高級英語 Advanced English(張漢熙) 第二冊 8.The Worker as Creator or Machine

The Worker as Creator or Machine

Erich Fromm

1 Unless man exploits others, he has to work in order to live. However primitive and simple his method of work may be, by the very fact of production, he has risen above the animal kingdom; rightly has he been defined as "the animal that produces." But work is not only an inescapable necessity for man. Work is also his liberator from nature, his creator as a social and independent being. In the process of work, that is, the molding and changing of nature outside of himself, man molds and changes himself. He emerges from nature by mastering her; he develops his powers of co-operation, of reason, his sense of beauty. He separates himself from nature, from the original unity with her, but at the same time unites himself with her again as her master and builder. The more his work develops, the more his individuality develops. In molding nature and re-creating her, he learns to make use of his powers, increasing his skill and creativeness. Whether we think of the beautiful paintings in the caves of Southern France, the ornaments on weapons among primitive people, the statues and temples of Greece, the cathedrals of the Middle Ages, the chairs and tables made by skilled craftsmen, or the cultivation of flowers, trees or corn by peasants--all are expressions of the creative transformation of nature by man's reason and skill.

2 In Western history, craftsmanship, especially as it developed in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, constitutes one of the peaks in the evolution of creative work. Work was not only a useful activity, but one which carried with it a profound satisfaction. The main features of craftsmanship have been very lucidly expressed by C. W. Mills. "There is no ulterior motive in work other than the product being made and the processes of its creation. The details of dally work are meaningful because they are not detached in the worker's mind from the product of the work. The worker is free to control his own working action. The craftsman is thus able to learn from his work; and to use and develop his capacities and skills in its prosecution. There is no split of work and play, or work and culture. The craftsman' s way of livelihooddetermines and infuses his entire mode of living."

3 3 With the collapse of the medieval structure, and the beginning of the modern mode of production, the meaning and function of work changed fundamentally, especially in the Protestantcountries. Man, being afraid of his newly won freedom, was obsessed by the need to subdue his doubts and fears by developing a feverish activity. The out-come of this activity, success or failure, decided his salvation, indicating whether he was among the saved or the lost souls. Work, instead of being an activity satisfying in itself and pleasurable, became a duty and an obsession . The more it was possible to gain riches by work, the more it became a pure means to the aim of wealth and success. Work became, in Max Weber's terms, the chief factor in a system of "inner-worldly asceticism ," an answer to man's sense of aloneness and isolation.

4 However, work in this sense existed only for the upper and middle classes, those who could amass some capital and employ the work of others. For the vast majority of those who had only their physical energy to sell, work became nothing but forced labor. The worker in the eighteenth or nineteenth century who had to work sixteen hours if he did not want to starve was not doing it because he served the Lord in this way, nor because his success would show that he was among the "chosen " ones,, but because he was forced to sell his energy to those who had the means of exploiting it. The first centuries of the modern era find the meaning of work divided into that of duty among the middle class, and that of forced labor among those without property.

5 The religious attitude toward work as a duty, which was still so prevalent in the nineteenth century, has been changing considerably in the last decades. Modern man does not know what to do with himself, how to spend his lifetime meaningfully, and he is driven to work in order to avoid an unbearable boredom. But work has ceased to be a moral and religious obligation in the sense of the middle class attitude of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Something new has emerged. Ever-increasing production, the drive to make bigger and better things, have become aims in themselves, new ideals. Work has become alienated from the working person.

6 What happens to the industrial worker? He spends his best energy for seven or eight hours a day in producing "something." He needs his work in order to make a living, but his role is essentially a passive one. He fulfills a small isolated function in a complicated and highly organized process of production, and is never confronted with "his" product as a whole, at least not as a producer, but only as a consumer, provided he has the money to buy "his" product in a store. He is concerned neither with the whole product in its physical aspects nor with its wider economic and social aspects. He is put in a certain place, has to carry out a certain task, but does not participate in the organization or management of the work. He is not interested nor does he know why one produces this, instead of another commodity--what relation it has to the needs of society as a whole. The shoes, the cars, the electric bulbs, are produced by "the enterprise," using the machines. He is a part of the machine, rather than its master as an active agent. The machine, instead of being in his service to do work for him which once had to be performed by sheer physical energy, has become his master. Instead of the machine being the substitute for human energy, man has become a substitute for the machine. His work can be defined as the performance of acts which cannot yet be performedby machines.

