136. Individualism was unheard of a short 30-odd years ago during the tumultuous Cultural Revolution . Things have changed today , however ,with color returning to the streets of Chinese streets , people gaining a greater degree of self-determination and reform yielding monumental changes in traditional practices .

　　人们在三十多年前混乱的文化大革命时期没有听说过个人主义。然而，今天的情况不同了，中国的街道上又恢复了色彩，人们获得了更大的自主，改革带来了传统方式的巨变。

　　137. Social inequities of the past are rapidly giving way to expanded social consciousness .

　　过去社会的不公平正在被扩大的社会觉悟迅速取代。

　　138. Many claim that the world's highly developed countries bear sole responsibility for the plight of less-developed nations . I seriously doubt their contentions will bear the brunt of close scrutiny .

　　许多人声称世界上最发达的国家应该对欠发达国家的困境承担全权责任。我非常怀疑他们的观点能经受住仔细审查的冲击。

　　139. Although media reports expound on the volume of scientific and technological achievements , recent surveys indicate that the rapidity of transforming same into productive forces leaves much to be desired .

　　虽然媒体详细报道大量的科技成就，但是，最近的调查显示，把它们迅速转化为生产力还需要做出很多努力。

　　140. The popular belief in the invincibility of man is constantly rebuked by revaluations of man's fallibility .

　　认为人类无敌的普遍看法经常遭到重新评价人类易犯错误的特点的非难。

　　141. While the inclination to procrastinate is common , one must fully consider the detrimental impact of unnecessary delays .

　　虽然拖延的倾向是普遍的，但是人们应该充分考虑到不必要的延误造成的有害影响。

　　142. The tendency to take things for granted is understandable , but the need for one to rationally evaluate the circumstances of any situation is absolutely essential .

　　想当然的倾向是可以理解的，但是，理智地估计任何情形的情况是完全必需的。

　　143. Most people are under the illusion that a college degree guarantees success . There is no such guarantee without hard work .

　　许多人错误地认为大学学位能保证成功。不努力工作就没有这样的保证。

　　144. Some stubbornly hold to the correctness of traditional practices , but in so doing they seem to totally ignore the fact that progress depends on change .

　　一些人固执地坚持传统做法的正确性，但是，他们这么做，似乎完全忽视了进步依靠变化的事实。

　　145. Generally speaking , previous parliamentary policy debates ignored the relevance of transparency .

　　总的来说，以前议会中针对政策的辩论忽视了透明度的重要性。

　　146. A precise definition of poverty is actually very difficult to determine . Where does one draw the line between those who are poor and those who are not ?

　　对贫困的精确定义实际上是很难的。如何在贫穷和非贫穷的人之间划一条界限呢?

　　147. Admittedly , bribery and corruption are endemic to our political and economic systems , but it doesn't necessarily follow that all politicians and business people resort to illicit behavior .

　　诚然，贿赂和腐败在我们的政治和经济系统中很流行，但这并不是说所有的************官员和商界人士都采取违法行为。

　　148. There's little doubt that a third World War is avoidable , but it is highly unlikely that regional conflicts will disappear in the foreseeable future .

　　毫无疑问，第三次世界大战是可以避免的，但是，在可预见的将来地区冲突消失是非常不可能的。

　　149. Some people assume that investing in stock is a safe pursuit , but their assumption fails to hold water when considering the substantial risk involved .

　　有的人想当然地认为投资股票是有把握的事情，但是，考虑到涉及的巨大风险，他们的想当然就说不通了。

　　150. Some people have called for accelerated across-the-board changes . Their approach quite frankly ignores the need for gradual but effective changes .

　　一些人要求更快速的全盘改变。他们的做法的确忽略了渐进而有效的改变的必要性。