研究生英语阅读教程（提高级第三版）教师用书（网络版）

新编研究生英语系列教程
研究生英语阅读教程
（提高级/第三版）
教师用书
北京市高等教育学会研究生英语教学研究分会
主编李光立
副主编张雪燕刘兰芝
编者张文芝王敏刘亚明王斌
彭工鲁显生张敬源杨真真
刘红梅张广龙张玉萍
中国人民大学出版社
•·北京·•
“新编研究生英语系列教程”编委会
艾治琼重庆邮电大学车丽娟东北财经大学

陈丽萍西南石油大学都立澜北京中医药大学
段平昆明医学院段若鹃昆明医学院
范亚男南京理工大学方元北京信息科技大学
付瑶山东财经大学傅东起中央民族大学
傅广生桂林理工大学高秀雪青岛农业大学
郭平建北京服装学院郭月琴中国石油大学
韩金龙华南理工大学何福胜清华大学
何英干信阳师范学院洪云贵州大学
黄艳云安徽农业大学贾卫国山东大学
金黛莱四川师范大学金莹海南大学
兰萍西南交通大学李红重庆大学
李平鲁东大学李德义东北农业大学
李凤杰天津财经大学李光立军事医学科学院
李丽生云南师范大学李强云南民族大学
李宪一云南财经大学李秀梅西南林业大学
李秀清青岛大学李佐文中国传媒大学
刘勇重庆邮电大学刘爱军北京邮电大学
刘龙根上海交通大学刘拥军海南大学
刘重霄首都经济贸易大学刘著妍天津大学
卢凤香首都医科大学鲁显生军事医学科学院
马玲云南大学马瑜云南民族大学
莫运夏桂林理工大学潘淑敏中国农业科学院研究生院
彭工中国社会科学院研究生院齐登红聊城大学
邱耀德首都师范大学任爱莲青岛大学
石运章山东农业大学史宝辉北京林业大学
舒笑梅中国传媒大学宋必姝西南政法大学
宋冰西南交通大学孙云波昆明理工大学
谭东峰南京信息工程大学唐光洁西南大学
唐烈军青岛大学田冬梅北京大学医学部
王莉中国人民公安大学王健芳贵州大学
王立军石家庄铁道大学王庆奖昆明理工大学
王庆玲云南师范大学魏继红北京大学医学部
文旭西南大学吴江梅北京林业大学
吴亚欣山西大学武学锋中国石油大学
辛春雷聊城大学燕慧君山东农业大学
杨怀恩北京工商大学杨蕾达海南师范大学
杨俐伶中南民族大学杨若东北京交通大学
殷红梅中国疾病预防控制中心尹明云南财经大学
于敏首都师范大学余大山成都理工大学
余渭深重庆大学原委珍军事科学院
曾庆敏中国农业大学张晶东北农业大学
张敬源北京科技大学张漫竹海军工程大学
张玉萍北方工业大学周红红北京交通大学
朱华南京工业大学朱晓雯北京邮电大学
资谷生云南农业大学
第三版前言
《研究生英语阅读教程（提高级 / 第三版）》是北京市高等教育学会研究生英语教
学研究分会组织北京市和全国有关院校在 2004 年出版的《研究生英语阅读教程（提
高级）》和 2007 年第二版的基础上修订编写的研究生英语阅读教材，适用于高等院校
文、理、工、医、农、林等各学科的非英语专业硕士研究生和部分博士研究生。
《研究生英语阅读教程（提高级 / 第三版）》的编写指导思想是通过本教材的教学
使研究生能够掌握其应该掌握的各项阅读技能，并通过阅读实践运用这些技能，从而
使学生真正具有较熟练的英语阅读能力，为以英语为工具进行本专业的学习和研究打
下坚实的基础。
第三版在 2004 年出版的《研究生英语阅读教程（提高级）》和 2007 年出版的《研
究生英语阅读教程（提高级 / 第二版）》的基础上对阅读技巧的顺序进行了重新安排，
使之更加合理；更换了一些课文，使文章更具有时代性。
根据各个学校研究生英语课时的调整情况，本教材减少了第二版中阅读技巧和阅
读篇章的总量，由原来的六个单元 18 课减少为五个单元 15 课，以适应新的教学要求。
各单元体裁分别为：第一单元为新闻报道阅读；第二单元为传记阅读；第三单元为杂
文阅读；第四单元为科技与科普文章阅读；第五单元为小说阅读。每个单元的开始都
详细地介绍了该单元体裁文章的阅读技巧；每课课文后配有有关阅读技巧和课文的大
量练习、课文中的生词表、注释、作者及文章背景介绍等。
第三版的主要特点如下：
1. 本教材以阅读文章体裁为主线。本教材在每单元开始分别系统地介绍了各种体
裁文章的阅读技巧。
2. 本教材强化研究生阅读技巧的训练。除了介绍阅读技巧外，本教材每课配有大
量的练习，其中包括阅读理解练习 A 和 B(A 为有关文章主旨和细节的单项选择题，B
研究生英语阅读教程（提高级/第三版）教师用书
为关于文章结构和逻辑关系的练习 )、词汇练习 A 和 B( 词汇练习 A 为课文中需

要学生认知的词汇及词组，词汇练习 B 为课文中需要学生掌握的词汇及词组 )、综合
填空练习、翻译练习和问题与讨论（问题为从书中到书外学生熟悉和感兴趣的话题）等，
有针对性地训练研究生运用在该课中学到的阅读技巧，从而使其能够真正掌握与运用
这些技巧。
3. 本教材可操作性好。本教材以讲述阅读技巧为主线，每课配有课文和大量的练
习，这样可以使教师在教学中有较大的选择性，可以以阅读技巧为教学重点也可以以
阅读课文、练习或讨论为教学重点。本教材的教师用书不仅提供了练习答案，还提供
了大量的背景材料、语言点的介绍和全部课文的译文。本教材的教师用书不单独出版，
使用者可以向中国人民大学出版社外语分社免费索取。
4. 本教材可读性好。本教材所选阅读材料语言纯正、规范，大部分课文选自英美
等英语国家的名家名篇，而且绝大多数都是最新发表的作品。所选文章注意了在内容
上、题材上的多样化，如第二单元传记阅读中选择了政界人物希拉里、科学奇人乔布
斯和科学家约翰 · 纳什。
5. 本教材体现英语阅读的真实性。本教材所选阅读材料均来自英语原文。为了让
学生阅读真实的原汁原味的英语文章，生词表和注释都放在了每课的最后。
6. 本教材与北京市高等教育学会研究生英语教学研究分会组织的每年 1 月和 6 月
的研究生英语学位课统考紧密结合。本教材每课课文后设计的阅读和词汇题与研究生
学位课统考题形式一致，也可以作为备考练习之用。
本教材配有精心制作的教学课件，使用者可以向中国人民大学出版社外语分社免费
索取。联系方式：shandysxj@163.com，jianjiandecha@126.com，jufa@crup.com.cn；
010-62514974/62513265/62515576。
本教材在编写和出版过程中得到了北京市高等教育学会研究生英语教学研究分会
的全力支持，中国人民大学出版社外语分社的同志为本教材的策划和出版做了大量的
工作，在此我们一并表示衷心的感谢。
由于时间仓促，编者水平有限，本教材的某些不足在所难免，敬请使用本教材的
教师和读者批评指正。
编者
2012 年 2 月

Contents
Unit One Reading News Reports

Lesson 1　Spillonomics: Underestimating Risk· ······························· 1
Lesson 2　Humbled by Nature, Humble by Culture·························· 9
Lesson 3　How We Broke the Murdoch Scandal· ·····························14
Unit Two Reading Biographies and

Personal Recollections
Lesson 4　Bill Clinton···················································································21
Lesson 5　Steve Jobs···················································································39
Lesson 6　A Beautiful Mind········································································42
Unit Three· Reading Essays

Lesson 7　A Christmas Sermon on Peace···········································57
Lesson 8　Left for Dead···············································································64

Lesson 9　Spell of the Rising Moon·······················································68
Unit Four· Reading Scientific and

Technical Articles
Lesson 10　Our Picture of the Universe· ·············································74
Lesson 11　Mind over Machine· ······························································87
Lesson 12　2 Inches Between Life, Death···········································95
Unit Five· Reading Short Stories and

Novels
Lesson 13　Cat in the Rain······································································101
Lesson 14　The Stolen Party· ·································································106
Lesson 15　A Summer’s Reading·························································109
课文全文参考译文······························································································113

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Spillonomics: Underestimating Risk
Unit One
Reading News Reports
Lesson 1　Spillonomics: Underestimating Risk

KEYS TO EXERCISES
Ⅰ. Reading Comprehension
A.
1. B (Paragraph 1: Years before the Deepwater Horizon rig blew, BP was developing a
reputation as an oil company that took safety risks to save money.)
2. C (Paragraph 1: None other than Joe Barton, a Republican congressman from Texas and
a global-warming skeptic… none·other·than:·used·to·emphasize·the·surprising·identity·of·a·person·
or·thing·正是，恰是 )
3. D (Paragraph 4: For all the criticism BP executives may deserve, they are far from the
only people to struggle with such low-probability, high-cost events. Nearly everyone does.)
4. B (Paragraph 4: When an event is difficult to imagine, we tend to underestimate its
likelihood. This is the proverbial black swan.)
5. C (Paragraph 6: After the 9/11 attacks, Americans canceled plane trips and took to the
road. There were no terrorist attacks in this country in 2002, yet the additional driving apparently
led to an increase in traffic fatalities.)
6. B (Paragraph 7: When the stakes are high enough, it falls to government to help its citizens
avoid these entirely human errors. The market, left to its own devices, often cannot do so.)
7. D (Paragraph 8: Federal law helped them underestimate the costs.)
8. A (Paragraph 10: The big financial risk is no longer a housing bubble. Instead, it may be
the huge deficits that the growth of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will cause in coming
years—and the possibility that lenders will eventually become nervous about extending credit to
Washington.)

9. A (Paragraph 12: Nothing like that has ever happened before. Even imagining it is
difficult. It is much easier to hope that the odds of such an outcome are vanishingly small. In fact,
it’s only natural to have this hope. But that doesn’t make it wise.)
10. D (The whole text.)
B.
Reasons Behind
Wrong Actions Consequences Suggested Solutions
Deepwater Horizon
Obsession with profits Cost cutting BP should be fully aware of

Safety could not be the potential risks and spend
guaranteed more money to make their
Human weakness Underestimating the risks
facilities safer.
Congress and the Obama
administration should take
A 1990 Congress law put a Federal law helped BP
sensible steps, like lifting
Government policy cap on spiller’s liability for executives underestimate
the liability cap and freeing
cleanup cost at $75 million. the costs of damages.
regulators from the sway of
industry.
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1.·C　　2.·B　　3.·C　　4.·B　　5.·A　　6.·D　　7.·D　　8.·D　　9.·C　　10.·A
B.
1. cap 2. In the wake of 3. proverbial 4. stem from 5. odds 6. given
7. come what may 8. Far from 9. sway 10. In retrospect
Ⅲ. Cloze
1. wisdom 2. tend 3. shrink 4. unexpected 5. puzzle 6. came up with
7. severe 8. altered 9. Regardless of 10. necessarily
Ⅳ. Translation
1. 就连乔 · 巴顿，对全球变暖持怀疑态度、来自得克萨斯州的共和党众议员，都谴责
BP 管理人员“对安全和环境问题表现得漠不关心”
。
2. 显然，考虑到清理费用和对 BP 声誉的影响，高管们真希望可以回到过去，多花些
钱让“深水地平线”更安全。他们没有增加这笔费用就表明他们认为钻机在当时的状态下
不会出问题。
3. 埃克森公司瓦尔迪兹漏油事件发生后，在 1990 年的一个法案很少引人注意的一项
条款中，美国国会将钻机泄漏清理费用的责任上限定为 7·500 万美元。即使对旅游业、渔
业等造成的经济损失高达数十亿美元，责任方也仅需要支付·7·500 万美元。

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4. 不过，如果认为我们目前仍然低估的只是那些突然间引人注目的风险，那是非常愚
蠢的。
Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

1. What are the two basic and opposite types of mistakes we humans tend to make?
We make two basic—and opposite—types of mistakes. When an event is difficult to
imagine, we tend to underestimate its likelihood. On the other hand, when an unlikely event is all
too easy to imagine, we often go in the opposite direction and overestimate the odds.
2.·What lessons should we learn from the Deepwater Horizon?
Open.
3.·At the time of maximizing profits, what else should a responsible company do?
Open.
4.· What are the challenges in developing the economy without harming the
environment?
Open.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEXT

1. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill: (also referred to as the BP oil spill, the Gulf of Mexico
oil spill, the BP oil disaster, or the Macondo blowout) an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which
flowed for three months in 2010. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the
petroleum industry. The spill stemmed from a sea-floor oil gusher that resulted from the April 20,
2010, explosion of Deepwater Horizon, which drilled on the BP-operated Macondo Prospect. The
explosion killed 11 men working on the platform and injured 17 others. On July 15, 2010, the leak was
stopped by capping the gushing wellhead, after it had released about 4.9 million barrels (780,000 m3) of
crude oil. An estimated 53,000 barrels per day (8,400 m3/d) escaped from the well just before it was
capped. It is believed that the daily flow rate diminished over time, starting at about 62,000 barrels per
day (9,900 m3/d) and decreasing as the reservoir of hydrocarbons feeding the gusher was gradually
depleted. On September 19, 2010, the relief well process was successfully completed, and the
federal government declared the well “effectively dead”. In August 2011, oil and oil sheen
covering several square miles of water were reported surfacing not far from BP’s Macondo well.
Scientific analysis confirmed the oil is a chemical match for Macondo 252. The Coast Guard said
the oil was too dispersed to recover.
The spill caused extensive damage to marine and wildlife habitats and to the Gulf’s fishing
and tourism industries. Skimmer ships, floating containment booms, anchored barriers, sand-
filled barricades along shorelines, and dispersants were used in an attempt to protect hundreds of

miles of beaches, wetlands, and estuaries from the spreading oil. Scientists also reported immense
underwater plumes of dissolved oil not visible at the surface as well as an 80-square-mile (210 km²)
“kill zone” surrounding the blown well. In late November 2010, 4,200 square miles (11,000 km²)
of the Gulf were re-closed to shrimping after tar balls were found in shrimpers’ nets. The amount
of Louisiana shoreline affected by oil grew from 287 miles (462 km) in July to 320 miles (510
km) in late November 2010. In January 2011, an oil spill commissioner reported that tar balls
continue to wash up, oil sheen trails are seen in the wake of fishing boats, wetlands marsh grass
remains fouled and dying, and crude oil lies offshore in deep water and in fine silts and sands
onshore. A research team found oil on the bottom of the seafloor in late February 2011 that did
not seem to be degrading. On May 26, 2011, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
extended the state of emergency related to the oil spill. By July 9, 2011, roughly 491 miles (790
kilometers) of coastline in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida remained contaminated
by BP oil, according to a NOAA spokesperson. In October 2011, a NOAA report shows dolphins
and whales continue to die at twice the normal rate.
In January 2011 the White House oil spill commission released its final report on the causes
of the oil spill. They blamed BP and its partners for making a series of cost-cutting decisions
and the lack of a system to ensure well safety. They also concluded that the spill was not an
isolated incident caused by “rogue industry or government officials”, but that “the root causes are
systemic and, absent significant reform in both industry practices and government policies, might
well recur”. After its own internal probe, BP admitted that it made mistakes which led to the Gulf
of Mexico oil spill. In June 2010 BP set up a $20 billion fund to compensate victims of the oil
spill. To July 2011, the fund has paid $4.7 billion to 198,475 claimants. In all, the fund has nearly
1 million claims and continues to receive thousands of claims each week.
In September 2011, the U.S. government published its final investigative report on the
accident. In essence, that report states that the main cause was the defective cement job, and
Halliburton, BP and Transocean were, in different ways, responsible for the accident.
2. The Prudhoe Bay oil spill: (2006 Alaskan oil spill) an oil spill that was discovered on
March 2, 2006 at a pipeline owned by BP Exploration, Alaska (BPXA) in western Prudhoe Bay,
Alaska. Initial estimates said that up to 267,000 U.S. gallons (6,400 bbl) were spilled over 1.9
acres (7,700 m2), making it the largest oil spill on Alaska’s north slope to date. Alaska’s unified
command ratified the volume of crude oil spilled as 212,252 U.S. gallons (5,053.6 bbl) in March
2008. The spill originated from a 0.25-inch (0.64 cm) hole in a 34-inch (86 cm) diameter pipeline.
The pipeline was decommissioned and later replaced with a 20-inch (51 cm) diameter pipeline
with its own pipeline inspection gauge (pig) launch and recovery sites for easier inspection. In
November 2007, BP Exploration, Alaska (BPXA) pled guilty to negligent discharge of oil, a
misdemeanor under the federal Clean Water Act and was fined US$20 million. BP reported to the
media that an estimated volume of around 267,000 U.S. gallons (1,010,000 L) of oil was spilled.

Lеsson 1
Soon after the discovery of the leak, the U.S. Department of Transportation ordered BP to test its
pipelines using an internal probe called a smart pig. Some of these lines had not been smart-pigged
since 1992. BP came up with an Action Plan which was outlined in a letter sent to Thomas Barrett,
administrator for pipeline safety for Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). BP’s Steve Marshall detailed measures for pigging
or removing oil residue from the pipeline and for various draining and dismantling procedures.
Marshall also noted that a special 27 member task force was appointed to address the situation.
As a result of news of the shutdown, the price of crude oil on NYMEX jumped US$2.22 a
barrel closing at US$76.98 per barrel. Following the Prudhoe Bay pipeline leak in March 2006,
due to slow progress in stopping the oil spill, BP was forced to shut down its Prudhoe Bay oil
facility, which produced about 2.6% of the United States demand for gasoline. The scenario was
a contributing factor for pushing the price of oil to US$77 per barrel in August 2006.
In July 2006, BP sent a smart pig through its eastern pipelines, detecting extensive corrosion
at several places. Soon after that BP began temporary production shut down of the eastern side,
citing the discovery of “unexpectedly severe corrosion”. This reduced the per day production
from 400,000 barrels (64,000 m3) to 200,000 barrels (32,000 m3). This amounted to reduction
in domestic oil supply by 8% at that time. In October 2007, BP was fined US$20 million for
the Prudhoe Bay oil spills. BP has paid a US$12 million federal criminal fine, US$4 million in
criminal restitution to the state, and US$4 million for Arctic research. BP’s local subsidiary, BP
Exploration (Alaska) Inc., was placed on probation for three years.
3. 2005 Texas City Refinery explosion: In March 2005, BP’s Texas City, Texas refinery,
one of its largest refineries, exploded causing 15 deaths, injuring 180 people and forcing
thousands of nearby residents to remain sheltered in their homes. A large column filled with
hydrocarbon overflowed to form a vapour cloud, which ignited. The explosion caused all the
casualties and substantial damage to the rest of the plant. The incident came as the culmination of
a series of less serious accidents at the refinery, and the engineering problems were not addressed
by the management. Maintenance and safety at the plant had been cut as a cost-saving measure,
the responsibility ultimately resting with executives in London.
The fallout from the accident continues to cloud BP’s corporate image because of the
mismanagement at the plant. There have been several investigations of the disaster, the most recent
being that from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board which “offered a scathing
assessment of the company”. OSHA found “organizational and safety deficiencies at all levels of the
BP Corporation” and said management failures could be traced from Texas to London.
The company pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Clean Air Act, was fined $50
million, and sentenced to three years’ probation.
On October 30, 2009, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
fined BP an additional $87 million—the largest fine in OSHA history—for failing to correct

safety hazards revealed in the 2005 explosion. Inspectors found 270 safety violations that had
been previously cited but not fixed and 439 new violations.
4. Exxon Valdez oil spill: The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound,
Alaska, on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker bound for Long Beach,
California, struck Prince William Sound’s Bligh Reef and spilled 260,000 to 750,000 barrels
(41,000 to 119,000 m3) of crude oil. It is considered to be one of the most devastating human-
caused environmental disasters. The Valdez spill was the largest ever in U.S. waters until the 2010
Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in terms of volume released. However, Prince William Sound’s remote
location, accessible only by helicopter, plane, and boat, made government and industry response
efforts difficult and severely taxed existing plans for response. The region is a habitat for salmon,
sea otters, seals and seabirds. The oil, originally extracted at the Prudhoe Bay oil field, eventually
covered 1,300 miles (2,100 km) of coastline, and 11,000 square miles (28,000 km2) of ocean. Then
Exxon CEO, Lawrence G. Rawl, shaped the company’s response.
There was use of a dispersant, a surfactant and solvent mixture. A private company
applied dispersant on March 24 with a helicopter and dispersant bucket. Because there was not
enough wave action to mix the dispersant with the oil in the water, the use of the dispersant was
discontinued. One trial explosion was also conducted during the early stages of the spill to burn
the oil, in a region of the spill isolated from the rest by another explosion. The test was relatively
successful, reducing 113,400 liters of oil to 1,134 litres of removable residue, but because of
unfavorable weather no additional burning was attempted. The dispersant Corexit 9,580 was tried
as part of the cleanup. Corexit has been found to be toxic to cleanup workers and wildlife while
breaking oil down, creating underwater plumes.
Mechanical cleanup was started shortly afterwards using booms and skimmers, but the
skimmers were not readily available during the first 24 hours following the spill, and thick oil and
kelp tended to clog the equipment.
Exxon was widely criticized for its slow response to cleaning up the disaster and John
Devens, the mayor of Valdez, has said his community felt betrayed by Exxon’s inadequate
response to the crisis. More than 11,000 Alaska residents, along with some Exxon employees,
worked throughout the region to try to restore the environment.
Because Prince William Sound contained many rocky coves where the oil collected, the
decision was made to displace it with high-pressure hot water. However, this also displaced and
destroyed the microbial populations on the shoreline; many of these organisms (e.g. plankton) are
the basis of the coastal marine food chain, and others (e.g. certain bacteria and fungi) are capable
of facilitating the biodegradation of oil. At the time, both scientific advice and public pressure
was to clean everything, but since then, a much greater understanding of natural and facilitated
remediation processes has developed, due somewhat in part to the opportunity presented for
study by the Exxon Valdez spill. Despite the extensive cleanup attempts, less than 10% of the

Lеsson 1
oil was recovered and a study conducted by NOAA determined that as of early 2007 more than
26 thousand U.S. gallons (98 m3) of oil remain in the sandy soil of the contaminated shoreline,
declining at a rate of less than 4% per year.
5.·Joe Barton: At a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Thursday, Rep. Joe
Barton (R-Tex.) apologized to BP CEO Tony Hayward for the $20 billion “shakedown” the oil
company received from President Obama.
“I’m ashamed of what happened in the White House yesterday,” Barton said. “I apologize. I
do not want to live in a country where any time a citizen or corporation does anything wrong,they
are subjected to such political pressure.”
The White House immediately shot back with a statement from press secretary Robert Gibbs
calling for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to condemn Barton’s comments.
“What is shameful is that Joe Barton seems to have more concern for big corporations that
caused this disaster than the fishermen, small business owners and communities whose lives have
been devastated by the destruction. Congressman Barton may think that a fund to compensate
these Americans is a ‘tragedy’, but most Americans know that the real tragedy is what the men
and women of the Gulf Coast are going through right now. Members from both parties should
repudiate his comments.”
Barton’s apology may have come as a surprise to anyone unfamiliar with his positions on
energy and climate change. But Barton has a long history of making colorful (not to mention
energy industry-friendly) comments on these issues. Here are some samples.
Wind energy could alter wind patterns and aggravate global warming.
“Wind is God’s way of balancing heat. Wind is the way you shift heat from areas where it’s
hotter to areas where it’s cooler. That’s what wind is. Wouldn’t it be ironic if in the interest of global
warming we mandated massive switches to energy, which is a finite resource, which slows the
winds down, which causes the temperature to go up? Now, I’m not saying that’s going to happen,
Mr. Chairman, but that is definitely something on the massive scale. I mean, it does make some
sense. You stop something, you can’t transfer that heat, and the heat goes up. It’s just something to
think about.”
Humans will simply “ adapt” to climate change.
“I think that it’s inevitable that humanity will adapt to global warming. I also believe the
longer we postpone finding ways to do it successfully, the more expensive and unpalatable the
adjustment will become. Adaptation to shifts in temperature is not that difficult. What will be
difficult is the adaptation to rampant unemployment—enormous, spontaneous and avoidable
changes to our economy—if we adopt such a reckless policy as cap-and-tax or cap-and-trade.”
Global warming is a “ net benefit” to mankind.
“CO2 is odorless, colorless, tasteless—it’s not a threat to human health in terms of being exposed
to it. We create it as we talk back and forth. So, and if you go beyond that, on a net basis, there’s ample

evidence that warming generically—however it is caused—is a net benefit to mankind.”

