第一篇:新世纪阅读教程3 unit1-4课文翻译(定稿)
Unit 1 Education The Graduation Advice I Never Got … but Wish Had
全国的大学毕业生们都为春天令人最难以忍受的仪式做好准备: 毕业典礼致辞。大家都知道这个程序,一个小有名气的人会趾高气昂地走上主席台,滔滔不 绝地讲些陈词滥调: “世界正在等待着„„你们是特别的一代„„去拯救这个星 球吧”等等等等废话。一个好机会被白白地浪费了。如果这些毕业典礼的演讲者能够讲一些实际有 用的东西该有多好!就像这样说: 毕业生们,大家好,祝贺你们。今天你们将离开培育你们的学术环境,直面 真实的世界。在未来的好几年里每个月你都会想起你的学校,比如当你接到一个 又一个的来电,希望你为校友基金捐款时,甚至当你开出大额的支票去偿还助学 贷款时。但是我们来看看光明的一面。你们即将离开学校,终于可以开始接受教育了。为了帮助你开始毕业后生活,这里有一些建议: 花时间与跟你不一样的人在一起 从你进校的第一天起,花时间与跟你不一样的人在一起。你就听到了太多关 的人在一起 于学校为创建“多样性”所付出的努力。所以当你发现你的校园几乎是全美国最 隔离的环境之一时你很能会惊讶不已。校园里不同种族的人有不同的学习方向,参加不同的毕业典礼上,甚至在餐厅不同的区域用餐。你有可能会被有些教授华 丽的辞藻弄糊涂。那些教授一边会说种族之间根本没有差别,同时又说,应该不 惜一切保留种族之间的差别。面对事实吧。真正的多样性简直是无处可寻。而且我并不只是指种族方面。当课堂活动都是按照群体思维设计的练习时,哪里还有思维上的多样性呢?想找 到一位保守的教授,那比要找到一个雪人还难。若想挑战一些有关政治正确性的 正统观点,那你将会被冠以一些难听的名号。只有现在从大学毕业之后,你才能真正从多样性中获益。先从了解与你肤色 不同的人开始。接触一群与你持有不同的政治立场的朋友,恭敬地听他们阐述他 们的观点。随后去认识从事其他职业的人。往往人们在选择某一个职业之后,专 业性会加强但是却不再关心其他方面的知识,因此知识面会变窄。但是,请千万 不要落入这个圈套。一定要通过不断寻找真正的多样性来不断扩展自己的视野。为乐趣而读书。你也许觉得这是个很奇怪的建议因为几年来你一直都在读
书。如果你没读过什么书,现在也不会坐在这儿了。但大部分你艰难读完的书有 与《异性恋的发明》或《怪异之人的社会构筑》(没错,它们的确都出自大学的 阅读目录)类似的题目。也难怪一提到阅读,你就会想到无聊的课本和宣传。现 在(毕业了)你终于可以摆脱这些愚蠢的行为了,也许你不想做的事就是坐下来 读一本好的小说,更不用说读一份严肃的杂志或报纸了(比如专业的杂志)。这真令人惋惜。作为一个毕业生,你觉得你已经站在了世界的顶端,但是要 想一直站在世界的顶端只有一个办法,那就是读书。这个简单的行为会区分出领 导者与跟随者,也会区分出真正成功的人与其他一般的人。这是个不言而喻的道 理,因为这就是事实:知识就是力量。而读书就是通往知识的道路。所以试试这么做:去离你最近的书店,挑三本标题能够吸引你的书。然后,去读。阅读时忽略那些你在文中可能碰到的任何后现代的象征手法还有那些与性 别有关的象征。换句话说,只是为享受阅读的乐趣而去阅读。这样做会给你带来 出乎意料的结果。选择实际而不是理论。这是一条法国的古语,很好地总结了大多数大学教授 选择实际而不是理论。的错误想法“我们都知道这在实际可行。问题是„在理论上这行得通吗‟?" 理论本没什么错。你花了那么多时间沉浸在理论之中,所以你肯定知道理论 可以是很有趣的。然而你就像身处在泡泡中——被保护着免受现实世界的伤害,大学就是如此。你的老师们在这个泡泡中兴旺,可以不受拘束地讲那些深受青睐 的理论而不必去担心这些理论是否可行。既然你马上会离开大学校园走向社会,你就不得不变成一个现实主义者。实 际可行的才是最重要的。如果你不相信我的话,那不妨去问一问那些因追随网络 公司是通往财富之路这一理论而破产的人们。现实击碎了他们的梦想。因此,欢迎你来到我们生活的这个理性的世界。一旦你把那些不切实际的幻 想拒之门外,你就会发现这个世界并不是太糟。请忘记你的那些梦想吧。你会说我忘不了。
抱歉。你在学校中所接受的自尊 训练不过是一种痴心妄想的练习。你也许自我感觉良好,但是你要向别人证明你 的天赋。好好想一下吧。有些人天生就适合职业篮球,而多数人则不适合。从事核物 理研究或木工活也是如此。对于大多数职业而言,你也许正好具备其所需的天赋,2 也许不具备。虽然说努力最终会决定成败,但这一切又都建立在你的天赋上。所 谓无限的能力与无尽的选择纯粹只是胡话罢了。我们直截了当地说吧。找出那些你真正擅长的事情,全情投入其间。如果你 最终没能得到心仪的工作,不要着急。你的职业生涯可能会经历一些挫折——大 多数人都会——而这些挫折常常会使你进步。在这个过程中,你会慢慢发现那些 令你幸福的事情。其往往便是契合于你天赋的那些事物。最后还是要老生常谈一下: 在你真正了解自我之前,你的生命可能已然过半。也许已经是这样了。
没有人能够知道。所以,不要浪费一分一秒,马上行动起来,祝你好运.Unit 2 Love Is Love an Art? 1爱情是一种艺术吗?如果是,那么它就需要学识与努力.还是说经历爱情这种令人愉悦的感觉纯属偶然,能“坠入情网”纯属幸运呢?毋庸置疑,当今大多数人相信后一种说法.2并不是人们觉得爱情不重要。人们渴求爱情.他们看了不计其数的喜剧和悲剧的爱情电影,听了几百首毫无价值的爱情歌曲---但是人们往往认为关于爱情我们没有什么需要学习的。
3这种奇怪的态度基于几个假设。多数人认为爱情的首要问题是被爱而不是爱别人或爱的本领。于是问题变成了怎样做才会有人爱或者怎样做才能变得可爱。为了追求这个目标,他们可选择以下几条路。第一条路是男人经常会选择的,那就是在其社会地位允许的范围内尽可能地变得成功,变得有权力或者富有。而另一个路是女人经常选择的,那就是通过塑造自己的身材,改变自己的衣着,让自己变得有魅力。其它的让自己变得有魅力的方法则男女通用,比如让自己变得举止文雅,有幽默的交际能力,乐于助人、谦虚,不招人讨厌。许多使一个人变得可爱的方法和那些使一个人成功,赢得朋友,影响别人的方法一模一样.事实上,所谓“可爱”,在我们这个社会的许多人看来,就是受欢迎和有性吸引力的结合。
4很多人认为“关于爱没有什么好学的”。这种态度背后的第二个前提是很多人认为爱的问题是“爱的对象”的问题而不是“爱的本领”的问题。人们认为爱很简单,但要找到合适的人爱或被爱是很难的。导致这种看法出现的几个因素深深地植根于现代社会的发展中。一个原因是在20世纪出现的在“恋爱对象”的选择上发生的巨大变化。在维多利亚时代及很多其他传统文化里,爱情大多不是一个可能导致结婚的自然产生的个人经验。相反,婚姻是由习俗所缔结的——双方的家庭,或者是媒人,或者没有这些中间人;两个人的婚姻要考虑很多社会因素,而且一旦结了婚人们认为爱情就会随之发展。在上几代人中,“浪漫的爱情”这个概念在西方世界已经变得非常普遍了。在美国,两个人结婚有时也要考虑社会习俗,但在很大程度上人们寻求“浪漫爱情”和个人的爱情经历,最终步入婚姻殿堂。这种自由恋爱的新概念一定极大地提高了“对象”的重要性而削弱“功能”的重要性。
5与这个因素紧密相关的是现代文化的另一个主要特征。我们的整个文化是建立在购买欲和互利互换的概念之上。现代人的快乐包括看商店橱窗所产生的兴奋感和用现金或分期付款购买所有能买得起的东西。他(或她)也是用同样的方式去看待他人的。对男人来说一个有魅力的女生或对女人而言一个有魅力的男士,是他们觉得值得追求的人。“有魅力”通常是指一个人具有一大堆优良的品质,这些品质在个性市场上广受欢迎。一个人怎样才有魅力,这取决于不同时代里的流行的时尚,包括外在的和内在的。在20年代,一个既喝酒又抽烟,粗野而性感女孩子是非常有魅力的。现在热爱家庭生活并腼腆安静的女孩则更受人们欢迎。在十九世纪末和二十世纪初,男人应该有进取心和上进心,而现在为了显得有魅力,男人必须懂社交并且有忍耐力。无论如何,一个人只会爱上那些在他们的可能交换范围之内的人。我在讨价还价。从社会价值角度说,这个人应该赏心悦目,同时由于我公开和隐藏的优势他也想要跟我在一起。因此,当两个人考虑了他们自身所具有的交换价值的有限性后觉得在“市场”上找到了最好的对象时,他们就坠入爱河了。通常,就如购买房产一样,将来可能会发展的潜力在这次讨价还价中发挥了重要的作用。在在现在的文化中,市场取向盛行,物质上的成功有着突出的价值。看到人的爱情关系遵循着与商品和劳动力市场同样的交换规则,一点都不足为奇。
6人们对于坠入情网的最初体验和“维持”爱情这一长久的状态之间往往感到困惑,这也往往导致人们认为关于爱情没什么需要学习的。
两个人曾经是陌生人,突然摧毁了彼此之间的那堵墙,由此感到彼此亲近而又惺惺相惜。这是人生中最令人兴奋的经历。对于那些一直没有机会接触爱的人来说这种感觉更是美妙而神奇。如果加上性吸引或性生活或两人之间的关系由此开始,这往往会进一步促进两人之间突然从天而降的亲密感。然而,这种爱往往不能长久。当两人越来越熟悉,亲密感便开始褪去魔力,直到对抗、失望,最后彼此的厌倦彻底扼杀了最初的激情。然而,起先他们并不知道情况是这样的。事实上,他们把对对方的迷恋和“疯狂”当作了浓烈爱情的佐证,而其实那不过证明了他们原先的孤独罢了。爱是再简单不过的事,这一观点至今仍然十分盛行,尽管大量事实都对此予 以否定。几乎找不到任何一种活动、任何一项事业像爱情这样满怀希望地开始,又频繁地以失败而告终。如果换了别的事情,人们一定会急于知晓失败的原因,思量如何才能做得更好,或者干脆放弃。既然人们永远不可能放弃爱情,那么要战胜失败,似乎就只有一个办法可行,那就是探究失败的原因,进而领会爱的真
义。第一步就是要意识到爱情是一门艺术,就像生活是一门艺术一样。如果我们想学习怎样去爱,那就要跟学习其他艺术一样(比如音乐,绘画,木工,医药或机械),需要经历一些同样的步骤。
9学习任何一种艺术的必要步骤有哪些呢?
10学习艺术的过程可以简单分为两部分,一部分是掌握理论,另一部分是掌握实践。如果我想学习医药学,我首先必须了解有关人体和各种疾病的知识。当我掌握了所有的这些理论知识,我还是没有精通医药学。只有在通过大量的实践,直到最后我的理论知识和实践融合为一---直觉,我才算精通了这个领域。在掌握任何一门艺术时直觉都是最精髓的东西。但是,除了理论和实践之外,要掌握某项艺术还有第三个必要的因素。在这个过程中必须全心全意,没有比这项艺术更重要的事情了。对于音乐、医药、木匠活来说是如此„„爱情也是这样。也许从这里能得到以下这个问题的答案:尽管有很多人显然失败了,但是在我们的文化中为什么没有几个人去设法学习这门艺术?尽管有对爱情深深的渴望,但人们认为几乎所有的东西都比爱情重要,例如:成功、声望、金钱、权利——我们几乎把所有的精力都用来学习怎样实现这些目标,几乎没有一点时间用来学习爱情的艺术。
11是不是只有那些能带来名利的东西才有学习研究的价值,而爱情不过使人精神受益,以如今的观点来看是无利可图,所以只是一件我们没有资格为之花费很多精力的奢侈品呢?
Unit 3 Human Nature Sunday in the Park 星期日在公园
贝尔考夫曼
它仍然是温暖的下午的太阳,城市的喧闹来到公园闷在穿过树林。她把书放在长凳上,摘下太阳眼镜,叹了口气惬意。莫顿在读时报杂志部分,一只胳膊搂着她的肩膀猛地;其三十岁的儿子,拉里是在打沙箱:淡淡微风煽动反对她的脸颊她的头发轻柔。这是五下午三十一个星期天,小运动场,公园里藏在一个角落,很快被人遗弃。荡秋千,跷跷板和被遗弃的一动不动地站着,幻灯片是空的,只有在两个沙箱边的一个小男孩蹲在一边努力。这是多么好,她想,几乎是微笑着,她的幸福感。他们必须在阳光下进行更频繁;莫顿是如此城市苍白,屋子里闷factorylike大学一周内的灰色。她深情地挤压他的手臂和拉里看了一眼,脸有点喜出望外的浓度皱眉指出在隧道中,他在挖土。另一个男孩突然站起来,用快速,胖乎乎的摆动他的手臂故意扔在spadeful拉里沙子。它只是错过了他的头。拉里继续挖,男孩仍然站着,铲提出,笨头笨脑和冷漠。
“不,不,那个小男孩。”她摇了摇他,她的手指,她的眼睛护士寻找孩子的母亲或。“我们musn't扔沙子。它可能会在别人的眼睛和伤害。我们一定要很好地发挥了很好的沙箱中。“男孩预期不眨地看着她。他对拉里的年龄,但也许十磅重,一个沙哑的他脸上的小男孩,在没有拉里敏感性的速度和。他的母亲在哪里? 人留在操场上唯一的其他两个女人和一个滚轴溜冰鞋的小女孩走了穿过大门,和台男人要几英尺远。他是一个大男人,她似乎是占用了整个替补,他在周日举行的漫画贴近他的脸。她想他是孩子的父亲。他没有抬头看他的漫画,但他的嘴里吐出了一个巧妙的角球开出的。她把她的眼睛。
在那一刻,像以前那样迅速,脂肪小男孩扔在另一spadeful拉里砂。这一次,一些落在他的头发和前额。拉里看着他的母亲,他的嘴尚未确定;她的表情会告诉他是否哭或没有。
她的第一反应是要赶去她的儿子,他的头发刷沙出,并惩罚其他孩子,但她控制了。她总是说,她希望拉里要学会打他自己的战斗。
“不要那样做,小男孩,”她严厉地说,靠在长椅上前进。“你musn't扔沙子!”
板凳上的人再次提出他的嘴里吐出,仿佛在,而是她的发言。他没有看她,但只在小男孩。
“你请便,乔,”他大声地说。“把所有你想要的。这里这是一个公开的沙箱。“
她感到她的膝盖,她突然感到无力在莫顿瞟了一眼。他已经成为了解发生了什么。他仔细地把他的时代传承下来的,他瘦削的脸上,腿上,转身对他的罚款人,害羞的微笑,歉意的微笑,他可能已经提供一个学生在他的思想指向了一个错误。当他说话的人,这是与他一贯的合理性。“你说得对,”他愉快地说,“但只是因为这是一个公开的地方...。”
该名男子垂下漫画和莫顿看着。他看着他从头到脚,慢慢地,不慌不忙。“是吗?”他傲慢的声音燕山威胁。“我的孩子的一样好了就在这里与你,如果他感觉就像扔沙子,他会扔掉它,如果你不喜欢它,你可以把你的孩子离开这里的地狱。”
孩子们听,他们的眼睛和嘴大开,他们的铁锹被遗忘的小拳头。她注意到收紧肌肉莫顿的下巴。他很少生气,他很少发脾气。她泛着柔情,她的丈夫和他的无能怒斥涉及人讨厌他在如此陌生的情况等。“现在,只需一分钟,”莫顿客气地说,“你必须明白...。” “噢,闭嘴,”那人说。
她的心开始英镑。莫顿一半玫瑰时代滑到了地上。慢慢地,另一名男子站了起来。他停了一对夫妇,然后向莫顿的步骤。他的伟大,他弯曲的手臂,等待着。她紧紧握住她颤抖的膝盖在一起。会不会有暴力,打架? 真可怕,多么令人难以置信的...。她要做的事,阻止他们,请求帮助。她想放的袖子她的手对她的丈夫,把他拉下来,但由于某种原因,她没有。
莫顿调整了一下眼镜。他很苍白。“这是可笑的,”他说不均。“我要问你...。”
“哦,是吗?”那人说。他站在他的双腿分开,摇晃了一下,看着莫顿以极其轻蔑。“你和谁?”
有一会儿,两个人赤裸裸地看着对方。然后把他的人莫顿回到了,轻声说道:“来吧,让我们让她出来的。”他笨拙地走了,几乎跛行与自我意识,沙箱。他弯下身撩起拉里和他的铲掉。
拉里在一来到生活,他的脸上失去了狂喜的表达和他开始踢哭了。“我不想回家,我想打得更好,我不希望任何晚饭,我不喜欢吃晚饭...。”它变成了一个聊天,他们走了,他们拉着他们的孩子之间,他的脚拖在地面上。为了到达出闸,他们不得不通过那里的人坐在长凳再次蔓延。她很小心,不去看他。与所有的尊严,她可以召唤,她拉着拉里的沙,出汗的小手,而莫顿拉对方。慢慢地,她走了,头高与她的丈夫和孩子走出了操场。
她的第一感觉就是放松的一个,一个斗争已被避免,没有人受伤。然而,它下面有一个不可推卸的一层别的东西,一些重。她感觉到,它不仅仅只是一个不愉快的事件的力量,更多地受到比理智战胜。她依稀觉得它是与她和莫顿,一些敏锐的个人,熟悉,而且重要的。
突然莫顿发言。“这不证明什么。”
“什么?”她问道。
“打架。它证明了我不会有任何超出的事实,他比我大。“
“当然,”她说。
“唯一可能的结果,”他继续合理,“本来,什么? 我的眼镜坏了,也许是牙齿或两所取代,一对夫妇的工作天,错过了-为了什么? 为正义? 为真理?“
“当然,”她重复。她加快了一步。她只想要回家,并忙于自己的工作与她熟悉的,也许当时的感觉,心就像粘在她的沉重的石膏,也就不复存在了。在所有的愚蠢,卑鄙恶霸,她想,手拉着就更难拉里的。孩子还哭了。之前,她总是感到有点可惜,他的身体投标手无寸铁,虚弱的武器,不确定,但窄肩尖锐winglike肩胛骨,薄现在她的嘴和腿收紧不满。
“别哭了,”她严厉地说。“我是你感到羞耻!”她觉得好像他们三人都被跟踪的街道沿着泥泞。孩子大声喊道。
如果有个想法,这个问题涉及的,她最近有没有人去争取的东西...。但她可能还有什么可以做? 让自己被打? 尝试教育的人吗? 叫警察? “警官,有一个人在公园谁也不会停止我的...他的孩子从抛砂之一。”整个事情是因为这是愚蠢的,不值得我们思考。
“你不能让他安静,皮特的缘故?”莫顿忿忿地问道。
“你以为我一直在想干什么?”她说。
拉里拉回来,拖着他的双脚。
“如果你不能管教这个孩子,我会的,”莫顿啪,使一个男孩走向。
但她的声音叫住了他。她很震惊地听到它,薄,冷和蔑视穿透。“真的?”她听到自己说。“你和谁?”
Unit 4 Harmonious Family A Promise Kept 一个恪守一生的承诺
现今,离婚和关系破裂粉碎了无数人的人生,然而在这样的一个时世,有着这么一个关于一对父女信守承诺的故事。
我父亲不善表露感情。我记得在我小时候,他从来不为我做的任何事情而发出“噢噢噢”或者“啊啊啊”之类的感叹。不要误会我的意思;我知道我父亲是爱我的,但是将感情外露不是他的性格。我知道他通过其他方式表达对我的爱。
在我人生中,只有这么一回让我感受到他的爱是如此的真实„„
我一直深信我父母的婚姻很美满,但是当我——四个孩子中最小的一个——快满十六岁的时候,我这种想法受到了严峻的考验。以前父亲都会帮忙做些家务杂活的,但是他渐渐地变得泄气沮丧。从工厂下班回到家中直到上床睡觉,他几乎不跟母亲或者我们说一句话。很明显,父母亲的关系非常紧张。有一天,母亲让我们兄弟姐妹坐下来,告诉我们说父亲决定离开这个家,但是我对此完全没有心理准备。我能想到的就是我将要成为离婚家庭的产物。我从来没想过会发生这样的事,所以非常悲痛。我不断地告诉自己说爸妈不会离婚的,但是当我知道父亲真的要走的时候,我呆若木鸡。在他走之前的那一晚,我在自己的房间里熬到深夜。我祈祷,哭泣,然后写了一封长信给我父亲。我告诉他我有多么地爱他,我以后会多么地想念他。我告诉他我正在为他祈祷,而且希望他知道,无论如何上帝和我都会爱他。我告诉他我会永远都是他的小克莉丝„„他的“面条”。折好这封信之后,我还塞了一张自己的照片进去,上面写着一句我常常听到的习语:“任何人都可以成为父亲,但是并非人人都能成为„爹地‟。”
第二天早上,我趁父亲走出房子的时候,偷偷溜到小汽车里,把这封信放进他其中的一个背包里。
两个星期过去了,父亲几乎音信全无。然后,一天下午,我放学回家后看到母亲坐在饭厅的餐桌旁,等着跟我谈一谈。我从她的眼睛可以看出她刚哭过。她告诉我父亲曾经来过,还和她谈了好久。他们认为,他们之间有很多地方可以改善,并且在将来也会得到改善,而且他们的婚姻值得挽救。然后妈妈把目光转过来,望着我的眼睛。
“克莉丝汀,你爸告诉我说你给他写了一封信。我可以知道你写了些什么吗?”
我所写的都是想对父亲说的肺腑之言,这些言语我很难向母亲启齿。所以我只是含糊地说了几句,然后耸耸肩。
母亲说:“嗯,你爸说,他读你的信读到哭了。这封信对他很有意义,而我几乎没见过你爸哭。他读完你的信之后,打电话来问我可不可以谈一谈。你的话真的对他影响很大。”
几天后,父亲回家了,这次他不走了。父亲和我之后再没提起过这封信。我想我一直把这封信当作了我们两人之间的秘密。
父母亲的婚姻维持了整整36年,直到父亲在53岁时早逝,才结束了他们在一起的时光。在父母亲婚姻的最后16年里,所有认识我父母亲的人以及我,都见证了这段非常美满的婚姻。他们的爱日渐牢固,而当我看到他们越来越亲密的时候,我的心里就会充满自豪。
当父母亲从医生那里得知父亲的心脏正在快速衰竭的时候,他们始终手牵手,肩并肩地一起面对疾病。
父亲逝世后,我们开始整理他的遗物,这是最为难受的任务。我从来不喜欢做这活儿,而选择了做跑腿,因此大部分遗物被分类和装箱的时候,我都不必在场。
当我办完事回家的时候,我的哥哥说:“克莉丝汀,这是妈妈让我给你的。她说你会明白其中的含义。”
我低头看他伸出的手,那时我才明白到我那封信在多年前那天所产生的影响。我哥哥手中拿的是那天我给父亲的那张照片。我那不善表露感情的父亲,从来不让内心的情绪左右自己;我的父亲,几乎从来没有大方地表达对我的爱,却一直保存着这张对他和我都极为重要的照片。我坐下来,眼泪开始滴落,我曾以为我的眼泪在他去世的时候就流干了,而现在当我意识到我对他是多么重要的时候,眼泪又开始“复苏”。母亲告诉我说,父亲始终珍藏着这张照片和那封信。我家里有一个我称之为“爸爸盒子”的盒子。里面放了许多可以让我回忆起父亲的东西。我不时从这个盒子里拿出这张照片,回忆往日。我记得许多年前一名年轻男子与他的新娘在结婚那天许下的誓言,我记得一个父亲和他女儿之间无言的承诺。
一个恪守一生的承诺。
第二篇:新世纪大学英语综合教程3课文翻译1-6
译文
第一单元 友谊的真谛
米歇尔·E·多伊尔
马克·K·史密斯 我们探讨友谊这个概念时,遇到的第一个问题是,没有社会公认的择友标准。在某一情境下,我们会把某个人称为朋友;然而,情境一旦变迁,朋友这个称呼就显得没那么贴切了。因此,人们对友谊的真谛的理解往往是非常肤浅的。为了帮助我们理解友谊的真正含义,我们需要回顾有关友谊的几种传统的看法。
一种传统的友谊观在古希腊著名的哲学家亚里士多德的著作里得以阐述。他将自己心目中真正的友谊同另外两种友谊截然分开。这两种友谊分别是:基于互利的友谊;基于愉悦的友谊。因此,根据亚里士多德的观点,我们可以将友谊分为三类:
建立在功利之上的友谊。|功利并非永恒,它依照环境而变化。友谊的根基一旦消失,友谊也随之破灭。这类友谊似乎在老人之间最为常见,因为上了年纪的人需要的不是愉悦而是实用。基于功利的友谊也同样存在于追逐个人利益的中年人和青年人中。这些人不会在一起消磨时光,因为他们有时甚至不喜欢对方,因而觉得除非可以互相利用,否则没有交往的必要。只有当他们认为彼此有希望相互利用的时
候,才会乐于呆在一起。
建立在愉悦之上的友谊。|年轻人之间的友谊常被看作是建立在愉悦基础之上的,因为年轻人的生活受感情支配,他们感兴趣的主要是自己的快乐和眼前的重要机会。然而,他们的情趣随着自己日渐成长也会变化,他们交友容易,分手也干脆。年轻人的态度变化无常,甚至一日数变,难怪他们的友谊总是迅速地开始,又匆匆地结束。
建立在美德之上的友谊。|完美无瑕的友谊立足于美德。只有那些品德高尚而且拥有相似美德的人之间建立的友谊才是最完美的。品行高尚的人,其行为是相同的,或者是类似的。爱和友谊多半在品行高尚的人之间发生,而且以最高雅的形式出现。这种友谊是罕见的,需要时间,需要交
往。常言道,真正的朋友必须同甘共苦,历经风雨。只有当两个人互相证明自己值得爱并获得对方的信任之后,彼此方能接受对方为朋友。交友的意愿可能倏忽而至,但真正的友谊却要慢慢培养。
另一种传统的友谊观可以在古罗马政治家、演说家西塞罗的著作里找到。西塞罗认为,真正的友谊只能在好人之间发生。他进而将“好人”定义为“那些行为和生活无损于自己的荣誉、纯洁、公平和开明的人;那些摆脱了贪婪、欲念和暴力的人;那些敢于依照自己的信念说话和做事的人。”好人之间建立的这种友谊立足于美德,它确实可以带来物质利益,但决不以追求物质利益为目标。人类生活在以共同的理想为基础的社会。因此,在处理朋友关系和其他人际关系时,优越于他人的人必须平等地对待那些没那么幸运的人。美德创造友谊,美德使友谊之树常青。
我们由此可以看出,传统的友谊观由三个要素构成:朋友以相伴为乐;朋友必须彼此受益;彼此都有志于崇高的事业。这些传统的友谊观告诉我们,两个品德高尚的朋友是永不分离的,因为彼此认同对方的高尚品德。因此,认识朋友就是认识自我,了解朋友就是了解自我。可 1 以说朋友就好比是一面镜子,每个人都可以从朋友身上看清自己。置身于品德高尚的朋友之中,我们会对美德达成共识,共同为之不遗余力。这样的友谊是永恒的,因为朋友应该具备的一切品质都凝结在这种友谊关系中。
第二单元 你的爱有多深 有人认为爱如浮云 有人认为爱坚强如铁
有人认为爱是一种生活方式 有人认为爱是一种感觉 有人说爱要执着 有人说爱不要约束 有人说爱是生命的全部 有人说不知道爱为何物
在我们生命中的某个阶段,我们会经历难以名状的情 感。这种情感只能体会,无法用语言描述。莫大的喜悦伴随着丝丝的伤感一同降临,这就是爱。
在紧张忙碌的生活中,我们竟能找到时间,沉湎于感情之中,这的确令人感佩。然而,此时我想知道:我们是否懂得爱到底有多么深刻。记得上学的时候,我迷恋的对象真是数不清:我的数学老师、邻居的儿子、好朋友的弟弟,还有另外一些因为眼睛的颜色、胡子的形状或走路的姿势而让我倾慕的人。年少时的爱慕,不会带来伤害,如肥皂泡一样转瞬即逝。那些稚气、大胆的想法和行为,现在想来大可一笑了之。但是,在那时,对我来说,没有比恋爱更重要的事了。接着就进入了真正“谈”情“说”爱的阶段。
我在女子学校学习,和男孩子交往的机会寥寥无几,因此,我热切地期待着我们学校和男子学校举办的交谊会。交谊会上,一群精心打扮的年轻男子毫无顾忌地盯着我们。这三个小时中的点点滴滴,成了我们在以后四个星期中足够的谈资,我们在议论时,心情澎湃。即使是在那个时候,我也没有真正交男朋友的需要。
在我的成长岁月中,不知何故,我相信爱情该来的时候自然会来。事实果真如此。当我有了稳定的工作,有了长期的计划和比较安定的生活(我现在还不到25岁呢!)时,爱情降临了。我也比较成熟了,能够步入不贪图许多回报而需要大量付出的感情关系。
我的爱情是在友谊这块地基上建起的高楼大厦。爱情经过旷日持久的培养才开花。我和我的恋人相互理解、同甘共苦、相互关心,投入了丰富的感情,才使爱情发展到今天。爱情意味着情投意合。你也许会说,我属于浪漫的传统派。但是,依我看,爱情需要培养。我们必须把爱情同强烈而短暂的激情或身体的愉悦区别开来。
我们的父辈,接受了理想爱情的灌输。那是一个约束、压抑、崇敬、仰慕和十足浪漫的年代。长裙、娴静质朴的外表、卷曲的长发、恬静的气质、羞怯的目光——这一切常使人想起一个消逝久远的年代。那个年代,男女之间的距离无论如何都有助于维持爱情以及恋爱关系的神圣性。
年轻的一代人,由于观念开放,随着男女之间交往界线的消退,他们便急于赶浪头,匆忙恋爱,以至于难以区分身体的互相吸引与心灵的相投。我们从媒体中接触到的人和事,使我们的感情历程大大加速,要想慢慢地体会自己的感受,确实需要付出努力。
学校里的青少年在全然没有感情的关系中所背负的感情包袱,令我深感难过。也许有些人会把他们目前的感情状况归结为同龄人之间所施加的压力。但是,可曾有任何人停下来想一想同龄人之间的压力来自何处?我们是否尝试着弄清楚是谁造成了这样的转变?可曾有人费神去研究青少年的心理呢?
从这一代人处理个人生活的方式上,我们很容易看出他们的思想倾向。跟从前相比,现在有更多的情感在欲望的压力下扭曲。他们更注重外表的美丽而忽视内在的魅力。两性交往随便了,亲密无间却少了;激情多了,感情却少了;个人获得的多了,相互间分享的少了;寻机
获利的现象多了,无私的奉献少了。简而言之,“自我”多了,爱的分享少了。在这个竞争激烈的年代,我们已经变得麻木不仁,将恋爱的实质抛于脑后。作为恋爱中的人,不只是意味着把红色的玫瑰花和五毛钱一张的卡片送给恋人,我们要做的事情还很多。我们将自己的时间、陪伴、支持和友谊作为礼物送给自己的恋人了吗?我们是否确定了生活中最重要的事情,而后真诚地做好每一件事?我们是否先在情感上成熟起来,再尽情地追求爱情?我们是否给自己、给他人足够的时间和空间以巩固恋情的发展?我们是否为了追求有意义的、永恒的友谊而不遗余力?我们是否履行了自己的承诺?我们是否将自己的精力和感情倾注于终生不渝的关系而不是浪费在朝秦暮楚的关系中?
