记得早些年我考GRE(美国研究生入学考试)的时候,试卷分三个部分:语文、数学、逻辑,当时还没有写作这个环节。不知道这么多年过去了,考试难度有没有发生变化。如果没有的话,准备去美国读书的同学大可放心:数学部分非常、非常简单,中国学生十个有九个都能拿满分,剩下一个也最多错一两题。你别不信。拿我自己考过的题目来举个例子:2/3和3/4哪个大?
我当时心想,研究生入学考试竟然有这么简单的题目,太夸张了吧?不过到了美国之后,我很快就见怪不怪了。大多数美国人的确缺乏基本的数学细胞。我曾经目睹两个成年人讨论一道数学题。题目是:某某上个月的工资是400美元,这个月的工资是500美元,如果按照同样的比例上升,下个月的工资应该是多少?他们争论了好一阵子。最后,其中一位两手叉腰,沮丧地说:“This is toohard!I give up!'’(这也太难了!我放弃!) 回到2/3和3/4比大小的问题上。我们知道,不同分母的分数比大小,要先把它们转化成相同分母的分数。3和4的最小公倍数是12,2/3=8/12 3/4=9/12,而8/12<9/12,所以2/3<3/4。(当然,也可以通过“2/3=0.66666_3/4=0.75”的办法来比大小,这个就不多说了。)
这整个过程如果用英文来解释的话,就没那么简单了。首先要提一提三个基本概念的英语表达:分数是fraction,分子是umerator,分母是denominator。然后要介绍一下分数比大小或进行加减计算时的两个关键概念:最小公倍数和最小公分母。前者叫least common multiple (LCM),后者叫lowest/least common denominator (LCD)。两个分数分母的LCM就是这两个分数的LCD。因为3和4的LCM是12,所以2/3和3/4的LCD也就是12。
可见,不同分母的分数比大小,要先通过denominators的LCM找到fractions的LCD,然后把原来的numerators调整为跟LCD对应的新numerators,再通过新numerators来判断谁大谁小。当然,原则上,只要找到公分母(common denominator,简称CD),两个分数就可以比大小或进行加减计算了。但为了计算方便,最好的办法是选用LCD。比如,“2/3+3/4=8/1 17/12”比“2/3+ 3/4= 72/108+ 81/108=153/108”要简单、最基本、最不用动脑子之物”的意思。
而这种引申义则跳出了数学圈,成为流行的日常用语。比如: ASCII characters are the lowest common denominator for
computers nowadays. and practicallv everv modcrn computer can interpret binary data into these characters. (ASCII码是当今电脑最基本的编码标准,基本上任何一台现代电脑都可以将二进制的数据转换成这种编码。) Ifyou list your work e-mail and Hotmailyour card ,you will find that nost people prefer using the latter, as Homail is truly the lowest common【Icnominaror of the conncacd masscs.(如果你把工作的电邮地址和自己的Hotmail地址都列在名片上,你会发现大多数人更喜欢用后者来联系你,因为Hotmail确实是网上一族最基本、最普及的联方式。)
目前,lowest common denominator最常使用的语境是批判大众传媒的低级趣味,尤以sex(性)和voyeurism(请参考voyeur条目)为主。媒体为了提高发行量、收视(听)率或访问数字,放着该报道的内容不报道,而通过性和明星丑闻之类比较有轰动效应的东西来吸引眼球,这种行为就是appeal to the lowest common denominator。 the New Dctionary of Culturaliteracy证实了这一点。该词典明确指出:The term“lowest common denominator”is often used toindicate a lowering of quality resulting from a desire to find common ground for many people. ( lowest common denominator经常用来描述为了满足许多人的共同点而导致内容质量下降的现象。)
这种现象虽然令人遗憾,但没有人会感到意外。毕竟媒体要靠广告收入运转下去,所以必定会吸取“曲高和寡”的教训,走LCD的路线,争取最大数量的读者/观众/听众。举例如下Jessica:gosh ,there is so mush sex on TVthese days! lt's like. whateverchannel I switch to a sex scene will come upwithin a minute!(天哪,现在的电视上有太多关于性的东西了!似乎无论转到哪个台,不出一分钟就会看到床戏。)
Edwin: What do you except?it is all comes down to the advertising dollars.and how do you get that?Make sure your TVprogramming apeals to the lowest common denominator.(你以为呢?说到底就是要拉广告费。怎么拉到呢?让你的节目吸引尽可能多的观众,哪怕走低级趣味的路线。) Jessica:Yeah,pathetic,but true,after all,sex sells.(是啊,很可悲但事实就是这样。毕竟性能吸引眼球。)Edwin: There you go(说到点子上了。)
值得一提的是,有不少人觉得LCD的这种用法不合逻辑,因为“满足许多人的共同点”更接近数学里的highest common factor(最大公约数)这个概念。大家一直用LCD.而非很可能是因为lowest有“最低”的意思,而common又有“大的意思,所以LCD听起来比较符合“低级趣味,迎合大众”的
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