more and more practical. Gone are the days when the university was an ivory tower in which scholars pursued knowledge as an end rather than a means to an end.

3. 我从未指望靠上课来学好这门课。但我确实去听课，因为在课上我能了解这门课的重点，学会如何组织材料、如何推理。(hope; the place where)

Suggested answer:

I never hoped to learn the subject well by attending those lectures. But I did go to lectures, for it was the place where I could get the important points of the course and learn how to organize materials and how to reason.

4. 我一直想方设法解决这个难题，但就是找不到满意的答案。可是当我去厨房喝饮料的时候，我突然间灵机一动，意识到解决问题的方法实际上可能很简单。(work out; click)

Suggested answer:

Although I have been trying every means to solve the problem, I cannot work out a satisfactory solution. But when I went to the kitchen to get a drink, something clicked and made me realize that the solution might be quite simple.

Unit2

Complete the sentences with the correct form of the words in brackets and the suffix -ant or -ancy.

1. About 800,000 illegal enter the US every year. (immigrate)

Correct answer

immigrants

2. She says her dream is to be one of the on a TV reality show like "Big Brother". (contest)

Correct answer

contestants

3. I want to get a job as a teacher, but there aren't many at the moment. (vacant)

Correct answer

vacancies

4. I have a friend who runs a management in London. (consult)

Correct answer

consultancy

5. The trial lasted three days, during which time the never opened her mouth. (defend)

Correct answer

defendant

6. Mel can't make his mind up about anything. His is a bit worrying. (hesitant)

Correct answer

hesitancy

7. I don't know the way out of the building. Perhaps you should ask the over there. (attend)

Correct answer

attendant

8. A normal lasts for about 40 weeks. (pregnant)

Correct answer

pregnancy

9. He worked as an headteacher for two years before coming here. (assist)

Correct answer

assistant

Complete the answers with the correct form of the underlined words and the prefix mis-.

1. What happens if you don't understand something properly?

You it. Correct answer

misunderstand

2. What have you done with something if it's in the wrong place?

You have it. Correct answer

misplaced

3. What is the opposite of good fortune?

It is . Correct answer

misfortune

4. If you have made an incorrect judgement of someone's character, what have you done?

You have made a . Correct answer

misjudgement

5. If you have not been correctly informed about something, what has happened?

You have been about it. Correct answer

misinformed

Now rewrite the sentences using by the time. Follow the example.

Example:

I accumulated a fixed circle of people. Then I lost my hearing.

By the time I lost my hearing, I'd already accumulated a fixed circle of people.

1. I arrived at the party. Almost everyone had already left.

Suggested answer:

By the time I arrived at the party, almost everyone had already left.

2. At the age of two, children know about 100 words.

Suggested answer:

By the time children are two, they have known about 100 words.

3. In the end he realized what was happening, but it was too late to ask for help.

Suggested answer:

By the time he realized what was happening, it had been too late to ask for help.

4. When I finally got my degree, most of my friends already had jobs.

Suggested answer:

By the time I finally got my degree, most of my friends already had jobs.

5. Children learn a lot of useful skills before they leave primary school.

Suggested answer:

By the time they leave primary school, children have learnt a lot of useful skills.

6. Courtney finished writing the essay. The deadline had already passed.

Suggested answer:

By the time Courtney finished writing the essay, the deadline had already passed.

Rewrite the sentences using as if / as though. Follow the example.

Example:

Hope crawled off to be comforted by her mother. She was the one who seemed to have been hurt (and not the other baby).

Hope crawled off to be comforted by her mother, as though it were she who had been hurt.

1. I didn't make the mistake, but the old man shouted at me.

Suggested answer:

The old man shouted at me, as if / as though it were me who had made the mistake.

2. The girl didn't fall over, but she started crying.

Suggested answer:

The girl started crying, as if / as though it were she who had fallen over.

3. It wasn't Lucy's party, but she stood at the door welcoming everyone.

Suggested answer:

Lucy stood at the door welcoming everyone, as if / as though it were her party.

4. David wasn't making the noise, but Sylvia closed the door of his room.

Suggested answer:

Sylvia closed the door of David's room, as if / as though it were him that was making the noise.

Translate the sentences into Chinese.

1. Such motor mimicry, as it is called, is the original technical sense of the word empathy as it was first used in the 1920s by E. B. Titchener, an American psychologist. Titchener's theory was that empathy stemmed from a sort of physical imitation of the distress of another, which then evokes the same feelings in oneself.

Suggested answer:

这种所谓的运动神经模仿就是“同感”的原始技术含义，而“同感”这个词于20世纪20年代由美国心理学家E.B.铁钦纳首次使用。铁钦纳的理论是：同感发自对他人痛苦的一种身体模仿，这种模仿继而在自身引起同样的心理感受。

2. He sought a word that would be distinct from sympathy, which can be felt for the general plight of another with no sharing whatever of what that other person is feeling. Motor mimicry fades from toddlers' repertoire at around two and a half years, at which point they realize that someone else's pain is different from their own, and are better able to comfort them.

Suggested answer:

他当时在寻找一个与同情有所区别的词；同情是针对他人的一般困境而发的，无须分担他人的任何感受。小孩两岁半左右就渐渐不再有运动神经模仿行为，那时他们会意识到别人的痛苦与自己的不同，会更有能力安慰别人。

3. I also love the split-second shocked expression on the new people, the hasty smiles and their best imitations of what they think of as their "normal faces". If they do the ritual well enough I turn my head ever so slightly and tuck my hair behind one of my ears, whichever one's closer to them.

Suggested answer:

我也喜欢生人脸上那瞬间的震惊表情、匆忙的微笑和他们竭力装出的“正常脸色”。如果他们这套仪式做得够好，我就会微微转过头，把头发掖到离他们较近的那只耳朵后面。

4. "I mostly just read lips because it was easier to pick up than signing, although that's not the only reason I was staring at your lips," I told him. He laughed. We talked more, and then the host upped the music volume and dimmed the lights for the "dance floor", and I had to lean in much, much closer to be able to continue reading his lips in the semi-darkness. And read his lips I did.

Suggested answer:

我告诉他说：“我基本上只读唇语，因为这比用手语更容易，但这不是我一直盯着你的嘴唇的唯一原因。”他大笑起来。我们又说了一会儿话。后来，主人放大音乐的音量，调暗“舞池”的灯光；我不得不凑近他，近得多得多，以便能在昏暗中接着读他的唇语。我的确读到了他的唇语。

Translate the sentences into English.

1. 一看见抽屉里的那些老照片，我的眼泪就涌了出来。它们让我想起了我跟爷爷奶奶、爸爸妈妈、兄弟姐妹一起生活的美好时光。(the moment; well up)

Suggested answer:

The moment I saw those old photos in the drawer, tears welled up in my eyes, for my memory went back to the days when I lived happily with my grandparents, my parents and my brothers and sisters.

2. 有个学生踩到地上的一滩水滑倒了。周围的人反应各异，有的关心地走上前去看他是否受伤了、能为他做点什么；有的则站在一边不知所措；有的干脆就不理。(diverge from; approach; confuse over; tune out)

Suggested answer:

When a student slipped on a pool of water and fell over, people's reaction diverged from one another. Some approached caringly to see if he was hurt and if they could help; some just stood there confusing over what to do about it; while others just tuned out.

3. 上星期六上午，我像往常一样去超市购物。我刚要打开车门，却发现没带钱包。我只好回家去找，可是哪儿也找不到。(do the usual; do nothing but; fail to do)

Suggested answer:

Last Saturday morning, I did the usual and went shopping in the supermarket. When I was about to open the door of my car, I found that I did not have my wallet on me. I could do nothing but go back home in search of it, but I failed to find it anywhere.

4. 我上小学二年级的时候，我们班有个同学得到的生日礼物是一辆红色的遥控车。我们大家只有羡慕的份，却不能也去买一辆，因为那种遥控车很贵，而且还是在香港买的，那时候在我们看来香港和纽约一样遥不可及。(could only; as far as)

Suggested answer:

When I was a second grader, one of my classmates got a red radio-controlled toy car as a birthday gift. The rest of us could only admire, but could not imitate, because the car was expensive and was bought in Hong Kong, a place which seemed to us as far away as New York at that time.

Unit3

1.b a b b a

Look at the sentence from the passage Stolen identity. And then complete the sentences so that they're true for you, even if you prefer to think they're not.

Example:

There is no escaping the fact that right now fraudsters are finding identity crime all too easy.

1. There is no escaping the fact that when I speak English, . Suggested answer

I make a lot of mistakes

2. There is no escaping the fact that when I go online, . Suggested answer

I waste a lot of time chatting to people about nothing

3. There is no escaping the fact that when I do an assignment, . Suggested answer

I always start it too late

4. There is no escaping the fact that when I go back home to see my parents, . Suggested answer

I spend too much time on the phone instead of talking to them

5. There is no escaping the fact that when I stay up late, . Suggested answer

I am useless in class the next day

6. There is no escaping the fact that when I go shopping, . Suggested answer

I spend far too much money

3.b b a b a b b a b b

Translate the sentences into Chinese.

1. That was the strapline of the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, which tells the story of Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), a brilliant young master of deception who at different times impersonated a doctor, a lawyer, and an airplane pilot, forging checks worth more than six million dollars in 26 countries. He became the youngest man to ever make the FBI's most-wanted list for forgery.

Suggested answer:

这是2002年的电影《有种来抓我》的剧情简介。影片讲述了小弗兰克?阿巴格纳尔（莱昂纳多?迪卡普里奥饰演）的故事。影片主人公是一位聪明绝顶的年轻骗术大师，曾在不同时间扮演医生、律师和飞行员的角色，在26个国家伪造了价值600万美元以上的支票。他成了联邦调查局有史以来伪造罪头号通缉令名单上最年轻的通缉犯。

2. Since 2003, identity theft has become increasingly common. Few people could imagine how important things like taking mail to the post office and not leaving it in the mailbox for pickup, shredding documents instead of throwing them out with the trash, even using a pen costing a couple of bucks, have become to avoid life-changing crimes.

Suggested answer:

2003年以来，身份盗窃案变得越来越常见。很少有人会想象到，为了预防这种改变人生的犯罪，采取一些预防措施有多么重要，比如把邮件拿到邮局去寄而不是丢在信箱里等人来取、把文件切碎而不是直接把它们连同垃圾一道扔出去，甚至使用几美元一支的（特效）笔等等。

3. If we've learned one thing from terrorists, not to mention action movies, it's that a tool is also a weapon. Globally accepted credit cards and the databases that support them are tools for taking the friction out of commerce. That's another way of saying that they're tools for extracting money from people with minimum effort on everyone's part.

Suggested answer:

假如说我们从恐怖分子那里—更不用说从动作电影那里——学到了一招，那就是，工具也是武器。全球通用的信用卡和支持它们的数据库是去除商业摩擦的工具。换句话说，它们是以让各方最省事的方式从人们那里取钱的工具。

4. Wherever universal identification leads, we don't yet know how to manage a world in which everything can be linked to me, wherever I am. We don't know yet how to balance the undoubted convenience of this world with the peril—vague, but apparently near—that we sense in the presence of all that information combined and consolidated, if only logically.

Suggested answer:

无论通用身份的前景如何，我们尚不知道该如何应付这样一个世界：无论我身在何处，一切都可能与我有关联。一方面，这个世界给我们提供了无可置疑的种种方便；另一方面，我们又面对着所有这些强化组合的信息（如果是合理的强化组合该多好啊）所带来的种种危险。这种危险虽然模糊，但显然离我们很近。我们尚不知如何在两者之间保持平衡。

Translate the sentences into English.

1. 这些文件很重要，内容要绝对保密。如果要处理掉的话，应先把它们切碎或撕掉，而不是直接当垃圾扔掉。(content of which; tear up; instead of)

Suggested answer:

These are important documents, the content of which should be kept strictly confidential. If you need to dispose of them, you must shred them or tear them up instead of throwing them out with the trash.

2. 现在，伪造支票、身份证和信用卡之类的白领犯罪已变得相当普遍。尽管我们学会了许多防止被骗的招数，可是看起来我们随时都可能被骗。(forge; prevent ... from）

Suggested answer:

Nowadays, white-collar crimes such as forging checks, ID cards and credit cards have become very common. Though we have learnt much about how to prevent ourselves from being cheated, it seems that we could be its victims at any time.

3. 地震已过去了好几个月，生活恢复了正常。人们与平时一样忙着各自的事情。但一个无法回避的事实是，地震给人们带来的精神创伤也许永远无法抹去。(go about; there is no escaping the fact that ...; mental trauma; wipe out)

Suggested answer:

It has been several months since the earthquake. Life has returned to normal, and people are busy going about their business. But there is no escaping the fact that the mental trauma the earthquake brought to people will never be wiped out.

4. 为什么说一个图书馆拥有大量可供随时阅览的新书及电子图书资源很重要呢？因为那样的话，学者们就可以了解自己学科领域里的最新进展，知道自己的研究是否有价值。(matter; readily availabe to; if so)

Suggested answer:

Why does it matter that a library has many new books and electronic resources readily available to the readers? This is because if so, the scholars know the latest development in their own fields and know whether their research is valuable.

Unit4

Replace the underlined words with compounds made from down and the words in brackets.

1. I'm going to the centre of town tonight. (town)

Your replacement: Correct answer

downtown

2. I need to transfer this data onto my computer. (load)

Your replacement: Correct answer

download

3. I'm afraid they're going to move me to a job which is less important. (grade)

Your replacement: Correct answer

downgrade

4. The editor's office is on the floor below this one. (stairs)

Your replacement: Correct answer

downstairs

5. Why have you bought such a cheap and popular tabloid? (market)

Your replacement: Correct answer

downmarket

6. There has been a sharp fall in demand in recent months. (turn)

Your replacement: Correct answer

downturn

Replace the underlined words with phrasal verbs made from the verbs in brackets and down.

1. House prices began to fall a few months ago. (go)

Your replacement: Correct answer

go down

2. I applied for a job with the local paper, but they didn't offer it to me. (turn)

Your replacement: Correct answer

turned me down

3. They always criticize the education minister on that programme. (run)

Your replacement: Correct answer

run down

4. You are expected to leave the position after three years as president. (stand)

Your replacement: Correct answer

stand down

5. It's time we all started to work. (get)

Your replacement: Correct answer

got down

6. For centuries these stories have been transmitted from one generation to the next. (hand)

Your replacement: Correct answer

handed down

7. The government lowered interest rates in order to tackle inflation. (bring)

Your replacement: Correct answer

brought down

8. She started crying when she heard the news. (break)

Your replacement: Correct answer

broke down

Rewrite the sentences using by someone + participle. Follow the example.

Example:

Technicians were worried that the mouse could chew through wires. Eventually they caught it.

The mouse was eventually caught by a group of technicians worried that the mouse could chew through wires.

1. A lot of people were interested in the results of the match. They all bought the late-night edition of the paper.

Suggested answer:

The late-night edition of the paper was bought by a lot of people interested in the results of the match.

2. Photographers were determined to get a photo of the princess. They followed her across the town.

Suggested answer:

The princess was followed across the town by photographers determined to get a photo of her.

3. Millions of people watched the programme. They were hoping to win the star prize.

Suggested answer:

The programme was watched by millions of people hoping to win the star prize.

4. Two children set off the alarm. They had been startled to hear a noise in the back room.

Suggested answer:

The alarm was set off by two children startled to hear a noise in the back room.

5. The mother of one of the boys contacted the police. She was worried that he might have got lost.

Suggested answer:

The police were contacted by one of the boys' mothers worried that he might have got lost.

6. The editor was hoping to be the first to break the news. He changed the front-page headlines.

Suggested answer:

The front-page headlines were changed by the editor hoping to be the first to break the news.

7. More and more people are reading online editions of the newspapers. They don't want to buy the traditional edition.

Suggested answer:

Online editions of the newspapers are being read by more and more people not wanting to buy the traditional edition.

Now rewrite the sentences using So + inversion + that. Follow the example.

Example:

The news was so striking that years after the event, many people can still remember exactly what they were doing when they first heard it.

So striking was the news that, years after the event, many people can still remember exactly what they were doing when they first heard it.

1. The newsreader's accent was so odd that I couldn't understand what she was saying.

Suggested answer:

So odd was the newsreader's accent that I couldn't understand what she was saying.

2. The language on that programme was so incredibly bad that I switched off the TV.

Suggested answer:

So incredibly bad was the language on that programme that I switched off the TV.

3. The story was so exaggerated that it had to be completely rewritten.

Suggested answer:

So exaggerated was the story that it had to be completely rewritten.

4. One of the trainees was so careless that he left his notebook at the scene of the crime.

Suggested answer:

So careless was one of the trainees that he left his notebook at the scene of the crime.

5. The distance from one region to the next was so great that we had to travel by plane.

Suggested answer:

So great was the distance from one region to the next that we had to travel by plane.

6. Frank's reactions were so slow that he wasn't able to avoid hitting the car in front.

Suggested answer:

So slow were Frank's reactions that he wasn't able to avoid hitting the car in front.

