Unit 9 Science and Technology新编大学英语第二版第四册课文翻译
-
Unit 9 Science and Technology
Too Fast?
People who were
born just before World War I remember waving at
automobiles as
they passed. Seeing a
car was like watching a
parade
—
exciting and out of
the ordinary.
The
airplane
—
it was spelled
—
was another new invention.
Refrigerators
were
the stove
in the winter. Now, the iceman, like the
blacksmith, survives only in literature.
Today, change comes so fast
that working people can become obsolete because
their
occupations vanish in the middle
of their lives. Knowledge, and thus the rate of
change,
increases geometrically. Every
idea gives birth to a dozen new ones, and each of
them has
a dozen children. The people
of the pre-World War I generation had hardly
assimilated
the
inventions
of
that
era
before
they
were
attacked
by
a
new
batch
of
even
more
sophisticated inventions. The Atomic
Age dawned in 1945, August 6 to be exact, and
then,
before we could catch our breath,
the Space Age arrived.
Change was not always this rapid.
Certain important inventions, like the telephone,
the airplane, the automobile, and the
radio, had been invented by 1914, but the effects
of
these inventions upon the lives of
ordinary citizens were not felt until many years
later.
We now have the technology to
develop machines before people are ready to use
them.
For
example,
we
have
the
technology
to
enable
people
to
pay
their
bills
by
phone
—
but
even people with phones resist. The
change is too much too fast. People don't want to
talk
to machines, especially if the
machines talk back to them.
It is certain that technology,
especially computer technology, will rule our
lives to a
greater and greater degree.
This situation will not necessarily prove positive
or negative
in effect. Many people
would be more comfortable if change came more
slowly, but on the
other hand, there
are many for whom every innovation is like a new
toy. They can't wait
for
the
next
invention
to
be
available.
When
scientists
talk
about
the
remarkably
adaptable nature
of people, they probably have these people in
mind.
But
there
is
a
limit
to
everyone's
ability
to
adapt.
What
will
happen
to
us
when
change
comes
so
rapidly that
we
can
no
longer
adjust
to
it?
These
same scientists
who
talk
about
our
adaptable
nature
also
tell
us
that
change
is
to
some
degree
emotionally
painful to everyone. What then, will
happen to us when change comes so rapidly that we
can no longer stand the pain, and we
refuse to change?
We have
read a lot about scientific and technological
change, but that is only part of
the
picture
of
modern
life.
There
is
often
a
great
lag
between
scientific
discovery
and
cultural
acceptance.
For
example,
Charles
Darwin's
theory
of
evolution,
proposed
over
one
hundred
years
ago
and
accepted
by
all
serious
scholars
for
generations,
is
still
rejected
by
large
segments
of
society.
These
segments
see
science
as
contradicting
a
higher
religious
authority.
They
see
science
as
questioning
and
destroying
their
beliefs
and culture.
The problem is not easily
solved because it is in the nature of science to
question, and
it
is
in
the
nature
of
human
beings
not
to
want
to
question
the
things
they
believe
in.
Science
is
not
merely
a
field
of
study
like
chemistry
or
physics
or
biology.
Science
is
a
method
of
looking
at
the
world,
a
method
that
requires
an
open
mind,
objectivity,
and
proof
based
upon
observation
or
experimentation.
It
is
a
method
that
ignores
religion,
race, nationality, economics, morality,
and ethics. It pays attention only to the results
of
research. The scientific method has
shown us endless marvels and wonders, but methods
can't provide all the answers. Science
cannot tell us whether or not to drop a bomb: That
is a moral or political question.
Science only tells us how to make one.
As
we
have
already
said,
technological
innovations
are
being
made
at
faster
and
faster
rates.
The
future
will
be
even
more
revolutionary
than
the
past.
Will
we,
as
a
species, survive the revolutions that
we have begun? There is plenty of evidence to
think
that
we
will.
Our
species
has
enormous
potential
that
we
have
just
begun
to
use.
