Unit Eight

Text I: Why Nothing Works

Background Information

Murphy‘s law is a popular adage in Western culture, which roughly states that things will go wrong in a technical system. It is often roughly stated as “if anything can go wrong, it will”.

The original Murphy's law reads: If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it.

Lead-in of Unit 84 oceans:

Pacific Indian Atlantic Arctic

7 continents:

Asia Europe Africa Oceania North America South America

Antarctica

Arctic and Antarctica lie on the pole of the earth respectively.

Similarities:

differences:

Question:

What do you think the Antarctica might be in your mind?What do you think the Antarctica might be in your mind?

Skimming:Skimming:

Why has the Antarctica not been conquered by man so far?

Detailed studies of Unit 8L1.

Seen from the space…. = When our planet is seen from space…

L4. average n. 平均数 ; 平均标准 Tom’s work is above / below / about up to the averag

e. adj. 平均的 ; 普通的 the average age / temperature the boys of average intelligence men of average ability v. 平均达到 ; 平均分配 The rainfall averages 36 inches per year. thickness length weight height surface capacity

L6. every other person… 每两个人中就有一个 ; 每隔 every + 基数词 + 复数 ; every+ 序数词 + 单数 e.g. Every ten minutes= every tenth minute 每十分钟 ; 每隔九分钟

Detailed studies of Unit 8 every other day =every two days=every second day

L7 Spectacular: striking, out of the ordinary, amazing to see making a very find display or show 壮观的 , 精彩的 phenomenon phenomena(pl.) (see P134)

L8. set eyes on: see e.g. I hope I shall never set eyes on her again. set down 放下 , 着陆 , 写下 , 把…看作 ; set in 开始 set off 出发 , 开动 set on 攻击 , 教唆 set out 出发 , 着手 set up 建立 let alone: without referring to or considering 更不用说 e.g. I can’t drive a car , let alone fly an airplane. 我连汽车都不会开 , 更不用说开飞机了 .

L10. appreciate: enjoy; thank; understand fully

Detailed studies of Unit 8L12.

outweigh: be more significant than , exceed in value or importance 超过 , 胜过 e.g. The benefits outweigh the risks. hem in / about / around: surround, confine, enclose

L13. in contrast e.g. The Arctic is populated with people of different nationalities. The Antarctic, in con

trast, has no permanent residents because the climate there is unfavourable to human survival.

北极居住着各族人民 . 与北极显然不同的是 , 南极却没有永久性的居民 , 因为那里的气候不利于人类生存 .L15.

be inclined to do sth.: tend to; be likely to e.g. With a poor constitution, he is inclined to get tired easily. I am inclined to think that there will be strong opposition to our reform plan amon

g quite a few board members. 我总觉得相当数量的董事会成员会强烈反对我们的改革计划 .

Detailed studies of Unit 8L20.

a handful of:

an amount which is as much as can be held in the hand, a small number/

amount of

e.g. A mouthful of food a roomful of people

a spoonful of soup a cupful of water

a bucketful of mud a pocketful of sweets

L25.

as regards: 关于 e.g. As regards his ability, we all feel he has great potential.

As regards the quality of the drinking water in that small island, the

explorers who set foot on the island reported that is was sweet,

pleasant and refreshing.

关于小岛上 的饮用水质量问题 , 据登岛探险家的报道 , 岛上的水有一种 甘甜清新的味道 .

regarding; concerning; about; as far as …concerned

Detailed studies of Unit 8L30.

by far: a large amount or degree. It is generally used with a comparative or superlative adjective. e.g. The new brand of chocolate is by far the best of its kind.

L43. be injurious to sth. e.g. No matter who he is or where he is from, we cannot tolerate anyone’s behaviour that is injurious to social order. 我们不能姑息任何人的有害社会秩序的行为 , 不管他是谁 , 不管他来自

何 处 .

L44. be trapped by: be held back so as not to escape e.g. Trees and grass can trap the soil in the mountain.

L45. has an effect on : affect; influence e.g. Pollution will have a direct effect on the rise and drop in temperature all over the world.

Detailed studies of Unit 8L47.

small wonder that…:

no wonder, not surprisingly. 不足为怪 e.g. Small wonder the lost the games time and again; they had been out of

training for quite some time.

怪不得他们一场一场地输球 , 他们已好久没有训练了 .

Background Information

It was then a principle of defensive design: anticipating the mistakes the end-user is likely to make. For example, no competent designer would make a symmetrical two-pin plug and then label it "THIS WAY UP"; if it matters which way it is plugged in, the design should be asymmetrical so it can't be plugged in wrong.

Background Pomo Indians and their basketry                    The Pomo Indians belong to a North American

tribe that forms the second largest tribal group in California, U.S.A. The name “Pomo” comes from a suffix that the Pomo people add to many words in their language. The Pomo women’s fine basketry is the artistic triumph of the people. Pomo basketry includes small masterpieces as well as large, colorfully decorated containers, and is considered among the world’s finest.

Eskimo skin boat   

.

  In the summer, Eskimos used this kind of boat for hunting and travel The kayak was decked over except for a manhole that accommodated one person. Such craft had frames made of pieces of driftwood bound together.