7 Work is a means of getting money, not in itself a meaningful human activity. P. Drucker, observing workers in the automobile industry, expresses this idea very succinctly "For the great majority of automobile workers, the only meaning of the job is in the pay check, not in anything connected with the work or the product. Work appears as something unnatural, a disagreeable, meaningless and stultifying condition of getting the pay check, devoid of dignity as well as of importance. No wonder that this puts a premium on slovenly work, on slowdowns , and on other tricks to get the same pay check with less work. No wonder that this results in an unhappy and discontented worker--because a pay check is not enough to base one's self-respect on."

8 This relationship of the worker to his work is an outcome of the whole social organization of which he is a part. Being "employed," he is not an active agent, has no responsibility except the proper performance of the isolated piece of work he is doing, and has little interest except the one of bringing home enough money to support himself and his family. Nothing more is expected of him, or wanted from him. He is part of the equipment hired by capital, and his role and function are determined by this quality of being a piece of equipment. In recent decades, increasing attention has been paid to the psychology of the worker, and to his attitude toward his work, to the "human problem of industry"; but this very formulation is indicative of the underlying attitude; there is a human being spending most of his lifetime at work, and what should be discussed is the "industrial problem of human beings," rather than "the human problem of industry."

9 Most investigations in the field of industrial psychology are concerned with the question of how the productivity of the individual worker can be increased, and how he can be made to work with less friction; psychology has lent its services to "human engineering," an attempt to treat the worker and employee like a machine which runs better when it is well oiled. While Taylor was primarily concerned with a better organization of the technical use of the worker's physical powers, most industrial psychologists are mainly concerned with the manipulation of the worker's psyche The underlying idea can be formulated like this: if he works better when he is happy, then let us make him happy, secure, satisfied, or anything else, provided it raises his output and diminishes friction. In the name of " human relations," the worker is treated with all devices which suit values are recommended in the interest of better relations a completely alienated person; even happiness and human with the public. Thus, for instance, according to Time magazine, one of the best-known American psychiatrists said to a group of fifteen hundred Supermarket executives: "It's going to be an increased satisfaction to our customers if we are happy... It is going to pay off in cold dollars and cents to management, if we could put some of these general principles of values, human relationships, really into practice." One speaks of "human relations" and one means the most inhuman relations, those between alienated automatons ; one speaks of happiness and means the perfect routinization which has driven out the last doubt and all spontaneity

10 The alienated and profoundly unsatisfactory character of work results in two reactions: one, the ideal of complete laziness; the other a deep-seated, though often unconscious hostility toward work and everything and everybody connected with it.

11 It is not difficult to recognize the widespread longing for the state of complete laziness and passivity. Our advertising appeals to it even more than to sex, There are, of course, many useful and labor saving gadgets . But this usefulness often serves only as a rationalization for the appeal to complete passivity and receptivity. A package of breakfast cereal is being advertised as "new--easier to eat." An electric toaster is advertised with these words: "... the most distinctly different toaster in the world! Everything is done for you with this new toaster. You need not even bother to lower the bread. Power-action, through a unique electric motor, gently takes the bread right out of your fingers!" How many courses in languages, or other subjects, are announced with the slogan" effortless learn- ins, no more of the old drudgery." Everybody knows the picture of the elderly couple in the advertisement of a life-insurance company, who have retired at the age of sixty, and spend their life in the complete bliss of having nothing to do except just travel.

12 Radio and television exhibit another element of this yearning for laziness: the idea of "push-button power"; by pushing a button, or turning a knob on my machine, I have the power to produce music, speeches, ball games, and on the television set, to command events of the world to appear before my eyes. The pleasure of driving cars certainly rests partly upon this same satisfaction of the wish for push-button power. By the effortless pushing of a button, a powerful machine is set in motion; little skill and effort are needed to make the driver feel that he is the ruler of space.

