现代⼤学英语精读第⼆版（第⼆册）学习笔记（原⽂及全⽂翻译）——8A-TheManinAsb。。。
The Man in Asbestos
The Man in Asbestos
Stephen Leacock
冬凌草片To begin with, let me admit that I did it partly from jealousy.
It emed unfair that other writers should be able at will to drop into a sleep of four or five hundred years, and to plunge headfirst into a distant future and be a witness of its marvels.
I wanted to do that too.
I made preparations for the sleep.
It was, in a way, clear, straight suicide, but I did it.
I could feel my ns leaving me. I fell into the deep immeasurable sleep in which the very existence of the outer world was hushed. Dimly I could feel the days go past, then years, and then the long passa
ge of the centuries.
Then quite suddenly, I woke up, and looked about me.
Where was I?
I found mylf sitting on a broad couch in some kind of muum.
Beside me sat a man. His face was hairless, but neither old nor young. He wore clothes that looked like the grey ashes of paper that had burned and kept its shape. He was looking at me quietly, but with no particular surpri or interest.
"Quick," I said, eager to begin. "Where am I? Who are you?"
"What a queer, excited way you have of speaking," he looked annoyed.
"Tell me," I said again. "Is this the year 3000?"
"I haven't the faintest idea," he said.
"Don't you keep track of them any more?" I gasped.
"We ud to," said the man. "But it died out. Why," he continued, "after we eliminated death—"
"Eliminated death!" I cried, sitting upright.
"I was saying—after we had eliminated death, and food, and—"自我激励
"Stop!" I said, my brain reeling. "Tell me one thing at a time."
"Humph!" he ejaculated. "I e, you must have been asleep a long time. Go on then and ask questions."
Oddly enough the first question that sprang to my lips was—
"What are tho clothes made of?"
"Asbestos," answered the man.
"Thank you," I answered. "Now tell me where I am."
"You are in a muum. The figures in the cas are specimens like yourlf. But here," he said, "if you want really to find out about what is evidently a new epoch to you, get off your platform and com
e out on Broadway."
I got down. But the moment we came out upon the street, I stood riveted in astonishment.
Broadway! Was it possible? The change was absolutely appalling! In place of the roaring thoroughfare that I had known, this silent, moss-grown desolation. Great buildings had fallen into ruin. The place was soundless. Not a vehicle moved. There were no wires overhead—no sound of life or movement except, here and there, there pasd slowly to and fro human figures dresd in the same asbestos clothes as my acquaintance, with the same hairless faces, and the same look of infinite age upon them.
Good heavens! And was this the era of the conquest that I had hoped to e? I had always taken for granted that humanity was destined to move forward. This picture of desolation rendered me almost speechless.
I gasped out a question.
"Where are the streetcars and the motors?"
"Oh, done away with long ago," he said.
"But how do you get about?"
"We don't," he answered. "Why should we? It's just the same being here as being anywhere el."
A thousand questions surged into my mind at once. I asked one of the simplest.
"But how do you get back and forth to your work?"
"Work!" he said. "There isn't any work."
I looked at him a moment open-mouthed.
I tried to pull my ns together. I realized that if I was to find out about this new and undreamed-of future, I must go at it systematically.
"I e," I said after a pau, "that momentous things have happened since my time. I wish you would explain to me bit by bit. First, what do you mean by saying that there is no work?"
"Why," answered my strange acquaintance, "it died out of itlf. Machinery killed it. If I remember rightly, you had a certain amount of machinery even in your time."
I nodded asnt.
"But you found it did you no good. The better your machines, the harder you worked. The more things you had, the more things you wanted. You were all caught in the cogs of your own machines."
"That is quite true," I said.
"Well, then, there came the Era of the Great Conquest of Nature, the final victory of Man and Machinery."
"They did conquer it?" I asked quickly, with a thrill of the old hope in my veins again.
"Conquered it," he said, "beat it out! Things came one by one. In a hundred years it was all done. In fact, just as soon as mankind turned its energy to decreasing its needs instead of increasing its desires, the whole thing was easy. Chemical Food came first. Heavens! The simplicity of it. Agriculture went overboard. Eating and all that goes with it, domestic labor, houwork—all ended. Nowadays one takes a concentrated pill every year or so, that's all.
Then came the Asbestos Clothes. In one year humanity made enough suits to last for ever and ever. That, of cour, could never have been if it hadn't been connected with the revolt of women and the f
all of Fashion."
"Have the fashions gone," I asked, "that insane, extravagant idea of—?" I was about to launch into one of my old-time harangues about the sheer vanity of decorative dress, when my eyes rested on the moving figures in asbestos, and I stopped.
"All gone," said the Man in Asbestos. "Then next to that we killed the change of climate. I don't think that in your day you properly understood how much of your work was due to the shifts of what you called the weather. It meant the need of all kinds of special clothes and hous and shelters, a wilderness of work. How dreadful it must have been in your day—wind and storms, clouds flying through the air, the ocean tosd and torn by the wind, snow thrown all over everything."
