阅读原文

In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell argue that “social epidemics” are driven in large part by the action of a tiny of special individuals, often called influentials, who are unusually informed, persuasive, or well connected. The idea is intuitively compelling, but it doesn’t explain how ideas actually spread.

The supposed importance of influentials drives from a plausible-sounding but largely untested theory called the “two-step flow of communication”: Information flows from the media to the influentials and from them to everyone else. Marketers have embraced the two-step flow because it suggests that if they can just find and influence the influentials, those select people will do most of the work for them. The theory also seems to explain the sudden and unexpected popularity of certain looks, brands, or neighborhoods. In many such cases, a cursory search for causes finds that some small group of people was wearing, promoting, or developing whatever it is before anyone else paid attention. Anecdotal evidence of this kind fits nicely with the idea that only certain special people can drive trend.

In their recent work, however, some reachers have come up with the finding that influencials have far less impact on special epidemics than is  generally supposed. In fact, they don’t seem to be required at all.

The researchers argument stems from a simple observation about social influence: With the exception of a few celebrities like Oprah Winfrey-whose outsize presence is primarily a function of media, not interpersonal, influence-even the most influential members of a population simply don’t interact with that many others. Yet it is precisely these noncelebrity influentials who, according to the two-step-flow theory, are supposed to drive social epidemics, by influencing their friends and colleagues directly. For a social epidemic to occur, however, each person so affected must then influence his or her own acquaintances, who must in turn influencing theirs, and so on; and just how many others pay attention to each of these people has little to do with the initial influential. If people in the network just two degrees removed from the initial influential prove resistant, for example, the cascade of change won’t propagate very far or affect many people.

Building on this basic truth about interpersonal influence, the researchers studied the dynamics of social influence by conducting thousands of computer simulations of populations, manipulating a number of variables relating to people’s ability to influence others and their tendency to be influenced. They found that the principal requirement for what is called “global cascades”-the widespread propagation of inflence through networks-is the presence not of a few influentials but, rather, of a critical mass of easily influenced people.

 

 

 

题目

31. By citing the book The Tipping Point, the author intends to

[A] analyze the consequences of social epidemics.

[B] discuss influentials’ function in spreading ideas.

[C] exemplify people’s intuitive response to social epidemics.

[D] describe the essential characteristics of influentials.

 

32. The author suggests that the “two-step-flow theory”

[A] serves as a solution to marketing problems.

[B] has helped explain certain prevalent trends.

[C] has won support from influentials.

[D] requires solid evidence for its validity.

 

33. What the researchers have observed recently show that

[A] the power of influence goes with social interactions.

[B] interpersonal links can be enhanced through the media.

[C] influentials have more channels to reach the public.

[D] most celebrities enjoy wide media attention.

 

34. The underlined phrase “these people” in paragraph 4 refers to the ones who

[A] stay outside the network of social influence.

[B] have little contact with the source of influence.

[C] are influenced and then influence others.

[D] are influenced by the initial influential.

 

35. What is the essential element in the dynamics of social influence?

[A] The eagerness to be accepted.

[B] The impulse to influence other.

[C] The readiness to be influenced.

[D] The inclination to rely on others

 

 

全文翻译

在Malcolm Gladwell的书《爆破点》中，他认为“社会流行”被驱动大部分来自很少一部分的少数特殊个人的行为，这些人常常消息灵通，有说服力，好的人际交往。这个想法直觉上令人叹服，但是它没有解释出注意是怎样实际传播的。

假定的有影响力人士的重要性来自于一个貌似可信但大部分未被检验的被称为“信息两级流动”的理论：信息从媒体流向有影响力的人士，再从有影响力的人士流向其余每个人。市场营销人员已经接受了两级流动理论，因为这个理论暗示如果他们仅仅只要找到并且影响有影响力的人士，这些精英人士将会为他们做大部分的工作。这一理论也似乎解释了某一牌子，品牌或者地段突然不可预期的流行。在许多如此的案例中，对这样的事情做了一次粗略的调查发现：一小部分人总是在别人关注之前去穿，促销或者发展一些东西无论这些是什么。这种奇闻异事的证据很嗨的适合了仅仅某一特殊的人们可以驱动潮流的观点。

