新概念英语85年上外美音版第四册 第31课

　　Lesson 31 Non-auditory Effects of Noise 噪音的非听觉效应
Many people in industry and the Services, who have practical experience of noise, regard any investigation¹ of this question as a waste of time; they are not prepared even to admit the possibility that noise affects people. On the other hand, those who dislike noise will sometimes use most inadequate² evidence to support their pleas for a quieter society. This is a pity, because noise abatement³ really is a good cause. and it is likely to be discredited⁴ if it gets to be associated with bad science.
One allegation often made is that noise produces mental illness. A recent article in a weekly newspaper, for instance, was headed with a striking illustration of a lady in a state of considerable distress⁵, with the caption⁶ 'She was yet another victim, reduced to a screaming wreck⁷ '. On turning eagerly to the text, one learns that the lady was a typist who found the sound of office typewriters worried her more and more until eventually she had to go into a mental hospital. Now the snag in this sort of anecdote⁸ is of course that one cannot distinguish cause and effect. Was the noise a cause of the illness, or were the complaints about noise merely a symptom? Another patient might equally well complain that her neighbours were combining to slander⁹ her and persecute¹⁰ her, and yet one might be cautious about believing this statement.
What is needed in the case of noise is a study of large numbers of people living under noisy conditions, to discover whether they are mentally ill more often than other people are. The United States Navy, for instance, recently examined a very large number of men working on aircraft carriers: the study was known as Project Anehin. It can be unpleasant to live even several miles from an aerodrome; if you think what it must be like to share the deck of a ship with several squadrons of jet aircraft, you will realize that a modern navy is a good place to study noise. But neither psychiatric interviews nor objective tests were able to show any effects upon these American sailors. This result merely confirms earlier American and British studies: if there is any effect of noise upon mental health it must be so small that present methods of psychiatric diagnosis¹¹ cannot find it. That does not prove that it does not exist; but it does mean that noise is less dangerous than, say, being brought up in an orphanages--which really is a mental health hazard.
likely=possibly
deposited=saved=piled up 堆积
mud (from the seashore)
the man and the like: 就他那样的人（否定意义）
cover over: 全部覆盖
第一段：强调句
1. 加原因状语
2. 加地点状语
favourable=good=ideal
small fraction 小部分
that die 已死的或将要死的
feed on: 靠……为生　I feed on rice./I feed rice. (F) I feed the baby.
live by: 通过　live by the hands 自力更生　live by the mountains
live on=feed on
dead or alive 连缀形容词要做后置定语
ecological¹² chain: 生物链　the law of the jungle, survival of the fittest
chance=accidental 偶尔　chance meeting　邂逅　chance company 萍水相逢
on land 陆路
seldom=hardly
innumerable=numerous
see sb doing sth.
fly about: 四外飞翔　go about: 转一转
not to mention: 更不用说 = let alone= not to speak of
it is very rarely…(强调句，强调状语)
come across=run into
带other，一般用单数词，any(some)other: 任何一个
traces=remains
as…as…
when: 时间状语（接by falling into inaccessible¹³ caves, or into an ice crevasse…）
refrigerator: refrige
preserved: 做主语的宾语补足语
in good condition: 完好状态
tar¹⁴ pits: 焦油坑
collected=assembled 汇集
the carnivores: 肉食动物
industry 工业方面，工业界
Services: in America means army;
serviceman: 军人　ex-serviceman 退伍军人　ex-president 前总统　present president 现任总统
ex-wife 前妻　My ex-job is a secretary.
on the one hand.. on the other hand 一方面……，另一方面……
most前不加定冠词相当于very
good cause=good thing
and 在这儿表转折
mental illness 精神病
weekly newspaper 周刊报纸
head with 头版头条　carry the news on the front page
considerable 极度的
reduce（在这）＝made (reduce to tears; reduce to laughter; reduce to a skeleton)
text 文字说明；turning to 转向；on: as soon as
anecdote 轶闻（大多数情况下unreal）
might well 或许可以
symptom=sign
cautious=careful
statement 这桩事
equally 同样地
might well/may well＝have reason to do sth. or be reasonable
She may well be proud of her son. 她有理由为她的儿子骄傲。
You may well refuse him. 你有理由拒绝他。
the United States Navy 美国海军
aerodrome 机场　motordrome 赛车道　parking lot 停车场　aero- 航空　drome 场所
share with 与……共住，与……一起
psychiatric interviews 精神病的采访
objective test 问卷调查，客观题
say=for example
hazard=danger
本文是一个sophistry(诡辨术) critical eye; eagle eye 辨析力
 

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

3 abatement   

n.减(免)税，打折扣，冲销

参考例句：

• A bag filter for dust abatement at the discharge point should be provided.在卸料地点应该装设袋滤器以消除粉尘。
• The abatement of the headache gave him a moment of rest.头痛减轻给他片刻的休息。

4 discredited   

不足信的，不名誉的

参考例句：

• The reactionary authorities are between two fires and have been discredited. 反动当局弄得进退维谷，不得人心。
• Her honour was discredited in the newspapers. 她的名声被报纸败坏了。

5 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

6 caption   

n.说明，字幕，标题；v.加上标题，加上说明

参考例句：

• I didn't understand the drawing until I read the caption.直到我看到这幅画的说明才弄懂其意思。
• There is a caption under the picture.图片下边附有说明。

7 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

8 anecdote   

n.轶事，趣闻，短故事

参考例句：

• He departed from the text to tell an anecdote.他偏离课文讲起了一则轶事。
• It had never been more than a family anecdote.那不过是个家庭趣谈罢了。

9 slander   

n./v.诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• The article is a slander on ordinary working people.那篇文章是对普通劳动大众的诋毁。
• He threatened to go public with the slander.他威胁要把丑闻宣扬出去。

10 persecute   

vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰

参考例句：

• They persecute those who do not conform to their ideas.他们迫害那些不信奉他们思想的人。
• Hitler's undisguised effort to persecute the Jews met with worldwide condemnation.希特勒对犹太人的露骨迫害行为遭到世界人民的谴责。

11 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

12 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

13 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

14 tar   

n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于

参考例句：

• The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
• We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。