2001考研英語(yǔ)閱讀真題解析(5)

　　When I decided to quit my full time employment it never occurred to me that I might become a part of a new international trend. A lateral move that hurt my pride and blocked my professional progress prompted me to abandon my relatively high profile career although, in the manner of a disgraced government minister, I covered my exit by claiming I wanted to spend more time with my family.

　　Curiously, some two-and-a-half years and two novels later, my experiment in what the Americans term downshifting has turned my tired excuse into an absolute reality. I have been transformed from a passionate advocate of the philosophy of have it all, preached by Linda Kelsey for the past seven years in the pages of she magazine, into a woman who is happy to settle for a bit of everything.

　　I have discovered, as perhaps Kelsey will after her much-publicized resignation from the editorship of She after a build-up of stress, that abandoning the doctrine of juggling your life, and making the alternative move into downshifting brings with it far greater rewards than financial success and social status. Nothing could persuade me to return to the kind of life Kelsey used to advocate and I once enjoyed: 12-hour working days, pressured deadlines, the fearful strain of office politics and the limitations of being a parent on quality time.

　　In America, the move away from juggling to a simpler, less materialistic lifestyle is a well-established trend. Downshifting―also known in America as voluntary simplicity―has, ironically, even bred a new area of what might be termed anti-consumerism. There are a number of bestselling downshifting self-help books for people who want to simplify their lives; there are newsletters, such as The Tightwad Gazette, that give hundreds of thousands of Americans useful tips on anything from recycling their cling-film to making their own soap; there are even support groups for those who want to achieve the mid-'90s equivalent of dropping out.

　　While in America the trend started as a reaction to the economic decline―after the mass redundancies caused by downsizing in the late 80s―and is still linked to the politics of thrift, in Britain, at least among the middle class downshifters of my acquaintance, we have different reasons for seeking to simplify our lives.

　　For the women of my generation who were urged to keep juggling through the 80s, downshifting in the mid-90s is not so much a search for the mythical good life―growing your own organic vegetables, and risking turning into one―as a personal recognition of your limitations.

　　67. Which of the following is true according to paragraph 1?

　　[A] Full-time employment is a new international trend.

　　[B] The writer was compelled by circumstances to leave her job.

　　[C] A lateral move means stepping out of full-time employment.

　　[D] The writer was only too eager to spend more time with her family.

　　68. The writer's experiment shows that downshifting ________.

　　[A] enables her to realize her dream

　　[B] helps her mold a new philosophy of life

　　[C] prompts her to abandon her high social status

　　[D] leads her to accept the doctrine of She magazine

　　69. Juggling one's life probably means living a life characterized by ________.

　　[A] non-materialistic lifestyle

　　[B] a bit of everything

　　[C] extreme stress

　　[D] anti-consumerism

　　70. According to the passage, downshifting emerged in the US as a result of ________.

　　[A] the quick pace of modern life

　　[B] man's adventurous spirit

　　[C] man's search for mythical experiences

　　[D] the economic situation

　　重點(diǎn)單詞：

　　lateral /5lAtErEl/（側(cè)面的，旁邊的）可看作later+al，later即單詞后來(lái)，-al詞后綴，后來(lái)者只能靠邊站→旁邊的。在文中此詞用引申義，各參考書(shū)觀點(diǎn)不盡相同，請(qǐng)自甄別。

　　curiously /5kjuEriEsli/（好奇地；奇怪地）←curious+ly；curious（好奇的；奇怪的）即curi+ous，curi關(guān)心=care（因?yàn)樵艨商鎿Q），-ous形容詞后綴有……性質(zhì)的，故對(duì)某事非常關(guān)心的→好奇的。It is a curious fact that in bad days we can very vividly recall the good time that is now no more； but that in good days we have only a very cold and imperfect memory of the bad.一個(gè)奇怪的事實(shí)是，在失意的日子里，我們能夠生動(dòng)地想起不復(fù)存在的美好時(shí)光；而在得意的時(shí)候，對(duì)苦難的日子卻只留有非常淡漠而殘缺的記憶?！@是德國(guó)哲學(xué)家叔本華說(shuō)的，其代表作《作為意志與表象的世界》是guangxian最欣賞的哲學(xué)作品，商務(wù)印書(shū)館出過(guò)中譯本。

