- 問題
- 解説
- 第1段落
- Of course, one of the features of modern life, mostly thanks to the internet, is that we all have to constantly make choices about what to pay attention to — what to spend our time on, even if it is for just a few minutes.
- Many of us today have instant access to far more information than we can ever hope to process, which has meant that our average attention span is getting shorter.
- The more ‘stuff’ we have to think about and focus on, the less time we are able to devote to each particular thing.
- People are quick to blame the internet for this reduced attention span, but while social media certainly plays its part, it is not entirely to blame.
- This trend can be traced back to when our world first started to become connected early in the last century as technology gave us access to an ever-increasing amount of information.
- 第2段落
- Today we are exposed to twenty-four-hour breaking news and an exponential rise in the amount of produced and consumed information.
- As the number of different issues that form our collective public discourse continues to increase, the amount of time and attention we are able to devote to each one inevitably gets compressed.
- It isn’t that our total engagement with all this information is any less, but rather that as the information competing for our attention becomes denser our attention gets spread more thinly, with the result that public debate becomes increasingly fragmented and superficial.
- The more quickly we switch between topics, the more quickly we lose interest in the previous one.
- We then find ourselves increasingly engaging only with those subjects that interest us, leading us to become less broadly informed — and potentially less confident in evaluating information outside of the spheres with which we are most familiar.
- 第3段落
- I am not advocating that we should all devote more time and attention to every topic we encounter, whether we are exposed to information through our family, friends or work colleagues, or by reading books and magazines, the mainstream media, online or on social media, as that would be impossible.
- But we must learn how to discriminate between what is important, useful and interesting, what is deserving of our attention and time, and what is not.
- As Feynman so emphatically pointed out, in his response to the journalist’s request for a pithy summary of his Nobel Prize work, the topics we do choose to spend more time thinking about and digesting will inevitably require a certain level of commitment.
- In science, we know that to truly understand a subject requires time and effort.
- The reward is that concepts which may at first have seemed impenetrable turn out to be comprehensible, straightforward, sometimes even simple.
- At worst, we acknowledge that they are indeed complicated — not because we are unable to think them through thoroughly and make sense of them, but because they just are complicated.
- 第4段落
- So, this is the takeaway for us all in daily life.
- Do you need a PhD in climate science to know that recycling your rubbish is better for the planet than throwing it all in the ocean?
- Of course not.
- But taking some time to dig a little deeper into a subject and weighing up the evidence, the pros and cons about an issue, before making up your mind can help you make better decisions in the long run.
- 第5段落
- 第1段落
問題
次の文章を読み, 下線をほどこした部分(1)~(3)を和訳しなさい。
Of course, one of the features of modern life, mostly thanks to the internet, is that we all have to constantly make choices about what to pay attention to — what to spend our time on, even if it is for just a few minutes. Many of us today have instant access to far more information than we can ever hope to process, which has meant that our average attention span is getting shorter. (1)The more ‘stuff’ we have to think about and focus on, the less time we are able to devote to each particular thing. People are quick to blame the internet for this reduced attention span, but while social media certainly plays its part, it is not entirely to blame. This trend can be traced back to when our world first started to become connected early in the last century as technology gave us access to an ever-increasing amount of information.
Today we are exposed to twenty-four-hour breaking news and an exponential rise in the amount of produced and consumed information. As the number of different issues that form our collective public discourse continues to increase, the amount of time and attention we are able to devote to each one inevitably gets compressed. (2)It isn’t that our total engagement with all this information is any less, but rather that as the information competing for our attention becomes denser our attention gets spread more thinly, with the result that public debate becomes increasingly fragmented and superficial. The more quickly we switch between topics, the more quickly we lose interest in the previous one. We then find ourselves increasingly engaging only with those subjects that interest us, leading us to become less broadly informed — and potentially less confident in evaluating information outside of the spheres with which we are most familiar.
I am not advocating that we should all devote more time and attention to every topic we encounter, whether we are exposed to information through our family, friends or work colleagues, or by reading books and magazines, the mainstream media, online or on social media, as that would be impossible. But we must learn how to discriminate between what is important, useful and interesting, what is deserving of our attention and time, and what is not. As Feynman so emphatically pointed out, in his response to the journalist’s request for a pithy summary of his Nobel Prize work, the topics we do choose to spend more time thinking about and digesting will inevitably require a certain level of commitment. In science, we know that to truly understand a subject requires time and effort. The reward is that concepts which may at first have seemed impenetrable turn out to be comprehensible, straightforward, sometimes even simple. At worst, we acknowledge that they are indeed complicated — not because we are unable to think them through thoroughly and make sense of them, but because they just are complicated.
