-
大学英语精读第
6
册
全文课文翻译
第六册
RESEARCH REPORTS FOR BUSINESS AND
THECNICAL WRITING
A
surprising
amount
of
one's time as
a student and
professional
is
spent
reporting
the
results
of
one's
research projects for presentation to
teachers, managers,
and clients.
Indeed, without basic research skills and the
ability to present research results
clearly and completely,
an individual
will encounter many obstacles in school and
on the job. The need for some research-
writing ability is
felt
nearly
equally
by
college
students
in
all
fields,
engineering
and
science
as
well
as
business
and
the
humanities. Graduate
study often makes great demands
on
the
student's
research-writing
skills,
and
most
professions continue the demand;
education, advertising
and
marketing,
economics
and
accounting,
science
and
engineering,
psychology,
anthropology,
the
arts,
and
agriculture may all require regular
reporting of research
data.
ELEMENTS OF THE RESEARCH PAPER
The standard research report,
regardless of the field or the
intended
reader
,
contains
four
major
sections.
These
sections
may
be
broken
down
into
a
variety
of
subsections,
and
they
may
be
arranged
in
a
variety
of
ways,
but they regularly make up the core of the report.
Problem Section. The first required
section of a research
report
is
the
statement
of
the
problem
with
which
the
research
project
is
concerned.
This
section
requires
a
precise
statement
of
the
underlying
question
which
the
researcher
has
set
out
to
answer
.
In
this
same
section
there should be an
explanation of the significance -- social,
economic, medical, psychological,
educational, etc.
-- of
the
question; in other words, why the investigation
was
worth
conducting.
Thus,
if
we
set
out,
for
example,
to
answer
the
question
is
the
effect
of
regular
consumption of fast
foods on the health of the American
teenager?
have significant
relevance to the health of this segment of
the population and might lead to some
sort of regulations
on such foods.
A frequent subsection of this problem
section is a review of
past research on
the topic being investigated. This would
consist
of
summaries
of
the
contributions
of
previous
researcher to the
question under consideration with some
商务、技术研究报告的写作
作为学生和专业人员，他们花了大量时间将
自己的研究项目的结果报告
给老师，经理和委托
人。的确，一个人如果没有从事研究工作的基本
技能和将研究成果清楚而完整地表达的能力，那
么他就会在学习和工作中碰到许多障
碍。科研写
作能力的需要对于在各个领域的学生都是相等
的，无
论理工科学生还是商务、人文学科的学生
都是这样研究生阶段的学习对学生的科研写作提
出了很高的要求，
而且大多数职业继续要求这样：
教育（学）
、广告与市场营销、经济学与会计学，
理
工科、心理学、人类学、艺术以及农艺可能都
要定期报告研究的信息。
< br>
研究报告的要素
标准的研究
报告，不论是哪个领域或针对哪类读
者，都有四个主要部分。这些大的部分可以分成
许多小的部分，而且结构安排可以多种多样，但
是报告的核心通常由
这四大部分组成的。
问题部分。研究报告的首要部分就是陈述
研究项
目所涉及的问题。这一部分要求准确阐述研究者
要问答的
根本问题。在这同一个部分里应该从社
会、经济，医学、心理、教育方面来解释问题的<
/p>
意义：换言之，为什么值得进行这项研究。这样，
举例来说，
如果我们开始回答
“
经常食用快餐食品
对美国青少年有什么影响？
”
那么我们就必
须解
释，此问题认为同这部分的人口有着非常密切的
关系，可能
导致对此类食品作出某种规定。
问题这一部分通常有一个小部
分对该课题过去的
研究民情况进行回顾。这可能包括对这个问题以
前的研究者作出的贡献进行总结以及对这些贡献
作出某种评价。这一小部分具有修辞作
用，因为
它显示了所提供的资料是在对本领域所取得的成
assessment
of
the
value
of
these
contributions.
This
subsection
has
rhetorical
usefulness
in
that
it
enhances
the credibility of
the researcher by indicating that the data
presented is based on a thorough
knowledge of what has
been done in the
field and, possibly, grows out of some
investigative tradition.
Procedures
Section.
The
second
major
section
of
the
research
report
details,
with
as
much
data
as
possible,
exactly
how
the
study
was
carried
out.
This
section
includes description of any necessary
equipment, how the
subjects
were
selected
if
subjects
were
used,
what
statistical technique was used to
evaluate the significance
of the
findings, how many observations were made and
when, etc. An investigation of the
relative effectiveness of
various swim-
strokes would have to detail the number of
swimmers tested, the nature of the
tests conducted, the
experience of the
swimmers, the weather conditions at the
time of the test, and any other factors
that contributed to
the overall
experiment. The goal of the procedures section
is to allow the reader to duplicate the
experiment if such
were desired to
confirm, or refute, your findings.
Results Section. The third, and perhaps
most important,
section of the research
report is the presentation of the
results obtained from the
investigation. The basic rule in
this
section
is
to
give
all
data
relevant
to
the
research
question initially
asked. Although, of course, one's natural
tendency might be to suppress any
findings which do not
in some way
support one's hypothesis, such dishonesty is
antithetical to good research reporting
in any field. If the
experiments
undertaken fail to prove anything, if the data
was
inadequate
or
contrary
to
expectations,
the
report
should be honestly
written and as complete as possible,
just as it would be if the hypothesis
were totally proven by
the research.
Discussion
Section.
The
final
required
section
of
a
research
report is a discussion of the results obtained and
a statement of any conclusions which
may be drawn from
those results. Of
primary interest in business and technical
research reports is the validity of the
results as the bases
for
company
decisions:
Will
our
planned
construction
project
meet
federal
environmental
guidelines
and
be
approved
for
building?
Will
this
new
program
attract
skilled
personnel
to
our
company?
Will
this
new
oil
recovery
technique
be
financially
feasible?
Thus,
the
discussion
section
of
the
research
report
must
evaluate
the research
results fully: were they validly obtained, are
they complete or limited, are they
applicable over a wide
range
of
circumstances?
The
discussion
section
should
果透
彻理解的基础上取得的，因而它提高了对研
究者的可信度。并且很可能是从某种调查研究
中
得出来的。
过程部分。研究报告的
第二大部分准确阐述了，
用尽可能多的资料，研究是如何进行的。这部分
包括说明所需要的设备，
实验对象是怎样选择的，
如果
使用了的话，用什么统计方法来评价实验成
果的意义，进行了多少次观察以及什么时候进
行
的等。如果要对不同泳姿的相应效果进行研究的
话，那么就要
详细说明参加测试的人数，进行测
试的性质，游泳者的经历，进行测试的天气条件，
以及对整个实验有影响的其它因素。过程部分的
目的是让读者能模拟
实验，如果他愿意这么样来
证实或驳斥你的结果的话。
结果部分。研究报告的第三，也许是最重要的部
分是展示从研究中获得
的结果。这部分的基本原
则就是对最初提出的问题提供一切有关的资料。
当然，虽然人的自然倾向可能是对任何在某方面
与自己的假设不符的结果进行隐
瞒，可是这种不
诚实与任何领域优秀的研究报告是相背的。如果
所进行的实验不能证实什么，如果资料不充分或
与期望相反，那么研究报告就应该如实而
且尽可
能完整地写下来，就象假设被研究证实了的那样
把它写下
来。
讨论部分。研究报告的最后一个必要部分就是讨
论所获得的结果，阐述从那些结果中得出的任何
结论。在商务和技术的研
究报告中，人们主要关
注是结果的可靠性，这也是公司决策的依据；我
< br>们策划的项目符合联邦环境政策吗？会得到批准
进行吗？
?
这个新项目会吸引技术人材到我们公
司来吗？从金融方面看，
这项石油回收新技术可
行吗？这样，研究报告的讨论必须全面评价研究
< br>成果：它们获得是否真实？它们是完整的还是有
局限性？它们的应用范围很大吗？
讨论部分也应
该指出哪些问题仍然没有找到答案，也许对进一
also
point
out
what
question
remain
unanswered
and
perhaps suggest
directions for further research.
STYLE OF RESEARCH REPORTS
Research
reports
are
considered
formal
professional
communication.
As
such,
there
is
little
emphasis
on
a
lively
style, although, of course, there is no objection
to
writing that is pleasing and
interesting. The primary goals
of
professional communication are accuracy, clarity,
and
completeness.
The
rough
draft
of
any
research
report
should
be
edited
to
ensure
that
all
data
is
correctly
presented, that all equipment is
listed, that all results are
properly
detailed.
As
an
aid
to
the
reader
,
headings
indicating at least the major section
of the report should
be
used,
and
all
data
should
be
presented
under
the
proper
headings.
In
addition
to
their
function
of
suggesting
to
the
reader
the
contents
of
each
section,
headings enhance
the formal appearance and professional
quality of the report, increase to some
degree the writer's
credibility by
reflecting a logical and methodical approach
to the reporting process, and eliminate
the need for wordy
transitional devices
between sections.
Research data should
be presented in a way that places
proper
emphasis
on
major
aspect
of
the
project.
For
different
readers
different
aspects
will
take
on
different
degrees of importance, and some
consideration should be
given
to
structuring
research
reports
differently
for
different
audiences.
