高级英语Lesson 6 (Book 2) Disappearing Through the Skylight 课文

PAGE\*MERGEFORMAT4Lesson6DisappearingThroughtheSkylightOsborneBennetHardisonJr.1Scienceiscommittedtotheuniversal.Asignofthisisthatthemoresuccessfulasciencebecomes,thebroadertheagreementaboutitsbasicconcepts:thereisnotaseparateChineseorAmericanorSovietthermodynamics,forexample;thereissimplythermodynamics.ForseveraldecadesofthetwentiethcenturytherewasaWesternandaSovietgenetics,thelatterassociatedwithLysenko'stheorythatenvironmentalstresscanproducegeneticmutations.TodayLysenko'stheoryisdiscredited,andthereisnowonlyonegenetics.2Asthecorollaryofscience,technologyalsoexhibitstheuniversalizingtendency.Thisiswhythespreadoftechnologymakestheworldlookevermorehomogeneous.Architecturalstyles,dressstyles,musicalstyles--eveneatingstyles--tendincreasinglytobeworldstyles.Theworldlooksmorehomogeneousbecauseitismorehomogeneous.Childrenwhogrowupinthisworldthereforeexperienceitasasamenessratherthanadiversity,andbecausetheiridentitiesareshapedbythissameness,theirsenseofdifferencesamongculturesandindividualsdiminishes.Asbuildingsbecomemorealike,thepeoplewhoinhabitthebuildingsbecomemorealike.Theresultisdescribedpreciselyinaphrasethatisalreadyfamiliar:thedisappearanceofhistory.3TheautomobileillustratesthePointWithgreatclarity.Atechnologicalinnovationlikestreamliningorall-weldedbodyconstructionmayberejectedinitially,butifitisimportanttotheefficiencyoreconomicsofautomobiles,itwillreappearindifferentwaysuntilitisnotonlyacceptedbutuniversallyregardedasanasset.Today'sautomobileisnolongeruniquetoagivencompanyoreventoagivennationalculture,itsbasicfeaturesarefound,withvariations,inautomobilesingeneral,nomatterwhomakesthem.4AfewyearsagotheFordMotorCompanycameupwiththeFiesta,whichitcalledthe"WorldCar."Advertisementsshoweditsurroundedbytheflagsofallnations.FordexplainedthatthecylinderblockwasmadeinEngland,thecarburetorinIreland,thetransmissioninFrance,thewheelsinBelgium,andsoforth.5TheFiestaappearstohavesunkWithoutatrace.Buttheideaofaworldcarwasinevitable.ItwastheautomotiveequivalentoftheInternationalStyle.TenyearsaftertheFiesta,allofthelargeautomakerswereinternational.AmericanshadPlantsinEurope,Asia,andSouthAmerica,andEuropeansandJapanesehadplantsinAmericaandSouthAmerica,andintheSovietUnionFiatFiat(=FabbricaItalianaAutomobileTorino)workersrefreshedthemselveswithPepsi-Cola).InthefullnessoftimeinternationalautomakerswillhaveplantsinEgyptandIndiaandthePeople'sRepublicofChina.6Asinarchitecture,soinautomaking.Inagivencostrange,thesametechnologytendstoproducethesamesolutions.Thevisualevidenceforthisisasobviousforcarsasforbuildings.Today,ifyouchoosemodelsinthesamepricerange,youwillbehardputat500pacestotellonemakefromanother.Inotherwords,thespecificallyAmericantraitsthatlingeredinAmericanautomobilesinthe1960s--traitsthatlinkedAmericancarstoAmericanhistory--aredisappearing.EventheVolkswagenBeetlehasdisappearedandhastakenwithitthevisibleevidenceofthehistoryofstreamliningthatextendsfromD'ArcyThompsontoCarlBreertoFerdinandPorsche.7Ifmancreatesmachines,machinesinturnshapetheircreators.Astheautomobileisuniversalized,ituniversalizesthosewhouseit.LiketheWorldCarhedrives,modernmanisbecominguniversal.Nolongerquiteanindividual,nolongerquitetheproductofauniquegeographyandculture,hemovesfromoneclimate-controlledshoppingmalltoanother,fromoneairporttothenext,fromoneHolidayInntoitssuccessorthreehundredmilesdowntheroad;butsomehowhislocationneverchanges.Heiscosmopolitan.Thepricehepaysisthathenolongerhasahomeinthetraditionalsenseoftheword.Thebenefitisthathebeginstosuspecthomeinthetraditionalsenseisanothernameforlimitations,andthathomeinthemodernsenseiseverywhereandalwayssurroundedbyneighbors.8Theuniversalizingimperativeoftechnologyisirresistible.Barringthecatastropheofnuclearwar,itwillcontinuetoshapebothmoderncultureandtheconsciousnessofthosewhoinhabitthatculture.9Thisbringsustoartandhistoryagain.ReminiscingontheearlyworkofFrancisPicabiaandMarcelDuchamp,MadameGabrielleBuffet-Picabiawroteofthediscoveryofthemachineaestheticin1949:"Irememberatime...wheneveryartistthoughtheowedittohimselftoturnhisbackontheEiffelTower,asaprotestagainstthearchitecturalblasphemywithwhichitfilledthesky....Thediscoveryandrehabilitationof...machinessoongeneratedpropositionswhichevadedalltradition,aboveall,amobile,extrahumanplasticitywhichwasabsolutelynew....”10Artis,inonedefinition,simplyanefforttonametherealworld.Aremachines"therealworld"oronlyitssurface?Istherealworldthateasytofind?Sciencehasshowntheinsubstantialityoftheworld.Ithasthusunderminedanarticleoffaith:thethinglinessofthings.Atthesametime,ithasproducedimagesofordersofrealityunderlyingthethinglinessofthings.Areimagesofcellsorofmoleculesorofgalaxiesmoreorlessrealthanimagesofmachines?Sciencehasalsoproducedimagesthatarepureartifacts.Areimagesofself-squareddragonsmoreorlessrealthanimagesofmolecules?11TheskepticismofmodernscienceaboutthethinglinessofthingsimpliesanewappreciationofthehumanityofartentirelyconsistentwithKandinsky'sobservationinOntheSpiritualinArtthatbeautifulart"springsfrominnerneed,whichspringsfromthesoul."Modernartopensonaworldwhoserealityisnot"outthere"innaturedefinedasthingsseenfromamiddledistancebut"inhere"inthesoulorthemind.Itisaworldradicallyemptiedofhistorybecauseitisaformofperceptionratherthanacontent.12Thedisappearanceofhistoryisthusaliberation--whatMadameBuffet-Picabiareferstoasthediscoveryof"amobileextra-humanplasticitywhich[is]absolutelynew."Likescience,modernartoftenexpressesthisfeelingofliberationthroughplay--inpaintingintheplayfulnessofPicassoandJoanMiroandinpoetryinthenonsenseofDadaandthemockheroicsofapoemlikeWallaceStevens's"TheComedianastheLetterC."13Theplayfulnessofthemodernaestheticis,finally,itsmoststriking--andalsoitsmostseriousand,bycorollary,itsmostdisturbing--feature.Theplayfulnessimitatestheplayfulnessofsciencethatproducesgametheoryandvirtualparticlesandblackholesandthat,byintroducinghumangrowthgenesintocows,forcesstudentsofethicstoreexaminethedefinitionofcannibalism.Theimportanceofplayinthemodernaestheticshouldnotcomeasasurprise.Itisannouncedineverycityinthedevelopedworldbythefantasticandplayfulbuildingsofpostmodernismandneo-modernismandbythefantasticjuxtapositionsofarchitecturalstylesthattypifycollagecityandurbanadhocism.14TodaymoderncultureincludesthegeometriesoftheInternationalStyle,thefantasiesoffacadism,andthegamesmanshipofthemeparksandmuseumvillages.Itpretendsattimestobestaticbutitisreallydynamic.Itsbuildingsmoveandswayandreflectdreamyvisionsofeverythingthatisgoingonaroundthem.Itsurroundsitscitizenswiththelinearsculptureofpipelinesandinterstatehighwaysandhigh-tensionlinesandthedelicatevirtuositiesofthesurfacesoftheChryslerAirflowandtheBoeing747andthelacyweavingsofcircuitsetchedonsilicon,aswellaswiththebrutalassertivenessofoiltankersandbulldozersandtheTinkertoycomplicationsoftrussesandgeodesicdomesandlunarlanders.Itaboundsinimagesandsoundsandvaluesutterlydifferentfromthoseoftheworldofnaturalthingsseenfromamiddledistance.15Itisahumanworld,butonethatishumaninwaysnooneexpected.TheimageitrevealsisnotthewornandbatteredfacethatstaresfromLeonardo'sself-portraitmuchlesstheonethatstares,blearyanduninspired,everymorningfromthebathroommirror.Thesearethefacesofhistory.Itis,rather,theimageofaneternallyplayfulandeternallyyouthfulpowerthatmakesorderwhetherorderisthereornotandthathavingmadeoneorderisquitecapableofputtingitasideandcreatinganentirelydifferentorthewayachildmightbuildonestructurefromasetofblocksandthenwithoutmaliceandpurelyinthespiritofplaydemolishitandbeginagain.Itisanimageofthepowerthatmadehumanitypossibleinthefirstplace.16Thebanksofthenineteenthcenturytendedtobeneoclassicstructuresofmarbleorgranitefacedwithponderousrowsofcolumns.Theymadeastatement""Wearesolid.Wearepermanent.Weareasreliableashistory.Yourmoneyissafeinourvaults."17Today'sbanksareairystructuresofsteelandglass,ortheyarestore-frontswithslot-machineliketerminals,ortrailersparkedonthelotsofsuburbanshoppingmalls.18Thevaultshavebeenreplacedbymagnetictapes.Inacomputer,moneyissequencesofdigitalsignalsendlesslyrecorded,erased,processed,andreprocessed,andendlesslymodifiedbyothercomputers.Thestatementofmodernbanksis"WeareabstractlikeartandalmostinvisibleliketheCrystalPalace.Ifweexistatall,weexistasanairymediuminwhichyourtransactionsarecompletedandyourwealthincreased."19That,perhaps,establishesthelogicallimitofthemodernaesthetic.Ifso,thelimitisalongwayahead,butitcanbemadeout,justbarely,throughthehazeovertheroad.Assurelyasnatureisbeingswallowedupbythemind,thebanks,youmightsay,aredisappearingthroughtheirownskylights.(fromDisappearingThroughTheSkylight)--------------------------------------------------------------------NOTES1.Hardison:OsborneBennetHardisonJr.wasborninSanDiego,Californiain1928.HewaseducatedattheUniversityofNorthCarolinaandtheUniversityofWisconsin.HehastaughtatPrincetonandtheUniversityofNorthCarolina.HeistheauthorofLyricsandElegies(1958),TheEnduringMonument(1962),EnglishLiteraryCriticism:TheRenaissance(1964),TowardFreedomandDignity:TheHumanitiesandtheIdeaofHumanity(1973),EnteringtheMaze:IdentityandChangeinModernCulture(1981)andDisappearingThroughtheSkylight(1980).2.FordMotorCompany:oneofthelargestcarmanufacturingcompaniesofAmerica3.InternationalStyle:asitsnameindicates,anarchitecturalstyleeasilyreproducedandacceptedbycountriesthroughouttheworld.Thesestructuresusesimplegeometricformsofstraightlines,squares,rectangles,etc.,intheirdesigns.Itisoftencriticizedasarubber-stampmethodofdesign.Thesestructuresaremeanttobesimple,practicalandcost-effective.4.Fiat:thebiggestItaliancarmanufacturingcompany.FiatisanacronymoftheItalianname,FabbricaItalianaAutomobileTorina.5.Pepsi-Cola:abrandnameofanAmericansoftdrink.Itisastrongcompetitorofanotherwell-knownAmericansoftdrink,Coca-Cola.6.VolkswagenBeetle:modelnameofacardesignedandmanufacturedbytheGermancarmanufacturingcompany,Volkswagen7.D'ArcyThompson:D'ArcyWentworthThompson(1860-1948)placedbiologyonamathematicalfoundation.InhisbookOnGrowthandForm.ThompsoninventedthetermAirflowtodescribethecurvatureimposedbywateronthebodyofafish,Theairfloworstreamlinginfluencedthefuturedesigningofcarsandairplanestoincreasetheirspeedandreduceairfriction.8.CarlBreer:auto-designer,whodesignedtheChryslerAirflowof1934.9.FerdinandPorshe:auto-designeroftheoriginalVolkswagen10.HolidayInn:nameadoptedbyahotelchain11.Picabia:FrancisPicabia(1878-1953).Frenchpainter.Afterworkinginanimpressioniststyle,PicabiawasinfluencedbyCubismandlaterwasoneoftheoriginalexponentsofDadainEuropeandtheUnitedStates.12.Duchamp:MarcelDuchamp(1887-1968),Frenchpainter.Duchampisnotedforhiscubist-futuristpaintingNudeDescendingaStaircase,depictingcontinuousactionwithaseriesofoverlappingfigures.In1915hewasacofounderofaDadagroupinNewYork.13.MadameGabrilleBuffet-Picabia:perhapswifeofFrancisPicabia14.EiffelTower:atowerofironframeworkinParis,designedbyA.G.EiffelanderectedintheChamp-de-MarsfortheParisexpositionof188915.self-squareddragons:apictureofafour-dimensionaldragonproducedbycomputertechnique16.Kandinsky:WassilyKandinsky(1866-1944),Russianabstractpainterandtheorist.Heisusuallyregardedastheoriginatorofabstractart.In1910hewroteanimportanttheoreticalstudy,ConcerningtheSpiritualinArt.17.Picasso:PabloPicasso(1881-1973),Spanishpainterandsculptor,whoworkedinFrance.HislandmarkpaintingGuernicaisanimpassionedallegoricalcondemnationoffacismandwar.18.Miro:JoanMiro(1893-1983),Spanishsurrealistpainter.AfterstudyinginBarcelona,MirowenttoParisin1919.Inthe1920shecameintocontactwithcubismandsurrealism.Hisworkhasbeencharacterizedaspsychicautomatism,anexpressionofthesubconsciousinfreeform.19.Dada:amovementinartandliteraturebasedondeliberateirrationalityandnegationoftraditionalartisticvalues;alsotheartandliteratureproducedbythismovement20.Stevens:WallaceStevens(1879-1955),Americanpoet,educatedatHarvardandtheNewYorkUniversityLawSchool.Amasterofexquisiteverse,Stevenswasspecificallyconcernedwithcreatingsomeshapeoforderinthe"slovenlywilderness"ofchaos.21.gametheory:amathematicaltheoryoftransactionsdevelopedbyJohnVonNeumann.Hecalledthistheory,whichhasimportantapplicationsineconomic,diplomacy,andnationaldefense,"gametheory".Eventhoughtheyareserious,however,thegamesareoftensointricateandtheirrulessostrangethatthegamebecomesovertlyplayful.22.virtualparticles:particlesthatserveallpracticalpurposesthoughtheydonotexistinreality23.blackhole:Astarinthelastphasesofgravitationalcollapseisoftenreferredtoasa"blackhole".Evenlightcannotescapetheblackholebutisturnedbackbytheenormouspullofgravitation.Thereforeitcanneverbeobserveddirectly.24.lunarlander:avehicledesignedtolandonthesurfaceofthemoon25.collagecity:CollageCity(1975)byColinRowe.Inithecallsforacitythatisarichmixtureofstyles.Italsoimpliesthepreservationofmanybitsandpiecesofhistory.collage:anartisticcompositionmadeofvariousmaterials(aspaper,clothorwood)gluedonapicturesurface26.adhocism:ThisisakeytermusedbyCharlesJencksinhisbook.TheLanguageofPost-ModernArchitecture(1977).Theadhoccityisintendedtoavoidthehorrorsofthetotallyplannedcity.Theadhoccityclearlyshowsafondnessforclashingstylesandqueerpostmodernbuildingsaswellasfantasticarchitecturalcomplexes.27.facadism:Itisaformofmosaicarchitecture.Inmosaicarchitecturebitsandpiecesofolderbuildingsarecombinedwithbitsandpiecesofmodernbuildings.Infacadismfrontsofnineteenth-centurybuildingsmaybeproppedupwhileentirelynewbuildingsarecreatedbehindthemandoftenbesideandabovethem.28.themeparksandmuseumvillages:Suchplacestrytoreproducehistorycertainthemesthrougharchitecturalcomplexes.Forexample,DisneylandAnaheim,California,triestoreproducethemainstreetofatypicalnineteenthcentutryAmericantown,buteverythingisstagesetandnothingisreal.29.ChryslerAirflow:acarmodelmanufacturedbytheChryslerCorporationofAmerica30.Boeing747:anairplanemodelmanufacturedbytheBoeingCompanyofAmerica31.Tinkertoy:atrademarkforatoysetofwoodendowels,joints,wheelsetc.,usedbychildrentoassemblestructures32.CrystalPalace:buildingdesignedbySirJosephPaxtonanderectedinHydePark,London,forthegreatexhibitionin1851.In1854itwasremovedtoSydenham,where,untilitsdamagebyfirein1936,ithousedamuseumofsculpture,pictures,andarchitectureandwasusedforconcerts.In1941itdemolitionwascompletedbecauseitservedasaguidetoenemybombingplanes.Thebuildingwasconstructedofiron,glass,andlaminatedwoodOneofthemostsignificantexamplesof19thcenturyproto-modernarchitecture,itwaswidelyimitatedinEuropeandAmerica.