人的生命只有一次,我们必须去体验能使我们更为坚强的每件事。真正的爱情一生只有一次。我们任由轻佻的行为令自己身心疲惫,当真正的爱情到来时,我们却没有能力伸开双臂迎接它的降临。
第三单元
追求以公众利益为宗旨的幸福
在过去的50年里,我们西方国家的经济获得了史无前例的增长。我们的家园、车辆、假期、工作、教育,尤其是健康,均得以改善。依据标准经济理论,这些改善原本应该使我们更加幸福,然而,调查显示并非如此。英国人和美国人接受幸福程度的调查时说,在过去的50年里,他们的幸福程度并没有得到改善。抑郁症患者人数上升,同时犯罪率大幅增长也说明了人们对生活的不满足。
上述事实对我们个人以及社会优先考虑的诸多事情都提出了挑战。事实上,我们现在的处境是人类从未经历过的。当大多数人还在为温饱发愁时,物质条件的改善的确能令他们幸福一些。富庶国家(比如,人均年收入在两万美元以上)的人民比贫穷国家的人民幸福一些;而贫穷国家的人民,如果稍微富裕,也会幸福得多。然而,物质上的匮乏一旦消除,收入的增加便不如亲情、友情、邻里和睦等人际关系那么重要。但是,我们在追求更高的收入时牺牲了太多这样的关系,这很危险。
渴望幸福是人类本性的核心。人人都渴望这样一个社会:人们尽可能地幸福,每个人的幸福同等重要。这应当是我们这个时代的人生哲学,应当用来指导公共利益的维护准则和每个人 3 的行为,应当逐渐取代无法使我们更加幸福的极端的个人主义。
金钱的确是影响个人幸福的关键因素之一。但是,金钱本身能使我们最终获得幸福吗?在任何一个社会,富人往往比穷人幸福。然而,当一个西方国家越来越富有的时候,其人民的幸福程度在总体上并未得到改善。随着时间的推移,我们的标准和期望随着收入的增加而上升。盖洛普民意测验每年都向美国人提问:“一个四口之家至少需要多少钱才能在这个国家生活下去?”人们说出的数字上升的幅度与平均收入增加的幅度是一样的。因为人们总是拿自己的收入和他人的收入以及他们惯于拥有的收入相比较,只有当他们认为和平均水准相比有所上升时才感到幸福。
这一过程反而达不到预期的目的。我努力工作、赚更多钱的动力是:这会使我更幸福一些。其他的社会成员也同样如此,他们也关注自己相对的生活标准。既然社会整体无法以自己为参照物而提高自己的地位,那么社会成员为使自己更加幸福所付出的努力可以说是一种浪费
—— 当休闲与工作的天平偏向工作时,工作是“没有效率”的。
为了进一步证实这一论点,我从社会地位方面加以说明。人的地位可能来源于所挣得的收入或所花费的金钱。人们工作,至少部分原因是为了提高自己的地位。然而,地位是一种等级体系:第一,第二,第三,等等,所以当一个人的地位提高了,其他人的地位就同等程度地下降。这是一种得失平衡的游戏:从整个社会看,为了提高地位而牺牲个人的生活,是一种浪费。因此,永无止境的竞争极具破坏性:我们在追求一种总体不变的东西时失去了家庭生活和平和的心境。
在某种意义上,人们最渴望的是尊重。他们追求经济地位因为它可以赢来尊重。但是,我们可以重视也可以轻视经济地位。在一个竞争日益激烈的社会,如果我们不放宽尊重的标准,社会上能力偏低的人会感到生活更加艰辛。我们应该尊重那些同他人一起合作而自己没有获益的人,那些在各个阶层上施展才能、努力工作的人。因此,让每个人都能学会一种本领尤为重要。在英国,这意味着只要年轻人愿意,一定要确保他们每个人都学会手艺,使那些学业不成功的人也能在职业生涯中感到自豪,不会在长大成人时觉得自己是失败者。
人与人之间难免产生比较,因为等级体系的存在是必要的,不可避免的。有些人得到晋升,而另一些人却没有。此外,职位得以晋升的人薪水也要提高,因为他们有才华,雇主也乐意招贤纳士。所以,在人们挑选工作和选择雇主的关键时刻,薪水作为一个重要因素影响着他们的决定。存在的问题是,大部分的职业没有客观的标准来衡量个人的业绩,所以事实上只能拿一个人同自己的同事作比较才能得到评估。然而,这种等级评定的方法非常主观,从根本上改变了雇员与顾主、雇员与同事之间的合作关系。
如果我们渴望一个更加幸福的社会,我们就应该着重强调人们所珍视的经历——首要的是亲情关系、工作关系和邻里关系,人们珍视这些经历并非因为别人拥有它们,而是因为这些经历拥有内在的价值。我们当前享受的充分的舒适和安逸,看来有可能使我们的生活幸福一些,可是人与人之间关系的恶化又有可能降低了我们的幸福程度。
我们生活在一个空前的个人主义的时代。许多人都感到最重要的责任是充分发挥自己的才干,挖掘自己的潜力。这是一个可怕的、孤单的目标。当然,他们也感受到自己应该对他人承担的责任,但是在西方国家,这些责任缺乏一套清晰的理念。无论是古老的、虔诚的世界 4 观,还是战后社会的团结精神和国家的凝聚意识,皆荡然无存。我们全然丧失了公共利益或集体意义的概念。
我们要想幸福一些,必须在改变外在环境的同时改变我们内在的态度。我说的是一种永恒的人生哲学,它能使我们在自身找到积极的力量同时也能发现他人身上蕴涵的积极因素。这种对他人和自己怀有的同情心,是可以学会的,学校应该将这种同情心教给学生。每个城市都应该有这样的政策:在年轻人中间推广更健康的人生哲学,帮助他们区别肤浅的快乐和真正的幸福。
因此,我希望在这个新的世纪我们最终能够把人类的最大幸福当作我们的公益观。这可能有两个结果。这种人生观可以明确地指导政策的制定,但是更重要的是,在日常的生活中,它会激励我们因为别人幸福而感到更大的快乐,同时帮助他人获得更大的幸福。只有这样,我们才不会以自我为中心,才会更加幸福。
第四单元 如何变老
尽管文章的标题是“如何变老”,真正要谈的却是如何不老。在我这个年纪,讨论“如何不老”,着实更为重要。首要的一条忠告是,要慎重地选择祖先。虽然我的父母皆属早逝,但是考虑到我其他的祖先,我的选择尚好。我的外祖父在六十七岁风华正茂时早逝,这是事实,可我的外祖母,还有我的祖父、祖母,都活到了八十多岁。在那些与我血缘关系稍疏些的祖先中,我只发现有一位不长寿的,他死于一种当前罕见的病:被砍了头。我的一位曾祖母是吉本的朋友,活到九十二岁,其精神状态之好自始至终都让子孙们敬畏,一直到她撒手人寰的那天。我的外祖母,生养了十个孩子,其中一个夭折,另外九个健康成长。此外,她还有过多次小产。她守寡之后,即刻投身于妇女的高等教育事业。她是格顿学院的创始人之一,为促使医疗事业向妇女敞开大门而不遗余力。她过去常讲这样的一个故事:她在意大利遇见一个满面哀伤的老绅士,便询问他为何如此忧伤,老绅士说刚刚和自己两个孙子道别。“天哪!”她叫道,“我有七十二个孙子孙女,如果和其中的一个分别一次就伤心一次,那我的生活岂不太凄惨了!”“非同寻常的母亲啊!”老绅士回答道。
但是,作为七十二子孙中的一员,我更喜欢她的这一处世秘诀。外祖母八十高龄后感到入睡有些困难,她便常常在半夜到凌晨三点这段时间阅读科普书籍。我想,她无暇顾及自己是否老了。我认为这就是保持年轻的秘诀。如果你拥有广泛的、自己钟爱的兴趣和活动,又能从中体会自己老当益壮,你就没有理由从那些只有在统计学中才有意义的数字上考虑生命已经度过多少春秋,更没有理由担忧自己的未来也许很短暂。
说到健康,我很少生病,因此无法提供有用的建议。我随心所欲地吃喝,不能清醒时就睡觉。我做任何事情都不是因为这些事情对健康有利。不过,我喜欢做的事情实际上大多都有益于健康。
就心理而言,老年人应慎防两种危险。其一就是过度地沉湎于过去。人不能活在记忆中,不能生活在因美好往昔的逝去而怅然若失中,也不能生活在缅怀已故朋友的哀痛中。人的心思必须放在未来上,想想可以有所作为的事情。这并非一件轻而易举的事:一个人经历的往事,渐渐变成一个沉重的包袱。人们很容易以为过去的情感比现在强烈,过去的头脑也比现在敏锐。倘若真的如此,我们就要忘却这个事实;如果忘却了这个事实,事实也许就不再是事实 5 了。
另一种要提防的危险是:依恋年轻人,希望从他们的勃勃生机中汲取活力。当你的孩子已长大成人,他们就想过自己的生活;如果你仍像他们小时候那样关注他们,你很可能就成了他们的包袱。动物在下一代能够自食其力时就不再给予关注;人类因幼年时期较长而很难做到这一点。
孩子已长大成人,叮嘱他们不犯错误已经没有意义,因为他们不再相信你的话,再说错误是教育不可或缺的一部分。但是,如果你的兴趣无法摆脱个人感情的支配,你也许会发现,假如不关注子孙,生活就会空虚无望。在这种情况下,你必须意识到,虽然你仍可以给他们提供物质上的帮助,比如给他们一笔零花钱或为他们编织毛线外套,但是你绝不能期望他们会乐意和你呆在一起。
有些老人因害怕死亡而烦恼。年轻人有这种感受是可以理解的。年轻人害怕在战场上牺牲,这情有可原。他们认为,死亡会剥夺生活赋予的最美好的东西,这让他们深感痛苦。但是,饱尝人世酸甜苦辣的老者已挖掘自己的潜力、实现了自己的抱负,倘若再对死亡产生恐惧之心,未免有些可耻。克服恐惧之心的最好的办法是 —— 至少我这样看 ——
开拓更广泛的、不局限于个人感情的兴趣,让包围自我的墙壁渐渐地消失,你的生活就渐渐融入人类的生活中。一个人的存在应该像一条河——初始为涓涓细流,裹在狭窄的岸
间,在岩石的缝隙中、在呼啸的瀑布上奔泻。河床渐渐变宽,河岸逐渐隐退,水流平缓,河水没有明显的停滞,最终融入海洋的怀抱,毫无痛苦地结束了独立个体的存在。上了年纪的人,倘若能以这种态度看待人生,就不会因为害怕死亡而不安,因为他所喜爱的一切将继续存在。而且,当生命力衰竭之时,疲惫感油然而生,长眠的念头并非令人厌恶。我希望在尚能劳作之时告别人世,知道他人会将我未竟的事业继续下去,同时回想这一生有可能做的事情,都尽力而为了,由此可以满意地安息了。
第五单元 网络教育
在最近的一次出差途中,有人问及我的职业,我说自己是从事编写和教授大学课程的。“哦?那在哪儿教书?”他问道。我不假思索,老老实实地答道:“虚无空间里”。
我说的是实情。1990年起,我就在被朋友称作“键盘大学”里教远程学位教育课程并提供辅导。我的课堂是在充满电荷的空间里,其间一端连着我的电话插座,另一端连着一群年龄偏大的大学生家里的电脑。
1990年,我筹建了美国第一个远程学习者在线辅导中 心。迄今为止,我已在线辅导了7000多个学生,其中只有几个人不及格,而我本人却从未与他们谋面。
由于无法更清楚地解释我的工作环境,我只能告诉这位问话者:我在虚拟空间教书,“是个虚拟大学的教师。”我试着向他解释“远程教育······在线学位课程······虚拟大学”等
等。
那人的脸上仍旧一片茫然。我不清楚他沉默不语到底是因肃然起敬所致,还是纯粹对此稀里糊涂。我猜想两个原因都有。于是,我就开始解释这些天来经常解释的事情:我认为,美国 6 的大学教育在衰退,而美国的教育新思维正在兴起。
远程教学(即师生不用谋面的教育课程)并不是件新生事物。英国巴斯大学的艾塞克·彼特曼爵士曾突发奇想,让乡村居民把圣经转换成速记文字,然后邮寄给他评阅,以这种办法教会他们文秘技能。1840年他就开始实施,从中赚取了大笔的金钱。我并不教速记,我教心理学和职业拓展。但还是和艾塞克爵士一样,很多课程是自己编写的。我的岗位是在万维网,我把作业张贴在电子布告栏上,把批阅过的试卷用电子邮件通过国际电话线发送出去,而且免交关税;必要时,把班级学生召集起来,在网上聊天室里在线讲课。
难道这种方式能够摒弃现实中的大学教育吗?学生难道不用整齐地坐在教室里聆听老师——讲坛上的圣人——讲课就能学到知识吗?
绝对可以,毫无疑问。事实上,很多人都认为没有校园的大学难以想象,可我现在却以为不在网络空间这块充满自由氛围的地方教书才是匪夷所思呢。
在网络空间里,我倾听、阅读、评价、思考学生们表述的观点——一次一个,轮流发言。他们必须书面把见解传输给我,他们不能坐在后排座位上,无所事事地打发时光。他们必须思考,最令他们头疼的是,他们必须写作。思考与写作,那不就是传统教育培养出来的人才所具备的特质吗?
我不是凭借他们的脸庞或是他们在宽敞教室里所坐位置来认识我的学生,而是通过他们每周作业里的文字和观点了解他们。这些文字与观点大家都能在线读到。我不是讲坛上的圣人——我更像是他们身边的向导。通常,学生们之间“说”的或写的东西、把自己工作和职业体会融入论文和辩论的方式,比起我能够提供的任何东西都更加实用,更有启迪性。
我学生的年龄一般是四十岁,还有不少五六十岁。他们通过网络来上学。因为他们不能或者不愿意辞去工作、离开儿女或孙辈们搬进大学校园——那样的大学无非就是一个依照中世纪修道院模式建立起来的教育实体。
他们大多数了解自己所谈论的东西,不仅如此,他们清楚自己为何返回大学学习。网络教育适合他们,因为网络教育尊重学员界定知识和追求知识的能力,鼓励他们抒发自己的观点和见解,没有教师干扰,因为教师可能会情不自禁地介入他们的争论,把原本很有启发性的课堂讨论“平息”或者“引到别的话题上去”。
学生们体验到的东西完全不同于依照传统工厂模式运作的美国教育。在传统教育中,生产线上的每个人接收到相同标准单位的信息(讲座和教材),然后必须通过同一质量检查(客观考试)。学生们坐在整齐排列的座位上,举手请求允许后才发言,不断地看着钟表学课本、听讲座,课本和讲座被分解成不相关联的知识玩意儿。没有证据显示,这样的工厂模式是有效的学习途径,而只能证明这是一种很便利的方式:大学在成绩报告单上记录下标准份量的知识已如期地传授。
或许,在虚拟环境下教大学文科课程对我来说特别有意义,因为它可以追溯到我当年所了解到的真正的大学文科教育。在希腊雅典研读哲学时,老师教导我,要学到东西就得扔掉课本和笔记本这些不过是记忆工具的东西,要依赖我们与生俱来的本领进行批判性思考。
我的网络学生的确是有教材,但那都是学习的辅助材料,不是他们汲取知识的唯一源泉。他们还将从网上辩论、会议和论文写作的合作中学到知识。学生们要为发言认真思考;他们每周来上课时,充分准备好辩论,通过键盘上的交流获取真知。
说也奇怪,虚拟大学兴许正是柏拉图这样的古典哲学家喜欢授课的地方——假如他那个时期有因特网的话。你问我本人的意见?我也认为教育应该比较少地在校园里开展,而更多地应该在参与者的脑子里进行。
第六单元 文化冲击
我们不妨把文化冲击称为突然置身国外的人们所得的职业病。和大部分疾病一样,这种病有其独特的起因、症状和疗法。
文化冲击是因为我们失去熟悉的社会交往标记和符号而产生的焦虑所促成。这些标志或暗示包括我们应付日常生活各种情境时使用的诸多方式方法:与人会面时何时握手、该说些什么;在什么时间、以什么方式付小费;如何吩咐佣人;怎样购物;何时该接受、何时该拒绝他人的邀请;别人说的话,何时该当真,何时不该当真。这些暗示可以是语
言、手势、面部表情、风俗习惯或社会行为标准。我们在成长的过程中获得了这些暗示,就像我们的语言和我们所接受的信仰一样,它们已经成为我们文化的一部分。我们所有的人都依赖成百上千个这样的暗示才能拥有宁静的心境,过上高效率的生活。当你走进一种陌生的文化,你所熟悉的所有或大部分文化暗示也就随之消失。此时的你宛如一条离开水的鱼。无论你的心胸多么开阔,你赖以生存的支柱此时都已倒塌,挫折感和焦虑感油然而生。人们对此种挫折的反应非常相似:他们首先排斥令他们不适的环境:“我们所到之国的生活方式很不好,让我们感觉很糟糕。”当美国人或其他的外国人来到一个陌生的国度,聚在一起抱怨所到之国及其人民时 ——
可以肯定,他们正深受文化冲击之苦。文化冲击的另外一个阶段是回归。故乡的一草一木突然变得极为重要。一个美国人会不合理地美化美国的一切事物。在自己国家所经历的困难和问题都抛在了脑后,只记得故乡美好的事物。通常要回国一趟方可回到现实中。要克服文化冲击的心理,了解文化的性质及其与个人的关系会有所裨益。除了赖以生存的自然环境,一个人还生活在由人造的有形物体、社会风俗、观念和信仰构成的文化环境中。一个人并非天生就有文化,而是生来就具备学习和使用文化的能力。新生婴儿的身上不存在一种只许他最终说葡萄牙语、英语或法语的东西,也不存在一种只许他用左手而不是右手执叉或只许他用筷子吃饭的东西。这些东西都是要孩子去学习的。文化也不是由父母负责传递给孩子的。任何一个民族的文化都是历史的产物,经过漫长的、本民族意识不到的过程才得以积累形成。孩子通过文化学会适应周围的物质环境,学会和周围的人打交道。众所周知,青少年在学习和适应的过程中经常遇到困难。但是,文化一旦学会了,就会成为一种生活方式。
人们往往认为自己的文化是最好的,是生活的唯一方式。这非常正常,完全可以理解。我们把这种态度称为“民族优越感”,即一种认为自己的文化、种族和国家构成世界中心的想法。个人往往将自己与所处的群体等同起来,因此任何批评的言论在他们看来都是对个人及其群体不尊敬的:如果你批评我的祖国,你就是在批评我;如果你批评我,你就是在批评我的祖国。抱着这种态度,人们往往把个人的怪癖归结为民族的特点。例如,倘若一个美国人在国外做出怪异的或有悖社会公德的事情,在美国国内的人们会认为这纯属个人行为,但在国外 8 却被视为一种民族特性:他那样做并非因为他是乔·多克斯,而是因为他是个美国人。遭受责难的不是他这个个体,而是他的祖国。因此,我们最好把民族优越感看成是民族群体的一个永恒的特性。即使一个国家的公民批评了自己文化的某些方面,外国人也只应当听着,而不应该参与批评。
你一旦意识到面临的问题并非因为异域的敌意而是因为自己对其他民族的文化背景缺乏理解或者缺乏与对方沟通的方式,你同时就会意识到你本身能够了解他人的文化,并能够掌握那些交流的方式。你越早做到这一点,文化冲击就消失得越快。
接下来的问题是,你怎样做才能尽快克服文化冲击?答案是:了解所到之国的国民。但是,倘若不懂语言,你是无法成功地实现这一目标的,因为语言是用于交流的主要的符号系统。我们现在都知道,学习一门新的语言不容易,对成年人来说,尤为如此。无论教语言的老师多么擅长于减轻你学习语言的难度,单单学语言这项任务都足以让你焦虑不安、饱受挫折。不过,你一旦能够和女佣、邻居进行友好的交谈,能够单独出门购物,你就会重获信心,充满力量,一个蕴含各种文化意义的新世界就向你敞开了大门。
你开始发现人们做些什么、做事情的方式以及令他们感兴趣的事情。人们往往通过日常的谈话内容和时间、金钱的分配方式来表达自己的兴趣爱好。你一旦了解了他们的兴趣和价值模式,就很容易和他们交谈,也容易让他们对你产生兴趣。
有时候,参加人们举办的各种活动,不管是嘉年华会、宗教仪式还是经济活动,在活动中仔细观察,和人们一起喜怒哀乐,这都有好处。不过,你永远都不要忘记,你是一个外人,人们也会把你当成一个外人对待。你应当把参与活动看成角色扮演。了解一个民族的生活方式很重要,但这并非意味着你要放弃自己的文化。实际上,你已经具备两种行为方式。
作文
第一单元
1.Bob and I became brother-like friends in our childhood.We played, dined and discussed our ambitions together.Once grown up, he started for the West to make his fortune while I became a policeman in New York.Before his departure, we had dinner together and we agreed that we would meet at the same place exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come.Then came the day we were supposed to meet.I was on my beat then.Walking up to the appointed place which had been turned into a hardware store, I saw a man standing there with an unlighted cigar in his mouth.Before I could speak, he told me that he was waiting for a friend by the name of Jimmy Wells.When he struck a match to light his cigar, I saw a pale face with keen eyes and a scar.I recognized him immediately.It was Bob, and it was also the face of the man wanted by the Chicago Police.For a moment I felt like telling him to escape right away.After all, we had been friends for so many years and he had traveled all the way to see me!But then my sense of duty told me the right thing to do.I said good-bye to him and continued my patrol, his last words still ringing in my ear: “I’ll wait for half an hour.Jimmy will keep his promise if he’s alive…” I then sent for a plain clothes man and had Bob arrested.2.An Important Friend in My Life Li Qiang, one of my classmates, is fun to be with.He is always wearing a broad smile as if life is forever“sunshine and butterflies”.One day, I revealed to him my worries and anxieties: I, an ordinary-looking girl, was 177 centimeters tall, even taller than any of the boys in my class.I thought no boy would like to date me.Besides, I was very poor at my academic courses.He suggested that I should learn to be myself and then he introduced me to a fashion show team of the university.Encouraged, I decided to change myself.After a 3-month training program on weekends, I could perform beautifully as a model, and surprisingly, I could concentrate on the required academic courses as well.The applauses I won at each fashion show and the scholarship I earned proved that being myself was terrific.Since then, my life has changed a lot.Thus, Li Qiang became an important friend of mine.Last semester, we began to help young people who suffer pressures from physical defects, academic failures or financial problems.We set up a Confidence Club.Those who come to us for help find our work definitely beneficial.Our friendship has led me into a sparkling, rewarding life.第二单元
1.Male-female relations are indispensable to adults all through their lives.But different generations handle them differently.Our parents’ generation lived in an era of constraints, restraints, respect, admiration, and plenty of romance.They kept a distance from people of the opposite gender in order to preserve the holiness of love and relationships.My generation, on the other hand, began with countless crushes for the opposite sex just because of their superficial charm.Harmless as it was, the love was as brief as soap bubbles.As we grew up, we came to the stage of developing real relationships, believing that love demanded a lot of give and not so much of take.By comparison, the younger generation is more open-minded and less restricted in handling the matter of love and relationships.They jump on the bandwagon of love with so much haste that it is difficult for them to distinguish between physical attraction and mental compatibilities.In short, the younger generation focuses more on physical beauty, closeness and passion, and they tend to seek what they want from the relationships.The other two generations give priority to inner charm, intimacy, emotion and sharing in dealing with relationships.2.What Do Girl Students Look for in Love and Life? In order to know about girl students’ opinion about love and life, a survey with girl students was conducted in 2005 in two universities — Chongqing University of Technology and Business and East China Normal University.The survey sought answers to two questions: What do you look for first in a boyfriend? What’s the most important thing for a happy life? About one third of the students chose personality as the top factor in choosing a boyfriend, followed by 27 percent focusing on abilities.Next came common interests and goals, favoured by 17 percent, with only 14 percent of students claiming appearance to be uppermost in their minds.Fewer still, 11 percent, rated economic status as the first consideration.As to their views about a happy life, nearly seventy percent of the girls attached the greatest importance to marriage and family.“Career” was given top priority by just under 20 percent, while even fewer, around 9 percent, believed that money was the key to a happy life.Based on the survey, we may conclude that nowadays, girl students generally hold a rational attitude towards love and life.Admittedly
第三单元
1.Man Does Not Live by Bread Alone No one would doubt the truth that man’s existence relies essentially on material things.We need them to get fed, clothed and sheltered.Once we are living near the breadline, we’ll feel frustrated and miserable.However, our contentment does not merely lie in material things.This is especially the case in modern times.The fast-developing economy has noticeably improved our lives and fulfilled most of our material needs.Then there comes the need of spiritual satisfaction, which is derived from good health, close friends, a loving spouse, well-raised children, a home built on love, a clear conscience, a worthy goal and an enjoyable job.While material things may lose their charm over time, spiritual satisfaction will bring us lasting happiness.Therefore, to live a happy life, we should focus more on those things that meet our spiritual demands.After all, when our need for bread is met, happiness will not come unless we feel spiritually satisfied.2.I Really Made It I will never forget the awful feeling in my first Oral English class at college.I tried hard to listen to every word the teacher spoke, but what she was saying made no sense to me.Bitterly, I admitted that I was so poor at listening and speaking in English.I wept several times, cursing my middle school for failing to provide adequate listening and speaking practice.But finally I calmed down because the familiar words rang in my ears: There must be a way out.I had a rather solid foundation of English vocabulary and grammar.What was left for me to do was to increase my listening input and speaking output.I made it a rule that every morning I would do reading aloud by the campus lake for 40 minutes, and every evening I would stay in the language lab, listening to English for at least an hour.Then at the end of the second year came my happiest moment: I got the Scholarship for Academic Excellence.I wore a broad smile when the president granted me the award.I then came to realize that happiness can only be gained through hard work.第四单元
1.AIDS Across the Earth AIDS has killed and is threatening to kill millions all across the earth.Several million infections are reported by WHO each year.The virus does not care whether you are black or white, male or female, young or old.It will attack you as long as you are a human.Today, AIDS has become the leading killer of young adults and is turning the children whose parents suffer the disease into orphans.It is no exaggeration to say that we live under the shadow of AIDS.There are several possible causes for such a situation: unsafe sexual intercourse;sharing or reusing contaminated needles;transfusion of contaminated blood or blood products;an infected person’s pregnancy, giving birth and breastfeeding, etc.Unfortunately, our ignorance, prejudice and silence have carried the situation to a desperate extreme.Patients are isolated or treated as outcasts by their families and their communities.AIDS victims feel ashamed to be identified as such and try hard to hide their disease.For this reason, they cannot get immediate medical treatment.Our harmful attitudes towards the disease and its victims have actually placed more people at risk.In our fight against this deadly disease, we should educate people on how to avoid being infected with the disease and how to lead life and, more importantly, how to treat AIDS patients properly.Only in this way can we really bring AIDS under control.2.Why Do the Young Adults Kill Themselves? Young adults are in the prime of their lives and are supposed to pursue their dreams and enjoy themselves.Yet it was reported in the Guardian that suicide is the main cause of death among young adults in China.Why have so many young people ended their lives? Three factors are thought to account for the high suicide rate: increasing stress, loneliness and a lack of medical support for depression.The most pressing one, I think, is stress.Take my college life for example.From the first day I entered the university, I have been living under pressure.I used to worry that I could not quite fit into the campus life;I also feared that I might not catch up with my classmates in my studies or could not live up to my parents’ expectations.Now I am deeply concerned about whether I can find a desirable job after graduation.Endless pressures give rise to stress.Loneliness is another problem.Many young people find they just feel helpless when they are suffering intolerable sadness or frustration.Suicide is a great tragedy, especially for the young.If we can find ways to relieve them of their stress and offer timely help, we may save many young lives.第五单元
1.The Significance of Lifelong Education Decades ago, due to the low standard of living in China, only a small percentage of the nation's population could receive college education.Once given the opportunity, one would surely secure a well-paid and much-respected job, which he or she would probably do for a lifetime.Therefore, to secure a college degree used to be the ultimate goal of a person's education.Today, however, we are living in what is called a“knowledge society”, where creative ideas and innovations are generated at a fantastic speed.One must constantly renew one's knowledge and upgrade one's skills so as to meet the needs of the changing world.Moreover, at the stage of general education, it is pointless for a person to attempt to know everything.When one is required to settle down to be a specialist in a specific field, one has to make an in-depth study of the subject one is supposed to know.In this sense, general education can provide students with only a passport to lifelong education.As Robert Maynard Hutchins once said, the object of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives.In my opinion, life in modern society is not only a process of“learning to live”but also a process of“living to learn”.The slogan“Live and Learn”can best reflect the concept of lifelong education.2.Should Family Schooling Exist? Meng Mu Tang, a private school in Shanghai, is modeled after the educational system of ancient Chinese home schools, which favored rote memorization and recitation of classic works.But the local education authorities in Shanghai have declared it illegal according to a report in 21st Century.Should family schooling exist? What role should it play? In my opinion, family schooling should be permitted to play a positive role in the current educational system in China.Every family should be free to choose the form of education that best suits their children's interests and natural gifts.Although the existing education system in China has remarkably improved, it does not fit each child perfectly.Since family schooling provides a means to develop a person's talents and unique interest, Meng Mu Tang, as a private school geared to a specific group of children, should not be banned in haste.In view of the current dynamic, quality-minded educational reforms in China, we should permit family schooling to enrich and diversify our educational system.On the other hand, home schooling should adapt itself to the modern world.To prepare children for the future, it should equip them with knowledge and innovative power so that they can cope with the development of the modern world.While tapping children's innate talents on an individual basis, family schooling should never neglect their all-round development.Meng Mu Tang may not be a perfect private school, but we should let it live and have a try so that family schooling may eventually become an indispensable component of our formal education.第六单元
1.My Views on Cultural Differences In my opinion, cultural differences have more advantages than disadvantages.First of all, it is cultural differences that make our world so colorful.If you go to a foreign country, you will be impressed not only by its physical environment but also by its cultural environment — its foods, clothes, customs, social practices, etc.Differences between cultures have always been a source of joy and inspiration.Secondly, differences in culture enrich human civilization.Different cultures compete with as well as learn from each other.Roman culture was modeled on Greek culture, which had once borrowed a lot from Egyptian culture.American culture is also a blend of many different cultures.Thirdly, differences in culture give each culture its unique identity.A culture is usually seen in relation to other cultures.Chinese culture distinguishes itself from others by its peculiar concepts and things that can hardly be found elsewhere.Of course, cultural differences may cause conflicts and misunderstandings.But interdependence, common interests and mutual goals of different nations always outweigh differences in culture.Nations with different cultures should learn from each other and live peacefully together.To this end, we should be more tolerant to other cultures while preserving, protecting and developing our own.2.My Views on the Influence of Western Culture On weekends, I gather with my friends at MacDonald's or KFC.We eat fried chicken, drink Coco-cola and talk about the latest release of Hollywood movies.We read foreign novels, listen to Western music and watch NBA.We admire Bill Gates, George Michael and Princess Diana.We dress ourselves in the Western style and celebrate Christmas and Valentine's Day.Our way of life has thus changed.Indeed, the influence of Western culture is strongly felt in our everyday life.This influence in turn prepares us well to blend into the modern world and participate in the world market competition.But we should not ignore its side effects.Our national culture may gradually lose its ground if our attention is focused only upon Western culture.In following the trend of globalization we should maintain our own cultural identity, cherish our cultural tradition and develop our own culture.What Mahatma Gandhi once said can best sum up my views on the influence of Western culture:“I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my windows to be stuffed.I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible.But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any.” 14
第三篇:大学英语课文翻译答案(新世纪综合教程3)
大学英语课文翻译答案(新世纪综合教程3)BOOK 3 Unit 1 What is Friendship?
