Text B The Future of Innovation Belongs to the Meg...
Dominic Basulto
By 2030,according to the UN,there will be 41 mega-cities around the world with populations of greater than 10 million people.Not only will these mega-cities control the lion's share of the world's global economic and financial resources,they will also largely determine the future of innovation—and that could have a major impact on how we think about America's hub-and-spoke model of innovation.
If you think about how innovation works in America,a relatively small metropolitan area such as Austin or Seattle(both of which do not rank among America's 10 biggest cities by population)can have a disproportionate impact on the future of national innovation.That's a pattern repeated around the country,as even smaller metropolitan areas—places like Raleigh-Durham or Chattanooga—also play an important role in pushing forward U.S.innovation.Even freewheeling Silicon Valley has always been based on its density of ideas,not the density of its population.
Yet,all the current trends suggest that this uniquely American system of innovation,in which innovation is so geographically diverse and spread out across so many hubs,is about to sustain a major challenge from the relentless pace of urbanization around the world.Just 40 years ago,there were only 3 mega-cities in the world:New York,Tokyo and Mexico City.Now there are 28,and there are plenty more waiting in the wings.It's now become conventional wisdom that cities are the engines of growth,progress,jobs and prosperity.And the bigger the cities are,the bigger is that potential engine.
Viewed from this perspective,it's almost impossible to see any way that the United States can keep up with the growth of Asia's mega-cities without making changes to its national model of innovation.Take a look at the projected map of global mega-cities created by Bloomberg—of the 41 mega-cities in the world by 2030,24 will be in Asia.By way of comparison,North America will have only three mega-cities:New York,Los Angeles and Mexico City.South America will have five:Bogotá,Lima,Sao Paulo,Rio and Buenos Aires.Even Africa—with Lagos,Luanda,Kinshasa and Johannesburg—will have more mega-cities than North America.
You can already glimpse how the inexorable logic of the mega-city is going to play out.Take America's two mega-cities,New York and Los Angeles.A recurring theme in New York tech circles has been that New York City has finally caught up to Silicon Valley as America's new innovation leader,based largely on the remarkable confluence of so many industries—media,finance,fashion—being based in such a densely populated urban space.That's exactly the right environment for new technologies to take advantage of network effects.And Los Angeles seems to be experiencing a new tech boom these days,giving us a whole host of interesting new start-ups.Again,sheer population density is one of the factors at work.“Silicon Beach”is showing signs of being a rival to Silicon Valley these days.
As a recent paper from Kristin Ljungkvist of Uppsala University in Sweden points out,it's not only technological innovation where these mega-cities have the potential to play a huge role in future innovation.On just about any issue with a political angle to it—climate change,poverty,transnational crime,pandemics and counterterrorism—there's a good chance that mega-cities are going to be at the forefront of new innovation and creative thinking.
The specific example cited by Ljungkvist in her paper is New York City.In areas such as counterterrorism,New York City is already a national leader.In many ways,says Ljungkvist,New York is acting like its own city-state,with its own approach to climate change and its own counterterrorism policy.And all this policy innovation drives economic growth as part of a virtuous circle:“Local representatives,when they get involved in global issues such as climate change,do it primarily to ensure continued strong economic development for the metropolitan area.”
After all,as the UN argued in its 2013 report“World Urbanization Prospects,”innovation is the single most important weapon these mega-cities have to deal with problems ranging from transportation to health care.In short,to deal with the massive crush of higher population,mega-cities have to get smarter faster.They have a real need for all the innovations that can transform them into“greener,healthier,friendlier and more efficient metropolises.”
Of course,not everyone is upbeat about the growing role of mega-cities.McKinsey has pointed out that some of the talk about mega-cities may be overhyped:“Contrary to common perception,mega-cities have not been driving global growth for the past 15 years.”And other researchers have highlighted how mega-cities present their own unique socio-economic problems—everything from traffic congestion to slums—created by such dense population growth.Joel Kotkin,for example,sees mega-cities as“a tragic replaying of the worst aspects of the mass urbanization that occurred previously in the West.”
