U08_Why_Nothing_Works(2)

Unit8WhyNothingWorksbyMarvinHarrisphonographphonographCassetterecorderCDPlayerWalkmanCDWalkmanMp3PlayerMP4MarvinHarris(1927-2001)•Dr.Harris,whocalledhisapproach“culturalmaterialism,”(allhumancultureisshapedmostsignificantlybytheenvironmentinwhichhumanslive)wasananthropology(人类学家)professoratColumbiaUniversityfrom1953until1980,includingthreeyearsasdepartmentchairman.From1980until2000,heheldagraduateresearchprofessorshipattheUniversityofFlorida.MainIdea•Thistextinformsthereaderofthefactthattherelationshipbetweenproducersandconsumershasbecomemoreandmoreloosened(松散).ThisfactleadstotheresultthattheMurphy‘slaw(墨菲法则)takeseffecteverywhere.IntheendtheauthorexpresseshisconcernabouttheeffectofMurphy’slawongoodsintoday’sindustrialsociety.2.StructureofText1•PartⅠ:(para.1)Theauthorintroducesthetheme(主题)ofthearticlebyquoting(引用)Murphy’sLaw.•PartⅡ:(para.2-4)Theauthorattemptstoillustratehispointthatthequalityofcertaingoodsrevealtherelationshipbetweenproducerandconsumer.•PartⅢ:(para.5)TheauthorexpresseshisconcernabouttheeffectofMurphy’sLawonthequalityofthegoodsintoday’sindustrialsociety.Paragraph1•1.Attribute:v.regardsomethingasbelongingto,causedbyorproducedby认为某事物属于某人，认为某事物由某人引起或产生attributesthtosb/sth•E.g.:ThisplayisusuallyattributedtoShakespeare.这个剧本通常认为是莎士比亚作的。•N.aqualityorfeature,especiallyonethatisconsideredtobegoodoruseful•E.g.Whatattributesshouldagoodmanagerpossess?•2.Savant:apersonhavinggreatknowledgeofsomesubject专家，学者，博学之士•3.Corollary:anidea,anargument,orafactthatnaturallyfollowssomethingelse必然的结果，自然的结果•4.shoddy:ofpoorqualityorbadlymade劣质的/粗制滥造的•E.g.:shoddyworkmanship劣等工艺•5.CorollariestoMurphy’sLawsuggestthemselvesascluestotheshoddygoodsproblem:FromMurphy’sLawwemayfindanswerstotheproblemofbadlymadegoods.•根据一位仅知其名为墨菲的学者所归纳的法则，“任何东西如果会出毛病的话，它迟早要出毛病的。”据此得出的推论可以有助于解释次品问题：会出故障的终归要出故障；会停止运转的终归要停止运转。虽然墨菲的理论不能被完全推翻，但是效应通常可以推迟发生Murphy'slaw•TheoriginalMurphy‘slawreads:Iftherearetwoormorewaystodosomething,andoneofthosewayscanresultinacatastrophe(大灾难),thensomeonewilldoit.•EdwardA.Murphy,Jr.wasoneoftheengineersontherocketexperimentsthatweredonebytheU.S.AirForcein1949totesthumanaccelerationtolerances(对加速度的忍耐力).Oneexperimentinvolvedasetof16accelerometers(加速度计)mountedtodifferentpartsofthesubject‘s(受测试的人)body.Thereweretwowayseachsensorcouldbeglued(用胶水粘)toitsmount(底座),somebodymethodically(有条不紊地;)installed(安装)all16thewrongwayaround.CorollariestoMurphy’sLaw•1.Whenworkingonaproject,ifyouputawayatoolthatyou'recertainyou'refinishedwith,youwillneeditinstantly.•2.Ifyouexplainsoclearlythatnobodycanmisunderstand,somebodywill.•3.Inahierarchicalorganization,thehigherthelevel,thegreatertheconfusion.•4.Oftwopossibleevents,onlytheundesiredonewilloccur.•5.Thenicersomeoneis,thefartheraway(s)heisfromyou.•6.福无双降，祸不单行。•7.屋漏偏逢连夜雨，船迟偏遭打头风•6.…untiladecentintervalhaselapsed:untilasufficientlylongperiodoftimehaspassed.•Thebasicmeaningofdecentis“proper;sociallyacceptable,”•e.g.,decentbehavior,decentclothing.•Inthiscontext,adecentintervalsuggeststhattheamountoftimeshouldbelongenoughforpeopletoacceptasproper.•7.Elapse:Thiswordisusedtoindicatethepassingoftime(时间)消逝,过去,流逝•e.g.,threeweeks/fourmonths/twoyearshaveelapsed.•8.(ll.5-7)“Muchofhuman….elapsedaftertheirmanufacture.”•P:Peoplespendmuchoftheirlifetimetryinghardtokeepthingsingoodshape.Theythinkaproduct,afterleavingitsfactory,shouldlastatleastareasonablylongperiodbeforeceasingtowork.•人类在其生存中花费大量的时间和精力，力图保证其生产的物品能在尽可能长时间里不发生故障，不破碎或者不停止运转。•9.forestall:preventordefeat(apersonorhisplans)byactingfirst（用先发制人的手段）预先阻止•E.g.:ForestallingMurphy’sLaw:preventingMurphy’sLawfromtakingeffect.•10.commitment:(inthiscontext)obligationordeterminationtoforestallMurphy’sLaw.Originallycommitmentreferstotheactofpledgingordevoting(oneself)toacourseofaction(承诺，许诺).•e.g.,acommittededucationist(忠诚的教育家).•11.Gadget:asmallusefulandwell-designedtoolormachine小器具,小配件,小玩意,诡计•12.(LL.7-8)“Forestalling…commitment.”•P:DelayingtheeffectofMurphy’sLawthataffectproductsdemandshumanwisdom,skill,anddevotedness.马菲的法则也适用于我们的产品，没有适度的智慧，技能和责任感是无法推翻它的。•13.dothetrick:(informal)tofulfillone’spurposeorintention(口)有效，达到目的•E.g.:Thismedicineoughttodothetrick(=curethedisease).•14.Subject:adj.tobecontrolledby•15.“Butgadgets…Murphy’sLaw.”(ll.10-11)P:Quality-controlinstrumentsandtestingdevicesarealsogovernedbyMurphy’sLaw,sotheyarenotreliable.16.maintenance:theactofkeepingingoodorder/conditionbyregularlycheckingit•E.g.:Youmaybeabletoaffordasecondhandautomobile,butitsmaintenancemaycostyoualot.•17.Gauge：标准尺,规格,量规,量表•E.g.airpressuregauge气压计•Oilgauge：油表Paragraph2•1.Artifact:anobjectthatismadebyman,suchasatooloradecoration,especiallyonethatisofhistoricalinterest人工制品;手工艺品•E.g.:Variousartifactsofprehistorictimeswerediscoveredduringtheexcavation.•2.Dispel:remove(falsebelief,doubt,fear)byprovingthemwrong驱散,赶跑•E.g.:Hisencouragingwordsdispelledallmydoubtsaboutmyowninability.•3.“Asinglevisit…dependentontechnology.”(ll.16-7)•P:Lookattheartifactsofthepre-industrialeraexhibitedinamuseumandyouwillseethattechnologyisnotthefactorthatdecidesthequalityoftheseitems.•4.wehonorthelabel“handmad