unit01 The Weight of Paper 纸的分量

unit01 The Weight of Paper纸的分量

The arrival of computer everywhere in the workplace would, some technological¹ forecasters predicted, soon make paper a thing of the past.

And guess what? Bill Gate’s vision of a computer on every desk has been more or less realized. Yet, most of the folks working at those desks are knee-deep in paper. In fact, sales of the stuff are growing.

Research from a new book, “The Myth of Paperless Office” suggests our increasing use of paper is due to the introduction of the very digital technology that was supposed to wipe it out.

The case studies on e-mail in the workplace, for example, show that it can lead to a 40% rise in paper consumption—this does not take into account the amount of paper used to print information from the Internet.

Xerox²’s core business involved paper, and it was understandably alarmed by the prospect³ of its going out of fashion. So the research center invented the computing⁴ and printer technology that made sure it didn’t. Those Xerox executives knew what they were doing.

But our attachment⁵ to paper is truly amazing. An astonishing proportion of e-mail users print off their messages and store them in filing cabinets. Organizations that used to print many documents for meetings now circulate them electronically via their intranets. But those attending meetings generally turn up with heaps of paper hot from the nearest laser printer.

Why store e-mail messages in paper files, which take up valuable space and are effectively unsearchable, when you can keep them on a hard disk and effortlessly look through them for keywords? Why print off bulky documents whose only fate is to be discarded after the meeting is over?

If people love paper, there must be a reason for it. And there is. It is highly portable, infinitely⁶ flexible, and consumes no battery power. And it doesn’t have to be turned on before you can read it.

The mystery is not that people use so much paper, but that they don’t use even more of the stuff. The problem with technological predictions is that they are always solution-driven. “Technology is the answer” is their underlying⁷ misdset. Now what was the question again? It’s foolish—and here is the hard copy to prove it.

1 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

2 xerox   

n./v.施乐复印机，静电复印

参考例句：

• Xerox and Lucent are two more high-tech companies run by women.施乐和朗讯是另外两家由女性经营的大科技公司。
• You cannot take it home,but you can xerox it.你不能把它带回家，但可以复印。

3 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

4 computing   

n.计算

参考例句：

• to work in computing 从事信息处理
• Back in the dark ages of computing, in about 1980, they started a software company. 早在计算机尚未普及的时代（约1980年），他们就创办了软件公司。

5 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

6 infinitely   

adv.无限地，无穷地

参考例句：

• There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
• The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。

7 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。