1. In Europe this process took a little longer, mainly because there were more small producers for whom the costs of sound were prohibitive, and in other parts of the world problems with rights or access to equipment delayed the shift to sound production for a few more years (though cinemas in major cities may have been wired in order to play foreign sound films).

【主干識別】兩個并列句：第一個主句this process took a little longer; 第二個主句problems with rights or access to equipment delayed the shift to sound production

【詞匯突破】small producers 小型電影公司

right 版權

access to equipment 獲取設備

prohibitive 和價格和成本連用表示：價格昂貴

shift to sound production 往有聲電影的轉變

wired 接通了聲音(根據上下文而來)

【譯文賞析】在歐洲這一過程花的時間會長一些，主要是因為歐洲有更多的小型的電影公司，對于他們來講，音效的成本過于昂貴;在世界的其他地區，版權和獲取設備而造成的問題將有聲電影的出品推后了好幾年(盡管在一些主要城市中的影院為了播放外國的有聲電影已經接上了音響)。

2. Nor, if regularity and conformity to a standard pattern are as desirable to the scientist as the writing of his papers would appear to reflect, is management to be blamed for discriminating against the "odd balls" among researchers in favor of more conventional thinkers who work well with the team.

【詞匯突破】regularity 常規性

conformity 一致性

desirable 令人滿意的，令人希望的，值得擁有的，例：

It is desirable that you should be there by two o’clock.(希望你兩點能到那里。)

conventional 傳統的

【主干識別】Nor is management to be blamed.Nor置于句首引起倒裝，正常語序為management is not to be blamed.

【譯文賞析】如果在科學家的論文中所反應出的對于標準模板的遵守和認同正是其所想得到的話，那么管理層就不該因歧視研究者中的"思維與眾不同的人"，喜歡其中較為傳統的"善于團隊合作"的思想者而受到指責了。

3. IF, a few years ago, somebody had suggested that a Conservative chancellor of the exchequer would hand a Labour-dominated English city much greater spending powers, few people would have believed it. But in February of this year George Osborne said he would do just that, by transferring control over a 6 billion local NHS budget to politicians in Manchester. The chancellor’s move was revolutionary. If similar powers were given to other cities it would change the way Britain is run, reversing a decades-long trend towards the centralization of power in Westminster. Many attempts have been made to give cities and regions more clout.

【詞匯突破】exchequer(英國)財政部; 美國財政部treasury; 中國財政部Ministry of finance

chancellor of exchequer: the finance minister of the United Kingdom, who prepares the nation's annual budgets(英國)財政大臣(負責國家每年的財政預算)

spending powers 財政支出的權力

Conservative 保守黨的;Labour工黨的(英國兩大政黨，這是常識)

NHS(National Health Service)，即英國國家醫療服務體系

clout 權力 =power

Westminster 威斯敏斯特(倫敦市的一個行政區，英國議會所在地)就是指：英國議會，議會政治

George Osborne 喬治.奧斯本 (英國財務大臣)

budget 預算

第一句If, a few years ago, somebody had suggested that a Conservative chancellor of the exchequer would hand a Labour-dominated English city much greater spending powers, few people would have believed it.

【譯文賞析】如果，幾年前，某人認為保守黨的財務大臣會給工黨領導的城市更多的財政開支的權利，沒人會信。

第二句But in February of this year George Osborne said he would do just that, by transferring control over a 6 billion local NHS budget to politicians in Manchester.

【譯文賞析】但是2015年2月，喬治.奧斯本說他就會這樣做。他會把超過60億英鎊的醫療服務系統的當地預算交由曼切斯特的工黨領袖來管理。

第三句The chancellor’s move was revolutionary.

【譯文賞析】小喬的行為是革命性的。

第四句If similar powers were given to other cities it would change the way Britain is run, reversing a decades-long trend towards the centralization of power in Westminster.

【譯文賞析】如果類似的權力也給了其他城市，那么這就會改變英國的治國方式，會逆轉已經有幾十年歷史的權力集中于議會的潮流。

第五句Many attempts have been made to give cities and regions more clout.

