上中學(xué)的時候,我們學(xué)過一句英語諺語“Jack of all trades, master of none”,說的是Jack這個孩子什么都懂一點,但每樣都不精通。老師教育我們說做事情要專注,要刨根究底,知其然,還要知其所以然。誰知,到了偉大的21世紀(jì),Jack小朋友又跑出來了,而且同伴還不少呢。
With the development of the Internet and other sources of instantaneous information, many people strive to gain at least a working knowledge of many different subjects. They are so-called “pancake people”, they no longer concentrate their energies on one area of interest, but instead choose to spread themselves thinly over a large area. As a result, a new generation of pancake people have essentially become the proverbial jacks of all trades, but masters of none.
隨著網(wǎng)絡(luò)和各種信息渠道的發(fā)展,很多人都力求在各個不同領(lǐng)域都至少獲得一些基本的操作知識。他們就是所謂的“煎餅人”,他們不再將精力專注于某一個感興趣的領(lǐng)域,而是讓自己的關(guān)注點淺淺地散布在一個很大的范圍。由此,新一代的“煎餅人”就真的成諺語里說的“門門通,門門松”了。
The term “pancake people” is largely seen as a negative commentary on the current age of instantaneous information. The ability to access even the most obscure information in a matter of seconds may be seen as a positive social development on one level, but it can also cause some people to become less inclined to delve more deeply into one particular subject of interest. As a result, a generation of overloaded pancake people may become more obsessed with popular culture and less interested in the larger arc of human history.
在當(dāng)前這個即時信息時代,“煎餅人”這個詞很大程度上被看作是一個貶義詞。在幾秒內(nèi)獲得稀缺信息的能力可能是社會發(fā)展積極的一方面,但同時也會讓一些人不愿意深究某一個感興趣的主題。結(jié)果,這一代信息過量的“煎餅人”可能會對流行文化過分沉迷,而對人類歷史的更廣泛領(lǐng)域卻鮮有興致。
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(中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Helen )