Unit3
GoodsMove. People Move. Ideas Move. And Cultures Change.
Erla Zwingle
Structure of the Text
Part I (Paras. 1-3)
Globalizationis a reality but it is not something completely new. What is new is the speedand scope of change.
Part II (Paras. 4-6)
Thispart deals with different views on globalization.
Part III (Paras. 7-9)
Threepoints are made in this part:
(1)Westernizationis not a straight road to hell, or to paradise either.
(2)Culturesare as resourceful, resilient, and unpredictable as the people who composethem.
(3)Teenagersare one of the powerful engines of merging global cultures.
Part IV (Paras. 10-13)
Thispart describes the author’s experience with Amanda Freeman, a “cool hunter.”
Part V (Paras. 14-19)
Inorder to prove that the trend istoward fusion, the author uses Tom Sloper and mah-jong as an example.
Part VI (Para. 20)
This is a transition, using
Part VII (Paras. 21-24)
This part deals with cultural trends in Shanghai.
Part VIII (Paras. 25-28)
The author uses her experience at the Shanghai Theatre Academyto illustrate her point that the change is at the level of ideas.
Part IX (Paras. 29-34)
In this part, the author introduces AlvinToffler’s view on conflict, change and the world order.
Part X (Para. 35)
A summing-up of linking---goods move,people move and ideas move.
Part XI (Para. 36)
Conclusion: The result of linking ischange which means transformation of each other.
Part XII (Paras. 37-39)
The author again uses an example from Shanghai to illustratethe transformation of cultures.
Part VIII (Para. 40)
Linking in the end means thelinking of heart.
II. Detailed Analysis of the Text
1.Questions on Paragraph 1:
l How does the author begin this article? Whydoes she quote Marx and Engels?
Theauthor begins the article with the statement “Today we are in the throes of aworldwide reformation of cultures” which is called globalization. Here theauthor points out that globalization is a worldwide movement and a movement ofreformation of cultures. She does not say, “mergingof cultures” but “reformation of cultures,” indicating that the cultures in theworld will continue to exist but they will not exist unchanged.
l The author then says that globalization is notan exact word to describe the changes. Why?
Theauthor quotes Marx and Engels to prove her point. According to polls, Marx andEngels are rated among the most influential figures of the past one thousandyears. The author’s intention is two-fold: on the one hand she wants to showthat globalization has resulted from the rise of modern industry and worldmarkets; on the other she wants tostress that it is a process and a historical process at that.
Editor’snote: The favorable reception in the West of Chinese KunQu (昆曲)“Peony Pavilion” (牡丹亭),the popularity of Korean films in China, the uproar over tainted milk powderinvolving a Chinese-New Zealand joint venture company, the alarm causedinternationally by bird flu are all examples of the development of globalization.
2.Today we are in the throes of a worldwide reformation of cultures, a tectonicshift of habits and dreams called, in the curious vocabulary of socialscientists, “globalization.” (Para. 1)
in the throes of: in the act of struggling with (a problem,decision, task, etc.)
Translation:今天我们正经历着一种世界范围文化剧变的阵痛,一种习俗与追求的结构性变化,用社会科学家奇特的词汇来称呼这种变化，就叫“全球化”。
3.In place of the old wants, requiring fortheir satisfaction the products of distant lands and climes, ... (Para. 1)
Paraphrase:Instead of people’s traditional needs, we find new “felt” needs, demandinggoods from distant and far-off places to meet them.
Note:
Theobject of “requiring” is “the products; “for their satisfaction” is anadverbial phrase, showing purpose.
4. Their statement now describesan ordinary fact of life. (Para. 1)
Paraphrase:Marx and Engels made the prediction 150 years ago. But today it is not aprediction but something that happens every day.
5.How people feel about this depends a great deal on where they live and how muchmoney they have. (Para. 2)
Paraphrase:
People’sattitude toward globalization is to a great extent determined by whether theyare in developed or less developed countries and whether they are among thehaves or the have-nots.
Note:
Theauthor is to a large extent correct in making this statement. According topolls in the
6. Yet globalization, as onereport stated, “is a reality, not a choice.” (Para. 2)
Paraphrase:Globalization is not something that you can accept or reject; it is already a fact of life, whichyou will encounter and have to respond to every day.
7.Humans have been weaving commercial and cultural connections since before thefirst camel caravan ventured afield. (Para. 2)
caravan:a company of travelers, esp. of merchants or pilgrims traveling together forsafety, as through a desert
venture:to undertake the risk of, to brave
afield:away (from home)
Paraphrase:People in the world made commercial and cultural contacts long before merchantson camels risked traveling to places far away from home.
8.wrought (Para. 2): (past participle of work) to produceresults or exert an influence
9. Telegraph... betweenindividuals and the wider world. (Para. 2)
Paraphrase:
Theinvention of the telegraph brought individuals and the outside world closer butat the same time the connection was more complex, less direct, not so easy tosee or detect.
