2012年考研英语一新题型 Part B 原文翻译及答案

realise that you are flying, higher than a bird. Now think of your laptop, thinner than a brown-paper envelope, or your cellphone in the palm of your hand. Take a moment or two to wonder at those marvels. You are the lucky inheritor of a dream come true.

意识到你正在飞翔，比鸟儿飞得更高。现在想想你的笔记本电脑，它比一个牛皮纸信封还要薄，或者你掌心里的那部手机。花点时间来惊叹这些奇迹吧。你是一个梦想成真的幸运继承者。

The second half of the 20th century saw a collection of geniuses, warriors, entrepreneurs and visionaries labour to create a fabulous machine that could function as a typewriter and printing press, studio and theatre, paintbrush and gallery, piano and radio, the mail as well as the mail carrier. (41) _______________

20世纪后半叶，涌现出一批天才、战士、企业家和远见卓识者，他们努力创造出一台奇妙的机器，它既能充当打字机和印刷机，也能成为工作室和剧场，既是画笔又是画廊，既是钢琴也是收音机，既是邮件也是邮递员。他们不仅研发出了这样的设备，而且在千禧年到来之际，他们已成功将其嵌入一个全球性的系统，每天有数十亿人访问。

The networked computer is an amazing device, the first media machine that serves as the mode of production, means of distribution, site of reception, and place of praise and critique. The computer is the 21st century's culture machine.

联网计算机是一个令人惊叹的设备，它是第一台集生产模式、分配手段、接收场所、赞誉与批评空间于一体的媒介机器。计算机是21世纪的文化机器。

But for all the reasons there are to celebrate the computer, we must also act with caution. (42)_______________ I call it a secret war for two reasons. First, most people do not realise that there are strong commercial agendas at work to keep them in passive consumption mode. Second, the majority of people who use networked computers to upload are not even aware of the significance of what they are doing.

但尽管有种种理由去庆祝计算机，我们也必须谨慎行事。这是因为联网计算机引发了一场下载与上传之间的秘密战争——即被动消费与主动创造之间的较量——其结果将以我们仅能初步想象的方式塑造我们的共同未来。我称之为秘密战争有两个原因。首先，大多数人没有意识到，强大的商业议程正在发挥作用，将他们保持在被动消费模式中。其次，大多数使用联网计算机上传内容的人，甚至没有意识到他们所做之事的意义。

All animals download, but only a few upload. Beavers build dams and birds make nests. Yet for the most part, the animal kingdom moves through the world downloading. Humans are unique in their capacity to not only make tools but then turn around and use them to create superfluous material goods - paintings, sculpture and architecture - and superfluous experiences - music, literature, religion and philosophy. (43) __________

所有动物都会下载，但只有少数会上传。海狸筑坝，鸟类筑巢。然而在大多数情况下，动物王国是在下载中穿越世界的。人类的独特之处在于他们不仅能制造工具，而且能转而利用它们创造出多余的物质产品——绘画、雕塑和建筑——以及多余的经验——音乐、文学、宗教和哲学。当然，正是这些多余的事物定义了人类文化，并最终定义了人之为人的意义。下载和消费文化需要高超的技能，但若不能超越下载，便是剥离了人性的一个决定性组成部分。

For all the possibilities of our new culture machines, most people are still stuck in download mode. Even after the advent of widespread social media, a pyramid of production remains, with a small number of people uploading material, a slightly larger group commenting on or modifying that content, and a huge percentage remaining content to just consume. (44) _______________

尽管我们的新文化机器拥有无限可能，但大多数人仍困于下载模式。即使在社交媒体广泛普及之后，一个金字塔式的生产结构依然存在：少数人上传材料，稍多一些的人群对这些内容进行评论或修改，而绝大多数人则满足于仅仅消费。这种生产金字塔持续存在的原因之一是，在过去半个世纪里，世界上大部分媒体文化是由单一媒介——电视——所定义的，而电视的特征就是下载。

Television is a one-way tap flowing into our homes. The hardest task that television asks of anyone is to turn the power off after he has turned it on. (45)

电视是一个单向流入我们家庭的水龙头。电视对任何人提出的最艰巨任务，就是在打开电源后再将其关闭。联网计算机提供了50年来第一次逆转这种流向的机会，鼓励有思考的下载，更重要的是，有意义的上传。

What counts as meaningful uploading? My definition revolves around the concept of "stickiness" – creations and experiences to which others adhere.

