高级英语--新编英语教程5-课文+翻译-unit10

Unit10Things:TheThrow-awaySocietybyAlvinToffler“Barbie,”atwelve-inchplasticteen-ager,isthebestknownandbest-sellingdollinhistory.Sinceitsintroductionin1959,theBarbiedollpopulationoftheworldhasgrownto12,000,000—morethanthehumanpopulationofLosAngelesorLondonorParis.LittlegirlsadoreBarbiebecausesheishighlyrealisticandeminentlydress-upable.Mattel,Inc.,makerofBarbie,alsosellsacompletewardrobeforher,includingclothesforordinarydaytimewear,clothesforformalpartywear,clothesforswimmingandskiing.十二英寸高的塑料小人“芭比”曾是历史上最著名最畅销的洋娃娃，自从1959年问世以来，全世界的芭比娃娃的数量增长到1200,0000人—比洛杉矶，伦敦和巴黎任何一个城市的人口还要多。小女孩热衷芭比娃娃是因为他很像真的而且可以任意更换衣服，作为芭比娃娃的生产厂家，Mattel公司还出售芭比的整体衣柜，包括日常便装，正式晚装，泳装和滑雪衫。RecentlyMattelannouncedanewimprovedBarbiedoll.Thenewversionhasaslimmerfigure,“real”eyelashesandatwist-andturnwaistthatmakeshermorehumanoidthanever.Moreover,Mattelannouncedthat,forthefirsttime,anyyoungladywishingtopurchaseanewBarbiewouldreceiveatrade-inallowanceforheroldone.最近Mattel公司推出一款更高级的芭比娃娃，这个新产品身材更苗条，有仿真睫毛，又可以扭转弯曲的腰肢，所有这些特点使其更加人性化。此外，M公司还首次宣布，任何一个购买芭比娃娃的女士都可以获得旧芭比娃娃的折价优惠。WhatMatteldidnotannouncewasthatbytradinginherolddollforatechnologicallyimprovedmodes,thelittlegirloftoday,citizenoftomorrow’ssuper-industrialworld,wouldlearnafundamentallessonaboutthenewsociety:thatman’srelationshipswiththingsareincreasinglytemporary.M公司所没有宣布的是，通过折旧芭比娃娃来销售新款芭比娃娃，今天的小女孩，明天工业化社会的公民就会得出这样一个对社会的基本认识：人类和物品的关系越来越短暂。Theoceanofman-madephysicalobjectsthatsurroundsusissetwithinalargeroceanofnaturalobjects.Butincreasingly,itisthetechnologicallyproducedenvironmentthatmattersfortheindividual.Thetextureofplasticorconcrete,theiridescentglistenofanautomobileunderastreetlight,thestaggeringvisionofacityscapeseenfromthewindowofajet—thesearetheintimaterealitiesofhisexistence.Man-madethingsenterintoandcolorhisconsciousness.Theirnumberisexpandingwithexplosiveforce,bothabsolutelyandrelativetothenaturalenvironment.Thiswillbeevenmoretrueinsuper-industrialsocietythanitistoday.我们周围人造物品的海洋外围还有更广阔的自燃物品的海洋。但是这个技术制造的环境逐渐影响着人类。塑料或混凝土结构，街灯下霓虹闪烁的汽车，从飞机窗口俯瞰到的缓慢移动的城市—这些人类的亲密伙伴。人造物品进入并影响了人类意识，其数量急剧增长，无论是就绝对而言还是相对而言。这种现象在将来的超级工业化社会会更加突出。Anti-materialiststendtoderidetheimportanceof“things.”Yetthingsarehighlysignificant,notmerelybecauseoftheirfunctionalutility,butalsobecauseoftheirpsychologicalimpact.Wedeveloprelationshipswiththings.Thingsaffectoursenseofforeshorteningofourrelationshipswiththingsacceleratesthepaceoflife.唯心主义者试图否认物品的重要性，但是物品是非常重要的，不仅因为它有实用功能，还因为其对精神的影响，我们发展和物品的关系，物品影响我们对关联和断联的意识。他们在情景结构中的作用，我们和物品关系的缩短加快了生活的节奏。