#83. Is modern technology creating a single world culture?
Through modern technology such as TV, telephone, and the Internet, it has become easier for people from different cultures to communicate. In a sense the world has become a smaller place. However, it is questionable if technology is creating a single world culture, because, even though a cultural exchange is taking place, accessibility of this technology is still very limited, and, more importantly, people have come to value the differences inherent in their cultures.
People around the world are taking advantage of the opportunities, presented by modern technology, to learn about other cultures. Not only foreign movies, music, and books communicate with the locals, but the different cultural values do, which are readily available on DVD, CD and via the Internet. Similarly, TV broadcasts fashions across the world and a new style of dress will likely catch on quickly in different parts of the globe. People adopt foreign things they like and make them their own. In this sense cultural assimilation is taking place.
However, while some societies and their cultures are technologically advanced and thus connected with other parts of the world, the majority of the world's population lives largely isolated. Such isolation is the result of limited technological resources, which in turn is, generally, related to poverty. For example, nearly the entire continent of Africa is impoverished. Its people have few means to learn about other cultures, and even if they did they would have little use for Western culture, which to a great extent is a consumer culture. They are also extremely limited in the ways they can educate people from other parts of the world about their cultures.
Finally, people who are learning about foreign cultures generally come to appreciate and accept the differences between other cultures and their own. They recognize the value of variety. The enjoyment they derive from experiencing foreign languages, dances, songs, visual and culinary arts, also allows them to see the value in their own cultures' achievements. Therefore, cultural exchange does not necessarily result in the melting of many cultures into one.
83. 科技正在促成一种单一的世界文化？
通过诸如电视、电话和互联网等现代科技手段，来自不同文化背景的人们之间的交流已经变得更加容易了。从某种意义上来说，世界已经变得比以前小了。然而，科技是否正在创造着一种单一的世界文化，这一点值得我们提出疑问。因为，即使文化交流正在发生，这种科技的普及性仍然很有局限性。而且更为重要的是，人们已经开始懂得去珍惜他们自己文化中传承下来的那些特异之处了。
世界上的人们正在利用由现代科技提供的各种机会来学习其他国家的文化。不仅来自外国的电影、音乐和书籍等和本土的进行交流，而且不同的文化价值观也在相互交流，这是通过DVD、CD，或是国际互联网来实现的。同样地，电视节目中也在播放着流行于世界各地的时尚信息，一款新式样的衣服可能会很快就在世界各地流行起来。人们会吸收那些他们喜欢的外来事物，并将它们转化成自己的东西。文化同化就是这样发生的。
但是，虽然一些社会及其文化的科技很进步，也因此与世界上其他的部份联系在一起，世界人口的大多数却仍然生存在与世隔绝的状态之中，这源自其有限的科技资源，而这有限的科技资源反过来又与贫穷相关。例如，基本上整个非洲国家处于贫困之中，它们的人民几乎没有途径来了解其他国家的文化，而且即使他们了解了，也几乎用不到这些西方文化，这种西方文化在很大程度上来说是一种消费者文化。除此之外，他们将他们自己的文化传输给世界其他各国人民的方式也非常有限。
最后，那些正在学习外国文化的人们将逐步学会欣赏并接受其他文化与自己的文化之间的差异。他们认识到了文化多样性的价值。他们从外国语言、舞蹈、歌曲、视觉和烹饪艺术等经历中获得的快乐也使他们看到了自己国家文化的成就的价值。因此，文化交流并不必然导致多种文化融合成为一种文化。
- accessibility ［ˌækəsesiˈbiləti］ n. 易接近性，可达性
- majority ［məˈdʒɔriti］ n. 多数，大半
- population ［ˌpa:pjəˈleiʃən］ n. 人口
- inherent ［inˈhiərənt］ adj. 内在的，与生俱来的
- poverty ［ˈpa:vəti］ n. 贫穷，贫困
- impoverish ［imˈpa:vəriʃ］ v. 使贫穷，使枯竭
- present ［prəˈzənt］ v. 介绍，引见
- via ［ˈvaiə］ prep. 经，通过，经由
- culinary ［ˈkju:ləˌneri］ adj. 厨房的，厨房用的
- broadcast ［ˈbrɔ:dˌkæst］ v. 广播，播送
- globe ［gləub］ n. 球体，地球仪，地球，世界
- melt ［melt］v. （使）融化，（使）熔化
- assimilation ［əˌsiməˈleiʃən］ n. 同化（作用）