"So," I said, "the Conquest of Nature meant that prently there was no more work to do?"
甘油三酯偏高的危害"Exactly," he said, "nothing left."
"Food enough for all?"
"Too much," he answered.
"Hous and clothes?"
"All you like."
Then I realized for the first time, just what work had meant in the old life, and how much of the texture of life had been bound up in the keen effort of it.
Prently my eyes looked upward: dangling at the top of a building I saw what emed to be the remains of telephone wires.
"What became of all the system of communication?" I asked.
"Ah," said the Man in Asbestos, "all cut out. You e, when work stopped and commerce ended, and food was needless, and the weather killed, there was nothing to communicate and it was foolish to move about. Besides it was dangerous!"
"So!" I said. "You still have danger?"
"Why, yes," he said.
"Do you mean you can still die?" I asked.
"No," said the Man in Asbestos, "there's been no death for centuries past; we cut that out. Dia and death were simply a matter of germs. Well, we hunted them down one by one and destroyed them."
"And you mean to say," I ejaculated in amazement, "that nowadays you live for ever?"
"Yes," he said, "unless, of cour, we get broken. Therefore we took steps to cut out all accidents. We forbid all streetcars, street traffic, airplanes, and so on."
We sat silent for a long time. I looked about me at the crumbling buildings, the unchanging sky, and the dreary, empty street. Here, then, was the fruit of the Conquest, the elimination of work, the end of hunger and cold, the cessation of the hard struggle, the downfall of change and death—nay, the very millennium of happiness. And yet, somehow, there emed something wrong with it all. I pondered, then I put two or three rapid questions, hardly waiting to reflect upon the answers.
"Is there any war now?"
"Done away with centuries ago."
"Do you still have newspapers?"
"Newspapers! What on earth would we want them for? What is in them, anyway? Only things that happen, wars and accidents and work and death. When the went, newspapers went too. Listen," continued the Man in Asbestos, "you still don't em to understand the new life at all. How ud your people to spend all the early part of their lives?"
"Why," I said, "our first fifteen years or so were spent in getting education."
"Exactly," he answered, "now notice how we've improved on all that. Education in our day is done by surgery. Strange that in your time nobody realized that education was simply a surgical operation of opening the skull and engrafting into it a piece of prepared brain. Well, then, to continue, what ud to occupy your time and effort after your education?"
"Why," I said, "one had, of cour, to work, and then, to tell the truth, a great part of one's time and feeling was devoted toward the other x, toward falling in love and finding some woman to share one's life."
"Ah," said the Man in Asbestos. "I’ve heard about your arrangements with the women, but never quite understood them."
