本文選自吳應時主編的《大學英語六級閱讀真題精讀——晨讀伴侶》。本書對歷年國家大學英語六級考試（CET-6）的仔細閱讀部分進行了詳盡而精準的分析、翻譯和注釋，對四六級考生有著事半功倍的效果，對提升整體英語能力也很有幫助。
學習導讀：
文化是什么？在人文社會學科之中，文化是核心關切，是繞不開的。英語語言有著嚴謹?shù)奶攸c，用英語來進行學術研究能夠直接與世界各國的語言學者們交流。在文化領域，符號、亞文化等都是很重要的概念，但四六級考試并不注重對專業(yè)知識的理解，而是注重考生能否在文中的語境下準確理解作者所要表達的意思。所以，即便你從沒有聽過亞文化也不會妨礙你的閱讀。再說了，閱讀本來就是增長知識的好途徑，哪有可能所讀到的都是自己已經了解的東西呀？
The use (of deferential language) is symbolic of the Confucian?1?ideal of the woman, (which dominates?2?conservative?3?gender?4norms?5?[in Japan].) This ideal presents a woman (who withdraws?6?[quietly] [to the background],) [subordinating?7?her life and needs to those of her family and its male head]. She is a dutiful?8daughter, wife, and mother, master (of the domestic?9?arts). The typical refined?10?Japanese woman excels?11?in modesty?12?and delicacy??13; she “treads [softly] [in the world],” [elevating??14?feminine?15?beauty and grace?16?to an art form].
使用敬語是儒家理想女性的一個標志，在日本保守的性別規(guī)范中占主要地位。這種理性所呈現(xiàn)的女性應該是安靜地退到不為人注意的地方，甘愿把自己的生活和需求服從于自己的家庭和男性家長的生活和需要。她是一個恭敬順從的女兒、溫柔賢惠的妻子、寬容大度的母親、主持家務的能手。有教養(yǎng)的日本女性極其謙和端莊，“為人處世謹言慎行”，把女性美麗和優(yōu)雅提升為一種藝術形式。
注：1. Confucian n. 儒家；adj. 孔子的，儒教的。例：
Confucian scholars lay emphasis on ethics from which politics is often directly inferred, thus obscuring the individual features of Confucian politics.
儒家強調和重視道德,論者往往也就從道德直推政治,以致儒學中政治的自性不顯。
Confucian thought has always seen the family as a model of the state.
儒家思想一直將家庭視為國家的一種形式。
[選自：CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | China: Two Lives, Two Different Paths]
2. dominate v. 支配, 控制, 統(tǒng)治; 高聳于, 俯視; 在...中占主要地位; 處于支配地位, 擁有壓倒優(yōu)勢; 處于較高的位置, 高聳；【同】：cammand control lead。例：
A great man can dominate others by force of character.
偉人能以人格的力量支配他人。
Generally, three features dominate an American's description of another adult: age, sex and race.
一般說來，這一個美國人對另一個成年人的描述主要是三個特征：年齡、性別和種族。
[選自：WSJ: Matt Ridley on What's Changeable, Unchangeable in Human Nature]
3. conservative n. 保守者, 守舊者; 防腐劑; 保守黨黨員; adj. 保守的, 有保存力的, 守舊的。
People tend to be more liberal when they're young and more conservative as they get older.
人們在年輕時常常更開放，年紀越大就越保守。
4. gender n. 性, 性別，一般在簡歷中性別用這個詞而不用sex。Gender: Male / Female.
5. norm n. 基準, 標準, 模范, 慣例。例：
The output from this factory is well above the norm for the industry (or well above the industry norm).
這個廠的產量遠遠高于同行業(yè)的正常標率。
Whether viewed as acceptable or not, overweight and obese are clearly becoming the norm in America.
不管這種看法得到承認與否，超重或者說肥胖在美國越來越司空見慣了。
[選自：MSN: Is fat the new normal?]
6. withdraw vt. ①收回，撤回。例：withdraw one’s promise 收回承諾。
②縮回，退出。例：
American TV industry has withdrawn to its domestic market.
美國電視業(yè)已經退回到它的國內市場。
③提?。ㄥX）。例：
The credit card enables its owner to withdraw as much money from the bank as he has in the bank.
信用卡能夠讓持卡人提取其在銀行里所有的錢。
7. subordinate v. 使居下位, 使服從；adj. 下級的, 附屬的, 次要的。例：
Individual Party members must be subordinate to the Party organization.
個人必須服從組織。
All of the branches of government are subordinate to the president.
所有政府部門都在總統(tǒng)之下。
[選自：NPR: Venezuelan Court Lets Newspaper Resume Publishing]
8. dutiful adj. 忠實的; 守本分的; 順從的。例：
a dutiful child一個孝順的孩子 a dutiful citizen 一個忠實的公民
The media have heaped dutiful praise on his words.