　　downshifting /5daun7FiftiN/←down+shift+ing，原義指汽車(chē)調(diào)檔減速，文中指放慢生活節(jié)奏。

　　passionate /5pAFEnit/（充滿熱情的）即passion+ate，passion（激情；暴怒），-ate此作形容詞后綴。A poet is, before anything else, a person who is passionately in love with language.一個(gè)詩(shī)人首先是個(gè)熱愛(ài)語(yǔ)言的人。Death is the only pure， beautiful conclusion of a great passion.死是偉大激情的唯一純潔與美麗的終結(jié)。Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong. have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge and the unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.有三種情感，雖樸實(shí)卻無(wú)可抗拒地主宰著我的生命：對(duì)愛(ài)的渴望，對(duì)知識(shí)的探求，以及對(duì)人類所受苦難的憐憫。Passion is in all great searches and is necessary to all creative endeavours.激情存在于一切偉大的追求中，對(duì)所有創(chuàng)造性的活動(dòng)都是必不可少的。

　　preach /pri：tF/（v.鼓吹；布道）可看作pr（e）+each，pre-前綴在前，each每個(gè)，牧師走到每個(gè)人面前→布道。Preach not because you have to say something， but because you have something to say.布道不是由于你不得不說(shuō)些什么，而是由于你有些話要說(shuō)。

　　resignation /7rezi^5neiFEn/（辭職；順從）←resign+ation名詞后綴；resign（v.辭職；順從）←re+sign，re-前綴=away或=again，sign簽署，故簽署后離開(kāi)→辭職，再次簽署→順從。What is called resignation is confirmed desperation.所謂順從就是確定了的絕望。no resign oneself to being defeated不甘心于失敗。

　　editorship /5editEFip/（編輯職務(wù)，編輯工作）←editor+ship，editor（編輯者），-ship抽象名詞后綴表性質(zhì)、職位、資格等，如：friendship、leadership、membership等。

　　doctrine /5dCktrin/（教義；學(xué)說(shuō)）←doctr+ine，doctr=doctor（元音可增減），-ine名詞后綴表物，故教授拿來(lái)講授的東西→教義。參vaccine（疫苗），2003年Text 2.The wisest man preaches no doctrines； he has no scheme.最大的智者不鼓吹任何學(xué)說(shuō)，沒(méi)有任何體系。

　　juggle /5dVQ^l/（n.v.雜耍）發(fā)音與滬方言對(duì)撲克牌中Jack的發(fā)音同，拿撲克牌玩雜耍（juggle），引得大家咯咯（guggle）笑，文中juggle引申為忙忙碌碌。

　　deadline /5dedlain/（最后期限）←dead+line.

　　Newsletter /5njU：z7letE/（時(shí)事通訊，簡(jiǎn)報(bào)）←news+letter.

　　cling-film（食品保鮮膜）←cling粘著+film薄膜。

　　equivalent /i5kwivElEnt/（相等的，等價(jià)的；相等物，等價(jià)物）即equi+val+ent，equi相等（如：equal相等的），val價(jià)值（如：value價(jià)值），-ent后綴。In truth， politeness is artificial good humor， it covers the natural want of it， and ends by rendering habitual a substitute nearly equivalent to the real virtue.禮貌實(shí)際上是人為的好性情，它掩蓋了它天生的不足，結(jié)果給慣于此道者提供了與真正美德幾乎相當(dāng)?shù)拇闷贰?/p>