Translation:
电报、电话、收音机和电视把个人和外部世界更紧密地连在一起,这种联系更为复杂、不那么直接也不易察觉。
Note:
Theauthor uses “intricate” and “complicated” to describe the connection becausewith the emergence of advanced technology, the connection is not only fasterbut also more difficult to see, to explain. For example, connection with theoutside world through watching cable TV or listening to radio is less tangibleand much less direct than camel caravans. But a connection isestablished. Telegraph and Internet connections are examples. You can connectthrough the Internet to a person you may never have actually met in person.
10.Still, the basic dynamic remains the same: Goods move. People move. Ideas move.(Para. 3)
dynamic:a force producing motion or change
Note:
“Still”here introduces a contrast. Paragraph 2 tells the readers that moderntechnology makes the connections and changes faster and more complicated. Paragraph3 stresses that the basic pattern is the same. The difference lies in the speedand scope of change.
11. Questions on Paragraph 4：
How doWestern social scientists, anthropologists and politicians view the trendtoward globalization? Does the author agree? What is your view?
Manymembers of these groups believe that globalization will result in the spread ofAmerican goods as well as American values and culture, and that the consequencewill inevitably be the Americanization of the world.
Theauthor is not so pessimistic. She does not think that globalization meansAmericanization; she believes a variety of cultures will continue to exist, butthat they will all be changed. This can be seen in her opening statement, inPara.3-4, and in her concluding paragraph.
Thefactors mentioned by the critics of globalization do exist. The United States,as the world’s only superpower, has taken advantage of globalization to greatlyexpand its exports of goods as well as ideas and values. If you go on theInternet, the overwhelming amount of information is in English. Ininternational business, the prevalent means of communication is English. Thatis why critics include the English language as part of the “cultural assault”.This concern is shared by some Chinese citizens/intellectuals. Butglobalization is a double-edged sword, which means it can cut either way.Advantages and disadvantages coexist. The determining factor is governmentpolicy. Closed-door policies have proved to be disastrous.
So theonly feasible approach is to make full use of the advantages and to minimizethe negative effects.
12.Whatever their backgrounds or agendas, these critics are convinced thatWestern—often equated with American—influences will flatten every culturalcrease, producing, as one observer terms it, one big “McWorld.” (Para. 4)
agenda:program of things to be done
crease: a foldor wrinkle
McWorld:a world modeled on McDonald’s, meaning a world filled with American goods andculture
Paraphrase:Western... influences will overwhelm all non-western cultures, making them lose their own uniquecharacteristics, so that in the end there will exist only one westernized orAmericanized world or culture.
Translation:不管他们的背景和纲领如何,这些对全球化持反对态度的人深信西方的影响——往往等同于美国的影响——会把所有文化上的差异一一压平,就像一位观察家所说的,最终产生一个麦当劳世界,一个充满美国货和体现美国价值观的世界。
13.Popular factions sprout to exploit nationalist anxieties. … suggesting thatHollywood be burned. (Para. 5)
Questionon Paragraph 5: Is the author’s description of the book China Can Say No accurate?
No.‘The burning of Hollywood’ is the subtitle for a section in the book in whichthe authors discuss the burning of Hollywood films by the French – it is notadvice to the Chinese. The author said he would not fly on a Boeing 777, notbecause of anti-Americanism, but because of technical flaws in the design.Since it is based on inaccurate information, her analysis cannot be correct.
Note:
Theauthor makes three more crucial points: that the book is an example of“exploiting nationalist anxieties”, that China struggles between xenophobia andambition, that the book’s central theme is that Chinese people should notbelieve blindly in foreign things.
popularfactions:反映公众情绪(或得到公众支持) 的派别
Paraphrase:Political groups with broad popular support have come into being to takeadvantage of people’s worries and uneasiness over foreign “cultural assault.”
Whydoes the author view “xenophobia” and “economic ambition” as opposingtendencies?
‘Xenophobia’ means hatred or fear of foreigners orforeign things. If xenophobia became predominant, it could lead to movements todrive out foreigners and foreign goods as, for example, occurred during theBoxers’ Movement. ‘Economic ambition’ refers to the desire to build China intoa strong, industrialized country to improve the livelihood of the Chinesepeople.
Thiswould mean being open and welcoming to the outside world, and introducingforeign capital, technology, and goods.
Note:
InChina, trends toward closed-door and open-door policies have struggled fordominance for a long time.
suggestingthat Hollywood be burned: Hollywood stands for Americanfilms. This is a rhetorical device called synecdoche. 建议把进口的好莱坞大片烧掉。
14.Those people out there should continue to live in a museum while we will haveshowers that work. (Para. 6)
museum:“Museum” here stands for ancient life or backwardness, the kind of life you canonly find in museums now.
showersthat work: It stands for modern life withhigh-tech gadgets.