媒體對他的言論給予了很多忠實的贊美。
[選自：ECONOMIST: Democracy in China]
9. domestic n. 仆人, 傭人; 國貨 adj. 家庭的, 馴服的, 國內的。例：
domestic market ?國內市場，domestic worries 家庭的煩惱
比較熱門的詞匯家庭暴力也是用這個詞語domestic violence。
10. refined adj. 精制的; 精確的; 優(yōu)雅的。文中取優(yōu)雅意。可積累如下詞組：
refined sugar 精糖；refined oil 經過提取的油
對于優(yōu)雅意，例：
His speech and manner are refined.
他談吐優(yōu)雅，彬彬有禮。
11. excel vi. 勝過, 擅長, 優(yōu)于; 勝過其他。例：
I excel at foreign languages and dabble in medicine and biochemistry.
我擅長外語，在醫(yī)學和生物化學領域也有所涉足。
【派】excel in 在…方面超過
另外我們注意到excel也是微軟辦公軟件office中的電子表格軟件名。
12. modesty n. 謙遜, 虛心; 羞怯; 端莊, 穩(wěn)重; 節(jié)制, 中肯；句中取端莊意。例：
There were shrieks of embarrassment, mingled with giggles, from some of the girls as they struggled to protect their modesty.
有些女孩子努力要保持端莊，但還是發(fā)出了尷尬的尖叫聲，其中還夾雜著咯咯的笑聲。
【反】arrogance n. ?傲慢; 自負; 自大
13. delicacy n. 精美, 嬌嫩, 柔軟, 優(yōu)雅；美味, 佳肴。例：
As Jenny's English teacher, Miss Stubbs has a small but pivotal role that she plays with exquisite delicacy.
Stubbs小姐作為Jenny的英語老師，尤其優(yōu)雅地扮演著一個不起眼但很核心的角色。
[選自：WSJ: WSJ's Joe Morgenstern on An Education, Starring Carey Mulligan and Peter Sar]
但該詞更主要的意思是形容食物很美味精致。例：
Smoked salmon was considered an expensive delicacy.
煙熏三文魚被認為是一道昂貴的佳肴。
[香港這邊的自助餐還真提供了很多somked salmon的。]
14. elevate v. 舉起; 使上升; 抬起; 提高。例：
an elevated highway 高架公路；
The politician managed to elevate himself to a station of some authotity.
那名政客設法使自己上升到了有權勢的地位。
15. feminine n. 女性; 陰性詞; 陰性 adj.女性的, 柔弱的, 陰性的
There is also something glamorous and feminine about it.
還有一些關于它迷人的女性的東西。
16. grace n. ①優(yōu)美，文雅。文中此義，作名詞。例：
The grace seems especially important to a young girl.
優(yōu)雅對于一個年輕女孩來說顯得格外重要。
②恩惠，恩澤。例：
Only through the grace of God did I pass the examination.
只因上帝的恩惠，我才通過了這次考試。
v. 使優(yōu)美
The military families grace each night with an empty seat at the table.
這些軍人家庭在每一個（丈夫不在的）夜晚，為餐桌添上一把空椅子來修飾。
[選自：CNN: Transcript: Michelle Obama's 'One Nation']
[Nowadays], it is [commonly] observed that young women are [not] conforming to the feminine linguistic?
1?ideal]. They are using fewer (of the very deferential?
2“women’s” forms), and [even] using the few strong forms (that are know .)” This, ^of course^, attracts considerable?
3?attention and has led to an outcry?
4?[in the Japanese media] [against the defeminization?
5?of women’s language]. [Indeed?
6], we didn’t hear about “men’s language” [until people began to respond to girls’ appropriation?
?7?of forms (normally reserved?
8?for boys and men).] There is [considerable] sentiment?
9?(about the “corruption?
10”) (of women’s language) – (which ^of course^ is viewed (of the loss) (of feminine ideals and morality?
11)) – and this sentiment is crystallized?
?12?[by nationwide opinion polls?
?13] {that are [regularly] carried out [by the media].} 現(xiàn)如今，人們經?？梢杂^察到年輕女性并沒有遵守女性用語規(guī)范。她們較少使用非常恭順的“女性”用語，甚至使用那為數(shù)不多的強勢的“男性”用語。這點當然吸引了大量的關注，而且引起日本媒體對女性語言的非女性化提出強烈抗議。事實上，直到人們對女性借用一般作為男性使用的語言形式開始回應之后，我們才聽說“男性語言”。女性語言的“墮落”——它當然被看作是曾經的女性理想和女性道德淪喪的一部分——激起了人們的義憤，由媒體定期主持的全國性民意調查明確了這種情緒。
注：1. linguistic adj. 語言的，語言學的。例：
I’m not interested in this linguistic problem.