Michele E.Doyle&Mark K.Smith The text is excerpted and adapted from “Friendship: Theory and Experience” written by Michele E.Doyle & Mark K.Smith.It appears in The Encyclopaedia of Informal Education(2002).When we approach the notion of friendship, our first problem is that there is a lack of socially acknowledged criteria for what makes a person a friend.In one setting, we may describe someone as a friend;in another, the label may seem less appropriate.Therefore, people tend to have a very thin understanding of what friendship really means.To help us understand what friendship really means, we need to review some classical views of friendship.友谊的真谛
米歇尔·E·多伊尔 马克·K·史密斯 我们探讨友谊这个概念时,遇到的第一个问题是,没有社会公认的择友标准。在某一情境下,我们会把某个人称为朋友;然而,情境一旦变迁,朋友这个称呼就显得没那么贴切了。因此,人们对友谊的真谛的理解往往是非常肤浅的。为了帮助我们理解友谊的真正含义,我们需要回顾有关友谊的几种传统的看法。
One classical view of friendship is provided by Aristotle, the famous ancient Greek philosopher.Aristotle distinguishes between what he believes to be genuine friendships and two other forms: one based on mutual usefulness, the other on pleasure.So, according to Aristotle, we may find three kinds of friendship:
一种传统的友谊观在古希腊著名的哲学家亚里士多德的著作里得以阐述。他将自己心目中真正的友谊同另外两种友谊截然分开。这两种友谊分别是:基于互利的友谊;基于愉悦的友谊。因此,根据亚里士多德的观点,我们可以将友谊分为三类:close3RT Friendship based on utility.Utility is an impermanent thing: it changes according to circumstances.When the ground for friendship disappears, the friendship also breaks up.Friendships of this kind seem to occur most frequently between the elderly, because at their age what they want is not pleasure but utility.Friendships based on utility are also frequently found among those in middle or early life who are pursuing their own advantage.Such persons do not spend much time together, because sometimes they do not even like one another, and therefore feel no need of such an association unless they are mutually useful.They take pleasure in each other's company only in so far as they have hopes of advantage from it.建立在功利之上的友谊。功利并非永恒,它依照环境而变化。友谊的根基一旦消失,友谊也随之破灭。这类友谊似乎在老人之间最为常见,因为上了年纪的人需要的不是愉悦而是实用。基于功利的友谊也同样存在于追逐个人利益的中年人和青年人中。这些人不会在一起消磨时光,因为他们有时甚至不喜欢对方,因而觉得除非可以互相利用,否则没有交往的必要。只有当他们认为彼此有希望相互利用的时候,才会乐于呆在一起。close4RT Friendship based on pleasure.Friendship between the young is thought to be grounded on pleasure, because the lives of the young are regulated by their feelings, and their chief interests are in their own pleasure and the opportunity of the moment.As they grow up, however, their tastes change too, so that they are quick to make and to break friendships.That is why they fall in and out of friendship quickly, changing their attitude often, even within the same day.建立在愉悦之上的友谊。年轻人之间的友谊常被看作是建立在愉悦基础之上的,因为年轻人的生活受感情支配,他们感兴趣的主要是自己的快乐和眼前的重要机会。然而,他们的情趣随着自己日渐成长也会变化,他们交友容易,分手也干脆。年轻人的态度变化无常,甚至一日数变,难怪他们的友谊总是迅速地开始,又匆匆地结束。close5RT Friendship based on goodness.Perfect friendship is based on goodness.Only the friendship of those who are good, and similar in their goodness, is perfect.The conduct of good men is the same or similar.It is between good men that both love and friendship are chiefly found and in the highest form.Such friendships are rare and they need time and intimacy;for as the saying goes, true friends must go through trials and tribulations together.And no two persons can accept each other and become friends until each has proved to the other that he is worthy of love, and so won his trust.The wish for friendship may develop rapidly, but true friendship does not.建立在美德之上的友谊。完美无瑕的友谊立足于美德。只有那些品德高尚而且拥有相似美德的人之间建立的友谊才是最完美的。品行高尚的人,其行为是相同的,或者是类似的。爱和友谊多半在品行高尚的人之间发生,而且以最高雅的形式出现。这种友谊是罕见的,需要时间,需要交往。常言道,真正的朋友必须同甘共苦,历经风雨。只有当两个人互相证明自己值得爱并获得对方的信任之后,彼此方能接受对方为朋友。交友的意愿可能倏忽而至,但真正的友谊却要慢慢培养。close6RT Another classical view of friendship can be found in the writings of Cicero, an ancient Roman statesman and orator.According to Cicero, true friendship is only possible between good men.He further defines “the good” as “those whose actions and lives leave no question as to their honor, purity, equity, and liberality;who are free from greed, lust, and violence;and who have the courage of their convictions.” The friendship between good men, based on virtue, does offer material benefits, but it does not seek them.All human beings are bonded together in a community of shared reason.Therefore, in friendships and relationships, those who possessany superiority must regard themselves as equals of those who are less fortunate.It is virtue that creates and preserves true friendship.另一种传统的友谊观可以在古罗马政治家、演说家西塞罗的著作里找到。西塞罗认为,真正的友谊只能在好人之间发生。他进而将“好人”定义为“那些行为和生活无损于自己的荣誉、纯洁、公平和开明的人;那些摆脱了贪婪、欲念和暴力的人;那些敢于依照自己的信念说话和做事的人。”好人之间建立的这种友谊立足于美德,它确实可以带来物质利益,但决不以追求物质利益为目标。人类生活在以共同的理想为基础的社会。因此,在处理朋友关系和其他人际关系时,优越于他人的人必须平等地对待那些没那么幸运的人。美德创造友谊,美德使友谊之树常青。close7RT Thus, we may see that the traditional idea of friendship is made up of three components: Friends must enjoy each other's company;they must be useful to one another;and they must share a commitment to the good.According to the classical views, virtuous friends are bound together, as they recognize each other's moral excellence.To perceive a friend, therefore, is to perceive oneself;and to know a friend is to know oneself.Each can be said to provide a mirror in which the other may see himself.Through networks of such virtuous friends, we can develop a shared idea of the good and pursue it together.Friendship of this kind is permanent, because in it are united all the attributes that friends ought to possess.我们由此可以看出,传统的友谊观由三个要素构成:朋友以相伴为乐;朋友必须彼此受益;彼此都有志于崇高的事业。这些传统的友谊观告诉我们,两个品德高尚的朋友是永不分离的,因为彼此认同对方的高尚品德。因此,认识朋友就是认识自我,了解朋友就是了解自我。可以说朋友就好比是一面镜子,每个人都可以从朋友身上看清自己。置身于品德高尚的朋友之中,我们会对美德达成共识,共同为之不遗余力。这样的友谊是永恒的,因为朋友应该具备的一切品质都凝结在这种友谊关系中。
After Twenty Years
O.Henry The text is adapted from “After Twenty Years”, a short story written by O.Henry.close1RT It was barely 10 o'clock at night.The policeman on the beat(巡逻路线)moved up the avenue impressively.He turned now and then to cast his watchful eye over the doors and shop windows on both sides of the street.He was of a powerful build and made a fine picture of a guardian(卫士)of the peace.二十年之后 欧·亨利
将近夜里十点,巡逻警察来到这条街上,样子威严,不时地看看街道两边的店铺,警惕的目光落在店铺的大门和橱窗上。身材魁梧的他,俨然一副和平卫士的模样。close2RT Around the midway of a certain block, the policeman suddenly slowed his walk.In the doorway of a darkened hardware store stood a man, with an unlighted cigar in his mouth.As the policeman walked up to him, the man spoke up quickly.在一个街区走到一半时,他突然放慢了步伐。只见一个光线黯淡的五金店门口,站着一个人,嘴里叼着没有点燃的雪茄。他走了过去,那人赶紧开腔:close3RT “It's all right, officer,” he said.“I'm just waiting for a friend.It's an appointment made twenty years ago.Sounds a little funny to you, doesn't it? Well, I'll explain.Twenty years ago, there used to be a restaurant where this store stands now.”
“没事儿,警官,”他说道。“我只是在等个朋友。这可是二十年前的约定。听起来有点好笑吧?我跟你说,二十年前这里曾经是个饭店。”close4RT “Until five years ago,” said the policeman.“It was torn down then.”
“五年前才拆的。”警察说道。close5RT The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar.The light showed a pale, square-jawed(方下巴)face with keen eyes, and a little white scar(伤疤)near his right eyebrow.门口那人划了根火柴,点燃了雪茄。火光中可见一张苍白的脸,方下巴,目光敏锐,右边眉毛附近有一道白色的细小伤疤。close6RT “Twenty years ago tonight,” said the man, “I dined here with Jimmy Wells, my best chum(好友)and the finest chap in the world.He and I were raised here in New York, just like two brothers, together.I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty then.The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune.You couldn't have dragged Jimmy out of New York;he thought it was the only place on earth.Well, we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come.We figured that in twenty years each of us ought to have our destiny worked out and our fortunes made, whatever they were going to be.”
“二十年前的今晚,”那人说,“我和我最好的朋友吉米·韦尔斯就在这里吃的饭。他可是个再好不过的家伙了。我俩在纽约这儿一起长大,好得像兄弟俩,那年我十八,他二十。第二天早上我就要动身去西部发财。唉,要想让吉米离开纽约可是比登天还难哪!在他眼里人世间就只有纽约这么一个地方。不过我俩那天晚上约定,二十年后的今日此刻,无论各自的境况如何,无论各自远在何方,都要在这里相聚。我们当时认为,二十年后,不管各自做什么,有什么样的命运,发多大的财,一切都该成了定局。”close7RT “It sounds pretty interesting,” said the policeman.“Haven't you heard from your friend Jimmy since you left?”
“听起来还真有意思,”警察说道。“那你离开后就再没有你朋友吉米的消息了?”close8RT “Well, yes, for a time we corresponded,” said the other.“But after a year or two we lost track of each other.You see, the West is pretty big and wild, and I kept hustling(急速行进)around over it pretty lively.But I know Jimmy will meet me here if he's alive, for he always was the truest old chap in the world.He'll never forget.I came a thousand miles to stand in this door tonight, and it's worth it if my old partner turns up.He will keep his promise.”
“不,我们通过一阵子信,”那人答道,“可一两年后就断了音信。要知道,西部幅员辽阔,荒蛮原始,我又一直四处奔波,东跑西颠。不过,我确信,吉米只要活着,他会来见我的。他是这世界上我最信得过的人。他绝对不会忘记。我千里迢迢来到这儿就是为了今晚站在这门口,只要我那老伙计露面,我也就不虚此行了。他是不会食言的。”close9RT The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch, the lids of it set with small diamonds.那守候的人掏出一只精致的怀表,表盖上缀满了小粒钻石。close10RT “Three minutes to ten,” he announced.“It was exactly ten o'clock when we parted here at the restaurant door.”
“九点五十七分,”他说道,“我们是十点整在饭店门口的这个地方挥手告别的。”close11RT “You did pretty well out West, didn't you?” asked the policeman.“在西部混得不错吧?”警察问道。close12RT “You bet!I hope Jimmy has done half as well.”
“那还用说!吉米干得有我一半好就不错了。”close13RT The policeman twirled his club and took a step or two.警察转了转警棍,迈出了一两步。close14RT “I'll be on my way.Hope your friend comes around on time.”
“我走了,但愿你的朋友会按时赴约。”close15RT “I'll wait for half an hour at least,” said the man.“If Jimmy is alive on earth he'll be here by that time.So long, officer.”
“我至少会等他半个小时,”那人说,“吉米要是还活着,他会在我走之前来的。再见,警官。”close16RT “Good-night, sir,” said the policeman, passing on along his beat, checking up on the doors as he went.“晚安,先生,”警察说完,又继续巡逻,边走边检查店门。close17RT There was now a fine, cold drizzle(细雨)falling, and the wind had risen.The man who had come a thousand miles to keep the appointment with the friend of his youth still stood in the doorway of the hardware store, smoking his cigar.这时,天下起了蒙蒙细雨,冷冰冰的,起风了。为了履行和少时好友的约定,那个不远千里来到这里的人还站在五金店的门口,抽着雪茄。close18RT About twenty minutes had passed.Then a tall man in a long overcoat, with the collar turned up to his ears, hurried across from the opposite side of the street.He went directly to the waiting man.约二十分钟后,一个身着大衣、衣领立起的高个子男人从街对面匆匆走了过来,径直走向那守候者。close19RT “Is that you, Bob?” he asked, doubtfully.“鲍勃,是你吗?”他狐疑地问道。close20RT “Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” cried the man in the door.“你是吉米•韦尔斯?”门口那人高声叫道。close21RT “Bless my heart!” exclaimed the new arrival, grasping both the other's hands with his own.“It's Bob, sure as fate.I was certain I'd find you here if you were still in existence.Well, well, well!Twenty years is a long time.How has the West treated you, old man?”
“天哪!”新来者高兴地大叫了起来,一把握住了那人的双手。“是鲍勃,真的是鲍勃!我就知道,只要你还活着,我就会在这里找到你。哎呀呀,二十年啊,时间可真不短!老兄,西部待你怎样?”close22RT “It has given me everything I asked it for.You've changed a lot, Jimmy.I never thought you were so tall by two or three inches.”
“西部给了我想要的一切。你变了很多啊,吉米!没想到你长高了二三英寸呢。”close23RT “Oh, I grew a bit after I was twenty.”
“哦,二十岁后我又长了点个子。”close24RT “Doing well in New York, Jimmy?”
“在纽约混得不错吧,吉米?”close25RT “Just so-so.I have a position in one of the city departments.Come on, Bob;we'll go around to a place I know of, and have a good long talk about old times.”
“马马虎虎。在市政部门做事。走吧,鲍勃,咱们到我熟悉的一个地方去,好好地叙叙旧吧。”close26RT The two men started up the street, arm in arm.The man from the West was beginning to talk about the history of his career.The other listened with interest.两人手挽着手,沿街前行,西部来的这位开始讲他的发迹史,另一位饶有兴致地听着。close27RT At the corner stood a drug store, brilliant with electric lights.When they came into this glare(强光), each of them turned simultaneously(同时地)to gaze upon the other's face.拐角处有一家药店,灯光明亮。来到通明的光线里,两人同时转身盯住对方的脸。close28RT The man from the West stopped suddenly and released his arm.西部来的人突然停下来,抽出手臂。close29RT “You're not Jimmy Wells,” he shouted all of a sudden.“Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man's nose from a Roman nose(鹰钩鼻)to a pug nose(扁鼻).”
“你不是吉米•韦尔斯!”他突然喊道,“二十年时间是很长,但也不至于把鹰钩鼻变成了塌鼻梁。”close30RT “It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one,” said the tall man.“You've been under arrest for ten minutes.Chicago thinks you may have dropped over(顺便拜访)our way and they want to have a chat with you.Going quietly with us, are you? That's sensible.Now, before we go on to the station, here's a note I was asked to hand you.You may read it here at the window.”
“可是有时二十年会把一个好人变成恶棍,”高个子说道。“十分钟前你就已经被捕了。芝加哥方面认为你可能到我们这里来了,他们要和你谈谈。还是老老实实地跟我们走吧,放聪明点!不过,我们去警所之前,你先看看这张字条,是一个人托我交给你的。你就在橱窗边上看吧。”close31RT The man from the West unfolded(展开)the little piece of paper.His hand was steady when he began to read, but it trembled a little by the time he had finished.The note was rather short:
西部来的人展开小字条。开始读的时候手握得很稳,可读完时,手微微地抖动了起来。字条很短:close32RT “Bob: I was at the appointed place on time.When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago.Somehow I couldn't do it myself, so I went around and got a plain clothes man to do the job.JIMMY.”
“鲍勃:我准时赴约了。当你划亮火柴点燃雪茄时,我发现你正是受到芝加哥警方通缉的人。可我自己无论如何动不了手,所以就走开,找了个便衣行使职责。吉米。”
Unit 2 T How Deep Is Your Love? Mansi Bhatia The text is excerpted and adapted from Writers Monthly, a US online magazine.close1RT Love to some is like a cloud To some as strong as steel For some a way of living For some a way to feel And some say love is holding on And some say let it go And some say love is everything Some say they don't know
你的爱有多深 曼茜·巴蒂亚
有人认为爱如浮云 有人认为爱坚强如铁
有人认为爱是一种生活方式 有人认为爱是一种感觉 有人说爱要执着 有人说爱不要约束 有人说爱是生命的全部 有人说不知道爱为何物
close2RT At some stage or the other in our lives we experience an emotion which defies definition.It's a feeling that can only be felt and not described.An overwhelming joy that comes together with its share of sadness.Love.在我们生命中的某个阶段,我们会经历难以名状的情感。这种情感只能体会,无法用语言描述。莫大的喜悦伴随着丝丝的伤感一同降临,这就是爱。close3RT Given the busy nature of our lives, it's to be appreciated that we even find the time to indulge in matters of the heart.But at the same time I wonder if we even understand its true depth.I remember having countless crushes while in school.My math teacher, our neighbour's son, my best friend's brother and lots of others whom I fancied for the colour of their eyes, the shape of their moustaches or just the way they walked.Harmless puppy loves that are as brief as soap bubbles.I can laugh about all those silly and adventurous thoughts and acts now but at that time nothing could be more serious an affair for me.Then came the stage of real relationships.在紧张忙碌的生活中,我们竟能找到时间,沉湎于感情之中,这的确令人感佩。然而,此时我想知道:我们是否懂得爱到底有多么深刻。记得上学的时候,我迷恋的对象真是数不清:我的数学老师、邻居的儿子、好朋友的弟弟,还有另外一些因为眼睛的颜色、胡子的形状或走路的姿势而让我倾慕的人。年少时的爱慕,不会带来伤害,如肥皂泡一样转瞬即逝。那些稚气、大胆的想法和行为,现在想来大可一笑了之。但是,在那时,对我来说,没有比恋爱更重要的事了。接着就进入了真正“谈”情“说”爱的阶段。close4RT Being in an all girls' school I hardly had the opportunity to interact with members of the opposite gender.Socials between our school and the boys' college, therefore, would be awaited anxiously.Those three hours of unhesitant attention by a group of well-groomed young gentlemen provided us with enough content to talk and feel excited about for the next four weeks.我在女子学校学习,和男孩子交往的机会寥寥无几,因此,我热切地期待着我们学校和男子学校举办的交谊会。交谊会上,一群精心打扮的年轻男子毫无顾忌地盯着我们。这三个小时中的点点滴滴,成了我们在以后四个星期中足够的谈资,我们在议论时,心情澎湃。close5RT And even then there was no real need of having a boyfriend.即使是在那个时候,我也没有真正交男朋友的需要。close6RT I somehow grew up believing that love would happen when it had to.And sure enough it did.It came at an age when I had a career, a long-term plan and a more or less settled life(and now I am not yet 25!).I was mature enough to enter a relationship which demands a lot of give and not so much of take.在我的成长岁月中,不知何故,我相信爱情该来的时候自然会来。事实果真如此。当我有了稳定的工作,有了长期的计划和比较安定的生活(我现在还不到25岁呢!)时,爱情降临了。我也比较成熟了,能够步入不贪图许多回报而需要大量付出的感情关系。close7RT Love was a magnificent building I built on the foundation of friendship.It took time to blossom.It took a lot of understanding, loads of sharing and caring, and plenty of affection to become what it is today.And it meant a meeting of minds.You might say that I belong to the traditional school of romance.But in my opinion, love needs to be nurtured.And it has to be distinguished from the intense but short-lived love or the pleasures of the flesh.我的爱情是在友谊这块地基上建起的高楼大厦。爱情经过旷日持久的培养才开花。我和我的恋人相互理解、同甘共苦、相互关心,投入了丰富的感情,才使爱情发展到今天。爱情意味着情投意合。你也许会说,我属于浪漫的传统派。但是,依我看,爱情需要培养。我们必须把爱情同强烈而短暂的激情或身体的愉悦区别开来。close8RT Our parents' generation was fed lavishly with ideals.It was an era of constraints, restraints, respect, admiration, and plenty of romance.The long skirts, the quiet and unpretentious looks, the curled long hair, the calmness, the shy glance — these are all so frequently remindful of a bygone era.An age when the distance between the sexes somehow managed to help preserve the holiness of love and relationships.我们的父辈,接受了理想爱情的灌输。那是一个约束、压抑、崇敬、仰慕和十足浪漫的年代。长裙、娴静质朴的外表、卷曲的长发、恬静的气质、羞怯的目光 —— 这一切常使人想起一个消逝久远的年代。那个年代,男女之间的距离无论如何都有助于维持爱情以及恋爱关系的神圣性。close9RT The younger generation, with its openness and fading lines of proximity, has jumped on the bandwagon of love with so much haste that it is difficult for them to distinguish between physical attraction and mental compatibilities.What we have been exposed to via the media have fast paced our sensibilities so much that taking things slow requires effort on our parts.年轻的一代人,由于观念开放,随着男女之间交往界线的消退,他们便急于赶浪头,匆忙恋爱,以至于难以区分身体的互相吸引与心灵的相投。我们从媒体中接触到的人和事,使我们的感情历程大大加速,要想慢慢地体会自己的感受,确实需要付出努力。close10RT I am sorry to learn about the kind of emotional baggage school kids are carrying in what are purely unemotional relationships.Some might blame the current state of affairs on peer pressure.But has anyone ever stopped to figure out where this peer pressure originates? Do any of us try and understand who is responsible for this shift? Does anyone bother to study the state of mind of the teenagers?
学校里的青少年在全然没有感情的关系中所背负的感情包袱,令我深感难过。也许有些人会把他们目前的感情状况归结为同龄人之间所施加的压力。但是,可曾有任何人停下来想一想同龄人之间的压力来自何处?我们是否尝试着弄清楚是谁造成了这样的转变?可曾有人费神去研究青少年的心理呢?close11RT The mindset of this generation is all too evident in the way it handles its personal life.There are more relationships being distorted under the pressures of lust than ever before.There is more focus on physical beauty than on inner charm.There is more of closeness and less of intimacy.There is more of passion and less of emotion.There is more of acquiring and less of sharing.There is more of opportunism and less of selflessness.In short, there is more of ME and less of US.从这一代人处理个人生活的方式上,我们很容易看出他们的思想倾向。跟从前相比,现在有更多的情感在欲望的压力下扭曲。他们更注重外表的美丽而忽视内在的魅力。两性交往随便了,亲密无间却少了;激情多了,感情却少了;个人获得的多了,相互间分享的少了;寻机获利的现象多了,无私的奉献少了。简而言之,“自我”多了,爱的分享少了。close12RT We have hardened ourselves so much in this competitive age that we have forgotten the essence of relationships.There's much more to being someone's lover than gifting them red roses and fifty-cent cards.What about gifting our object of affection, our time, our company, our support, our friendship? What about setting priorities in our lives and focusing on each with sincerity? What about trying to be self-sufficient emotionally before letting ourselves loose? What about giving ourselves, and others, time and space to forge relationships? What about working towards meaningful and lasting friendships? What about honouring our commitments? What about channeling our energies and emotions towards building lifelong bonds rather than wasting them on seasonal relationships?
在这个竞争激烈的年代,我们已经变得麻木不仁,将恋爱的实质抛于脑后。作为恋爱中的人,不只是意味着把红色的玫瑰花和五毛钱一张的卡片送给恋人,我们要做的事情还很多。我们将自己的时间、陪伴、支持和友谊作为礼物送给自己的恋人了吗?我们是否确定了生活中最重要的事情,而后真诚地做好每一件事?我们是否先在情感上成熟起来,再尽情地追求爱情?我们是否给自己、给他人足够的时间和空间以巩固恋情的发展?我们是否为了追求有意义的、永恒的友谊而不遗余力?我们是否履行了自己的承诺?我们是否将自己的精力和感情倾注于终生不渝的关系而不是浪费在朝秦暮楚的关系中?close13RT We have but one life and we must experience everything that can make us stronger.True love happens once in a lifetime.And we should not have become so tired by our frivolous acts that when it comes we aren't able to receive it with open arms.人的生命只有一次,我们必须去体验能使我们更为坚强的每件事。真正的爱情一生只有一次。我们任由轻佻的行为令自己身心疲惫,当真正的爱情到来时,我们却没有能力伸开双臂迎接它的降临。
Holding Hands
Helen Troisi Arnery This text is excerpted and adapted from A Second Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne and Marci Shimoff.close1RT My husband Paul's hands had a fine, firm feeling: warm, never cold, never moist, their slight pressure always reassuring(使安心的).And whenever those hands sought mine in the final days of his life, he pressed them both together around one of my hands.牵 手
海伦·托尔西·阿诺里
丈夫保罗的手舒服有力:暖暖的,从来不会发凉潮湿,轻轻的一握总是令我感到安心踏实。在他生命最后的那些日子里,每次他摸到我的手,都会把我的一只手放在他的两手之间握着。close2RT It was during that time, as I sat by his bed, that I tried to memorize his hands.They were twice as long as mine and half a hand wider.His fingers did not get thinner;they were long and square, laced with fine veins(血管)all the way to the tips.His nails squared off(使成方形)the ends of his fingers, with clearly defined white edges.He had always taken great care to keep them neat.They were not tough hands;nor soft, either.They were the hands of a college professor whose tools were chalk and red pens.也就是在那段时间里,我坐在他的床边,竭力记住他双手的样子。他的手比我的手要长一倍,宽一半;手指上下一般粗,方方长长的,毛细血管一直延伸到指尖。方正的指甲使得指尖也呈正方形,指甲一圈白色的边清晰可见。他总是悉心地让双手洁净无暇。它们既不粗糙,也不柔软多肉。那是双持粉笔和红墨水钢笔的大学教授的手。close3RT I wondered if his students had difficulty reading his handwriting.I had grown used to it the year we were apart — engaged to be married, but separated — so he could pursue a master's degree at Bradley University, 800 miles away from our Pennsylvania hometown.不知道他的学生是否觉得他的字难以辨认。我们分开的那年我渐渐熟悉了他的字体。我俩订婚后曾分隔两地,因为他要到距离宾夕法尼亚州(我们的家)800英里的布拉德利大学攻读硕士学位。close4RT Had I remembered to tell him that I found his large hands beautiful? Did I ever explain that, before our marriage, when he was invited regularly to dinner in my home, my mother was fascinated with the quiet way he managed the silverware and coffee cups in his hands in which they nearly disappeared? Did I mention that in his clasp — in a movie, in sad moments in church, in the hospital beds to which the illnesses of his last four years confined him — I felt pure and honest expressions of his love?
不知我是否记得告诉过他我觉得他那双大手很美。不知我是否告诉过他,结婚前他定期到我家做客吃饭时,他使用银制餐具和咖啡杯的斯文样子,令我母亲十分欣赏,银具和杯盏在他手里几乎都没了踪影。也不知我是否告诉过他,在看电影时,在教堂悲伤时,在那张最后四年病魔困得他脱不了身的病榻上,他紧紧的一握令我至真至切地感受到了他的爱。close5RT In those hands, also, originated his caring for his children.It was a point of pride that he gave our newborn daughter her first bath.At seven pounds and fourteen ounces, she fit comfortably into the length of those two hands, but his large fingers moved with grace and delicacy to bathe her and the five babies who followed.他对孩子们的关爱之情也源于他的那双手。大女儿的第一个澡就是他给洗的,这让他倍感骄傲。7磅14盎司的女儿舒舒服服地躺在他那双大手里,长长的手指灵巧细致地给大女儿和后来的5个孩子洗浴。close6RT Those hands, in our early hard times, gave haircuts to three sons in the course of their growing up and toweled three daughters' hair dry after showers.在我们早期艰难的日子里,那双手给三个正在长大的儿子理发,给三个浴后的女儿擦干头发。close7RT They manipulated suitcases, with a maximum of sweat and a minimum of complaints in top-of-the-car carriers(置物架)of station wagons for trips to Pennsylvania to visit grandparents.They traced patterns in the air as he taught his marketing students in the university in which he had studied so many years before.多少次要去宾夕法尼亚探望孩子的祖父母,在旅行大巴车顶上他那双手把一个个旅行箱往货架上放,他汗流浃背,但毫无怨言。在他早年曾就读过的大学里,他教授市场营销专业的学生,用这双手在空中比划出一个个营销模式。close8RT Those hands clasped mine in the most frightening moments of his illnesses.They reached for mine through seven months of chemotherapy(化疗)and its agonizing side effects, through the few weeks of the end of his life, when children came to visit, give service(宗教仪式)and mourn(为···哀痛)in advance what they could clearly see was the end of their father's seventy-five years.在他病得最令人胆颤心惊的时候,那双手紧紧地攥着我的手。在他经受7个月的化疗及其副作用的痛苦折磨期间,他向我伸出双手。在他生命的最后几个星期里,他向我伸出双手。孩子们来探视他,看出他们75岁的父亲命不久矣而提前祷告哀悼时,他还是向我伸出双手。close9RT Those hands clasped mine in the deepest, darkest moment when he whispered in my ear, “I wonder...how it is to die.I wonder if it hurts.” I could only give him what I believed was the sum of his life — that he would be surrounded, uplifted, overjoyed with the glory of God.在那最为黑暗的时刻,他攥着我的手,在我耳边小声说道:“不知道······会是怎样死去。不知道会不会疼痛。”我当时唯一能告诉他的就是我深信他此生将有个圆满的结局:他会被簇拥着抬起,在上帝的荣光中感到无比欢愉。close10RT Finally, he was no longer able to hold my hands.Early one morning, when I offered Paul a breakfast, he could no longer eat.In a state of nervous anxiety I clipped, filed(锉光)and whitened his fingernails.There was no movement, no recognition, no response as I laid his hands across his chest, where they had lain still for several days.Within an hour, when the nurse checked him with her stethoscope(听诊器), there was nothing left for me to do but close his bright green eyes and lay my hands on his for the last time, in the quiet peaceful corner of our bedroom.最后,他再也没有力气握住我的手了。清晨,我给保罗喂早餐,他再也不能下咽了。我在紧张焦虑中修剪、打磨他的指甲,把指甲白色的边缘弄干净。我把他的手放到他的胸前(他的手放在那儿一动不动已经好几天了),它们没有动静,没有认可,没有反应。一个小时的时间里,护士用听诊器做了检查,剩下我唯一能做的事就是合上他那双明亮的绿色眼睛,在我们卧室恬静的一隅里最后一次把我的手放在他的手上。close11RT Months later, I opened the top drawer of Paul's dresser one Sunday and reached in for one of his clean, pressed handkerchiefs — I liked to use them now.What I touched was an opened pack of emery boards(指甲砂锉).几个月后的一个周日,我打开保罗衣橱最上面的一个抽屉,取他折叠整齐的干净的手帕(我现在喜欢用那些手帕)时,我触摸到了一个开了封的指甲砂锉袋。close12RT For seven-and-a-half months, my grief for my husband had been frozen within me like an icy presence that would not yield.Then, this last Sunday of February, I was undone by the simple presence of emery boards.Tears came as I closed my eyes and tried in vain to remember the clasp of Paul's hands.7个半月里,对丈夫逝去的悲伤如同冰凌雪块封存在心中,不曾融化。可在二月的最后一个周日,目睹面前的指甲锉具,我无法克制自己了。我闭上眼睛,怎么也回忆不起保罗的双手握着我的手时的感觉,泪水夺眶而出。close13RT Soon after, Stephen, the youngest — who most resembles his father — came to see me.When it was time to go, Stephen kissed me good-bye and then, impulsively, took my hand in both of his large, broad ones.For several moments, I couldn't speak.It was as though his father's long, graceful hands clasped mine once again.Still reassuring me.那之后没过多少日子,斯蒂芬来看我,他是我们的最小的儿子,长得也最像他的父亲。临走的时候,斯蒂芬吻了吻我,和我道别;然后,把我的手一把攥在他那双又大又宽的手中。好一阵子,我说不出话来,仿佛他父亲那双长长的、雅致的手再次握住了我的手,令我依然感到安心平静。
Unit 3
T The Pursuit of Happiness for the Common Good
Richard Layard The text is an excerpt from the article “Happiness is Back” by Richard Layard in Prospect, March 2005.close1RT Over the last 50 years, we in the west have enjoyed unparalleled economic growth.We have better homes, cars, holidays, jobs, education and above all health.According to standard economic theory, this should have made us happier.But surveys show otherwise.When Britons or Americans are asked how happy they are, they report no improvement over the last 50 years.More people suffer from depression, and crime — another indicator of dissatisfaction — is also much higher.追求以公众利益为宗旨的幸福 <
理查德·莱亚德
在过去的50年里,我们西方国家的经济获得了史无前例的增长。我们的家园、车辆、假期、工作、教育,尤其是健康,均得以改善。依据标准经济理论,这些改善原本应该使我们更加幸福,然而,调查显示并非如此。英国人和美国人接受幸福程度的调查时说,在过去的50年里,他们的幸福程度并没有得到改善。抑郁症患者人数上升,同时犯罪率大幅增长也说明了人们对生活的不满足。close2RT These facts challenge many of the priorities we have set ourselves both as societies and as individuals.The truth is that we are in a situation previously unknown to man.When most people exist near the breadline, material progress does indeed make them happier.People in the rich world(above, say, $20,000 a head per year)are happier than people in poorer countries, and people in poor countries do become happier as they become richer.But when material discomfort has been banished, extra income becomes much less important than our relationships with each other: with family, with friends and in the community.The danger is that we sacrifice relationships too much in pursuit of higher income.上述事实对我们个人以及社会优先考虑的诸多事情都提出了挑战。事实上,我们现在的处境是人类从未经历过的。当大多数人还在为温饱发愁时,物质条件的改善的确能令他们幸福一些。富庶国家(比如,人均年收入在两万美元以上)的人民比贫穷国家的人民幸福一些;而贫穷国家的人民,如果稍微富裕,也会幸福得多。然而,物质上的匮乏一旦消除,收入的增加便不如亲情、友情、邻里和睦等人际关系那么重要。但是,我们在追求更高的收入时牺牲了太多这样的关系,这很危险。close3RT The desire to be happy is central to our nature.We all want a society in which people are as happy as possible and in which each person's happiness counts equally.That should be the philosophy for our age, the guide for public policy and for individual action.And it should come to replace the intense individualism which has failed to make us happier.渴望幸福是人类本性的核心。人人都渴望这样一个社会:人们尽可能地幸福,每个人的幸福同等重要。这应当是我们这个时代的人生哲学,应当用来指导公共利益的维护准则和每个人的行为,应当逐渐取代无法使我们更加幸福的极端的个人主义。close4RT Indeed, money is perceived as one of the key factors affecting a person's happiness.But can money alone make us happy in the long run? In any society, richer people are often happier than poor people.Yet, as a western country becomes richer, its people overall do not become happier.The reason for this is that over time our standards and expectations rise to meet our income.A Gallup poll has asked Americans each year: “What is the smallest amount of money a family of four needs to get along in this community?” The sums mentioned rise in line with average incomes.Since people are always comparing their incomes with what others have, or with what they are used to, they only feel better off if they move up relative to the norm.金钱的确是影响个人幸福的关键因素之一。但是,金钱本身能使我们最终获得幸福吗?在任何一个社会,富人往往比穷人幸福。然而,当一个西方国家越来越富有的时候,其人民的幸福程度在总体上并未得到改善。随着时间的推移,我们的标准和期望随着收入的增加而上升。盖洛普民意测验每年都向美国人提问:“一个四口之家至少需要多少钱才能在这个国家生活下去?”人们说出的数字上升的幅度与平均收入增加的幅度是一样的。因为人们总是拿自己的收入和他人的收入以及他们惯于拥有的收入相比较,只有当他们认为和平均水准相比有所上升时才感到幸福。close5RT This process can have counterproductive effects.I have an incentive to work and earn more: it will make me happier.So do other members of society, who also care about their relative standard of life.Since society as a whole cannot raise its position relative to itself, the effort which its members devote to that end could be said to be a waste — the balance between leisure and work has been shifted “inefficiently” towards work.这一过程反而达不到预期的目的。我努力工作、赚更多钱的动力是:这会使我更幸福一些。其他的社会成员也同样如此,他们也关注自己相对的生活标准。既然社会整体无法以自己为参照物而提高自己的地位,那么社会成员为使自己更加幸福所付出的努力可以说是一种浪费 —— 当休闲与工作的天平偏向工作时,工作是“没有效率”的。close6RT To reinforce the case, let me explain it in terms of status, which may derive as much from the earning of income as from the spending of it.People work, in part at least, to improve their status.But status is a system of ranking: one, two, three and so on.So if one person improves his status, someone else loses an equal amount.It is a zero-sum game: private life sacrificed in order to increase status is a waste from the point of view of society as a whole.That is why the rat race is so destructive: we lose family life and peace of mind in pursuing something whose total cannot be altered.为了进一步证实这一论点,我从社会地位方面加以说明。人的地位可能来源于所挣得的收入或所花费的金钱。人们工作,至少部分原因是为了提高自己的地位。然而,地位是一种等级体系:第一,第二,第三,等等,所以当一个人的地位提高了,其他人的地位就同等程度地下降。这是一种得失平衡的游戏:从整个社会看,为了提高地位而牺牲个人的生活,是一种浪费。因此,永无止境的竞争极具破坏性:我们在追求一种总体不变的东西时失去了家庭生活和平和的心境。close7RT In one sense, what people most want is respect.They seek economic status because it brings respect.But we can increase or decrease the weight we give to status.In an increasingly competitive society, life will become tougher for people in the bottom half of the ability range unless we develop broader criteria for respect.We should respect people who co-operate with others at no gain to themselves, and who show skill and effort at whatever level.That is why it is so important to enable everyone to develop a skill.In Britain, this means ensuring that all young people can take up an apprenticeship if they wish, so that those who have not enjoyed academic success at school can experience professional pride and avoid starting adult life believing themselves to be failures.在某种意义上,人们最渴望的是尊重。他们追求经济地位因为它可以赢来尊重。但是,我们可以重视也可以轻视经济地位。在一个竞争日益激烈的社会,如果我们不放宽尊重的标准,社会上能力偏低的人会感到生活更加艰辛。我们应该尊重那些同他人一起合作而自己没有获益的人,那些在各个阶层上施展才能、努力工作的人。因此,让每个人都能学会一种本领尤为重要。在英国,这意味着只要年轻人愿意,一定要确保他们每个人都学会手艺,使那些学业不成功的人也能在职业生涯中感到自豪,不会在长大成人时觉得自己是失败者。close8RT Some comparisons between people are inevitable, since hierarchy is necessary and unavoidable.Some people get promoted and others do not.Moreover, those who get promoted must be paid more, since they are talented and the employer wishes to attract talent.So pay is important at key moments as a way of affecting people's decisions about occupations or in choosing between employers.The problem is that in most jobs there is no objective measure of individual performance, so people must in effect be evaluated against their peers.But the ranking process, which is very subjective, fundamentally alters the relationship of co-operation between an employee and his boss, and between an employee and his peers.人与人之间难免产生比较,因为等级体系的存在是必要的,不可避免的。有些人得到晋升,而另一些人却没有。此外,职位得以晋升的人薪水也要提高,因为他们有才华,雇主也乐意招贤纳士。所以,在人们挑选工作和选择雇主的关键时刻,薪水作为一个重要因素影响着他们的决定。存在的问题是,大部分的职业没有客观的标准来衡量个人的业绩,所以事实上只能拿一个人同自己的同事作比较才能得到评估。然而,这种等级评定的方法非常主观,从根本上改变了雇员与雇主、雇员与同事之间的合作关系。close9RT If we want a happier society, we should focus most on the experiences which people value for their intrinsic worth and not because other people have them — above all, on relationships in the family, at work and in the community.It seems likely that the extra comforts we now enjoy have increased our happiness somewhat, but that deteriorating relationships have made us less happy.如果我们渴望一个更加幸福的社会,我们就应该着重强调人们所珍视的经历 —— 首要的是亲情关系、工作关系和邻里关系,人们珍视这些经历并非因为别人拥有它们,而是因为这些经历拥有内在的价值。我们当前享受的充分的舒适和安逸,看来有可能使我们的生活幸福一些,可是人与人之间关系的恶化又有可能降低了我们的幸福程度。close10RT We live in an age of unprecedented individualism.The highest obligation many people feel is to make the most of themselves, to realise their potential.This is a terrifying and lonely objective.Of course they feel obligations to other people too, but these are not based on any clear set of ideas in western societies.The old religious worldview is gone;so too is the postwar religion of social and national solidarity.We are left with no concept of the common good or collective meaning.我们生活在一个空前的个人主义的时代。许多人都感到最重要的责任是充分发挥自己的才干,挖掘自己的潜力。这是一个可怕的、孤单的目标。当然,他们也感受到自己应该对他人承担的责任,但是在西方国家,这些责任缺乏一套清晰的理念。无论是古老的、虔诚的世界观,还是战后社会的团结精神和国家的凝聚意识,皆荡然无存。我们全然丧失了公共利益或集体意义的概念。close11RT To become happier, we have to change our inner attitudes as much as our outward circumstances.I am talking of the everlasting philosophy which enables us to find the positive force in ourselves, and to see the positive side in others.Such compassion, to ourselves and others, can be learned and it ought to be taught in schools.Every city should have a policy for promoting a healthier philosophy of life in its youngsters and for helping them to distinguish between superficial pleasures and real happiness.我们要想幸福一些,必须在改变外在环境的同时改变我们内在的态度。我说的是一种永恒的人生哲学,它能使我们在自身找到积极的力量同时也能发现他人身上蕴涵的积极因素。这种对他人和自己怀有的同情心,是可以学会的,学校应该将这种同情心教给学生。每个城市都应该有这样的政策:在年轻人中间推广更健康的人生哲学,帮助他们区别肤浅的快乐和真正的幸福。close12RT So my hope is that in this new century we can finally adopt the greatest happiness of humankind as our concept of the common good.This would have two results.It would serve as a clear guide to policy.But, even more important, it would inspire us in our daily lives to take more pleasure in the happiness of others, and to promote it.In this way we might all become less self-centered and more happy.因此,我希望在这个新的世纪我们最终能够把人类的最大幸福当作我们的公益观。这可能有两个结果。这种人生观可以明确地指导政策的制定,但是更重要的是,在日常的生活中,它会激励我们因为别人幸福而感到更大的快乐,同时帮助他人获得更大的幸福。只有这样,我们才不会以自我为中心,才会更加幸福。
T Material Things and Happiness
Marshall Brain This text is excerpted and adapted from the book The Teenager's Guide to the Real World by Marshall Brain, published in 1997.close1RT Material things do not necessarily bring you happiness.That is a fact of life.It is a hard fact to understand sometimes, especially in a society that strives to teach you otherwise.2 物质财富与幸福生活 马歇尔·布雷恩
物质财富未必会带给你幸福。这是一个无可争辩的生活现实,但有时这一事实却难以理解,尤其在这个竭力向你灌输相反观念的社会里。close2RT It is not uncommon to get into a mode where you think, “If only I had object X, my life would be perfect and I would be happy.” You REALLY want something: a new TV, a new car, a special pair of shoes, whatever.Then you buy it and you LOVE having it for a few days.But over time you get bored or it wears out.You can see this pattern repeated constantly in your own life.For example, your parents and grandparents likely spent thousands and thousands of dollars on toys for you as you were growing up: Dump trucks(自卸货车)and Barbie dolls(芭比娃娃)and video games and electric cars and on and on and on.All of those toys got boring or broken or outgrown eventually.They brought happiness for a moment or a week, but over time they became worthless and your desire turned to a new object.通常,你会陷入这样一种思维模式:“要是我拥有了X,我的生活就会完美无缺,幸福无比了。”你非常想要的东西可能是一台新电视机、一辆新车或者是一双特别的鞋子等等。尔后,你就购买了,几天都在因为得到了它而喜滋滋的。可是,过了段时间,你感到厌烦了,或者东西给用旧了。你会发觉这样一个模式在你自己的生活中不断地重复。比如在你小时候,你父母或祖父母可能花费了成千上万美元给你买玩具:自卸货车、芭比娃娃、电视游戏、电动汽车,等等等等。所有的那些玩具最终都会遭你厌倦、被你玩坏或因你长大而被搁置一边。它们带来了一阵子或者一星期的快乐,可时间一长,它们变得一文不值,你的兴趣转向了某个新玩意儿。close3RT This pattern begs the following question: “If material things bring just a temporary and short-term happiness, then what does that mean?” It might mean that you have to buy material objects at a rate of perhaps one per day to sustain the temporary and short-term high of getting something new.This train of thinking(思路)can get you into thinking of such questions as: ●What is happiness? ●What does it mean to be happy? ●What do I want to do in my life?
