英语故事:你知道时间的故事吗?

 “Do you know the time?”

“你知道时间吗？”

Time is a very complex thing. We’re surrounded by it, yet all too often we feel like we don’t have enough of it.

时间是个非常复杂的东西，它无处不在，又常常让我们感觉不够用。

Sometimes, we take it for granted. At other times, we wish we had more.

有时候，我们没把时间当回事儿，但另外一些时候，我们又希望时间能再多一点儿。

When we’re busy or having fun, time seems to pass quickly. When we’re bored, or moving slowly — for example, driving at constant speed across a monotonous¹ landscape — it seems to pass at glacial speed.

繁忙或开心的时候，时间总是过得很快。无聊或移动缓慢的时候，比如开车匀速驶过一片单调乏味的景致时，时间似乎又像冰川挪动速度一样慢。

The average tempo² of daily life and work has been dramatically sped up by advances in IT, communications, transportation, and productivity. Apart from objective changes in the pace of life, our perspectives change as we grow older. 

IT、通讯、交通和生产力的发展大大提高了日常生活和工作的一般节奏。除了生活节拍的客观变化以外，我们的视角也随着年龄的增长而发生了改变。

Young people never say: “Wow. This year went by so quickly.” Older people say this kind of thing frequently.

年轻人从来不会说：“哇，今年过得好快！”只有上了岁数的人才常把这种话挂在嘴边。

Our individual perceptions about the passage of time are influenced by a variety of internal and external factors. As a result, our feelings about the passage of time vary considerably³, despite the fact that time’s passage on a clock is a very consistent, measurable phenomenon.

我们对时间流逝的认知受到很多内部和外部因素的影响，因此，时间的推移尽管在钟表上是一件非常统一而且可以衡量的事情，但它带给我们的感受却大相径庭。

Various types of instruments to accurately⁴ measure the passage of time were invented in ancient China, Greece, and other civilizations thousands of years ago.

早在数千年前，古代中国、希腊和其它很多古代文明就发明了各种各样的精确计时仪器。

There is no ongoing⁵ scientific debate about the fact that one day in solar time is comprised of 24 hours, or that one year is 365 days in length. On the other hand, for most of us, our individual perceptions about time are a curious mix of science-based knowledge and subjective⁶ experience.

现在，对于太阳时的一天包括24个小时、一年有365天这样的事实已经不再存在科学上的争论。但另一方面，对大多数人来说，个人对时间的感知却是科学知识和主观经验的奇妙结合。

The last time I said that the past year had gone by too quickly, for example, I did not conclude that the calendar, or the clocks, must be inaccurate⁷ as a result.

例如，我上次说去年过得真快的时候，并没有将它归结为日历或钟表的不准确。

It is a huge blessing⁸ that among the things that people around the world still disagree about (which are many), the accuracy of standard clocks and calendars is not one of them. Otherwise, we’d be in even bigger trouble than we are now.

非常幸运的是，在全世界人们仍在争论不休的（很多）事情中，并不包括关于标准时钟和日历准确性的讨论。否则我们的麻烦会比现在更大。

For one thing, the list of common excuses for missed deadlines would be exponentially expanded. This would be a headache for leaders in government, managers in business, sports coaches, editors, teachers and so on.

如果那样的话，经常用来解释错过最后期限的借口将会呈几何级增长，让政府领导、企业经理、运动教练、编辑和教师叫苦不迭。

Example:

例如：

“Mr. Minister, the new bridge project will be completed right on time according to our calendar. Unfortunately it will be 10 months behind schedule on that calendar your people have been using. These damn regional calendars! So many choices available in the market….”

“部长先生，新桥会按我们的日历准时完工。但遗憾的是，如果按您部下使用的日历，就是延期10个月完工。这些该死的地方日历！市场上的产品也太多了……”

Although humankind has been able to accurately measure the passage of solar time for many centuries, international agreement on a framework to coordinate⁹ and standardize¹⁰ time zones around the globe is a relatively¹¹ recent development, dating from the late 19th century.

尽管人类从很多世纪前就能准确地度量日历时的推移，但全世界为协调和规范时区的框架而达成国际一致还是最近的事，大约就在19世纪晚期。

The International Meridien Conference of 1884 established Greenwich Mean Time, referring to the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory¹² in Greenwich, near London. Greenwich thus became established as the location of the prime meridian¹³ of longitude¹⁴, and the base line for calculating time zones around the world. 