什么算是有意义的上传？我的定义围绕"粘性"这一概念展开——即能让他人产生依附的创作与体验。

The second half of the 20th century saw a collection of geniuses, warriors, entrepreneurs and visionaries labour to create a fabulous machine that could function as a typewriter and printing press, studio and theatre, paintbrush and gallery, piano and radio, the mail as well as the mail carrier. (41) _______________ The networked computer is an amazing device, the first media machine that serves as the mode of production, means of distribution, site of reception, and place of praise and critique.

20世纪后半叶，涌现出一批天才、战士、企业家和远见卓识者，他们努力创造出一台奇妙的机器，它既能充当打字机和印刷机，也能成为工作室和剧场，既是画笔又是画廊，既是钢琴也是收音机，既是邮件也是邮递员。他们不仅研发出了这样的设备，而且在千禧年到来之际，他们已成功将其嵌入一个全球性的系统，每天有数十亿人访问。联网计算机是一个令人惊叹的设备，它是第一台集生产模式、分配手段、接收场所、赞誉与批评空间于一体的媒介机器。

But for all the reasons there are to celebrate the computer, we must also act with caution. (42)_______________ I call it a secret war for two reasons. First, most people do not realise that there are strong commercial agendas at work to keep them in passive consumption mode.

但尽管有种种理由去庆祝计算机，我们也必须谨慎行事。这是因为联网计算机引发了一场下载与上传之间的秘密战争——即被动消费与主动创造之间的较量——其结果将以我们仅能初步想象的方式塑造我们的共同未来。我称之为秘密战争有两个原因。首先，大多数人没有意识到，强大的商业议程正在发挥作用，将他们保持在被动消费模式中。

All animals download, but only a few upload. Beavers build dams and birds make nests. Yet for the most part, the animal kingdom moves through the world downloading. Humans are unique in their capacity to not only make tools but then turn around and use them to create superfluous material goods - paintings, sculpture and architecture - and superfluous experiences - music, literature, religion and philosophy. (43) __________

所有动物都会下载，但只有少数会上传。海狸筑坝，鸟类筑巢。然而在大多数情况下，动物王国是在下载中穿越世界的。人类的独特之处在于他们不仅能制造工具，而且能转而利用它们创造出多余的物质产品——绘画、雕塑和建筑——以及多余的经验——音乐、文学、宗教和哲学。当然，正是这些多余的事物定义了人类文化，并最终定义了人之为人的意义。下载和消费文化需要高超的技能，但若不能超越下载，便是剥离了人性的一个决定性组成部分。

For all the possibilities of our new culture machines, most people are still stuck in download mode. Even after the advent of widespread social media, a pyramid of production remains, with a small number of people uploading material, a slightly larger group commenting on or modifying that content, and a huge percentage remaining content to just consume. (44) _______________

尽管我们的新文化机器拥有无限可能，但大多数人仍困于下载模式。即使在社交媒体广泛普及之后，一个金字塔式的生产结构依然存在：少数人上传材料，稍多一些的人群对这些内容进行评论或修改，而绝大多数人则满足于仅仅消费。这种生产金字塔持续存在的原因之一是，在过去半个世纪里，世界上大部分媒体文化是由单一媒介——电视——所定义的，而电视的特征就是下载。

Television is a one-way tap flowing into our homes. The hardest task that television asks of anyone is to turn the power off after he has turned it on. (45) What counts as meaningful uploading? My definition revolves around the concept of "stickiness" – creations and experiences to which others adhere.

电视是一个单向流入我们家庭的水龙头。电视对任何人提出的最艰巨任务，就是在打开电源后再将其关闭。联网计算机提供了50年来第一次逆转这种流向的机会，鼓励有思考的下载，更重要的是，有意义的上传。什么算是有意义的上传？我的定义围绕"粘性"这一概念展开——即能让他人产生依附的创作与体验。