这样一种模式自然让人们提出以下的问题:“假如物质的东西带来的幸福只是昙花一现,那么这一切又意味着什么呢?”或许这就意味着,你得以一天一件的速度购置物品,才能维持住你因得到新东西而感受到的那种短暂的快感。循着这个思路,你可以接着考虑下面的这些问题: ●什么是幸福?
●感到幸福意味着什么?
●我这一生想做些什么?close4RT There is a difference between material happiness, which implies having all the basic or extravagant(奢侈的)comforts necessary to live a life, and spiritual happiness, which implies something else altogether.I had a friend whose philosophy was this:
物质上的幸福和精神上的幸福是不同的。物质上的幸福基于生活所需的一切必需品和奢侈品;精神上的幸福则基于生活必需品和奢侈品之外的一切东西。我的一个朋友持有这样一个哲学观:close5RT No matter how much money you make, you always want more.So if you make $25,000 a year, you believe that if you just made $50,000 you would be happy.But then you begin to make $50,000.At that point you believe that if you just made $100,000 you would be happy, and so on throughout life.This pattern is true whether you make $25,000 or $10,000,000 a year, because as you earn more money you acquire more expensive tastes.It seems to me that you might as well learn to be happy on $25,000 a year, figure out an easy way to earn it and then have the rest of your time free to do what you want.你无论赚多少钱,你都想要更多的钱。假如你一年挣25,000美元,你会认为要是挣到50,000美元,你就会感到幸福了。于是,你就开始挣50,000美元。等挣够了那个数目,你又会想,假如挣到100,000美元你就会感到幸福了,就这样周而复始,终其一生。无论你一年挣25,000美元还是10,000,000美元,情况都是一样。因为你赚得越多,你的品味就越昂贵。依我看,不妨学会一年挣得25,000美元就感到满足,想出一个轻轻松松把它们赚到手的办法,然后用余下的时间去做你想做的事情。close6RT This sort of philosophy suggests that you can find something other than material happiness to make your life meaningful.根据这个哲学观,要想令你的生活富有意义,你可以寻找除物质幸福以外的东西。close7RT The thing about “wealth” is that there is more than one way to measure it.Traditionally it is measured in dollars, but there are many other scales.You can be “rich” in ways that have nothing to do with money.For example: ● Rich in friends.A person who cultivates friendships and who is a joy to be around can have hundreds of good friends and can be rich beyond the wildest dreams of others.Rich in health.A person who spends time eating right, exercising and relaxing from stress can be extremely healthy, and this health can be far more valuable than any amount of money.● Rich in strength.A person who works out with weights every day, runs, swims, etc.can be rich in strength and will have an attractive body.● Rich in family.A person who devotes time to his or her spouse and children will have a strong and happy family that is rewarding throughout life.● Rich in knowledge.A person who reads and studies will become rich in knowledge.● Rich in skill.A person who practices anything daily(a skill, a sport, whatever)will excel(擅长)in that skill area.Excellence has its own rewards.● Rich in character.A person who takes pains to be honest and truthful in all situations will become rich in character and will be trusted by everyone.衡量“财富”这东西,办法不止一种。传统上它是用金钱来衡量,但是还有很多其他的度量标准。在与金钱没有丝毫关系的方面,你照样可以“腰缠万贯”。例如:
●富有众多的朋友。一个与人为友、乐观待人的人可以拥有数以百计的好友,可以超乎其他人想象得富裕。
●富有健康的体魄。一个愿意花时间合理进食、锻炼身体、消除压力的人可以身强体健。健康的体魄比起任何数目的金钱都要有价值得多。●富有充沛的精力。一个每天举哑铃、跑步、游泳的人能够精力充沛,身材迷人。●富有和睦的家庭。一个愿意把时间给配偶和孩子的人可以拥有一个稳定幸福的家庭,令他获益终身。
●富有知识。一个爱好阅读和钻研的人可以学富五车。
●富有技能。一个每天勤学苦练(某种技能、运动项目等等)的人会在所操练的领域出类拔萃。出类拔萃,自有回报。●富有人格魅力。一个在一切场合殚精竭虑地做到真实、坦诚的人会富有人格的魅力,受到众人的信任。
close8RT One funny thing about all of these different areas is that none of them are taxed.You are taxed on the money you earn, and that is it.There is no knowledge tax, for example.You can learn freely throughout life and acquire a huge “bank account(银行账户)” of knowledge.No one can steal it or diminish(减少)it in any way.Presumably, knowledge is the one thing you might be able to take with you to Heaven.有趣的是,上述源自不同领域的这些财富都用不着上税。可你挣了钱是要缴纳所得税的,就是这么回事。没有什么(比如说)知识税。你可以分文不花地终身学习,获得丰厚才识的储备。没有人可以将其盗走、令其减少。知识很有可能就是那件你能够带入天堂的东西。close9RT All of these alternative types of wealth are different from financial wealth, and yet all of them can be equally rewarding in their own ways.The point is that the act of purchasing things by itself, despite what television informs you, may not be what will bring you maximum happiness in life.Things like good friends, a loving spouse, well-raised children, a home built on love, a clear conscience, a worthy goal and a job you truly enjoy bring you contentment that lasts and has meaning.These things are often quite beyond the simple-minded teenagers, but as you mature these things become more important.虽然所有这些可选择的财富都有别于金钱,但都能够以各自独特的方式令人受惠。撇开电视给你提供信息不说,单就购买东西这一行为本身是不会给你带来人生最大的幸福。好朋友,爱你的配偶,健康成长的孩子,充满爱的家,无愧的良心,值得奋斗的目标,你真心喜爱的工作,所有这些给你带来的满足感天长地久,意味深长。头脑简单的青少年通常是不能领悟到的,但这些东西随着年轻人逐渐成熟会变得愈加重要。close10RT As you look at the world around you and come to understand what is important to you, keep these things in mind.Think about what it is that you enjoy and what makes you truly happy.See what you find.In thinking about it consciously, you might be surprised by what you discover.Money is incredibly important, for you need it to survive.But it is not the only thing you need, and money itself will not bring lasting happiness to most people.Man does not live by bread alone.当你环顾周围的世界,明白什么对你才是至关重要的时候,你要将其铭记在心。考虑清楚你究竟心仪什么,什么才会给你真正幸福。审视一下你的发现。一番清楚的思考之后,你会吃惊于自己的发现:金钱固然极其重要,因你需要它活命;但金钱不是你唯一需要的东西。对于多数人来说,金钱本身不会带来恒久的幸福。人不是只靠面包生活的。
Unit 4
How to Grow Old
Bertrand Russell This text is slightly adapted from Portraits from Memory and Other Essays(1956), London: George Allen and Unwin;New York: Simon and Schustery.close1RT In spite of the title, this article will really be on how not to grow old, which, at my time of life, is a much more important subject.My first advice would be to choose your ancestors carefully.Although both my parents died young, I have done well in this respect as regards my other ancestors.My maternal grandfather, it is true, was cut off in the flower of his youth at the age of sixty-seven, but my other three grandparents all lived to be over eighty.Of remoter ancestors I can only discover one who did not live to a great age, and he died of a disease which is now rare, namely, having his head cut off.A great grandmother of mine, who was a friend of Gibbon, lived to the age of ninety-two, and to her last day remained a terror to all her descendants.My maternal grandmother, after having nine children who survived, one who died in infancy, and many miscarriages, as soon as she became a widow, devoted herself to women's higher education.She was one of the founders of Girton College, and worked hard at opening the medical profession to women.She used to relate how she met in Italy an elderly gentleman who was looking very sad.She inquired the cause of his melancholy and he said that he had just parted from his two grandchildren.“Good gracious”, she exclaimed, “I have seventy-two grandchildren, and if I were sad each time I parted from one of them, I should have a dismal existence!” “Madre snaturale,” he replied.But speaking as one of the seventy-two, I prefer her recipe.After the age of eighty she found she had some difficulty in getting to sleep, so she habitually spent the hours from midnight to 3 a.m.in reading popular science.I do not believe that she ever had time to notice that she was growing old.This, I think, is the proper recipe for remaining young.If you have wide and keen interests and activities in which you can still be effective, you will have no reason to think about the merely statistical fact of the number of years you have already lived, still less of the probable brevity of your future.“
如何变老 <
伯特兰·罗素
尽管文章的标题是“如何变老”,真正要谈的却是如何不老。在我这个年纪,讨论“如何不老”,着实更为重要。首要的一条忠告是,要慎重地选择祖先。虽然我的父母皆属早 逝,但是考虑到我其他的祖先,我的选择尚好。我的外祖父在六十七岁风华正茂时早逝,这是事实,可我的外祖母,还有我的祖父、祖母,都活到了八十多岁。在那些与我血缘关系稍疏些的祖先中,我只发现有一位不长寿的,他死于一种当前罕见的病:被砍了头。我的一位曾祖母是吉本的朋友,活到九十二岁,其精神状态之好自始至终都让子孙们敬畏,一直到她撒手人寰的那天。我的外祖母,生养了十个孩子,其中一个夭折,另外九个健康成长。此外,她还有过多次小产。她守寡之后,即刻投身于妇女的高等教育事业。她是格顿学院的创始人之一,为促使医疗事业向妇女敞开大门而不遗余力。她过去常讲这样的一个故事:她在意大利遇见一个满面哀伤的老绅士,便询问他为何如此忧伤,老绅士说刚刚和自己两个孙子道别。“天哪!”她叫道,“我有七十二个孙子孙女,如果和其中的一个分别一次就伤心一次,那我的生活岂不太凄惨了!”“非同寻常的母亲啊!”老绅士回答道。但是,作为七十二子孙中的一员,我更喜欢她的这一处世秘诀。外祖母八十高龄后感到入睡有些困难,她便常常在半夜到凌晨三点这段时间阅读科普书籍。我想,她无暇顾及自己是否老了。我认为这就是保持年轻的秘诀。如果你拥有广泛的、自己钟爱的兴趣和活动,又能从中体会自己老当益壮,你就没有理由从那些只有在统计学中才有意义的数字上考虑生命已经度过多少春秋,更没有理由担忧自己的未来也许很短暂。close2RT As regards health I have nothing useful to say since I have little experience of illness.I eat and drink whatever I like, and sleep when I cannot keep awake.I never do anything whatever on the ground that it is good for health, though in actual fact the things I like doing are mostly wholesome.说到健康,我很少生病,因此无法提供有用的建议。我随心所欲地吃喝,不能清醒时就睡觉。我做任何事情都不是因为这些事情对健康有利。不过,我喜欢做的事情实际上大多都有益于健康。close3RT Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age.One of these is undue absorption in the past.It does not do to live in memories, in regrets for the good old days, or in sadness about friends who are dead.One's thoughts must be directed to the future and to things about which there is something to be done.This is not always easy: one's own past is a gradually increasing weight.It is easy to think to oneself that one's emotions used to be more vivid than they are, and one's mind more keen.If this is true it should be forgotten, and if it is forgotten it will probably not be true.就心理而言,老年人应慎防两种危险。其一就是过度地沉湎于过去。人不能活在记忆中,不能生活在因美好往昔的逝去而怅然若失中,也不能生活在缅怀已故朋友的哀痛中。人的心思必须放在未来上,想想可以有所作为的事情。这并非一件轻而易举的事:一个人经历的往事,渐渐变成一个沉重的包袱。人们很容易以为过去的情感比现在强烈,过去的头脑也比现在敏锐。倘若真的如此,我们就要忘却这个事实;如果忘却了这个事实,事实也许就不再是事实了。close4RT The other thing to be avoided is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigour from its vitality.When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives, and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young, you are likely to become a burden to them.Animals become indifferent to their young as soon as their young can look after themselves, but human beings, owing to the length of infancy, find this difficult.另一种要提防的危险是:依恋年轻人,希望从他们的勃勃生机中汲取活力。当你的孩子已长大成人,他们就想过自己的生活;如果你仍像他们小时候那样关注他们,你很可能就成了他们的包袱。动物在下一代能够自食其力时就不再给予关注;人类因幼年时期较长而很难做到这一点。close5RT It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes, both because they will not believe you, and because mistakes are an essential part of education.But if you are one of those who are incapable of impersonal interests, you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with your children and grandchildren.In that case you must realize that while you can still render them material services, such as making them an allowance or knitting them jumpers, you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.孩子已长大成人,叮嘱他们不犯错误已经没有意义,因为他们不再相信你的话,再说错误是教育不可或缺的一部分。但是,如果你的兴趣无法摆脱个人感情的支配,你也许会发现,假如不关注子孙,生活就会空虚无望。在这种情况下,你必须意识到,虽然你仍可以给他们提供物质上的帮助,比如给他们一笔零花钱或为他们编织毛线外套,但是你绝不能期望他们会乐意和你呆在一起。close6RT Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death.In the young there is a justification for this feeling.Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer.But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat ignoble.The best way to overcome it — so at least it seems to me — is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life.An individual human existence should be like a river — small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls.Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being.The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not suffer from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue.And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will not be unwelcome.I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.有些老人因害怕死亡而烦恼。年轻人有这种感受是可以理解的。年轻人害怕在战场上牺牲,这情有可原。他们认为,死亡会剥夺生活赋予的最美好的东西,这让他们深感痛苦。但是,饱尝人世酸甜苦辣的老者已挖掘自己的潜力、实现了自己的抱负,倘若再对死亡产生恐惧之心,未免有些可耻。克服恐惧之心的最好的办法是 —— 至少我这样看 —— 开拓更广泛的、不局限于个人感情的兴趣,让包围自我的墙壁渐渐地消失,你的生活就渐渐融入人类的生活中。一个人的存在应该像一条河 —— 初始为涓涓细流,裹在狭窄的岸间,在岩石的缝隙中、在呼啸的瀑布上奔泻。河床渐渐变宽,河岸逐渐隐退,水流平缓,河水没有明显的停滞,最终融入海洋的怀抱,毫无痛苦地结束了独立个体的存在。上了年纪的人,倘若能以这种态度看待人生,就不会因为害怕死亡而不安,因为他所喜爱的一切将继续存在。而且,当生命力衰竭之时,疲惫感油然而生,长眠的念头并非令人厌恶。我希望在尚能劳作之时告别人世,知道他人会将我未竟的事业继续下去,同时回想这一生有可能做的事情,都尽力而为了,由此可以满意地安息了。
A Whisper of AIDS
Mary Fisher The article is adapted from The Art of Public Speaking, edited by Stephen E.Lucas, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2001.close1RT Less than three months ago, at platform hearings(政党纲领听证会)in Salt Lake City, I asked the Republican Party(共和党)to break the silence which has been kept over the issue of HIV/AIDS.I have come tonight to bring our silence to an end.低语艾滋
玛丽·费希尔
差不多三个多月前,在盐湖城召开的政党纲领听证会上,我曾向共和党提出了请求,请求打破长期对艾滋病病毒和艾滋病问题保持的沉默。今晚,我来到这儿,要给这样的沉默作个了断。close2RT I bear a message of challenge, not self-congratulation.I want your attention, not your applause.I would never have asked to be HIV-positive.But I believe that in all things there is a good purpose, and so I stand before you, and before the nation, gladly.我带来的是挑战的信息,而不是自鸣得意的信息。我需要的是大家的关注,而不需要大家的掌声。我从来也没有主动要求做一个艾滋病病毒的携带者。但是我相信,凡事都有好的一面。于是,我就站在众人的面前,站在国人的面前,心甘情愿。close3RT The reality of AIDS is brutally clear.Two hundred thousand Americans are dead or dying;a million more are infected.Worldwide, 40 million, 60 million, or a hundred million infections will be counted in the coming few years.艾滋病存在的现实残酷地摆在世人的面前。有20万美国人有的已经命丧黄泉,有的命悬一线;还有100万人已经染上了艾滋病。在世界范围内,在未来的几年里,将会出现4千万、6千万、乃至1万万个艾滋病感染的病例。close4RT In the context of an election year, I ask you — here, in this great hall, or listening in the quiet of your home — to recognize that the AIDS virus is not a political creature.It does not care whether you are Democrat(民主党党员)or Republican.It does not ask whether you are black or white, male or female, gay(同性恋的)or straight(非同性恋的), young or old.在这个选举年里,无论您此刻是在这宽敞的会议厅,还是在安静的家里,我都要请您明白:艾滋病病毒不是政治产物。它并不介意您是民主党人还是共和党人;它并不过问您是黑人还是白人,是男人还是女人,是同性恋还是异性恋,是青年人还是老年人。close5RT Tonight, I represent an AIDS community whose members came reluctantly from every segment of American society.Though I am white and a mother, I am one with a black infant struggling with tubes in a Philadelphia hospital.Though I am female and contracted this disease in marriage, and enjoy the warm support of my family, I am one with the lonely gay man sheltering a flickering(摇曳)candle from the cold wind of his family's rejection.今晚,我代表的是一个罹患艾滋病的社群。这个社群的成员来自美国社会的各个阶层,但都不是志愿加入的。尽管我是个白人,是个母亲,但我和一个正在费城医院和试管搏斗的黑皮肤的婴儿命运相连。尽管我是个女性,结婚时染上了艾滋病,同时也享受着家人温馨的支持,但我和一个孤独的同性恋男人命运相连;他正在家人厌弃的寒风下呵护着摇曳的生命烛火。close6RT This is not a distant threat;it is a present danger.The rate of infection is increasing fastest among women and children.Largely unknown a decade ago, AIDS is the third leading killer of young adult Americans today — but it won't be third for long.Because, unlike other diseases, this one travels.Adolescents don't give each other cancer or heart disease because they believe they are in love.But HIV is different.And we have helped it along — we have killed each other — with our ignorance, our prejudice, and our silence.艾滋病的威胁并非遥不可及,相反,它的危险近在咫尺。妇孺的染疾率正以最快的速度上升。艾滋病十年前还鲜为人知,可如今已是夺取美国年轻人生命的第三大元凶 —— 不过,它屈居第三的位置也将不会为时多久。因为有别于其他疾病的是,艾滋病四处游荡。青少年不会因为自认为相爱而相互传染癌症或者心脏病。可艾滋病病毒却是另外一回事儿。无知、偏见和缄默使得我们助纣为虐,相互残杀。close7RT We may take refuge(庇护)in our stereotypes, but we cannot hide there long.Because HIV asks only one thing of those it attacks: Are you human? And this is the right question: Are you human? Because people with HIV have not entered some alien(性质全然不同的)state of being.They are human.They have not earned cruelty and they do not deserve meanness.They don't benefit from being isolated or treated as outcasts(被抛弃的人).Each of them is a person.Not evil, deserving of our judgment;not victims, longing for our pity.They are people, ready for support and worthy of compassion.我们或许会固守成见,但成见不能长久保护我们。因为艾滋病病毒发起进攻时只会问:你们是人吗?问得好!你们是人吗?因为艾滋病病毒的携带者并非变成了某种怪异的生物体,他们是人。他们并没有犯下遭此残酷待遇的罪行,不应该受到刻薄的对待。他们在被孤立、被遗弃当中没有获益。他们每个人都是一名个体,他们不是祸害,不应该受到审判;他们不是受害者,不渴望大家的怜悯。他们是需要支持、值得同情的人。close8RT My call to the nation is a plea(恳求)for awareness.If you believe you are safe, you are in danger.Because I was not hemophiliac(患血友病的), I was not at risk.Because I was not gay, I was not at risk.Because I did not inject(注射)drugs, I was not at risk.我向国人发出的是“觉悟起来”的诉求。如果你们相信自己是安全的,那你们已身处危境了。当初不是因为我不是血友病患而没有危险,不是因我不是同性恋而没有危险,不是因我不吸毒而没有危险。close9RT Tonight, HIV marches firmly towards AIDS in more than a million American homes, littering its pathway with the bodies of the young — young men, young women, young parents, and young children.One of the families is mine.If it is true that HIV inevitably turns to AIDS, then my children will inevitably turn to orphans(孤儿).今晚,艾滋病病毒在一百多万美国家庭里正稳步地向艾滋病迈进,沿途丢弃的尽是年轻的尸骨 —— 年轻的男人、年轻的女人,年轻的父母和年幼的孩童。在这些众多的家庭中就有我的家庭。如果艾滋病病毒果真不可避免地令我患上艾滋病,那么我的孩子将不可避免地成为孤儿。close10RT My family has been a rock of support.My 84-year-old father, who has pursued the healing of the nations, will not accept the premise(假设)that he cannot heal his daughter.My mother refuses to be broken;she still calls at midnight to tell wonderful jokes that make me laugh.Sisters and friends, and my brother Philip(whose birthday is today)— all have helped carry me over the hardest places.I am blessed, richly and deeply blessed, to have such a family.我的家人一直给予我磐石般的支持。我84岁的父亲一直致力于上帝“医治万民”的事业,他不愿意接受自己无力医治女儿创伤的假定。我母亲拒绝放弃希望,午夜时分,她仍打来电话讲些令我捧腹的精彩笑话。姐妹、朋友、我的兄弟菲利普(今天是他的生日),他们都帮助我穿越了最艰难的地带。拥有这样一个家庭,我是“幸福”的,深深的、无比的“幸福”。close11RT But not all of you have been so blessed.You are HIV-positive but dare not say it.You have lost loved ones, but you dared not whisper the word AIDS.You weep silently;you grieve alone.但是,你们大家并非都如我这般幸福。你们是艾滋病病毒的携带者,但却没有勇气说出来;你们失去了心爱的人,但却没有勇气轻声说出“艾滋病”这个词。你们悄悄啜泣,独自悲伤。close12RT I have a message for you: It is not you who should feel shame;it is we.We who tolerate ignorance and practice prejudice, we who have taught you to fear.We must break the silence, making it safe for you to reach out for compassion.It is our task to seek safety for our children, not in quiet denial but in effective action.我要告诉你们的是:应该感到羞愧的不是你们,而是我们大家!是我们容忍无知、抱有偏见!是我们教会你们害怕!我们必须打破沉默,让你们在争取同情时感到心安理得。我们有义务给孩子们寻求安全,但不是通过默默的排斥而应是积极的行动。close13RT To the millions of you who are grieving, who are frightened, who have contracted AIDS firsthand: Have courage and you will find support.对那些哀伤着恐惧着罹患了艾滋病的数以百万计的人们,我想说:鼓起勇气,才能获得支援!close14RT To the millions who are strong, I issue this plea: Set aside prejudice and politics to make room for compassion and sound policy.对数以百万计的健康人,我恳求你们放下偏见和政见,施以怜悯,制定明智的政策。close15RT To all within the sound of my voice, I appeal: Learn with me the lessons of history and of grace, so my children will not be afraid to say the word AIDS when I am gone.Then their children, and yours, may not need to whisper it at all.我要向所有的人高声疾呼:和我一起汲取历史教训吧,和我一起学习宽容吧。这样,我的孩子在我离去时才会有胆量说出“艾滋病”这个字眼儿,孩子的孩子以及你们的孩子也许就再也不必窃窃私语说出“艾滋病”这个字眼儿了。
Unit 5 Education in Cyberspace
Vicky Phillips The text is taken and adapted from the website: http://archive.salon.com/21st/feature/1998/01/20feature.html
close1RT On a recent business trip a man asked me what I did for a living.I replied that I wrote and taught college courses.网络教育
维基· 菲利普斯
在最近的一次出差途中,有人问及我的职业,我说自己是从事编写和教授大学课程的。close2RT ”Oh?“ he said.”Where do you teach?“
“哦?你在哪儿教书?”他问道。close3RT A peculiarly honest answer came out of my mouth before I could think.”Nowhere,“ I said.我不假思索,老老实实地答道:“虚无空间里”。close4RT It's true.Since 1990 I have taught and counseled for what a friend of mine calls ”keyboard colleges“ — distance-learning degree programs.Where I teach is inside that electrically charged space that lies between my phone jack and the home computers of a group of generally older-than-average college students.我说的是实情。1990年起,我就在被朋友称作“键盘大学”里教远程学位教育课程并提供辅导。我的课堂是在充满电荷的空间里,其间一端连着我的电话插座,另一端连着一群年龄偏大的大学生家里的电脑。close5RT In 1990, I designed America's first online counseling center for distance learners.Since then I've worked with more than 7,000 learners online.I've flunked a few of them.I've never personally met any of them.1990年,我筹建了美国第一个远程学习者在线辅导中心。迄今为止,我已在线辅导了7000多个学生,其中只有几个人不及格,而我本人却从未与他们谋面。close6RT For want of a clearer explanation of my career situation, I told the man who inquired that I teach in cyberspace.”I'm a virtual professor,“ I tried explaining.”Distance learning...online degree programs...virtual universities.“
由于无法更清楚地解释我的工作环境,我只能告诉这位问话者:我在虚拟空间教书,“是个虚拟大学的教师。”我试着向他解释“远程教育······在线学位课程······虚拟大学”等等。close7RT The man's face remained as blank as a clear summer sky.I couldn't tell whether he was silent out of respect or keen confusion.I imagined both to be the case, so I settled in to explain what I have to explain frequently these days: the decline of the American college campus and the rise of the American educational mind — as I see it.那人的脸上仍旧一片茫然。我不清楚他沉默不语到底是因肃然起敬所致,还是纯粹对此稀里糊涂。我猜想两个原因都有。于是,我就开始解释这些天来经常解释的事情:我认为,美国的大学教育在衰退,而美国的教育新思维正在兴起。close8RT Distance learning, or educational programs where pupil and professor never meet face-to-face, is nothing new.Sir Isaac Pitman of Bath, England, hit upon the idea of having rural residents learn secretarial skills by translating the Bible into shorthand, then mailing these translations back to him for grading.He began doing this in 1840.And he made mounds of money doing it.远程教学(即师生不用谋面的教育课程)并不是件新生事物。英国巴斯大学的艾塞克·彼特曼爵士曾突发奇想,让乡村居民把圣经转换成速记文字,然后邮寄给他评阅,以这种办法教会他们文秘技能。1840年他就开始实施,从中赚取了大笔的金钱。close9RT I don't teach shorthand;I teach psychology and career development.I write many of my own lessons, though, just as Sir Isaac had to do.My post is the World Wide Web.I post assignments to electronic bulletin boards and send graded papers across the international phone lines in tariff-free e-mail packets.I convene classes and give lectures in online chat rooms when need be.我并不教速记,我教心理学和职业拓展。但还是和艾塞克爵士一样,很多课程是自己编写的。我的岗位是在万维网,我把作业张贴在电子布告栏上,把批阅过的试卷用电子邮件通过国际电话线发送出去,而且免交关税;必要时,把班级学生召集起来,在网上聊天室里在线讲课。close10RT Is this any way to dispense with a real college education? Can people learn without sitting in neat rows in a lecture room listening to the professor — the Sage on the Stage?
