第一篇:新編英語教程6(_1---11單元譯文)
第二單元
推遲的藝術
"今天能做的事情決不要推到明天。”切斯特菲爾德伯爵在1794年勸告兒子時說道,但是這位文雅的伯爵卻從沒有抽出時間來完成與孩子母親的婚禮,也沒有戒除讓約翰遜博士此類名人在接待室久候的壞習慣,這足以證明,即使是有心人,也絕非毫無拖延,羅馬的一位大將軍昆塔斯 費邊 馬克西姆斯為了贏得盡可能多的喘息機會,推遲戰斗時間,被冠以“拖延者”。摩西為了使自己向法老傳遞耶和華法令過程中的猶豫合理化,頹唐語言有缺陷,當然,哈姆雷特把延遲上升為一種藝術形式。
世界上的人基本上可以分成均勻的兩半:拖延者和馬上行動者。有些人二月份就準備好了個人所得稅,預先償還抵押借款,在常人難以忍受的6點半鐘準時吃飯,而另外一些人則樂于在9點或10點鐘時吃些剩菜剩飯,錯放帳單和文件以期延長繳稅的期限。他們非要等到警告聲變成恐嚇聲才肯去支付信用卡的帳單。就象浮士德所遭遇的那樣,他們推遲去理發店,看牙醫或醫生。
盡管延誤會帶來諸多不便,但延遲經常可以激發和喚醒具有創新意識的靈魂。寫下許多成功小說和劇本的作家瓊克爾說到,她要把廚房每個湯罐頭和醬瓶子上的標簽看上一遍后,才能安心坐在打字機旁。許多作家都關注著他們任務之外的大小瑣事,譬如關注在緬因州法國人海灣和巴爾海港進行的海岸和土地測量,其中的地名,如古今斯暗礁、不倫特池塘、海鷗小山、伯恩特豪豬、朗豪豬、希波豪豬以及鮑爾德豪豬島,都激起了他們的想象。
從“拖延者”年代到當今世紀,推遲的藝術實際上被軍事(“趕快和等一下”)、外交和法律壟斷了。在過去的年代里,英國殖民地總督可以手中拿著杯酒,安逸的思考民族叛亂的形勢,他應該慶幸沒有電傳和打印機在一旁喋喋不休地傳遞著命令,一會兒是增加機關槍啊一會兒又是增派軍隊啊。直到二戰時,美國將軍還可以和敵方將軍達成協議,休一天運動假,去掠奪村民的雞和酒,明日再戰。律師是世界上最上癮的延誤者。據一個來自貝弗利山的,號稱從不拖延的推銷員弗蘭克.內森敘說,“沒有留下遺囑就去世的律師數不勝數。”
無志者,事也成。當然,慢性拖延和刻意拖延是有差別的,特別是在高層商業中。美國銀行集團總裁理查德·曼德巴赫說,企業動態學鼓勵謹慎行事,由此滋生了延遲。他提到,快速行動往往會進入尷尬的局面和付出沉重的代價,數據爆炸刺激了一些懶惰的人以此為借口——另一個報告等著讀,另一個權威等著咨詢。曼德巴赫說:“數據的充足和泛濫之間總有條微妙的分界線。”
他的觀點廣為接受。官僚化在政府負擔日益加重和社會形勢的日益復雜的溫室中滋長。它旨在用條文主義、妥協和重新評估來包庇政策制定者——以此防止做出草率決定。水門事件時期的政府所表現出來的中央集權化已經蔓延至經濟機構等等廣闊的領域,使得拖延成為世界范圍的一種生活方式。有關推遲的短語星羅棋布在各種語言中——從西班牙的manana(在將來某個不確定時間)到阿拉伯的bukrafilmishimash(字面意思是“明天的杏樹”,其含義是“等到花兒也開了”。)
學術界也很尊崇拖延。南加利福尼亞大學社會學家伯納德*斯克拉每天辛辛苦苦才寫出三至五頁的東西來。他坦稱:“我很多朋友對著白紙是都感到很痛苦。我們有很多合理的理由;教學壓力,家庭責任,查看新書,搜索注腳。”
心理學叫堅決認為女人是最堅持不懈的遲延者,雖然很多心理學家(每小時加收50美金)本人就非常拖拉。拉爾夫*格林森博士是加利福尼亞大學洛杉磯分校的臨床精神病療法的教授(他曾是瑪麗蓮*夢露的精神病醫師),看待延遲時比較溫和。他說:“很多人都在回避,逃避,拖延揭露真相的那一刻,直到最遲的極限為此。”但是佐治亞州心理學家喬恩*費根認為,遲延是潛意識用來區分事情重要性級別的一種方式。“當我拖延時,一般總是存在著某種緣由。”費根說,“我能感覺到它,但是我也說不出個之所以然。”
事實上,遲延有著悠久而光榮的歷史,它意味著如果推遲些許時間,許多主意和決定就有可能得到改善,推遲做決定本身就是一個決定,這不無道理。議會過程的實質就是一個遲延和慎重的體系。就此而論,名畫,樂章,書籍或者布蘭西姆府邸的建筑物也是如此。布蘭西姆府邸耗用了馬爾伯勒公爵的建筑師及工人們15年的時間才建成。在這個過程中,設計可能不斷成熟及完善。確實,倉促會葬送了雅致。《時之劍》的作者T*H*懷特曾寫道,時間“并不是注定要一小時一小時,或者一天一天的耗費掉,而是應該細膩地、緩慢地、從容地品嘗一番。”換句話說,我們應該這樣說:今天不必要做的事,無論如何要推到明天來完成。
第三單元
墻壁與障礙
我父親立即對位于紐約市第43大街和第5大道交匯處的銀行大樓作出了明確反應。“你不會看見我把錢存在那的!”他斷言,“不會存在那個玻璃箱子里的!”
我的父親當然是一名守舊的紳士,對他們那代人來說,大量現代的建筑都會讓人身心交疲。但是我懷疑—我不只是懷疑,我確信—他之所以會做出消極反應,與其說是因為建筑物,倒不如說是人們侵犯了他對金錢本質的看法。
他們那一代人把金錢看成是像金條、鈔票和硬幣這樣有形的物品,可以拿起,可以攜帶,也可以被人偷走。因此,為了吸引明智的人經常存錢,銀行必須要建有厚重的墻壁、裝了柵欄的窗戶和青銅制成的大門,以便證明金錢存在銀行里面是安全的的這一情況,而不管這個情況是多么不真實。如果一座大樓的設計在表面上看起來固若金湯,那么這一機構必然安全,厚重的墻壁作為一種建筑象征,其意義就在于它表示了人們對金錢的普遍態度,而不在于它在美學理論上展現出來的美感。
但是那樣一種看待金錢的態度當然已經改變了,除了零用錢之外,人們現在幾乎不用任何形式的現金。金錢作為一種有形物品在很大程度上被信用這種簿記銀行業務的東西代替了。巨大的擴展伴隨著經濟赤字,讓我們認為金錢是創造性想象的產物。銀行家不再為我們提供一種服務,其中最為重要的東西就是干勁和發明巨大數目的創造力。考慮到他們態度上的這一改變。我們正在見證擁有厚重墻壁的銀行小時也就根本不足為奇了。我父親非常不信任制造商信托銀行,因為它是一個巨大的立方體玻璃籠子。雖然其內部燈火通明,甚至可與朗朗晴日相媲美,但是它根本就沒有把其通往金庫的門道隔離起來,也沒有派人把守,相反卻把它裝飾成了一個展示的櫥窗。
就像先前的銀行斷言自己牢不可破一樣,這家銀行也以其建筑具有想象力而感到自豪。從這一點來說,人們很難說清楚建筑在什么地方結束,人類的斷言在什么地方開始。事實上,兩者沒有這樣的分界線,它們合二為一,是相同的。
新的建筑批判主義把建筑理解成為表達人類態度、偏見、禁忌和想法的一種媒介。這正是它與古典美學的不同之處。后者依賴純粹的比例和布局等這些因素來作為其藝術判斷的基礎,在一個社會和心理學的時代,墻壁已不僅僅是墻壁,它們還是人類大腦當中障礙的一種物質象征。
例如,在原始社會,人們把世界想象成為一個巨大無邊、令人恐懼、懷有惡意、人類無法控制的東西。因此他們用巨大的石頭建起了厚重的墻壁。只有呆在墻壁的后面,他們才會感覺到自己置身于一個可以控制、安全可靠的限定空間之內。這些厚重的墻壁表明,人們害怕外部的世界,不管保護措施是多么的虛無飄渺,人們也需要找到它,有人可能會爭辯說,當時的技術尚未發展起來,人們無法建筑更為精巧的墻壁。這當然也很正確。但是,首先仍然是對世界的害怕這一態度而非技術使得人們想要建筑墻壁。恐懼越大,墻壁就越厚。我們甚至發現,古代的國王的陵墓實際上全部都是由墻壁構成的,其最大的恐懼就是害怕腐爛。
接著就有了隱私這個問題,因為它已經變得很易受到質疑。在地中海的某些文化當中,值得人們那么害怕的不是自然世界而是人類世界。人類骯臟齷齪、好打聽是非、卑鄙下流、且充滿危險、即使人們有錢四處走動也會穿戴著各種亂七八糟的東西用來護體,婦女很少四處走動,如果她們想要走動一下的話,也會戴著厚厚的面紗,人們的房子四周圍著墻壁,房子不是向外面是向里面朝著天井這表明人們普遍堅信,只有通過向里看,只有通過從事個人的私人生活而不是參加公眾生活才能發現生活當中的優點和價值,當時的哲學強調沉思冥想,裝飾藝術也非常的復雜,這跟墻壁本身一樣也闡明了上述態度。
我們今天的感覺就不同了,首先,我們更為強烈地依賴對人類敵對行為的控制,更為依賴法律法規和社會習俗及隨叫隨到的機動警察,而不是有形的障礙,我們不像我們的祖先那樣珍視隱私。我們的女人被他們看見,并被贊美,我們會感到驕傲,說到我們的家庭,情況也是一樣。我們不會尋求孤獨。事實上,如果我們一旦發現自己孤獨一人的時候,我們就會輕輕地打開開關,通過電視屏幕把整個世界都請進家門。因此,我們廢棄圍在四周的厚重墻壁,用薄薄金屬片和玻璃建造起膜狀隔擋物也就不是那么讓人驚奇了。
今天,墻壁的主要功能就是把外面可能令人不快的空氣與我們在里面創造的受到控制的溫度和濕度條件隔離開來。雖然明顯還是有很多人會對高度透明的條件下吃飯、睡覺、穿衣心存不安,要求墻壁至少給予他們一種適當屏蔽的感覺,但是玻璃仍可實現上述的功能。像他們這樣害羞的人的數目正在減少,雖然康涅狄格州菲利普·約翰遜房屋受到多人的贊美,在很多地方都被模仿,但是它四周卻用的是玻璃墻壁,盥洗室才是唯一能夠找到真正隱私的地方,其裝飾方面的忌諱至少在康涅狄格州仍未被打破。
在強調一遍,我們關于自己與世界的關系看法真正發生改變,正是這些正在改變的看法而不是先進技術決定了我們會修建什么樣的墻壁。玻璃墻表明人們堅信它能夠而且的的確確掌握了自然和社會。“開放的計劃”和一覽無遺的景色與其通過不斷豐碩的科學成就來最終解決各種問題的信念是一致的。這可能就是為什么我們當中水平最高,最具遠見的人們會在玻璃屋子里面生活、工作的原因了吧。甚至我們害怕人造石塊的原因也被分析出來了。
第六單元
乏味的工作
似乎人們普遍認為杰出之人無法忍受循規蹈矩:為了做到最好,他們需要一種多姿多彩、興奮不已的生活。同時,人們認為無趣之人特別適合做乏味的工作。我們知道,當今年輕一代非常反對工廠工作的枯燥無味,原因是與過去的年輕人相比,他們不僅得到了更好的教育,也變得更加聰明。
事實上并沒有證據證明富有成就的人希望繁忙充實的生活,更不用說他們正在過這樣的生活,而事實卻幾乎適得其反。人們可以想象牧羊人阿摩司,石匠蘇格拉底,帳篷制作者歐瑪爾。或許耶穌在做單調的木工時就有了他的第一次發現;愛因斯坦在瑞士一家專利局當職員時就得出了相對論;在一個小鄉鎮的枯燥生活中,馬基雅弗利所僅有的樂趣只是與客棧里的騾夫玩玩牌,而就在這樣的生活中他卻寫出了《王子》和《論述》兩本著作;伊曼紐爾·康德天天過著一成不變的生活------當加里寧格勒的家庭主婦們看到他去大學校園路過時,他們就調整時鐘,因為不論晴雨,他每天上午都會取其道而行,他從加里寧格勒到學校的最遠距離就是六十英里。
人類創造性的典型特征表現為可以把細微的刺激轉化為巨大的成果,人類的偉大在于能夠處理細小的苦楚于快樂,能夠處理好普通的生理壓力和欲望。“當有些煩惱時,”濟慈寫道:“在五分鐘內就轉化成索福克勒斯的題材。”對于富有創造性的個體來說,所有經驗都有可創性———所有事件都有源于新見解和新洞察力的等同屬性——人的超凡特性可以使平凡和普通的事物轉化成非凡的事物。
繁忙充實的生活往往在消耗而不是在刺激.1640年,彌爾頓曾是一位前途無量的詩人,他在清教革命變故的環境中度過了20年毫無建樹的歲月.革命失敗后,他在屈辱中實現了自己的偉大前程.切利尼在振奮人心的生活當中失去了本該成為偉大藝術家的機會.毫無疑問,如果馬基雅弗利被允許繼續從事弗洛倫薩的外交工作,繼續執行令人生趣的使命,那么他就不可能寫出那些偉大的著作.通常情況下,往往是平庸的詩人,作家等等才會專注于激發事件以釋放他們的創造源泉.可以這樣認為,生產線的工作拙其才能,乏其思想,唯一可取的良藥是更高的工資,更少的工作時間.然而,在作為一名普通工人的五十年時間里,我發現循規蹈矩的工作可以與活躍的思想并存.在碼頭做枯燥重復的工作期間,在與工友們談天的同時,我可以在腦海深處構思篇章語句.我過去從中得到快樂,至今仍回味無窮,過去的生活似乎很愉快。如果工作能讓我饒有興趣,就不可能在上班時間或甚至在下班后的自由時間有機會去做任何思考和創作。
如果發現難以忍受乏味的工作,這樣的人經常是那些在閑暇時不知所措的人。兒童和成年人能從循規蹈矩的事情中獲得新生,而青少年則因失去了兒時的專注精神,并且缺乏成年人的內在因素,所以需要用刺激和新奇來消除其厭倦心理。7美
美之于古希臘人是一種德性,一種美德。今天看來,他們就是我們如今所謂的“全面的人”,雖然這個稱呼有點不理直氣壯,并且帶有嫉妒之意。倘若讓古希臘人區分一個人的“內在”和“外在”,他們仍期望內在美是需要與其他種類之美相匹配的。那些聚集在蘇格拉底身邊的雅典青年人發現自己的偶像是如此得聰慧、勇敢、正直、充滿誘惑力,而同時又那么得丑,這是多么自相矛盾啊。而蘇格拉底主要的教學手段之一即為“丑”,告訴這些天真卻擁有毋庸置疑般美貌的門生,真正的人生是充滿悖論的。
他們或許能夠抗拒蘇格拉底的學說。而我們做不到。幾千年以后,美的魅惑使我們更加疲憊。我們不僅僅用最容易的方式將“內在”(性格,心智)和“外在”(外貌)割離開來,同時我們也對那些既有美貌亦有智慧天賦之人,感到詫異。
美在古典時期是理想的人類美德,而將其從這中心位置趕走的首要原因來自基督教的影響。通過美德(拉丁語為virtus)的概念限定到僅僅指倫理道德的范疇,基督教放逐了“美”—— 它成為一種異化的,武斷的,膚淺的誘惑。同時美不斷丟失了它原本的名聲。到二世紀末的時候,美成為一種既定概念,僅用于修飾兩性之的一個性別:這個性別雖然是悅目的,但卻處于第二位。將美與女性聯系起來,使得美的概念在道德層面上更加脆弱。
在英語里,我們說一位女子是美麗的。但是我們卻說一位男子是英俊的。“英俊”是其陽性的等同詞,同時拒絕一種帶有某些貶義暗示的贊揚,而這種贊揚是僅用于女性的。在法語和意大利語里,人們可以稱男子是“美麗的”,這暗示著這些天主教國家依舊保留了前基督教時期欣賞“美”的痕跡,而這些痕跡在新教國家中已經蕩然無存。但即使存在,差別也只是程度不同而已。在任何一個基督教或者后基督教國家里,女性就是那個美麗的性別——既損害了美這個概念,也損害了女性這個概念。
被稱為“美”意味著要列舉出一些對女性來說必要的特征和她們所關心的事物。(和男性不同,他們的核心是強壯、有效率,或者有能力。)那些擁有超前女性意識的人將很容易就能感受到,讓女性和“美”聯系起來,會助長她們孤芳自賞的態度,也會讓她們更加有依賴性且不成熟。所有人(女性和男性)都認識到這點。因為“所有人”,整個社會,都很明確,作為女性就應該關心長相。(作為男性則不同:他們身份的確認是關注于某人是誰,做什么的,而長相即使并非一無是處,至少也是其次的。)有了這些老套的看法,我們就不難明白,即使從最好的方面來看,為什么“美”也有著褒貶不一的名聲。
當然,對美的崇拜并沒有什么錯,錯就錯在認為美是一種義務,并且試圖想要變美。作為她們性別的一種討好的理想化狀態,大多數女性都可以接受的方式是,讓她們覺得自己比實際情況來的差勁。因為美的理想境界就是受制于一種自我對立的狀態。人們教導女性要從各部分區看待她們的身體,并且要分別評價每一個部分。胸部、腿、臀部、腰、頸、眼睛、鼻子、膚色、頭發等等——每一部分都需要一番焦慮、苦惱,甚至絕望的審查。即使有些部分符合要求,但總有地方永遠是希望更好一些的。只有完美無瑕了,才能無可挑剔。
在男人之中,好的外表是一個整體,是那種一眼掃過的東西。并不需要通過測量身體每個部分來做出最后的確認。沒有人會鼓勵男性去一部分一部分地細查自己的外貌。至于完美,那是被認為無關緊要的,并且幾乎是不男性化的。的確,對于一些理想中的美男子,一點小瑕疵反而是讓人喜歡的。有一位電影評論家(女性),她是Robert Redford的影迷,她覺得正是因為其臉頰一側有一顆肉色的痣,才使得Redford不被僅僅認為有一張“漂亮的臉蛋”。想想這個評價里既暗示了對女性的貶低,也暗示了對“美”的貶低。
Cocteau曾說:“美的特權是無限的。”毫無疑問,美是一種力量形式,并且理因如此。但遺憾的是,如今人們只鼓勵大多數的女性去追求這種力量。這種力量的制造總是和男性聯系起來。這力量不是去做什么,而是去吸引什么的。這種力量否定了自身。因為這種力量并不是一個人所能自我選擇的,至少不是女性可以自我選擇的,或者說如果她們聲稱要放棄這種力量的話,是要受到社會譴責的。
對女性來說,梳妝打扮不僅僅是一份樂趣,更是一種責任,是她的工作。如果一位女士做著實際的工作,乃至她在政治、法律、醫學、商界或別的什么領域爬到了領導層位置,她也總是背負著壓力,時刻要確保她在工作的時候還保持著吸引人的魅力。但只要她仍然是“悅目的性別”中的一員,那她就一直要受到質疑——是否有能力保持客觀、專業、權威和縝密。如果真成為了那樣的人,那這樣的女人真糟透了!如果她們不是這樣,那也糟透了!