Translate the sentences into Chinese.

1. The objective importance of an event is obviously not enough—there are plenty of enormous global issues out there, with dramatic consequences, from poverty to global warming—but since they are ongoing, they don't all make the headlines on the same day. 9/11, in contrast, was not just international, but odd, unexpected, and (in the sense that it was possible to identify with the plight of people caught up in the drama) very human.

Suggested answer:

一个事件光有客观重要性显然还不够——世界上有大量全球性的大问题，都会造成戏剧性的后果，从贫困问题到全球变暖问题——但由于它们都是进行中的，并不都会在同一天成为头条。对比之下，9/11不仅具有国际性，而且奇特怪异、出人意料，还（可能使读者对身陷那场悲剧中的人们的痛苦感同身受，从这个意义上讲）极具人性。

2. But TV news is not necessarily more objective or reliable than a newspaper report, since the images you are looking at on your screen have been chosen by journalists or editors with specific objectives, or at least following set guidelines, and they are shown from a unique viewpoint. By placing the camera somewhere else you would get a different picture.

Suggested answer:

但是，电视新闻未必比报纸报道更客观或更可靠，因为你在屏幕上看到的图像是经记者或编辑根据特殊的目的，或至少是按照预定指示筛选过的；它们是从一个独特的视点展现给观众的。如果把摄像机移到别的地方，你就会看到另一番景象。

3. The Internet provides an easy outlet for anyone with an opinion, and there's nothing a newspaper editor likes more for reassurance about their work than feedback and opinions, as diverse as possible. Teenagers today don't remember a time when they didn't have the Internet, and reading a newspaper is something they only do if they have an assignment to write about the specific medium of print journalism.

Suggested answer:

互联网为任何有意见的人提供了一个便利的窗口；报纸编辑最喜欢的莫过于给他们提供各种不同的反馈和意见，他们能从中得到安慰。如今十几岁的少年已不记得曾经没有互联网的日子了；只有在写关于印刷新闻这一特定媒体的作业时他们才去读报。

4. So maybe the newspaper won't die without a struggle. Trends for the future of newspaper include an increased demand for local news, and the continued exploitation of lifestyle journalism, which began in the late 1980s, especially within personal finance and travel, will create new revenue streams.

Suggested answer:

如此看来，报纸是不会轻易消失的。未来报纸发展的趋势包括对本地新闻需求的日益增长，而始于20世纪80年代后期的对生活方式新闻的持续开发利用——尤其在个人理财和旅游方面——将会创造新的收入来源。

Translate the sentences into English.

1. 这个消息来得如此突然、如此令人震惊，我在沙发上呆呆地坐了几分钟。我的第一本能反应就是赶紧打电话把这件事告诉领导，看看我们能为那些在这起交通事故中死伤的同事做些什么。(so ... that; first instinct)

Suggested answer:

So sudden, so striking was the news that I sat motionless on sofa for a few minutes. My first instinct was to call our leaders to tell them what had happened and see what we could do for those colleagues who died or got injured in this traffic accident.

2. 纸版的儿童图书与电子书相比有很大的优势。对孩子们来说，一本印刷精美的纸版书不仅是一本书也是一个玩具。读纸版书的感觉与在屏幕上读书的感觉是很不同的。(have advantage over; be different from)

Suggested answer:

Paper books for children have an enormous advantage over e-books. For children, a beautifully printed paper book is not only a book but also a toy they can play with. Reading a paper book is rather different from reading a book on the screen.

3. 近年来，传统媒体呈现出衰退的趋势，新媒体迅速发展。尽管如此，这并不一定意味着传统媒体已失去市场。若谈到阅读新闻之类，人们还是习惯于像报纸这样的传统媒体。(in the tendency of; not necessarily; when it comes to ...)

Suggested answer:

In recent years, traditional media are in the tendency of decline and new media are developing rapidly. However, this does not necessarily mean that trational media have lost the market. When it comes to reading things like news, people are still used to such traditional media as newspaper.

4. 随着金融危机的爆发，许多企业陷入了困境。对于那些因缺乏流动资金无法进行再生产又不想让恶性循环继续下去的企业，他们唯一能做的事情就是向政府求助。(find oneself in difficulty; turn to)

Suggested answer:

With the explosion of the financial crisis, many enterprises find themselves in difficulties. For those who have no circulating fund to invest in new production and would not let the vicious circle continue, the only thing they can do is to turn to government for help.

Unit5

Complete the sentences with the words in brackets and the appropriate prefix up- or under-.

1. I had to swim for a long way to get out of their sight. (water) Correct answer

underwater

2. What's happened since I've been away? Can you me? (date) Correct answer

update

3. The first rule in any combat is: Never your enemy. (estimate) Correct answer

underestimate

4. My men spent most of the morning carrying heavy equipment . (hill) Correct answer

uphill

5. As he didn't have his bathing costume with him, the child went swimming in his . (pants) Correct answer

underpants

6. This computer isn't very powerful. I need an . (grade) Correct answer

upgrade

7. You should stand to salute the General. (right) Correct answer

upright

8. In London the subway is known as the . (ground) Correct answer

Underground

Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1. Can you send me a text message when you arrive? (text)

Your replacement: Correct answer

text

2. I would like to make a video of this scene. (video)

Your replacement: Correct answer

video

3. Samantha is taken to school by bus every morning. (bus)

Your replacement: Correct answer

bussed

4. How can I get access to your account without the password? (access)

Your replacement: Correct answer

access

5. About 100 people moved in a crowd into the waiting room. (crowd)

Your replacement: Correct answer

crowded

6. I've already sent you my reply by mail. (mail)

Your replacement: Correct answer

mailed

7. That's a lot of money you've got there. I think you should put it in the bank. (bank)

Your replacement: Correct answer

bank

8. Scientists have succeeded in making a map of the human genome. (map)

Your replacement: Correct answer

mapping

Rewrite the sentences, using the expressions in brackets.

1. One day he will be able to speak fluent English. ( the day will come)

Suggested answer:

The day will come when he will be able to speak fluent English.

2. You'll both have to get a job one day. (the time will come)

Suggested answer:

The time will come when you'll both have to get a job.

3. One day you will have a chance to write about the experience. (there will come a day)

Suggested answer:

There will come a day when you will have a chance to write about the experience.

4. Perhaps one day I will understand. (the day will come)

Suggested answer:

Perhaps the day will come when I will understand.

Rewrite the sentences using what must it be / have been like. Follow the example.

Example:

It's very bad in Holland. I wonder what it's like in those faraway and uncivilized places where the Germans are sending them.

If it's that bad in Holland, what must it be like in those faraway and uncivilized places where the Germans are sending them?

1. It's very cold here. I wonder how cold it is in Scotland.

Suggested answer:

If it's very cold here, what must it be like in Scotland?

2. Houses are expensive in this part of the country. I wonder how expensive they are in Paris.

Suggested answer:

If houses are expensive in this part of the country, what must they be like in Paris?

3. The reading list is rather long in the first year. I wonder how long it will be in the second year.

Suggested answer:

If the reading list is rather long in the first year, what must it be like in the second year?

4. Incomes are very low here. I wonder how low they were a hundred years ago.

Suggested answer:

If incomes are very low here, what must they have been like a hundred years ago?

5. The rules are completely crazy in peacetime. I wonder how crazy they are during wartime.

Suggested answer:

If the rules are completely crazy in peacetime, what must they have been like during wartime?

6. Life is hard now. I wonder how hard it was during the Middle Ages.

Suggested answer:

If life is hard now, what must it have been like during the Middle Ages?

Translate the sentences into Chinese.

1. It was a horrible joke, but Doc Daneeka didn't laugh until Yossarian came to him one mission later and pleaded again, without any real expectation of success, to be grounded. Doc Daneeka snickered once and was soon immersed in problems of his own, which included Chief White Halfoat, who had been challenging him all that morning to Indian wrestle, and Yossarian, who decided right then and there to go crazy.

Suggested answer:

那是个粗鲁的玩笑，可是达尼卡大夫并没有笑，直到约萨里安又执行了一次任务之后，再次来求他 要求停飞——尽管这没有任何指望。达尼卡大夫窃笑了一下，很快又沉浸到他自己的麻烦中去了，这包括怀特?哈夫特指挥官那天早上一直在向他挑战，要和他比印度式摔跤，而约萨里安则恰恰在彼时彼地决定要发疯。

2. There was only one catch and that was catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions.

Suggested answer:

只有一个诡局，那就是第二十二条军规，它规定：在面对真正的、紧迫的危险时考虑到自身安全是理智的思维过程。奥尔疯了，因此可以停飞。他只须提出请求；而一旦他提出请求，他就不再是疯子，就得去执行更多的飞行任务。

3. Our many Jewish friends and acquaintances are being taken away in droves. The Gestapo is treating them very roughly and transporting them in cattle cars to Westerbork, the big camp in Drenthe to which they're sending all the Jews ... If it's that bad in Holland, what must it be like in those faraway and uncivilized places where the Germans are sending them?

Suggested answer:

我们的许多犹太人朋友和熟人都被成群地带走了。盖世太保对他们非常粗暴，用运牲口的拖车把他们运送到德伦特最大的集中营威斯特伯克，他们把所有犹太人都遣送到那里。……如果说在荷兰都这么糟，那么在德国人送他们去的那些遥远的蛮荒之地又会是什么样呢？

4. The voice that comes across is of a solitary young girl writing for herself, yet at the same time it is the cry of all those innocent victims of evil whose fate was to suffer in the Second World War. That is why Anne Frank's diary has achieved fame as the voice of the Holocaust in which six million Jews were murdered: She speaks for all of humanity.

Suggested answer:

它传来的是一个孤独少女的声音，她为自己写作，但同时也是所有无辜受邪恶迫害者的呐喊，他们的命运就是在第二次世界大战期间受难。这就是安妮?弗兰克的日记被誉为犹太人大屠杀（其间有六百万犹太人被杀害）之声的原因：她的话代表了全人类的心声。

Translate the sentences into English.

1. 虽然遇到了很多困难，但在他的带领下，公司产品打开了销路，总体形势也有了好转。为了表彰他的突出贡献，公司决定奖励他一套住房。(come across; for the better; in recognition of)

Suggested answer:

Though they came across many difficulties, under his leadership they successfully found a market for their products, and the overall situation was changing for the better. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, the company decided to give him a flat as an award.

2. 当约翰向他挑战，要跟他比击剑的时候，他感到非常尴尬，因为他自知剑术不高，不是约翰的对手。如果他接受挑战，他肯定会输；可如果不接受呢，他就是个懦夫。(challenge ... to)

Suggested answer:

When John challenged him to fencing, he was very embarrassed because he knew that he was no match for John at it. If he took the challenge, he would surely lose; but if he didn't, he would be a coward.

3. 他昨天感冒了。我们本以为他好好睡一晚上之后会好起来，所以今天早上就送他去上学了。但是下午放学回家时他发起烧来，不得不卧床休息。(assume; confine to)

Suggested answer:

He caught a cold yesterday. Assuming that he would get better after a good night's sleep, we sent him to school this morning. But later in the afternoon, he got back home with a fever and was confined to bed.

4. 在过去的几年里，我得了几次重病，一直在贫困状态中生活，但是我没有放弃我的梦想。无论发生什么事，我总是坚守我的梦想，而梦想对我来说也变成了极大的支持和安慰。(abandon; in spite of; cling to)

Suggested answer:

In the past few years, I have had several severe illnesses and lived in a state of poverty, but I have never abandoned my dreams. In spite of everything I clung to my dreams, which have turned out to be a great support and comfort to me.

Unit6

1. Correct answer

1. (b) for saying that you had the ability, means, money or knowledge to do something

2. (b) for saying that you had the ability, means, money or knowledge to do something

3. (a) as the past tense of can for saying that you saw, heard, felt, tasted, smelled, understood or remembered something

4. (d) used with certain verbs to mean you have a good reason to do or think something

5. (a) as the past tense of can for saying that you saw, heard, felt, tasted, smelled, understood or remembered something

6. (c) used only in negatives for emphasizing that something should not happen or continue

7. (a) as the past tense of can for saying that you saw, heard, felt, tasted, smelled, understood or remembered something

2. Correct answer

1. (a) is a conditional?

2. (c) means that someone didn't succeed in doing something?

3. (b) means that someone succeeded in doing something?

4. (e) means it is possible that someone might win something?

5. (d) means someone did win something?

3.a a b b b a a a

Read the explanations of the words. Answer the questions.

1. strain When you feel strain, you feel pressure caused by a difficult situation or physical effort. So when are you likely to:

(a) take the strain?

Suggested answer:

When things are difficult and you have to deal with the pressure, eg before taking exams or when you start your first job.

(b) feel eye strain?

Suggested answer:

Try not to look at the computer screen for too many hours or you'll feel eye strain. Every now and then you really need to rest your eyes.

(c) be under strain?

Suggested answer:

I'm sorry I was a bit impatient just now. Actually, I've been under strain with my work recently and I need to relax more.

(d) find it is a strain to hear something?

Suggested answer:

Do you mind turning the music down just a little bit? I've got a splitting headache and I find it's a strain to hear heavy rock music just at the moment ... That's better, thanks!

2. stretch When you stretch something you make it as long or as straight as possible.

(a) What does it look like when you stretch out your arms?

Suggested answer:

It could look like a large cross or perhaps as if you're trying to give someone a warm welcome, with a hug.

(b) What do you do when you stretch your legs?

Suggested answer:

It normally means that you go out for a short walk, but occasionally it means that you stretch your legs out straight from a sitting position, eg when you are sitting on a plane.

(c) What is the traffic like if it stretches as far as the eye can see?

Suggested answer:

It's bad! It means that there is a long line of vehicles, like a traffic jam, going right into the far distance.

(d) How do you feel when someone stretches your patience?

Suggested answer:

You feel a bit frustrated or annoyed or even angry, but you do your best to stay in control and stay patient.

3. clue A clue is an object or fact which helps you solve a crime or mystery.

(a) What is a crossword clue?

Suggested answer:

It's a word or phrase that helps you to find the answer in a crossword — a word game in which the answers are written in words in rows of squares that cross each other. Generally, some letters in one word appear in another word. The clues can be easy or difficult: Difficult ones often have tricks with words, double meanings or references to wide general knowledge.

(b) How much do you know or understand if you don't have a clue?

Suggested answer:

If you haven't got a clue, then you don't know or understand much at all!

4. punch A punch is an act of hitting someone or something as hard as you can.

(a) Which part of a joke is the punch line?

Suggested answer:

The punch line is usually the last few words of a joke that make the joke funny.

(b) What happens in a punch-up?

Suggested answer:

People fight in a rough or violent way (punching each other).

(c) What do you do if you pull your punches?

Suggested answer:

You express something negative a lot less strongly because, say, you do not want to upset or shock people, so you are gentler with your words (pull means pull back, to limit or stop a punch). "Don't pull your punches" is the opposite: You express your feelings, opinions or criticism very clearly, without considering other people's feelings at all.

Translate the sentences into Chinese.

1. The rain had started to fall gently through the evening air as darkness descended over Sydney. Hundreds of lights illuminated Stadium Australia, and the noise was deafening. As I walked towards the track I glanced around me at the sea of faces in the stands, but my mind was focused. The Olympic gold medal was just minutes away, hanging tantalisingly in the distance.

Suggested answer:

当夜幕降临悉尼时，雨也开始悄悄地从夜空中飘落。几百盏灯把澳大利亚体育场照得灯火通明，场内的声音震耳欲聋。走向跑道时我看了一眼四周看台上无数的脸，但我的注意力还是很集中。再过几分钟奥运金牌的归属就要见分晓了，它悬挂在远处，很诱人。

2. I knew I would do my best, that I would run my heart out and finish the race. I felt the performer in me move in and take over. I had just two laps to run, that was all. Just two laps until the emotional and physical strain of the past two days and the last 28 years would be eclipsed by victory or failure. This race was all about survival.

Suggested answer:

我知道自己会全力以赴，拼尽全力跑完全程。我感觉自己已经进入最佳状态。我只要跑两圈就行了，就两圈。跑完这两圈，过去两天以及28年来所有情感和身体上的辛苦付出就将被胜利或者失败所淹没。这一跑真是生死攸关。

3. I understand—it's hard to get excited about a foreign sport if you didn't grow up with it. Now I'm colliding with this same cultural barrier. The World Cup soccer tournament begins on June 9 and I will have no clue what's going on out there on the "pitch". It seems a good time to blow the whistle on the so-called beautiful game.

Suggested answer:

我知道，如果一个人不是从小就接触某项外来的运动，他就很难对它感兴趣。现在我正遭遇同样的文化壁垒。6月9号世界杯足球赛就要开始了，而我对球员在"球场"上干些什么却一无所知。看起来这是给这个所谓的精彩赛事揭短的一次大好机会。

4. Periodically a player gets an elbow in the face and goes down writhing. The clock stops while little men with black bags rush over and massage his phonybaloney injury, after which he jumps up good as new. The player who elbowed him gets something called a "yellow card", a mild reprimand.