Paraphrase:
TheChinese people should continue to live a backward life while we livecomfortably with all modern conveniences.
15.Question on Paragraph 7: How does the author bring out theinconsistencies in the concept of Westernization?
First,she compares the critics and the boosters. Then she compares theinconsistencies within each group. The critics blast Coke and Hollywood but not organ transplants andcomputers, indicating that their critique is selective. The boosters emphasizeenvironmental protection but make no mention of cigarettes and automobiles,indicating that they deliberately overlook those things that bring damage tohealth and the environment. Her conclusion is: Westernization is neither adirect, uninterrupted road to hell nor to paradise. In other words, it isneither terribly bad nor extremely good.
16.Westernization, I discovered over months of study and travel, is a phenomenonshot through with inconsistencies and populated by very strange bedfellows.(Para. 7)
(be)shot through with: to have a lot of, as if full of holesafter a shotgun blast
inconsistencies:not uniform, including inharmonious or self-contradictory factors
bedfellow:an associate, ally, confederate, etc.
Paraphrase:After months of research and travel, I found that westernization is a conceptfull of self- contradiction and held by people of very different background orviews.
17. Yet they make no mention... disastrouseffects. (Para. 7)
Translation:然而他们不提西方文化中不那么健康的一面,譬如香烟和汽车,就在发展中世界急切地接纳这些东西时,它们已带来很坏的后果。
18. Apparently westernization isnot a straight road to hell, or to paradise either.
Translation: 很显然,西方化既不会直达地狱,也不是直通天堂。
19.But I also discovered that cultures are as resourceful, resilient, and unpredictableas the people who compose them.（Para.8）
resourceful: able to deal promptly andeffectively with problems, difficulties, etc.
resilient:recovering strength, spirits, good humor, quickly; buoyant
Translation:不过我也发现文化就如构成文化的民族一样,善于随机应变,富有弹性而且不可预测。
Question:In what way are cultures resourceful, resilient, and unpredictable? How doesthe author prove this?
Theauthor attempts to prove this by giving three examples.
Thefirst is Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, a city that many people consider a source ofcultural degeneration. Even in this city where Hollywood is located, you can still find aschool in which thirty-two languages are spoken. This is a sign of culturaldiversity. The second is how Sesame Street has been adapted in Shanghai. Sesame Street is a popular Americantelevision show, yet the Chinese have been able to borrow the form and use itto teach Chinese values and traditions. This again shows how resourceful andresilient cultures can be. The third is McDonald’s in
20.In Los Angeles, the ostensible fountainhead of world cultural degradation...（Para.8）
Translation: 在洛杉矶,世界文化堕落的明显的源头……
21.McDonald’s serves mutton instead of beef and offers a vegetarian menuacceptable to even the most orthodox Hindu.（Para. 8）
Translation:
麦当劳供应的是羊肉而不是牛肉,而且提供一份素食的菜单,连最正统的印度教徒也能接受。
Question:
Whydoes McDonald’s serve mutton instead of beef in
Becausethe Hindu religion regards the cow as sacred, so beef can’t be eaten.
22. Questions on paragraph 9:
(1) Whyare teenagers so important?
Theirnumber is huge and they have time and money to spend. So entertainment andgoods are designed to cater to their taste.
(2) Whydoes the author consider teenagers one of the powerful engines of mergingglobal cultures?
Youngpeople are the source of fashion and fashion knows no national boundaries. Afashion in one culture can easily be picked up by teenagers in other cultures.The spread of rap music is a case in point.
23. The critical mass ofteenagers… （Para.9）
mass:a large number
teenager:a person between the ages of 13 and19
Thefact that there is a large number of young people between the ages of 13 and 19is decisive.
24.hang out: (slang) to spend much ofone’s time; frequent
25. ... who was the firstteenager to put his baseball cap on backward.（Para. 9）
Translation:是那个青少年带头把棒球帽帽檐朝后戴。
26.... rap music, which sprang from the inner-city ghettos, began making big moneyonly when rebellious white teenagers started buying it. （Para.9）
rapmusic: a style of black popular music with a pronouncedbeat to which words are recited rather than sung说唱乐
Whiteteenagers taking over black popular music is a phenomenon which began in the1960s in the
27. They are called “coolhunter”, ... how it works.（Para.9）
coolhunter:猎酷者
take(sb.) in hand: to control someone, as to show him howto behave or act
28. Questions on Paragraph 10:
Whatsort of person is Amanda Freeman? Why does she go to Los Angeles?
Amandais 22 and she works for a consultant company, Youth Intelligence, which islocated in New York.She goes to Los Angelesto conduct surveys in order to predict trends.