6. The United States housing bubble: an economic bubble affecting many parts of the
United States housing market in over half of American states. Housing prices peaked in early
2006, started to decline in 2006 and 2007, and may not yet have hit bottom as of 2011. On
December 30, 2008 the Case-Shiller home price index reported its largest price drop in its history.
Increased foreclosure rates in 2006—2007 among U.S. homeowners led to a crisis in August
2008 for the subprime, Alt-A, collateralized debt obligation (CDO), mortgage, credit, hedge fund,
and foreign bank markets. In October 2007, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury called the bursting
housing bubble “the most significant risk to our economy”.
Any collapse of the U.S. Housing Bubble has a direct impact not only on home valuations,
but the nation’s mortgage markets, home builders, real estate, home supply retail outlets, Wall
Street hedge funds held by large institutional investors, and foreign banks, increasing the risk of
a nationwide recession. Concerns about the impact of the collapsing housing and credit markets
on the larger U.S. economy caused President George W. Bush and the Chairman of the Federal
Reserve Ben Bernanke to announce a limited bailout of the U.S. housing market for homeowners
who were unable to pay their mortgage debts.
In 2008 alone, the United States government allocated over $900 billion to special loans
and rescues related to the U.S. housing bubble, with over half going to Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac (both of which are government-sponsored enterprises) as well as the Federal Housing
Administration (which is a United States Government agency). On December 24, 2009 the
Treasury Department made an unprecedented announcement that it would be providing Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac unlimited financial support for the next three years despite acknowledging
losses in excess of $400 billion so far. The Treasury has been criticized for encroaching on
spending powers that are enumerated for Congress alone by the U.S. constitution, and for
violating limits imposed by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.
7. Oil Pollution Act of 1990: The Oil Pollution Act was passed by the 101st United States
Congress, and signed by President George H. W. Bush, to mitigate and prevent civil liability for future
oil spills off the coast of the United States. The law stated that companies must have a “plan to prevent
spills that may occur” and have a “detailed containme nt and cleanup plan” for oil spills.
Sec. 2704. Limits on liability
(a) General rule
Except as otherwise provided in this section, the total of the liability of a responsible party
under section 2702 of this title and any removal costs incurred by, or on behalf of, the responsible
party, with respect to each incident shall not exceed...
…
(3) for an offshore facility except a deepwater port, the total of all removal costs plus
$75,000,000; …

Lesson 2 　Humbled by Nature, Humble by Culture
KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. C (Paragraph 4: Nature brings frequent quakes and typhoons. Lest you should ever
forget the smallness of being human, the iconic Mount Fuji, instantly recognizable yet somehow
different on every viewing, is an extinct volcano.)
2. A (Paragraph 5: This relationship with nature is not all about hardship and fear. There is
celebration, too, tempered with respect. My Japanese teacher used to take out a different set of
plates each season, with colours that matched the season’s mood…)
3. D (Paragraph 7: The Japanese attitude of being stoical in adversity because shiyou ga nai
(“nothing can be done”) perhaps goes some way towards explaining this.)
4. B (Paragraph 7: It surprised me, over the following months that the gas attack seemed
to dominate the national media coverage, whereas Kobe, after the initial weeks of horrifying
footage, slipped somewhat into the background)
5. D (Paragraph 7: The Japanese attitude of being stoical in adversity because shiyou
ga nai (“nothing can be done”) perhaps goes some way towards explaining this. However,
the sarin attack was a new, unexpected kind of terror but it was also something that could be
investigated and dissected...)
6. C (Paragraph 11: The stories end with hope. It is in Murakami’s nature as a writer to be
upbeat, but these are plausible glimpses of optimism.)
7. B (Paragraph 12: At schools around the city, classes continue and students in their final
year are having their graduation ceremonies as the academic calendar comes to its end. They are
aware of radiation levels from the blasts at the Fukushima nuclear plant and that so far there is no
risk to health. They are going about their business, getting on with it.)
8. D (Paragraph 13: This is typical, neighbours helping each other, quietly accepting help
where it is needed, and not wanting to impose.)
9. A (Paragraph 14: It may be a long time before we see or understand the long-term effects
of these events on Japanese culture... And one can hardly begin to imagine how these events will
shape the future for the survivors when recovery begins.)
10. C (The whole text.)

B.
Japanese Characters Examples
The Japanese have always lived with the knowledge that natural disaster can
occur at any moment and, for the past couple of decades, with the knowledge that
Humility an earthquake, “the big one”, was due. Small tremors, most of which are harmless,
have provided frequent reminders. In Japan the catastrophe is in the past and the
present and will be in the future.
Kobe, after the initial weeks of horrifying footage, slipped somewhat into the
Being stoical in adversity
background because shiyou ga nai (“nothing can be done”).
At schools around the city, classes continue and students in their final year are
Calmness having their graduation ceremonies as the academic calendar comes to its end.
People are going about their business, getting on with it.
This is typical, neighbours helping each other, quietly accepting help where it is
Mutual help
needed, and not wanting to impose.
The stories end with hope. It is in Murakami’s nature as a writer to be upbeat, but
Optimism
these are plausible glimpses of optimism.
My Japanese teacher used to take out a different set of plates each season,
Celebration of life with colours that matched the season’s mood. In the cities, people wait for and
celebrate the cherry blossoms and autumn leaves that spring up from the earth.
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1.·A　　2.·D　　3.·B　　4.·C　　5.·D　　6.·C　　7.·D　　8.·A　　9.·C　　10.·B
B.
1. cliché 2. plausible 3. recur 4. to go about 5. immerse himself in
6. surreal 7. glimpse 8. is tempered with 9. at full capacity 10. catastrophe
Ⅲ. Cloze
1.·unprecedented· · 2.·warned· · 3.·wash·off· · 4.·normal· · 5.·but· · 6.·scale
7.·safety· · 8.·confirms· · 9.·crisis· · 10.·increase
Ⅳ. Translation
1. 说到世界末日和噩梦又是老生常谈，但是当事情超出我们的经验时，我们总会寻找
现有的东西作为参照。
2.·唯恐你会忘记作为人类的渺小，标志性的富士山，一眼即能认出但不知何故每次观
看又呈现出不同景象，就是一座死火山。
3. 在随后的几个月里，让我吃惊的是毒气攻击似乎占据了国家媒体报道的主要内容，
而阪神大地震经过了最初几周骇人听闻的电视报道后，已经退居次位了。
10
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Humbled by Nature, Humble by Culture
4. 我们不能沉浸在恐怖片和世界末日的语言中，在合适的时间，如果想要了解这一新
的领域，我们可以考虑看看日本最流行的现代小说家的一本书。
5. 但是，我们不应该总想着成群结队恐慌的人们抢空所有食物、逃离首都，把这些当
成是恐怖故事的下一个情节。

1. Why do the Japanese have different attitudes towards the earthquake and the sarin
attack?
It surprised me, over the following months that the gas attack seemed to dominate the
national media coverage, whereas Kobe, after the initial weeks of horrifying footage, slipped
somewhat into the background. The Japanese attitude of being stoical in adversity because
shiyou ga nai (“nothing can be done”) perhaps goes some way towards explaining this. However,
the sarin attack was a new, unexpected kind of terror but it was also something that could be
investigated and dissected, and there were people to blame. There were names and photographs.
Even though the emergency services in Kobe were criticized for being underprepared and slow to
respond to the earthquake, the event itself was inevitable.
2. How do you understand the title“Humbled by Nature, Humble by Culture”?
Open.
3. Tell what you know about tsunami in general and the tsunami on March 11, 2011 in
particular.
Open.
4. Do you think human beings are largely responsible for the natural disasters?
Open.
5. What are the necessary measures to cope with natural disasters?
Open.

1. The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku: also known as the 2011 Tohoku
earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 (Mw) undersea megathrust
earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on Friday, March
11, 2011, with the epicenter approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula
of Tohoku and the hypocenter at an underwater depth of approximately 32 km (20 mi). It was
the most powerful known earthquake ever to have hit Japan, and one of the five most powerful
earthquakes in the world overall since modern record-keeping began in 1900. The earthquake
triggered powerful tsunami waves, which reached heights of up to 40.5 metres (133 ft) in Miyako
in Tohoku’s Iwate Prefecture, and which in the Sendai area travelled up to 10 km (6 mi) inland. In
11
addition to loss of life and destruction of infrastructure, the tsunami caused a number of nuclear
accidents, primarily the ongoing level 7 meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Ⅰ Nuclear
Power Plant complex, and the associated evacuation zones affecting hundreds of thousands of
residents.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said, “In the 65 years after the end of World War Ⅱ ,
this is the toughest and the most difficult crisis for Japan.” The Japanese National Police Agency
confirmed 15,839 deaths, 5,950 injured, and 3,642 people missing across eighteen prefectures,
as well as over 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. The earthquake and tsunami caused
extensive and severe structural damage in Japan, including heavy damage to roads and railways
as well as fires in many areas, and a dam collapse. Around 4.4 million households in northeastern
Japan were left without electricity and 1.5 million without water. Many electrical generators were
taken down, and at least three nuclear reactors suffered explosions due to hydrogen gas that had
built up within their outer containment buildings after cooling system failure. Residents within a
20 km (12 mi) radius of the Fukushima Ⅰ Nuclear Power Plant and a 10 km (6.2 mi) radius of
the Fukushima Ⅱ Nuclear Power Plant were evacuated. In addition, the U.S. recommended that
its citizens evacuate up to 80 km (50 mi) of the plant.
Early estimates placed insured losses from the earthquake alone at US$14.5 to $34.6 billion.
The Bank of Japan offered ¥15 trillion (US$183 billion) to the banking system on March 14 in an
effort to normalize market conditions. The World Bank’s estimated economic cost was US$235
billion, making it the most expensive natural disaster on record.
2. Nuclear power plants: The Fukushima Ⅰ , Fukushima Ⅱ , Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant
and Tokai nuclear power stations, consisting of a total eleven reactors, were automatically shut down
following the earthquake. Higashidori, also on the northeast coast, was already shut down for a periodic
inspection. Cooling is needed to remove decay heat after a reactor has been shut down, and to maintain
spent fuel pools. The backup cooling process is powered by emergency diesel generators at the plants
and at Rokkasho nuclear reprocessing plant. At Fukushima Ⅰ and Ⅱ tsunami waves overtopped
seawalls and destroyed diesel backup power systems, leading to severe problems at Fukushima Ⅰ ,
including three large explosions and radioactive leakage. Over 200, 000 people were evacuated.
The 7 April aftershock caused the loss of external power to Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant
and Higashidori Nuclear Power Plant but backup generators were functional. Onagawa Nuclear
Power Plant lost 3 of 4 external power lines and lost cooling function for as much as 80 minutes.
A spill of a couple liters of radioactive water occurred at Onagawa.
Europe’s Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger addressed the European Parliament on
March 15, explaining that the nuclear disaster was an “apocalypse”. As the nuclear crisis entered
a second month, experts recognized that Fukushima Ⅰ is not the worst nuclear accident ever, but
it is the most complicated.
Later analysis indicated three reactors (Units 1, 2, and 3) had suffered meltdowns and
12
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Humbled by Nature, Humble by Culture
continued to leak coolant water, and by summer the Vice-minister for Economy, Trade and
Industry, the head of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, and the head of the Agency for
Natural Resources and Energy, had lost their jobs.
Fukushima meltdowns
Japan declared a state of emergency following the failure of the cooling system at the
Fukushima Ⅰ Nuclear Power Plant, resulting in the evacuation of nearby residents. Officials from
the Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency reported that radiation levels inside the plant
were up to 1,000 times normal levels, and that radiation levels outside the plant were up to 8 times
normal levels. Later, a state of emergency was also declared at the Fukushima Ⅱ nuclear power
plant about 11 km (7 mi) south. This brought the total number of problematic reactors to six.
It was reported that radioactive iodine was detected in the tap water in Fukushima,
Tochigi, Gunma, Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama, and Niigata, and radioactive cesium in the tap water in
Fukushima, Tochigi and Gunma. Radioactive cesium, iodine, and strontium were also detected
in the soil in some places in Fukushima. There may be a need to replace the contaminated soil.
Food products were also found contaminated by radioactive matter in several places in Japan.
On April 5, 2011, the government of the Ibaraki Prefecture banned the fishing of sand lance after
discovering that this species was contaminated by radioactive cesium above legal limits. As late
as July radioactive beef was found for sale at Tokyo markets.
3. The Great Hanshin earthquake, or Kobe earthquake: an earthquake that occurred on
Tuesday, January 17, 1995, at 05:46 JST (January 16 at 20:46 UTC) in the southern part of Hyogo
Prefecture, Japan. It measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale (USGS), and Mj7.3 (adjusted
from 7.2) on JMA magnitude scale. The tremors lasted for approximately 20 seconds. The focus
of the earthquake was located 16 km beneath its epicenter, on the northern end of Awaji Island,
20 km away from the city of Kobe.
Approximately 6,434 people lost their lives (final estimate as of December 22, 2005);
about 4,600 of them were from Kobe. Among major cities, Kobe, with its population of 1.5
million, was the closest to the epicenter and hit by the strongest tremors. This was Japan’s worst
earthquake in the 20th century after the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923, which claimed 140,000
lives. It caused approximately ten trillion yen ($100 billion) in damage, 2.5% of Japan’s GDP at
the time.
13
Lesson 3　How We Broke the Murdoch Scandal
KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. A (Paragraph 4: Except the Murdoch story isn’t finished. It reaches so deeply into so
many aspects of British and American civic life…that the story will continue to play out over the
months, even years, ahead. Everyone expects more arrests. … And who knows what trouble the
News Corp. shareholders or American regulatory authorities might create the more they learn
about the management of the British wing of the family business.)
· 2.·C·(a·rotten·apple:·one·bad·person·who·has·a·bad·effect·on·others·in·a·group·害群之马 )
3. B (Paragraph 7: When he learned about this new case, James Murdoch reached for the
checkbook.)
4. D (Paragraph 10: One or two of the committee’s members have since said that they felt
too intimidated by the threat of what might be done to them by News International journalists if they
insisted. So they didn’t.)
5. D (Paragraph 11: And the majority of the press weren’t much better. By now—to general
astonishment—Coulson had been hired as press spokesman by the man everyone assumed would
be the next prime minister, David Cameron. The nearer Cameron edged to the door of No. 10
Downing Street, the less appetite there was to run anything negative about Coulson.)
6. C (Paragraph 15: The Times reporters took their time—months of exceptional and
painstaking work that established the truth of everything Nick had written—and broke new
territory of their own.)
7. A (Paragraph 16: That single action—which had given Milly’s parents hope during the dark
days before it was confirmed that she had been murdered—caused a surge of revulsion from which
NotW found it hard to recover. Paragraph 17: Rarely has a single story had such a volcanic effect.)
8. C (The last paragraph.)
9. B (The last paragraph.)
10. B (The whole text.)
B.
When Who What
He discovered that James Murdoch had done a secret

Early in 2009 Nick Davis: Guardian writer deal to pay more than $1 million to cover up evidence
of criminal behavior within the company.
14
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How We Broke the Murdoch Scandal
续前表
When Who What
Clive Goodman: News of the World’s

The two were put into jail for hacking the palace
royal correspondent
phones.
July 2009 Glenn Mulcaire: a private investigator
He resigned, protesting that he knew nothing about any

Andy Coulson: NotW editor
of it.
Neville Thurlbeck: NotW’s long- He and some others were also found to be involved in
July 9, 2009
standing chief reporter phone hackings.
They established the truth of everything Nick had

November 2009 The New York Times reporters
written and broke new territory of their own.
He revealed that NotW had hacked into the phone calls

of the missing teenager Milly Dowler, deleting her
Around the New voice messages so that it could listen to new ones. That
Nick Davies
Year of 2010 single action had given Milly’s parents hope during the
dark days before it was confirmed that she had been
murdered.
The profitable newspaper selling millions of copies a

2011 News of the World
week had been killed off.
The story will continue to play out over the months,

even years, ahead. Everyone expects more arrests.
In the future More·people·will·be·in·volved. There are numerous civil actions wending their way
through the British courts. There will be two public
inquiries—into the behavior of press and police.
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1.·B　　2.·A　　3.·D　　4.·B　　5.·B　　6.·D　　7.·A　　8.·C　　9.·C　　10.·A
B.
1. Every so often 2. in place 3. in the know 4. incremental 5. paid off
6. deliberately 7. ripped up 8. dead in the water 9. telling 10. wend their way
Ⅲ. Cloze
1. authority 2. apologies 3. illegal 4. in the name of 5. occurred
6. personally 7. change 8. handled 9. crossed 10. were subject to
Ⅳ. Translation
1.·现在，人人都知道默多克的故事是如何结束的：其雇员的所作所为引起人们强烈的
15
反感，议会的投票结果令一个价值数十亿美元的并购行动戛然而止。这个投票结果是迄今
为止人们所知最一边倒的。
2.·新闻投诉委员会及时公布了自己的调查结果：没有证据表明，“害群之马”的理论
不属实。在那个时候，就连国际新闻公司也不再坚持自己的论调，但是监管部门却像个小
狗一样满地打滚来讨好他们。
3.·该委员会的一两位成员曾经说，他们感觉受到了恐吓，因为有人扬言，如果他们坚
持这么做，国际新闻公司的记者就可能会对他们做些什么。因此，他们就没有坚持下去。
4.·2009 年 11 月就业法庭认定《世界新闻报》一位前记者在库尔森手下遭受了欺凌之
后判给他超过 100 万美元的赔偿。当时我就知道我们所选择的道路将会是多么的孤独。
5.·如果舰队街的大多数同仁准备视而不见，我想我最好在别处试试，别让这故事胎死
腹中，现在只有尼克还在孜孜不倦地为我们自己的报纸提供更多的故事。

1. How did the regulators and the press initially respond to the Guardian report on July
9, 2009?
The police announced an inquiry—and then, within hours, issued a terse statement saying
there was nothing “new” to investigate.
In due course the Press Complaints Commission announced the findings of its own inquiry:
there was no evidence to suggest that the “rotten apple” theory was anything other than the truth.
Not even News International was sticking to this line by then, but the watchdog had rolled over
like a puppy.
A parliamentary committee did its best to get to the bottom of things. But News
International’s chief executive, the former Sun and NotW editor Rebekah Brooks, refused to
grace the committee with her presence. One or two of the committee’s members have since said
that they felt too intimidated by the threat of what might be done to them by News International
journalists if they insisted. So they didn’t.
And the majority of the press weren’t much better. The majority of Fleet Street turned a
blind eye.
2. What is the single story that has the biggest effect on the development of the hacking
scandal?
Nick Davies revealed that NotW had hacked into the phone calls of the missing teenager
Milly Dowler, deleting her voice messages so that it could listen to new ones. That single
action—which had given Milly’s parents hope during the dark days before it was confirmed that
she had been murdered—caused a surge of revulsion from which NotW found it hard to recover.
Rarely has a single story had such a volcanic effect.
3. Who do you think should be held responsible for the scandal?
Open.
16
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4. What lessons should be learned from the scandal?

Open.

