2021年英语四级美文赏析：Computers: Are They Easier to Use ?思维导图

Here’smysimpletestforaproductoftoday’stechnology:Igotothebookstoreandchecktheshelvesforremedialbooks.Themorebooksthereare,themoremysuspicionsareraised.Ifcomputersandcomputerprogramsaregettingeasiertouse,whyaresomanycompaniesstillmakinganicelivingpublishingbooksonhowtousethem?Computersmanipulateinformation,butinformationisinvisible.There’snothingtoseeortouch.Theprogrammerdecideswhatyouseeonthescreen.Computersdon’thaveknobslikeoldradios.Theydon’thavebuttons,notrealbuttons.

Instead,moreandmoreprogramsdisplaypicturesofbuttons,movingevenfurtherintoabstractionandarbitrariness.Ilikecomputers,butIhopetheywilldisappear,thattheywillseemasstrangertoourdescendantsasthetechnologiesofourgrandparentsappeartous.Today’scomputersareindeedgettingeasiertous,butlookwheretheystarted:sodifficultthatalmostanyimprovementwaswelcome.Computershavethepowertoallowpeoplewithinacompany,acrossanationorevenaroundtheworldtoworktogether.

Butthispowerwillbewastediftomorrow’scomputersaren’tdesignedaroundtheneedsandcapabilitiesofthehumanbeingswhomustusethem—apeople-centeredphilosophy,inotherwords.Thismeansretoolingcomputerstocopewithhumanstrengths,observing,communicatingandinnovatinginsteadofaskingpeopletoconformtotheunnaturalbehaviorcomputersdemand.Thatjustleadstoerror.Manyoftoday’smachinestrytodotoomuch.Whenacomplicatedworkprocessorattemptstodoubleasadesktoppulsingprogramorakitchenappliancecomewithhalfadozenattachments,theproductisboundtobeawkwardandburdensome.

Myfavoriteexampleofatechnologicalproductonjusttherightscaleisanelectronicdictionary.Itcanbemadesmaller,lighterandfareasiertousethanaprintversion,notonlygivingmeaningsbutevenpronouncingthewords.Today’selectronicdictionaries,withtheirtinykeysandbarelylegibledisplays,areprimitivebuttheyareontherighttrack.