北师大硕士研究生读译课文章资料.docx

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