"A commonplace criticism of American culture is its excessive preoccupation with material goods and corresponding neglect of the human spirit. Americans, it is alleged, worship only "the almighty dollar". We scramble to "keep up with the Joneses". The love affair between Americans and their automobiles has been a continuing subject of derisive commentary by both foreign and domestic critics. Americans are said to live by quantitative ethic. Bigger is better, whether in bombs or sedans. The classical virtues of grace, harmony, and economy of both means and ends are lost on most Americans. As a result, we are said to be swallowing up the world's supply of natural resources, which are irreplaceable. Americans constitute 6 percent of the world's population but consume over a third of the world's energy. These are now familiar complaints. Indeed, in some respects Americans may believe the "pursuit of happiness" to mean the pursuit of material things".

评：本段文章语气严肃，用词精致，论证严密，内部连接自然，一气呵成。若要译好，很多翻译方法都要用到。有两个考点：其一，“We scramble to 'keep up with the Joneses' （我们盲目地追逐时尚，或我们一味地人云亦云）”；其二，“The classical virtues O{grace, harmony, and economy Of both means and ends are lost on most Americans（温文尔雅，与人为善、量入为出曾经是美国的传统美德，而如今在多数美国人身上已难觅踪影）”。光看括号里的参考译文，就知道是几种翻译原则和翻译方法的结合。再如，“…excessive preoccupation with material goods and corresponding neglect O{the human spirit”（过分地热衷于物质享受而相应地忽略了人文精神）等等。可见，要使译文神形兼备，的确要动一番脑筋。