然而，研究者们在最近的工作中提出了一个发现：有影响力的人士在特种流行上的影响力远远不及通常所假象的。实际上，他们（有影响力人士）似乎没有一点被要求。

研究者们的理论源于对社会影响的一个简单的观察，除了像Oprah Winfrey——她在外面的影响力主要来自于媒体的功能，而不是人际交往——这样的极少数名人，甚至一词流行的最有影响力的人员简单的不跟其他许多人互动交流。但是，根据信息两级流动理论恰恰是这些非名人的有影响力的人士被支持通过直接影响他的朋友和同事推动社会流行潮。然而，对于社会流行潮的发生，每一个被影响的人必须然后去影响他或她自己的熟人；被影响的人再去轮流影响他认识的人，依次下去；有多少没被影响的人关注过被影响的人中的每一个人跟最初有影响力的人士没有关系。例如，如果在这个网络中的人们恰好距离最初有影响力的人士在第二级显示出抵制，那么改变的瀑布流将不会传递更远或者影响更多人。

基于人际间影响的基本理论，研究者们通过引导计算机人口模拟，操纵着人们影响其他人的能力和他们被影响的趋势研究了动态社会影响。他们（研究者）发现对被称作“全球瀑布流”——通过网络广泛的影响传播——的存在不在于一小部分有影响力认识的存在，而在于大量关键点容易被影响的人们的存在。

 

 

 

 

逐句翻译

第一段

In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell argue that “social epidemics” are driven in large part by the action of a tiny(微小的；很少的) minority(少数的；属于少数派的) of special individuals, often called influentials, who are unusually informed, persuasive(有说服力的), or well connected.

在Malcolm Gladwell的书《爆破点》中，他认为“社会流行”被驱动大部分来自很少一部分的少数特殊个人的行为，这些人常常消息灵通，有说服力，好的人际交往。

 

 

The idea is intuitively(直观地；直觉地) compelling(令人叹服；引人注目), but it doesn’t explain how ideas actually spread.

这个想法直觉上令人叹服，但是它没有解释出注意是怎样实际传播的。

 

 

第二段

The supposed importance of influentials drives from a plausible(貌似可信的；花言巧语的)-sounding but largely untested theory called the “two-step flow of communication”: Information flows from the media to the influentials and from them to everyone else.

假定的有影响力人士的重要性来自于一个貌似可信但大部分未被检验的被称为“信息两级流动”的理论：信息从媒体流向有影响力的人士，再从有影响力的人士流向其余每个人。

 

 

Marketers have embraced the two-step flow because it suggests that if they can just find and influence the influentials, those select people(精英人士) will do most of the work for them.

市场营销人员已经接受了两级流动理论，因为这个理论暗示如果他们仅仅只要找到并且影响有影响力的人士，这些精英人士将会为他们做大部分的工作。

（此句翻译时要特别注意select people的翻译，有人会认为这里应该是selected people（被选择的人），其实select people是一个固定短语译为精英人士（表示一种优质的东西））。

 

 

The theory also seems to explain the sudden and unexpected popularity of certain looks, brands, or neighborhoods.

这一理论也似乎解释了某一牌子，品牌或者地段突然不可预期的流行。

 

 

In many such cases, a cursory(粗略的；草率的) search for causes(原因；理由；事业；引起) finds that some small group of people was wearing, promoting, or developing whatever it is before anyone else paid attention.

在许多如此的案例中，对这样的事情做了一次粗略的调查发现：一小部分人总是在别人关注之前去穿，促销或者发展一些东西无论这些是什么。

 

 

Anecdotal(轶事证据) evidence of this kind fits nicely with the idea that only certain special people can drive trend.

这种奇闻异事的证据很嗨的适合了仅仅某一特殊的人们可以驱动潮流的观点。

 

 

第三段

In their recent work, however, some reachers have come up with(提出；想出；发现) the finding that influencials have far less impact on special epidemics than is  generally supposed.

然而，研究者们在最近的工作中提出了一个发现：有影响力的人士在特种流行上的影响力远远不及通常所假象的。

 

 

In fact, they don’t seem to be required at all.

实际上，他们（有影响力人士）似乎没有一点被要求。

 

 

第四段

The researchers argument stems from(源于) a simple observation about social influence: With the exception of(除了…意外) a few celebrities like Oprah Winfrey-whose outsize presence is primarily a function of media, not interpersonal, influence-even the most influential members of a population simply don’t interact(互相影响；互相作用) with that many others.

研究者们的理论源于对社会影响的一个简单的观察，除了像Oprah Winfrey——她在外面的影响力主要来自于媒体的功能，而不是人际交往——这样的极少数名人，甚至一词流行的最有影响力的人员简单的不跟其他许多人互动交流。

 

 

Yet it is precisely(精确地；恰恰) these noncelebrity influentials who, according to the two-step-flow theory, are supposed to drive social epidemics, by influencing their friends and colleagues(同事；同行) directly.