So, this is the takeaway for us all in daily life. Do you need a PhD in climate science to know that recycling your rubbish is better for the planet than throwing it all in the ocean? Of course not. (3)But taking some time to dig a little deeper into a subject and weighing up the evidence, the pros and cons about an issue, before making up your mind can help you make better decisions in the long run.
Most things in life are difficult to begin with. But, if you’re prepared to try, you can cope with far more than you imagine.
解説
第1段落
Of course, one of the features of modern life, mostly thanks to the internet, is that we all have to constantly make choices about what to pay attention to — what to spend our time on, even if it is for just a few minutes.
Of course, one of the features of modern life, mostly thanks to the internet, is that we all have to constantly make choices about what to pay attention to — what to spend our time on, even if it is for just a few minutes.
もちろん, 大部分がインターネットのおかげである, 近代の生活の特徴の一つは, 私たちすべては, 何に注意を払うべきか, つまり, 何に私たちの時間を費やすべきかに関する選択をコンスタントに作る必要があるということだ。たとえもし, それがたった数分の間でも。
もちろん, 現代の生活の特徴の一つは, それは大部分がインターネットのおかげではあるが, 私たち誰もが, たとえ短い時間であっても, 何に注目し, 何に時間を費やすかを常に選択しなければならないということだと言えるだろう。
Many of us today have instant access to far more information than we can ever hope to process, which has meant that our average attention span is getting shorter.
Many of us today have instant access to far more information than we can ever hope to process, which has meant that our average attention span is getting shorter.
私たちの多くは今日, 私たちがかつて処理したいと望める以上にずっとより多くの情報に対して即座のアクセスを持つ。そしてそれは, 私たちの平均の注目スパンがより短く なっているということを意味してきた。
今日, 多くの人々は, 処理しきれないほど多くの情報をすぐに手に入れることができる。これは, それぞれの情報に注目する平均時間が短くなることを意味する。
The more ‘stuff’ we have to think about and focus on, the less time we are able to devote to each particular thing.
- the + 比較級の構文を元の文に直すと, We have to think about and focus on the more ‘stuff’, we are able to devote the less time to each particular thing.となり, devote A to Bの形が見える。
- 前半部分は, We have the more ‘stuff’ to think about and focus onと戻すこともできる。
The more ‘stuff’ we have to think about and focus on, the less time we are able to devote to each particular thing.
より多くの「物」を私たちが考えて注目しなければならないほど, ますます少ない時間私たちはそれぞれの特有の物に対してささげることができる。
ますます多くの「モノ」を考慮したり注目したりする必要性が増すにつれて, それぞれ個別の事象に割ける時間がますます少なくなる。
People are quick to blame the internet for this reduced attention span, but while social media certainly plays its part, it is not entirely to blame.
- 最初のbe quick to doや最後のit is not to doは知らなくてもよいが, 雰囲気で訳せるはず。
- forはblame A for Bのfor。criticize A for B, praise A for B, apologize to A for Bのように, 根拠を述べるfor。
People are quick to blame the internet for this reduced attention span, but while social media certainly plays its part, it is not entirely to blame.
人々はこの減らされた注目スパンのことでインターネットを非難するのに素早いが, ソーシャルメディアは確かにその部分を演じる一方で, それは完全に責めるべきではない。
このように注目できる期間が短くなってしまうのはインターネットのせいだと人々は早計に非難するが, 確かにソーシャルメディアはこの原因の一端を担っている一方で, 責任の全てがある訳ではない。
This trend can be traced back to when our world first started to become connected early in the last century as technology gave us access to an ever-increasing amount of information.
This trend can be traced back to when our world first started to become connected early in the last century as technology gave us access to an ever-increasing amount of information.
このトレンドは, 最近の世紀の初期に私たちの世界が最初にconnectedになりはじめたときにtrace back toされることができる。テクノロジーが私たちに情報のeverに増加している量に対するアクセスを与えたときに。
この傾向は, 21世紀の初頭に, 技術によってかつてないほどの量の情報を得ることができるようになり, 世界がつながり始めた時にまでさかのぼることができる。
第2段落
Today we are exposed to twenty-four-hour breaking news and an exponential rise in the amount of produced and consumed information.
Today we are exposed to twenty-four-hour breaking news and an exponential rise in the amount of produced and consumed information.
今日, 私たちは24時間のブレーキングニュースと, 生産されて消費される情報の量の中の指数的な上昇にさらされている。
今日では, 24時間常にニュース速報が入ってきて, 生産され消費される情報の量は飛躍的に増加している。
As the number of different issues that form our collective public discourse continues to increase, the amount of time and attention we are able to devote to each one inevitably gets compressed.