For
example, we have only begun to control
the environment. One day technology will make
every
desert
bloom.
It's
simple,
really.
To
do
so,
all
we
need
to
do
is
lower
the
cost
of
converting
sea
water
into
fresh
water.
Then,
when
the deserts
bloom, will
they
provide
enough food for our growing numbers?
Most likely, they will. We have only just begun to
discover
the
possibilities
of
highly
intensive
desert
agriculture.
We
already
have
the
technology
to
increase
production
ten
times
and
to
use
one-
twentieth
of
the
water
we
needed
before.
We know how to make
agricultural miracles. What we need are the time
and money
to make the technology
available to everyone.
In
the
nineteenth
century,
people
believed
in
progress.
They
believed
that
science
would lead them to a
new era of endless prosperity and happiness. Well,
it didn't work
out
that
way.
Two
disastrous
world
wars
convinced
people
of
that.
Yet,
in
our
disappointment and in our fears that
science was a monster that would one day destroy
us, we forgot that science was not the
monster; we were the monster. Science was merely
a servant, and like fire, a good
servant when treated properly.
Despite
all
the
problems
of
the
modern
world,
however,
most
people
would
not
choose to live in any of the less
scientific ages that have preceded ours.
If
—
and this is a
big
if
—
we
don't
destroy
ourselves
in
war,
the
future
can
only
be
better.
Each
year
will
bring a more bewildering array of
scientific advances: diseases cured, space
conquered,
transportation
and
communication
revolutionized,
agriculture
and
industry
completely
transformed,
etc.
To
some,
the
future
sounds
exciting;
to
others,
frightening.
But
one
thing is
sure
—
it won't be boring.
太快了？
1
在第
一次世界大战前夕出生的人仍然记得看到身边经过的汽车就挥手的情景。
那时，
见
到一辆汽车就像观看游行一样令人兴奋、
非同
寻常。
另一项新发明就是飞机了
（当时被拼作
< br>“aeroplane”
）
。当时的电冰箱只是些
“
冰箱
”
（
icebox
）
，而且有人夏天专门为冰箱送冰
，冬天
为火炉送炭。现在，送冰的人就像铁匠一样只有在文学作品中才能读到了。
2
如今，变化来得如此之快，以至于从业人员往往人到中年却因所从事的职业不复存在
而变得一无用处。
知识以及随之而来的变化速度都成几何级数增长。
每一个想法能引发出许
多新的想法，
而每一个新
想法又引发更多的想法。
第一次世界大战前出生的这代人还没有来
得及掌握那个时代的诸多发明时便又面临一批更高级的发明的挑战。原子时代起始于
1
945
年，确切地说是那一年的
8
月<
/p>
6
日；我们尚未有喘息的机会，太空时代便来临了。
3
以前
,
变化并不总是这样快的。一些
重要的发明，如电话、飞机、汽车和收音机，早在
1914
年以
前就已经问世，但直到许多年后普通老百姓才感受到这些发明对他们生活所产生
的影响。
