Lesson40Who’swhoIthasneverbeenexplainedwhyuniversitystudentsseemtoenjoypracticaljokesmorethananyoneelse.Studentsspecializeinaparticulartypeofpracticaljoke:thehoax.Invitingthefire-brigadetoputoutanon-existentfireisacrudeformofdeceptionwhichnoself-respectingstudentwouldeverindulgein,Studentsoftencreateamusingsituationswhicharefunnytoeveryoneexceptthevictims.Whenastudentrecentlysawtwoworkmenusingapneumaticdrilloutsidehisuniversity,heimmediatelytelephonedthepoliceandinformedthemthattwostudentsdressedupasworkmenweretearinguptheroadwithapneumaticdrill.Assoonashehadhungup,hewentovertotheworkmenandtoldthemthatifapolicemanorderedthemtogoaway,theywerenottotakehimseriously.Headdedthatastudenthaddressedupasapolicemanandwasplayingallsortsofsillyjokesonpeople.Boththepoliceandtheworkmenweregratefultothestudentforthispieceofadvanceinformation.Thestudenthidinanarchwaynearbywherehecouldwatchandheareverythingthatwenton.Sureenough,apolicemanarrivedonthesceneandpolitelyaskedtheworkmentogoaway.Whenhereceivedaveryrudereplyfromoneoftheworkmen,hethreatenedtoremovethembyforce.Theworkmentoldhimtodoashepleasedandthepolicemantelephonedforhelp.Shortlyafterwards,fourmorepolicemenarrivedandremonstratedwiththeworkmen.Asthemenrefusedtostopworking,thepoliceattemptedtoseizethepneumaticdrill.Theworkmenstruggledfiercelyandoneofthemlosthistemper.Hethreatenedtocallthepolice.Atthis,thepolicepointedoutironicallythatthiswouldhardlybenecessaryasthemenwerealreadyunderarrest.Pretendingtospeakseriously,oneoftheworkmenaskedifhemightmakeatelephonecallbeforebeingtakentothestation.Permissionwasgrantedandapolicemanaccompaniedhimtoacall-box.Onlywhenhesawthatthemanwasactuallytelephoningthepolicedidherealizethattheyhadallbeenthevictimsofahoax.誰也弄不清為什么大學(xué)生好像比任何人都更喜歡惡作劇。大學(xué)生擅長一種特殊的惡作劇——戲弄人。請消防隊來撲滅一場根本沒有的大火是一種低級騙局，有自尊心的大學(xué)生決不會去做。大學(xué)生們常常做的是制造一種可笑的局面，使大家笑上一場，當(dāng)然受害者是笑不出來的。最近有個學(xué)生看見兩個工人在學(xué)校門外用風(fēng)鉆干活，馬上打電話報告警察，說有兩個學(xué)生裝扮成工人，正在用風(fēng)鉆破壞路面。掛上電話后，他又馬上來到工人那兒，告訴他們?nèi)粲袀€警察來讓他們走開，不要把他當(dāng)回事，還對工人說，有個學(xué)生常裝扮成警察無聊地同別人開玩笑。警察與工人都對那個學(xué)生事先通報情況表示感謝。那個學(xué)生躲在附近一拱形的門廊里，在那兒可以看見、聽到現(xiàn)場發(fā)生的一切。果然，警察來了，不禮貌地請工人離開此地；但其中一個工人粗魯?shù)鼗亓藥拙洹Ｓ谑蔷焱{要強行使他們離開。工人說，悉聽尊便。警察去打電話叫人。一會兒工夫，又來了4個警察，規(guī)勸工人離開。由于工人拒絕停下手中的活，警察想奪風(fēng)鉆。兩個工人奮力抗?fàn)?，其中一個發(fā)了火，威脅說要去叫警察。警察聽后譏諷地說，這大可不必，因為他倆已被逮捕了。其中一個工人裝模作樣地問道，在被帶往警察局之前，是否可以打一個電話。警察同意了，陪他來到一個投幣地電話前，當(dāng)他看到那個工人真的是給警察掛電話，才恍然大悟，原來他們都成一場騙局的受害者。Lesson41IllusionsofPastoralpeaceThequietlifeofthecountryhasneverappealedtome.Citybornandcitybred,Ihavealwaysregardedthecountryassomethingyoulookatthroughatrainwindow,orsomethingyouoccasionallyvisitduringtheweek-end.Mostofmyfriendsliveinthecity,yettheyalwaysgointorapturesatthemerementionofthecountry.Thoughtheyextolthevirtuesofthepeacefullife,onlyoneofthemhasevergonetoliveinthecountryandhewasbackintownwithinsixmonths.Evenhestilllivesundertheillusionthatcountrylifeissomehowsuperiortotownlife.Heisforevertalkingaboutthefriendlypeople,thecleanatmosphere,theclosenesstonatureandthegentlepaceofliving.Nothingcanbecompared,hemaintains,withthefirstcockcrow,thetwitteringofbirdsatdawn,thesightoftherisingsunglintingonthetreesandpastures.Thisidyllicpastoralsceneisonlypartofthepicture.Myfriendfailstomentionthelongandfriendlesswintereveningswhichareinterruptedonlybyanoccasionalvisittothelocalcinema-virtuallytheonlyformofentertainment.Hesaysnothingaboutthepoorselectionofgoodsintheshops,oraboutthoseunfortunatepeoplewhohavetotravelfromthecountrytothecityeverydaytogettowork.Whypeoplearepreparedtotolerateafourhourjourneyeachdayforthedubiousprivilegeoflivinginthecountryisbeyondmyken.Theycouldbesavedsomuchmiseryandexpenseiftheychosetoliveinthecitywheretheyrightlybelong.Ifyoucandowithoutthefewpastoralpleasuresofthecountry,youwillfindthecitycanprovideyouwiththebestthatlifecanoffer.Youneverhavetotravelmilestoseeyourfriends.Theyinvariablylivenearbyandarealwaysavailableforaninformalchatoranevening'sentertainment.Someofmyacquaintancesinthecountrycomeuptotownonceortwiceayeartovisitthetheatreasaspecialtreat.Forthemthisisamajoroperationwhichinvolvesconsiderableplanning.Astheplaydrawstoitsclose,theywonderwhethertheywillevercatchthatlasttrainhome.Thecitydwellerneverexperiencesanxietiesofthissort.Thelatestexhibitions,films,orplaysareonlyashortbusrideaway.Shopping,too,isalwaysapleasure.Thereissomuchvarietythatyouneverhavetomakedowithsecondbest.Countrypeoplerunwildwhentheygoshoppinginthecityandstaggerhomeloadedwithasmanyofthenecessitiesoflifeastheycancarry.Noristhecitywithoutitsmomentsofbeauty.Thereissomethingcomfortingaboutthewarmglowshedbyadvertisementsoncoldwetwinternights.Fewthingscouldbemoreimpressivethanthepeacethatdescendsondesertedcitystreetsatweek-endswhenthethousandsthattraveltoworkeverydayaretuckedawayintheirhomesinthecountry.Ithasalwaysbeenamysterytomewhycitydwellers,whoappreciateallthesethings,obstinatelypretendthattheywouldprefertoliveinthecountry.寧靜的鄉(xiāng)村生活從來沒有吸引過我。我生在城市，長在城市，總認(rèn)為鄉(xiāng)村是透過火車車窗看到的那個樣了，或偶爾周末去游玩一下景象。我的許多朋友都住在城市，但他們只要一提起鄉(xiāng)村，馬上就會變得欣喜若狂。盡管他們都交口稱贊寧靜的鄉(xiāng)村生活的種種優(yōu)點，但其中只有一個人真去農(nóng)村住過，而且不足6個月就回來了。即使他也仍存有幻覺，好像鄉(xiāng)村生活就是比城市生活優(yōu)越。他滔滔不絕地大談友好的農(nóng)民，潔凈的空氣，貼近大自然的環(huán)境和悠閑的生活節(jié)奏。他堅持認(rèn)為，凌晨雄雞第一聲啼叫，黎明時分小鳥吱喳歡叫，冉冉升起的朝陽染紅樹木、牧場，此番美景無與倫比。但這種田園詩般的鄉(xiāng)村風(fēng)光僅僅是一個側(cè)面。我的朋友沒有提到在電視機前度過的漫長寂寞的冬夜——電視是唯一的娛樂形式。他也不說商店貨物品種單調(diào)，以及那些每天不得不從鄉(xiāng)下趕到城里工作的不幸的人們。人們?yōu)槭裁辞樵该刻煸诼飞媳疾?個小時去換取值得懷疑的鄉(xiāng)間的優(yōu)點，我是無法理解的。要是他們愿意住在本來屬于他們的城市，則可以讓他們省去諸多不便與節(jié)約大量開支。如果你愿舍棄鄉(xiāng)下生活那一點點樂趣的話，那么你會發(fā)出城市可以為你提供生活最美好的東西。你去看朋友根本不用跋涉好幾英里，因為他們都住在附近，你隨時可以同他們聊天或在晚上一起娛樂。我在鄉(xiāng)村有一些熟人，他們每年進(jìn)城來看一回或幾回戲，并把此看作一種特殊的享受?？磻蛟谒麄兪羌笫拢枰挠媱?。當(dāng)戲快演完時，他們又為是否能趕上末班火車回家而犯愁。這種焦慮，城里人是從未體驗過的。坐公共汽車幾站路，就可看到最新的展覽、電影、戲劇。買東西也是一種樂趣。物品種繁多，從來不必用二等品來湊合。鄉(xiāng)里人進(jìn)城采購欣喜若狂，每次回家時都買足了外來商品，直到拿不動方才罷休，連走路都搖搖晃晃的。城市也并非沒有良辰美景。寒冷潮濕的冬夜里，廣告燈箱發(fā)出的暖光，會給人某種安慰。周末，當(dāng)成千上萬進(jìn)城上班的人回到他們的鄉(xiāng)間寓所之后，空曠的街市籠罩著一種寧靜氣氛，沒有什么能比此時的寧靜更令人難忘了。城里人對這一切心里很明白，卻偏要執(zhí)拗地裝出他們喜歡住在鄉(xiāng)村的樣子，這對我來說一直是個謎。