W1P1 笔记-Markdown版

地道表达

• In recent months, anthropologists have been rummaging through the grassroots of America’s workforce jungle in search of an answer to one of the great questions of our time: what happens to human jobs when robots arrive?

[rummage through] to move things around carelessly while searching for sth翻箱倒柜地寻找esp. carelessly

Eg. I rummaged through the contents of the PPT until I found our group instructions.

• Manufacturing offers a particularly stark example of this.

[a stark example] an astonishingly unpleasant example

Eg. A stark choice 残酷的选择

Eg. Now I have to face the stark reality of my English.

• The issue is not that computers are automating jobs away, he says, but that “assemblages of humans and computers are emerging”.

[computers automate our jobs away] 注意搭配

[assemblage of sth] [正式，术语]groups and collections of things

Eg. Assemblages of human and computer, of human and machine, of plants, of birds

Eg. Our ScalersTalk English Journal Analysis Group consists of an assemblage of English learners.

• An obvious response is that it is far from clear whether these anecdotes are typical, nor does anyone know whether these new “assemblages” of human and machine will create enough jobs to offset those lost to automation.

[offset the lost to sth] 抵消sth带来的损失，注意to的搭配

Eg. I plan to offset the lost to slow reading by enhancing my efficiency.

• This is not necessarily a bad thing but it suggests that Mr Trump’s hopes of recreating old-style American jobs is wrong-headed.

[wrong-headed] act in a determined way, their actions and ideas are based on wrong judgements

Eg. His intentions were good, but was still wrong-headed.

• But if this debate is to secure any serious traction, it is imperative that the technology sector itself steps in.

[traction] 牵引力

Eg. Constant revision of articles provides traction to your English study.

• Hitherto, Silicon Valley has not been particularly vocal on these questions, but Mr Trump seems intent on pulling them into the spotlight

[hitherto] 迄今

[be vocal on sth] be willing to speak about sth

[be intent on] be intent on (doing) sth 蓄意做（尤其伤害他人的事）

Eg. They were intent on murder/ destroying her reputation. 蓄意谋杀/败坏名誉

Eg. I was so intent on my work that I forgot my time.

• Workforce training needs to change to instil more digital skills.

[instill] 逐步培养(感受、思想或行为)

Eg. to instil confidence / discipline / fear into sb 逐步使某人树立信心/守纪律/产生恐惧

Eg. Greater frequency of revision will instil your ability in English speaking.

其他表达：

• [a burning need for sb to do] burning联想，替代词： dire, urgent, acute, pressing, desperate, scorching,

• [an intriguing twist] 有趣的转折

• [contingent work/worker] 临时性工作/劳工

机器/科技/自动化取代人类工作表达：

• digital technologies are performing many jobs once done by humans

• 5.6m US manufacturing jobs were lost thanks to automation

• tasks currently done by humans could be automated

• machines are wiping out some human jobs

• his research would show how machines were replacing human workers

• Software automation can substitute for labour

• the rise of digital teaching tools would make human teachers less important

• computers are automating jobs away

• those jobs were lost to automation

• Information technology has become the dominant source of corporate value, displacing finance, telecoms, and energy...

专业知识

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 美国劳工统计局

a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System. The BLS is a governmental statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, business, and labor representatives.

Source: Wikipedia

语言分析

• In recent months, anthropologists have been rummaging through the grassroots of America’s workforce jungle in search of an answer to one of the great questions of our time: what happens to human jobs when robots arrive?

[分析] 隐喻，grassroots和jungle相互呼应。Grassroots指代什么？为何用jungle 比喻 America’s workforce？

• That sounds scary. There is, however, an intriguing twist.

• That more upbeat story tends to be obscured, yet it deserves a great deal more attention.

[分析]两句有文采的转折句。写作或者口语是否应该积累？是否要背会？

• Second, if anyone does manage to paint an accurate portrait of that labour force, they need to show this to Mr Trump.

[分析] 隐喻，有什么好处？

• But if he does succeed in this goal of America First he will — paradoxically — only accelerate the automation trend as companies will scramble to cut costs.

[分析] scramble 用得很传神，为什么？

• This is not necessarily a bad thing but it suggests that Mr Trump’s hopes of recreating old-style American jobs is wrong-headed.

[分析] 好句，积累。

• Workforce training needs to change to instil more digital skills.

[分析] 注意instil的生动使用。

• But if this debate is to secure any serious traction, it is imperative that the technology sector itself steps in. Hitherto, Silicon Valley has not been particularly vocal on these questions, but Mr Trump seems intent on pulling them into the spotlight.

[分析] 再次拟人，分析为何“step in”“vocal”和“pull into spotlight”传神？

篇章分析

段落大意

• 第1段：人类学家试图解答：如果机器人来临，人类就业会怎样？

• 第2段：你可能会失落：经济学家都同意：数字科技已经在取代人类工作了。

• 第3段：制造业（Manufacturing）就是典型的残酷案例。（具体数字展示）

• 第4段：数字可怕，但是出现了一个有意思的转折（an intriguing twist）：人类学家通过“参与观察法（participation observation）”研究入场情况，而非单纯的数字，发现实际情况更复杂。

• 第5段：机器代替人类，但是人类也在和机器协同工作。尤其是特朗普上台之后，这种积极的情况却被极大忽视，。

• 第6段：案例1：人类学家1在加州某公司蹲守19个月后发现，自动化软件吸引更多人分析管理翻译数据，反而创造更多就业，因此形成了“新型人机互补模式（new human-machine complementaries）”。

• 第7段：案例2：人类学家2发现教育界也是如此，老师用数字化教具后效率更高，因此形成了“人机组合模式（assemblages of humans and computers）”

• 第8段：前景未明：1.不知道是否有代表性；2. 即使创造就业，能否弥补被机器取代的工作数量；3. 不具吸引力，往往被定位为临时性工作（contingent work）。

• 第9段：尽管如此，我们仍然不应该忽视人类学家的发现。原因1：政策制定者们急需获得更多真实劳动数据。现实情况：大数据缺乏，用传统方式收集信息。

• 第10段：原因2：即使真的统计出准确数据，还要交给特朗普看啊。现实：特朗普想要将制造业留在美国（错），即使成功，反而会加速自动化，减少就业，所以特朗普还是错。

• 第11段：原因3：迫切需要开展政策辩论，让劳动者接受更多数字技能培训。

• 第12、13段：上述临时性工作人员需要得到更多保障性举措。一些政策制定者理解，但是还需要科技行业的努力。硅谷（科技公司）也应当跳出来帮助促进人机合作，否则将来第一个受指责的就是你们。

全文逻辑

主题：如果机器人来临，人类就业会怎样？（1）

经济学家认为，机器剥夺人类就业机会。（2-3）

人类学家研究发现，并非取代，相反，人机会互补。（4-7）

虽然前景未明，但是这种观点值得更多关注，仍有很大价值。（8-11）

现在应该做什么：保障人机合作工作者的利益；硅谷发声。（12-13）

作者态度

机器和数字化时代，虽然机器会取代人类工作，但是也会出现人机合作的模式，很有意义，值得更多支持和扶助。

写作风格

典型的argumentative writing，而非浅显直白的新闻事件报导结构。风格相对活泼，针对群体：大众。