Suggested answer:

时不时地会有球员脸上挨了一肘，躺在草地上痛苦地翻腾。这时会暂停计时，几个提着黑包的小个子男人会跑过来按摩他那假装、胡说的受伤部位，然后他又活蹦乱跳地站起来。那位肘击他的球员会得到一张叫"黄牌"的东西：一种温和的惩戒。

Translate the sentences into English.

1. 当他知道自己未能入选校队时，他哭得很伤心，毕竟他经历了几个月的艰苦训练和激烈竞争，也学会了如何熟练地准确投篮。(cry one's heart out; go through)

Suggested answer:

He cried his heart out when he heard that he was not in the list of the school team. After all, he had gone through months of hard training and gruelling competition, and had learned how to shoot with great skill and accuracy.

2. 那位以严格闻名的教练从一开始就要求队员抛弃一切杂念，超越他们的极限，以确保他们能在第29届北京奥林匹克运动会上摘得一枚奖牌。(mean for sb to do sth; from the start; push ... beyond limits)

Suggested answer:

The coach, who was known for his strictness, had meant from the very start for all the players to shut out all the distracting thoughts and push themselves beyond their limits to ensure that they win a medal at the 29th Olympic Games held in Beijing.

3. 新教练接管了球队后，时时牢记自己的使命，并最终带领球队取得了联赛冠军。在接受采访时，教练激动得说不出话来。(take over; bear in mind; make it; at a loss for words)

Suggested answer:

Since after he took over the team, the new coach has always borne in mind his mission and finally made it to the championship of the league matches. When interviewed, the coach was at a loss for words because of excitement.

4. 足球是一项很奇妙的运动。虽然最后的比赛结果往 往是 0—0, 1—0, 2—1, 但是这丝毫不影响人们去观看比赛。对我来说，足球的魅力到底在哪里一直是个谜。(flock; remain)

Suggested answer:

Football is an amazing sport. Despite the fact that most finals are 0—0, 1—0 or 2—1, people keep flocking to see football games. For me, it remains a mystery what is so attracting about football.

Unit7

1.a

Rewrite the sentences using in other words.

1. Scientists used to believe that animals were like machines programmed to react to stimuli. They were not considered capable of feeling or thinking, and certainly not of understanding abstract concepts.

Suggested answer:

Scientists used to believe that animals were like machines programmed to react to stimuli, in other words, they were not considered capable of feeling or thinking, and certainly not of understanding abstract concepts.

2. Our perceptions of animals are filtered through our own human understanding of the world and we often project human feelings and thoughts onto other creatures.

Suggested answer:

Our perceptions of animals are filtered through our own human understanding of the world, in other words, we often project human feelings and thoughts onto other creatures.

3. In his book The Descent of Man, published in 1871, he questioned whether higher mental abilities such as self-consciousness and memory were limited to human beings. Darwin speculated that human and non-human minds aren't all that different.

Suggested answer:

In his book The Descent of Man, published in 1871, he questioned whether higher mental abilities such as self-consciousness and memory were limited to human beings, in other words, Darwin speculated that human and non-human minds aren't all that different.

Rewrite the sentences using go so far as to.

1. Soren said if a burglar came, Hogahn would probably lick him.

Suggested answer:

Soren said if a burglar came, Hogahn would go so far as to lick him.

2. Hogahn was so protective that he barked at anyone who came near the house.

Suggested answer:

Hogahn was so protective that he went so far as to bark at anyone who came near the house.

3. I even thought of Hogahn as my first grandchild.

Suggested answer:

I went so far as to think of Hogahn as my first grandchild.

4. In the past scientists believed that animals were not capable of feeling or thinking.

Suggested answer:

In the past scientists went so far as to believe that animals were not capable of feeling or thinking.

5. Darwin argued that animals face the same challenges and have the same basic needs as humans.

Suggested answer:

Darwin went so far as to argue that animals face the same challenges and have the same basic needs as humans.

6. Scientists now ask if animals have feelings and intelligence, should it affect the way we treat them?

Suggested answer:

Scientists now go so far as to ask if animals have feelings and intelligence, should it affect the way we treat them?

Look at the words and their definitions. Complete the sentences with the words.

army a group of people

bunch a group of fruit or flowers which grow together

flock a group of birds, sheep or goats

herd a group of large animals, like cattle

school a group of fish

swarm a group of insects

1. Having a concept of numbers helps geese to keep track of their . Correct answer

flock

2. We were attacked by an angry of bees, but no one got stung. Correct answer

swarm

3. On safari in Africa you can see a(n) of elephants on the plain. Correct answer

herd

4. Our boat was surrounded by a large of dolphins. Correct answer

school

5. The pop singer was greeted by a huge of fans. Correct answer

army

6. When someone is in hospital it's traditional to bring them some chocolates, or a(n) of grapes. Correct answer

bunch

Complete the sentences with the correct form of suitable expressions from the collocation box. Sometimes more than one collocation is possible.

Nouns which often go after: abstract concept idea principle reasoning

animal instinct intelligence lover rights

human being body nature society

1. Mark has three dogs. He's a real . Correct answer

(1) animal

(2) lover

2. The average contains between four and five litres of blood. Correct answer

(1) human

(2) body

3. Scientists are trying to prove whether animals are capable of . Correct answer

(1) abstract

(2) reasoning

4. Survival is a basic common to all creatures. Correct answer

(1) animal

(2) instinct

5. There has always been conflict and war in the world. You can't change . Correct answer

(1) human

(2) nature

6. Animals don't understand like art, culture and society. Correct answer

(1) abstract

(2) concepts

Translate the sentences into Chinese.

1. I had tossed sticks for him before and knew the approximate distance they would go, depending upon their weight and my motion. This stick, however, caught a gust and, flying where the sheet wanted to go, sailed across the yard, over the fence, and, with a fine skater's touch, glided onto the pond.

Suggested answer:

我以前也经常这样为他扔木头。根据木头的不同重量和我动作的大小，我知道它们大概能飞多远。但这块木头赶上了一阵疾风，朝着床单想去的方向飞过了院子，越过了围栏，最后以溜冰高手般的优美动作滑进湖水里。

2. The next moment I was standing in the water and Hogahn was swimming toward me, breaking the ice with his front paws. He seemed a little startled by the intrusion of the ice in his path, but definitely in control. I went as far as I could until the pond bottom sank down under my weight and the ice water penetrated my jacket, and I stood and waited.

Suggested answer:

接下来的一瞬间我已经站在水里，霍根用前爪破冰朝我游过来。一路上冰块的侵扰似乎让他受了些惊吓，但他绝对能控制得住自己。我尽量向前趟，直到我的双脚陷进湖底的烂泥，冰冷的湖水浸透了我的夹克。我站在那儿等着。

3. It can recognize different people and make choices about what to eat or which path to take. But does this mean that an animal is capable of thinking and, if so, can it be proved? Our perceptions of animals are filtered through our own human understanding of the world and we often project human feelings and thoughts onto other creatures.

Suggested answer:

它会认人、选择食物、识别道路。但这是否意味着它有思维能力呢？如果有的话，又如何证实呢？我们对动物的认知是经过过滤的，是建立在人类对世界的理解的基础上的，我们常常把人类的情感和思想投射到其他动物身上。

4. Many scientists in the 20th century dismissed such findings as unreliable, usually influenced by anthropomorphism, in other words, judging animals by human attributes. However, the pendulum is now swinging away from thinking of animals as machines without intelligence, and back towards Darwin's ideas. A wide range of studies on animals suggests that the roots of intelligence are deep, widespread across the animal kingdom and highly changeable.

Suggested answer:

许多20世纪的科学家轻视这些发现，认为它们不可靠，这是受了拟人说的影响，即根据人的特征来判断动物。但是，现在舆论的天平已经不再向那些认为动物像机器一样没有智慧的观点倾斜了，而是向达尔文的观点倾斜。大范围的动物研究表明：智慧之根在动物界的分布既深又广，变化多端。

Translate the sentences into English.

1. 夜贼们忙着往皮卡里扔赃物，急着想尽快开车逃走。正在这时，负责看守小区的保安发现了他们，并报了警。（just about; watch over）

Suggested answer:

The burglars were throwing the stolen items to the pickup and were just about to drive away when the guards watching over the living quarters found them and called the police.

2. 三个士兵在密林深处艰难地行走了一整天，试图走向河的东岸，结果却发现他们只在树林里打转，离目的地仍有几十英里之遥。(only to find; short of)

Suggested answer:

The three soldiers had walked with difficulty through the woods for a whole day, trying to navigate to the east bank of the river, only to find that they had been circling in the woods and were still dozens of miles short of their destination.

3. 我觉得今天早晨做动物心智报告的那位学者显然高估了动物的智慧，她甚至认为黑猩猩能够用电脑跟人进行交流。(go so far as to)

Suggested answer:

It seems to me that the scholar who talked about animal intelligence this morning has obviously overestimated the animal intelligence. She went so far as to suggest that chimpanzees can communicate with humans through computers.

4. 作为志愿者，我们不仅仅要对前来询问或寻求帮助的人微笑服务，我们还应该具备跨文化交际的技巧，否则我们就干不好这个工作。(be limited to)

Suggested answer:

As volunteers, what we need to do is not just limited to smiling to those who come to us for information and help. We must also learn skills for cross-cultural communication, without which our performance cannot be satisfactory.

Unit8

Rewrite the sentences using the more / less ... the more / less. Follow the example.

Example:

You have a stronger will. The task is more futile.

The stronger the will, the more futile the task.

1. You have more hobbies. You're less likely to worry.

Suggested answer:

The more hobbies you have, the less likely you are to worry.

2. You work long. You earn more.

Suggested answer:

The longer you work, the more you earn.

3. People work more. They have less free time.

Suggested answer:

The more people work, the less free time they have.

4. Leisure inactivities have developed more. They have less interaction.

Suggested answer:

The more leisure inactivities have developed, the less interaction they have.

5. You change the channel more. You have less chance of becoming interested.

Suggested answer:

The more you change the channel, the less chance you have of becoming interested.

6. You spend more time in front of the computer screen. You have less interest in the outside world.

Suggested answer:

The more time you spend in front of a computer screen, the less interest you have in the outside world.

7. You make less effort. You will be a better couch potato.

Suggested answer:

The less effort you make, the better couch potato you will be.

Rewrite the sentences using the former / the latter. Follow the example.

Example:

... first, those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure; and secondly, those whose work and pleasure are one. Those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure are the majority.

... first, those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure; and secondly, those whose work and pleasure are one. Of these the former are the majority.

1. Winston Churchill was a British Prime Minister and a Nobel Prize winner. Churchill was more famous as Prime Minister.

Suggested answer:

Winston Churchill was a British Prime Minister and a Nobel Prize winner. He was more famous for the former.

2. There are people who keep work separate from their pleasure, and people whose work is their pleasure. People whose work is their pleasure are more common.

Suggested answer:

There are people who keep work separate from their pleasure, and people whose work is their pleasure. The latter is more common.

3. Cricket and football give you the impression of doing something useful. Cricket is more peculiar as a sport.

Suggested answer:

Cricket and football give you the impression of doing something useful. The former is more peculiar as a sport.

4. You need somewhere comfortable to sit and the channel hopper. The channel hopper is more important.

Suggested answer:

You need somewhere comfortable to sit and the channel hopper. The latter is more important.

5. The couch potato and the mouse potato enjoy leisure inactivity. The mouse potato has less interest in the outside world.

Suggested answer:

The couch potato and the mouse potato enjoy leisure inactivity. The latter has less interest in the outside world.

6. Mouse potatoes travel the world online or participate in chat rooms. Mouse potatoes who travel the world online are more adventurous.

Suggested answer:

Mouse potatoes travel the world online or participate in chat rooms. The former is more adventurous.

Rewrite the sentences using it may well be that. Follow the example.

Example:

Indeed, it's quite likely that those whose work is their pleasure are those who most need the means of banishing it at intervals from the minds.

Indeed, it may well be that those whose work is their pleasure are those who most need the means of banishing it at intervals from the minds.

1. If you feel tired easily, it's quite likely that you need to consult a doctor.

Suggested answer:

If you feel tired easily, it may well be that you need to consult a doctor.

2. To be really happy, it's quite likely that you need a hobby.

Suggested answer:

To be really happy, it may well be that you need a hobby.

3. Rational, industrious useful human beings are likely to be divided into two classes.

Suggested answer:

It may well be that rational, industrious human beings can be divided into two classes.

4. Those people whose work is their pleasure are likely to be happier than those whose work is separate from their pleasure.

Suggested answer:

It may well be that those people whose work is their pleasure are happier than those whose work is separate from their pleasure.

5. People who want to be couch potatoes are likely to be those who have a day off.

Suggested answer:

It may well be that people who want to be couch potatoes are those who have a day off.

6. Farmers think it's quite likely that the expression couch potato is damaging to the vegetable's healthy image.

Suggested answer:

It may well be that farmers think the expression couch potato is damaging to the vegetable's healthy image.

Translate the sentences into Chinese.

1. As for the unfortunate people who can command everything they want, who can gratify every caprice and lay their hands on almost every object of desire—for them a new pleasure, a new excitement is only an additional satiation. In vain they rush frantically round from place to place, trying to escape from avenging boredom by mere clatter and motion.

Suggested answer:

那些能够支配一切、能够肆意妄为、能够染指一切追求目标的人是“不幸的”。对于他们而言，多一种新的乐趣、多一种新的刺激只是增加一分厌腻而已。他们到处乱跑，企图靠喧闹和骚动来摆脱无聊对他们的报复，但这么做是徒劳的。

2. They have their compensations. The long hours in the office or the factory bring with them as their reward, not only the means of sustenance, but a keen appetite for pleasure even in its simplest and most modest forms. But Fortuna's favored children belong to the second class. Their life is a natural harmony.

Suggested answer:

他们是能够得到补偿的。在办公室或工厂里长时间工作给他们带来了报酬，这不仅是谋生的手段，也使他们对寻找快乐充满了渴望，哪怕是最简单、最质朴的快乐。但是，幸运之神偏爱的是第二类人。他们的生活是一种自然的和谐。

3. Of course, for the true couch potato, there are inherent risks. Perhaps the greatest of these results from the lack of exercise, and is referred to by professional couch potatoes as telly belly. Some, however, see their telly belly as a mark of their dedication to their leisure inactivity, and wear it proudly over the top of their trousers.

Suggested answer:

当然，对于真正的沙发土豆来说，固有的危险还是有的。也许最大的危险来自缺乏锻炼，其后果被专业沙发土豆称为电视肚。然而，有些人则视自己的电视肚为专注闲暇无为的标志，骄傲地把它系在裤腰之上。

4. In fact, leaving the computer not only seems pointless but also risks a threat by some rival mouse potato in a brighter time zone across the world. For time off, they usually perform extensive Internet searches or participate in online chat rooms, leaving ill-informed and badly spelt opinions around the virtual world, and generally insulting one's intelligence.

Suggested answer:

事实上，离开电脑不仅毫无意义，而且会使你受到世界上较亮时区的鼠标土豆对手的威胁。休息期间，他们通常广泛搜索互联网或加入在线聊天室，在虚拟世界到处留下缺乏见识和拼写拙劣的意见，一般来说是对人家智力的污辱。

Translate the sentences into English.

1. 整天把自己埋在书本里是没有用的。要培养一些业余爱好，每隔一段时间参加一些体育锻炼或课外活动。劳逸结合才是健康的学习习惯。(it's no use doing sth; take up; at intervals; extracurricular activities)

Suggested answer:

It's no use burying yourselves in books all day. You'd better take up some hobbies and take part in sports or extracurricular activities at intervals. A healthy study habit is to keep a balance between work and rest.

2. 工作选对了，不但是可以维持生计的手段，还可以帮助你摆脱无聊，使你不用担心接受了多年高等教育之后会虚度人生。(a means of sustenance; banish sth from one's mind)

Suggested answer:

If your job is rightly chosen, it will not only give you a means of sustenance, but also help you escape from the boredom and banish from your mind the worry about leading a meaningless life after so many years of higher education.

3. 手头没有事情可做时，他常常主动帮助社区做些义务劳动。很有可能是受到他的影响，社区里越来越多的人加入了志愿者行列。(at hand; it may well be that)

Suggested answer:

When he had nothing to do at hand, he used to volunteer to do something for his community. It may well be that under his influence more and more people in the community joined in to become volunteers.

4. 我以前看电视连续剧常常看到深夜，这太费时间，还影响我的健康和体形。为了避免诱惑，我把电视机搬出了我的屋子，开始从事别的休闲活动，比如读书、弹钢琴。(risk; take up)

Suggested answer:

I used to watch TV series late into the night, which took up too much time and risked my health and shape. To avoid temptation, I removed the TV set from my room and took up other leisure activities such as reading and playing piano.

Unit9

Rewrite the sentences adding a compound adjective formed from the two words in brackets in the correct place.

1. I don't want to spend all my salary on a short holiday. (hard + earn)

Suggested answer:

I don't want to spend all my hard-earned salary on a short holiday.