Lesson42ModernCavemenCaveexploration,orpotholing,asithascometobeknown,isarelativelynewsport.Perhapsitisthedesireforsolitudeorthechanceofmakinganunexpecteddiscoverythatluresmendowntothedepthsoftheearth.Itisimpossibletogiveasatisfactoryexplanationforapot-holer'smotives.Forhim,caveshavethesamepeculiarfascinationwhichhighmountainshavefortheclimber.Theyarouseinstinctswhichcanonlybedimlyunderstood.ExploringreallydeepcavesisnotataskfortheSundayafternoonrambler.Suchundertakingsrequirethepreciseplanningandforesightofmilitaryoperations.Itcantakeaslongaseightdaystorigupropeladdersandtoestablishsupplybasesbeforeadescentcanbemadeintoaverydeepcave.Precautionsofthissortarenecessary,foritisimpossibletoforetelltheexactnatureofthedifficultieswhichwillconfrontthepotholer.ThedeepestknowncaveintheworldistheGouffreBergernearGrenoble.Itextendstoadepthof3723feet.Thisimmensechasmhasbeenformedbyanundergroundstreamwhichhastunnelledacoursethroughaflawintherocks.TheentrancetothecaveisonaplateauintheDauphineAlps.Asitisonlysixfeetacross,itisbarelynoticeable.ThecavemightneverhavebeendiscoveredhadnottheentrancebeenspottedbythedistinguishedFrenchpotholer,Berger.Sinceitsdiscovery,ithasbecomeasortofpotholers'Everest.Thoughanumberofdescentshavebeenmade,muchofitstillremainstobeexplored.AteamofpotholersrecentlywentdowntheGouffreBerger.Afterenteringthenarrowgapontheplateau,theyclimbeddownthesteepsidesofthecaveuntiltheycametoanarrowcorridor.Theyhadtoedgetheirwayalongthis,sometimeswadingacrossshallowstreams,orswimmingacrossdeeppools.Suddenlytheycametoawaterfallwhichdroppedintoanundergroundlakeatthebottomofthecave.Theyplungedintothelake,andafterloadingtheirgearonaninflatablerubberdinghy,letthecurrentcarrythemtotheotherside.Toprotectthemselvesfromtheicywater,theyhadtowearspecialrubbersuits.Atthefarendofthelake,theycametohugepilesofrubblewhichhadbeenwashedupbythewater.Inthispartofthecave,theycouldhearaninsistentboomingsoundwhichtheyfoundwascausedbyasmallwater-spoutshootingdownintoapoolfromtheroofofthecave.Squeezingthroughacleftintherocks,thepotholersarrivedatanenormouscavern,thesizeofahugeconcerthall.Afterswitchingonpowerfularclights,theysawgreatstalagmites—someofthemoverfortyfeethigh--risingupliketree-trunkstomeetthestalactitessuspendedfromtheroof.Roundabout,pilesoflime-stoneglistenedinallthecoloursoftherainbow.Intheeeriesilenceofthecavern,theonlysoundthatcouldbeheardwasmadebywaterwhichdrippedcontinuouslyfromthehighdomeabovethem.洞穴勘查——或洞穴勘探——是一項比較新的體育活動。尋求獨處的愿望或?qū)で笠馔獍l(fā)現(xiàn)的機會的欲望吸引人們來到地下深處。要想對洞穴探險者的動機作出滿意的解釋是不可能的。對洞穴探險者來說，洞穴有一種特殊的魅力，就像高山對登山者有特殊魅力一樣。為什么洞空能引發(fā)人的那種探險本能，人們對此只能有一種模模糊糊的理解。探測非常深的洞穴不是那些在星期日下午漫步的人所能勝任的。這種活動需要有軍事行動般的周密布署和預(yù)見能力。有時需要花費整整8天時間來搭起繩梯，建立供應(yīng)基地，然后才能到一個很深的洞穴里。作出這樣的準(zhǔn)備是必要的，因為無法預(yù)見到洞穴探險者究竟會遇到什么性質(zhì)的困難。世界上最深的洞穴是格里諾布爾附近的高弗.伯杰洞，深達(dá)3,723英尺。這個深邃的洞穴是由一條地下暗泉沖刷巖石中的縫隙并使之慢慢變大而形成的。此洞的洞口在丹芬阿爾卑斯山的高原上，僅6英尺寬，很難被發(fā)現(xiàn)。若不是法國著名洞穴探險家伯杰由于偶然的機會發(fā)現(xiàn)了這個洞口的話，這個洞也許不會為人所知。自從被發(fā)現(xiàn)以后，這個洞成了洞穴探險者的珠穆朗瑪峰，人們多次進(jìn)入洞內(nèi)探險，但至今尚有不少東西有待勘探。最近，一隊洞穴探險者下到了高弗.伯杰洞里。他們從高原上的窄縫進(jìn)去，順著筆直陡峭的洞壁往下爬。來到一條狹窄的走廊上。他們不得不側(cè)著身子往前走，有時過淺溪，有時游過深潭。突然，他們來到一道瀑布前，那瀑布奔瀉而下，注入洞底一處地下湖里。他們跳入湖中，把各種器具裝上一只充氣的橡皮艇，聽任水流將他們帶往對岸。湖水冰冷刺骨，他們必須穿上一種特制的橡皮服以保護(hù)自己。在湖的盡頭，他們見到一大堆一大堆由湖水沖刷上岸的碎石。