比起那種無止境的喜憂參半的故事,即女性的苦悶而言,我們幾乎不太能從將人區分成“內在”和“外在”的做法中找到更多證據來說明其危險性。一開始就將女性定義成只對外表關注的人,然后就說她們是“膚淺”的,這是多么容易的事情啊!這個粗鄙的陷阱已經存在太久了。但是要從這個陷阱里逃脫出來,就要求女性與美的好處與特權保持嚴格的距離,并且要有足夠的距離去了解“美”這個概念本身有多少被刪節了,用以支撐起“女性”這個神話。我們應該有一種方式將“美”從女性那里解救出來,也將“美”為了女性本身而解救出來。第八單元
食欲
人生的一大主要快樂就是食欲,保存食欲也是我們主要責任之一。它意味著對生活的熱愛。它是感官之一,這感官告訴你,你仍想活下去,仍然受到強烈渴望的激勵,希望進入世界,品嘗人間百味和酸甜苦辣。
我所說食欲當然不僅僅是指對事物的強烈愿望,而是指各種各樣不能滿足的愿望,強烈的愿望。這證明,你希望獲取更多,生命尚有價值。王爾德說過,他為那些從來沒有實現心愿的人們難過,但是更為那些實現了心愿的人們惋惜。我雖然只曾實現過一次心愿,但它幾乎置我于死地,從那以后,我總是更衷情于渴望而非獲得。
對我來說,食欲就是這種渴望的狀態,這使得人們的期望之火永不熄滅。我記得自己很久以前還是孩提的時候就學到這一課。那時幾乎沒有什么款待和宴會,我發現,最幸福的事情并非在于真的吃太妃糖,而是事先盯著糖看。剛開始吃那幾口味道確實很美妙,但是一旦太妃糖吃完了,什么都沒有了,即沒有了太妃糖,也沒有了渴望。此外,吃完太妃糖這一不雅的舉動中,太妃糖的所有吸引力在不知不覺中消失了。不,最美好的感覺就是想要得到它,就是坐在那看著它,只有這樣,人們就能體會到無窮無盡的各種滋味。
所以,對我來說,食欲所帶來的最強烈的樂趣之一仍然在于渴望,而不是滿足。在于想要一個桃子,或者一杯威士忌酒,或者特殊的特征或是聲音,或者想要跟一位特別的朋友呆在一起。因為我當然知道,在這種情形之下,渴望得到的東西總是最為完美無缺的,這就是我為什么會,我將保存食欲的程度帶至有意的禁食,只不過是因為我認為食欲太美好了而不容丟失,太寶貴了而不能因飽食和過飽而被逼進無感覺的境況。
就此而言,我并非真的想要一天三頓的美食——我想要的是一頓巨大、美味、狂歡的豐富盛宴餐,比如說每四天來一次,之后就不能確定下一頓會在哪。禁食一天對我來說不僅僅是一種清教徒式的剝奪人們樂趣的方法,而更是一種期待少有的極度滿足時刻的方式。
禁食是對食欲權威表示敬意的行為。所以我認為,我們應該定期計劃放棄樂趣——食物、朋友、情人——為了保存它們基于的強烈感覺,以及重新得到樂趣的時刻。因為這一時刻使自己和所鐘愛之物煥然一新,精神奮發,我想,不但水手和游客曾經享受過這樣的時刻,而且獵人也是如此。對現代生活厭煩的部分原因是我們之間的距離太近,娛樂和飲食太有規律性。饑餓曾經把我們與食物和家人分隔開來,于是我們才學會珍惜它們。男人外出打獵,狗隨著他們一起去;女人和孩子向他們揮手告別。洞穴里面連續數天沒有男人。沒人有吃的東西或者知道該做什么。女人蜷縮在火堆旁邊,淚眼朦朧。小孩在嚎啕痛哭,每個人饑腸轆轆。然后在一天晚上,山上傳來了呼喊聲和狗吠聲。男人們滿載著獵物回來了。這是個大團圓的時刻,每個人都狼吞虎咽地吃著,食欲顯示了其真正的價值,盼望已久的這一頓飯成為了值得記憶的盛宴,它幾乎是一種人生的圣典。現在我們前往辦公室上班,然后晚上回家吃便宜的雞肉和冷藏的豌豆,那么香,但是太多了,太容易了,太常見了,不需要費勁就可以得到,也沒有了渴望。我們吃著東西,很幸運,長得油光水滑,但我們再也無法知道饑餓時的愉快了。
任何東西太多了——太多音樂。太多娛樂。幸福快餐,或者花太多時間與朋友呆在一起——都會造成某種生活上的無能,人們再也不能聽見,品嘗不出味道,看不到,愛不了,記不了。生命短暫而彌足珍貴,食欲是人生旅途的護衛者之一,所以如果我們想要享受這一短暫的生命,我們就應該尊重食欲之神,保持渴望的狀態,而不要讓它過于遲鈍。
我曾經體驗過枯焦的嘴唇接觸一杯冷水時所引發的狂喜已有很長一段時間了,泉水仍然等著人們去享用——而人們所需要的只是一種原始的渴望。
第九單元 對藐視法律者的警告
遵紀守法是美國歷史上最為悠久的政治問題,也可能是人們最喜愛探討的政治問題。數百萬美國人從來不認為自己曾經違法,更不用說犯罪了,這一顯而易見的事實令人厭煩心痛。雖然人們制定了法規來保護社會并促進其發展,但是上述美國人卻享有了越來越多的自由。事實上,當今社會充斥著非法亂丟垃圾、騙稅、非法制造噪音和機動車秩序混亂的現象,以致于藐視法律的行為有時候讓人看起來代表了未來發展的潮流。哈佛大學的社會學家戴維·里斯曼察覺到,大部分美國人會草率地認為,觸犯一些據稱微小的錯誤是理所當然的事情。他早先說,美國社會的倫理道德正面臨著逐漸淪落為“傻子才會遵守規則”這種危險的情況。
支持里斯曼這一說法的證據是再明顯不過的了,藐視法律者以各種各樣的方式存在,其數目令人吃驚。喜歡涂鴉的人把公共場所變成了視覺垃圾,騎自行車的人經常把車騎得好像兩輪的交通工具不受所有的交通法規約束一樣。喜歡亂丟垃圾的人把自己的社區變成了垃圾堆。一陣一陣的法規雖然到處都是 來勢洶洶,但是卻無法把高分貝的便攜式無線電廣播電臺從公共場所清除出去,這就像早先的法律無法消滅因啤酒飲用過度而導致騷擾眾多公園的流氓行為一樣。令人絕望的是,吸食煙草上癮的人仍對“禁止吸煙”的標記熟視無睹。穿著體面的吸食大麻的人再也不會為了分發煙卷而勞煩自己,巧妙的避開公眾的視線,公然使用可卡因這一丑行正在中上階層人生活當中逐漸惡化。此外還有〔一邊說“各位好”一邊行走〕亂穿馬路的人。
藐視法律這種行為所帶來的危險在不同情況下相差很大。在人行道上吐痰的人雖然令人討厭,但是就對他人構成的危險來說明顯要小于在未經批準的地方非法掩埋危險的化學廢棄物的公司。在地鐵里面襲擊乘客的人所構成的生命危險要小于漠視防火安全法規的房東。在危險的藐視法律的行為中,最為直接且最容易計算的也碰巧是人們最容易看得見的。其罪魁禍首就是美國的司機,他們當今的違法行為累計起來構成了對公眾安全的巨大損害。其危險從日常的雙行停車堵塞城市街道到酒后駕車每年令25000人喪生、至少650000人受傷,不一而足。開闊公路上違反法律超速駕駛的情況又怎樣呢?新近的調查顯示,在一些州際公路上,83%的司機通常對聯邦政府制定的每小時55英里的時速限制視而不見。
在所以上述現象中,最為公然的藐視法律的人當屬擅闖紅燈者。波士頓藐視停止信號的情況相當嚴重,當地居民流傳的一則趣聞說有位出租車司機堅決認為紅燈“只是作裝飾用的。”紅燈控制交通的力量似乎在各個地方都在削減。在洛杉磯,闖紅燈可能已經成為這座城市最為普通的違反交通的現象。在紐約,通過十字路口就像玩俄羅斯輪盤賭一樣。羅伯特.麥吉里警長承認:“關于人們是否會在紅燈前面停下來,當今的幾率是一邊對一半。”然而,他所在的警察機構在很大程度上對違法現象不理不睬。
闖紅燈一直被人們列為小錯,因此它可能屬于個別現象。當這一違反法規的行為習慣性地、廣泛地、連續不斷地出現的時候,那它就遠不止一個交通管理問題了。這蔑視基本道路規則的行為嚴重地傷害社會各界的情感,無辜的司機和行人反復的為此付出代價,他們承受著各種挫折、不便和傷害,更不用說通過合理方式感受到的致命的危險。如果說偽善是送給惡行的禮物,那么鬼鬼祟祟的行為就是違法者尊敬法治力量的真正表示。然而,闖紅燈的人根本不尊重社會規則,社會不可避免地會受到反復厚顏無恥地藐視基本秩序的行為的傷害。
藐視法律的態度到處存在。有些學校發展,小孩常常在入學的時候并不懂得一些與他人共處的基本規則。他們發現上述情況真的不足為奇。盡管當今各種藐視法律的現象有著這樣那樣的不同,但他們作為基本的社會道德敗壞現象,其癥狀卻是互相一致的,即個人失去了為照顧他人利益而控制自己行為的能力。
公共的禮儀規范有可能會倒塌崩潰,這已經不僅僅是一個禮節上的問題了,社會首先擔憂的事情雖然仍將是重大的犯罪,但是在休斯頓發生的一切顯示了野蠻行為的嚴重跡象。休斯頓高速公路上的司機越來越傾向于用突發的暴力行為替代道路規則來解決問題。以下是休斯頓警察部門最近關于高速公路交通暴力的統計分類事件:1)司機朝插到自己前面的小汽車閃爍著遠光燈,而小汽車里面的人卻向他的擋風玻璃用力投擲一個啤酒罐,踢掉了他的尾燈,把他打得縫了八針。2)自動卸貨司機出于耽擱而氣憤,砸壞前面停的車倆的后行李箱和用鋼鎖簧連連猛打那個司機。3)急速行駛的十八輪卡車的司機故意從后面撞上一輛小汽車,而這輛小汽車的司機正試圖保持在每小時55英里這以限制速度之內。幸運的是,休斯頓綜合癥尚未蔓延的到處都是。問題是它會蔓延得到處都是嗎?
美國人習慣于認為法治主要受到已成陳規的暴力犯罪的威脅。然而,美國法律的基礎遭到撼動,卻實際上總是因為普通的守法公民開始回避法律。一個主要的例子就是禁酒令。唐納德巴爾奇德塞在戒酒與否這個節目中回憶說:“事實證明,違法并不痛苦,甚至不能算作不舒服,相反它會給人帶來輕微的哦爽快感覺。”人們最終廢除了禁酒令,不僅因為酒本身這個問題,而是因為藐視法律的行為正在嚴重削弱政府的權威與合法性。具有諷刺意味的是,當今藐視法律者所具有的精神,無論其源頭怎樣受到削弱,但是政府卻無意間在很多層面上對此給予鼓勵。警察無力執行某些法律,這只是問題的表面現象,畢竟他們是從自己服務的官員和選民那里接受命令。更糟的是,大部分的州立法機構幫助公眾違反聯邦政府制定的每小時55英里限速的法律,其中一些立法機構對違法現象等閑處之,只進行很少數目的罰款。從更高層面來說,華盛頓政府機關簡直就是在反對而不是支持某些根據法院指令作出的廢止種族歧視的判決,這突顯了其廢棄公民權利法律的愿望。用荒野雜志的話說,保護環境的團體理由充足地指責政府機關“無力執行環境法,他們正在破壞環境法。”這一變異就是最高層的藐視法律現象。
關于藐視法律的這種態度,最為令人憂慮的東西就是它具有極端的傳染性。只有愚蠢到了極點的社會才會對此坐視不理,任它無限期的蔓延下去。
第十一單元
磁盤代替原稿,檔案被人遺忘
手稿是作者創作過程的極其重要的記錄,它們現正瀕于滅絕。文字處理程序得以出現,其成本相對較低,且日漸變的簡單容易起來。所有這一切意味著,甚至那些窮困潦倒、未發表過東西﹑以作家自詡(以及那些名列最暢銷書排行榜前幾位的人士),也回向王氏﹑IBM和蘋果等各種品牌的電腦求助,安裝Wordstar﹑Scriptsit和Apple Writer程序,開始忙于寫作﹑編輯﹑審校其創作成果。結果是什么呢?只是一張軟盤而已!
我們應該對手稿的消失感到痛惜。任何人,不管他是學生還時學者,又如何能從軟盤了解創作過程呢?這種搖搖晃晃的塑膠又如何能夠展現出(如威廉?巴特勒?葉芝寫的)絕望當中產出的美麗,夜燈煎熬出智慧嗎?手稿是這些創作痛苦的記錄,它們經常被汗水玷污,被咖啡潑濺或者被香煙燒焦。手稿告訴我們作家的心靈活動,在創作痛苦的過程中的感受。埃德娜.圣文森特.米萊日以繼夜,懷疑能否見到成果。但是,她的初稿成成為了后世各代的珍寶。
試想一下,如果葉芝用文字處理程序來寫作那些抒情詩,歌頌他對莫德.岡娜的得不到回報的愛情!軟盤是不可能揭示他那深深的傷痛。幾乎在一個世紀之后,他在都柏林國家圖書館的手稿仍然洋溢著激情的力量。它告訴年輕人,他們的情感、希望、絕望、愛情和失敗實際上已成為永恒。假設雷.布雷德伯里用王氏電腦來寫作《華氏451》。如果他的各種草稿像他痛惜的書籍那樣付之一炬,小時在儲存器里,會是那么適宜,甚至具有諷刺意味呀。
幸運的是,任何從事寫作的學生都能夠在加利福尼亞洲立大學福勒敦分院特別收集圖書館里查閱上訴草稿。初學者和專業人員都可以研究簡短故事,《消防隊員》是如何發展成為未出版發行的中短篇小說《著火啦,著火啦!》,隨后又發展成為更長篇的小說《爐床與火蛇》,也沒出版。最后副本(因為是作者自己打印,偶爾有打印錯誤)待審。在這些手稿中,布雷德伯里自己用生動鮮明的動詞代替了軟弱無力的動詞,改變一兩個句子,加強或是有時取消一個形容詞,替換上一個更好的名詞。手稿極好地展現了寫作中的作家,我們絕不可能從軟盤上看到這種發展或是最終的潤色。
此外,把大量手稿放在一起,那么你就有了一個檔案。備忘錄,日記,期刊,便條,第一稿,第二稿和第三稿的草稿——這些檔案文件對我們所有人來說都相當重要。城市的檔案文件通常收集了潦潦草草寫成的紙片、關于邊界線的有針對性的涂鴉或者是關于結婚、離婚、契約、出生、死亡各種事件的大量手寫記錄,所有這些東西都散發著霉味,我國的各類檔案文件是無價之寶的遺產。國家檔案館堆滿了破舊的文件。保存著供歷史學家詳細研究的資料。
手稿告訴我們托馬斯·杰斐遜在起草《獨立宣言》的時候,他是如何思考的。一封寫給耶魯大學校長的著名信件告訴我們本杰明·富蘭克林對宗教的真實感情。我們從日記,文件,信件和講道詞當中了解到關于制定《憲法》的人們的大量情況。如果她們在軟盤上完成所有工作,我們能夠了解這么多情況嗎?這是絕對不可能的!