- 接続詞のas(後ろにSVがある形)は適当に訳せばよいが, increaseのように変化を表す動詞がある場合は, 比例の意味(~につれて)であることが多い。
As the number of different issues that form our collective public discourse continues to increase, the amount of time and attention we are able to devote to each one inevitably gets compressed.
私たちの集合的な公共の会話を形作るような異なる問題の数が増え続けるにつれて, 私たちがそれぞれに対して捧げられるような時間と注目の量は避けられないほどにcompressedになる。
世論を形成する異なる議題が増えるにつれて, それぞれに割くことができる時間や注目は, 必然的に少なくなる。
It isn’t that our total engagement with all this information is any less, but rather that as the information competing for our attention becomes denser our attention gets spread more thinly, with the result that public debate becomes increasingly fragmented and superficial.
- It is not that SV「(前文を受けて)これはSVということではない」は, 直訳だが, よく出てくるので覚えておくとよい。
- この文のasも, becomeという変化を表す動詞があるので, 「~につれて」と訳す。
It isn’t that our total engagement with all this information is any less, but rather that as the information competing for our attention becomes denser our attention gets spread more thinly, with the result that public debate becomes increasingly fragmented and superficial.
それは, すべてのこの情報とともに私たちの全ての関わりがより少ないということではない。むしろ, 私たちの注目に競争するような情報がより濃く なるにつれて, 私たちの注目はより薄くspreadになるということだ。公共の議論がますます分断されて表面的になるという結果とともに。
これは, 全ての情報に関わる合計時間が減るというわけではない。そうではなくむしろ, 注意を引く情報の密度が濃くなるにつれて, 注意はより分散し浅くなる, ということである。その結果, 人々の議論はますます分断され, 表面的なものになる。
The more quickly we switch between topics, the more quickly we lose interest in the previous one.
The more quickly we switch between topics, the more quickly we lose interest in the previous one.
ますます素早く私たちがトピックの間をスイッチするにつれて, ますます素早く私たちは前のそれの興味を失う。
素早く話題を切り替えるほど, 以前の話題に関する興味を失うのが早くなる。
We then find ourselves increasingly engaging only with those subjects that interest us, leading us to become less broadly informed — and potentially less confident in evaluating information outside of the spheres with which we are most familiar.
We then find ourselves increasingly engaging only with those subjects that interest us, leading us to become less broadly informed — and potentially less confident in evaluating information outside of the spheres with which we are most familiar.
私たちはそれから私たちがますます私たちの興味を引くようなそれらの話題にのみ従事していることに気付く。そしてそれは, 私たちが, より広くinformedではないようになるように 導く。そして, 私たちが最も精通しているような領域の外側の情報を評価するときに潜在的により自信のないように。
ますます自分の興味を引く話題にだけしか関わらなくなる。その結果, 知識の幅が狭くなり, 自分が詳しい分野外の情報を評価する自信がなくなっていく。
第3段落
I am not advocating that we should all devote more time and attention to every topic we encounter, whether we are exposed to information through our family, friends or work colleagues, or by reading books and magazines, the mainstream media, online or on social media, as that would be impossible.
I am not advocating that we should all devote more time and attention to every topic we encounter, whether we are exposed to information through our family, friends or work colleagues, or by reading books and magazines, the mainstream media, online or on social media, as that would be impossible.
私は私たちが私たちが遭遇するすべてのトピックに対してより多くの時間と注目をささげるべきだということを主張していない。私たちが家族, 友達, 仕事の同僚を通じて, または本や雑誌を読むこと, 主流のメディア, オンラインやソーシャルメディアによって, 情報にさらされてもそうでなくても。あれは不可能であろうから。
情報源が家族, 友人, 同僚であれ, 本や雑誌, 主要メディア, オンラインメディアやソーシャルメディアであれ, 全ての話題により多くの時間と注目を割くべきだと主張しているわけではない。そんなことは不可能だからだ。
But we must learn how to discriminate between what is important, useful and interesting, what is deserving of our attention and time, and what is not.
But we must learn how to discriminate between what is important, useful and interesting, what is deserving of our attention and time, and what is not.
しかし, 私たちは, 何が大切で有用で興味深いかということ, 何が私たちの注目と時間の価値があるかということ, 何がそうでないかということの間で差別する方法を学ぶ必要がある。
そうではなく, 重要で利用価値があって興味深いもの, つまり注目と時間を割く価値のあるものと, そうではないものを区別する方法を学ぶべきである。
As Feynman so emphatically pointed out, in his response to the journalist’s request for a pithy summary of his Nobel Prize work, the topics we do choose to spend more time thinking about and digesting will inevitably require a certain level of commitment.