Becauseof Hollywood, Los Angelesis supposed to be a center of youth fashion .
29.She has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a knee-length brocade skirt.(Para.10)
Translation: 她留着披肩的棕发,穿着一条长及膝盖的织锦短裙。
30. You don’t have to be cool todo it; you just have to have the eye. (Para.10)
cool:(slang)fashionable in the eyes of the young
Paraphrase:In trying to predict future trends,you do not need to be fashionable yourself. Note:
“To have the eye” is an idiom meaning to havea special intuitive knack or ability, actually quite rare.
31.We go to a smallish ’50s-style diner in a slightly seedy pocket east of Hollywood that has justbecome trendy. (Para. 11)
diner:a small restaurant built to look like an old-fashioned train dining car.
seedy:shabby, rundown
trendy:of or in the latest fashion or trend; ultrafashionable
pocket:an isolated area of a specified type
Paraphrase:We go to a small restaurant built in the style of the 1950s in a somewhatrun-down area east of Hollywoodwhich has just become fashionable.
Translation:我们去了一家小一点的，50年代式样的餐馆。这家餐馆位于好莱坞东面一个比较破落的区域，这个区域刚刚时髦起来。
32.Then we wander through a few of the thrift shops. (Para. 11)
thrift shops: esp. inthe
33.If it’s not going. . . it’s never going to catch on. (Para. 11)
catchon: to become popular
Paraphrase:if the trend is too expensive for people to follow, it will not become popular.
34. Questions on paragraph 13:
Howdoes Amanda go about her work?
She goes to small，cheap shops in trendy areas toconduct surveys because a fashionwhichis not affordable will not becomepopular. She also has her eye on fusion, because nowadays blending has become atrend.
35.It’s really hard to be original these days, so the easiest way to come up withnew stuff is to mix things that already exist. (Para. 13)
mix:combining ingredients so that the resulting substance is uniform incomposition, whether or not the separate elements can be distinguished.
Translation: 现今, 原创极为困难。因此，最容易的办法就是把现存的东西组合在一起, 拿出一个新玩意儿来。
36.There’s going to be more blending, like Spanish music and punk-things that areso unrelated. (Para. 13)
blend:a mixing of different varieties to produce a desired quality.
punk:朋克摇滚乐a typeof loud violent music popular in the late 1970s and the 1980s.
38. Questions on paragraph 14:
(1) Whydoes the author introduce Tom Sloper and mah-jongg?
Theauthor uses Tom Sloper and mah-jongg as an example to illustrate fusion. Thisis a good example because it combines computers, a product of Western hightechnology, and mah-jongg, a traditional Chinese game—a fusion of East andWest, of technology and entertainment. In short, a fusion of things previouslyunrelated.
(2) Whydoes the author mention small rooms in Asia and country clubs in Beverly Hills?
Theauthor here uses two rhetorical devices: contrast and antonomasia. The smallrooms in Asia stand for lower-middle-class people in Asia while the countryclubs in Beverly Hills stand for rich people inthe
(3) Howdoes Tom Sloper play mah-jongg?
Heplays it in his Los Angelesoffice in the evening on the Internet.
39.This being America, he has found a way to marry these two passions and sell theresult. (Para. 14)
passion:a strong emotion that has an overpowering or compelling effect.
Questions:
(1) Whatis the grammatical function of “this being
It isan independent elementplaying the role of an adverbial causalclause. It can be changed into “Since this is
(2)Whatis the implication of this statement?
Theimplication is that
Paraphrase: As anopen and technologically advanced country with a large market for unusualthings,
40. … in small rooms that arefull of smoke. (Para. 14)
Question:Whatdoes “full of smoke” indicate?
Itindicates two things: (a) most probably, the players are men; (b) they smokewhile playing, so the room is stuffy and the air is bad. Such scenes are to befound in films produced in Hong Kong,
41.… that are full of smoke and the ceaseless click of the chunky plastic tilesand fierce concentration of the players. (Para. 14)
click:a slight, sharp sound, like that of a door latch snapping into place. Inrhetoric, this is called onomatopoeia: the formation of a word by imitating thesound associated with an object or action such as “tinkle,” “buzz.”
42.It is also played by rich society women at country clubs in Beverly Hills and in apartments on Manhattan’sUpper West Side. (Para. 14)
Questions:
(1) Whatdo the place names stand for?
Theystand for social and economic status. These are upper-class residential areasin Los Angeles and New York respectively.
(2)Whydoes the author mention “country club” and “apartments”?
Theauthor wants to show that mah-jongg is played by rich ladies at socialgatherings as well as at home.
43.But Tom, 50, was playing it at his desk in Los Angeles one evening in the silence of anearly empty office building. (Para. 14)
silence: absence of any sound or noise
Questions:
(1) Whydoes the author speak of a nearly empty office building?