同樣,如果名人男女的信件是從點陣打印機里涌出,它們會像親筆信原件那樣具有同樣的魅力嗎?如果某個白宮底層生產的,機器簽署,大量生產的信件會有公民羅德納·里根于1965年郵寄的親筆信,信封上寫的地址,貼著已取消的五分值郵票,同樣的感情影響或是會有同等的價值嗎?幾乎是不可能的。
詹姆斯·喬伊斯曾經寫道,藝術家的錯誤是創造的泉源。不幸的是,如果干凈整潔,完美無瑕和毫無錯誤的軟盤代替了破爛,鋼筆亂涂,剪貼,夾帶裝訂,紙張發黃,重寫,重打印的手稿的話,那么我們永遠不會知道那些錯誤。圖書館保它們,學生們學習它們。拍賣人以驚人的價格拍賣它們,擁有者珍愛它們,然而文字處理器則完全排除它們,我們的損失真是不可估量。
手稿是我們賦予社會的巨大財富。我們沒有權利僅僅因為我們發現文字處理程序更加方便就剝奪了后世各代了解我們作品過程中的思想和情感。只有通過耐心修改過的手稿而非軟盤,能夠告訴初學寫作的人員或者將來的歷史學家,寫作是一項艱辛的工作,它需要思考和再思考——它應該在紙張上,而不是電子屏幕上完成。
第二篇:新編英語教程7課文翻譯_(Unit_1-14_Text_I_譯文)
新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)Unit 1 英國人和美國人的空間概念
人們說英國人和美國人是被同一種語言分離開的兩個偉大的民族。英美民族之間的差異使得英語本身受到很多指責,然而,這些差異也許不應該過分歸咎于語言,而應該更多的歸因于其他層面上的交流 :從使很多美國人感到做作的英式語音語調到以自我為中心的處理時間、空間和物品的不同方法。如果說這世上有兩種文化間的空間關系學的具體內容迥然不同,那就是在有教養(私立學校)的英國人和中產階級的美國人之間了。造成這種巨大差異的一個基本原因是在美國人們借助空間大小來對人或事加以分類,而在英國決定你身分的卻是社會等級制度。在美國,你的住址可以很好的暗示你的身分(這不僅適用于你的家庭住址,也適用于你的商業地址)。住在紐波特和棕櫚灘的人要比布魯克林和邁阿密的人高貴時髦得多。格林尼治和科德角與紐華克和邁阿密簡直毫無類似之處。座落在麥迪遜大道和花園大道的公司要比那些座落在第七大道和第八大道的公司更有情調。街角辦公室要比電梯旁或者長廊盡頭的辦公室更受尊敬。而英國人是在社會等級制度下出生和成長的。無論你在哪里看到他,他仍然是貴族,即便是在魚販攤位的柜臺后面。除了階級差異,英國人和我們美國人在如何分配空間上也存在差異。
在美國長大的中產階級美國人覺得自己有權擁有自己的房間,或者至少房間的一部分。當我讓我的美國研究對象畫出自己理想的房間或辦公室時,他們毫無例外的只畫了自己的空間,而沒有畫其他人的地方。當我要求他們畫出他們現有的房間或辦公室時,他們只畫出他們共享房間里自己的那部分,然后在中間畫一條分隔線。無論是男性還是女性研究對象,都把廚房和主臥劃歸母親或妻子的名下,而父親的領地則是書房或休息室,如果有的話;要不然就是工場,地下室,或者有時僅僅是一張工作臺或者是車庫。美國女性如果想獨處,可以走進臥室、關上門。關閉的門是“不要打擾”或“我很生氣”的標志。如果一個美國人家里或辦公室的房門是開著的,則說明他現在有空。在這樣的暗示下,人們不會認為他想把自己關閉起來,而會認為他正處于一種隨時響應他人的準備就緒的狀態中。關閉的門是用于會議、私人會談、生意往來、需要集中精力的工作、學習、休息、睡覺、穿衣服和性的。
相比之下,中產階級和上流階級的英國人從小是在和兄弟姐妹共享的兒童室里長大的。最大的孩子一般獨占一個房間,直到他9歲10歲左右去上寄宿學校時再空出來。擁有自己的房間和很早就習慣于共享房間之間的差異似乎并無重大意義,但這卻對英國人對待自己空間的態度有著重大的影響。一個英國人可能從來都不曾有過永久的屬于自己的房間,他也很少會去企盼或者認為自己應該有權擁有這樣的房間。即使是下議院的議員也沒有自己的辦公室,他們通常在俯瞰泰晤士河的陽臺上處理事務。所以英國人會對美國人需要一個安穩的地方去工作(即辦公室)這樣的需求感到困惑不解。在英國工作的美國人如果沒有得到他們認為適當的封閉的工作空間,也許會非常生氣。就出于保護自我的目的而將墻壁作為屏蔽物的需求而言,美國人應該位列德國人和英國人之間。
英國人和美國人的行為特點之間的顯著差別有著極其重要的意義,尤其是在我們假設人和其他動物一樣,有時也有一種內在的封閉自己的需求的情況下。我的研討班的一個學生生動的刻畫了當這種看不見的行為特點之間產生沖突時可能發生的情狀。很顯然他在和美國人交往中承受了很大的壓力。仿佛沒有什么是正常的,而且從他的評論里可以清楚地了解到他認為我們美國人不知道如何舉止得體。通過分析他的抱怨,我們發現他煩悶的一個根源是似乎沒有哪個美國人能夠辨別出這樣的細微的暗示:即有時他不想讓別人擾亂他的思緒。正如他自己所說的:“我在公寓里漫步,好像每次當我想獨處的時候我的室友就會和我搭話。很快他就在問‘你怎么了?’而且想知道我是否生氣了。這時我真的生氣了,然后就會沖他說些什么。”
盡管需要花費一些時間,但最終我們還是能夠分辨出在這個事例的沖突中,美國人和英國人各自所遇到的不同的麻煩,以及這些特征之間的明顯差別。當美國人想獨處時,他會進到自己的房間里并且關上門——他借助于建筑物來屏蔽他人。對美國人來說,拒絕同在場的人談話,對其采取“冷處理”,是最極端的拒絕形式,同時也是非常不高興的明顯的表示。而另一方面,英國人由于從小就沒有自己的房間,從來沒有利用空間作為躲避他人的避難所的習慣。他們實際上在潛意識里設立了一系列的屏障,他們認為這些屏障其他人應該能夠理解或辨別。因此,當英國人和美國人在一起時,他越不想和這個美國人說話,這個美國人就越可能找他說話,因為他想確保一切正常。這種沖突會一直持續下去,直到這兩個人開始互相了解彼此。重要的是雙方對空間和建筑的需求并不一樣。
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)Unit 2 游客/旅游者/觀光客
我曾對游客最深入細致的研究,是在托塞羅做的。在這里,你想要躲開游客是不可能的。托塞羅是威尼斯環礁湖中的一個小島:在這里,三十多所農舍,環繞著一個威廉王(諾曼帝國)征服英國(1066年)時建的大教堂,隱現在葡萄架和野花叢中,一條運河和一條小路從環礁通向小村。葡萄園被一條條運河切割成豆腐塊。紅的黃的船帆在葡萄架間緩緩行駛。鐘樓的鐘每天要響三次(鐘呀,鐘呀,神明的譴責),與周圍小島的鐘聲大合唱交織在一起。那兒有個客棧。有一年夏天我在那住過。在那寫書,觀察游客。在過去,托塞羅象一朵天空的孤云。現在卻成了威尼斯的一個出游勝地。游客多得很。他們從班船,從租的機動船,從豪華的游艇,一下子涌進小島。小島都要容納不了了。一天到晚,都有游客在纖路上漫步。他們在找什么?哥特式教堂貼著古老的馬賽克,裝飾成一幅地獄的景色。大部分已經重修了。還有一幅表情憂傷而莊重的圣母瑪利亞象。拜占庭藝術是高品位的,要有專門知識的人才能欣賞的。游客中大概十有八九沒有這個欣賞能力。他們信步走進教堂,隨便看看。他們走出教堂,到村子的綠茵上。在石椅上互相照相。這石椅據說是阿提拉的寶座。游客們無情地撕扯著野玫瑰。人們看著帶花古朵的野玖瑰,盼著看它開放。這玫瑰花使小島一天到晚沉浸在芳香中。可是它們一被摘取下來,這花就蔫了,所以就被扔進了運河。美國游客到飯店去吃喝。英國人說他們付不起賬。所以他們自帶食物,鉆進葡萄園去吃。實在遺憾,等他們走時,就留下一片狼藉。每個星期四,德國人在一個領導的率領下,排隊走在纖路上,好象是上戰場的部隊。在飯店,他們訂下五十人的中餐,邊吃邊聽領導用手提喇叭給他們上課。吃完飯,他們排隊進教堂,在那兒又聽一番講解。至少,他們知道他們看了點什么。他們排隊回去上船。他們利利落落,不隨地丟果皮雜物。
然而,和游客比起來,島民的行為更有意思。不管他們意識到沒有,他們被迫整個夏天要生活在游客的眼皮底下。他們自然就要從這情形中得到一點經濟利益。意大利人是天生的演員。在11點的頭班威尼斯客輪開來到下午6點的末班船離開之間,全島變成一個舞臺。島民都是演員,扮演一個角色色。隔壁布拉諾島上的年輕人,穿上船夫裝,搖起平底船,把從汽艇上下來的游客擺度到村子里。有一個還帶了一個頑皮地令人生畏的小弟弟。他叫埃里克,總是死纏著每一個人,要他們買他的染成金色的死海馬。“祝你好運!”他唱道。我特別喜歡他。滿臉堆笑、笑容可掬的老太太們,坐在家門旁,賣明信片和小飾物,還當眾做著威尼斯式樣的枕套花邊。實際上,花邊是她們從布拉諾拿的貨,是那里的姑娘們做的。老婦人賣不出去,還可以退貨。老太太的一雙手,飽經風霜,凈是老繭,是做不了這種細活的。她們之所以這樣做,據說是因為要是游客看見它們是怎么織出來的,他們就更愿意買。但可惜沒有幾個人光顧,欣賞那做工。小小孩蹣跚地遞上四葉苜蓿,想討地點小費。又是一片“祝你好運!”的叫聲。教士們也按輪船的班點,安排他們的宗教活動。戲就是這樣上演著。游客們是不可想象地小氣。除了空煙盒和飛舞的每日郵報,他們不留任何東西。花邊太貴了。他們不買情有可原。但他們本可以買幾張明信片,買幾根貝殼項鏈,給上小孩幾個便士。但他們看起來都是鐵公雞,一毛不撥。
等到最后一班船一走,大舞臺的帷幕就落下了。平底船夫脫掉亞麻夾克,摘下笨重的草帽,帶上埃里克,回布拉諾。小埃里諾非常不滿意他所掙到的錢。他說要是這樣下去,他就要餓死了。慈祥的老太太也收起了她們的笑臉,把花邊枕頭放在一邊,開始干起每天要干的溺死小貓之類的工作。賣苜蓿小孩的父親,趴在地上,去找第二天要賣的四葉苜蓿。最后一次教堂鐘聲響過,月亮也出來了。飛舞的每日郵報刮進了湖中,托塞羅又恢復了原樣。Unite 3 地鐵
在某種程度上,地鐵無疑是紐約所有缺乏身分的因素的生動象征。幾乎每一站都有瘋狂和令人迷失方向的氣息。地鐵站的天花板很低,遠景很長,沒有什么標志性建筑,熒光燈管、電燈泡和霓虹廣告的光線融合成光怪陸離的混合體。整個站臺對人的感觀是極大的傷害。列車停止和轉彎時發出的噪音之尖銳刺耳實在讓人無法描述。人們在感到擁擠時毫無顧忌地亂推亂搡。你的觸覺會感受到前所未有的煎熬。當天氣暖和時,氣味會讓人無法忍受。在站臺之間,唱片行會播放45轉/分的重金屬唱片,供應午餐的柜臺會提供熱狗,如果你咬下去一口,你會先感受到有如橡皮般有彈性的外殼,然后會吃到柔軟多油的棉籽飯般的中心部分。顧客們坐在那里,嘴邊糊滿了熱狗皮和面包屑之類的東西,他們會不時打個飽嗝,而他們的腮
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)幫子也會隨之不時鼓起。
地下的空間似乎能夠吸引每一種怪異的激情。一個身材矮小、穿著古舊的人總會拿本圣經、帶著一面美國國旗和一個擴音器出入于曼哈頓的地鐵。他會翻開圣經,用滄桑而又單調的聲音引述上面的經文。因為周圍的噪音太大以至于他的正常嗓音不能被人很好的聽見,他在每一站都使用擴音器,并且總是號召人們進行救贖。
還有乞丐。在這令人無比厭惡的地鐵上,在乞丐之間,紐約的身份競爭得到了光大和發揚。這種競爭在第七大道的城際快車上達到了癲狂的程度。在一些夜晚,一些乞丐互相撕斗,相互咒罵并且互相警告對方滾回到自己的車廂去。一個拿著拐杖和杯子的普通盲人只能算是平庸的乞討者。人們需要的是娛樂表演。有兩個男孩,其中一個拿著一只小手鼓,上了車。大點的男孩在列車起步時開始擊打手鼓,小點的男孩就開始跳通常認為是土著舞的舞蹈。然后,如果車廂內有空間的話,他會開始進行空翻表演。他從車廂的一頭跑到另一頭,先順著車行駛的方向在空中來一個完整的空翻,雙腳著地。然后他會逆著車行駛的方向奔跑,再來一個空翻。他會來回做上好幾次這樣的空翻,其間穿插一些土著舞表演。這樣的表演一般需要較長的時間才能很好的完成,例如列車從第42街行駛到第72街期間。表演完畢后,兩個男孩會拿著裝飲料用的紙杯沿著車廂索要小費。
裝飲料用的紙杯是傳統的容器。在第七大道的線路上有一個年輕的黑人,他通常在第42街上車,然后開始唱“我希望我已經結婚了”這首歌。他很年輕,看起來身體非常健康。但他會上來唱這首“我希望我已經結婚了”,并且在唱到最高音的時候從他經久不變的防風外衣里掏出一個裝飲料用的紙杯,然后沿著車廂來回走動,希望能得到一些小費。我從未見到他得到一分錢。然而最近由于他開始了解身份競爭,他的生活開始有了改觀。現在他上車后只會在他解開防風大衣時唱“我希望我已經結婚了”這首歌,他不但會拿出他的紙杯,還會露出一塊紙板,上面寫著“我母親患了硬化癥,我的一只眼是瞎的”。他最出彩的地方是“硬化癥”這個詞,他故意拼錯這個詞,在中間加上很多多余的輔音字母,很好的營造出一種駭人的德國生理學課本般穩固的感覺。所以現在他干得好多了。他似乎可以以此謀生。他不再是懶惰者、消磨時間者或者是游蕩者。他可以帶著超然的態度看待他人的沒落。
在東部的城際快車線路上,比如說第86街,列車停下后人們互相擁擠,成群地擠出車廂,而在灰綠色陰影中的一條長凳上,在那些大梁和1905年鋪設的瓷磚下面,有一位懶散地斜靠著椅背的老人似乎在酣睡,他穿著一件棉風衣,衣服的袖子已經被扯掉了。他就穿了這么多東西。他的膚色死灰,間雜著蒼白的斑點。他雙腿以一種紳士般的方式交叉,他酒鬼特有的臉耷拉在長凳的后面。顯然那些同時又身為臭名昭著的小偷的其他酒鬼曾經扒光了他的所有衣服,只剩下這件風衣,他們也曾試圖把這件風衣扒走,(但最終沒有成功),只能夠將袖子拽掉,然后任由這位老人裸坐在長凳上人事不省,但他們還是給他保留了一個紳士般的姿態。經過的路人都會短暫地凝視一番,看看他灰白斑駁的軀體,但沒有人停下腳步;沒人知道到底要經過多久才會有警察過來屏住呼吸將他從陰暗中轉移出來,并將他安置在法律的溫暖懷抱中去。那樣的話,他至少會穿上一件普通的綠色工作服,重新擁有在夜晚的地鐵長凳上值得尊敬的一席位置。Unit 4 文體與目的
使用語言的協調過程錯綜復雜,正如我們在前一章節看到的,部分原因是口頭語和書面語中的種種限制。但是,正如我們所熟知的,這些限制并不能很好的被劃分到“說”和“寫”這兩類范疇中去。英語的文體范圍非常寬泛,其分層也可以無窮無盡。當我們在譴詞造句時,我們必須確保它們和我們對其在這種層次上的特定部分的期待一致,而且它們應該符合搭配和語法的傳統習俗――我們考慮的應分層上的同一點。
如此強調在使用英語時符合傳統習俗似乎很荒謬,因為我們很可能會覺得那些使用英語時有創造性和非傳統的人往往獲得那些大獎。我們決不能確切地說那些大獎都是這樣頒發的,但是無論我們的觀點如何,大家似乎對以下事實沒有什么異議:在我們還沒有正確地掌握傳統搭配之前,諸如“看,媽媽:沒有手!”這樣的表達方式對我們不會有絲毫的印象深刻的感覺。在我們試圖像格特魯德·斯坦(Gertrude Stein)那樣寫作之前,我們必須學會按照最嚴格的傳統習俗學習和使用英語――而且就這一點我們可以從上一章引用的羅伯特·格雷夫斯(Robert Graves)先生的話語里得到支持。
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)如果沒有規范,要辨別和實踐創造性將變得極為困難。也許你曾經品嘗過多種含有姜糖的冰淇淋,也許你曾經碰巧見到它們被冠以非常吸引人的名頭:“冰凍熱冰淇淋”。這是一個因偏離傳統搭配而非常有效的例子。諾埃爾·科沃德(Noel Coward)的戲劇的名稱“苦澀的甜蜜”是一個更著名的例子,而我們大部分人有時也曾被類似“The hand that rocked the cradle has kicked the bucket”(注:直譯為“晃動搖籃的人蹬腿了”,即“母親死了”)這樣古老的俏皮話逗樂。在以上這些例子中,我們都偏離了傳統的搭配方式――但是我們并沒有忽視它們。正是由于我們了解“苦澀”和“甜蜜”相互排斥而且通常不在一起使用,這樣的組合才會有效。“冰凍熱冰淇淋”的有效性取決于這種組合和對“冰凍的”和“熱的”的常規搭配(比如說“冰冷的”和“滾燙的”)之間的對立。
因此,我們的策略應該是首先學習常規搭配以及這些搭配所屬的文體范疇:這里有必要再次強調和實際用法保持一致的重要性。我們會發現如果我們尊敬的人以“親愛的瓊斯先生”開始一封信的話,他們會用“您的真誠的”來結尾,而如果他們用“親愛的先生”開始的話,他們在結尾會使用“您的忠誠的”這樣的語句。有經驗和有教養的人不會混淆這些公式――而且他們會看低那些確實混淆這些慣用套路的人。當然,不光是開頭和結尾不能混淆:語法結構的類型以及詞句的選擇――整個文體――在這兩類信件中都趨向于(而且始終如一的)截然不同。的確有一些有遠見的公司已經摒棄了那種曾經使得商業信函越來越糟糕的更傻氣的、更僵化的俗套(類似“Further to yours of the 23rd ult.”這樣的表達方式):但是一種明顯的形式感還是保留了下來。現在寄往或來自公司或政府部門的信函會使用(在“親愛的先生”后)類似于“鑒于您6月23日的來信??”之類的語句。它不會以諸如“謝謝您最近的來信”這樣非正式的不準確的語句開頭,這樣的開頭更適用于以“親愛的瓊斯”開頭的書信。更不用說其他適合別的類型的書信的表達方式了,從極端僵硬正式型(尤其是和一些機構往來的書信,這里書信人的個性特征并不重要)到非常熟悉親密型(這里書信人的個性特征無比重要):“親愛的弗蘭克,收到你那天的便函真是太棒了。”在每個例子里,有經驗的書信人都采用了適合自己信件所要求嚴肅程度的文體并且自始至終保持這種文體。他不會在一封以“親愛的先生”開頭的信里說“替我問候你的妻子”,也不會在一封以“親愛的瓊斯先生”開頭的信里以“先寫這么多/就此擱筆”作為結尾。
這里我們有必要回顧一下前面章節里提到過的關于期待搭配的問題。在使用于需要相對精確和相對不太羅嗦的場合時,通常情況下經常反復使用的期待搭配(如“冰冷”)最有可能給與我們陳詞濫調的印象。正如在使用語言時經常發生的情況一樣,一個沒有語境的具體表達方式到底算不算陳詞濫調通常不是問題所在。例如我們在劇院的幕間休息時散步,我們的同伴說“我仰慕品特(Pinter)在這出戲里表現出的非凡的洞察力”,我們不會有任何構成我們通常對陳詞濫調的自然反應的那種厭惡感。實際上,我們可以想象出很多非正式的場合,在那里“非凡的洞察力”不但不是陳詞濫調,還很可能聽起來很高調和專業:凡事都取決于我們在文體范疇的特定部分到底期待什么。但如果“非凡的洞察力”適用于非正式場合的口頭評論,這并不意味著這些詞句同樣適用于正式的評論文。
大多數時候我們常常隨意選取那些最經常聽到的評論搭配,然后不加選擇的加以使用,而沒有意識到在一個需要精確的場合這樣的詞句有多么空洞。在最近我的本科班學生的作文里,以下這些是在嚴肅的文學評論里必須被稱為陳詞濫調的一些最常見的搭配:
崇高的想象力;無法效仿的敘事技巧;有機整體;精湛的技藝;完美的藝術;威嚴的高度;悲劇的高度;內在氛圍;本質氛圍;內在吸引力;本質吸引力;本質特征。
這里還忽略了那些從陳腐的到諸如“基本基礎”的累贅的搭配。我們必須發展我們的批判意識來辨別出這樣的表達方式,它們也許會唬住沒有經驗的人,但實際上卻非常機械,在我們寫作時既不反映任何精確的判斷,也沒有向讀者傳遞任何準確的信息。事實上讀者可能會得出這樣的結論:作者沒有能力給出判斷,想通過一些贅述糊弄過去:這樣的結論在很多情況下是完全正確的。在寫作時運用陳詞濫調通常伴隨有含糊不清的表述,這會加深讀者的這種印象,即作者沒有進行認真的思考:“他的詩充滿了特別的意思”;“他的詩擁有自己獨特的風格”,“他畫出了英國工業生活的身體和靈魂”,“他的修飾性的想象力總是追隨一條結構化的主線”。這些到底反映了懶惰還是有意糊弄?