难道这种方式能够摒弃现实中的大学教育吗?学生难道不用整齐地坐在教室里聆听老师 —— 讲坛上的圣人——讲课就能学到知识吗?close11RT Yes, absolutely.Why not? In fact, while many people find it hard to imagine a college with no campus, I nowadays find it hard to imagine teaching anywhere other than in the liberal freedom that is cyberspace.绝对可以,毫无疑问。事实上,很多人都认为没有校园的大学难以想象,可我现在却以为不在网络空间这块充满自由氛围的地方教书才是匪夷所思呢。close12RT In cyberspace, I listen, read, comment and reflect on what my students have to say — each of them in turn.What they know, they must communicate to me in words.They cannot sit passively in the back row twiddling their mental thumbs as the clock ticks away.They must think;and horrors of horrors, they must write.Thinking and writing: Aren't these the hallmarks of a classically educated mind?
在网络空间里,我倾听、阅读、评价、思考学生们表述的观点 —— 一次一个,轮流发言。他们必须书面把见解传输给我,他们不能坐在后排座位上,无所事事地打发时光。他们必须思考,最令他们头疼的是,他们必须写作。思考与写作,那不就是传统教育培养出来的人才所具备的特质吗?close13RT I know my students not by their faces or their seat position in a vast lecture auditorium;I know them by the words and ideas they express in their weekly assignments, which everyone reads online.我不是凭借他们的脸庞或是他们在宽敞教室里所坐位置来认识我的学生,而是通过他们每周作业里的文字和观点了解他们。这些文字与观点大家都能在线读到。close14RT I am not a Sage on the Stage — I am more a Guide on the Side.Often what the students ”say“ or write to one another, or the way they incorporate their work and career ideas into their papers and debates with each other, is more practically inspiring than any help I could provide them with.我不是讲坛上的圣人 —— 我更像是他们身边的向导。通常,学生们之间“说”的或写的东西、把自己工作和职业体会融入论文和辩论的方式,比起我能够提供的任何东西都更加实用,更有启迪性。close15RT My average college ”kid“ is 40 years old.More than a few are in their 50s or 60s.They are telecommuting to campus because they could not, or would not, uproot their careers and kids or grandkids to move to a college campus — an entity modeled after the learning monasteries of medieval times.我学生的年龄一般是四十岁,还有不少五六十岁。他们通过网络来上学。因为他们不能或者不愿意辞去工作、离开儿女或孙辈们搬进大学校园 —— 那样的大学无非就是一个依照中世纪修道院模式建立起来的教育实体。close16RT Many of them know what they are talking about.Even more so, they know why they came back to college to learn.A cyber-education suits them because it respects their abilities to define for themselves what knowledge is and to go after it.It encourages them to argue their points and their perspectives without the interference of a professor, who might be tempted to step in to ”calm down“ or ”refocus“ an otherwise wonderfully enlightening classroom debate.他们大多数了解自己所谈论的东西,不仅如此,他们清楚自己为何返回大学学习。网络教育适合他们,因为网络教育尊重学员界定知识和追求知识的能力,鼓励他们抒发自己的观点和见解,没有教师干扰,因为教师可能会情不自禁地介入他们的争论,把原本很有启发性的课堂讨论“平息”或者“引到别的话题上去”。close17RT They are experiencing something very different from the traditional factory model of American education, in which everyone on the assembly line is delivered the same standardized units of information(lectures and textbooks)and then must pass the same quality inspection(objective exams).This factory model — where students sit in neat rows, holding up their hands for permission to speak, clock-watching their way through textbooks and lectures that are broken into discrete bits of knowledge — has never been shown to be an effective way to learn.It has, however, been proven to be a convenient way for colleges to record on transcripts that a standard body of knowledge has been duly delivered.学生们体验到的东西完全不同于依照传统工厂模式运作的美国教育。在传统教育中,生产线上的每个人接收到相同标准单位的信息(讲座和教材),然后必须通过同一质量检查(客观考试)。学生们坐在整齐排列的座位上,举手请求允许后才发言,不断地看着钟表学课本、听讲座,课本和讲座被分解成不相关联的知识玩意儿。没有证据显示,这样的工厂模式是有效的学习途径,而只能证明这是一种很便利的方式:大学在成绩报告单上记录下标准份量的知识已如期地传授。close18RT Maybe teaching a liberal arts curriculum via a virtual environment makes more sense to me because it brings me back to what I learned to be a true liberal arts education.Studying philosophy in Athens, Greece, I was taught that to learn anything, one had to throw away textbooks and notebooks — mere memory tools — and instead rely on one's native ability to think critically.或许,在虚拟环境下教大学文科课程对我来说特别有意义,因为它可以追溯到我当年所了解到的真正的大学文科教育。在希腊雅典研读哲学时,老师教导我,要学到东西就得扔掉课本和笔记本这些不过是记忆工具的东西,要依赖我们与生俱来的本领进行批判性思考。close19RT While my cyber-students do have textbooks, the books are learning aids;they are not the only pool of knowledge the students will drink from.Instead, they will learn also from the collaborative efforts of online debates, conferences and papers.They will think about what they have to say, and they will come to class each week amazingly prepared to argue and type their way toward insight.我的网络学生的确是有教材,但那都是学习的辅助材料,不是他们汲取知识的唯一源泉。他们还将从网上辩论、会议和论文写作的合作中学到知识。学生们要为发言认真思考;他们每周来上课时,充分准备好辩论,通过键盘上的交流获取真知。close20RT The virtual university: Oddly enough, it's just what a classical philosopher like Plato would have practiced — had there been an Internet way back then.Me? I'm in favor of less learning taking place on a campus and more that happens in the minds of the participants.说也奇怪,虚拟大学兴许正是柏拉图这样的古典哲学家喜欢授课的地方 —— 假如他那个时期有因特网的话。你问我本人的意见?我也认为教育应该比较少地在校园里开展,而更多地应该在参与者的脑子里进行。
The Four Pillars of Education in the Twenty-first Century
Jacques Delors The text is excerpted from Learning: The Treasure Within, a report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century, by Jacques Delors, 1996.close1RT In confronting the many challenges that the future holds in store, humankind sees in education an indispensable asset(资产)in its attempt to attain the ideals of peace, freedom and social justice.二十一世纪教育的四个支柱 雅克· 德洛尔
面对未来的种种挑战,教育看来是使人类朝着和平、自由和社会正义迈进的一笔不可或缺的财富。close2RT The role of education in the 21st century must be based upon the hope for a world that is a better place to live in.To this end, we have to confront and overcome some of the problems of the 21st century, namely:
●The tension between the global and the local.People need to become world citizens gradually but without losing their roots.●The tension between tradition and modernity, which is part of the same problem: how to adapt to change without turning one's back on the past.●The tension between long-term and short-term considerations.Public opinion always cries out for quick answers and ready solutions, whereas many problems call for a patient, concerted(协同完成的), negotiated strategy of reform.This is precisely the case where education policies are concerned.●The tension between, on the one hand, the need for competition, and on the other, the concern for equality of opportunity.This has led us to reconcile three forces: competition, which provides incentives;co-operation, which gives strength;and solidarity, which unites.●The tension between the spiritual and the material.It is education's noble task to encourage each and every one to lift their minds and spirits in accordance with their traditions and convictions.在二十一世纪,教育的作用必须立足于人类对更美好世界的向往。为此,我们必须正视二十一世纪面临的一些问题,并予以解决。这些问题是: ●全球与局域之间的紧张关系:各国人民在不失其根本的同时,需逐渐成为世界公民。
●传统和现代之间的紧张关系,这和“如何适应变革又不漠视过去”属于同一个问题。
●长远考虑和短期考虑之间的紧张关系。舆论总是迫切需要迅速得到问题的答案和现成的解决办法,而许多问题却需要从长计议,耐心协调,策略变通方能解决。教育政策正属于这种情况。●人类一方面需要竞争,另一方面也关注机会的均等,这两者之间也存在着紧张关系。这促使我们把三个因素协调起来:具有激励作用的竞争力、产生活力的合作精神以及具有凝聚力的团结精神。●精神和物质之间的紧张关系。在不违背每个人的传统和信仰的基础上,激励他们升华自己的思想和精神境界,这是教育的崇高使命。close3RT Having adopted this position, we propose to put greater emphasis on one of the four pillars which serve as the foundations of education: learning to live together.One of education's tasks is both to teach pupils and students about human diversity and make them aware of the similarities and interdependence of all people.From early childhood, schools should seize every opportunity to pursue this two-pronged(两方面的)approach.Some subjects lend themselves to this — human geography in basic education, foreign languages and literature later on, to name just a few.Learning to live together can be achieved by developing an understanding of others and their history, traditions and spiritual values and, on this basis, creating a new spirit which would induce people to implement common projects or to manage the inevitable conflicts in an intelligent and peaceful way.站在这个立场上,我们建议,人类需要更加重视作为教育基础的四个支柱之一:学会共同生活。教育的使命之一是让学生认识人类的多样性,同时还要让他们意识到所有人之间的相似性和相互依存性。从幼儿开始,学校就应该抓住各种机会进行这一双重教育。有些学科适合进行这种教育,例如,在基础教育阶段开设人文地理,晚些时候开设外语和外国文学。为了学会共同生活,我们可以多了解他人、了解他人的历史、传统和精神价值,在此基础上创造一种新的精神,这种精神会激励人们参与共同的项目或者用明智、和平的方式化解不可避免的冲突。close4RT In the meantime, we should not disregard the other three pillars of education which provide, as it were(可以说是), the bases for learning to live together.The first of these is learning to know.With the rapid changes brought about by scientific progress, the emphasis has to be on combining a sufficiently broad general education with the possibility of in-depth work on a selected number of subjects.同时,我们也不应该忽视教育的另外三个支柱,它们可以说是学会共同生活的基本要素。第一是学会认知。随着科学进步所带来的迅速变革,人类必须重视以下两个方面的结合:一是相当广泛的普通教育;二是就少量精选的学科进行深入研究的可能性。close5RT Learning to know, therefore, implies learning how to learn.Since knowledge is of multiple nature, any attempt to know everything becomes more and more pointless.In fact, after the basic education stage, the idea of being a multi-subject specialist is simply an illusion.A truly educated person nowadays needs a broad general education and the opportunity to study a small number of subjects in depth.General education, which gives pupils and students a chance to learn other languages and become familiar with other subjects, first and foremost provides a way of communicating with other people.Such a general background provides, so to speak, the passport to lifelong education, in so far as it gives people a taste — but also lays the foundations — for learning throughout life.因此,学会认知就意味着学会如何学习。由于知识涉及到方方面面,试图想什么都知道,这愈来愈做不到。事实上,在基础教育阶段之后,想成为多门学科的专家就成了不切实际的幻想。今天,一个真正受到良好教育的人需要接受广泛的通识教育,同时有机会深入地研究少量的学科。通识教育使学生有机会学习其他语言、熟悉其他学科,首先而且尤为重要的是,通识教育提供了与他人交流的手段。这种通识教育可以说是接受终身教育的通行证,因为它使人对终身学习产生了兴趣并为其奠定了基础。close6RT Learning to do is another pillar.This question is closely associated with the issue of occupational training: how do we adapt education so that it can equip people to do the types of work needed in the future? Here we should draw a distinction between industrial economies, where most people are wage-earners, and other economies where self-employment or casual(临时的)work is still the norm.The future of industrial economies hinges on(取决于)their ability to turn advances in knowledge into innovations that will generate new businesses and new jobs.In addition to learning to do a job, it also refers to the acquisition of a competence(能力)that enables people to deal with a variety of situations and to work in teams.In many cases, such competence and skills are more readily acquired if pupils and students have the opportunity to try out and develop their abilities by becoming involved in work experience schemes or social work while they are still in education.另外一个支柱是学会做事。这和职业培训密不可分:我们如何使教育和未来相适应、使人们有能力做好未来所需要的工作?这里我们应该将以雇佣劳动为主的工业化经济同以个体经营或临时工为主的其他类型的经济区别开来。工业化经济的未来取决于它们能否把知识的进步转化为革新,从而开创新企业、创造新的就业机会。除了学习从事一种职业外,学会做事也指获得一种能力,这种能力使一个人能够应付各种各样的情况,而且能够参与集体劳动。如果在校的中小学生和大学生都有机会参加一些以获取工作经验为目标的培训活动或社会福利工作,以此来实践和锻炼自己的能力,以上所说的能力和技能在许多情况下是比较容易获得的close7RT Last, but far from least, is the fourth pillar: learning to be.In the twenty-first century everyone will need to exercise greater independence and judgment.It is necessary to have a stronger sense of personal responsibility for the attainment of common goals.Education should contribute to every person's complete development — mind and body, intelligence, sensitivity, aesthetic(美感的)appreciation and spirituality.All people should receive in their childhood and youth an education that equips them to develop their own independent, critical way of thinking and judgment, so that they can make up their own minds on the best courses of action(行动步骤)in the different circumstances in their lives.None of the talents which are hidden like buried treasure in every person must be left untapped(未开发的).These are, to name but a few: memory, reasoning power, imagination, physical ability, aesthetic sense, the aptitude(才能)to communicate with others and the natural charisma(领袖气质)of the group leader, which again goes to prove the need for greater self-knowledge.最后但同样重要的是第四个支柱:学会生存。在二十一世纪,人人都需要发挥更强的自主能力和判断能力;每个人都要对共同目标的实现怀有更强烈的责任感。教育应当促进每个人的全面发展,即身心、智力、敏锐性、审美情趣以及精神的升华等方面的发展。每个人在青少年时代接受的教育应该使他们形成一种独立自主的、富有批判精神的思维方式和判断力。只有这样,他们才能够在人生不同的情况下自己确定最应该做的事情。蕴藏在每个人身上的像宝藏一样的才能都必须发挥出来,例如记忆力、推理能力、想象力、体能、审美意识、与他人交流的能力以及领导者天生的领袖魅力。这再次证明一个人需要对自己有更深入的了解。close8RT What we shall build in the twenty-first century is a learning society founded on the acquisition, renewal(更新)and use of knowledge.As the development of the ”information society“ is increasing the opportunities for access to data and facts, education should enable everyone to gather information and to select, arrange, manage and use it.我们要在二十一世纪建立以获取、更新和利用知识为基础的教育社会。由于“信息社会”不断发展,人们接触数据和事实的机会大增,教育应该使每个人都能收集种种信息,并能筛选、整理、管理和使用这些信息。close9RT Faced with a growing and at the same time increasingly quality-minded demand for education, how can educational policies achieve the twin aims of high educational standards and equity? These are the questions that we should address concerning courses of study, educational methods and content, and prerequisites(先决条件)for the effectiveness of education.面对这种对教育越来越多、越来越高的要求,怎样才能使教育政策实现既提高教育质量又体现教育公正这两个目标呢?这是我们应该解决的问题,其中涉及课程设置、教学方法和内容、以及提高教学效果应必备的条件。close10RT These four pillars of knowledge cannot be anchored(固定)solely in one phase in a person's life or in a single place.There is a need to re-think when in people's lives education should be provided, and the fields that such education should cover.The periods and fields should complement each other and be interrelated in such a way that all people can get the most out of their own specific educational environment all through their lives.教育的这四个支柱不能只涉及一个人一生中的某个阶段或单纯某个方面。我们有必要重新思考:人的一生什么时候应该获得教育?所受的教育应该覆盖哪些领域?教育的各个阶段和领域应该相互补充,相互关联,从而使每个人在一生中都能够充分利用自己拥有的独特的教育环境。Close
Unit 6 Culture Shock
Kalervo Oberg The text is excerpted and adapted from Kalervo Oberg's talk presented to the Women's Club of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 3, 1954.close1RT We might almost call culture shock an occupational disease of people who have been suddenly transplanted abroad.Like most ailments it has its own cause, symptoms, and cure.文化冲击
卡勒沃·奥伯格
我们不妨把文化冲击称为突然置身国外的人们所得的职业病。和大部分疾病一样,这种病有其独特的起因、症状和疗法。close2RT Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse.These signs or cues include the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life: when to shake hands and what to say when we meet people, when and how to give tips, how to give orders to servants, how to make purchases, when to accept and when to refuse invitations, when to take statements seriously and when not.These cues which may be words, gestures, facial expressions, customs, or norms are acquired by all of us in the course of growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept.All of us depend for our peace of mind and our efficiency on hundreds of these cues.文化冲击是因为我们失去熟悉的社会交往标记和符号而产生的焦虑所促成。这些标志或暗示包括我们应付日常生活各种情境时使用的诸多方式方法:与人会面时何时握手、该说些什么;在什么时间、以什么方式付小费;如何吩咐佣人;怎样购物;何时该接受、何时该拒绝他人的邀请;别人说的话,何时该当真,何时不该当真。这些暗示可以是语言、手势、面部表情、风俗习惯或社会行为标准。我们在成长的过程中获得了这些暗示,就像我们的语言和我们所接受的信仰一样,它们已经成为我们文化的一部分。我们所有的人都依赖成百上千个这样的暗示才能拥有宁静的心境,过上高效率的生活。close3RT Now when an individual enters a strange culture, all or most of these familiar cues are removed.He or she is like a fish out of water.No matter how broad-minded you may be, a series of props have been knocked from under you, followed by a feeling of frustration and anxiety.People react to the frustration in much the same way.First they reject the environment which causes the discomfort: ”The ways of the host country are bad because they make us feel bad.“ When Americans or other foreigners in a strange land get together to complain about the host country and its people — you can be sure they are suffering from culture shock.Another phase of culture shock is regression.The home environment suddenly assumes a tremendous importance.To an American everything American becomes irrationally glorified.All the difficulties and problems are forgotten and only the good things back home are remembered.It usually takes a trip home to bring one back to reality.当你走进一种陌生的文化,你所熟悉的所有或大部分文化暗示也就随之消失。此时的你宛如一条离开水的鱼。无论你的心胸多么开阔,你赖以生存的支柱此时都已倒塌,挫折感和焦虑感油然而生。人们对此种挫折的反应非常相似:他们首先排斥令他们不适的环境:”我们所到之国的生活方式很不好,让我们感觉很糟糕。“当美国人或其他的外国人来到一个陌生的国度,聚在一起抱怨所到之国及其人民时 —— 可以肯定,他们正深受文化冲击之苦。文化冲击的另外一个阶段是回归。故乡的一草一木突然变得极为重要。一个美国人会不合理地美化美国的一切事物。在自己国家所经历的困难和问题都抛在了脑后,只记得故乡美好的事物。通常要回国一趟方可回到现实中。close4RT In an effort to get over culture shock, there is some value in knowing something about the nature of culture and its relationship to the individual.In addition to living in a physical environment, an individual lives in a cultural environment consisting of man-made physical objects, social institutions, and ideas and beliefs.An individual is not born with culture but only with the capacity to learn it and use it.There is nothing in a new born child which dictates that it should eventually speak Portuguese, English, or French;nor that he should eat with a fork in his left hand rather than in the right or use chopsticks.All these things the child has to learn.Nor are the parents responsible for the culture which they transmit to their young.The culture of any people is the product of history and is built up over time largely through processes which are beyond his awareness.It is by means of culture that the young learn to adapt themselves to the physical environment and to the people with whom they associate.And as we know, children and adolescents often experience difficulties in this process of learning and adjustment.But once learned, culture becomes a way of life.要克服文化冲击的心理,了解文化的性质及其与个人的关系会有所裨益。除了赖以生存的自然环境,一个人还生活在由人造的有形物体、社会风俗、观念和信仰构成的文化环境中。一个人并非天生就有文化,而是生来就具备学习和使用文化的能力。新生婴儿的身上不存在一种只许他最终说葡萄牙语、英语或法语的东西,也不存在一种只许他用左手而不是右手执叉或只许他用筷子吃饭的东西。这些东西都是要孩子去学习的。文化也不是由父母负责传递给孩子的。任何一个民族的文化都是历史的产物,经过漫长的、本民族意识不到的过程才得以积累形成。孩子通过文化学会适应周围的物质环境,学会和周围的人打交道。众所周知,青少年在学习和适应的过程中经常遇到困难。但是,文化一旦学会了,就会成为一种生活方式。close5RT People have a way of accepting their culture as both the best and the only way of doing things.This is perfectly normal and understandable.To this attitude we give the name ethnocentrism, a belief that not only the culture but the race and the nation form the center of the world.Individuals identify themselves with their own group to the extent that any critical comment is taken as a remark which is rude to the individual as well as to the group.If you criticize my country, you are criticizing me;if you criticize me, you are criticizing my country.Along with this attitude goes the tendency to attribute all individual peculiarities as national characteristics.For instance, if an American does something odd or anti-social in a foreign country which back home would be considered a purely individual act, this is now considered a national trait.He acts that way not because he is Joe Doaks but because he is an American.Instead of being censured as an individual, his country is censured.It is thus best to recognize that ethnocentrism is a permanent characteristic of national groups.Even if a national criticizes some aspect of his own culture, the foreigner should listen but not enter into the criticism.人们往往认为自己的文化是最好的,是生活的唯一方式。这非常正常,完全可以理解。我们把这种态度称为“民族优越感”,即一种认为自己的文化、种族和国家构成世界中心的想法。个人往往将自己与所处的群体等同起来,因此任何批评的言论在他们看来都是对个人及其群体不尊敬的:如果你批评我的祖国,你就是在批评我;如果你批评我,你就是在批评我的祖国。抱着这种态度,人们往往把个人的怪癖归结为民族的特点。例如,倘若一个美国人在国外做出怪异的或有悖社会公德的事情,在美国国内的人们会认为这纯属个人行为,但在国外却被视为一种民族特性:他那样做并非因为他是乔·多克斯,而是因为他是个美国人。遭受责难的不是他这个个体,而是他的祖国。因此,我们最好把民族优越感看成是民族群体的一个永恒的特性。即使一个国家的公民批评了自己文化的某些方面,外国人也只应当听着,而不应该参与批评。close6RT Once you realize that your trouble is due to your own lack of understanding of other people’s cultural background and your own lack of the means of communication rather than the hostility of an alien environment, you also realize that you yourself can gain this understanding and these means of communication.And the sooner you do this, the sooner culture shock will disappear.你一旦意识到面临的问题并非因为异域的敌意而是因为自己对其他民族的文化背景缺乏理解或者缺乏与对方沟通的方式,你同时就会意识到你本身能够了解他人的文化,并能够掌握那些交流的方式。你越早做到这一点,文化冲击就消失得越快。close7RT The question now arises, what can you do to get over culture shock as quickly as possible? The answer is getting to know the people of the host country.But this you cannot do with any success without knowing the language, for language is the principal symbol system of communication.Now we all know that learning a new language is difficult, particularly to adults.This task alone is quite enough to cause frustration and anxiety, no matter how skillful language teachers are in making it easy for you.But once you begin to be able to carry on a friendly conversation with your maid, your neighbour, or to go on shopping trips alone, you not only gain confidence and a feeling of power but a whole new world of cultural meanings opens up for you.接下来的问题是,你怎样做才能尽快克服文化冲击?答案是:了解所到之国的国民。但是,倘若不懂语言,你是无法成功地实现这一目标的,因为语言是用于交流的主要的符号系统。我们现在都知道,学习一门新的语言不容易,对成年人来说,尤为如此。无论教语言的老师多么擅长于减轻你学习语言的难度,单单学语言这项任务都足以让你焦虑不安、饱受挫折。不过,你一旦能够和女佣、邻居进行友好的交谈,能够单独出门购物,你就会重获信心,充满力量,一个蕴含各种文化意义的新世界就向你敞开了大门。close8RT You begin to find out what people do, how they do it, and what their interests are.People usually express these interests by what they habitually talk about and how they allocate their time and money.Once you know this value or interest pattern it will be quite easy to get people to talk to and be interested in you.你开始发现人们做些什么、做事情的方式以及令他们感兴趣的事情。人们往往通过日常的谈话内容和时间、金钱的分配方式来表达自己的兴趣爱好。你一旦了解了他们的兴趣和价值模式,就很容易和他们交谈,也容易让他们对你产生兴趣。close9RT At times it is helpful to be a participant observer by joining the activities of the people, to try to share in their responses, whether this be a carnival, a religious ritual, or some economic activity.Yet the visitor should never forget that he or she is an outsider and will be treated as such.He or she should view this participation as a role playing.Understanding the ways of a people is essential but this does not mean that you have to give up your own.What happens is that you have developed two patterns of behavior.有时候,参加人们举办的各种活动,不管是嘉年华会、宗教仪式还是经济活动,在活动中仔细观察,和人们一起喜怒哀乐,这都有好处。不过,你永远都不要忘记,你是一个外人,人们也会把你当成一个外人对待。你应当把参与活动看成角色扮演。了解一个民族的生活方式很重要,但这并非意味着你要放弃自己的文化。实际上,你已经具备两种行为方式。
T Rich Met My Mother
Amy Tan This text is adapted from ”Four Directions“ by Amy Tan in Frame Work edited by Gary Colombo, Bonnie Lisle & Sandra Mano.Boston: Bedford Books.1997.close1RT After much thought, I came up with a brilliant plan.I worked out a way for Rich to meet my mother and win her over.In fact, I arranged it so my mother would want to cook a meal especially for him.I had some help from Auntie Suyuan.Auntie Su was my mother's friend from way back.里奇拜见我妈 谭恩美
一番深思熟虑之后,我想出了一个妙计,设法让里奇与我母亲见面,赢得她的好感。实际上,我巧加安排,让我妈特意为里奇做一餐饭。这回我得到了素云阿姨的一臂之力,她是我母亲的老朋友了。close2RT So one day, my mother called me, to invite me to a delayed birthday dinner for my father.My brother Vincent was bringing his girlfriend, Lisa Lum.I could bring a friend, too.终于,一天母亲打来电话,邀请我参加为父亲推迟举行的生日晚宴。我的弟弟文森特要带上女朋友林莉萨,那么我也可以带一个朋友。close3RT I knew she would do this, because cooking was how my mother expressed her love, her pride, her power, her proof that she knew more than Auntie Su.”Just be sure to tell her later that her cooking was the best you ever tasted, that it was far better than Auntie Su's,“ I told Rich.”Believe me.“
母亲这样做,不出我的意料。因为烹饪是母亲表达她的爱、她的骄傲、她的权威和证明她的学识胜过素云阿姨的一种方式。“饭后一定要告诉妈,她做的菜是你吃过的最好的,比素云阿姨做的好吃多了。”我跟里奇说,“听我的没错儿。”close4RT The night of the dinner, I sat in the kitchen watching her cook, waiting for the right moment to tell her about our marriage plans, that we had decided to get married next July, about seven months away.She was chopping eggplant into small pieces, chattering(喋喋不休)at the same time about Auntie Suyuan: ”She can only cook looking at a recipe.My instructions are in my fingers.I know what secret ingredients to put in just by using my nose!“ And she was slicing so fast that I was afraid her fingertips would become one of the ingredients of the red-cooked(红烧的)eggplant and shredded pork dish.生日宴会的那天晚上,我坐在厨房里看妈妈做菜,等着找机会告诉她我们的结婚计划,告诉她我们决定明年7月份(也就是7个月后)结婚。她一边把茄子切成小块,一边叨叨着素云阿姨:“她看着食谱才会做菜,而我对做菜的窍门可是了如指掌。闻闻就知道该用什么独家配料!”她飞快地切着薄片,我生怕她的指尖也成了红烧肉末茄子的配料。close5RT I was hoping she would say something first about Rich.I had seen her expression when she opened the door, her forced smile as she studied him from head to toe, checking her appraisal(评价)of him against that already given to her by Auntie Suyuan.I tried to anticipate what criticisms she would have.我希望她能主动提到里奇。我注意到了她开门时的表情。她挤出一丝笑容,把里奇从头到脚打量了个遍,心里一边在作比照,看从素云阿姨那听来的看法是否与自己所见相符。我努力设想她会做出什么样的批评。close6RT Rich was not only not Chinese, he was a few years younger than I was.And unfortunately, he looked much younger with his curly red hair, smooth pale skin, and the splash of orange freckles(雀斑)across his nose.He was a bit on the short side, compactly built.In his dark business suits, he looked nice but easily forgettable, like somebody's nephew at a funeral, which was why I didn't notice him the first year we worked together at the firm.But my mother noticed everything.里奇不仅不是华人,还比我小几岁。而且不幸的是,他一头红色的卷发,光滑苍白的皮肤,鼻子上布满了橙色的雀斑,让他比实际年纪更显年轻。他个头不高,长得结结实实。身着深色西装,他看起来不错,但是不会令人难忘,就像是谁家葬礼上某人的侄子那么不起眼。所以头一年在公司里与他共事时我就没注意到他。可母亲却把什么都看在了眼里。close7RT ”So what do you think of Rich?“ I finally asked, holding my breath.“那么你觉得里奇怎样?”我终于问道,屏息而待。close8RT She tossed the eggplant in the hot oil and it made a loud, angry hissing(发出嘶嘶声的)sound.”So many spots on his face,“ she said.她把茄子倒进热油里翻炒,锅里传出一阵愤怒的嘶嘶作响的声音。“脸上那么多斑点,”她说道。close9RT ”They're freckles.Freckles are good luck, you know,“ I said a bit too heatedly in trying to raise my voice above the noise of the kitchen.“是雀斑,要知道,有雀斑命好。”我说得有些过于激动,试图把声音提高,盖过厨房里的噪音。close10RT ”Oh?“ She said innocently.“哦?”她好像真的不知情似说道。close11RT ”Yes, the more spots the better.Everybody knows that.“
“真的,斑点越多越好,谁都知道这回事儿。”close12RT She considered this a moment and then smiled and spoke in Chinese: ”Maybe this is true.When you were young, you got the chicken pox(水痘).So many spots, you had to stay home for ten days.So lucky, you thought.“
她思忖了一会儿,笑了。用中文说道:“好像是这么回事儿。你小时候长水痘,长了好多的痘痘,在家呆了10天,你当时那个庆幸!”close13RT I couldn't save Rich in the kitchen.And I couldn't save him later at the dinner table.在厨房里我拯救不了里奇,在饭桌上我也救不了他。close14RT He had brought a bottle of French wine, something he did not know my parents could not appreciate.My parents did not even own wineglasses.And then he also made the mistake of drinking not one but two glasses full, while everybody else had a half-inch ”just for taste“.他带了瓶法国葡萄酒,他不知道我父母不会欣赏那玩意儿,我父母连酒杯都没有。后来他还犯了个错,大家都“只是为了尝尝”喝下半英寸酒杯高的酒量,可他不止喝一杯,而是喝了满满两杯。close15RT When I offered Rich a fork, he insisted on using the slippery ivory(象牙)chopsticks.He held them spread out clumsily while picking up a large chunk(厚块)of red-cooked eggplant.Halfway between his plate and his open mouth, the chunk fell on his crisp(崭新的)white shirt.当我给里奇叉子时,他坚持使用滑不唧溜的象牙筷。夹起一大块红烧茄子时,筷子在他笨拙的手上并不拢。当把茄子夹到他的碟子和大张着的嘴之间时,茄子竟然掉落在他崭新的白色衬衣上。close16RT And then he had helped himself to big portions of the shrimp and snow peas(糖荚豌豆炒河虾), not realizing he should have taken only a polite spoonful, until everybody had had a morsel(一小份).后来,他又自顾自地大吃糖荚豌豆炒河虾,殊不知他得等大家吃过一点才能够礼貌地吃上一小勺。close17RT He had declined the new greens, the tender and expensive leaves of bean plants plucked(采摘)before the sprouts(新芽)turn into beans.他谢绝吃新鲜青菜,那豆苗叶又嫩又昂贵,还没结豆子那叶子就给摘了下来。close18RT He thought he was being polite by refusing seconds, when he should have followed my father's example, who made a big show of taking small portions of seconds, thirds, and even fourths, always saying he could not resist another bite of something or other, and then groaning that he was so full he thought he would burst.他以为拒绝吃第二口就算是有礼貌了,实际上,他应该跟我爸爸学:架势大,但吃量少,就这样吃第二口、第三口、甚至第四口,边吃边要一个劲儿地说还是忍不住再吃上一口之类的话,然后就哼哼着说自己肚子饱得要撑破了。close19RT But the worst was when Rich criticized my mother's cooking, and he didn't even know what he had done.As is the Chinese cook's custom, my mother always made disparaging(贬低的)remarks about her own cooking.That night she chose to direct it toward her famous steamed pork and preserved vegetable dish, which she always served with special pride.可最为糟糕的是里奇数落了我母亲的做菜手艺,自己却浑然不觉。按照中国做菜人的习惯,我母亲老是说自己做的菜不好吃。那天晚上,她将矛头直指她那道著名的“梅菜扣肉”,她总是特别骄傲地端上这道菜。close20RT ”Ai!This dish not salty enough, no flavor,“ she complained, after tasting a small bite.”It is too bad to eat.“
“哎!不够咸,没味道。”尝了一小口后,她抱怨道。“太难吃了。”close21RT This was our family's cue to eat some and proclaim it the best she had ever made.But before we could do so, Rich said, ”You know, all it needs is a little soy sauce(酱油).“ And he proceeded to pour a riverful of the salty black stuff on the big plate, right before my mother's horrified(震惊的)eyes.在我们家,这是暗示我们大家先吃一点,然后就宣称这是她烧的最美味的一道菜。可是我们还没来得及这样做,里奇就开腔了:“没错,就差点酱油。”而后,他就把那黑乎乎的咸东西在母亲震惊的目光注视下往那大盘子菜上浇。close22RT And even though I was hoping throughout the dinner that my mother would somehow see Rich's kindness, his sense of humor and boyish charm, I knew he had failed miserably in her eyes.即使我一直希望在吃饭的整个过程中,母亲会设法看出里奇的善良、幽默和青年男子特有的魅力,但此刻我知道在母亲眼中他已一败涂地。close23RT Rich obviously had had a different opinion on how the evening had gone.When we got home that night, I was still shuddering(战栗), remembering how Rich had firmly shaken both my parents' hands with that same easy(不拘束的)familiarity he used with nervous new clients.”Linda, Tim,“ he said, ”we'll see you again soon, I'm sure.“ My parents' names are Lindo and Tin Jong, and nobody, except a few older family friends, ever calls them by their first names.里奇对晚上发生的事情明显有不同的看法。当晚我们回家时,想起他用力握我父母的手,就像他和紧张的新客户握手时表现出的潇洒随意,我浑身还在发抖。“琳达,蒂姆,”他当时说道,“我们不久会再来看望你们的,我保证。”我父母的名字分别叫琳朵(音译)和钟田(仿粤语音译)。除了家里来往的几个年长的朋友外,谁也不会直呼他们的名字。close24RT ”So what did she say when you told her?“ And I knew he was referring to our getting married.“你告诉她了,她怎么说?”我知道他指的是我们结婚的事儿。close25RT ”I never had a chance,“ I said, which was true.How could I have told my mother I was getting married, when at every possible moment we were alone, she seemed to remark on how much expensive wine Rich liked to drink, or how pale and ill he looked.“没有机会,”我说的是实话。在和母亲独处的所有时间里,她好像都在议论里奇喜欢喝的葡萄酒是多么的昂贵,他的面色多么地苍白、气色多么地差,我哪里可以跟她说我要结婚。close26RT Rich was smiling.”How long does it take to say, Mom, Dad, I'm getting married?“
里奇嬉皮笑脸。“就说声 ‘爸、妈,我要结婚了’ 能花上多长的时间?”close27RT ”You don't understand.You don't understand my mother.“
“你不明白,你不了解我母亲。”
Unit 7
T What Makes Olympic Champions?