Becauseit is evening, and almost all of the office workers have gone home.
(2) Whydoes the author begin the sentence with “But”?
Toemphasize the contrast between Tom playing alone and people playing in groups,in Asia and in the
44. Actually, he only appeared to be alone. (Para.15)
Question:
Whydoes the author say he only "appeared" to be alone?
Tom wasalone in the office building but he was playing a game with three other peoplein three different places. In that sense,hewas not alone.
45. His glowing computer screen showed a game already inprogress with several habitual partners. . . (Para. 15)
Translation:他那亮着的计算机屏幕表明麻将已经搓起来了，其他几个参加者都是老牌友……
46. ... with that detached... machines.(Para. 16)
detached:not involved through emotion, interest, etc.
Paraphrase:...ina friendly way, but this friendliness lacks emotion because his attention isfixed on his computer screen and the people who are connected with him throughthe Internet.
47. Question on paragraph 19:
Howdoes Tom play mah-jongg on the screen?
He usesa computer and the tiles bounce around the screen. His partners are people in
He alsocarries on conversations with the players by typing short comments to them. Heknows his partners well although he has never met them personally.
48. Tom played on into the night.At least it was night where I was. (Para. 19)
Atleast it was night where I was. 至少我所在的地方是晚上。
Paraphrase:At least it was night where I was watching him play. The time in
49. ... was up in the cybersphere far above the level of time zones. (Para. 19)
Translation:他在网络世界活动，这种活动超越时区。
Paraphrase:He was moving around, playing a game via the Internet, with people living indifferent time zones, hence their computer activity broke down the limits oftime zones.
50. If it seems that life in theWest has become a fast-forward blur, consider
(Para.20)
fast-forwardblur: moving so fast into the future that outlines areblurred, as if images on a video tape were being played on fast forward.
Translation:如果说西方的生活太超前了,已经看不清轮廓了,那么就看看中国。
Question:Whatrole does this sentence play?
Itserves as a transition.
51.In just 20 years, since market forces were unleashed by economic reforms begunin 1978, life for many urban Chinese has changed drastically. (Para. 20)
unleash:to free from restraint
52.Cosmopolitan,plunging necklines and all, is read by 260,000 Chinese women every month. (Para.20）
Cosmopolitan:《时尚》杂志
plunge:to extend far down in a revealing way
neckline:the line formed by the edge of a garment around or nearest the neck
plungingneckline:开领袒胸
Translation:26万中国妇女每个月都在阅读《时尚》杂志，那些开领袒胸的画页及其他内容。
53.Question on paragraph 21: Why doesthe author go to Shanghai to investigate cultural trends?
Becauseon the one hand Shanghai is the largest city in
54.General Motors, for example, set up its first Buick sales outlet in Shanghai in1929; (Para. 21)
Buicksales outlet:别克轿车的销售网点
55. Once a city ofelegant…multilane overpasses. (Para. 22)
Questions:
(1)Whatkind of contrast is made here?
Acontrast is made between old Shanghai and Shanghai in the 1990s.
(2)Whichversion of Shanghaidoes the author prefer? How do you know?
Theauthor liked old Shanghaibetter. This can be seen in her choice of words. In describing old Shanghai, she uses “elegant”villas and “imposing” office buildings, words carrying a positive connotation.In describing current Shanghaishe uses infinitives such as to “crowd and jostle” the skyline, “cramp”the…streets, “choke” the parks and open spaces. These phrases all carry anegative connotation.
(3)Whatis the new Shanghailike according to the author?
(a)Shanghai has “rippeditself to ribbons”. This is the author’s general description of Shanghai in the 1990s.While Shanghai’s buildings in the past wereelegant and imposing, Shanghaihas become a scene of great upheaval the result of which cannot be satisfactoryor good.
(b)Everywhere there are soaring skyscrapers. “Skyscraper” is a word used to referto a building that is very high, made of steel and glass, sometimes lackingstyle or taste. As a result, when you look out, you can only see tall buildingsone after another, obscuring the view— “to crowd and jostle the skyline”.
(c) Shanghai’s streets arenarrow. With tall buildings on both sides of narrow, winding streets, you canimagine how crowded you will feel.
tocramp: to confine; restrain
(d) Thefew parks and open spaces are surrounded by tall buildings, so the word “choke”is used to accentuate the feeling of a cramped space.
(e) Thetraffic is also crowded so the word “crawl" is used together with“multilane overpasses” to show that even on the most modern roads, traffic isstill very slow.
(f) Sothe conclusion is: Modernization has not brought beauty and convenience to thepeople of Shanghai.High-rises have spoiled Shanghai’soriginal beauty. This paragraph suggests a kind of nostalgic feeling on thepart of the author and notes her reservations about the way Shanghai is being modernized.
