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1、Unit 8,Why Nothing Works by Marvin Harris,phonograph,phonograph,Cassette recorder,CD Player,Walkman,CD Walkman,Mp3 Player,MP4,Have you ever bought something, like a fountain pen, a cassette recorder, or a watch, which broke down or went out of order shortly after use? Were you frustrated by this fee
2、ling that youd been cheated? Who did you normally blame for this? What did you think are the causes for such problem? What do people usually think are the factors related to good quality in products? What do they think are the causes for shoddy goods? How does the author of the present text think di
3、fferently?,Warm-up questions,Whats the issue being discussed in the present text? Do you think the issue relevant to us or not? Regarding the problem of shoddy goods, what factors are specified by the author? Which factor does he regard as primary, human or technology? Why? Do you agree with him? Wh
4、at is the message that the author intends to get across to us? Can you find the message explicitly stated in text? What do you think is the thesis statement of the text? To what extent do you agree or disagree with the authors argument?,Marvin Harris (1927 2001) was an anthropology professor at Colu
5、mbia University from 1953 until 1980, including 3 years as department chairman. From 1980 until 2000, he held a graduate research professorship at the University of Florida.,He called his approach “cultural materialism” (all human culture is shaped most significantly by the environment in which huma
6、ns live).,Author,This text informs the reader of the fact that the relationship between producers and consumers has become more and more loosened (松散). This fact leads to the result that the Murphys Law takes effect everywhere. In the end the author expresses his concern about the effect of Murphys
7、law on goods in todays industrial society.,Main Idea,Part : (para. 1) The author introduces the theme (主题) of the article by quoting (引用) Murphys Law. Part : (para. 2-4) The author attempts to illustrate his point that the quality of certain goods reveal the relationship between producer and consume
8、r. Part : (para. 5) The author expresses his concern about the effect of Murphys Law on the quality of the goods in todays industrial society.,Structure,Text Analysis,Paragraph 1,1. according to a law attributed to the savant known only as Murphy, attributed to: considered or believed to be done or
9、caused by 认为某事物属于某人，认为某事物由某人引起或产生 e.g. This play is usually attributed to Shakespeare. 这个剧本通常认为是莎士比亚作的。 attribute sth. to sb./sth. attribute: n. a quality or feature, especially one that is considered to be good or useful E.g. What attributes should a good manager possess? 译:根据一位仅知其名为墨菲的学者所归纳的法则，“任何
10、东西如果会出毛病的话，它迟早要出毛病的。”,2. Corollaries to Murphys Law suggest themselves as clues to the shoddy goods problem: corollary: A corollary of something is an idea, argument, or fact that results directly from it.必然的结果，自然的结果 e.g. Blind jealousy is a frequent corollary of passionate love. 盲目的嫉妒往往是热恋所致。 The c
11、orollary of this simplistic analysis is that if reforms stop now, so will growth. 根据这种单纯的分析得出的推论是，如果现在停止改革，经济增长也将停顿。,Paraphrase: From Murphys Law we may find answers to the problem of badly made goods. 译：据此得出的推论可以有助于解释次品问题：会出故障的终归要出故障；会停止运转的终归要停止运转。虽然墨菲的理论不能被完全推翻，但是效应通常可以推迟发生 。,shoddy: cheap and inf
12、erior (in quality) e.g. shoddy workmanship 劣等工艺 China still suffer from the “Made in China” label, and the fact that most people think things from China are fake, or rough , or shoddy.,Murphys law,This is a humorous maxim, declaring that in general, if anything can go wrong, it will. (墨菲法则:一种认为凡有可能出
13、差错的事终将出差错的俏皮法则) The law originated in 1949 with Captain ED Murphy, an aircraft engineer. Referring to a technician, he said, “if there is any way to do it wrong, he will.” The project manager, George E. Nichols, assigned the name “Murphys Law” to that and similar statement. Additional forms of Murph
14、ys Law include: Nothing is as easy as it looks. Everything takes longer than you think it will.,Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate. （朋友有来有去，仇人则有增无减。意即：交友不易，能够持久的朋友更难，但仇人容易累积，易结不易解） If youre feeling good, dont worry, youll soon get over it.（如果你自己觉得很得意，别忙，你的感觉很快就会成为过去。 意即： 应宠辱不惊） A short cut
15、is the longest distance between two points. （抄近路是两点之间最长的距离。抄近路，有时省不少时间，但有时在比较陌生的地方，反而会迷路，走许多冤枉路） Other line always moves faster. 排队时另一条永远走得快些。,To know yourself is the ultimate aggression. (意为:战胜别人容易，而知道自己、认识自己，敢于面对现实，才会克服自身的弱点，才是大勇。) You will always find something in the last place you look. Of two
16、possible events, only the undesired one will occur. The nicer someone is, the farther away (s)he is from you. If you explain so clearly that nobody can misunderstand, somebody will.,3. While Murphys Law can never be wholly defeated, its effects can usually be postponed. 译：虽然墨菲的理论不能被完全推翻，但是效应通常可以推迟发生 。,4. Much of human existence consists of efforts aimed at making sure that thins dont go wrong, fall apart, break down, or stop running until a d
