新标准大学英语_视听说教程3__(听力原文及翻译)(6)

Listening in Passage1

Traditional jobs like the chimney sweeps and coal miners from our history lessons don't really exist anymore. During the 20th century the number of people working in agriculture and manufacturing decreased significantly. In contrast, the number of people doing office-based jobs has more than doubled from 18 percent of the working population in 1901, to over 40 percent by the end of the 20th century. Modern society has changed the way we work but these changes are not always positive. They can also create problems we may not be aware of.

What does the modern office mean for the nation's health, for example? Well，firstly, office jobs are sedentary. We're sitting at our desks all day working on computers. And this means we're not exercising our bodies in the way people used to when they did more traditional jobs. It's not surprising then that we're all putting on weight .In fact, a fifth of adults over 16 were classified as over weight in 2001.

But there are other less obvious dangers connected with office work. Repetitive strain injury, or RSI, another disorders like muscle strain, neck and backache are a growing problem. It's estimated that in 2002, over a million people suffered from these kinds of health problems. As a result, 123 million working days were lost. The cause is simple: long periods spent sitting at the computer typing and using a mouse.

Many companies now employ ergonomic experts to ensure staff are sitting correctly at their computers and take frequent breaks from typing to try and prevent injury. Another problem of the modern office is the building itself. People tend to feel tired and irritable after a day stuck inside a modern office and often get colds and flu. This phenomenon is known as ―sick building syndrome\air and light. Secondly, within the enclosed space of an office environment, there is a high concentration of electronic devices. And as well as this, air-conditioning systems in large buildings recirculate the air around the office, carrying germs from workstation to workstation. Research suggests sick buildings syndrome can be found in roughly 30 percent of new or refurbished buildings.

But there is some good news for office workers. A lot of companies are making efforts to improve office workplaces. They're installing better lighting and ventilation. They're increasing the number of plants. And they're encouraging employees to take regular breaks from their computers. So if anyone listening is in an office, take this simple advice: get up, have a stretch, open a window-if you can-and think of ways you can stay healthy in this most unnatural environment.

类似打扫烟囱和挖掘煤矿这类出现在我们历史课本上的传统工作将不会继续存在下去。20世纪，从事农业和工业劳动的人数急剧减少。与之相反的是，在办公室里办公的人员人数从1901年仅占劳动力总数的18%增长到20世纪末的40%，翻了一倍。现代化的社会改变了我们的工作方式，但这些改变并不总是积极的。它们也可能产生一些我们意料之外的问题。

例如，现代化的办公对于国民的健康意味着什么呢？首先，办公室的工作往往缺少身体活动。我们常常坐在电脑前工作一整天。这就意味着我们没能像过去从事传统劳动人们那样在工作中锻炼我们的身体。这样一来我们体重增加就没什么值得吃惊的了。事实上，在2001年16岁以上的成年人中有五分之一属于超重人群。

另外，还有一些由办公室工作带来的并不太明显的危险。例如重复性的肌肉拉伤和紧张劳损，还有一些其他的身体混乱症状例如肌肉拉伤，颈部以及背部的疼痛问题越来越多。据预计，在2002年，超过100万人将会遭受上述的健康问题，这将导致1230万个工作日的损失。造成这种现象的原因很简单：长期坐在电脑前打字和使用鼠标。

现在许多公司雇佣人类工程学专家来确保员工在电脑前坐姿正确并且在操作电脑中足够频繁地得到休息，以此避免长时间工作带来的伤痛。

在现代办公室中存在的另一个问题是办公室这个建筑物本身。人们常常在现代办公室里呆上一整天后感觉到疲劳和急躁，并且常常患感冒和流感。这个现象被称为“室内空气综合症”，它是由多种因素引发的。首先，在许多办公室中缺少自然的空气和阳光。其次，在办公室的封闭环境中聚集着大量电子设备。另外，在大型建筑中的空调系统使办公室中的空气不断循环，将病菌从一个工作区带到另一个工作区。研究指出，在大概30%的新建或翻新的办公室中存在室内空气综合症患者。

但这里也有一些关于办公室共工作人员的好消息。许多公司都在努力提升室内工作环境。他们正在提供更好的的照明和通风系统，增加室内植物的数量，并且鼓励员工在使用电脑的过程中有规律地休息。如果有人正在办公室里收听该文的话，请听从下述简单建议：站起来，伸展一下四肢，打开窗户（如果你做得到的话），然后想想你该怎么样在一个很不自然的环境下保持健康。

Passage 2

Karen: Jim, you‘ve been a farmer for a long time. Can you explain how farming methods have

changed?

