- 注释版
- 纯净版
来源:
[1] The Swiss derive genuine joy from the fact that life unfolds on time and in a highly efficient manner.
Point:
derive from 起源于，来源于
Eg：这些故事是根据他的经历写成的。
These stories derive from his experiences .
unfold 展开，打开，呈现
Eg：电影放下去，故事情节逐渐展开了。
The story unfolds as the film goes on.
in a/an ...manner 用...的方式
Eg：I agree it had to be done ,but not in such an offensive manner.
我同意那件事情必须做，但不是用这种令人不愉快的方式。Reading Guide：
文章一开始就道出了瑞士人的共有特点：准时，高效
[2] The alpine nation really is highly efficient. And meticulously punctual. Clean, too. For chronically tardy, resolutely inefficient (not to mention slovenly) people like myself, a visit to Switzerland yields a cocktail of emotions: awe, relief and a dash of irritation.
Point:
1. alpine [ˈælˌpaɪn] 阿尔卑斯山的; 阿尔卑斯山区居民的; 高山的
2. meticulously [mə'tɪkjələslɪ] 过细地，异常细致地; 无微不至; 精心
Eg：你早就已经在脑子里仔细地规划过了。
You have it all meticulously planned out in your head.
punctual [ˈpʌŋktʃuəl] 严守时刻的， 准时的，正点的
Eg：她一直可靠守时。
She has been reliable and punctual.
chronically ['krɒnɪklɪ] 慢性地，习惯性地，长期地
Eg：我长期繁忙，并且与孩子一起旅行总是很麻烦的。
I'm chronically busy, and traveling with young children is always difficult.
tardy [ˈtɑrdi] 行动缓慢的; 缓缓移动的; 晚的; 迟的
Eg：（1）晚到是不礼貌的.
It's impolite to make a tardy appearance.
老板不满于这种缓慢的进度
The boss is unsatisfied with the tardy tempo.
slovenly [ˈslʌvənli] 疏忽的; 懒散的; 邋遢的; 不整洁的
Eg：别那么没精打彩!
Don't slouch in that slovenly way!
a dash of 少 许，一点儿
Eg：给他一杯水,加少许威士忌.
Give him a glass of water with a dash of whisky in it.
irritation刺激; 激怒，恼怒，生气; 兴奋; 令人恼火的事
Eg：我突然对他感到气恼.
I felt a sudden irritation against him.Reading Guide：
因为他们的高效，作者去瑞士的时候就会产生这样的评价：敬畏，安心并且有一点刺激。
[3] For the Swiss, punctuality is not merely a nicety, a bonbon in the buffet of life. It is a source of deep contentment. The Swiss, it seems, subscribe to the German philosopher Schopenhauer’s definition of happiness as “an absence of misery”. They derive genuine joy from the fact that life unfolds on time and in a highly efficient manner.
Point:
nicety [ˈnaɪsɪti] 微妙; 细微; 细微之处; 细节
Eg：这一工作要求判断精确.
The job calls for nicety of judgment.
2. bonbon 小糖果
3. buffet [bəˈfeɪ] 自助餐; 火车饮食柜台; 车站快餐部
4. contentment [kənˈtɛntmənt] 满足，满意，知足，心满意足
Eg：他突然感到一种安宁和满足.
He felt a sudden sense of calm, of contentment.
misery [ˈmɪzəri] 痛苦; 不幸; 穷困; 悲惨的境遇
Eg：我为什么要如此自找苦吃啊？
Why was I putting myself through all this misery?Reading Guide：
解析瑞士人对于守时和高效的认知。
[4] Whenever I visit Switzerland, I go through several stages of punctuality reaction. At first it delights me, especially if I’m coming from neighbouring Italy or France with their rather more flexible approach to timekeeping. By contrast, life in Switzerland is sturdy and dependable, like a Saint Bernard dog. If someone says they will meet me at 2 pm, they arrive at 2 pm not 2:05 (or 1:55, for that matter). I like this. For a while.
Point:
flexible 灵活的; 易弯曲的; 柔韧的; 易被说服的
Eg：更灵活的方法
a more flexible approach
sturdy [ˈstɜrdi] 强壮的，健全的; 坚固的，耐用的; 坚定的; 精力充沛的
Eg：我们需要几个壮汉推这辆车.
