Lesson 15 Disappearing Through the Skylight
全文翻译
消失于天窗
小奥斯本·本内特·哈迪森
1.科学具有世界同一性。有一个事实可用来说明这一点：一门科学发展程度越高，其基本概念就越能为人们所接受。举例来说，世界上就只有一种热力学，并不存在什么分立的中国热力学、美国热力学或者苏联热力学。在二十世纪的几十年的时间里，遗传学曾分为两派：西方遗传学和苏联遗传学。后者基于特罗菲尔·李森科的理论，认为环境的影响可能造成遗传基因的变异。今天，李森科的理论已经被推翻，世界也就只有一种遗传学了。
2.作为科学发展的必然产物，工艺技术也同样表现出世界同一性的趋势。这就是为什么技术的普及传播使世界越来越同质化的原因。建筑风格、服饰风格、音乐风格—甚至饮食风格——都愈来愈趋向于统一的国际化风格。世界呈现出同一性特征是因为它本身具有同一性。因而在这样一个世界里成长起来的孩子们感受到的只是雷同而非多样性的世界，也正由于个性被塑造得雷同了，其文化与个体差异感变得越来越小。随着世界各地的建筑越来越干篇一律，居住在这些建筑里的人也越来越千人一面了。这样带来的结果用一句人们已经耳熟能详的话来描述再恰当不过：历史的消失。
3.汽车工业的发展非常清楚地说明了这一点。诸如流线型车身或车身全焊接式组装之类的新技术，一开始可能不被人接受，但如果这种新技术能够极大地提高汽车生产的效率和经济效益的话，它便会不断以各种变异的形式出现，直到最终，人们不仅普遍接受了它的存在，而且还将其公认为是一笔宝贵的财富。当今时代生产的汽车不再表现某一特定汽车公司或是某一特定国家文化的独特特征。一般的汽车虽各有不同，其基本特征整体正却是大同小异。
4.几年前，福特汽车制造公司推出一款号称“世界汽车”的嘉年华新车型。在公司打出的广告中，车身四周花团锦簇插满了世界各国的国旗。福特公司宣称，该汽车的汽缸缸体生产于英国，化油器生产于爱尔兰，变速器生产于法国，轮胎生产于心比利时，等等。
5.现在这种汽车似乎已完全销声匿迹了，但这种制造世界汽车的设想却深入人心。这表明汽车业也像建筑等行业一样在向“国际化风格”的方向发展。嘉年华汽车问世十年后，所有的大型汽车制造公司都走上国际化的道路。美国的汽车制造商在欧洲、亚洲和南美洲都开设了汽车制造厂。欧洲和日本的汽车制造商也在美国、南美洲以及苏联拥有汽车制造厂(菲亚特汽车公司的工人在那儿喝百事可乐来恢复精神)。当时机成熟的时候，这些跨国型的汽车制造公司还将在埃及、印度和中华人民共和国开设汽车生产厂。
6.汽车制造业与建筑业的情形相同。在定的成本投入范围内，同样的技术开发出的产品也大同小异。这一点的直观证据在汽车方面和建筑方面都是显而易见的。今天，如果要你在同等价位的各类汽车中进行选择，从距离五百步的地方看是很难区分各种不同品牌的汽车的。换句话说，那些一直延续到20世纪60年代的独具美国特色的汽车特征——将美国汽车与美国历史联系起来的特征——正在逐渐消失。甚至连德国大众汽车公司的大众甲壳虫汽车也丧失了自身原有的特色，而通过自己的车身变化演示了从达西·汤普森到卡尔·布里尔到费迪南德·保时捷代代相传的流线型汽车设计发展史。
7.人创造了机器，机器反过来也可以塑造其缔造者。当人类将汽车制造得越来越干篇一律，汽车又反过来将那些使用它的人变得千篇一律。正如他们驾驶的世界化汽车一样，现代社会的人也正逐渐趋向于世界同一化。他们不再是性格鲜明的个体，不再带有某个特定地理或文化环境的特质。他们可以从一个装有空调的购物中心逛到另一个购物中心，从一个机场飞到下一个机场，从一个假日酒店到三百英里外的另一家酒店；虽然他们的位置在不断变化，但所处的环境却毫无变化。他们是世界人，他们为此付出的代价是他们不再拥有一个传统意义的家。他们从中得到的好处则是开始怀疑传统意义上的家只能是牢笼的代名词，而现代意义上的家则无处不在，且四周之人尽皆邻友。
8.工艺技术的国际化趋势是不可抗拒的。除非经历核战争的毁灭性灾难，否则，工业技术还将继续塑造现代文明以及生活在这种文明中的现代人的思想意识。
9.这又把我们的注意力带回到艺术和历史方面来了。在回忆弗朗西斯·皮卡比阿和马塞尔·杜尚的早期作品时，加百里埃尔·布菲·皮卡比阿夫人曾对1949年机器美学的发现作过这样的描述：“我还记得那时……每个艺术家都把谴责埃菲尔铁塔当作自己义不容辞的责任，因为它高高矗立在天地间，是对神明的亵渎……机器的发明与进步很快就提出了一些背离传统的主张，首当其冲的便是一种全新的、机动灵活的、超出人的理解力的可塑性……"