- pithyは知らなくてよい。
As Feynman so emphatically pointed out, in his response to the journalist’s request for a pithy summary of his Nobel Prize work, the topics we do choose to spend more time thinking about and digesting will inevitably require a certain level of commitment.
Feynmanがとてもemphaticallyに指摘したように, 彼のノーベル賞の作品のpithyなまとめにとってのジャーナリストの要求に対する彼の反応の中で, 私たちが考えて消化するのにより多くの時間を費やすために実際に選ぶようなトピックは, 避けられない程にcommitmentのあるレベルを要求するだろう。
ファインマンがジャーナリストに, 自分のノーベル賞の成果について簡潔にまとめてほしいという要求に対して, 強調して指摘した通り, 深く考えることに多くの時間を割くことを選んだ話題には, 必然的にある程度専念することが必要である。
In science, we know that to truly understand a subject requires time and effort.
In science, we know that to truly understand a subject requires time and effort.
科学の中で, 私たちは本当に話題を理解することは時間と努力を必要とするということを知る。
科学において, ある話題を本当に理解するためには, 時間と努力を要するということを, 私たちは知っている。
The reward is that concepts which may at first have seemed impenetrable turn out to be comprehensible, straightforward, sometimes even simple.
The reward is that concepts which may at first have seemed impenetrable turn out to be comprehensible, straightforward, sometimes even simple.
報酬は, 初めはinpemetrableだと思われていたような概念が, 理解可能で, straightforwardで, 時々シンプルにさえ 判明するということだ。
その報いとして, 初めは全く分からないと思っていた概念が, 理解可能で, 素直で, 時には非常に単純であるとさえ判明する。
At worst, we acknowledge that they are indeed complicated — not because we are unable to think them through thoroughly and make sense of them, but because they just are complicated.
- through thoroughlyの部分は, 前置詞+副詞はセットにならないので, think through Aという熟語のAが代名詞になってthink A throughという語順になったと判断する。
- make senseは自動詞で「意味が通る, 理にかなう」が頻出であるが, make sense of Aの形になっていても他動詞的に適当に訳せるはず。「Aを理解する」。
At worst, we acknowledge that they are indeed complicated — not because we are unable to think them through thoroughly and make sense of them, but because they just are complicated.
最悪の点で, 私たちはそれらは確かに複雑だということを認める。私たちがそれらを徹底的にthink throughできなくてそれらを理解できないからではなく, それらがただ複雑であるから。
最悪の場合, 確かに複雑であると認めることになる。しかしそれは, 徹底的に考えることができなくて理解できなかったのではなく, 実際に複雑であるからだ。
第4段落
So, this is the takeaway for us all in daily life.
- takeawayは知らなくてよい。
So, this is the takeaway for us all in daily life.
だから, これは日常生活の中で私たちすべてにとってtakeawayだ。
したがってこれは, 日常生活において全員に役立つ教訓である。
Do you need a PhD in climate science to know that recycling your rubbish is better for the planet than throwing it all in the ocean?
Do you need a PhD in climate science to know that recycling your rubbish is better for the planet than throwing it all in the ocean?
あなたは, あなたのごみをリサイクルすることは, それをすべて海の中に投げることよりも惑星のためにより良いということを知るために, 気候科学の中のPhDが必要か?
ごみをリサイクルすることは, 海に投棄するよりも地球にとって良いことだと知るために, 気候科学の博士号が必要であろうか?
Of course not.
当然必要はない。
But taking some time to dig a little deeper into a subject and weighing up the evidence, the pros and cons about an issue, before making up your mind can help you make better decisions in the long run.
But taking some time to dig a little deeper into a subject and weighing up the evidence, the pros and cons about an issue, before making up your mind can help you make better decisions in the long run.
しかし, 話題の中へ少しより深く掘るためにいくつかの時間を取ることや, 問題について証拠や良い点と悪い点をweigh upすることは, あなたの心を決める前に, あなたが長い目で見るとより良い決断をすることを手助けできる。
しかし, 何かを決心する前に, 時間を取って話題を少し掘り下げたり, 証拠, 利点や欠点, 問題点などを比較検討することによって, 長期的に見てより良い決断をする手助けとなるだろう。
第5段落
Most things in life are difficult to begin with.
Most things in life are difficult to begin with.
生活の中のほとんどの物は, 始めるのに難しい。
人生における多くの物事は, 始めるのが難しい。
But, if you’re prepared to try, you can cope with far more than you imagine.
But, if you’re prepared to try, you can cope with far more than you imagine.
しかし, もしあなたがトライする準備をされているなら, あなたはあなたが想像するよりもずっと多くのことを対処できる。
しかし, 挑戦する準備ができているなら, 想像よりもずっと多くの物事に関わることができる。
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