1. News International phone hacking scandal: The News International phone-hacking
scandal is an ongoing controversy involving mainly the News of the World but also other
British tabloid newspapers published by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation.
Employees of the newspaper were accused of engaging in phone hacking, police bribery, and
exercising improper influence in the pursuit of publishing stories. Investigations conducted from
2005—2007 concluded that the paper’s phone hacking activities were limited to celebrities,
politicians and members of the British Royal Family. However, in July 2011, it was revealed
that the phones of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, relatives of deceased British soldiers, and
victims of the 7/7 London bombings were also accessed, resulting in a public outcry against
News Corporation and owner Rupert Murdoch. Advertiser boycotts contributed to the closure of
the News of the World on July 10, ending 168 years of publication.
British prime minister David Cameron announced on July 6, that a public inquiry would look
into the affair after police investigations had ended. On July 13, Cameron named Lord Justice
Leveson as chairman of the inquiry, with a remit to look into phone hacking and police bribery
by the News of the World, while a separate inquiry would consider the culture and ethics of the
wider British media. He also said the Press Complaints Commission would be replaced “entirely”.
The inquiries led to several high-profile resignations, including Dow Jones chief executive Les
Hinton; News International legal manager Tom Crone; and chief executive Rebekah Brooks.
The commissioner of London’s Metropolitan Police Service, Sir Paul Stephenson, also resigned
his post. Former News of the World managing editor Andy Coulson, former executive editor
Neil Wallis, and Brooks were all arrested. Murdoch and his son, James, were summoned to give
evidence before a parliamentary media committee.
The negative attention garnered by the scandal eventually reached the United States, where
News Corporation is headquartered and operates multiple media outlets. The Federal Bureau
of Investigation launched a probe on July 14, to determine whether News Corporation accessed
voicemails of victims of the 9/11 attacks. On July 15, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
announced an additional investigation by the Department of Justice, looking into whether the
company had violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
2. Closure of the News of the World : The closure of the News of the World after 168 years
in print was the first significant effect of the scandal.
The final edition of News of the World, published on July 10, 2011.
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In the days leading up to July 7, 2011, Virgin Holidays, the Co-operative Group, Ford Motor
Company and General Motors (owner of Vauxhall Motors) had all pulled their advertisements
from the News of the World in response to the unfolding controversy. Other major advertisers
who considered doing likewise included mobile phone operators Vodafone, O2, Everything
Everywhere (T-Mobile and Orange), Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, EasyJet, Lloyds
Banking Group, German utility company RWE (owner of Npower), electricals retailer Dixons,
and Tesco. Kesa Electricals, owner of the Comet electricals chain, and Renault said they had no
advertising plans scheduled in the foreseeable future and were also considering whether they
should join any future boycott.
James Murdoch announced on July 7, 2011, that, after 168 years in print, the News of the
World would publish its last-ever edition on July 10, with the loss of 200 jobs. News Corporation
said that all profits from the final edition would go to good causes. Downing Street said it had
no role in the decision. James Murdoch conceded the paper was “sullied by behaviour that was
wrong”, saying “if recent allegations are true, it was inhuman and has no place in our company”.
Other executives of the company said the phone hacking was more widespread than
previously believed and that they are cooperating with investigations into the allegations. Editor
Rebekah Brooks told staff at a meeting that she recognized following an internal investigation
that “other shoes would drop”, a phrase indicating that further revelations of wrongdoing would
follow.
3. Resignations: A number of senior employees and executives resigned from News
International and its parent company after the emergence of the new allegations, along with high-
ranking officers of the Metropolitan Police Service.
News International’s legal manager Tom Crone left the company on July 13. As part of his
role at the publisher, Crone had served as the News of the World’s chief lawyer and gave evidence
before parliamentary committees stating that he had uncovered no evidence of phone hacking
beyond the criminal offences committed by the royal editor Clive Goodman. He maintains that
he did not see an internal report suggesting that phone hacking at the paper reached more widely
than Goodman.
Two key resignations were announced on July 15. Rebekah Brooks, the chief executive
of News International, quit following widespread criticism of her role in the controversy. In a
statement, Brooks said that “my desire to remain on the bridge has made me a focal point of the
debate”, and stated that she would “concentrate on correcting the distortions and rebutting the
allegations about my record”. Her exit was welcomed by political leaders. Prime Minister David
Cameron’s office said that her departure was “the right decision”, while Leader of the Opposition
Ed Miliband agreed but suggested that she should have departed ten days earlier. Tom Mockridge,
the long-time chief executive of the Italian satellite broadcaster Sky Italia, was announced as
Brooks’ replacement at the head of News International.
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Later on the same day, Les Hinton resigned as the chief executive of the News Corporation
subsidiary Dow Jones & Company. Hinton had served as chief executive of News International
between 1997, and 2005. He had previously told parliamentary committees that there was
“never any evidence” of phone hacking beyond the case of Clive Goodman. In his resignation
announcement, Hinton said that he was not told of “evidence that wrongdoing went further”, but
indicated that he nevertheless felt it “proper” to resign from his position.
On July 17, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and Britain’s most senior police
officer, Sir Paul Stephenson, announced his resignation with immediate effect. He had faced
criticism for hiring former News of the World executive editor Neil Wallis as an advisor and for
having received free hospitality at a luxury health spa owned by a company for which Wallis also
worked. Stephenson’s resignation was followed by that of assistant commissioner John Yates on
July 18. Yates had been criticized for failing to re-open the original 2006 investigation into phone
hacking at News International despite new evidence coming to light in 2009.
4. Apologies: A full-page apology ad published in British newspapers by News International.
The letter, signed by Rupert Murdoch, begins: “The News of the World was in the business of
holding others to account. It failed when it came to itself.”
From July 15, onwards, News Corp began to change its position through a series of public
apologies. On July 15, Rupert Murdoch in interview with the News Corp owned The Wall Street
Journal apologized for the News of the World letting slip the group’s standards of journalism.
Murdoch also alleged that the group’s legal advisers, Harbottle & Lewis, had made “a major mistake”
in its part in the internal investigation into phone-hacking in 2007. On July 18, Harbottle & Lewis
issued an open letter outlining its position, and appointed Luther Pendragon to handle PR issues
relating to the affair.
On July 16 and 17, News International published two full-page apologies in many of Britain’s
national newspapers. The first apology took the form of a letter, signed by Rupert Murdoch, in which
he said sorry for the “serious wrongdoing” that occurred. The second was titled “Putting Right
What’s Gone Wrong”, and gave more detail about the steps News International was taking to
address the public’s concerns.
On the afternoon before the ads were published, Rupert Murdoch also attended a private
meeting in London with the family of Milly Dowler, where he apologized for the hacking of
their murdered daughter’s voicemail. The Dowler family’s solicitor later said Murdoch appeared
shaken and upset during the talks. He added that the Dowlers were surprised Murdoch’s son
James did not attend and called on the News International chairman to “take some responsibility”
in the affair.
5. Milly Dowler’s voicemail: It was first reported by The Guardian on July 4, 2011, that
police had found evidence suggesting that the private investigator Glenn Mulcaire collected
personal information about the family of the missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler, following her
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disappearance in March 2002, and the subsequent discovery of her murdered body six months
later. According to the paper, journalists working for the News of the World had hired private
investigators to hack into Dowler’s voicemail inbox. It was alleged that they had deleted some
messages, giving false hope to police and to Dowler’s family who thought that she might have
deleted the messages herself and therefore might still be alive, and potentially destroying valuable
evidence about her abduction and murder by serial killer Levi Bellfield, who was convicted and
jailed for life in June 2011. The Guardian commented that the News of the World did not conceal
from its readers in an article on April 14, 2002, that it had intercepted telephone messages and
also informed Surrey police of this fact on March 27, 2002, six days after Milly went missing.
As of July 2011, the Dowler family was preparing a claim for damages against the News of
the World. News Group Newspapers described the allegation as “a development of great concern”.
Reacting to the revelation, Prime Minister David Cameron said that the alleged hacking, if true,
was “truly dreadful”. He added that police ought to pursue a “vigorous” investigation to ascertain
what had taken place. Leader of the opposition Ed Miliband called on Rebekah Brooks, the News
of the World’s editor in 2002, and then the chief executive of News International, to “consider her
conscience and consider her position”. Brooks denied knowledge of phone hacking during her
editorship.
It was in the wake of the Dowler allegations that a significant number of people, including
former deputy prime minister John Prescott and other politicians, began to seriously question
whether the takeover of British Sky Broadcasting by News Corporation ought to be blocked. The
Media Standards Trust formed the pressure group Hacked Off, to campaign for a public inquiry.
Soon after launch, the campaign gained the support of suspected hacking victim, the actor Hugh
Grant, who became a public spokesperson, appearing on “Question Time” and “Newsnight”.
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Unit Two
Reading Biographies and
Personal Recollections
Lesson 4　Bill Clinton

KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. D (Paragraphs 1, 2: As I walked by, I heard him say: “...and not only that, we grow the
biggest watermelons in the world!” I asked a friend, “Who is that?”
“Oh, that’s Bill Clinton,” he said. “He’s from Arkansas, and that’s all he ever talks about.”)
2. C (Paragraph 3: The way Bill tells the story, he couldn’t remember his own name.)
3. C (Paragraph 5: Watching him talk our way in was the first time I saw his persuasiveness
in action.)
4. D (Paragraphs 7, 8: I asked him why he had been so quiet at my party. “Because I was
interested in learning more about you and your friends,” he replied.)
5. A (Paragraph 10: Soon after Bill came to my rescue with chicken soup and orange juice,
we became inseparable.)
6. B (Paragraph 11: I told Bill about my summer plans to clerk at Treuhaft, Walker and
Burnstein, a small law firm in Oakland, California, and he announced that he would like to go
to California with me. I was astonished. I knew he had signed on to work in Senator George
McGovern’s presidential campaign and that the campaign manager, Gary Hart, had asked Bill
to organize the South for McGovern. The prospect of driving from one Southern state to another
convincing Democrats both to support McGovern and to oppose Nixon’s policy in Vietnam
excited him. Paragraph 13: I tried to let the news sink in. I was thrilled.)
7. A (Paragraph 17: Bill and I shared a small apartment near a big park not far from the
University of California at Berkeley campus where the Free Speech Movement started in 1964.
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I spent most of my time working for Mal Burnstein researching, writing legal motions and briefs
for a child custody case. Meanwhile, Bill explored Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco. On
weekends, he took me to the places he had scouted, like a restaurant in North Beach or a vintage
clothing store on Telegraph Avenue… Bill spent most of his time reading and then sharing with
me his thoughts about books like To the Finland Station by Edmund Wilson. During our long
walks, he often broke into song, frequently crooning one of his Elvis Presley favorites.)
8. D (Paragraph 19: The floors were so uneven that plates would slide off the dining table if
we didn’t keep little wooden blocks under the table legs to level them. The wind howled through
cracks in the walls that we stuffed with newspapers. But despite it all, I loved our first house. We
shopped for furniture at the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores and were quite proud of our
student decor.)
9. B (Paragraph 23: “This war isn’t worth losing one more boy for. That’s why we should
support George McGovern, who wants to bring our boys home.”)
10. C (Paragraph 24: It was slow going at first with my father, but he warmed up over games
of cards, and in front of the television watching football bowl games.)
B.
1. Hillary first saw Bill:
　·(1) time: in the autumn of 1970
　·(2) place: at Yale Law School
　·(3) her impression: like a Viking; tall and handsome; full of vitality and talkative
2. Hillary introduced herself to Bill:
　·(1) time: the following spring
　·(2) place: at the Yale law library
　·(3) reason: Bill kept looking over at her
3. The second time they talked to each other:
　·(1) time: the last day of classes in the spring of 1971
　·(2) reason: Bill went to the registrar’s office with Hillary, just wanting to spend time with her
　·(3) then what they did: they went for a long walk and talked a lot
4. Hillary’s impressions on Bill when she:
　· (1) saw a Mark Rothko exhibit: she realized his persuasiveness in action and was
surprised at his interest in and knowledge of subjects
　·(2) had the bad cold: she knew Bill really cared about her and was much more complex
than first impression; he had the connections between ideas and words and can make it sound like
music
　·(3) talked about what each of them wanted to do after graduation: he was politically
ambitious
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Bill Clinton
　·(4) spent the summer in California: he gave up his own plan and tried his best to please her
5. They rented the ground floor apartment on Edgewood Avenue:
　·(1) time: at the end of the summer in 1971
　·(2) place: in New Haven
　· (3) their happy activities together: going to a yoga class; running; going to a Greek
restaurant; going to movies; walking in snow drifts
6. Bill won the approval of Hillary’s family and friends:
　·(1) time: after Christmas in 1971
　·(2) what he did: he helped with the dishes; discussed about a philosophy book with her
mother; played cards and watched football games with her father; paid attention to her brother;…
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1.·D　　2.·C　　3.·A　　4.·A　　5.·C　　6.·D　　7.·A　　8.·B　　9.·B　　10.·A
B.
1.·B　　2.·A　　3.·D　　4.·B　　5.·B　　6.·D　　7.·A　　8.·B　　9.·C　　10.·A
Ⅲ. Cloze
1.·B　　2.·D　　3.·A　　4.·C　　5.·C　　6.·D　　7.·B　　8.·A　　9.·D　　10.·C
Ⅳ. Translation
1.·1970 年秋天，你想不注意比尔 · 克林顿也不容易。他来到耶鲁大学法学院时，看上
去像一个北欧海盗，而不像一个在牛津大学待了两年后回国的罗兹奖学金获得者。他身材
高大，棕红色的胡子和卷曲而浓密的头发使他显得很帅气。他浑身充满了活力。当我第一
次在法学院的学生休息室里见到他时，他正对着一帮全神贯注的同学滔滔不绝地讲着什么。
2.·在比尔讲述这段事情的版本中，他说他当时都想不起来自己叫什么名字了。
3.·直到现在我还常为他敏捷的思维和恰如其分的用词，以及他如何能够将要表达的思
想说得那么动听而感到惊讶不已。
4.·我首先注意到的是比尔的手的形状。他的手腕不粗，手指修长而灵巧，就像一双钢
琴家或外科医生的手。学生时代我们第一次见面时，我就喜欢看他用手翻书的样子。如今
他的手已因成千上万次的握手、打高尔夫球和无数次的签名而增添了岁月的痕迹。它们和
它们的主人一样，虽历经风雨却依然充满表现力、魅力与活力。
5.·我还不知道自己将来会住在哪里和要做什么，因为我在儿童权益促进和民权方面的
兴趣尚未为我指明一条明确的道路。
6.·一想到能够驾车穿梭在南方各州之间来说服民主党人既支持麦克戈文，又反对尼克
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松的越战政策就使他非常激动。
7.·尽管我们都获得了学生贷款，但是我们俩还是不得不打些工来完成法学院的学业。

1. What made Hillary think Bill Clinton was more like a Viking than a Rhodes Scholar
returning from two years at Oxford when he arrived at Yale Law School in 1970?
He was tall and handsome somewhere beneath that reddish brown beard and curly mane of
hair. He also had a vitality that seemed to shoot out of his pores. And he was very talkative.
2. As President of the United States, Bill Clinton was famous for his eloquence. He
delivered many important and famous speeches. Find (in the text) as much evidence as you
can to prove Bill Clinton’s eloquence.
(1) When Hillary first saw Bill in the law school’s student lounge, he was holding forth
before a rapt audience of fellow students.
(2) Bill talked their way in the Yale Art Gallery. This showed his persuasiveness in action.
(3) When Bill came to Hillary’s rescue with chicken soup and orange juice, he conversed
about anything—from African politics to country and western music.
(4) To this day, Bill can astonish Hillary with the connections he weaves between ideas and
words and how he makes it all sound like music.
(5) When Hillary was looking for Bill, a customer sitting nearby spoke up, saying, “He was
here for a long time reading, and I started talking to him about books. I don’t know his name, but
he’s going to be President someday.”
(6) At the long lunch, Bill eventually persuaded Barbieri to endorse McGovern.
(7) Bill really won Hillary’s mother over when he found her reading a philosophy book from
one of her college courses and spent an hour or so discussing it with her.
3. What is the general idea of this part of Hillary’s autobiography Living History?
It tells how Hillary and Bill Clinton met and began their love life.
4. Try to find the version that Bill Clinton tells the story about how he and Hillary met
and fell in love with each other.
Open.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1.·Hillary Rodham Clinton: (1947— ) Secretary of State of the United States (2009— )
and wife of United States president Bill Clinton (1993—2001). During her husband’s presidency,
she became a powerful symbol of the changing role and status of women in American society.
Her election to the U.S. Senate while being first lady was unprecedented in U.S. history.
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Bill Clinton
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Hillary Rodham was the first student ever asked to give the
commencement address at Wellesley College, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 1969.
At Yale Law School, she met her future husband, Bill Clinton, and her lifelong mentor, Marian
Wright Edelman; Edelman founded the Children’s Defense Fund, an organization that lobbies for
children’s welfare. Rodham worked there as a staff attorney for a year after graduating from law
school in 1973 and later chaired the organization’s board.
In 1974, after working for the special U.S. House panel investigating a possible impeachment
of President Richard Nixon, she moved to Arkansas, where she began teaching law at the
University of Arkansas. She and Bill Clinton were married a year later. A daughter, Chelsea, was
born in 1980.
In 1977 Clinton founded Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families and joined the Rose
Law Firm, where she practiced until 1992, specializing in patent infringement and intellectual
property. She was twice named one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America by the
National Law Journal.
As the first presidential spouse with her own successful professional career, Clinton drew
criticism from those who favored a more traditional role for the first lady. After taking office,
President Clinton chose her to head a special commission on health-care reform, the most
significant public policy initiative of his first year in office.
The special commission developed a comprehensive health-care proposal, which was presented
to the Congress of the United States in September 1993. Although Clinton was praised for her
intricate knowledge of the issue, critics attacked the cost of the plan and the burden it placed on small
employers. Throughout 1994 other groups drafted proposals, but Congress could not reach agreement
on the health-care issue. The failure of health-care reform resulted in a major defeat for the Clintons
and caused the first lady to step back from a prominent role in public policy decisions.
In 1993 both Clintons came under scrutiny during an investigation that questioned the
couple’s 1978 investment in a failed real estate venture called the Whitewater Development
Corporation and their connection to a bankrupt savings and loan association. In January 1996
Hillary Rodham Clinton was called to testify before a grand jury investigating the Whitewater
Affair, as these financial dealings came to be known. It was the first time a first lady was asked to
appear before a grand jury.
Clinton traveled extensively as first lady and promoted new responsibilities and opportunities
for women, particularly in the world’s developing countries. In September 1995 she attended the
United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China. In addition to helping her
husband in his 1996 presidential election campaign, Clinton also worked actively for children’s
welfare issues. In 1996 she published a book, It Takes a Village, that focuses on the responsibilities
that society has toward children.
In 2000 Clinton made her own bid for political office when she announced her candidacy
25
for a seat in the U.S. Senate from New York. In January 2000 she moved from the White House
to a new home in Chappaqua, New York, to establish residency in the state. In the 2000 election,
Clinton defeated Republican Rick Lazio. She took office in January 2001.
2. Bill Clinton:·(1946― ) 42nd president of the United States (1993―2001), who was
one of the most popular American presidents of the 20th century and the second president to be
impeached. Clinton was the first president born after World War Ⅱ (1939―1945) and the third
youngest person to become president, after Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. He was
also the first Democrat in 12 years to hold the presidency and the first Democrat since Franklin D.
Roosevelt to be elected to two terms.
A moderate Democrat and longtime governor of Arkansas, Clinton promised to change
not only the direction the country had taken under the two previous Republican presidents but
also the policies of his own Democratic Party. However, Clinton’s presidency was marked by
unusually bitter strife with Republicans in Congress. In his second term, Clinton became the
second president to be impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives, after admitting to an
improper relationship with a White House intern. The Senate, however, defeated the impeachment
articles and did not remove him from office.
During Clinton’s presidency, the country enjoyed the longest period of economic growth in
its history. A graceful speaker, Clinton had a remarkable ability to connect with people, which
enabled him to bounce back from defeats, scandals, and even impeachment. He left office with
the highest voter approval rating of all modern presidents.