　　drop out退隱，逃避現(xiàn)實(shí)。

　　redundancy /ri5dQndEnsi/（冗余）即red+und+ancy，red-（=re-），und詞根多，-ancy名詞后綴，越來(lái)越（re）多→冗余。同根詞：abundant（豐富的）←ab加強(qiáng)前綴+und多+ant形容詞后綴。redundancy―an air-bag in a politician‘s car多余物-政治家汽車(chē)?yán)锏谋ｋU(xiǎn)氣袋。

　　thrift /Wrift/（節(jié)儉；繁榮）可記：節(jié)儉導(dǎo)致繁榮；thrifty（節(jié)儉的；繁榮的）←thrift+y形容詞后綴。thrift→thrive（v.繁榮），類似變化的單詞有theft（n.偷）→thieve（v.偷）。It is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow.節(jié)儉就是今天為明天的需要作準(zhǔn)備。

　　mythical /5miWikEl/（神話的；虛構(gòu)的）←myth神話+ical后綴。myth―a religion in which no one any longer believes神話-一種沒(méi)有人再信仰的宗教。

　　recognition /7rekE^5niFEn/（n.認(rèn)出，承認(rèn)）是recognise（或recognize）的名詞形式。Three fundamental truths without a recognition of which there can be no effective liberty： that what we believe is not necessarily true； that what we like is not necessarily good； and that all questions are open.有三條基本真理，如果不承認(rèn)就不會(huì)有實(shí)在的自由：我們相信的未必真實(shí)，我們喜愛(ài)的未必美好，一切問(wèn)題都無(wú)定論。The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control thoughts.道德修養(yǎng)有可能達(dá)到的最高境界是認(rèn)識(shí)到我們應(yīng)該控制自己的思想。A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become known， then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.所謂名人不過(guò)是這樣一種人：他終生勤奮努力而致成名，然后戴上墨鏡以免被別人認(rèn)出。

　　adventurous /Ed5ventFErEs/（喜冒險(xiǎn)的；充滿危險(xiǎn)的）←adventur（e）冒險(xiǎn)+ous形容詞后綴。A good critic is one who narrates the adventures of his mind among masterpieces.好的批評(píng)家是個(gè)講述自己的精神在杰作中歷險(xiǎn)的人。adventure―the vitaminizing element in histories both in dividual and social冒險(xiǎn)-個(gè)人歷史和社會(huì)歷史中的維生素。

　　難句解析：

　?、貯 lateral move that hurt my pride and blocked my professional progress promoted me to abandon my relatively high profile career alhough， in the manner of a disgraced government ministe， I covered my exit by claiming I wanted to spend more time with my family。▲本句中a lateral move是主語(yǔ)，promoted是謂語(yǔ)，that hurt my pride and blocked my professional progress是a lateral move的定語(yǔ)，although， in the manner of a disgraced government minister， I covered my exit by claiming I wanted to spend more time with my family是狀語(yǔ)，其中逗號(hào)之間的in the manner of a disgraced government minister是插入語(yǔ)。

　　△注意找準(zhǔn)主句主謂結(jié)構(gòu)。

　?、贑uriously， some two-and-a-half years and two novels later， my experiment in what the Americans term downshifting has turned my tired excuse into an absolute reality.▲本句主干是…… my experiment…… has turned my tired excuse into an absolute reality.注意其謂語(yǔ)是一個(gè)turn sth. into sth.的結(jié)構(gòu)。前面兩個(gè)逗號(hào)之間的是時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)。

　　△注意抓句子的主干，其中主語(yǔ)的修飾部分in what the Americans term downshifting看不懂可以跳過(guò)去。當(dāng)然，如果我們對(duì)英語(yǔ)的預(yù)感較好，就可以猜測(cè)downshifting一詞的意思與駕駛騎車(chē)有關(guān)，在這里，作者把生活比喻為開(kāi)車(chē)，因此放棄對(duì)物質(zhì)生活的熱衷追求就像在開(kāi)車(chē)時(shí)減檔減速一樣。