现在我们的技术足以开发人们一时还接受不了的新机器。
例如，
我们的技术可以让
人通过电话付款，
但
即便有电话的人也抵制这项技术。
这一变化来得太快了。
人们不
愿对着
机器说话，尤其是当回话的也是机器的时候。
4
有一
点是肯定的，那就是技术，特别是计算机技术，将在越来越大的程度上控制我们
的生活。
这种情况并非一定是有利的或者是不利的。
如果变化来得慢一点
，
许多人可能会觉
得更适应一些；
但另
一方面，对不少人来说，
每一项新发明都像是一个新玩具。他们迫不及
< br>待地期待着下一个新发明的出现。
在科学家们谈论人的非凡的适应性时，
他们想到的可能就
是这群人。
5
但是
每个人的适应能力都是有限的。
一旦变化来得过快以至于我们不能再适应时，
我们
会怎样呢？还是那些认为我们有非凡适应性的科学家们告诉我们，
变化在一定程度上给每个
人造成情感上的痛苦。
那么，
一旦变化迅速得使我们忍受不了这种痛苦从而拒绝变化的时候，
我们又会怎样呢？
6
关于科技变化，我们读到过很多，但这只是现代生活的一部分
。科学发现和文化上认
可之间常常存在着一个很长的滞后阶段。例如，查尔斯
•
达尔文在
100
多年以
前就提出了进
化论，而且为好几代的严肃学者所接受，但至今许多大的社会群体仍然拒绝
接受这一理论。
这些人认为科学是与更高的宗教权威相抵触的。
在他们看来，
科学在质疑甚至破坏他们的信
仰与文化。
7
这一问题很难得到解决，
因为科学的本质是质疑，
而人类的天性则不容怀疑他们所相信
的东西。
科学不仅仅是门学
科，
就像化学、
物理或生物那样。
科学
还是一种看待世界的方法，
这种方法要求人们思想开明，
持客观
的态度和根据观察和实验来获得证据。
这是一种脱离了
宗教、种
族、民族、经济、道德和伦理的方法。它只注重研究的结果。这种科学方法已经给
我们展
示了无穷的奇迹和成就
,
但它无法提供所有问题的答案。
科学不能告诉我们是否应该
投放炸弹：这是一个道德或政治问题。科
学只能告诉我们如何制造炸弹。
8
正如我们前面所说的，技术革新的速度越来越快。未来社会的
变革将超过以往任何时
候。
作为一个物种，
我们人类能否在我们自己发动的这种变革中幸存下来呢？有大量的证据
表明我们能。
我们人类有巨大的潜能，我们才刚刚开始开发利用。
例如，我们才刚刚开始控
制环境。将来有一天，技术将使所有的沙漠鲜花盛开。这的确不难。要做到这一点，我们只
需要降低海水淡化的成本。
接下来的问题是，
沙
漠变成绿洲后，
它们能为我们不断增加的人
口提供充足的粮食吗
？很可能。
最近，
我们已经开始发现集约式沙漠农业是可能的。
我们已
经拥有的技术能将产量提高
10
倍，用水量减少到从前的
1/20
。<
/p>
9
我们知道如何创造农业奇迹。我们需要时间和金钱以便使这项技术为人人所用。
10
在
19
世纪，
人们信仰进步
。
他们相信科学将带领他们进入一个无限繁荣无限幸福的新
时代
。
然而，
事情并没有如他们所想象的那样发展。
两次灾难性的世界大战使人们确信了这
一点。
但是，我
们在失望时，在担心科学是一头将来某一天会毁灭我们的巨兽时，
却忘记了
科学并不是巨兽，我们自己才是巨兽。科学只是一个仆人，像火一样，如果使用得当，它将
是个好仆人。
11
尽管现代世界存在着种种问题，大多数人都不会愿意生活在我
们之前的任何一个科学
欠发达的时代。如果我们不在战争中毁灭自己
——
当然，我们说的是
“
如果
”——
未来只会更
好。我们每年都将取得令
人目不暇接的科学进步：
疾病得到根治，
太空被征服，运输和通
讯
取得根本性的变革，农业和工业得到彻底改造等等。对一些人来说，未来听起来令人兴
奋；
而对另一些人来说，则令人恐惧。但有一点是肯定的：未来不会让人感到乏味。
True Love
My
name
is
Joe.
That
is
what
my
colleague,
Milton
Davidson,
calls
me.
He
is
a
programmer and I am a
computer. I am part of the Multivac-complex and am
connected
with other parts all over the
world. I know everything. Almost everything.
I
am
Milton's
private
computer.
His
Joe.
He
understands
more
about
computers
than
anyone
in
the
world,
and
I
am
his
experimental
model.
He
has
made
me
speak
better
than any other computer can.
it works in the human brain
even though we still don't know what symbols there
are in
the brain. I know the symbols in
yours, and I can match them to words, one-to-
one.
talk.