Then it suddenly struck me that of the figures on the street, all had looked alike.
"Tell me," I said, "are there no women now? Are they gone too?"
"Oh, no," answered the Man in Asbestos, "they're here just the same. Some of tho are women.
Only, you e, everything has been changed now. It all came as part of their great revolt, their desire to be like men."
"This, then, is your millennium," I said, as I turned on him in anger. "This dull, dead thing, with the work and the burden gone out of life, and with them all the joy and the sweetness of it. For the old struggle—mere stagnation; and in place of danger and death, the dull monotony of curity and the horror of an unending decay! Give me back," I cried, "the old life of danger and stress, with its hard toil and its bitter changes, and its heartbreaks. Give me no rest," I cried aloud—
"Yes, but give a rest to the rest of the corridor!" cried an angered voice.
Suddenly my sleep had gone.
I was back again in the room of my hotel.
穿⽯棉⾐服的⼈
穿⽯棉⾐服的⼈
斯蒂芬·李科克
⾸先，我要承认，我这么做，部分原因是出于嫉妒。
我觉得，别的作家都能够随⼼所欲地睡上四五百年，然后直接进⼊遥远的未来，体验那时各种神奇的事物，⽽我不能。这太不公平了。
我也要那么做。
我为这次长眠作了充分的准备。
在某种意义上，这简直就是直截了当的⾃杀。但是我就这么做了。英语手抄报初中
我可以感到⾃⼰在慢慢失去知觉。我进⼊了深不可测的沉睡。周围万籁倶寂。我迷迷糊糊感觉到⽇⼦⼀天天过去，然后⼀年年，最后是⼀个⼀个世纪。
然后，我就突然醒来了。我往四下⼀望。
我这是在哪⾥啊？
我发现⾃⼰好像在⼀个博物馆模样的房⼦⾥，坐在⼀张宽宽的长沙发上。
在我旁边，还坐着⼀个⼈，他脸上光滑⽆⽑发，看不出多⼤年纪。⾝上穿的⾐服好像是纸糊的，被烧成灰以后仍然还保持着原来的形状。此⼈正在默默地望着我，既没有显得惊奇，也没表⽰丝毫兴趣。
“快！”我迫不及待地问道，“我现在是在什么地⽅？你是谁？”
“你怎么⽤这样激动的怪调说话，”这⼈显得有些不⼤⾼兴。
“请告诉我，”我⼜说，“今年是不是公元3000年？”
“我⼀⽆所知，”他回答道。
“难道你们不再记载时间了吗？”我吃惊地倒抽了⼀⼝⽓。
“我们曾经记载过，”那⼈说道。“但后来就没有了。因为，”他接着说，“在我们消灭了死亡以后——”
“消灭死亡！”我叫道，兴奋得坐直了起来。
“我刚才说到——在我们消灭了死亡和⾷物以及——”
“等等！”我说，这时我的脑⼦都晕了，“请您⼀件⼀件地讲。”
他突然“哼”了⼀声，说道：“我明⽩了，您肯定是睡了很长时间了。好吧，您有问题就问吧。”
奇怪的是，我脱⼝⽽出的第⼀个问题居然是——
“您⾝上穿的⾐服是什么做的？”
“⽯棉，”那⼈回答说。
“谢谢，”我回答道，“现在请告诉我，我这是在哪⾥？”
“您现在在⼀家博物馆⾥。那些橱窗⾥的⼈都是像您⼀样的展品。但是，”他说，“如果您真想了解这个对您来说显然全新的时代，您就要从这展台上⾛下来，出去到百⽼汇⼤街看看。”
我⾛下了展台。可是我们刚⾛到街上，我就吃惊地站在那⾥，动弹不得了。
经络按摩百⽼汇！这怎么可能？这变化也太让⼈吃惊了！我记得以前这是⼀条车⽔马龙的通衢⼤道，可现在却成了沉寂⽆声、长满青苔、⼀⽚荒凉的地⽅。那些⼤楼都倒塌了，成为堆堆⽡砾。整个地⽅鸦雀⽆声。没有⼀辆在移动的车⼦。头顶上⽅的电线也都不见了——没有任何⽣命的迹象和会动的东西。只有三三两两来回慢慢⾛动、穿着和我刚认识的那个⼈⼀样的⽯棉⾐服的⼀些⼈影，⼀个个脸上也都没有⽑发，都显出同样⼀种经历过⽆穷岁⽉的样⼦。母亲的爱情
我的天哪！难道这就是我朝思暮想、期盼能见到的⼈类征服⼀切以后的新时代？我⼀直以为，⼈类总是会不断向前进步。可是现在眼前这幅荒凉的图景使我简直哑⼝⽆⾔了。
我喘着⽓问了⼀个问题。
“请问那些电车和汽车到哪⾥去了？”
“哦，早就打发掉了，”他说。
“那你们怎么出⾏呢？”
“我们不出⾏，”他回答说，“我们为什么要出⾏？在这⾥和在其他地⽅没有什么区别。”
这时，我脑中⼀下涌起千百个问题。我先问了个最简单的。
“那你们怎么上下班⼯作呢？”奥利奥广告
“⼯作！”他说，“⼯作已经不存在了。”
我张⼤了嘴朝他看了⼀会⼉。
我努⼒想使⾃⼰的头脑冷静下来。我现在意识到，如果我要想弄清楚这个做梦都没有想到过的新的未来，我就要系统地来了解。
“我懂了，”我停了停，说，“⾃从我那个年代到现在，已经发⽣了巨⼤的变化。我希望您能 ⼀点⼀点地给我解释。⾸先，您说⼯作已经不存在了，是什么意思？ ”
“很简单，”我那新交的怪朋友回答说，“它⾃⼰就消失了。是机器把它给消灭了。假如我没有记错的话，在您那个时代就有⼀些机器了，是吧？”
我点了点头。
“但是你们发现那些机器对你们没什么好处。机器越好，你们⼲活就⼲得越⾟苦。你们⽣产的东西越丰富，你们要的东西也就越多。你们都像被卡在那些机器的齿轮之间，动弹不得。”
“您说得⼀点也不错，”我说。
“后来，就到了‘征服⾃然的伟⼤时代’，⼈和机器取得了最终的胜利。”
“这么说，他们真的把⾃然征服了？”我马上问他，当年的希望，重新使我⾎脉偾张起来。
“征服了，”他说，“把它彻底打败了！之后，很多东西就⼀⼀出现了。100年之内，⼀切都解决了。实际上，当⼈类把他们的精⼒从扩⼤欲望转向减少需要，⼀切就⽴刻变得⼗分容易了。先是化学⾷品。我的天！这简直简单得不能再简单了。这⼀来，农业就没⽤了。吃饭，以及与此有关的⼯作、家务劳动，⼀切的⼀切，都没有了。现在，每个⼈只要⼀年左右服⼀粒浓缩药丸，就全妥了。”郑恒
“这以后就是⽯棉服了。就⼀年的时间，⼈类就做了⾜够多的这种⾐服，永远也穿不完。当然这与妇⼥的造反运动和时尚的衰落紧密相关，不然，这是永远不可能的。”
“现在⼈们不讲时髦了，”我问道，“不讲那种愚蠢的荒谬的——？”我当时正想再讲⼀遍反对那种纯粹为了虚荣追求时髦的⽼话，但我突然看到那些正在⾛动的穿着⽯棉服的⼈，我就不下去了。