We need several sturdy men to push this car.
dependable [dɪˈpɛndəbəl] 可信赖的，可靠的; 准; 塌实; 踏实
Eg：我认为他很可靠.
.I find him very dependable.Reading Guide：
作者在这一段举了例子，瑞士人的守时习惯
[5] Then it annoys me. The extreme punctuality strikes me as a kind of stinginess, and I find myself agreeing with the English writer Evelyn Waugh who said that “punctuality is the virtue of the bored.”
Point:
stinginess ['stɪndʒɪnəs] 小气
Eg：我们不能把勤俭和吝啬等同起来
We must not equate thrift with stinginess.Reading Guide：
对于瑞士人的这种习惯，作者的看法。
[6] That is unfair though, and finally, invariably, I come to appreciate Swiss punctuality for what it is: a deep expression of respect for other people. A punctual person is a considerate one. By showing up on time – for everything – a Swiss person is saying, in effect, “I value your time and, by extension, I value you.”
Point:
invariably [ɪnˈveriəbli] 总是; 不变的
Eg：体形较丰满的人穿夏装总是不那么好看。
Summer clothes are invariably less kind to fuller figures.Reading Guide：
“守时”，这其实是对别人尊重的体现：“我珍惜你的时间，甚至说，我是珍视你。”
[7] It’s no coincidence that the Swiss are the world’s watchmakers. Which came first – the precise timekeepers or the precise people? Hard to say, but the result is the same: a nation where the trains – and everything else – really do run on time. Then there are the toilets.
Reading Guide：
这也难怪瑞士是世界最大的钟表制造商，然而这种对时间精准把握的人，在其他事情上更是一样。接下来就是例子。
[8] “Have you seen our public toilets?” asked Dieter, a Swiss doctor, over an afternoon beer in Geneva. “They are very clean.” He’s right. Swiss toilets are indeed clean, as is everything else too. In some countries it would be suicidal to drink the tap water. In Switzerland it is fashionable to do so; the water comes from natural springs.
Point:
suicidal [ˌsuɪˈsaɪdl] 自杀的，自杀性的; 自我毁灭的，自取灭亡的; 于己不利
(补充： 自杀企图suicide attempt
敢死队 suicide squad
寻短见 commit suicide）Reading Guide：
例子：公共吸收间
[9] How to explain this cleanliness and punctuality? No one knows for sure. But a popular theory is that, historically, it stems from the unforgiving, mountainous terrain. Either you planted your crops on time and harvested them promptly or, well, you starved.
Point:
stem from 来自， 起源于， 由…造成; 出于
Eg：正确的判断来源于周密的调查研究。
Correct judgements stem from thorough investigation and study
2. mountainous terrain 多山的地形
3. promptly [ˈprɑmptli] 敏捷地; 迅速地; 立即地; 毫不迟疑
Eg：假如有困难，请迅速通知我们。
If there is any difficulty, please let us know promptly.Reading Guide：
从历史的根源解读“ cleanliness”和“punctuality”
[10] Punctuality, sadly, is a dying art in many parts of the world. Mobile phones are partly to blame. We feel less compelled to arrive on time if we can always text to say we’re running a few minutes late. I don’t sense that is happening in Switzerland, though.
Point:
compel强迫，迫使; 强制发生，使不得不
Eg：没有什么可以强迫我做这件事.
Nothing can compel me to do such a thing.Reading Guide：
遗憾的是，人们有了手机以后可以在约会时，编辑短信提前告知对方“我迟到几分钟”，但是在瑞士这种事情不会发生。
[11] Susan Jane Gilman, an American author who has lived in Geneva for the past 11 years, recounted with awe how she’s “never had a taxi that arrived late, that wasn’t there exactly when it said it would be”. She marvelled at how, for instance, when she’s ordered a new refrigerator, the company gives her a precise two-hour window for delivery – and sticks to it.
Point:
recount 详细叙述; 重新计算
Eg：他接着讲述了自己第一次找工作时面试的情形。
He then recounted the story of the interview for his first job.
marvel [ˈmɑrvl] 惊奇，对…感到惊奇
Eg：游客们惊叹这条湖的美丽.
The tourists marvel at the beauty of the lake.
[12] Switzerland has changed her. Once a “chronically late person”, Gilman is now meticulously punctual. “I feel a greater respect for people’s time,” she said, sounding very Swiss.