Management,
for
example,
will
be
most concerned with the results of a
research project, and
thus the results
section should be emphasized, probably
by presenting it immediately after the
problem section and
before the
procedures section. Other researchers would be
most interested in the procedures
section, and this should
be
highlighted
in
writing
up
research
projects
for
publication in
professional journals or for presentation at
professional
conferences.
For
non-technical
readers
and
federal agencies, the implications of
the results might be
the
most
important
consideration,
and
emphasis
should
be
placed
on
the
discussion
of
the
report
for
this
readership.
For additional clarity and emphasis,
major results should
be presented in a
visual format -- tables, charts, graphs,
diagrams -- as well as in a verbal one.
Beyond checking the report for clarity
and accuracy in the
presentation
of
technical
data,
the
author
of
a
research
report
should
review
for
basic
grammatical
and
mechanical
accuracy.
Short
sentences
are
preferable
to
long in the presentation of complex
information. Listings
步研究提出一些建议。
研究报告的文体
人们认为研究报告是
属于正规的专业交流。
据此，
并不强调用活泼文体，当然也不反
对文章写得生
动有趣。专业交流的主要目的是准确、明晰，完
整
。校订任何研究报告初稿都应保证所有资料正
确提供，所有设备列出，所有结果恰当详述
。为
方便读者，应该使用标题，至少标明报告的主要
部分，而所
有资料都应当在恰当的标题下陈述。
标题除了有向读者提示每部分内容的功能外，它
还提高了报告的规范性和学术质量，同时报告是
按逻辑、有条理地写
出来的，因此在某种程度上
增加了作者的可信度，消除了报告各部分之间冗
长的承上启下的词语。
应该用一种恰当强调项目主
要方面的方式陈述研
究资料。对于不同的读者来说，不同的方面具有
不同的重要性。应该考虑到报告的结构因不同的
读者而有所不同。例如：资方对研究
项目的结果
最为关心，所以这部分应该加以强调。在问题部
分之
后和过程部分之前有可能立即出现。其他的
研究人员对过程部分尤为感兴趣，所以在把研
究
项目整理成文用于在专业刊物发表或在专业会议
上宣读时，这
一部分应该着重突出。对于非专业
读者和联邦机构来说，首要考虑的是研究结果的
含意，对于这部分读者来说，应该强调讨论部分。
< br>另外为了明晰、强调，主要成果不仅应该用书面
文字而且还应该用表格，图表，图
解，简图等直
观形式来表述。
除了检
查研究报告是否在技术资料方面表达清
楚、准确外，作者还应该检查基本语法和打印方<
/p>
面是否准确。在陈述复杂信息时最好使用短句。
应该使用列举方法
来避免长篇大论，强调信息。
研究报告的作者应该在不损害报告的专业质量的
情况下尽可能使用最简单的语言。虽然专业术语
能够使用，但虚饰的行为应
当避免。一篇完整的
should be used to
break up long passages of prose and to
emphasize information. The research
writer should try to
use the simplest
possible language without sacrificing the
professional
quality
of
the
report.
Although
specialized
terms can be used, pretentious jargon
should be avoided.
A finished research
report should be readable and useful
document prepared with the reader in
mind.
CONCLUSION
Although
we
struggle
with
research
reports
in
high
school,
dread them in college, and are often burdened by
them in our professional live, learning
to live comfortably
with them is a
relatively easy task. A positive attitude (i.e.
one that seem the oral or written
presentation of research
results
as
of
equal
importance
to
the
data-gathering
process); an
orderly approach which includes prewriting
(i.e., before any actual research is
done, the researcher
should try to get
down on paper as much about the subject
under
investigation
as
possible)
and
a
formal
research
report structure
as
the
framework
for
the
investigation;
and a reasonable approach to the actual
writing process
including editing for
accuracy and clarity, will help one to
produce effective research reports
efficiently.
研究报告应该是一份把读者装在心
中，可读而又
有用的文献。
结论
虽然我们在中学就努力去写好研
究报告，在
大学仍有点害怕，在专业生活中还经常感到它是
一种
负担，然而学会与之泰然相处也是一件相对
容易的事。为了帮助人们及时而又有效地写出
报
告，人们应该做到：有一种积极的态度（即把口
头和书面陈述
研究成果与资料收集过程看成同样
重要）
：写作步骤井然有序，
包括写作前的准备工
作（即在进行实际研究工作之前，研究者应当尽
可能多地把与研究课题有关的资料写下来）有一
个正式研究报告的构思作为调查的框
架；有一个
合理的写作方法，包括为了准确、清楚、将会很
有效
的进行校订过程。
职业的开端
贝尔蒙特宾馆，
1952
年
6
月
11
日
亲爱的妈妈：
你那份
令我吃惊的电报，
[
宣布了由我转寄的
＜明顿家的星期天＞、获得了＜小姐＞杂志五百
元奖金。它正好是我在阴暗的贝尔蒙特餐
厅洗餐
桌时收到的我非常激动，大声叫着，竟一把抱住
了女服务
员领班。毫无疑问，她一定认为我发疯
了。不管怎样，从心理上讲，你的电报来得正是<
/p>
时候。那时我觉得很累
——
人到一个新地
方，第
一夜总是睡不好的
——
而我就没
有睡多少觉。更
糟糕的是，我是这里唯一的女招待。一直要擦洗
家具，洗盘子和银餐具，搬桌子等，
从上午８点
开始我刚知道，因为我完全没有经验，将不会让
我在正厅工作，而是让我在经
理们和主管人员就
餐的
“
侧厅
”
工作。所有，这个暑假的小费毫无疑
问会少得
多，并且一起干活的伙伴缺乏风趣。我
正开动为缺钱发愁时你的电报来了。上帝啊！想<
/p>
想看，《明顿家的星期天》竟是一家全国性通俗
THE BEGINNING OF A CARREER
Dear
Mother,
Your
amazing
telegram
[telegram
announcing
$$500
Mademoiselle prize for
forwarded]
came
just
as
I
was
scrubbing
tables
in
the
shady
interior
of
The
Belmont
dining
room.
I
was
so
excited
that
I
screamed
and
actually
threw
my
arms
around the head waitress who no doubt
thinks I am rather
insane!
Anyhow,
psychologically,
the
moment
couldn't
have been better. I
felt tired -- one's first night's sleep in a
new place never is peaceful -- and I
didn't get much! To
top it off, I was
the only girl waitress here, and had been
scrubbing
furniture,
washing
dishes
and
silver,
lifting
tables, etc. since 8
a.m. Also, I just learned since I am
completely inexperienced, I am not
going to be working in
the
main
dining
room,
but
in
the
hall
where
the
managers and top hotel
brass eat. So, tips will no doubt
net
much less during the summer and the company be
less
interesting.
So
I
was
beginning
to
worry
about
money
when your telegram
came. God! To think
Mintons
is
one
of
two
prize
stories
to
be
put
in
a
big
national
slick! Frankly, I can't believe it!
The
first
thing
I
though
of
was:
Mother
can
keep
her
intersession
money
and
buy
some
pretty
clothes
and
a
special trip or something! At least I
get a winter coat and
extra special
suit out of the Mintons. I think the prize is
$$500!
M
E! Of all
people!…
So it's really
looking up around here, now that I don't have
to be scared stiff about money … Oh, I
say, even if my feet
kill me after this
first week, and I drop 20 trays, I will have
the
beach,
boys
to
bring
me
beer,
sun,
and
young
gay
companions. What a life.
Love, your crazy old daughter.
Sivvy
June 12. 1952
No doubt after
I catch up on sleep, and learn to balance
trays high on my left hand, I'll feel
much happier. As it is
now, I feel
stuck in the midst of a lot of loud, brassy Irish
Catholics, and the only way I can jolly
myself is to say,
about them
all.
protagonist
--
Marley,
a
gabby
girl
who
knows
her
way
around
but good. The ration of boys to girls has gotten
less
and less, so I'll be lucky if I
get tagged by the youngest kid
here.
Lots of the girls are really wise, drinking
flirts. As for
me, being the
conservative, quiet, gracious type, I don't
stand much chance of dating some
o
f the cutest ones … If
I
can only get
minute let them know I'm
the gentle intellectual type, it'll
be
O.K.
As for the Mlle news, I don't
think it's really sunk in yet. I
felt
sure they made a mistake, or that you'd made it up
to
cheer me. The big advantage will be
that I won't have to
worry
about
earning
barely
$$300
this
summer.
I
would
really
have
been
sick
otherwise.
I
can't
wait
till
August
when I can go
casually down to the drug store and pick up
a slick copy of Mlle, flip to the
index, and see ME, one of
two college
girls in the U.S.!
