UnitQuick fix society 原文譯文

1、Text A急于求成的社會Quick Fix Society詹妮特·曼德爾·戈德斯坦Janet Mendell Goldstein我和老公在西弗吉尼亞州度了一周的假，剛回來。My husband and I just got back from a week's vacation in West Virginia. 不用說，我們迫不及待地想到那里，于是便走了賓夕法尼亞收費高速公路和幾條州際公路。Of course, we couldnt wait to get there, so we took the Pennsylvania Turnpike and a cou

2、ple of interstates. “看哪，那些美麗的農場！”老公高聲喊道，田園景色以每小時五十五英里的速度在我們身邊滑過。"Look at those gorgeous farms!" my husband exclaimed as pastoral scenery slid by us at 55 mph. “你看見那些奶牛了嗎？”可是，每小時五十五英里的速度，很難看清任何東西。美麗的農場像移動的綠色棋盤，成群的奶牛在后視鏡里縮成了幾個小黑點。 “Did you see those cows?” But at 55 mph, it's difficult t

3、o see anything; the gorgeous farms look like moving green checkerboards, and the herd of cows is reduced to a few dots in the rear-view mirror. 四個小時里，我們唯一真正的樂趣就是數出口的標志，還有就是想再次停車時會有什么樣的感覺。For four hours, our only real amusement consisted of counting exit signs and wondering what it would feel like to

4、 hold still again. I can feel how cold the water is. 我能摸出來這水有多么涼。The water feels warm. 覺得出這水是溫的. This wallet feels to me like leather. 我覺得這錢包像是皮的. It feels like rain. 感覺好像要下雨.How does it feel to be alone all day? 整日獨自一人感覺如何?的確，去那里看上去沒多少快樂，事實上根本就沒一點兒快樂。Getting there certainly didn't seem like hal

5、f the fun; in fact, getting there wasn't any fun at all.所以，該回費城外的家的時候，我堅持要換條路走。So, when it was time to return to our home outside of Philadelphia, I insisted that we take a different route. 我建議說：“咱們去考察一下農村吧?！苯Y果，我們返程的兩天里滿是新鮮的經歷?！癓et's explore that countryside,” I suggested. The two days it to

6、ok us to make the return trip were filled with new experiences. 我們游覽了內戰(zhàn)時的一個戰(zhàn)場，站在了一座小山上。一百二十五年前，也是一個七月炎熱的下午，一萬五千名南部邦聯的士兵曾努力想攻占它，不想他們當中有一半人在徒勞的嘗試中身亡。We toured a Civil War battlefield and stood on the little hill that fifteen thousand Confederate soldiers had tried to take on another hot July afternoon

7、, one hundred and twenty-five years ago, not knowing that half of them would get killed in the vain attempt. 我們駕車緩慢地駛過賓夕法尼亞安靜的德國城的主要街道，將速度降至每小時二十英里，以免和去趕集的馬匹和馬車擠在一起。We drove slowly through main streets of sleepy Pennsylvania Dutch towns, slowing to twenty miles an hour so as not to crowd the horses

8、and horse carriages on their way to market. 在縣城的博物館里，我們欣賞了玩具火車和老式汽車；在工廠的直銷商店里（購物），省了七成的錢。We admired toy trains and antique cars in county museums and saved 70 percent in factory outlets. 在農戶的自助餐廳里，我們飽飽地吃了一頓香料沙拉和家庭自制面包，而后便在外邊閑逛，享受著陽光，欣賞著臥在陽光里的成群奶牛這時可不是小黑點了。We stuffed ourselves with spicy salads and h

9、omemade bread in an "all-you-can-eat" farmhouse restaurant, then wandered outside to enjoy the sunshine and the herds of cowsno little dots this time lying in it. 我們回到家里，恢復了精力，也恢復了活力，還又一次受到教育。這回到那兒的確是快樂啊。We returned home refreshed, revitalized, and reeducated. This time, getting there had

10、been the fun.毫無特色的收費高速公路和州際公路成了我們許多人的專門選擇，這是為什么呢？Why is it that the featureless turnpikes and interstates are the routes of choice for so many of us? 大家為什么不試著放慢速度，去考察一下農村呢？Why doesn't everybody try slowing down and exploring the countryside? 可是，越來越多的情況是，快車道看來成了我們要走的唯一道路。But more and more, the fa

11、st lane seems to be the only way for us to go. 實際上，大多數美國人總是匆匆忙忙而且不光是在從甲地趕到乙地這樣的事上。In fact, most Americans are constantly in a hurryand not just to get from Point A to Point B. 我們的國家已經變成了一個追求速戰(zhàn)速決的國家不止在一個方面。Our country has become a nation in search of the quick fixin more ways than one.不要將來，只求現在：從前，美國

