1. The current passion for making children compete against their classmates or against the clock produces a two-layer system, in which competitive A-types seem in some way better than their B type fellows.

〔參考譯文〕現在這種讓孩子們和其同學或時間競爭的熱情導致了一個雙層結構，在這個結構里面善于競爭的A類好像在某個方面要比他們B類的同輩更勝一籌。

2. While talking to you, your could-be employer is deciding whether your education, your experience, and other qualifications will pay him to employ you and your “wares” and abilities must be displayed in an orderly and reasonably connected manner.

〔參考譯文〕在跟你談話的時候，可能成為你的雇主的人就一直在衡量你的教育、經驗和其他資格是不是值得他雇用你，而你的“商品”和能力一定要以一種有條不紊而且合情合理的相互關聯的方式被展示出來。

3. The Corporation will survive as a publicly funded broadcasting organization, at least for the time being, but its role, its size and its programs are now the subject of a nation wide debate in Britain.

〔參考譯文〕英國廣播公司將作為一個公共基金支持的廣播組織存在下來，至少目前會這樣，但是它的角色、它的規模和它的節目現在在英國成了全國上下的討論話題。

4. The debate was launched by the Government, which invited anyone with an opinion of the BBC--including ordinary listeners and viewer to say what was good or bad about the Corporation, and even whether they thought it was worth keeping.

〔參考譯文〕這場辯論是由政府發動的，政府請任何一個對英國廣播公司有意見的人一包括普通的聽眾和觀眾一來說說這個公司好在哪里或壞在哪里，甚至要說說他們是否認為這個公司值得被保留下來。

5. The change met the technical requirements of the new age by engaging a large profess signal element and prevented the decline in efficiency that so commonly spoiled the fortunes of family firms in the second and third generation after the energetic founders.

〔參考譯文〕這種變化通過引入許多的專業因素從而適應了這個新時代的技術要求，并且它（這種變化）防止了效率的降低。這種效率的降低在精力充沛的創業者之后的第二代和第三代人（領導公司）的時候，經常會毀掉那些家族公司的財富。