13 But there is far more serious and deep-seated reaction to the meaninglessness and boredom of work. It is a hostility toward work which is much less conscious than our craving for laziness and inactivity. Many a businessman feels himself the prisoner of his business and the commodities he sells; he has a feeling of fraudulency about his product and a secret contempt for it. He hates his customers, who force him to put up a show in order to sell. He hates his competitors because they are a threat; his employees as well as his superiors, because he is in a constant competitive fight with them. Most important of all, he hates himself, because he sees his life passing by, without making any sense beyond the momentary intoxication of success. Of course, this hate and contempt for others and for oneself, and for the very things one produces, is mainly unconscious, and only occasionally comes up to awareness in a fleeting thought, which is sufficiently disturbing to be set aside as quickly as possible.

(from A Rhetorical Reader, Invention and Design,by Forrest D. Burt and E. Cleve Want)

第八課工人是創(chuàng)造者還是機(jī)器

埃里克弗羅姆

人只要不剝削他人，就得靠勞動來求生存。不論其勞動方式是多么原始，多么簡單，僅憑從事生產(chǎn)性勞動這一事實(shí)，就足以使人超出動物界。把人定義為"從事生產(chǎn)的動物"是很有道理的。但對于人來說，勞動不僅是必不可少的生存條件。勞動還使他從自然界中解放出來，成為一個不依附于自然界的社會的人。在勞動過程中，即在模鑄和改造其自身以外的自然界的過程中，人也模鑄和改造了他自己。人由征服自然、駕馭自然才最終達(dá)到超出自然的境界，并進(jìn)而逐步增強(qiáng)了自己的協(xié)作能力、思維能力和審美能力。他將自己從自然界，從自己與自然結(jié)成的原始統(tǒng)一體中分離出來，同時又以主人翁和建設(shè)者的身分重新與自然相結(jié)合。人的勞動方式越進(jìn)步，其個性特征也就發(fā)揮得越充分。在塑造和改造自然的過程中，人逐步學(xué)會了如何充分利用自己具有的各種能力，增進(jìn)自己的技藝和創(chuàng)造性。無論是法國南部洞穴中的美麗繪畫，原始人所用武器上的紋飾圖案，希臘的雕像和神殿，還是中世紀(jì)的教堂建筑，能工巧匠制作的桌椅，乃至農(nóng)民培育出來的花木五谷等等--這些無一不是人利用自己的思維能力與技藝創(chuàng)造性地改造大自然的具體例證。

在西方歷史上，手工技藝，尤其是十三、十四世紀(jì)中發(fā)展起來的手工技藝構(gòu)成了人類創(chuàng)造性勞動發(fā)展史上的一個頂峰。那時的勞動不僅是一項(xiàng)有現(xiàn)實(shí)價值的活動，而且是一項(xiàng)給人以巨大的滿足的活動。有關(guān)手工技藝的主要特征，美國社會學(xué)家米爾斯曾作過清楚的說明。他說，"除了勞動者對于被制造的產(chǎn)品和制造產(chǎn)品的生產(chǎn)過程本身的興趣之外，勞動并無其他的深層動機(jī)。日常工作的細(xì)枝末節(jié)之所以有意義，是因?yàn)樵趧趧诱叩男哪恐?，它們與勞動的產(chǎn)品密不可分。勞動者不受任何約束地主宰自己的勞動行為。這樣，工匠藝人便能通過勞動過程來學(xué)習(xí)勞動技藝，并且在勞動過程中應(yīng)用和提高自己的勞動技藝。工作和娛樂、工作和文化活動融為一體。工匠藝人的謀生手段決定并影響著其生活方式。"

