北师大硕士研究生读译课文章资料.docx
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北师大硕士研究生读译课文章资料
北京师范大学
通用学术英语
《学术英语读译》课程教材2015~2016学年春季学期
Unit1
GettingandSpending:
ACross-CulturalViewofEconomics
1Everysocietyproduces,distributes,andusesgoodsandservices.Therefore,everysocietyhasaneconomy,asystemthatmanagestheprocessofproduction,distribution,consumption,oruse.Thepeopleofeveryculturelearnspecificeconomicbehavior.Theyhavecertainmotivationsandmakecertaineconomicchoicesthattheirsocietyhastaughtthem.
2Formaleconomicsstatesthatpeoplemakerationaleconomicchoicesthatresultintheirwell-beingandprofit.Itstudiestheproductionandconsumptionofgoodsinanindustrializemarketeconomy.Itassumesthattheeconomyrunsonrationalchoicessuchasthoseabusinesspersonmakes:
Shouldthefirmcutdownorexpanditsproductioninacertainsituation?
Shoulditpurchaseanewmachineorhiremorelaborers?
Whereshoulditlocateitplant?
Willitmanufactureshoesorgloves?
Howmuchwillbespentonadvertisingitsproduct?
Allthesedecisionsareassumedtoberational,thatis,basedonthedesiretomakethegreatestpossibleprofitfromlimitedresources.
3Formaleconomicsalsoassumesthatindividualsaswellasbusinessactrationallyinmakingdecisionsabouthowtospendtheirincomes.Individualsmayhavemanydesires,buttheyusuallyhaveonlylimitedincometofulfillthosedesires.Therefore,decisionsabouthowtospendthatincome—whethertobuyacar,givethechildrenaprivateschooleducation,placeadownpaymentonahouse,ortakeavacation—mustbeweighedrationallybeforetheyaremade.Decisionsabouthowtospendtimearesimilarlyweighed.Shouldonespendone’sleisuretimewithone’sfamily,inasecondjob,orbackinschoolstudyingforanadvanceddegreetoimproveone’sfutureeconomicchances?
4FormaleconomicsfocusesontheWesternindustrialmarketeconomy.However,itskeyassumptionsaboutrationaldecisionmakinglimitedresources,andtheimportanceofprofitdonotapplytoallsocieties.Forexample,insometraditionalsocietieseconomicchoicesaremadeastheresultofadifferentvaluesystemfromthatcommonintheUnitedStates.Forinstance,inhuntingandgatheringsocietiessuchasthatoftheKungofsouth-centralAfrica,peoplehavenotbeentrainedtodesiremanymaterialgoods.Therefore,theydonothavetoworkallday,everydaytofulfilltheirneeds;theycangetenoughfoodandotheressentialsandstillhaveplentyofleisuretimeleftover.Fromourpointofview,peoplewhodonotusetheirleisuretimetofurthertheirworkandprofitare“lazy”.Butnoteveryonefeelstheneedformorepossessionsandservices—more“stuff”—thantheyalreadyhave.
5Inoursociety,highsocialstatusorrespectiscloselytiedtothepossessionorconsumptionofcertain“brandname”goodsandservices.Forexample,allcarsservethesamebasicfunctionoftransportation;however,certaincarsknowntobeexpensivehavemoreprestigethandoothercarsthatmaybejustasuseful.Inaddition,wearewillingtopayextraforthoseservicesthatourcarsautomaticallyperformforus:
automaticwindows,automatictrunkopeners,automaticgearshifts.Inothersocieties,suchprestigemaynotbeassociatedwiththedisplayofgoodsbutratherwithgenerosityingivinggoodsawaytoothers.Peoplewhoownanddisplaymuchmorethanothersmaybethoughtstingyandmayloseratherthangainprestige.
6IntheUnitedStates,wegenerallyplaceeconomicprioritiesabovesocialones.Insomesocieties,however,socialrelationshaveahigherprioritythaneconomicones.Forexample,inmanyAsiancountries,abusinesspersonwillleaveherorherworktoshowhospitalitytoaguestevenifitmeansthelossofaday’sincome.Themoretraditionalasocietyis,themoreitisexpectedthatfriends,relatives,andneighborswillhelpeachotherfinanciallyintimeofneedwithaformalcontractforpayingbacktheloan.Furthermore,inmanynon-Westerncultures,eventhosewhosestandardoflivingisquitelow,peoplewillgointodebtofsocialorreligiousceremoniessuchasafeastorafuneral.
7Innon-industrialsocietiesfewaspectsofbehaviorarepurelyeconomic.Mostactivityhasamixedsocial,ceremonial,ormoralaspecttoit,aswellashavinganeconomicone.Forexample,thePonapepeopleoftheSouthPacificoftenholdhugefeastsatwhichthehostservesthepigandbeerandtheguestsbringsuchprestigiousfoodsasyamsandbreadfruit.Thesefeastshaveanimportanteconomicpurpose.Theyprovideawayforextrafoodtobedistributedaroundthevillagewithoutshamingthosefarmerswhosecropsareinferior.Theyalsopermitfoodtobeeatenthatwouldotherwisebewasted,sincethePonapedonothaverefrigerationorothermeansforpreservingfood.But,thesefeastsalsoserveimportantsocialpurposes.Theybringpeopletogetherandallowthemtogainprestigebyactingmodestlyabouttheircontributions;atthesePonapefeasts,onegainsprestigenotonlybybringingextrafoodbutbypraisingthecontributionsofothersasbetterthanone’sown.ThesocialaspectsofthePonapefeastsmaybehiddenfromoutsiders,buttheyareunderstoodandrespectedbythemembersofthePonapeculture.
