The tourist trade is booming. With all this coming and going, youd expect greater understanding to develop between the nations of the world. Not a bit of it! Superb systems of communication by air, sea and land make it possible for us to visit each others countries at a moderate cost. What was once the grand tour, reserved for only the very rich, is now within everybodys grasp? The package tour and chartered flights are not to be sneered at. Modern travelers enjoy a level of comfort which the lords and ladies on grand tours in the old days couldnt have dreamed of. But whats the sense of this mass exchange of populations if the nations of the world remain basically ignorant of each other?
Many tourist organizations are directly responsible for this state of affairs. They deliberately set out to protect their clients from too much contact with the local population. The modern tourist leads a cosseted, sheltered life. He lives at international hotels, where he eats his international food and sips his international drink while he gazes at the natives from a distance. Conducted tours to places of interest are carefully censored. The tourist is allowed to see only what the organizers want him to see and no more. A strict schedule makes it impossible for the tourist to wander off on his own; and anyway, language is always a barrier, so he is only too happy to be protected in this way. At its very worst, this leads to a new and hideous kind of colonization. The summer quarters of the inhabitants of the cite universitaire: are temporarily reestablished on the island of Corfu. Blackpool is recreated at Torremolinos where the traveler goes not to eat paella, but fish and chips.
The sad thing about this situation is that it leads to the persistence of national stereotypes. We dont see the people of other nations as they really are, but as we have been brought up to believe they are. You can test this for yourself. Take five nationalities, say, French, German, English, American and Italian. Now in your mind, match them with these five adjectives: musical, amorous, cold, pedantic, native. Far from providing us with any insight into the national characteristics of the peoples just mentioned, these adjectives actually act as barriers. So when you set out on your travels, the only characteristics you notice are those which confirm your preconceptions. You come away with the highly unoriginal and inaccurate impression that, say, Anglo-Saxons are hypocrites of that Latin peoples shout a lot. You only have to make a few foreign friends to understand how absurd and harmful national stereotypes are. But how can you make foreign friends when the tourist trade does its best to prevent you?
Carried to an extreme, stereotypes can be positively dangerous. Wild generalizations stir up racial hatred and blind us to the basic facthow trite it sounds! That all people are human. We are all similar to each other and at the same time all unique.
1. The best title for this passage is
tourism contributes nothing to increasing understanding between nations.
Tourism is tiresome.
Conducted tour is dull.
tourism really does something to ones country.
2. What is the authors attitude toward tourism?
apprehensive.
negative.
critical.
appreciative.
3. Which word in the following is the best to summarize Latin people shout a lot?
silent.
noisy.
lively.
active.
4. The purpose of the authors criticism is to point out
conducted tour is disappointing.
the way of touring should be changed.
when traveling, you notice characteristics which confirm preconception.
national stereotypes should be changed.
5. What is grand tour now?
moderate cost.
local sight-seeing is investigated by the tourist organization.
people enjoy the first-rate comforts.
everybody can enjoy the grand tour.
Vocabulary
1. superb 卓越的，杰出的，第一流的
2. moderate 中庸的，中等的，适度的
3. grand tour 大旅行，指旧时英国富家子弟教育中，到欧洲大陆观光的旅行，为学业必经阶段。
4. package tour 由旅行社代办而费用与路线、日程固定的假日旅游。也可用package holiday。
5. chartered flight 包机航班
6. set out to do sth. = begin a job with a particular aim 开始做某事，决心/打算做
7. cosset 宠爱，溺爱，纵容
8. conducted tour = guided tour 有人指导/引到下的参观，有导游的旅游
9. censor 检查
10. wander off 离开原处/正道，离群，漫步，漫游
11. quarters 住处，营
12. paella 西班牙什锦饭
13. chip 炸马铃薯条
14. amorous 多情的，色情的
15. pedantic 学究式的，卖弄学问的
16. generalization 归纳，概括
17. stir up 惹起，煽动，挑起
18. trite 陈腐的，老一套的
难句译注
1. What was once the grand tour, reserved for only the very rich, is now within everybodys grasp.
【结构简析】within sb.s grasp.某人理解/了解，为某人所能抓到的。
【参考译文】一度只有最富有者专享的大旅行现在人人都可获得。
2. The package tour and chartered flights are not to be sneered at.
【参考译文】旅行社包办的旅游，包机航班决不会遭人耻笑。
3. They deliberately set out to protect their clients from too much contact with the local population.
【参考译文】旅行社有意使他们的谷底和当地居民少接触。
4. The modern tourist heads a cosseted sheltered life.
【参考译文】现代旅行者过的使爱护有加与世隔绝的生活。
5. Conducted tours to places of interest are carefully censored.
【参考译文】有人指导下参观一些静电收到组织者――旅行社仔细的检查核准。
6. A strict schedule makes it impossible for the tourist to wander off on his own; and anyway, language is always barrier, so he is only too happy to be protected in this way.
【结构简析】only too + 形容词/分词 = very非常。
【参考译文】严格致密的计划值得旅行者不可能自己一个人到处闲逛;再说，至少语言总是个障碍，所以他对这样保护非常高兴。
7. At its very worst, this leads to a new and hideous kind of colonization.
【结构简析】at ones worst 在情况最坏的时候。
【参考译文】最糟的时候，这种保护会导致形成一种新型而又可怕的殖民现象。
8. Carried to an extreme, stereotypes can be positively dangerous.
【结构简析】carried to an extreme 如果做得过分。
【参考译文】如果走向极端，模式化的想法会非常危险。
9. Wild generalizations stir up racial hatred and blind us to the basic fact.
【参考译文】野蛮的概括/归纳会激起种族仇恨，使我们对这基本事实视而不见。
参考答案：
1. A 2. C 3. B 4. B 5. D
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