隨著中世紀(jì)社會結(jié)構(gòu)的瓦解和現(xiàn)代生產(chǎn)方式的出現(xiàn)，勞動的社會意義和作用發(fā)生了根本性的變化，這一變化在新教國家尤為顯著。人們對于自己新近獲得的自由感到害怕，而為了克服自己的疑懼，他就必須進(jìn)行某種狂熱的活動。這種活動的結(jié)果，或成或敗，就決定著他的命運(yùn)和靈魂的歸宿，標(biāo)志著他死后是將進(jìn)天堂還是入地獄。于是，勞動便成了一種義務(wù)，一種煩惱，而不再是一種能使人滿足和愉快的活動。靠勞動發(fā)財致富的可能性越大，勞動就越發(fā)變成了一種純粹的升官發(fā)財?shù)氖侄巍Ｓ民R克斯·韋伯的話說，勞動已成為"內(nèi)心世界禁欲主義"思想體系中的一個主要因素，解決人們內(nèi)心的寂寞和孤獨(dú)感的一種辦法。

不過，這種意義的勞動也只是對于那些能夠積累一些資本并雇用他人勞動的中、上層階級而言才存在的，而對于那僅有勞動力可供出賣的絕大多數(shù)人來說，勞動只不過是一種強(qiáng)迫勞役。十八、十九世紀(jì)的工人，若是不想餓死，便得一天勞動十六個小時。他這樣做，并不是要以此侍奉上帝，也不是為以工作上的成功來證明他屬于"上帝的選民"之列，而是因?yàn)樗扔跓o奈，不得不向那些擁有剝削手段的人出賣自己的勞動力。現(xiàn)代史開初的幾個世紀(jì)中，勞動的意義劃分為兩種：對于中產(chǎn)階級來說是義務(wù)，而對于無產(chǎn)者來說則是強(qiáng)迫勞役。

視勞動為一項(xiàng)義務(wù)的宗教觀念在十九世紀(jì)還十分流行，但最近幾十年來，這種宗教觀念正經(jīng)歷著重大的演變?，F(xiàn)代人不知道自己該做些什么，怎樣才能有意義地度過自己的一生，只是為了逃避無所事事所造成的寂寞無聊，才被迫去參加勞動。但勞動已不再被人們以十八、十九世紀(jì)的中產(chǎn)階級的那種態(tài)度看作是一種道德和宗教上的義務(wù)。新的觀念產(chǎn)生了。不斷地提高生產(chǎn)，追求更大更、好地東西，這些本身已成了勞動的目的，成了新的理想。勞動與勞動者的關(guān)系開始異化了。

產(chǎn)業(yè)工人的情況又如何呢?他一天要花七八個小時把自己最旺盛的精力用于生產(chǎn)"某種東西"。他需要勞動以求生計，但他在勞動過程中只扮演一個被動的角色。他只在一個復(fù)雜的、組織程度很高的生產(chǎn)過程中起一點(diǎn)很小的、孤立的作用，從來沒有機(jī)會接觸到"他的"產(chǎn)品的全貌，至少不能以生產(chǎn)者的身分，而只能以消費(fèi)者的身分接觸到"他的"產(chǎn)品的全貌，即使這樣也還需要有一個前提條件，那就是，他得有足夠的錢從商店里購買"他所生產(chǎn)出的，，產(chǎn)品。無論對生產(chǎn)出來的完全的成品本身還是其更深遠(yuǎn)的經(jīng)濟(jì)意義和社會意義，他都不用關(guān)心。他被安置在一個固定的崗位上，去完成一定的工作任務(wù)，而對生產(chǎn)的組織與管理則概不參與。對于為什么要生產(chǎn)這一種產(chǎn)品而不生產(chǎn)另一種產(chǎn)品--該種產(chǎn)品與整個社會需求之間的關(guān)系如何，他是既不知曉，也無興趣知曉。鞋子、汽車、電燈泡等等都是由"工廠"用機(jī)器制造出來的。工人只是機(jī)器的一個組成部分，不是作為主動操縱者而成為機(jī)器的主人。機(jī)器不是在為他服務(wù)，替他去干過去要完全依靠體力去完成的工作，而是反過來成了他的主人。不是機(jī)器替代人力，而是人成了機(jī)器的替代物。人的工作被解釋為執(zhí)行目前尚不能由機(jī)器完成的動作。