1. Yale University:·It was founded in 1701 in Branford, Connecticut; later that year it
was chartered as the Collegiate School. In 1702 the school opened in Killingworth, and the first
bachelor of arts degree was granted in 1703. After being moved to Saybrook (now Old Saybrook)
four years later, the school was relocated in New Haven in 1716. In 1718 it was renamed Yale
College in honor of its benefactor, English merchant Elihu Yale.
In the early 19th century, during the presidency of American educator and clergyman
Timothy Dwight, Yale established its first professional schools. Additional departments were
founded under American educator Timothy Dwight Woolsey, who served as president from 1846
to 1871; during this period Yale conferred, in 1861, the first doctorate to be given in the United
States. The name Yale University was officially adopted in 1887.
Yale University is governed by a 19-member corporation consisting of the president, a self-
perpetuating board of 10 trustees, six alumni fellows elected by the university’s graduates, and
the governor and lieutenant governor of the state of Connecticut, who serve on an ex officio basis.
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Bill Clinton
Prominent graduates of the school include colonial patriot Nathan Hale; many writers,
including Jonathan Edwards, Noah Webster, and James Fenimore Cooper; inventors Eli Whitney
and Samuel Finley Breese Morse; and U.S. Presidents William Howard Taft, George Herbert
Walker Bush, and George W. Bush. President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton, President
Gerald R. Ford, and Supreme Court Justices Benjamin Cardozo, William O. Douglas, and
Clarence Thomas are among noted Yale Law School graduates.
Undergraduate Activities
The oldest division of the university, Yale College, offers courses leading to bachelor of arts
and bachelor of science degrees. Highly selective, the college accepts only about 19 percent of all
applicants, of whom about 56 percent actually enroll.
All first-year students live in dormitories on the Old Campus; later they become affiliated
with the residential colleges, where they subsequently live. Established in 1933 by American
industrialist Edward Stephen Harkness, the college-residence system was designed to give
students, from the sophomore year on, the educational and social benefits of living in relatively
small groups within a larger university environment. Each of the 12 colleges accommodates
approximately 250 students and has its own library, common rooms, and living and dining
facilities. It is headed by a master and dean, who are both university faculty members and live
within the college enclave. A group of fellows, also associated with the university’s staff, assists
the master in administering the college’s social, athletic, and intellectual activities.
One feature of undergraduate study at Yale is the Scholars of the House Program. Designed
for independent study, it allows qualified seniors to enroll in or audit any Yale course and to work
on faculty-supervised projects.
Graduate and Professional Divisions
The first professional school established at Yale was the School of Medicine (1813); other
graduate divisions are the schools of architecture, art, divinity, drama, engineering, forestry
and environmental studies, law, music, and organization and management. Other professional
divisions are the Institute of Occupational Medicine and Hygiene, the Labor and Management
Center, and the Institute of Far Eastern Languages.
2. Rhodes Scholarship:·a·grant of financial aid awarded to selected college and university
students for study at the University of Oxford, in Oxford, England. The Rhodes scholarships
were established in 1902 after the death of British financier and statesman Cecil John Rhodes,
who provided for the program in his will. Rhodes hoped that by bringing students from different
countries to study at Oxford, the scholarships would promote international unity, particularly
among English-speaking nations. The first Rhodes scholars began their fellowships in 1903.
In a typical term, approximately 230 Rhodes scholars are in residence at Oxford. Scholars
are awarded an annual stipend covering tuition and living expenses for two years, with the
possibility of renewal for a third year. Eligibility for Rhodes scholarships was originally limited
27
to young men, but in 1976 the competition became open to young women as well. Selection
committees choose scholarship recipients based on candidates’ literary and scholastic ability,
qualities of character and leadership, and physical health.
The scholarships are awarded annually to students in 19 regions designated by the Rhodes
Trustees: Australia, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Canada, Caribbean members of the Commonwealth
of Nations, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan,
Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, the United States, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Students from the
United States form the largest national contingent of Rhodes scholars.
The Rhodes trustees grant the United States an annual quota of 32 scholars, selected
in groups of four from eight different regions of the country. American candidates must be
unmarried U.S. citizens with at least five years of residence in the United States and must be 18
to 24 years old on October 1 of the year of application. Years spent in active military service may
be deducted to meet the age requirement. Applicants from the United States are also expected to
be at least juniors at recognized U.S. colleges or universities.
3. Oxford: University·of·Oxford is the oldest institution of higher learning in the English-
speaking world. The university is located in Oxford, England.
The town of Oxford was already an important center of learning by the end of the 12th
century. Teachers from mainland Europe and other scholars settled there, and lectures are known
to have been delivered by as early as 1117. Sometime in the late 12th century the expulsion of
foreigners from the University of Paris caused many English scholars to return from France and
settle in Oxford. The students associated together, on the basis of geographical origins, into two
“nations”, representing the North (including the Scots) and the South (including the Irish and the
Welsh). In later centuries, geographical origins continued to influence many students’ affiliations
when membership of an Oxford college or hall became customary. Members of many religious
orders, including Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, and Augustinians, settled in Oxford in
the mid-13th century, gained influence, and maintained houses for students. At about the same
time, private benefactors established colleges to serve as self-contained scholarly communities.
Among the earliest were the parents of John Balliol, King of Scotland; their establishment,
Balliol College, bears their name. Another founder, Walter de Merton, a chancellor of England
and afterwards bishop of Rochester, devised a series of regulations for college life; Merton
College thereby became the model for such establishments at Oxford as well as at the University
of Cambridge. Thereafter, an increasing number of students forsook living in halls and religious
houses in favor of living at colleges.
The new learning of the Renaissance greatly influenced Oxford from the late 15th century
onward. Among university scholars of the period were William Grocyn, who contributed to the
revival of the Greek language, and John Colet, the noted biblical scholar. With the Reformation
and the breaking of ties with Catholicism, the method of teaching at the university was
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Bill Clinton
transformed from the medieval Scholastic method to Renaissance education, although institutions
associated with the university suffered loss of land and revenues. In 1636 Chancellor William
Laud, archbishop of Canterbury, codified the university statutes; these to a large extent remained
the university’s governing regulations until the mid-19th century. Laud was also responsible for
the granting of a charter securing privileges for the university press, and he made significant
contributions to the Bodleian Library, the main library of the university.
The university was a center of the Royalist Party during the English Civil War (1642―
1649), while the town favored the opposing Parliamentarian cause. Soldier-statesman Oliver
Cromwell, chancellor of the university from 1650 to 1657, was responsible for preventing both
Oxford and Cambridge from being closed down by the Puritans, who viewed university education
as dangerous to religious beliefs. From the mid-18th century onward, however, the University of
Oxford took little part in political conflicts.
Administrative reforms during the 19th century included the replacement of oral examinations
with written entrance tests, greater tolerance for religious dissent, and the establishment of four
colleges for women. Women have been eligible to be full members of the university and have been
entitled to take degrees since 1920. Although Oxford’s emphasis traditionally had been on classical
knowledge, its curriculum expanded in the course of the 19th century and now attaches equal
importance to scientific and medical studies.
The roster of distinguished scholars at the University of Oxford is long and includes many
who have made major contributions to British politics, the sciences, and literature. Since its
founding in 1823, the Oxford Union, a university club devoted to formal debating and other
social activities, has numbered among its members many of Britain’s most noted political leaders.
There are 39 colleges within the university, each with its own internal structure and
activities. The university’s formal head is the chancellor, usually a distinguished politician,
elected for life by the members of Convocation, a body comprising all members of the university
who hold an M.A. degree. The vice-chancellor, who holds office for four years, is the head of
the university’s executive. In addition to Convocation, the other bodies that conduct university
business are the Ancient House of Congregation, which confers degrees; the Hebdomadal
Council, which formulates university policy; and the Congregation of the University, which
discusses and pronounces on policies proposed by the Hebdomadal Council.
The university itself conducts examinations and confers degrees. The passing of two
examinations is a prerequisite for a first degree. The first, called honor moderations or a
preliminary examination, is usually held after the first or second year. The second, the honor
school, is held at the end of the undergraduate course. Successful candidates receive first-,
second-, or third-class honors based on their performance in these examinations. Research
degrees at the master’s and doctoral level are conferred in all subjects studied at graduate level at
the university.
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The heads of Oxford colleges are known by various titles, according to the college, including
warden, provost, principal, president, or master. Undergraduate discipline is supervised by two
university proctors, elected annually on a rotating basis from two of the colleges. Teaching
members of the colleges (fellows and tutors) are collectively and familiarly known as dons. In
addition to residential and dining facilities, the colleges provide social, cultural, and recreational
activities for their members.
Formal instruction is available for undergraduates in the form of lectures. In addition,
each undergraduate works with a college tutor, who is responsible for overseeing the student’s
academic progress. Since 1902, students from the Commonwealth of Nations countries and from
certain other overseas countries have been able to study at Oxford under Rhodes Scholarships,
established by the British colonial statesman Cecil John Rhodes.
Notable amid the predominantly Gothic architecture of the university is Christ Church’s Tom
Quad, the largest quadrangle in the university. It houses above its gateway Great Tom, a 7-ton bell.
Other famed structures are the Sheldonian Theatre, designed by the English architect, scientist,
and mathematician Sir Christopher Wren and used as an assembly hall, and the domed Radcliffe
Camera, used as one of the reading rooms of the Bodleian Library.
The main university library, the Bodleian, was built in the early 17th century as an extension
to the university’s existing 15th-century library. Its collections were established in 1602 by the
English scholar and diplomat Sir Thomas Bodley, who gave the university a collection of books
he had purchased in Europe. The present collection of bound volumes and manuscripts includes
valuable holdings of biblical codices, Far Eastern literature, and material on British history. Like
the British Library, the Bodleian is a copyright library, entitled to receive a copy of every book
published in the United Kingdom.
Among several university museums is the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, with
fine collections of Eastern and European art and Middle Eastern archaeology. The first public
museum in Great Britain, it was founded by the English antiquary Elias Ashmole and was opened
in 1683.
Books were first printed for the university in 1478, soon after William Caxton printed
the first book in England. Today the Oxford University Press annually publishes hundreds of
distinguished books of scholarly and general interest, including the renowned Oxford English
Dictionary.
4. Arkansas: a state in the United States, classified as one of the west south central states.
The term is appropriate, for west, south, and Midwest states seem to meet in Arkansas. The
southwestern section of the state, with its cattle and oil fields, has the feeling of the Western
Plains. Dairy farms and orchards in the northwest seem more akin to parts of the Corn Belt, while
the cotton plantations in the east toward the Mississippi River are reminiscent of the Deep South.
Arkansas’s natural resources are abundant water; vast forests of quick-growing pines and valuable
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hardwoods; and extensive deposits of oil, natural gas, and many other minerals.
5. Mark Rothko:· (1903—1970) Russian-born American painter, known for abstract
paintings in which soft-edged rectangles of color seem to float weightlessly against undefined
backgrounds. A major figure in the abstract expressionism movement, Rothko used color to
convey a range of emotion and what the artist described as a religious experience.
Rothko was born Marcus Rothkowitz in Dvinsk, Russia (now Daugavpils, Latvia), and
emigrated to the United States in 1913. He attended Yale University from 1921 to 1923, then left
to settle in New York City. During the next five years he occasionally attended classes at the Art
Students League, most notably with American painter Max Weber, but he was essentially self-
taught. In New York he visited museums and the studios of artists such as Milton Avery, whose
interest in simplified forms and large areas of flat, unvaried color would exercise a profound
influence on him. Rothko also befriended painter Adolph Gottlieb, with whom he shared a
passion for non-Western art, and later, an interest in lyrical abstraction.
Rothko’s work of the 1930s, like that of many of his contemporaries, reflected the strains of
life during the Great Depression. In “Subway (Subterranean Fantasy)” (1936, National Gallery
of Art, Washington, D.C.), figures stand on a subway platform, isolated both from each other and
from the world above them. The elongation of the figures and the dark color scheme are attempts
to evoke a sense of claustrophobia and alienation from the spectator.
Rothko also took cues from the European surrealism movement, which saw artistic creativity
as a key to unlocking the unconscious. “Slow Swirl by the Edge of the Sea” (1944, Museum
of Modern Art, New York) reflects his exposure to this movement. The painting uses a more
abstract visual vocabulary than his earlier works, its forms are more curvilinear and organic, and
color has begun to play a larger role. In this painting, Rothko meditated on the origins of life:
how it emerged from the sea and how its origins could function as a metaphor for the origins of
consciousness.
By the early 1940s Rothko had become interested in ancient myths and symbols and was
profoundly affected by the theory of the collective unconscious put forth by Swiss psychiatrist
Carl Jung. Jung proposed that all human beings, regardless of geographic origin or time period,
shared a common mental organization, which manifests itself in folk tales, myths, and symbols.
Rothko saw his paintings as vehicles for communicating a shared repertory of images that are
reflective of this collective unconscious.
In addition, Rothko was significantly influenced by French painter Henri Matisse, whose
works sacrificed line in favor of color and were in many cases limited to two or three colors.
Rothko pushed Matisse’s innovations to the level of complete abstraction. By 1949 Rothko
had developed his signature style: large rectangular areas of color placed above one another
atop a stained background, as in “Green and Tangerine on Red” (1956, The Phillips Collection,
Washington, D.C.). With these works he became a major figure in abstract expressionism.
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In the 1960s Rothko received several major mural commissions, among these a series for a
nondenominational chapel in Houston, Texas (1964—1966), which he painted in somber shades
of violet, maroon, and black. The building was rededicated as the Rothko Chapel after the artist’s
death by suicide in 1970.
Although celebrated as a keen investigator of color, Rothko strongly objected to being called
a colorist. He told critic Selden Rodman that he was interested only in expressing “basic human
emotions—ecstasy, tragedy, doom”, and that to see his work only in terms of color relationships
“missed the point”. Despite these disclaimers, it was his interest in color and simplified form that
proved extremely influential to later painters including Ellsworth Kelly and Jack Youngerman.
Their minimalist works took Rothko’s simplification of color and form to an even greater
extreme.
6. Henry Moore:· (1898—1986) British sculptor known for his large, semiabstract
sculptures of the human figure. He is considered the most prominent British sculptor of the 20th
century, and his work had a strong influence on contemporary figural sculpture.
Moore was born in Castleford, Yorkshire, on July 30, 1898. From 1919 to 1925 he studied
at the Leeds School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London. His early works, executed
in the 1920s, show the influences of pre-Columbian art of the Americas, the massive figures of
the Italian Renaissance artists Masaccio and Michelangelo, and the streamlined shapes of the
Romanian-born French sculptor Constantin Brancusi. In the 1930s, the work of Pablo Picasso and
of contemporary abstract artists were strong influences; many of Moore’s works of that period
are highly abstract, consisting of simplified, rounded pieces carved from wood, with numerous
indentations and holes often spanned with veils of thin metal wires. The most important and
lasting influence on Moore’s work, however, was the world of nature. “The human figure,” he
later wrote, “is what interests me most deeply, but I have found principles of form and rhythm
from the study of natural objects, such as pebbles, rocks, bones, trees, plants.”
In his mature works, beginning with “Reclining Figure” (1936, City Art Gallery, Wakefield,
England), Moore employed swelling shapes, undulating extensions, and rounded indentations
that mirror natural forms. His favored themes include mother-and-child and family groups, fallen
warriors, and, most characteristically, the reclining human figure, which he continued to depict
throughout his career, working in wood, stone, and—after 1950—in bronze, and later in marble.
These works range from the realistic—such as “Draped Reclining Figure” (1953, Time-Life
Building, London), a massive sculpture of a woman reclining on her elbows—to the abstract—
such as “Internal and External Forms” (1954, Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, New York), a
large, rounded bronze sculpture pierced by a hollow interior containing a second abstract metal
form.
Unlike Moore’s usually preparatory sketches for his sculpture, a series of drawings of
Londoners huddled in tube stations during World War Ⅱ air raids stand on their own as works
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of art. These so-called shelter drawings (1940 ff.) poignantly express the impact of war on
defenseless civilians. One of the largest collections of his sculpture, drawings, and prints is owned
by the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.
Among his major public commissions are outdoor sculptures for the UNESCO headquarters
in Paris (1958); Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts, New York City (1965); the City Hall of
Toronto, Ontario (1966); and the East Building of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
(1978). Moore died in Much Hadham, England, August 31, 1986.
7. University of California at Berkeley:·a public, coeducational institution in Berkeley,
California, and the oldest campus of the University of California system. The university was
founded in 1868 with the merger of two schools: the College of California, founded in 1855 in
Oakland, California, and the Agricultural, Mining, and Mechanical Arts College, a land-grant
institution established in 1866. The University of California operated on the site of the College of
California until 1873, when it moved to a new campus in Berkeley.
In 1896 Phoebe Apperson Hearst, mother of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst,
sponsored a prestigious international design competition to choose an architect to create a master
building plan for the university. Noted French architect Henri Emile Benard was chosen, and he
designed many of the campus’s stately older buildings.
In the early years of the 20th century the university grew rapidly, adding programs in
agriculture, the humanities, and engineering. During the same period a business school was
created that focused heavily on training students to conduct business and trade with Asia. A
program to prepare students to work for the United States Foreign Service was also established.
During the 1930s the university strengthened its programs in the sciences and established itself as
a leading research institution.
The university confers bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees in the arts and
sciences, the humanities, agriculture, education, engineering, the health professions, architecture,
law, and business. Among the university’s many research institutions are the Theoretical
Astrophysics Center, the Earthquake Engineering Center, and the Institute of Government
Studies. Museums at the university include the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology,
which features major collections of ethnographic material from around the world; the Berkeley
Art Museum, one of the largest university art museums in the United States; and the Museum of
Paleontology, established in 1874.
8. Burma:·It is a republic in Southeast Asia, bounded on the west by Bangladesh; on the
northwest by India’s Assam State; on the northeast by China’s Yunnan Province; on the east by
Laos and Thailand; and on the southwest by the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal. The longest
land border is shared with China. Myanmar was known as Burma until 1989; the English version
of the country’s name was changed by the military government that took over in 1988. Yangon
(formerly known as Rangoon) is the capital and largest city.
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9. Long Island Sound:·Long Island Sound, body of salt water, northeastern United States,
bounded on the north by Connecticut and on the south by Long Island, New York. The eastern
end of the sound is connected with the Atlantic Ocean by Gardiners Bay and Block Island Sound;
at the western end the East River connects the sound with New York Bay. The sound is 180 km
(110 mi) long, from 16 to 40 km (from 10 to 25 mi) wide, and covers 3,400 sq km (1,300 sq mi).
Among the many rivers flowing into it are the Connecticut, the Thames, and the Housatonic. The
sound has excellent fisheries; it is also a coastal shipping route serving the Connecticut ports of
New Haven, New London, and Bridgeport.·长岛海峡
10. Connecticut: one of the six New England states, in the northeastern United States.
Connecticut was the fifth of the original 13 states ratifying the Constitution of the United States on
January 9, 1788, and it played an important role in the development of the United States. Settlement
in Connecticut dates from the 1630s and many of the state’s modern towns and cities can trace their
origins back to the 17th or 18th century. Hartford is the capital of Connecticut and the center of the
state’s largest metropolitan area. Bridgeport is the state’s largest city. 康涅狄格州
11. George McGovern:·McGovern, George Stanley (1922— ), American political leader,
who was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1972 and represented South Dakota in the
United States House of Representatives (1956—1960) and the United States Senate (1962—
1980). McGovern campaigned for president on a liberal reform platform and called for an end
to United States involvement in the Vietnam War. He lost the race in a landslide to Richard M.
Nixon.
12. Nixon’s policy in Vietnam:·Nixon had campaigned against the war, saying that he would
bring U.S. soldiers back home. The protests, however, did not decrease with Nixon’s election,
even though he began withdrawing U.S. combat troops from South Vietnam, in accordance with
a policy announced in 1969 while he was in Guam on an Asian tour. Called the Guam, or Nixon,
doctrine, the policy stated that the United States would continue to help Asian nations combat
Communism but would no longer commit U.S. troops to land wars in Asia. Nixon announced that
25,000 U.S. troops would be withdrawn from Vietnam by August 1969. Another cut of 65,000
troops was ordered by the end of the year. Nixon’s program, known as Vietnamization of the war,
emphasized the responsibilities of the South Vietnamese in the war. However, Nixon expanded the
Vietnam War. In April 1970 he authorized the invasion of Cambodia to pursue North Vietnamese
troops there. The authorization was met with protest demonstrations around the country.
In 1971 the United States assisted a South Vietnamese invasion of Laos. The air war was
also intensified as U.S. bombing missions were increased over Laos, Cambodia, and North
Vietnam. Through the later months of 1971, American withdrawal from Vietnam continued, but
with little apparent effect. Casualty figures in 1971 reflected the intensification of South Vietnam’s
own fighting efforts against the Communists. While U.S. deaths in Vietnam declined dramatically
to 1,380, compared to 4,221 in 1970, the South Vietnamese forces, on the other hand, suffered
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about 21,500 dead, some in Cambodia and Laos but the majority in South Vietnam. The South
Vietnamese claimed the enemy death toll to be 97,000.
13. Free Speech Movement:·a student movement demanding academic freedom. It was
caused by a dispute at the University of California’s Berkeley campus over student political and
protest activities culminated on December 3 with the arrest of 814 demonstrators who participated
in a sit-in at a campus administration building. The dispute began in September when the
university applied its rules banning political activity on campus to a section of university property
where students traditionally solicited funds and recruited pickets for such activities as civil rights
demonstrations. In response, thousands of students held a protest demonstration, which resulted
in the suspension of eight student leaders. In October the student protest was organized into the
Free Speech Movement, led by Mario Savio, a student. Much of the faculty was sympathetic to
the student position.
On November 20 the university’s board of regents stated that students could recruit
demonstrators and collect political contributions on campus, but not for “illegal” off-campus
activities. Before student reception of this statement could be determined, the administration
threatened to discipline four student organizers of a previous campus demonstration. The result
was the sit-in at Sproul Hall.
On December 7 the university’s president, Clark Kerr, held a convocation in which he
promised students most of the privileges sought by the Free Speech Movement. On December 18
the board of regents met again. It reaffirmed its statement of November 20 but appointed a special
committee to study the university’s policies on student activities and discipline.
14. J. William Fulbright:·J(ames) William Fulbright (1905—1995) was American educator
and politician, who, while a United States senator, sponsored the Fulbright Act of 1946, amended
in 1961 by the Fulbright-Hays Act, providing funds for the exchange of students, scholars, and
teachers between the United States and other countries. He was born in Sumner, Missouri, and
educated at the University of Arkansas, the University of Oxford (in England), and George
Washington University Law School (in Washington, D.C.). He was admitted to the Washington,
D.C. bar in 1934 and served for a year as a special attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice.
He taught at George Washington University from 1935 to 1936 and at the University of Arkansas
from 1936 to 1939. He served as president of the University of Arkansas from 1939 until 1941. A
member of the Democratic Party, Fulbright was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in
1942 and to the U.S. Senate in 1944.
As a U.S. senator, Fulbright gained much influence during his long tenure (1959—1974)
as chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He became a leading critic of U.S.
foreign policy, particularly of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War (1959—1975). Running for
his sixth term as senator in 1974, Fulbright was defeated in the Arkansas Democratic primary,
and he resigned from the U.S. Senate at the end of the year. His writings include Old Myths and
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New Realities (1964) and The Arrogance of Power (1967).

15. San Francisco:· a large city in western California, famous for its beautiful setting.
San Francisco is built on a series of steep hills located on the northern tip of a peninsula at the
entrance to San Francisco Bay. The bay and its extensions, which include San Pablo Bay and
Suisun Bay, constitute one of the great natural harbors of the world, embracing nearly 1,200 sq
km (more than 450 sq mi) of water. Because of this, San Francisco was once the major Pacific
Coast seaport of the United States. Today the city is an important center for finance, technology,
tourism, and culture. The city was named after San Francisco Bay, which in turn was named for
Saint Francis of Assisi by early Spanish explorers.·旧金山市
16. Edmund Wilson and his To the Finland Station:·Edmund Wilson (1895—1972) was
an American author and critic, regarded by many as the foremost man of letters and molder of
literary taste of his time in the United States. Wilson wrote about a variety of subjects and in
many forms—including the novel, the short story, drama, verse, history, and biography—but he
was preeminently a social and literary critic. To the Finland Station is his masterpiece coincided
with numerous eulogies placing him among the greatest American critics of the century. And his
last book, A Window on Russia, a collection of studies in Russian literature, is also very famous.
17. New Haven: a city in New Haven County, southern Connecticut, at the mouth of the
Quinnipiac River on Long Island Sound. Once a prosperous manufacturing center, New Haven
now has an economy based on four sectors: biotechnology, health care, higher education, and arts
and entertainment. Yale University (1701) commands a central position in the city’s economic
and cultural life. One of the country’s premier educational institutions, the university is New
Haven’s largest employer. The school is also integral to the city’s shift from manufacturing to
knowledge-based industry. New Haven is a deep-water port and a transportation hub. The United
States Coast Guard headquarters for Long Island Sound is located in the city. 纽黑文市
18. Salvation Army:·an international religious and charitable organization, dedicated to the
propagation of the Christian faith and to the furnishing of various forms of assistance to persons
in need of spiritual solace and material aid. It was founded in 1865 in London by the English
Methodist minister William Booth. It was originally founded as the Christian Mission, with the
aim of carrying on evangelical and social-welfare work among the inhabitants of the slum areas
of London. The mission rapidly expanded its activities; in 1878 it was reorganized along its
present quasi-military lines and was renamed the Salvation Army. Booth was accorded the title of
general, and the officers and members of the organization were given military ranks and titles in
accordance with their duties. The organization was later organized into territories, each of which
had jurisdiction over a specified country or other major geographical area.〈基督教〉救世军
19. Elvis Aaron Presley: (1935—1977) American singer and actor, one of the most popular
entertainers of the 20th century, who is renowned as an early pioneer of rock-and-roll music.
Presley is considered by many to be the genre’s greatest performer.
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Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley attended Pentecostal churches in his youth where he
was exposed to gospel music. He also listened to blues and country-and-western music and won a
talent contest at the age of ten for a rendition of the ballad “Old Shep”, written by country singer
Red Foley.
Following high school, Presley worked as a truck driver. In 1953, while recording some
songs as a birthday gift for his mother at a Memphis, Tennessee, studio, Presley impressed the
studio manager with his unique vocal style, demonstrating both outstanding range and influences
of black American music. This experience led to recordings with studio owner Sam Phillips
through his record label, Sun Records. At age 21 Presley recorded his first songs for a major
record label, the Radio Corporation of America (RCA), including the original and popular
“Heartbreak Hotel” (1956). He followed with the enormously successful double-sided single
record “Hound Dog”/“Don’t Be Cruel” (1956) and “All Shook Up” (1957).
From 1956 to 1958, Presley starred in four motion pictures, all of which featured his
soundtracks: Love Me Tender (1956), Jailhouse Rock (1957), Loving You (1957), and King Creole
(1958). After serving in the United States Armed Forces from 1958 to 1960, Presley appeared in
numerous musical films, including Flaming Star (1960), Blue Hawaii (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls!
(1962), Viva Las Vegas (1964), Roustabout (1964), Frankie and Johnny (1966), and Live a Little,
Love a Little (1968). His public appeal faded during this period as his rebellious image gave way
to the more wholesome persona developed in his film roles.
During the 1970s, facing personal difficulties, including a long-term drug dependency,
Presley retreated from public appearances and was rarely seen outside his Memphis mansion,
known as Graceland. His death, a subject of some controversy, has been officially attributed to
heart failure, a likely result of Presley’s chronic overuse of prescription barbiturates.
Known as the King of Western Bop and the Hillbilly Cat, Presley fused sounds of country
music with black rhythm-and-blues influences and what was then the new rock-and-roll style. His
unprecedented, electrically charged performances helped make Presley one of the first mass idols
of United States popular culture. He inspired countless musical artists. His many hit songs include
“Love Me Tender” (1956), “Blue Suede Shoes” (1956), and “Hard Headed Woman” (1958).
20. Vietnam War:·a·military struggle fought in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975, involving the
North Vietnamese and the National Liberation Front (NLF) in conflict with United States forces
and the South Vietnamese army. From 1946 until 1954, the Vietnamese had struggled for their
independence from France during the First Indochina War. At the end of this war, the country was
temporarily divided into North and South Vietnam. North Vietnam came under the control of the
Vietnamese Communists who had opposed France and who aimed for a unified Vietnam under
Communist rule. The South was controlled by Vietnamese who had collaborated with the French.
The United States became involved in Vietnam because it believed that if all of the country
fell under a Communist government, Communism would spread throughout Southeast Asia
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and beyond. This belief was known as the “domino theory”. The U.S. government, therefore,
supported the South Vietnamese government. This government’s repressive policies led to
rebellion in the South, and the NLF was formed as an opposition group with close ties to North
Vietnam.
In 1965 the United States sent in troops to prevent the South Vietnamese government
from collapsing. Ultimately, however, the United States failed to achieve its goal, and in 1975
Vietnam was reunified under Communist control; in 1976 it officially became the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam. During the conflict, approximately 3 to 4 million Vietnamese on both sides
were killed, in addition to another 1.5 to 2 million Laotians and Cambodians who were drawn
into the war. More than 58,000 Americans lost their lives.
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Lesson 5　Steve Jobs
KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. D (The whole section.)
2. C (Paragraph 2: “He was always obsessing about what could mess us up,”...“The device
that can eat our lunch is the cell phone.”)
3. B (Paragraph 3: His first strategy was to do something that he had admitted in front of
Bill Gates was not in his DNA: to partner with another company.)
4. A (Paragraph 4: So Jobs and his team became excited about the prospect of building a
phone that they would want to use. “That’s the best motivator of all.” Jobs later said.)
5. C (Paragraph 7: In 2005 these narratives intersected, and the ideas for the tablet flowed
into the planning for the phone. In other words, the idea for the iPad actually came before, and
helped to shape the birth of the iPhone.)
6. B (Paragraph 8: In his piece Grossman correctly noted that the iPhone did not really
invent many new features, it just made these features a lot more usable. “But that’s important.
When our tools don’t work, we tend to blame ourselves, for being too stupid or not reading the
manual or having too-fat fingers…”)
7. D (Paragraph 9: “Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices, this is one
device, and we are calling it iPhone.”)
8. D (Paragraph 10: ...there were some fans hanging out in anticipation, and they greeted
him as they would have Moses if he had walked in to buy the Bible.)
9. C (Paragraph 11: “It’s the most expensive phone in the world,” Microsoft’s Steve
Ballmer said in a CNBC interview. “And it doesn’t appeal to business customers because it
doesn’t have a keyboard.” Once again Microsoft had underestimated Jobs’s product.)
10. B (The whole section.)
B.
1.The biography of Steve Jobs written by Walter Isaacson is the perfect match of
subject and author, and it is certain to be a landmark book about one of the world’s greatest
innovators. What Isaacson gives us is a portrait of a man with keen insight, brilliant powers of
observation, and a stubborn determination that we can find in a great innovator. Please find
these characters of Steve Jobs that Walter Isaacson described in the text.
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(1) That is why Jobs was worried. “He was always obsessing about what could mess us up,”
board member Art Levinson recalled. The conclusion he had come to: “The device that can eat
our lunch is the cell phone.” As he explained to the board, the digital camera market was being
decimated now that phones were equipped with cameras. The same could happen to the iPod, if
phone manufacturers started to build music players into them. “Everyone carries a phone, so that
could render the iPod unnecessary.”
(2) “Let’s do it ourselves.” He had noticed something odd about the cell phones on the
market: They all stank, just like portable music players used to. “We would sit around talking
about how much we hated our phones,” he recalled. “They were way too complicated. They
had features nobody could figure out, including the address book. It was just Byzantine.”... Jobs
would get bored, grab Riley’s mobile phone, and start pointing out all the ways it was “brain-dead”.
So Jobs and his team became excited about the prospect of building a phone that they would want
to use. “That’s the best motivator of all,” Jobs later said.
(3) In a career of dazzling producer presentations, this may have been his best. “Every once
in a while a revolutionary product comes along that changes everything,” he began. He referred
to two earlier examples: the original Macintosh, which “changed the whole computer industry”,
and the first iPod, which “changed the entire music industry”. Then he carefully built up to the
product he was about to launch: “Today, we’re introducing three revolutionary products of this
class. The first one is a widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second one is a revolutionary
mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device.” He repeated the
list for emphasis, then asked, “Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices, this is one
device, and we are calling it iPhone.”
2. However, the biography also depicts Steve Jobs as a man with deep flaws. Please find
these characters of Steve Jobs that Walter Isaacson described in the text.
(1) Jobs had admitted in front of Bill Gates that to partner with another company was not in
his DNA.
(2) Jobs was furious. “I’m sick of dealing with these stupid companies like Motorola.”
(3) Jobs would get bored, grab Riley’s mobile phone, and start pointing out all the ways it
was “brain-dead”.
3. No matter how brilliant Steve Jobs was or how many fundamental darker moments
or personality he had, readers can at last obtain the picture of Steve Jobs as a human
being rather than a legend. Please find these characters of Steve Jobs that Walter Isaacson
described in the text.
When iPhone went on sale five months later, at the end of June 2007, Jobs and his wife
walked to the Apple store in Palo Alto to take in the excitement. Since he often did that on the
day new products went on sale.
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Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1.·D　　2.·C　　3.·D　　4.·A　　5.·D　　6.·A　　7.·B　　8.·C　　9.·C　　10.·D
B.
1. scroll through 2. bottom line 3. obsess on 4. mess up 5. counter to
6. built up 7. hang out 8. cobbled together 9. eat our lunch 10. in his DNA
Ⅲ. Cloze
1.·D　　2.·C　　3.·B　　4.·A　　5.·D　　6.·C　　7.·B　　8.·A　　9.·D　　10.·C
Ⅳ. Translation
1.· 该产品对于苹果公司的营收越发重要，占当年收入的 45%。同时，iPod 还带动了
Mac 系列的销售，为苹果公司塑造出时髦的企业形象。
2.·乔布斯得出结论：“能抢我们饭碗的设备是手机。”他向董事会说明，手机都开始配
备摄像头，数码相机市场正急剧萎缩。
3.·但是，该系列手机既没有 iPod 迷人的简约风格，也没有刀锋系列便捷的超薄造型，
它外观丑陋，下载困难，只能容纳近百首歌曲。这是典型的委员会讨论之下形成的产品，
与乔布斯喜欢的工作方式相悖。
4.·由于乔布斯经常在新产品开始销售的第一天去店里，所以有些粉丝已等在专卖店里
期待他的到来，他们跟他打招呼，就好像他们能碰到摩西去买《圣经》的情形一样。
5.·把屏幕做成 5 英寸宽、8 英寸长，世界就是你的了。