我對這個語言學問題不感興趣。
2. deferential adj. 恭敬的; 慣于順從的。例：
They like five-star hotels and deferential treatment.
他們喜歡五星級酒店和謙恭的禮遇。
3. considerable adj. ①相當大（或多）的，可觀的。例：
John looks at the photos with considerable interest.
約翰饒有興趣的看著這些照片。
And this labour also represents a considerable cost for the company.
而且這些勞務也意味著對公司來說是相當大的成本。
[選自：BBC: Machine uses artificial vision to detect rotten oranges]
②值得考慮的，重要的。例：
Mr.r Brown used to be a considerable man in local affairs.
布朗先生是地方事務上相當重要的人物。
4. outcry n. 尖叫, 強烈抗議, 倒彩。例：
The government hushed the affair up to avoid a public outcry.
當局對此事秘而不宣,以免引起公眾抗議。
5. defeminization n. 非女性化
This, of course, attracts considerable attention and has led to an outcry in the Japanese media against the defeminization of women's language.
這點當然引起了大量的關注，并且引發(fā)了媒體對女性語言弱化的強烈抗議。
[這句話outcry和defeminization都用到了。]
6. indeed adv. 真正地; 當然; 確實。例：
The results are often strange indeed.
結果往往真是奇怪。
7. appropriation n. 據(jù)為己有; 挪用; 占有。例：
The appropriation of the land made it possible to have a new building.
該塊土地的撥用使得建造新樓成為可能。
The statement said the settlement agreement is contingent on the appropriation of funds by Congress.
聲明表示安置協(xié)議會根據(jù)國會資金的劃撥而定。
[選自：CNN: Black farmers call on U.S. Senate to fund settlement]
8. reserve n.①保留地。例：
The local government set up a reserve to protect pandas.
當?shù)卣⒘艘粋€熊貓自然保護區(qū)。
②儲備（物），儲藏量，儲備金。例：gold reserve 黃金儲備；
③緘默，謹慎。例：
Ellen wished to overcome her own shyness an reserve in class.
艾倫希望自己能克服在課堂上的害羞和緘默的缺點。
v. ①保留，儲備。例：all rights reserved 版權所有；
②預定，預約。例：
Please reserve me a seat for this Saturday.
請給我預定一個本周六的座位。
9. sentiment n. ①思想情感，情緒，情操。例：
Bill’s sentiment was expressed in the poem.
比爾在詩中表達了他的情感。
②[pl.]意見，觀點。例：
We share the same sentiments about trying to help others.
我們在助人為樂這一點上意見統(tǒng)一。
10. corruption n. 腐敗, 貪污, 墮落。例：
The president faces 54 charges of corruption and tax evasion.
總統(tǒng)面臨著54項腐敗和逃稅的指控。
But more and more people believe that corruption does far more harm than good.
但越來越多的人認為腐敗弊大于利。
[選自：CNN: CLOSING IN ON CRIME]
11. morality n. 道德, 品行, 教訓。例：
The manager selected his employees by standards of intellect an morality.
這位經理依照智力和道德兩個標準來選擇自己的雇員。
12. crystallize v. 明確（美式英語說法）, 具體化; 本意是使結晶。例：
He was made redundant earlier this year and had felt compelled to crystallize his pension savings to draw an income early.
他在今年早些時候被解雇了，他感到有必要早一些讓自己的養(yǎng)老金變現(xiàn)以獲得一些收入。
[這里具體化即使養(yǎng)老金儲蓄變現(xiàn)。][選自：BBC: Annuity problems: Readers given some advice]
13. poll n. 民意測驗; 投票, 選舉; 民意測驗記錄; 投票數(shù)
We are doing a weekly poll on the president, and clearly his popularity has declined.
我們正在對總統(tǒng)進行每周一次的民意測驗，很顯然他的受歡迎度已經下降了。
另外，民意測驗為opinion poll。
Yoshiko Matsumoto has argued that young women [probably] [never] used [as many of the highly deferential forms] [as older women]. This highly polite style is no doubt something {that young women have been expected to “grow into”} – ^after all^, it is assign [not simply] (of femininity, but of maturity and refinement?1), and its use could be taken to indicate?2?a change [in the nature] (of one’s social relations) [as well]. One might [well] imagine little girls using exceedingly?3?polite forms [when playing house or imitating older women] – [in a fashion analogous?4?to little girls’ use of a high-pitched?5??voice to do “teacher talk” or “mother talk” in role play].
Yoshiko Matsumoto指出，年輕女性可能從未使用過某些老一輩女性使用的很多高級別的敬語。無疑，這種極其禮貌的語言風格是人們期望年輕女性能夠“長大后學會使用的”——它不僅僅是女性的象征，還是成熟和教養(yǎng)的象征，而且使用這種語言也標志著一個人的社會關系性質的變化。完全可以想象一下小姑娘在玩過家家或模仿年長女性時使用非常禮貌的敬語的情況——類似于小姑娘尖聲尖氣扮演老師或者媽媽說話的腔調。
注：1. refinement n. 精致, 精巧, 高尚。例：
Even her smallest movements expressed a sense of refinement that women from other provinces just didn't have.