10.有一种定义说，艺术不过是一种给真实世界命名的尝试。机器是“真实世界”本身还是仅仅是这个真实世界的表象?难道真实世界这么容易探求得到吗?科学已经证明了世界的非实在性。这就动摇了人们的一个信念：物质的客观实在性。同时，科学又创造出了潜存于客观现实之中的各种不同种类和范畴的真实世界的形象。细胞、分子或是银河系这些物体形象会比机器的形象更真实吗?科学还创造出了纯属人造物的形象。想象中的龙的形象会比分子的形象更接近现实还是更远离现实呢?
11.现代科学怀疑世界万物的客观实在性，这就表明需要重新评估艺术的人文特性。艺术的人文特性以康定斯基在《论艺术中之精神性》一书中的理论为代表。他认为，美的艺术是“源于内在需要，而这种内在需要又源自人的灵魂深处”。现代艺术所描绘的是一个真实性不是存在于自然、外在可见的物质世界，而是从灵魂或心灵所反应出来的现实。这是个完全丧失了历史的世界，因为它只是一种感知的形势而没有内涵。
12.因此，历史的消失是一种解放——正如布菲皮卡比阿夫人所说的：“一种全新的、机动灵活的、超出人的理解力的可塑性”的发现。与科学相似，现代艺术也往往以消遣的方式来表达这种解放——在绘画艺术方面，以毕加索和琼·米罗的嬉戏性作品为例；在诗歌艺术方面，以达达派的朦胧诗以及诸如华莱士·斯蒂文斯的《C字母一样的喜剧演员》一类的讽刺滑稽史诗为代表。
13.现代美学的嬉戏性归根到底是其最显著的，也是最严肃的，而且势必也是最令人不安的特征。这种嬉戏性正是模仿了产生了博弈论、虚拟粒子和黑洞的科学的荒诞性，并通过把人的生长基因植入牛体，迫使伦理学的研究者重新审定同类相食的定义。嬉戏性在现代美学中的重要性无须惊叹。它体现在现代所有发达国家的城市建筑中。在这些城市里，总会有一些后现代主义和新现代主义风格的奇形怪状的建筑物，同时各种风马牛不相及的建筑风格被奇妙地拼凑到一起，而这恰恰※是拼贴画式的城市和无计划的大杂烩城市的典型表现。
14.当今世界的现代文化包括国际化风格的几何学、幻想式的正面图案以及体现着改良艺术的主题公园和博物馆建筑群。这种文化有时装作是静态不变的，但实际上却是动态变化的。包含这种文化特点的建筑物给人一种飘摇、浮动的感觉，在它上面梦幻般地映射着周围发生的一切。这种文化以线条的形式，通过各种管道、州际公路和高压输电线路展示出来。它也以富有艺术性的流线型克莱斯勒公司的气流汽车、波音747飞机以及蚀刻在集成电路板上的精细印刷电路图案来展示。同时，它还把其磅礴冷酷的特性，通过油轮、推土机、网格拱形湾顶的焊接钢梁以及月球探测车等形式展示出来。它的音、像形式复杂多变，完全不同于我们肉眼所看到的周围世界的自然景物。
15.现代文化是一个人性化的世界，只不过这里的人性化并不是人们想象的那种模样。它所展现的形象不是莱昂纳多·达·芬奇自画像上那种倦怠消瘦的脸孔，更不是每天清晨从浴室镜子里见到的睡眼惺松、毫无激情的面容。这些都是历史的真实面目。与此不同，现代文化是一种永远具有嬉戏性而又生机蓬勃的力量。这种力量总会无视已经存在的某种秩序，而建立起新的秩序；而且，在建立起这种新的秩序后，反完全有可能打破这种秩序另建一套全新的秩序，如此周而复始，无休无止。就像一个小孩用积木搭起一个结构】然后纯粹为了好玩毫无恶意地把它毁掉再重新开始一样。正是这种力量的形象鲜明地展示了人性的特点。
16.十九世纪的银行多是以大理石或花岗石砌成的新古典式建筑，正面装饰着一排排粗重的廊柱。它们是在向世人宣告：“我们坚如磐石；我们永不衰朽；我们像历史一样令人信赖。您的钱存放在我们的保险库里绝对完全。”
17.现在的银行不是一些钢架玻璃建成的直耸入云端的高楼大厦，就是一些门前装有像插卡机一样的终端设备的商店门面，或是一些停放在市郊购物中心停车场上的挂车式活动房屋。
18.原先的保险库如今已被磁带所取代。钱在电脑中变成了一系列数字信号，根据帐号业务的变动，不断地被其他的电脑录入、删除、处理、再处理并加以修改。现代银行向世人宣告的是：“我们抽象如艺术，无形如水晶宫。如果说我们存在的话，我们就是那无形的媒介，通过这种媒介您的交易得以进行，您的财富得以增值。”
19.也许这就可以成为现代美学发展的逻辑上的极限。如果这样的话，这个极限点离我们还很遥远，但其大致形象透过路上的氤氲薄雾已依稀可辨。正如自然的本质在人脑中逐渐消失一样，也许我们可以说，现代银行也正逐渐消失于自己的天窗。
(摘自《消失于天窗》)
练习答案
Ⅱ.
A.