Really,
when
I
think
of
how
I
started
it
over
spring
vacation, polished it
at school, and sat up till midnight in
the
Haven
House
kitchen
typing
it
amidst
noise
and
chatter, I can't get over how the story
soared to were it
did…
I get great pleasure out of sharing it
[her feeling about the
story] with you,
who really understand how terribly much
it means as a tangible testimony that I
have got a germ of
刊物的两篇获奖小说之一！说实话，我真地不
敢
相信！
我当时想到的第一件事是：
妈妈可以将她要给我
暑假用的钱留下，买些好衣服，进行一次特别旅
游什么的。至少我能够用《明顿家》获得的奖金
买一件冬装和一套非常精美的衣服。
奖金有五百
元之多啊！
这么多人中，获奖的竟是我！
现在这
里一切都好起来，因为我不必为钱担心
了，
……
啊，
即使这第一个星期之后我双脚疼得要
命，即使摔破
了二十个盘子我仍然会到海滩去，
要侍者为我拿酒，要享受海边的阳光，要与年轻
的伙伴同乐。多么美好的生活！
爱你，你那发疯的女儿。
西维
1952
年
6
月
12
日
毫无疑问，我睡足觉，学会用左手端稳高高的盘
子后，
我会感到更高兴的。现在实际上，我觉得
自己陷
入一伙闹哄哄、厚脸皮的爱尔兰天主教徒之中，
无法脱身
，
而我能够自乐的唯一办法就是说：
“
嗯，
只是一个夏天，而我还可以把他们写到我的小说
里去呢。<
/p>
”
至少，我已经为我的下一个主人公取了
一个新名字
——
马莉，一个能说会道熟知人情世
故的女孩，小伙子们与大姑娘的比例越来越小。
所以如果我被这儿哪个最年轻的
小伙子追求的
话，那我是很幸运的。这里的很多女孩确实机灵，
能喝酒，会调情卖俏。而我因是那种保守、文静、
优雅的女孩，所以不太可能和一些帅小
伙子约
会
……
要是我能与这些女孩相处
很好，
作她们朋友
而决不让她们知道我是个文雅的知识分子的话
，
那就好了。
对于《小姐》杂志那条
消息，我还是感到不可理
解。我曾经确信他们弄错了，或是你杜撰出来让
我高兴的。最大的好处将是我不必为这个夏天只
能挣到
300
美金发愁了。不然的话，我会忧心忡
忡的。我现在真是急
不可耐地希望八月到来，到
那时我可随意走进杂货店拿起一册漂亮的
《小姐》
杂志，赶快翻到索引部分，看到我，美国两名女
大
学生之一！
真的，当我想起整个春假期间怎样着手写这篇小<
/p>
说。在学校修改润色，在海文豪斯厨房喧闹的环
境中熬夜打字到深
夜的时候，我真的无法相信这
篇小说会获得如此大奖
……
writing
ability.
The
only
thing,
I
probably
won't
have
a
chance to win Mlle again, so I'll try
for a guest editorship
maybe next or my
senior year, and set my sights for the
Atlantic.
God,
I'm
glad
I
can
talk
about
it
with
you
--
probably you're the only
outlet that I'll have that won't get
tired of my talking about writing
…
Speaking again of Henry
and Liz, it was a step for me to a
story where the protagonist isn't
always ME, and proved
that I am
beginning to use imagination to transform the
actual incident. I was scared that
would never happen, but
I think it's an
indication that my perspective is broadening.
Sometime I think -- heck, I don't know
why I didn't stay
home
all
summer,
writing,
doing
physical
science,
and
having a small part-time job. I could
doesn't
do
much
good
to
yearn
about
that,
I
guess.
Although it would
have been nice. Oh well, I'll cheer up. I
love you.
Your own Sivvy
June 15, 1952
Dear Mother.
… Do write me
letters, Mommy, because I am in a very
dangerous of feeling sorry for myself
… Just at present, life
is
awful.
Mademoiselle
seems
quite
unreal,
and
I
am
exhausted,
scared,
incompetent,
unenergetic
and
generally low is spirits … Working in
side hall puts me part,
and I feel
completely uprooted and clumsy. The more I see
the main hall girls expertly getting
special dishes, fixing
shaved
ice
and
fruit,
etc.,
the
more
I
get
an
inferiority
complex
and
feel
that
each
day
in
side
hall
leaves
me
further behind … But as
tempted as I am to be a coward
and
escape by crawling back home, I have resolved to
give
it a good month's trial --
till July 10 … Don't worry about
me, but do send me little pellets of
advice now and then.
June
24, 1952
…
Last
night
I
went
on
a
birthday
party
at
the
Bar
where
we
sang
and
talked
for
a
few
hours.
There
were
about
forty
of
us
kids
from
the
hotel.
I
managed by some magic to
get myself seated next to a
fellow in
his first year at Harvard Law -- and he was just a
dear … The best part was when we came
back. It was a
beautiful clear starry
night, and Clark went in to get me
two
of
his
sweaters
to
wear
because
it
was
cold,
and
brought out a book of
T.S. Eliot's poems. So we sat on a
bench where I could just barely read
the print, and he put
his head in my
lap and I read aloud to him for a wile. Most
因为你能真正理解，它对我来说有多么重要的意
义。它充分表明我有创作潜
力。唯一的事就是我
极有可能再也没有机会获得《小姐》杂志的大奖
了。所以也许明年，也许在大四，我要努力争取
做一名客座编辑，而且我的目标是要
做《大西洋》
月刊的客座编辑。天哪，能和你谈论这事，我很
高
兴
——
很可能你是我拥有的唯一
——<
/p>
一位不厌
其烦地听我谈论写作的听众
……
再谈谈亨利和莉兹，
它是我小说创作
迈出的一步。
故事中的主人公不再总是
“
我
”
，它还证明我开始
动用想象力来
改变真事。我还真害怕过这事办不
到，不过我想这表明我观察事物的能力在扩大
.
有时我想
——
见鬼
，我不知道我为何整个夏天不
呆在家里写作、学习自然科学，做一份兼职的小
事。我现
“
有能力
”
做到了，不过我想过于想得到
这个并不一定是好事，虽然这样做了会
很好。好
啦，我会振作精神的，我爱你。
你的西维
1952
< br>年
6
月
12
日
亲爱的妈妈，
妈妈，你一定要给我写信，因为我现在处在一种
自惭形秽的危险状态
……
就眼下，
生活糟透了。
《小
姐》获奖好象完全不是真的，我现在总的来说，
情绪低
落：疲惫、害怕、无能、精力不济
……
在侧厅工作把我撇在一边，我感到孤立无援，非
常尴尬。我越是看见正厅的女孩们熟练
地准备特
别的菜肴，
做刨冰，水果等
，就越是感到自叹不如，感到每
天在侧厅工作使我大大落后了
…
…
但是尽管我受
到诱惑去当胆小鬼、爬回家去，我还决心试着干
完这一个月
——
直到
< br>7
月
10
日
……
不要为我担
心，不过请一定时常给我寄些简短的建议来
。
1952
年
6
月
15
日
昨天晚上我到
“
桑德酒吧
”
参加了一个
“
同伙
”
生日
聚会。在哪儿我们唱啊、谈啊她几个小
时。从宾
馆我们去了大约四十个少男少女。受到某种魔力
的驱使
，我设法挨着一名哈佛法学院的一年级学
生坐了下来
——
而且她的确招人喜爱
……
最好的
时光是我们回来的时候。那是一个美丽、明净、
星星满天夜晚，因为天气冷，
克拉克进屋去拿了
两件毛衣让我穿，
还拿出了一本
T·
S·
艾略特诗集。
我们
坐在一张我能够勉强看得清字的长凳上，他
把头靠在我的膝上，我给他念了一会儿诗。真
好。
唯一的问题就是我非常容易爱上像这样和我一起
nice.
The
only
thing
is
I
am
so
inclined
to
get
fond
of
someone who will do
things with me like that
-- always
inclined
to
be
too
metaphysical
and
serious
conversationally
--
that's my main
trouble …
So glad
to
hear
the check from Mlle is real. I hardly could
believe it.
Just now I am mentally so
disorganized that I can't retain
knowledge or think at all. The work is
still new enough to
be
tiring, what
with three
changes a day
into
uniforms,
and I am so preoccupied by mechanics of
living and people
that
I
can't
yet
organize
and
assimilate
all
the chaos
of
experience pouring in on me. In spite
of everything, I still
have my good old
sense of humor and manage to laugh a
good
deal
of
the
time
…
I'll
make
the
best
of
whatever
comes my way.
Much love to you,
Sivvy
欣赏诗歌的人了
——
总是容易谈论非常抽象、严
肃的话题
——
这就是我的主要问题
……
所以非常
高兴听到《小姐》杂志的支票是真的。我简直不
敢相信。现在我的思绪混乱，所以完全记不住东
西，也不能清楚考虑问题。工作仍然不
熟练，觉
得累。由于一天要换三次制服。我总是忙于日常
琐事、
与人交往，还没来得及整理、消化我所经
历的这些杂乱的事情。尽管如此，我还是像以往
那样具有幽默感，很多时候还是尽量让自己开怀
大笑
……
不管我发生什么事，我都会全力以赴的。
非常爱你的
西维
探寻外星人
自从人类有历史记载以来，我们一直在思索
着星星，反复考虑是否只有人类存在，或者
说在
太空深处的某个地方是否存在其他同我们一样在
不停地思索
着的生命，也就是宇宙中跟我们一起
思考的人。
这样的人可能对
自己和宇宙算法不同。
在别的什么地方可能存在着非常奇异的生物、技
< br>术和社会。我们在一种空间和时间都超出人类理
解的宇宙环境里感到有点孤独。我
们深思着根本
的意义，我们这个渺小的但精巧的蓝色星。
探寻外星人就是为人类寻找一个普遍能接受的宇
宙环境。从最深层次
的意义来说，探寻外星人就
是寻找我们自己。
在过去的几年中
——
在我们人类生活在这个
星球上的百万分之一的时间里，
——
我
们已经具
有了一种非凡的能力。这种技术能力能使我们搜
寻到无
比遥远的文明世界，即使他们和我们一样
不先进。
这种技术能力叫做射电天文学。它涉及到单
架射望远镜、阵列射电望
远镜、高灵敏度的无线
电探测器，用于处理接收的信息的先进计算机以
< br>及全身心投入的科学家们的想象力和技能。射电
天文学在过去的十年中已经打开了
一个研究宇宙
的新窗口。如果我们充分发挥自己的聪明才智去
努
力，它可能会帮助我们弄清楚宇宙生物世界。
THE QUEST FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL
INTELLIGENCE
Through all of
our history we have pondered the stars
and mused whether humanity is unique or
if, somewhere
else in the dark of the
night sky, there are other beings
who
contemplate and wonder as we do, fellow thinkers
in
the cosmos. Such beings might view
themselves and the
universe
differently. Somewhere else there might be very
exotic
biologies
and
technologies
and
societies.