勞動只是一種掙錢的手段，它本身再不是一種有意義的人類活動了。彼得·德魯克在考察了汽車制造業(yè)工人的勞動狀況后，用簡潔的文字表述了這一觀點(diǎn)："對絕大多數(shù)汽車工人來說，勞動的唯一的意義就在那張工資支票上，而不在與其所從事的工作或產(chǎn)品有關(guān)的任何事情上。勞動似乎是一種很不正常的活動，是一種令人厭惡的、毫無意義的、愚蠢可笑的獲取工資支票的條件，既無任何尊嚴(yán)，也無任何重要性。無怪乎工人們要千方百計地偷懶、怠工，并用其他投機(jī)取巧的辦法，以盡可能少的勞動來換取同樣的工資支票;無怪乎這樣的勞動既不能給工人帶來愉快，也不能讓工人感到滿足--因?yàn)槿说淖宰鸩恢皇墙ㄖ谝粡埞べY支票的基礎(chǔ)之上。"

工人與勞動的關(guān)系乃是工人所屬的整個社會結(jié)構(gòu)帶來的必然結(jié)果。由于工人是"被雇用的"，所以他就不會積極主動地發(fā)揮作用。除了按規(guī)定完成他自己的那部分孤立的工作任務(wù)外，他再無任何其他職責(zé);除了想掙得足夠的錢拿回去養(yǎng)家糊口外，他對其他一切事情都不感興趣。社會對他也沒有更高的指望或要求。他只是資本家所雇用的機(jī)器設(shè)備的一部分，這種作為設(shè)備的一部分的性質(zhì)就決定了其作用和職能。近幾十年來，人們已開始越來越關(guān)注工人的心理及其對待工作的態(tài)度，探討"工業(yè)中人的問題"，但這種提法本身反映了一種不正確的態(tài)度;既然是人將一生中的大部分時間用于工作，那么，應(yīng)該探討的就不是什么"工業(yè)中人的問題"，而是"人的工業(yè)問題"。

在工業(yè)心理學(xué)方面的大多數(shù)調(diào)查都是關(guān)于如何使工人的生產(chǎn)率得以提高，如何能使他少帶一些抵觸情緒去工作。心理學(xué)已用來服務(wù)于"人類工程"，即試圖把工人和雇員當(dāng)作機(jī)器來對待，認(rèn)為他們也像機(jī)器一樣，只要加好油，就能運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)得好一些。泰勒主要關(guān)心的是如何在工業(yè)生產(chǎn)上更好地組織使用工人的體力，而大多數(shù)工業(yè)心理學(xué)家關(guān)心的主要是如何左右工人的心靈。可以這樣來表達(dá)其基本思想：如果他高興就能工作得好一些的話，那么就讓我們使他高興、安心、滿意或別的什么的，只要這樣能提高他的產(chǎn)量，減少抵觸情緒就行。在"人際關(guān)系"的名義下，他們用對一個完全冷漠的人的一切手段去對待一個工人;就是幸福和人們的價值觀也是從與公眾建立更好的關(guān)系這個角度提出來的。例如，據(jù)《時代》周刊報導(dǎo)，美國一位最著名的精神病學(xué)家對一批1 500名超級市場經(jīng)理人員說："如果我們是高高興興的，我們的顧客就會感到更滿意……如果我們真的能把某些有關(guān)價值觀和人際關(guān)系的總的原則付諸實(shí)踐，那么對資方來說，換來的將是實(shí)實(shí)在在的金錢。"他們講的是"人際關(guān)系"，指的卻是最最非人的關(guān)系，冷漠的機(jī)器人之間的關(guān)系。他們講的是幸福，指的卻是完全機(jī)械的重復(fù)活動，這種活動使人完全失去了獨(dú)立的思考和任何的主動性。

勞動的這種冷漠無情，絲毫不能令人滿足的性質(zhì)勢必引起兩種結(jié)果：其一，使人們產(chǎn)生十足的懶惰思想;其二，使人們對勞動及與之有關(guān)的一切人和事產(chǎn)生一種根深蒂固的(盡管往往是潛意識的)敵對心理。

