首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
The right to pursue happiness is promised to Americans by the US Constitution, but no one seems quite sure which way happiness r
The right to pursue happiness is promised to Americans by the US Constitution, but no one seems quite sure which way happiness r
admin
2010-05-09
33
问题
The right to pursue happiness is promised to Americans by the US Constitution, but no one seems quite sure which way happiness ran. It may be we are issued a hunting license but offered no game. Jonathan Swift conceived (构思) of happiness as "the state of being well-deceived," or of being "a fool among idiots," for Swift saw society as a land of false goals.
It is, of course, un-American to think in terms of false goals. We do, however, seem to be dedicated to the idea of buying our way to happiness. We shall all have made it to Heaven when we possess enough.
And at the same time the forces of American business are hugely dedicated to making us deliberately unhappy. Advertising is one of our major industries, and advertising exists not to satisfy desires but to create them--and to create them faster than anyone’s budget can satisfy them. For that matter, our whole economy is based on addicting us to greed. We are even told it is our patriotic (爱国的) duty to support the national economy by buying things.
Look at any of the magazines that cater (迎合) to women. There advertising begins as art and slogans in the front pages and ends as pills and therapy in the back pages. The art at the front illustrates the dream of perfect beauty. This is the baby skin that must be hers. This, the perfumed breath she must breathe out. This, the sixteen-year-old figure she must display at forty, at fifty, at sixty, and forever. This is the harness into which Mother must strap herself in order to display that perfect figure. This is the cream that restores skin, these are the tablets that melt away fat around the thighs (大腿), and these are the pills of perpetual (永久的) youth.
Obviously no reasonable person can be completely persuaded either by such art or by such pills and devices. Yet someone is obviously trying to buy this dream and spending billions every year in the attempt. Clearly the happiness-market is not running out of customers, but what is it they are trying to buy?
Defining the meaning of "happiness" is a perplexing (令人困惑的) proposition: the best one can do is to try to set some extremes to the idea and then work towards the middle. To think of happiness as achieving superiority over others, living in a mansion made of marble, having a wardrobe (衣柜) with hundreds of outfits (配备), will do to set the greedy extreme. To think of happiness as the joy of a holy man of India will do to set the spiritual extreme.
By saying "but no one seems quite sure which way happiness ran" (Line 2, Para. 1), the author suggests that the American are not quite sure of ______.
选项
答案
their happiness
解析
参见第1段第1、2句,其大意是:美国宪法赋予美国人民追求幸福的权利,但是谁也说不清幸福奔向了哪个方向。这好比我们去狩猎许可却无猎物可打。也就是暗示说美国人对他们的幸福不怎么确信。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/JKOK777K
0
大学英语六级
相关试题推荐
ThereisnearlyeverythingonsalesateBay,andevenhumankidneyisallowed.eBayisfamousmostlyforitisabigauctionwe
Whatisthemainideaofthepassage?WhatisthespaceatQuincyMarketnowusedfor?
Asrecentlyasthirtyyearsago,manyAmericansbelievedthatusingcreditwasanunwiseand(36)______waytopayforwhatthey
Asrecentlyasthirtyyearsago,manyAmericansbelievedthatusingcreditwasanunwiseand(36)______waytopayforwhatthey
Asrecentlyasthirtyyearsago,manyAmericansbelievedthatusingcreditwasanunwiseand(36)______waytopayforwhatthey
A、Sheisveryhappytoobeytherules.B、Sheisveryinterestedintherules.C、Sheisirritatedbysomanyrules.D、Sheissorr
InNovember1965,NewYorkwasblackedoutbyanelectricityfailure.The【B1】______promisedthatitwouldnothappenagain.Pe
Ifsustainablecompetitiveadvantagedependsonwork-forceskills,Americanfirmshaveaproblem.Human-resourcemanagementisn
Astudyofpeoplewhousedcellphonesforanaverageoflessthanthreeyearsfoundnoevidencethedevicescausebraincancer.
Mostpeoplefeellonelysometimes.Butitusuallyonlylastsbetweenafewminutesandafewhours.Thiskindoflonelinessisn
随机试题
患者,女,37岁。月经淋漓不断4月余,近3日来,项背强直,四肢抽搐,头目昏眩,自汗,神疲短气,舌质淡红,脉弦细。应诊为
心理测验工作应遵守的原则为
A.按30%选择配备和使用国家基本药物B.按50%选择配备和使用国家基本药物C.按100%选择配备和使用国家基本药物D.首选基本药物并达到一定使用比例E.按80%选择配备和使用国家基本药物根据卫生部等九部委局《关于建立国家基本药物制度的实施意见》
背景某支线机场航站楼施工任务采取工程总承包,经过公开招投标,某建筑工程公司获得工程任务,但航站楼弱电工程的分包是由业主指定的。工程顺利开始土建、安装、装修等施工,但弱电工程施工单位却迟迟不能按照总包单位的要求进场,并认为是与业主签订合同,可以不服从总包单
根据我国监管机构和《巴塞尔新资本协议》的要求,商业银行可采用()来计量市场风险资本。
甲上市公司具备健全且运行良好的组织机构,自股票上市以来连续盈利,每年向股东支付股利,且最近3年财务会计文件无虚假记载,也没有其他重大违法行为。2011年4月,甲公司拟增发新股,并决定选择乙证券公司作为甲公司增发新股的承销商承担承销业务。甲公司向乙
Thegirlhadhardlyrungthebell______thedoorwasopenedsuddenly,andherfriendsrushedouttogreether.
过三峡本是寻找不得词汇的。只能老老实实,让嗖嗖阴风吹着,让滔滔江流溅着,让的眼睛待着,让一再要狂呼的嗓子哑着。什么也甭想,什么也甭说,让生命重重实实地受一次__________。千万别从惊吓中醒过神来,__________的人都消受不住这三峡。填入画横线部
某教师教了小学五年级的两个班,她在学习了素质教育新方法之后,得知启发式教学对培养学生数学思维十分有益,与传统方法相比,学生的成绩会有大幅度提高。于是她想要验证这一方法的效果。请帮助她设计一个实验来验证她的想法(要求详述实验设计、变量安排、统计方法),并谈谈
求∫[*dx.
最新回复
(
0
)