第一段
Among the annoying challenges facing the middle class is one that will probably go unmentioned in the next presidential campaign: What happens when the robots come for their jobs?
单词&词组
challenge n. 挑战
go unmentioned 不被提及
presidential campaign 总统大选
come for 来强行带走
本段翻译
中产阶级面临的令人恼火的挑战中，有一个很可能在下一届总统竞选中无人提及：当机器人来上班时会发生什么？
第二段
Don't dismiss that possibility entirely. About half of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being automated, according to a University of Oxford study, with the middle class disproportionately squeezed. Lower-income jobs like gardening or day care don't appeal to robots. But many middle-class occupations-trucking, financial advice, software engineering — have aroused their interest, or soon will. The rich own the robots, so they will be fine.
单词&词组
dismiss v. 拒绝考虑，不接受
at high risk of 处于高风险中
automate v. 使自动化
disproportionately ad. 不成比例地
squeeze v. 挤压，榨取
appeal to 吸引
本段翻译
不要完全否定这种可能性。牛津大学（University of Oxford）的一项研究显示，美国约一半的工作面临自动化的高风险，中产阶级受到了不成比例的挤压。像园艺或日托之类的低收入工作对机器人没有吸引力。但是许多中产阶级的职业——卡车司机、金融咨询、软件工程——已经引起了他们的兴趣，或者很快就会引起他们的兴趣。有钱人拥有机器人，所以他们会没事的。
第三段
This isn't to be alarmist. Optimists point out that technological upheaval has benefited workers in the past. The Industrial Revolution didn't go so well for Luddites whose jobs were displaced by mechanized looms, but it eventually raised living standards and created more jobs than it destroyed. Likewise, automation should eventually boost productivity, stimulate demand by driving down prices, and free workers from hard, boring work. But in the medium term, middle-class workers may need a lot of help adjusting.
单词&词组
alarmist a. 危言耸听的
upheaval n. 剧变，动荡
mechanize v. 机械化
drive down 压低
free sb. from sth. 将某人从某事中解放出来
本段翻译
这不是危言耸听。乐观主义者指出，技术变革在过去曾使工人受益。工业革命对勒德派来说并不顺利，他们的工作被机械化的织布机取代，但它最终提高了生活水平，创造了比摧毁更多的就业机会。同样，自动化最终会提高生产率，通过压低价格来刺激需求，让工人从繁重乏味的工作中解脱出来。但从中期来看，中产阶级工人可能需要很多帮助来调整。
第四段
The first step, as Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee argue in The Second Machine Age, should be rethinking education and job training. Curriculums —from grammar school to college---should evolve to focus less on memorizing facts and more on creativity and complex communication. Vocational schools should do a better job of fostering problem-solving skills and helping students work alongside robots. Online education can supplement the traditional kind. It could make extra training and instruction affordable. Professionals trying to acquire new skills will be able to do so without going into debt.
单词&词组
rethink v. 反思
curriculum n. （学校等的）全部课程
evolve to 逐渐演变
vocational a. 职业技术的
supplement v. 补充，辅助
affordable a. （金钱、时间）能负担得起的
acquire new skills 获得新技能
本段翻译
正如埃里克·布林约尔夫森和安德鲁·麦卡菲在《第二个机器时代》中所说，第一步应该是重新思考教育和工作培训。从文法学校到大学的课程应该逐渐减少对事实的记忆，而更多地关注创造力和复杂的交流。职业学校应该更好地培养解决问题的能力，帮助学生与机器人一起工作。网络教育可以补充传统教育。它可以使额外的培训和指导负担得起。试图获得新技能的专业人士将能够做到这一点而不负债。
第五段
The challenge of coping with automation underlines the need for the U.S. to revive its fading business dynamism: Starting new companies must be made easier. In previous eras of drastic technological change, entrepreneurs smoothed the transition by dreaming up ways to combine labor and machines. The best uses of 3D printers and virtual reality haven't been invented yet. The U.S. needs the new companies that will invent them.
单词&词组
cope with 应对
underline v. 突显，强调
fade v. 衰退
dynamism n. 活力，劲头
era n. 时代
transition n. 过渡，变迁
dream up 构想，想出不同寻常的计划、主意
本段翻译
应对自动化的挑战突显出，美国需要重振日渐衰退的商业活力：必须让创办新公司更容易。在以前技术变革剧烈的时代，企业家们通过想出把劳动和机器结合起来的办法来平滑过渡。3D打印机和虚拟现实的最佳应用还没有发明出来。美国需要新的公司来发明它们。
第六段
Finally, because automation threatens to widen the gap between capital income and labor income, taxes and the safety net will have to be rethought. Taxes on low-wage labor need to be cut, and wage subsidies such as the earned income tax credit should be expanded: This would boost incomes, encourage work, reward companies for job creation, and reduce inequality.