In
a
cosmic
setting
vast
and
old
beyond
ordinary
human
understanding, we are
a little lonely; and we ponder the
ultimate significance, if any, of our
tiny but exquisite blue
planet.
The
search
for
extraterrestrial
intelligence
is
the
search for a generally
acceptable cosmic context for the
human
species.
In
the
deepest
sense,
the
search
for
extraterrestrial intelligence is a
search for ourselves.
In the last few
years -- in one-millionth the lifetime of our
species
on
this
planet
--
we
have
achieved
an
extraordinary technological capability
which enables us to
seek out
unimaginably distant civilizations even if they
are
no more advanced than we. That
capability is called radio
astronomy
and
involves
single
radio
telescopes,
collections
or
arrays
of
radio
telescopes,
sensitive
radio
detectors,
advanced
computers
for
processing
received
date, and the imagination and skill of
dedicated scientists.
Radio
astronomy
has
in
the
last
decade
opened
a
new
window on the physical universe. It may
also, if we are
wise enough to make the
effort, cast a profound light on
the biological universe.
Some scientists working on the question
of extraterrestrial
intelligence,
myself
among
them,
have
attempted
to
estimate the number of advanced
technical civilizations --
defined
operationally
as
societies
capable
of
radio
astronomy -- in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Such estimates are
little
better
than
guesses.
They
require
assigning
numerical values to quantities such as
the numbers and
ages of stars; the
abundance of planetary systems and the
likelihood of the origin of life, which
we know less well; and
the probability
of the evolution of intelligent life and the
lifetime
of
technical
civilizations,
about
which
we
know
very little indeed.
When we do the arithmetic, the sorts of
numbers we come
up with are,
characteristically, around a million technical
civilizations. A million civilizations
is a breathtakingly large
number
,
and
it
is
exhilarating
to
imagine
the
diversity,
lifestyles and
commerce of those million worlds. But the
Milky
Way
Galaxy
contains
some
250
billion
stars,
and
even
with
a
million
civilizations,
less
than
one
star
in
200,000
would
have a
planet
inhabited
by
an
advanced
civilization. Since we have little idea
which stars are likely
candidates, we
will have to examine a very large number
of them. Such considerations suggest
that the quest for
extraterrestrial
intelligence
may
require
a
significant
effort.
Despite claims about ancient astronauts
and unidentified
flying objects, there
is no firm evidence for past visitation
of
the
Earth
by
other
civilizations.
We
are
restricted
to
remote
signaling
and,
of
the
long-distance
techniques
available to our technology, radio is
by far the best. Radio
telescopes are
relatively inexpensive; radio signals travel
at the speed of light, faster than
which nothing can go;
and
the
use
of
radio
for
communication
is
not
a
short-
sighted or anthropocentric activity. Radio
represents
a
large
part
of
the
electromagnetic
spectrum
and
any
technical
civilization
anywhere
in
the
Galaxy
will
have
discovered radio early -- just as in
the last few centuries
we
have
explored
the
entire
electromagnetic
spectrum
from
short
gamma
rays
to
very
long
radio
waves.
Advanced
civilizations
might
very
well
use
some
other
means of communication with their
peers. But if they wish
to communicate
with backward or emerging civilizations,
there are only a few obvious methods,
the chief of which is
radio.
The first serious attempt to listen for
possible radio signals
from
other
civilizations
was
carried
out
at
the
National
Radio
Astronomy
Observatory
in
Greenbank,
West
一
些研究外星人问题的科学家，包括我自己，都
已努力设法对银河系的先进技术文明社会的
数目
进行了估计
——
先进技术文明社会
定义为具有射
民天文学能力的社会。这样的估计比猜想强不了
多
少。
它们要求将这些情况数字化，诸如星球的数量和
年龄，有多少个行星系、生命起源的可能性有多
大，这些我们较少知道：
还有智慧生物进化的可
能性和技术文明世界的寿命，这些我们近乎一无
< br>所知。
当我们进行计算时我们得出的这类数字是很有特
点的大约有一百万个文明世界。想象一下这百万
个文明世界的五
花八门、这真令人兴奋，各种生
活方式以及商业，可是银河系有大约二千五百亿
个恒星，即使有一百万个文明世界，可每二十万
个恒星中不到一个有文明
世界的人居住的行星。
既然我们几乎不知道哪些恒星可能存在文明世
界，我们将不得不搜寻大量的恒星。这样就意味
着探寻外星人可能需要作出极大的努
力。
尽管有人声称古代在太空人，见过不明飞行物，
然而却缺乏确凿的证据证明过去有其他文明世界
的人来过地球。我们只限
于运用远距离的通信，
在目前我们的技术所能运用的长距离的技术手段
< br>中，无线电肯定是最好的。无线电望远镜相对来
说价格便宜；无线电象光速那样快
速发送信号，
而且前没有任何东西快过光速；把无线电用于通
讯
不是一种短视的或以人类为宇宙中心的行为。
无线电具有大部分的电磁波谱，银河系中的
任何
地方的任何技术文明世界该早就发现无线电，无
线电具有大
部分的电磁波谱，银河系中的任何地
方的任何技术文明世界该早就发现无线电了
——
正像在过去的几个世纪中我们对从短伽马射线到
长线电波的整个电磁波谱已经探索过了一样。先
进的文明社会要能使用其它的通讯方
式同他们的
同辈进行联系。但是，假如他们想和落后的或新
兴的
文明社会联系，很显然只有几种方法，其中
主要的方法就是无线电。
在西旨吉尼亚州格林班克国家无线电天文台第一
次认真的
尝试收听了来自其他文明的信号。在１
９５９年和１９６０年。此项工作是由弗兰克
·
德
雷克主持的，他现在在康乃尔大学。这
是以奥兹
Virginia,
in
1959
and
1960.
It
was
organized
by
Frank
Drake,
now
at
Cornel
University,
and
was
called
Project
Ozma, after the
princess of the Land of Oz, a place very
exotic,
very
distant
and
very
difficult
to
reach.
Drake
examined two nearby stars for a few
weeks with negative
results.
Positive
results
would
have
been
astonishing
because as we
have seen, even rather optimistic estimates
of the number of technical
civilizations in the Galaxy imply
that
several hundred thousand stars must be examined in
order to achieve success by random
stellar selection.
Since
Project
Ozma,
there
have
been
six
or
eight
other
such programs, all at
a rather modest level, in the United
States, Canada and the Soviet Union.
All results have been
negative. The
total number of individual stars examined to
date
in
this
way
is
less
than
a
thousand.
We
have
performed
something like one tenth of one percent of the
required effort.
However
, there are signs
that much more serious efforts
may be
mustered in the reasonably near future. Besides,
hand in hand with the recent
spectacular advances in radio
technology,
there
has
been
a
dramatic
increase
in
the
scientific
and public respectability of the entire subject of
extraterrestrial life. A clear sign of
the new attitude is the
Viking missions
to Mars, which are to a significant extent
dedicated to the search for life on
another planet.
But
along
with
the
burgeoning
dedication
to
a
serious
search,
a
slightly
negative
note
has
emerged
which
is
nevertheless very interesting. A few
scientists have lately
asked a curious
question: If extraterrestrial intelligence is
abundant,
why
have
we
not
already
seen
its
manifestations?
Skeptics
also
ask
why
there
is
no
clear
evidence
of
extraterrestrial
visits
to
Earth.
We
have
already launched slow
and modest interstellar spacecraft.
A
society more advance than ours should be able to
ply the
spaces between the stars
conveniently if not effortlessly.
Over
millions
of
years
such
societies
should
have
established
colonies,
which
might
themselves
launch
interstellar
expeditions.
Why
are
they
not
here?
The
temptation
is
to
deduce
that
there
are
at
most
a
few
advanced
extraterrestrial
civilizations
--
either
because
statistically we are one of the first
technical civilizations to
have
emerged
or
because
it
is
the
fate
of
all
such
civilizations to destroy themselves
before they are much
further along than
we.