Open.
41
Lesson 6　A Beautiful Mind
KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
2. C (Paragraph 1: His visitor sat upright, oppressed by the silence, acutely conscious that
the doors to the room were locked. Mackey finally could contain himself no longer. His voice was
slightly querulous, but he strained to be gentle.)
3. C (Paragraph 2: … the ideas I had about supernatural beings came to me the same way
that my mathematical ideas did. So I took them seriously.)
4. B (Paragraph 4: It wasn’t merely that his mind worked faster, that his memory was
more retentive, or that his power of concentration was greater. The flashes of intuition were
nonrational.)
5. D (Paragraph 4: But even after he’d try to explain some astonishing result, the actual
route he had taken remained a mystery to others who tried to follow his reasoning. Donald
Newman, a mathematician who knew Nash at MIT in the 1950s, used to say about him that
“everyone else would climb a peak by looking for a path somewhere on the mountain. Nash
would climb another mountain altogether and from that distant peak would shine a searchlight
back onto the first peak”.)
6. B (Paragraph 5: As a young man he was surrounded by the high priests of twentieth-
century science— Albert Einstein, John von Neumann, and Norbert Wiener—but he joined no
school, became no one’s disciple, got along: largely without guides or followers.)
7. A (Paragraph 5: …disdainful of authority…In almost everything he did—from
game theory to geometry—he thumbed his nose at the received wisdom, current fashions,
established methods.)
8. C (Paragraph 6: Compulsively rational, he wished to turn life’s decisions—whether to
take the first elevator or wait for the next one, where to bank his money, what job to accept, whether
to marry—into calculations of advantage and disadvantage, algorithms or mathematical rules
divorced from emotion, convention, and tradition.)
9. A (Paragraph 7: I was not aware of the extent of his talent. I had no idea he would
contribute as much as he really did. Paragraph 8: But he did contribute, in a big way. The
marvelous paradox was that the ideas themselves were not obscure.)
42
Lеsson 6
A Beautiful Mind
B.
Comments on Nash Descriptions
Nash’s genius was of that mysterious variety more often associated with music
and art than with the oldest of all sciences: It wasn’t merely that his mind worked
Genius
faster, that his memory was more retentive, or that his power of concentration was
greater. The flashes of intuition were non-rational.
1. Nash acquired his knowledge of mathematics not mainly from studying what
other mathematicians had discovered, but by rediscovering their truths for himself.
2. Eager to astound, he was always on the lookout for the really big problems.
Originality
3. When he focused on some new puzzle, he saw dimensions that people who
really knew the subject (he never did) initially dismissed as naive or wrong-
headed.
1. As a young man he was surrounded by the high priests of twentieth-century

science—Albert Einstein, John von Neumann, and Norbert Wiener—but he
joined no school, became no one’s disciple, got along: largely without guides or
Distain of authority
followers.
2. In almost everything he did—from game theory to geometry—he thumbed his
nose at the received wisdom, current fashions, established methods.
1. He was beguiled by the idea of alien races of hyper-rational beings who had
taught themselves to disregard all emotion.
2. Compulsively rational, he wished to turn life’s decisions—whether to take the
Faith in rationality
first elevator or wait for the next one, where to bank his money, what job to accept,
whether to marry—into calculations of advantage and disadvantage, algorithms or
mathematical rules divorced from emotion, convention, and tradition.
1. His contemporaries, on the whole, found him immensely strange. They

described him as “aloof”, “haughty”, “without affect”, “detached”, “spooky”,
“isolated”, and “queer”.
2. His manner—slightly cold, a bit superior, somewhat secretive—suggested
Peculiar personality something “mysterious and unnatural”.
3. His remoteness was punctuated by flights of garrulousness about outer space
and geopolitical trends, childish pranks, and unpredictable eruptions of anger. But
these outbursts were, more often than not, as enigmatic as his silences.
4. “He is not one of us” was a constant refrain.
1. Nash proved himself, in the words of the eminent geometer Mikhail Gromov, “the
most remarkable mathematician of the second half of the century”.
2. In 1958, Fortune singled Nash out for his achievements in game theory,
Achievements
algebraic geometry, and nonlinear theory, calling him the most brilliant of the
younger generation of new ambidextrous mathematicians who worked in both pure
and applied mathematics.
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1.·B　　2.·A　　3.·D　　4.·D　　5.·C　　6.·B　　7.·C　　8.·A　　9.·D　　10.·C
B.
1.·disregard· · 2.·on·the·lookout·for· · 3.·obsessed·with· · 4.·get·along
43
5.·superior·to· · 6.·thumbing·nose·at· · 7.·burst·onto· · 8.·obscure·

9.·More·often·than·not· · 10.·singling·out
Ⅲ. Cloze
1. stricken 2. distinguishes 3. resulted in 4. Cases 5. necessarily
6. unlike 7. fortunate 8. as to 9. collection 10. chronic
Ⅳ. Translation
1. 小约翰 · 福布斯 · 纳什——数学天才、理性行为理论的缔造者、预见思想机器出现
的预言家——已经和来访者，也是一位数学家，共坐了将近半个小时。
2. 他一直目光呆滞地盯着哈佛教授乔治 · 麦基左脚前方不远的地方，除了一次次重复
着将垂在前额的略长的黑发拨开的动作，他几乎一动不动。
3. 在未来十年，在那既以对人类理性抱有无上信念而著称，又以对人类生存怀有无尽
忧虑而闻名的十年，纳什，用知名几何学家米克哈尔 · 格罗莫夫的话说，证明了自己是“20
世纪后半叶最杰出的数学家”。
4. 数学家保罗 · 哈莫斯写道，天才“分为两种：一种就像我们大家一样，只是更为·
出色；另一种则是那些明显具备超凡人类灵感的人。我们都能跑步，有些人还能在四分钟
内跑完一英里；但是我们大多数人所做的一切无论如何也无法与创作出Ｇ小调赋格曲相提
并论”。纳什的天分就属于那种常与音乐和艺术而非与最古老的科学紧密相连的神奇异禀。
5. 他具有一种难以抑制的理性，希望将生活中的决定——是搭乘第一部电梯还是等待
下一部，到哪里存钱，接受什么样的工作，是否结婚——都转化为利弊得失的计算，转化
为完全脱离感情、习俗和传统的算法法则或数学规则。
6. 他一贯冷漠，但一时兴起也会喋喋不休地谈论外太空和地缘政治趋势，或做出孩子
·
般的恶作剧，或者毫无征兆地勃然大怒。这些情感的迸发总是和他的沉默一样神秘莫测。
“他和我们不一样”是人们常说的一句话。
7. 纳什对于人类竞争动态变化的洞察——他的理性竞争与合作理论——将会成为 20
世纪最具影响的思想理论之一。这一理论改变着新兴的经济学，其作用无异于孟德尔的基
因遗传、达尔文的自然选择模式和牛顿的天体力学再造了当时的生物学和物理学。·

1. What was Nash’s view on extraterrestrials?
He believed that extraterrestrials were sending him messages and that he was being
recruited by aliens from outer space to save the world. According to Nash, the ideas he had about
supernatural beings came to him the same way that his mathematical ideas did. So he took them
seriously.
2. How are geniuses defined according to the text? What category does Nash belong to?
Geniuses, the mathematician Paul Halmos wrote, “are of two kinds: the ones who are just
44
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A Beautiful Mind
like all of us, but very much more so, and the ones who, apparently, have an extra human spark.
We can all run, and some of us can run the mile in less than 4 minutes; but there is nothing that
most of us can do that compares with the creation of the Great G-minor Fugue”. Nash’s genius
was of that mysterious variety more often associated with music and art than with the oldest of
all sciences: It wasn’t merely that his mind worked faster, that his memory was more retentive, or
that his power of concentration was greater. The flashes of intuition were non-rational：he saw
the vision first; constructing the laborious proofs long afterward.
3. What are the paradoxes you find in Nash, based on the text?
(1) Nash was a mathematician, a man devoted to reasoning and logical proof, but he
believed in extraterrestrials.
(2) Nash was compulsively rational, he wished to turn life’s decisions—whether to take
the first elevator or wait for the next one, where to bank his money, what job to accept, whether
to marry—into calculations of advantage and disadvantage, algorithms or mathematical rules
divorced from emotion, convention, and tradition, but his intuition was non-rational. Nash saw
the vision first; constructing the laborious proofs long afterward.
(3) Nash was known for his remoteness and silence, but there were occasions such as
garrulousness about outer space and geopolitical trends, childish pranks, and unpredictable
eruptions of anger. But these outbursts were, more often than not, as enigmatic as his silences.
(4) Nash as a person was difficult to understand, but his ideas were quite popular.
4. Sum up Nash’s achievements and his contribution to the world.
Achievements:· Nash proved himself, in the words of the eminent geometer Mikhail
Gromov, “the most remarkable mathematician of the second half of the century”. In 1958,
Fortune singled Nash out for his achievements in game theory, algebraic geometry, and
nonlinear theory, calling him the most brilliant of the younger generation of new ambidextrous
mathematicians who worked in both pure and applied mathematics.
Contribution: His ideas were of the deep and wholly unanticipated kind that pushes
scientific thinking in new directions. And he did contribute, in a big way. Nash’s insight
into the dynamics of human rivalry—his theory of rational conflict and cooperation—was
to become one of the most influential ideas of the twentieth century, transforming the young
science of economics the way that Mendel’s ideas of genetic transmission, Darwin’s model
of natural selection, and Newton’s celestial mechanics reshaped biology and physics in their
day.
5.·What do you think of John Nash?
Open.
6.·What do you know about Nash’s game theory?
Open.
45

