1998年考研英语阅读第一篇—本文是一篇批评盲目建造水坝的文章--考研网上

Few creations of big technology capture the imagination like giant dams.

在重大技术所创造的东西中很少能像大型水坝这样激起人们想象力的。

Perhaps it is humankind’s long suffering at the mercy of flood and drought that makes the idea of forcing the waters to do our bidding so fascinating.

可能正是因为人类长期遭受旱涝灾害的摆布才使得人们治理江河、供我驱策的理想如此令人痴迷。

But to be fascinated is also, sometimes, to be blind. Several giant dam projects threaten to do more harm than good.

但让人着迷有时也就使人盲目。有几个巨型大坝项目就有弊大于利的危险。

The lesson from dams is that big is not always beautiful.

建造大坝的教训是：大的未必总是美的。

It doesn’t help that building a big, powerful dam has become a symbol of achievement for nations and people striving to assert themselves.

但这个教训也无法阻止修建高大雄伟的大坝已成为那些力争得到自我肯定的国家和人民的伟大成就的象征。

Egypt’s leadership in the Arab world was cemented by the Aswan High Dam.

埃及由于建造了阿斯旺大坝而巩固了在阿拉伯世界的领导地位。

Turkey’s bid for First World status includes the giant Ataturk Dam.

土耳其在力图跻身第一世界的努力中也包括修建阿塔特克大坝。

But big dams tend not to work as intended.

但大坝不会像预期的那样产生效果。

The Aswan Dam, for example, stopped the Nile flooding but deprived Egypt of the fertile silt that floods left -- all in return for a giant reservoir of disease which is now so full of silt that it barely generates electricity.

以阿斯旺大坝为例，它阻止了尼罗河洪水泛滥，但也使埃及失去了洪水冲击过后留下的肥沃土壤，换回来的却是一个疾病滋生的水库。现在这个水库积满了淤泥，几乎不能发电了。

And yet, the myth of controlling the waters persists.

不过，控制水的神话还在继续。

This week, in the heart of civilized Europe, Slovaks and Hungarians stopped just short of sending in the troops in their contention over a dam on the Danube.

本周，在文明的欧洲腹地，斯洛伐克人和匈牙利人就为了多瑙河上的一处水坝引起争端，差点动用了军队。

The huge complex will probably have all the usual problems of big dams. But Slovakia is bidding for independence from the Czechs, and now needs a dam to prove itself.

这个大型工程可能会出现大坝所有的常见问题。但斯洛伐克正在要求脱离捷克而独立，现在它们需要建一个大坝来证明自己的实力。

Meanwhile, in India, the World Bank has given the go-ahead to the even more wrong-headed Narmada Dam.

与此同时，世界银行已经贷款给印度来建造问题更多的纳尔马达大坝。

And the bank has done this even though its advisors say the dam will cause hardship for the powerless and environmental destruction. The benefits are for the powerful, but they are far from guaranteed.

尽管世界银行的顾问指出，该大坝将给平民带来苦难，而且会破坏那里的环境，但世界银行依然一意孤行。大坝只会给有权有势者带来利益，而且这种利益也远远得不到保障。

Proper, scientific study of the impacts of dams and of the cost and benefits of controlling water can help to resolve these conflicts.

对于水坝的影响作用、水坝控制水流的成本和收益进行恰当而科学的研究能够有助于解决这些冲突。

Hydroelectric power and flood control and irrigation are possible without building monster dams.

水力发电，治理洪水以及灌溉即使不建大型水坝也是可能的。

But when you are dealing with myths, it is hard to be either proper, or scientific. It is time that the world learned the lessons of Aswan. You don’t need a dam to be saved.

但当你相信神话时就很难做到合理或科学。现在是世界吸取阿斯旺大坝教训的时候了。我们未必要通过大坝来拯救自己。

试题：

51. The third sentence of Paragraph 1 implies that.

[A] people would be happy if they shut their eyes to reality

[B] the blind could be

happier than the sighted

[C] over-excited people tend to neglect vital things

[D] fascination makes people lose their eyesight

52. In Paragraph 5, “the powerless” probably refers to.

[A] areas short of electricity

[B] dams without power stations

[C] poor countries around India

[D] common people in the Narmada Dam area

53. What is the myth concerning giant dams?

[A] They bring in more fertile soil.

[B] They help defend the country.

[C] They strengthen international ties.

[D] They have universal control of the waters.

54. What the author tries to suggest may best be interpreted as.

[A] “It’s no use crying over spilt milk”

[B] “More haste, less speed”

[C] “Look before you leap”

[D] “He who laughs last laughs best”

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