Words and expressions

savant: a man of learning, especially a person with detailed knowledge in some specialized field.

corollary: an immediate inference from a proved proposition

forestall:defeat, prevent by prior measurescommitment:a pledge to follow certain beliefs or a

certain course of action; devotion (to duty etc.)artifact:a usually small object (as a tool or an

ornament) showing human workmanship that has special historical interest

evoke: bring to mind

projectile point: the tip of a weapon that is thrust forward; spear or arrowhead

band:a group of people formed for some common purpose and often with a leader

barter: trade by exchanging one commodity for another

alienation:a withdrawing or separation of a person from an object or position of former attachment; a feeling of not belonging to or being part of one’s surroundings

Skimming reading

1. What is the main purpose of the passage?

To trace the cause of the shoddy goods problem.

2. Do exercise 2 on P101

Answer: T F F T T

Language points

 1. corollary—an idea, an argument, or a fact naturally follows something else

corollaries to Murphy’s Law suggest themselves as clues to the shoddy goods problem. – From Murphy’s Law we may find answers to the problem of badly made goods

2.  until a decent interval has elapsed—until a sufficiently long period of time has passed. The basic meaning of decent is “proper; socially acceptable,” e.g., decent behaviour, decent clothing. In this context, a decent interval suggests that the amount of time should be long enough for people to accept as proper.

elapse—the passing of time e.g.: three weeks/four months/two years

have elapsed.

  Much of human existence consists of efforts aimed at making sure that things don’t go wrong, fall apart, break down, or stop running until a decent interval has elapsed after their manufacture. (11. 5-7)

-- People spend much of their lifetime trying hard to keep things in good shape. They think a product, after leaving its factory, should last at least for a reasonably long period before ceasing to work.

 3. Forestalling Murphy’s Law—Preventing Murphy’s Law from taking effect/operating.

forestall—prevent or defeat (a person or his plans) by acting first

e.g.: Before he had time to explain what he proposed to do, his plan was forestalled.

The police forestalled the burglar’s attempt to break into the jeweler’s.

 

4. commitment—(in this context) obligation or determination to forestall Murphy’s Law

commitment—the act of pledging or devoting (oneself) to a course of action.

e.g.: The teacher’s commitment (responsibility) is more than imparting knowledge.

A person is committed if he devotes himself to a certain cause, e.g., a committed educationist.

  But gadgets and sampling alone will never do the trick since these items are also subject to Murphy’s Law. (11. 10-11)

  --Quality-control instruments and testing devices are also governed by Murphy’s Law, so they are not reliable.

5. maintenance—the act of keeping something in good order/condition by regularly checking it.

e.g.: You may be able to afford a second-hand automobile, but its maintenance may cost you a lot.

Trs.: 质量控制工具的保养是会很昂贵的。The maintenance of quality-control instrument

s can be very costly.

6. artifact—an object that is made by man, such as a tool or a decoration, especially one that is of historical interest.

e.g.: Various artifacts of prehistoric times were discovered during the excavation.

7. dispel—remove (false belief, doubt, fear) by proving them wrong.

e.g.: His encouraging words dispelled all my doubts about my own inability.

Trs.: 严酷的日常生活现实驱散了他对美好未来的憧憬。

The harsh reality of daily life dispelled all his hopes for a bright future.

A single visit to a museum which displays artifacts used by simple preindustrial societies is sufficient to dispel the notion that quality is dependent on technology. (11. 16-18)

  Look at the artifacts of the pre-industrial era exhibited in a museum and you will see that technology is not the factor that decides the quality of these items.

8.   we honor the label “handmade” – we show respect for/think much of the tag which says that the article is made by hand

9. evoke—bring forth, call up, cause something to be remembered or expressed.

e.g.:The songs evoked memories of my school days.

Trs.: 看到长城使他产生一种惊讶的感觉。The sight of the Great Wall evoked a sense o

f wonder in him.

In unskilled or uncaring hands a handmade basket or boat can fall apart as quickly as baskets or boats made by machines. (11. 25-27)

  If a handmade basket or boat is made by an inexperienced or irresponsible worker, it may break down as easily as machine-made baskets or boats.

I rather think that the reason we honor the label “handmade” is because it evokes not a technological relationship between producer and product but a social relationship between producer and consumer. (11. 27-29)

  My opinion is that it is the social relationship between producer and consumer rather than the technological relationship between producer and product that makes “handmade” items so highly regarded.

10.the intimate sentimental and personal bonds—the close/familiar emotional and person-to-person relationship/connection

11.wither—become weaker or shrink. Plants, trees, flowers may all wither away, and so may one’s hopes, when one becomes hopeless.

Trs.:  在一次又一次地经历失败后，他的希望破灭了。

His hopes withered away after he had experienced one failure after another.

12. the women and men involved in…-- the women and men taking part in… be involved in—be as a necessary part in.

e.g.: Are you involved in your class’s new project?

13.  alienation—a feeling of not belonging to or not being a part of one’s surroundings.

e.g.:The foreman’s haughtiness caused alienation from work among the workers.

  14. sabotage -- intentional damage to machines, buildings, etc. carried out secretly to weaken a government, an enemy, or as a protest.

e.g.: All attempts at sabotage must be mercilessly crushed.