John E.Anderson This article is adapted from Reader's Digest, Feb.1994.close1RT When Kristi Yamaguchi fell to the ice in the 1992 Winter Olympics at Albertville, France, spectators groaned.Surely the 20-year-old's chances for a gold medal in figure skating had evaporated with that tumble.But Kristi rose to her feet, flashed a dazzling smile and spun back into her program.When the judges' scores were announced, she had received near-perfect marks despite the fall.Her spirited recovery gave her the gold medal — a tribute to her
determination and courage.是什么造就了奥运冠军? 约翰· E· 安德森
1992年,在法国阿尔贝维尔冬季奥运会上,当克里斯蒂· 山口在冰场上跌倒时,观众席上一片遗憾的声音。这位20岁的运动员获得花样滑冰金牌的希望肯定会因这一失足而化为泡影。但是克里斯蒂站了起来,她灿然一笑,旋转身体,继续表演。她虽然不幸跌倒,但裁判却给她打了近乎完美的分数。她能鼓起勇气,重振旗鼓,获得了金牌,这足以证明她的决心和勇气。close2RT As a consultant to U.S.Olympic teams and many individual athletes, I've seen dozens of young men and women like Kristi who reached deep into themselves at a critical moment and found something that brought out their best.They mounted the winners' stand not simply because of athletic talent but because of firm inner fiber.作为美国奥运队及许多运动员的顾问,我目睹了许多像克里斯蒂这样年轻的男女运动员:他们在关键时刻能够挖掘自身,找到发挥潜能的一种力量。他们登上领奖台,不单纯是因为运动才能,还因为他们内在的不屈不挠的意志。close3RT They had a dream.Kristi Yamaguchi visualized herself as an Olympic champion the first time she put on skates, at age six.Bonny Warner, who represented the United States in three Olympic luge competitions, didn't have her dream until she was a college student.Before that, she had never heard of the racing sled called a luge.But once the dream took shape, both young women clung to it courageously and worked to make it come true.他们拥有梦想。
克里斯蒂·山口6岁时首次穿上溜冰鞋,那时她就想象自己是一名奥运冠军。邦妮·华纳三度代表美国参加奥运会的仰卧滑行小雪橇比赛。她直到上了大学才有自己的梦想。之前,她从未听说过有“仰卧滑行的小雪橇”这种比赛用的雪橇。这两个年轻女子,一旦拥有梦想,就锲而不舍地、勇敢地追求,为了梦想的实现不遗余力。close4RT Most important, their parents and those around them supported the dream.Loretta Dawes, whose 16-year-old daughter, Dominique, was one of the first female black gymnasts to represent the United States in the Olympics, recently told the press that bringing up a world-class athlete isn't easy.For an entire year before the 1992 Olympics, she rarely saw her daughter, who lived with her coach to be closer to the gym, a 45-minute drive from home.Dawes was asked what advice she would give other parents of athletes.She answered simply and eloquently.”Believe in your child,“ she said.最重要的是,这些运动员的父母以及周围的人都支持他们的梦想。洛雷塔·道斯16岁的女儿多米尼克是代表美国参加奥运会的第一批黑人女性体操运动员之一。洛雷塔最近告诉记者说,培养一个世界一流的运动员着实不易。在1992年奥运会之前整整一年中,她很少看见自己的女儿。为了离体育馆近一点,女儿和教练住在一块,那儿离家有45分钟的车程。当有人请她给其他运动员的父母提一些建议的时候,她的回答简单却极具说服力。“相信你的孩子吧,” 她这样说。close5RT That doesn't mean every child who dreams of Olympic fame will one day climb onto the winners' stand.But being able to dream is the first step on every road to success — even if the initial dream eventually leads to a different road.这并非意味着每个拥有奥运梦想的孩子都能有朝一日登上领奖台。但是,梦想是通向成功的第一步 —— 哪怕当初的梦想最终让孩子走向另一条不同的道路。close6RT They're fired up.The Olympic Flame that top performers pursue burns inside them.They're driven not only to be the best but to do their best —
always.他们满怀激情。
优秀运动员们梦寐以求的奥运圣火在他们的内心深处燃烧。他们有强大的动力,不仅要成为最优秀的运动员,还要竭尽全力去实现目标 —— 始终不渝。close7RT That's why Carl Lewis, who already holds eight Olympic gold medals, plans to compete again at 36 in the 1996 Games, against youngsters half his age;and why discus thrower Al Oerter, after winning gold medals in four consecutive Olympics, tried again for the Olympic team at age 47.正因为如此,已经获得八枚奥运金牌的卡尔· 刘易斯依然筹划在36岁时再度参加1996年的奥运会,同那些年龄只有他一半的年轻人决一雌雄;铁饼运动员艾尔· 奥特,在连续获得四届奥运会的金牌之后,47岁时依然为进入奥运队伍而努力。close8RT Swimmer Janet Evans, who won three gold medals in Seoul in 1988, embodied that same desire to win four years later.After she narrowly missed a gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle, she swam one of the most psychologically challenging races of her life in the 800-meter freestyle to win the gold.”I just wanted to be up there on that winners' stand one more time,“
she confessed.游泳健将珍尼特·埃文斯在1988年的汉城奥运会上虽获得三枚金牌,但她表达了同样的心愿:四年后再次夺冠。在400米自由泳项目中,她因毫厘之差与金牌擦肩而过。随后,她完成了800米自由泳项目,这是她一生中最具有心理挑战的一次比赛,结果她夺冠胜出。“我只是想再一次登上冠军的领奖台,”她坦白地说。close9RT They aim high.I once asked a world-class athlete to guess at the outcome of a major competition.”I'll come in fifth,“ he said.And that's exactly where he finished, even though he could easily have placed third, or even second, since two other major contenders performed poorly.他们胸怀大志。
我曾经让一个世界级的运动员猜测一次重大比赛的结果。“我会得第五名,”他说。他果真得了第五名。他本来可以轻而易举地名列第三,甚至是第二,因为另外两名主要对手发挥得不好。close10RT Contrast him with ”Flo Jo“ — Florence Griffith Joyner.Training a week before the 1988 Games, she wrote in her diary the time she expected to run and win the 100-meter dash: 10.54 seconds.When Flo Jo crossed the finish line, the clock showed 10.54.She had not only seen herself winning, but called her winning time to the split second.拿他和“弗洛·乔” —— 弗洛伦斯·格里菲斯·乔伊纳比比吧。在1998年奥运会前一周的训练中,乔伊纳在日记中写下预计自己百米短跑夺冠的成绩:10.54秒。当弗洛·乔跨过终点线时,刚好是10.54秒。她不仅能够在赛前看到自己夺冠,而且对夺冠的成绩也能作出毫秒不差的预测。close11RT They never quit.The 1992 Summer Olympics featured two tremendously poignant moments.American sprinter Gail Devers, the clear leader in the 100-meter hurdles, tripped over the last barrier.She agonizingly pulled herself to her knees and crawled the last five meters, finishing the fifth — but finishing.他们从不放弃。
1992年夏季奥运会有两个让人极度惋惜的特写镜头。在百米跨栏比赛中,本来绝对领先他人的美国短跑运动员盖尔· 德弗斯在跨越最后一道障碍时绊倒在地。但她双膝跪地,极其痛苦地爬完了最后五米,虽然仅获得第五名,但是完成了比赛。close12RT Even more heart-breaking was the 400-meter semifinal in which British runner Derek Redmond had one leg injured and fell to the track.He struggled to his feet and began to hobble, determined to complete the race.His father ran from the stands to help him off the track, but the athlete refused to quit.He leaned on his father, and the two limped to the finish line together, to
deafening applause.更加令人心碎的是400米半决赛。英国选手德里克· 雷德蒙的一条腿受了伤,跌倒在跑道上。他挣扎着站起来,只见他一瘸一拐地跑起来,显然是决心完成比赛。他的父亲从看台上跑下来,想搀扶他离开跑道,但是这个运动员拒绝放弃比赛。他倚靠着自己的父亲,父子俩蹒跚而行,直到终点,观众的掌声震耳欲聋。close13RT They make their own luck.When Paul Wylie won a silver medal in men's figure skating at Albertville, he surprised everyone but himself.Several skaters who had been expected to win medals had been injured or had performed poorly.”I was the last person expected to make the winners' podium, “ Wylie said.”But I had trained like crazy, and when the favorites faltered, I was
ready.“
他们创造运气。
当保罗·怀利在阿尔贝维尔赢得男子花样溜冰比赛的银牌时,除他以外,所有的人都很惊讶。本来有望得奖的几位选手有的受伤了,有的发挥不好。“没有人会想到我能登上领奖台,”怀利说,“但是,之前我拼了命地训练,当最有希望获胜的运动员比赛失利时,我已作好了夺冠的准备。”close14RT Month after month, year after year, Olympians I know go through a grind of pointing toward their big moment.Skaters arise at 4 a.m.to squeeze in a few hours of practice before a rink is open to the public.Cyclists put in hours of running exercises before reporting to their daily jobs.Boxers head for the gym and work out relentlessly
every day.我所了解的这些奥运选手,为了那个辉煌的时刻,日复一日、年复一年地埋头苦干。溜冰运动员凌晨四时起身,为的是在溜冰场向公众开放之前挤出几个小时的训练时间。自行车竞技运动员在每天上班前,进行长达几小时的长跑训练。拳击运动员每天都前往体育馆进行不懈的训练。close15RT In the Olympics, as in other aspects of life, luck certainly counts.The second clarinetist who has practiced diligently is lucky to get a chance to solo when the first clarinetist becomes ill.So is the assistant sales manager who fills in for the boss in an emergency.But both must be well prepared for their big break.In the Olympics — in everything — luck strikes those prepared to capitalize on it.奥运会上运气当然重要,这和生活的其他领域一样。当最优秀的单簧管手生病时,屈居第二但是勤奋练习的乐手就有幸获得独奏的机会。这就像在紧急情况下助理销售经理填补老板的位置一样。当然,在这两种情况下,要填补上来的人必须为自己的巨大转机作好准备。在奥运会上 —— 在任何情况下 —— 好运只光顾那
些做好准备迎接好运的人。
T Tokens of the Olympic Ideal This text is taken and adapted from the following http://www.xiexiebang.com/olympic/trivia/index.php
website: close1RT The Olympic motto, creed(信条), oath(誓言), flame, flag, and anthem(颂歌)— these are all tokens pointing to the Olympic ideal.Collectively, they represent the essence of the Olympic Movement;individually, they contribute to the legacy of the Olympic Games.奥林匹克理想的象征
奥林匹克的格言、信条、誓言、圣火、会旗及其会歌 —— 这些都是奥林匹克理想的象征。它们共同体现着奥林匹克运动的精髓,各自都为奥林匹克运动会的精神财富作出了贡献。close2RT The Olympic motto: The well-known motto of the Olympic Games, ”Citius, Altius, Fortius,“ is Latin for ”Faster, Higher, Braver“.However, this phrase is most universally recognized in English as ”Swifter, Higher, Stronger.“ Michel Breal, a French educator, introduced the phrase at the closing dinner of the congress for the reestablishment of the modern Olympic Games on June 23, 1894, where it was adopted as the official motto of the International Olympic Committee.奥林匹克格言:
著名的奥林匹克格言“Citius, Altius, Fortius”是拉丁语,意思是“更快、更高、更勇”。但在英语中,这一格言广为认同的说法是“更快、更高、更强”。1894年6月23日,法国教育家米歇尔·布里厄在现代奥林匹克运动会复兴大会的闭幕宴会上首度使用该用语。就在那次大会上,它被认可为国际奥林匹克运动委员会的正式格言。close3RT The Olympic oath: At the start of each Olympics, every athlete promises to play fairly and obey all of the Olympic rules.One athlete from the host country takes this oath at the opening ceremony on behalf of all athletes.Holding a corner of the Olympic flag, the chosen athlete repeats the oath: ”In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams.“ 奥林匹克誓言:
每一届奥林匹克运动会开幕时,所有的运动员都要承诺将公平比赛,遵守各项奥运规则。在开幕式上一名来自主办国的运动员代表全体运动员宣誓。他手执奥运旗帜的一角,背诵如下的誓言: “我代表全体参赛运动员宣誓,在本次奥林匹克运动会上,我们将尊重并遵守大会各项规则,恪守体育道德,为体育争光,为团体争光。”
close4RT Written by Baron de Coubertin, the athletes' oath was first taken at the 1920 Antwerp Games in Belgium.该运动员誓言的作者是德·顾拜旦男爵,1920年在比利时安特卫普奥运会上首次被宣读。close5RT The Olympic creed: A judge from the host country recites(背诵)the Olympic creed, which appears on the scoreboard during the Opening Ceremony: ”The most important thing in the Olympic games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle.The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well."
奥林匹克信条:
开幕式上,主办国的一个裁判诵读出现在记分牌上的奥运信条: “奥运重在参与,不在于夺冠,就像生活重在奋斗,而不在于成功;奥运的要旨不是已经征服,而是曾经奋斗拼搏。”
close6RT Although there have been many variations in the wording of this basic message throughout the history of the Games, the creed above, which was introduced at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, is still used today.尽管奥运历史上表达这一基本精神的措辞屡经变换,上述信条自1972年在慕尼黑奥运会上采用后就一直沿用到今。close7RT The Olympic Flame: Fire was sacred in Greek mythology(神话).The tradition of lighting an Olympic Flame comes from the ancient Greeks.During the ancient Olympic Games, a sacred flame was lit from the sun's rays at Olympia(奥林匹亚), and stayed lit until the Games were completed.奥林匹克圣火: 在希腊神话里,火是神圣的。点燃奥林匹克圣火的传统来自古希腊。古代奥林匹克运动会上,圣火采自奥林匹亚山上的阳光,它一直燃烧到运动会结束。close8RT In modern times, the Olympic Flame was first lit during the opening ceremony of the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.This legacy comes alive every four years when the ancient flame is lit again for a new Olympiad(奥林匹克运动会).现代奥林匹克之火是在1928年阿姆斯特丹奥林匹克运动会的开幕式上首次点燃。每隔四年当古老的火焰为新一届奥运会再次点燃时,这个古希腊的遗风得以复活。close9RT The Olympic anthem: The Olympic anthem began as a poem written in 1893 by one of the best known and loved Greek poets of the 20th century, Costas Palamas.Palamas's poem was set to music in 1896 by the Greek composer Spiros Samaras and introduced at the first revived(复兴的)Olympics in Athens that same year.奥林匹克会歌:
奥林匹克会歌原本是首诗,由20世纪最著名和最受人喜爱的一位希腊诗人科斯塔·帕拉马斯1893年所作。1896年希腊作曲家斯皮罗斯·萨马拉斯为帕拉马斯的这首诗歌谱曲,同年,这首歌曲首度唱响在雅典举行的第一个复兴后的奥林匹克运动会上。close10RT Throughout the years, many different versions were played and sung at the Olympics.Finally, in 1958, the International Olympic Committee adopted one version as the official anthem of the Olympic Games.The loose(不严谨的)translation of Palamas's poem that appears below is the English version that has been sung at every Olympic games since 1958: Immortal(不朽的)Spirit of antiquity(古老), Father of the true, beautiful, and good, Descend, appear, shed over us Thy(你的)light Upon this ground and under this sky.Which has first witnessed Thy imperishable(永存的)fame.Give life and animation(生气)to those noble games!
Throw wreaths(花环)of fadeless flowers to the victors(胜利者).In the race and in strife(争斗)!Create in our breasts, hearts of steel!Shine in a roseate(粉红的)hue(颜色)and form a vast temple To which all nations throng(蜂拥)to adore(崇拜)Thee(汝), O immortal Spirit of antiquity.多年来,许多不同版本的会歌在奥林匹克运动会上演奏和歌唱。1958年国际奥委会最终确定其中的一个版本作为奥林匹克运动会的正式会歌。下面引用的帕拉马斯诗歌不太确切的英文版译文便是自1958年起在每次的奥林匹克运动会上吟唱的英文版会歌。古代不朽之神 真善美之父
祈求你降临尘世彰显你的光辉 在这大地上苍穹间
它第一个见证你流芳百世的荣耀 请把活力与生气赐予这些崇高的竞技!把永不凋谢的花环颁赠给优胜者!塑造出钢铁般的意志!放射出玫瑰般的艳丽霞光 筑起一座巨大的神殿 世界各地的人们都来膜拜你,啊!永远不朽的古代之神。close11RT The Olympic Flag: The Olympic anthem is played as the Olympic flag is raised during the opening ceremony.Pierre de Coubertin is said to have found the original five-ring symbol engraved(雕刻)on an altar-stone unearthed(挖掘)at Delphi.The colorful Olympic rings are one of the most widely recognized symbols in the world today.奥林匹克会旗:
开幕式演奏奥林匹克会歌时,会旗冉冉升起。据说皮埃尔·德·顾拜旦在特尔斐掘出的一个祭坛石头上发现了雕刻其上的五环标志的真迹。如今,彩色奥运环是世界上最广泛认可的标志。close12RT The Olympic flag measures 2.06 m long, 60 cm high and is completely white with five circles in the center.The white background symbolizes peace and truth.The five rings represent the five continents of the world: ·Blue representing Europe ·Black representing Africa ·Red representing America ·Yellow representing Asia ·Green representing Oceania
奥运会会旗长2.06米,高60厘米,白底无边,中央有五个圆环。白色的背景象征和平和真理。五个环代表世界的五大洲: ●蓝色代表欧洲 ●黑色代表非洲 ●红色代表美洲 ●黄色代表亚洲
●绿色代表大洋洲close13RT The Olympic flag is a symbol of peace, goodwill, and global solidarity and tolerance.True to this meaning, she has lent her colors to many athletes who were unable to compete under their own flag.奥运会会旗象征和平、友好、全球团结和宽容。真正意义在于,它使那些无法在自己国度的旗帜下参赛的运动员有机会一展风采。close14RT The Olympic ideal is a living, dynamic institution(惯例)in our daily lives, not simply a homage(致敬)to the past.奥林匹克的理想使我们日常生活充满生气和活力,而不只是对过去的顶礼膜拜。
Unit 8 Competition and Cooperation
Donald J.Boudreaux and Hugh Macaulay This text is taken and adapted from The Freeman: Ideas on Liberty, Vol.46, No.3, 1996.
第四篇:新世纪大学英语综合教程4课文翻译Unit7
7A
1|返朴归真| 琳达·韦尔特纳 “我们讨论的是简化生活,而不是物质匮乏,”我的朋友萨拉
解释说,“绝对不是你不可以做你喜欢的那些事情,而是你在改变,不再喜欢同样的事情罢了。一些旧的习惯看上去是那样的浪费又不能令人满意,你真的对它们失去了兴 趣。所以你仍然拥有你需要的每一件东西——只不过不需要花那么多的钱罢了。”2当我第一次遇见他们时,萨拉和迈克尔夫妇双双从业,拥有自己的住宅和用一大笔贷款
购置的一条大船。随着女儿的出世而他们又想亲自抚养她,他们开始对“自愿简朴”的理念产生了兴趣。他们俩谁都不愿意把他们视为生活中最重要的部分仅仅局限于上班前的一小段时间和下班后已疲惫不堪的那几个小时。
3“许多人认为,因为有了孩子而且东西越来越贵,唯一的办法就是更加努力地工作以便挣
更多的钱。其实这并不是唯一的办法,”迈克尔坚持说。
4这对夫妻的决定是把两份全职工作业换成两份半日工 作,并且削减消费。他们决定只
把钱花在有助于实现他们的主要目标的东西上:构建一个把家庭和友谊、工作和娱乐融为一体的生活天地,而且还是一个不浪费地球资源的生活天地。
5现在他们还在原来的那个近郊社区,住在一幢自己设计的、漂亮而节能的房子里。按许
多标准来看,房子虽然小了点,却容易清扫、布置、维修和供暖。一层是个大房间,厨房靠墙,摆着一张桦木餐桌和吃饭用的几把椅子;一张舒适的长沙发和一个柴炉就把日常起居的范围圈定了;角落是工作区。楼上是他们的卧室、一个萨拉和迈克尔共用的办公室和一间浴室。整幢房子明亮简洁,同周围环境十分和谐。很快,前门外还要建一个太阳能温室。
6一对只有兼职工作的夫妻怎么会有钱建造自己的房子、拥有一辆汽车并同另一对夫妻共
享一艘小船,而且所有这一切都不曾贷款呢?他们如何能够维持足以提供他们想要的“一切”的那样一种高生活水平呢?他们放弃的而且不再怀念是哪些东西呢?