但是，根据信息两级流动理论恰恰是这些非名人的有影响力的人士被支持通过直接影响他的朋友和同事推动社会流行潮。

 

 

For a social epidemic to occur, however, each person so affected must then influence his or her own acquaintances(熟人；相识), who must in turn influencing theirs, and so on; and just how many others pay attention to each of these people has little to do with the initial influential.

然而，对于社会流行潮的发生，每一个被影响的人必须然后去影响他或她自己的熟人；被影响的人再去轮流影响他认识的人，依次下去；有多少没被影响的人关注过被影响的人中的每一个人跟最初有影响力的人士没有关系。

 

 

If people in the network just two degrees(角度；学历；度数) removed from the initial influential prove(证明；显示) resistant(抵抗者；反抗的；顽固的), for example, the cascade(小瀑布；像瀑布一样的倾泻下来) of change won’t propagate(繁殖；增值；传递；传播) very far or affect many people.

例如，如果在这个网络中的人们恰好距离最初有影响力的人士在第二级显示出抵制，那么改变的瀑布流将不会传递更远或者影响更多人。

 

 

第五段

Building on this basic truth about interpersonal influence, the researchers studied the dynamics of social influence by conducting thousands of computer simulations of populations(人口), manipulating(操纵) a number of variables relating to people’s ability to influence others and their tendency to be influenced.

基于人际间影响的基本理论，研究者们通过引导计算机人口模拟，操纵着人们影响其他人的能力和他们被影响的趋势研究了动态社会影响。

 

 

They found that the principal(主要的；首要)requirement for what is called “global cascades”-the widespread propagation of inflence through networks-is the presence not of a few influentials but, rather, of a critical mass of easily influenced people.

他们（研究者）发现对被称作“全球瀑布流”——通过网络广泛的影响传播——的存在不在于一小部分有影响力认识的存在，而在于大量关键点容易被影响的人们的存在。

 

 

题目翻译

31. By citing the book The Tipping Point, the author intends to

[A] analyze the consequences(后果) of social epidemics.

[B] discuss influentials’ function in spreading ideas.

[C] exemplify(例证) people’s intuitive(直觉) response to social epidemics.

[D] describe the essential(基本的；必要的；本质)characteristics of influentials.

 

31.通过引用《爆破点》这本书，作者想表达

[A] 分析社会流行潮的后果。

[B] 讨论有影响力人士在传播思想的作用。

[C] 例证人们对社会流行潮的直觉反应。

[D] 描述有影响力人士的本质特点。

 

32. The author suggests that the “two-step-flow theory”

[A] serves as a solution to marketing problems.

[B] has helped explain certain prevalent trends.

[C] has won support from influentials.

[D] requires solid(固体的；可靠的) evidence for its validity(有效性；正确).

 

32.作者暗示“两级流动理论”

[A] 为解决市场问题而服务。

[B] 已经帮助解释某一流行趋势。

[C] 已经赢得了有影响力人士的支持。

[D] 对它的正确性要求可靠的证据。

 

33. What the researchers have observed recently show that

[A] the power of influence goes with social interactions.

[B] interpersonal links can be enhanced through the media.

[C] influentials have more channels to reach the public.

[D] most celebrities enjoy wide media attention.

 

33. 研究者们最近的观察展示

[A] 影响力的能力跟社会互相交流有关。

[B] 人际间的链接可以通过媒体实现。

[C] 有影响力的人士有更多的方法联系公众。

[D] 许多有影响力的人士享受着广泛的媒体关注。

 

34. The underlined phrase “these people” in paragraph 4 refers to the ones who

[A] stay outside the network of social influence.

[B] have little contact with the source of influence.

[C] are influenced and then influence others.

[D] are influenced by the initial influential.

 

34. 第四段划线的短语“这些人”指的是

[A] 在社会影响网外的人。

[B] 和最初的有影响力的人没关系的人。

[C] 被影响和影响其他人的人。

[D] 被最初的有影响力的人影响的人。

 

35. What is the essential element in the dynamics of social influence?

[A] The eagerness to be accepted.

[B] The impulse to influence other.

[C] The readiness to be influenced.

[D] The inclination to rely on others

 

35. 在动态社会流行潮中最基本的要素是什么？

[A] 渴望被接受。

[B] 影响其他人的冲动。

[C] 愿意被影响。

 

[D] 依赖其他人的倾向。