不難看出，向往極端的懶散和消極怠工是人們的普遍心理狀態(tài)。我們的廣告對這一點(diǎn)的渲染甚至比對性的渲染更有過之而無不及。當(dāng)然，確實(shí)有許多實(shí)用而省力的小玩意，但這種實(shí)用性往往只起著使追求十足的消極懶散和坐享其成成為合理化的作用。一包早餐食品在廣告中被宣傳為"新產(chǎn)品--食用更方便。"一種電烤箱所用的廣告詞竟是這樣的："……最新烤箱，設(shè)計獨(dú)特，舉世無匹!有了這種烤箱，一切工作都會自動完成，連放面包也無需您親自動手，只要一通電，通過一種功能獨(dú)特的電動機(jī)的電力作用就能將面包從您手上輕輕取下!"有多少語言或其他科目的教科書用著這樣的宣傳口號："學(xué)習(xí)起來真輕松，完全不必下苦功。"有一家人壽保險公司還作了這么一個家喻戶曉的廣告畫：畫上是一對六十歲退休的年老夫婦除旅行度假外，長年無所事事，優(yōu)哉游哉享清福的歡樂景象。

廣播和電視反映著這種追求懶散思想的另一方面，即"鍵鈕萬能"的思想。只需按一下按鍵，或擰一下旋鈕，就可以播放出音樂、講話、球賽實(shí)況，或是在電視機(jī)上將世界大事收之于眼前。駕駛汽車使人感到愉快，其部分的原因就是由于鍵鈕萬能的理想的實(shí)現(xiàn)所帶來的滿足感。只需輕輕一按按鈕，便能發(fā)動一臺大功率的發(fā)動機(jī)，駕車人無需掌握什么技藝，付出任何努力，便能體會到當(dāng)空間的主宰的滋味。

然而，勞動變得毫無意義而且令人厭煩之后所帶來的另一種結(jié)果卻還要嚴(yán)重而根深蒂固得多。這就是對勞動的敵對心理。這種心理遠(yuǎn)不如追求懶散無為那樣容易被人們意識到。許多商人覺得自己變成了自己所經(jīng)營的企業(yè)及其所出售的商品的俘虜;他感覺到自己所售商品有騙人的味道，并從內(nèi)心里蔑視它們。他憎恨顧客，因?yàn)槭撬麄兤仁顾撟骷賮泶黉N商品;他憎恨競爭對手，因?yàn)樗麄儗λ麡?gòu)成威脅;他憎恨自己的顧員和上司，因?yàn)樗c他們永遠(yuǎn)處于一種互相傾軋的明爭暗斗狀況。但他最為痛恨的還是他自己，因?yàn)樗垡娭约旱挠猩?，除了贏利而帶來一時陶醉之外，都在毫無意義地白白流逝。當(dāng)然，這種對他人、對自己以及對自己的產(chǎn)品所懷有的憎恨和輕蔑，多半是無意識的，只是偶爾上升到意識中來，但也因憎怒過甚而一閃而過。

(摘自福里斯特D伯特和E克利夫萬特《修辭讀物發(fā)明與設(shè)計》)

詞匯(Vocabulary)

cathedral (n.) : any large，imposing church主教座堂，主教大堂;大教堂

peak (n.) : the highest or utmost point of anything;height; maximum最高點(diǎn)，頂點(diǎn);最高值

lucid (adj.) : clear to the mind;readily understood易懂的;明白的

ulterior (adj.) : beyond what is exprssed，implied，or evident;undisclosed隱蔽的;秘而不宣的

prosecution (n.) : act of prosecuting徹底進(jìn)行;執(zhí)行;實(shí)行

infuse (v.) : put(quality，idea，etc.)into，as if by pouring;instill;impart逐漸灌輸(思想品德等);把…傳授給

protestant (adj.) : of any of the Christian churches as a result of the Reformation新教(徒)的;基督教(徒)的

obsess (v.) : haunt or trouble in mind，esp. to an abnormal degree;preoccupy deeply使分心;使心神困擾(尤指精神反常，著迷)

subdue (v.) : bring into subjection;conquer;vanquish使屈服，征服

asceticism (n.) : the practice or way of life of an ascetic苦行(主義);禁欲(主義)