Translation:In a decade... presence. Trafficcrawls... overpasses.
十年中, 几十座闪闪发亮的新的高层建筑拔地而起, 挤压空间, 使人张目不能远眺, 使原本狭窄弯曲的街道更显压抑, 而这些高耸大楼的存在也使公园和空地感到憋气。即使是在多车道的高架桥上, 车辆也在爬行。
56. But on the streets...asurprising $100,000. (Para. 22)
boutique:时装用品小商店;百货公司的时装部a small shop, or a small department in astore, where fashionable, usually expensive, clothing and other articles aresold.
mall:a completely enclosed, air-conditioned shopping center
Guccistore:古奇专卖店
Question:Whatis implied in the statement, “Many carry several shopping bags”?
Itimplies that the purchasing power of people in Shanghai is high.
Womendressed in bright colors, carrying several shopping bags on the Nanjing Road, a shoppingcenter in downtown Shanghai,is a sign of economic prosperity.
Note:
(1)The connective “but” introduces another contrast, a contrast between the skyscrapersand the people of Shanghai.
(2)The word “surprising” shows that the shop did not expect business to be so goodin the first two weeks after its opening. It also shows that despite the fact thatGucci is a Western brand, the name is not unfamiliar to many Shanghai people.
57. Question on paragraph 23:
What isthe main idea of Paragraph 23?
Thisparagraph tells of changes in the lives of ordinary people — changes in theamount of money spent on food, on clothing and on new items, such as travel.
Arecent poll (2001) in Beijingshowed that the amount of money spent on food made up only 39.18% of totalfamily expenditure, as compared with 49.92% five years earlier. Clothing madeup 10.01% as compared with 13.55% five years before. A rising percentage wentto education and health care, a total of 13.64% as compared with 7.79% fiveyears previously.
58. Questions on paragraph 24:
(1)Whydo you think the author raises the issue of cultural dislocation here?
Thishas something to do with the title: goods move, ideas move and cultures change.As a result of economic development, more foreign goods and enterprises havecome into
(2)Whatis people’s attitude towards possible cultural dislocation?
Peopledo not consider the new prevalence of foreign goods and the changes in lifethat goes with it to be a problem. They accept such change and do not feelalarmed.
59. The Chinese are very good atdealing with ambiguity. (Para. 24)
ambiguity:the quality of permitting more than one interpretation
Translation:中国人是很善于应对多种可能性的。
60. Potential: this is largely aWestern concept. (Para.25)
potential:the capacity to develop or become useful in the future
Question:Whyis it a Western concept?
Potentialis a concept used in physics or electricity, subjects first studied in theWest.
61. ...it’s clear that the trulygreat leap forward here is at the level of ideas. (Para.25)
It isclear that real progress, progress that matters most, takes place at the levelof changing ideas.
62. To really grasp this, I hadonly to… Shakespeare’s Macbeth… (Para.25)
Macbeth:《麦克白》, 莎士比亚四大悲剧之一。整个剧情笼罩在阴森恐怖的气氛中。苏格兰将军麦克白平定叛乱, 立功凯旋归来。由于听信女巫的预言,在自己野心的驱使和妻子的怂勇下,利用国王邓肯到自己家中作客的机会,弑君自立。此后,麦克白肆无忌惮地杀害异己,践踏无辜,终使所有重要贵族与他离心离德。最后被邓肯的儿子马尔康和贵族麦克德夫战败而死。麦克白夫人也因感到众人的仇恨和受到自己良心的折磨,最后发疯自尽。全剧主题写人性中善与恶的斗争和不良野心的危害,体现了野心残暴必败,光明正义必胜的信念。
63. There we were at the Shanghai Theatre Academy…(Para. 26)
ShanghaiTheatre Academy:上海戏剧学院
64. The lighting was heavy onshadows, with frequent flashes. (Para. 27)
lighting:theart, practice, or manner of using and arranging lights on a stage
Translation:灯光集中在鬼影上,常常夹有闪电。
66. The light went out …auto-rewind. (Para. 27)
Translation: 灯光熄灭,有一阵子,黑暗中惟一的声音就是一部价格昂贵的照相机自动倒卷时发出的声音。
67. It strained imagination …sewing machine. (Para. 28)
Translation: 难以想象就是在这个国家,二十年前人们最想要的三样贵重物品是手表、自行车和缝纫机。
68.Early on I realized that I was going to need some type of compass to guide methrough the wilds of global culture. (Para. 29)
compass:指南针
wilds:a wilderness or wasteland
Paraphrase:From the very beginning, I knew I would need a theory to help me study globalization,to guide me through such a great variety of cultural phenomena.
69. Questions on paragraphs from30 to 34:
(1) Whatdid Toffler mean when he said “order grows out of chaos”?
Hemeant that significant change happens as a result of conflict. By conflict, hemeans “wave” conflicts, that is, conflicts between modes of production.