8Otheraspectsoftheeconomythatmaydiffergreatlyfromoneculturetoanotherarethebasicunitofproduction,thesexualdivisionoflabor,andthedegreeofspecializationoflabor.Inagriculturalsocieties,theunitofproductionismostfrequentlytheextendedfamilythatconsistsofseveralgenerationsofrelatives.Thespecializationoflaborisusuallybysecandageonly.Themenperformalltasksrelatedtofarming,whereasthewomenperformalltheworkrelatedtohouse-keeping,gardening,andchildcare.Socialandeconomicactivitiesareusuallyintegratedinsuchsocieties,andoftendecisionsthatappeartobeeconomically“irrational”haveahiddenmeaningintermsoftheculture’sbeliefsorvalues.
9Ontheotherhand,inindustrialsocieties,theunitofproductionisusuallyabusinessfirmoutsidethefamilystructurethatismotivatedalmostentirelybyeconomicinterests.Typicallythereisahighdegreeofspecializationoflabor:
Workersmaybelongtodifferentunionsdependingonthedifferenttypeofjobtheyperformwithinanindustry,oracompanymayhaveadozenvice-presidents,eachwithanarrowareaofresponsibility.
Exercises
Learnaboutthetext
I.Readthetextandcompletethefollowingoutline.
SummaryOutlines
Paragraph[1]:
Theeconomyisasystemformanagingtheprocessof
(1)_______________,____________,and______________.
Paragraphs[2]&[3]:
Formaleconomicsisbasedontheideathatpeoplemakethoughtfuleconomicchoices.
Examplea:
Abusinessmanmaydecideto
(2)_________________________
Exampleb:
Anindividualmaydecideto(3)___________________________
Paragraphs[4]&[5]:
Westernindustrialsocietiesandsometraditionalsocietieshavedifferenteconomicvalues.
a.Westernpeoplework(4)_______________________________________
b.InWesternsociety,respectis(5)__________________________________.
c.Traditionalpeoplemay/maynotdesire/display(6)___________________
Paragraphs[6]&[7]:
Acentralideaoftheseparagraphsisthat(7)__________________________________________________________..
Examplea:
Somepeoplewillgoindebtforamarriageorafuneral.
Exampleb:
Apersonmayclosehisbusinessto(8)_____________________
Examplec:
Acouplemaymarryforlove(9)___________________________
Inmosttraditional,economicactivitiesalso(10)_______________________..
Paragraphs[8]&[9]:
Traditionalandindustrialeconomiesdifferfromeachotherinseveralways.
Traditionala:
(11)________________________________________________
b:
Thereislittle(12)__________________ofwork.
c:
(13)________________________________________________
Industriala:
Productionismostlythroughbusinessfirmsinterestedin(14)__.
b:
(15)__________________________________________________
(AdoptedfromJoanYoungGregg.CommunicationandCulture:
AReading-writingText.北京:
中国水利水电出版社,1999.)
Unit2
CollegePressures
byWilliamZinsser
DearCarlos:
Idesperatelyneedadean’sexcuseformychemmidtermwhichwillbegininabout1hour.AllIcansayisthatItotallyblewitthisweek.I’vefallenincredibly,inconceivablybehind.
Carlos:
Help!
I’manxioustohearfromyou.I’llbeinmyroomandwon’tleaveituntilIhearfromyou.Tomorrowisthelastdayfor……
Carlos:
IlefttownbecauseIstartedbuggingoutagain.Istayedupallnighttofinishatake-homemake-upexamandamtypingittohandinonthe10th.Itwasdueonthe5th.P.S.I’mgoingtothedentist.Painisprettybad.
Carlos:
ProbablybyFridayI’llbeabletogetbacktomystudies.RightnowI’mgoingtotakealongwalk.Thiswholethinghastakenalotoutofme.
Carlos:
I’mreallyuptheproverbialcreek.TheproblemisIreallybombedthehistoryfinal.SinceIneedthatcourseformymajorI……
Carlos:
Herefollowsataleofwoe.Iwenthomethisweekend,hadtohelpmyMom,andcaughtafeversodidn’thavemuchtimetostudy.Myprofessor……
Carlos:
Aargh!
!
Trouble.Nothingoriginalbuteverything’spilingupatonce.Tobebrief,myjobinterview……
HeyCarlos,goodnews!
I’vegotmononucleosis.
1Whoarethesewretchedsupplicants,scribblingnotessoladenwithanxiety,seekingsuchmiraclesofpostponementandbalm?
TheyaremenandwomenwhobelongtoBranfordCollege,oneofthetwelveresidentialcollegesatYaleUniversity,andthemessagesarejustafewofthehundredsthattheyleftfortheirdean,CarlosHortas—oftenslippedunderhisdoorat4a.m.—lastyear.
2Butstudentsliketheoneswhowrotethosenotescanalsobefoundoncampusesfromcoasttoco