reference translation of A1
>>>>>Week-work1:ThePleasureofWalking
Walkinggivesusbackoursenses.Wesee,hear,smelltheworldaswenevercanwhenweride.Nomatterwhatvehicle,itisthevehiclethatismoving,notourselves.Wearetrappedinsideitsfixedenvironment,andoncewehavetakeninitssensoryaspects–mainlyintermsofcomfortordiscomfort–weturnoffourperceptionsandeithergotosleeporopenamagazineandbegindozingawake.Butwhenwewalk,theenvironmentchangeseverymomentandoursensesarecontinuouslybeingalerted.Aroundeachcornerofacityblock,aroundeachbendinacountryroad,thereissomethingnewtogreettheeyes,theears,thenose.Eventhesamewalk,theonewemaytakeeveryday,isneverthesamefromonedaytoanother,fromoneweekandseasontoanother.
Thisistruenotonlyinthecountry,butanywhereatall.InNewYorkCity,agroupofexecutiveswhomeeteveryweekdaymorningwalkfromtheirhomestotheiroffices.Theirwaytakesthemthroughquietstreetsofoldbrownstones,oneoftheoldestneighborhoodsinthecity,thenupandoverBrooklynBridgewithitscathedralarchessupportingtheweb-likedraperyofcables,thendownintotheskyscrapercanyonsofthefinancialdistrict.
Ontheirdailyroutetheysee,hear,smellthecityinallitsseasonalchanges,underbrightandcloudyskies.Onlythemostinclementweatherstopsthem–suitablydressed,theycanwalkwithpleasureinspringrains,autumndrizzles,thesunlightofasummermorningorasoftwintersnowfall.Theriverwatersrollbybelowtheirfeet,sullenorsparkling.Tugboatschugpast,shovingandhaulingtheirvariouslyladenbarges;onashroudedmorning,foghornshootandmoan.ThefamousskylineoflowerManhattanrisesbeforethem,glitteringinsun,afloatinmist,againstabackdropofskynevertwicethesame.
步行的乐趣
步行能够唤醒我们的知觉。我们听到的、看到的、闻到的世界与我们坐车时感知的世界绝对不一样。无论乘坐什么车,运动的是车,而不是我们自己。我们困在车内固定的环境里,一旦我们留意到它给我们的感觉——主要是舒适与否的感觉——我们的知觉就会关闭,不是睡觉,就是打开一本杂志,昏昏欲睡。
可是当我们步行时,周围的环境每时每刻都在变化,我们的感官也随之不断变得灵敏起来。无论是在城市街区的角落里,还是乡间小路的拐弯处,总有什么新鲜的东西欢迎我们的眼睛、耳朵、鼻子(我们的眼睛、耳朵、鼻子总能捕捉到新鲜事物)。即便行走在我们每天都经过的小路上,我们的感觉也会季季不同,周周不同,甚至日日不同。
这种情况不仅在乡村如此,其他地方也都一样。在纽约有一些公司主管,每个周日(工作日)早晨都结伴从家里步行到办公室上班。一路上他们沿着寂静的小路,穿过纽约市最古老的社区(社区建筑由褐砂石材料建成),然后跨上布鲁克林大桥,穿过桥上支撑着网状般钢缆的教堂式拱门,最后步入金融区内两侧摩天大楼林立的街道。
在每天的路途上,他们用整个身心感受着这座城市的阴晴冷暖,四季变化。只有极其恶劣的天气才会阻止他们步行。他们衣着得体,惬意地行走在蒙蒙春雨中,步行于秋日的毛毛细雨里,漫步在夏日清晨的阳光下,或倘佯于冬天柔软的飘雪间。河水在他们脚下流淌,时而湍急,