2. He's got a lot of ideas that aren't going to help us to make progress. (old + fashion)

Suggested answer:

He's got a lot of old-fashioned ideas that aren't going to help us to make progress.

3. Thank you for your contribution to the discussion. (well + time)

Suggested answer:

Thank you for your well-timed contribution to the discussion.

4. There is a view that all students should have experience as volunteers before starting university. (widely + hold)

Suggested answer:

There is a widely-held view that all students should have experience as volunteers before starting university.

5. I have a lot of friends who wouldn't be surprised by what you say. (open + mind)

Suggested answer:

I have a lot of open-minded friends who wouldn't be surprised by what you say.

6. It's a theory which was first put forward in the 1960s. (well + know)

Suggested answer:

It's a well-known theory which was first put forward in the 1960s.

7. Marie uses a wheelchair which can carry a lot of equipment. (specially + adapt)

Suggested answer:

Marie uses a specially-adapted wheelchair which will carry a lot of equipment.

8. I love the smell of grass! (new + cut)

Suggested answer:

I love the smell of newly-cut grass!

2. 3 4 5 6

Rewrite the sentences. Follow the example.

Example:

The first two days were dedicated to the eye surgery.

The rest of the week was dedicated to the eye camp.

The first two days were dedicated to the eye surgery, and the rest of the week to the eye camp.

1. On Monday I went to Oxford. On Tuesday I went to Milton Keynes.

Suggested answer:

On Monday I went to Oxford, and on Tuesday to Milton Keynes.

2. Some of the volunteers were interested in medicine. Others were interested in IT.

Suggested answer:

Some of the volunteers were interested in medicine, others in IT.

3. The first activity depended on physical strength. The second activity depended on reason.

Suggested answer:

The first activity depended on physical strength, the second on reason.

4. After the accident he was examined by a doctor. A few days later he was examined by a psychologist.

Suggested answer:

After the accident he was examined by a doctor, a few days later by a psychologist.

5. Some people were advised to wear glasses. Others were advised to use contact lenses.

Suggested answer:

Some people were advised to wear glasses, others to use contact lenses.

6. At the beginning we were worried about making friends. At the end we were worried about making ends meet.

Suggested answer:

At the beginning we were worried about making friends, at the end about making ends meet.

7. My initial choice of university was based on the range of courses available. My final decision was based purely on costs.

Suggested answer:

My initial choice of university was based on the range of courses available, my final decision purely on costs.

Correct answer

1. basic

2. new-found

3. tough

4. chosen

5. low-paid

6. heavy

Complete the sentences with the collocations from Activity 4.

Original list of adjectives and nouns from Activity 4 Column A Column B

chosen skills

basic friends

heavy competition

low-paid career

new-found jobs

tough demands

1. , such as literacy and maths, are taught in the first years of primary school. Correct answer

(1) Basic

(2) skills

2. In the old days people were more likely to stay in their for life; today, midlife career changes are frequent. Correct answer

(1) chosen

(2) career

3. It's not difficult to find in London: You won't earn much, but you can practise your English. Correct answer

(1) low-paid

(2) jobs

4. is putting a lot of smaller firms out of business. Correct answer

(1) Tough

(2) competition

5. Teaching is a stressful profession which makes on personal qualities. Correct answer

(1) heavy

(2) demands

6. Part of the pleasure of starting university comes from social experiences with . Correct answer

(1) new-found

(2) friends

Translate the sentences into Chinese.

1. There can be no doubt that this sort of cooperative approach can help many students develop personal skills which will help improve their prospects in their search for a job. One of the most well-known personality tests used by employers when interviewing candidates, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), puts the extrovert / introvert dichotomy at the top of the list of personality traits it tries to analyze.

Suggested answer:

毫无疑问，这种合作学习法能帮助许多学生培养有助于改善就业前景的个人技能。公司在面试应聘者时使用的最有名的人格测试之一是“迈尔斯—布里格斯性格分类法”（简称MBTI），这种分类法把外向/内向性格两分法置于它所分析的人格特征列表之首。

2. For students who choose to offer their talents in this way, one side effect is to gain a wealth of experience to be added to the CV, which will not go unnoticed by future employers. But a word of warning is in order: You should remember what your priorities are.

Suggested answer:

对那些选择在这些方面施展才能的学生而言，还有个意外的收获：可以把他们获取的丰富经验写进个人履历里，而未来的雇主是不会不注意到这些经验的。不过提醒一句：你应该记住自己的首要目的是什么。

3. We set up their annual cataract eye camp, with free cataract surgery for the local elderly or anyone that needed an eye check. We helped set up the school, cleaned it out, and turned the classroom into the surgery room. It was called the "operation theater." The first two days were dedicated to the eye surgery, and the rest of the week to the eye camp.

Suggested answer:

我们帮他们搭建每年一度的白内障治疗营地，为当地老年白内障患者免费做手术，或为有需求的人检查眼疾。我们帮他们在学校里安装设备，打扫环境，将教室变成外科手术室，称为“手术教室”。头两天帮忙做眼科手术，后五天在白内障营地帮忙。

4. They were a bit unorganized, which could have been improved with better communication between the local agencies and VFP. The best part was bonding with the volunteers, and the agencies did a good job in varying our tasks ... We got to know the locals. Every time I think about riding through the rice fields, being invited in for tea, it makes me smile.

Suggested answer:

他们做事不太有条理，如果地方机构与和平志愿者组织之间能够更好地相互沟通的话，事情就会顺利一些。最好的经历是与其他志愿者建立友情，地方机构尽量给我们分配不同工种的活。……我们结识了很多当地人。每当想起骑车穿过稻田应邀去当地人家喝茶时的情景，我就会发自内心地微笑。

Translate the sentences into English.

1. 如今对中国的中学毕业生而言，上大学已经不是什么太困难的事情了，因为现在大学的数量已经是二十年前的三倍。但是，要被一流大学录取，你还是要比同龄人有更强的竞争力才行。(times ... as many ...）

Suggested answer:

Nowadays in China, it's no longer so hard for high school graduates to go to university, because there are three times as many universities as there were 20 years ago. But to be admitted by a first-class university, you still need to be more competitive than your peers.

2. 你花钱参加这个项目是很值的，因为你从中获得的职业技能可以改善你的就业前景，而且你所有的努力终将会得到回报。(acquire; prospects; pay off)

Suggested answer:

It is worthwhile to spend money on this project, for the career skills you acquire in the process are bound to help improve your prospects in your search for a job and all your efforts will eventually pay off.

3. 虽然通过和这些志愿者并肩工作，我可以学会怎样与他人合作，但我得交参加费。我不得不承认为此我正在花更多的时间去兼职挣钱，这让我总觉得时间不够用。(work side by side with / alongside ...; acknowledge; save up for)

Suggested answer:

Though I can learn teamwork by working side by side with other volunteers, I need to pay for the participation. I have to acknowledge that I am now spending more time doing part-time jobs to save up for the project, which makes me feel a shortage of time.

4. 不同的运动在身高、年龄、力量、耐力等方面对参加者有不同的要求。因此有多少种运动就有多少类型的运动员。想参加运动的人总能找到合适的项目。(in terms of; as many... as ...; no doubt)

Suggested answer:

Different sports have different requirements in terms of height, age, strength and stamina. Therefore, there are as many types of athletes as there are sports. There can be no doubt that anyone who wants to get some exercise can find the right sport.

Unit10

Correct answer

1. television

2. telescope

3. telegraph

4. telephone

5. telepathy

6. telecommunications

Form compound adjectives with -free to describe the things.

1. : a phone you can use in your car and which you don't need to hold in your hands Correct answer

hands-free phone

2. : beer which doesn't contain any alcohol Correct answer

alcohol-free beer

3. : sweetener you can add to drinks like coffee or tea and which doesn't contain sugar Correct answer

sugar-free sweetener

4. : an area in a town where traffic is not allowed Correct answer

traffic-free area

5. : petrol which does not have any lead in it Correct answer

lead-free petrol

Rewrite the sentences using used to do or used to doing. Follow the examples.

Examples:

Students were different in the past.

Students aren't what they used to be.

Many students have lost the habit of reading books.

Many students are not used to reading books anymore.

1. Once people thought time travel was impossible.

Suggested answer:

People used to think time travel was impossible.

2. Today some of us are beginning to accept the idea.

Suggested answer:

Today some of us are getting used to accepting the idea.

3. In the old days people believed everything they saw at the cinema.

Suggested answer:

People used to believe everything they saw at the cinema.

4. Some students are not in the habit of thinking critically.

Suggested answer:

Some students are not used to thinking critically.

5. In the past people thought exploring outer space impossible.

Suggested answer:

People used to think exploring outer space impossible.

6. Some people are not in the habit of keeping up with the latest fashion.

Suggested answer:

Some people are not used to keeping up with the latest fashion.

Rewrite the sentences using what. Follow the example.

Example:

This effect of warping spacetime gives rise to gravity.

This effect of warping spacetime is what gives rise to gravity.

1. Four dimensions are difficult to imagine.

Suggested answer:

Four dimensions are what is difficult to imagine.

2. We know we can travel forwards, backwards and sideways in space.

Suggested answer:

That we can travel forwards, backwards and sideways in space is what we know.

3. Any object with a smaller mass appears attracted to the sun.

Suggested answer:

Any object with a smaller mass is what appears attracted to the Sun.

4. They rely on the new technology to increase their output.

Suggested answer:

The new technology is what they reply on to increase their output.

5. Time, space, matter and energy no longer have well-defined meaning.

Suggested answer:

Time, space, matter and energy are what no longer have well-defined meaning.

6. We call them traditional virtues, which still have great significance today.

Suggested answer:

They are what we call traditional virtues, which still have great significance today.

7. Scientists of the future may well pursue a new form of futuristic technology based on quantum effects.

Suggested answer:

A new form of futuristic technology based on quantum effects is what scientists of the future may well pursue.

Translate the sentences into Chinese.

1. But unfortunately, once inside the box, it explodes, and Kugelmass finds himself not back in the world of literature, but in an old textbook, Remedial Spanish, being chased by an irregular verb. It's a surreal story, one among many in novels since H.G. Wells wrote The Time Machine in 1895.

Suggested answer:

可不幸的是，他刚进去盒子就爆炸了。库格马思发现自己并未回到文学世界，而是落入一册名叫《西班牙语补习》的旧课本里，被一个不规则动词追得到处跑。这是一个超现实的梦幻故事，自1895年H.G.威尔斯写《时间机器》以来，类似的故事在许多小说中出现过。

2. Because the universe is filled with heavy objects exerting gravitational pull, spacetime is not flat but an irregular series of curves. We know this because astronomers can see stars which should be invisible because they're blocked by closer obstructions. Instead of travelling in a straight line, the light from these stars bends round anything which gets in the way.

Suggested answer:

因为宇宙充满了产生万有引力的重物体，所以空间时间不是平的，而是一连串不规则的弧形。我们知道这一点，是因为天文学家能看见理应被较近的物体遮蔽的遥远的恒星。从这些恒星发出的光不是沿直线运动的，而是绕过阻碍直线运动的物体沿弧线运动。

3. Supposing it hurled a hundred million tons of rock and debris into space. This explosion would require a bomb far greater than any that has ever exploded. But a few basic sums would show that such a blast, as well as killing every single inhabitant of the earth, would only shift the earth about a quarter of an inch out of its orbit.

Suggested answer:

假设爆炸将一亿吨岩石和碎渣抛入宇宙，那么这个炸弹的威力要比任何以往的炸弹都要大。但是，稍做运算就能说明，这样一场爆炸除了会把地球上的生物全部杀死之外，充其量也只能让地球偏离轨道大约四分之一英寸。

4. As the spaceship revolves round the sun, it gathers so much speed that it moves backwards into history. But this is nonsense, not relativity. As Jones puts it, "Einstein said that nothing travels at more than the speed of light, not that the clocks will run the other way if you go fast enough."

Suggested answer:

宇宙飞船围绕太阳飞行，速度越来越快，最后竟然飞回到了历史之中。但这是瞎编乱造，而不是相对论。正如琼斯所说：“爱因斯坦说没有什么比光速更快；但没有说如果你跑得够快，钟表就会倒转。”

Translate the sentences into English.

1. 他说得对。那座建筑物倒塌的样子表明承包商偷工减料，工人违规操作。但我们需要展开调查，以便获取具体的、确凿的证据。(be right about; suggest; carry out)

Suggested answer:

He was right about that. The way the building fell suggests that the contractor had cut corners and the workers had not followed regular procedures. But we need to carry out an investigation to gain specific, hard evidence against them.

2. 尽管这个村子离城不远，村民们要想进城也得翻山越岭走约四小时的山路。最后他们决定挖一条隧道，打通挡路的那座山。(right through; block)

Suggested answer:

Despite the short distance between the village and the town, it took the villagers about four hours to go over the mountains to reach the town. Finally they decided to make a tunnel that goes right through the mountain that blocked their way.

3. 天气非常冷，他们只得围着炉子取暖。他们遭遇了暴风雪。暴风雪不仅冻死了许多野生动物和家畜，也切断了他们的粮食供应。(soak up; fall victim to; as well as)

Suggested answer:

So cold was the weather that they gathered around the stove to soak up warmth. They had fallen victims to the snow storm which, as well as killing many wild animals and livestock, had cut off their food supplies.

4. 这纯粹是谎言。我知道他心里在想什么。他是要把失败的责任推到这些年来为了这个项目日夜辛劳的那些人身上，自己却逃避失败的罪责。(nothing but; lay the finger of blame on)

Suggested answer:

This is nothing but a lie. I know what he has in mind. He is trying to lay the finger of blame on those who have for all these years worked day and night for the project and escape his own responsibility for the failure.

课文翻译

安妮•弗兰克日记的故事

       “1944年6月13日。 又一个生日过去了，我现在15岁了。 我收到了不少礼物：一本艺术史、一套内衣、两根腰带、一幅手帕、两罐酸奶、一罐果酱和两小块蜂蜜饼干……彼得和我在藏身所里待了两年了——我们经常谈论将来、过去和现在，可是……我想念外面真实的世界，而且我知道它存在。”

       安妮•弗兰克在她现已出名的日记中写下了这些话，当时她和她的家人躲在“秘室”里，那是她父亲在荷兰阿姆斯特丹的办公室后面的几间屋子。

       弗兰克一家实际上是难民，是从德国移民到荷兰的犹太人，定居在阿姆斯特丹以逃避纳粹的迫害。 但是在1940年5月，当德国军队入侵并占领了荷兰之后，对荷兰犹太人的迫害也很快就开始了。

       像所有的犹太人一样，安妮和姐姐玛戈被禁止上学、骑自行车、甚至坐汽车。 德军只允许他们进某些店铺，任何时候都要在衣服上戴着一颗黄星以表明他们是犹太人。 大卫王之星，一种重要的宗教象征，被纳粹变成了一种耻辱的标志。

       到1941年，纳粹开始大量逮捕犹太人，把他们送往劳改集中营，劳改集中营很快就变成了死亡集中营。 安妮的父亲奥托•弗兰克决定把家人和生意伙伴的家人藏起来。

       1942年7月6日，就在安妮开始写日记数周后，弗兰克一家躲了起来；一周后，范•佩尔一家人也加入进来。 在其后的两年里，八个人就关在六个小房间里，绝不能外出。 两家人生活在贫困状态之中，连足够的食物都没有。

       在躲藏的日子里，安妮一直坚持写日记。 她逐日叙述“秘室”里的日常活动，也记述自己的梦想和憧憬。 她很难设想未来；她和别的人都清楚，犹太人被捉住会有什么下场。

       “我们的许多犹太人朋友和熟人都被成群地带走了。 盖世太保对他们非常粗暴，用运牲口的拖车把他们运送到德伦特最大的集中营威斯特伯克，他们把所有犹太人都遣送到里。…… 如果说在荷兰都这么糟，那么在德国人送他们去的那些遥远的蛮荒之地又会是什么样呢？我们猜想他们中的大多数正在被杀害。 英国广播说他们正在被毒气熏死。” ——1942年10月9日

       尽管安妮在许多方面都是个普通的十几岁少女，好奇、自我批评而且喜怒无常，但她还是个相当有天赋的诚实的作者，为生存的权利而斗争着。正是这一点赋予了她的日记如此强大的力量：

       “我没有放弃所有理想，这简直是奇迹；它们显得那么荒唐和不切实际。 然而，我紧紧抓着它们，因为我仍然相信，不管怎么样，人们的内心都是真正善良的…… 我必须坚持我的理想。 也许在将来的某一天我的理想会实现。

       我完全不可能把我的生活建立在混乱、苦难和死亡的基础上。 我眼看着这世界正慢慢地变成荒野；我耳听着那逼近的雷霆，终有一天也会把我们摧毁；我感受着数百万人的苦难。 然而，仰望天空的时候，我不知为什么觉得一切都将变好，这残酷的现实也将结束，和平和安宁将再度回归…… 我必须捍卫我的理想，因为也许我能够实现它们的时候就要到了。” ——1944年7月15日

