Early fifth-century philosopher St．Augustine famously wrote that he knew what time was unless someone asked him．Albert Einstein added another wrinkle when he theorized that time varies depending on where you measure it．Today’s state-of-the-art atomic（原子的） clocks have proven Einstein right．Even advanced physics can’t decisively tell us what time is, because the answer depends on the question you’re asking．
早在五世纪，哲学家圣奥古斯丁就著名地写道，他知道时间是什么，除非有人问他。阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦在提出时间取决于测量地点的理论时又增加了一个新角度。如今，最先进的原子钟证明了爱因斯坦的观点。即使是先进的物理学也无法准确告诉我们时间究竟是什么，因为答案取决于所问问题的性质。

Forget about time as an absolute．What if，instead of considering time in terms of astronomy, we related time to ecology？What if we allowed environmental conditions to set the tempo（节奏） of human life？We’re increasingly aware of the fact that we can’t control Earth systems with engineering alone，and realizing that we need to moderate（调节）our actions if we hope to live in balance．What if our definition of time reflected that？
忘记时间的绝对性吧。如果我们不再把时间与天文学联系起来，而是将时间与生态学联系起来呢？如果我们让环境条件决定人类生活的节奏呢？我们越来越意识到我们不能仅凭工程手段就可控制地球系统，并意识到我们需要调节我们的行为，如果希望生活平衡。如果我们的对时间的定义反映了这一点呢？

Recently，I conceptualized a new approach to timekeeping that’s connected to circumstances on our planet，conditions that might change as a result of global warming．We’re now building a clock at the Anchorage Museum that reflects the total flow of several major Alaskan rivers，which are sensitive to local and global environmental changes．We’ve programmed it to match an atomic clock if the waterways continue to flow at their present rate．If the rivers run faster in the future on average，the clock will get ahead of standard time．If they run slower，you’ll see the opposite effect．
最近，我构想了一种新的与我们星球上的情况相关的时间测量方法，这些情况可能会因全球变暖而发生变化。我们目前正在安克雷奇博物馆建造一座时钟，这座时钟反映了几条关键的阿拉斯加河流的总流量，这些河流对当地和全球环境变化很敏感。如果河流继续以其目前的速度流动，我们已经将其编程与原子钟保持同步。如果未来这些河流的平均流速加快，时钟将超前于标准时间。如果它们流速变慢，你将看到相反的效果。

The clock registers both short-term irregularities and long-term trends in river dynamics．It’s a sort of observatory that reveals how the rivers are behaving from their own temporal frame（时间框架），and allows us to witness those changes on our smartwatches or phones．Anyone who opts to go on Alaska Mean River Time will live in harmony with the planet．Anyone who considers river time in relation to atomic time will encounter a major imbalance and may be motivated to counteract it by consuming less fuel or supporting greener policies．
时钟记录了河流动态的短期不规律性和长期趋势。它是一种观测站，展示了河流在自己的时间框架内的行为，并允许我们在我们的智能手表或手机上见证这些变化。任何选择进入阿拉斯加平均河流时间的人将与地球和谐相处。任何将河流时间与原子时间联系起来的人将遭遇重大失衡，并可能会被激励通过减少燃料消耗或支持更环保的政策来对抗这种失衡。

Even if this method of timekeeping is novel in its particulars，early agricultural societies also connected time to natural phenomena．In pre-Classical Greece，for instance，people“corrected”official calendars by shifting dates forward or backward to reflect the change of season．Temporal connection to the environment was vital to their survival．Likewise，river time and other timekeeping systems we’re developing may encourage environmental awareness．
即使这种时间测量方法在其细节方面是新颖的，早期农业社会也将时间与自然现象联系在一起。例如，在古希腊的古典前期，人们通过将日期向前或向后移动以反映季节变化来“校正”官方日历。时间与环境的联系对他们的生存至关重要。同样，我们正在开发的河流时间和其他时间测量系统可能会促进环保意识。

When St．Augustine admitted his inability to define time， he highlighted one of time ‘s most noticeable qualities：Time becomes meaningful only in a defined context．Any timekeeping system is valid，and each is as praiseworthy as its purpose．
当圣奥古斯丁承认自己无法定义时间时，他强调了时间最显著的特质之一：时间只有在一个明确的背景下才有意义。任何时间测量系统都是有效的，每一种系统都取决于其目的。

1. What is the main idea of Paragraph 1？
   A. Timekeeping is increasingly related to nature．
   B. Everyone can define time on their own terms．
   C. The qualities of time vary with how you measure it．
   D. Time is a major concern of philosophers and scientists．
   答案：B

2. The author raises three questions in Paragraph 2 mainly to__．
   A. present an assumption B. evaluate an argument
   C. highlight an experiment D. introduce an approach
   答案：D

3. What can we learn from this passage？
   A. Those who do not go on river time will live an imbalanced life．
   B. New ways of measuring time can help to control Earth systems．.
   C. Atomic time will get ahead of river time if the rivers run slower．
   D. Modern technology may help to shape the rivers’ temporal frame．
   答案：C

4. What can we infer from this passage？
   A. It is crucial to improve the definition of time．
   B. A fixed frame will make time meaningless．
   C. We should live in harmony with nature．
   D. History is a mirror reflecting reality．
   答案：C