在這兒，他們可以聽見一種連續(xù)不斷的轟鳴聲。后來他們發(fā)現(xiàn)這是由山洞頂部的一個小孔里噴出的水柱跌落到水潭中發(fā)出的聲音。洞穴探險者從巖石縫里擠身過去，來到一個巨大的洞里，其大小相當(dāng)于一個音樂廳。他們打開強力弧光燈，看見一株株巨大的石筍，有的高達(dá)40英尺，像樹干似地向上長著，與洞頂懸掛下來的鐘乳石相接。周圍是一堆堆石灰石，像彩虹一樣閃閃發(fā)光。洞里有一種可怕的寂靜，唯一的可以聽見的聲響是高高的圓頂上不間斷地滴水的嘀嗒聲。Lesson43FullyinsuredInsurancecompaniesarenormallywillingtoinsureanything.Insuringpublicorprivatepropertyisastandardpracticeinmostcountriesintheworld.If,however,youwereholdinganopenairgardenpartyorafeteitwouldbeequallypossibletoinsureyourselfintheeventofbadweather.Needlesstosay,thebiggertheriskaninsurancecompanytakes,thehigherthepremiumyouwillhavetopay.Itisnotuncommontohearthataship-pingcompanyhasmadeaclaimforthecostofsalvagingasunkenship.Buttheclaimmadebyalocalauthoritytorecoverthecostofsalvagingasunkenpiedishmustsurelybeunique.Admittedlyitwasanunusualpiedish,foritwaseighteenfeetlongandsixfeetwide.Ithadbeenpurchasedbyalocalauthoritysothatanenormouspiecouldbebakedforanannualfair.Thepiecommitteedecidedthatthebestwaytotransportthedishwouldbebycanal,sotheyinsureditforthetrip.Shortlyafteritwaslaunched,thepiecommitteewenttoalocalinntocelebrate.Atthesametime,anumberofteenagersclimbedontothedishandheldalittlepartyoftheirown.Moderndancesprovedtobemorethanthediskcouldbear,forduringthepartyitcapsizedandsankinsevenfeetofwater.Thepiecommitteetelephonedalocalgarageownerwhoarrivedinarecoverytrucktosalvagethepiedish.Shiveringintheirwetclothes,theteenagerslookedonwhilethreemendivedrepeatedlyintothewatertolocatethedish.Theyhadlittledifficultyinfindingit,buthaulingitoutofthewaterprovedtobeaseriousproblem.Thesidesofthedishweresosmooththatitwasalmostimpossibletoattachhawsersandchainstotherimwithoutdamagingit.Eventuallychainswerefixedtooneendofthedishandapowerfulwinchwasputintooperation.Thedishrosetothesurfaceandwasgentlydrawntowardsthecanalbank.Foroneagonizingmoment,thedishwasperchedprecariouslyonthebankofthecanal,butitsuddenlyoverbalancedandslidbackintothewater.Themenwerenowobligedtotryoncemore.Thistimetheyfixedheavymetalclampstobothsidesofthedishsothattheycouldfastenthechains.Thedishnowhadtobeliftedverticallybecauseoneedgewasrestingagainstthesideofthecanal.Thewinchwasagainputintooperationandoneofthemenstartedupthetruck.Severalminuteslater,thedishwassuccessfullyhauledabovethesurfaceofthewater.Waterstreamedintorrentsoveritssideswithsuchforcethatitsetupahugewaveinthecanal.Therewasdangerthatthewavewouldreboundofftheothersideofthebankandsendthedishplungingintothewateragain.Byworkingattremendousspeed,themenmanagedtogetthedishontodrylandbeforethewavereturned.保險公司一般說來愿意承保一切東西。承辦公共財產(chǎn)或私人財產(chǎn)保險是世界上大部分國家的正常業(yè)務(wù)。如果你要舉辦一次露天游園會或盛宴，為避免碰上不好的天氣而遭受損失也同樣可以保險，不用說，保險公司承擔(dān)風(fēng)險越大，你付的保險費也就越高。航運公司為打撈沉船而提出索賠，這是常有的事，但某地當(dāng)局為打撈一只焙制餡餅的盤子提出索賠，倒是件新鮮的事兒。這個餡餅盤子確實少見，有18英尺長，6英尺寬。某地方當(dāng)局買下它用來焙制一個巨大的餡餅為一年一度交易會助興。餡餅委員會確認(rèn)運輸這只盤子的最佳方案是通過運河水運。于是，他們對這只盤子的運輸安全投了保。盤子下水后不久，餡餅委員會成員們來到當(dāng)?shù)匾患倚【频陸c賀。就在這個時候，許多十幾歲的孩子爬盤子舉行他們自己的集會。他們跳起了舞，盤子難以承受。舞會進(jìn)行過程中，盤子傾覆，沉入了7英尺深的水中。餡餅委員會給當(dāng)?shù)仄囆蘩韼炖习宕螂娫?，他聞訊后開著一輛急修車前來打撈盤子。那些孩子們穿著濕衣服哆嗦，看著3個工人輪潛入水中以確定盤子的位置。他們沒費多大事兒就找到了盤子。