Book 3   Unit 5

Text A  The Highs of Low Technologies

                                              Johanne Mednick

I have a wonderful bicycle. My family refers to it as ''that piece of junk'' -- an ancient piece of metal, the likes of which can be found in the dump or, if you're lucky, at garage sales. But I have confidence in my bike. It gives me power, and I cherish its simplicity.

What intrigues me, in this age of technological innovation (which is nowhere more apparent than in the bicycle world), is the number of people who stop me and comment on my bike.(4) It's a real conversation piece. ''Where did you get that thing?'' ''I haven't seen one of those in ages.'' ''What a great bike.'' I get all kinds of comments -- the best one being from a motorcycle gang who cornered me  while I was locking it up. They politely suggested that I should wear gloves while riding to protect my hands. Maybe I should also put on a leather jacket. 

But really, what is it that people are admiring? Are they admiring me for resisting the lure of mass bicycle consumerism ? I must look like an eyesore pedaling behind my family, who all ride the latest model of mountain bike. (To them, I'm some sort of odd person, an embarrassment not fit to be on the road. On the other hand, maybe people are just genuinely curious, as they would be if confronted with a dinosaur bone . I never get the feeling that they think I'm crazy for riding something so old when I could be fussing with gears and having a presumably easier time of things . My bike seems to touch a sensitive chord in people (13), and I'm not quite sure what or why that is. 

Perhaps my bike is representative of a world gone by: the world before gimmicks and gadgets, accessories and attachments . A time when people thought in terms of settling into a cushioned seat, stopping the movement with their heel and traveling a bit slower than we are traveling now. My bike is certainly not built for speed, but who needs speed when I can coast along the streets , hold my head high and deliciously feel the wind on my face? My bike is built for taking time. It makes people feel relaxed.

When I'm riding my bike, I feel as though I have control . And I don't feel that way about most things these days. I don't deny that my computer and my microwave make my life a lot easier. I use these things, but they also make me feel rather small  and, in a strange way, inadequate . What if I press the wrong button? What if something goes wrong? Maybe if I learned to understand these appliances  I'd feel better -- more secure about my relationship with technology. But frankly, I'm not comforted by manuals and how-to courses . Of course there are always ''experts'' I could go to who seem to know everything about anything. Relatives, friends, salespeople -- people who seem at ease with all the latest inventions and who delight in ingenuity .

I just don't get excited over the idea of yet another thing I could do if I pulled the right lever or set the right program. Nervous and unsure in the beginning, I eventually adapt to these so-called conveniences and accept them as a part of life, but I'm not entirely convinced of their merit. I hunger for simplicity and I have a sneaking suspicion that many people feel the same way. That's why they admire my bike. It comforts them and gives them a sense of something manageable, not too complicated.

I'm not suggesting that we all go back to a pioneer-village attitude. But I do think it's important to respect that which is simple and manageable -- no doubt difficult in a time when more means better and new means best. I'm proud that my ''piece of junk'' makes me and others feel good. It allows me the opportunity to relax and, when I'm heading down the road, to escape what I don't understand.

                           低 科 技 的 高 明 之 处

                                约翰妮· 梅德尼克

    我有一辆绝妙的自行车。家里的人都把它称作“那件破烂”---- 一件老掉牙的金属制品，这类东西在废物堆里可以找到;如果你走运的话，也可能在清宅贱卖中发现。但我信任我的自行车。它给我力量，我喜欢它的简单。

    让我感到费解的是，在这个技术革新的时代（这种革新在自行车领域最为明显），还会有那么多人拦住我，对我的自行车评头论足。这真成了人们的话题。“你从哪儿搞到这玩意的？”“我已经好多年没见过这样的东西了。”“这车真棒。”我听到各种各样的评论--最绝的评论来自一帮骑摩托的人，他们在我锁车的时候围了上来。他们彬彬有礼地建议我在骑车时带上手套保护我的手。也许我还应该穿上件皮茄克。

    但说真的，人们欣赏的到底是什么呢？是他们赞赏我能抵挡住自行车消费热潮的诱惑吗？在我的家人们都骑着最新款式的山地车而我却落在后面踩着踏板时，我看上去一定很丑陋，很不顺眼。（在他们看来，我是某种古怪的人，一个不适合在马路上的丢人现眼的人。）另一方面，也许人们确实只是好奇，就像他们面对一块恐龙骨头时一样。我本可以起劲地摆弄着车排挡，或许过着轻松的日子,可我还骑着这种老爷车; 然而,我从来没有觉得他们就此认为我在发疯。我的自行车似乎触动了人们的一根敏感的心弦，我不能肯定那是什么，为什么会那样。 

    也许我的自行车代表着一个已经过去的时代：一个还没有出现各种各样小发明﹑小玩意﹑小配件和小装置的时代。那时候人们主要考虑的是能够舒服地坐在有软垫的车座上，用脚跟停车，用比我们现在慢一点的速度行驶。我的自行车当然不是为了速度而造的，但是如果我可以沿着街道昂首滑行，感受到轻风拂面的愉悦时，谁还需要速度呢？我的自行车是为了从容不迫而造的。它让人感到轻松。 

    我骑自行车时，感觉好像我有了控制力。如今对于大多数事物我都没有这种感觉。我并不否认电脑和微波炉使我的生活轻松了许多。我使用这些东西，但是它们也使我感到自己渺小，而且奇怪得很，感到无能。如果我按错了按钮会怎么样？如果出了故障会怎么样？也许如果弄懂了这些电器，我会感觉好一些---会对我与技术之间的关系更放心一些。但坦率地说，使用手册和操作辅导课程并不能使我安心。当然我能去求教的“专家”总是有的，他们似乎无所不知。亲戚、朋友、推销员---这些人对所有的最新发明似乎都很得心应手，他们都以心灵手巧的创造发明为乐。

    就是想到正确拉动控制杆或者正确设定程序我就又能多做一件事，我也激动不起来。一开始我总是忐忑不安,毫无把握, 后来终于适应了这些所谓的便利设施，并在生活中接受了它们，但我并没有完全信服它们的优点。我渴望简单，心中暗暗在想许多人也有这种渴望。这就是为什么他们欣赏我的自行车。我的车给他们以慰藉，给他们一种可以操作，不太复杂的感觉。

    我并不是说我们都要回到一种拓荒者的乡村心态。但我的确认为尊重简单而可操作的东西是重要的---在一个多就是好，新奇就是极佳的时代，这无疑是困难的。我很得意，因为我的那件“破烂”使我和别人感觉良好。它给了我放松的机会，让我能够在路上骑着车，逃避我所不理解的东西。