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)Unit Five The Santa Ana Joan Didion圣安娜颶風
洛杉磯今天下午的空氣中存有某種不安,某種不自然的平靜,某種緊張的氣息。言下之意,今晚將刮起圣安娜颶風。這股熱風將從東北呼嘯而下,穿過克侯恩關口和圣哥根尼奧關口,沿著66號高速公路吹起一場沙塵暴,將沿途的山林干化到燃點。不消幾天我們將能看到峽谷里的濃煙,聽到夜里的警報。雖然我沒有聽說或者讀到圣安娜颶風要來了,可是我知道它會來,而且我今天見到的所有人幾乎都知道。我們之所以知道是因為人人都有切身感受。嬰兒會煩躁。女傭會慍郁。而我則重燃了一場和電話公司之間本要熄滅的口舌之戰,然后收拾敗局躺了下來,徹底臣服于空氣之中的某種莫名其妙的氣氛。和圣安娜颶風一起生活就得接受它,不管是有意還是無意地看,這都是種頑固的人類行為機械論。
我想起當我初次搬到洛杉磯,住在一個孤單的海灘旁時,有人告訴我,說過去本地的印第安土著會在這種惡風刮起的時候投身大海。我可以想見原因。在圣安娜颶風期,太平洋會泛起不祥的光澤,而且在夜晚人們不但會因為橄欖樹上孔雀的尖叫聲,而且會因為那沒有風浪的怪誕海面感到煩躁不能入眠。熱度出乎人們的常識。天空泛著一層黃光,這種光有時叫做―地震天氣‖。我那唯一的鄰居好多天都不肯出門,夜晚也沒有燈,她丈夫帶著把彎刀在附近走動。一天他跟我說他聽到非法入境者的聲音,第二天說是條響尾蛇。
在那樣的夜晚,雷蒙德·查恩德樂曾經寫過圣安娜颶風的情況,―每一個聚眾酗酒的集會最后都演變成了一場斗毆,原本溫和的小妻子會摸著餐刀的刀刃研究研究丈夫的脖子。什么事都可能發生。那就是這種風帶來的影響。我當時還不明白颶風對我們大家帶來的影響有什么依據,可是最終它證明來自民間的智慧中存在著科學道理。圣安娜颶風是以它經過的一個峽谷的名字命名的,它是一種焚風,就象奧地利和瑞士的焚風一樣,或者象以色列的哈姆辛風(譯者注:春季從沙哈拉大沙漠吹向埃及的干熱風)。世上有多種強有力的惡劣大風,可能最著名的是法國的米斯特拉爾寒風以及地中海的西洛可熱風。但是焚風有其顯著特點:它出現于山脈的下風坡,雖然一開始空氣團是寒冷的,但是它在下坡的途中升溫,從而最終形成熱干風。不管焚風起于何時何處,醫生們都會接診到頭痛、惡心、過敏等癥的病例,如―神經過敏癥、―抑郁癥等。在洛杉磯一些教師不會試圖在圣安娜颶風期間進行正式的課程,因為此時孩子們變得無法管教。在瑞士自殺率會在焚風期間上升,瑞士某些州的法庭認為此風是給罪犯減刑的一個考慮因素。據說外科醫生十分注意焚風,因為焚風期間血液不會正常凝固。數年前一名以色列物理學家發現不僅僅是在焚風期間,而且在此前的十或十二小時內,空氣中所帶的正負離子的比率之高遠勝平時。似乎沒人知道為什么會這樣,有人說是因為摩擦所致,有人認為是太陽干擾。不論是哪種情況,都有正離子在那里,而過量的正離子所產生的結果,用最最簡單的話講,就是令人不愉快。再怎么認為這是機械論的觀點都不過分。
東部人普遍抱怨說,在加州南部根本沒有―天氣‖,說日子和季節無情地溜走,溫和得使人麻木。這是一大誤解。事實上加州的氣候的特征是具有少見的惡劣天氣:兩個亞熱帶強降雨期延續數周之久,洪水沖垮許多小山,將各個支流送入大海;在出現圣安娜颶風的年份,大約有不連續的二十天由于颶風引起的干燥天氣而無法幸免火災。在對圣安娜颶風的第一次預報時,林業局便會從加州北部空運人力和物力到南部的森林中,而且洛杉磯消防部也取消常規的非消防任務。圣安娜颶風曾在1956年造成馬利布失火,1961年造成貝爾空失火,1964年造成圣巴巴拉失火。1966-1967年冬,十一名消防隊員在和圣安娜大火的戰斗中喪身,此火燒遍了圣加百利山。
只用看看洛杉磯在圣安娜颶風期間的頭版新聞就能了解到這個地方的概況。近年來最長的一次圣安娜颶風期發生在1957年,通常它只持續三四天,而那年卻持續了十四天,從十一月二十一日持續到十二月四日。第一天圣加百利山上的25,000英畝地著火,風速達每小時一百英里。圣安娜颶風席卷城鎮時,風力達十二級,也就是蒲福風力等級中的臺風級。油田井架被刮倒,市民們接到命令不準上街以免被飛行的物體打傷。十一月二十二日,圣加百利山上的火勢一發不可收拾。二十四日有六人在車禍中喪生。到了那個周末,洛杉磯時報報道的車禍死亡人數達到了二十人。十一月二十六日,加州帕薩迪納市的一位著名律師由于經濟因素而意志消沉,槍殺了他的妻子和兩個兒子并飲彈自盡。十一月二十七日,加州南門市的一名離異者,二十二歲,被謀殺后從一輛行駛的小汽車內拋尸。十一月三十日,圣加百利的火勢仍然失控,市內的風速達每小時八十英里。十二月的第一天,四個人死于非命。到第三天大風才漸弱。
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)對于沒有在洛杉磯生活過的人們來說,他們是很難想象圣安娜颶風在當地人心目中的形象的。燃燒中的城市就是洛杉磯自身最深刻的形象。那桑尼爾·韋斯特認為,在電影《蝗蟲之日》中,以及在1965年華特暴動期間,洛杉磯最難以磨滅的形象就是大火。在哈博高速公路上行駛幾天的路程都能看到這座城市陷入一片火海,這種結局正是我們能預料到的。洛杉磯的天氣具有大災難、大天災的特性,而且,就如同新英格蘭地區的漫長的嚴冬天氣決定了當地人的生活方式那樣,圣安娜颶風的狂暴劇烈和不可捉摸同樣也影響著洛杉磯生活的整體品質,突顯了它的無常、它的反復。大風向我們揭示:我們離危險的邊緣并不太遠。? Unit Six How to Get Things Done Robert Benchley如何把事情辦好
許許多多人都來問過我,問我是怎么做到完成這么多事情還能一直保持著看起來很沉迷于酒色似的。(譯者注:直譯,我猜他大概是說看起來一直在浪費時間)整個國家成百上千的人都奇怪我怎么會有時間去完成我的繪畫、工程、寫作和慈善工作,當我——根據影印業部分(譯者注:大概代指新聞媒體)和社會記錄——把時間統統花在騎馬打獵,打扮成路易十四參加衣著華麗的舞會,或是和三千名洛杉磯學生一起、一個字一個字讀出《向加利福尼亞問好》上面。―又工作又玩。‖他們說。
我在完成工作這方面難以置信的精力和高效的秘密很簡單。我把它小心地置于一個著名的心理學原理之上并且精煉它以至于它現在幾乎過于精練了。我很快將不得不開始重新讓它變得粗俗易懂。
那個心理學原理是這個:任何人可以完成任何量的工作,只要那工作不是他當時被希望去做的。讓我們看看這在實際中是怎么體現的。比如說我有五件事要在這周結束前完成:(1)一筐子等待回復的信件,其中有些是1928年10月的(譯者注:作者時間1949年)(2)幾個等待被安裝好并被排好書的書架(3)要剪個頭(4)一堆科學雜志要看完并剪裁截取(我在收集整理我能找到的所有關于熱帶魚的參考文獻,想著哪天給我自己買一條)以及(5)給這報紙寫一篇稿子。
現在。有這么五項工作在周一早晨直盯著我,那么我會吃完早飯直接就上床,為了接下來的幾乎是超人的精力付出儲存健康和力氣就不怎么奇怪了。―健全的精神寄寓于健全的肉體‖是我的座右銘,并且,不是說笑,我要假裝我不知道這拉丁語意思。我覺得當我的身體不得不為我這種貪得無厭的頭腦服務的時候我至少要正確的對待它。
當我在周一的早上躺在我的床上儲存力量的時候,我排出了一個日程表。―我首先要做什么?‖我問我自己。好吧,那些信真的需要回復了并且那堆科學雜志也得剪。現在我的秘密程序進來了。我把它們放在需要完成的事物清單里的最后而不是最前面。我自己騙自己說:―首先你必須要為那個報紙碼字。‖我甚至把這個大聲的說了出來(小心沒有人聽見我,要不然他們會讓我一直躺在床上)并且糊弄我自己,使我真的相信我那天必須要寫完那篇文章而其他事可以等著。我有時候自我欺騙的太厲害以至于用鉛筆列了個單子在上邊寫―第一,新聞稿件‖,下邊畫了紅色的下劃線。(畫紅色下劃線太難了,因為在床邊的桌子上永遠也沒有一只紅色鉛筆,除非我周日晚上上床時帶了一支。)
當計劃表列好之后,我跳下床,開始享用我的午餐。我發現一頓可口豐盛的午餐——最好再來點糯米類的點心——將會是一日工作的最好開始。因為午餐和甜點可以使人有效避免緊張或興奮過度。我們學者最需要保持冷靜,否則我們就會把時間浪費在焦慮和不安中。
酒足飯飽之后,我坐到書桌前,對著我的英文打字機,開始削鉛筆(這些削尖的鉛筆是用來在吸墨紙上戳孔的,而且我發現一支鉛筆最多也只能戳破六個洞)。然后我對自己說道(有可能的話大聲說出來):“開始動筆吧,伙計!”
很快,我的計劃表就開始奏效了。我的余光先是瞥見了那一疊報刊,這是我事前特地放在那里的。我用打字機在紙張的抬頭上敲出我的名字和地址,便向后一仰,靠在椅背上。那疊雜志觸手可及(這也是計劃中的一部分)。我抬頭掃了一眼以確定沒有人在注意我,然后便悄悄從那疊雜志中摸了一本。天吶!看看這是什么!第一篇文章就讓我霍地站了起來,這是威廉·畢比博士寫的一篇文章,還配上了令人毛骨悚然的插圖!很快,我就徹底忙碌于剪報工作了。
關于argyopelius——一種被稱為“銀斧頭”的深海魚——可有件有趣的事情,那就是它們的眼睛竟然長在腰上!光知道魚還有腰就足夠我震驚的了,更別說還發現腰上長著眼睛!我簡直都無法下手剪那張圖片。你看看,僅僅是隨便翻翻插圖版的周末畫報都能讓一個人獲益匪淺!不過說起來這終究是一件苦差事,6 / 16
新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)任何一個意志薄弱的人都有可能半途而廢,只是當你手頭上還有更重要的事要完成的時候,它就絕不會是件難事(看到了吧,我始終在進行自我催眠,讓我自己相信寫報社約稿才是正事)。
所以,我花了半個下午就把所有的科學雜志都通讀了一遍,還做好了一份干凈整齊的剪報(包括一種“毒蛇魚”,我真希望你能看見,你肯定會笑翻的),然后我又開始痛苦地琢磨起那篇報社約稿來了。
這一次,我進展到了寫標題的階段。當我心滿意足地寫好標題之后,才發現我竟然拼錯了個單詞。于是我只好把整張紙取出來,再換一張新的進去。就在此時,我瞥見了信簍里的那堆信。
如果說有什么事情是我最憎惡的話(你可以很確定,當然有),那就是回信。不過,當我還有一篇約稿要完成的時候,我突然有種很想寫信的情緒,于是我偷偷用手指從信簍里拈了一封未回的信來。我想如果我先寫幾封信練練手的話,也許我寫約稿時會更有靈感。這一封信,無論如何是該回了。這封信是一個在安特衛普的朋友寫給我的,那是1929年的夏天,當時我還在歐洲,他寫信希望我能順道過去看望他。他當然不會就這么巴望著郵輪等待我的回音,但出于禮節,我仍然得給他回封信。所以,我沒有往打字機里送入新紙,而是從我的個人文具中抽出幾張體面的信箋,飛快地給我的朋友寫了一封回郵。趁著興致,我把信簍里的信件一一回復了。對于那尚未動工的約稿,我心里著實感到有些愧疚,但一看到一整摞貼好郵票的信封,還有那一疊整理好的剪報,我的心里多少得到了些慰藉。明天我就認認真真地寫約稿,真的!
第二天早晨,我起得晚了些,不過在中午之前,打字機里已經放入新的紙張,上面干凈利落地打上了我的姓名和地址。我簡直精力充沛得像臺發電機!我已決意寫一篇關于“吹笛戲蛇”的文章,并且我對自己擬定的題目——戲蛇者說——感到十分滿意。不過,想要寫好“吹笛戲蛇”,我必須讀它的歷史有所了解。又有什么能比書本更能提供歷史資料呢?也許在墻角那一摞書里,就有一本是關于“吹笛戲蛇”的!我是為了手頭的研究工作才去看那些書的,這一點誰也無法指責我,何況也沒有那個學者能把所有有用的知識都牢記于心。
于是,我光明正大地離開我的書桌,開始瀏覽那一摞書的書名。那一摞書已經在墻角里堆了好幾個星期了,想從里面找出一本書,特別是關于“吹笛戲蛇”的書,簡直是不可能。現在最迫切的事情就是把它們安置到書架上,那么一切就會一目了然了。書架正好就在邊上,就在這一摞書的旁邊!我仿佛聽到一道圣旨在耳邊說:“要是想寫好那篇文章,就得先架好書架、整理好圖書!”這簡直是再清楚不過的了。
物理學原理告訴我如果想要架起書架,我需要釘子、錘子還有類似托架一樣東西來使它固定在墻上。你總不能伸出舌頭舔一舔就把它粘在墻上吧。但是家里沒有釘子和錘子(也許有,但這會兒也不知放在什么地方),所以接下來我得戴上帽子出門去買。盡管我把約稿一再拖延,但我感到戴上帽子去買釘子是此刻最合理的事情。不過,當我戴上帽子的時候,我很不爽地發現我實在該去理發了。我倒是正好可以一箭雙雕,或者起碼是二箭雙雕,在回來的路上順便去理個發。我想去外面呼吸點新鮮空氣會有助于我的文思的,所有醫生都會這么建議。
幾個小時之后,我一身清爽地回來了,帶著釘子、托架、晚報、黃油餅干還有淡淡的丁香花香。我吃了點餅干,又掃了兩眼今天的晚報(這也許會使我改變寫“吹笛戲蛇”的初衷),然后開始干活,不一會兒,書架就架好了——雖然有些晃——書本也按首字母排好了序,以便于隨時查閱。這里面沒有一本是關于“吹笛戲蛇”的,不過有一本關于賀加斯畫作的倒有些意思,還有一本書深入闡釋了電影發展史,也很不錯。電影事業實在令人嘆為觀止了,也許什么時候我會寫一篇關于這方面的文章。不過,當然不會是現在,因為現在都過了六點鐘了,而我手頭還有一篇關于“吹笛戲蛇”的約稿要完成。明天一早立刻就寫!千真萬確!