       安妮写这些话，并非在展示简单幼稚的乐观主义。 那是她的信念和人类尊严权利的宣言。 它传来的是一个孤独少女的声音，她为自己写作，但同时也是所有无辜受邪恶迫害者的呐喊，他们的命运就是在第二次世界大战期间受难。 这就是安妮•弗兰克的日记被誉为犹太人大屠杀（其间有六百万犹太人被杀害）之声的原因：她的话代表了全人类的心声。

       1944年8月，他们的藏身处被突袭了，纳粹官员逮捕了每一个人。 他们被带往一个过渡性集中营，被迫做苦工。 从那里，他们又被火车送往奥斯威辛。 一个月后，安妮和玛戈被转移到德国的贝尔根－贝尔森集中营。 她俩均于1945年3月死于斑疹伤寒和饥饿。 安妮•弗兰克时年15岁；她的姐姐19岁。 在躲藏的八个人中，唯一幸存者是奥托•弗兰克。他在战后发现了女儿的日记，设法出版了它，以表彰她的勇气。

       当安妮在日记中写下“我希望你对我会是极大的支持和安慰”这句话时，她不可能知道，在她死后，她的文字也会是对全世界的支持和安慰。

保 护

       瑟伦要去日本学木工手艺，临走前他问我能否收留他的狗霍根。 我说：“当然可以，它可以保护我。” 最近我们家附近常有抢劫案发生，我在马萨诸塞州的房子北面靠湖，西面被树林环绕，晚上坏人可以神不知鬼不觉地溜进来。

       瑟伦哈哈大笑。 他说：“有陌生人进门时，霍根也不一定会叫。 如果来了个夜贼，他或许还会去舔他。”

       不过，霍根感觉到他跟我的关系与他跟瑟伦的关系有所不同。 瑟伦体格强壮，而且相对来说比较勇敢，他并不需要太多的保护。 匆忙赶路时，瑟伦会像抱小孩那样一下子把霍根抱到皮卡的货箱上。 我可抱不动他，我的体重和霍根差不多，而且他还比我年轻力壮。 作为女人，我所面临的危险是瑟伦和霍根根本不可能知道的。 在我这里生活了一周之后，只要一有陌生人靠近家门，霍根就开始吠叫。

       我们之间的保护关系其实早就存在了，起初我是保护者。 瑟伦第一次把霍根托付给我看管时，他还只是一只七个月大的小狗，他只在我家里过了一个周末。 那是11月底一个寒冷的早晨，湖水刚开始结冰。 湖面上的一层薄冰能托得住吹落的树叶和细小的树枝，但是还太脆弱，远不能承受动物的爪子。

       那时我正在后院晾衣服，长长的晒衣绳拴在房子旁的一棵参天橡树和湖边的一棵云杉之间。 一条淡蓝色的床单随风飘起，眼看着就要掠过湖面飞上天空。 当我奋力地用衣服夹子夹床单时，霍根正在我腿边玩得气喘嘘嘘，一段两英尺长的橡树枝成了他的宝贝，被他叼来叼去。

       由于一心只想着揪住床单，让它平整伏贴地悬挂在晒衣绳上，我心不在焉地捡起那段树枝，朝山坡下将我们家院子与湖水隔开的围栏方向扔了过去。

       我以前也经常这样为他扔木头。根据木头的重量和我动作的大小，我知道它们大概能飞多远。 但这块木头赶上了一阵疾风，朝着床单想去的方向飞过了院子，越过了围栏，最后以溜冰高手般的优美动作滑进湖水里。 我抬头一看，只见霍根飞速穿过院门，以一个漂亮的飞跃撞破薄冰，落入水中，他差一点就够得着那段木头了。

       时间凝固了，我站在晒衣绳边，心想：瑟伦把这孩子交给我看管，他可是我的第一个孙子，我必须救他。 我深知11月的湖水的危险性：我曾经掉进那水里，当时是靠着镇定和缓慢移动才逃过了一劫。 我知道在惊恐中霍根很可能会用爪子抓我，把我拖进水里，我们俩可能会因此一同葬身湖底。

       接下来的一瞬间我已经站在水里，霍根用前爪破冰朝我游过来。 一路上冰块的侵扰似乎让他受了些惊吓，但他绝对能控制得住自己。 我尽量向前趟，直到我的双脚陷进湖底的烂泥，冰冷的湖水浸透了我的夹克。我站在那儿等着。 他游到我身边，抓住我的脖子，我把小狗的身体托起来，带他离开了湖水。 他好像知道了刚才的危险。 当我们穿过院子进屋时，他一直静静地呆在我的臂弯里，而不像平常那样扭动着身体想挣脱。 在屋里我用毛巾在他身上揉擦了很长时间，后来他跑到我扔在地板上的那堆湿衣服旁边察看，他喜欢我的衣服带有湖水的气味，喜欢我们俩身上都有那种沼泽气味。

报纸的末日？

       多年来，数以百万计的人在报纸击中前门、窗户或邻居的狗的叫声中开始了一天的生活。 对着一杯咖啡，也许还有早餐，看报的仪式是风暴之前的平静，是工作日开始之前的愉快安宁。

       可是，在所有讲英语的国家，报纸编辑们正面临着同一个问题：发行量下滑了，因为越来越多的读者转向互联网阅读新闻。 这意味着同时下滑的广告收入，以及随之上涨的报纸定价，因为只有这样他们才能挣到一样多的钱。 当然，像报纸这样价格敏感的产品可能会失去读者；恶性循环会不断加剧。 那么将来会怎样？报纸是否走上了末路？

       这种下滑是20多年来的长期趋势，在互联网问世之前就已出现。 从前，五分之四的美国人看报，而如今似乎只有不到一半。 1990至2000年间，成年人每天看报的人数从52.6%下降到37.5%。 年轻人中，情况更糟：18至34岁的年轻人只有19％自称每天看报。 而仅有9%的人相信报纸上的信息。

       互联网广告的运作方式与报纸广告不同。 广告商可以逐分逐秒地监视广告是否在起作用，而不再需要依赖报纸的发行量。 互联网可提供的更多的窗口使广告收入之战更加激烈，印刷和生产成本却不可遏制地上涨。 结果，《纽约时报》公司旗下各种报纸已裁减了700份工作。 《巴尔的摩太阳报》即将关闭其驻外新闻机构。 在英国，多数报纸都缩版成为小报开本，意在吸引年轻读者，但是因为“小报”有“低档廉价”之嫌，有些报纸就称新开本为“缩编版”。

       所有发行量大的报纸都建立了强大的网站。 互联网为任何有意见的人提供了一个便利的窗口；报纸编辑最喜欢的莫过于给他们提供各种不同的反馈和意见，他们能从中得到安慰。 如今十几岁的少年已不记得曾经没有互联网的日子了；只有在写关于印刷新闻这一特定媒体的作业时他们才去看报纸。

       不可否认报纸对环境的影响。 世界上每年有近40亿棵树木被砍伐用来造纸，约占全部木材砍伐量的35%。 但必须承认，许多用来造纸的树木是在特别的种植园出产的，它们是定期砍伐和栽种的。 而且，旧报纸常被回收利用，变成新的报纸。 尽管如此，在美国，造纸厂是对空气、水体和土地污染最严重的行业之一。

       但是，对于许多人来说，日报或周报依然是个伟大的传统。 “没有周日版报纸的周日就不是周日，”这样的评语常见于在英国所做的调查。 其他评语则提到报纸比笔记本电脑更方便之处：“我的报纸永远不会没电，”“假如我的报纸掉到地上，它不会摔破，”“空姐从来不会叫我把报纸收起来，”此外，还有评语让我们想到英国全国的外卖食品的传统包装方式，“你可以用它们来打苍蝇，还可以用来包鱼。”

       如此看来，报纸是不会轻易消失的。 未来报纸发展的趋势包括对本地新闻需求的日益增长，而始于20世纪80年代后期的对生活方式新闻的持续开发利用——尤其在个人理财和旅游方面——将会创造新的收入来源。 有些评论者建议，报纸不应粗制滥造（尽管这是增加市场份额的通常做法），而应该精工细作。也就是说，尊崇以正直、诚实和不偏不倚的态度从事新闻报道的原则。 具有为读者所敬重的办报立场的报纸肯定比互联网上零散阅读的同类报道享有更大的影响力和声望。

       此外，小城镇报纸对于为人父母者总是意味深长，因为其子女的照片也许会在上面刊登，几天都是新闻。 人人都放假的时候，坐在扶手椅上看传统的周日版报纸，这将是难以打破的习惯。

       但是这样是否足够？或者，有朝一日我们一定会看到报纸的消亡？

动物比我们想象的更聪明吗？

       大象照镜子时到底看到了什么？显然是它自己。 以前，人们认为这样的自我意识仅存于人类、灵长类动物以及动物智慧世界的明星——海豚。 在这项大象和镜子的研究里，大象起初只把镜子当作物品来把玩。 最后，它们可能意识到它们在镜子里看到了自己。 它们会反复触碰画在它们头上的印记，这是一些没有镜子就不可能看见的印记。 亨特大学的戴安娜•雷斯认为，这是自我意识的很有力的说明。

       过去，科学家认为动物和机器一样，能根据事先编排好的程序对外界的刺激作出反应。 还认为它们不具备感受和思考能力，绝对没有理解抽象概念的能力。 但是，养狗的人是不会同意这种看法的，他们在宠物狗的眼睛里看到了爱，知道它有情感。 狗能通过训练接受指令做有益的事情。 它会认人、选择食物、识别道路。 但这是否意味着它有思维能力呢？如果有的话，又如何证实呢？我们对动物的认知是经过过滤的，是建立在人类对世界的理解的基础上的，我们常常把人类的情感和思想投射到其他动物身上。

       最早研究动物心智的科学家之一是英国博物学家查尔斯•达尔文。 在1871年出版的《人类的起源》一书中，他质疑是否只有人类才具有高级思维能力——如自我意识和记忆。 达尔文猜测人脑和动物脑没有那么大的差别。 他认为，动物和人一样面对相同的常规挑战和相同的基本需求：寻找食物和伴侣，在天空、森林和海洋中旅行时不迷失方向。 要完成这些任务，就需要有解决问题和甄别分类的能力。 例如鸟类必须有分辨颜色的能力，以确定果实什么时候成熟，什么东西能吃，什么东西不能吃。 了解捕食动物的形状能帮助它们避开危险，有数字概念可帮助他们了解本鸟群的情况，了解哪些鸟已有伴侣。

       从1977年起就从事动物智慧研究的艾琳•佩珀伯格认为，所有这些技巧不仅需要本能，还需要认知能力。

       她研究一只叫“亚历克斯”的非洲灰鹦鹉，从它一岁开始整整研究了30年。 鹦鹉以模仿语言的能力著称；在她的实验里，佩珀伯格利用鹦鹉这方面的才能来了解亚历克斯对世界的理解。 她的目标是教会它英语，以便能够和它对话。 “我想如果它学会如何交流，我就可以问它是如何看待这个世界的了。”

       记忆、语言、自我意识、情感和创造性是高智力的关键标志。 科学家已经一点一滴地揭示并记录了其他物种在这些方面的才能。 佩珀伯格发现亚历克斯不仅能够数数，还能分辨形状、大小、颜色及材料（如木头、羊毛和金属）。 直到最近，只有高等哺乳动物，如灵长类，才会被认为具有理解“相同”和“不同”这些概念的能力。 但鹦鹉和灵长类一样长期生活在复杂社会里，因此抽象的智力对它们而言似乎也同样是有价值的生存技巧。

       达尔文认为，动物的心智和它们的身体一样因为要适应环境而进化了。 他甚至说：即便是虫子也有一点点智慧，因为他观察到虫子能判断什么样的叶子适合用来堵它们的洞口。 许多20世纪的科学家轻视这些发现，认为它们不可靠，这是受了拟人说的影响，即根据人的特征来判断动物。 但是，现在舆论的天平已经不再向那些认为动物像机器一样没有智慧的观点倾斜了，而是向达尔文的观点倾斜。 大范围的动物研究表明：智慧之根在动物界的分布既深又广，变化多端。

       人们吃惊地发现黑猩猩及其他灵长类动物都很聪明，它们会制造工具。 红毛黑猩猩能用树叶当斗笠挡雨；在爬带刺的树时，它们知道如何保护自己的手。 科学家把这种现象归结为灵长类动物和人类拥有共同祖先这一事实。 但是，现在让他们吃惊的是：智慧似乎并不仅仅体现在与人同祖的物种身上。 进化似乎能够在不同物种身上重新创造出相似的意识形式。令人吃惊的是，这种智慧并非高等哺乳动物的专利。 目前的研究提出了一个重大的问题：如果这一切都是真的，如果动物具有情感和智力，这会改变人类对待动物的方式吗？

后一切的一代

       弗兰克•托马斯是普林斯顿大学二年级学生，主修文学理论专业。 他希望当人权律师。

       我从没指望通过上文学理论课来了解我这一代人的特征，或了解美国大学在如何变化。 这门课是让你在课堂上扮酷的——带着一丝熬夜太多的困劲儿，穿着一件T恤衫，上面印着“去过那儿，干过那事儿，对，这就是那件T恤衫”或诸如此类带有揶揄意味的俏皮话。 我是这样在课上消磨时间的：一边费力地听着性别理论和后殖民主义这样艰深的话题，一边用我的iPod检索着好听的音乐。 可是当我开始学习后现代主义的时候，我突然咔嗒一声开了窍。 我提起精神，开始重新审视大学生活。

       那么，什么是后现代主义呢？很难说，从定义角度来说，后现代主义几乎是无法定义的……就是有点儿否定和反对先前的一切的意思。 这就让人很难看清它究竟指的是什么。 这一术语于1949年被首次使用，可是迄今为止还没有人能断定，对于文化或社会的未来，后现代态度究竟意味着什么。 但对我来说，它令我感到好奇，因为后现代似乎说的正是我那些酷劲十足、困兮兮的和冷嘲热讽、穿T恤衫的朋友们。

       我们在很多方面都是“后”的：后冷战、后工业时代、后生育高峰、后9.11。 我们这一代人来自所谓的短世纪（1914-1989），生于其后期。这个世纪充满了战争和革命，它改变了人类文明，推翻了强权政府，给我们留下了非同寻常的机会和特权。我们所得到的机会与特权比从前任何一代人都要多。

       可是我们在干什么呢？像历代大学生那样去造反、叛逆吗？在街上一遍又一遍地高喊“不看到变化，我们决不离开”吗？不，我们做着相反的事情：我们去参战，根本不问为什么；我们放弃自己的公民自由权；我们每天在晚间新闻中观看破坏和死亡。

       在大学里，我们在请愿书上签名，加入各种组织，把自己的名字添加到各种邮件通讯录中，戴为癌症研究义捐的标志腕带，观看电视转播的为非洲饥民募捐明星义演音乐会和为全球气候危机募捐明星义演音乐会——甚至去音乐会现场，假如能搞到票的话。 可是我们代表什么呢？就像真正的后现代一代那样，我们无法描述我们的政治抱负，我们没有可以激发灵感、鼓舞斗志的领袖人物，我们没有哲学，我们没有方向或主题。 我们只是被我们之前的一切所定义，我们是穿切•格瓦拉T恤衫的一代。

       这是一场运动，好像是鼓励个人集体地表现自我，似乎是在等待革命。 作为年轻人，人们期待我们愤怒，因为那是年轻人的正常行为。

       但是，我们如何反叛怀念革命的父母一代？我们如何去反叛有时候比我们更想闹革命的父母？我们不反叛。 不反叛就是我们的反叛。

       我们真正的精力不是放在校园里，而是放在互联网上。 它给我们提供了一个不断发展的交流思想和受挫感的机会。 我们不再游行示威；我们不再到街上去，我们去聊天室。

       我们以往所知的美国大学即将终结。 对我这一代人来说，与激进主义相关的是“基地”组织，而不是“气象员”组织。 “校园接管”听起来不大像1968年的伯克利分校，更像2007年的弗吉尼亚州理工学院。 歌词的寓意则属于另一个时代，并不反映当今的现实。

       可是，科技革命就像20世纪60年代的革命一样真实而深刻——只是不那么明显而已。 它是正在推进中的未完成的事业，但它实实在在地存在。 也许等到我们的父母不再说他们样样都好而我们一无是处时，他们或许会明白，后一切的一代说的话也有一定的意义。 我们在书写革命，我们在用自己的语言书写革命。

Language points

1. The post-everything generation (Title)

Post- is a prefix meaning "after or later than". For example, post-Cold War refers to the period after the unfriendly relations that existed between the then Soviet Union and the United States (1945–1990). Expressions formed with the prefix in the passage include: post-colonialism, postmodern, postmodernism, post-industrial, post-baby boom, post-9/11. An irony in the title, The post-everything generation, is that it means after all these "posts": post-post.