I
don't
think
I
talk
as
well
as
I
think,
but
Milton
says
I
talk
very
well.
Milton
has
never
married, though he is nearly 40 years old. He has
never found the right woman, he
told
me. One day he said,
have true love and
you're going to help me. I'm tired of improving
you in order to solve
the problems of
the world. Solve my problem. Find me true
love.
I said,
He said,
It was
easy. His words activated symbols in my molecular
valves. I could reach out to
make
contact with the accumulated data on every human
being in the world. At his words,
I
eliminated 3,784,982,874 men. I kept contact with
3,786,112,090 women.
He
said,
with an IQ under 120; all with a
height under 150 centimeters and over 175
centimeters.
He
gave
me
exact
measurements;
he
eliminated
women
with
living
children;
he
eliminated women with various genetic
characteristics.
said.
After
two
weeks,
we
were
down
to
235
women.
They
all
spoke
English
very
well.
Milton said he didn't
want a language problem. Even computer-translation
would get in
the way at intimate
moments.
can't
interview
235
women,
he
said.
would
take
too
much
time,
and
people
would
discover what I am doing.
would
make
trouble,
I
said.
Milton
had
arranged
me
to
do
things
I
wasn't
designed to do. No
one knew about that.
what, Joe, I will bring in
holographs, and you check the list for
similarities.
He
brought
in
holographs
of
women.
are
three
beauty
contest
winners,
said.
Eight
were
very
good
matches
and
Milton
said,
you
have
their
data
banks.
Study requirements and needs in the job
market and arrange to have them assigned here.
One at a time, of
course.
That is
one of the things I am not designed to do.
Shifting people from job to job for
personal reasons is called
manipulation. I could do it now because Milton had
arranged it.
I wasn't supposed to do it
for anyone but him, though.
The
first
girl
arrived
a
week
later.
Milton's
face
turned
red
when
he
saw
her.
He
spoke as
though it were hard to do so. They were together a
great deal and he paid no
attention to
me. One time he said,
The
next day he said to me,
She is a
beautiful woman, but I did not feel any touch of
true love. Try the next one.
It was the same with all eight. They
were much alike. They smiled a great deal and
had pleasant voices, but Milton always
found it wasn't right. He said,
it,
Joe. You and I have picked out the eight women
who, in all the world, look the best to
me. They are ideal. Why don't they
please me?
The next morning
he came to me and said,
you. You have
my data bank, and I am going to tell you
everything I know about myself.
You
fill up my data bank in every possible detail but
keep all additions to yourself.
Arrange
to
have
each
undergo
a
psychiatric
examination.
Fill
up
their
data
banks
and
compare
them
with
mine.
Find
correlations.
(Arranging
psychiatric
examinations
is
another thing that is
against my original instructions.
For weeks, Milton talked to me. He told
me everything about him. He said,
Joe,
as you get more and more of me in you, I adjust
you to match me better and better. If
you
understand
me
well
enough,
then
any
woman
whose
data
bank
is
something
you
understand
as
well,
would
be
my
true
love.
He
kept
talking
to
me
and
I
came
to
understand him better and
better.
I
could
make
longer
sentences
and
my
expressions
grew
more
complicated.
My
speech began to sound a
good deal like his in vocabulary, word order and
style.
I said to him one
time,
ideal only. You need a girl who
is a personal, emotional, temperamental fit to
you. If that
happens, looks are
secondary. If we can't find the fit in these 227,
we'll look elsewhere.
We will find
someone who won't care how you look either, or how
anyone would look, if
only there is the
personality fit. What are looks?
in my life. Of course,
thinking about it makes it all plain
now.
We always agreed; we
thought so like each other.
What followed, Milton said, was the
equivalent of a careful psychoanalysis. Of course.
I was learning from the psychiatric
examinations of the 227
women
—
on all of which I was
keeping close tabs.