新概念英語第四冊學(xué)習(xí)手冊Lesson16：ThemoderncityThemoderncity

現(xiàn)代城市

Whatistheauthor”smainargumentaboutthemoderncity?

Intheorganizationofindustriallifetheinfluenceofthefactoryuponthephysiologicalandmentalstateoftheworkershasbeencompletelyneglected.Modernindustryisbasedontheconceptionofthemaximumproductionatlowestcost,inorderthatanindividualoragroupofindividualsmayearnasmuchmoneyaspossible.Ithasexpandedwithoutanyideaofthetruenatureofthehumanbeingswhorunthemachines,andwithoutgivinganyconsiderationtotheeffectsproducedontheindividualsandontheirdescendantsbytheartificialmodeofexistenceimposedbythefactory.Thegreatcitieshavebeenbuiltwithnoregardforus.Theshapeanddimensionsoftheskyscrapersdependentirelyonthenecessityofobtainingthemaximumincomepersquarefootofground,andofofferingtothetenantsofficesandapartmentsthatpleasethem.Thiscausedtheconstructionofgiganticbuildingswheretoolargemassesofhumanbeingsarecrowdedtogether.Civilizedmenlikesuchawayofliving.Whiletheyenjoythecomfortandbanalluxuryoftheirdwelling,theydonotrealizethattheyaredeprivedofthenecessitiesoflife.Themoderncityconsistsofmonstrousedificesandofdark,narrowstreetsfullofpetrolfumesandtoxicgases,tornbythenoiseofthetaxicabs,lorriesandbuses,andthrongedceaselesslybygreatcrowds.Obviously,ithasnotbeenplannedforthegoodofitsinhabitants.

ALEXISCARRELMan,theUnknown

Newwordsandexpressions生詞和短語

physiological

adj.生理的

maximum

adj.限度的

consideration

n.考慮

descendant

n.子孫，后代

artificial

n.人工的

impose

v.強(qiáng)加

dimension

n.直徑

skyscraper

n.摩天大樓

tenant

n.租戶

civilized

adj.文明的

banal

adj.平凡

luxury

n.豪華

deprive

v.剝奪

monstrous

adj.畸形的

edifice

n.大廈

toxic

adj.有毒的

ceaselessly

adv.不停地

throng

v.擠滿，壅塞

參考譯文

在工業(yè)生活的組織中，工廠對工人的生理和精神狀態(tài)的影響完全被無視了?，F(xiàn)代工業(yè)的根本概念是：以最低本錢獵取最多產(chǎn)品，為的是讓某個(gè)個(gè)人或某一局部人盡可能多地賺錢。現(xiàn)代工業(yè)進(jìn)展起來了，卻根本沒想到操作機(jī)器的人的本質(zhì)。工廠把一種人為的生存方式強(qiáng)加給工人，卻不顧及這種生存方式給工人及其后代帶來的影響。大城市的建立毫不關(guān)懷我們。摩天大樓完全是按這樣的需要修建的：每平方英尺地皮取得收入和向租房人供應(yīng)使他滿足的辦公室和住房。這樣就導(dǎo)致了很多摩天大廈拔地而起，大廈內(nèi)眾多的人擠地一起。文明人喜愛這樣一種生活方式。在享受自己住宅的舒適和庸俗