(2) Howdoes Toffler define “wave”?
Tofflerdefines waves as major changes in civilization. The first wave came with thedevelopment of agriculture (according to historical materialism, the use of irontools); the second with industry. The third is based on information.
(3) Howdoes Toffler define the “current conflict”, where by “current” he means 1999,the time of the author’s interview with him?
Heholds that the current conflicts are not conflicts between East and West, norbetween North and South but between dominantly industrial countries anddominantly agrarian countries plus internal conflicts within countries that arepartly one and partly the other.
(4) Whatis Toffler’s analysis of the current international order?
Heholds that the present order is an order that trisects world power. Accordingto him, agrarian nations are at the bottom, knowledge-based economies on thetop, with industrialized countries in between.
(5) Whatdo you think of Toffler’s analysis of conflict and the world order?
Tofflerholds that conflict takes place between agrarian countries and industrializedcountries. But the industrialized countries are also the developed countries,so his analysis is very similar to the conception of a North-South conflictbetween the developing countries and the industrialized countries. However, toeliminate the political element from the conflict is not in accordance with thereal situation and therefore is incorrect. And it is an over-simplification tosay that world civilizations today can be divided into three types: agrarian,industrial and knowledge-based. But it may be valid to say that the problems ofvarious civilizations are rooted in their modes of production.
Thetrisection-of-power concept fails to take into consideration the distributionof political, economic, and military power in the world, hence, it is not atrue reflection of the world situation.
(6) Isit possible that, in the future, small groups might be able to use television topreserve their separate, distinctive cultures and languages?
Perhaps.With many more channels available, costs will be greatly reduced. In the U.S.,government licensing insistence on some television access being reserved forbroadcasts in the public interest could help a small group, say the NavahoIndians with about 40,000 speakers of their tribal language, to transmitprograms in that language. But there are also political and culturalconstraints. Some linguists predict that many of the languages used today willbecome extinct in the not too distant future.
70. “Yes,” Toffler says. “... notof the past.” (Para. 34)
Questions:
(1)Whatis Toffler’s view on likely cultural changes as a result of the third wave?
Tofflerholds that, in the future, there will not be a single homogenized culture butthat the cultures that remain will not be the same as they were before. Theywill have been transformed.
(2)Whatdoes Toffler mean when he says that we will be the Chinese of the future, notof the past?
When hesays “Chinese”, he is talking not about the Chinese people but about Chineseculture. Of course Chinese culture in the Information Age cannot be the same asthe culture of Confucian times.
71. It is cheaper forbusinesses... at home. (Para.35)
Question:Isthis statement true? Comment on this statement.
It istrue. This is called “the brain drain”. Many third world countries areexperiencing such a brain drain. When we say that in the
72. For the Japanese, this is anentirely new way of thinking. (Para. 35)
Question:Whatcan we deduce from this statement? What is the old Japanese way of thinking?
OlderJapanese are very traditional in their thinking. That is why you still findJapanese employees who are proud of life-long service in a single Japanese firm.Loyalty to the firm is constantly stressed. The idea that one’s fate is inone’s own hands has been alien to Japanese corporate culture, but isappropriate to American culture with its emphasis on individualism.
73. Question on paragraph 36:
What isthe main idea of this paragraph?
Themain idea is that there will not be a uniform world culture in the future;cultures will coexist and transform each other.
74. It’s a reality, not a choice.(Para. 36)
Question:Whatis the function of the statement?
Itserves as a recapitulation of the idea stated in Paragraph 2 and a re-emphasisof the point that globalization is already a matter of fact, not speculation.It also serves as a bridge to a discussion of globalization’s driving force.
75. The late philosopher Isaiah Berlin... somethingelse... (Para. 36)
aspire (to): to strongly hope or desire toget or do something, esp. something lofty or grand; to yearn
utopian:belonging to or typical of an ideally perfect state or place; admirable butimpracticable in real life乌托邦式的
Paraphrase:The late philosopher Isaiah Berlinthought that a society should not pursue unrealistic goals but should aim atachieving something more practical, more down-to-earth.
Questions:
(1)Whatdoes “utopian ideal” refer to?
It isnot clear, but it may refer to a uniform world culture.
(2)Whatwas this “something else” Berlinhad in mind?
Perhapshe was pointing out that we should not pursue uniformity but should, instead,cultivate tolerance towards diversity.
76. Questions on paragraphs from 37to 39:
Whydoes the author describe her experience at a Jewish gathering in Shanghai? What does shewant to show?
Shewants to use the incident to demonstrate that different cultures can co-existand learn from each other while maintaining their own identity.
AJewish gathering on the eve of Yon Kippur, a Jewish Holy Day, in Shanghai, a Chinese city,is evidence of cultural co-existence.
