- 引領(lǐng)公眾輿論的那些美文(環(huán)球時(shí)代美文讀本)
- 吳中東 宮玉波
- 2555字
- 2020-08-20 09:56:26
01 Righteous Indignation義憤
導(dǎo)讀
這是刊登在《經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家》(The Economist)雜志上的一篇科技類說明文。文中主要論述猴子的公平感——像人一樣,猴子對不公平待遇也有怨恨。一開始文章做了一個類比,講人的公平意識,然后根據(jù)這個類比重點(diǎn)講述猴子的公平意識。第一段以人為類比,人對于不公平待遇的反應(yīng)是非常憤怒,接著指出研究者最近通過對卷尾猴的分組實(shí)驗(yàn)證明這不僅僅是人類的特性,也是猴子的特性。這是研究結(jié)論。后面對有關(guān)實(shí)驗(yàn)的各個方面進(jìn)行敘述:第二段講實(shí)驗(yàn)對象的選定;第三段講實(shí)驗(yàn)的具體內(nèi)容。第四段與第一段相呼應(yīng),并指出卷尾猴的公平感在進(jìn)化上的起源還無法確定。
Everybody loves a fat pay rise. Yet pleasure at your own can vanish if you learn that a colleague has been given a bigger one. Indeed, if he has a reputation for slacking, you might even be outraged. Such behavior is regarded as “all too human”, with the underlying assumption that other animals would not be capable of this finely developed sense of grievance. But a study by Sarah Brosnan and Frans de Waal of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, which has just been published in Nature,suggests that it“all too monkey”, as well.
The researchers studied the behavior of female brown capuchin monkeys. They look cute. They are good-natured, co-operative creatures, and they share their food tardily. Above all, like their female human counterparts, they tend to pay much closer attention to the value of “goods and services” than males. Such characteristics make them perfect candidates for Dr. Brosnan's and Dr. de Waal's study. The researchers spent two years teaching their monkeys to exchange tokens for food. Normally, the monkeys were happy enough to exchange pieces of rock for slices of cucumber. However, when two monkeys were placed in separate but adjoining chambers, so that each could observe what the other was getting in return for its rock, their behavior became markedly different.
In the world of capuchins grapes are luxury goods (and much preferable to cucumbers). So when one monkey was handed a grape in exchange for her token, the second was reluctant to hand hers over for a mere piece of cucumber. And if one received a grape without having to provide her token in exchange at all, the other either tossed her own token at the researcher or out of the chamber, or refused to accept the slice of cucumber. Indeed, the mere presence of a grape in the other chamber (without an actual monkey to eat it) was enough to reduce resentment in a female capuchin.
The researches suggest that capuchin monkeys, like humans, are guided by social emotions. In the wild, they are a co-operative, group-living species. Such co-operation is likely to be stable only when each animal feels it is not being cheated. Feelings of righteous indignation,it seems, are not the preserve of people alone. Refusing a lesser reward completely makes these feelings abundantly clear to other members of the group. However, whether such a sense of fairness evolved independently in capuchins and humans, or whether it stems from the common ancestor that the species had 35 million years ago, is, as yet, an unanswered question.
人人都喜歡大幅加薪,但是當(dāng)你知道一個同事薪水加得比你自己加得多的時(shí)候,這種喜悅感就消失得無影無蹤了。如果這位同事還以懶散出名的話,你甚至?xí)械綗o比憤怒。這種行為被看做“人之常情”,這種說法的潛在假定是認(rèn)為其他動物不可能具有如此高度發(fā)達(dá)的不公平意識。但是由佐治亞州亞特蘭大埃默里大學(xué)的莎拉·布魯斯南和弗蘭斯·德·瓦爾進(jìn)行的一項(xiàng)研究表明,這種行為也是“猴之常情”。這項(xiàng)研究成果剛剛發(fā)表在《自然》雜志上。
研究者們對雌性棕色卷尾猴的行為進(jìn)行了研究。它們看起來很可愛,性格溫順,善于合作,樂于分享食物。最重要的是,就像人類女性們一樣,它們往往比雄性更關(guān)注“商品和服務(wù)”價(jià)值。這些特性使它們成為布魯斯南博士和德·瓦爾博士理想的研究對象。研究者們花了兩年的時(shí)間教這些猴子用代幣換取食物。正常情況下,猴子很愿意用幾塊石頭換幾片黃瓜。但是,當(dāng)兩個猴子被安置在隔開但相鄰的兩個房間里、能夠互相看見對方用石頭換回來什么東西時(shí),猴子的行為就會變得明顯不同。
在卷尾猴的世界里,葡萄是奢侈品(比黃瓜受歡迎得多)。所以當(dāng)一只猴子用一個代幣換回一顆葡萄時(shí),第二只猴子就不愿意用自己的代幣換回一片黃瓜。如果一只猴子根本無須用代幣就能夠得到一顆葡萄的話,那么另外一只就會將代幣擲向研究人員或者扔出房間外,或者拒絕接受那片黃瓜。事實(shí)上,只要在另一房間里出現(xiàn)了葡萄(不管有沒有猴子吃它),就足以引起雌性卷尾猴的怨恨。
研究人員指出,正如人類一樣,卷尾猴也受社會情感的影響。在野外,它們是相互合作的群居動物。只有當(dāng)每只猴子感到自己沒有受到欺騙時(shí),這種合作才可能穩(wěn)定。義憤之情似乎不是人類的專利。拒絕接受較少的報(bào)酬可以讓這些情緒準(zhǔn)確無誤地傳達(dá)給群體中的其他成員。但是這種公平感是在卷尾猴和人類身上各自進(jìn)化而來的,還是源于3500萬年前兩者共同的祖先,還不得而知。
Cloze
完形填空
The researchers suggest that capuchin monkeys, 1 humans, are guided by social emotions. In the wild, they are a co-operative, group-living species. Such co-operation is likely to be stable only 2 each animal feels it is not being cheated. Feelings of righteous indignation, it 3 , are not the preserve of people alone. Refusing a lesser reward completely makes these feelings abundantly clear 4 other members of the group. However, 5 such a sense of fairness evolved independently in capuchins and humans, or whether it stems 6 the common ancestor that the species had 35 million years ago, is, as yet, an unanswered question.
