我们的社会正在变得越来越荒谬

1、我们的社会正在变得越来越荒谬，越来越离谱，大众则变得越来越心浮气躁，粗俗鄙陋，拿什么来挽救这个时代？美国作家JanetMendellGoldstein敏锐的抓住了问题的核心，看到现代社会凸显出的三大问题：Nowinsteadoflater不等将来，只求现在Fasterinsteadofslower不再缓慢，快快益善Superficiallyinsteadofthoroughly不求透彻只求浅薄。怎么解决，读一读这篇文章，你会找到答案。QuickFixSocietyJanetMendellGoldstein1. MyhusbandandIjustgotbackfromaweeksvacation

2、inWestVirginia.Ofcourse,wecouldntwaittogetthere,sowetookthePennsylvaniaTurnpikeandacoupleofinterstates.Lookatthosegorgeousfarms!myhusbandexclaimedaspastoralsceneryslidbyusat55mph.Didyouseethosecows?Butat55mph,itsdifficulttoseeanything;thegorgeousfarmslooklikemovinggreencheckerboards,andtheherdofcows

3、isreducedtoafewdotsintherear-viewmirror.Forfourhours,ouronlyrealamusementconsistedofcountingexitsignsandwonderingwhatitwouldfeelliketoholdstillagain.Gettingtherecertainlydidntseemlikehalfthefun;infact,gettingtherewasntanyfunatall.2. So,whenitwastimetoreturntoourhomeoutsideofPhiladelphia,Iinsistedtha

4、twetakeadifferentroute.Letsexplorethatcountryside,Isuggested.Thetwodaysittookustomakethereturntripwerefilledwithnewexperiences.WetouredaCivilWarbattlefieldandstoodonthelittlehillthatfifteenthousandConfederatesoldiershadtriedtotakeonanotherhotJulyafternoon,onehundredandtwenty-fiveyearsago,notknowingt

5、hathalfofthemwouldgetkilledinthevainattempt.WedroveslowlythroughmainstreetsofsleepyPennsylvaniaDutchtowns,slowingtotwentymilesanhoursoasnottocrowdthehorsesandhorsecarriagesontheirwaytomarket.Weadmiredtoytrainsandantiquecarsincountymuseumsandsaved70percentinfactoryoutlets.Westuffedourselveswithspicys

6、aladsandhomemadebreadinanall-you-can-eatfarmhouserestaurant,thenwanderedoutsidetoenjoythesunshineandtheherdsofcowsnolittledotsthistimelyinginit.Andwereturnedhomerefreshed,revitalized,andreeducated.Thistime,gettingtherehadbeenthefun.3. Whyisitthatthefeaturelessturnpikesandinterstatesaretheroutesofcho

7、iceforsomanyofus?Whydoesnteverybodytryslowingdownandexploringthecountryside?Butmoreandmore,thefastlaneseemstobetheonlywayforustogo.Infact,mostAmericansareconstantlyinahurry-andnotjusttogetfromPointAtoPointB.Ourcountryhasbecomeanationinsearchofthequickfix-inmorewaysthanone.4. Nowinsteadoflater:Onceup

8、onatime,Americansunderstoodtheprincipleofdeferredgratification.Weputalittleofeachpaycheckawayforarainyday.Ifwewantedanewsofaoraweekatalakesidecabin,wesavedupforit,andthebankshelpedusoutbyprovidingspecialChristmasClubandVacationClubaccounts.Ifwelivedintherightpartofthecountry,weplantedcornandbeansand

9、waitedpatientlyfortheharvest.Ifwewantedtobethinner,wesimplyatelessofourfavoritefoodsandwaitedpatientlyforthescaletodrop,apoundatatime.Buttodaywearentsopatient.Wetakeoutloansinsteadofmakingdeposits,orweuseourcreditcardtogetthatfurnitureorvacationtriprelaxnow,paylater.Webuyourfood,likeourclothing,read