It seems to me that such despair is
quite premature. All
such
arguments
depend
on
our
correctly
surmising
the
intentions
of
beings
far
more
advanced
than
ourselves,
and when examined
more closely I think these arguments
国公
主的名字命名的，叫作奥兹玛项目。奥兹国
是个十分奇异、非常遥远，难以到达的地方。
德
雷克在几个星期里对两个附近的恒星进行了探
测，没有取得积
极的结果。假如取得了积极的结
果，那会令人吃惊的，因为，正象我们已经看到
的一样，即使非常乐观地估算一下银河系中的技
术文明社会的数目
,
要想不加选择地探测就取得
成功的话，必须
探测几十万个恒星。
自从奥兹玛项目以来，又有６到８个这样
规模的
项目。都是这样的规模，无论是在美国，加拿大
和苏联。
所有都未取得结果到目前为止用这种方
法探测过的恒星总数还不到一千个，也就是我们<
/p>
大约只探测了需要探测的百分之一中的十分之
一。可是，种种迹象
表明，人们可能在最近的将
来作出更大的努力。此外，随着最近无线电技术
取得巨大进步，科学界和公众对外星人这一整个
课题的认识极大地提高了。这
种新态度的一种显
著标志就是向火星发射的
“
< br>海盗
”
号。这些发射在
很大程度
上是专门寻找另一个行星上的生命的。
但是在人们正为认真探
索奉献更多力量的同时，
一种略具否定意味却又十分有趣地声音出现了。
有几名科学家最近提出了一个奇怪的问题：如果
有大量的外星人存在，为什么我
们还没有看到它
存在的迹象？
持怀疑
态度的人还对为什么没有
明显证据证明外星人到过地球提出了疑问。我们
已经发射了速度慢、不太大的星际宇宙飞船。一
个比我们先进的社会，如果不是
毫不费力的话，
也应该能很方便地来往于星际之间。在几百万年
的时间中，这样的社会应该早已建立了殖民地，
他们本身可能
进行星际远征探险。他们为什么没
到这里来？人们很自然地推断地球外最多有几个
先进的文明社会
——
这要么是因为从统计数据
上
看我们是已经形成的首批技术文明社会之一，要
么由于命运不
济，所有这样的文明社会在他们发
达得远远超过我们之前就自我来亡了。
我认为这种绝望是相当幼稚的。所有这些论断取
决于
我们对远比我们自己先进行得多的生物的动
机是否能作出正确判断：如果对这些论断进行
更
为细致的审视的话，我认为它们表现出了人类一
种有趣的自负
心态。我们为什么要指望会很容易
地找出非常先进的文明社会存在的迹象呢？我们
reveal a range of interesting
human conceits. Why do we
expect that
it will be easy to recognize the manifestations
of very advanced civilizations? Is our
situation not closer
to that of members
of an isolated society in the Amazon
basin,
say,
who
lack
the
tools
to
detect
the
powerful
international radio
and television traffic that is all around
them?
Also,
there
is
a
wide
range
of
incompletely
understood
phenomena
in
astronomy.
Might
the
modulation of pulsars or
the energy source of quasars, for
example, have a technological origin?
Or perhaps there is
a
galactic
ethic
of
noninterference
with
backward
or
emerging
civilizations.
Perhaps
there
is
a
waiting
time
before contact is considered
appropriate, so as to give us a
fair
opportunity
to
destroy
ourselves
first,
if
we
are
so
inclined.
Perhaps all societies significantly more advanced
than
our
own
have
achieved
an
effective
personal
immortality
and
lose
the
motivation
for
interstellar
gallivanting,
which may, for all we know, be a typical urge
only
of
adolescent
civilizations.
Perhaps
mature
civilizations do not wish to pollute
the cosmos. There is a
very long list
of such
position to evaluate with any
degree of assurance.
The question of
extraterrestrial civilizations seems to me
entirely
open.
Personally,
I
think
it
far
more
difficult
to
understand
a
universe
in
which
we
are
the
only
technological
civilization,
or
one
of
a
very
few,
than
to
conceive
of
a
cosmos
brining
over
with
intelligent
life.
Many aspects of the problem are,
fortunately, amenable to
experimental
verification.
We
can
search
for
planets
of
other
stars,
seek
simple
forms
of
life
on
such
nearby
planets as Mars, and
perform more extensive laboratory
studies
on
the
chemistry
of
the
origin
of
life.
We
can
investigate more deeply
the
evolution
of
organisms
and
societies.
The
problem
cries
out
for
a
long-term,
open-minded, systematic search, with
nature as the only
arbiter of what is
or is not likely.
< br>的境况不是和亚马逊河流域的与世隔绝的社会中
的人很接近吗？这些人缺少工具来
探测他们周围
功率强大的国际间的无线电和电视通讯。天文学
中
也有大量没有完全理解的现象。肪冲星的调制
或者类星体的能量来源
,
例如，是不是可能源于某
种技术？或许银河系有一条不许
干涉落后或新兴
文明社会的道德规范；或许要等一段时间再进行
接触才认为得体，以便给我们一个公平的机会来
先毁灭自己。假如我们想这么做的话。或
许所有
比我们自己要先进得多的社会都已经有效地达到
了使每个
成员长生不老的阶段，所以以就失去了
到星际间去邀游的愿望，而这种愿望可能可是早<
/p>
期文明社会的一种典型的冲动，谁知道呢。或许
成熟的文明社会不
想污染宇宙。可以说出很多这
样的
“
或
许
”
，但没有几种我们能够肯定地作出估
计。在我看来，地球文明社会的问题还远未解决。
我个人认为理解在一个宇宙中只有我
们这一个技
术文明是很困难的。或着少数几个宇宙与想象的
一个
充满生命的宇宙想比也是一样。幸运的是，
这个问题的许多方面可以经得起实践的检验。
我
们能够搜寻其它恒星，寻找象火星这样离我们很
近的行星上的
简单生命形式，并且在实验室中可
以对生命起源的化学机理作更广泛的研究。我们
还可以更深入地研究生物和社会的进化原理。这
个问题需要人们长期地
、不带偏见地、系统地去
探索，而只有大自然才是什么可能、什么不可能
的唯一仲裁者。
借书证
一天早上，我上班到得早，便走进银行的门
廊，里面有一个黑人
清洁工在拖地。我站在柜台
边，拿了一份孟菲斯《商业呼声报》
，读起了免费
报纸。我最后翻到社论版，上面登了一篇写关于
一
名叫
H.L.
门肯的人的文章。我听说门肯是《美
国信使》报的编辑。不过除此之外，对他毫无别
THE LIBRARY
CARD
One morning I arrived
early at work and went into the
bank
lobby where the Negro porter was mopping. I stood
at
a
counter
and
picked
up
the
Memphis
Commercial
Appeal and began
my free reading of the press. I came
finally to the editorial page and saw
an article dealing with
one
H.
L.
Mencken. I
knew by hearsay
that
he
was
the
editor of
the American Mercury, but aside from that I knew
nothing about him. The article was a
furious denunciation
of
Mencken,
concluding
with
one,
hot,
short
sentence:
Mencken is a fool.
I
wondered what on earth this Mencken had done to
call
down upon him the scorn of the
South. The only people I
had ever heard
enounced in the South were Negroes, and
this man was not a Negro. Then what
ideas did Mencken
hold that made a
newspaper like the Commercial Appeal
castigate
him
publicly?
Undoubtedly
he
must
be
advocating ideas that the South did not
like.
Now, how could I find out about
this Mencken? There was
a huge library
near the riverfront, but I knew that Negroes
were not allowed to patronize its
shelves any more than
they
were
the
parks
and
playgrounds
of
the
city.
I
had
gone
into
the
library
several
times
to
get
books
for
the
white men on the job.
Which of them would now help me
to get
books?
I weighed the personalities of
the men on the job. There
was Don, a
Jew; but I distrusted him. His position was not
much better than mine and I knew that
he was uneasy and
insecure;
he
had
always
treated
me
in
an
offhand,
bantering way that barely concealed his
contempt. I was
afraid to ask him to
help me to get books; his frantic desire
to demonstrate a racial solidarity with
the whites against
Negroes might make
him betray me.
Then how
about the boss? No, he was a Baptist and I had
the
suspicion
that
he
would
not
be
quite
able
to
comprehend
why
a
black
boy
would
want
to
read
Mencken. There were other white men on
the job whose
attitudes
showed
clearly
that
they
were
Kluxers
or
sympathizers, and they were out of the
question.
There remained only one man
whose attitude did not fit
into an
anti-Negro category, for I had heard the white men
refer to him as
was hated by
the white Southerners. I knew that he read
books,
because
I
had
got
him
volumes
from
the
library
several times. Since
he, too, was an object of hatred, I felt
that he might refuse me
but
would hardly betray me.
I
hesitated,
weighing
and
balancing
the
imponderable
realities.
One morning I paused before the
Catholic fellow's desk.
,
if you'd let me use
your card?
He looked at me suspiciously.