12、人明白“好事多磨”的道理。我們從每次的收入里拿出一小部分，以備不時之需。Now instead of later: Once upon a time, Americans understood the principle of deferred gratification (被推遲的滿足). We put a little of each paycheck away "for a rainy day". 如果我們想要一個新沙發(fā)，或者在湖邊的小屋里過上一周，我們就為此攢些錢。銀行則會提供特別的圣誕購物儲蓄賬戶和度假儲蓄賬戶幫我們渡過難關。If we wanted a new

13、sofa or a week at a lakeside cabin, we saved up for it, and the banks helped us out by providing special Christmas Club and Vacation Club accounts. Christmas Club：美（為圣誕節(jié)購買東西的）圣誕儲蓄金Vacation Club：美（為度假準備的）零存整用儲蓄金如果我們住在鄉(xiāng)下，地方合適，就種下玉米和豆子，耐心地等待著收獲。If we lived in the right part of the country, we planted c

14、orn and beans and waited patiently for the harvest. 如果我們想要瘦一些，我們就少吃一些最喜愛的食物，耐心地等著磅秤降下來，一次降一磅。If we wanted to be thinner, we simply ate less of our favorite foods and waited patiently for the scale to drop, a pound at a time.可是現在，我們沒有這份耐心了。我們不攢錢了，而是去貸款；我們用信用卡去買家具、去度假旅行眼下要放松，以后再付錢。But today we aren

15、9;t so patient. We take out loans instead of making deposits, or we use our credit card to get that furniture or vacation triprelax now, pay later. 我們買食品也像買衣服一樣，都是已經弄好的，現成的。We buy our food, like our clothing, ready-made and off the rack. 如果我們急著要減輕體重，就試用最新的神奇套餐，它保證能在十天之內減去十磅除非我們很有錢，可以去做吸脂手術。If we'

16、;re in a hurry to lose weight, we try the latest miracle diet, guaranteed to take away ten pounds in ten days . unless we're rich enough to afford liposuction.不要緩慢，只求快速：我們不但現在就要，我們甚至不想被動地等待。Faster instead of slower: Not only do we want it now; we don't even want to be kept waiting for it. 這種

17、急躁、“討厭等待”的普遍心態(tài)已經影響了我們生活的各個層面。This general impatience, the "I-hate-to-wait" attitude, has infected every level of our lives. 我們用二十秒從自動取款機里取出二十元錢，而不會去銀行排隊（等候）。Instead of standing in line at the bank, we withdraw twenty dollars in as many seconds from an automatic teller machine. as many: He

18、made six mistakes in as many paragraphs他在6段里錯了6處。We saw three films in as many days. 我們三天里看了三部電影。I waited for seven minutes; they seemed to me as many hours我等了7分鐘，但對我來說，就像等了7個小時。而后我們拿著這快速取出的錢去一家快捷的便利商店（為什么在超市里排隊呢？），購買已經全部包好、隨時可放進微波爐的速凍晚餐除非我們不介意等那么長時間買些快餐來代替。Then we take our fast money to a fast conv

19、enience store (why wait in line at the supermarket?), where we buy a frozen dinner all wrapped up and ready to be put into the microwave . unless we don't care to wait even that long and pick up some fast food instead. I shall go there tomorrow unless I'm too busy.除非我太忙，否則明天我將到那里去。明天我將到那里去，除

20、非我太忙。如果我不太忙，明天將到那兒去。Unless you go at once you will be late.除非你馬上走，否則你會遲到的。你會遲到啦，除非你馬上走。如果你不馬上走，就會遲到的。We buy a frozen dinner all wrapped up and ready to be put into the microwave . unless we don't care to wait even that long and pick up some fast food instead. 我們購買已經全部包好、隨時可放進微波爐的速凍晚餐除非我們不介意（愿意）等

21、很長時間買些快餐來代替。如果我們不愿意等很長時間買些快餐來代替，我們就購買已經全部包好、隨時可放進微波爐的速凍晚餐假如吃了快餐感覺不適，我們趕緊去藥箱里找藥，為了你猜對了找點快速鎮(zhèn)痛劑（藥）。If our fast meal doesn't agree with us, we hurry to the medicine cabinet foryou guessed itsome fast relief. （牛津）：doctors working for the relief of suffering, hardship, etc 為解除病痛、痛苦等而工作的醫(yī)生我們喜歡快照，于是就購買寶

22、麗來（拍立得）照相機。We like fast pictures, so we buy Polaroid cameras. 我們喜歡快捷的娛樂，于是便用錄像機將最喜愛的電視節(jié)目錄制下來。We like fast entertainment, so we record our favorite TV show on the VCR. 我們也喜歡能快速傳送的信息，例如電腦屏幕上閃現的消息、從你的傳真機傳到我的傳真機上的文件、“目擊者新聞”節(jié)目里九十秒快速時事報道，以及濃縮成“二百年難忘瞬間”的歷史。We like our information fast, too: messages flashe