10、y-madeandofftherack.Andifwereinahurrytoloseweight,wetrythelatestmiraclediet,guaranteedtotakeawaytenpoundsintendays.unlesswererichenoughtoaffordliposuction.5. Fasterinsteadofslower:Notonlydowewantitnow;wedontevenwanttobekeptwaitingforit.Thisgeneralimpatience,theI-hate-to-waitattitude,hasinfectedevery

11、levelofourlives.Insteadofstandinginlineatthebank,wewithdrawtwentydollarsinasmanysecondsfromanautomatictellermachine.Thenwetakeourfastmoneytoafastconveniencestore(whywaitinlineatthesupermarket?),wherewebuyafrozendinnerallwrappedupandreadytobeputintothemicrowave.unlesswedontcaretowaiteventhatlongandpi

12、ckupsomefastfoodinstead.Andifourfastmealdoesntagreewithus,wehurrytothemedicinecabinetforyouguessedit-somefastrelief.Welikefastpictures,sowebuyPolaroidcameras.Welikefastentertainment,sowerecordourfavoriteTVshowontheVCR.Welikeourinformationfast,too:messagesflashedonacomputerscreen,documentsfaxedfromyo

13、urtelephonetomine,currenteventsin90-secondburstsonEyewitnessNews,historyreducedtoBicentennialMinutes.Symbolically,theAmericaneaglenowfliesforExpressMail.HowdareanyonekeepAmericawaitinglongerthanovernight?6. Superficiallyinsteadofthoroughly:Whatsmore,wedontevenwantallofit.Once,welingeredovereveryword

14、ofaclassicnovelorthelatestbestseller.Today,sincefasterisbetter,wereadthecondensedversionorputatapeofthebookintoourcarstapeplayertolistentoonthewaytowork.OrwebuytheCliffsNotes,especiallyifwearestudents,sowedonthavetodealwiththebookatall.Once,welistenedtoeverynoteofBeethovensFifthSymphony.Today,wedont

15、havethetime;instead,wecanenjoy26secondsofthatfamousda-da-da-DUMthemeand99othermusicalexcerptsalmostasfamousonourGreatestMomentsoftheClassicsCD.Afterall,whywaste45minuteslisteningtothewholethingwhensomeoneelsehassavedusthetroubleofpickingoutthebestparts?Ourmagazinearticlescometouspre-digestedinReader

16、sDigest.Ournewsbriefings,thankstoUSAToday,aremorebriefthanever.Evenourpersonalrelationshipshavebecomecompressed.Insteadofdevotinglargepartsofourdaystoourlovedones,wereplacethemwithsomethingcalledqualitytime,which,moreoftenthannot,isnotimeatall.Aswerushfrombooktomusictonewsitemtorelationship,wedonotr

17、ealizethatwearelivingourlivesbytheicebergprinciplepayingattentiononlytothetopandignoringthe8/9thatliesjustbelowthesurface.7. Whendiditallbegin,thisurgetodoitnow,togetitoverwith,toskimthesurfaceoflife?Whyareweinsuchahurrytosavetime?Andwhatarewegoingtodowithallthetimewesavebesides,ofcourse,rushingoutt

18、osavesomemore?Thesadtruthisthatwedontknowhowtousethetimewesave,becauseallweregoodatissavingtime.notspendingtime.8. Dontgetmewrong.Imnotsayingweshouldgobacktogrowingourownvegetablesormakingourownclothes.Imnotevenadvocatingamassmovementtocutallourcreditcardsintolittlepieces.ButIamsayingthatallofusneed

19、tothinkmoreseriouslyaboutputtingthebrakesonourwe-want-it-all-and-we-want-it-nowlifestylebeforewespeedcompletelyoutofcontrol.Letstakethetimetoreadeverywordofthatstory,heareverynoteofthatmusic,andenjoyeverysubtlechangeofthatcountryside.Letsrediscoverlifeintheslowlane.第九课快节奏的社会1. 我和丈夫在西弗吉尼亚度过了一周刚刚回来。当然