所以,你看,在短短的兩天內,我就完成了四項任務,而這一切只不過是讓自己相信第五件事才是我必須完成的正事。到了明天,我會另外選一件正事來做,例如把書架拆下來再裝到別的地方去什么的,那么我的第五項任務就能順利完成了。
唯一麻煩的是,按照這個速度,我很快就會完成所有的任務,又得愁眉苦臉地面對那篇報紙約稿,那件星期一早晨就定下來的第一件正事。
? Unit Seven The Aims of Education Alfred North Whitehead教育的目的
人文修養是種思維活動,是對美與人文情懷的學習。而割裂的知識對此毫無幫助。僅有滿腹經綸的人
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)是普天下最無趣的廢物。我們所要培養的人應是在某領域人文修養與專業知識兼備的人。專業知識賦予他們發展的起點,人文修養賦予他們哲學的深度與藝術的高度。我們必須牢記自我發展才是有價值的知識發展,而自我主要發展于16至30歲之間。而在孩子12歲之前,母親對于孩子的培養至關重要。有的人年少時在學校平平無奇,后來卻功成名就,人們往往對此感到驚奇。對此,坎特伯雷大主教的一句話闡釋了我的觀點,他說:―18歲前難窺端倪,18歲后大氣方成。
要培養孩子去思考,我們最應該警惕的是避免灌輸一種我稱之為―惰化‖的思想,即,不經應用,證實或相互結合,合陳出新,一味灌輸給孩子的思想。
教育史上最駭人聽聞的現象莫過于某一時代曾經一度天才輩出的學府,數代人后充斥著的卻只有迂腐,循規蹈矩之士。其原因就在于他們被灌輸了太多的 ―惰化思想‖。以惰化思想教育學生不僅無益,而且有害------corruptio optimi,pessima(最壞的事情便是使最好的事情變壞)。除僅有的幾次知識變革之外,過去的教育從根本上受到了惰化思想的侵蝕。有些見過世面的聰慧女子雖未接受過教育,卻在中年之際成為社會中最為有人文修養的人。其原因便在于她們免于惰化思想的駭人重荷。每一次為人文帶來巨大飛躍的知識變革都是對惰化思想的強烈抵制。但而后,教育機構竟可悲地忽視了人類的心理作用,再一次使人文學科為新惰化的思想所束縛。
面對這靈魂的枯竭,我們的教育體系應如何是好?我們要闡明兩條教育戒律:―不可教太多學科‖和―教學要深入‖。
教太多門學科,但每門卻只教一小部分會使學生消極的接受互不相關的思想,這些對學生們來說沒有絲毫啟迪作用。教育中所灌輸給孩子的思想應當少而精,并盡可能多的使之相互組成新思想。孩子們應能消化所學,并能理解在這些思想在現實生活中的應用。教育伊始,孩子就應能體驗到發現的樂趣。有新發現時,所學思想將會使他理解生活中的種種事件。盡管這里的理解需要邏輯分析,并不僅僅指的是邏輯分析。這里的理解指的是法國諺語―理解了緣由,也就寬恕了一切‖ 中的理解。迂腐之士譏笑學以致用的教育。但教育不學以致用,那又是什么呢?是天分,要小心翼翼的藏在手帕里嗎?當然,不管一個志向為何,教育就應當是學以致用的,教育對圣奧古斯汀有用,教育對拿破侖也有用。學可致用因為理解可致用。
對于文學教育對理解力的貢獻,我并想多談。我也不想評判古典或現代文學的教育價值。我只想說我們所需要的理解是對于―今―的理解。過去的知識為當下的我們服務,這是它唯一的用處。而厚古薄今是對于年輕人的傷害是最致命的。―今‖包含了過往的一切。―今‖是一片圣土,因為―今‖既是過去的終點,又是未來的起點。同時人們應當明白兩千年前的時代并不比兩百年前的時代―古‖。不要被迂腐的時代考究所欺騙。薩福克里斯和維吉爾的時代并不比莎士比亞與莫里哀的時代 ―古‖。各個時代圣人之間的交流自是一次振奮人心的偉大盛會,但如果說有一間會議廳能化想象為現實,那就只有―今‖;而各個時代的圣人為來此參會而跨越的那些時間,或長或短沒什么區別。
現在談一下科學與邏輯教育。像我之前所說,科學與邏輯教育中也存在著惰化思想,這些不經應用的思想有害無益。應用某一思想,我的意思是使之融入學生的生活中,與其中的感性認識,感覺,愿望,欲望和隨時間不斷變化的思維活動聯系起來。我知道有些人憑借消極的吸收互不相干的思想來鞏固自己的內心。但人文修養并不是那樣提升的(可能除了某些報社編輯之外)。
在科學教育中,對于某一思想,應先證明它。但容我先拓展一下在這里―證明‖的意思-----我是指證明某一思想的價值性。除非某一思想具有正確的論點,否則它就沒有什么價值可言。因此,不管是通過邏輯論證亦或是實驗證明,證明某一思想的本質之處在于證明其論點是正確的。雖教師們對于某思想論點正確與否的證明不甚重要,但德高望重的教師們的論斷的確具有權威性,這些論斷能為我們創造一個論據充足的起點。當我們第一次接觸某一組論點時,我們應先評斷它們的價值,這也是我們所有人在后半生都要做的。從嚴格意義上說,除非某件事比較重要,否則它并不值得我們去嘗試證明它正確與否。狹義上講,我們并不需要在時間上嚴格將這兩個證明和評價步驟分開,這兩步幾乎可以同時進行。但以能否致用而言,應優先評判其價值。
而且我們并不應孤立地應用某一論點。特別是不能只為某一論點而進行一系列實驗1,再為論點2進行一系列實驗,如此直到學完一本書。沒什么比這更無聊了。相互聯系的正確思想應當結合起來使用,各種
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)各樣的論點也應可以任意順序不限次數地應用。從理論主題中選出一些重要的實際應用,而后以系統的理論闡述研究它們。理論闡述要保持簡短,但要保證闡述的嚴格與規范。闡述也不應太長,太長則不利于他人深刻準確地理解。吞下太多理論知識卻不消化完只會是徒勞無獲。而且理論也不應該與實踐相混淆。孩子應當明白什么時候是在證明思想,什么時候是在應用思想。我的觀點是所證明的應被應用,而只要條件允許,所應用的也應被證明。總而言之,證明和應用是一個事物的兩面。Unit 8 Fifth Avenue, Uptown: A Letter From Harlem James Baldwin 第五大道住宅區:一封來自黑人的來信。The projects in Harlem are hated.They are hated almost as much as policemen, and this is saying a great deal.And they are hated for the same reason: both reveal, unbearably, the real attitude of the white world, no matter how many liberal speeches are made, no matter how many lofty editorials are written, no matter how many civil rights commissions are set up.哈萊姆的居民憎恨住房的建設計劃和警察的巡邏,其原因在于兩者都令人難以忍受地揭示了白人世界對黑人的真正態度 The projects are hideous, of course, there being a law, apparently respected throughout the world, that popular housing shall be as cheerless as a prison.誠然,這些工程(建筑)丑陋不堪,從表面上看也符合一個世界公認的法則:普及型住房應該和監獄一樣令人郁悶。(民眾的住房應當像監獄那樣單調陰郁)They are lumped all over Harlem, colorless, bleak, high, and revolting.The wide windows look out on Harlem’s invincible and indescribable squalor: the Park Avenue railroad tracks, around which, about forty years ago, the present dark community began;the unrehabilitated houses, bowed down, it would seem, under the great weight of frustration and bitterness they contain;the dark, the ominous schoolhouses, from which the child may emerge maimed, blinded, hooked, or enraged for life;and the churches, churches, block upon block of churches, niched in the walls like cannon in the walls of a fortress.寬大的窗戶俯瞰著哈萊姆的破敗,它一成不變,難以描述:那里有帕克大街的車軌,在此周圍,大約40年前,現今黑暗的社區就開始形成了;那里有無法修復的房子,耷拉著,似乎在承載著其中失敗與痛苦的巨大壓力;那里有黑暗的、帶來壞運氣的學校教室,因為從這些校舍里出來的孩子可能是傷殘的、瞎眼的、吸毒的或一生憤怒的人;那里還有很多教堂,街區連著街區,教堂的墻壁都裝飾著神像,就像加農炮加在堡壘的堞垛上。Even if the administration of the projects were not so insanely humiliating(for example: one must report raises in salary to the management, which will then eat up the profit by raising one’s rent;the management has the right to know who is staying in your apartment;the management can ask you to leave, at their discretion), the projects would still be hated because they are an insult to the meanest intelligence.對于智力最低的人都是一種侮辱。Harlem got its first private project, Riverton--which is now, naturally, a slum--about twelve years ago because at that time Negroes were not allowed to live in Stuyvesant Town.Harlem watched Riverton go up, therefore, in the most violent bitterness of spirit, and hated it long before the builders arrived.They began hating it at about the time people began moving out of their condemned houses to make room for this additional proof of how thoroughly the white world despised them.And they had scarcely moved in, naturally, before they began smashing windows, defacing walls, urinating in the elevators, and fornicating in the playgrounds.Liberals, both white and black, were appalled at the spectacle.I was appalled by the liberal innocence--or cynicism, which comes out in practice as much the same thing.1 Other people were delighted to be able to point to proof positive that nothing could be done to better the lot of the colored people.They were, and are, right in one respect: that nothing can be done as long as they are treated like colored people.The people in Harlem know they are living there because white people
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)do not think they are good enough to live anywhere else.No amount of “improvement” can sweeten this fact.Whatever money is now being earmarked to improve this, or any other ghetto, might as well be burnt.2A ghetto can be improved in one way only: out of existence.4 Similarly, the only way to police a ghetto is to be oppressive.None of commissioner Kennedy’s policemen, even with the best will in the world, have any way of understanding the lives led by the people they swagger about in two’s and three’s controlling.Their very presence is an insult, and it would be, even if they spent their entire day feeding gumdrops to children.3They represent the force of the white world, and that world’s real intentions are, simply, for that world’s criminal profit and ease, to keep the black man corralled up here, in his place.The badge, the gun in the holster, and the swinging club make vivid what will happen should his rebellion become overt.Rare, indeed, is the Harlem citizen, from the most circumspect church member to the most shiftless adolescent, who does not have a long tale to tell of police incompetence, injustice, or brutality.的確,哈萊姆區的居民,從最謹慎的神職人員到最懶散的青年,無一不對警察的無能、不公和粗暴抱怨連連。I myself have witnessed and endured it more than once.The businessman and racketeers also have a story.And so do the prostitutes.(And this is not, perhaps, the place to discuss Harlem’s very complex attitude towards black policemen, nor the reasons, according to Harlem, that they are nearly all downtown.)5 It is hard, on the other hand, to blame the policeman, blank, good-natured, thoughtless, and insuperably innocent, for being such a perfect representative of the people he serves.He, too, believes in good intentions and is astounded and offended when they are not taken for the deed.He has never, himself, done anything for which to be hated--which of us has?--and yet he is facing, daily and nightly, people who would gladly see him dead, and he knows it.而他知道這一點。There is no way for him not to know it: there are few other things under heaven more unnerving than the silent, accumulating contempt and hatred of a people.天底下沒有幾樣東西比一個民族的沉默和日漸增長的輕蔑和仇恨更加令人膽寒的了。4He moves through Harlem, therefore, like an occupying soldier in a bitterly hostile country;which is precisely what, and where, he is, and is the reason he walks in twos and threes.And he is not the only one who knows why he is always in company: the people who are watching him know why, too.Any street meeting, sacred or secular, which he and his colleagues uneasily cover has as its explicit or implicit burden the cruelty and injustice of the white domination.And these days, of course, in terms increasingly vivid and jubilant, it speaks of the end of that domination.The white policeman, standing on a Harlem street corner, finds himself at the very center of the revolution now occurring in the world.He is not prepared for it--naturally, nobody is--and, what is possibly much more to the point, he is exposed, as few white people are, to the anguish of the black people around him.5Even if he is gifted with the merest mustard grain of imagination, something must seep in.He cannot avoid observing that some of the children, in spite of their color, remind him of children he has known and loved, perhaps even of his own children.He knows that he certainly does not want his children living this way.He can retreat from his uneasiness in only one direction: into a callousness which very shortly becomes second nature.他只能夠朝一個方向逃避他內心的不安,那就是變得冷漠無情,而這很快就成為他的第二本能。He becomes more callous, the population becomes more hostile, the situation grows more tense, and the police force is increased.One day, to everyone’s astonishment, someone drops a match in the powder keg and everything blows up.Before the dust has settled or the blood congealed, editorials, speeches, and civil-rights commissions are loud in the land, demanding to know what happened.What happened is that Negroes want to be treated
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)like men.? Unit Nine Roots of Freedom Edith Hamilton自由的根基
在原子時代,向自由發起挑戰是發人深省的。今日,擺在我們面前的是一個奇異的新世界,我們都在思考到底該如何生存在這樣一個世界里。我們該如何對待我們最寶貴的財富——自由?我們所知道的世界,即西方世界,在不斷開拓新的空間的過程中逐漸形成。
大約2500年前,希臘人始獲自由。在那之前,這世上還沒有自由。絢爛的文明和偉大的帝國散布在地球上,自由這東西卻不見蹤影。埃及、巴比倫、尼尼微這些國家推行專政,一人獨掌大權統治無力的大眾。希臘雅典這個小國家里的小城市,卻沒有無力的大眾。那里的人們由一位無意獨攬大權的人領導。帝國的統治者們堅決主張大眾應對其絕對地服從。雅典人卻不這么認為,他們認為只有在戰爭中才應如此,而且,倘若統治者的決策是維護大眾利益的,他們自會心甘情愿的服從。古希臘偉大的政治家伯利克里曾說過:―我們的政府是自由的政府,但我們仍遵守法律,尤其是那些維護被壓迫者權益的法律,以及那些一旦違背便使人蒙羞的未成文的?法律‘。‖
雅典人自愿遵守的,不僅是他們通過的那些成文的法律,還包括不成文的、自由的人們生活在一起所必須遵守的法律。他們善待彼此,互生憐憫,若無這些品質,生活將變得只有荒漠里的隱士才能忍受。雅典人從不認為,一個人能隨心所欲,他就算是自由的。他若能自我約束,他便自由。服從于自己所認同的行為規范即是自由。雅典人幸而未把生活看成是自己的私事。各人為雅典人的共同利益都各有其責任,這種責任不是外界向其強加的,而是緣于這座城市是他的驕傲,是他的安身之處。世界上第一個政府的信條就是,那些能自我約束和為國家承擔責任的人將享有自由。正是這個理念,為日后希臘人的豐碩建樹奠定了基礎。
但自由的獲得并不如原子彈的發明一樣。一朝獲得自由并不代表永遠享有自由。人們若不珍視自由并為之奮斗,自由就會消亡。自由的維持,須以長久的警惕為代價。雅典帶來了這種思想上的轉變。這種轉變雖悄然發生,但至關重要,貫穿全國。雅典人樂于、自豪于為他們的城市做貢獻,從來沒想過要從中獲得什么物質利益。后來,雅典人的思想態度發生巨大的轉變,他們把城市看成是為他們的工作支付薪酬的雇主。他們看重的,不再是人民給予國家什么,而是國家給予人民什么。人們需要的是一個能給他們提供舒適生活的國家,當這成為最重要的目標時,自由、自立和責任的觀念就會模糊甚至消失。雅典越來越像是一個擁有巨大財富的合營公司,所有雅典人共同擁有這份財富。
雅典人開始認為他們需要的自由就是免于責任的自由。到了這時候,結局只有一種。人們如果堅持擺脫自立和為大眾利益負責的擔子,就不再自由。承擔責任是每個人為自由所必須付出的代價。這沒有什么條件可言。古希臘的雅典人拒絕承擔責任的時候,他們便不再享有自由。
亞里士多德曾說過:―好的東西千古流傳。‖ 雅典人失去了自由,但這個世界并沒有失去自由。美國著名政治家詹姆斯?麥迪遜(James Madison)在1776年左右提到過―人類自我統治的能力‖。可以肯定,他不知道自己說的就是希臘。也許他想不起雅典這個例子,但人類一旦產生某個念頭,便揮之不去。在原子時代也是如此。這個念頭存在于這個或者那個人的思想里,盡管未被付諸行動。我們無法確定它是否即將成為行動,唯一能確定的,就是總有一天會這樣。
Unit Ten Fear of Death Carll Tucker資源匱乏的恐慌
我討厭跑步。每天一清早,當繞著紐約中央公園的人工湖沉重的慢跑時,我總能清醒的意識到自己有多么厭惡它。這太無聊了。有人覺得慢跑有益于思考,還有人覺得途中景色讓人樂在其中。對于我而言,這根本無助于思考也并無美景可享。跑步時,我滿腦子不是又有跑步就是一片空白。可惜我沒法子穿過這人工湖徑直到家,只能繞著跑,說來它還幫了大忙。
從許多慢跑者倦怠的神色中不難斷定,討厭跑步的人原來不只我一個,他們同樣感到痛苦無奈,這沒比付賬單開心多少吧。即便如此,我們仍一如既往的跑,甚至死心塌地的選擇跑。普天之下有這么多選擇,我們卻寧愿去做一件不喜歡并且巴不得趕快結束的事,這究竟是為什么?
不管什么潮流,有多少人追逐,就有多少種理由。他指望靠此降低一再飆升的血壓;他希望借此逃避旁人的電話干擾,火冒三丈的配偶或是烏七八糟的家鎖;他以此回避生活的艱難抉擇或是人生的碌碌無為。
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)人人都有其煩惱和動力。我的苦衷便是體能的每況愈下,使我在網球比賽中輸給兩年前的手下敗將。而我的動力就是挽回顏面打敗他。
然而除了這些大大小小的理由外,還有一個更深層的原因。人們突然間如此癡迷于改善自身健康絕非偶然。不錯,現代人都渴望健康,但僅靠此舉很難使其區別于前人。
由于目光短淺,經濟學家總是一廂情愿的認為所有問題皆由經濟因素而起。慶幸的是慢跑和經濟根本扯不上任何關系,也毫無理由可尋。的確,慢跑是很便宜,但不跑更省錢。慢跑帶動的寥寥無幾的裝備需求恐怕是商人最看不上眼的買賣。
一些哲學家爭論道:慢跑以及其他體能鍛煉是人們給自己制定的一項任務。生活中的個人義務越來越少。工作時間減少,做禮拜也可有可無。科技為我們騰出更多的時間。但如何填補這些時間則需要去想象去努力。自由時間是一條又寬又險的河,足以使那些不會游泳的人沉沒。一個人承擔的義務越多,耗費時間就越多,相對危險的自由時間就越少。于是慢跑就成了一項的任務。跑步的過程中,他將不屬于自己,而完全服從于他所能接受的自己。
一些神學家也許對此有更進一步的爭議。他們認為正是由于現代社會人們的無神論和缺乏自信使得我們焦慮不安的想盡可能活得長久。據他們所說,我們跑步,是為了生存,相信這才是我們所要享受的人生。
所有的這些說法或多或少都有些道理。迷信的滋生以及對戰爭的熱情復蘇無不暗示著,我們渴望得到承諾。況且看到如此多的中老年人在健身的名以下深受折磨,誰還會懷疑我們對死亡的恐懼,遠遠超出了以往任何一代呢?
