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Engineering Ethics

Engineering ethics is attracting increasing interest in engineering universities throughout the nation.At Texas A&M University,evidence of this interest in professional ethics culminated in the creation of a new course in engineering ethics,as well as a project funded by1 the National Science Foundation to develop material for introducing ethical issues into required undergraduate engineering courses.A small group of faculty and administrators actively supported the growing effort at Texas ASM,yet this group must now expand to meet the needs of increasing numbers of students wishing to learn2 more about the value implications of their actions as professional engineers.

The increasing concern for the value dimension3 of engineering is,at least in part,a result of the attention that the media has given to cases such as the Challenger disaster,the Kansas City Hyatt-Regency Hotel walkways collapse,and the Exxon oil spill.As a response to this concern,a new discipline,engineering ethics,is emerging.This discipline will doubtless4 take its place5 alongside such well-established fields as medical ethics,business ethics,and legal ethics.

The problem presented by this development is that tnost engineering professors are not prepared to introduce literature in engineering ethics into their classrooms.They are most comfortable with quantitative concepts6 and often do not believe they are qualified to lead class discussions on ethics.Many engineering faculty members do not think that they have the time in an already overcrowded syllabus to introduce discussions on professional ethics,or the time in their own schedules to prepare the necessary material.Hopefully,the resources presented herein will be of assistance.

注释：

1…… culminated in the creation of a new course in engineering ethics,as well as a project funded by …… ：本句可理解为culminated in the creation of a new course …… as well as in a project funded by，即a project前面省略了in.as well as的意思是and.

2.wishing to learn：wishing to learn ……为现在分词短语，用作定语修饰students.

3.value dimension：价值范围，价值尺度

4.doubtless ：相当于doubtlessly，用作状语。

5.take one‘s place：确立自己的位置

6.quantitative concepts：以数字表达的概念

答案与题解：

1.C 本文没有述及engineering ethics是一门必修课，也没有提到美国所有的理工院校都开设了这门学科。

2.B 第一段最后一句谈到，想修这门学科的学生人数在不断增加，而本题却说在不断减少，所以给出的信息是错误的。

3.B the National Science Foundation（全美科学基金会）只是为编写有关工程道德问题的教学材料提供经费，并没有亲自动手编写。因此，本题给出的信息是错误的。

4.A 本题给出的信息是正确的。第二段有一句相关的句子：This discipline will doubtless take its place alongside such well-established fields as medical ethics,business ethics,and legal ethics.从这个句子可以看到，medical ethics,business ethics和legal ethics都是well- established的，其地位也已确立了。engineering ethics这门学科的地位也将会确立下来。mature这个词是从本句的含义中引申出来的。

5.C 通篇文章都没有提到教授离职的问题。

6.A 本题给出的信息是正确的，根据是第三段的句子：Many engineering faculty members do not think that they have the time …… in their own schedules to prepare the necessary material.

7.A 本题给出的信息是正确的，根据是第三段的最后一句：Hopefully,the resources presented herein will be of assistance（希望这里提供的资料会有所帮助）。

译文：工程道德

工程道德在全美的工程类院校里愈来愈受到关注。在得克萨斯州的 A&.M大学，随着工程道德这门新课的开设以及由全美科学基金会提供基金，旨在为大学工程类必修课程提供道德问题方面的材料的项目的启动，人们对职业道德的关注达到了顶峰，一个由教师和管理人员组成的小组对得克萨斯州 A&.M大学的不懈努力予以了积极的支持，但是由于越来越多的学生希望能够更加了解作为职业工程人员自己的行为的价值含义，为了满足这些需求，目前该小组必须发展壮大。

人们之所以对工程价值尺度愈发关注，至少部分原因是由于媒体对挑战者号灾难、堪萨斯城 Hyatt-Regency旅馆通道的坍塌以及 Exxon石油泄漏等事件的关注所引起的，为了响应人们的关注，一个新的学科——工程道德应运而生。同医学道德、商业道德和法律道德这些已经确立的学科一样，该学科无疑也将确立起自己的地位。

开发这一新学科所面临的问题是，大部分工程教授不愿意将工程道德方面的资料引进课堂，他们满足于使用以数字表达的概念，不相信自己有资格就工程道德问题在课堂上展开讨论，许多工程类教授认为课程安排紧张，没有时间在课堂上就职业道德问题进行讨论，或者觉得自己没有时间去准备必要的材料。希望这里提供的资料会有所帮助。