So what does all this mean for U.S.innovation?For one thing,tech innovators chasing new opportunities may choose to move to America's biggest cities in even greater numbers,further exacerbating demographic trends of population shifting away from suburbs to urban metropolises.Immigrants,who typically cluster in larger cities,may play an even greater role in guiding the future of American innovation.And larger cities not typically regarded as national innovation leaders but on the demographic cusp of becoming a mega-city—Dallas,Houston,Miami and Phoenix—may increasingly find their innovation prospects improved at the expense of regional hubs that have smaller or declining populations.
With the rise of mega-cities,Washington policymakers and Wall Street investors may find it harder to sell the Silicon Valley story abroad.Remember when just about every city in the world was attempting to build its own version of Silicon Valley?If mega-cities in China,India and Nigeria take off as many suggest they will,then policymakers could be talking about implementing a“Chengdu”or an“Ahmadabad”or a“Lagos”model rather than a“Silicon Valley”model.That would imply not just a new language of innovation,but also a radically new way of thinking about America's role in global innovation.When it comes to innovation,maybe size does matter.
(1,075 words)
Notes
1.This essay was also written by Dominic Basulto and published by The Washington Post on 28 October,2014.
2.hub-and-spoke model:a system of connections arranged like a wire wheel in which all traffic moves along spokes connected to the hub at the center.The model is commonly used in industry,particularly in transport,telecommunications,freight,and distributed computing(where it is known as a star network).The hub-and-spoke model is most frequently compared to the point-to-point transit model.
3.Bogotáis the capital and largest city of Colombia administered as the Capital District,although often thought of as part of Cundinamarca.Bogotáis a territorial entity of the first order,with the same administrative status as the departments of Colombia.It is the political,economic,administrative,industrial,artistic,cultural,and sports center of the country.
4.Kinshasa is the capital and the largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.It is situated on the Congo River.
5.Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa and one of the 50 largest urban areas in the world.It is the largest provincial city in Gauteng,the wealthiest province in South Africa.
6.Lagos is a city in the Nigerian state of Lagos.The city,with its adjoining conurbation,is the largest in Nigeria,as well as on the African continent.It is one of the fastest growing in the world,and also one of the most populous urban agglomerations.Lagos is a major financial centre in Africa；the mega-city has the highest GDP and houses one of the largest and busiest ports on the continent.
语句结构分析与翻译
语句结构分析与翻译
翻译时词语的处理在语境中，尤其是语句中进行。相对于词语而言，语句才是具有完整意义和结构的更高一级的语言单位。在翻译中我们考虑更多的往往不是个别词语，而是对整个语句的结构与语义的把握与处理，这就要求比在词语层面上更为结构性的理解能力和更加灵活的变通能力，也只有这样，对词语才能作精细和准确的处理。
英语句子，无论看起来多长或多复杂，无论是简单句，还是并列复合句，或是主从复合句，只要构成一个独立完整的句子，其主干部分一定是一个主谓结构；并列复合句中包含两个或以上的单句。在辨认出核心主谓结构的基础上，再分析句中其他各成分在这个结构中的地位和功能，明确其包含的语义和逻辑关系。理清句子脉络，分清主次轻重，是语句善译的前提。
Lending institutions are in a race with each,bucking to make the terms easier,allowing more and more people to buy homes.
放贷机构争相降低贷款条件,使越来越多的人能够买房。
这是个简单句(只包含一个主谓结构并且句子各成分都只由单词或短语构成的独立句子或分句)，主语lending institutions加系表结构的谓语部分are in a race构成句子主干的主谓结构，bucking to make the terms easier是谓语的状语，而allowing more and more people to buy homes则充当to make the terms easier的结果状语。
翻译中，第一个现在分词状语译成句子的谓语，第二个现在分词短语译成一个句子，其语义内涵反映出两者的不同层次。
Numerous other commercial enterprises,from theaters to magazine publishers,from gas and electric utilities to milk processors,bring better and more efficient services to consumers through the use of computers.