1. Sylvia Nasar: Nasar discovered the remarkable story of Nobel Laureate John Nash as
an economics reporter for The New York Times. A veteran business journalist who had been on
the staffs of Fortune and U.S. News & World Report, she was fascinated by Nash’s intellectual
achievements and triumph over schizophrenia. Her article, “The Lost Years of the Nobel
Laureate”, depicted his life as a three-act drama on the mysteries of the mind: genius, madness,
reawakening.
Nasar’s biography won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a Pulitzer finalist
in 1998. One year later, producer Brian Grazer and director Ron Howard optioned the book,
and in 2002 A Beautiful Mind once again attracted national attention, this time as a box-office
blockbuster starring Oscar-winner Russell Crowe. The movie inspired by Sylvia Nasar’s award-
winning #1 New York Times bestseller, A Beautiful Mind, has captivated audiences around the
world. It won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actress and Screenplay.
It also won 4 Golden Globes and 4 Critic’s Choice Awards, making it one of the most critically-
acclaimed movies of the year.
Nasar’s book is a beautifully crafted exploration of the life and mind of John Nash, an
intellectual giant in the generation that drove science and mathematics to the forefront of
American consciousness. In a 27-page Ph.D. thesis for which he eventually won a Nobel in
economics, the eccentric 21-year-old invented a theory that has transformed modern economics
and been applied to everything from military strategy and evolutionary theory to international
trade negotiations and anti-trust cases.
Nasar vividly describes the effects of schizophrenia on Nash’s mind and behavior. She also
tells the story of his devoted wife, Alicia, and a small band of loyal mathematicians who valued
his genius, providing him with a safe haven. The story culminates in Nash’s miraculous remission
after three decades of illness, poverty and isolation, and his belated recognition in 1994 when he
was awarded the Nobel Prize.
Nasar is the first holder of the Knight Chair in business journalism at the Columbia
University Graduate School of Journalism. She has been a visiting scholar at Princeton
University, Cambridge University and the Institute for Advanced Study. She is currently working
on a book on 20th century economic thinkers.
2. John Nash:·For many years, students and scholars in Princeton have seen a ghostly,
silent figure shuffling around the corridors of the math and physics building wearing purple
sneakers and occasionally writing numerology treatises on the blackboards. They called him the
“Phantom of Fine Hall”. The Phantom was John Nash, one of the most brilliant mathematicians
of his generation, who had spiraled into schizophrenia in the 1950s.
Nash was a mathematical genius whose 27-page dissertation, “Non-Cooperative Games”,
46
Lеsson 6
A Beautiful Mind
written in 1950 when he was 21, would be honored with the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994.
His most important work had been in game theory, which by the 1980s was underpinning
a large part of economics. When the Nobel Prize committee began debating a prize for game
theory, Nash’s name inevitably came up—only to be dismissed, since the prize clearly could not
go to a madman. But in 1994 Nash, in remission from schizophrenia, shared the Nobel Prize in
economics for work done some 45 years previously.
When the 21-year-old John Nash wrote his 27-page dissertation outlining his “Nash
Equilibrium” for strategic non-cooperative games, the impact was enormous. On the formal
side, his existence proof was one of the first applications of Kakutani’s fixed-point theorem
later employed with so much gusto by Neo-Walrasians everywhere; on the conceptual side, he
spawned much of the literature on non-cooperative game theory which has since grown at a
prodigious rate—threatening, some claim, to overwhelm much of economics itself.
When the young Nash had applied to graduate school at Princeton in 1948, his old Carnegie
Tech professor, R.J. Duffin, wrote only one line on his letter of recommendation: “This man is a
genius.”
It was at Princeton that Nash encountered the theory of games, then recently launched by
John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern. However, they had only managed to solve non-
cooperative games in the case of “pure rivalries” (i.e. zero-sum). The young Nash turned to
rivalries with mutual gain.
His trick was the use of best-response functions and a recent theorem that had just
emerged—Kakutani’s fixed point-theorem. His main result, the “Nash Equilibrium”, was
published in 1950 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. He followed this up
with a paper which introduced yet another solution concept—this time for two-person cooperative
games—the “Nash Bargaining Solution” (NBS) in 1950.
A 1951 paper attached his name to yet another side of economics—this time, the “Nash
Programme”, reflecting his methodological call for the reduction of all cooperative games into a
non-cooperative framework.
His contributions to mathematics were no less remarkable. As an undergraduate, he had
inadvertently (and independently) proved Brouwer’s fixed point theorem. Later on, he went on
to break one of Riemann’s most perplexing mathematical conundrums. (This was the problem
to prove the isometric embeddability of abstract Riemannian manifolds in flat—or “Euclidean”
spaces.) From then on, Nash provided breakthrough after breakthrough in mathematics.
In 1958, on the threshold of his career, Nash got struck by paranoid schizophrenia. He lost
his job at M.I.T. in 1959 (he had been tenured there in 1958—at the age of 29) and was virtually
incapicated by the disease for the next two decades or so. He roamed about Europe and America,
finally, returning to Princeton where he became a sad, ghostly character on the campus—“the
Phantom of Fine Hall”.
47
The disease began to evaporate in the early 1970s and Nash began to gradually return to
his work in mathematics. However, Nash himself associated his madness with his living on an
“ultralogical” plane, “breathing air too rare” for most mortals, and if being “cured” meant he
could no longer do any original work at that level, then, Nash argued, a remission might not be
worthwhile in the end.
Nash shared the Nobel prize in 1994 with John C. Harsanyi and Reinhard Selten—for what
he claims was his “most trivial work”. The press release of the Nobel Foundation describes his
work as follows: “Games as the Foundation for Understanding Complex Economic Issues”.
3. game theory: Game theory is a branch of mathematics, which uses models to study
interactions with formalized incentive structures (“games”). It can be applied to a variety of
fields, including economics, evolutionary biology and political science. The predicted and actual
behavior of individuals in games are studied, as well as optimal strategies. Seemingly different
types of interactions can be characterized as having similar incentive structures, thus all being
examples of one particular game.
Game theory emanates from studies of games such as chess or poker. Everyone knows that
in these games, players have to think ahead—devise a strategy based on expected countermoves
from the other player(s). Such strategic interaction also characterizes many economic situations,
and game theory has therefore proved to be very useful in economic analysis.
The foundations for using game theory in economics were introduced in a monumental study
by John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern entitled Theory of Games and Economic Behavior
(1944). A game consists of a set of rules governing a competitive situation in which from two to
n individuals or groups of individuals choose strategies designed to maximize their own winnings
or to minimize their opponent’s winnings; the rules specify the possible actions for each player,
the amount of information received by each as play progresses, and the amounts won or lost in
various situations. Von Neumann and Morgenstern restricted their attention to zero-sum games,
that is, to games in which no player can gain except at another’s expense.
This restriction was overcome by the work of John F. Nash during the early 1950s. Nash
mathematically clarified the distinction between cooperative and noncooperative games. In non-
cooperative games, unlike cooperative ones, no outside authority assures that players stick to
the same predetermined rules, and binding agreements are not feasible. Further, he recognized
that in non-cooperative games there exist sets of optimal strategies (so-called Nash Equilibria)
used by the players in a game such that no player can benefit by unilaterally changing his or her
strategy if the strategies of the other players remain unchanged. Because non-cooperative games
are common in the real world, the discovery revolutionized game theory. Nash also recognized
that such an equilibrium solution would also be optimal in cooperative games. He suggested
approaching the study of cooperative games via their reduction to noncooperative form and
proposed a methodology, called the Nash Programme, for doing so. Nash also introduced the
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Lеsson 6
A Beautiful Mind
concept of bargaining, in which two or more players collude to produce a situation where failure
to collude would make each of them worse off.
The theory of games applies statistical logic to the choice of strategies. It is applicable to
many fields, including military problems and economics; the 1994 Nobel Memorial Prize in
Economic Sciences was awarded to Nash, John Harsanyi, and Reinhard Selten for their work in
applying game theory to economics.
4. extraterrestrials:·The Extraterrestrial and UFO phenomenon may not be a product of
the twentieth century, after all. Some noted and respected researchers believe they may have
discovered many possible references of historical extraterrestrial interaction with humankind
dating back to prehistory. Images and descriptions of beings and their flying machines have been
uncovered in archeological artifacts, religious writings, myths, and legends from all over the
world.
As an example, located in what is now the desert region of Iran, there exists a series of
caves. On the walls inside of some, Archaeologists have discovered prehistoric paintings that
depict “circles of fire” in the sky. Centuries later, and not far from those same caves, the city of
Sumer arose. Considered by many archaeologists to be the first human civilization, Sumer, has
yielded a treasure trove of artifacts known as petroglyphs. Deciphered, these huge stone carvings
described “gods” who came from another planet in flying machines. The purpose for their visits
was to exploit Earth’s natural resources and interbreed with human females. Over in the land of
Egypt, hieroglyphs referred to gods who came from the sky in “flying boats” and flying disks that
“shined of many colors”.
Critics have charged that the true meaning of the various symbols found at Sumer and in
Egypt cannot be determined with any measure of certainty. Further, they contend that to read
extraterrestrials into these carvings is absurd. It should be pointed out, however, that at least
one scholar, Zecharia Sitchin, believes he has established an alien connection with our past. His
conclusion was reached after over twenty-five years of studying and deciphering many of the
Sumerian petroglyphs.
In addition to archeological references, suggestions of Extraterrestrials and UFOs have been
found in various religious writings around the world. In the Old Testament, for instance, Jacob
witnessed a flying object, which he referred to as a “sky ladder”. Ezekiel saw four flying objects
resembling “a wheel within a wheel”. He compared their color to that of “beryl”, a precious
mineral with a glassy appearance. Elijah was spirited into the heavens by a “chariot of fire”, that
created a whirlwind in its wake. The scriptures also describe giant airmen who came to Earth in
order to carry out God’s messages and commands.
The Reg-Veda, considered to be the holiest of Hindu texts, speaks of a god who rode in a
fast flying “car”. His “car” had a gleaming, flashing quality, and produced a roaring sound that
shook the Earth as it flew through the sky.
49
Ancient myths and legends also speak of visitors who came from the stars. Persian myths
tell of “giants and demons” that corrupted the earth, and “allied themselves with women”. Pre-
Incan Tribes record visits by giant men who sported beards and came from the constellation
Taurus. Aztec and Toltec legends referred to a god by the name of Quetzacoatl, also known as the
“sky god”. He was said to be fair complexioned and bearded, unlike the dark-skinned tribesmen.
The legends of the Sioux and Crow tribes of North America tell of their blood relationship to a
group of Extraterrestrials, referred to as the “Star Nations”, who visited Earth from the Pleiades
star cluster, long ago.
But this absence of extraterrestrial visitors becomes particularly striking when one examines
the geological record. If space aliens had built starships and set out to colonize the Galaxy, they
might have reached Earth at any time during the past four billion or so years of our planet’s
existence. Geologists know of layers in rock formations where dinosaur bones are found. Similarly,
the aliens might have left a layer that was rich with their own artifacts, including cities, highways,
airports, and commercial centers.
Formally established in 1984, the SETI Institute, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence,
represents an ongoing activity that seeks to detect radio signals from beyond. Aliens might use
a powerful laser for communication, but its light would be lost in the glare of their sun. Radio
is better; stars emit little radio power, enabling an artificial transmission to stand out sharply.
The SETI program uses the world’s largest radio telescope, a thousand feet across, and relies
on computers to process the radio noise of distant celestial sources in hope of finding intelligent
signals. However, no such signals have been seen.
5. Srinivasa Aiyangar Ramanujan:·(December 22, 1887—April 26, 1920) a groundbreaking
Indian mathematician. He was largely self-taught in mathematics and never attended university.
Ramanujan mainly worked in analytical number theory and is famous for many summation
formulas involving constants such as π, prime numbers and partition function. Often, his formulas
were stated without proof and were only later proven.
Born in Erode, Tamil Nadu, India, by the age of twelve Ramanujan had mastered
trigonometry so completely that he was inventing sophisticated theorems that astonished his
teachers. In 1898 he entered the Town High School in Kumbakonam. He published several papers
in Indian mathematical journals and later got the interests of leading European mathematicians in
his work. A 1913 letter to G. H. Hardy contained a long list of theorems without proof. After some
initial scepticism, Hardy replied and invited Ramanujan to England. As an orthodox Brahmin,
Ramanujan consulted the astrological data for his journey, because his mother was horrified that
he would lose his caste by traveling to foreign shores.
A fruitful collaboration, which Hardy described as “the one romantic incident in my life”,
soon developed. Hardy said of some of Ramanujan’s formulas, which he could not understand,
that “a single look at them is enough to show that they could only be written down by a
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A Beautiful Mind
mathematician of the highest class. They must be true, for if they were not true, no one would
have had the imagination to invent them.”
He published papers in English and European journals, and in 1918 he became the first
Indian elected to the Royal Society of London.
Plagued by health problems all his life, Ramanujan’s condition worsened in England,
perhaps due to the scarcity of vegetarian food during the First World War. He returned to India
in 1919 and died of tuberculosis at age 32 in Kumbakonam, generally unknown but recognized
by mathematicians as a phenomenal genius. His wife S. Janaki Ammal lived outside Chennai
(formerly Madras) until her death in 1994.
6. Albert Einstein: Born: March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany; Died: April
18, 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey, USA.
Einstein was a physicist and mathematician who proposed the theory of relativity. He also
made major contributions to the development of quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics and
cosmology, and is generally regarded as the most important physicist of the 20th century. He was
awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize for Physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect and “for
his services to Theoretical Physics”; however, the announcement of the award was not made until
a year later, in 1922.
In popular culture, Einstein has become synonymous with someone of very high
intelligence. His face is also one of the most recognizable the world-over. In his honor, a unit
used in photochemistry was named after him. An einstein is equal to Avogadro’s number times
the energy of one photon of light. The chemical element Einsteinium is named after the scientist
as well.
Einstein earned a doctorate from the University of Zurich in 1905 for a thesis On a new
determination of molecular dimensions. In the first of three papers, all written in 1905, Einstein
examined the phenomenon discovered by Max Planck, according to which electromagnetic
energy seemed to be emitted from radiating objects in discrete quantities. Einstein’s second 1905
paper proposed what is today called the special theory of relativity. The third of Einstein’s papers
of 1905 concerned statistical mechanics.
By 1909 Einstein was recognized as a leading scientific thinker. Einstein published, late in
1915, the definitive version of general relativity theory.
During 1921 Einstein made his first visit to the United States. His main reason was to raise
funds for the planned Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Einstein received the Nobel Prize in
1921 but not for relativity rather for his 1905 work on the photoelectric effect. In fact he was not
present in December 1922 to receive the prize being on a voyage to Japan.
In 1940 Einstein became a citizen of the United States, but chose to retain his Swiss
citizenship. He made many contributions to peace during his life. In 1944 he made a contribution
to the war effort by hand writing his 1905 paper on special relativity and putting it up for auction.
51
It raised six million dollars, the manuscript today being in the Library of Congress.
One more major event was to take place in his life. After the death of the first president of
Israel in 1952, the Israeli government decided to offer the post of second president to Einstein. He
refused but found the offer an embarrassment since it was hard for him to refuse without causing
offence.
One week before his death Einstein signed his last letter. It was a letter to Bertrand Russell
in which he agreed that his name should go on a manifesto urging all nations to give up nuclear
weapons. Einstein was cremated at Trenton, New Jersey at 4 p.m. on April 18, 1955 (the day of
his death).··
7.· Sir Isaac Newton: (December 25,1642—March 20,1727) an English alchemist,
mathematician, scientist and philosopher, who published the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia
Mathematica (1687), where he described universal gravitation and, via his laws of motion, laid
the groundwork for classical mechanics. Newton also shares credit with Gottfried Wilhelm
Leibniz for the development of differential calculus.
He built the first reflecting telescope in 1668 and became a professor of mathematics
at Cambridge in 1669. He worked out the fundamentals of calculus, though this work went
unpublished for more than 30 years. His most famous publication, Principia Mathematica (1687),
grew out of correspondence with Edmond Halley. Describing his works on the laws of motion,
orbital dynamics, tidal theory, and the theory of universal gravitation, it is regarded as the seminal
work of modern science. During his career he engaged in heated arguments with several of his
colleagues, including Robert Hooke (over authorship of the inverse square relation of gravitation)
and G.W. Leibniz (over the authorship of calculus). The battle with Leibniz dominated the last 25
years of his life; it is now well established that Newton developed calculus first, but that Leibniz
was the first to publish on the subject.
Tradition has it that Newton was sitting under an apple tree when an apple fell on his head,
and this made him understand that earthly and celestial gravitation are the same. This is an
exaggeration of Newton’s own tale about sitting by the window of his home (Woolsthorpe Manor)
and watching an apple fall from a tree. However it is now generally considered that even this
story was invented by him in his later life, to try to show how clever he was at drawing inspiration
from everyday events. A contemporary writer, William Stukeley, recorded in his Memoirs of
Sir Isaac Newton’s Life a conversation with Newton in Kensington on April 15,1726, in which
Newton recalled “when formerly, the notion of gravitation came into his mind. It was occasioned
by the fall of an apple, as he sat in contemplative mood. Why should that apple always descend
perpendicularly to the ground, thought he to himself. Why should it not go sideways or upwards,
but constantly to the earth’s centre.”
Newton’s commitment to science (or something) is best demonstrated in one particular
optical experiment. Having the idea colour is infused by pressure on the eye, he jambed a darning
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Lеsson 6
A Beautiful Mind
needle around the side of his eye until he could poke at its backside, dispassionately noting “white,
dark and coloured circles” so long as he kept stirring with the bodkin.
In 1703 Newton became President of the Royal Society and an associate of the French
Académie des Sciences. He became the first scientist ever to be knighted in 1705. Newton was
also a member of Parliament from 1689 to 1690 and in 1701, but his only recorded comments
were to complain about a cold draft in the chamber and request that the window be closed.
Newton never married, nor had any recorded children. He died in London and was buried
in Westminster Abbey. He once said, in a letter to Hooke dated February 5, 1676, “If I have seen
further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” Alexander Pope wrote a famous poem about
Sir Isaac Newton: “Nature and nature’s laws lay hid in night; God said Let Newton be! and all
was light.”
8. Nietzsche’s Influence Upon 20th Century Thought:· Friedrich Nietzsche was a
German philosopher of the late 19th century who challenged the foundations of traditional
morality and Christianity. Nietzsche had many theories throughout his lifetime ranging from
Eternal Recurrence to “God is Dead”. Eternal Recurrence is when Nietzsche thought we should
act as if the life we live will go on recurring forever. It was Nietzsche’s formula for the greatness
of a human being. The will to power is a concept of Nietzsche’s philosophy. The two main
sources of this are Schopenhauer and the ancient Greeks. Nietzsche concluded that humanity was
driven by the will to power. All human behavior is based on or motivated by the will to power.
The concept of “God is Dead” is when Nietzsche thought that religion had lost its meaning
and power over people. Religion could no longer serve as the foundation for moral values. He
regarded Christian civilization as decadent, and in place of its “slave morality” he looked to the
superman, the creator of a new heroic morality that would consciously affirm life and the life
values. That superman would represent the highest passion and creativity and would live at a
level of experience beyond the conventional standards of good and evil.
Often referred to as one of the first “existentialist” philosophers, Nietzsche has inspired
leading figures in all walks of cultural life, including dancers, poets, novelists, painters,
psychologists, philosophers, sociologists and social revolutionaries.
Nietzsche’s thought extended a deep influence during the 20th century, especially in
Continental Europe. In English-speaking countries, his positive reception has been less resonant.
During the last decade of Nietzsche’s life and the first decade of the 20th century, his thought was
particularly attractive to avant-garde artists who saw themselves on the periphery of established
social fashion and practice. Here, Nietzsche’s advocacy of new, healthy beginnings, and of creative
artistry in general stood forth. His tendency to seek explanations for commonly-accepted values
and outlooks in the less-elevated realms of sheer animal instinct was also crucial to Sigmund
Freud’s development of psychoanalysis. Later, during the 1930s, aspects of Nietzsche’s thought
were espoused by the Nazis and Italian Fascists, partly due to the encouragement of Elisabeth
53
Förster-Nietzsche through her solicitations with Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. It was possible
for the Nazi interpreters to assemble, quite selectively, various passages from Nietzsche’s writings
whose juxtaposition appeared to justify war, aggression and domination for the sake of nationalistic
and racial self-glorification. Until the 1960s in France, Nietzsche appealed mainly to writers and
artists, since the academic philosophical climate was dominated by G.W.F. Hegel’s, Edmund
Husserl’s and Martin Heidegger’s thought, along with the structuralist movement of the 1950s.
Nietzsche became especially influential in French philosophical circles during the 1960s—1980s,
when his “God is dead” declaration, his perspectivism, and his emphasis upon power as the real
motivator and explanation for people’s actions revealed new ways to challenge established authority
and launch effective social critique.
That Nietzsche was able to write so prolifically and profoundly for years, while remaining in
a condition of ill-health and often intense physical pain, is a testament to his spectacular mental
capacities and willpower. Lesser people under the same physical pressures might not have had the
inclination to pick up a pen, let alone think and record thoughts which—created in the midst of
striving for healthy self-overcoming—would have the power to influence an entire century.
9. Fortune:·The magazine Fortune was founded by TIME Magazine co-founder Henry
Luce in 1930 at the outset of the Great Depression. It was considered America’s first business
journal. Fortune is now part of the media conglomerate Time Warner.
Fortune publishes two influential lists of companies: Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 as well
as an annual list of the wealthiest individuals and families in the world.
The first issue of Fortune magazine hit the stands in February of 1930, four months after
the dramatic crash of 1929. That kind of timing may seem the result of an ironic, if not an
unfortunate, business decision, but the release date of America’s first real business journal was
actually quite a savvy maneuver. It reflected the good intuition the magazine’s founder, Henry
R. Luce, would continue to demonstrate in the coming decade. At a time when other dealmakers
were cowering, Luce built Fortune magazine into one cornerstone of a media empire.
The crash only piqued Wall Street’s desire for a smart and stylish journal of entrepreneurial
culture. Briton Hadden, Luce’s partner and the man who had founded TIME with him in 1923,
thought that a magazine devoted to business would be boring and unmarketable. But Henry
persisted, and Fortune’s 184 bright, lavish pages debuted with 30, 000 subscribers. Luce believed
that most businessmen were stodgy, uncultured, and lacking a social conscience. The spate of
trade periodicals available at the time attested to this. They were no more than facts and statistics
printed in black and white, and the Wall Street Journal was hardly the comprehensive paper it is
today. So Luce didn’t hire MBAs or experienced economists to write his copy; he recruited young
literary talent instead. Archibald MacLeish, John Kenneth Galbraith, and Alfred Kazin filled the
pages of Fortune with flowing human interest articles that were brash, irreverent, and critical.
Fortune’s advertisements were colorful and lush, and the photography of Margaret Bourke-White
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Lеsson 6
A Beautiful Mind
provided stunning looks inside the factories and farms that fed the American economic machine.
Fortune style was an upscale and intelligent upgrade of the older and more middle-class TIME.
The result was a product that matched Luce’s vision of business itself, an activity he called “the
distinctive expression of the American genius”.
Fortune seemed to have a magical ability to be seen as both a challenge to business and
a boon, to keep its integrity while throwing its hat into the political ring. This balance yielded
consistent and respectable profits, and in 1937 the magazine netted close to half a million dollars
with a circulation of 460, 000. By decade’s end Fortune had become required reading on Wall
Street.
10. Mendel:·(1822—1884) Austrian monk noted for his experimental work on heredity.
He entered the Augustinian monastery in Brno in 1843, taught at a local secondary school,
and carried out independent scientific investigations on garden peas and other plants until
his election as prelate in 1868. Failing eyesight and his duties as prelate somewhat curtailed
his researches; although he anticipated Oscar Hertwig’s discovery that fertilization of an egg
involved only one male sex cell, these findings went unpublished.
Mendel was the first to fashion, by means of a controlled pollination technique and
careful statistical analysis of his results, a clear, analytic picture of heredity. His account of
the experiments and his conclusions, published in 1866, were ignored during his lifetime.
Rediscovered by three separate investigators (Correns, De Vries, and Tschermak) in 1900,
Mendel’s conclusions have become the basic tenets of genetics and a notable influence in plant
and animal breeding.
Mendelism
Mendelism is the system of heredity formulated from Mendel’s conclusions. Briefly
summarized, as we understand it today by means of the science of genetics, the Mendelian system
states that an inherited characteristic is determined by the combination of a pair of hereditary
units, or genes, one from each of the parental reproductive cells, or gametes. In the body cells
each pair of genes determines a particular hereditary characteristic (e.g., in the pea plant, a pair
determining tallness or dwarfness).
11. Darwin: (1809—1882) English naturalist. He firmly established the theory of organic
evolution known as Darwinism. He studied medicine at Edinburgh and for the ministry at
Cambridge but lost interest in both professions during the training. His interest in natural history
led to his friendship with the botanist J. S. Henslow; through him came the opportunity to make
a five-year cruise (1831—1836) as official naturalist aboard the Beagle. This started Darwin on
a career of accumulating and assimilating data that resulted in the formulation of his concept of
evolution. Darwin’s work during the Beagle expedition allowed him to study both the geological
properties of continents and isles and a multitude of living organisms and fossils. He collected an
enormous number of specimens new to science in a very methodical way, and his specimens sent
55
back to the British Museum were by themselves a significant contribution to science, and made
him one of the precursors of ecology. No other collector has rivalled his work since.
The Origin of Species
Darwin’s work brought him a correspondence relationship with Alfred Russel Wallace,
working in the islands of the South Pacific. In June, 1858, Wallace sought Darwin’s ideas on
a theory Wallace had developed which exactly mirrored Darwin’s own work. Scientist friends
persuaded Darwin to go public with the theory, now independently confirmed. On July 1, 1858,
Darwin’s paper about The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was read to the
Linnean Society in London, jointly with Wallace’s paper. Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species
by Means of Natural Selection was published one year later, and was of sufficient interest to have
the publisher’s stocks completely sold to bookstores on the first day.
It provoked an outraged response from the Church. A large meeting was organized in Oxford
where “Soapy Sam” Wilberforce, the Bishop of Oxford, numerous Clergy and Robert Fitzroy
(the Captain of HMS Beagle) argued against Darwin, Thomas Huxley and their Evolutionist
supporters. On being asked by Wilberforce, whether he was descended from monkeys on his
grandfather’s side or his grandmother’s side, Huxley, recognizing the stupidity of the question,
apparently muttered to himself: “The lord has delivered him into my hands”, and then replied
that he “would rather be descended from an ape than from a cultivated man who used his gifts of
culture and eloquence in the service of prejudice and falsehood”.
The value of Darwin’s work was appreciated throughout the scientific community. He
became a member of the Royal Society of London in 1839 (on the basis of his collecting during
his voyages) and of the French Academy of Sciences (l’Académie des Sciences) in 1878.
Darwin died in Downe, Kent, England, on April 19, 1882, and was given a state funeral, and
interred in Westminster Abbey near Isaac Newton.
Darwin was given particular recognition in 2000 when his image appeared on the Bank of
England ten pound note, replacing Charles Dickens. His impressive and supposedly hard-to-forge
beard was reportedly a contributing factor in this choice.
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Lеsson 7
A Christmas Sermon on Peace
Unit Three
Reading Essays
Lesson 7　A Christmas Sermon on Peace

KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. D (Paragraph 1: This Christmas season finds us a rather bewildered human race. We
have neither peace within nor peace without. Everywhere paralyzing fears harrow people by day
and haunt them by night. Our world is sick with war; everywhere we turn we see its ominous
possibilities. And yet, my friends, the Christmas hope for peace and goodwill toward all men can
no longer be dismissed as a kind of pious dream of some utopian.)
2. C (Paragraph 1: Wisdom born of experience should tell us that war is obsolete... And so,
if we assume that life is worth living, if we assume that mankind has a right to survive, then we
must find an alternative to war...)
3. D (Paragraph 1: And so, if we assume that life is worth living, if we assume that mankind
has a right to survive, then we must find an alternative to war—and so let us this morning explore
the conditions for peace. Let us this morning think anew on the meaning of that Christmas hope:
“Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men.”)
4. B (Paragraph 2: We have experimented with the meaning of nonviolence in our struggle
for racial justice in the United States, but now the time has come for man to experiment with
nonviolence in all areas of human conflict, and that means nonviolence on an international scale.)
5.B (Paragraph 3: Now let me suggest first that if we are to have peace on earth, our
loyalties must become ecumenical rather than sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race,
our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this means we must develop a world perspective.)
6. A (Paragraph 4: Yes, as nations and individuals, we are interdependent. I have spoken to
57
you before of our visit to India some years ago. It was a marvelous experience; but I say to you
this morning that there were those depressing moments. )
7. A (Paragraph 5: It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught
in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects
one directly, affects all indirectly.)
8. C (Paragraph 6: Now let me say, secondly, that if we are to have peace in the world, men
and nations must embrace the nonviolent affirmation that ends and means must cohere.)
9. D (Paragraph 8: It’s one of the strangest things that all the great military geniuses of
the world have talked about peace. The conquerors of old who came killing in pursuit of peace,
Alexander, Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, and Napoleon, were akin in seeking a peaceful world
order.)
10. C (Paragraph 9: Now let me say that the next thing we must be concerned about if we are
to have peace on earth and goodwill toward men is the nonviolent affirmation of the sacredness
of all human life.)
B.
1.·The·theme·of·the·article·is·that·the·time·has·come·for·peace—now the time has come for
man to experiment with nonviolence in all areas of human conflict, and that means nonviolence
on an international scale.
2.·The·conditions·for·achieving·peace:
(1)·If·we·are·to·have·peace·on·earth,·our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than
sectional. Our loyalties must transcend our race, our tribe, our class, and our nation; and this
means we must develop a world perspective.
(2)·If·we·are·to·have·peace·in·the·world,·men and nations must embrace the nonviolent
affirmation that ends and means must cohere. And we must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful
means.
(3)What·we·must·be·concerned·about·if·we·are·to·have·peace·on·earth·and·goodwill·toward·
men·is·the nonviolent affirmation of the sacredness of all human life.
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1.·D　　2.·D　　3.·D　　4.·B　　5.·C　　6.·A　　7.·B　　8.·B　　9.·A　　10.·D
B.
1.·is·born·of· · 2.·go·all·out· · 3.·justified· · 4.·believe·in· · 5.·to·transcend
6.·be·boiled·down·to· · 7.·in·the·final·analysis· · 8.·were·trampled· · 9.·contended
10.·in·pursuit·of·
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Lеsson 7
Ⅲ. Cloze
1.·yearning· · 2.·expressed· · 3.·intimate· · 4.·get·along·with· · 5.·understanding
6.·in·return· · 7.·operating· · 8.·appeal· · 9.·emotion· · 10.·trample
Ⅳ. Translation
1. 今年圣诞时节，人们困惑惶恐，内心无法宁静，外部没有和平。无论身置何处，恐
无论何处都危机四伏。各位教友 ,·即便如此 ,·
慌昼夜萦绕于胸。我们这个世界已厌倦了战争，
我们不能把祈求和平、善待众人的基督圣训视作不切实际的虔诚美梦。
2. 如果不能友善待人 ,·我们所有和所能必将由于使用不当而使我们走向自我毁灭。历
史的经验告诉我们 ,· 战争早已过时。曾几何时 ,· 战争或有以毒攻毒之效 ,· 可以遏制邪恶势
力的蔓延与发展 ,·然而正是现代战争利器的巨大破坏力 ,·使它再不能被视作打击邪恶的正
义之举。
3. 现在，我首先要说的是，要想世界和平，我们就必须忠于芸芸，而不是忠于一隅。
我们的忠心必须超越我们的种族和部落，超越我们的阶层和国家；这就意味着我们必须放
眼世界。
4. 其次，我呼吁，要实现世界和平，所有人、所有国家必须坚守非暴力信念，坚信目的、
手段必须互渗互连。手段与目的的关系一直是历史上颇有争议的重大哲学问题之一。总有
人认为只要目的正确，可以不择手段 ,·重要的是要达到目的。
5. 再则 , 我要说，若想世界和平、世人和睦，必须以非暴力申明所有人的生命都是神
圣的。每个人都很重要，因为他们都是上帝之子，因此，我们说“勿杀生”，是指人的生
命是神圣的，不应在战场上被轻易夺走。人的生命远非旋转电子构成的奇妙之物 ,·也不是
无尽燃烧的焖火中升起的一缕轻烟。

1. According to King, why is peace on earth a more urgent question in our time than in
the past? How is the idea of nonviolence related to this urgency?
Because people find themselves rather bewildered in this Christmas season. They feel no
peace and tranquility but haunting fears in their inner heart. War is likely to break out at any
moment. Some people may even dismiss the Christmas hope for peace and goodwill toward
all men as a kind of pious dream of some utopian. Therefore, peace on earth becomes a more
urgent question in our time than in the past. Some may argue that war served as a negative good
by preventing the spread and growth of an evil force, but the very destructive power of modern
weapons of warfare eliminates even the possibility that war may any longer serve as a negative
good. Thus, war and violence should give way to nonviolent means for peace on earth.
2.·What are the three conditions King suggests as essential to peace among men? How
does he explain and illustrate each condition?
59
If we are to have peace on earth, first, our loyalties must become ecumenical rather than
sectional; secondly, men and nations must embrace the nonviolent affirmation that means and
ends must cohere; and the next thing we must concern about is the nonviolent affirmation of the
sacredness of all human life. The author illustrates these conditions through persuasive arguments
and vivid examples.
3.·Why does the author suggest that modern man really go all out to study the meaning
of nonviolence, its philosophy and its strategy?
The author believes war is obsolete and can no longer serve even as a negative good that
can prevent the spread and growth of an evil force. An alternative to war must be found—
the Christian hope of peace on earth and goodwill towards all men. According to the author,
nonviolence is the right way to realize this Christian hope.
4.·Do you agree with the author that as nations and individuals, we are interdependent?
Open.
5.·The American government believes that the wars they have launched in Afghanistan
and Iraq are justified in that they can prevent the spread and growth of an evil force. Do
you agree? How do you think we can achieve peace among men?
Open.
6.·Do you really believe that love and loyalties can transcend our race, our tribe, our
class, and our nation? Do you believe that one day in the future people from different
nations and nationalities can live together peacefully as brothers in a big family?
Open.
King, Martin Luther, Jr.: orig. Michael Luther King, Jr. (1929—1968), U.S. civil rights
leader. Born in Atlanta, he became an adherent of nonviolence philosophies while in college.
Ordained a Baptist minister in 1954, he became pastor of a church in Montgomery, Atlanta. He
received his doctorate from Boston University in 1955. He was selected to head the Montgomery
Improvement Association, whose efforts soon ended the city’s public transport segregation
policies. In 1957, he formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and began lecturing
nationwide, urging active nonviolence to achieve civil rights for blacks. In 1960, he returned
to Atlanta to become copastor with his father of Ebenezer Baptist Church. He was arrested
for protesting segregation at a church counter and jailed; the case drew national attention, and
presidential candidate J. F. Kennedy interceded to obtain his release. In 1963, King helped
organize the March on Washington, an assembly of more than 200,000 protestors at which he
made his famous “I have a dream” speech. The march influenced the passage of the 1964 Civil
Rights Act, and King was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize. In 1965, he was criticized from
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within the civil-rights movement for yielding to state troopers at a march in Selma, Atlanta,
and failing in the effort to change Chicago’s housing segregation policies. He broadened his
advocacy to address the plight of the poor of all races and oppose the Vietnam War. In 1968 he
went to Memphis, Tennessee to support a strike by sanitation workers; there on April 4, he was
assassinated by J. E. Ray.