但依我之見,這種現象背后還有鮮為人知的原因。它背后的驅使力更甚于對死亡的恐懼,那就是資源的匱乏。我們看到土地的流失,河流失去了孕育生命的能力,空氣,即使在平流層也存有致命的垃圾。我們看到無法挽回的浪費,感受到意識中那深深的恐懼 ―― 我們正在毀壞賴以生存的地球。同時我們也或多或少的感到無助,并想方設法保護環境。我們重復利用汽水瓶,修復老房子和保護離自己最近的自然資源 --我們的身體健康,希望這種小的舉動可以拯救正被破壞的地球。跑步變成了一種為我們貪婪和浪費的一種贖罪。
這就是我為什么要跑步 ―― 為了贏一場網球賽。
Unit Eleven Beyond Invalidism, Part One Norman Cousins 1 The sense of being locked into a body that is inadequate for its needs, the sense of living under a lowering ceiling, the sense of having to separate oneself from vital prospects, the sense of coming to terms with bleakness — all these are the stuff of invalidism.The person who is put on notice by the physician that he or she has a ―bad heart‖ tends to live a life of reduced expectations, to take slower and fewer steps, and to move tentatively in the outside world.2.How does one avoid the feeling of being an invalid when underlying corditions create and indeed seem to dictate it? When a physician tells you that your heart is weak and must be spared the strains that other people routinely and joyously bear, how do you go through life without flinching when you approach stairs or hilly streets or children reaching out to be lifted? 3 Perhaps the best way to answer these questions is to begin by reflecting on the way the human body works.A weak body becomes weaker in a mood of total surrender.思想上先繳了械,身體便會更加孱弱。The mechanisms of repair and rehabilitation that are built into the human system have a natural drive to assert themselves under conditions of illness, but that natural tendency is deferred or deflected by an erosion of the will to live, or by the absence of confidence in one‘s physician or in one‘s own ability to play a vital part in the attack on disease.Obviously, it is absurd to suppose that there is no illness or somber circumstance that can‘t be reversed.But it is also true that under conditions of extreme illness we need all the help we can get.For the same reason it is necessary to put all our own powers to work in our own behalf.We want to get the most out of whatever is possible.An integral part of this process is respect
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)for the human body — an organism of astounding tenacity, resiliency, and recuperative capability.And, since the human body tends to move in the direction of its expectations — plus or minus — it is important to know that attitudes of confidence and determination are no less a part of the treatment program than medical science and technology.5 The day after I came home from the hospital, I arranged with a building contractor to construct a new study and storage facility for all the Saturday Review files and other books and records that had been moved out from the East.The only place available for the new construction was above a steep hill in back of the house.This meant I would have to climb the equivalent of four flights of stairs every time I wanted to go to the study.6 The building was completed in about three months.I have never felt the slightest hesitation in making the ascent, which I have done at least twice daily.The sense of pleasurable anticipations is enough to allow me to endure any strain.I do know this, however: if I had any distasteful expectations or reactions my body would supply all the signs of chest pressure to accommodate that distaste.More and more, I am inclined to accept the notion that the body produces its own poisons under circumstances of apprehension or emotional strain and that this factor is intimately involved in serious illness, whether it takes the form of cardiac disease, joint disabilities, or even cancer.The title of Kenneth Pelletier‘s book Mind as Healer, Mind as Slayer may say it all.Nothing is more amazing or heartening to me than to see the way in which many persons with severe afflictions or handicaps nonetheless manage to affirm life.Just in the act of mobilizing their emotional resources they help to potentiate themselves physically.I am not saying here that no one ever need feel disadvantaged;all I am doing is making a distinction between being an invalid and thinking and acting like one.9 I know that I am still at risk.I know that, without warning, my heart could suddenly fail.If that should happen, I will have no complaints.As I told Dr.Shine, I have nothing but gratitude for a heart that has seen me through an eventful life and several medical ordeals, beginning in childhood.10 Death is not the enemy;living in constant fear of it is.I have no intention of swathing myself in cotton to soften a possibly fatal episode.I will continue to live and think as actively and creatively as it is physically possible for me to do, knowing that longevity by self can be sterile but that vital feelings and thoughts give meaning and depth to life and provide a true sense of possibilities of human existence.11 I have already lived more than an average lifetime, but I want to continue to live long enough to see the establishment of a world under law and a planet made safe and fit for human habitation.I hope, too, to live long enough to see the conquest of human squalor.What stands in the way is not insufficiency o natural resources but the way people choose to think about their problems and opportunities.In any event, I am grateful that I am able to continue working for those causes that seek to free our age from gross indignities and the fear of nuclear devastation.12 What seems especially important to me in retrospect is that I am the beneficiary of the best that modern medical science has to offer.For many years, deaths from heart attacks have outnumbered fatalities from all other diseases.That number is now on the decline and will, I believe, decline further still with the full recognition, not just by the profession but by the general public, that a comprehensive program of treatment involves both the full utilization of medical science
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)and full development of the human healing system.The fact that the belief 13 I look up at the calendar as I put down these final notes and see that it is two years and five months since the heart attack of December 22, 1980 Dr.Shine has gone out of his way to congratulate me, using the word ―magnificent‖ to describe my process, even though he feels I may still be at substantial risk.The portion of the heart muscle has been strengthened and has adapted itself to my needs.Dr.Cannon says it is difficult to believe that bypass surgery could have achieved a better functional result than has been achieved without it.The original treadmill results that produced the finding of severe coronary insufficiency have been reversed.最初檢測出了嚴重冠狀動脈功能不全的踏車試驗結果已經被逆轉了。I manage to set aside time each week for the sports I enjoy — doubles or singles in tennis, and golf with old friends.Golf does not really qualify as exercise, but it is a game that offers tangible and tantalizing possibilities for measurable improvement of one‘s skill.Besides, it provides an arena for banter and the rewards of companionship in an outdoor setting.I maintain a full working schedule, and I pay visits to the hospital at the request of physicians to see ill persons in need of a morale boost.The different between what I did before the heart attack and what I am doing now is that I now maintain some semblance of control I try to run my schedule instead of letting the schedule run me.我努力駕馭時間表,而不是被時間表所束縛。Unit Twelve Charles Darwin Thomas Henry Huxley 1 Very few, even among those who have taken the keenest interest in the progress of the revolution in natural knowledge set afoot by the publication of “The Origin of Species,” and who have watched, not without astonishment, the rapid and complete change which has been effected both inside and outside the boundaries of the scientific world in the attitude of men's minds towards the doctrines which are expounded in that great work, can have been prepared for the extraordinary manifestation of affectionate regard for the man, and of profound reverence for the philosopher, which followed the announcement, on Thursday last, of the death of Mr.Darwin.很少有人,即使是那些對由于《物種起源》一書的發表而推動的自然知識的變革進程極度感興趣的人,以及那些滿懷訝異關注著導致科學界內外人士對待這一巨著中闡明的觀點的態度發生迅速而徹底變化的人,能夠預料到上周四宣布達爾文死亡之后人們對于達爾文這一思想家的異乎尋常的摯愛和崇敬之情。Not only in these islands, where so many have felt the fascination of personal contact with an intellect which had no superior, and with a character which was even nobler than the intellect;but, in all parts of the civilised world, it would seem that those whose business it is to feel the pulse of nations and to know what interests the masses of mankind, were well aware that thousands of their readers would think the world the poorer for Darwin's death, and would dwell with eager interest upon every incident of his history.In France, in Germany, in Austro-Hungary, in Italy, in the United States, writers of all shades of opinion, for once unanimous, have paid a willing tribute to the worth of our great countryman, ignored in life by the official representatives of the kingdom, but laid in death among his peers in Westminster Abbey by the will of the intelligence of the nation.不止是在英倫三島,那里有如此多的人深切感受到一個無與倫比的靈魂的魅力,感受到一個比這一靈魂更加高貴的品質;在文明世界所有疆域里,似乎那些密切關注世界進程以及關心人民利益的人都能意識到他們數以千計的讀者將會認為達爾文的死是我們這個世界的一大損失,并將急迫地研讀他一生中的每一事件來緬懷他。在法國,在德國,在奧匈帝國,在意大利,在美國,所有持不同觀點的作家在這一刻一致同意為我們這一偉大同胞的價值表示致敬,盡管他一生都不被英國當局認同和尊敬,他死后還是遵由這一國家中智者的意愿被安葬在西敏寺的其他偉人之間。
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)3 It is not for us to allude to the sacred sorrows of the bereaved home at Down;but it is no secret that, outside that domestic group, there are many to whom Mr.Darwin's death is a wholly irreparable loss.And this not merely because of his wonderfully genial, simple, and generous nature;his cheerful and animated conversation, and the infinite variety and accuracy of his information;but because the more one knew of him, the more he seemed the incorporated ideal of a man of science.Acute as were his reasoning powers, vast as was his knowledge, marvellous as was his tenacious industry, under physical difficulties which would have converted nine men out of ten into aimless invalids;it was not these qualities, great as they were, which impressed those who were admitted to his intimacy with involuntary veneration, but a certain intense and almost passionate honesty by which all his thoughts and actions were irradiated, as by a central fire.我們不應提及在唐寧鎮那失去親人的家庭的沉重的悲傷;但有一點已不是秘密,那就是除了達爾文的親友,還有很多人認為他的死是無法挽回的損失。這不僅是由于他親切、率真和慷慨的本性;也不僅是由于他愉快生動的談吐,以及他龐雜而準確的信息量;而且由于人們對他了解的愈多,就愈感到他是科學工作者的典范。他的推理能力極為敏銳,他的知識面極為寬廣,他的堅毅勤奮令人嘆為觀止,他身體的困難十有八九會讓普通人淪落成沒有生活目標的病弱之人;使那些不知不覺中感受到達爾文的親切并因此而尊敬他的人們印象深刻不是他這些偉大的品質,而是如火焰一樣照亮他思想和行為的那種獨特的強烈而近乎熱烈的誠實。It was this rarest and greatest of endowments which kept his vivid imagination and great speculative powers within due bounds;which compelled him to undertake the prodigious labours of original investigation and of reading, upon which his published works are based;which made him accept criticisms and suggestions from anybody and everybody, not only without impatience, but with expressions of gratitude sometimes almost comically in excess of their value;which led him to allow neither himself nor others to be deceived by phrases, and to spare neither time nor pains in order to obtain clear and distinct ideas upon every topic with which he occupied himself.正是這種極其稀有的偉大的天賦使得他的生動的想象和偉大的推測能力處于合理的范疇內。這種態度使得他能夠不被只言片語迷惑,并且能夠不辭辛苦地盡力對他所從事的每一個議題取得清楚明確的看法。不同的是,面對大自然這一幾乎沒有任何破解希望的難題,我們的現代哲學家沒有退縮不前,以赫拉克利特和德謨克利特的理論為基礎,他把全部的生命奉獻到了攻克這一難題的事業里,得到的結果和他們早先提出的理論相似甚至完全一致。One could not converse with Darwin without being reminded of Socrates.There was the same desire to find some one wiser than himself;the same belief in the sovereignty of reason;the same ready humour;the same sympathetic interest in all the ways and works of men.But instead of turning away from the problems of Nature as hopelessly insoluble, our modern philosopher devoted his whole life to attacking them in the spirit of Heraclitus and of Democritus, with results which are the substance of which their speculations were anticipatory shadows.對達爾文所取得成績的正確評價,甚至正確的定位在當前來說是不現實甚至不應該期望的。凡事都需要時間――為我們對自然不斷擴展的征服感到欣喜需要時間,哀悼帶領我們取得勝利的英雄同樣需要時間。6 The due appreciation, or even enumeration, of these results is neither practicable nor desirable at this moment.There is a time for all things–a time for glorying in our ever-extending conquests over the realm of Nature, and a time for mourning over the heroes who have led us to victory.7 None have fought better, and none have been more fortunate, than Charles Darwin.He found a great truth trodden underfoot, reviled by bigots, and ridiculed by all the world;he lived long
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新編英語教程7(Unit 1-14 Text I 譯文)enough to see it, chiefly by his own efforts, irrefragably established in science, inseparably incorporated with the common thoughts of men, and only hated and feared by those who would revile, but dare not.What shall a man desire more than this? Once more the image of Socrates rises unbidden, and the noble peroration of the “Apology” rings in our ears as if it were Charles Darwin's farewell: 8 “The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways–I to die and you to live.Which is the better, God only knows.” 他發現了深藏在我們腳下的、被偏邪之人攻擊、被全世界嘲笑的真理;他活著的時候看到了這一真理,主要通過他自己的努力,無可爭議地在科學中占有了一席之地,并成為普通人思想中不可分割的一部分,只被那些想攻擊卻又不敢攻擊的人憎惡和恐懼。
Unit Thirteen The Scopes Trial Frederick Lewis Allen(暫缺)品讀密西西比
河的臉,遲早幻化成一本神奇的書——這書于未經訓練的旅人是死的語言,卻毫無保留地告訴我它的思想,如同有聲述說般將其最珍藏的秘密公布。這不是一本讀過一遍就棄置一旁的書,因為每一天它都有新故事要頌。綿延一千二百英里,每一頁均不無趣味。。讀不懂它的旅人總為水面上一種獨特隱約的酒窩所著迷(那也是在少數幾個偶然間,他沒有完全忽視酒窩的時候,才有的事)對于水手而言,那卻是一段印成斜體的文字;事實上那不僅僅是酒窩,而是最大號字體的圖例,且還要在末尾附加一連串呼號的感嘆符,因為它意味著那里埋藏著一艘沉船或一塊暗礁,隨時都有可能將漂流而過的最堅固的船舶摧毀。這是河水所能作出的最模糊,最簡單的表達,在被水手視作最可怕的信號。事實上,不能讀懂此書的旅人,只能從中看到形形色色的美麗圖畫,陽光為畫筆,云朵繪陰影,而對于受過訓練的眼睛,這些絲毫不是圖畫,而是最無情,最嚴肅的讀物。
而今我已掌握此河的語言,開始了解構成大河的每一個瑣碎特征,我認識它們,如同認識字母表的每一個字母,我獲得了一份寶貴的財富。但我同時遺失了某件東西,我遺失了某件在我有生之年都無法再恢復的東西。所有的優雅,美麗,詩情,均不復存在于此壯麗的大河!猶記得我初當汽船水手時所目睹的一次奇妙的日落。河中很寬一部分區域被夕陽染成血紅。遠處和中央的紅光耀成金黃,一根獨木穿越金光漂浮而來,烏黑且顯眼,有一處水面上閃現一道斜長的記號;另一處水面則為沸騰翻滾的漪所擊碎,那多彩的漣漪仿佛一塊蛋白石;在微紅的赤暈最淡的地方,有一處光滑的地方覆有優雅的圈紋并放射狀的線條,精美勾勒,無與倫比;左岸是茂密的灌木叢,這林里投下的昏暗的蔭在一處被一條長且參差的痕跡阻斷,那道痕跡像銀子般閃耀著;在林墻上方的高處,一棵禿桿兒的死樹搖曳著唯一一根帶葉的枝條,在夕陽無阻傾瀉的流動光輝中如火焰般閃耀著。優雅的曲線,倒映的影像,蔥籠的高地,和緩的遠處;在整個背景之上,遠近處處,持續地浮動著光芒,那光漸漸消融在夜色中,每一刻都為河流綴以新的色彩奇跡。
我如同著了魔般久久佇立,在一種無言的狂喜中沉醉其間。世界于我是嶄新的,在家我從未見過此等景象。但正如我所說的,從某天開始,我不再留意月亮太陽和暮光在河的臉上的杰作,不再留意那種燦爛和魔力;又有一天,我停止注意這所有。從那天起,即使日落的奇景再重復,我也將不帶任何狂喜之情地看過,還會暗自這樣評價:―這個太陽預示明天要起風;那段浮木顯示河水在上漲,情況不妙;水面上傾斜的記號恰是一個陡峭的沙洲,若是這沙洲像那樣繼續延伸,這幾天夜里必會有汽船要遭殃;那片翻滾的?沸水‘顯示那里有一片消融的沙洲或是一段變道的河床;遠處平滑水域里的線條和圈紋警示著那片棘手的區域正十分危險地慢慢變淺;樹林的陰影里銀色的條紋,是一條新增殘樁的突出物,這截樹樁占據了所能找到的最有利于他給汽船造成麻煩的地形;那棵僅有一條帶葉樹枝的死樹,已經支撐不了多久了,不知道沒有這位指路的老朋友,一個人還如何在夜間穿越他的盲區?‖
不,所有的浪漫和美麗都離這河遠去了。它的任何特征于我的價值不外乎那些對于安全掌舵汽船有益的可用之處。自那些天起,我從心底里同情醫生。美人雙頰的可愛紅暈對一位醫生而言除了伏于某致命疾患之上的征兆外還能意味著什么呢?她那耀目的魅力于他而言不正充滿一種隱匿萎敗的標志與象征嗎?究竟他有否瞧見她的美,還是他看她僅是以一種職業的眼光,且兀自只對他不健康的狀態予以評價?他可曾猶疑自己在掌握了技能之后是得到更多還是遺失得更多呢?
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第三篇:《新編導游英語》閱讀材料參考譯文
Appendix 6
Chinese Reference Material for Supplementary Readings 閱讀材料的參考譯文
Unit 1 九寨溝
九寨溝,一個美麗而迷人的風景名勝地。九寨溝, 一個集原始自然而又華美奇秀、充滿生機的世界。她是大自然鑲嵌在四川西北部崇山峻嶺中的一顆色彩斑斕的 “寶石”。位于四川阿壩藏族羌族自治州境內, 海拔 2 000~4 300米、面積為 720平方公里的九寨溝風景名勝區, 主要由樹正、日則、則查洼三個溝組成。這是一處以高山湖泊(海子)群和瀑布群為主要特征, 集湖泊、瀑布、灘流、雪峰、森林和藏族風情為一體的著名風景名勝區。景區內峰巒起伏, 茂密的原始森林,郁郁蔥蔥、層層片片, 如同綠色的海洋。數十座終年積雪的雪峰傲立山顛。溝谷中分布著大大小小 114 個高山湖泊和 17 個瀑布群。湖水晶瑩透明,清澈見底。由于水中沉積物和水藻等對陽光的反射, 使得湖水或呈碧綠或呈孔雀藍色,加之一年四季、一日四時,滿山植被色彩的變化, 陽光照射角度的不同,更使得這一串串海子艷麗多彩, 如同一串五彩斑斕的寶石。水是九寨溝的精華,無論是一個個色彩迷人的海子, 還是那些大面積的灘流和眾多的瀑布群,無不是由于有了水才使它們顯示出一種靈氣,平添了更加迷人的姿色。
漫步在九寨溝中,不論是春夏秋冬, 不論是晨曦黃昏,也不論是雪中雨中,你都會沉浸在這多姿多彩的長幅立體山水畫卷之中,憑你盡情感受, 任你盡情遐想,你將完全陶醉在這美妙的夢幻世界之中。九寨溝還是一個神話世界, 當地藏族民間傳說,那一百多個翠海(高山湖泊)是一對男女山神之間的愛情信物— — —寶鏡被跌碎在山谷間而形成的。如畫的風光再加上如詩的情感, 人們宛如漫游在童話世界中。
