The land of the lock

The land of the lock

Years ago in American, it was customary for families to leave their doors

unlocked, day and night. In this essay, Greene regrets that people can no longer

trust each other and have to resort to elaborate security system to protect

themselves and their valuables.

Although the author is writing his opinion, he uses many examples to reinforce

his ideas and to prove his thesis.

几年前在美国，

许多美国家庭的门通常都是日夜不上锁的。

在本文中，

格林遗憾

地指出人们已经不再彼此信任，

不得不求助于各种复杂的安全设备来保护自身及

其贵重物品。< /p>

作者在提出自己观点的同时，

举出了大量的事例来证实和强调自己

的观点；

In the house where i grow up, it was our custom to leave the front door on the

latch at night. I don't know if that was a local term or if is universal;

latch

last one in for the evening would close up,and that was it.

在我长大成人的家里，

我们的习惯是晚上把前门闩上。

我不知道这是个地区用语

还是普遍的说法；

“

闩着门

”

的意思是关着门但却不上锁。我们都 不带钥匙；晚上

最后进来的人会把门关上，如此而巳。

Those days are over. In rural areas as well as in cities, doors do not stay

unlocked,even for part of an evening. < /p>

那样的日子已经一去不复返了。现在不管是城市还是乡村，门不再是不上锁了，

(

那些日子已经一去不复 返了。在农村地区

,

在城里

,

门不

再关上锁

,

哪怕是 傍晚一段时间。

)

Suburbs and country areas are, in many ways, even more vulnerable than

well-patrolled urban streets. Statistic show the crime rate rising more

dramatically in those allegedly tranquil areas than in cities. At any rate, the era of

leaving the front door on the latch is over.

郊区及乡村地区在很多方面比巡视得很严密的城市街道 还要容易出事。

统计数字

表明在那些据称是平静的地区，犯罪率 的上升较之城市还要显著。不管怎么说，

晚上闩着前门的日子已经结束了。

(

郊区和农村

,

他在许多方面比

well-patrolled

更为脆弱城市的街道上。统计显示

的犯罪率上升

,

那些据称是更为显著比在城市安宁的地区。无论如何

,

这个时代的

前门上留下的插销就结束了。

)

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It has been replaced by locks , security chains, electronic alarm system and trip

wires hooked up to a police station or private guard firm. Many suburban

families have sliding glass doors on their patios,with steel bars elegantly built in

so no one can pry the doors open.

安全链、

电子报警系统以及与警局 或私人保镖公司相连的报警线

所取代，

许多郊区家庭在庭院里都 装有滑动的玻璃门，

很别致地装有暗藏的钢闩，

这样就没人能橇 开门了。

(

它已经被锁

,

安全链

,

电子防盗系统及 旅行电线连接到一个警察局或私人守卫稳

固。许多郊区的家庭有滑动的玻璃门

在他们的天井

,

优雅地 建在棒材

,

所以没人能

撬门开着。

)

It is not uncommon, in the most pleasant of homes, to see pasted on the windows

decals announcing that the premises are under surveillance by this security force

or that guard company.

这很正常，

在很多漂亮的家里，

经常能见到窗户上张贴着图案 显示本宅受某保安

部队或某保镖公司的监护。

(

它并不少见

,

在最愉快的家

,

能看到贴在窗子上的标宣布的前提下

,

通过这种安全

监督力量或那个卫兵的公司。

< br>)

The lock is a new symbol of American. Indeed ,a recent public-service

advertisement by a large insurance company featured not actuarial charts but a

picture of a child's bicycle with the now-usual padlock attached to it.

锁是美国的 新的象征。

确实．

最新的一家保险公司的公益广告显示的不是数 据表

格而是一幅画，画面上有一辆儿童自行车，其上挂着

—

把现在常见的挂锁。

(

< br>锁是一种新的美国的象征。事实上

,

最近的一则公益广告 不是一家大保险公司特

色的精算图表但了一幅童车的图片

,

以无所不在的挂锁。

)

The ad pointed out that,yes,it is the insurance companies that pay for stolen

goods, but who is going to pay for what the new atmosphere of distrust and fear

is doing to our way of life?who is going to make the psychic payment for the

transformation of American from the land of the free to the land of the lock

？

诚然，

< br>广告显示的是保险公司会为你失窃的东西负责，

但是又有谁会补偿这种不

信任和恐惧的气氛给我们生活方式带来的改变呢，

谁来补偿美国由自由大 陆转变

为上锁的大陆所造成的心理损失呢？

< br>(

广告指出

,

没错

,

确是保险公司理赔失窃物品

,

但支付谁来赔偿什么新氛围的恐惧

和不信任正在干什么生活

?

谁要这一蜕变作出精神赔偿的美国人从自由之国到锁

之国吗< /p>

?)

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