TED演讲:昔日纽约(5)

 From there, to the modern ventriloquist's dummy¹, is but a brief moment in history. 从这个到现代的口技者的木偶，不是一段简短的历史。

You were late for school again this morning. 今天早上你上学又迟到了。

The ventriloquist must first make us believe that a small boy is sitting on his lap. 口技者必须首先让我们相信，在他膝盖上坐着的是一个小男孩儿。

The illusion of speech follows incidentally. 然后自然而然的带出台词。

What have you got to say for yourself, Jimmy? 你为自己有什么想要说的吗，吉米？

As adults we admire the lap from a nostalgic distance. 作为成年人，我们羡慕那膝盖因为我们怀旧。

We have fading memories of that provisional temple, erected² each time an adult sat down. 我们的记忆在慢慢消退，有关那个短暂的神庙的记忆，那座在每一个坐下的成年人膝上立起的神庙。

On a crowded bus there was always a lap to sit on. 拥挤的公交车上，总有可以坐上去的膝盖。

It is children and teenage girls who are most keenly aware of its architectural beauty. 孩子和青春期的少女们能最敏锐的察觉到建筑结构的美。

They understand the structural³ integrity of a deep avuncular⁴ lap, 他们能明白建筑结构的整体性-我指的是父辈的膝盖，

as compared to the shaky arrangement of a neurotic⁵ niece in high heels. 相对于你那神经质的外甥女和她的高跟鞋之间摇摇晃晃的关系来说。

The relationship between the lap and its owner is direct and intimate. 膝盖和它的拥有者之间的关系直接而亲密。

I envision a 36-story,450-unit residential⁶ high-rise,a reason to consider the mental health of any architect before granting an important commission. 我想象了一幢36层高，有450个房间的住宅大楼用来检验建筑师的心理健康，在还没有给他一大笔佣金之前。

The bathrooms and kitchens will, of course, have no windows. 洗手间和厨房，当然是没有窗户的。

The lap of luxury is an architectural construct of childhood, which we seek, in vain, as adults, to employ. 膝盖上的奢侈生活 只是一个童年的构想，我们在寻觅的过程中总是无功而返，就像成年人雇佣人的时候一样。

1 dummy   

n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头

参考例句：

• The police suspect that the device is not a real bomb but a dummy.警方怀疑那个装置不是真炸弹，只是一个假货。
• The boys played soldier with dummy swords made of wood.男孩们用木头做的假木剑玩打仗游戏。

2 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

3 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

4 avuncular   

adj.叔伯般的，慈祥的

参考例句：

• He began to talk in his most gentle and avuncular manner.他开始讲话了，态度极其和蔼而慈祥。
• He was now playing the role of disinterested host and avuncular mentor.他现在正扮演着慷慨的主人和伯父似的指导人的角色。

5 neurotic   

adj.神经病的，神经过敏的；n.神经过敏者，神经病患者

参考例句：

• Nothing is more distracting than a neurotic boss. 没有什么比神经过敏的老板更恼人的了。
• There are also unpleasant brain effects such as anxiety and neurotic behaviour.也会对大脑产生不良影响，如焦虑和神经质的行为。

6 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。