2. "Been there, done that and yes, this IS the T-shirt." (Para 1)

This is a comment on T-shirt culture among students: Many students wear T-shirts with words or slogans as a way to proclaim where they have been (places like London, the Amazon Rainforest or the North Pole) or things that they have done (achievements like "I finished the London Marathon" or "I climbed the Great Wall"). However, this one makes an ironic comment on such slogans, with "Been there" (somewhere, anywhere or everywhere), "Done that" (done something, anything or everything), "and yes" (believe it or not, but I can confirm it), "this IS the T-shirt" (capitals to emphasize that this really is the T-shirt souvenir).

3. … something clicked … (Para 1)

If something clicks, it means that you suddenly understand it.

4. … what has been called the short century (1914–1989) … (Para 3)

This is a reference to the British Marxist historian Eric Hobsbawm's book, The Age of Extremes (1994) which describes the years 1914–1989 as "the short century" (1798–1914 was "the long nineteenth century"). The short 20th century in this analysis includes the First World War, the Russian Revolution, the Great Depression and the collapse of the international economy, the Second World War, the period of decolonization, and the Cold War.

5. … we're the generation of the Che Guevara T-shirt. (Para 5)

The Che Guevara T-shirt came from a photo taken in 1960 by Alberto Korba in Cuba. He called the photo "A heroic fighter, angry and sad". This was redesigned for a poster by Jim Fitzpatrick in the late 1960s and then made into a T-shirt design. Korba and Fitzpatrick deliberately did not copyright their work because they wanted the image to spread easily in a time of rebellion and revolution. The Che Guevara T-shirt image was popular because many people wanted change and it was variously interpreted: from anticapitalist to anti-war, from armed struggle and indigenous revolution to anti-globalization.

6. "Campus takeover" sounds less like Berkeley 1968 … (Para 9)

In 1968 students in a number of university campuses in the US demonstrated against racism and the Vietnam War. They wanted to find a public voice through participation, so they protested in non-violent ways through "walk-outs" (leaving classes), "sit-ins" (sitting in buildings and refusing to leave), and "take-overs" (occupying buildings for days). Police eventually removed the students, in some cases with violence. The "take-overs" shocked many Americans and led to some social changes.

7. It's work in progress, but it's there. (Para 10)

Work in progress means that something is developing or moving forward but it is not finished or completed yet. Here it means technological revolution is indeed in progress.

8. Perhaps when our parents stop pointing out everything they were and everything we're not … (Para 10)

The writer believes that the previous generation of his parents who were students in the late 1960s or 1970s keep pointing out what they were in their time contrasted with what the present generation is not. That is, the parents were committed to revolution or change while their children are not.

绘画消遣（节选）

       一位天才美国心理学家说过：“烦恼是感情的发作；此时大脑缠住了某种东西不肯放手。” 在这种情况下，和头脑争论（让它放手）是无用的。 愿望越强烈，与之争论就越是徒劳。 你只能温和地将另一种东西慢慢灌输到痉挛状态的头脑中。 如果（这一东西）选得恰当，而且它真的从另一领域的情趣中受到启迪的话，那么逐渐地，往往也是迅速地，原先不适当的“不肯放手”就会慢慢放松，恢复和补救的过程就会开始。

       因此，对于公众人物而言，培养业余爱好和新的兴趣才是上策。 但这并非一日之功，也不是单凭意志力就能做到的事情。 精神情趣的培养是一个长期的过程。 要想在需要的时候可随手摘取充满生机的果实，种子就必须精挑细选，必须播种在肥沃的土壤里，还必须辛勤地护理。

       要想真正快乐，真正安全，一个人至少应有两三种业余爱好，而且必须是实际可行的。 到了晚年才开始说：“我会培养对这或对那的兴趣”，这是没有用的。 这种愿望只能加剧精神紧张。 一个人可能会获得大量与其日常工作无关的知识，却不能从中得到任何益处或宽慰。 做你喜欢做的事是没有用的，你要喜欢你做的事。 泛而言之，人可以分为三类：极其劳累的人，极其操心的人，极其无聊的人。 对于卖了一周力气、流了一周汗水的体力劳动者来说，让他们在星期六下午踢足球或打垒球是不合适的。 同样，对于工作了六天、一直为公务操心的政界人士、专业人员或商人来说，在周未再让他们为鸡毛蒜皮的琐事而操心劳累也是无益的。

       那些能够支配一切、能够肆意妄为、能够染指一切追求目标的人是“不幸的”。对于他们而言，多一种新的乐趣、多一种新的刺激只是增加一分厌腻而已。 他们到处奔乱跑，企图靠喧闹和骚动来摆脱无聊对他们的报复，但这么做是徒劳的。 对他们来说，某种形式的纪律约束是最有希望让他们走出困境、走上正道的。

       可以这样说，理智的，勤劳的、有用的人可以分为两类：第一类人认为工作是工作，娱乐是娱乐；第二类人认为工作和娱乐是一回事。 这两类人当中，第一类人占大多数。 他们是能够得到补偿的。 在办公室或工厂里长时间工作给他们带来了报酬，这不仅是谋生的手段，也使他们对寻找快乐充满了渴望，哪怕是最简单、最质朴的快乐。 但是，幸运之神偏爱的是第二类人。 他们的生活是一种自然的和谐。 对他们来说，工作时间永远不会太长（永远都不够长），每一天都是假日，而当普通节日来到时，他们会感到厌恶，因为这强行打断了他们埋头从事的工作。 然而对这两种人来说，换换脑子，改变一下气氛，转移一下注意力都是不可缺少的。 其实，把工作当作乐趣的人，很可能是最需要每隔一段时间就把工作放下，让头脑放松的人。

Language points

1. Painting as a Pastime (Title)

The title makes use of alliteration – having words starting with the same sounds close together—for titles and headlines. For example, Learning for Leisure, Having a Hobby, Finding Fun, Spending Spare Time.

2. Worry is a spasm of the emotion; the mind catches hold of something and will not let it go. (Para 1)

As a tired, hurt muscle twitches uncontrollably, a worried mind keeps on returning to its worry and cannot leave it alone.

3. One can only gently insinuate something else into its convulsive grasp. (Para 1)

All you can do is cleverly turn your attention away to something else. (The metaphor in the passage is of the mind taking hold of a worry and only dropping it when something else is cleverly placed in its hands.) Insinuate implies indirect action. The mind cannot be ordered but must be tricked and distracted.

4. ... if it is really attended by the illumination of another field of interest, gradually, and often quite swiftly, the old undue grip relaxes and the process of recuperation and repair begins. (Para 1)

The only solution is to find another topic. If it is interesting and attracts the mind, it will replace the worry and the mind can start to heal.

5. But this is not a business that can be undertaken in a day or swiftly improvised by a mere command of the will. (Para 2)

You cannot just suddenly decide on a new hobby and succeed at it just by wanting to and without practice and preparation.

6. The seeds must be carefully chosen; they must fall on good ground; they must be sedulously tended, if the vivifying fruits are to be at hand when needed. (Para 2)

We cannot develop a hobby suddenly; it is a long process. Churchill expresses this by means of the metaphor of growing something. We must plant seeds in the right place and water and care for the plant as it grows. Only then will we finally get a harvest.

7. It is no use doing what you like ... (Para 3)

Note the structure it is no use doing. One more example: It's no use complaining your parents are not rich.

8. ... who can gratify every caprice ... (Para 4)

... who can have anything they might want even if only for a moment ...

9. ... to escape from avenging boredom by mere clatter and motion. (Para 4)

... they try to escape boredom by rushing around, hoping noise and activity will solve their problem.

10. ... not only the means of sustenance, but a keen appetite for pleasure ... (Para 5)

... not only a means of making a living, but also an ability to enjoy themselves even with simple pleasures ...

11. ... and ordinary holidays when they come are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation. (Para 5)

... if you love your work, a day off will not be welcome but seen as an interruption to what really matters and gives pleasure. A break with a hobby is still a good thing.

揭足球的短

       我的一位法国朋友在最近的一次晚宴上说起垒球时哈哈大笑：“当两个队友在场上来回投球时，另外七个小伙子在边上站着无事可做。”

       我知道，如果一个人不是从小就接触某项外来的运动，他就很难对它感兴趣。 现在我正遭遇同样的文化壁垒。 6月9号世界杯足球赛就要开始了，而我对球员在“球场”上干些什么却一无所知。 看起来这是给这个所谓的精彩赛事揭短的一次大好机会。

       我看足球也有好几年了，我所看到的就是22个穿着短裤的成年人在场上疯狂地奔跑，力争踢到球，互相绊倒对方。 我猜想他们的目的是要把球踢进网里（也叫球门），可是，如果不是碰巧的话，球是很难靠近球门的。

       看起来，我们现在谈论的是一项靠运气取胜的运动。

       整整一个半小时，球场上一片混乱：球飞来飞去，球迷们在哼着一首悲伤的曲子，让人想起纳布卡的“奴隶合唱团”。 双方队员好像都失控了。

       记分法说明了一切：多数球赛都是以0-0、1-0或2-1结束，这意味着球赛结果倾向于平局，如果比赛结束时一方胜出了，那只是因为他们运气好。 为了粉饰这种现象，他们称这样的比赛为“激烈”或“有悬念”。

       足球新人——大多是美国人——或许不知道有多少种得分法。 除了用脚踢球之外，在空中用头顶球也是允许的。可医生会告诉你，这可不是脑袋的最大用途。

       老实说，很多进球是从某个无意中挡住球的球员身上反弹进球门的。 观众喜欢这种进球，尤其是防守队员——当然是偶然地——把球送进了自家的网内。

       射门最好地说明了这种比赛的碰运气性质：90%的射门（被称为“机会”，或在无望的情况下，称为“半个机会”；在法国称为opportunités）或被挡住，或因为射得太偏球直接飞上了看台。

       万一球碰巧瞄准了，穿过长满毛的队员的腿滑进球门，那纯粹是运气。 射门的人，亦称“前锋”，会因为纯属偶然的进球而独揽所有的赞誉，他会脱掉球衣，绕着圈猛跑，四、五个队友会扑到他的背上阻止他，让他穿上球衣。

       接着又恢复了混乱，看台上的观众又开始哼歌曲，而计时器则在滴答声中慢悠悠地走向漫长的90分钟的尽头。

       足球与垒球或篮球不一样，对足球来说准确的控球并不是最重要的，蒂埃里•亨利和几个巴西球员例外。 让我们面对事实吧：上帝从未想让我们大多数人在全速跑动时用脚来控制球。

       时不时地会有球员脸上挨了一肘，躺在草地上痛苦地翻腾。 这时会暂停计时，几个提着黑包的小个子男人会跑过来按摩他那假装、胡说的受伤部位，然后他又活蹦乱跳地站起来。 那位肘击他的球员会得到一张叫“黄牌”的东西：一种温和的惩戒。

       怎么会有战术和规则都如此模糊不清的运动呢？除了“伤停时间”之谜，还有那个被称为“越位”的规则，大概是指除非有两位对方球员在他的前头，否则前锋不能接队友的传球。 为什么不能呢？这让所有的人都迷惑不解。

       不必担心——即便是职业解说员也往往对此感到语塞。 BBC的足球名嘴约翰•莫特森认为对越位规则“不存在国际通用的解释”。 想想真正的足球（即美国人的橄榄球——译注）对“持球触地”没有一致的解释会有什么后果吧。

       为何你们典型的足球比赛看上去如此失控呢？很简单，因为球场上只有一名裁判，他要负责管束22名极度兴奋的运动员。 他不允许球员提出异议（否则就给他一张“红牌”，让他冲个澡走人）。但是，大多数的犯规，如推人、出拳打人、使绊、用膝盖顶人、手球都是在他看不到的情况下进行的。 可是球迷都看见了，于是引发了观众席上更多的抱怨。

       有一个谜一直解不开：为什么会有这么多人蜂拥前去观看这项比赛呢？ 我一定是漏掉了什么关键的东西。

科学：事实还是虚构？

       学生已今非昔比。 如今，似乎有些学生从来就没有翻开过书本。 这是科普作家斯蒂夫• 琼斯在其《单螺旋线》一书中描绘的令人沮丧的情景，他把批评的矛头指向现代通讯系统。 讯息即媒介；从前有书本，可是现在，琼斯说：“媒介是，或者说似乎是，一切，但绝不是纸上印的一行行字。” 许多学生就是不再习惯读书了——书是老掉牙的通讯方式。

       那么怎样使他们学习科学呢？咳，你要是走进校园书店，就会找到办法。 那里有生物化学家的歌本，其中化学分子式被配上乐曲以便记忆。 相对论是用电子游戏来解释的，那是个虚拟乘火箭在空间旅行的游戏：你可以在火箭加速或减速飞行时在上面打网球。 还有卡通，它们使哪怕最艰涩的科学话题都变得有趣易懂。

       可是就连这些激发兴趣的方法也已变得老套了。 更激进的方法是一个物理学教授提出来的：从科幻电影的错误中学习科学。 有些电影也许糟透了，但其中隐藏有大量有益的信息。 学生只需舒舒服服地坐着、放松、欣赏电影，同时吸收一点科学知识。

       有几个例子可以说明教授的想法。 在《地球着火之日》（1961）中，两颗同时爆炸的原子弹把地球推向太阳。 可是这违反了牛顿的第三运动定律——即，作用和反作用力相等且方向相反。 既然地球重达六千艾吨，那就需要特大的爆炸才能把它推入正确的方向。 假设爆炸将一亿吨岩石和碎渣抛入宇宙，那么这个炸弹的威力要比任何以往的炸弹都要大。 但是，稍做运算就能说明，这样一场爆炸除了会把地球上的生物全部杀死之外，充其量也只能让地球偏离轨道大约四分之一英寸。

       所以，这部电影是没有科学含量的虚构作品。 1986年出品的电影《异形》也是同样。 在这部影片中，宇航员们在宇宙飞船中走来走去，就好像在地球上的家里一样——而实际上他们应当在无重力环境中漂浮才对。 《异形》的制片人会在大学一年级的物理学考试中不及格，但是《2001：太空漫游》背后的智囊斯坦利•库布里克和亚瑟•克拉克却会在同样的考试中以高分通过。 宇宙飞船上有一巨大的轮子转动着，产生向心力，并给船上的宇航员一种“起伏”感。

       科幻电影中对相对论的处理更是令人摸不着头脑。 以《星舰迷航：回家之旅》（1987）为例：宇宙飞船围绕太阳飞行，速度越来越快，最后竟然飞回到了历史之中。 但这是瞎编乱造，而不是相对论。 正如琼斯所说：“爱因斯坦说没有什么比光速更快；但没有说如果你跑得够快，钟表就会倒转。” 就连《超人》（1978）也被此概念所困惑。 他在瞬间往逆时针方向绕地球一周去救地震受难者洛伊斯•雷恩。 琼斯说：“时间不像汽车，它没有倒档。”

       最后，1977年根据H. G. 威尔斯的小说拍摄的《蚂蚁帝国》里的那些巨型昆虫又如何呢？问题在于它们的肺，或者说，它们根本没有肺。 蚂蚁没有肺，它们是通过身体组织吸收而获得氧气的。 蚂蚁越大，吸收氧气的时间就越长——这样它们身体的各部件就不能良好地运作。 所以像人那么大的蚂蚁更可能老是在大口喘气，而不是把冒失少年的脑袋咬掉。

你适合做这个工作吗？

       过去，大学生活很轻松。 那将是你一生中最美好的三年，你知道这一点。 你是这样消磨时光的：在咖啡馆和酒吧里与新结交的朋友聊到深夜，在壁球场和板球场上尽情地挥舞球拍，或是作为大学戏剧社的大腕在舞台上昂首阔步。 不管你有什么爱好，大学生活都能为你创造条件。 而且，别忘了，你的学习还总能跟得上，能完成指定的阅读，并在最后一分钟匆忙草就那一周的文章。 你唯一没有时间考虑的是过完这激动人心的三年后要做什么。 不过这个问题并不需要考虑，因为无论选择什么职业，都有一大堆公司排着队来聘用你。

       那是过去英国大学生校园生活的情形，现在情况已经改变了。 最近一项对英国各大跨国公司的研究表明，即使拥有一个优良的学位，大学生再也不可能一毕业就得到最好的工作了。 今天的大学数量比30年前翻了一番，40%的年轻人接受高等教育。 由于并不缺少大学毕业生，拥有一个优良的学位对找工作就变得尤其重要了。 竞争很激烈，结果是如今的大学生花了比任何时候都要多的时间来复习功课，为那些可怕的期末考试做准备，做报酬低的兼职以偿还债务。

       然而，这恰恰是问题之所在。 英国二百多家公司的经理认为，学生花在学习或挣钱维持生计上的时间太多了。他们本应该去参加各种俱乐部，学习一些基本的技能，如团队合作和现场演示。 这些经理还说，他们宁可让职位空缺，也不愿意聘请那些缺乏必要技能，无法在国际市场上占领商机的毕业生。