从剧院到杂志出版商,从公用燃气电力设施到牛奶处理厂,很多其他商业企业都通过计算机的使用给消费者提供更好、效率更高的服务(或者:……计算机的使用使很多其他商业企业给消费者提供更好、效率更高的服务)。
这个句子虽然长点，但仍旧是一个简单句，主干部分为主语(enterprises)和谓语动词(bring)及其宾语(services)构成的主谓结构，numerous other commercial，from theaters to magazine publishers和from gas and electric utilities to milk processors是主语的定语，better and more efficient是宾语的定语，to consumers和through the use of computers充当谓语动词的状语。
翻译时，将两个from介词词组构成的定语放在句首(从剧院到杂志出版商，从公用燃气电力设施到牛奶处理厂)，然后传达出原句的主要信息：(很多其他商业)企业(都)(通过计算机的使用)(给消费者)带来(更好、更有效率的)服务。
Some streets were widened or straightened,bottlenecks eased,and one new street built by carving through private properties.
一些街道被拓宽或调直,拥挤的街道被疏通,还通过分隔私人房屋建成一条新的街道。
这个并列复合句中三个简单句的后两个，根据英语中的省略原则，略去了系动词were/was，译文还原了三个单句之间由于这一省略而可能被忽略的同一结构层次关系。
The individual now has more information available than any generation,and the task of finding that one piece of information relevant to his or her specific problem is complicated,timeconsuming,and sometimes even overwhelming.
现在个人能够得到的信息比任何时代都多,而找到与他/她的特定问题相关的那一点信息的任务不仅复杂、耗时,有时甚至令人难以招架。
这是个由and连接的两个简单句形成的顺承关系的并列复合句。第一个简单句的主干是the individual has information这一主谓结构，more…available than any generation是谓语动词has的宾语information的定语；第二个简单句中，主干是the task is complicated，time-consuming，and sometimes even overwhelming这一主谓结构，谓语部分是一个系表结构，介词词组of finding that one piece of information是主语the task的后置定语，这个介词词组中，relevant to his or her specific problem是动名词词组中的宾语that one piece of information的后置定语。
本句的翻译保留了两个句子并列的整体结构；在语义上，表达出“现代人得到的信息量大”和“找到所需信息的任务复杂、耗时、难以应付”这两个主要观点。
Put these tropes alongside Hollywood's consistent share of the global box office and television marketplace and both a stable international market and Hollywood industry are conjured up for the better part of the 20th century.
(如果)将这些转喻同好莱坞稳定的全球票房与电视市场份额放在一起看,人们就会想象出一个稳定的全球市场和一个稳定的好莱坞影业。
这一句中，表层的语法结构同上一个并列句一样，也是一个由and连接的并列复合句，不过其深层的逻辑关系是：其中的祈使句表示条件，后面并列的句子表示结果，翻译时用“(如果)……就……”表达出这样的逻辑关系。
The Corporation will survive as a publicly funded broadcasting organization,at least for the time being,but its role,its size and its programs are now the subject of a nationwide debate in Britain.
(英国广播)公司至少暂时仍将作为政府资助的广播公司继续存在,但是眼下它的作用、规模和节目在英国引起了全民争议。
这个并列复合句包含由but连接的两个转折关系的简单句，翻译时保留了这样的结构。
Along with such concerns was a growing realization,informed by social science research,of the extent to which family-related violence and child abuse had been hitherto underestimated in Australian society.
随着对这些问题的关注,人们根据社会科学调查还逐渐意识到,到那个时候为止,澳大利亚的家庭暴力和虐童现象一直在很大程度上被低估。
这个句子中，主语部分是含定语的a growing realization，谓语是系表结构was along with such concerns，其中的表语along with such concerns倒装于句首；informed by social science research和of the extent…是realization的两个定语；to which family-related violence and child abuse had been hitherto underestimated in Australian society是of the extent中介词宾语the extent的定语从句。
汉语没有主从结构的复杂句，本句的翻译中，充当主语的名词短语a growing realization被译成汉语的句子“人们逐渐意识到”，先行词及其定语从句the extent to which…被译为一个完整的句子“到那个时候为止，澳大利亚的家庭暴力和虐童现象一直在很大程度上被低估”。
As families move away from their stable community,their friends of many years,their extended family relationships,the informal flow of information is cut off,and with it the confidence that information will be available when needed and will be trustworthy and reliable.