1884年，国际子午线大会确立了格林威治标准时间（GMT），即伦敦附近的格林威治皇家气象台（the Royal Observatory in Greenwich）的平均太阳时间。由此格林威治不仅作为起初子午线的所在地，也成为全球计算时区的基准线。

This was quite a victory for England, which ultimately derived¹⁵ from the remarkable¹⁶ ingenuity¹⁷ of a 18th century British watchmaker with no formal education, John Harrison, who solved the centuries-long scientific mystery of how to establish accurate time-keeping on seafaring vessels¹⁹, thus enabling accurate calculation of longitude.

这是英国的巨大胜利，而它的最终缔造者是一位没有受过任何正规教育的18世纪英国钟表匠——约翰?哈里逊。他解决了困扰人类几个世纪之久的海上计时难题，使经度的准确计算成为了可能。

Without a reliable measure of longitude, seafaring explorers, naval²⁰ and merchant vessel¹⁸ captains had for centuries never been sure of their exact location while on the high seas. Thousands of lives and many vessels were lost as a result, until Harrison’s breakthrough invention of the marine²¹ chronometer²².

没有可靠的经度测量，航海探险家、海军和商船船长在几个世纪内都无法确定自己在远海的准确位置，无数生命和船只因此魂断汪洋，直到哈里逊突破性地发明了航海天文钟。

After the 1884 Convention, Greenwich officially became the place where every day, year and century began. The main international system of nomenclature for time zones around the world was thus referenced to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). A more recent invention is Universal Coordinated²³ Time (UTC), which for all practical purposes refers to the same time zones by a different name.

1884年大会以后，格林威治正式成为每一天、每一年及每一世纪开始的地方。国际上主要时区系统的命名也都与格林威治时间有关。最新发明的协调世界时（UTC）从实用出发，将相同的时区进行了重新命名。

The basic framework of international time zones is that there is about one hour difference in solar time for every 15 degrees of longitude. In the case of the continental²⁴ U.S., for example, the approximate distance between the West and East coasts is 2,600 miles, equivalent to roughly 60 degrees of longitude. Thus, the continental U.S. (not counting Alaska and Hawaii) has four time zones.

国际时区的基本框架是经度每隔15度，太阳时就相差一小时。例如在美国大陆，东西海岸之间的距离约为2,600英里，相当于横跨60度经度，因此美国大陆（不含阿拉斯加和夏威夷）共分为四个时区。

The four continental US time zones, like most time zones around the world, are known by one set of names for domestic purposes, and in reference to GMT for international purposes. For example, New Yorkers know their time zone as Eastern Standard Time (EST), and only a regular international traveler would recognize it as GMT-5. Likewise, the U.S. West coast time zone is known to most Americans as Pacific Standard Time (PST) zone rather than GMT-8.

和世界许多时区一样，美国的四个时区在国内使用一套名称，但在国际上则参照格林威治标准时间。例如，纽约人都知道他们地处东部标准时区（EST），但只有经常跨国旅行的人才知道纽约位于格林威治标准时间西五区。同样，大多数美国人都知道美国西海岸位于太平洋标准时区（PST），却不知道它也叫做格林威治标准时间西八区。

For national and regional governments, solar time is just one consideration, and not always the most important one. As a result, a review of global time zones reveals examples where governments have chose variations on solar time to define their domestic time zones.

对国家和地区政府而言，太阳时只是备选方案之一，但并不见得总是最重要的。结果，检视一下全球的时区，就会发现，很多政府选择用不同的太阳时来规定国内时区。

China and India are cases in point, where there is one time zone from East to West. In China, the decision in 1949 to establish a single national time zone on Beijing time replaced the previous system of five time zones which had been established in 1912.

中国和印度就是如此，两国从东到西都只有一个时区。1949年，中国设定北京时间为全国统一时区，取代了1912年划定的5个不同时区。

Greater China falls within the GMT+8 time zone, which is the most populous²⁵ and geographically²⁶ expansive time zone on the planet, comprising states, regions and countries from Western Australia in the Southern Hemisphere to North Korea, Mongolia and parts of Russia in the Northern Hemisphere, including large parts of Southeast Asia as well.

