2015考研英语阅读地史世界景象_大学英语阅读

2015考研英语阅读地史世界景象

　　Time would change this view of the world in the eyes of British mapmakers. By the 19thcentury maps often placed the British Isles at the core. One such map in the book features aview of the globe with Britain and the North Atlantic in the centre to better portray theempire s sea power; Australia and half of South America are left off. Many of these maps, likethose of the Spanish and Portuguese imperialists of the 16th century, did more to illustratedominance and ambition than to improve cartographical practice.

　　在英国制图者看来，人们对于世界的看法会随着时间的改变而改变。到了19世纪，不列颠群岛常被放在地图的中心。这本书中就有一幅这样的全球地图，将英国和北大西洋放在中心位置，以更好地彰显大英帝国的海洋实力。澳大利亚以及半个南美竟被忽落。这其中的很多地图，比如16世纪西班牙和葡萄牙的地图，更多地是为了显示帝国的统治和野心，而不是为了提高制图技术。

　　Even now, when mapmakers have access to tools such as satellite images, there is still noobjective and universally accepted map, argues Mr Brotton. The idea of the world may becommon to all societies; but different societies have very distinct ideas of the world and howit should be represented. The author reckons that Google Earth and other digital mappingapplications are just as vulnerable as their predecessors to national priorities and culturalnorms. These maps can be cluttered with links to commercial enterprises and are subject tocensorship. At their most penetrating, they raise questions of privacy.