Moreover,ourattitudestowardthingsreflectbasicvaluejudgments.NothingcouldbemoredramaticthanthedifferencebetweenthenewbreedoflittlegirlswhocheerfullyturnintheirBarbiesforthenewimprovedmodelandthosewho,liketheirmothersandgrandmothersbeforethem,clutchlingeringlyandlovinglytothesamedolluntilitdisintegratesfromsheerage.Inthisdifferenceliesthecontrastbetweenpastandfuture,betweensocietiesbasedonpermanence,andthenew,fast-formingsocietybasedontransience.此外，我们对物品的态度反映了基本的价值评判。有的小女孩兴高采烈的把她们的芭比娃娃换成新款高级的娃娃，有的小女孩象她们的母亲和祖母年少时一样，终日抱着同一个娃娃，形影不离，爱不释手，直到长大后娃娃从生活中消失，没有什么比这更具有戏剧性的对比了。这种不同在于过去和未来的对比，对于永久的社会和新的变幻无常的社会的对比。Thatman-thingrelationshipsaregrowingmoreandmoretemporarymaybeillustratedbyexaminingtheculturesurroundingthelittlegirlwhotradesinherdoll.ThischildsoonlearnsthatBarbiedollsarebynomeanstheonlyphysicalobjectsthatpassintoandoutofheryounglifeatarapidclip.Diapers,bibs,papernapkins,Kleenex,towels,non-returnablesodabottles—allareusedupquicklyinherhomeandruthlesslyeliminated.Cornmuffinscomeinbakingtinsthatarethrownawayafteroneuse.Spinachisencasedinplasticsacksthatcanbedroppedintoapanofboilingwaterforheating,andthenthrownaway.TVdinnersarecookedandoftenservedonthrow-awaytrays.Herhomeisalargeprocessingmachinethroughwhichobjectsflow,enteringandleaving,atafasterandfasterrateofspeed.Frombirthon,sheisinextricablyembeddedinathrow-awayculture.观察一下旧芭比换新芭比的小女孩身后的文化就可以看出人类和物品间的关系越来越短暂，这些孩子很快会知道有很多物品以极快的速度进入并离开他们的生活，不只是芭比娃娃。纸尿裤，围裙，纸巾，手绢，非循环使用的苏打汽水瓶—所有这些在她家被迅速使用，有的被无情的丢弃。玉米松饼放进一次性的烤罐，菠菜放进塑料袋中，这种塑料袋可以一起放进沸水锅中加热然后丢弃。电视上的烹饪节目也经常使用一次性的碟子。她的家就是一个大型处理机器，通过这个机器，物品以越来越快的速度不断流动，进入又离开，从出生开始，她就被包围在一次性的文化中。Theideaofusingaproductonceorforabriefperiodandthenreplacingit,runscountertothegrainofsocietiesorindividualssteepedinaheritageofpoverty.NotlongagoUrielRone,amarketresearcherfortheFrenchadvertisingagencyPublicis,toldme:“TheFrenchhousewifeisnotusedtodisposableproducts.Shelikestokeepthings,evenoldthings,ratherthanthrow-awaycurtain.Wedidamarketingstudyforthemandfoundtheresistancetoostrong.”Thisresistance,however,isdyingalloverthedevelopedworld.对一次性物品的使用让人想到了粮食问题和祖祖辈辈生活在贫困中的人，不久前，法国广告代理公司P的一位市场调查员UR告诉我:“法国的家庭主妇并不习惯于使用一次性的产品，她们喜欢把东西留着，即使是旧物品也不会丢。我们代表公司宣传一种一次性的塑料窗帘。我们队她们作市场调查，却发现她们的抵制情绪很强。”这种抵制在其他发达国家越来越少了。Thusawriter,EdwardMaze,haspointedoutthatmanyAmericansvisitingSwedenintheearly1950’swereastoundedbyitscleanliness.“Wewerealmostawedbythefactthattherewerenobeerandsoftdrinkbottlesbytheroadsides,as,muchtoourshame,therewereinAmerica.Butbythe1960’sloandbehold,bottlesweresuddenlybloomingalongSwedishhighways…Whathappened?Swedenhadbecomeabuy,usea