九寨溝是大自然的杰作,它是億萬年來歷經造山運動、流水深切、巖壁崩 塌滑落,以及冰川運動、泥石流堆積和泉水形成的泉華沉淀等多種地質作用, 使溝谷堰塞,形成湖盆, 而冰雪的消融、豐富的泉水和經森林凈化的雨水不斷 地注入,逐漸形成了這些水色清碧的河床型串珠狀堰塞湖。
九寨溝地處南北植被過渡地帶,針葉林、闊葉樹種類繁多,林木茂盛, 是天 然的動植物園,森林中生活著大熊貓、金絲猴、白唇鹿等珍稀動物。
九寨溝內分布著九個藏族村寨, 景區也因此而得名。濃郁而獨特的民族 風情使初來的人們備感新奇。目前到九寨溝的交通十分方便。這里夏日涼 爽、冬無烈風、空氣清新、陽光充沛, 是游覽觀光度假的勝地。
1978 年, 九寨溝被列為國家自然保護區;1982 年成為首批國家重點風景 名勝區;1992 年被聯合國教科文組織列入《世界自然遺產名錄》, 成為全人類 共同擁有的寶貴財富。
樹正溝是九寨溝景區的一條主溝, 是通往其他兩條溝的必經之路。它自溝口到諾日朗,全長 14.5 公里。樹正溝內景色多樣, 風光秀麗。從溝口向南行依次有盆景海、蘆葦海、火花海、臥龍海、樹正群海、樹正瀑布、達戈神山、老虎海和犀牛海等 20 多處景點。從諾日朗賓館向西繞過諾日朗群海再向南行,就進入了日則溝景區。日則溝游覽線約有 18 公里, 再南行就走出游覽區, 進入原始森林了。日則溝內有諾日朗瀑布、諾日朗群海、鏡海、沃諾色莫山、珍珠灘、珍珠灘瀑布、金鈴海、孔雀河、五花海、熊貓海、箭竹海、天鵝海、芳草海、劍巖和原始森林等 20 余處景點。則查洼溝長約 18 公里, 是九寨溝內海拔最高的游覽線路。從諾日朗向東南行, 經過則查洼寨, 沿公路逶迤而上, 沿途經過下季節海、上季節海、五彩池,便到了溝的盡頭— — —長海岸邊。長海海拔3 100米,長約 7.5 公里, 寬約 0.5 公里, 水色碧藍、深邃;湖畔危崖峭壁, 松林青翠,景色壯麗。
到九寨溝旅游, 沿途及景區內有高、中、低檔的食宿服務設施。九寨溝主 要有九寨溝賓館、九寨溝管理局招待所、諾日朗賓館、九寨山莊等提供食宿服務。民族風味食品有烤全羊、手扒牛排、雜面、青稞酒等。川貝母、麝香、花椒、木耳、羌族刺繡和藏族工藝品, 是這里的土特產品。從成都到九寨溝有四條道路可供選擇,沿不同的旅游線路旅行時, 可以欣賞到九寨溝周邊地區各具特色的自然風光和民族風情。
Unit 2 黃山
黃山,位于中國安徽省東南部, 面積為 154平方公里。千百年來, 黃山以她獨特的雄偉、完美、秀麗吸引著古今中外的游客,并以她巍峨奇特的山石、蒼 勁多姿的青松、變幻莫測的煙云, 形成黃山的 “三絕”。明代就有 “五岳歸來不看山,黃山歸來不看岳” , “任他五岳歸來客,一見天都也叫奇” 的盛贊。泰山之雄偉,華山之峻峭, 衡山之煙云,廬山之飛瀑, 雁蕩之巧石,峨眉之清涼, 黃山莫不兼而有之。黃山大小七十二峰, 劈地摩天, 云凝霄漢。峰峰石骨無膚, 登臨始信方有鬼斧神工之奇。因此,1982 年國務院將黃山指定為國家重點風景名勝區,1990 年被聯合國教科文組織作為文化和自然遺產, 列入《 世界遺產名錄 》。
黃山是一 個氣勢磅 礴的峰之 海。中國 現代著名 文學家郭 沫若先生 在 1964 年為黃山 “三絕” 叫奇時, 首推峰之海。他滿懷激情地寫道: “奇峰雖云大小七十二,實則七十二萬尚有奇。八百里內形成一片峰之海, 更有云海繚繞 之。森羅萬象難比擬,縱有比擬徒費辭。瞬息萬變萬萬變, 忽隱忽顯, 或濃或 淡,勝似夢境之迷離。”
整個黃山山脈,北起青陽的九華山, 東連績溪的大峰山, 西接黟太的羊棧岑,東南延伸至浙江的天目山;在綿亙數百里范圍內,千峰疊峙, 萬塹縱橫。在這萬峰之中,十六大峰, 威武雄壯, 冠蓋群侖;三十六小峰, 秀氣橫溢, 多彩多姿。
在徽城郊外的公路上,向西北眺望, 首先映入眼簾的是 “飛鳥不敢渡, 浮云 往還中” 的云門峰。但當你抵達被稱為 “天上人間” 的玉屏樓時, 頓覺云門峰一點也不奇險了。登上玉屏峰,一覽眾山小。那一座接一座的山峰, 一條連一條 的巨壑,像洪峰一樣洶涌, 像巨浪一樣排空。
黃山的大小七十二峰,峰峰都有美妙動人的名字。如軒轅、浮丘、容城、上 升、煉丹等峰, 全是從黃帝煉丹得道升天的故事中派生出來的。由形象而來的 峰名,最為常見。海拔 1 860 米,雄踞黃山第一的蓮花峰,就形象逼真;峻峭秀 拔,含苞欲放的蓮蕊峰, 在峰海中亭亭玉立;還有生得玲瓏別致的薄刀峰, 煙云 像被褥疊在其上的石床峰。每個峰名都有一段美好的傳說。北海的始信峰,峰雖不高,但巧石爭妍, 奇松林立, 三面臨空, 懸崖千丈。加上有石筍、上升兩 峰與之鼎足而立,左右陪襯。游客到此, 定要嘆服黃山之美。
“云以山為體, 山以云為依” , 這是描寫黃山峰海的名句, 既道出了云與山 的關系,也點出了山光水色變幻的原因。倘遇宿雨初晴, 碧空如洗的日子, 你 在西海就能看到云霧像無數縹緲的輕紗, 飛來蕩去, 時而涌滿千峰萬空, 幻成 海天一色,時而堆成萬座峰崗, 更顯蒼渾深遠。這時的九龍峰像一條蒼龍在云 海中嬉戲,在陽光直射下, 時時出現蒼龍吐水的美景。
大約距今兩三億年前的 “古生代” ,黃山地區一片汪洋, 白浪滔天。到了一 億四千三百萬年前的中生代侏羅紀, 黃山地區覆蓋一層厚厚的由沉積巖和變質巖組成的地殼。由于多次地殼運動,地層發生褶皺和斷裂, 巖漿從褶皺和斷裂的空隙侵入上升,形成花崗巖體, 在地殼內形成了黃山的胚胎。那時, 地球上還沒有人類,只有恐龍、始祖鳥等在森林草原上活動。后來又發生了多次劇烈的地殼運動,黃山所在的地面被地下巖漿強烈拱起, 噴出大量花崗巖巖漿,冷卻后成了黃山前山的基礎。大約又過了一億年,花崗巖再次拱出地面, 奠定了黃山后山的基礎。又經若干萬年的風吹、雨淋、冰凍、日曬和流水沖刷, 易侵蝕的巖土被剝蝕,露出了較為堅硬的花崗巖體, 成為幼年的黃山。又經過了漫長的歲月,地球進入了 “第三紀” 時代, 中國大陸發生了喜馬拉雅造山運動, 使西藏南部的大海海底逐漸上升, 形成了世界屋脊— — —喜馬拉雅山。而東部地區的黃山也逐漸上升,覆蓋在花崗巖上的頂蓋也漸漸剝蝕殆盡。各種偉大的自然力一齊對雄偉直立的柱狀花崗巖體進行 “雕刻” 和 “裝飾” , 最終演變成今天看到的七十二蓮峰和無數的深谷山溝。
黃山松是黃山的奇景之一。百年以上的黃山松數以萬計,千年古松, 如迎客松、鳳凰松、蒲團松等等,令黃山擁有 “無峰非石,無石不松” 之稱。黃山松多生長在海拔 800~1 750米的高山地帶, 有不少就生長在峭壁巖石之間, 其松針短粗稠密, 頂平如削, 干曲枝虬, 蒼翠奇特。它的形象或立, 或臥, 或俯, 或仰,百態千姿, 美得奇,奇得絕。巨松高數丈, 小松不盈尺。舉世聞名的千年迎客松,挺立于玉屏樓, 枝干蒼勁,高大優美, 恰似一位殷勤的主人,伸出手臂, 迎接八方來客。它是黃山松的代表, 是中華民族熱情好客的象征。以人格化命名的黃山松,還有陪客松、送客松、望客松、接引松、探海松等等。以松的形象命名的黃山松,還有早就名揚中外的北海麒麟松、龍爪松, 始信峰不遠處的黑虎松,天海海心亭不遠處的鳳凰松, 玉屏樓去蓮花峰途中的蒲團松,還有 “喜鵲登梅松”、“仙女打琴松” 等等。
黃山松確實太美了,它是那樣的儀態萬方, 是那樣的挺拔蒼勁, 是那樣的雍容大度,給人以挺拔、瀟灑、富有朝氣、富有神韻的強烈印象。黃山松是經過千百萬年的演進而飽經寒暑錘煉的樹種, 所以它不怕風吹雨打,冰欺雪壓。它的根或穿石而下, 或繞石而過,或長在石縫中, 或附在巖石上,具有極強的生命力, 表現了崇高的品格。
在黃山的峰海里,巧石爭崛疊布, 猶如神工天成,形象生動, 構成一幅幅絕妙的天然畫圖。步移景異,妙趣橫生, 給寧靜的山以活力。爭相崛起的巧石,好像無數明珠撒落峰海之中,其中聞名的 120 余處, 把黃山點綴得分外美麗動人。這些巧石千姿百態, 似人, 似物, 似禽, 似獸, 惟妙惟肖。且每一個巧石都與其特定環境巧妙糅合,構成了一處處完美的自然景觀, 使人心馳神往。
地質學家告訴我們,那些妙趣橫生的巧石, 是 “第四紀” 冰川的偉大功績。在距今兩三百萬年前,黃山迎來了 “第四紀” 冰川, 滿山呈現出一片懸崖百丈冰 的景色,與今日的珠穆朗瑪峰很相像。由于山洼地勢傾斜, 冰體在重力和壓力作用下,沿著山坡緩慢下滑, 形成運動的冰流, 這就是冰川。經過千萬年的冰川沖刷和寒凍風化,有的巖石脹裂, 有的巖石倒下,于是就有了 “丹巖夾石柱”、“片石掛乾坤”、“十八羅漢朝南海”、“童子拜觀音”、“五老上天都” 等各種奇異的造型。
“黃山自古云成海”。黃山云海的脾氣是喜怒無常的: 時而是風平浪靜的 一片汪洋,時而成為推波涌浪的大海, 時而像奔瀉千里的急流, 時而似傾注山谷的瀑布,時而怒氣沖霄, 閃電雷鳴。千變萬化的黃山煙云,時時不一, 把黃山點綴得恰似 “靈霄蟾宮”。黃山煙云匯 “五海” :平時看云海, 你可在玉屏樓上觀前海,在清涼臺上觀后海, 在白鵝嶺上觀東海,在排云亭上觀西海, 在光明頂上觀天海。當宿雨初晴,云海尤為壯美: 當你穿過低云時, 便感覺到自己身處云霧繚繞的 “仙境” 之中。當你置身云海之上, 俯瞰下界, 眼前又是一番景象: 云鋪深壑,絮掩危巖, 汪洋無際,真是 “妙在非海而確似海” 了。那遠近的峰巒, 隱現在云端之上,如大海的島嶼。而這虛無縹緲的云海, 忽而平靜,忽而蕩漾, 忽而上下翻騰。你若能趕上旭日東升的時候去觀云海,那更是妙不可言。黃山千嶺萬壑, 雨量充沛, 形成了形態各異的瀑布流泉。黃山落差大, 河溪、瀑布、深潭往往串連在一起。瀑布或迂回曲折, 水流湍急, 或浪花飛濺, 懸流直下,構成黃山最積極、最具生命力的景觀。說起飛瀑流泉, 人們立即會想起唐代大詩人李白詠廬山瀑布的名句。殊不知,黃山的瀑布飛泉也相當絕妙,“山中一夜雨, 到處是飛泉” , 場面可謂壯觀。人們根據瀑布的聲和形, 賦予它詩一般的名字,諸如九龍瀑、人字瀑、百丈瀑、鳴弦泉、三疊泉、鐵線泉、缽盂泉等。
夏天是飛瀑流泉的旺季。每當大雨之后,飛瀑流泉數不清, 看不盡。那些 不知名的飛流,或倒掛于懸崖峭壁, 或繚繞于林間溝壑。有時在陽光照耀下, 分外奇麗。在朝輝暮靄中,只覺得瀑布與云霧齊飛, 清溪共翠谷一色, 令人產 生虛幻縹緲、如入仙境之感。
第四篇:新編英語教程5練習冊答案(1-15單元)
U2.1 The result is, the Mediterranean, the cradle of many ancient civilizations, is seriously polluted.It is the first of the seas that has been made to suffer from a situation resulting from development mixed with an irresponsible mentality.Further, while the places such as Cannes and Tel Aviv dispose of their wastes through a pipe stretching out half a mile from the shore, most cities do not bother to do that but simply dump their sewage directly into the sea along the coastline.There is an even bigger hazard hidden in the seafood dishes that are forever so appealing to those holiday-makers.Factories are set up around the coastline, few of which, including the most sophisticated, have been equipped with a satisfactory system for dealing with their effluents.U81.People send much of their lifetime trying hard to keep things in good shape.They think a product, after leaving its factory, should last at least for a reasonably long period before ceasing to work.2 Quality-control instruments and testing devices are also governed by Murphy’s Law, so they are not reliable.3Look at the artifacts of the pre-industrial era exhibited in museum and you will see that technology is not the factor that decides the quality of these items.4If a handsome basket or boat is made by an inexperienced or irresponsible worker, it may break down as easily as machine-made baskets or boats.5My opinion is that it is the social relationship between producer and consumer rather than the technological relationship between producer and product that makes “hand-made” items so highly regarded.U101The reason why Barbie appeals so much to little girls is that she looks just like a real person in real life who can be dressed up in the way they wish.2.Moreover, Mattel made public that, for the first time, all girls desirous of buying a Barbie from its company were to be given the right of turning in their old dolls in exchange foe new models at reduced price.But more and more, man-made products form a very important part in the lives of people.4Technologically produced things come to be accepted by people and are beginning to shape their mentality.5There has been a tremendous increase in machine-produced things in terms of their actual amount as well as their physical size in proportion to our natural environment.U12 1A person’s life is , above all else , shaped by conformity to the customs passed down in his society.We cannot understand the complexities of human life unless we know the role of custom in all its
manifestations.3If we conduct any systematic inquiry, it is essential for us to be unbiased / we need to be unbiased towards every component part of the subject under examination.4While people were convinced that differences between themselves on the one hand and aboriginal and backward people on the other hand were irreconcilable.the scientific study of the human race as such was not possible.U151.One hundred years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, black people in the U.S.still remain on the edges of society and are treated as outcasts in their homeland.1.When the founders of the U.S.drew up the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were
making a promise to the American people that each and every one of them would be ensured freedom anf justice / equality and liberty.2.3.We have come to this sacred place to call our government’s attention to the compelling necessity of immediate action.You have long experienced untold miseries and anguish.Go on fighting for your rights with the conviction that the miseries and anguish brought upon you unjustly will give birth to a better life.
第五篇:新編英語教程3教案
新編英語教程 3(A NEW ENGLISH COURSE 3)
INTRODUCTION The main task of Level 3 Of A New English Course is, together with Level 1, 2 and 4, to have students lay a solid foundation in English.But it is quite different from the preceding two levels in format and in language requirements.In brief, it’s text-based and emphasis is supposed to be laid on reading and writing skills;however, adequate attention is still given to listening and speaking skills.Especially in reading, reading strategies such as predicting and anticipating the content of the text, skimming for the main ideas, guessing the meanings of words and phrases from the context of the text are to be practiced.In addition, students should gradually learn how to appreciate different types of writing and do lots of practice accordingly.Unit 1 Teaching Aims:
In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate the two narrations in this unit and learn some writing skills in narration and practice it along with letter writing;5.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis: 1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions:
Awkward;dreary;rotund;grunt;proceed;dismay;appall;diffidently;singularly;reckon;querulous;somber;scribble;attach importance to;have sth.in common;a crocodile of
Procedure:(4 hours)1.Greeting;2.The whole plan for this semester;3.Begin the new lesson: 1).Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2).Allow students 3 minutes to go over text I rapidly for the
main idea;
3).Do the guesswork of vocabulary;
4).Study Text I intensively;5).Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and
WB(workbook)orally;6).Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their
vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7).Do oral work;8).Study the main points of guided writing, including the
information about précis writing, paragraph writing of narration
and description, and the heading and salutation of a letter;9).Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1….With no experience of teaching my chances of landing the job were slim: there is little possibility for me to get the job chances of doing sth.land: succeed in getting sth.eg: His chance/chances of landing the1st prize is/are slim/scant/slender/small.2.summon sb.to do sth.3.…smell unpleasantly of stale cabbage smell of: give out the smell of scent of eg: smell of brandy/paint/garlic
His accounts seemed to me smell of truth.4.proceed to(do)sth.: go ahead, continue to do
precede: come, go or happen just before sth.precede sth(with sth)eg: proceed to announce his plan;proceed to the next item on the agenda;He preceded his speech with a warning against inattention.5.attach importance to sth.;consider… important
eg: attach much importance/weight/significance to the theory 6.have sth.in common 7.not so much…but the fact that…
eg: It was not so much there being no councils of workers, peasants and soldiers worthy of the mane, but the fact that they were very few.8.the last straw: an addition to a set of troubles which makes one unbearable eg: The hotel was expensive, the food poor, and bad weather was the last straw.Language points for Text II
1.prompt sb.to do sth or prompt sth: urge or cause eg: His action was prompted by fear.Hunger prompted him to steal.2.Feeling anything but well.: feeling far from being well anything but(恰恰不,才不)nothing/nobody but(正是,只是)all but(幾乎,差一點)eg: She looks anything but well.(She looks ill.)
You have nobody but yourself to blame.The thief has all but succeeded in escaping.3.be set on/upon(doing)sth: be determined to do, make up one’s mind 4.get round to doing sth.: find time to do sth.at last eg: After a long delay, he got around to writing the letter.5.instill sth.in/into sb instill: to put(ideas feelings, etc.)gradually but firmly into someone’s mind by a continuous effort eg: instill the idea of discipline and obedience into new soldiers 6.It was more a cross-examination than an interview.7.In due course, you will hear from us.due: right and proper eg: He has his due reward.Unit 2
Teaching Aims:
In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate and learn some writing skills in the description of Text I and practice it along with letter writing;5.Get to know some information about April Fool’s Day;6.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions: weep, rage, accordingly, croaking, cling, dismissive, brutal, quarantine, coop, witty, exempt, hoax, growl, prey
Procedure:(4 hours)1.Review the main points in last class;2.Study the new unit: 1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 4 minutes to go over text I rapidly for the main idea;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing, including how to write a paragraph of description, and the introduction of a letter;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1.He looked his goodbye at the garden.: He said his goodbye by looking at the garden.2.cling to eg: She still clings to the belief that her husband is alive.Little babies usually cling to their mothers.3.prepare sb/oneself for sth : make someone/oneself ready to accept or to be adjusted to a new condition, idea, or an event 4.at such short notice: with little time for preparation eg: The students usually give the landlady one month’s notice before they move.One can always get a taxi here at a short notice/at a moment’s notice.5.If only: is often used to introduce an exclamation expressing an unfulfilled condition at present, in the past or in the future.The verb is generally in the past or past perfect.eg: If only I had a chance to live my childhood once again.If only he had had a lot in common with me.6.would rather do sth than do sth eg: I’d rather walk all these stairs up than wait for the lift to go up.7.be cooped up
eg: he felt good in the fresh air after being cooped up in the house for so long.Language points for Text II
1.hoax: deceive, play tricks on sb hoax sb with sth, hoax sb into doing sth coax: get sb to do sth by kindness or patience coax sb to do sth, coax sb into/out of doing sth 2.needless to say 3.prey: an animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal or by a person;someone who can easily be deceived or influenced eg: Some salesman consider young housewives easy prey.4.exempt: free from a duty or service exempt…from eg: A doctor’s note will exempt you from physical education.Some information about April Fool’s Day
stApril Fool’s Day is on April 1.It is traditionally a day to play practical jokes on others, send people on fool's errands, and fool the unsuspecting.No one knows how this holiday began but it was thought to have originated in France.The closest point in time that can be identified as the beginning of this tradition was in 1582, in France.New Year's was celebrated on March 25 and celebrations lasted until April 1st.When New Year's Day was changed from March 25 to January 1st in the mid-1560's by King Charles IX, there were some people who still celebrated it on April 1st and those people were called April Fools.Pranks performed on April Fool's Day range from the simple,(such as saying, “Your shoe's untied!), to the elaborate.Setting a roommate's alarm clock back an hour is a common gag.The news media even gets involved.For instance, a British short film once shown on April Fool's Day was a fairly detailed documentary about ”spaghetti farmers“ and how they harvest their crop from the spaghetti trees.Whatever the prank, the trickster usually ends it by yelling to his victim, ”April Fool!“
April Fool's Day is a ”for-fun-only“ observance.Nobody is expected to buy gifts or to take their ”significant other“ out to eat in a fancy restaurant.Nobody gets off work or school.It's simply a fun little holiday, but a holiday on which one must remain forever vigilant, for he may be the next April Fool!