Jim: Well, in the past, most agriculture was small-scale and labour-intensive, and on the whole

worked in harmony with nature. But in the last 50 years, things have changed dramatically, particularly in the industrialized world. Now 41 percent of the world‘s farmland is managed intensively.

Karen: And what does this mean in practice?

Jim: You see, nowadays, most farms have high productivity which，in one sense, is a good thing.

However, it can mean that vast areas are the farmed with the same crop. Hedgerows are removed and chemical pesticides and fertilizers used. This has a negative effect on the ecosystem and destroys other forms of natural vegetation and local wildlife. Karen: So do you think we are interfering too much with nature?

Jim: Obviously farmers these days need to produce enough food at a reasonable price. But I

think the problem is that modern agriculture encourages the use of a unlimited numbers of species of each crop. Some traditional varieties of apples or grains, for example, are becoming extinct. The new varieties of seed they sell need pesticides and fertilizers and aren‘t as resilient to pests as many tradition varieties. And they don‘t always produce higher yields for farmers. Karen: And how about wild life?

Jim: Well, modern agriculture sometimes kills off wildlife which it also needs for its own

survival. In order to bear fruit, 75 percent of flowering plants need to be pollinated. This is traditionally done by bees, butterflies and birds whose populations are actually declining Honey bees are essential for more than 90 commercially grown crops. Farmers in California, for example, now have to release millions of bees to pollinate their almond trees.

Karen: So what in your opinion is the answer?

Jim: Going back to more traditional ways of farming. Small-scales farms are producing a variety

of crops and working with nature. Farmers can leave some land uncultivated to create ―wildlife corridors‖. This will provide a habitat for a variety of traditional plants as well as for the bees and insects needed to pollinate them. Another solution is planting indigenous， or local species. For example, in Africa researchers are encouraging farmers to plant a local wild species of mango that actually produces fruit in four years. Most cultivated varieties take 12 years. People are also starting seed banks to conserve local varieties of plants for the future.

Karen: And is there anything ordinary people can do to help?

Jim: Well, there are several practical things we can all do that will help, for example… 凯伦：吉姆，你当农民已经很久了。你能解释一下耕作方式是如何改变的吗？

吉姆：嗯，在过去，大多数农业是小规模的和劳动集约化的，且从世界范围看是于自然和谐

共处的。但在过去的五十年间，事情已经发生了巨大变化，特别是在工业世界中。现在世界上的百分之四十一的耕地是集中管理的。 凯伦：那么这在实际耕作中代表着什么呢？

吉姆：你看，现在大部分农场有较高的生产力，在某种意义上是一件好事。然而，这也意味

着在大片土地上种植着同种作物。不使用篱笆却使用化学杀虫剂和化肥。这对生态系统造成了负面的影响，破坏了自然植被和当地的野生动物。 凯伦：那你觉得我们是不是对自然的干扰过多了？

吉姆：显然，目前农民需要生产足够的食物并在合理的价格内出售。但我认为问题是，现代

农业鼓励对各种作物品种的无限量使用。一些传统的粮食品种，例如苹果或谷物，正处于灭绝的过程中。他们出售的新品种的种子需要杀虫剂和化肥，抗虫性不如传统品种强，并且它们通常不是高产作物。 凯伦：那么野生动物的情况又是怎样的？

吉姆：嗯，现代农业有时杀死那些和自身发展有关的野生动物。为了结果，百分之七十五的

开花植物需要授粉。这通常都是通过蜜蜂，蝴蝶和鸟类来完成的，但是实际上它们的数量正在减少中。蜜蜂对超过九十种经济作物都是至关重要的。例如在加利福尼亚州的农民，现在不得不放养上万只的蜜蜂来保证他们杏树的收成。 凯伦：那么您认为答案是什么？

吉姆：回到更传统的农耕方式。小规模的农场能生产出多种作物并促成与自然的和谐共处。

农民可以少开垦一些土地，为野生生物提供住所。这将为传统植物以及需要用来授粉的蜜蜂和昆虫提供栖息地。另一种解决方法是种植具有代表性的或是本地的物种。例如，在非洲，研究人员鼓励农民种植当地的一种野生芒果，这种芒果实际需要四年来结果。而现在大多数种的芒果需要经过十二年结果。人们也开始使用种子银行来为未来保存自己本地的植物。 凯伦：那么普通人可以做些什么呢？

吉姆：嗯，有许多我们可以帮得上的，例如??

UNIT5

INSIDE VIEW Conversaion1

A:I love Chinese,but is the food around here typical?

J:Well,it depends what you mean by typical.This is mostly Cantonese food from the south,excepet for the roast duck,which is from Beijing.But it is different from the food where I come from in the northeast.

A:And which is better?

J:Er,well,in my opinion,I think~ Oh,look,here he comes.Hi,Tony. T:Hi,Li Hui,ni hao.

J:Ni hao.Tony,this is Andy,my colleage. A/T:Hi.

J:We were wondering if we could ask you some questions about life in Chinatown.

A:I don‘t know if Janet‘s told you,but we are doing a series of reviews on ethnic restaurants here in London for London Time Off. T:Ok,I see.

A:And the thing is,everyone eats Chinese and Indian food,but we want to put a bit of background and history on the website.Are you up for this? T:Ok,fire away.

A:What I suggest is,if you‘ve got time,we will do some filming around here,and then we will put the research together back at thestudio.

A:Janet,are you ready with the sound this time? J:Ok.

A:Just remember to keep the needle out of the red zone.And don‘t forget to stop us if there‘s too much background noise. J:Ok,thanks.

A:Tony,you work here in Chinatown.Do you live here as well? T:No,in fact,very few Chinese actually live in Chinatown.

A:And in comparison with Chinatown in say,San Francisco or Sydney,is it larger or smaller? T:I would say it‘s much smaller.Really.It‘s only three or four streets. A:And the business here,is it mostly restaurant trade?

T:Yes,as well as the supermarkets,which stock produce from China.

A:我喜欢中国菜，但这附近有代表性的食物吗？

J:嗯，这取决于你说的典型是什么意思。除了北京烤鸭，这里大多是中国南方的广东菜。但这里的广东菜和我家乡的东北菜不同。 A:你认为哪里的更好吃呢？ J:嗯，我认为~

喔，你看，他来了。嗨，Tony! T:嗨！李慧，你好！

J:你好，Tony！他是我的同事Andy. A/T:嗨。

J:我们在想你是否可以回答我们一些关于唐人街生活的问题。

A:我不知道Janet是否告诉你了，但我们是在为London Time Off做一系列的有关伦敦异国风味餐厅的评论文章。 T：好的，我明白了。

A:话说，每个人都吃中国菜和印度菜，但我们想在网上放一些有关的文化背景和历史知识。

你能帮助我们吗？ T:没问题，你问吧。

A：如果你有时间的话，我建议我们在这附近来录一段短片，等回工作室后将调查材料整合在一起。

A:Janet,这一次调好声音了吗？ J:好了。

A:记得把图标移开红色区域。如果背景噪音太大，记得叫停。 J:好的，谢谢你的提醒。

A:Tony,你在唐人街工作，那你也在这住吗？ T：不住这，事实上，很少中国人真正住在这。

A:和旧金山或悉尼的唐人街相比，伦敦的唐人街更大还是更小呢？ T:更小，真的，这里只有三四条街。 A:这里的商业活动大多是餐厅生意吗？ T:是的，还有卖中国货的超市。

Conversation2

A:So where do you call home?

T:Like lots of people,my grandparents came from Hong Kong in the 1950‘s.But I‘m a British-born Chinese.So I guess this is home now.

A:So how long has here been a Chinese community in London?

T:For 200 years.When the Chinese first came to London,they arrived as sailors,so they lived in the East End by the Docks.

A:And how did they make their living?

T:restaurants mostly,but they were also famous for running laundries. A:And why did Chinesetown move over here?

T:At the start of the 20th century,some of them move to the West End,which is the entertainment district to open Chinese restaurants.And gradually,the Chinese from all over the London met friends and did business here.

A:And does it still feel like a traditional Chinese community?

T:Oh,sure.You saw the Chinese gateway and we celebrate Chinese New Year along with the Chinese all over the world. A:Thanks.

T:You are welcome. A:How is it going,Janet?

J:It‘s fine,that‘s about three minutes of material.

A:Ok.Let‘s wind it up.Tony,thank you very much,that was really interesting.Very grateful. T:No problem.Now,are you hungry?How about some dimsum and crispy roast duck? J:Sounds great.I‘m starving,thanks.

T:Don‘t mention it.Let‘s go back to my restaurant.

A:Sure,I‘m starving too.All this talk about food,thanks,Tony! T:You‘re welcome!

A:那你认为哪里才是你真正的家？

T:嗯，像很多人一样，我的祖父母在二十世纪五十年代从香港来到这里。但我是一个在英国出生的中国人，所以我现在把这里看成是我的家。

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