Day 16

英文重现

It didn't take long for adults to tell us what it was,however,and they weren't very happy.They called it primitive,communistic,filthy,smutty,and obscene;we called it rock and roll.We were both right.… What I and my fellow sufferers were experiencing was the beginning of America's first genuine cultural revolution.This statement may seem exaggerated for two somewhat contradictory reasons.First,we've always been taught that America's war of independence from England was a true revolution,something of an exaggeration in itself.Second,and more important,we're reluctant to give up the American myth of a slow and steady(but inevitable)progress toward an earthly perfection.

——SAT 2009年1月题，Section 9

解析

1.第一个句子中“what”引导宾语从句，“what it was”作“tell”的直接宾语，“what”在宾语从句中作表语。后面的“What I and my fellow sufferers were experiencing”则是“what”引导的主语从句，“what”在句中作“experience”的宾语。

2.倒数第二个句子中，“something”是前面“America's war of independence from England was a true revolution”的同位语，意思是“美国为了脱离英国的统治而进行的独立战争是一场真正意义上的革命”这个说法本身就是一种夸张；词组“in itself”意思是“就其本身而言，本质上”。

3.最后一个句子中的“of a slow and steady(but inevitable)progress toward an earthly perfection”是“myth”的定语。

词意辨析

参考翻译

对于大人们来说，告诉我们它是什么并不需要很长时间，然而他们不太高兴。他们称它为原始的、“左倾的”、肮脏的、不洁和下流的；而我们称它为摇滚。（他们和）我们都是对的……我和那些与我一起承受这一切的同伴们正在经受的是美国第一次真正的文化革命的开端。这一说法可能因为两个有些矛盾的原因而显得比较夸张：第一，我们一直被教导说，美国为了脱离英国的统治而进行的独立战争是一场真正意义上的革命（这本身就是一种夸张）；第二，也是更重要，我们不愿意放弃稳稳当当（但是不可避免）走向世俗完美的美国神话。

实战演练

As I was passing as unconsciously as possible through one of humanity's most insidious institutions,junior high school,something dramatic yet subtle was taking place in my teenage consciousness.I didn't recognize it for what it was at the time.Nobody did.But it was happening to all of us,just the same.It didn't take long for adults to tell us what it was,however,and they weren't very happy.They called it primitive,communistic,filthy,smutty,and obscene;we called it rock and roll.We were both right.

Today,with over 30 years of hindsight available,the whole phenomenon seems relatively clear and,if possible,even more provocative than it seemed at its inception.What I and my fellow sufferers were experiencing was the beginning of America's first genuine cultural revolution.This statement may seem exaggerated for two somewhat contradictory reasons.First,we've always been taught that America's war of independence from England was a true revolution,something of an exaggeration in itself.Second,and more important,we're reluctant to give up the American myth of a slow and steady(but inevitable)progress toward an earthly perfection.Americans have always tolerated many more disagreements over the nature of their goals than over how they could be achieved.The process was expected to be rational,well ordered,and continuous.…

Why are the“reasons”discussed in lines“This statement…toward an earthly perfection”characterized by the author as“contradictory”?

(A)Americans are critical of their country's revolution but do not fully understand the revolution's significance.

(B)No cultural revolution has taken place,but there are signs of one.

(C)Americans like to think of their country as having been created by revolution,yet they do not believe in sudden change.

(D)Adults who publicly railed against rock and roll had to admit that they privately enjoyed it.

(E)Although rock and roll began as a rebellion against authority,it has become an arbiter of societal norms.

答案：C

答案解析

这道题很有意思，是少见的“选项可以帮助我们理解原文”的题目。因为题目考查的是两个原因之间的矛盾，而每个选项都是在陈述两个方面，所以只要选项陈述的两个方面与原文讲述的两个原因可以对应得上，就是正确的选项了。

选项A“美国人批判他们国家的革命，但是却不能完全理解革命的意义”不正确，美国人一直是被教导说独立战争是真正意义上的革命；选项B“文化革命没有真正发生过，但是却有一些迹象表明发生过一场文化革命”，题目所问的句子提到的是“独立战争”，而不是“文化革命”；选项C“美国人倾向于认为他们的国家是在革命中诞生的，然而他们却不相信突发的变化”正确，前半部分与原文“真正意义上的革命”相对应，后半部分与原文“不愿意放弃稳稳当当走向世俗完美的美国神话”是一致的。选项D“那些公开反对摇滚乐的成人必须承认他们私下很喜欢摇滚乐”和选项E“虽然摇滚乐开始是对当权者的反抗，但是它已经在充当社会标准仲裁的角色了”均未在文中提及。