U7 Ethics and Morality
伦理与道德
Are We Tolerating More Dishonesty?
Reading Comprehension
(包括“答案与题解”)
Notes
课文参考译文
练习
●Cloze
●Reading Passages(包括“疑难长句翻译与注解”)
●Translation
●Writing(包括“审题指导”)
Are We Tolerating More Dishonesty?
The income-tax deadline approaches and some taxpayers’ thoughts turn to it. Test time approaches and some students’ thoughts turn to it. Temptation appears and some spouses consider it. Nowadays, cheating is on the rise. “You want something you can’t get by behaving within the rules, and you want it badly enough, you’ll do it regardless of any guilt or regret, and youre willing to run the risk of being caught.” That’s how Ladd Wheeler, psychology professor at the University of Rochester in New York, defines cheating.
Cheating represents the triumph of the “Brazen Rule” over the “Golden Rule”, says Terry Pinkard, philosophy professor at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. “The Golden Rule says, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ The Brazen Rule says, ‘Do unto others as they would do unto you if they were in your place.’” Many experts believe cheating is on the rise. “We’re seeing more of the kind of person who regards the world as a series of things to be manipulated. Whether to cheat depends on whether it’s in the person’s interest.” He does, however, see less cheating among the youngest students.
Richard Dienstbier, psychology professor at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, believes that society’s attitudes account for much of the rise in cheating. “Twenty years ago, if a person cheated in college, society said: ‘That is extremely serious； you will be dropped for a semester if not kicked out permanently,’” he says. “Nowadays, at the University of Nebraska, for example, it is the stated policy of the College of Arts and Sciences that if a student cheats on an exam, the student must receive an ‘F’ on what he cheated on. That’s nothing. If you’re going to fail anyway, why not cheat?”
Cheating is unethical, Pinkard says, whether it’s massive fraud or failure to tell a store cashier you were undercharged. “You’re treating other people merely as a means for your own ends. Youre using people in ways they would not consent to. The cheater says, ‘Let everybody else bear the burden, and I’ll reap the benefits.’”
Cheaters usually try to justify their actions, says Robert Hogan, chairman of the psychology department at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. “They never think it’s their fault.” Cheaters make justifications because they want to feel good about themselves, adds Wheeler. “They don’t want to label themselves as a cheater. Also, they may be anticipating the possibility of getting caught, so they work on their excuse ahead of time.” The most common justifications, psychologists say, include:
“I had to do it.”
“The test was unfair.”
“Everybody does it, and I have to cheat to get what’s rightfully mine.”
“The government wastes the money anyway.”
“My wife (or husband) doesn’t understand me, and we’ve grown apart.”
Cheating is most likely in situations where the stakes are high and the chances of getting caught are low, says social psychologist Lynn Kahle of the University of Oregon in Eugene. In his study, a group of freshmen were allowed to grade their own tests, while secret, pressure-sensitive paper indicated who changed answers. To raise the pressure, students were given an extremely high score as the “average” for the test and told that those who failed would go before an inquiring board of psychologists. About 46 percent of the male students changed answers; among the females, about 30 percent cheated.
Everybody cheats a little, some psychologists say, while others insist that most people are basically honest and some wouldn’t cheat under any circumstances.
Despite the general rise in cheating, Pinkard sees some cause for hope: “I do find among younger students a much less tolerant attitude toward cheating.”Perhaps, he says, the upcoming generation is less spoiled than the “baby boom”students who preceded them—and therefore less self-centered. “There seems to be a swing back in the culture.”
1. The purpose of this passage is to .
［A］ convince the reader that cheating is immoral
［B］ discuss the varieties of and reasons for cheating
［C］ describe how cheaters cheat
［D］ suggest how to curtail cheating
2. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
［A］ It is ethical to cheat unless money is involved.
［B］ Failure to tell a store cashier you were undercharged is not considered cheating.
［C］ There has been a general rise in cheating.
［D］ Most cheaters are college students.
3. According to the passage, with which of the following would the author probably NOT agree?
［A］ Cheating is often the result of intense pressure.
［B］ Cheating is cheating, whether on a test or on income tax forms.
［C］ Cheating is widespread and society is too tolerant.
［D］ The Brazen Rule is a better rule than the Golden Rule.
