Unit-10-The-Idiocy-of-Urban-Life课文翻译综合教程四-豆柴文库

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Unit10
TheIdiocyofUrbanLife
HenryFairlie
1Betweenabout3a.m.and6a.m.thelifeofthecityiscivil.Occasionallythelonefootstepsofsomeonewalkingtoorfromworkechoalongthesidewalk.Allworkthathastobedoneatthosehoursisuseful－inbakeries,forexample.Eventhenewspaperpressesstopturningforestsintolies.Nowandthenacarcomesoutofthesilenceandcruiseseasilythroughtheblinkingtrafficlights.Thenaturalinhabitantsofthecitycomeoutfromdampbasementsandcellars.Withtheirpinkearsandpaws,sleek,well-groomed,theirwhiskerscombed,ratsaretruecitydwellers.Urbanlife,duringthehourswhentheyreign,isurbane.
2Theseratsaresocialcreatures,asyoucantellifyoulookoutonthecitystreetduringaninsomniacnight.Butafter6a.m.,thetwo-legged,daytimecreaturesofthecitybegintostir;anditisthey,nottherats,whobringtheratrace.Youmightthinkthathumanbeingscongregateinlargecitiesbecausetheyaregregarious.Theoppositeistrue.Urbanlifetodayisaggressivelyindividualisticandatomized.Citiesarenotsocialplaces.
3Thelunacyofmoderncitylifeliesfirstinthefactthatmostcitydwellerstrytoliveoutsidethecityboundaries.Sothetwo-leggedcreatureshavecreatedsuburbs,exurbs,andfinallyrururbs(rubstosome).Disdainingrurallife,theytrytocreatesimulationsofit.Noeffortissparedtoletcitydwellersimaginetheyarelivinganywherebutinacity:patchesofgrassinthemoremodestsuburbs,broaderspreadsinthericheronesfurtherout;primnewtreesplantedalongthestreets;atthefootofthelargerbackyards,apretensetoboskywoodlands.
4Theprofessionalpeoplebuysecondhomesinthecountryassoonastheycanaffordthem,andasearlyaspossibleonFridayheadoutofthecitytheyhavecreated.TheNewYorkintellectualsandartistsquaintlysaytheyare“goingtothecountry”fortheweekendorthesummer,butinfacttheyhavecreatedalittleManhattan-by-the-SeaaroundtheHamptons,spreadingovertheLongIsland6potatofieldswhoseearliersolitudewaspresumablythereasonwhytheyfirstwentthere.Citydwellerstakethecitywiththemtothecountry,fortheywillnotlivewithoutitspamperings.ThemainstreetsofAmerica’ssmalltowns,whichusedtohavehardwareanddrygoodsstores,arenowstripsofboutiques.