即便是她的舉止投足都透露出外省女人所沒有的精致。
[選自：CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Young China | The Pen is Nastier Than the Sword]
2. indicate vt. ①指出，指示。例：
A signpost indicate the right road for us to follow.
路標給我們指出了正確的道路。
②表明或者暗示…可能性。例：
A red sky at night indicates fine weather of the follow day.
傍晚的紅霞預示著明天會有好天氣。
3. exceedingly adv. 非常地; 極度地。例：
Many of you know colleagues that have reported from exceedingly dangerous places in the world.
很多你所知道的同事都是從這世上極端危險之地發(fā)出報道的。
[選自：WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefings]
4. analogous adj. 類似的; 可比擬的; 相似的。例：
Brains and computers are often considered analogous.
人腦和電腦常被認為是類似的。
The speed and the range of the movie are analogous to the way the disease spreads.
這部電影的傳播速度和范圍就如同病毒的傳播方式那樣。
[選自：NEWYORKER: Call the Doctor]
【派】analogy n.比擬，類似。這個詞反倒是更應該掌握的。例：
by analogy; 用類推的方法
The mathematician argued his theory by analogy.
這位數(shù)學家用類推的方法論證自己的理論。
5. pitched adj. 聲調高的, 斜的。
詞組 pitch in to help幫助。
The fact {that young Japanese women are using [less] deferential language} is a sure sign (of change) – (of social change and of linguistic change). But it is [most certainly] not a sign (of the “masculinization?1” of girls). [In some instances], it may be a sign (that girls are making the same claim [to authority] [as boys and men],) but that is very different [from saying that they are trying to be “masculine].” Katsue Reynolds has argued that girls [nowadays] are using more assertive?2?language strategies [in order to be able to compete with boys in schools and out]. Social change [also] brings not simply different positions [for women and girls], but different relations [to life stages], and adolescent girls are participating?3???[in new subcultural?4?forms]. Thus what may, to an older speaker, seem like “masculine” speech may seem to an adolescent [like “l(fā)iberated?5??” or “hip?6” speech].
日本年輕女性較少使用敬語的事實肯定代表著一種變化——社會的變化和語言的變化。但是它肯定不表示女孩的“男性化”。有時候，它或許意味著女性想獲得和男孩、男人一樣的權威，不過這與她們想“男性化”還是有差別的。Katsue Reynolds曾經指出，如今的女孩為了能夠在學校內外和男孩競爭都使用了更為肯定的語言策略。社會的變化不僅僅為女人和女孩帶來了不同的社會地位，還為不同的生活階段帶來不同的人際關系；而且青春期少女都在參與新的亞文化形式。因此，年長的說話者聽起來好像是“男性化”的語言，在青少年看來可能就是一種“被解放了的”或者“非常時髦的”語言。
注：1. masculinization n. 男性化。女性化是feminization。例：
Steroid use causes male feminization and female masculinization.
使用類固醇會導致男性女性化和女性男性化。
2. assertive adj. 斷定的, 過分自信的 【派】assert vt.斷言，宣稱。例：
assert one’s right維護某人的權利
It is also time for Japan to play a more assertive role in its military defense.
這也是日本需要在軍事防御中承擔更加確定角色的時機了。
[選自：CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Letter from Japan: Turf War]
3. participate v. 參加, 參與; 含有, 帶有; 分享, 分擔; 分享, 分擔。例：
A man of learning, if he does not wish to degrade himself, must never cease to participate in public affairs.
一個有學問的人,如果不愿意自己墮落,就絕不應該停止參加社會活動。
4. subcultural n. 次培養(yǎng); 亞文化群。也寫作sub-cultural。例：
Tattoo of youngsters is the reflection of sub-cultural phenomenon.
現(xiàn)今青少年的文身是一種亞文化現(xiàn)象的反映。
5. liberated adj. 解放了的, 無拘束的。該形容詞是由動詞變化而來的，使自由是liberate。例：
I won't run, actually I feel liberated.
我才不跑呢，其實我感到無拘無束。
[選自：NPR: Italy's Borrowing Rates In Alarming Rise]
6. hip n. 臀部；薔薇果；憂郁;
adj. 熟悉內情的；非常時尚的。文中取時尚意。例：
And even in the painfully hip city, I still stood out, a cinnamon beacon of originality.
盡管在這樣一個痛苦的時尚之都，我仍舊在堅持著，如同一個肉桂色的創(chuàng)意燈塔。
[選自：WSJ: Brown Magic: Men's Suits in Brown]