Reading Guide：
美国作家苏珊·吉尔曼在瑞士生活后，生活习惯被逐渐改变
[13] The flip side, though, is that when she visits New York, her hometown, she is annoyed by the relative lack of punctuality: the bus that is 15 minutes behind schedule or doesn’t show up at all, the friends who saunter into a restaurant 30 minutes late. “My friends will say ‘Suze hon, this isn’t Switzerland, relax. They’ll hold our table.’ But I’ve gotten anal. I get annoyed if people are late.”
Point:
1. saunter [ˈsɔntər] 闲逛; 漫步
Eg：我们沿着河走走吧.
Let's go for a saunter along the river.2. I’ve gotten anal = I’ve already shown up= I’ve already arrived
Reading Guide：
而回到美国，情况却大不一样，Gilman反而不适应了
[14] Punctuality is not without its drawbacks. For one thing, it creates a kind of bunching effect. Coffee shops in Swiss cities tend to be crowded at 4pm every day because everybody takes their coffee break at exactly 4pm. In apartment buildings, residents must abide by a strict weekday schedule for use of the laundry room.
Point:
1. drawback 缺点，劣势
2. bunching 成群，群聚，成组
Eg：他们几乎脚尖踩着脚跟地挤作一团。
They were bunching up, almost treading upon each other's heels.
abide 容忍，忍受; 等候; 遵守
Eg：（1）她见不得他成功。
She couldn't abide his success.
我讨厌和没有幽默感的人打交道。
I can't abide people with no sense of humour.
strict精确的; 绝对的; 严格的，严谨的Reading Guide：
守时也会有一些缺点哦，会在某种程度上造成“群聚效应”大家来看看作者文章当中举得两个例子哦。
[15] Extreme punctuality also creates an expectation, and if that expectation is not met, disappointment ensues. On those rare occasions that things do not function smoothly, the Swiss get flustered – and angry. Recently, the country was thrown into a tizzy with the disturbing news that only 87.5% of the trains run by the federal railroad arrived within three minutes of their scheduled time, shy of their 89% target.
Point:
ensue [ɪnˈsu] 接踵发生，继而产生
Eg：这事的结果将会怎样?
What will ensue from this?
fluster使慌乱，使不安
Eg：她是个非常沉着的人。没什么能让她惊慌的。
She was a very calm person. Nothing could fluster her.
tizzy惊慌，紧张
Eg：她在会前感到心慌意乱。
She was in a real tizzy before the meeting.
4. federal 联邦（制）的; 同盟的
5. shy of 缺乏，不足
Eg：我们还差3票才能获胜.
We are still 3 votes shy of the number we need to win.Reading Guide：
极端的守时，会让你预期高，同时一旦预期没有完成，则会让你失望。比如说铁路列车的准点率。
[16] But perhaps that frustration has some merit . After all, Switzerland has some fierce competition when it comes to punctuality. In Japan, the Shinkansen bullet trains make the Swiss railroads look downright tardy. The average annual delay? Thirty six seconds.
Point:
1. merit价值，优点
2. fierce凶猛的，残忍的; 猛烈的; 狂热的
Eg：商场如战场，竞争激烈，不近人情。
Business is a competitive activity. It is very fierce and very unforgiving.
3. downright 完全的，彻底的
Eg：（1）downright cheat 彻头彻尾的骗局
我认为他的说法完全是一种侮辱
I take his comment as a downright insult.Reading Guide：
对于瑞士列车准时准点，也有有力的竞争者哦，日本有名的新干线。
来源:
文章导读:
讨厌迟到的国度——瑞士，今天的这篇文章只是在陈述一种现象，讲到了瑞士人的守时和高效：1-5段，有作者对于瑞士人守时这种习惯现象的描述和自己的解读。第6段，瑞士人自己的看法。
也许是对时间的极度敏感，也就不难想象瑞士能成为世界最大的机械钟表制造的国家，其实同样在其他事情上他们也是非常的细致，文章的7~8段就有描述。对于这种现象的原因，大家有想过么？如果想知道，那就去读一读第9段。那瑞士人这样的特征，非瑞士人会有什么体验和感悟，来看看美国作家怎么说，文章的第11,12,13段有讲到自己刚开始有多不习惯，到之后回到美国以后有怎样的对比，那我们不妨也可以想几个我们身边的例子，课堂上可以一起聊一聊，在我们国家是什么样的情况。
那事物都是有两面性的，后边的几段重点会讲到守时，极端守时都会出现什么缺点。我们看到这样一篇陈述类文章以后，可以自己得出一些结论，更重要的是通过这样一个小窗口来了解一个国家的文化特征。
[1] The Swiss derive genuine joy from the fact that life unfolds on time and in a highly efficient manner.