7首先,他们放弃了乱七八糟的昂贵东西:(浴室)药柜里满满的从来不用的化妆品和在柜台上随时可以买到的药 品;堆放在厨房壁柜里的最终只会丢弃的各种东西。萨拉和迈克尔共用的那个衣柜足可以装下他们必需的一些衣物,其中许多还是出自L·L·比恩公司的做工精细的经典款式呢。“我不断地把东西送给别人,”萨拉解释道。通过筛选和丢弃并凭借他们对所拥有的东西的了解,萨拉和迈克尔清楚地知道他们到底真正需要什么。
8他们没有洗碟机,他们家那几只手工陶制的碟子根本装不满一台洗碟机。他们没有衣服
烘干机;冬天把湿衣服晾在室内也就不需要增湿器了。萨拉的黑发很短,所以用不着吹风机、电动卷发夹或电动烫发钳。他们的前院长满了树,所以也不需要动力割草机或电动修枝剪。他们没有电视机,所以他们和孩子的脑子里都不会一直充满各种新玩具、新物品和新诱惑的图像。
9他们节省了通勤时代上下班必须支付的开支:另外的一辆车、汽油费、职业装、午餐和
经常外出吃晚餐的开销以及保姆费,换来的则是时间——用于关注生活质量的时间。他们已不再使用纸产品,不再吃加工过的食品,不再享受昂贵的嗜好、观看首映电影、上餐馆以及付钱接受别人的服务。取而代之的是他们所喜欢的自家烹饪、周中的家庭野餐、上图书馆借书、参加社区的艺术活动、逛廉价旧货商店以及自己动手做事。
10“那种渴望获得更多东西的感觉是我们这个文化的一个重要组成部分,而且还会永远继
续下去,”萨拉说。“但是,你赚1万5千美元还是5万美元并不重要。这世上总有许多你希望自己能买得起的东西。钱真的不是导致我们改变生活方式的原因。我们这样做是为了个人的满足。对于任何一个想简化自己生活的人来说,基本规则只有一个:如果一件事不能令人满意,那就索性不要去做。”
11萨拉和迈克尔借给我一本手册,名为《营造简朴生活方式的99种方法》,里面全是适
用于任何生活状况的实用可行的建议。我仔细地阅读了,在一些方面我给自己打了高分,而在另一些方面我为身上存在的社会所认可的不理智行为感到惊讶。
12那天晚上,我陪女儿去购物,碰巧看见一条和我们的厨房墙纸颜色匹配而价钱又不贵的擦手毛巾和一双漂亮得难以抵挡其诱惑的“特价”凉鞋。当我站在停车场时,感觉自己花了11美元离开商店之后并没有比进商店时更加开心,此时此刻我觉得自己就像个孩子,面对自己的一时冲动竟会不由自主。
13我们乘坐的这只购物旋转木马,其实是一个幻觉世界,但由于它不停地旋转并富有刺
激性,有时我们很难找到决心和勇气从木马上下来。
7B
1|我的俭朴生活| 在我五十出头的时候,我开始怀疑丈夫和我所过的生 活。我渴望一种
更简单的生活方式,不想要太多压力,而且厌倦了为过奢华生活而终日奔波忙碌的日子。2为了达成目标,最理智而且最有把握的方式就是永久地离开公司圈子,然后能够坦然地
处理其后果。确实,这是很多人都无法解决的一件棘手事儿。但是在丈夫的支持下,而我认为自己是个有能力处理好这件事情后果的人,于是我挥手告别了公司圈子,而且从来也没有为此而后悔。
3经过前两周的休息,恢复以及深思后,我开始把需要改变的东西一一列在纸上,包括仔
细管理丈夫继续带给我们生活的钱财以及在我们原来的基础上再寻找一些其他赚钱或增加收入的新门路。
4有些决定显然很容易做出,譬如取消长期固定的每周去一次美容院护发和修指甲的预约,或者过去由于没时间做饭而每周出去吃好几顿饭的惯例。但即使那样,我觉得这只不过是冰山的一角。
5第一个重大决定就是卖掉我们的房子,因为那房子对于我们两个来说确实太大而且太奢
华。有四个卧室和四个浴室的豪宅对于两个想过简单生活的人来说完全没有必要。三千多平方英尺的房子卖得相当快。我们搬进了一个较小而且去丈夫的工作单位也非常便利的家。然后我就开始精简我们的家当了。那或许是工作量最大的一项任务,而且需要几次旧物甩卖和寄售。
6我们搬家后,接下来就进入了让自己在一个小房子里过上称心快乐生活的调整期,这个
调整的确让我们花了一些时间来适应。我丈夫不在乎我们住什么样的房子。但我在开始时却遇到了一些困难,因为根据我们先前的生活方式,没有一件东西摆放到位。当我把房子的每寸空间都派上用场时,我发现还有很多东西没地方放。房子小了就意味着东西也得少,也就是意味着需要打扫和操心的东西也要少!为了避免杂乱,减少没用的东西,我制定了一条规则,那就是:我必须得在所有食橱和衣柜周围看到三面内壁。
7同时,我也开始着手处理由于以前没有制定过有效的节省计划而导致的经济方面的问题。
我开始意识到如果不好好盘算如何花钱的话,我可能会把很多的钱浪费掉。我发现,只有注意存小钱,才会积累出大钱。我尽量削减所有不必要的支出,因为我要确保自己我无需再重返劳务市场找工作。
8我觉得自己只需要两条牛仔裤,一条平常穿,一条好点的。只需要两三双鞋子,一件休
闲茄克和一件时髦的上衣 等。
9我还意识到,没有必要订阅杂志或者报纸,因为有电脑和电视,无需增加开销就足以满
足我的需求了。
10我发现,如果我把每天的零钱节省下来,而不是放在钱包里花掉,我就能防止一部分
钱从我的手里溜掉。每个月,我就能积攒一些零钱并且把它存在银行我们的储蓄账户里。
11我觉得我们不需要两部车,如果我把出去办事的时间计划好的话。裁掉一部车也减少
了分期付款、购买燃料、办理驾照、各种税费等方面的开支。
12我意识到我们只需要一张信用卡。我意识到日常开支比如买汽油时支付现金要比写支
票或者用信用卡支付节省的 多。
13我意识到如果我能控制住日常生活开支和信用卡上钱的流量的话,我就能更好地确保
我兜里有多少钱,从而减少每个月的开销。对我来说,说到理财,用信用卡会滋生疏忽大意,而我手里冷冰冰、硬邦邦的现金很可能还会留在我的手里。
14我意识到,我们没有必要每年花一千美金为朋友和家庭成员购置礼物和举办假日聚会。
如果全年都认真计划,并且留意购买廉价商品的话,只要用一小部分开支我们就能很好地满足那些需要了。
15现在,我们的生活方式很简单,很节俭,但是对于我们自己或者我们想做的事情来说
也不算是吝啬。我们在生活“所需”的期望从我们“想要”的东西中分离出来了,而且我们也知道这两者之间的差别。现在我们的生活中没有了过度的压力和焦虑,我们比以前生活得更幸福。我制定了一项财务计划,有了它我们可以生活得很舒适,我们知道,我们的将来有保障,因为我们有把握。我们期待着每个新的一天,那是上帝赐给我们的福气。
第五篇:新世纪综合教程1(第二版)课文翻译完整版
新世纪综合教程1课文翻译
Unit 1
优等生的秘诀 一位研究教育的老师针对成绩优异的学生做过重点研究,发现最聪明的学生不见得总能得高分。根据这位教授、其他教育专家以及优等生们自己的观点,懂得如何充分发挥自己的潜能对于学生来说更为重要。2 在班上名列前茅的学生之所以学习优秀,是因为他们掌握了几个人人都可以轻易学到的基本原则。首先,优等生知道如何决定轻重缓急。他们从来不会为了打电话、看电视或者吃零食而牺牲学习时间。换言之,学习总是摆在娱乐之前。另外,优等生们总是注意随时随地学习。有位成绩优异的学生同时也是优秀的运动员,每天利用户外训练时间背生物学术语。而另一位学生则利用每天早上刷牙时间记一个新单词。所有受访的学生无一例外都认为,在什么时间学习完全是个人偏好问题。有些人在夜深人静时学习效果最好,有些人则喜欢趁着自己还能清晰地记得上课所讲的内容,一放学回家就开始学习。尽管如此,所有优等生都一致认为,如果想任何时候都表现优秀,一个主要的因素就是要持之以恒。学生还必须学会有条理。举个例子,有一位优等生在学校乐队、田径队、橄榄球协会和辩论小组里都很活跃。他透露,他之所以把东西放得井井有条是因为他浪费不起到处找东西的时间。还有一位学生喜欢把当天的笔记马上整理出来并放进用不同颜色标记的文件夹里,以便临近考试时能随时用来复习。优等生们提倡的另一个技巧是有效的阅读,其中包括快速阅读,提高记忆能力以及主动提出问题以便充分理解作者的意思。对于学生们来说,合理安排时间也同样重要。他们必须懂得如何根据每天的时间表和学习能力来安排做作业和项目的速度,不至于让手头的工作压得喘不过气。能制定时间表不仅让学生能够腾出更多时间来复习和完善功课,而且还能防止他们拖拖拉拉。成绩优异的学生认为,他们成功的一大秘诀就是上课时做好笔记,供复习时使用。有个学生透露,她把从课文上摘抄的内容记在笔记本的一边,把课堂笔记写在另一边。这样,就可同时复习到两方面的内容。她还透露,她不会浪费下课铃响前的几分钟跟朋友交头接耳,准备随时冲出教室。相反,她会利用这几分钟用两三句话概括那节课的要点,然后在下次上课前浏览这些笔记,借以加深印象。老师们提倡的致胜秘诀是尽力让自己的作业整洁。有位老师说,学生交上整洁作业就已向高分迈进了一步。在课堂上大胆发言和提问也同样重要,这或许是学生澄清疑问的最好办法。课堂参与还能反映一个学生的求知欲。有个学生概括得好,“好成绩来自透彻的理解”。在一所世界顶级大学进行的一项实验证明了小组学习的价值所在。研究表明,学生们如果一起讨论家庭作业和问题,尝试不同的解决办法,并且互相解释各自的答案,分数就会比那些单独用功的学生要高。实验也证明了学生间互相进行模拟测试或自我测试的好处。这就是说,学生们根据笔记设计可能的试题,在考试前一天相互之间进行书面测试或自测。专家们证实,那些能设计模拟试题的学生,往往会在正式考题中发现很多相同的试题,自然能得高分了。优等生使用的另一个技巧是超额完成规定的家庭作业。一位学生透露,老师若是布置五道题,她会做上十道。用她的话说,“练习是学习的一部分。练得越多,学到的也越多。”最后一点同样不容忽视:所有的专家和优秀学生都认为,优等生们之所以成功,父母的功劳至关重要。从孩提时起,父母就给他们灌输学习的重要性,为他们制定高标准,并且引导他们达到这些标准。在学习方面他们给孩子以鼓励,而不是代劳。这些父母从不给孩子施加压力,永远都温柔慈爱,不厌其烦地解释和激励。他们使孩子们铭记肩负的责任,而孩子们则将其付诸实践
象牙塔里的压力 威廉·津瑟 身为布兰福德学院的院长,我发觉当今的大学生面临着四种压力:经济压力、来自父母的压力、来自学伴的压力、以及自己给自己的压力。我们往往会去寻找“罪魁祸首”:学校收费太高,老师布置太多作业,父母逼迫孩子太紧,学生对自己要求太严。但在压力问题上,没有恶人,只有受害者。当今的学生生活在一个残酷的经济现实中,学费、住宿费、书本费及这样那样的费用加起来数量不菲,即使一个学生在校期间做兼职,暑期做全职,四年内还是会欠下5,000美元贷款,毕业后一年内就要开始偿还。少数幸运的学生能得到父母的经济援助,钱并不是一个棘手的问题,但是来自父母的压力让他们的日子也不好过。我看到很多学生一门心思修读医学院预科课程,但却毫无快乐可言。他们去实验室就像去看牙医一样痛苦。这让我很伤心,因为我知道在生活的其他方面他们是开朗快乐的。5 我问他们:“你想学医吗?” 6 他们回答说:“其实并不想。” 7 “那为什么还要进医学院呢?” “嗯,因为我爸妈希望我当医生。他们一直在供我读书,而且„。” 可怜的学生,可怜的父母啊!他们被困在一张亘古以来由爱、责任和自责交织而成的网中,难以自拔。父母的出发点是好的,他们想引导自己的孩子走向无忧无虑的未来,但孩子们却想攻读历史、古典文学或哲学,这些专业毫无“实用”价值。人文学科的专业有什么回报?要说服这些关爱子女的父母人文学科的专业确有回报并非易事。攻读历史、古典文学等专业而开发出来的智能,正是富有创造力的商界及其他领域的领袖人物所必备的。然而,许多家长还是宁愿出钱供孩子读一个能从事具体职业的专业,比如法律预科、医学预科、商务预科,或者是我有时听到的所谓“财富预科”。可是,学生承受着太大的压力,他们简直无所适从了。一方面,他们觉得有义务不辜负父母对自己的期望,毕竟父母比自己年长,该更有智慧吧。但另一方面,他们又觉得,父母认为合适的期望未必适合自己。经济压力和来自父母的压力交织在一起,来自同学间的压力和自己给自己的压力也是如此,而且几乎是从大学一年级刚开学就开始存在了。有一位系主任告诉我:“我知道这么一个大一的学生,姑且叫她琳达吧,她来向我诉说她正承受着可怕的压力,因为室友芭芭拉比她更聪明,一天到晚在学习。我不好告诉她,就在两小时前芭芭拉也来我这里说了类似的话,说琳达带给她多大的压力。” 这件事看来可笑,但实际上并不可笑,这表明所有压力都汇集在一起了。当每个学生都认为别人更为勤奋、成绩更好时,他唯一能做的就是更加努力地学习。我看到许多学生每天吃完晚饭就去图书馆,直到深更半夜图书馆关门才回来。我真希望他们有时能忘掉他们的学伴,去看场电影。我常常在拂晓时分还听到打字机在噼噼啪啪地响,考试来临或论文限期快到时,我能从学生的眼神中看到他们的紧张心理:“我能把所有的事情做完吗?” 他们很可能完成不了。因为他们会生病,脑袋会“僵硬”,无法正常思维。他们要睡觉,而且会睡过头。15 出现这一问题的部分原因是:他们会远远超额完成任务。老师布置一篇5页的论文,一些学生就会写上10页,而少数人甚至会把赌注升到15页。可怜那些仅仅写了5页的学生。一位系主任指出:“一旦20%或30%的学生刻意地去超量学习,对每个学生来说都不是好事。当一位教师在班上看到越来越多的努力尝试,那些只是正常完成作业的学生就会被看作是表现不够好。就心理上而言,这个策略还是有效的。”17 要打破这些“怪圈”,周围的人们、老师、父母、朋友都能给予帮助,但归根结底还是要靠学生自己。他们太年轻,不该成为父母的梦想和惧怕同学心理的俘虏。我们必须唤醒他们,使他们相信自己是独一无二的、有能力创造自己未来的人。
Unit 2
一名语言教师的个人看法 威尔·皮德克罗夫特 我每天都会在报纸上、公共汽车上看到各种广告,声称轻轻松松就能学好英语。按照这些广告的说法,学生不必费什么力气,要说一口流利的英语只需短短3个月,甚至10天就行。广告还常常提到威廉·莎士比亚和查尔斯·狄更斯等英语文学大师的名号进一步激励学生。每当看到诸如此类的广告时,我真是哭笑不得。如果学英语真像这些广告所说的那么轻松,我恐怕得另谋出路了,因为不需要那么多合格的英语教师了。但是肯定有许多人相信这些可笑的噱头,不然的话这些广告也不可能出现。学生们喜欢实惠的速成学习方法也在情理之中,但要用浅显易懂的语言去解释为什么某一方法比另一方法更有效并不是一件简单的事,而且也无需装模作样地声称有什么人已经找到了一个万能的适合所有学习环境的教学方法。一些专家甚至认为,有多少个好老师就有多少种好的教学方法,因为每一个老师都有其自身的特点。这种说法无疑是有几分道理的,但对学生来说不是很有帮助。有很长一段时间,人们认为学好一门语言唯一的方法就是去使用那种语言的国家待上一段时间。当然去英国、美国、或者澳大利亚等国家学英语的学生肯定比那些不能去的学生具有很大优势,但是很多学生支付不起那笔费用。有些学生走向另一极端:他们认为可以借助词典在家自学。如果你认为英语中的每一个词在另一语言中都有完全对等的词,那就错了,反之亦然。通过翻译法来给学生讲解口语的自然形式是不可能的,更不要说做到语音、语调地道了。现在大量的教学活动还是建立在行为主义心理学的基础之上。行为主义者热衷于让学生复述短语,不断做一些只需更换句中某个词的练习。假如我们是鹦鹉或黑猩猩,那这些方法或许能奏效,可惜我们不是,这似乎让很多理论家引以为憾,否则他们提出的那些方法用起来就会容易得多了。我个人认为,假如没有兴趣,任何人都不可能学好英语或其它任何语言。与鹦鹉或黑猩猩不同,人类不会无缘无故地发出噪音,除非他们明白这些声音是什么意思,并且能将其与自己的生活联系起来。值得牢记的是:语言是一种交际手段,人们在母语中怎么说怎么写,用另一种语言表达时也大同小异。因此,人们所听所读的不应该是程式化的东西,听的读的材料必须真实自然。还有一个相关的问题值得一提:在交际时我们需要有交谈或倾听的对象。在学习较生疏的内容时,如果身边的其他学生能和我们在中一起学习,一起练习那些陌生的语言形式,用真实的语言去谈论真实的生活,那一定会受益匪浅。
学会去读书 约翰·霍尔特 在我曾经任教的一个班上有许多孩子学习起来非常吃力,尤其是阅读。因此我决定不惜任何代价消除他们对书籍的恐惧和厌恶心理,让他们能够多读些书,更勇于尝试。开学没多久,我对孩子们说:“我要跟你们说说读书的事,也许还没有哪个老师这样对你们讲过。今年我想要你们读许多书,你们只需要为寻求乐趣而读书,我不会去检查你们读懂了没有。如果你读了一点儿,觉得会喜欢这本书,并愿意把它读完,这就够了。我不会去考你们词语的意思。”最后,“我继续说道,”你们不要觉得读一本书就得把它读完。先读三四十页,看看故事情节如何发展。如果你不喜欢书中人物,或者对他们的经历不感兴趣,只管合上书,放到一边,去读另一本。你们读的书是难还是容易、篇幅长还是篇幅短,我都不在意,只要你们喜欢就行。另外,我会写信把我的意思告诉你们的家长,好让他们知道没有必要在家里查问或检查你们的读书情况。孩子们都愣住了,坐着不出声。这真的是老师在说话吗?其中一个女孩,因为功课不好最近才转学到我们学校来,后来我发现她非常有趣、活泼、聪明,在我所有的学生中都算突出的。我讲完后,她盯住我看了很久。然后,她继续看着我,缓慢而严肃地问:“霍尔特先生,你说的话是真的吗?”我也同样严肃地回答:“真的,一点不假。显然,她打算照我说的办。她读的第一本书是索伊斯博士写的《格林奇偷走圣诞节》,这本书对大多数三年级的学生都不算难,更不要说这个年级的孩子了。有一阵子,她读的书都在这个难易度上。也许她是在消除对阅读的一些困惑,而以前她没时间去做,因为老师总是催促她看这个年级”该看的书“。她在这个班上学习了六七个星期后,我们成了好朋友。我试探地向她建议:既然她喜欢马,而且骑马的水平还不错,她可以读一读《侠女神驹》。我尽可能委婉地提出这个建议。我只告诉她那是一本关于一个热爱马并常常骑马的女孩的故事;如果她不喜欢读,她可以放回书架。她去读了,也许她觉得这本书比她先前读的书要难点,但是她读完了,而且挺喜欢。春季的那一学期,她的表现可真的让我吃惊了。一天,在我们的自习课上我看到她坐在课桌前看书。我瞥了一眼书中的插图我就知道这是一本什么书了。但是我不相信我的眼睛:”不可能吧。“我走过去仔细一看,果然她在读《白鲸》,那版本配有罗克威尔·肯特的木刻画。我走近她的时候,她抬起头来。我问她:”你真的在看这本书吗?“她说,是的。我又问:”你喜欢这本书吗?“"嗯,是的。这本书很好。”她答道。“你不觉得有些地方很难吗?”我又问道。“有啊,不过,看不懂就跳过去,挑有意思的地方看。”她这样回答。真正的阅读就该如此。但是上学时,阅读不见得总是有趣或让人喜欢。拿上一本书,钻进去,读有趣的部分,跳过不好的部分,尽可能从书中得到点收获,然后再去读其他书。为什么非要让每个孩子读一样的书,作出同样的“理解”呢? Unit 3
回忆的时节 莎伦·赖特 1 2 一个温暖宜人的夏日午后,在一棵松树下,我坐在一张旧毯子上与母亲聊天。我们来这个公园进行家近年来,我们一般只是谈谈生活,但有时也回忆起我的童年往事。比如我十三岁那年,第一次约会后,庭野餐和聚会,已有很多年了,而且我和母亲经常会坐在这同一个地方。
妈妈将我带到树下这个地方,给我讲解生理知识。又如几年以后,我的发型在高中毕业舞会显得不太合时宜,母亲让我在她怀中哭泣。但在这树下发生的最特别的事情,是我告诉母亲我要结婚了,当时她热泪盈眶。这次是她在我的怀里哭了。她说她很伤心,因为不再拥有那个小女孩,但她也很高兴看到我出落得成熟漂亮。3 4 5 年复一年,我们看着公园里的松树长得巍峨挺拔,直至高耸入云。松树年年增高,我们之间的关系也在这个阳光明媚的下午,母亲和我静静坐着,呼吸着新剪的草散发出的清香。她的神情异常严肃,出我皱起了眉头,狐疑地看了她一眼,然后微微笑了。过了一会儿,她还没有回以微笑,我开始纳闷她越发密切,对彼此的爱也越发深厚。
乎意料地问我道:“我死了以后,你会带谁来?”
为什么会提出这样一个令人不安的问题。母亲捡起一片草叶,开始用指甲将它划成碎片。我非常了解母亲的各种习惯,这个动作表明她有心事。6 有好几分钟的时间,我们静静地坐着,整理着自己的思绪。附近,几只蓝背樫鸟在嘎嘎叫着;头顶,一架飞机飞过,但这些并没有消除我们之间的尴尬。最后,我伸出手,握住了妈妈的手,“妈,什么事都可以跟我说的,”我说,“我们可以一起应付,就像以前一样。” 7 8 她凝视着我的脸,眼里噙着泪水,眼泪顺着苍白得吓人的脸颊流了下来。她还没开口,我就知道了:我紧紧地抱着她,听她诉说:她的心脏病越来越严重了,已经无药可救了。我想这个情况我已经知道母亲将不久于人世了。
一段时间了,只是一直不愿面对。她的心脏病已经发作了好几次,几年前还做过开心手术。但有一点我一无所知,而且她也一直瞒着我,那就是她的情况毫无好转。我们讨论了一下她的治疗方案,其实也是寥寥无几。我们哭了,拥抱在一起,只愿能有更多的时间在一起。9 这已经是很多年前的事了,那天以后没多久母亲就去世了,那时我的儿子们还没有出世。我仍然到公园来,不过现在是带着我的儿子们。我仍然会坐在那棵茁壮的松树下,坐在旧毛毯上,跟孩子们说起家庭野餐、聚会和他们没见过的外婆。就像妈妈当年对我一样,我会谈论他们年少时的滑稽举动,表扬他们长大后所取得的成就。我们来到这个特别的地方来编织属于自己的回忆——我知道,这些回忆一定会令母亲自豪地微笑。不久前,大儿子要我去公园,他有话跟我说。我们去了,坐在我们的树下。他嗯嗯呀呀了好几分钟,终于告诉我他要结婚了。我流下了快乐的泪水,儿子拥抱着我,他的拥抱可是难得又特别的。我告诉他我是多么地为他的成长而骄傲。在那个凉爽的四月午后,沐浴在阳光中,呼吸着新剪的青草味道,我坐在那里,觉得自己回到了原地,就在这棵巨大的松树下。我把儿子揽在怀中,为他感到高兴,我知道,多年前当我告诉母亲我要结婚时,她也一样为我高兴。从儿子的肩膀上方望去,我看到了几株最近新种的松苗。我想,当这些树长得高大挺拔之时,我的家人的生命也会跟它们一起延续不息吗?我希望我也能跟我的孙儿们分享这个地方。头顶的树枝在微风中摇曳,我听到耳语般的声音:“我死了以后你会带谁来?”那是母亲的声音,我将儿子搂得更紧了。
午夜来电 克里斯蒂·克雷格 那种午夜来电的情形众所周知。那晚的电话也没有什么不同。铃声一响,我腾地坐了起来,盯着时钟上 发红光的数字。正直午夜。我脑子一片昏沉,惊慌失措地抓起听筒。2 “喂?” 我的心怦怦直跳。我握紧听筒,看着丈夫,他正朝我这边翻身。“妈妈?”电话里又静电噪音,我几乎听不清那头传来的微弱的声音。但我立刻想起了女儿。当我听清电话那里阵阵年轻的急切的哭泣声时,我一把抓住丈夫,紧握他的手腕。“妈妈,我知道已经很晚了。但是„„别说话,什么也别说,先让我说完。是的,不用你问,我一直在喝酒,就在离家几英里的地方,我差点冲出了马路„„” 我猛地吸了一口气,松开丈夫的手,把手贴在额头上。我仍睡意朦胧,努力克制着我的恐慌,事情有点不对劲。“我很害怕。脑子里就一个念头,如果警察去家里说我出车祸死了,你该有多伤心呢。我想„„回家。我知道离家出走不对,我知道你担心极了。几天前我就应该给你打电话,可当时害怕,„„害怕„„” 8 听筒传来凄切的抽泣声,激荡着我的心扉。我的脑海里立刻浮现出女儿的脸庞,杂乱的头绪慢慢清晰起来,“我觉得——” “不要说话!让我说完!请你让我说完!”她恳求道,那种语气与其说是愤怒,还不如说是绝望。10 我停顿了一下,努力思索着该说什么。还没等我开口,她又说道:“我怀孕了,妈妈。我知道现在我不应该喝酒,特别是现在,可是我害怕呀,妈妈,我真是太害怕了!” 她的声音再次哽咽。我咬着嘴唇,感觉眼眶有些湿润。我看了看丈夫,他静静地坐着,轻声问道“是谁?” 我摇了摇头。没等我回答,他便一跃而起,走出房间,很快又回来了,手里拿着无绳电话,放在耳边听着。她一定 是听到了电话的咔嚓声,于是说道:“妈妈,你还在吗?请不要挂我的电话!我需要你,我感觉很孤单。” 我抓起话筒,望着丈夫,向他寻求帮助。“我在这儿,我不会挂电话。”我说。“我早就应该告诉你的,妈妈。我知道我早就应该告诉你。可是我们交谈的时候,你只顾着和我说应该做什么。你看过这么多小册子,都是关于怎样跟孩子谈性这类的话题,可你只是对我说教,从不听我说。你从来不让我诉说我的感受。好像我的感受一点都不重要。因为你是我妈妈,你就觉得自己能够解决我所有的问题。可有的时候,我并不需要解决方法,我只需要有人倾听。我咽下哽在喉咙里的东西,凝视着散放在床头柜上的那些如何跟孩子交流的小册子,轻声说道:“我在听。” “你知道吗,在回来的路上,我把车停稳后,就开始想我的宝宝,想着怎么照顾我的宝宝。然后我就看到了这个电话亭。我好像听到你在喋喋不休地劝我不要酒后开车。所以我就叫了辆出租车,我想要回家。” 18 “这样很好呀,宝贝。”我说道,心里感觉宽慰了一些。丈夫走进我,坐在旁边,和我十指相扣。双手相触时,我知道,他认为我现在就应该这样做,也应该这样说。19 “可你知道,我觉得我现在可以开车。” “不行!”我厉声说道。我的肌肉紧张起来,抓紧了丈夫的手。“等出租车来,行吗?等出租车来了再挂电话!” “我只想回家呀,妈妈。” 22 “我知道,但是为了妈妈,千万要等出租车来!” 听着电话那端的沉默,我心惊胆战。听不到她的回答,我咬着嘴唇,闭上眼睛,不管怎样,我都不能让她开车。“出租成来了。” 直到我听见电话那边传来了询问出租车的声音,绷紧的神经才松弛下来。26 “我这就回家,妈妈”。咔嚓一声,电话没有声音了。我的眼眶里盈满泪水。我下床,走出房间,穿过客厅,来到我十六岁女儿的房间,站在那里。寂静的黑暗是那么深沉。丈夫从我背后走来,把我拥在怀里,下巴挨着我的头顶。28 我擦去脸上的泪水,对他说“我们一定要学会倾听。” 他扳过我的身体,与他面对面,“我们会学会的,一定会的。”然后他把我抱在怀里,我把头紧紧地依偎在他的肩膀上。相拥片刻,我抽身回头看着床。他端详了我片刻,问道,“你觉得她知道自己拨错电话了吗?” 31 我看着我们熟睡的女儿,又回头看他,“也许她并没有拨错号码。”
“爸爸,妈妈,你们在做什么?”一个稚嫩的声音从被子里闷闷地传出来。我向女儿走去,她便坐了起来,凝视着这一片漆黑。“我们在练习。”我回答道。33 “练习什么?”她咕哝着,又躺了下去,闭上眼睛睡着了。34 “练习倾听。”我轻声说道,用手轻轻抚摸着她的脸颊。
Unit 4
医生的儿子
哈罗德·埃普利、罗谢尔·梅兰德合写 我还是个婴儿的时候,我的父母亲搬到了佛蒙特州。我那温文而雅的父亲在一个名叫伊诺斯堡的小镇上毫不张扬地开业行医了。很快,当地人就把他当成了自己人。在佛蒙特州的小镇上,消息传播得很快。人们分得清谁是好人。邻居们都称我的父亲为“埃普利医生”。我很快意识到,只要我住在伊诺斯堡,我就永远是“埃普利医生的儿子”。入学的第一天,同学们就簇拥着我,因为我是医生的儿子。“要是你多少有点像你父亲的话,你就会是个聪明的孩子。”我的一年级老师这么说。我不禁喜形于色。可是在我十几岁的时候,事情起了变化。我都十六岁了,邻居们还是称呼我“埃普利医生的儿子”。他们说我长大了一定会是一个可敬又勤劳的年轻人,会像我父亲那样过着体面的生活。每当我听到这些赞美之词,我都会嗤之以鼻。我不知道自己怎样才能融入我那些少年朋友的圈子。我讨厌父亲的好名声像影子一样跟着我。所以当陌生人问起我是不是埃普利医生的儿子时,我会断然答道:“我叫哈罗德。我自己能管好自己的事。”出于反叛,我开始对父亲直呼其名,不叫他“爸爸”,而叫他“萨姆”。5 “你最近为什么这么犟?”有次争吵时,我父亲这样问我。6 “哼,萨姆。我想你生气了吧!”我答道。“你知道的,你叫我萨姆让我很伤心。”我父亲大声地说。“哦,那人人都指望我像你一样,也很让我伤心呢。我不要完美,我只想做我自己。” 我好不容易挨过高中,总算满了十八岁。第二年秋天我上了大学。我选中了一所远离伊诺斯堡的学校,那是一个没人管我叫“埃普利医生的儿子”的地方。10 在大学里,有天晚上我和一帮学生在宿舍聊起我们的生活经历。我们开始谈起童年时期最讨厌的事情。“想都不用想,”我说,“我受不了生活在一个所有人都把我比作我父亲的地方。” 坐在我身边的女孩皱起眉头说:“这我就不理解了。要是有这么个令人尊敬的父亲我一定会很骄傲的。”她的眼里噙着泪继续说,“要是有人把我叫做我父亲的孩子,我愿为此付出一切!但我不知道他在哪里。我刚刚四岁,他就离开了我的母亲。” 大家陷入了尴尬的沉默,然后我转开了话题。她的话我当时还听不进去。那年我回家过寒假,心中充满了自豪感。在大学的四个月中,我交了好些朋友。我没有靠父亲,而是靠自己的本事赢得了众人的欢心。回到伊诺斯堡的两个星期里,我一直都很高兴。父亲的新车成了家里人感兴趣的话题。15 “让我开出去转转。”我说。.16 父亲同意了,但跟往常一样提醒我,“小心点。” 我瞪了他一眼,“萨姆,我讨厌你老把我当成个孩子。我都上大学了。你以为我不会开车啊?” 18 从父亲的脸上看得出我伤了他的心,也想起每次直呼“萨姆”时他是多么地不高兴。19 “那就去吧。”他说。我跳进车里,沿路开去,一路欣赏着佛蒙特乡间的美丽风景。我有点心不在焉。在一个繁忙的十字路口,不知怎么地就跟我前面的车撞了个正着。车里的妇人跳出来尖叫,“你这个白痴!你开车难道不看路吗?” 22 我查看了损坏的部位,两辆车都被撞瘪了。我像个犯了错的孩子一样,坐在那儿听着那妇人不停地抱怨。“全怪你!”她尖叫道。我无法反驳,双腿发抖,强忍着眼泪。“你有保险吗?你赔得起吗?你是谁?”她不停地问,“你是谁?” 25 我害怕起来,想也没想就叫道,“我是埃普利医生的儿子。” 我坐在那里惊呆了。我简直不相信我自己会这么说。几乎同时,妇人皱起的眉头变成了似曾相识的笑容。“对不起。”她答道,“我刚才不知道你是谁。” 一小时后,我开着被撞破了的车回了家。我低着头,双腿仍在发抖,拖着沉重的步子走进家门。我解释了所发生的一切。28 “受伤了吗?”他问。29 “没有。”我回答道。“那就好。”他答道,然后转身向门口走去。“哈罗德,抬起头来。”他边走边说。
那晚是除夕之夜,我们全家与朋友参加了一个小型晚会庆祝新年。午夜来临,每个人都欢呼并互相祝福。我看到父亲在房间的另一头,我向他走去。父亲与我很少拥抱,但我想起了白天的事,我用双臂搂着他的肩膀,很多年来第一次用他“真实的”名字来称呼他。我说,“谢谢你,爸爸。新年快乐!”