20、，出发前我们迫不及待的想要到那，所以，我们去到宾夕法尼亚收费高速公路和几条洲际高速公路。看那些美丽的牧场！”当田园风光以每小时55英里的速度从我们身边闪过时，我的丈夫高喊道：你看到那些奶牛了吗？”但是每小时55英里的前进速度让我们很难看清楚任何事物；美丽的农场在后视镜中成了移动的绿色棋盘，成群的奶牛也缩成了小小的圆点儿。4个小时里我们唯一的消遣就是不断的数出口的标志，憧憬着车子再次体停下来时我们将拥有的感觉。当然去那儿的旅行不如预期的快乐，实际上，毫无快乐可言。2. 因此，当我们要返回坐落在费城外的家时，我坚持走一条不同的路线。我建议说：我们领略一下乡村风景吧。”两天的返程充满了新鲜奇特的经历

21、。我们去参观了内战的战场，我们站在一座小山上，125年前，正是在那里，在一个同样炎热的7月下午，15,000的南部邦联士兵企图将它占领，却没想到自己会失败且牺牲半数。我们还在幽静的宾夕法尼亚荷兰小镇的大街上慢慢前行，为了不和去市场路上的马匹和车辆挤在一块，我们的车速见到了20英里每小时。在线博物馆离我们欣赏了玩具火车和老爷车，在工厂门市部购买我们节省下来70%的钱。我们在一家自助农家饭馆饱餐了风味沙拉和自制面包，然后我们到了。然后我们回到家，注入了活力，恢复了精力，重新体验了一次新生活。这次途中真是妙趣横生。3. 那为什么我们大多数人会选择这种毫无意义而言的高速公路或州际公路呢？人们为什么不试

22、着放慢脚步来欣赏一下乡村的风光呢？渐渐地，快车道似乎成为我们唯一能走的路。实际上，美国人市中匆匆忙忙秦不仅是从甲地到乙地。我们的国家已变成了一个多方面追求快节奏的国家。4. 不等将来，只求现在：以前美国人懂得减缓欲望的原则。我们回从工资中省出一部分以备不时只需，比如我恩想买一个沙发或向在湖边的小木屋里住上一周，我们会是先把钱攒出，并且银行也会向我们提供圣诞俱乐部和独家俱乐部的特别储蓄帐户。如果我们住在适宜的地方，会种植玉米和大豆并且耐心地等到丰收。如果我们想变苗条我们可以采取最简单的方式，少吃我们喜欢的食物并且耐心的等待体重一磅一磅地减下去。但如今我们不再如以前有耐心了。我们不再储蓄，而是贷款

23、，或使用信用卡买家具，度假，采取超前消费素先享受后付款。想买服装一样，我们可以直接从货架上购买到我们所需要的食物。如果我们急于减肥，我们可以尝试最新的神奇减肥餐，保证10天内减掉10磅加入前足够多，我们还可以做吸脂减肥。5. 不再缓慢，快快益善：我们想立刻拥有，甚至刻不容缓。之中普遍讨厌等待”的浮躁心态影响我们的方方面面。我们可以用几秒钟在自动提款机内取到20美元而不必去银行排队等候。接着我们拿着我们快速从银行取出的这些钱到一家便利店（为什么要在超市排队等候呢？），在那里我们可以买到自己打好包的只需微波炉加热的速冻晚餐秦如果我们不介意等一会儿，我们还可以去吃快餐。如果我们吃了快餐觉得不舒服，赶紧去药品柜秦你已经于想到了秦吃些可迅速缓解痛苦的药。我们喜欢一次成像的照片，所以买宝丽来相机。我们喜欢快捷娱乐，所以把最喜欢的电视节目用录像机记录下来。我们当然也喜欢快捷的信息：电脑屏幕上的信息，电话一端