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Now zoom forward to our present time and think of our pre_Internet communications systems as sorts of protozoa(原生动物).What we’re witnessing today in the realm of cyberspace—the online reformulation of everything from the way we play and learn to how we shop and trade stocks may represent no less a world_ transforming change than the spectacular burst of creation so long ago.
One notable difference:The primeval organisms did not have a guide_boo
k to inform them about what to expect and how to deal with some of the fabulous things to come.We do,in the recently released New Rules for the New Economy by Kevin Kelly,a founding editor of Wired magazine.
“The key premise of this book is that the principles governing the world of the soft—the world of intangibles,of media,of software,and of services—will soon command the world of the hard—the world of reality,of atoms,of objects,of steel and oil,and the hard work done by the sweat of brows,”Kelly writes.Driving this economic transformation is the combination of shrinking computers and expanding communications,he says,adding:(1)“We have seen only the beginnings of the anxiety,loss,excitement,and gains that many people will experience as our world shifts to a new highly technical planetary economy.”Does that sound like techno_hype?
It’s barely a taste of the radical and often counterintuitive“rules”that Kelly dishes out.(2)He employs an aphoristic(格言的)and,well,wired style that will easily appeal to geeks and should also turn on any mainstream readers who are a little more than curious about where the digitally rendered world is headed.
Where it’s likely headed,in Kelly’s words,is“upside down”.Chew,for example,on the idea that“the surest way to smartness is through massive dumbness”.What that means in essence is that tiny computer chips,though relatively“dumb”on their own,can be added to billions of mundane objects and,thereby,yield substantial economic benefits.Such as real time buying patterns on everything from shirts to soda cans.In the conventional world of supply and demand where we all grew up,value came from scarcity.As in,diamonds,gold and oil.In a world of digital imperatives,as Kelly correctly points out,“power comes from abundance.”(3)That was a principle that Apple tragically failed to understand when it backed off from licensing its graphic computer interface,assuring that its market share would be savaged by Microsoft’s more open Windows operating system.Which leads us to another of Kelly’s hardwired laws:Follow the free.In the universe of atoms,as a resource is consumed it becomes more expensive to produce.As gold is mined,nuggets(天然金块)at first may be easy,and therefore cheap,to find.But when particles of ore must be squeezed out of tons of rock,the price of gold becomes more dear.
But in what Kelly terms“the new order”,the law of plentitude kicks in,leading a savvy company such as Netscape to distribute its Web browser for free in order to sell auxiliary services or products.Similarly,expensive cell phones are offered as freebies(免费的东西)to gain contracts for phone services.
Finally,Kelly tells us to look around and see how much the world has already changed under our very feet.(4)An American farmer today,for instance,may still get some dirt under his fingernails,but much of his labor is performed under the umbrella of the electronic network.The cab in his tractor has a wireless phone and a satellite_linked GPS location device;his home computer is connected to a never_ending stream of weather data,grain market reports and moisture detectors in the soil.(5)New Rules for the New Economy suggests that we might even learn something from those plucky life forms that exploded on the scene a half billion years ago.“The qualities needed to succeed in the network economy can be reduced to this:a facility for charging into the unknown.”
答案
文章大意: 正在日益缩小的电脑与不断壮大的通讯业的结合在推动着经济变革。《有线》杂志的创刊编辑凯文·凯利在他发表的《新经济之新规则》一书中指出:网络正影响着全人类的各个领域,而网络经济使整个社会翻天覆地。而我们想在网络经济中取得成功所需的素质就是一种冲入未知领域的技能。(1)结构分析:句子的框架是We have seen only…and gains that many people will experience as our would shifts to…。关系代词that引导定语从句,修饰先行词the anxiety,loss,excitement,and gains。as引导时间状语从句。shift to在此句中译为“转变”。gains在此句中应转译为“成就”。
参考译文:我们看到的仅仅是我们的世界向一个新的高科技全球经济转变时许多人将体验到的焦虑、失落、激动与成就的开端。
(2)结构分析:句子的框架是He employs an aphoristic…style that will easily appeal to…and should also turn on…readers who…。关系代词that引导定语从句,修饰style。在此从句中包含了由关系代词who引导的定语从句,修饰先行词any main_stream readers。where the digitally rendered world is headed作介词about的宾语。main_stream readers在此译为“主流读者”。
参考译文: 他采取的是一种格言式的而且还是有线的风格,很容易吸引那些怪人,而且吸引那些主流读者的兴趣,他们对这个数字化世界的发展前途多少都有点好奇。
(3)结构分析: 句子的框架是That was a principle that Apple…when it backed off from…,assuring that its market share would…。本句的主句是That was a principle…。关系代词that引导定语从句,修饰先行词principle。when引导时间状语从句。现在分词短语assuring that…充当that引导的定语从句的原因状语。名词从句that its market share would be savaged by…作assuring的宾语。principle指代上文的“power comes from abundance”这一原则。back off原意为“屈服,让步”,在此句中译为“放弃”。
参考译文:“苹果”电脑公司悲剧性地未能理解这一原则,它放弃了它的图形电脑界面的
销售许可,因为担心自己的市场份额会被微软更开放的视窗操作系统无情地侵占。
(4)结构分析: 句子的框架是An American farmer…may still get some dirt…,but much of his labor is performed under…。这是一个由but连接的并列句。dirt在此句中译为“污泥,泥巴”。under the umbrella of应转译为“在…覆盖下”。
参考译文: 比如今日的美国农民,也许指甲盖里仍藏着些许污泥,但他的许多劳作都是在电子网络覆盖下进行的。
(5)结构分析: 句子的框架是New Rules for the New Economy suggests that we might even learn…life forms that exploded on the scene…。that we might…是宾语从句,作suggest的宾语。在这个从句中包含了由关系代词that引导的定语从句,修饰先行词plucky life forms。explode原意为“爆发,爆炸”,在此句中译为“急速增长”。life forms指文中的原生动物。 (编辑:赵露)