TED演讲:昔日纽约(2)

 Is it simply the byproduct of a crude mechanical action? 它仅仅是一个粗糙机械制作的副产品？

Or is it an imitation of one half the set of sounds we make to express disappointment? 或者对我们抒发不满的一种声音的一半所进行的模仿？

The often dental consonant¹ of no Indo-European language. 我们不满的时候经常用它在印欧语系中可找不到词源。

Or is it the amplified² sound of a synapse³ firing in the brain of a cockroach⁴? 还是，那其实是蟑螂大脑中触突闪现火花那一刹那所产生的声响的放大？

In the 1950s they tried their best to muffle⁵ this sound with mercury switches and silent knob controls. 在二十世纪五十年代，科学家们曾尽力用汞制的开关和静音的按钮来消除这声响。

But today these improvements seem somehow inauthentic. 但在今天开来，这些改进倒显得不地道。

The click is the modern triumphal clarion⁶ proceeding⁷ us through life,announcing our entry into every lightless room. 这“咯嗒”声 其实是现代社会胜利的号角。让我们的生活向前迈进，宣告我们向每一个无光的暗房进军。

The sound made flicking⁸ a wall switch off is of a completely different nature. 而我们把墙上开关关上的那一声响内涵就完全不同了。

It has a deep melancholy⁹ ring. Children don't like it. It's why they leave lights on around the house. 它蕴含着深深地抑郁声调。孩子们不喜欢它。所以总爱让房间亮着。

Adults find it comforting. But wouldn't it be an easy matter to wire a wall switch? 大人们却能聊以慰藉。但把墙上的开关接通电源不是很容易的事儿吗？

so that it triggers the muted horn of a steam ship? 这样就能够启动蒸汽船静默的汽笛？

Or the recorded crowing of a rooster? Or the distant peel of thunder? 或唤醒公鸡清晨的报晓？还是爆破远方的一声惊雷？

Thomas Edison went through thousands of unlikely substances before he came upon the right one for the filament¹⁰ of his electric light bulb. 爱迪生也是在尝试过，成千上万不同的物质之后才找到了真正适合做灯丝的物质，从而完成了他的电灯发明。

Why have we settled so quickly for the sound of its switch? 为什么我们要如此迅速地屈就于那开关不完美的“咯嗒”声响呢？

1 consonant   

n.辅音；adj.[音]符合的

参考例句：

• The quality of this suit isn't quite consonant with its price.这套衣服的质量和价钱不相称。
• These are common consonant clusters at the beginning of words.这些单词的开头有相同辅音组合。

2 amplified   

放大，扩大( amplify的过去式和过去分词 )； 增强； 详述

参考例句：

• He amplified on his remarks with drawings and figures. 他用图表详细地解释了他的话。
• He amplified the whole course of the incident. 他详述了事件的全过程。

3 synapse   

n.突触

参考例句：

• The chemical floods the synapse, overwhelming the serotonin receptors.这种化学物质湮没了突触，覆盖了5--羟色胺的受体。
• Ecstasy also keeps serotonin from being reabsorbed,further increasing the concentration in the synapse.毒品引起的狂迷还能阻止5--羟色胺的再吸收，进一步增加了突触内5--羟色胺的浓度。

4 cockroach   

n.蟑螂

参考例句：

• A cockroach can live several weeks with its head off.蟑螂在头被切掉后仍能活好几个星期。
• She screamed when she found a cockroach in her bed.她在床上找到一只蟑螂时大声尖叫。

5 muffle   

v.围裹；抑制；发低沉的声音

参考例句：

• Mother made an effort to muffle her emotions.母亲努力控制自己的感情。
• I put my hand over my mouth to muffle my words,so only my friend could hear. 我把手挡在嘴上，遮住声音，仅让我的朋友听到。

6 clarion   

n.尖音小号声；尖音小号

参考例句：

• Clarion calls to liberation had been mocked when we stood by.当我们袖手旁观的时候，自由解放的号角声遭到了嘲弄。
• To all the people present,his speech is a clarion call.对所有在场的人而言，他的演讲都是动人的号召。

7 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

8 flicking   

（尤指用手指或手快速地）轻击( flick的现在分词 )； （用…）轻挥； （快速地）按开关； 向…笑了一下（或瞥了一眼等）

参考例句：

• He helped her up before flicking the reins. 他帮她上马，之后挥动了缰绳。
• There's something flicking around my toes. 有什么东西老在叮我的脚指头。

9 melancholy   

n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• All at once he fell into a state of profound melancholy.他立即陷入无尽的忧思之中。
• He felt melancholy after he failed the exam.这次考试没通过，他感到很郁闷。

10 filament   

n.细丝；长丝；灯丝

参考例句：

• The source of electrons in an electron microscope is a heated filament.电子显微镜中的电子源，是一加热的灯丝。
• The lack of air in the bulb prevents the filament from burning up.灯泡内缺乏空气就使灯丝不致烧掉。