1. Bombay: capital city of Maharashtra state, West India. Located partly on Bombay Island,
it is flanked by Bombay Harbor and the Arabian Sea. It is India’s principle port on that sea and
one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world. The town was acquired by the
Portuguese in 1534. It was ceded to the English as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza,
who married Charles Ⅱ in 1661. Granted to the British East India Company in 1668, it became
the company’s headquarters in 1672, and in 1708 it was made the center of British authority in
India. After the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Bombay grew to be the largest distributing
center in India. It remains India’s economic hub and chief financial and commercial center, its
cultural and education center, and headquarters of its film industry.
2. Calcutta city: Northeast India. Capital of West Bengal state, former capital (1772—
1912) of British India, and India’s second largest metropolitan area, it is located on the Hooghly
River, about 90 miles from the river’s mouth. Established as an English trading center in 1690, it
became the seat of the Bengal presidency in 1707. It was captured by the nawab of Bengal, who
in 1756 imprisoned the English there (in a prison later known as the Black Hole); the city was
retaken by the British under R. Clive. It was an extremely busy 19th century commercial center,
then began a decline with the removal of the capital to Delhi in 1912. The decline was furthered
by the province’s partition between India and Pakistan in 1947, and the creation of Bangladesh in
1971. The flood of refugees from these political upheavals significantly added to the widespread
poverty, which Mother Teresa, among others, tried to combat. Despite its problems, Calcutta is a
dominant urban area of East India and a major educational and cultural center.
3. Alexander the Great: also Alexander Ⅲ (365—323BC), greatest military leader of antiquity.
The son of Phillip Ⅱ of Macedonia, he was taught by Aristotle. He soon showed military brilliance,
helping win the battle of Chaeronea at 18. He succeeded his assassinated father in 336 and
promptly took Tressaly and Thrace; he brutally razed Thebes except for its temples and the house
of Pindar. Such destruction was to be his standard method, and other Greek states submitted
meekly. In 334 he crossed to Persia and defeated a Persian army at the Granicus River. He is
said to have cut the Gordian knot in Phrygia (333), by which act, according to legend, he was
destined to rule all Asia. At the Battle of Issus in 333, he defeated another army, this one led by
Persian king Darius Ⅲ , who managed to escape. He then took Syria and Phoenicia, cutting off
61
the Persian fleet from its ports. In 332 he completed a seven-month siege of Tyre, considered
his greatest military achievement, and reached and took Egypt. There he received the pharaohs’
double crown, founded Alexandria, and visited the oracle of the god Amon, the basis of his claim
to divinity. In control of the East Mediterranean coast, in 331 he defeated Darius in a decisive
battle at Gaugamela, though Darius again escaped. He next took the province of Babylon. In
Persia he burnt Xerxes’ palace at Persepolis in 330, and he envisioned an empire ruled jointly
by Macedonians and Persians. He continued eastward, quashing real or imagined conspiracies
among his men and taking control to the Oxus and Jaxartes rivers, founding cities (most named
Alexandria) to hold the territory. Taking present-day Tajikistan, he married the princess Roxana
and embraced Persian absolutism, adopting Persian dress and enforcing Persian court customs.
By 326 he reached the Hyphasis in India, where his weary men mutinied; he turned back,
marching and pillaging down the Indus, and reached Susa with much loss of life. He continued to
promote his unpopular policy of racial fusion, a seeming attempt to form a Persian-Macedonian
master race. On the death of his favorite, Hephaestion (324), he gave him a hero’s funeral and
demanded that divine honors be given at his own funeral. He fell ill at Babylon after long feasting
and drinking and died at 33. He was buried in Alexandria, Egypt. His empire, the greatest that
had existed to that time, extended from Thrace to Egypt and from Greece to the Indus Valley.
4. Caesar, Julius: (100?—44BC) Celebrated Roman general, statesman, and dictator. A
patrician by birth, he held the prominent posts of quaestor and praetor before becoming governor
of Father Spain 61—60. He formed the First Triumviratewith Pompey and Crassus in 60 and was
elected consul in 59 and proconsul in Gaul and Illyria in 58. After conducting the Gallic Wars,
during which he invaded Britain (55, 54) and crossed the Rhine (55, 53), he was instructed by
the Senate to lay down his command. Senate conservatives having grown wary of his increasing
power, as had a suspicious Pompey. When the Senate would not command Pompey to give up
his command simultaneously, Caesar, against regulations, led his forces across the Rubicon River
(49) between Gaul and Italy, precipitating the Roman Civil War. Pompey fled from Italy, but
was pursued and defeated by Caesar in 48, then fled to Egypt, where he was murdered. Having
followed Pompey to Egypt, Caesar became lover to Cleopatra and supported her militarily. He
defeated Pompey’s last supporters in 46—45. He was named dictator for life by the Romans. He
was offered the crown (44) but refused it, knowing the Romans’ dislike for kings. He was in the
midst of launching a series of political and social reforms when he was assassinated in the Senate
House on the ides of March by conspirators led by Cassius and Brutus. His writings on the Gallic
and Civil Wars are considered models of classical historiography.
5. Charlemagne: (Charles the Great) (742?—814) King of the Franks (768—814) and Holy
Roman Emperor (800—814). The elder son of the Frankish king Pepin Ⅲ the Short, he ruled the
Frankish kingdom jointly with his brother Carloman until the latter’s death in 771. He then became
sole king of the Franks, and began a series of campaigns to conquer and Christianize neighboring
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Lеsson 7
kingdoms, defeating and becoming king of the Lombards in North Italy (774). His expedition
against the Moors in Spain failed (778), but he successfully annexed Bavaria (788). Charlemagne
fought against the Saxons for many years, finally defeating and Christianizing them in 804. He
subdued the Avars of the Danube and gained control of many of the Slav states. With the exception
of the British Isles, South Italy, and part of Spain, he united in one vast state almost all the Christian
lands of Western Europe. His coronation as emperor at Rome on Christmas Day, 800, after restoring
Leo Ⅲ to the papacy, marks the inception of the Holy Roman Empire. He established his capital at
Aachen, where he built a magnificent palace and invited many scholars and poets; he codified the
laws and promoted a cultural revival known as the Carolingian Renaissance.
63
Lesson 8　Left for Dead
KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. C (The whole story.)
2. B (Paragraph 7: Sallee cooperated. Paragraph 10: Sallee remained passive when they
pushed him into the shop’s storage closet. He even complied when ordered to tip back his head.)
3. D (Paragraph 11: … until he realized with horror what had caused the sudden warmth
spreading down his throat to his chest. It was blood.)
4. B (Paragraph 12: Sallee yanked his hands apart repeatedly until the cloth binding them
gave way.)
5. A (Paragraph 16: Weak and dazed, Sallee figured that if he ceased to fight, his attackers
might go away and leave him for dead.)
6. D (Paragraph 19: He realized his only hope lay at the front of the store—60 feet away.)
7. C (Paragraph 22: He heard someone speak. … The voice encouraged him, just as his
father had done when Troy was a baby learning to walk.)
8. A (Paragraph 33: As they worked, Sallee was able to give Bell a detailed description
of his attackers. He remembered there was a fourth man in the car and even described the car,
including the paper license plate in its back window.)
9. B (Paragraph 36: Surgeons worked through much of the night to repair the damage done
by more than 25 stab wounds, including a gash dangerously close to Sallee’s heart. They were
amazed he had survived such injuries.)
10. C (Paragraph 38: What happened to Sallee through those eternally long minutes after
he was left for dead continues to fill him with awe. “I’ve always heard and read about miracles,”
Troy Sallee says, “and now I know they really happen.”)
B.
1.·When did the story take place?
The story took place at the night on July 11, 1988.
2.·Where did the story take place?
The story took place in a video store.
3.·Who were the main characters of the story?
Sallee and the robbers.
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Left for Dead
4.·What did the trio do to Sallee?

The trio threatened to blow his head off if he didn’t cooperate. Then they tied his hands behind
his back, bound his ankles, blindfolded him and pushed him into the shop’s storage closet.
5.·How did Sallee react at first? What happened to him?··
Sallee cooperated at first. He emptied the register and pushed its contents toward them.
But he soon realized to his horror that the attackers wounded him though he had remained passive
and even complied when he was ordered to tip back his head. He struggled to yank his hands
apart repeatedly until the cloth binding them gave way. Surprised by his resistance and strength,
the attackers knocked him to the floor with a blow to the head and kicked him in the face, and
sliced his throat and buried the knife in his back and chest. Weak and dazed, Sallee stopped
resistance and figured that if he ceased to fight, his attackers might go away and leave him for
dead. He was right. The attackers felt sure that Sallee would bleed to death before anyone found
him, they grabbed their loot and left by the back exit.
6.·How was Sallee rescued?
Sallee waited until he was sure that his attackers were gone. He figured his only hope lay
at the front of the store—60 feet away. He managed to pick himself up and stumbled to his office,
grabbed the telephone and dialed 911 for help. Finally he was rescued by the police.
7.·What happened to the robbers in the end?
Thanks to Sallee’s descriptions, the attackers were arrested a little over an hour later, less
than 25 miles from the video store. Today all four are in prison. The man who wielded the knife
was sentenced to 120 years; the one who kicked Sallee in the face got 90 years; the man who
carried the gun received 40 years and the one who waited in the car was sentenced to 15 years.
8.·How did Sallee feel about his experience?
What happened to Sallee through those eternally long minutes after he was left for dead continued
to fill him with awe. He had heard and read about such miracles and now he knew they were real.
9.·What is the most amazing part of the story?
Sallee got 25 stab wounds, including a gash dangerously close to his heart, but he survived.
More amazingly, after he was rescued by the police and he was operated on by the surgeons, he was
able to give a detailed description of his attackers. He remembered there was a fourth man in the car
and even described the car, including the paper license plate in its back window.
10.·What do you think of Sallee?
Sallee is not only a brave young man but also clever. What amazed readers is his calm. He
remained cool when facing vital threatening of death.
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1.·B　　2.·C　　3.·A　　4.·D　　5.·A　　6.·C　　7.·D　　8.·A　　9.·B　　10.·C
65
B.
1.·focus· · 2.·on·duty· · 3.·deserting· · 4.·mind,·mind· · 5.·Instead·of
6.·alternate·(alternative)· · 7.·broke·down· · 8.·a·trail·of· · 9.·given·way· · 10.·delayed
Ⅲ. Cloze
1.·automatic· · 2.·Between· · 3.·robbery· · 4.·dealing·with· · 5.·insufficient
6.·set·up· · 7.·throwing· · 8.·criminals· · 9.·released· · 10.·unavailable
Ⅳ. Translation
1.·那天下午，因当班的职员生病，萨利并不介意来顶班。随后他也没叫其他职员来值
夜班，而是自己一直干到商店打烊。
2.· 萨利迟疑了片刻，但仅仅是片刻。年仅 27 岁的萨利已拥有三家音像店，是个成功
的商人。他经常为了顾客而推迟关店门。这次同样也没有理由不满足顾客的需求。
3.·惊恐地意识到眼前所发生的事实，萨利用力挣脱绑在手脚上的绳子，试图躲开乱刺
的刀。劫匪恼羞成怒地把他从狭窄的储藏室推了出来。萨利用力地、不停地拉扯着他的双
手，直到捆绑的绳子松开。
4.·他犹豫着，把手慢慢地抬到嗓子部位。把手移开时，他模糊的双眼似乎看到了许多
只手的叠现，它们全都沾满了血。生命渐渐地离他而去，但他却一动也不能动。他想父母
也许会看到他这副样子，那该多伤心啊。
5.·店里的灯还亮着，但这店里的灯光却不能解释他脸上所泛出的光明。萨利自己也不
知道这是什么。他只知道每走一步他都变得更坚强了。
6.·他被离弃等死的漫长的几分钟内所发生的事，仍然使萨利心有余悸。“以前经常听
说这类奇迹，也读了不少这种奇迹般的故事，”特罗伊 · 萨利说，“而现在我明白了这种奇
迹真的会发生。”

1. What do you think made Sallee the target of the robbery?
He often delayed closing for customers. The robbers might have noticed this and take
advantage of his kindness.
2. Why did Sallee cooperate with the trio first?
He thought the trio just wanted the money, they wouldn’t hurt him. (Sallee cooperated. He
emptied the register and pushed its contents toward them. So far, so good, he thought.)
3. When did Sallee realize that he was in real danger?
He realized with horror when he felt the sudden warmth spreading down his throat to his
chest. It was blood.
4. Why did Sallee cease to fight finally?
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Left for Dead
Sallee figured that if he ceased to fight, his attackers might go away and leave him for dead.
5. What helped Sallee survive?
His strong will and desire to live. All at once he realized something miraculous was happening.
He heard someone speak. Quietly but firmly, the voice said, “One step at a time, Troy. Come on, you
can do it.” At first, he thought the voice was echoing in his mind, but it became obvious to him that the
words ringing in his ears were audible. The voice encouraged him, just as his father had done when
Troy was a baby learning to walk. “Come on. Troy, you can do it.”
6.·Do you know anything about the robbery and the crime rate in the United States?
Open.
7.·Have you ever experienced a robbery or heard about robbery from people around
you? Please tell it to your class.
Open.
67
Lesson 9　Spell of the Rising Moon
KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. D (Paragraph 2: But it is the drama of the moonrise that I come to see. For that restores
in me a quiet and clarity that the city spends too freely.)
2. D (Paragraph 3: There have been broad, confident harvest moons in autumn; shy, misty
moons in spring; lonely, white winter moons rising into the utter silence of an ink-black sky and
smoke-smudged orange moons over the dry fields of summer. Each, like fine music, excited my
heart and then calmed my soul.)
3. C (Paragraph 4: To prehistoric hunters the moon overhead was as unerring as heartbeat.
They knew that every 29 days it became full-bellied and brilliant, then sickened and died, and then
was reborn. They knew the waxing moon appeared larger and higher overhead after each succeeding
sunset. They knew the waning moon rose later each night until it vanished in the sunrise.)
4. B (Paragraph 6: Still, it tugs at our minds. If we unexpectedly encounter the full moon,
huge and yellow over the horizon, we are helpless but to stare back at its commanding presence.)
5. B (Paragraph 7: I learned about its gifts one July evening in the mountains. My car had
mysteriously stalled, and I was stranded and alone.)
6. B (Paragraph 10: To watch the moon move inexotably higher is to find an unusual stillness
within ourselves.)
7. D (Paragraph 12: On that July night, I watched the moon for an hour or two, and then
got back into the car, turned the key in the ignition and heard the engine start, just as mysteriously
as it had stalled a few hours earlier.)
8. A (Paragraph 13: I return often to the rising moon. I am drawn especially when events
crowd ease and clarity of vision into a small corner of my life.)
9. A (Paragraph 14: Of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” and of Shakespeare, whose
Lorenzo declaims in The Merchant of Venice, “How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank! /
Here will we sit and let the sounds of music/Creep in our ears.” I wonder if their verse and music,
like the music of crickets, are in some way voices of the moon.)
10. A (The whole text.)
B.
1. The author often climbs the hill near his home at night to watch the drama of the moonrise
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Spell of the Rising Moon
because it can restore in him a quiet and clarity that the city spends too freely.
2. To the author the different mood and color of the moon are:
(1) In autumn: broad, confident harvest.
(2) In spring: shy, misty.
(3) In winter: lonely, white.
(4) In summer: smoke-smudged orange.
3. (1) To prehistoric hunters the moon overhead was as unerring as heartbeat.
(2) To contemporary people who live indoors few can say what time the moon will rise
tonight.
(3) But if we unexpectedly encounter the full moon, we are helpless but to stare back at its
commanding presence.
4. The moon has gifts to bestow upon those who watch it:
Example: One July evening in the mountains, the author’s car mysteriously stalled, and he
was stranded and alone.
He took the advantage to watch the moonrise for an hour or two.
When he got back into the car, the engine started just as mysteriously as it had stalled a few
hours earlier.
5. Later on the author often returns to the rising moon when events crowd ease and clarity of
vision into a small corner of his life.
He listens to the sound of owls and crickets and thinks of the beautiful music and poems
about the moon.
6. At moonrise, people open the vents of feeling and exercise parts of their minds that reason
locks away by day.
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1.·B　　2.·C　　3.·A　　4.·D　　5.·A　　6.·B　　7.·A　　8.·C　　9.·A　　10.·B·
B.
1.·swoop· · 2.·cricket· · 3.·smudged· · 4.·stalled· · 5.·tugs·at· · 6.·stay·clear·of
7.·slipped·into· · 8.·crowded·into· · 9.·loom·up· · 10.·stranded
Ⅲ. Cloze
1. just as 2. permanent 3. depend on 4. phase 5. shadow
6. resembling 7. lunar 8. closer 9. illuminated 10. waning
69
Ⅳ. Translation
1.·但无论怎样，月亮依旧牵动我们的心灵。倘若我们偶尔遇见一轮黄灿灿的满月高悬
中天，谁都会禁不住停下来凝神仰望她尊贵的姿容。而月亮也向注视她的人赐予厚礼。
2.· 然而当月亮缓缓升起，离开山头，它变得坚定、威严；它的面孔也由红变成了·
橘红，又变成金色，最后是平静的明黄色。它似乎从渐暗的大地中吸取了光明，因为随着
它的升起，下面的丘陵山谷愈来愈黯淡朦胧。待到皓月当空，满月如盘，闪烁着象牙般乳
白的清辉，山谷便成了风景中一片片幽深的阴影。
3.·月出是缓慢的，充满神奇。观看月出，我们得回到过去那种对时间的耐心中去。观
看月亮不可阻挡地升到空中就能让我们内心安宁。我们的神思能让我们看到宇宙的广漠和
大地的宽阔，能让我们忘掉自己。我们觉得自身渺小，却又深感大自然的厚待。
4.·月色下，我们看不到生活中坚硬的棱角。山坡在月光下如同笼上了柔和的轻纱，一
片银白；海水在月光下碧蓝而静谧；我们在月光下也不再像白日那般精于算计，而是沉醉
于自然的情感中。
5.·后来我常回到山上观月，尤其是在接踵而来的事使我身心疲惫、头晕眼花时。
6.·恋人和诗人在夜里能找到生活更深刻的意义。其实我们都爱问一些深刻的问题——
我们的祖先是什么？我们的命运在哪里？我们不喜欢那些统治着白天世界的刻板的几何
教科书，都愿意沉溺于永远找不到答案的谜团中。在夜里，我们都成了哲人和神秘主·
义者。
7.·月出之时，当我们放慢自己的思想，让它跟随天国的脚步，一种心醉神迷的感觉就
会流遍全身。我们会打开情感的窗口，会让白天被理智锁住的那部分思绪尽情奔涌。我们
越过遥远的时空，听见远古猎人的低语，再次看到很久以前的恋人与诗人眼中的世界。

1. How does the author describe the moonrise? Is it the same as you see it?
The sun had set, and I was watching what seemed to be the bright-orange glow of a forest
fire beyond a ridge to the east. Suddenly, the ridge itself seemed to burst into flame. Then, the
rising moon, huge and red and grotesquely misshapen by the dust and sweat of the summer
atmosphere, loomed up out of the woods.
Distorted thus by the hot breath of earth, the moon seemed ill-tempered and imperfect…
But as the moon lifted off the ridge it gathered firmness and authority. Its complexion
changed from red, to orange, to gold, to impassive yellow. It seemed to draw light out of the
darkening earth, for as it rose, the hills and valleys below grew dimmer. By the time the moon
stood clear of the horizon, full chested and round and the color of ivory, the valleys were deep
shadows in the landscape…
The drama took an hour. Moonrise is slow and serried with subtleties.
2. Moonrise is a natural phenomenon. The main part of this essay is the description of
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Lеsson 9
it full of the author’s emotions and thoughts associated with it. Pick out the author’s most
beautiful descriptions with similes, metaphors and personification.
From this hill I have watched many moons rise. Each one had its own mood. There have
been broad, confident harvest moons in autumn; shy, misty moons in spring; lonely, white winter
moons rising into the utter silence of an ink-black sky and smoke-smudged orange moons over
the dry fields of summer. Each, like fine music, excited my heart and then calmed my soul.
(And others referring to the first question.)
3. One July evening in the mountains, the author’s car mysteriously stalled, and he was
stranded and alone, but after watching the moonrise for an hour or two the engine started
mysteriously again. Do you think it was the spell of the rising moon?
Open.
4. We Chinese often associate the full moon with family reunion, our hometown and
our motherland if we are abroad. Can you tell what people do when we Chinese celebrate
the festivals associated with the moon such as the Lantern Festival and the Mid-Autumn
Festival? And why?
Open.
5. Find out the famous Chinese poems about the moon, and try to translate the
following poem into English.
（李白诗一首）
床前明月光，· · Before my bed
· · · · · · · · There is bright moonlight
疑是地上霜。· · So that it seems
· · · · · · · · Like frost on the ground.
举头望明月，· · Lifting my head
· · · · · · · · I watch the bright moon,
低头思故乡。· · Lowering my head
· · · · · · · · I dream that I’m home.
Another poem for reference:
（李白诗一首）
秋风清，秋月明 · The autumn wind is light
· · · · · · · · The autumn moon is bright;
落叶聚还散 · · · Fallen leaves gather but then disperse,
寒鸦栖复惊 · · · A cold crow roosts but again he stirs;
相思相见知何日 · I think of you, and wonder when I’ll see you again.
此时此夜难为情 · At such an hour, on such a night, cruel is love’s pain.
71

