Needs are limited, but not greed. Science has developed no cure for envy, so our wealth boosts our happiness only briefly while

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问题     Needs are limited, but not greed. Science has developed no cure for envy, so our wealth boosts our happiness only briefly while shrinking that of our neighbors. Thus the outlook for the future is gloomy in Easterlin’s view. "The future, then, to which the epoch of modem economic growth is leading, is one of never ending economic growth, a world in which ever growing abundance is matched by ever rising aspirations, a world in which cultural difference is leveled in the constant race to achieve the good life of material plenty, a world which is founded on belief in science and the power of rational inquiry and in the ultimate capacity of humanity to shape its own destiny. The irony is that in this last respect the lesson of history appears to be otherwise: that there is no choice. In the end, the triumph of economic growth is not a triumph of humanity over material wants; rather, it is the triumph of material wants over humanity. "

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答案 需求是有极限的,而贪欲却永无止境。科学再进步也尚未研制出治疗嫉妒的良药,因此只有当我们的财富让邻居相形见绌的时候,我们才会感到片刻的幸福①。所以在伊斯特林看来,未来的前景不客乐观:“当今经济发展的趋势告诉我们,未来经济会不断发展、永不停歇②,未来世界会是一个财富不断增长而欲望节节上升的世界;一个为达到富裕不断角逐而导致文化差异尽失③的世界;一个建立在信仰科学和理性探索的基础之上并相信人类最终有能力塑造自己命运的世界④。具有讽刺意味的是,在最后一点上,历史的经验教训似乎告诉我们,事物的发展并非如此⑤:人类别无选择,并不能掌握自己的命运⑥。最后,经济发展的结果不是人性战胜物欲,而是物欲战胜人性。”

解析     ①在翻译so our wealth boosts our happiness only briefly while shrinking that of our neighbors时,语序进行了调整。while shrinking. . . 为隐含条件,根据汉语习惯,将条件置前,故对应译文为“因此只有当我们的财富让邻居相形见绌的时候,我们才会感到片刻的幸福”。
    ②The future, then, to which the epoch of modern economic growth is leading is one of never ending economic growth. . . 句式结构较为复杂,抽象名词使用较多,可直译为“当今经济发展这一时代所通向的未来是永不停歇的经济增长的未来”,现译“当今经济发展的趋势告诉我们,未来经济会不断发展、永不停歇”,一是因为汉语多用动词,二是因为汉语多用短句及四字对偶结构。
    ③变被动为主动,将is leveled译为偏正结构“尽失”,使原文语义在译文中得到了充分的表达。
    ④a world in which. . . a world in which. . . a world which. . . 是排比结构,读来一气呵成,译文同样用了排比。
    ⑤形容词otherwise做表语,意为“并非如此”,其语义往往隐含在上下文中。本文表示人们没有机会选择自己的命运。
    ⑥根据上文in this last respect可知,there is no choice是指在塑造、掌握自己的命运方面没有选择,因此在“人类别无选择”后增译了“并不能掌握自己的命运”,目的是为了使译文在内容上更加连贯.
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