Thatthe author, neither Chinese nor Jewish, felt at home at the Jewish gathering isanother example. The author’s conclusion is: there are things in one culturewhich are shared by other cultures. In other words, there are things in commonin all cultures. This is the basis for mutual understanding and co-existence.
77.In Shanghai one October evening I joined a group gathered in a small, sterilehotel meeting room. (Para. 37)
sterile:notstimulating
78.… a young Jew from
infant:in a very early stage
congregation:an assembly of people for religious worship or teaching
79.They received a lot from local cultures, but they also kept their own identify.(Para. 38)
identity:the condition or fact of being a specific person or thing; individuality
Translation:他们从当地文化吸收了不少东西,但仍然保持了自己的本色。
80.“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me,” heintoned. (Para. 39)
intone:toutter or recite in a singing tone or in a prolonged monotone
81. The penitence may have beenJewish, but the aspiration was universal. (Para. 39)
penitence:sorrow over having sinned or done wrong
Paraphrase:The means of showing repentance might have been particular to the Jews, but thestrong desire to receive forgiveness from God is common, shared by all.
82 . Questions on paragraph 40:
Howdoes the author conclude the article? What do you think of her conclusion?
In herconcluding remarks, the author makes clear her views on globalization. Shepoints out why globalization is inevitable—“linking” is humanity’s naturalimpulse. Here two words are worthy of our attention/Here, we should payattention to the author’s use of words. The author/She is not talking about“merging” or “fusion” but “linking”, emphasizing that linking is a naturalhuman desire. In other words, it is not something imposed on humanity. Fromthis careful choice of words we understand that there will not be a McWorld,but rather the coexistence of transformed cultures, and that these cultures arebrought together not just by technology or business but more importantly bycommon aspirations and shared values. The concluding paragraph is short,consisting of four sentences. But these sentences bring out important ideas,which, in turn, relate to the author’s Shanghaiexperience. Therefore, the conclusion emerges naturally and logically from theauthor’s development of her ideas.
83. Linking is humanity’s naturalimpulse, its common destiny. (Para. 40)
Translation:相互联系是人类自有的欲望,是其共同的命运。
84. They are the powerful cordsof the heart. (Para. 40)
Translation: 这种连接靠的是强有力的心灵纽带。
Key to Exercises
I．
1. inthe act of struggling with ( a problem, decision, task, etc.)
2. aforce producing motion or change
3. programof things to be done
4. tohave a lot of, as if full of holes after a shotgun blast
5. decisivelylarge number of people
6. (slang) to spend much of one's time; tofrequent
7. tocontrol someone, as to show him or her how to behave or act
8. anisolated area of a specified type
9. tobecome popular
10. extendingfar down in a revealing way
V．
1. YetGlobalization is not something you can accept or reject; it is already a factof life, which you will encounter and have to respond to every day.
2.Political groups with broad popular support have emerged to take advantage ofpeople’s existing worries and uneasiness regarding foreign “cultural assault.”
3. ... in
4. TheChinese people should continue to live a backward life while we livecomfortably with all modern conveniences.
5. Westernization...is a concept full of self-contradictions and held by people of very differentbackgrounds and views.
6. Intrying to find out what future trends will be, you do not need to befashionable yourself.
7.As an open and technologically advanced country with a large market for unusualthings,
8. Hewas moving around, playing a game via the Internet, with people living indifferent time zones, hence their computer activity broke down the limits oftime zones.
9. The Gucci store had not expected that inthe first two weeks of its opening in Shanghai,business would be so good.
10. Themeans of showing repentance might be particular to the Jews, but the strongdesire to receive forgiveness from God is common.
VI.
1. 今天我们正经历着一种世界范围文化剧变的阵痛，一种习俗与追求的结构性变化。用社会学家奇特的词汇来称呼这种变化，就叫“全球化”。
2. 不管他们的背景和纲领如何，这些对全球化持反对态度的人深信西方的影响——往往等同于美国的影响——会把所有文化上的差异一一压平，就像一位观察家所说的，最终产生一个麦当劳世界，一个充斥美国货和体现美国价值观的世界。
3. 不过我也发现文化就如同构成文化的民族一样，善于随机应变，富有弹性而且不可预测。
4. 现今原创极为困难。因此，最容易的办法就是把现存的东西组合在一起，拿出一个新玩意儿来。
5. 二十六万中国妇女每月都在阅读《时尚》杂志，那些开领袒胸的画页及其他内容。
6. 灯光熄灭，有一阵子，黑暗中惟一的声音就是一部价格昂贵的照相机自动倒卷时发出的声音。
7. 他们从当地文化中吸收了不少东西，但仍然保持了自己的本色。
8. 相互联系是人类天生的欲望，是其共同的命运。
9. 这种连接靠的是强有力的心灵纽带。
