Modern Tourism

The tourist trade is booming. With all this coming and going, you’d expect greater understanding to develop between the nations of the world. Not a bit of it! Superb systems of communication by air, sea and land make it possible for us to visit each other’s countries at a moderate cost. What was once the “grand tour”, reserved for only the very rich, is now within everybody’s grasp. The package tour and chartered flights are not to be sneered at. Modern travelers enjoy a level of comfort which the lords and ladies on grand tours in the old days couldn’t have dreamed of. But what’s the sense of this mass exchange of populations if the nations of the world remain basically ignorant of each other?

Many tourist organizations are directly responsible for this state of affairs. They deliberately set out to protect their clients from too much contact with the local population. The modern tourist leads a cosseted, sheltered life. He lives at international hotels, where he eats his international food and sips his international drink while he gazes at the natives from a distance. Conducted tours to places of interest are carefully censored. The tourist is allowed to see only what the organizers want him to see and no more. A strict schedule makes it impossible foe the tourist to wander off on his own; and anyway, language is always a barrier, so he is only too happy to be protected in this way. At its very worst, this leads to a new and hideous kind of colonization. The summer quarters of the inhabitants of the “cite universitaire”: are temporarily re-established on the island of Corfu. Blackpool is recreated at Torremolinos where the traveller goes not to eat paella, but fish and chips.

The sad thing about this situation is that it leads to the persistence of national stereotypes. We don’t see the people of other nations as they really are, but as we have been brought up to believe they are. You can test this for yourself. Take five nationalities, say, French, German, English, American and Italian. Now in your mind, match them with these five adjectives: musical, amorous, cold, pedantic, naïve. Far from providing us with any insight into the national characteristics of the peoples just mentioned, these adjectives act as barriers. So when you set out on your travels, the only characteristics you notice are those which confirm your preconceptions. You come away with the highly unoriginal and inaccurate impression that, say, “Anglo-Saxons are hypocrites” or that “Latin peoples shout a lot”.. You only have to make a few foreign friends to understand how absurd and harmful national stereotypes are. But how can you make foreign friends when the tourist trade does its best to prevent you?

Carried to an extreme, stereotypes can be positively dangerous. Wild generalizations stir up racial hatred and blind us to the basic fact – how trite it sounds! – that all people are human. We are all similar to each other and at the same time all unique.

7.1.25 Переведите слова и словосочетания на русский язык:

Tourist trade, with all this coming and going, not a bit of it, superb system of communication, at a moderate cost, reserved for only the very rich, chartered flights, couldn’t have dreamed of, what’s the sense of this mass exchange, this state of affairs, contact with local population, to lead a cosseted and sheltered life, to gaze at natives from a distance, language is always a barrier, at its very worst, a new and hideous kind of colonization, persistence of national stereotypes, unoriginal and inaccurate impression, carried to an extreme, to stir up racial hatred, how trite it sounds!

7.1. 26Переведите слова и словосочетания на английский язык:

Туризм, превосходная система сообщения, по умеренной цене, организованный тур, чартерный рейс, не могли и мечтать, в чем смысл, отвечать за, местное население, коренные жители, жесткое расписание, скрытая форм колонизации, национальные стереотипы, действуют как барьеры, подтверждает ваше предвзятое мнение, лицемеры, абсурдный вредный, зарубежные друзья, доведенный до экстремальной ситуации, раздувать расовую ненависть, мы все одинаковы, мы уникальны.

7.1.27 Прочитайте текст, найдите соответствующие слова и словосочетания в тексте и прочитайте предложения с ними:

Superb systems of communication, chartered flights, what’s the sense of this mass exchange, contact with local population, to gaze at natives from a distance, language is always a barrier, persistence of national stereotypes, carried to an extreme, to stir up racial hatred.

7.1.28 Объясните значения данных слов и выражений:

To boom, at a moderate cost, the package tour, chartered flights, to remain basically ignorant of each other, to be responsible for this state of affairs, local population, language is always a barrier, stereotype.

7.1.29 Заполните пропуски соответствующими предлогами, где это необходимо:

1). Superb systems … communication … air, sea and land make it possible for us to visit each other’s countries … moderate cost.

2). What was once the “grand tour”, reserved … only very rich, is now … everybody’s grasp.

3). What’s the sense … this mass exchange … population?

4). Many tourist organizations are directly responsible … this state … affairs.

5). He lives … international hotels, where he eats his international food and sips his international drink while he gazes … the natives … a distance.

6). … its very worst, this leads … a new and hideous kind … colonization.

7.1.30. Поставьте вопросы к выделенным словам:

1). Superb systems of communication by air, sea and land make it possible for us to visit each other’s countries at a moderate cost.

2 ). Modern tourist leads a cosseted, sheltered life.

3). A strict schedule makes it impossible for the tourist to wander off on his own.

4). You only have to make a few foreign friends to understand how absurd and harmful stereotypes are.

5). Stereotypes can be dangerous.

6). Wild generalizations stir up racial hatred.

7.1.31 Задайте альтернативный и разделительный вопросы к следующим предложениям:

1). The tourist trade is booming.

2). The package tour and chartered flights are not to be sneered at.

3). They deliberately set out to protect their clients from too much contact with the local population.

4). The tourist is allowed to see only what the organizers want him to see and no more.

5). It leads to the persistence of national stereotypes.

6). We are all similar to each other.

7.1.32 Прочитайте данные высказывания и укажите, какие из них соответствуют тексту. Подтвердите свои высказывания фактами из текста:

1). Modern systems of communication by air, sea and land make it possible for us to travel at a high cost.

2). Tourist organizations are responsible for protecting clients from hotel stuff.

3). The modern tourist leads an adventurous life.

4). The tourist is allowed to see what he wants.

5). A strict schedule makes it possible for the tourist to wander off on his own.

6). Language isn’t a barrier for traveling.

7). It’s very good that this situation leads to the persistence of national stereotypes.

8). We always see the people of other nations as they really are.

9). National characteristics don’t act as barriers in understanding other nations.

10). Wild generalizations stir up racial hatred.

7.1. 33 Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1). What would people expect from traveling to other countries?

2). Can people afford to reserve “grand tours” nowadays?

3). What do modern travellers enjoy while travelling?

4). What are many tourist organizations directly responsible for?

5). What do travel agents deliberately set out?

6). What kind of life does modern tourist lead?

7). What is the tourist allowed to see?

8). How do national stereotypes influence the understanding of other nations?

9). What can help you ruin stereotypes?

10). What do wild generalizations do?

7.1.34. Закончите предложения в соответствие с содержанием текста:

1). With all this coming and going, you’d expect ….

2). Superb system of communication by different kinds of transport make it possible ….

3). Modern travelers enjoy the level of comfort which ….

4). Many tourist organizations deliberately set out ….

5). Modern tourist leads ….

6). The tourist is allowed to see only ….

7). A strict schedule makes it impossible for the tourist ….

8). The sad thing about this situation is ….

9). So when you set out on your travels, the only characteristics you notice ….

10). Wild generalizations stir up ….