1.There are broad agreements about the basic concepts of science,for example,thereis only a single science of thermodynamicswhose basic concepts are accepted by all countries,including such diverse countries as China,America or the Soviet Union.For ashort time there were two genetics,a Soviet genetics as proposed by Lysenko and a Western genetics.However,Soviet Lysenko'stheories were refuted and in 1956 the Soviet Union accepted the Western genetic concepts.
2.It makes the world look more and more uniform.Different styles in architecture,dress,music and eating that exist in variouscountries and among different people are tending to disappear.They are being replaced by more unifom styles or world styles.Thehouses the people live in,the cars they drive,etc.,are becomingmore alike.
3.A technological innovation in the manufacture of automobiles like streamlining or allwelded body construction may be initiated byone company in one country,but when it proves to make cars more efficient and cheaper,it is soon adopted universally by allautomobile manufacturers.Today,the basic features of an automobile are to be found in autonobls m general,no matter whomakes them.Besides this feature,all large automakers are now intemational companies,Americans have auto plants in Europe,Asiaand South America,and Europeans and Japanese have plants in America and South,America and so on.
4.He drives cars that have the same basic features.When he goes shopping,helinds the climate in l the shops is the same becausethey are al similarly air-conditioned.When he travels he finds allthe airports jo be familiar because they are all onstructed alongsimilar lines and the hotels to have the same amenities.In a word,he finds himbelf at home in allcountries and places.
5.She says in the past artists regarded machines and machinelike structures like the Eiffel Tower in Paris as ugly and ireverent.After 1949 the artists discovered a new beauty in machines which could now be shaped and moulded very easily into various artisticdesigns.