Each country celebrates April Fool's differently.In France, the April Fool's is called ”April Fish“(Poisson d'Avril).The French fool their friends by taping a paper fish to their friends' backs and when some discovers a this trick, they yell ”Poisson d'Avril!“.In England, tricks can be played only in the morning.If a trick is played on you, you are a ”noodle“.In Scotland, April Fools Day is 48 hours long and you are called an ”April Gowk“, which is another name for a cuckoo bird.The second day in Scotland's April Fool's is called Taily Day and is dedicated to pranks involving the buttocks.Taily Day's gift to posterior posterity is the still-hilarious ”Kick Me" sign.Unit 3
Teaching Aims:
In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate and learn some writing skills in the narration of Text I and practice it along with letter writing;5.Get to know some information about Bermuda Triangle;6.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions: consent, bid goodbye to, coincidence, feebly, naval, terminal, clarification, incredible, inheritance, wreckage, literally, snatch, overdue
Procedure:(4 hours)1.Review the main points in last class;2.Study the new unit:
1)Do the pre-reading questions;2)Allow students 5 minutes to read the text rapidly for the main idea;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing, including narration in chronological order, and purpose of a letter;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1.consent: agreement or permission(v.n.)consent to sth.eg: The young couple won/obtain/had their parents’ consent to their marriage.Shakespeare is, by common consent(公認), the greatest English dramatist.Her father reluctantly consented to the marriage.2.bid goodbye to sb.3.make some/a/no difference eg: A little perseverance makes a big difference between failure and success.It doesn’t make any difference to me which side will win or lose.4.find one’s voice 5.purple with anger green with envy ash-white with terror 6.My watch gains/loses a minute every day.Language points for Text II 1.refer to sth as sth 2.literally: really, without exaggeration;word for word, strictly eg: The children were literally starving.translate literally;carry out orders too literally 3.vanish into thin air: disappear completely 4.contribute to: help to cause sth eg: Plenty of fresh air contributes to good health.Unit 4 Teaching Aims: In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Learn some writing skills in narration and letter writing;5.Get to know more information about William Shakespeare;6.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions: legacy, estate, genius, baptize, in a flash, influential, sufficiently, conviction, apprentice, set foot on the road to, presume, tempest, brilliant
Procedure:(4 hours)1.Review the main points in last class;2.Study the new unit:
1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 4 minutes for rapid reading and 10 minutes for writing down the main idea for each paragraph;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing, including the narration in chronological order and conclusion and ending of a letter;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1.be comfortably/well /better/best/badly/worse/worst off 2.amount to: add up to, reach;be equal in meaning, be the same as
eg: Our monthly expenditure on food usually amounts to 150 yuan.Her reply amounts refusal.You won’t amount to anything if you idle your time away like this.3.literary: typical of literature eg: literary works;literary style literal: being or following the exact or original meaning of a word eg: literal meaning ←→ figurative meaning
literal translation ←→ free translation literate: able to read and write 4.conviction: the feeling of being sure about sth eg: It’s my conviction that our team will win the game.convict: declare sb is guilty convict sb.of sth 5.realize in a flash
Language points for Text II 1.be apprenticed to
2.set foot on the road to sth
More Information on William Shakespeare
One of the greatest giants of the Renaissance, Shakespeare holds, by general acclamation, the foremost place in the world’s literature.His close friend, the playwright Ben Jonson, said of him that he was “not of an age, but for all time.” His works are a great landmark in the history of world literature for he was one of the first founders of realism, a masterhand at realistic portrayal of human characters and relations.Shakespeare’s complete works include 37 plays, 2 narrative poems and 154 sonnets.Some of his best known plays are: The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado about Nothing, Twelfth Night, All’s Well that Ends Well, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Timon of Athens, Measure for Measure, The Tempest.Unit 5 Teaching Aims:
In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Get to know the organization of a feature report and learn some writing skills in narration and practice it along with letter writing;5.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions: lobby, complexion, foreboding, shudder, scheme, psyche, moat, breach, in progress, screech, quirk, chic, grunge, reverie, scramble, lopsided, executive, distressing, badger, have the nerve to do sth
Procedure:(4 hours)1.Review the main points in last class;2.Study the new unit:
1)Read the information of the text on p.54, 55 to get a better understanding of Chunnel;2)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;3)Allow students 5 minutes to read the text rapidly for the main idea;
4)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;5)Study Text I intensively;6)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;7)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;8)Do oral work;
9)Study the main points of guided writing, mainly paragraph writing of narration in informal tone, and letter writing to ask for information;10)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I
1.…stiff upper lips trembled: here stiff upper lips stands for Englishman.It’s metonymy.(換喻,轉喻)(keep)a stiff upper lip:(show)an ability to appear calm and unworried when in pain or trouble eg: The general praised the boys for keeping a stiff upper lip in time of trouble.2.A tiny explosion of air from pursed lips.purse up one’s lips: draw one’s lips together esp.as a sign of disapproval 3.by the grace of God: due to, thanks to eg: By the grace of God the children were rescued by the fireman.4.Compound adjectives made up in various ways: the soon-to-be-opened Chunnel the gull-wing eyebrows cross-Channel-link schemes tungsten-tipped teeth
Language points for Text II 1.alternative: adj.Other eg: Have you got an alternative suggestion? n.choice of two eg: Caught in the act, he had no alternative but to confess.alternate: adj.A.(of two things)happening or following one after the other eg: alternate triumph and despair
B.every second eg: on alternate days v.cause to occur one after the other eg: Most farmers alternate their crops.2.It’s a matter of choice, not nerves.nerve: courage have the/no nerve to do sth or lose one’s nerve
Unit 6 Teaching Aims:
In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate the two arguments in this unit and learn some writing skills and practice it along with letter writing;5.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions: refuel, outlay, harness, bonnet, conquer, radiation, penetrate, synthetic, extinction, rivet, in a panic, opposition, scrap, evacuation, arsenal, scorn
Procedure:(4 hours)1.Review the main points in last class;2.Study the new unit: 1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 3 minutes to read the text rapidly for the main idea;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing, mainly about the paragraph writing of argument, and the letter writing to ask a favor;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1.dream of sth or doing sth 2.Harness atomic power in a car, and you’ll have no more worries about petrol.╱ or you’ll do…= If …not…you’ll… Imperative sentence, ╲ and you’ll do…= If … you’ll…
eg: Practice speaking English more, and you’ll improve your oral English quickly.Be careful in your pronunciation, or you’ll have great trouble in listening and speaking.3.outlay: a spending of money outlay on sth.eg: the weekly outlay on groceries;
a considerable outlay on basic research
Our country has outlaid(v.)a large sum of money in capital construction.4.economy: A.economic situation B.thrift and frugality
eg: The economy of the country is changing from bad to worse.We are better off now, but we still have to practice economy.economic: having to do with economics eg: Economic crises are sure to occur in the capitalist world from time to time.economical: thrifty, not wasting money or time
eg: The writer is famous for his economical style.5.be well on the way to
eg: We were well on the way to the age of knowledge-based economy.Language points for Text II 1.pour scorn on sb/sth hold /think it scorn to do sth 2.lay out: display eg: lay out merchandise 3.in a panic
Unit 7 Teaching Aims:
In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate the two arguments in this unit and learn some writing skills and practice it along with letter writing;5.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions: pose, suspense, irritate, asphyxiated, ventilate, fidget, indiscreet, chatterbox, elope, obstinacy, willfulness, escapism, justify, tycoon, aptitude, stumble, for a start, turn a deaf ear to, ex-directory
Procedure:(4 hours)1.Review the main points in last class;2.Study the new unit:
1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 3.5 minutes to go over the text rapidly for the main idea;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing, mainly about the paragraph writing of argument, and the letter writing to make an offer;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1.take sth.for granted or take it for granted that: believe sth.without
thinking about it very much 1.He is proposing to attempt the impossible…: When he intends to do impossible…
propose: have formed a plan;intend
usage: propose to do sth propose: suggest
usage: propose doing sth./ that clause 2.pose as unusual: pretend to be
eg: He posed as a learned man.She is always posing.pose for a photograph with sb.pose an obstacle to the development, allow me to pose a question 3.suspense: anxiety or apprehension resulting from an uncertain, undecided or mysterious situation usage: in suspense, keep(sb)in suspense, hold in suspense eg: He waited in great suspense for the doctor’s opinion.suspension:
eg: the suspension of arms, suspension from school/office suspicion: eg: above suspicion, under suspicion 4.justify: give a good reason for justify sth or doing sth eg: The editors are perfectly justified in refusing your work.5.have/ show an aptitude for sth.6.be bent on questioning you: be determined to question you.eg: She is bent on becoming a good pianist.He is bent on making journalism his career.Language points for Text II 1.for a start: to begin with, to start with 2.…get away scot-free: escape without punishment
eg: No student can get away with a breach of the rules of the university.got away from the restaurant scot-free 3.turn a deaf ear to: ignore, pay no attention to eg: I shall turn a deaf ear in future to all your empty promises.4.the people most plagued by…
plague: pester or annoy persistently or incessantly eg: Runaway inflation further plagued the wage or salary earner.Unit 8 Teaching Aims: In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate the two arguments in this unit and learn some writing skills and practice it along with letter writing;5.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions: shelter, end up with, engross, browsing, retire, indulgent, beckon, tell off, tuck, discreet, poverty-stricken, a nose for, persevere, flick Procedure:(4 hours)1.Review the main points in last class;2.Study the new unit:
1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 2 minutes for rapid reading and 5 minutes for writing the main idea of each paragraph;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing, including the paragraph writing of persuasive writing, and the letter writing as to make a suggestion;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1.shelter: cover and protection find/take shelter from;give shelter to;be a shelter from;under the shelter of 2.be engrossed in: be absorbed in, be taken up eg: The audience was completely engrossed by the actor’s performance.3.to one’s heart’s content: as much as one like eg: She never dares to eat to her heart’s content for fear that she would put on weight.4.…the assistant should retire discreetly… retire: move back or away eg: retire to one’s room;retire to bed;
retire from the service;retire from the world;5.Apart from running up a huge account.run up: make or become greater or larger eg: run up a huge account/bill/debts 6.indulge: yield to, gratify be indulged in eg: She is indulged in idle daydreams.7.beckon to sb or beckon sb to do sth eg: He beckoned me to come nearer.8.tell sb off: scold or rebuke severely eg: The teacher told him off for not doing his homework.9.tuff away sth: put sth in a safe place
eg: The troop was tucked away in a quiet valley.Language points for Text II 1.be mean with sth 2.poverty-stricken;panic-stricken;conscience-stricken;grief-stricken;fever-stricken 3.It’s real a bargain.A bargain is a bargain.make a bargain with sb;bargain sth for sth 4.has a nose for gossip/information nose into other’s affairs
Keep your big nose out of my affairs.Unit 9 Teaching Aims: In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Study the argument of Text I and learn some writing skills and practice it along with letter writing;5.Appreciate Jack London’s A Piece of Steak;6.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The reading and writing of argument;2.New words and expression:
fledgling;bland;colossus;adroit;knockout;certify;intricate;encase;recuperate;squirt;distort;sprout;falter;ruminate;batter;overwhelm;wind up;die down;a flurry of;come alive;count out
Procedure:(4 hours)1.Greeting;2.Revision of the important points of last class;3.Begin the new unit: 1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 4 minutes for rapid reading and 5 minutes for writing the main idea of each part in Text I;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the comprehension questions of Text I WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing, mainly about the paragraph writing of argument;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1.promote
A.help to establish or organize eg: promote a boxing match/concert
B.raise sb to a higher position promote sb(to sth)
C.help the process of(sth)Eg: The organization works to promote the friendship between
nations.2.wind up: bring to an end eg: wind up a speech with a remark of thanks He is sure to wind up in bankrupt.You’ll wind up in hospital if you drive so fast.wind up a watch;wind up/down the car window 3.a flurry of sth
eg: a flurry of interest in the new product;
a flurry of activities when the plane landed 4.appoint sb(as/to)some position appoint sb to do sth 5.certify sth/sb as certify that clause
Language points for Text II 1.bear sb a grudge/grudges bear a grudge/grudges against sb eg: I hope you won’t bear grudges against me after what has happpened.2.Disguise: give sb/sth a false appearance disguise sb/sth(with sth);~ sb/sth(as sb/sth)hide or cover up eg: I couldn’t disguise my anger.There’s no disguising the fact that he’s a liar.I didn’t recognize him: he was in disguise.22
Unit 10 Teaching Aims: In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing,etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s
vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate the two texts in this unit and learn some writing skills and practice it along with letter writing;5.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and
translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expression:
duck;wince;placatory;indefensible;negligently;studious;shrug;wry;dissolve;guffaw;nail down;trail away;be shocked to the core;every nook and cranny
Procedure:(4 hours)1.Review the main points of last class;2.Begin the new unit: 1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 3 minutes for rapid reading to get the main idea of Text I;
3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing, including the paragraph writing of narration, and the letter writing as to show one’s thanks;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1.keep sb under one’s thumb: make sb subordinate to
be under one’s thumb 2.succeed(v.)
(1)not fail ~ in doing sth.success(n.)successful(adj.)(2)come next ~ sb/sth;~ to sth.succession(n.)successive(adj.)in succession;in succession of sth eg: His words come out in quick succession.Our team got a succession of victories.3.go/get somewhere: make progress
go/get nowhere: make no progree
eg: The class got nowhere in their studies.Where would we be without your help? 4.nail down: fix sth firmly;(fig)establish clearly and unmistakably eg: Let nail down the lid of the box.5.to the core: completely 6.shrug off sth: ignore sth.Language points for Text II
1.filter: 1)pass a liquid through a filter Eg: All drinking water must be filtered.2)~ in/out/through: become known gradually eg: New ideas are slowly filtering into people’s mind.(深入人心)2.dissolve:1)make a solid become liquid eg: Water ~s salt.2)come to an end eg: ~ a marriage
~ into /in tears/laughter: can’t help doing sth
3.go through the motions of doing sth: pretend to do sth eg: He went through the motions of welcoming her friends, but then quickly left the room.Unit 11 Teaching Aims: In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Study the two texts and get some information about Shaka;
5.Study how to write different parts of a composition and practice it;6.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expression:
suicidal, formidable, inhabit, overgrow, scour, impervious, escort, brooding, mourn, reign, staple, inhuman, regiment, invariably, grumble, feast
Procedure(4 hours)1.Review the main points of last class;2.Begin the new unit: 1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 3 minutes for rapid reading and 6 minutes for writing the main idea of each paragraph;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing, including the paragraph writing of persuasive writing, and the letter writing as to make a suggestion;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1.may/might well: very likely eg: His appearance has changed so much that you may well not recognize him.Cf: may/might(just)as well: give sb some suggestion, better do sth.Eg: You may as well try.(不妨…)2.as it is/was: in fact(事實上,就目前這種情況)eg: I thought I might be transferred, but as it is I shall have to look for a new job.As it were:(虛擬)可以這么說
Eg: He is, as it were, a walking dictionary.3.be little less than: be almost
eg: You are little less than a villain if you encourage a ten-year-old boy to smoke.Helping oneself to a dictionary without the owner’s permission is little less than thft.4.overgrown 1)grow too fast eg: The boy behaves like an overgrown child.2)covered with
be overgrown with Eg: The river banks were overgrown with reed.Cf: outgrow 1)grow faster than
eg: He’s already outgrown his elder brother.2)leave sth behind as one grows older
eg: outgrow one’s bad habits/childish interests
5.one’s life seemed to be measured in seconds: one would die instantly, one’s life hung by a thread
Language points for Text II 1.capacity for sth: ability to, capability of
capacity of sth: indicates the volume or amount
eg: The factory has a productive capacity of 200 cars a month.2.grumble: complain a person full of grumbles(n.)~ at/to sb about/at/over sth eg: Why grumble at me about your own stupid mistakes.3.impervious: can not be hurt or affected
be ~ to criticism/fear
Unit 12 Teaching Aims: In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate the two texts, one in narration and another in description, and learn some writing skills and practice it along with letter writing;5.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions: grimy, overhauling, squirt, thaw, relentlessly, set in, lie in a grip of iron, impression, devoted, bellow, lullaby, rattle, mutter, intimate, puff, puckered, tweak
Procedure(4 hours)1.Review the main points of last class;2.Begin a new unit;1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 3 minutes for rapid reading and 5 minutes for writing;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.27 Language points for Text I 1.in the depths of: the deepest or the worst part of sth in the depths of winter(隆冬),in the depth of despair 2.relent: 1)be less strict or harsh
eg: We shouldn't relent in out fight against crime.2)become less intensive eg: The rain relented.Relentless: 1)harsh, strict eg: be relentless in punishing offenders
2)constant, not ceasing eg: driven by a relentless ambition for power 3.set in : begin to happen or apparent
eg: a serious infection set in , a heavy storm set in 4.on and off: from time to time, now and again
on and on: without stopping 5.devoted: be fond of, loving, loyal eg: He is a devoted son.(孝子)be devoted to sb/sth cf: devote: give completely to
devote oneself/ sth to sb/sth eg: devote oneself to a noble course
Language points for Text II 1.breathe a promise of spring and violet: indication of hope of sth
eg: There is a promise of better harvest this year.28
Unit 13 Teaching Aims: In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate the two narration about Christmas;5.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions:
distribute, confess, arrogant, stun, ebb, renunciation, shrivel, plunge, rejoice, exalt, choke, hustle, confer, seasonable, gush, steep, declension, rampant, prematurely, credulity, ubiquitous, ignite, heresy, beam, reecho, clear away, finish up
Procedure(4 hours)1.Review the main points of last class;2.Begin the new unit;1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 6 minutes for rapid reading and 10 minutes for writing the main idea of each part;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.Language points for Text I 1.…were worn clear through: completely
eg: read the book clear to the end
keep/stay/steer clear of sb/sth: try to avoid
eg: keep clear of trouble 2.have sb/sth to oneself: be able to use or enjoy sb/sth without others
eg: With my parents away, I’ve got the house to my own.3.confess to sth/doing sth: admit(sth wrong)confess sth to sb: tell one’s sins to a priest 4.ebb: become less
eg: He is on sixty, so his strength is slowly ebbing away.On the ebb(退潮,減少)5.bear resemblance to sb/sth eg: Your story bears little or no resemblance to the facts.Language points for Text II 1.plunge…into
eg: The new policies were dangerous and would plunge the country into chaos.2.confer: 1)~ with sb on/about sth: discuss
eg: The engineers and technicians are still conferring on the unexpected accident of the fire damp explosion.(瓦斯爆炸)2)confer a medal/title on/ upon sb: give or grant a degree or title to sb 3.steep 1)soak sth thoroughly in liquid 2)pervade or fill sth thoroughly with sth eg: steeped in prejudice, a city steeped in history 4.be/ take a load/weight off sb’s mind: cause one a great relief
eg: Passing the exam is an enormous weight off my mind.30
Unit 14 Teaching Aims: In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate the two texts in this unit and learn some writing skills and practice it along with letter writing;5.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions:
habitual, twirl, correspond, proposition, egotism, submerge, astir, staunch, revolve, cynical, stalwart, groove, moderately, glare, confrontation, be subject to
Procedure(4 hours)1.Review the main points of last class;2.Begin the new unit;1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 6 minutes for rapid reading and 10 minutes for writing the main idea of each part;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.31 Language points for Text I 1.vicinity: neighborhood in the vicinity of sth 2.correspond: 1)write to
2)in harmony/agreement with eg: His sports clothes do not correspond with his shy behavior.We must bring our ideas into correspondence with the laws of the objective external world.3.submerge: bury, hide eg: His talent was submerged by his shyness.Language points for Text II 1.revolve: as sth as its center, go round
revolve about/round eg: The earth revolves around the sun.The dispute at the moment revolves around whether the other delegates should attend.2.confront: face
~ sth, ~sb.with sth
eg: When confronted with the evidence of her guilt, she confessed.A soldier often has to confront danger.3.twilight: faint light before sunrise or after sunset,(fig.)period of decreasing importance
eg: a twilight area in the interpretation of the Constitution
in the twilight of his life/career 4.be subject to: 1)under the authority of sb/sth, be obliged to obey
eg: Peasants used to be subject to landowners.2)be liable to
eg: Trains are subject to delays after the heavy snowfalls.3)depending sth as a condition
eg: Our plan is subject to the director’s approval.32
Unit 15 Teaching Aims: In this unit students are required to: 1.Practice reading strategies such as predicting, skimming, guessing, etc.2.Grasp some new words and expressions to enrich student’s vocabulary;3.Do some oral work such as pre-reading questions, role play and interaction activities to help to develop the students’ oral communicative abilities;4.Appreciate the two texts in this unit and learn some writing skills and practice it along with letter writing;5.Do some other after-class exercise including listening and translation to improve students’ comprehensive skills.Teaching Emphasis:
1.The comprehension and appreciation of Text I;2.New words and expressions:
flicker, abundance, migrate, blight, malady, moribund, throb, brood, pollination, spectre, stark, counterpart, reserve, inhabitant, stabilize, hypothesis, in …terms, level off
Procedure(4 hours)1.Review the main points of last class;2.Begin the new unit;1)Answer the pre-reading questions orally;2)Allow students 3 minutes for rapid reading and 8 minutes for writing the main idea of each part;3)Do the guesswork of vocabulary;4)Study Text I intensively;5)Answer the questions of Text I both in SB(student’s book)and WB(workbook)orally;6)Listen to the tape and study Text II extensively to enlarge their vocabulary and widen the scope of their knowledge;7)Do oral work;8)Study the main points of guided writing;9)Homework, finish all the exercise both in SB and WB.33 Language points for Text I 1.migrate, immigrate, emigrate & migrant, immigrant, emigrant
Migrate can be used to refer to both things and people, immigrate and emigrate are used to refer to people, but immigrate means move into a place while emigrate means move out of a place.Eg: City residents also blame migrant workers for the sharp rise in the urban crime rate.(民工)
America has many immigrants from Europe.After the Nazis came to power in Germany, many scientists emigrated.2.hatch: 1)(of a young bird or fish, etc)emerge from an egg
eg: Don’t count the chickens before they are hatched.2)think out or produce ~ sth out/ up eg: What mischief are those children hatching up?
Language points for Text II 1.reserve: put sth aside for a later or special use
eg: All rights reserved.a nature reserve, a forest reserve conserve: prevent sth from being changed , lost or damaged(謹慎合理的使用現有的東西,含一旦用完,很難再補充)
eg: conserve one’s health, resources, water
preserve: keep or maintain in a perfect condition(強調保存珍貴的東西原樣不變,有時甚至根本不用)
eg: preserve food, old building 2.make one’s hair stand on end: fill sb with fright or horror