可是把盤子撈出卻是一個很大的難題。盤子四邊十分光滑，要在盤邊拴上繩索或鏈條而同時又不損壞它是很難辦到的。不過，他們終于將鏈條固定在盤子的一端，一臺大功率的絞車開動起來。盤子慢慢浮出水面，被輕輕地拽向運河岸邊。在令人忐忑不安的瞬間，盤子晃晃悠悠地上了岸，但它突然失去了平衡，又跌回水中。工人們只得再來一次。這次，他們用沉重的金屬夾子把盤子夾住，以便往盤子上安裝鐵鏈。這次，盤子必須垂直吊出水面，因為盤子的一邊緊靠著運河河岸。絞盤機再次啟動，一位工人發(fā)動了急修車的引擎。幾分鐘后，盤子被成功地拽出了水面。波浪從盤子兩側(cè)急涌而出，在運河里掀起一股大浪。但是當(dāng)波浪從河對岸折回來時，就有再次把盤子拖進(jìn)水里的危險。工人們動作迅速，終于趕在那股大浪返回之前把盤子拽到了岸上。Lesson44SpeedandcomfortPeopletravellinglongdistancesfrequentlyhavetodecidewhethertheywouldprefertogobyland,sea,orair.Hardlyanyonecanpositivelyenjoysittinginatrainformorethanafewhours.Traincompartmentssoongetcrampedandstuffy.Itisalmostimpossibletotakeyourmindoffthejourney.Readingisonlyapartialsolution,forthemonotonousrhythmofthewheelsclickingontherailssoonlullsyoutosleep.Duringtheday,sleepcomesinsnatches.Atnight,whenyoureallywishtogotosleep,yourarelymanagetodoso.Ifyouareluckyenoughtogetacouchette,youspendhalfthenightstaringatthesmallbluelightintheceiling,orfumblingtofindyourpassportwhenyoucrossafrontier.Inevitablyyouarriveatyourdestinationalmostexhausted.Longcarjourneysareevenlesspleasant,foritisquiteimpossibleeventoread.Onmotor-waysyoucan,atleast,travelfairlysafelyathighspeeds,butmoreoftenthannot,thegreaterpartofthejourneyisspentonnarrow,bumpyroadswhicharecrowdedwithtraffic.Bycomparison,tripsbyseaofferagreatvarietyofcivilizedcomforts.Youcanstretchyourlegsonthespaciousdecks,playgames,swim,meetinterestingpeopleandenjoygoodfood--alwaysassuming,ofcourse,thattheseaiscalm.Ifitisnot,andyouarelikelytogetsea-sick,noformoftransportcouldbeworse.Evenifyoutravelinidealweather,seajourneystakealongtime.Relativelyfewpeoplearepreparedtosacrificeuptoathirdoftheirholidaysforthepleasureoftravellingonaship.Aeroplaneshavethereputationofbeingdangerousandevenhardenedtravellersareintimidatedbythem.Theyalsohavethegravedisadvantageofbeingthemostexpensiveformoftransport.Butnothingcanmatchthemforspeedandcomfort.Travellingataheightof30,000feet,farabovetheclouds,andatover500milesanhourisanexhilaratingexperience.Youdonothavetodevisewaysoftakingyourmindoffthejourney,foranaeroplanegetsyoutoyourdestinationrapidly.Forafewhours,yousettlebackinadeeparmchairtoenjoytheflight.Therealescapistcanwatchafreefilmshowandsipchampagneonsomeservices.Butevenwhensuchrefinementsarenotavailable,thereisplentytokeepyouoccupied.Anaeroplaneoffersyouanunusualandbreathtakingviewoftheworld.Yousoareffortlesslyoverhighmountainsanddeepvalleys.Youreallyseetheshapeoftheland.Ifthelandscapeishiddenfromview,youcanenjoytheextraordinarysightofunbrokencloudplainsthatstretchoutformilesbeforeyou,whilethesunshinesbrilliantlyinaclearsky.Thejourneyissosmooththatthereisnothingtopreventyoufromreadingorsleeping.Howeveryoudecidetospendyourtime,onethingiscertain:youwillarriveatyourdestinationfreshanduncrumpled.Youwillnothavetospendthenextfewdaysrecoveringfromalongandarduousjourney.出遠(yuǎn)門的人常常需要決定是走旱路、水路，還是坐飛機。很少有人能夠真正喜歡坐幾個小時以上的火車。車廂很快就變得擁擠、悶熱，想擺脫開旅途的困擾是很難的。看書只能解決部分問題。車輪與鐵軌間單調(diào)的嘎喳聲很快就會送你進(jìn)入夢鄉(xiāng)。白天是忽睡忽醒，到了夜晚，你真想睡了，卻很難入睡。即使你走運弄到一個臥鋪，夜間有一半時間你會盯著車頂那盞小藍(lán)燈而睡不著覺；要不然就為查票摸索你的車票。一旦抵達(dá)目的地，你總是疲憊不堪。