　?、跧 have discovered， as perhaps Kelsey will after her much-publicized resignation from the editorship of She after a build-up of stress， that abandoning the doctrine of juggling your life， and making the alternative move into downshifting brings with it far greater rewards than financial success and social status.▲I have discovered是主句的主謂結(jié)構(gòu)，that abandoning the doctrine of juggling your life， and making the alternative move into downshifting brings with it far greater rewards than financial success and social status是主句的賓語(yǔ)，其中abandoning the doctrine of juggling your life， and making the alternative move into downshifting為該賓語(yǔ)從句的主語(yǔ)，brings為謂語(yǔ)。as perhaps Kelsey will after her much-publicized resignation from the editorship of She after a build-up of stress既是伴隨狀語(yǔ)，又是插入語(yǔ)，其主語(yǔ)為Kelsey，謂語(yǔ)為will，而after her much-publicized resignation from the editorship of She after a build-up of stress是本插入語(yǔ)中的時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)。

　　△注意一些詞匯的含義：much-publicized十分張揚(yáng)的；She是雜志的名字，因此首字母須大寫(xiě)；build-up積聚；juggling忙碌；brings with it far greater rewards than帶來(lái)的利益遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不止……。

　　④Downshifting―also known in America as voluntary simplicity―has， ironically， even bred a new area of what might be termed anti-consumerism.▲本句的句子結(jié)構(gòu)是Downshifting has bred a new area，破折號(hào)之間的是插入結(jié)構(gòu)，ironically也是插入語(yǔ)，可放在句首，what相當(dāng)于thought which.

　　△重點(diǎn)是抓住句子的主干成分。

　?、軼hile in America the trend started as a reaction to the economic decline―after the mass redundancies caused by downsizing in the late ‘80s―and is still linked to the politics of thrift， in Britain， at least among the middle-class downshifters of my acquaintance， we have different reasons for seeking to simplify our lives.▲本句首先應(yīng)該從in Britain的前面一分為二，前面講的是在美國(guó)的情況，其中破折號(hào)之間的是一插入成分，而后面講的是在英國(guó)的情況。

　　△注意英美兩國(guó)的差異。

　　⑥For the women of my generation who were urged to keep juggling through the ‘80s， downshifting in the mid-’90s is not so much a search for the mythical good life―growing your own organic vegetables， and risking turning into one―as a personal recognition of your limitations.▲本句主謂結(jié)構(gòu)為…… downshifting in the mid-‘90s is not……。who were urged to keep juggling through the ’80s是修飾the women of my generation的定語(yǔ)從句。growing your own organic vegetables， and risking turning into one既是插入語(yǔ)，又是the mythical good life的同位語(yǔ)。

　　△注意not so much A（a search for the mythical good life） as B（a personal recognition of your limitations）的句式含義，即與其說(shuō)是A，不如說(shuō)是B。

　　試題解析：

　　67. [B]意為：作者因環(huán)境所迫而辭職。

　　根據(jù)第一段，當(dāng)作者決定辭去她的全職工作時(shí)，她從沒(méi)有想到自己可能成為一個(gè)國(guó)際新時(shí)尚的一分子。作者寫(xiě)道，一次始料未及的行動(dòng)傷害了我的自尊，阻礙了我在工作上的進(jìn)一步發(fā)展，使得我不得不放棄相對(duì)具有良好公眾形象的工作生涯，雖然當(dāng)時(shí)自己像一個(gè)出丑的政府部長(zhǎng)一樣，不得不用我想多花些時(shí)間和家人在一起這樣的話來(lái)掩飾自己的辭職。

　　A意為：全職工作是一種新的國(guó)際時(shí)尚。第一句中所說(shuō)的新時(shí)尚實(shí)際上指下文提到的激流勇退（downshifting），過(guò)簡(jiǎn)樸而無(wú)強(qiáng)工作壓力的生活。

　　C意為：一次意想不到的行動(dòng)指放棄全職工作。lateral原來(lái)的意思是橫向的，這里意思是超出預(yù)料的，含義是沒(méi)有按原設(shè)定好的進(jìn)程而發(fā)生的；move意為步驟或行動(dòng)。根據(jù)原文，a lateral move是作者失去工作的原因，而不是指失去工作這一過(guò)程本身。