大中华区位于格林威治标准时间东8时区内，东8时区是这个星球上人口最稠密、地域最广袤的时区，包括南半球的西澳大利亚及北半球的朝鲜、蒙古和俄罗斯部分地区在内，还有东南亚大部。

I have been a resident of the GMT+8 time zone for nearly 40 years. Apart from being a huge and populous time zone, it has been the earth’s fastest developing region for 30 years, and is very much the focus of global interest and attention.

我在东8时区居住了将近四十年。除了幅员辽阔、人口众多之外，东8时区还是过去30年间增长最快的地区，也是全球关注的焦点。

A hot topic in China these few years has been going global, and what individuals and organizations need to do to be successful at it. The answer has many facets²⁷ to it, but undoubtedly²⁸ begins with revisiting how we think about things. We’ll get nowhere by always thinking from a “local” perspective.

近年来，“走出去”以及个人和组织为成功实现这一目标应采取哪些行动——在中国成为热议的话题。答案涉及很多层面，但无疑都会从反思自己的思维模式开始。如果总是从“本地”视角出发，肯定哪儿也去不了。

An unfortunate paradox²⁹ of globalization is that mutual³⁰ understanding has not kept pace with global shrinkage. International communications and transportation networks are light years ahead of what they were 30 years ago, and yet we still routinely, and sometimes profoundly, misunderstand each other.

不幸的是，全球化的矛盾之一就是世界虽然正在缩小，但相互之间的理解却没有相应地跟上。当今国际通讯及交通的发展已经抛开30年前若干光年的距离，但我们仍会经常性地、有时甚至是深深的误会彼此。

1 monotonous   

adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的

参考例句：

• She thought life in the small town was monotonous.她觉得小镇上的生活单调而乏味。
• His articles are fixed in form and monotonous in content.他的文章千篇一律，一个调调儿。

2 tempo   

n.(音乐的)速度；节奏，行进速度

参考例句：

• The boss is unsatisfied with the tardy tempo.老板不满于这种缓慢的进度。
• They waltz to the tempo of the music.他们跟着音乐的节奏跳华尔兹舞。

3 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

4 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

5 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 subjective   

a.主观(上)的，个人的

参考例句：

• The way they interpreted their past was highly subjective. 他们解释其过去的方式太主观。
• A literary critic should not be too subjective in his approach. 文学评论家的看法不应太主观。

7 inaccurate   

adj.错误的，不正确的，不准确的

参考例句：

• The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确，而且夸大其词。
• She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。

8 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

9 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

10 standardize   

v.使符合标准，使标准化

参考例句：

• We will extend and standardize legal services and provide effective legal aid.拓展和规范法律服务，积极开展法律援助。
• There is a drive both to standardise components and to reduce the number of models on offer.正在为实现零部件标准化和减少推出的型号数量而努力。

11 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

12 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

13 meridian   

adj.子午线的；全盛期的

参考例句：

• All places on the same meridian have the same longitude.在同一子午线上的地方都有相同的经度。
• He is now at the meridian of his intellectual power.他现在正值智力全盛期。

14 longitude   

n.经线，经度

参考例句：

• The city is at longitude 21°east.这个城市位于东经21度。
• He noted the latitude and longitude,then made a mark on the admiralty chart.他记下纬度和经度，然后在航海图上做了个标记。

15 derived   

vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取

参考例句：

• Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek. 英语很多词源出于拉丁文和希腊文。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He derived his enthusiasm for literature from his father. 他对文学的爱好是受他父亲的影响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

17 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

18 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

19 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

21 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

22 chronometer   

n.精密的计时器

参考例句：

• Murchison followed with his eye the hand of his chronometer.莫奇生的眼睛追随着他的时计的秒针。
• My watch is more expensive because it's a chronometer.我的手表是精密型的，所以要比你的贵。

23 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

24 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

25 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

26 geographically   

adv.地理学上，在地理上，地理方面

参考例句：

• Geographically, the UK is on the periphery of Europe. 从地理位置上讲，英国处于欧洲边缘。 来自辞典例句
• All these events, however geographically remote, urgently affected Western financial centers. 所有这些事件，无论发生在地理上如何遥远的地方，都对西方金融中心产生紧迫的影响。 来自名作英译部分

27 facets   

n.（宝石或首饰的）小平面( facet的名词复数 )；（事物的）面；方面

参考例句：

• The question had many facets. 这个问题是多方面的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A fully cut brilliant diamond has 68 facets. 经过充分切刻的光彩夺目的钻石有68个小平面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

29 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。

30 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。