乘汽車作長途旅行則更加不舒服，因為連看書都幾乎不可能。在公路上還好，你至少能以相當(dāng)快的速度安全地向前行。但旅行的大部分時間都花在路上，而且只有很少的服務(wù)設(shè)施，交通也很擁擠。相比之下，坐船旅行或環(huán)游可以得到文明世界的各種享受。你可以在甲板上伸展四肢、做游戲，還能也很見到各種有趣的人，能享用各種美味佳肴——當(dāng)然，這一切只有在大海風(fēng)平浪靜的情況下才有可能。如果大海肆虐起來，你就可能暈船，那種難受勁兒是任何一種別的旅行的方式都不會帶來的。即使風(fēng)平浪靜，坐船旅行也要占用很長時間。沒有多少人會為享受坐船旅行的樂趣而犧牲假期的時間。飛機以危險而著稱，連老資格的旅行者也怕飛機。飛機另一個缺點是昂貴。但就速度與舒適而言，飛機是無與倫比的。騰云駕霧，在30，000英尺高空以500英里的時速旅行，這種經(jīng)歷令人心曠神怡。你不必想辦法去擺脫旅途的困擾，因為飛機會迅速地把你送到目的地。幾小時之內(nèi)，你躺在扶手椅上，享受著旅途的歡樂。真正會享受的人還可以在某些航班上看一場電影和喝香檳。即使沒有這些消遣條件，也總是有事可做。飛機上，你可以觀察世界上非同尋常的奇妙的美景。你毫不費勁地飛越高山幽谷，你確能飽覽大地的風(fēng)貌。如果這種景色被遮住了，你可以觀賞一下展現(xiàn)在你面前的、一望數(shù)英里的、連綿不斷的云海，同時陽光燦爛，天空清澈明朗。旅途平穩(wěn)，絲毫不妨礙你閱讀或睡眠。不管你打算如何消磨時間，有件事是可以肯定的，即當(dāng)你抵達(dá)目的地時，你感到精神煥發(fā)，毫無倦意，用不著因為漫長的旅途的辛苦而花幾天時間休息來恢復(fù)精神。Lesson45ThepowerofpressIndemocraticcountriesanyeffortstorestrictthefreedomofthepressarerightlycondemned.However,thisfreedomcaneasilybeabused.Storiesaboutpeopleoftenattractfarmorepublicattentionthanpoliticalevents.Thoughwemayenjoyreadingaboutthelivesofothers,itisextremelydoubtfulwhetherwewouldequallyenjoyreadingaboutourselves.Actingonthecontentionthatfactsaresacred,reporterscancauseuntoldsufferingtoindividualsbypublishingdetailsabouttheirprivatelives.Newspapersexertsuchtremendousinfluencethattheycannotonlybringaboutmajorchangestothelivesofordinarypeoplebutcanevenoverthrowagovernment.Thestoryofapoorfamilythatacquiredfameandfortuneovernight,dramaticallyillustratesthepowerofthepress.ThefamilylivedinAberdeen,asmalltownof23,000inhabitantsinSouthDakota.Astheparentshadfivechildren,lifewasaperpetualstruggleagainstpoverty.Theywereexpectingtheirsixthchildandfacedwithevenmorepressingeconomicproblems.Iftheyhadonlyhadonemorechild,thefactwouldhavepassedunnoticed.Theywouldhavecontinuedtostruggleagainsteconomicoddsandwouldhavelivedinobscurity.Buttheysuddenlybecametheparentsofquintuplets,fourgirlsandaboy,aneventwhichradicallychangedtheirlives.Thedayafterthebirthofthefivechildren,anaeroplanearrivedinAberdeenbringingsixtyreportersandphotographers.Thenewswasofnationalimportance,forthepoorcouplehadbecometheparentsoftheonlyquintupletsinAmerica.Therisetofamewasswift.Televisioncamerasandnewspaperscarriedthenewstoeveryoneinthecountry.Newspapersandmagazinesofferedthefamilyhugesumsfortheexclusiverightstopublishstoriesandphotographs.Giftspouredinnotonlyfromunknownpeople,butfrombabyfoodandsoapmanufacturerswhowishedtoadvertisetheirproducts.Theoldfarmhousethefamilylivedinwastobereplacedbyanew$100,000home.Reporterskeptpressingforinterviewssolawyershadtobeemployedtoactasspokesmenforthefamilyatpressconferences.Theeventbroughtseriouschangestothetownitself.Planswereannouncedtobuildahugenewhighway,asAberdeenwasnowlikelytoattractthousandsoftourists.SignpostserectedontheoutskirtsofthetowndirectedtouristsnottoAberdeen,butto'Quint-CityU.S.A.'Thelocalauthoritiesdiscussedthepossibilityoferectinga'quintmuseum'tosatisfythecuriosityofthepublicandtoprotectthefamilyfrominquisitivetourists.Whilethefivebabieswerestillquietlysleepinginoxygententsinahospitalnursery,theirparentswerepayingthepriceforfame.Itwouldneveragainbepossibleforthemtoleadnormallives.Theyhadbecomethevictimsofcommercialization,fortheirnameshadacquiredamarketvalue.Thetownitselfreceivedsomuchattentionthatalmosteveryoneoftheinhabitantswasaffectedtoagreaterorlessdegree.