　　D意為：作者太想多花點(diǎn)時(shí)間和家人在一起了。

　　68. [B]意為：使作者形成了一種新的生活哲學(xué)。

　　作者在第二段指出，奇怪的是，經(jīng)過(guò)了約兩年半的時(shí)間并發(fā)表了兩部小說(shuō)以后，我在美國(guó)人稱之為激流勇退的生活方式上的實(shí)驗(yàn)，卻不期將我那乏味的借口（指第一段最后一句掩飾性的話）轉(zhuǎn)化為實(shí)實(shí)在在的現(xiàn)實(shí)。我從一個(gè)全力以赴生活哲學(xué)-在過(guò)去七年里L(fēng)inda Kelsey一直在她這份雜志上鼓吹這種生活方式-的積極倡導(dǎo)者，演變成一個(gè)樂(lè)于隨遇而安的女人。

　　在第三段作者又指出，像Linda Kelsey有一天也許會(huì)認(rèn)識(shí)到的那樣（在經(jīng)歷過(guò)越來(lái)越大的壓力之后，她辭去了她雜志的編輯工作，她的辭職被炒得沸沸揚(yáng)揚(yáng)），摒棄玩耍生活的生活哲學(xué)，而代之以激流勇退的生活哲學(xué)，會(huì)給人帶來(lái)比經(jīng)濟(jì)上的成功和社會(huì)地位更高的益處。現(xiàn)在，誰(shuí)也不能勸我再回到Kelsey所倡導(dǎo)的-并且我自己也曾經(jīng)喜歡的那種生活方式中去了：一天工作12小時(shí)，充滿壓力的一件件有最后期限的事情，辦公室規(guī)章所帶來(lái)的可怕的壓力，以及做母親（所能花在家人身上）的有限的高質(zhì)量時(shí)間。

　　A不對(duì)。新的生活方式是她始料未及的，可以說(shuō)是她的意外發(fā)現(xiàn)-辭職時(shí)她并沒(méi)有夢(mèng)想要像現(xiàn)在這樣生活。

　　C意為：促使她放棄了自己很高的社會(huì)地位。根據(jù)原文，作者是在辭去工作以后才過(guò)上現(xiàn)在這種生活的。

　　D意為：使她接受了她雜志所倡導(dǎo)的生活哲學(xué)。恰恰相反，她放棄了這一生活哲學(xué)。

　　69. [C]意為：極度緊張。

　　juggle的原義是耍弄，擺弄，在第三段中，juggling your life和downshifting相提并論，而downshifting這里應(yīng)該和第二段第二句中的settle for a bit of everything屬于同義，相應(yīng)地，juggling one‘s life應(yīng)該和第二段第二句中的having it all同義。根據(jù)第四段，downshifting本文指過(guò)簡(jiǎn)樸、自在的生活，那么，juggling one’s life當(dāng)指進(jìn)取的生活方式，工作中的不斷進(jìn)取當(dāng)然是與工作壓力成正比的。

　　A意為：不追求物質(zhì)利益的生活方式。根據(jù)第四段第一句，這是downshifting的生活特點(diǎn)。

　　B不對(duì)。根據(jù)第二段，這也是downshifting的生活特點(diǎn)。

　　D意為：反消費(fèi)主義。根據(jù)第四段第二句，所謂反消費(fèi)主義與自愿過(guò)簡(jiǎn)樸的生活是一致的。

　　70. [D]

　　根據(jù)第五段，在美國(guó)，這種趨勢(shì)（指上一段提到的downshifting生活方式）的出現(xiàn)最初是對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退的一種反應(yīng)。

