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of turning the present…day world upside down; or even destroying it。 I have often tried to conceive of what those pages might contain; but of course outside the particular patterns that our brains are conditioned to; or; to be more accurate; we can think only a very little way outside; and then only if we are very original。
FRED HOYLE Of Men and Galaxies
New words and expressions 生词和短语
dispute
v。 争夺
mosquito
n。 蚊子
subdue
v。 征服
drainage
n。 下水系统
envision
n。 预想
Morocco
n。 摩洛哥
latitude
n。 纬度
heretic
n。 异教徒,异端邪说
conceive
v。 想像
suffice
v。 足够
nuclear
adj。 原子弹的
original
adj。有独到见解的
参考译文
在人类早期,人类与其他生物的竞争一定是必不可少的。但这个发展阶段已经结束。确实,我们今天缺乏对付原始环境的实践和经验。我断定,如果没有现代化的武器,要我和一只熊去争洞穴,我会出洋相的;我也相信,出洋相者并非我一人。能与竞争的生物最后只有蚊子,然而即使蚊子,也由于我们注意清理污水和喷洒化学药品就被制服了。
然而人类之间的战争,人与人,团体与团体,依然在进行着,而且和以前一样激烈。
但是,人与人的竞争并不像生物生物学中想像的那样是一个简单过程。它已不是为争得物质环境所决定的东西所决定。摩洛哥和加利福尼亚是地球上纬度极其相似的两个地方,都在各自大陆的西海岸,气候相似,自然资源也可能相似。但是,这两个地方目前的发展程度完全不一样。这倒不是因为人民不同,而是由于居民头脑中的思想不同。 这是我要强调的论点。我们环境中最重要的因素就是我们的思想状况。
众所周知,凡是白人侵入原始文化的地方,破坏作用最大的不是杀人的武器,而是思想。思想是危险的。宗教法庭对此是非常清楚的,因此从前它总是把异教徒烧死。的确,言论自由的概念只存在于我们现代社会中,因为当你生活在一个社团中时,社团的风俗习惯会严格地制约你,使你很难有破坏性的想法。只有外部的旁观者才能灌输危险的思想。向现代世界灌输一种思想以便摧毁我们人类是可能的事,对此我并不怀疑。我愿为你举个例子,但幸亏我举不出。也许提一下核弹就足以证明了。对一个沿未拥有核弹、但科技相当发达的社会,如果告诉它制造核弹的可能性,而且向它提供制造核弹的细节,那么可以设想,这将对这个社会产生何等的影响。如果把二三十页的情报交给1952年前后的任何一个世界强国,就足以改变世界历史的进程。二三十页材料中的思想和情报会便当今的世界翻天覆地,甚至毁灭这个世界。这是个离奇的想法。不过我认为这个想法是正确的。我常常试图想像这些纸上所写的东西,不过我是做不到的,因为我和你们大家一样,是当今世界上的凡人。我闪不能脱离我们大脑所限定的模式去问题,我们只能稍微离开一点儿,就这也需要我们独创的思想。
Lesson 46
Hobbies
业余爱好
First listen and then answer the following question。
听录音,然后回答以下问题。
Who; according to the author; are 'Fortune's favoured children'?