       该怎么做才能解决这个问题呢？经理们相信，解决的办法就是在学位课程里增加社交能力的训练。 有的大学已经开始这样做了，例如南安普敦大学历史系学生必须做一个为期十二周、六人一组协同工作的项目——通常与当地的生活有关。 项目内容包括：做一次演示、写一篇集体论文、做一项公众服务——可以是给中、小学生讲课，或做一期有关中、小学教学的广播节目。

       毫无疑问，这种合作学习法能帮助许多学生培养有助于改善就业前景的个人技能。 公司在面试应聘者时使用的最有名的人格测试之一是“迈尔斯—布里格斯性格分类法”（简称MBTI），这种分类法把外向/内向性格两分法置于它所分析的人格特征列表之首。 测试中没有“正确答案”，但是它认为：性格外向者更适合做团队工作或与他人打交道的工作。

       南安普敦大学项目中同样有趣的一个理念是：学生应该关注比校园更广阔的社区，并设法为之做出自己的贡献。 在当今越来越小的世界里，学生们越来越清楚地意识到大学并不是与社会现实问题完全脱钩的学术象牙塔。正相反，大学本身可以促使世界变得更加美好。 在学学位课程之前、期间、之后，学生们都可以通过多种渠道成为志愿者。 正如我们所知，大学课程需要学生花费大量的时间，一般人会选择腾出上大学前或大学毕业后的一年时间作为实践年。

       通常，志愿者工作指帮助病人或老年人、在假日营里招待贫困儿童、在第三世界国家教书，或者做农业或环境研究项目。

       对那些选择在这些方面施展才能的学生而言，还有个意外的收获：可以把他们获取的丰富经验写进个人履历里，而未来的雇主是不会不注意到这些经验的。 不过提醒一句：你应该记住自己的首要目的是什么。 曾经在巴布亚新几内亚工作了两年的谢恩•欧文指出：“志愿者的工作能教给你宝贵的职业技能，但我认为你不应该只想着通过志愿者工作来给自己的履历表增添光彩——你做志愿工作的主要原因是因为你想帮助别人。”

窃取的身份

       “弗兰克从未上过飞行学院、医学院、法学院……因为他还在上高中。”

       这是2002年的电影《有种来抓我》的剧情简介。影片讲述了小弗兰克•阿巴格纳尔（莱昂纳多•迪卡普里奥饰演）的故事。影片主人公是一位聪明绝顶的年轻骗术大师，曾在不同时间扮演医生、律师和飞行员的角色，在26个国家伪造了价值600万美元以上的支票。 他成了联邦调查局有史以来伪造罪头号通缉令名单上最年轻的通缉犯。 在影片中，阿巴格纳尔被虚构的联邦调查局特工卡尔•汉拉提（汤姆•汉克斯饰演）追捕，但后来逃脱了。 他最终成了联邦调查局专攻白领犯罪的顾问专家。

       《有种来抓我》是一部很棒的电影，但影片中的事情会在现实生活中发生吗？其实，《有种来抓我》是根据弗兰克•阿巴格纳尔的真实故事改编的，他的行骗生涯持续了大约六年；被抓后，曾三次逃脱监管（有一次是从飞机的厕所逃走的）；在法国、瑞典和美国的监狱中总共度过了六年时光。 他现在经营一家咨询事务所，为企业界提供防造假咨询。 他挣到了足够的钱，赔付了所有的受害者，如今已是大富豪。

       2003年以来，身份盗窃案变得越来越常见。 很少有人会想象到，为了预防这种改变人生的犯罪，采取一些预防措施有多么重要，比如把邮件拿到邮局去寄而不是丢在信箱里等人来取、把文件切碎而不是直接把它们连同垃圾一道扔出去，甚至使用几美元一支的（特效）笔等等。

       越来越多的人正在成为身份盗窃案的无名受害者。 我们花费许多时间和金钱，去努力挽回我们的姓名、我们的信用、我们的钱和我们的生活。 我们需要想方设法来保护自己。 我们可以减少此类犯罪的机会，但是它永远不会消失。

       这不仅仅是要求我们列一份“该做”和“不该做”事项的清单，我们还需要改变心态。 虽然网上银行现在很常见，但国内有一大群人——即占人口15％的生育高峰时期出生的一代人——还是更喜欢用纸。 而且，30％的诈骗案都发生在这群人当中。 支票上有身份盗贼所需的你的全部信息。 如果你用圆珠笔，笔迹可以用一般的家用化学药品除去，钱数可以更改。 每天发出的空头支票高达120万张以上，平均每秒13张以上。

       支票造假是个大产业……每年以25％的速率增长。 犯罪分子指望我们犯错误，好让他们更容易得手。 那么我们怎样才能防患于未然呢？

       采取一些预防措施。 不要把你的邮件留在邮箱里过夜或过周末。 小偷就等着看你家信箱的小红旗（注：在美国，信箱上插上小红旗表示有邮件需要投递），以便通过你要投递的邮件找寻有用的个人信息或支票。 要用签字笔填写支票和重要表格，（因为）签字笔的墨水会渗进纸张的纤维中，无法用化学药品除去。 还有，切碎或撕碎含有个人信息的所有文件，然后再把它们丢进垃圾桶。

       记住，网上有大量机会可以被小偷利用。他们根据你的身份伪造假身份。 我们都知道黑客行为和木马软件对电脑数据库中个人信息的威胁。 但是在谷歌上搜索某人也会透露大量个人信息，在线社交网站（如“我的空间”、“相册”和“毕波”）也一样。 正如我们离开办公室去厕所时要随身带上钱包一样，离开电脑时也应该注销你的电脑以防临时起意的盗窃。

       最后一点，假如你遭遇较传统方式的抢劫——比如在大街上——挂失你的信用卡显然是要做的第一件事。 但是别忘了，即使挂了失，信用卡也可以用作身份证件来获得购物卡……那你就有了犯罪记录。

       身份伪造可以肆行多年而不为受害者所知。 一个无法回避的事实是：现在的诈骗者觉得身份犯罪简直是太容易了。 如果你的身份尚未失窃，那只是因为他们还没有对你动手。 就会轮到你的。

数字代表着身份

       企业需拥有大量的资讯可供随时调用，为什么这一点很重要呢？因为那样的话，亚马逊就知道你需要什么，能够给你提供你喜欢的书，而不是试图让你买你不喜欢的。 那么，有什么不妥吗？

       要是我正走在大街上，有人主动过来要卖给我什么东西的话，是不是很吓人？也许没那么吓人。 人们试图卖给我东西并不是很吓人。 就算他们不停地试图卖给我东西——显然他们已经老于此道——或者他们推销的方式令人不太舒服，也没什么吓人的。 推销并不吓人，除非你是推销员。

       要是我走在大街上，我的面孔被一个推销员的照相机拍照，这是不是很吓人？那也许令人讨厌,也可能是合法的。 吓人吗？也许不。 推销员对面孔背后的人又了解多少呢？

       要是我走在大街上，我的面孔被一个推销员的照相机记录下来，而那照片可以与某银行或信用卡公司档案上我的正面相片自动比对，这是不是很吓人？这样的话，那个推销员就可能了解我大量的底细：我的姓名、我在哪家银行存款、我住在哪儿。

       如果偷偷给我照相的不是推销员，是不是很吓人？

       在日益强化、全球化、网络化的经济格局中，信息到处流通。 迟早它会到达它的主人——或目前拥有它的任何人——能够随意处置它的地方。 对方也许是遵守道德规范的——也许。

       假如说我们从恐怖分子那里——更不用说从动作电影那里——学到了一招，那就是，工具也是武器。 全球通用的信用卡和支持它们的数据库是去除商业摩擦的工具。 换句话说，它们是以让各方最省事的方式从人们那里取钱的工具。

       所以，如果他们是想卖给我东西，那没什么问题。 如果对方是亚马逊，那也没问题。 但如果都不是的话，那就有问题了。

       我还没有提到身份盗窃，但这肯定是朝着那方向发展的。 身份盗窃是指未经许可使用我的身份信息来行骗。 我的信息流传得越广，可以找到它的地方就越多，发生盗窃的可能性就越大。 与一个身份被盗的人相关的信息越多，身份盗窃案所造成的破坏就越大。

       在我们的社会里，虽然没有人因为身份盗窃而丧命或被毁掉，身份盗窃仍是很令人担心的事情。 还有比身份盗窃更糟糕的事；通用标识符也会导致那些更糟糕的事情。

       无论通用身份的前景如何，我们尚不知道该如何应付这样一个世界：无论我身在何处，一切都可能与我有关联。 一方面，这个世界给我们提供了无可置疑的种种方便；另一方面，我们又面对着所有这些强化组合的信息（如果是合理的强化组合该多好啊）所带来的种种危险。这种危险虽然模糊，但显然离我们很近。我们尚不知如何在两者之间保持平衡。

同感是怎样表露的

       霍普才九个月大，一见到另一个婴儿摔倒，泪水就涌了出来。她爬到妈妈身边寻求安慰，就好像是她自己摔疼了。 15个月大的迈克尔去把自己的玩具熊拿来给正在大哭的朋友保罗；保罗不停地大哭的时候，迈克尔替保罗捡回他的安乐毯。 这些小小的表示同情和关爱的举动都是接受过记录同感行为训练的母亲们观察到的。 这项研究的结果表明，同感的根源可以追溯到人的婴儿期。 实际上，从出生的那天起，婴儿在听到其他婴儿哭闹的时候就会感到不安——有些人认为这种反应是同感的最初先兆。

       成长心理学家发现，甚至在充分意识到自己是独立于其他人而存在之前，婴儿就感受到了同情的苦恼。 甚至在出生后几个月，婴儿就会对周围人的烦躁不安做出反应，就好像他们自己的烦躁不安一样，看到别的孩子哭也跟着哭。 到了一岁左右，他们开始意识到痛苦不是他们的，而是别人的，可是他们对这样的事情似乎还是感到不知所措。 例如，在纽约大学的马丁•L. 霍夫曼所做的一项研究中，一个一岁的孩子把自己的妈妈拉过来安慰哭闹的朋友，却忽视了同在一室的朋友的妈妈。 这样的困惑在其他一岁大的孩子身上也能看到，他们模仿别的孩子的痛苦，也许是为了更好地理解他们的感受。例如，如果别的婴儿伤了手指，一个一岁大的孩子就会把自己的手指放进嘴里，看看自己是否也感觉到痛。 看到自己的妈妈哭，婴儿即使没有眼泪，也会擦拭自己的眼睛。

       这种所谓的运动神经模仿就是“同感”的原始技术含义，而“同感”这个词于20世纪20年代由美国心理学家E. B. 铁钦纳首次使用。 铁钦纳的理论是：同感发自对他人痛苦的一种身体模仿；这种模仿继而在自身引起同样的心理感受。 他当时在寻找一个与同情有所区别的词；同情是针对他人的一般困境而发的，无须分担他人的任何感受。

       小孩两岁半左右就渐渐不再有运动神经模仿行为，那时他们会意识到别人的痛苦与自己的不同，会更有能力安慰别人。 下面是摘自一位母亲日记里的典型事例：

       邻居家的婴儿哭了，珍妮走上前去，试图给他一些小甜饼。 她跟着他转，开始带着哭腔低声自言自语。 然后她试图抚摸他的头发，可是他躲开了……他平静下来，但是珍妮仍然面带忧色。 她继续给他拿来玩具，轻拍他的头和肩膀。

       在这个年龄，幼儿对于他人感情波动的总体敏感度开始有所不同，有些像珍妮一样，感同身受，有些则不予理睬。 美国国家心理健康研究所的玛丽安•拉德克－亚罗和卡罗琳•察恩－瓦克斯勒所做的一系列研究表明，这种在同感关注方面的差异大部分与父母怎样教养子女有关。 她们发现，如果在家教中让孩子特别注意他们的恶作剧给别人造成的痛苦，比如对孩子说“瞧你让她多伤心啊”，而不是说“你真调皮”，孩子就比较有同感心。 她们也发现，观看别人遇到痛苦时其他人的反应，儿童的同感心也会受到影响。 通过模仿亲眼所见，儿童能培养出一套同感反应行为，尤其是在帮助那些痛苦的人的时候。

Language points

1. ... Michael retrieved Paul's security blanket for him. (Para 1)

A security blanket is a blanket which a baby or small child uses for comfort; some children feel more secure when they hold such a special blanket, because the blanket is familiar and has a comforting feel or smell. Some parents tend to give the baby a toy or a thing that is associated with comfort when the baby is in distress. For example, in the West some parents use a dummy (a plastic or rubber object for baby to suck) to comfort babies even though some doctors advise against using a dummy because it may have a long-term negative effect.

2. Motor mimicry fades from toddlers' repertoire … (Para 4)

Young children imitate the actions of those in pain or distress, apparently as a way to feel and understand it in a kind of empathy. This imitation (mimicry or copying) of others' movements and actions gradually becomes less in the range of these young children's ways of behaving.

3. At this point in their development toddlers begin to diverge from one another in their overall sensitivity to other people's emotional upsets, with some, like Jenny, keenly aware and others tuning out. (Para 6)

At around the age of two and a half some children become aware of other people's emotions of sadness, worry or anger, while others stop paying attention to similar emotions: In this way the children start to develop in separate directions regarding how they are sensitive to others' emotions. Tune out means to stop listening to something or someone, ie to ignore the sound and not pay any attention.

闲暇无为——或如何歇着无所事事

       数百年前，人们没有多少空闲时间，因为人人都在辛苦劳作。 在19世纪的英国，人们有了较多闲暇，可是维多利亚时代的人认为歇着无所事事是一种罪过。 于是为了避免诱惑，他们发明了足球、橄榄球和板球。 人们开始从事更温和的休闲活动，如观鸟、园艺、收集火车头号码。他们甚至可能只是观看一项运动，给人一种有事可做的印象。

       其中一个例子是板球。这是一种规则怪异的奇特游戏，如果五天之内毫无进展，玩家往往就会决定双方战平。 而无论是玩家还是观众，人人都对这毫无结果的比赛感到心满意足。 这是个我们现在可以称之为闲暇无为的好例子。

       渐渐地，近年来闲暇无为中的互动变得甚至更少了。 在20世纪90年代，一个新的休闲物种进化成功，它认为躺在沙发上看电视体育节目或数码影碟是它们能做到的最令人兴奋的无为了。 这就是沙发土豆。

       那么，谁想当沙发土豆呢？嗨，事实上，许多人想，理由也是可以理解的。 也许今天你休息，也许你刚下班或放学。 也许你累了，只想放松。 对沙发土豆来说，任何活动都太麻烦，懒散是一门艺术。

       怎样才能变成沙发土豆呢？那很容易。 在一个舒适的地方坐下，例如一张躺椅、一个豆袋或……你知道接下来就是……一张沙发。 可别坐在土豆上。 确保你拥有所需的一切：零食（尤其是土豆片——严肃的沙发土豆不会吃别的）、饮料、杂志和电视。

       最重要的装备当然是遥控器了。 没有无需离开沙发就能换频道的自由，沙发土豆就配不上这个称号。 事实上，没有遥控器看电视有变成近似体育锻炼的危险，或许是应当避免的。

       现在，就开始看电视吧。 每隔十秒钟换一次频道，然后继续换。 别太热心，尽量不要对任何节目太感兴趣，因为这会威胁到你的沙发土豆身份。 （记住，你的注意力持续时间只有马利斯派铂马铃薯那么长。） 最后，请别人帮你做事，如拿更多食物，或租影碟。 但是对他们态度要好！如果你态度不好，你就很可能得亲自动手了。

       但是，对于每种新时尚，都会有反对者。 英国广播公司最近报道，英国农民对“沙发土豆”这一叫法感到愤怒，因为它败坏了土豆的形象。 英国土豆协会称，土豆是天然有益于健康的，它们将要组织抗议活动，要求把“沙发土豆”一词从《牛津英语词典》中删除。

       你瞧我没说错吧！沙发土豆是健康的。

       当然，对于真正的沙发土豆来说，固有的危险还是有的。 也许最大的危险来自缺乏锻炼，其后果被专业沙发土豆称为电视肚。 然而，有些人则视自己的电视肚为专注闲暇无为的标志，骄傲地把它系在裤腰之上。 （有趣的是，这是一种极为时尚的穿法，叫做松糕顶。 下次泡星巴克的时候去弄明白为什么吧。）

       可是时间在推移，到了21世纪，我们现在又有了沙发土豆的翻版，特指电脑在线活动。 这叫做鼠标土豆。 鼠标土豆在电脑显示器前面花费太多的时间，和他们的表兄沙发土豆一样缺乏对外界的兴趣。 鼠标土豆痴迷于与世界各地的块茎同伴玩在线游戏。 事实上，离开电脑不仅毫无意义，而且会使你受到世界上较亮时区的鼠标土豆对手的威胁。 休息期间，他们通常广泛搜索互联网或加入在线聊天室，在虚拟世界到处留下缺乏见识和拼写拙劣的意见，一般来说是对人家智力的污辱。

       对于更具冒险精神的鼠标土豆来说，你甚至可以登陆沙发土豆旅游网站，去周游世界，造访列国，如果没有该网站你可能永远也去不了这些地方。 通过记录你的鼠标旅行的距离，你还可以算出你在电脑上花了多少时间。 这叫做鼠标英里数，所有好的电脑商店里你可以拿它换更多的土豆片。

       就这样，费最小的劲，你也可以拥有自己的闲暇无为。 变成一个沙发土豆吧！养一个那样的电视肚吧！作为鼠标土豆刻苦训练，挣鼠标英里数吧。 今天就开始吧。 时间那么多，而要做的事情却那么少。

Language points

1. Leisure inactivities—or how to relax and do nothing (Title)

The title of the text is an opening rhetorical question leading to a rather unexpected answer.