　　A意為：快節(jié)奏的現(xiàn)代生活。

　　B意為：人們的冒險(xiǎn)精神。

　　C意為；人們對(duì)神秘的生活體驗(yàn)的追求。

　　全文翻譯：

　　當(dāng)我決定辭去自己的全日制工作時(shí)決沒(méi)有想到，自己竟成了一種新的國(guó)際性潮流的一分子。一次平級(jí)的人事調(diào)動(dòng)傷了我的自尊心，并阻斷了我的事業(yè)發(fā)展，這促使我放棄自己地位較高的職業(yè)，當(dāng)然，就像面子掃盡的政府部長(zhǎng)那樣，我也掩飾說(shuō)我只想與家人更多的呆在一起。

　　奇怪的是，大約兩年半的時(shí)間我寫(xiě)完兩部小說(shuō)后，我這個(gè)被美國(guó)人稱為放慢生活節(jié)奏的試驗(yàn)，卻使我老掉牙的借口變成了現(xiàn)實(shí)。我已從一個(gè)獲得一切哲學(xué)（琳達(dá)。凱茜過(guò)去七年中在《她》這本雜志所宣揚(yáng)的）的狂熱支持者，變成了一個(gè)樂(lè)于接受任何東西只要一丁點(diǎn)的女人。

　　我已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)（由于壓力過(guò)大，凱茜已多次公開(kāi)宣稱要辭去《她》雜志編輯的職務(wù)，在這之后她也許會(huì)有同樣發(fā)現(xiàn)），放棄忙忙碌碌的生活哲學(xué)，轉(zhuǎn)而過(guò)一種放慢生活節(jié)奏的生活所帶來(lái)的回報(bào)，比經(jīng)濟(jì)成功和社會(huì)地位更有價(jià)值。什么也說(shuō)服不了我回到過(guò)去那種凱茜所宣揚(yáng)的、我也曾自得其樂(lè)的生活中去：每天12小時(shí)的工作日，壓得人喘不過(guò)氣來(lái)的最后期限，可怕而緊張的辦公室的爭(zhēng)權(quán)奪利，以及因?yàn)闀r(shí)間有限連做母親也得高效率所造成的種種限制。

　　在美國(guó)，擺脫忙碌，轉(zhuǎn)而過(guò)一種簡(jiǎn)單、不大物質(zhì)化的生活已成明確趨勢(shì)。具有諷刺意味的是，放慢生活節(jié)奏-在美國(guó)也稱自愿簡(jiǎn)單化-甚至孕育了一個(gè)嶄新的、可稱之為反消費(fèi)主義的生活方式。對(duì)于那些想簡(jiǎn)單生活的人來(lái)說(shuō)，有許多很暢銷的幫你輕松生活的自助書(shū)籍；有各種簡(jiǎn)訊，例如省錢(qián)簡(jiǎn)報(bào)，會(huì)給美國(guó)人提供成千上萬(wàn)條有用的點(diǎn)子去做事，從回收保鮮臘到自制肥皂；甚至還有一些幫助團(tuán)體，幫人按90年代中期脫離傳統(tǒng)社會(huì)的人的生活方式去生活。

　　在美國(guó)，這種趨勢(shì)一開(kāi)始是對(duì)經(jīng)濟(jì)衰落所做出的一種反應(yīng)-出現(xiàn)于80年代后期縮小經(jīng)濟(jì)規(guī)模所引起的大量人員冗余之后-在英國(guó)，至少在我所認(rèn)識(shí)的中產(chǎn)階級(jí)的簡(jiǎn)化生活者中，這種趨勢(shì)仍被認(rèn)為與節(jié)儉政治有關(guān)聯(lián)，雖然如此，然而我們有著不同的緣由去尋求使自己的生活簡(jiǎn)單化。

　　對(duì)我們這一代女性來(lái)說(shuō)，整個(gè)80年代我們?cè)黄让β档厣睿?0年代中期的簡(jiǎn)化生活與其說(shuō)是尋求神話般的好生活-自己種有機(jī)蔬菜以及冒險(xiǎn)制造有機(jī)蔬菜-倒不如說(shuō)我們都認(rèn)識(shí)了自身的局限。