6.The writer doesn't directly answer the question.Hesays science has now thrown doubt on“"the thingliness of things".It does notproduce the material objects we see with our eyes but inages,geometric and mathematical,of the reality underlying these things.Ithas made the world rather"insubstantial?The wiitel in his prologue states:"Today,nature has sliped,perhaps finally,beyond ourfield of vision.We can imitate it in mathematies-we can even produce convincing images of it—but we can never know it.We canonly know our own creations."
7.It is displayed in the architectural styles found in cities of the developed world—styles that typify colage city and urban adhocism.It is also displayed in the mosaic architecture of facadism and the playful theme parks and museum villges.It abounds in images andsounds and values utterlydifferent from those of the world of natural things seen from a middle distance.
8.The banks are no longer the solid,ponderous buidings of the past but airy structures of steel and glass.People need not go to thebanks directly for many financial transactions which can now be carried out in stores or trailers with slot-machinelike terminals linkedto the banks.Money is now recorded,erased,processed and reprocessed as digital signals by a computer.
B.
1.In the passage,the writer puts forward his central theme of“disappearance”-nature disappears,history disappears and even thesolid banks disappear.Besides expressing the central theme of the book,the metaphorical phrase,"Disappearing Through theSkylight",is used also specifically in this chapter to describe the changed appearance of modern banks which seem to bedisappearing.The second important idea he puts forward is the universalizing tendency of science and technology.The basicconcepts of science are understood,accepted and adopted by scientists allover the world.There is only one science ofthermodynamics,genetics,etc.This universalizing effect is reflected in architectural styles,dress styles,musical styles,etc.They all tend to become world styles.The third concept is,"If man creates machines,machines in turn shape their creators."The modem
man is no longer a unique individual,the product of a special environment and culture.The homogeneous world he now lives in
universalizes him.He becomes a cosmopolitan,a citizen of the world.Finall,the disappearance of history is a form of liberation and
this feeling of liberation is often expressed through play.The playfulhes of science has produced game theory and vitual particles,inart it has produced the paintings of Picasso and Joan Miro and so on.
2.Just as the writer claims,this text is not a typical piece of scientific writing since it is intended for all readers,nonscientists andscientists alike.But stil t exhibits some features of scientific English for it deals with rich scientific and technological information.There are lots of terminologies in the text.However,many short and simple sentences are also constructed so that the writer canpresent his ideas clearly and concisely and readers can understand them easily.Besides,the writer uses figurative language to makehis writing more vivid and forceful to assist readers'comprehension.
3.The writer's views are generally clearly and succinctly presented as a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph and thendeveloped or ilustrated in the paragraph itself or by succeeding paragraphs.For example,the first sentence in the opening paragraphis a topic sentence that presents a very important view of the writer,“Science is committed to the universal”This idea of universalityis developed and ilustrated in the five paragraphs that follow and each paragraph that follows also has its own topic sentence.Theorganizational pattern is very clear and logical.
4.The writer uses figurative language freely to make his ideas more vivid and forceful.Readerskǎn fiod many metaphors,analogies,rhetorical questions,repetition and balanced structure,etc.in this piece.The very title of this piece,"Disappearing Through theSkylight",is a metaphorical phrase that immediately stirs the imagination of readers.Herkthe dominant metaphor is the changes ofbanks,which is used to ilustrate the theme of disappearing—modern banks seemfote disappearing through their skylights.
5.Paras.3,4,5,and 6 present the universalizing effect of science and techiology on/automobile manufacturing-modem cars havesimilar features all over the world and all of the large automakers are internatioyal.The writer uses the example of automobiles toillustrate his point clearly that there is an irresistible tendency of universatizing technology.
6.The writer describes the changes of banks from Paras.16 to 19-hów the solid,ponderous buildings ofbanks are replaced by airy,modern structures of steel and glass,and how modem banks exist as an airy medium in which transactions are completed and wealthincreased.Based on these changes presented above,the wfiter concludes that modem banks are disappearing through their ownskylights.
Ⅲ.