单词&词组
threaten to 有……危险，可能会造成
safety net 安全网
subsidy n. 补贴，补助金
boost n. 促进，增加
earned income tax credit 缩写为EITC，所得税抵扣
本段翻译
最后，由于自动化有可能扩大资本收入和劳动收入之间的差距，税收和安全网必须重新考虑。必须削减对低工资劳动力的税收，并扩大工资补贴，如所得税抵免：这将提高收入，鼓励工作，奖励企业创造就业机会，减少不平等。
第七段
Technology will improve society in ways big and small over the next few years, yet this will be little comfort to those who find their lives and careers upended by automation. Destroying the machines that are coming for our jobs would be nuts. But policies to help workers adapt will be indispensable.
单词&词组
upend v. 翻倒，颠覆
nuts a. 发狂的，发疯的
indispensable a. 必不可少的
本段翻译
在未来几年里，科技将大大小小地改善社会，然而对于那些发现自己的生活和事业被自动化颠覆的人来说，这并不是什么安慰。摧毁为我们工作而来的机器将是疯狂的。但帮助工人适应的政策将是不可或缺的。
五道题
21. Who will be most threatened by automation?
[A] Leading politicians.
[B] Low-wage laborers.
[C] Robot owners.
[D] Middle-class workers.
22. Which of the following best represent the author's view?
[A] Worries about automation are in fact groundless.
[B] Optimists' opinions on new tech find little support.
[C] Issues arising from automation need to be tackled
[D] Negative consequences of new tech can be avoided
23. Education in the age of automation should put more emphasis on_____.
[A] creative potential.
[B] job-hunting skills.
[C] individual needs.
[D] cooperative spirit.
24. The author suggests that tax policies be aimed at_____.
[A] encouraging the development of automation.
[B] increasing the return on capital investment.
[C] easing the hostility between rich and poor.
[D] preventing the income gap from widening.
25. In this text, the author presents a problem with_____.
[A] Opposing views on it.
[B] possible solutions to it.
[C] its alarming impacts.
[D] its major variations.
参考答案
DCADB
答案解析
21、由题干中的threatened和automation定位到第二段第二句。定位句提到,根据牛津大学的一项研究,在美国,大约一半的工作会面临被自动化的高风险，中产阶级受到的挤压不成比例得大。D 由此可知,受到自动化威胁最大的就是中产阶级。同时下文也指出工人阶级和富人都不会受此影响。题干中的most threatened是对原文中disproportionately squeezed 的同义转述,所以[D]为正确答案。
22、根据选项中的automation和new tech以及题文同序原则定位到第三段。第三段首句指出，上述言论并不是危言耸听;未句提到中产阶级可能需要很多帮助来适应。由此可知,自动化会带来一些问题， 而中产阶级则需要帮助来适应。选项[C]中的need to be tackled是对原文中a lot of help adjusting的同义转述,所以[C]为正确答案。
23、由题干中的Education和the age of automation定位到第四段。第四段第句提到，第一步应该重新思考教育和就业培训。 接下来文章指出了具体方法,即从小学到大学的课程都应该逐渐发展，减少对记忆事实的关注，更多地关注创造性和复杂的交流。由此可知在自动化时代，教育应更加关注学生的创造性故[A]项正确。
24、由题干中的tax policies定位到第六段。第六段首句指出,由于自动化有可能会扩大资本收入和劳动收入之间的差距，将不得不重新考虑税收和安全网。接着第二句具体解释了税收政策该如何改变，并指出这将提高收入、鼓励工作、奖励创造就业机会的公司以及减少不平等。由此可得知，税收政策的目标就是防止收入差距扩大,故选项[D]正确。
25、从整篇文章脉络来看,作者在前两段提出了一个问题，即自动化将威胁到中产阶级工人的工作:第三段指出中产阶级工人会受自动化的影响,可能需要很多的帮助来适应;从第四段到第六段，作者提出一些可能的解决办法，如重新考虑教育和就业培训、降低开新公司的门槛以及重新考虑税收和安全网等最后一段是概括总结。所以本文的结构是;提出问题, 分析问题, 解决问题。因此选[B]。
