Unit Eight
Text I,Why Nothing Works
Background Information
Murphy?s law is a popular adage in Western
culture,which roughly states that things will
go wrong in a technical system,It is often
roughly stated as ―if anything can go wrong,it
will‖,
The original Murphy's law reads,
If there are two or more ways to do something,
and one of those ways can result in a
catastrophe,then someone will do it,
Background Information
It was then a principle of defensive design,
anticipating the mistakes the end-user is
likely to make,For example,no competent
designer would make a symmetrical two-pin
plug and then label it "THIS WAY UP"; if it
matters which way it is plugged in,the design
should be asymmetrical so it can't be plugged
in wrong,
Background
Pomo Indians and their basketry
The Pomo Indians belong to a North
American tribe that forms the second largest
tribal group in California,U.S.A,The name
―Pomo‖ comes from a suffix that the Pomo
people add to many words in their language.
The Pomo women‘s fine basketry is the artistic
triumph of the people,Pomo basketry includes
small masterpieces as well as large,colorfully
decorated containers,and is considered among
the world‘s finest.
Eskimo skin boat
.
In the summer,Eskimos used this kind
of boat for hunting and travel The kayak
was decked over except for a manhole
that accommodated one person,Such
craft had frames made of pieces of
driftwood bound together.
Words and expressions
savant,a man of learning,especially a person with
detailed knowledge in some specialized field.
corollary,an immediate inference from a proved
proposition
forestall:defeat,prevent by prior measures
commitment:a pledge to follow certain beliefs or a
certain course of action; devotion (to duty etc.)
artifact:a usually small object (as a tool or an
ornament) showing human workmanship that has
special historical interest
evoke,bring to mind
projectile point,the tip of a weapon that is thrust
forward; spear or arrowhead
band:a group of people formed for some
common purpose and often with a leader
barter,trade by exchanging one commodity for
another
alienation:a withdrawing or separation of a
person from an object or position of former
attachment; a feeling of not belonging to or
being part of one‘s surroundings
Skimming reading
1,What is the main purpose of the
passage?
To trace the cause of the shoddy goods
problem.
2,Do exercise 2 on P101
Answer,T F F T T
Language points
1,corollary—an idea,an argument,or a
fact naturally follows something else
corollaries to Murphy‘s Law suggest
themselves as clues to the shoddy
goods problem,– From Murphy‘s Law
we may find answers to the problem of
badly made goods
2,until a decent interval has elapsed—
until a sufficiently long period of time
has passed,The basic meaning of
decent is ―proper; socially acceptable,‖
e.g.,decent behaviour,decent clothing.
In this context,a decent interval
suggests that the amount of time should
be long enough for people to accept as
proper.
elapse—the passing of time
e.g.,three weeks/four months/two years
have elapsed.
Much of human existence consists of
efforts aimed at making sure that things
don‘t go wrong,fall apart,break down,or
stop running until a decent interval has
elapsed after their manufacture,(11,5-7)
-- People spend much of their lifetime trying
hard to keep things in good shape,They
think a product,after leaving its factory,
should last at least for a reasonably long
period before ceasing to work.
3,Forestalling Murphy‘s Law—
Preventing Murphy‘s Law from taking
effect/operating.
forestall—prevent or defeat (a person or
his plans) by acting first
e.g.,Before he had time to explain what
he proposed to do,his plan was
forestalled.
The police forestalled the burglar’s
attempt to break into the jeweler’s.
4,commitment—(in this context) obligation or
determination to forestall Murphy‘s Law
commitment—the act of pledging or devoting
(oneself) to a course of action.
e.g.,The teacher’s commitment (responsibility)
is more than imparting knowledge.
A person is committed if he devotes himself to a
certain cause,e.g.,a committed educationist.
But gadgets and sampling alone
will never do the trick since these
items are also subject to Murphy‘s
Law,(11,10-11)
--Quality-control instruments and testing
devices are also governed by Murphy‘s
Law,so they are not reliable.
5,maintenance—the act of keeping
something in good order/condition by
regularly checking it.
e.g.,You may be able to afford a second-
hand automobile,but its maintenance may
cost you a lot.
Trs.,质量控制工具的保养是会很昂贵的 。
The maintenance of quality-control
instruments can be very costly.
6,artifact—an object that is made by man,such as
a tool or a decoration,especially one that is of
historical interest.
e.g.,Various artifacts of prehistoric times were
discovered during the excavation.
7,dispel—remove (false belief,doubt,fear) by
proving them wrong.
e.g.,His encouraging words dispelled all my
doubts about my own inability.