的了解。该文言辞激烈地遣责门肯，文章结尾时
用了一句辛辣的短句：门肯
是个傻子。
我在想这位门肯先生到底做了什么事以至于引得<
/p>
南方对他嘲弄。我所听说过在南方唯一受到谴责
的人就是黑人。而
此人不是黑人。那么门肯持有
什么样的观点使得象《商业呼声》这样的报纸公
开攻击他？不用说，他一定是在宣扬南方所不喜
欢的思想。
那么我怎样能够弄清楚门肯其人？江边有一大型
图书
馆，但我知道，正如不许黑人进入城里的公
园和运动场一样，他们也同样不被允许进入图
书
馆。我曾经几次去过那儿，帮正在干活的白人借
书。
他们中有哪个人能帮我借书呢？
我反复琢磨着这些白人的人品。有一个犹太人叫
唐，但我信不过他。他的情
况并不比我好多少，
而且我知道他这个人总是不安分没有安全感。他
待我总是满不在乎、傲气十足，对我的轻视几乎
也不加掩饰。我不敢要他去帮我借书
。他特别渴
望表示自己在与白人团结一致反对黑人，这使他
有可
能会出卖我。
那么老板如何样呢？不成。他是个浸礼会教徒，
我有这样的怀疑，就是他可能不大会明白为什么
一个黑人孩子想
去读门肯的书。上班的还有一些
别的白人，但他们的态度明确地表明他们要么是
三
K
党徒，要么是其支持者，要他们帮忙是不可
能的。
仅剩一人了，他的态度不属于
反黑人的范畴，因
为我曾经听白人们叫他为
“
< br>拍教皇马屁的人
”
。他
是爱尔兰
的天主教徒，南方白人不喜欢他。我知
道他常读书。因为我曾经有几次帮他去图书馆借<
/p>
过书。因为他也是白人仇视的对象，我感到他也
许会拒绝我但不大
可能出卖我。我拿不准，只在
心里反复琢磨，反复权衡着这无法估计的事情。
一天早上，我来到这位天主教徒的桌子边停下。
“
我想请你帮个忙。
”
我低声对他说。
“
什么忙？
”
“
我想借书。我从图书馆中借不到书。
我不知道你可否让我用一用你的借书证？
”
他满心怀疑地看着我。
“
我的证大部分时间都借满了，
”
他说。
“
我知道。
”<
/p>
我边说边等待着，用沉默来提出我的
问题。
“
你不是想给我惹麻烦，对吗，小伙子？
< br>”
他两眼
asked,
staring at me.
.
<
/p>
,
<
/p>
to read the right things.
I
said nothing. Would he want to supervise my
reading?
I turned from him
and he called me back. He stared at me
quizzically.
said.
A few days later he called
me to him.
.
wrote when you sent me for books,
your
name.
He laughed.
That afternoon I addressed
myself to forging a note. Now,
what
were the name of books written by H. L. Mencken? I
did not know any of them. I finally
wrote what I thought
would be a
foolproof note: Dear Madam: Will you please
let this nigger boy -- I used the word
librarian feel that I could not
possibly be the author of the
note
--
have
some
books
by
H.L.
Mecken?
I
forged
the
white man's name.
I entered the library as I had always
done when on errands
for
whites,
but
I
felt
that
I
would
somehow
slip
up
and
betray myself. I doffed my hat, stood a
respectful distance
from
the
desk,
looked
as
unbookish
as
possible,
and
waited for the white patrons to be
taken care of. When the
desk was clear
of people, I still waited.
The white librarian looked at me.
As though I did not possess
the power of speech, I stepped
forward
and
simply
handed
her
the
forged
note,
not
瞪着我。
“
噢，不，先生。
”
“
你想借什么书？
”
“H.L
.
门肯写的。
“
“
哪一本？
”
“
我不知道。他写过不止一本书吗？
”
“
他写了好几本。
< br>”
“
我以前不知道。
”
“
你为什么想读门
肯的书？
”
“
噢，我刚刚在报纸上看到他的名字。
”
我说。
“
你想读书是不错的，
”<
/p>
他说，
“
不过
，你应该读一些好的书。
”
我什么也没说。他会不会要监督我的阅读呢？
“
让我想一下，我会想出办法的。
”
< br>他说。
我转过身走开，他把我叫了回来。
有些不解地盯着我说：
“
理查德，不要对其他的白人讲此事。
”
“
我知道，我是一个字也不会说的。
”
几天后，他把我叫了过去。
“
我用我妻子的名义搞了张借书证，
”
他说。
“
我的
这张就给你了。
”
“
谢谢你
，先生。
”
“
你认为自己能成功吗？
”
“
我会搞妥的。
”
我说。
“
如果他们怀疑上你，你就麻烦了。
”
他说。
“
我会象你以前让我去借书时一样写张条子给图
书馆。
”
我告诉他说，
“
我
会签上你的名子的。
”
他听后笑了起来。
“
去吧。看看你能借到什么书。
”
那天下午，我竭尽全力造了一张假便条。但是，
H.L.
门
肯写的书的书名都是什么呢？我一点也不
知道。最后，我写了一张自认为万无一失的条子
：
亲爱的夫人，请让这个小黑鬼
——
我
使用了
“
黑
鬼
”
这个词是为了让图书管理员不认为我写这张
便条
——
借几本
H.L.
门肯的
书好吗？在便条上我
假冒了这个白人的签名。
我象以往为白人跑腿借书时一样走进了图书馆，
但不知怎么搞的，我总觉得自己
不知会在什么地
方出点岔子，最终暴露自己。我摘下帽子，毕恭
毕敬地站在离借书桌有一段距离的地方，显出一
副不会读书的样子，等着白人读者先借。
桌边已
经空无一人了，我仍在等着。
白人管理员看着我问道：
parting my lips.
“
你想干什么，伙计？
”
像不会说话一样
我迈向前，一声也没作的把那张伪造
的条子递了
过去。
. Falk,
“
他想借门肯的书？
”
她问。
“
我不知道，夫人。
”
我躲开了她的双眼。
“
这张卡是谁给你的？
”
in here for him before.
,
“
福尔克先生。
”
“
他在哪儿？
”
like this.
Oh, God, she's suspicious. Perhaps she
would not let me
“
他在工作。在
M
——
光学仪器公司，
”
我说，
have
the
books?
If
she
had
turned
her
back
at
that
“
我以前在这儿给他借过书
。
”
moment,
I
would
have
ducked
out
the
door
and
never
“
我记得，
”
她说
。
“
但他从未写过象这样的条子。
”<
/p>
gone back. Then I thought of
a bold idea.
噢，天啊！她有点怀疑了。也许她不会让我借这
些书了。如果当时她转过身去的话，我一定会低
not
using
these
books,
are
you?
she
asked
头冲出门外，再也不回去了。这时，我想出了一
pointedly.
个大胆的主意。
“
你可以打电话问问他，夫人，
”
我说道，心里却
紧张得砰砰狂跳。
her breath.
I
knew
now
that
I
had
non;
she
was
thinking
of
other
“
不是你自己用这些书吧？
”
她直率地问。
things and the race question had
gone out of her mind.
“
噢，不会，
夫人。我不会认字。
”
She
went to the shelves. Once or twice she looked over
her
“
我不知道他要门肯的什么书？
”
她低声说道。此
shoulder at me, as
though she was still doubtful. Finally
时，我知道成功了。她已经忘了种族问题，在考
she
came forward with two books in her hand.
虑其它的问题了。她走到书架前，又转过头来看
.
Falk to
过我一、两次，似乎仍对我有些怀疑。最后她拿
come in
next time, or send me the names of the books he
了两本书走了过来。
“
我借给他两本书。<
/p>
”
她说。
wants. I don't know what he wants to re
ad.
“
但你要告诉福尔克先生，下次让他来，要不就告
I said nothing. She stamped the card and
handed me the
诉他要借的书的名字。我不清楚他借什么书。
”
books.
Not
daring
to
glance
at
them.
I
went
out
of
the
我什么也没有说。她在
借书证上盖了章，然后把
library,
fearing
that
the
woman
would
call
me
back
for
书交给了我。我连看都没敢看一眼借到的书就走
further
questioning.
A
block
away
from
the
library
I
opened
one
of
the
books
and
read
a
title:
A
Book
of
出了图书馆，
生怕她会把我叫回去进一步地盘问。
Pr
efaces. I was nearing my nineteenth birthday and I
did
走出一个街区后我打开其中一本书，看了一下书
《序言
集》
。我马上就十九岁了，可我不知道
not know
how to pronounce the word
名：
the pages and saw strange
words and strange names. I
shook my
head, disappointed. I looked at the other book;
it was called Prejudices, I knew what
that word meant; I
had
heard
it
all
my
life.
And
right
off
I
was
on
guard
against
Mencken's books. Why would a man want to call a
book
Prejudices?
The
word
was
so
stained
with
all
my
memories
of
racial
hate
that
I
cold
not
conceive
of
anybody using it for a title. Perhaps I
had made a mistake
about
Mencken?
A
man
who
had
prejudices
must
be
wrong.
When I
showed the books to Mr
. Falk, he looked
at me and
frowned.
怎样发
“
序言
”
< br>这个词的音。我用手指快速地翻着，
看到了一些奇怪的词和句子。
我失望地摇了摇头。
又去看另一本书。书名叫《偏见》
。我知道这个词
的含义。我从小到大都一直在听到这个词。我由
此一下子对门肯的书有了警觉。为什么一个人要
把书名定为《偏见》呢？这个词沾满了我
对种族
仇恨的所有记忆，我以致于无法想象会有人以它
作为书名
。也许我错看了门肯？一个带有偏见的
人肯定是错的。
当我把书扔给福尔克先生看时，他望了望我皱起
了眉头。
“
图书管理员可能会给你打电话的。
”
我先给他提
all
right,
he
said.
when
you're
through
reading those books,
I want you to tell me what you get
out
of them.