23、d on a computer screen, documents faxed from your telephone to mine, current events in 90-second bursts on Eyewitness News, history reduced to "Bicentennial Minutes". burst: a burst of anger, enthusiasm, etc怒火、熱情等的迸發(fā)；a burst of applause 一陣歡呼bursts of news: 新聞快速廣播作為象征，“美國之鷹”正在為“郵政速遞”飛翔。有誰還敢

24、讓美國多等一晚上？Symbolically, the American eagle now flies for Express Mail. How dare anyone keep America waiting longer than overnight?不要透徹，只求膚淺：而且，我們甚至不想徹底了解一個事物。Superficially instead of thoroughly: What's more, we don't even want all of it. 以前，我們仔細閱讀經典小說或最新暢銷書的每一個詞，而現在，由于越快就越好，我們讀濃縮版的書，或者把書的錄音磁帶

25、放進汽車的錄音機里，在上班的路上收聽。Once, we lingered over every word of a classic novel or the latest best seller. Today, since faster is better, we read the condensed version or put a tape of the book into our car's tape player to listen to on the way to work. 要么就是去買克利夫筆記，尤其當我們是學生時。這樣我們就根本不用去閱讀原書了。Or we buy th

26、e Cliff's Notes, especially if we are students, so we don't have to deal with the book at all. Cliffs Notes: a series of reference books written to help undergraduate students to understand and appreciate important literary works. It consists of a chapter-by-chapter detailed summary and comm

27、ent on the work, critical commentary, and essay questions and answers for review. With such notes, the students dont have to read the work itself to be able to write papers and take exams.一套學習指南叢書，其中包括文學、寫作、外語、數學、科學等課程，以及備考和大學課程的學習指南與參考。以前，我們聆聽貝多芬第五交響曲的每一個音符。而現在，我們沒有那個時間了；作為代替，我們可以從古典音樂精華片斷CD上欣賞那段“噠

28、噠噠嘟”主旋律的二十六秒長的片段，CD上還有九十九個同樣著名樂曲的選段。Once, we listened to every note of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Today, we don't have the time; instead, we can enjoy 26 seconds of that famous "da-da-da-DUM" themeand 99 other musical excerpts almost as famouson our Greatest Moments of the Classic

29、 CD. Beethoven 'beituvn n. 貝多芬 (Ludwigvan, 1770-1827, 德國作曲家)Fifth Symphony：第五交響樂，即“命運交響曲”。畢竟，既然有人已經選擇出最優(yōu)秀的部分，為我們省去了的麻煩，干嘛還要浪費四十五分鐘去聽整首曲子呢？After all, why waste 45 minutes listening to the whole thing when someone else has saved us the trouble of picking out the best parts? 像讀者文摘這樣的雜志上的文章，到我們手里時已經

30、被縮簡了。因為有了今日美國報，簡要報道的新聞比以前更簡單了。Our magazine articles come to us pre-digested in Reader's Digest. Our news briefings, thanks to USA Today, are more brief than ever. USA Today今日美國報: 主要有四大特點。一是專門辟有“美國各地”和“世界新聞摘要”專欄，便于讀者從單一一張報紙上了解美國各地及世界上的重大新聞；二是仿效電視氣象預報形式首創(chuàng)了用整版篇幅的彩色氣象圖表報道全國50個州、100多個主要城市天氣趨勢的做法；三是它還

31、獨創(chuàng)了使用生動的彩色圖片和圖表來配合新聞報道，使之圖文并茂，增添了美感，“誘惑”了讀者的讀報欲望和興趣；四是它注重使用簡潔明快的報道文體，偏愛使用短句、短字來濃縮文章，有時，一兩句話就構成了一條新聞，這樣就充分節(jié)省了篇幅，便于登載盡可能多的信息，以突出其綜合性大報的特點。甚至我們的人際關系也被壓縮了。我們不再每天花很多時間陪伴我們的親人，而是代之以所謂的“寶貴時光”，但這種時間往往根本就是沒時間。Even our personal relationships have become compressed. Instead of devoting large parts of our days

32、to our loved ones, we replace them with something called "quality time", which, more often than not, is no time at all. quality time: time spent giving your full attention to sb, especially to your children after work 在我們匆匆忙忙地看書，再去聽音樂、讀新聞、與人交往的同時，我們沒有認識到，我們是在依照“冰山原理”過日子僅僅注意了冰山的頂端，而忽視了隱蔽在水面

33、下的那九分之八的部分。As we rush from book to music to news item to relationship, we do not realize that we are living our lives by the iceberg principlepaying attention only to the top and ignoring the 8/9 that lies just below the surface. 現在就干的欲望，立刻干完的欲望，對待生活浮光掠影的欲望，這一切都是從什么時候開始的？我們?yōu)槭裁慈绱舜掖颐γΦ厝ス?jié)省時間？When did it all begin, this urge to do it now, to get it over with, to skim the surface of life? Why a