Trs.,严酷的日常生活现实驱散了他对美好未来的憧
憬 。
The harsh reality of daily life dispelled all his
hopes for a bright future.
A single visit to a museum which
displays artifacts used by simple
preindustrial societies is sufficient to
dispel the notion that quality is
dependent on technology,(11,16-18)
Look at the artifacts of the pre-industrial
era exhibited in a museum and you will see
that technology is not the factor that
decides the quality of these items.
8,we honor the label ―handmade‖ – we
show respect for/think much of the tag
which says that the article is made by hand
9,evoke—bring forth,call up,cause
something to be remembered or expressed.
e.g.:The songs evoked memories of my
school days.
Trs.,看到长城使他产生一种惊讶的感觉 。
The sight of the Great Wall evoked a sense
of wonder in him.
In unskilled or uncaring hands a
handmade basket or boat can fall
apart as quickly as baskets or boats
made by machines,(11,25-27)
If a handmade basket or boat is made by
an inexperienced or irresponsible worker,it
may break down as easily as machine-
made baskets or boats.
I rather think that the reason we honor
the label ―handmade‖ is because it
evokes not a technological relationship
between producer and product but a
social relationship between producer
and consumer,(11,27-29)
My opinion is that it is the social relationship
between producer and consumer rather than the
technological relationship between producer and
product that makes ―handmade‖ items so highly
regarded.
10.the intimate sentimental and personal
bonds—the close/familiar emotional and
person-to-person relationship/connection
11.wither—become weaker or shrink,Plants,
trees,flowers may all wither away,and so
may one‘s hopes,when one becomes
hopeless.
Trs.,在一次又一次地经历失败后，他的希望
破灭了。
His hopes withered away after he had
experienced one failure after another.
12,the women and men involved in… -- the
women and men taking part in… be
involved in—be as a necessary part in,
e.g.,Are you involved in your class‘s new
project?
13,alienation—a feeling of not belonging to
or not being a part of one‘s surroundings.
e.g.:The foreman‘s haughtiness caused
alienation from work among the workers.
14,sabotage -- intentional damage to
machines,buildings,etc,carried out
secretly to weaken a government,an
enemy,or as a protest.
e.g.,All attempts at sabotage must be
mercilessly crushed.
Text I,Why Nothing Works
Background Information
Murphy?s law is a popular adage in Western
culture,which roughly states that things will
go wrong in a technical system,It is often
roughly stated as ―if anything can go wrong,it
will‖,
The original Murphy's law reads,
If there are two or more ways to do something,
and one of those ways can result in a
catastrophe,then someone will do it,
Background Information
It was then a principle of defensive design,
anticipating the mistakes the end-user is
likely to make,For example,no competent
designer would make a symmetrical two-pin
plug and then label it "THIS WAY UP"; if it
matters which way it is plugged in,the design
should be asymmetrical so it can't be plugged
in wrong,
Background
Pomo Indians and their basketry
The Pomo Indians belong to a North
American tribe that forms the second largest
tribal group in California,U.S.A,The name
―Pomo‖ comes from a suffix that the Pomo
people add to many words in their language.
The Pomo women‘s fine basketry is the artistic
triumph of the people,Pomo basketry includes
small masterpieces as well as large,colorfully
decorated containers,and is considered among
the world‘s finest.
Eskimo skin boat
.
In the summer,Eskimos used this kind
of boat for hunting and travel The kayak
was decked over except for a manhole
that accommodated one person,Such
craft had frames made of pieces of
driftwood bound together.
Words and expressions
savant,a man of learning,especially a person with
detailed knowledge in some specialized field.
corollary,an immediate inference from a proved
proposition
forestall:defeat,prevent by prior measures
commitment:a pledge to follow certain beliefs or a
certain course of action; devotion (to duty etc.)
artifact:a usually small object (as a tool or an
ornament) showing human workmanship that has
special historical interest
evoke,bring to mind
projectile point,the tip of a weapon that is thrust
forward; spear or arrowhead
band:a group of people formed for some
common purpose and often with a leader
barter,trade by exchanging one commodity for
another
alienation:a withdrawing or separation of a
person from an object or position of former
attachment; a feeling of not belonging to or
being part of one‘s surroundings
Skimming reading
1,What is the main purpose of the
passage?
To trace the cause of the shoddy goods
problem.
