The aggressive spread of market economies and communication technologies — often under the control of Western multinationals — brings new challenges to local cultures and values in Africa and other non-Western societies. Sometimes it seems as if a tidal wave of the worst Western culture is creeping across the globe like a giant strawberry milkshake oozing over the planet, with a flavor that is distinctly sweet, sickly and manifestly homogenous.
Langauge points:
1. market n. : flee market/job market/buyer’s market/market share
a market-based economy /market-driven economy /market-led economy
a buyer’s market:买方市场: a situation in which there is a lot of a particular item for sale, so that prices are low and people buying have a choice 一种有很多特定商品出售的情况，因此价格很低，购买的人有选择
a seller’s market卖方市场:: a situation in which people selling sth have an advantage, because there is not a lot of a particular item for sale, and prices can be kept high售卖某物的人有优势的情况，因为某物的数量不多，价格可以维持在高位
play the market玩转市场: to buy and sell stocks and shares in order to make a profit买卖股票和股份以赚取利润
2. tidal wave: a sudden increase in a particular feeling, activity or type of behavior
3. creep v. to move slowly, quietly and carefully, usually in order to avoid being noticed
creep up: to gradually increase in amount, price, etc.
House prices are creeping up again.
creep in / into sth: to begin to happen or affect sth
As she became more tired, errors began to creep into her work.
make one’s flesh creep: to make one feel afraid or full of disgust
Just the sight of him makes my flesh creep.
creep n. an official order from a ruler or a government that becomes the law; a decision that is made in court
e.g. This old house gives me the creeps.
4. milkshake n. a drink made of milk and ice cream, with an added flavor of fruit or chocolate, which is mixed or shaken until it is full of bubbles
5. ooze v. (liquid) to flow slowly (In the text the word describes the milkshake, indicating the gradual influence of Western culture.)
6. manifestly ad. very obviously
e.g. A very long period of isolation must have been required to produce the differences so manifestly observed. 一定需要很长时间的隔离才能产生如此明显观察到的差异。
He claims that he is completely committed to the project, yet this is manifestly untrue.他声称他完全致力于这个项目，但这显然是不真实的。
manifest v. to show sth clearly, especially a feeling, an attitude or a quality
manifestation n. an indication of the existence, reality, or presence of sth
e.g. The riots are a clear manifestation of the people’s discontent.
manifesto n. a written statement in which a group of people, especially a political party, explain their beliefs and say what they will do if they win an election
e.g. The Communist Manifesto《共产党宣言》
7. Paraphrase: 转义、改述
Sometimes the Western culture seems to permeate the whole world like spilt milkshake, with a strong inviting taste, sweet but obviously devoid of diversity.
Suddenly, people all over Africa and the rest of the non-Westernized regions of the world, appear to be imbibing materialistic and individualistic values previously associated with Western culture. What explains this apparently abrupt Westernization? One major reason is the structural change in the world economy: globalization and the flood of goods dumped in poor countries that are marketed by mass seductive advertising which is blatantly superficial but nonetheless successful in creating fresh desires in peoples of traditional societies.
Language points:
1. dump v. to market a great quantity of goods at a reduced price in another country, so as to undercut foreign competition
e.g. The Commerce Department announced punitive tariffs against foreign paper manufacturers accused of dumping goods in the US below cost.美国商务部宣布对被控以低于成本的价格向美国倾销产品的外国造纸企业征收惩罚性关税。
The producers of the goods are claiming that foreign manufacturers are dumping on the market. 这些商品的生产商声称外国制造商在市场上倾销。
2. market v. to advertise and offer a product for sale; to present sth in a particular way and make people want to buy it
e.g. A manufacturer negligently made and marketed a car with defective brakes. 一个制造商疏忽大意地生产并销售了一辆刹车有缺陷的汽车。
3. mass adj. [only before noun] affecting or involving a large number of people or things
e.g. mass unemployment/production weapons of mass destruction
Their latest product is aimed at the mass market.
4. seductive adj. attractive in a way that makes you want to have or do sth
e.g. Television confronts the viewer with a succession of glittering and seductive images. 光彩夺目引人入胜的影像
seduce v. to persuade sb to do sth that they would not usually agree; to do by making it seem very attractive
e.g. She was seduced by the attractions of the big city.
5. blatantly adv. [disapproving] (of actions that are considered bad) done in an obvious and open way without caring if people are shocked
e.g. They were all angry at the blatantly unfair decision.
blatant a. very obvious and intentional, when this is a bad thing 明目张胆的，公然的
e.g. The whole episode was a blatant attempt to gain publicity.
Technological change, however, is less blatant, more insidious, more gradual and more effective.
6. superficial adj.
a) [disapproving] (of a person) never thinking about things that are serious or important
e.g. He’s fun to be with, but he’s very superficial.
b) [usually disapproving] not complete and involving only the most obvious things
e.g. I thought that article was written at a very superficial level.
The documentary’s treatment/analysis of the issues was very superficial.
For some, especially the young, these new products and content with new ideas can be exhilarating. Change may mean escape from oppressive traditions. It may also bring new opportunities for cultures to mingle in creative ways. Obviously, it would be an excessive form of cultural fundamentalism to suggest that Africans should try to keep everything exactly as it is, rather than allowing culture to develop. However, there is genuine cause for concern about the rate at which cultures (African and non-African) are being undermined in a world that is bound together by ever-stronger economic ties.
Language points:
1. mingle v. to combine or make one thing combine with another
e.g. The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air.
Her tears mingled with the blood on her face.
He felt a kind of happiness mingled with regret.
The flowers mingle together to form a blaze of colour.
A lot of emotions all mingled together.
2. excessive adj. greater than what seems reasonable or appropriate
e.g. Some property owners complained that they were being charged excessive fees.
e.g. He claimed that the police had used excessive force.
e.g. Excessive speed is a major cause of road accidents. excessive drinking (=drinking too much alcohol) Your excessive drinking has to stop.
e.g. The present system of tax reliefs is excessively complicated.
She was polite but not excessively so.
3. genuine adj.
a) real; exactly what it appears to be; not artificial
e.g. Fake designer watches are sold at a fraction of the price of the genuine article.
b) sincere and honest; that can be trusted
e.g. He made a genuine attempt to improve conditions.
Synonyms: real, authentic, original, factual
Antonyms: fake, faux, false, sham
4. bind v.
a) [formal] to tie sb/sth with rope, string, etc. so that they/it cannot move or are held together firmly
e.g. They bound the packages with brightly coloured ribbon.
b) to unite people, organizations, etc.; to form a strong emotional or economic connection between two people, countries, etc.
e.g. to be bound by a contract
5. cultural fundamentalism: 文化原教旨主义
6. Paraphrase: 转义、转述
Obviously, it would be too culturally radical to suggest that Africans should conduct rigid adherence to their current life and refuse to allow culture to develop. However, people indeed have a reason to worry that African and non-African cultures are encroached upon by Western culture at such a speed due to the ever-growing strong interdependence of trade and business among countries.
