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Unit3SecurityTextAYearsagoinAmerica,itwascustomaryforfamiliestoleavetheirdoorsunlocked,dayandnight.Inthisessay,Greeneregretsthatpeoplecannolongertrusteachotherandhavetoresorttoelaboratesecuritysystemstoprotectthemselvesandtheirpossessions.许多年前，在美国，家家户户白天黑夜不锁门是司空见惯的。在本文中，格林叹惜人们不再相互信任，不得不凭借设计精密的安全设备来保护自己和财产。TheLandoftheLockBobGreene锁之国1InthehousewhereIgrewup,itwasourcustomtoleavethefrontdooronthelatchatnight.Idon'tknowifthatwasalocaltermorifitisuniversal;onthelatchmeantthedoorwasclosedbutnotlocked.Noneofuscarriedkeys;thelastoneinfortheeveningwouldcloseup,andthatwasit.小时候在家里，我们的前门总是夜不落锁。我不知道这是当地的一种说法还是大家都这么说；不落锁的意思是掩上门，但不锁住。我们谁都不带钥匙；晚上最后一个回家的人把门关上，这就行了。2Thosedaysareover.Inruralareasaswellasincities,doorsdonotstayunlocked,evenforpartofanevening.那样的日子已经一去不复返了。在乡下，在城里，门不再关着不锁上，哪怕是傍晚一段时间也不例外。3Suburbsandcountryareasare,inmanyways,evenmorevulnerablethanwell-patroledurbanstreets.Statisticsshowthecrimeraterisingmoredramaticallyinthoseallegedlytranquilareasthanincities.Atanyrate,theeraofleavingthefrontdooronthelatchisover.在许多方面，郊区和农村甚至比巡查严密的城市街道更易受到攻击。统计显示，那些据称是安宁的地区的犯罪率上升得比城镇更为显著。不管怎么说，前门虚掩不落锁的时代是一去不复返了。4Ithasbeenreplacedbydead-boltlocks,securitychains,electronicalarmsystemsandtripwireshookeduptoapolicestationorprivateguardfirm.Manysuburbanfamilieshaveslidingglassdoorsontheirpatios,withsteelbarselegantlybuiltinsonoonecanprythedoorsopen.取而代之的是防盗锁、防护链、电子报警系统，以及连接警署或私人保安公司的报警装置。郊区的许多人家在露台上安装了玻璃滑门，内侧有装得很讲究的钢条，这样就没人能把门撬开。5Itisnotuncommon,inthemostpleasantofhomes,toseepastedonthewindowssmallnoticesannouncingthatthepremisesareundersurveillancebythissecurityforceorthatguardcompany.在最温馨的居家，也常常看得到窗上贴着小小的告示，称本宅由某家安全机构或某个保安公司负责监管。6ThelockisthenewsymbolofAmerica.Indeed,arecentpublic-serviceadvertisementbyalargeinsurancecompanyfeaturednotchartsshowinghowmuchatriskweare,butapictureofachild'sbicyclewiththenow-usualpadlockattachedtoit.锁成了美国的新的象征。的确，一家大保险公司最近的一则公益广告没有用图表表明我们所处的危险有多大，而是用了一幅童车的图片，车身上悬着如今无所不在的挂锁。7Theadpointedoutthat,yes,itistheinsurancecompaniesthatpayforstolengoods,butwhoisgoingtopayforwhatthenewatmosphereofdistrustandfearisdoingtoourwayoflife?WhoisgoingtomakethepsychicpaymentforthetransformationofAmericafromtheLandoftheFreetotheLandoftheLock?广告指出，没错，确是保险公司理赔失窃物品，但谁来赔偿互不信任、担心害怕这种新氛围对我们的生活方式所造成的影响呢？谁来对美国从自由之国到锁之国这一蜕变作出精神赔偿呢？8Forthatiswhathashappened.WehavebecomesousedtodefendingourselvesagainstthenewatmosphereofAmericanlife,sousedtoputtingupbarriers,thatwehavenothadtimetothinkaboutwhatitmaymean.因为那就是现状。我们已经变得如此习惯于保护自己不受美国生活新氛围的影响，如此习惯于设置障碍，因而无暇考虑这一切意味着什么。