That night in my rented room,
while letting the hot water
run over my
can of pork and beans in the sink, I opened A
Book
of
Preface
and
began
to
read.
I
was
jarred
and
shocked
by
the
style,
the
clear
,
clean,
sweeping
sentences. Why did
he write like that? And how did one
write
like
that?
I
pictured
the
man
as
a
raging
demon,
slashing
with
his
pen,
consumed
with
hate,
denouncing
everything
American,
extolling
everything
European
or
German, laughing at the
weaknesses of people, mocking
God,
authority. What was this? I stood up, trying to
realize
wh
at reality lay
behind the meaning of the words … Yes,
this man was fighting, fighting with
words. He was using
words as a weapon,
using them as one would use a club.
Could words be weapons? Well, yes, for
there they were.
Then, maybe, perhaps,
I could use them as a weapon? No.
It
frightened me. I read on and what amazed me was
not
what he said, but how on earth
anybody had the courage
to say it.
I ran across many words whose meanings
I did not know,
and either looked them
up in a dictionary or
, before I had
a chance to do that, encountered the
word in a context
that made its meaning
clear
. But what strange world was
this? I concluded the book with the
conviction that I had
somehow
overlooked something terribly important in life.
I had once tried to write, had once
reveled in feeling, had
let my crude
imagination roam, but the impulse to dream
had been slowly beaten out of me by
experience. Now it
surged up again and
I hungered for books, new ways of
looking
and
seeing.
It
was
not
a
matter
of
believing
or
disbelieving what I read, but of
feeling something new, of
being
affected
by
something
that
made
the
look
of
the
world
different.
I
forget more
notes
and my trips to
the
library became
frequent.
Reading
grew
into
a
passion.
My
first
serious
novel was Sinclair Lewis's Main Street.
It made me see my
boss, Mr
.
Gerald, and identify him as an American type. I
would smile when I saw him lugging his
golf bags into the
office. I had always
felt a vast distance separating me from
the boss, and now I felt closer to him,
though still distant.
I felt now that I
knew him, that I could feel the very limits
of his narrow life. And this had
happened because I had
read
a
novel
about
a
mythical
man
called
George
F
.
Babbitt.
I read Dreiser's Jennie Gerhardt and
Sister Carrie and they
revived in me a
vivid sense of my mother's suffering; I was
个醒。
“
这
好办。
”
他说，
“
但是当你读完这些书后，希望
你能告诉我从中学到了些什么。
”
那天晚上，有租来的房间里，我让热水冲着洗碗
池里的猪肉烧豆罐头，一边打开那本《序言集》
读了起来。我被书中的风
格和它那干净、整齐，
有力的句子给震惊了。他为什么要这样写呢？又
< br>是怎样象这样写成的呢？我把他想象成一个凶狠
的魔鬼一样，用手中的笔奋力进攻
，内心充满仇
恨。对美国的一切进行抨击，而又竭力称颂欧洲
或
德国的一切东西。他嘲笑人性的弱点，嘲弄上
帝和权威。这是怎么回事？我站起来，试图
弄明
白隐藏在字眼后面的实际情况。是的，这个人一
生在战斗，
用他手中的笔作武器进行战斗。他就
象别人使用棍棒一样使用文字。文字可以作为武
器吗？是的，因为在这儿就是如此。不，这种想
法把我吓坏了。
而是居然会有人有勇气说这些话。
我遇到
了很多自己不知其意的词。有些我查了字
典，有些词还没等我去查，就又遇见了，通过上
下文词义清楚了。世界多么奇特啊！看完书后我
得出一个结论，
那就是不知由于什么原因，自己
忽视了生活中一些重要的东西。
我曾经试过写作，
也曾十分乐意去感受事物，让我那淳朴的想象云
游四方。但人生的经历慢慢地磨灭了这些的冲动
的梦想。现在它又冒了出来。我渴望看
书，期待
着新的观察和理解世界的方法。这不是相信或不
相信自
己所读到的东西的问题，而是一种对新的
东西的感受，
受到影响
并使世界的面貌有的不同。
我又造了一些假便条，到图书馆去
的次数也更多
了。读书成了我的一种爱好。我读的第一本严肃
小
说是辛克莱
·
刘易斯的《大街》
。它让
我明白了
自己的老板杰的尔德先生。我发现到他是一个典
型的美
国人。当我看到他拖着高尔夫球袋走进办
公室时我总要笑。以前我一直觉得自己和老板间
距离很远，现在我感到离他近多了，尽管还有一
定的距离。我感
到自己真正认识了他，我能够感
到他的生活圈子小，具有局限性。因为我读了一
本写一个虚构的人物乔治
·
F·
巴比特的小说才有这
番变化的。
我读了德莱塞的《珍尼
·
格哈特》和《嘉莉妹妹》
。
它们使我又一次真切地感受到了母亲所遭受的苦
难。我完全沉浸在书中了。我变得沉默起来，思
考着周围的生活。我不可能告诉任何人
自己从小
说中有什么收获，
因为那正是对生活自身的感受。
overwhelmed.
I
grew
silent,
wondering
about
the
life
around
me. It would have been impossible for me to have
told anyone what I derived from these
novels, for it was
nothing
less
than
a
sense
of
life
itself.
All
my
life
had
shaped
me for the realism, the naturalism of the modern
novel, and I could not read enough of
them.
Steeped in new moods and ideas, I
bought a ream of paper
and tried to
write; but nothing would come, or what did
come was flat beyond telling. I
discovered that more than
desire and
felling were necessary to write and I dropped
the idea. Yet I still wondered how it
was possible to know
people
sufficiently to write about them? Could I ever
learn
about life and people? To me,
with my vast ignorance, my
Jim
Crow
station
in
life,
it
seemed
a
task
impossible
of
achievement.
I
now knew what
being a Negro meant.
I
could endure the
hunger
. I had learned to live with
hate.
But to feel that there were
feelings denied me, that the
very
breath of life itself was beyond my reach, that
more
than anything else hurt, wounded
me. I had a new hunger
.
HOW COULD ANYTHING THAT
FEELS
SO BAD BE SO GOOD?
Maybe it is time to adopt a new
strategy in trying to
figure out why
life today is so difficult, and what can be
done about it. Assume that not only are
things often not
what they seem, they
may be just the opposite of what
they
seem. When it comes to human affairs, everything
is
paradoxical.
People are discontented these days, for
example, not
because things are worse
than ever
, but because things
are better than ever
. Take
marriage. In California there are
about
six divorces for every ten marriages -- even
higher
in some of the better
communities. One must admit that a
good
deal of discontent is reflected in those
statistics. But
the explanation so
frequently offered -- that the institution
of marriage is in a state of collapse
-- simply does not hold.
Marriage has
never been more popular and desirable than
is it now; so appealing in fact, that
even those who are in
the process of
divorce can scarcely wait for the law to allow
them to marry again.
The
problem
is
that
people
have
never
before
entered
marriage
with
the
high
expectations
they
now
hold.
Throughout
history,
the
family
has
been
a
vital
unit
for
survival,
starting
as
a
defense
system
for
physical
survival,
and
gradually
becoming
a
unit
for
economic
survival. Now, of course, the family
has become a physical
and economic
liability rather than an asset. Having met, as
生活的经历使得我喜欢现代小说中的现实主义，
自然主义，这些小说中
我百读不厌。
我沉浸在新的思想和情绪之中。买了一令纸，我
试着写作。可有时我什么也写不出来，有时写出
的东西又极为乏
味。我发现写作所需要的不仅仅
是愿望和感情，于是便放弃了这种想法。但我仍
想弄明白怎样才能充分地了解以便能够把他们写
出来。我能否真正理解人
和生活呢？对我为说，
由于自己完全无知和作为黑人在社会中的地位。
< br>这似乎是一个可望而不可及的目标。我现在明白
了作为一个黑人到底意味着什么。
我能够忍受饥
饿，也能面对被仇恨的现实。但感觉到自己连某
些
感情的东西都得不到，就连生活中最基本的东
西对我来讲也以难以获取，这一点比其他任
何东
西都令我伤心。我有了一种新的渴望。
感觉很糟糕的事情为何如此之好？
可
能现在是采用一种新的策略去搞清楚为什
么今天的生活会如此困难。
以及该怎样来应付这个问题的时候了。假定事物
不仅是它
们通常看上去的样子，
它们可能恰好相反。当涉及到人的问题
的时候，
一切事情都是自相矛盾的。
例如，人们现在感到不满意，不是因为事情比以
往更糟，而是因为事情比以往任何时候都
好。以
婚姻为例，在加利福利亚，十对夫妇中有约六对
离婚
--
在一些较富裕的地区这个比例还要高一
些。人们必须承认，这些数字说明了许多不满。
但人们通常对此给予的解释
--
婚姻制度正处于崩
溃的状态
--
根本站不住脚。人们从未象现在这样
渴望和欢迎婚姻。
的确，婚姻是如此地引人入胜，
连很多正在办离婚的人几乎等不及法律许可他们
重新结婚。
问题在于人们对婚姻报有的期望从
未象现在这样
高。有史以来，家底就一直是一个生存的重要单
元
。从一个充当肉体生存的防御体系，渐渐地演
变成为一个经济生存的单元。现在，毫无疑
问，
家庭变成了经济和肉体上的负担而不是财富。作
a
society,
the
basic
survival
and
security
needs,
people
simply don't need each other anymore to
fight Indians or
spin yarn -- or wash
dishes or repair electrical plugs for
that matter
. The bonds of
marriage and family life are no
longer
functional, but affectional. People used to come
to
love each other because they needed
each other
. Now it's
just
the other way around. They need each other because
they love each other
.