succinct (adj.) : clearly and briefly stated;terse簡明的;簡短的

stultify (v.). : make seem foolish，stupid，inconsistent，etc.;make absurd or ridiculous使顯得愚蠢(可笑)

devoid (adj.) : completely not having;empty or destitute完全沒有的;無(或缺乏的)

premium (n.) : a reward or prize，esp. one offered free or at a special。low price as an additional amount paid or charged獎品，獎賞，尤指獎金

slovenly (adj.) : of characteristic of a sloven馬虎(或懶散)成性的

slowdown (n.) : slowing down，as of production(生產(chǎn)等的)減退;怠工

manipulation (n.) : skillful handling or operation：artful management or control，etc.操作;操縱;處理;熟練的;操作;巧妙的管理(或控制)

psyche (n.) : the human soul;the mind靈魂;心靈;精神

psychiatrist (n.) : expert in psychiatry精神病專家

routinize (v.) : make routine;reduce to a routine使成常規(guī);使習(xí)慣于常規(guī)

spontaneity (n.) : the state or quality of being spontaneous自發(fā)性;自發(fā)的情況

deep-seated (adj.) : deep-rooted;firmly established根深蒂固的

gadget (n.) : any small，esp. mechanical contrivance or device(尤指機(jī)械裝置的)小發(fā)明

cereal (n.) : any grain used for food，as wheat，oats，rice，etc.谷類

toaster (n.) : any of various utensils or appliances for toasting bread烤箱;烤爐

drudgery (n.) : work that is hard，menial，or tiresome單調(diào)乏味的工作;苦干

bliss (n.) : great joy or happiness極大的歡樂(或幸福)

knob (n.) : a handle，usually round，of a door，drawer，etc.(門、抽屜等的)球形把手

craving (n.) : an intense and prolonged desire;yearning or appetite，as for food，drink，etc.渴望，熱望;(對飲食的)急欲

fraudulency (n.) : deceit;trickery;cheating欺詐;欺騙

intoxication (n.) : intoxicating or becoming intoxicated;a feeling of wild excitement;rapture;frenzy醉，喝醉;陶醉，極度興奮，欣喜若狂

fleeting (adj.) : passing swiftly;not lasting疾馳的，疾逝的;短暫的

短語(Expressions)

be obsessed by/with : If one is obsessed by/wisth.or sb.，he thinks about them all the time and cannot think of anything else.被…占據(jù)心思

例：He has always been obsessed by/with fear of unemployment. 他總是被失業(yè)的恐懼所困擾。

devoid of : completely lacking in;empty of沒有，無

例：Mr.Wilson is a man totally devoid of aU humor.威爾遜先生是一個完全沒有幽默感的人。

put/place a premium on : make it advantageous for sb.(to behave in a certain way，to do sth.)誘發(fā);鼓勵(某種行為，行動)

例：Work paid according to the amount done puts/places a premi-am on speed and not on quality.按件付酬導(dǎo)致看重速度而不看重質(zhì)量。

be indicative of : be a clear sign that a particular situation exists or that sth.is likely to be true表示

例：He believes that the report is indicative of a new economic growth.他相信報告預(yù)示了一輪新的經(jīng)濟(jì)增長。

in the naIne of : with the authority of;in the cause of以…的名義，憑…的權(quán)威，為…的緣故

例：They carried out such cruel experiments on animals in tlle name of science.他們以科學(xué)的名義在動物身上進(jìn)行如此殘忍的實(shí)驗(yàn)

pay off : yield full recompense or retum，for either good or evil全部還清

例：They must pay off their creditors.他們必須償還他們債權(quán)人的債務(wù).

rest upon/on : depend on orbe based on sth.依賴，基于

例：His conclusion rested upon the information that he collected.他的結(jié)論是基于他所收集的信息得出的。

set/put sth.in motion : cause sth.to start moving or work使某物開始轉(zhuǎn)動或工作

例：Pull this handle upward to set the machine in motion.把這個手柄向上拉，啟動機(jī)器。