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词数：434 words
难度：★★★★☆
小贴士：
上期划线句应该注意discourage覆盖的范围包括两项，1）work effort；2）decisions to invest ，and并列词连接两个动作，所以两个都需要翻到。
——大橙子留
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上期划线句答案
But rates should not be so high as to discourage work effort and decisions to invest in innovative and risky ventures that promise to improve the nation’s productivity and future growth.
但税率不应该高到打击人们的工作积极性或抑制对那些有望提高国家生产力和未来增长性的创新和风险性资产的投资决策。
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本期内容
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双语阅读
Para.1
You have probably heard of MC behaviour – or perhaps even witnessed it online or in person. A TikToker and her followers physically push aside those inconvenient extras ‘ruining’ their selfies – and then post their grievances on social media. A man on a crowded subway watches a loud sports broadcast without headphones while ignoring other commuters’ requests to turn it down a bit. This is no mere rudeness: in the narrowly circumscribed world of main characters, the rest of us are merely the insignificant ghosts who happen to intrude on their spaces.
Para.2
Akin to chess pieces, or perhaps to animatronic figures, we have agency only in the development of the MC’s story. In current parlance, we are non-player characters (or NPCs) – a term that originated in traditional tabletop games to describe characters not controlled by a player but rather by the ‘dungeon master’. In video games, NPCs are characters with a predetermined (or algorithmically determined) set of behaviours controlled by the computer. Rather than agents with a will and intent, NPCs are there to help the MC in his quest, to intersect with the MC in preset ways, or to simply remain silent – a kind of prop, or perhaps human-shaped furniture, a part of the scenery.
Para.3
Having taught and written for a number of years in the areas of ethics and moral psychology, one of the central ideas that I have tried to explain and make more vivid is that morality is something that we do together, that our ideas about who we are require each other’s engaged participation, and that an empathetic openness not only to each other’s moral agency, but to each other’s emotional states, is central to our shared lifeworld. We must see others as fully human, and be engaged with each other as moral beings to understand who we are, and who we are in relation to others and to the world.
Para.4
But the main character narrative denies all these possibilities. It is destructive to views of human beings as fundamentally relational and interdependent, and poses a threat to two important experiences of being human: the first is connection to others; the second is love.
Para.5
To counter objections that my worries are a simple case of generational misalignment – a confused Gen Xer misunderstanding Gen Z perspectives – I suggest that MCS is dangerous precisely because it seems to be no passing fad, and is not limited to any one generation’s political perspective, or social group – indeed, its influence extends far beyond TikTok, and is found within the business world, in academia and in the halls of power.
本文节选自：Aeon
发布时间：2024.10
作者：Aeon Essays
原文标题：Why main character syndrome is philosophically dangerous
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写作句总结
原句：The main character narrative denies all these possibilities, and poses a threat to two important experiences of being human: the first is connection to others; the second is love.
结构：X poses a threat to Y: the first is A; the second is B.
例句：The competitive environment poses a threat to community spirit: the first is mutual support; the second is shared success.
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阅读理解题
Which of the following best describes how the "main character" narrative, as discussed in the sources, threatens our understanding of being human?
A. It promotes a competitive mindset, leading individuals to prioritize personal success over the well-being of others.
B. It encourages conformity to societal expectations, discouraging individuals from expressing their unique identities and perspectives.
C. It undermines the recognition of shared humanity and interdependence, hindering the development of meaningful connections and ethical behavior.
D. It fosters a sense of apathy and detachment from social issues, reducing individuals' willingness to engage in collective action and social change.
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全文概括
The article explores the phenomenon of "main character" (MC) behavior, which describes individuals who view themselves as the central figure in every situation, while treating others as mere background characters.
The author argues that this behavior, exemplified by individuals who prioritize their own needs over those of others, undermines the fundamental human experience of connection and love, as it negates the mutual interdependence and shared moral agency essential to a fulfilling life.
The text emphasizes that this is not simply a generational trend but a broader cultural phenomenon that extends to various spheres, potentially having detrimental consequences for social cohesion and empathy.
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打卡作业
翻译文章中的划线句，文末留言打卡，下期推送会在文章开头处公布参考翻译答案，大家一起来学习英语吧~
翻译 | 大橙子
校对 | 慢慢
词汇词组 | 胖葛柔儿
划线句讲解 | 流木
写作句总结 | 大橙子
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