3．1．7 Compare and Analyze比较与分析
Suburbs and country areas are，in many ways，even more vulnerable than well-patrolled urban streets．Statistics show the crime rate rising more dramatically in those allegedly tranquil areas than in cities．At any rate，the era of leaving the front door on the latch is①over．
It has been replaced by dead-bolt locks，security chains，electric alarm system and trip wires hooked up to a police station or private guard firm．Many suburban families have sliding glass doors on their patios，with steel bars elegantly built in so②no one can pry the door open．
It is③not uncommon，in the most pleasant of homes，to see pasted on the windows small notices announcing that the premises are under surveillance by his security force or that guard company．
The lock is the new symbol of America．Indeed，a recent public-service advertisement by a large insurance company featured④not charts showing how much at risk we are，but a picture of a child ＇s bicycle with the now-usual padlock attached to it．(by Bob Greene，Learning About College Writing，2000)
在许多方面，郊区和农村甚至比巡查严密的城市街道更容易受到攻击。统计数字显示，那些据称是治安良好的地区的犯罪率上升得比城镇还要显著。不管怎么说，夜不闭户的时代是①一去不复返了。
取而代之的是防盗锁、防护链、电子报警系统以及连接警署或私人保安公司的报警装置。郊区的许多人家在露台上安装了玻璃滑门，并配装有很讲究的钢条，这样就②无人能把门撬开。
在最温馨的居家，也③常常可以看到窗上贴着小小的告示，声称本宅由某家安全保卫机构或某个保安公司负责监管。
锁成了美国的新象征。的确如此，最近一家大的保险公司在一则公益广告上④没有用图表表明我们的危险有多大，而是用了一幅童车的图片，车身上悬着如今随处可见的挂锁。
注:译文略有修改
Notes:①The word“over”here is connotative negation in meaning．
②④The two negative words“no”and“not”belong to complete negation．
③Occasionally two negatives appear in the same sentence in English，like“not frequently” ，“a not unattractive girl” ，etc．Such double negative phrases are devices of understatement ，“not infrequently”meaning“rather frequently”and“a not unattractive girl”meaning“a fairly attractive girl” ．Similarly，the phrase“not uncommon”means“rather common” ．In this sense，we can translate the sentences with double negation into the affirmative．