2,Do exercise 2 on P101
Answer,T F F T T
Language points
1,corollary—an idea,an argument,or a
fact naturally follows something else
corollaries to Murphy‘s Law suggest
themselves as clues to the shoddy
goods problem,– From Murphy‘s Law
we may find answers to the problem of
badly made goods
2,until a decent interval has elapsed—
until a sufficiently long period of time
has passed,The basic meaning of
decent is ―proper; socially acceptable,‖
e.g.,decent behaviour,decent clothing.
In this context,a decent interval
suggests that the amount of time should
be long enough for people to accept as
proper.
elapse—the passing of time
e.g.,three weeks/four months/two years
have elapsed.
Much of human existence consists of
efforts aimed at making sure that things
don‘t go wrong,fall apart,break down,or
stop running until a decent interval has
elapsed after their manufacture,(11,5-7)
-- People spend much of their lifetime trying
hard to keep things in good shape,They
think a product,after leaving its factory,
should last at least for a reasonably long
period before ceasing to work.
3,Forestalling Murphy‘s Law—
Preventing Murphy‘s Law from taking
effect/operating.
forestall—prevent or defeat (a person or
his plans) by acting first
e.g.,Before he had time to explain what
he proposed to do,his plan was
forestalled.
The police forestalled the burglar’s
attempt to break into the jeweler’s.
4,commitment—(in this context) obligation or
determination to forestall Murphy‘s Law
commitment—the act of pledging or devoting
(oneself) to a course of action.
e.g.,The teacher’s commitment (responsibility)
is more than imparting knowledge.
A person is committed if he devotes himself to a
certain cause,e.g.,a committed educationist.
But gadgets and sampling alone
will never do the trick since these
items are also subject to Murphy‘s
Law,(11,10-11)
--Quality-control instruments and testing
devices are also governed by Murphy‘s
Law,so they are not reliable.
5,maintenance—the act of keeping
something in good order/condition by
regularly checking it.
e.g.,You may be able to afford a second-
hand automobile,but its maintenance may
cost you a lot.
Trs.,质量控制工具的保养是会很昂贵的 。
The maintenance of quality-control
instruments can be very costly.
6,artifact—an object that is made by man,such as
a tool or a decoration,especially one that is of
historical interest.
e.g.,Various artifacts of prehistoric times were
discovered during the excavation.
7,dispel—remove (false belief,doubt,fear) by
proving them wrong.
e.g.,His encouraging words dispelled all my
doubts about my own inability.
Trs.,严酷的日常生活现实驱散了他对美好未来的憧
憬 。
The harsh reality of daily life dispelled all his
hopes for a bright future.
A single visit to a museum which
displays artifacts used by simple
preindustrial societies is sufficient to
dispel the notion that quality is
dependent on technology,(11,16-18)
Look at the artifacts of the pre-industrial
era exhibited in a museum and you will see
that technology is not the factor that
decides the quality of these items.
8,we honor the label ―handmade‖ – we
show respect for/think much of the tag
which says that the article is made by hand
9,evoke—bring forth,call up,cause
something to be remembered or expressed.
e.g.:The songs evoked memories of my
school days.
Trs.,看到长城使他产生一种惊讶的感觉 。
The sight of the Great Wall evoked a sense
of wonder in him.
In unskilled or uncaring hands a
handmade basket or boat can fall
apart as quickly as baskets or boats
made by machines,(11,25-27)
If a handmade basket or boat is made by
an inexperienced or irresponsible worker,it
may break down as easily as machine-
made baskets or boats.
I rather think that the reason we honor
the label ―handmade‖ is because it
evokes not a technological relationship
between producer and product but a
social relationship between producer
and consumer,(11,27-29)
My opinion is that it is the social relationship
between producer and consumer rather than the
technological relationship between producer and
product that makes ―handmade‖ items so highly
regarded.
10.the intimate sentimental and personal
bonds—the close/familiar emotional and
person-to-person relationship/connection
11.wither—become weaker or shrink,Plants,
trees,flowers may all wither away,and so
may one‘s hopes,when one becomes
hopeless.
Trs.,在一次又一次地经历失败后，他的希望
破灭了。
His hopes withered away after he had
experienced one failure after another.
12,the women and men involved in… -- the
women and men taking part in… be
involved in—be as a necessary part in,
e.g.,Are you involved in your class‘s new
project?
13,alienation—a feeling of not belonging to
or not being a part of one‘s surroundings.
e.g.:The foreman‘s haughtiness caused
alienation from work among the workers.
14,sabotage -- intentional damage to
machines,buildings,etc,carried out
secretly to weaken a government,an
enemy,or as a protest.
e.g.,All attempts at sabotage must be
mercilessly crushed.