Key
1. like 2. when 3. seems 4. to 5. whether 6. from
Translation Practices
翻譯練習(xí)
(1)Textual Translation(篇章翻譯)
研究者們對雌性棕色卷尾猴的行為進(jìn)行了研究。它們看起來很可愛,性格溫順,善于合作,樂于分享食物。最重要的是,就像人類女性們一樣,它們往往比雄性更關(guān)注“商品和服務(wù)”價(jià)值。這些特性使它們成為布魯斯南博士和德·瓦爾博士理想的研究對象。研究者們花了兩年的時(shí)間教這些猴子用代幣換取食物。正常情況下,猴子很愿意用幾塊石頭換幾片黃瓜。但是,當(dāng)兩個猴子被安置在隔開但相鄰的兩個房間里、能夠互相看見對方用石頭換回來什么東西時(shí),猴子的行為就會變得明顯不同。
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(2)Sentence Translation(句子翻譯)
①子游曰:“喪致乎哀而止。”
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②子游曰:“吾友張也為難能也,然而未仁。”
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③曾子曰:“堂堂乎張也,難與并為仁矣。”
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參考譯文
(1) The researchers studied the behavior of female brown capuchin monkeys. They look cute. They are good-natured, co-operative creatures, and they share their food tardily. Above all, like their female human counterparts, they tend to pay much closer attention to the value of “goods and services” than males. Such characteristics make them perfect candidates for Dr. Brosnan's and Dr. de Waal's study. The researchers spent two years teaching their monkeys to exchange tokens for food. Normally, the monkeys were happy enough to exchange pieces of rock for slices of cucumber. However, when two monkeys were placed in separate but adjoining chambers, so that each could observe what the other was getting in return for its rock, their behavior became markedly different.
(2) ①Zi You said, “When Handling funeral affairs, so long as you fully express your sorrow, that's enough.”
②Zi You said, “My friend Zhang can be reckoned an outstanding person. But even he himself hasn't become a person of humanity.”
③Zeng Zi said, “Zhang bears a grandeur appearance. But it's difficult for anyone to be a man with humanity together with him.”
Emulation
美文自己寫得出——學(xué)生仿寫
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仿寫范例
How to Solve the Problem of the Energy Shortage
It is universally acknowledged that the energy shortage has gradually evolved into a pressing problem in today's world. What state leaders have to acknowledge and accept seems to be that human beings are likely to confront a global energy shortage over the next few decades. The price of crude oil rises to unprecedented height and demand for petroleum continues to soar, especially in emerging economies like China and India. As far as I am concerned, a number of practices should be implemented to relieve impending energy shortage by governments, including the promotion of energy-efficient awareness, restrictions on energy use and the advocates of alternative energies.
First things first, the most fundamental way for governments to address the energy shortage is to better educate the public, especially the younger generation, about the significance of conserving energy. Only when the children come to realize the gravity of the situation do the contemporaries ensure that they will grow to be eco-friendly adults. Furthermore, the media should be highlighted in terms of encouraging the use of energy-efficient practices, for example, programming public service advertising conduces to promoting the use of bicycles instead of cars.
In addition, the implementation of limitations on energy use deserves greater emphasis on tackling the energy problem. Restrictions should be applicable to both individuals and corporations. Personally speaking, energy efficiency can be enhanced by instituting driving restrictions. For example, during the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the driving restrictions were put into effect with the result that the exhaust emissions were effectively reduced and the air quality was conspicuously boosted. As for corporations, the timetables should be given high priority with regard to parking vehicles with the aim of meeting clean-energy standards or companies should comply with new energy policies within the prescribed time.
Last but not least, the alternative energy performs as the effective means of mitigating the energy shortage. Not only does the use of clean energy reduce the air pollution but also create charming living surroundings. Thus, the behavior of conserving energy should be promoted from the perspective of both individuals and businesses. For example, tax rebates will be provided for those who prefer an alternative-energy vehicle and financial or tax incentives are put a premium on those manufacturers that put clean energy technologies to use.
As an old saying goes, “Rome is not built in one day.” It is unlikely to settle the problem of the energy shortage overnight. Therefore, we not only mobilize each government but also advocate the cooperation between governments and the participation of every sector of society aiming at coping with the problem of the energy shortage. They will harvest a lot provided that the public realize the grave seriousness of the energy crisis and work together to alleviate it.