随着家庭离开稳定的社区,离开多年的朋友,脱离各种亲族关系,日常信息流被切断,结果人们不再笃定能于必要之时获得真实可靠的信息。
这个主从复合句中，主干是the informal flow of information is cut off，and with it the confidence…，其中and with it the confidence…还原出完整的表达，应该是and with it the confidence is cut off。句首是时间状语从句As families move away，the confidence后面有一个同位语从句that information will be available when needed and will be trustworthy and reliable，这个从句中的主谓部分information will be available又有一个省略形式的时间状语从句when(it is)needed来修饰。
译文大体按照原文的结构层次展开，原文中的时间状语从句As families move away…relationships译成状语“随着……亲族关系”，省略形式的and with it the confidence…译为主动语态的“结果人们不再笃定”，而包含被动语态的同位语从句that information will be…reliable则经语序调整译为“于必要之时获得真实可靠的信息”。
The test of any democratic society lies not in how well it can control expression but in whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude,however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be.
要检验任何一个民主社会,不是看它的言论控制多么有效,而是看它是否给予尽可能广泛的思想和言论自由,不管有时候其结果多么富有争议或令人不快。
这个多层复杂句中包含三个从句：谓语部分lies not in…but in…中介词in后面分别是其宾语从句how well it can control expression和whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude，其中第二个从句又包含一个让步状语从句however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be。
译文中，将主语the test of any democratic society译为句子“要检验任何一个民主社会”，其后的两个层次三个句子，通过它们的语义内涵及其相互关联，反映出原文的逻辑层次。
Exercises
A.Analyze the grammatical structure of the following sentences and translate them into Chinese.
1.Global communication is shrinking the world,and global ageing is maturing it.
2.It serves directly to assist a rapid distribution of goods at reasonable prices,thereby establishing a firm home market and so making it possible to provide for export at competitive prices.
3.In the American economy,the concept of private property embraces not only the ownership of productive resources but also certain rights,including the right to determine the price of a product or to make a free contract with another private individual.
4.The great interest in exceptional children shown in public education over the past three decades indicates the strong feeling in our society that all citizens,whatever their special conditions,deserve the opportunity to fully develop their capabilities.
5.Among the many shaping factors,I would single out the country's excellent elementary schools;a labor force that welcomed the new technology;the practice of giving premiums to inventors;and above all the American genius for nonverbal,“spatial”thinking about things technological.
6.Demographers note that if current trends in ageing continue as predicted,a demographic revolution,wherein the proportions of the young and the old will undergo a historic crossover,will be felt in just three generations.
7.The successful launch and return of the manned spacecraft Shenzhou V is deemed both a symbol of national prestige and a sign of advanced science and technology,which will definitely contribute to the economic growth of our country.
8.If experiments are planned and carried out according to plan as faithfully as the reports in the science journals indicate,then it is perfectly logical for management to expect research to produce results measurable in dollars and cents.
B.Translate the following sentences from Text A into Chinese.
1.According to this metric,IBM and Samsung are far and away the most innovative companies in the world,with 3,059 and 3,052 patents,respectively.
2.Using patents as a gauge of how innovation varies between countries can also result in some head-scratching findings.
3.These cities tend to score well because they are home to the types of companies(technology,pharmaceutical and biotech)that are most likely to file patents to protect their innovations.
4.That means patents might be a better proxy for how litigious American business has become rather than how innovative a specific company or industry has become.
5.Instead of viewing patents as we once did—as a way to encourage inventiveness and innovation,we may be better suited to see them for what they have become:an economic drag and an attractive target for patent trolls,who see them as a way to exact tributes from deep-pocketed tech companies.
Development of Paragraphs(Ⅱ)
Classification is a method in which a writer arranges people,objects,or ideas with shared characteristics into classes or groups.