青少年的需求 小的时候,绝大多数人和父母住在一起大抵能相安无事。但进入青少年时代,一切就起了变化。我们大家也都知道大概会碰到一些什么困难:我们跟父母越来越疏远。我们是即将独立的新一代。我们即将离开我们长大成人的家庭,建立自己的小家庭 人人都要长大,但我们成长的方式各有不同。比如说,假如我们生长在一个原始部落里,我们就会在成长的过程中学会长大成人后所需具备的技能:如何狩猎捕鱼,如何持家和养育孩子。十几岁时就可以结婚并在我们父母家附近,我们熟知的村庄里建立家庭。3 我们把这种生活称作原始的生活方式,但成千上万年来人们适应了这种方式。二十一世纪我们依然习惯这种生活方式。人在进入文明之后的短时间内实在是没有太大的变化呀!但是,进入青春期后我们就可以离家自立了吗?很多在所谓文明国家中的人并不见得能完全做到。因为即使人的变化不大,他赖以生存的这个社会却已经发生了很大的变化,我们在离开父母的庇护前要学会的东西也越来越多。想一想我们到了青春期时学到了什么?我们学会了读书和写字。我们学会了使用数字计算,用钱买我们所需的东西。我们也学会了使用收音机、灶具,学会了搭乘公共汽车还有火车。不过,到了青春期我们所学到的东西仍然是远远不够的。我们也许接近成年,但我们显然还不是社会的成年成员。我们还有很多东西要学。当我们学习的时候,我们仍需要庇护所,所以我们一般还与父母同住。这样就理所当然地出现了问题。从身体发育的角度来看,我们成熟得越来越早,而从适应社会的角度来说,我们成熟得越来越晚。我们的人生抱负越大,我们要学得的就越多,我们依赖父母的时间就更长。8 怪不得青少年常感到沮丧和不安,常存有叛逆心理。一个名叫玛乔丽的少女是这样描述她自己这一人生阶段的:“我想一开始一切还算正常。我的父母跟其他大多数的父母差不多。我十四岁左右时,我的父母会让我去女性朋友的家,晚回家或者熬夜看电视上的午夜节目。但如果我去舞会或晚会,他们规定我在十点前必须回家。”我非常怕他们生我的气,所以我尽量准时回家,但有时做不到。假如我比他们规定的时间晚了,他们会很生气。不管几点妈妈都不上床睡觉,怒气冲冲地坐在那里。我实在怕死了,所以好久都不敢再很晚回家。玛乔丽的大多数朋友都有过类似的经历。但她长大些以后,情况变得更糟。她的父母不给她房门的钥匙,她什么时候回家都必须叫醒他们。有一次,她的父亲竟到一个舞会上,把正在跳舞的她拖了出来。12 “„我妈妈对我的管束实在严得不行。她非常专制。我那些朋友的父母将儿女当朋友,而我的父母从来就不让我独立思考。我妈妈规定我什么时候洗澡,穿什么衣服以及什么时候穿。她对我过度保护。当我开始和吉姆约会的时候,她压根儿就对我没有一丁点儿的信任。她要知道我们去哪里,几时回来,在哪里可以找到我。
Unit 5
个性的培养 人有高矮胖瘦,个性也各不相同。你的个性就是让你区别于他人的特征组合。一个人的个性可以用一个词来概括。人们可以说,哈里害羞内向;塔莎则争强好胜;而香农则友好外向。实际上,人的性格远比这种描述复杂得多。仔细观察一下,你便会注意到人的个性并不是那么简单,而且你也会发现只要付出努力,你就有可能改变你的个性。人的个性由许多元素组成。一般来说,这些元素可分成三类:情感元素、社交元素和智力因素。4 虽然每个人对基本情绪的感受都是一样的,譬如恐惧、幸福、忧虑和痛苦,但每个人对这些情感的反应都不一样。例如,当卡拉的祖母去世时,她以哭泣表达她的哀痛;其他人却可能以静默、沉思的方式寄托哀思。同样,听到一个好消息时,你也许会高兴得跳起来,立刻决定举办一个聚会,与同学和朋友分享 你的幸福和喜悦;其他人则可能不和别人分享这个消息,只是独自品味快乐。当你观察一个人怎么处理他的情感时,你将会对他在这一方面的个性有所了解。人们也以不同的方式与他人交往。这是人们的个性在社交方面的体现,其表现形式多种多样。有些人喜欢与人为伴而不喜欢独处,我们说他们是社交型的;还有些人则正好相反;大多数人都希望自己的性格是二者的综合。智力特征是个性的第三元素,这些特征受大脑及其运作方式的影响。有的人也许喜欢在空余时间独自沉思,另一些人也许比较有创造性。以杰克为例,他时常让全班同学开怀大笑,他能发现每一件事的幽默之处,并以有趣的方式表达出来。人们的情感、社交、和智力的个性特征通过行为明显地表达出来。通常你得先深入地了解一个人后才能发现他的性格特征。当你开始思考自己的性格时,你也许会对自己的行为疑惑不解。解释人的个性是如何发展并非易事,那是因为遗传因素和环境因素同时在起作用,但是却没人真正地知道哪种因素对个性的形成作用更大。其实,遗传和环境这两种因素的组合对每个人的影响都不同。遗传是对个性的一个影响因素。遗传是我们从父母和祖先那里继承下来的一整套个性特征。“他太像他的父亲了。”米勒夫人总是这么说她十七岁的儿子托德。父亲去世时托德才一岁,所以这种性格相似只能归因于遗传,因为托德显然没有机会从他的父亲那里学到这些特征。个性的其他方面受到周围环境的影响。环境因素是指人们周围的境况、物体和条件,这些因素对个性也有影响。这种影响很大而且非常复杂。例如,在孩子成长过程中,家庭环境会影响孩子的个性。与那些在成长过程中感到困扰的人相比,感受到爱意和安全感的人或能养成更为积极的个性特征。这就解释了为什么离婚是一种有害的社会实践,它往往会对儿童的成长产生负面的影响。个性的差异令人们多姿多彩。一个千人一面的世界该是多么枯燥啊!另一方面,有些个性比其它的个性更招人喜欢。你的个性怎样?你对自己的个性满意吗?你是否想改变自己的某些个性特征,哪怕是某个无关紧要的特征?多数人都想在个性方面做出一些调整。青春期是个性的形成期,个性与其他各个方面一起发展。身为年轻的大学生,现在按自己的想法塑造个性也许会比以后更加容易,因为你是一边在学习一边改变自己。想一想你欣赏哪些性格。正如运动员培养技能一样,你也能建立你想要的个性,但一定要有决心才行。
分析你的个性 红、黄、绿、紫、棕、灰、蓝和黑这八种颜色,你最喜欢的是哪种? 许多人都相信我们喜爱的颜色与我们是什么样的人也许有着紧密的关系。虽然没有完全的科学根据,但是我们喜欢的颜色在某些程度上反映了我们的个性。阅读以下文字,你可能会对自己的性格特征有一些新的认识。3 A: 红色
红色代表激情与活力。八种颜色之中,如果红色排在第一位,这意味着你较冲动、性感并且好胜。你是一 位好领袖,你想要扩展你的天空,充实地度过一生。如果红色是你第七个或最后一个选择,它代表你对生活的欲望和对冒险的渴求较少。4 B: 黄色
黄色代表快乐、放松。把黄色列为第二、第三或第四的人是个积极、乐观并向前看的人——从不向后看。你会发现生活轻松,并且没有烦恼,你无忧无虑、自由自在,但这不意味着你是懒惰的。你可能极勤勉,虽然不一定总是如此。黄色作为你的第一个选择,意味着你雄心勃勃,渴望取悦他人。如果黄色排在最后几位,那你所拥有的希望和梦想已经破灭,你感觉被隔绝和失望,往往变得戒心很重,不愿与人交往。5 C: 绿色
绿色代表坚决和反对变化。如果你的主要选择是绿色,那么你是个坚持到底、占有欲强和比较自私的人。你会很成功,喜欢敛集”财物“,如宝马车、劳力士手表或者假日公寓。你要其他人知道你有多么出色,你需要其他人对你的好评,但同时也会担心被他人的评论和批评伤害自尊心。结果你可能变得太吹毛求疵、尖酸刻薄与顽固不化。6 D: 紫色
紫色是红色和蓝色的混合。它代表冲动与冷静的敏感、占有欲和顺从之间的冲突。喜欢紫色者想要一段神秘、奇幻般的情感。心理上和生理上都不成熟的你,常沉迷于异想天开和梦幻的世界里。喜欢紫色的往往是青少年,他们仍然用童话般的眼光看待这个世界。如果紫色不是你喜欢的颜色,它表示你已较为成熟,并且已经走出了“梦幻世界”,可以面对严酷的现实了。7 E: 褐色
褐色象征身体健康,它告诉你自己的健康状况。如果褐色排在第四或第五,那你不太关心你的健康和身体。这表示你的健康大概是蛮好的。那些经常担心生病者往往选择褐色。如果褐色是你最喜爱的颜色,那么你不安定,缺乏安全感。但如果褐色是八种颜色之中排在最后,那你对自己身体健康照顾得不够好;你可能不是你想象中的那么健康。8 F: 灰色
灰色是中性色,代表两个动机相对和对比的焦点。灰色排在第一位意味着你想要逃避一切事物,不想负责任,只想在各种观点与感情之间摇摆不定。你不喜欢加入任何团体组织,是个观察员而不是个实干家。那些把灰色作为最后一个选择的人,渴望并积极地寻求和参与一切活动。这些人会全心全意地尝试一切,努力实现自己的目标。9 G: 蓝色
蓝色代表平静和忠诚。如果蓝色是你喜爱的颜色,那么你是一个敏感的人,可能容易受伤害。你从不恐慌,对自己人生控制自如并满意你的生活。你渴望过着不复杂、无忧无虑的生活,而且为了达到这种生活会准备牺牲某些目标。你需要一个稳定的、和谐的情感关系。蓝色排位越靠后,就越表明你对生活不满意,也越想摆脱限制你的种种约束。但你大概不会放弃你的家庭或你的工作,而只会默默地承受痛苦。10 H: 黑色
黑色是否定的颜色,意思是”不“。任何把黑色当作第一选择的人(这样的人很少),将会反叛生命对他们的安排。如果黑色排在第二位,它意味着你准备放弃一切达到你想要得到的目标。黑色一般是人们的第七个或第八个选择,标志人们对命运的控制和寻求平衡的观念。当黄色和黑色是你的第一和第二个选择时(黄色在前,黑色在后),则意味着变动即将来临。Unit 6
星期天在公园 贝尔•考夫曼
1.傍晚,夕阳余温犹存,城市的喧嚣消弭于公园树林。她把书放在长椅上,摘下太阳镜,心满意足地轻叹一声。莫顿正在读《时报》周日专栏,一只胳膊环绕在她的肩上。他们三岁的儿子拉里正在沙箱里玩耍。一缕清风迎面拂过,温柔地掠过她的发丝。现在是星期天下午五点半。这个小游乐场隐在公园的一角,几乎废弃。秋千和跷跷板静静地伫立着,无人问津,滑梯上也空无一人,只见沙箱里蹲着两个小男孩,挨在一起玩得正起劲。她心中想:一切是多么美好啊,脸上不禁绽放出笑容。他们得多晒太阳,莫顿整个星期都窝在公司狭小的办公隔间里,这样的城市生活把他折磨得苍白无力。她深情地握着莫顿的胳膊,高兴地看着拉里聚精会神地挖隧道,他那尖俏的小脸此刻正眉头紧锁。另一个孩子突然站起来,飞快地抬起胖乎乎的胳膊,故意把满满一铲沙子朝拉里扬过来。幸好没有扬到他头上。拉里继续挖。那个男孩仍旧站在那里,举着铲子,面无表情,无动于衷。
2.不可以,不可以,孩子。”她对他摇着手指,同时眼睛搜寻着孩子的妈妈或者保姆。“我们不可以扬沙子。它会飞到别人眼睛里,很痛。沙箱这么好,我们得好好地玩。”这个男孩看着她,眼睛一眨不眨,好像在期待什么。他跟拉里年纪相仿,但是可能比拉里要重10磅,很壮实,从他脸上看不到拉里的活泼和机灵。他的妈妈在哪里?游乐场里就剩下两个女人和一个穿旱冰鞋的小女孩,她们正穿过大门离开,还有一个男人坐在几英尺外的长椅上。他块头很大,脸贴近手里拿着的周末连环画,整个长椅仿佛都被他占了。她觉得他就是孩子的父亲。他还在看连环画,头也不抬,但动作娴熟地从嘴角里吐了一口痰。她移开了视线。
3.就在这个时候,那个小胖子又朝拉里扬了一铲沙,动作跟之前一样迅速。这次,一些沙子落在了拉里的头发和前额上。拉里抬头看着妈妈,试探性地撇了撇嘴,妈妈的表情将决定他要不要放声大哭。4.她的第一反应就是想冲向儿子,掸掉他头发里的沙子,然后把那个孩子教训一顿,但她克制住了。她总是说她想让拉里学会自己保护自己。
5.“不能那么做,孩子,”她坐在长椅上,身体前倾,厉声说道,“你不该扬沙子。”
6.那个坐在长椅上的男人嘴巴动了动,好像又要吐痰,但却开口说话了。他没有看她,只是盯着那个男孩。
7.“继续玩你的,乔,”他大声说,“想扬什么就扬什么。这里是公共沙箱。”
8.她瞥了莫顿一眼,忽然感觉膝盖一阵发软。他已经明白了目前的状况。他把《时报》小心地放在腿上,转头看向那个男人,精致消瘦的脸庞上挂着腼腆、谦卑的微笑。他开口跟那个男人说话了,像平常一样,那么通情达理。
9.“你说的对,”他的语气轻松愉悦,“但就是因为这是个公共场所„„”
10.那个男人放下他的连环画看着莫顿,不紧不慢地从头到脚细细打量。“是吗?”他语气傲慢,近乎威胁,“我的孩子和你的孩子在这儿有同样的权利,如果他想扬沙子,他就扬;如果你不喜欢,你可以带着你孩子从这里滚出去。”
11.孩子们听得目瞪口呆,忘记了小手里握着的铲子。她注意到莫顿下巴的肌肉紧绷着。他很少生气;也很少发脾气。她内心充满了对丈夫的爱怜和对这个男人的愤怒,因为这个男人把丈夫卷入了一种陌生和令人不快的境地,但对此她又无能为力。
12.“等一下,”莫顿说话彬彬有礼,“你该懂得„„” 13.“哼,闭嘴,”那个男人说。
14. 她的心开始砰砰狂跳。莫顿半起身,《时报》滑落到地上。那个男人也慢慢地站了起来,朝莫顿走了几步,然后停下来。他伸展了一下他那粗壮的胳膊,伺机以待。她把颤抖的膝盖并拢。会有暴力、打斗吗?太可怕了,太不可思议了„„她必须要做点什么,想办法制止他们,或者打电话寻求帮助。她想抓住丈夫的袖子,想让他坐下来,但不知为什么她没有那么做。
15.莫顿扶了一下眼镜。他的脸色很苍白。“这真是太滑稽了,”他结结巴巴地说,“我必须要问问你„„” 16.“哦,是吗?”那个男人说道。他站在那里,两腿叉开,身体轻轻摇晃着,一脸不屑地看着莫顿。“你,还有谁?”
17.两个男人四目对峙了片刻。然后莫顿转过身,背对着那个男人,轻轻地说:“来吧,我们离开这里。”他走向沙箱,步态很不自然,因为尴尬都有点一瘸一拐了。他弯下腰,把拉里和他的铲子一起抱了起来。18.拉里开始又踢又喊。“我不想回家,我还想玩。”夫妻俩拽着孩子,拉里一路上不停地哭喊,双脚拖在地上。要走到公园出口,他们得经过那张长椅,那个男人又四仰八叉地坐在上面。她的目光小心翼翼地避开他,尽量保持着尊严,牵着拉里一只沾满沙子的汗津津的小手,莫顿牵着拉里的另一只手。她昂着头,和丈夫孩子一起慢慢地走出了那个游乐场。
19.“打斗证明不了什么,”走到街上时莫顿从牙缝里咕哝道。
20.她首先感到的是一种宽慰,打斗得以避免,也没有人受伤。然而,在这种宽慰之下涌起某种沉重且不可回避的东西。她感到这不仅仅是一件令人不快的小事,也不仅仅是理智对武力的妥协。她想,如果当时有某种值得去争取的东西,莫顿又能做些什么呢?让自己挨打?试图教育那个男人?报警?“警官,有个人的孩子在公园向我的孩子扬沙子,他却不去阻止„„”整件事荒谬至极,不值得深思。她加快了脚步。她只想回家,去忙她的家务活。
尊重 乔希·特雷潘尼尔 你是否记得,曾几何时,男士为女士和长者们开门,且进门脱帽?你是否记得,曾几何时,出于对父母或祖父母的绝对尊敬,年轻人从不敢顶嘴?对此记忆犹新的人一定会对当今社会礼仪的缺失颇感震惊。如今,每天仍把“请”和 “谢谢”这样的简单词汇挂在嘴边的人越来越难找到。甚至连“礼貌策略”也不再礼貌。在过去几十年间,人们给与他人尊重总体水平急剧下降。倘若我们自我教育,也不敢教育孩子,这种情况会每况愈下。谁应该对如今的礼仪滑坡负责呢?孩子们表现得最没礼貌的场所通常正式他们学会不讲礼貌的地方——那就是在家里。孩子们越来越不听父母的话。八年前,我决不可能带着帽子坐在餐桌旁,否则我妈妈会大发雷霆。如今,年轻人带着帽子吃饭,同时完这手持电子游戏,父母对此却熟视无睹。有些父母甚至纵容孩子在其面前说脏话。由此想乘的对礼仪的漠视态度,是导致美国年轻人教养问题日益突出的根源。如果父母对家庭中无礼举止一直视而不见,粗鲁的孩子最终会成为粗鲁的成人,目前这种礼貌缺失的趋势将会愈演愈烈。淡然,媒体也在这个日益严重的问题推波助澜,很多现代家庭情景喜剧描绘年轻人的粗鲁行为只为博人一笑。美国人礼仪的缺乏还表现在他们对待长辈的方式上。入住养老院的老人人数持续增长,我相信他们中的很多人其实是可以在家里得到照顾的。然而,有些人已经失去了对父母曾有的那份耐心和尊重,养老院便组建成为全国日益争夺的老年人轻而易举的选择。在马路上,老人获得的尊重也越来越少。只要老人车速比开得快的年轻司机稍慢,他们就会遭到鸣笛、闪灯和侮辱手势的骚扰。我们相信,现在的老年人会倍 感疑惑,他们为什么得不到自己曾经给与前辈的那份尊重。很遗憾,找不到任何充分的理由向他们解释美国人遭受礼仪缺失困扰的问题。全美国的老师都在承受着学生们的无礼。在很大程度上,高中老师看到的学生态度变化最大。十几岁的孩子们不再害怕跟老师顶嘴,如果是在过去,他们顶嘴就要挨戒尺打。也许,倘若我们让老师重新拿起戒尺,孩子们在学校可能会更注意自己所说的话。问题是,老师听到学生口出不逊,却完全不去理会,让他们侥幸逃避惩罚。我想他们的确不是拿着工资当保姆的,但是若长期放任学生的粗鲁行为,老师们只会让自己的工作陷入更大的困境。学生们在学校还是会礼数不周或毫无礼貌,除非有人终结老师每天面临的这种纵容学生无礼的局面。从根本上说,美国人目前面临的问题是迫于管教。我们不能再对孩子们的无礼视而不见。如果孩子漠视礼仪的态度第一次显露时我们便能阻止,问题远不会发展到如今这种极端的地步。作为一个民族,我们需要认识并改正这些由于我们的年轻人粗鲁和无礼所导致的问题,尽管骑士精神可能已经过时,但是我觉得现在是礼貌和尊重回归社会的时候了。
Unit 7
水手的圣诞礼物 威廉·J·莱德勒 去年圣诞期间,我、妻子和三个儿子在法国,从巴黎前往尼斯。一连五天都很倒霉,没有一件事顺心。入住的旅馆尽是些“宰客的黑店”,租用的汽车也坏了,一家人挤在车上,个个显得烦躁不安。圣诞节前夜,我们住进了尼斯一家邋遢的旅店,心里没有半点圣诞感觉。我们外出就餐时,天正下着雨,天气寒冷。我们找到了一家小餐馆,这小店看着很乏味,只是随便装饰了一下来应节。餐馆散发着一股油腻的味道。里面只有五张桌子坐了人:两对德国夫妇,两户法国家庭和一名独自用餐的美国水手。在餐厅的一个角落里,钢琴师在无精打采地弹奏着圣诞乐曲。我情绪低落,加之疲惫不堪,执意不愿离开这儿去找别的餐馆了。我环顾四周,只见顾客们都默默地在吃着饭,唯一一个显得开心的是那位美国水手。他一边吃着,一边写信,脸上闪耀着淡淡的微笑。4 妻子用法语点了菜,服务员给我们端来的却是别的东西。我骂妻子愚蠢,她哭了起来。孩子们护着妈妈,我的情绪变得更加糟糕。继而,坐在我们左侧餐桌上的那位法国父亲因为一点小事打了其中一个孩子一记耳光,小男孩大哭起来。我们的右边,那个德国妇女开始喋喋不休地数落她的丈夫。一阵令人不快的寒风吹了进来。从前门进来一个卖花的法国老太太。她穿着一件湿淋淋的破旧大衣,穿一双水淋淋的旧鞋拖着腿进来。她提着花篮,沿桌叫卖。7 “买花吗,先生?只要一个法郎哩。” 8 谁也没有买。她疲惫不堪,在水手和我们之间的那张餐桌旁边坐了下来,对服务员说:“请来碗汤吧。一下午连一朵花也没卖掉。”接着,她用嘶哑的声音对钢琴师说,“你能想象吗,约瑟夫,圣诞节前夜就喝点汤?” 10 钢琴师指了指身旁的那只空空如也的“小费盘”。年轻的海员已吃完,起身准备离开。他穿上外套,走到卖花老太太的桌前。他笑着说了声“圣诞快乐!”,一边挑出两朵小小的花,“多少钱?” 12 “两个法郎,先生。” 他把其中的一朵花压平,放进已经写好的信里,然后将一张20法郎面额的钞票递给了老妇。14 “我没有零钱找您,先生。”她说,“我去跟服务员换一点来。” “不用了,夫人。”说着,水手俯身吻了吻那张老迈的脸,“这是我送给您的圣诞礼物。” 他直起身,朝我们的餐桌走来,那另一朵鲜花举在他的胸前。“先生,”他对我说,“我可以将这花作为礼物送给您漂亮的女儿吗?”说着,他迅速地将那朵花塞到我妻子的手中,道了声“圣诞快乐”,就离去了。人们都停止吃饭,大家一直关注着水手的一举一动,整个餐厅鸦雀无声。几秒钟后,圣诞的欢乐激情像炸弹似地爆炸开来。卖花老妇腾身站起,挥动着她手中的那张20法郎的钞票。她蹒跚着走到餐厅的中央,欢快地踏起了舞步,冲着钢琴师嚷道:“约瑟夫,我收到圣诞礼物了!我也让你分享一半,让你也能吃上一顿丰盛的圣诞晚餐。” 钢琴师急速地弹起了《好国王温西斯劳斯》舞曲,魔力十足的双手敲击着琴键,头和着乐曲的旋律频频点动。我的妻子也随着音乐的节奏挥动着那朵鲜花。她容光焕发,仿佛一下子年轻了20岁。泪水不见了,嘴角上绽出笑容。她启动歌喉,放声歌唱,我们的三个儿子随声和了起来,纵情高歌。“好!好!”德国人高声喝彩。他们跳到椅子上,并用德语唱起这支歌。服务员上前拥抱着卖花的老太太,两人挥舞手臂,用法语唱了起来。那个打了儿子一巴掌的法国男子用餐叉敲击着酒瓶打起了拍子,那男孩爬上他爸爸的膝盖,欢快地唱起歌来。德国人请在场的每个人喝酒。人们自斟自饮,相互拥抱。其中的一家法国人要来了香槟---到每张桌上给人敬酒,亲吻每个人的双颊。饭馆老板带头唱起《第一个圣诞节》,我们大家都跟着唱,其中有半数人是含泪唱的。人们络绎不绝地从街上向餐馆涌来,后来连位子都不够了,一些顾客只好站着。人们和着圣诞歌的节奏手舞足蹈,声音震动了餐厅的四壁。原本是在一家简陋的小餐馆里的一个凄凉的夜晚,结果竟变成我们一生中最最美好的圣诞前夜。这全亏那位灵魂中闪烁着圣诞精神的年轻海员。是他释放了我们心中那被愤懑和失望压抑的爱心和快乐。他赐给了我们圣诞的欢乐。
如何改善人际关系 每天都会碰到很多人,我们应如何与他们相处呢?以下的五个例子,能引发我们思考该如何对待他人这一问题。第一课 清洁女工 大学的第二个月时,老师安排了一次随堂测验。我平时学习很认真,前面的题都轻轻松松做完了,直到最后一题:“学校的清洁女工叫什么名字?” 这一定是开玩笑。我见过那清洁女工几次,她很高、深色头发、五十几岁,但我怎么会知道她的名字? 我交了卷,空着最后一个问题没做。临下课前,有一位同学问最后一题算不算分。“当然算分”,教授回答道,“在你们一生的经历当中,你们会遇见很多人,每一位都很重要。他们值得你去注意和关心,即使是你所要做的仅仅是微笑和一声‘你好’”。5 我永远也没有忘记这个教训,我也记住了她的名字叫多萝西。close6RT 第二课 雨中偶遇 有一天晚上,已经十一点半了,一位年长的非裔美国妇女顶着狂风暴雨,站在亚拉巴马的高速公路旁等车。她的车坏了,急需搭顺路车。她全身湿透,于是决定招手拦下一辆车。一位年青的白人停下车来帮她,这在充满种族冲突的20世纪60年代简直是闻所未闻的。这位青年人把她送到安全地,帮她获得援助,并送她上了出租车。她似乎很赶时间,不过她还是写下了青年人的地址并向他表示感谢。七天后,有人敲青年人的家门,令他惊奇的是,送到他门口的是一台巨型彩色电视机。上面还附了一张特别的纸条,上面写道:
”非常感谢你那天晚上在高速公路上帮我。那天晚上的大雨不仅淋湿了我的衣服,也使我的心情糟糕透顶,这时你来了。因为你,我才能及时赶到我丈夫的病床前,见他最后一面。你这样帮助我,无私地帮助他人,上帝会保佑你的!
真诚的娜特·金·科尔太太
第三课 常怀感激 以前圣代冰淇淋比现在便宜得多。有一天,一位十岁的小男孩走进一间宾馆的咖啡店,坐在桌边。一位女服务员把一杯水放在他面前,“圣代冰淇淋多少钱一个?”他问道。“五毛钱,”女服务员回答道。小男孩把手从裤袋里边拿出来,仔细地数了数手上的硬币。“那么普通冰淇淋多少钱一个呢?”他又问道。这时候已经有很多人在等位子了,女服务员开始不耐烦了。“三毛五,”她不耐烦地回答道。小男孩又数了数硬币,说:“那就给我来一个普通冰淇淋吧。”女服务员拿来了冰淇淋、把账单放在桌上就走开了。小男孩吃完冰淇淋,到柜台付了钱就离开了。女服务员返回来擦桌子时,她流下了眼泪。在空碟的旁边整整齐齐地放着两个5分镍币和五个便士。他没有要圣代冰淇淋就是为了有足够的钱给她付小费。第四课 路中障物 古时候,有一位国王让人把一块大石头放在路中间。然后他就躲在路旁,看看谁会去挪开这块巨石。国王手下的一些最富有的商人和侍臣路过这里,他们都只是绕开石头过去了。许多人大声指责国王没有把道路清理好,但是谁也不去想办法把石头从路上弄走。这时候,有一位农夫挑了一担青菜走过来。他来到大石边,放下担子,就去推大石。他使劲地推呀推,终于成功地把大石推到路旁去了。当他挑起担子准备离开时,突然发现在原来放大石的地方有一个钱包。装有很多金币,还有一张纸条,是国王写的,说金币是送给挪开石头的人的。农夫学到了我们许多人永远也不会明白的道理!每一个障碍都是改善我们环境的机会。
第五课 雪中送炭 很多年前,我在一家医院做义工时,认识了一个名叫莉兹的小女孩。她得了一种很严重的怪病,唯一康复的机会只有靠她五岁的弟弟输血给她,因为她弟弟也曾患同样的病并奇迹般地好了,因此体内已经产生了抗体。医生把这一情况告诉了她的弟弟,问他是否愿意输血给姐姐。我看他犹豫了一会儿,然后深深地吸了一口气,说,“我愿意,我会输血给她,只要能救她。”输血过程中,他躺在姐姐的隔壁床,脸上带着笑容,就像我们一样,看着血色渐渐地回到姐姐的脸上。这时他的脸色渐渐变得苍白,脸上的微笑也消 失了,他抬起头看着医生,用颤抖的声音问道:“我是不是很快就要死了?”男孩太小,误解了医生的意思,他以为要救姐姐,就必须把全部的血都输给她。
Unit 8
网络空间的性别差异
德博拉·坦嫩 我很早就买了电脑,但仍然像个新手。这个自相矛盾的说法很能说明问题。我是这座大楼里第二个拥有电脑的人。第一个是我的同事拉尔夫。那是在1980年,拉尔夫买了一台Radio Shack TRS-80电脑;我买了一台二手苹果II+电脑。他是我的电脑启蒙老师,后来成了电脑专家。他喜欢读电脑杂志,对杂志上的新技术如饥似渴,一有钱就购买新软件,并能精通使用。我却抱着这台老旧的设备不放,因为我不喜欢放弃已经用习惯了的东西,也害怕做错决定买错电脑,还讨厌花时间安装和学习新的系统。我的第一台苹果电脑里安装了视频游戏;但我从没玩过。我对电脑游戏提不起兴趣。如果我有空闲时间,我宁愿和朋友们煲电话粥。拉尔夫上瘾了。他在电脑上耗的时间太长,又花大笔钱来升级电脑,经常惹妻子生气。在我发现电子邮件之前,我的婚姻从未有过类似的紧张局面。但电子邮件让我上瘾了,它吸引着我,就像是升级版的电话聊天。电子邮件加深了我和拉尔夫的友谊。虽然他的办公室就在我隔壁,但我们总聊不了几句,因为他很害羞。面对面交谈时,他说话含糊不清,我都听不清他在说什么。但有了电子邮件后,我开始收到他推心置腹的长篇邮件;我们彼此互诉衷肠。有个朋友发现电子邮件打开了她和父亲之间的交流之门。父亲不会在电话里说个没完(不像她母亲那样),但是父女在网上却亲密无间。我想知道,为什么有些男人在电子邮件里更容易敞开心扉?这可以归结为技术的力量(他们对技术乐此不疲)和文字的委婉。正如很多男人在开车或者做事的时候会偶尔流露情感,但他们却不肯坐下来面对面地吐露心迹。对男人来说,这样气氛太紧张,压力过大,况且你一旦开始吐露就不能停止。而有一台电脑在中间,交流就轻松多了。实际上,我就是通过电子邮件向拉尔夫描述了在群体竞争中男孩是如何力争上风,而女孩则往往保持合作的姿态。他指出,这种现象恰恰解释了为什么男孩比女孩更容易对电脑迷住。“不制人则制于人”的社会机制通常能激发男孩们的积极性。电脑生性不驯:你输入一句非常恰当的指令,它却拒绝执行。许多男孩和男人们被这种挑衅激怒:“我要好好调教调教它,让它知道谁说了算!我要让它俯首帖耳!”(要是他们足够努力,他们总能做到。)女孩和女人们则更可能会说:“这个东西不合作。把它拿走吧!” 8 虽然没人想把自己归入“典型性”的那一类,但对于一个女人来说,我和电脑之间的关系却颇具典型性。摆弄电脑技术、费尽心思地修补软件漏洞、或设法拥有一台最大最先进的电脑,大多数女性对此都不会感到兴奋(当然有很多例外)。然而,这些充满动力的东西却让许多男人产生兴趣,他们要确保在这场一决高下的竞争中占得上风;对他们来说,这就是生活。作为建立人脉关系的一种竞争手段,电子邮件对我的生活观具有感染力。如果我的邮箱收到15封邮件,我就有种被爱的感觉。我曾经在一个语言学家网站上发帖咨询一个专业问题,回复像潮水般涌来,有些回复长达几页。他们的慷慨和专业知识让我惊愕,但我想不明白这些家伙怎么会有这么多时间,而且为什么所有的回复都是来自男人。就如同男生女生一起上课的教室和男人女人一同参加的会议,电子邮件网络上的讨论往往被男性的声音主导,除非特别指明参加讨论的人必须是女性,就像在单性学校里那样。在网上,女性不必担心没有发言的机会(你想发言的时候就发一条信息)。但是,根据从事过这方面研究的语言学家苏珊· 赫林和劳蕾 尔•萨顿的说法,女性发布的信息通常会遇到被忽略或遭受攻击的问题。鉴于公共网络空间的匿名性,有少数男人会发布一些冗长的、充斥着责骂和挖苦的帖子,其他男人对此或许能够容忍甚至欣赏,但却让大多数女人厌烦。网络的匿名性导致了电子邮件的另一种困扰:总有男人喋喋不休地询问女人的长相。11 大部分女人只需要电脑做一件事——那就是工作。这对男人关注时事信息、女人乐于融洽交谈的观点是一个有力的反证。在没什么实际内容的闲谈中,情况确实如此。但是在电脑前,更关注时事信息的却是女人,因为她们并不热衷于驯服电脑。一旦我掌握了基本操作,我对电脑的兴趣就减弱了。我用电脑来写书(虽然我一直不会用它来编排参考书目以及自动生成目录)和开支票(但我还没学会如何结算我的支票簿)。虽然我很想用它来做更多事,但我不愿意花时间去学习。拉尔夫的电脑技能耗费了他大量的时间。骑士般的秉性需要他拯救新手于危难之际,亟待他帮忙的年轻女士远远多于大男人。大多数男人似乎宁愿自己研究说明书,也不会向另外一个男人虚心请教。“我在帮男人的时候,”拉尔夫写到(当然是在电子邮件里),“他们总是喜欢掺和。有一次我帮一个家伙安装硬盘驱动器,他总站在我旁边,手里挥着螺丝刀,一有机会就指点我。”他发现女人通常对他做的事不感兴趣;她们只需要他把电脑搞好能用就行了。这就充分解释了我为什么早就有了电脑但仍然对电脑一知半解。
不同的交谈方式 乔伊· 费尔希出生几个小时后,父母就给她拍了照片。妈妈给她围上一条红色的头巾,这样大家一看照片就知道是个女孩。其实在乔伊出世之前,父母就知道她的性别。妈妈怀她六个月时,医生说:“我确信你怀的是个小千金。”乔伊的父母把这个消息告诉所有的亲戚和朋友。很快就收到了礼物,其中有一些粉红色的裙子和洋娃娃。父母把乔伊的房间装饰成粉白的色调。几年后,乔伊的弟弟汤米出世了。他的房间粉刷成了蓝色,收到的礼物是书和足球。乔伊很喜欢帮妈妈照看宝宝,也很喜欢在学校和其他女孩一道玩。如今汤米也上学了。他在学校跟男孩子一起玩耍。他和乔伊玩的游戏很不一样。乔伊喜欢和她的两个最好的朋友跳绳,而汤米喜欢和一大群男孩一起踢球。有时候还比赛;比赛时汤米担任队长。汤米喜欢指挥其它男孩怎么踢球。而乔伊跟她的朋友跳绳的时候,不喜欢其他人加入,她们总想改变跳绳的方式。她觉得有些女孩太爱指挥人了。乔伊和汤米都在美国长大,并在逐渐了解做男孩和做女孩在美国文化中分别都意味着什么。他们与生俱来的生理性别——女性和男性——逐渐转变社会性别,即女性或男性所独有的思维、言谈和行事方式。每种文化都有界定社会性别的独特模式。在生命的初始,社会性别已经成为一个人的身份标识。性别差异甚至反映在早期生活里,反映在男孩和女孩使用语言的方式上。例如,在美国,男孩和女孩通常与同性伙伴结伴游戏。男孩可能结成较大的群体一起游戏,在这个群体里,每个男孩都知道自己的位置。有的是领导者,有的是跟随 者。男孩子为了当头相互竞争,为了引起别人的注意,他们喜欢谈论自己做事如何出色。例如,在美国和加拿大,男孩和女孩通常在同性别的群体中玩耍。男孩可能会参与人数较多的群体,每个人都清楚知道自己的位置,其中一些是领导者,一些是追随者。他们为了争夺领导者的地位会相互竞争。为了引起别人的关注,许多男孩喜欢吹嘘或炫耀自己如何能干。他们参与的比赛,其规则通常十分复杂,每个孩子都会 全力以赴以赢得比赛。5 与此相反,女孩们通常在小群体中玩耍,有时候她们只会跟一两个“最要好的朋友”一起玩。大多数女孩都想得到其他女孩的欣赏,这一点比赢得其他比赛更为重要。女孩可能喜欢公平比赛和轮流玩耍。例如,女孩们一起跳绳时,先 有两人负责摇绳,其他女孩跳,一轮结束后摇绳的女孩再跳。坦嫩发现,这些差异表现在孩子们游戏时使用语言的方式上。男孩习惯用命令得口气交谈。例如,担任队长的汤米会说:“你先来。别等我。”作为领头人,他明确告诉其他男孩该做什么。可是当乔伊想影响她的朋友时,取用不同的语言形式。她不会用命令的口气,而会这样说:“让我们来实施这个办法。我们一起这样做。” 这既是她让其他女孩听从自己安排得说话方式,听起来就没有发号施令的意味了。使用:“让我们来„„”这种表达方式,还可以强化女孩们的群体归属感。随着乔伊和汤米逐渐长大,他们的说话方式也日渐不同。在初中,乔伊德人气来自她的朋友圈。如果她的朋友很受欢迎,那么乔伊在学校也会更有人气。因此,乔伊和其他女孩们都喜欢八卦。如果乔伊和朋友分享了学校里一个颇受欢迎的女孩的八卦新闻,那说明她跟那个女孩很有交情。如此一来,乔伊就可以通过传播八卦新闻的方式来提升人气。汤米对八卦却不怎么感兴趣。他在学校的地位并不靠朋友圈。汤米凭借自己的体育运动能力或优异的学习成绩赢得人气。成年后,乔伊可能仍然喜欢讨论身边的人和他们的生活。但汤米汇兑斯米的交流不太感兴趣,而会更关注体育和时事。这些能让他有机会展现自己的学识,为自己赢得人气。不同的生活方式是社会性别差异的表现之一,作为成年人,男人和女人有时还会陷入彼此间无法交流的困境。人际交流方式的研究表明,如果一味女人向战俘诉说某个问题时,她希望对方倾听并给予同情。丈夫如果直截了当地提出解决问题的方法。妻子可能会很生气。同样,妻子停下来向陌生人询问去公园或饭店的路时,丈夫也会感到不快。他宁愿自己用地图确定方向,也不会像妻子那样问路。语言使用上的差异还体现在男性和女性对友谊的看法上。大多数北美男性认为友谊就是合作共事,比如一起野营或者打网球。他们大多都认为聊天并不是友谊的重要组成部分。而美国女性却往往把经常在一起聊天的人视为最好的朋友。坦然认为,对女性而言,跟朋友聊天并获得共鸣是非常重要的。坦嫩还发现,女性经常使用附加疑问句,这一点与男性截然不同。比如,女性可以说:“这家餐馆很棒,对吧?” 通过一个附加疑问句(“对吧?”),以获得别人的认可。同样,很多女性使用更为礼貌的句式——“你能关上门吗?”然而,男性的语气通常更为直接,带有命令的口气——“关上门。”,“帮帮我”,“到这里老。” 这些差异似乎是在伴随着人们在美国文化中的成长,也是遵循其性别规则的结果。许多性别差异是由文化造成的,而非个人的原因所致。如果男性与女性都清楚这一点,两性之间的关系可能会得到改善。他们会逐渐明白,正是由于在语言层面存在性别差异,两性之间交流的方式自然不止一种。