2014考研基础阅读每日一篇(29)(2013.2.14)

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2014考研基础阅读每日一篇（29） Unit6 社会文化 Text6 正文

In general, our society is becoming one of giant enterprises directed by a bureaucratic (官僚主义的) management in which man becomes a small, well-oiled cog in the machinery. The oiling is done with higher wages, well-ventilated factories and piped music, and by psychologists and “human-relations” experts; yet all this oiling does not alter the fact that man has become powerless, that he does not wholeheartedly participate in his work and that he is bored with it. In fact, the blue- and the white-collar workers have become economic puppets who dance to the tune of automated machines and bureaucratic management.

The worker and employee are anxious, not only because they might find themselves out of a job; they are anxious also because they are unable to acquire any real satisfaction or interest in life. They live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings.

Those higher up on the social ladder are no less anxious. Their lives are no less empty than those of their subordinates. They are even more insecure in some respects. They are in a highly competitive race. To be promoted or to fall behind is not a matter of salary but even more a matter of self-respect. When they apply for their first job, they are tested for intelligence as well as for the tight mixture of submissiveness and independence. From that moment on they are tested again and again -- by the psychologists, for whom testing is a big business, and by their superiors, who judge their behavior, sociability, capacity to get along, etc. This constant need to prove that one is as good as or better than one’s fellow-competitor creates constant anxiety and stress, the very causes of unhappiness and illness.

Am I suggesting that we should return to the preindustrial mode of production or to nineteenth-century “free enterprise” capitalism? Certainly not. Problems are never solved by returning to a stage which one has already outgrown. I suggest transforming our social system from a bureaucratically managed industrialism in which maximal production and consumption are ends in themselves into a humanist industrialism in which man and full development of his potentialities -- those of love and of reason -- are the aims of all social arrangements. Production and consumption should serve only as means to this end, and should be prevented from ruling man.

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Text6 习题

1. By “a well-oiled cog in the machinery” the author intends to render the idea that man is ________.

[A] a necessary part of the society though each individual’s function is negligible [B] working in complete harmony with the rest of the society

[C] an unimportant part in comparison with the rest of the society, though functioning smoothly [D] a humble component of the society, especially when working smoothly

2. The real cause of the anxiety of the workers and employees is that ________. [A] they are likely to lose their jobs

[B] they have no genuine satisfaction or interest in life

[C] they are faced with the fundamental realities of human existence [D] they are deprived of their individuality and independence

3. From the passage we can infer that real happiness of life belongs to those ________. [A] who are at the bottom of the society [B] who are higher up in their social status

[C] who prove better than their fellow-competitors

[D] who could keep far away from this competitive world

4. To solve the present social problems the author suggests that we should ________. [A] resort to the production mode of our ancestors [B] offer higher wages to the workers and employees [C] enable man to fully develop his potentialities [D] take the fundamental realities for granted

5. The author’s attitude towards industrialism might best be summarized as one of ________. [A] approval

[B] dissatisfaction [C] suspicion [D] tolerance

Text6 全文翻译

总的来说，我们的社会正在变成一个由官僚资本主义经营指导的巨大企业，其中，人们已经变成机器里微不足道的、上好油的齿轮。心理学家和人类关系专家认为，高工资、通风良好的工厂、不断播放的音乐等是使人正常运转的“润滑油”。然而这些“润滑油”并没有改变人们变得无能为力的事实，人们不能全身心地投入到他们的工作当中，并且开始厌烦工作。事实上，蓝领和白领们已经变成了经济的木偶，随着自动化机器和官僚主义管理的节拍而跳动。

工人和雇工都很焦虑，不仅因为他们感觉到自己可能会失业，而且因为他们不能得到真正的满足或者对生活的兴趣。他们平淡地活着、死去，没能像情感和智力上很独立并富有成果的人们那样体验到人类存在的基本现实。

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那些上层阶级也同样感到焦虑。他们内心的空虚不少于他们的下属。在某些方面他们甚至更加不安全。他们处于竞争非常激烈的一类。升职或落后不单单事关工资，更事关个人尊严。当申请第一份工作时，他们就经历了智力，以及正确协调服从性和独立性的测试。从那以后，他们就被以测试为重任的心理学家们以及评价他们的行为、社交能力、为人能力，等等的上司不断地测试。这种需要不断证明一个人和他们的竞争对手同样优秀或更加出色的局面造成持久的焦虑和紧张，而这正是不幸与疾病的根源。

我是在建议回到我们工业化前的生产模式或十九世纪自由企业资本主义吗？当然不是。回到一个已经过时的阶段永远解决不了问题。我的建议是把以最大化生产和消费为目的的官僚资本主义管理的工业制度转变成一个人本主义的工业制度，在这里人及其潜力——爱和理性——的充分开发是所有社会安排的目的。生产和消费只是达到这个目的的手段，不能成为奴役人类的工具。

Text6 重点句

They live and die without ever having confronted the fundamental realities of human existence as emotionally and intellectually independent and productive human beings. 该句意义：

该句子可以直接用于评价一些有着消极观点，或者受到消极影响的人们的生活状态。寓意十分深刻，可以直接使用。即这些人生与死都无所谓寄托。

Text6 习题答案

答案:CDDCB

1.By “a well-oiled cog in the machinery” the author intends to render the idea that man is 1.作者使用a well-oiled cog in the machinery要表达的意思是_____。

[A] a necessary part of the society though each individual’s function is negligible [A] 人虽然作用小，却是社会不可缺少的一部分

[B] working in complete harmony with the rest of the society [B] 人与社会其他部分处于完全和谐的状况下

[C] an unimportant part in comparison with the rest of the society, though functioning smoothly [C] 人虽然正常运转，但与社会其他部相比是不重要的一部分

[D] a humble component of the society, especially when working smoothly [D] 人是社会低下的组成部分，尤其当他正常工作时

2.The real cause of the anxiety of the workers and employees is that 2.工人和雇员焦虑的真正原因是_______。 [A] they are likely to lose their jobs [A] 他们可能会失业

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[B] they have no genuine satisfaction or interest in life [B] 他们对生活没有真正的满足和兴趣

[C] they are faced with the fundamental realities of human existence [C] 他们面临着人类生存的基本现实

[D] they are deprived of their individuality and independence [D] 他们被剥夺了个性和独立性

3.From the passage we can infer that real happiness of life belongs to those 3.从文中可以推知，生活中真正的幸福属于________。 [A] who are at the bottom of the society [A] 社会最底层的人

[B] who are higher up in their social status [B] 社会地位较高的人

[C] who prove better than their fellow-competitors [C] 那些证明自己比同事更优秀的人

[D] who could keep far away from this competitive world [D] 能够远离这个竞争性社会的人

4.To solve the present social problems the author suggests that we should 4.作者建议，为了解决目前的社会问题，我们应该 _______。 [A] resort to the production mode of our ancestors [A] 采取祖先所使用的生产方式

[B] offer higher wages to the workers and employees [B] 为工人和雇员提供高工资

[C] enable man to fully develop his potentialities [C] 使人充分发挥其潜力

[D] take the fundamental realities for granted [D] 对现实听之任之

5.The author’s attitude towards industrialism might best be summarized as one of __ 5.作者对工业主义的态度是_______。 [A] approval [A] 赞许

[B] dissatisfaction [B] 不满意 [C] suspicion [C] 怀疑 [D] tolerance [D] 宽容