a gifted American psychologist has said; 'Worry is a spasm of the emotion; the mind catches hold of something and will not let it go。' It is useless to argue with the mind in this condition。 The stronger the will; the more futile the task。 One can only gently insinuate something else into its convulsive grasp。 And if this something else is rightly chosen; if it really attended by the illumination of another field of interest; gradually; and often quite swiftly; the old undue grip relaxes and the process of recuperation and repair begins。
The cultivation of a hobby and new forms of interest is therefore a policy of the first importance to a public man。 But this is not a business that can be undertaken in a day or swiftly improvised by a mere mand of the will。 The growth of alternative mental interests is a long process。 The seeds must by carefully chosen; they must fall on good ground; they must be sedulously tended; if the vivifying fruits are to be at hand when needed。
To be really happy and really safe; one ought to have at least two or three hobbies; and they must all be real。 It is no use starting late in life to say: 'I will take an interest in this or that。' Such an attempt only aggravates the strain of mental effort。 A man may acquire great knowledge of topics unconnected with his daily work; and yet get hardly any benefit or relief。 It is no use doing what you like; you have got to like what you do。 Broadly speaking; human beings may be divided into three classes: those who are toiled to death; those who are worried to hard week's sweat and effort; the chance of playing a game of football or baseball or Saturday afternoon。 It is no use inviting the politician or the professional or business man; who has beer working or worrying about serious things for six days; to work or worry about trifling things at the weekend。
As for the unfortunate people who can mand everything they want; who can gratify every caprice and lay their hands on almost every object of desire for them a new pleasure; a new excitement if only an additional satiation。 In vain they rush frantically round from place to place; trying to escape from avenging boredom by mere clatter and motion。 For them discipline in one form or another is the most hopeful path。
It may also be said that rational; industrious; useful human being are divided into two classes: first; one。 Of these the former are the majority。 They have their pensations。 The long hours in the office or the factory bring with them as their reward; not only the means of sustenance; but a keen appetite for pleasure even in its simplest and most modest forms。 But Fortune's of sustenance; but a keen appetite for pleasure even in its simplest and modest forms。 But Fortune's favoured children belong to the second class。 Their life is a natural harmony。 For them the working hours are never long enough。 Each day is a holiday; and ordinary holidays; when they e; are grudged as enforced as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation。 Yet to both classes; the need of an alternative outlook; of a change of atmosphere; of a diversion of effort; is essential。 Indeed; it may well be that those work is their pleasure are those who and most need the means of banishing it at intervals from their minds。
WINSTON CHURCHLL Painting as a Pastime
New words and expressions 生词和短语
gifted
adj。 有天才的
psychologist
n。 心理学家
spasm
n。 一阵(感情)发作
futile
adj。 无用的
insinuate
v。 便潜入,暗示
convulsive
adj。 起痉挛的
illumination
n。 启发,照明
undue
adj。 不造当的
grip
n。 紧张
recuperation
n。 休息
improvise
v。 临时作成
sedulously
adv。 孜孜不倦地
vivify
v。 使生气勃勃
aggravate
v。 加剧
trifling
adj。 微小的
gratify
v。 便满意
caprice
n。 任性
satiation
n。 满足
frantically
adv。 狂乱地
avenge
v。 替…报复
boredom
n。 厌烦
clatter
n。 喧闹的谈话
sustenance
n。 生计
appetite
n。 欲望
grudge
v。 怨恨
absorbing
adj。 引人入胜的
banish
v。 排除,放弃
参考译文
一位天才的美国心理学家曾经说过:“烦恼是感情的发作,此时脑子纠缠住了某种东西又不肯松手。”在这种情况下,你又和头脑争吵让它松手是无济于事的。这种意志越是强烈,这种尝试越是徒劳。你只能缓和而巧纱地让另一种东西进入痉挛僵持的头脑中。如果选得合适,而且的确受到别的领域的情趣的启迪,那么渐渐地,往往也是很顺利地,原先不适当的紧张就会松弛下来,恢复和修整的过程就会开始。
因此,对一个从事社会活动的人来说,培养一种业余爱好和各种新的兴趣是关等重要的作法。但这并非一日之功,也不是单凭一蹴而就的事。精神上多种情趣的培养是一个长期的过程。要想在需要的时候可随手摘取充满生机的果实,那就必然从选良种做起,然后将其植入肥沃的土地,还需要勤勉地护理。
一个人要想真正感到幸福和平安,至少应有两三种爱好,而且都比较实际。到了晚年才开始说:“我会对这些人或那个人发生兴趣”,已没有用了。这种愿望只能加剧精神紧张。一个人可能会获得与其日常工作无关的某些课题的渊博知识,而没有从中得到什么实益或宽慰。干你所喜欢的事是没有用的,你喜欢你所干的事。泛泛地说,人可以分为3类:劳累至死的人、忧虑至死的人、无聊至死的人。对于流汗出力干了一周苦活的体力劳动者来说,让他们在星期六下午再踢足球或打垒球是不合适的;同样,对于为严肃的公务操劳或烦恼了6天的政界人士、专业人员、商人来说,在周未再让他们为琐事而动脑子和忧虑也是无益的。
至于那些能任意支配一切的“可怜的人”,他们能够恣意妄为,能染指一切追求的目标。对这种人来说,多一种新的乐趣、多一种新的刺激只是增加一分厌腻而已。他们到处奔乱跑,企图以闲聊和乱窜来摆脱无聊对他们的报复,但这是徒劳的。