【譯文賞析】已經有多次嘗試，準備給城市和地區更多的權力。

4. The United States is the most powerful colossus in the history of the world: Our nuclear warheads could wipe out the globe, our enemies tweet on iPhones, and kids worldwide bop to Beyoncé. Yet let’s get real. All this hasn’t benefited all Americans. A newly released global index finds that America falls short, along with other powerful countries, on what matters most: assuring a high quality of life for ordinary citizens. As Porter notes, Americans generally understand that we face economic impediments such as declining infrastructure, yet we’re frozen. We appreciate that our education system is a mess, yet we’re passive.

【詞匯突破】colossus大國

tweet (動詞) 上Twitter

bop 舞動身體

falls short 做的不夠好

impediment 障礙

infrastructure 基礎設施建設

passive 消極應對

appreciate 理解;了解到

mess 混亂

wipe out 消滅

第一句The United States is the most powerful colossus in the history of the world: Our nuclear warheads could wipe out the globe, our enemies tweet on iPhones, and kids worldwide bop to Beyoncé.

【譯文賞析】美國是有史以來最具影響力的大國：我們的核彈頭能把整個地球夷為平地，我們的敵人用iPhone上Twitter，全世界的孩子都跟隨碧昂斯(Beyoncé)的音樂舞動身體。

第二句Yet let’s get real.

【譯文賞析】不過還是認清現實吧。

第三句All this hasn’t benefited all Americans.

【譯文賞析】這一切并不能讓每一個美國人都受益。

第四句A newly released global index finds that America falls short, along with other powerful countries, on what matters most: assuring a high quality of life for ordinary citizens.

【譯文賞析】最新發布的一項全球指數表明，美國和其他大國一樣，在最重要的事情上做得還不夠好，即：讓普通人過上高品質的生活。

第五句As Porter notes, Americans generally understand that we face economic impediments such as declining infrastructure, yet we’re frozen.

【譯文賞析】正如波特所言，美國人都知道，我們面對著基礎設施走下坡路等種種經濟障礙，但我們一動不動。

第六句We appreciate that our education system is a mess, yet we’re passive.

【譯文賞析】我們意識到我們的教育體系一團糟，但我們消極以對。

5. The first two industrial revolutions inflicted plenty of pain but ultimately benefited everyone. The digital one may prove far more divisive.

【詞匯突破】inflict 使……遭受……

divisive 爭議

【譯文賞析】前兩次工業革命曾帶來了巨大的痛苦，但是最終使大家都受益了。這次的數字革命可能是最有爭議的了。

Most people are discomfited by radical change, and often for good reason.

【詞匯突破】discomfit = upset 使……不安，難堪

radical change 巨大的改變

【譯文賞析】大多數人對巨大的改變會感到不安，而且常常有正當的理由。

Whether the digital revolution will bring mass job creation to make up for its mass job destruction remains to be seen.

【譯文賞析】數字革命是否能創造出大量的工作機會來彌補其即將毀掉的工作還不得而知。

The beneficial effects of this rise in computing power have been slow to come through.

【譯文賞析】數字化革命帶來的好處來的比較緩慢。

Exceptional growth, in other words, looks negligible until it suddenly becomes unmanageable.

【詞匯突破】exceptional growth 巨大的增長

negligible 可忽略的

in other words 換句話講

【譯文賞析】換句話講，巨大的增長在變得不可管理之前，看起來都是可忽略的。

The digital revolution is opening up a great divide between a skilled and wealthy few and the rest of society.

【譯文賞析】 數字革命使得有技術的人以及少數的富人與社會中的其他人之間的產生了巨大的鴻溝。

In both the rich and the emerging world, technology is creating opportunity for those previously held back by financial or geographical constraints; yet new work for those with modest skill levels is scarce compared with the prosperity created by earlier technological revolutions.

【詞匯突破】rich and the emerging world 發達國家和新興國家

prosperity = bonanza

【譯文賞析】不管是在發達國家還是在新興國家，技術為那些之前被財務和地域因素限制而受到阻礙的人創造了機會;但是那些沒什么技能的人所能獲得的機會，與前兩次技術革命所創造的繁榮時期相比就很稀缺了。

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