在民主國家里，任何限制新聞自由的企圖都理所當(dāng)然地受到譴責(zé)。然而，這種自由很容易被濫用。常人軼事往往比政治事件更能引起公眾注意。我們都喜歡看關(guān)于別人生活的報道，但是否同樣喜歡看關(guān)于自己生活的報道，就很難說了。記者按事實至上的論點行事，發(fā)表有關(guān)別人生活的細(xì)節(jié)，有時會給當(dāng)事人造成極大的痛苦。新聞具有巨大的威力。它們不僅可以給尋常人家的生活帶來重大的變化，甚至還能推翻一個政府。下面這戶窮人一夜之間出名發(fā)財?shù)墓适聭騽⌒缘卣f明了新聞報道威力。這戶人家住在南達(dá)科他州一個人口為23，000的小鎮(zhèn)上，鎮(zhèn)名為阿拜丁。家里已有5個孩子，全家人常年在貧困中掙扎。第6個孩子即將問世，他們面臨著更為嚴(yán)峻的經(jīng)濟(jì)問題。如果他們只添了1個孩子，這件事本來就不會引起任何人的注意。這家人會繼續(xù)為克服經(jīng)濟(jì)上的拮據(jù)而奮斗，并默默無聞地活下去。但是他們出人意料生了個五胞胎，4女1男。這事使他們的生活發(fā)生了根本的變化。五胞胎降生第二天，一架飛機飛抵阿拜丁，隨機帶來60名記者與攝影師。這一家迅速出了名。電視攝像機和報紙把消息傳送到全國。報紙、雜志出高價向他們購買文字、圖片的獨家報道權(quán)。不但素昧平生的人寄來了大量的禮物，而且嬰兒食品、嬰兒肥皂制造廠商為了替自己產(chǎn)品做廣告也寄來了大量的禮物。這家人住的舊家舍將由一座價值50萬美元的新住宅所取代。由于記者紛紛要求會見，他們不得不請了律師充當(dāng)他們家的發(fā)言人舉行記者招待會。眼下，五胞胎還靜靜地躺在醫(yī)院嬰兒室的氧氣帳里，他們的父母卻為這名聲付出了代價，他們再也無法過正常的生活。他們成了商業(yè)化的受害者，因為他們的名字具有了市場價值。這些孩子立即成了商品，而不是5個新的家庭成員。Lesson46DoityourselfSogreatisourpassionfordoingthingsforourselves,thatwearebecomingincreasinglylessdependentonspecializedlabour.Noonecanpleadignoranceofasubjectanylonger,fortherearecountlessdo-it-yourselfpublications.Armedwiththerighttoolsandmaterials,newly-wedsgailyembarkonthetaskofdecoratingtheirownhomes.Menofallagesspendhoursoftheirleisuretimeinstallingtheirownfireplaces,laying-outtheirowngardens;buildinggaragesandmakingfurniture.Somereallykeenenthusiastsgosofarastobuildtheirownrecordplayersandradiotransmitters.Shopscaterforthedo-it-yourselfcrazenotonlybyrunningspecialadvisoryservicesfornovices,butbyofferingconsumersbitsandpieceswhichtheycanassembleathome.Suchthingsprovideanexcellentoutletforpent-upcreativeenergy,butunfortunatelynotallofusarebornhandymen.Wivestendtobelievethattheirhusbandsareinfinitelyresourcefulandversatile.Evenhusbandswhocanhardlydriveanailinstraightaresupposedtobebornelectricians,carpenters,plumbersandmechanics.Whenlightsfuse,furnituregetsrickety,pipesgetclogged,orvacuumcleanersfailtooperate,wivesautomaticallyassumethattheirhusbandswillsomehowputthingsright.Theworstthingaboutthedo-it-yourselfgameisthatsometimeshusbandsliveunderthedelusionthattheycandoanythingevenwhentheyhavebeenrepeatedlyprovedwrong.Itisaquestionofprideasmuchasanythingelse.LastspringmywifesuggestedthatIcallinamantolookatourlawn-mower.Ithadbrokendowntheprevioussummer,andthoughIpromisedtorepairit,Ihadnevergotroundtoit.IwouldnothearofthesuggestionandsaidthatIwouldfixitmyself.OneSaturdayafternoon,Ihauledthemachineintothegardenandhadacloselookatit.AsfarasIcouldsee,itonlyneededaminoradjustment:aturnofascrewhere,alittletighteningupthere,adropofoilanditwouldbeasgoodasnew.Inevitablytherepairjobwasnotquitesosimple.Themowerfirmlyrefusedtomow,soIdecidedtodismantleit.Thegardenwassoonlitteredwithchunksofmetalwhichhadoncemadeupalawn-mower.ButIwasextremelypleasedwithmyselfIhadtracedthecauseofthetrouble.Oneofthelinksinthechainthatdrivesthewheelshadsnapped.AfterbuyinganewchainIwasfacedwiththeinsurmountabletaskofputtingtheconfusingjigsawpuzzletogetheragain.IwasnotsurprisedtofindthatthemachinestillrefusedtoworkafterIhadreassembledit,forthesimplereasonthatIwasleftwithseveralcuriouslyshapedbitsofmetalwhichdidnotseemtofitanywhere.Igaveupindespair.Theweekspassedandthegrassgrew.Whenmywifenaggedmetodosomethingaboutit,ItoldherthateitherIwouldhavetobuyanewmowerorletthegrassgrow.Needlesstosayourhouseisnowsurroundedbyajungle.Buriedsomewhereindeepgrassthereisarustinglawn-mowerwhichIhavepromisedtorepaironeday.現(xiàn)在我們自己動手做事的熱情很高，結(jié)果對于專業(yè)工人的依賴越來越少了。由于出版了不計其數(shù)的教人自己動手做事的書報雜志，沒有人再能說對某事一無所知。新婚夫婦找來合適的工具和材料，喜氣洋洋地開始布置新房。特別是男人，常利用空閑時間安裝壁爐、布置花園、建造車庫、制作家具。有些熱衷于自己動手的人甚至自己組裝電腦。為了滿足自己動手熱的需要，商店不僅為初學(xué)者提供專門的咨詢服務(wù)，而且為顧客準(zhǔn)備了各種零件，供他們買回家去安裝。這些東西為人們潛在的創(chuàng)造力提供了一個絕妙的用武之地。但不幸的是，我們并非人人都是能工巧匠。妻子常常認(rèn)為她們的丈夫無比聰明能干。甚至那些連一枚釘子都釘不直的男人都被認(rèn)為是天生的電工、木匠、水管工和機械師。每當(dāng)電燈保險絲燒斷、家具榫頭松動、管道堵塞、吸塵器不動時，有些妻子認(rèn)為丈夫總有辦法。自己動手的例子中最糟糕的是，有時甚至是男人盡管接連失敗卻還誤以為自己什么都行，原因就是要面子。今年春天，妻子讓我請人檢查一下我家的割草機。那臺割草機去年夏天就壞了，盡管我答應(yīng)修，但一直沒抽出時間，我不愿聽妻子的建議，說我自己會修。一個星期六的下午，我把割草機拉到了花園里，仔細(xì)檢查了一番。在我看來，只需稍加調(diào)整即可。這兒緊緊螺絲，那兒固定一下，再加幾滴油，就會像新的一樣了。事實上，修理工作遠(yuǎn)不是那么簡單。修完后割草機還是紋絲不動。于是，我決定把它拆開。一會兒工夫，割草機便被拆成一個個金屬零件，亂七八糟地堆在花園里。但我卻非常高興，因為我找到了毛病所在。驅(qū)動輪子的鏈條斷了一節(jié)。我買來一根新鏈條后，面臨的就是如何把這些令人眼花繚亂的拼板重新組裝起來。等我裝完后，那臺割草機仍然一動不動，對此我倒并不感到吃驚。原因很簡單，因為還剩下幾個形狀奇特的零件似乎哪里也裝不上去。我無可奈何，只好罷休。幾個星期過去了，草長了起來。妻子喋喋不休讓我想點辦法。我告訴她，要么買一臺新割草機，要么讓草長下去。不用說，我家現(xiàn)在已被叢林包圍。深草叢中的某個地方有一臺正在生銹的割草機，那就是我曾答應(yīng)某日要修理的割草機。Lesson47Throughtheearth’scrustSatellitesorbitingroundtheearthhaveprovidedscientistswithavastamountofinformationaboutconditionsinouterspace.Bycomparison,relativelylittleisknownabouttheinternalstructureoftheearth.Ithasprovedeasiertogoupthantogodown.Thedeepestholeevertobeboredonlandwentdown25,340feet--considerablylessthantheheightofMountEverest.Drillingaholeundertheseahasprovedtobeevenmoredifficult.Thedeepestholeboredunderseahasbeenabout20,000feet.Untilrecently,scientistshavebeenunabletodeviseadrillwhichwouldbecapableofcuttingthroughhardrockatgreatdepths.Thisproblemhasnowbeensolved.Scientistshavedevelopedamethodwhichsoundssurprisinglysimple.AnewdrillwhichisbeingtestedatLeonaValleyRanchinTexasisdrivenbyaturbineenginewhichispropelledbyliquidmudpumpedintoitfromthesurface.Asthediamondtipofthedrillrevolves,itislubricatedbymud.Scientistshavebeenamazedtofindthatitcancutthroughthehardestrockwithgreatease.Thedrillhasbeendesignedtoborethroughtheearthtoadepthof35,000feet.Itwillenablescientiststoobtainsamplesofthemysteriouslayerwhichliesimmediatelybelowtheearth'scrust.ThislayerisknownastheMohorovicicDiscontinuity,butiscommonlyreferredtoas'theMoho'.Beforeitispossibletodrillthisdeephole,scientistswillhavetoovercomeanumberofproblems.Geologicaltestswillbecarriedouttofindthepointatwhichtheearth'scrustisthinnest.Thethreepossiblesiteswhicharebeingconsideredareallatsea:twointheAtlanticOceanandoneinthePacific.Oncetheyhavedetermindedonasite,theywillhavetoerectadrillingvesselwhichwillnotbesweptawaybyoceancurrents.Thevesselwillconsistofanimmenseplatformwhichw