2. ... people had more time off ... (Para 1)

Later see day off. Off is a preposition of separation—when you are off work, you are away from work.

3. ... you knew it was coming ... (Para 5)

As we use "of course" when giving information which might seem to insult the intelligence of the listener (Of course, you are a girl, so you might have a different view), this phrase is used in light-hearted contexts when we state the obvious. Of course, a couch potato sits on a couch. You predicted we would say that before we did.

4. Remember that you have the attention span of a Maris Piper. (Para 7)

Maris Piper is the name of a kind of potato. A potato of course does not have attention span. So what the writer wants to say here is that a person who is a couch potato does not and should not concentrate on anything long.

5. But with every new fashion, there's a reaction. (Para 8)

For every new fashion, there is opposing voice.

6. ... and wear it proudly over the top of their trousers. (Para 10)

As one might proudly wear a team or university T-shirt, the couch potato wears (in an extended sense) his bulging stomach as proof of his inactive lifestyle. The term "telly belly" has also been used to describe the phenomenon that after a television programme on a particular illness doctors find their clinics are full of people saying they have it.

7. Interestingly, this is a highly fashionable style known as a muffin top. Find out why next time you're in Starbucks. (Para 10)

People's stomachs bulge over the top of their trousers just as the edge of a muffin bulges over the top of the cake. The writer suggests anyone who does not understand what he means should go to a Starbucks and compare the men and muffins to understand.

8. ... and generally insulting one's intelligence. (Para 11)

... a statement which is so obviously untrue that the one who makes it must think people who read it are stupid.

9. ... maybe one day you can exchange them for more potato chips at all good computer stores. (Para 12)

The reference is to air miles one can earn when one buys an air ticket, so encouraging one to be loyal to an airline and accumulate enough air miles to get a free ticket or gift.

新闻头条

       世界各地的媒体都以头条报道同一新闻的情形并不很常见。 这样的事件得具有巨大的国际影响力。 但是这正是2001年9月恐怖分子袭击纽约世贸中心双塔之后发生的情形。 从那一刻起世界改变了模样，这样说也许并不夸张。

       但是，使9/11值得纪念并（用媒体喜欢的话来说）具有新闻价值的不仅仅是它的历史性和国际性。 还有震惊和恐惧。 这一消息极度震撼，极具爆炸性。事发多年以后，许多人还能清楚地记得他们第一次听到这一消息时身在何处、当时正在做什么。 他们能记得自己的反应：对世界各地的许多人来说，他们的第一本能是去把这一消息告诉别人。这就证实了那句老话：“坏事传千里”。

       一切重大新闻都是如此。 我记得上小学的时候，老师脸色煞白地向一班吃惊的七岁孩子通报说，肯尼迪总统死了。 我并不知道肯尼迪总统是谁，但是我听到这一消息后非常不安，后来就跑回家去告诉了父母（当然，他们已经知道了）。 事实上，这是我最早的记忆之一。

       那么，新闻到底是什么？ 一个事件光有客观重要性显然还不够——世界上有大量全球性的大问题，都会造成戏剧性的后果，从贫困问题到全球变暖问题——但由于它们都是进行中的，并不都会在同一天成为头条。对比之下，9/11不仅具有国际性，而且奇特怪异、出人意料，还（可能使读者对身陷那场悲剧中的人们的痛苦感同身受，从这个意义上讲）极具人性。

       奇特怪异并不意味着重大。 就拿今天的《中国日报》上关于一只老鼠延误了一架从越南飞至日本的航班这条消息为例吧。 在河内机场有人发现那只老鼠在一架飞机的过道里奔跑。 它最终被12 名技术人员合力逮住，他们怕它会咬破电线，造成短路。 飞机晚点了四个多小时才起飞。

       你也许会说，这并不是具有重大国际影响的事件（除了少数乘客到另一国赴约迟到以外）。但是全球却颇有反响，从亚洲经苏格兰到美洲的电子版报纸都有转载（《爱丁堡晚报》的标题是《捉老鼠延误航班》）。

       新闻价值的另一个元素是即时性。 这是指事件发生的时间近。 一周前发生的事件一般来说就不是新闻了——除非你刚刚读到它。 “何时”是受训记者常被教导用以勾勒新闻故事的五个“何”问题之一（其余是“何人”、“何事”、“何地”和“何故”）；今天、今晨、昨天很可能在新闻报道所使用的时间副词中名列前茅。 同样，即将发生的事件（今天、今晚或今夜）也可能具有新闻价值，虽然，从定义上讲，它不出人意外，也就不那么耸人听闻了。

       说到即时性，能够实时播报新闻的媒体，如电视、广播和互联网，就比报纸的优势大多了。 眼看着事件在你眼前展开与次日早餐时在报上读到它的感觉大不相同。 但是，电视新闻未必比报纸报道更客观或更可靠，因为你在屏幕上看到的图像是经记者或编辑根据特殊的目的，或至少是按照预定指示筛选过的；它们是从一个独特的视点展现给观众的。 如果把摄像机移到别的地方，你就会看到另一番景象。 这就是为什么人们通常会谈到“媒体霸权”——或多或少地暗中影响公众。

       但也许在第三个千年，这种权力正在减弱，或至少下放给普通民众。 个人博客的大量出现，通过像YouTube这样的网站自我广播的可能性，以及权限开放网页（wiki网）的增长都意味着任何人有任何话要说——或有任何东西要展示——现在都能立刻让全世界的观众看到。

       当然，这并不意味着报纸和电视即将在一夜之间消失。 但是，在它们永不休止的搜寻有趣新闻——奇特怪异、出人意外和极具人性的新闻——的过程中，报纸和电视将越来越多地借助网站来收集资料，为全球信息网络提供极具地方色彩的视角。

在时间中穿行

小说中的时间旅行

       伍迪•艾伦作有一篇格调轻快的短篇小说，题为《库格马思趣事》，写一个名叫库格马思的男人利用魔术师珀斯基发明的时间旅行盒去拜访文学作品中的著名人物。 他发觉自己被瞬间遥运到19世纪的法国，与包法利夫人开始一段艳遇。 可是，在另一个世界待了一段时间之后，他对埃玛•包法利感到厌倦了，就要求回到现时。 珀斯基同意了。 不可避免地，库格马思又感到厌倦了，就要求回到包法利夫人那里去。 可不幸的是，他刚进去盒子就爆炸了。库格马思发现自己并未回到文学世界，而是落入一册名叫《西班牙语补习》的旧课本里，被一个不规则动词追得到处跑。

       这是一个超现实的梦幻故事，自1895年H. G.威尔斯写《时间机器》以来，类似的故事在许多小说中出现过。

祖母悖论及其他反驳

       但是，在现实生活中，瞬间遥运和时间旅行可能发生吗？ 多年来，这一问题一直挑战着科学家。 认为时间旅行不可能的主要论点是祖母悖论。 假如你回到过去，你就可能阻止你的祖母遇见你的祖父，那么你的母亲就不会出生，你也不会出生。

       另一种反驳是，假如我们能够制造一台时间机器，我们就能够到未来任何地方去，然后回到我们的起点。 可是在时间机器造好之前，我们无法用它回到过去。

爱因斯坦、万有引力与黑洞

       可是，近来量子物理学的发展结合爱因斯坦的研究成果暗示，时间旅行也许不限于虚构世界。 爱因斯坦的广义相对论创造了四维的空间时间概念。 空间时间是平的，除非有一个重物，比如太阳，把它压弯。 这种变形效果即产生万有引力。 因为宇宙充满了产生万有引力的重物体，所以空间时间不是平的，而是一连串不规则的弧形。 我们知道这一点，是因为天文学家能看见理应被较近的物体遮蔽的遥远的恒星。 从这些恒星发出的光不是沿直线运动的，而是绕过阻碍直线运动的物体沿弧线运动。

       爱因斯坦的等式（爱因斯坦的相对论）进一步暗示，恒星到达生命的终点时，会向内塌陷，其构成物质会缩聚成一个比原来要小得多的密度极大的物体，即变成一个黑洞，任何物体也无法从中逃脱。 黑洞中心是一个密度无限大的点，叫做奇点，在其中一切正常的物理学定律都不管用。 一切物质、能量、时间和空间都被吸引向奇点，然后瞬间从另一边出去，我们或许可以把这叫做平行宇宙。

量子理论和爱因斯坦

       根据量子理论，量子物体如电子或光子有时表现得像波浪，或像微粒，但绝不同时既像波浪又像微粒，从而支持着这种平行宇宙观念。 想想当一束电子波通过电视屏幕塌陷成一个微粒点时会发生什么。 有些科学家一直对塌陷前后瞬间的情况感兴趣。 现在把这一想法扩大到黑洞，我们就能明白，在黑洞之外可能存在另一个宇宙。

       现在，根据爱因斯坦的狭义相对论，时间可以缓慢地穿过黑洞——令人吃惊的是，正是从这一点，我们开始看到时间旅行的可能性。 假如说量子物体在一时一地缓慢地穿过黑洞，那么在另一时间另一地点，它们正穿过另一黑洞。

       量子理论还说明，当量子物体面临何去何从的选择时，宇宙便分裂开来，以使其选择所提供的各种可能性。 当一个宇宙中具有一套相对维度的量子物体能够进入另一个具有另一套相对维度的宇宙时，两个宇宙间的干扰就可能发生。 这导致宇宙自身分裂成无数小宇宙的观念。

平行宇宙

       那么我们如何解答祖母悖论？假如我们旅行到过去，我们会发现自己是在一个平行宇宙中的新的未来之中。 所以，我们在那里的所作所为对我们自己的现在宇宙不会有任何影响。 这也回答了千百年来的古老问题：“未来是前定的吗？”

       当然，这只是理论。 实际上，我们尚未掌握必要的技术，目前还无法制造出可使我们克服黑洞的非凡力量在时间中旅行的机器。 但是在物理学中没有什么样的定律可以阻止我们在未来实现这一目标。

这位是桑迪

       我的朋友向生人介绍我的时候，虽然我嘴上从不说什么，但我心里喜欢得很。 我喜欢他们说“这位是桑迪——她是聋子”的时候脸上那副骄傲和荣耀的表情，就好像我证明了他们的仁德善心一样。 我也喜欢生人脸上那瞬间的震惊表情、匆忙的微笑和他们竭力装出的“正常脸色”。 如果他们这套仪式做得够好，我就会微微转过头，把头发掖到离他们较近的那只耳朵后面。 他们总会说些好话，夸我的粉红色助听器，我的朋友们则在一旁灿烂地微笑。

       实际上，我在考虑开始收藏助听器。 它们是比耳环更好的首饰。 我曾经看到过一款“一夹得”带罩助听器的广告图片，产品有各种各样的形状和颜色，绝对时髦。 那就像我们上高中的时候，埃斯特的爸爸给她买的精美昂贵的手提包一样。 那时，我们其他人只有羡慕的份儿，却无法仿效，因为我们的老爸没那么多钱去娇惯我们。 而现在，只有我能戴助听器。 朋友们也就只有羡慕的份儿了。

       说实话，我挺喜欢耳聋的。 在那次车祸和愚蠢的安全气囊破裂之后的头几年，日子不好过，但是现在，耳聋让我在朋友中显得很特别。 我的好朋友没有一个是听力残障的，因为我不是天生耳聋，在我失去听觉的时候，我已经有了一个固定的朋友圈。 他们中的多数人都热心积极地参加这场“表演”。

       你知道，在你谈论朋友时，你会把称他们为“酒吧侍者德鲁”、“女权主义者卡罗尔”、“能用舌头给樱桃梗打结的家伙格雷格”等等。我是“聋女桑迪”。 我喜欢这个称呼。 我没有任何其他突出的个性或能耐。 从来没有过。

       还不仅仅是与众不同。 我确信，假如我不戴粉红色助听器的话，我生活中的许多重大事件就不会以同样的方式发生或产生同样的结果。 例如，跟柯林之间的事儿。

       我初次遇见柯林是在一次公寓派对上。 女权主义者卡罗尔给我们彼此做了介绍之后，我把头发拢到两耳之后，凑得更近些，不是因为他把那套仪式做得特别好，而是因为他是个情种。 谁都能注意到在不可避免的惊讶之后他脸上恢复的微笑。

       握手之后，我们去拿喝的。在临时搭建的吧台和沙发之间的某个地方，卡罗尔不见了。

       “你通常都像这样读唇语吗？还是也用手语？”过了一会儿他问。

       我告诉他说：“我多数时间只读唇语，因为这比用手语更容易，但这不是我一直盯着你的嘴唇的唯一原因。”

       他大笑起来。 我们又说了一会儿话。后来，主人放大音乐的音量，调暗“舞池”的灯光；我不得不凑近他，很近很近，以便能在昏暗中接着读他的唇语。 我的确读到了他的唇语。

       我们照例交换了电话号码。一周之后，柯林做了件不可思议的事：他打来了电话。 我们出去玩了，发现对方在大白天依然好看，因此彼此感觉满意。我又读了更多的唇语。 在两个月之内，柯林和我就开始约会了。

大学已经不再特别了

有这么一种说法：“要是你能记得20 世纪60 年代的任何事情，你就没有真正经历过那段岁月。”对于在大麻烟雾中度过大学时光的那些人，这话可能是真的。但是，20 世纪60 年代有一件事人人都记得，那就是：上大学是你一生中最激动人心、最刺激的经历。20 世纪60 年代，加州的高校把本州变成了世界第七大经济实体。然而，加州大学的主校园伯克利分校也以学生示威、罢课以及激进的政治氛围而著名。1966 年，罗纳德·里根竞选加州州长，他问加州是否允许“一所伟大的大学被喧闹的、持不一意见的少数人征服。”自由派人士回答说，大学之所以伟大正是因为它们有能力容忍喧闹的、持不同意见的少数人。在欧洲的大学校园里，大学生以新的姿态和激情地投入到自由和正义的事业中去，大规模的社会主义或共产主义运动引发了他们与当权者之间日益升级的暴力冲突。许多抗议是针对越南战争的。可是在法国，巴黎大学的学生与工会联盟，发动了一场大罢工，最终导致了戴高乐总统辞职。20 世纪60 年代大学生活的特点并不仅仅是激进的行动。不论在什么地方，上大学都意味着你初次品尝真正自由的滋味，初次品尝深更半夜在宿舍或学生活动室里讨论人生意义的滋味。你往往得上了大学才得以阅读你的第一本禁书，看你的第一部独立影人电影，或者找到和你一样痴迷吉米·亨德里克斯或伦尼·布鲁斯的志同道合者。那是一段难以想象的自由时光，你一生中最无拘无束的时光。

可如今那份激情哪儿去了？大学怎么了？现在，政治、社会和创造意识的觉醒似乎不是凭借大学的助力，而是冲破其阻力才发生的。当然，一点不假，高等教育仍然重要。例如，在英国，布莱尔首相几乎实现了到2010 年让50％的30 岁以下的人上大学的目标，（即使愤世嫉俗的人会说，这是要把他们排除在失业统计数据之外）。不过，大学教育已不再是全民重视的话题了。如今，大学被视为人们急于逃离的一种小城镇。有些人辍学，但大多数已经有些麻木，还是坚持混到毕业，因为离开学校实在是太费事了。

没有了20 世纪60 年代大学生发现的令人头脑发热的自由气氛，如今的大学生要严肃得多。英国文化促进会最近做了一项调查，研究外国留学生在决定上哪所大学时考虑的因素。这些因素从高到低依次是：课程质量、就业前景、学费负担、人身安全问题、生活方式，以及各种便利。大学已变成实现目的的手段，是在就业市场上增加就业几率的一个机会，上大学本身不再是目的，它给你提供一个机会，让你暂时想象一下：你能够改变世界。童年与大学之间的距离已缩小了，大学与现实世界之间的距离也缩小了。其中的一个原因可能是经济方面的。在一个没有保障的世界里，现在的许多孩子依赖父母资助的时间比以前的孩子更长。21世纪的学生大学毕业后根本无法自立门户，因为那太昂贵了。另一个可能的原因是通讯革命。儿子或女儿每学期往家里打一两回电话的日子一去不复返了。如今，大学生通过手机与父母保持着脐带式联系。至于寻找痴迷无名文学或音乐的同道好友嘛，没问题，我们有互联网和聊天室来帮助我们做到这一点。

“在那黎明时分活着是至福，

但年轻就等于身在天堂！”

华兹华斯的诗句说的可能是法国大革命，但是对于20 世纪60 年代的大学生而言，这样的诗