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1、英语100篇精读汇粹(基础篇)【typebySimon(8029)】Passageone(Theonlywaytotravelisonfoot)Thepastagesofmanhaveallbeencarefullylabeledbyanthropologists.Descriptionslike‘PaleolithicMan’,‘NeolithicMan’,etc.,neatlysumupwholeperiods.Whenthetimecomesforanthropologiststoturntheirattentionto
2、thetwentiethcentury,theywillsurelychoosethelabel‘LeglessMan’.Historiesofthetimewillgosomethinglikethis:‘inthetwentiethcentury,peopleforgothowtousetheirlegs.Menandwomenmovedaboutincars,busesandtrainsfromaveryearlyage.Therewereliftsandescalatorsinalllargebuildingstopr
3、eventpeoplefromwalking.Thissituationwasforceduponearthdwellersofthattimebecauseofmileseachday.Butthesurprisingthingisthattheydidn’tusetheirlegsevenwhentheywentonholiday.Theybuiltcablerailways,ski-liftsandroadstothetopofeveryhugemountain.Allthebeautyspotsonearthwerem
4、arredbythepresenceoflargecarparks.’Thefuturehistorybooksmightalsorecordthatweweredeprivedoftheuseofoureyes.Inourhurrytogetfromoneplacetoanother,wefailedtoseeanythingontheway.Airtravelgivesyouabird’s-eyeviewoftheworld–orevenlessifthewingoftheaircrafthappenstogetinyou
5、rway.Whenyoutravelbycarortrainablurredimageofthecountrysideconstantlysmearsthewindows.Cardrivers,inparticular,areforeverobsessedwiththeurgetogoonandon:theyneverwanttostop.Isitthelureofthegreatmotorways,orwhat?Andasforseatravel,ithardlydeservesmention.Itisperfectlysu
6、mmedupinthewordsoftheoldsong:‘Ijoinedthenavytoseetheworld,andwhatdidIsee?Isawthesea.’Thetypicaltwentieth-centurytraveleristhemanwhoalwayssays‘I’vebeenthere.’Youmentiontheremotest,mostevocativeplace-namesintheworldlikeElDorado,Kabul,Irkutskandsomeoneisboundtosay‘I’ve
7、beenthere’–meaning,‘Idrovethroughitat100milesanhouronthewaytosomewhereelse.’Whenyoutravelathighspeeds,thepresentmeansnothing:youlivemainlyinthefuturebecauseyouspendmostofyourtimelookingforwardtoarrivingatsomeotherplace.Butactualarrival,whenitisachieved,ismeaningless
8、.Youwanttomoveonagain.Bytravelinglikethis,yoususpendallexperience;thepresentceasestobeareality:youmightjustaswellbedead.Thetraveleronfoot,