Cybercriminals generally fall into one of three categories,he［Michael DeCesare,president of McAfee］says.First there are the“Anonymouses of the world”or the hacktivists—people who expose information about a company or government they morally oppose.Second is organized crime.“They're realizing there's far more money in cybercrime than prostitution,”Mr.DeCesare says.“You can buy somebody's I.D.for less than $10 online.”Third are activities funded by states and other political groups.“Every government has a cyber division,”he says,including the U.S.But cyber dangers now stretch beyond state lines to groups such as al Qaeda.“Cybercrime is a lot like that—［the country is］almost not relevant anymore,”making it difficult to hold governments accountable.
This paragraph identifies three kinds of cybercriminals:anonymouses of the world,authors of organized crime and activities funded by states and other political groups.
Comparison is a rhetorical strategy and method of organization in which a writer examines similarities and/or differences between two people,places,ideas,or things.It is also called contrast when it deals with differences.
The same qualities that make people good house guests make them good hospital patients.Good house guests can expect a reasonable amount of service and effort on their behalf,and hospital patients can also.Guests have to adjust to what is for them a change,and certainly hospital patients must do the same.No one appreciates a complaining,unpleasant,unappreciative house guest,and the hospital staff is no exception.House guests who expect vast changes to be made for their benefit are not popular for long.Certainly nurses and other personnel with their routines feel the same about patients in their care.Just as house guests must make adjustments to enjoy their visits,so patients must make adjustments to make their stays reasonably pleasant and satisfying under the circumstances.
This paragraph makes a comparison between good house guests and good hospital patients to show the similarities between the two.
An analogy is a type of composition(or,more commonly,a part of an essay or speech)in which one idea,process,or thing,which may be unfamiliar to readers and difficult to understand,is explained by being compared to something else,which is more familiar and easier to understand.Or what is abstract may be rendered more concrete,vivid and interesting by means of analogy.
In a sense,life is like an examination that has only one question—the one that asks why you're taking the exam in the first place.Having been instructed to“fill in the blank”(an aptly phrased command),you ponder,and then wonder if perhaps the truest answer is no answer at all.But in the end,because there is,after all,plenty of time to reflect and you do want to leave the room,you hunker down and fill in the blank.My own response is hardly profound or incisive:I'm taking the exam because I like writing sentences,and because—well,what else do I have to do?
The comparison of life to an examination makes the ideas more vivid,interesting and insightful.
Process analysis is a method by which a writer explains step by step how something is or is to be done.There are two types of process analysis,informative and directive,providing information about how something works and explaining how something should be done respectively.An informative process analysis is usually written in the third-person point of view;a directive process analysis is usually written in the second person.In both types,the steps are typically organized in chronological order—that is,the order in which the steps are carried out.
Put your eggs in a saucepan and cover them with about one-half inch cold water.Heat the pan until the water is simmering and cook like this for seven minutes,using a timer.As soon as the timer dings put the saucepan into the sink and turn on the cold tap,allowing the water to overspill.It doesn't need to be galloping;a steady but vigorous flow will do.After a minute turn off the tap and leave the eggs in the cold water for another couple of minutes,or until they are cold enough to hold comfortably.
This is a directive process analysis.Following the detailed explanation,one will be able to perform the task in question.
Exercises
A.Identify the method of writing used in the following paragraph.
Differences in posture,like differences in eating utensils(knife and fork,chopsticks or fingers,for example),divide the world as profoundly as political boundaries.Regarding posture there are two camps:the sitters-up(the so-called western world)and the squatters(everyone else).Although there is no Iron Curtain separating the two sides,neither feels comfortable in the position of the other.When I eat with oriental friends I soon feel awkward sitting on the floor,my back unsupported,my legs numb.But squatters don't like sitting up either.An Indian household may have a dining room with table and chairs,but when the family relaxes during the hot afternoon,parents and children sit together on the floor.
B.Write a paragraph of 120～150 words on the process of website production.
C.Write a paragraph of 120～150 words on the experience of reading a good book,using analogy to make your ideas easier to follow.