1.Science is engaged in the task of naking its basic concepts understood and accepted by scientists all over the world.
2.The car model,called Fiesta,seems to have disappeared completely.
3.The idea ofa world car is similar to the idea of having a world style for architecture.As architecture was moving toward acommon International Style,it was natural for the automobile to do the same.
4.Things that are happening in auto-making are similar tothose happening in architecture.
5.The modern man no longer has very distinct individual traits shaped by a special environment and culture.
6.The disadvantage of being a cosmopolitan is that he loses a home in the old sense of the world.
7.The benefit of being a cosmopolitan is that he begins to think the old kind of home probably restricts his development andactivities.
8.The compelling force of technology to universalize cannot be resisted.
9.When every artist thought it was his duty to show his contempt for and objection to the Eiffel Tower which they considered anirreverent architectural structure.
10.People used to firmly believe that the things they saw around them were real solid substances but this has now been thrown intodoubt by science.
11.This disappearance of history frees people's minds from traditional concepts.As Madame Buffet-Picabia says:this flexible andpliable quality was beyond human powers and absolutely new.
12.That,perhaps,shows how far lbgically modem aesthetic can go.The solid banks can become almost abstract and invisible.Thisis perhaps the furthest limit of how solid objective things may be disappearing.
IV.
A.
1.skylight:a window in the roof or ceiling
2.discredited:rejected as untrue
3.homogeneous:the same in structure,quality,etc.;similar or identical
4.economics:things related to the economy(of automobile manufacturing,such as productioneos consumer appeal,sale price,etc.)
5.asset:a valuable or desirable thing
6.given:particular,specified
7.in the fullness of time:when the right time comes
8.make:(noun)type,sort or brand,with reference to the maker or the place,time,etc.of making
9.shape:to influence something such as a belief,opinion,etc.and make it develop in a particular way
10.barring:unless there should be;excepting
11.blasphemy:any remark or action or thing hed to beirreverent or disrespectful
12.proposition:a person,problem,undertaking,etc.,being or to be dealt with
B.
1.uni-,having or consisting of one only:universe,uniaxial,unicellular,unilateral,unipolar,univalve
2.thermo-,heat:thermodynamics,thermochemistry,thermoelectric,thermometer,thermomagnetic,thermoplastic
3.dis-,fail,cease,refuse to:disappear,dissatisfy,disallow,disappoint,disapprove,disbelieve
4.hom-or homo-,one and the same;similar,alike:homogeneous,homograph,homochromatic,homology,homonym,homophone
5.auto-,self-propelling:automobile,autotruck,autobus,autocade,autogyro,automotive
6.trans-,over,across,through:transmission,transfer,transmigrate,transfuse,,transform,transition
7.post-,after in time,later(than),following:postmodernism,postglacial,postnatal posthumous,postimpressionism,postmortem
8.neo-,new,recent,latest:neomodernism,neolithic,neo-Darwinism,neoimpressionism,neologism,neophyte
C.
1.a steam turbine
2.an air outlet
3.aircraft noise
4.laboratory research
5.a research laboratory
6.a mercury thermometer
7.a nuclear power plant
D.
1.thermodynamics热力学
2.genetic遗传学
3.genetic mutation遗传突变
4.streamlining(设计成)流线型5 all-welded body全焊车身
6.cylinder block气缸套
7.carburetor汽化器
8.transmission传动；变速器
9.cell细胞
10.molecules分子
11.black hole(天文)黑洞
12.high-tension lines高压线
13.circuit(集成)电路
14.silicon硅
V.See the translation of the text.
VI.
1.This piece mainly talks about people's attitudes towards the construction of Eiffel Tower in 1889 and its symbolic meaning
2.The leaders of the French establishment were outraged when they heard the cry of the Eiffel Tower because they thought itviolated fine artistic taste.
3.The writer calls the Eiffel Tower "the first great icon of the technological aesthetic"because it is a work of abstract art and can be understood as a symbolof many things,but actually it is none of these things.It forces the viewer to look beyond historical myths to the revolution that surrounds him.It does not argue with history;it ignores history.
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