Listening to the complaints of those
recently divorced, one
seldom
hears
of
brutality
and
desertion,
but
usually
something
like,
just
don't
communicate
very
well
great
to
overcome
felt
trapped
in
the
relationship
anymore
reflect high-order discontent resulting
from the failure of
marriage
to
meet
the
great
expectations
held
for
it.
Couples now expect -- and demand --
communication and
understanding,
shared
values
and
goals,
intellectual
companionship, great moments of
intimacy. By and large,
marriage today
actually does deliver such moments, but
as
a
result
couples
have
gone
on
to
burden
the
relationship with even
greater demands. To some extent it
has
been
the
success
of
marriage
that
has
created
the
discontent.
The same appears
to be true in the civil rights movement.
The gains that have been made have led
not to satisfaction
but
to
increased tension
and
dissatisfaction,
particularly
among those benefiting from such gains.
The discontent is
higher in the North
than in the South, higher in cities than
in rural areas.
The
disturbing
paradox
of
social
change
is
that
improvement
brings
the
need
for
more
improvement
in
constantly accelerating
demands. So, compared to what
used to
be, society is way ahead; compared to what might
be,
it
is
way
behind.
Society
is
enabled
to
feel
that
conditions are rotten,
because they are actually so good.
Another problem is that everything is
temporary, nothing
lasts.
We
have
grown
up
with
the
idea
that
in
order
to
develop
personal
security
we
need
stability,
roots,
consistency, and familiarity. Yet we
live in a world which in
every
respect
is
continually
changing.
Whether
we
are
talking about sky-scrapers or family
life, scientific facts or
religious
values,
all
are
highly
temporary
and
becoming
even
more
so.
If
one
were
to
plot
a
curve
showing
the
incidence of invention throughout the
history of man, one
would see that
change is not just increasing but actually
accelerating. Changes are coming faster
and faster -- in a
为一个社会，基本的生存和安全需要得到满足
之
后，人们不再相互需要去纺纱或是去和印第安人
作战了
--
进而言之，人们也不相互需要去洗盘子
或
是去修电源插头。婚姻和家庭生活的纽带不再
是功能性的，而是情感性的了。人们过去相
爱通
常是因为他们彼此需要。而今却刚好相反，人们
互相需要是
因为他们彼此相爱。
听一听最近离婚的人的抱怨，人们很少能
听到虐
待和遗弃的事。常常听到的都是这样的话：我们
就是无法
好好地沟通。我们之间受教育的差距太
大，难以逾越。
我感到被婚姻束缚住了。他不让我自主行事。我
们之间不再有很多共同
的东西了。
这些抱怨都很有意思。因为它们反映了由于婚姻<
/p>
未能达到原来人们对其所抱的高期望值而引发的
高层次的不满。夫
妻们现在期望
--
并要求
--
相互
沟通和理解，共同的价值观和目标，精神伴侣，
和美妙的亲密时刻。总体上看，婚姻的确带来了
这样的时刻，但正是这样，夫妻们进
一步用更高
的要求来给婚姻关系增加负担。
从某种程度上看，<
/p>
是婚姻的成功产生了这些不满。民权运动的情况
也是一样。它所取
得的就没有导致满足而是增加
了紧张和不满意，特别是在那些从中获益的人中
更是如此。
人们的不满情绪北方高于南方，城市高于乡村。
社会变革产生了一种令人不安的矛盾现象。即进
步带来了对更多的进步的要求
，而且这种要求是
以不断加速的形式出现的。所以，与过去相比，
社会已经大有进步了；
但与将来可能的情形相比，
却又远远落
后了。由此使人们感到情况很糟，而
这正是由于实际情况很好所致。
另一个问题是一切都是短暂的，没有什么是一成
不变的。
人们从小就养成了一种观念：为了增进
个人的安全，我们需要安定，有根基，始终如一，
需要了解熟悉周围的一切。但我们生活在一个各
个方面都在不停
变化着的世界上。无论是说到摩
天大楼，还是家庭生活，是科学事实还是宗教信
仰，一切都是非常短暂的，并且会越来越短暂。
如果要画一张曲线来反映
人类历史上发明创造的
发生率的话，就会发现变化不仅在增加，而且在
< br>加速进行。变化越来越快
--
从某种意义上看，变
sense change has become a way
of life. The only people
who
will
live
successfully
in
tomorrow's
world
are
those
who can
accept and enjoy temporary systems.
People are also troubled because of the
new participative
mood that exists
today. It's a do-it-yourself society; every
layman wants to get into the act.
Emerson's
thing
has
become
the
cliché
of
the
times.
People
no
longer accept being
passive members. They now want to
be
active changers.
This participative
phenomenon can be seen in every part
of
contemporary life -- on campus, in the church, in
the
mass
media,
in
the
arts,
in
business
and
industry,
on
ghetto streets, in the family.
The
problem
is
that
modern
man
seems
unable
to
redesign his institution fast enough to
accommodate the
new
demands,
the new
intelligence, the
new
abilities
of
segments
of
society
which,
heretofore,
have
not
been
taken
seriously.
Consequently,
people
are
frightened
by
the
black revolution, paralyzed by student activism,
and
now
face
what
may
be
even
more
devastating
--
the
women's
rebellion.
Society
simply
has
not
had
these
kinds
of
problems
before, and to meet
them it will have to adopt strategies
for their solution that are as new, and
as different, and as
paradoxical as are
the problems themselves.
Instead of
trying to reduce the discontent felt, try to raise
the
level
or
quality
of
the
discontent.
Perhaps
the
most
that can
be hoped for is to have high-order discontent in
today's society, discontent about
things that really matter
.
Rather than evaluating programs in
terms of how happy
they
make
people,
how
satisfied
those
people
become,
programs must be evaluated in terms of
the quality of the
discontent
they
engender
.
For
example,
if
a
consultant
wants to assess whether or not an
organization is healthy,
he doesn't
ask,
rather
,
Instead
of
trying
to
make
gradual
changes
in
small
increments, make big changes. After
all, big changes are
relatively
easier
to
make
than
are
small
ones.
Some
people
assume that the way to bring about improvement
is to make the change small enough so
that nobody will
notice it. This
approach has never worked, and one can't
help but wonder why such thinking
continues. Everyone
knows how to resist
small changes; they do it all the time.
If, however
, the change is
big enough, resistance can't be
mobilized against it. Management can
make a sweeping
organizational
change,
but
just
let
a
manager
try
to
change
someone's desk from here to there, and see the
化已经成了一种生活方式。在将来的世界上只有
那些能够接受和喜欢暂
时性制度的人才能够成功
地生活下去。
人们还因为现今存在的参与情绪而烦恼。这是一
个自己动手干的社会。
每个人都想参与到活动中去。爱默生的自己动手
自己
干的中号已经成为时代的口头禅。人们不会
再做被动的成员，
他
们如今想成为积极的变革者。
人们可以在现代生活中的各个方
面看到这种参与
现象，
--
无论在校园
，在教堂，在大众传播媒体
中，在艺术上，在商业和工业中，在贫民窟的街
道上，还是在家里。
问题是现代人似乎不能重新设
计其体制，来不及
迅速地容纳那些新的要求。
新的智慧，新的社会能力。至到如今，仍然没有
认真对待。相应的结果是，人们
被黑人革命吓怕
了，被学生的激进活动惊呆了。现在他们又面临
着可能更具破坏性的事情
--
妇女的反叛。社会只
不过以往从未经历过这些问题罢了。要解决这些
问题，需要采用与这些问题一
样新、一样相异、
一样矛盾的策略才行。不要试图去减少不满的情
绪，应该去提高不满的水平或质量。也许最有希
望在今天的社会上做到的是产生高水平
的不满，
即对那些真正事关紧要的事情的不满。在估价方
案的时
候，不要以它们会使人们多么高兴，满意
为标准，而要看它们会产生什么样的不满。例如
，
当一个顾问在评价一个机构是否健全时，他不是
去问是不是没
有抱怨？而是要问有些什么样的抱
怨？
不要试图渐进地变革，要进行大的变革。毕竟大
的变革相对而言比小的变革要容易一些
。有些人
认为进行改进的方式是使变革小到让人难以察觉
得到。
这种方法从未成功过。人们不禁要问，为
什么这种思想还在继续？人人都知道如何去抵抗
小的变革，他们时时都在这样做。然而，如果变
革足够大的话，
要想对它发起抵抗就不行了。管
理部门可以进行大规模的机构改革，但如果让一
个经理把某个人的办公桌从一个地方移到另一个
地方的话，
你就会看到他将遇到的困难会有多大。
所有的变革都会有阻力，问题在于怎样
使变革的
步子大到使之有机会获得成功。
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
上一篇：新课标人教版高中英语词汇表【选修9-11】含音标
下一篇：八下英语第六单元课文翻译