4. When a person is caught cheating, it is most likely that he .
［A］ pretends to apologize for what he has done
［B］ pretends that he has no knowledge of what is going on
［C］ ascribes his misconduct to some external motivation
［D］ denies the fact in fearful anticipation of escaping punishment
5. Regarding the future of cheating, the author seems to be .
［A］ depressed ［B］ optimistic
［C］ amused ［D］ bewildered
答案与题解
1.［B］
第一段提到了各种各样的欺骗行为；但对原因的探讨贯穿整个文章。
2.［C］
参阅最后一段第一句，从Despite the general rise in cheating看，的确存在欺骗现象不断增加的问题。
3.［D］
本文对欺骗行为进行了鞭挞，作者对鼓励欺骗的厚颜无耻原则(the Brazen Rule)持批评态度。
4.［C］ 意为：将他的不良行为归因于某种外在动机。即：不承认自己内心想欺骗。
参阅第五段。
5.［B］
参阅最后一段。在作者看来，在新的一代人中，欺骗行为将减少。
Notes
1.第二段第一句中的Golden Rule意为“为人准则”，基督教《圣经·新约》说：“你们愿意人怎样待你们，你们也要怎样待人。”这就是所谓的“为人准则”。Brazen Rule 是从Golden Rule派生出来的一种准则，意为“厚颜无耻准则”。
2.第三段第一个句子中account for作“解释”讲。
3.第三段第二句是一个简单主从复合句。句架是“...”，he says。本句的主句是he says，引号中是讲的内容，即宾语。在宾语从句中if引导条件状语从句。society said是主句。小引号中的内容又是said的宾语从句，请注意在这个宾语从句中if not kicked out permanently = if you are not kicked out permanently。
4.第十一段第二句是一个简单主从复合句。句架是...a group of freshmen were allowed to..., while secret, ...paper indicated who...。句中while引导对比状语从句，经常译成“而”，“然而”；who引导的是名词从句，在句中作谓语动词indicated的宾语。句中pressure-sensitive paper指对压力敏感的测试纸张。
5. 第十一段第三句是一个简单主从复合句。句架是...students were given...and told that those who...would go...。句子的主句由并列的两个被动语态的谓语构成；在第二个谓语后跟了一个that引导的名词从句作宾语，在宾语从句who failed又是定语从句修饰those (students)。
课文参考译文
我们在容忍更多的不诚实吗？
缴纳所得税的最后期限临近了，于是一些纳税人的思想转到这件事情上。测试时刻临近了，于是一些学生的思想转到这件事情上。诱惑出现了，于是一些夫妻考虑这种诱惑。如今，欺骗呈上升趋势。“你想要某种你无法在守规矩的情况下得到的东西，而且你又非常想得到这种东西，你会设法得到它，而不管是否有负罪感或感到后悔，你愿意冒被抓住的危险。”这就是纽约州罗切斯特大学心理学教授拉德·惠勒对欺骗一词所下的定义。
华盛顿特区乔治敦大学的哲学教授特里·平卡德说，欺骗代表“厚颜无耻准则”战胜“为人准则”。“为人准则说：‘你希望别人怎样待你，你也要怎样待别人。’厚颜无耻准则说：‘你要像他们处在你的地位时对待你那样对待他们。’”许多专家认为欺骗呈上升趋势。“我们看到这类人增多了，他们把世界看做是一连串能操纵的事情。是否要欺骗，这取决于这样做是否符合这个人的利益。”但是他的确看到最年轻的学生中的作弊现象减少了。
林肯市内布拉斯加大学心理学教授理查德·迪恩斯特比尔认为，社会的态度可以解释大部分欺骗活动呈上升趋势的原因。他说：“20年前，如果一个人在大学作弊，社会说：‘这极为严重，即使不永
久开除你，你也必须辍学一个学期。’现今，例如在内布拉斯加大学，文理学院公开宣布的政策是，如果一个学生在考试时作弊，就必须给他作弊的科目判F(不及格)。那没有关系。如果你无论如何都考不及格，为什么不作弊？”
平卡德说，欺骗是不道德的，不管是大规模欺骗还是没有对商店收银员说少收了你的钱。“你对待其他人的态度只是作为达到自己目的的一种手段。你是在以人们不会同意的方式利用他们。骗子说：‘让其他人承受负担，而由我来受益。’”
俄克拉何马州塔尔萨大学心理学系主任罗伯特·霍根说，骗子通常试图为他们的行为辩解。“他们从来都不认为欺骗是他们的过错。”惠勒又说，骗子为自己辩解是因为他们希望自己感觉良好。“他们并不想把自己称为骗子。他们也料到被抓住的可能性，所以他们提前制造借口。”心理学家说，最常见的辩解包括：
“我不得不这样做。”
“这次测试不公平。”
“人人都这样做。我不得不欺骗，以便得到本应属于我的东西。”
“反正政府也要把这些钱浪费掉。”
“我妻子(或丈夫)不理解我，我们逐渐产生了隔阂。”
尤金市俄勒冈大学的社会心理学家林恩·卡尔说，欺骗最可能发生在赌注大而被抓住的机会少的情况下。在他的研究报告中，一批新生获准为他们自己的测验判分数，而秘密的和对压力敏感的试卷表明谁改变了答案。为了增加压力，学生们被给了一个极高分作为这次测试的“平均分”，并告诉学生说，测试不及格的学生将接受由心理学家组成的调查委员会的调查。约有46％的男生改了答案；在女生中，约有30％作弊了。
一些心理学家说，人人都作一点弊，而其他心理学家则坚持说，大部分人基本上是诚实的，一些人在任何情况下都不会作弊。
尽管作弊呈普遍上升趋势，但平卡德认为有理由抱有希望：“我的确发现年轻的学生对作弊采取了更不容忍的态度。”他说，也许未来的一代不像他们之前在生育高峰时期出生的大学生那样被惯坏， 因此不会像他们那样以自我为中心。“看来在文化上有回摆。”