[2] The alpine nation really is highly efficient. And meticulously punctual. Clean, too. For chronically tardy, resolutely inefficient (not to mention slovenly) people like myself, a visit to Switzerland yields a cocktail of emotions: awe, relief and a dash of irritation.
[3] For the Swiss, punctuality is not merely a nicety, a bonbon in the buffet of life. It is a source of deep contentment. The Swiss, it seems, subscribe to the German philosopher Schopenhauer’s definition of happiness as “an absence of misery”. They derive genuine joy from the fact that life unfolds on time and in a highly efficient manner.
[4] Whenever I visit Switzerland, I go through several stages of punctuality reaction. At first it delights me, especially if I’m coming from neighbouring Italy or France with their rather more flexible approach to timekeeping. By contrast, life in Switzerland is sturdy and dependable, like a Saint Bernard dog. If someone says they will meet me at 2 pm, they arrive at 2 pm not 2:05 (or 1:55, for that matter). I like this. For a while.
[5] Then it annoys me. The extreme punctuality strikes me as a kind of stinginess, and I find myself agreeing with the English writer Evelyn Waugh who said that “punctuality is the virtue of the bored.”
[6] That is unfair though, and finally, invariably, I come to appreciate Swiss punctuality for what it is: a deep expression of respect for other people. A punctual person is a considerate one. By showing up on time – for everything – a Swiss person is saying, in effect, “I value your time and, by extension, I value you.”
[7] It’s no coincidence that the Swiss are the world’s watchmakers. Which came first – the precise timekeepers or the precise people? Hard to say, but the result is the same: a nation where the trains – and everything else – really do run on time. Then there are the toilets.
[8] “Have you seen our public toilets?” asked Dieter, a Swiss doctor, over an afternoon beer in Geneva. “They are very clean.” He’s right. Swiss toilets are indeed clean, as is everything else too. In some countries it would be suicidal to drink the tap water. In Switzerland it is fashionable to do so; the water comes from natural springs.
[9] How to explain this cleanliness and punctuality? No one knows for sure. But a popular theory is that, historically, it stems from the unforgiving, mountainous terrain. Either you planted your crops on time and harvested them promptly or, well, you starved.
[10] Punctuality, sadly, is a dying art in many parts of the world. Mobile phones are partly to blame. We feel less compelled to arrive on time if we can always text to say we’re running a few minutes late. I don’t sense that is happening in Switzerland, though.
[11] Susan Jane Gilman, an American author who has lived in Geneva for the past 11 years, recounted with awe how she’s “never had a taxi that arrived late, that wasn’t there exactly when it said it would be”. She marvelled at how, for instance, when she’s ordered a new refrigerator, the company gives her a precise two-hour window for delivery – and sticks to it.
[12] Switzerland has changed her. Once a “chronically late person”, Gilman is now meticulously punctual. “I feel a greater respect for people’s time,” she said, sounding very Swiss.
[13] The flip side, though, is that when she visits New York, her hometown, she is annoyed by the relative lack of punctuality: the bus that is 15 minutes behind schedule or doesn’t show up at all, the friends who saunter into a restaurant 30 minutes late. “My friends will say ‘Suze hon, this isn’t Switzerland, relax. They’ll hold our table.’ But I get annoyed if people are late.”
[14] Punctuality is not without its drawbacks. For one thing, it creates a kind of bunching effect. Coffee shops in Swiss cities tend to be crowded at 4pm every day because everybody takes their coffee break at exactly 4pm. In apartment buildings, residents must abide by a strict weekday schedule for use of the laundry room.
[15] Extreme punctuality also creates an expectation, and if that expectation is not met, disappointment ensues. On those rare occasions that things do not function smoothly, the Swiss get flustered – and angry. Recently, the country was thrown into a tizzy with the disturbing news that only 87.5% of the trains run by the federal railroad arrived within three minutes of their scheduled time, shy of their 89% target.
[16] But perhaps that frustration has some merit. After all, Switzerland has some fierce competition when it comes to punctuality. In Japan, the Shinkansen bullet trains make the Swiss railroads look downright tardy. The average annual delay? Thirty six seconds.