9Forsomereasonwearesatisfiedwhenwethinkwearewell-protected;itdoesnotoccurtoustoaskourselves:Whyhasthishappened?Whyarewehavingtobarricadeourselvesagainstourneighborsandfellowcitizens,andwhen,exactly,didthisstarttotakeoverourlives?出于某种原因，当我们觉得防范周密时就感到心满意足；我们没有问过自己：为什么会出现这种情况？为什么非得把自己与邻居和同住一城的居民相隔绝，这一切究竟是从什么时候开始主宰我们生活的？10Andithastakenover.Ifyouworkforamedium-tolarge-sizecompany,chancesarethatyoudon'tjustwanderinandoutofwork.Youprobablycarrysomekindofaccesscard,electronicorotherwise,thatallowsyouinandoutofyourplaceofwork.Maybethesecurityguardatthefrontdeskknowsyourfaceandwillwaveyouinmostdays,butthefactremainsthatthebusinessyouworkforfeelsthreatenedenoughtokeepoutsidersawayviathesekeys.这一切确是主宰了我们的生活。如果你在一家大中型公司上班，你上下班很可能不好随意进出。你可能随身带着某种出入卡，电子的或别的什么的，因为这卡能让你进出工作场所。也许前台的保安认识你这张脸，平日一挥手让你进去，但事实明摆着，你所任职的公司深感面临威胁，因此要借助这些“钥匙”不让外人靠近。11Itwasn'talwayslikethis.Evenadecadeago,mostprivatebusinesseshadapolicyoffreeaccess.Itsimplydidn'toccurtomanagersthattheproperthingtodowastodistrustpeople.这一现象并非向来有之。即使在十年前，大多数私营公司仍采取自由出入的做法。那时管理人员根本没想到过恰当的手段是不信任他人。12Lookattheairports.Parentsusedtotakechildrenouttodeparturegatestowatchplaneslandandtakeoff.That'sallgone.Airportsarenolongeraplaceofeducationandfun;theyarethemostsophisticatedofsecuritysites.且看各地机场。过去家长常常带孩子去登机口看飞机起飞降落。这种事再也没有了。机场不再是一个有趣的学习场所；它们成了拥有最精密的安全检查系统的场所。13WithelectronicX-rayequipment,weseemfinallytohavefiguredoutawaytoholdtheterrorists,realandimagined,atbay;itwassucharelieftosolvethisproblemthatwedidnotthinkmuchaboutwhatsuchastateofaffairssaysaboutthequalityofourlives.Wenowpassthroughtheseelectronicfriskerswithoutsomuchasasidewaysglance;themachines,andwhattheystandfor,havewon.凭借着电子透视装置，我们似乎终于想出妙计让恐怖分子无法近身，无论是真的恐怖分子还是凭空臆想的。能解决这一问题真是如释重负，于是我们不去多想这种状况对我们的生活质量意味着什么。如今我们走过这些电子搜查器时已经看都不看一眼了，这些装置，还有它们所代表的一切已经获胜。14Ourneighborhoodsarebathedinhigh-intensitylight;wedonotwanttoaffordourselvesevensomuchaluxuryasashadow.我们的居住区处在强光源的照射下；我们连哪怕像阴影这样小小的享受也不想给自己。15Businessmen,inincreasingnumbers,arepurchasingnewmachinesthathookuptothetelephoneandanalyzeacaller'svoice.Themachinesaresupposedtotellthebusinessman,withasmallmarginoferror,whetherhisfriendorclientistellinglies.越来越多的商人正购置连接在电话机上、能剖析来电者声音的新机器。据说那种机器能让商人知道他的朋友或客户是否在撒谎，其出错概率很小。16Allthisisbeingdoneinthenameofsecurity;thatiswhatwetellourselves.Wearefearful,andsowedevisewaystolockthefearout,andthat,wedecide,iswhatsecuritymeans.所有这一切都是以“安全”的名义实施的：我们是这么跟自己说的。我们害怕，于是我们设法把害怕锁在外面，我们认定，那就是安全的意义。17Butno;withallthissecurity,weareperhapsthemostinsecurenationinthehistoryofcivilizedman.Whatbetterwordtodescribet