课文翻译综合教程四.pdf

Unit3
AlienationandtheInternet
WillBaker
1.TheInternetprovidesanamazingforumforthefreeexchangeofideas.Giventhe
relativelyfewrestrictionsgoverningaccessandusage,itisthecommunicationsmodal
equivalentofinternationalwaters.1Itismypersonalbeliefthatthehumanpotentialcan
onlyberealizedbytheglobalizationofideas.Idevelopedthisposition2yearsbeforethe
Internetcameintowidespreadu.AndIamexcitedatthepotentialfortheInternetto
dramaticallyalterourglobalsocietyforthebetter.HoweverIamalsotroubledbythe
possibleunintendednegativeconquences.
2.Therehasbeenmuchtalkaboutthe“newinformationage.”Butmuchlesswidely
reportedhasbeenthenotionthattheInternetmayberesponsibleforfurtheringthe
fragmentationofsocietybyalienatingitsindividualurs.3Atfirstthismightsoundlike
anapparentcontradiction:howcansomething,thatisontheonehandresponsiblefor
globalunificationbyenablingthefreeexchangeofideas,alienatetheparticipants?
3.Ihadarecentdiscussionwithafriendofminewhohaswhathedescribedas
a“problem”withtheInternet.WhenIquestionedhimfurtherhesaidthathe
was“addicted,”4andhas“forced”himlftogooff-line.Hesaidthathefeltlikean
alcoholic,inthatmoderateuoftheInternetwasjustnotpossibleforhim.5Ihavenot
knownthisfellowtobegiventoexaggeration,thereforewhenhedescribedhisinternet
binges,6whenhewouldspendovertwenty-fourhoursonlinenon-stop,itgavemepau
tothink.Hesaid,“theInternetisn‘treal,butIwasspendingallmytimeonline,soIjust
hadtostop.”Hewentontosaythatallofthetimethathespentonlinemighthave
skewed7hisnofreality,andthatitmadehimfeellonelyanddepresd.
4.Thefragmentationofsocietyhasbeenlamentedforsometimenow.Itemstome
thatitprobablybeganinearnestafterWorldWarIIwhenagenerationreturnedfrom
doinggreatdeedsoveras.Theywonthewar,andbyGodtheyweregoingtowinthe
peace.Automobileownershipbecamecommonplaceandsuburbswere
created.“Progress”wastheirmantra.8SoevenpriortotheInternet‘swidespread
popularity,folkswerealreadybecomingdistancedfromtheirextendedfamiliesand
neighbors.Andwhenwefast-forwardtotodayweeanalmostcruelironyinthatpeople
canandoftendodevelopon-linerelationshipswithfolksontheothersideoftheglobe,
withoutleavingtheirhomes.Butattheexpenofthetimethatwouldhaveotherwi
beenavailableforinvolvementinotheractivitieswhichmightfosteranof
communityintheirvillages,townsandcities.
5.LastweekendmywifeandIinvitedourextendedfamilytoourhometocelebrate
ourdaughter‘sbirthday.Duringthecelebrationmyyoungnephewspenttheentiretime
onmycomputerplayingasimulatedwargame.Mybrother-in-lawandIwerechatting
nearbyanditstruckusthatingenerationspast,hisson,mynephew,wouldhavebeen
outsideplayingwithhisfriends.Butnowthelittlefellowgoesonlinetoplayhisgames
againsthisfriendsincyberspace.
6.ItemstomethattheInternetisapowerfultoolthatprentsanopportunityfor
theadvancementoftheacquisitionandapplicationofknowledge.However,badonmy
personalexperienceIcanunderstandhow,astheysurfthewebsomefolksmightbe
confrontedwithcognitiveoverload.9AndIcanalsounderstandhowonemighthavehis
orhernofrealitydistortedintheprocess.IstheInternetarealplace?Depending
uponhowa“realplace”isdefineditmightverywellbe.Attheveryleast,Ibelievethat
whenweutheInternet,weareforcedtoaskfundamentalquestionsabouthowwe
perceivetheworldaboutus—perhapsanotherunintendedconquence.Somewould
arguethatthevirtualexistencescreatedbysomeurswhodebate,shop,travelandhave
romanceonlineareinfactnotreal.Whileotherswouldarguethat,sinceinpractical
terms,folksaredebating,shopping,travellingandhavingromance,theconveristrue.
7.Allofthisbeingsaid,IbelievethatthekeytorealizingthepotentialoftheInternet
isinachievingbalanceinourlives.Thiswouldallowustomaximizeitspotentialwithout
losingournofplace.10Howeverlikemostthingsthatiasiersaidthandone.It
emstomethatweareasocietythatvaluesimmediategratificationaboveallel,and
whatbetterplacetoachieveitthanincyberspace,wherethecyber-worldisyour
cyber-oyster.11Thewidespreaduoftheautomobileforeverchangedoursocietyand
culture,andperhapsasimilarsortofthingisoccurringnow.Iamnotatallcertainwhere
the“informationsuperhighway”willleadus:somesaytoUtopia,12whileothersfeelit‘s
theroadtohell.ButIdoknowthatweallhavetheabilitytomaintainournofplace
intheworld.Whetherwechoototakeadvantageofthisabilityisanothermatter.
因特网与人际之疏远
威尔·贝克
1因特网为思想的自由交流提供了一个非凡的平台。由于登录和使用互联网的限制相对较
少,它的作用就等同于通讯传播中的公海。我个人认为人类潜能只有通过思想的全球化才能
实现。在因特网广为应用之前许多年我就有了这样的立场。我为因特网给全球社会的更好发
是我们能否选择利用这种能力却是另外一回事。