1. Beethoven:·Ludwig van Beethoven (1770—1827), German composer, considered one
of the greatest musicians of all time. Having begun his career as an outstanding improviser at
the piano and composer of piano music, Beethoven went on to compose string quartets and other
kinds of chamber music, songs, two masses, an opera, and nine symphonies. His Symphony No.
9 in D minor op. 125 (Choral, completed 1824), perhaps the most famous work of classical music
in existence, culminates in a choral finale based on the poem “Ode to Joy” by German writer
Friedrich von Schiller. Like his opera Fidelio, op. 72 (1805; revised 1806, 1814) and many other
works, the Ninth Symphony depicts an initial struggle with adversity and concludes with an
uplifting vision of freedom and social harmony.
2. Moonlight Sonata: German composer Ludwig van Beethoven’s piano sonata in C major,
op. 53 (1803—1804) was dedicated to the patron Count Ferdinand von Waldstein. Beethoven
originally wrote the piece in traditional 18th-century sonata form, with three clearly demarcated
movements. He then rewrote the second movement in its present unconventional form, with a
haunting, slowly building melodic passage that pauses only briefly before the third movement
begins.
3. Shakespeare: William Shakespeare (1564—1616), English playwright and poet, recognized
in much of the world as the greatest of all dramatists. Hundreds of editions of his plays have been
published, including translations in all major languages. Scholars have written thousands of books
and articles about his plots, characters, themes, and language. He is the most widely quoted author in
history, and his plays have probably been performed more times than those of any other dramatist.
4. The Merchant of Venice: a comedy by English playwright William Shakespeare, written
around 1596. It is regarded by some scholars as the strongest and most successful of Shakespeare’s
early comedies.
The play, which is set partly in Venice, Italy, features two main characters: Shylock, a Jewish
moneylender, and Portia, a wealthy heiress. The two characters’ stories are cleverly intertwined.
Shylock prosecutes the merchant Antonio for failure to repay a loan that Antonio had contracted
on behalf of his friend Bassanio. Shylock threatens to cut off a pound of Antonio’s flesh, a
penalty originally inserted in the contract as a jest. The two must resolve their situation in court.
Meanwhile, Portia has proposed a riddle, stating that she can be won in marriage only if a suitor
is able to guess the one chest of three in which her portrait is hidden. Her lover, Bassanio, chooses
correctly. For his sake, Portia goes to the courtroom disguised as a lawyer to defend Antonio from
Shylock’s demands. She defeats Shylock by pointing out that although he has a right to a pound
of Antonio’s flesh, he is not entitled to a single drop of his blood.
An important element of Shylock’s character is his literal-mindedness. In his mind, a
contract is a contract, and if it is broken the letter of the law must be carried out. Mercy cannot be
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permitted to soften justice. In his insistence on a pound of flesh, Shylock believes he is holding
Antonio to the truth. However, Shylock’s literalness also forces him to concede to Portia’s
argument that he has no claim to Antonio’s blood.
For the character of Shylock, Shakespeare drew from a long tradition of folktales that
relate the story of a creditor who tries and fails to extract a pound of human flesh as payment of
a debt. Like the hero-villain Barabas in English dramatist Christopher Marlowe’s Jew of Malta
(1589?), Shylock is a Jew. He is portrayed in striking contrast with the other characters, who are
Christians. Shylock is frugal and preoccupied with making and keeping money; he hoards it and
treasures it above his personal relationships. He views the Christians’ attitude toward money as
frivolous and irresponsible. In contrast to Shylock, Bassanio uses money for love and beauty
instead of for the accumulation of wealth. The chest he chooses in answer to Portia’s riddle is
not the one made of silver nor the one of gold, but the one made of lead. His rejection of the gold
and silver containers in favor of a lead one, within whose dull exterior lie the riches of Portia’s
portrait, symbolizes the fact that, for him, “all that glisters (glistens) is not gold”.
Shakespeare’s portrayal of Shylock has long been fodder for debate among scholars. By
Shakespeare’s time, Jews had been officially banned from England for centuries. Because of this,
they had come to represent to many citizens of the time a sinister unknown. Shylock’s inability
to grant mercy to Antonio and his tendency to value the letter of the law over benevolence are
generally abhorrent to modern audiences. However, Shakespeare was too intelligent and too much
of an artist to make his Shylock purely one dimensional; the character is complex and justifiably
cautious in a world that does not welcome him. Much of the interest and tension of the play lies
in the fact that he is simultaneously villainous and sympathetic.
73
Unit Four
Reading Scientific and Technical
Articles
Lesson 10　Our Picture of the Universe

KEYS TO EXERCISES
I. Reading Comprehension
A.
1. B (Paragraph 2: Someday these answers may seem as obvious to us as the earth orbiting
the sun―or perhaps as ridiculous as a tower of tortoises. Only time (whatever that may be) will
tell. )
2. D (Paragraph 4: Aristotle, and most of the other Greek philosophers, on the other hand,
did not like the idea of a creation because it smacked too much of divine intervention. They
believed, therefore, that the human race and the world around it had existed, and would exist,
forever.)
3. A (Paragraph 5: In fact, his cases for both the thesis and the antithesis are really the same
argument. They are both based on his unspoken assumption that time continues back forever,
whether or not the universe had existed forever.)
4. C (Paragraph 6: But in 1929, Edwin Hubble made the landmark observation that
wherever you look, distant galaxies are moving rapidly away from us. In other words, the universe
is expanding. This means that at earlier times objects would have been closer together. In fact, it
seemed that there was a time, about ten or twenty thousand million years ago, when they were
all at exactly the same place and when, therefore, the density of the universe was infinite. This
discovery finally brought the question of the beginning of the universe into the realm of science.)
5. A (Paragraph 8: A theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements. It must
describe a large class of observations on the basis of a model that contains only a few arbitrary
elements, and it must make definite predictions about the results of future observations. The last
part of the paragraph states that Newton’s theory meets the two requirements.)
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Lеsson 10
Our Picture of the Universe
6. C (Paragraph 9: Each time new experiments are observed to agree with the predictions
the theory survives, and our confidence in it is increased; but if ever a new observation is found to
disagree, we have to abandon or modify the theory.)
7. D (Paragraph 11: However, we still use Newton’s theory for all practical purposes
because the difference between its predictions and those of general relativity is very small in the
situations that we normally deal with. (Newton’s theory also has the great advantage that it is
much simpler to work with than Einstein’s!))
8. C (Paragraph 12: Yet it appears that he chose to make it evolve in a very regular way
according to certain laws. It therefore seems equally reasonable to suppose that there are also
laws governing the initial state.)
9. A (Paragraph 13: It turns out to be very difficult to devise a theory to describe the
universe all in one go. Instead, we break the problem up into bits and invent a number of
partial theories. Each of these partial theories describes and predicts a certain limited class of
observations, neglecting the effects of other quantities, or representing them by simple sets of
numbers. It may be that this approach is completely wrong. If everything in the universe depends
on everything else in a fundamental way, it might be impossible to get close to a full solution by
investigating parts of the problem in isolation. Nevertheless, it is certainly the way that we have made
progress in the past. The classic example again is the Newtonian theory of gravity, which tells us that
the gravitational force between two bodies depends only on one number associated with each body, its
mass, but is otherwise independent of what the bodies are made of. Thus one does not need to have a
theory of the structure and constitution of the sun and the planets in order to calculate their orbits.)
10. C (The whole passage concerns the beginning of the universe and the relevant theories.)
B.
1. well-known scientist; little old lady
2. (2) Did the universe have a beginning, and if so, what happened before then?
3. The City of God; Immanuel Kant; Theory of Gravity
4. dawn of civilization; the universe
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1. A　　2. B　　3. D　　4. C　　5. D　　6. C　　7. B　　8. A　　9. D　　10. A
B.
1. broke down 2. put forward 3. depend on 4. is proportional to 5. deal with
6. as though 7. turned out to be 8. are independent of 9. carry out
10. account for
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Ⅲ. Cloze
1. either 2. created 3. due to 4. as well as 5. eternal
6. Instead 7. significantly 8. balanced 9. stronger 10. On the other hand
Ⅳ. Translation
1. 一位著名的科学家（有人说是伯特兰 · 罗素）曾经做过一次关于天文学的演讲。他
描述了地球如何围绕太阳运转，以及太阳如何进而围绕大量星群的中心运转，这些星群即
所谓的银河系。
2. 依据一些早期的宇宙论的观点和犹太⁄基督⁄穆斯林教派传统的观点，宇宙起源于一
个特定的并且不太遥远的过去时间。
3. 在多数人都认为宇宙基本上是静态的而且是不变的情况下，探讨宇宙是否有一个起
源确实是一个属于玄学或神学范畴的问题。人们可以用两种不同的理论解释他们所观察到
的事物。一种理论是宇宙永存；而另外一种理论是宇宙在某一个有限的时间以一种特定的
方式被启动，而这种方式又使得宇宙看上去曾经永远存在。
4. 为了探讨宇宙的本质以及关于宇宙是否有始终等问题，你必须清楚什么是科学理论。
5. 一个好的理论应满足两个要求。一是它必须能够基于一个只包含少数几个任意要素
的模型来准确地描述大量的人们所观察到的大量现象。二是它还必须能够对人们未来所能
观察到的现象的结果加以明确的预测。
6. 事实上，要想设计出一个能够描述一切宇宙现象的理论是十分困难的。取代的办法
是，我们可以把问题分割开来，进而创建一些局部理论。

1. Did Aristotle and most of the other Greek philosophers like the idea of a creation of
the universe? Why or why not?
No. Aristotle, and most of the other Greek philosophers, did not like the idea of a creation
because they thought that it smacked too much of divine intervention. They believed that the
human race and the world around it had existed, and would exist, forever.
2. What was Edwin Hubble’s landmark observation? How important was the observation
to the studies of the beginning of the universe?
In 1929, Edwin Hubble made the landmark observation that wherever you look, distant
galaxies are moving rapidly away from us. In other words, the universe is expanding. This means
that at earlier times objects would have been closer together. In fact, it seemed that there was
a time, about ten or twenty thousand million years ago, when they were all at exactly the same
place and when, therefore, the density of the universe was infinite. This discovery finally brought
the question of the beginning of the universe into the realm of science.
3. What is a good theory according to the passage?
According to the passage, a theory is a good theory if it satisfies two requirements. It must
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accurately describe a large class of observations on the basis of a model that contains only a few
arbitrary elements, and it must make definite predictions about the results of future observations.
4. Why does the author say that any physical theory is always provisional?
Any physical theory is always provisional, in the sense that it is only a hypothesis: you can
never prove it. No matter how many times the results of experiments agree with some theory, you
can never be sure that the next time the result will not contradict the theory. On the other hand,
you can disprove a theory by finding even a single observation that disagrees with the predictions
of the theory.
5. What is the eventual goal of science? What is the approach most scientists follow to
pursue this goal?
The eventual goal of science is to provide a single theory that describes the whole universe.
However, the approach most scientists actually follow is to separate the problem into two parts.
First, there are the laws that tell us how the universe changes with time. Second, there is the
question of the initial state of the universe.
6. What is your opinion about the beginning of the universe or the picture of the
universe?
Open.
Stephen Hawking: The British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking (1942 — )
has devoted much of his life to probing the space-time described by general relativity and
the singularities where it breaks down. And he’s done most of this work while confined to a
wheelchair, brought on by the progressive neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or
Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Hawking is the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, a post
once held by Isaac Newton.
In the late 1960s, Hawking proved that if general relativity is true and the universe is
expanding, a singularity must have occurred at the birth of the universe. In 1974 he first
recognized a truly remarkable property of black holes, objects from which nothing was supposed
to be able to escape. By taking into account quantum mechanics, he was able to show that black
holes can radiate energy as particles are created in their vicinity. But perhaps his most impressive
feat was writing the international bestseller A Brief History of Time. The book spent more than
four years on the London Sunday Times bestseller list—the longest run for any book in history.

1. Bertrand Russell: Russell, Bertrand Arthur William, 3rd Earl Russell (1872—1970),
British philosopher, mathematician, and Nobel laureate, whose emphasis on logical analysis
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influenced the course of 20th-century philosophy.

Born in Trelleck, Wales, on May 18, 1872, Russell was educated at Trinity College,
University of Cambridge. After graduation in 1894, he traveled in France, Germany, and the
United States and was then made a fellow of Trinity College. From an early age he developed a
strong sense of social consciousness; at the same time, he involved himself in the study of logical
and mathematical questions, which he had made his special fields and on which he was called to
lecture at many institutions throughout the world. He achieved prominence with his first major
work, The Principles of Mathematics (1902), in which he attempted to remove mathematics from
the realm of abstract philosophical notions and to give it a precise scientific framework.
Russell then collaborated for eight years with the British philosopher and mathematician
Alfred North Whitehead to produce the monumental work Principia Mathematica (3 volumes,
1910—1913). This work showed that mathematics can be stated in terms of the concepts of general
logic, such as class and membership in a class. It became a masterpiece of rational thought. Russell
and Whitehead proved that numbers can be defined as classes of a certain type, and in the process
they developed logic concepts and a logic notation that established symbolic logic as an important
specialization within the field of philosophy. In his next major work, The Problems of Philosophy
(1912), Russell borrowed from the fields of sociology, psychology, physics, and mathematics to
refute the tenets of idealism, the dominant philosophical school of the period, which held that all
objects and experiences are the product of the intellect. Russell, a realist, believed that objects
perceived by the senses have an inherent reality independent of the mind.
2. First Cause: It means that both the existence of humanity and that of the cosmos are
dependent on the will and goodness of God. It is an important attempt to provide a rational
justification for the existence of God in the field of cosmology argument. It is also called the
First Cause Argument. This justification was expounded by Aquinas and 18th-century English
philosopher Samuel Clarke, among others. One important version of this argument contends
that to explain the existence of the contingent universe it is essential to postulate a necessary
being, a being whose existence is not contingent on anything else. This necessary being is God.
Critics have argued that the existence of the universe might be a brute fact—a fact without
any explanation. They assert that proving the existence of a necessary being is not the same as
proving the existence of God. A necessary being might lack some of the properties considered
essential to God, such as being all good. In a version of the cosmological argument found in
contemporary scientific cosmology, God is postulated as the explanation for the big bang, the
theory that a gigantic explosion created the material universe. Although contemporary theists,
such as American philosopher William Lane Craig, maintain that a first cause is necessary to
explain the big bang, critics contend that recent scientific theories indicate that the universe could
have arisen spontaneously.
3. Augustine, Saint: (354—430) the greatest of the Latin Fathers and one of the most
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eminent Western Doctors of the Church.

Augustine was born on November 13, 354, in Tagaste, Numidia (now Souk-Ahras, Algeria).
His father, Patricius (died about 371), was a pagan (later converted to Christianity), but his
mother, Monica, was a devout Christian who labored untiringly for her son’s conversion and who
was canonized by the Roman Catholic church. Augustine was educated as a rhetorician in the
former North African cities of Tagaste, Madaura, and Carthage. Between the ages of 15 and 30,
he lived with a Carthaginian woman whose name is unknown; in 372 she bore him a son, whom
he named Adeodatus, which is Latin for “the gift of God”.
Saint Augustine was an influential theologian and writer in the Western Church. He wrote
The City of God in the 5th century. In his work, Augustine addressed a number of theological
issues, including free will and the resurrection of the faithful. He asserted that God did not
deprive people of their free will even when they turned to sin because it was preferable to “bring
good out of evil than to prevent the evil from coming into existence”. Augustine believed that the
human body would rise after death, transformed into “the newness of the spiritual body” and in
paradise these new beings would “rest and see, see and love, love and praise”.
4. Genesis: the first book of the Old Testament. The English title is derived from the words
“Genesis kosmou” (Greek, “origin of the cosmos”), the title of the book in the Septuagint. The
Jews, who know each of the five books comprising the Pentateuch by either the opening word
or the first significant word of the Hebrew text, entitle it “Bereshith” (or “Bereshit”), “In the
beginning”.
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, tells of the beginning of the world from the time when
“God created the heaven and the earth” (1:1) until the death of Joseph, the 11th son of the Hebrew
patriarch Jacob. The book falls into two unequal parts. The first part (Chapters 1-11) is concerned
with the primeval history of humankind and contains stories about the first man and the first
woman, their disobedience, the first murderer and his victim, the flood that God sent to destroy
all things save the immediate family of one “just man” (6:9) and the creatures committed to him
for preservation, and the confounding of the speech and scattering abroad of later people. The
first part of Genesis also contains the first covenant made by God with humanity in the person of
Noah (9:9-17). The second part (Chapters 12-50) is mainly an account of the lives of the Hebrew
patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that is, a history of the origins of the Hebrew nation.
5. Aristotle: (384―322 BC) Greek philosopher and scientist, who shares with Plato and
Socrates the distinction of being the most famous of ancient philosophers.
Aristotle was born at Stagira, in Macedonia, the son of a physician to the royal court. At the
age of 17, he went to Athens to study at Plato’s Academy. He remained there for about 20 years,
as a student and then as a teacher.
When Plato died in 347 BC, Aristotle moved to Assos, a city in Asia Minor, where
a friend of his, Hermias, was ruler. There he counseled Hermias and married his niece and
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adopted daughter, Pythias. After Hermias was captured and executed by the Persians in 345 BC,
Aristotle went to Pella, the Macedonian capital, where he became the tutor of the king’s young
son Alexander, later known as Alexander the Great. In 335 BC, when Alexander became king,
Aristotle returned to Athens and established his own school, the Lyceum. Because much of the
discussion in his school took place while teachers and students were walking about the Lyceum
grounds, Aristotle’s school came to be known as the Peripatetic (“walking” or “strolling”) school.
Upon the death of Alexander in 323 BC, strong anti-Macedonian feeling developed in Athens,
and Aristotle retired to a family estate in Euboea (Évvoia). He died there the following year.
6. Kant, Immanuel: (1724—1804) German philosopher, considered by many the most
influential thinker of modern times.
Immanuel Kant explored the possibilities of what reason can tell about the world of
experience. In his critiques of science, morality, and art, Kant attempted to derive universal rules
to which, he claimed, every rational person should subscribe. In Critique of Pure Reason (1781),
Kant argued that people cannot understand the nature of the things in the universe, but they
can be rationally certain of what they experience themselves. Within this realm of experience,
fundamental notions such as space and time are certain.
Born in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), April 22, 1724, Kant received his education
at the Collegium Fredericianum and the University of Königsberg. At the college he studied
chiefly the classics, and at the university he studied physics and mathematics. After his father
died, he was compelled to halt his university career and earn his living as a private tutor. In 1755,
aided by a friend, he resumed his studies and obtained his doctorate. Thereafter, for 15 years he
taught at the university, lecturing first on science and mathematics, but gradually enlarging his
field of concentration to cover almost all branches of philosophy.
Although Kant’s lectures and works written during this period established his reputation as
an original philosopher, he did not receive a chair at the university until 1770, when he was made
professor of logic and metaphysics. For the next 27 years he continued to teach and attracted large
numbers of students to Königsberg. Kant’s unorthodox religious teachings, which were based on
rationalism rather than revelation, brought him into conflict with the government of Prussia, and
in 1792 he was forbidden by Frederick William Ⅱ , king of Prussia, to teach or write on religious
subjects. Kant obeyed this order for five years until the death of the king and then felt released
from his obligation. In 1798, the year following his retirement from the university, he published a
summary of his religious views. He died February 12, 1804.
7. Immanuel Kant and his monumental work Critique of Pure Reason : The keystone
of Kant’s philosophy, sometimes called critical philosophy, is contained in his Critique of Pure
Reason (1781), in which he examined the bases of human knowledge and created an individual
epistemology. Like earlier philosophers, Kant differentiated modes of thinking into analytic and
synthetic propositions. An analytic proposition is one in which the predicate is contained in the
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subject, as in the statement “Black houses are houses”. The truth of this type of proposition is
evident, because to state the reverse would be to make the proposition self-contradictory. Such
propositions are called analytic because truth is discovered by the analysis of the concept itself.
Synthetic propositions, on the other hand, are those that cannot be arrived at by pure analysis, as
in the statement “The house is black”. All the common propositions that result from experience of
the world are synthetic.
8. Edwin Hubble: (1889—1953) American astronomer, who made important contributions
to the study of galaxies, the expansion of the universe, and the size of the universe. Hubble
was the first to discover that fuzzy patches of light in the sky called spiral nebula were actually
galaxies like Earth’s galaxy, the Milky Way. Hubble also found the first evidence for the
expansion of the universe, and his work led to a much better understanding of the universe’s size.
Hubble was born in Marshfield, Missouri. He attended high school in Chicago, Illinois, and
received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and astronomy in 1910. He was awarded a Rhodes
Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford in England, where he earned a law degree
in 1912. He returned to the United States in 1913 and settled in Kentucky, where his family
had moved. From 1913 to 1914 Hubble practiced law and taught high school in Kentucky and
Indiana. In 1914 he moved to Wisconsin to take a research post at the University of Chicago’s
Yerkes Observatory.
In 1917 Hubble earned his Ph.D. degree in astronomy from the University of Chicago
and received an invitation from American astronomer George Hale to work at Mount Wilson
Observatory in California. Around the same time that Hubble received the invitation, the United
States declared war on Germany, marking the beginning of official U.S. military involvement in
World War Ⅰ (1914―1918). Hubble volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army, rushing to finish his
dissertation and reporting for duty just three days after passing his oral Ph.D. exam. He was sent
to France at first and remained on active duty in Germany until 1919. He left the Army with the
rank of major.
In 1919 Hubble finally accepted the offer from Mount Wilson Observatory, where the 100-in
(2.5-m) Hooker telescope was located. The Hooker telescope was the largest telescope in the world
until 1948. Hubble worked at Mount Wilson for the rest of his career, and it was there that he
carried out his most important work. His research was interrupted by the outbreak of World War Ⅱ
(1939—1945); during the war he served as a ballistics expert for the U.S. Department of War.
While Hubble was working at the Yerkes Observatory, he made a careful study of cloudy
patches in the sky called nebulas. Now, astronomers apply the term nebula to clouds of dust and
gas within galaxies. At the time that Hubble began studying nebulas, astronomers had not been
able to differentiate between nebulas and distant galaxies, which also appear as cloudy patches in
the sky.
Hubble was especially interested in two nebulas called the Large Magellanic Cloud and the
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Small Magellanic Cloud. In 1912 American astronomer Henrietta Leavitt had used the brightness
of a certain type of star in the Magellanic Clouds to measure their distance from Earth. She
used Cepheid stars, yellow stars that vary regularly in brightness. The longer the time a Cepheid
star takes to go through a complete cycle, the higher its average brightness, or average absolute
magnitude. By comparing the brightness of the star as seen from Earth with the star’s actual
brightness (estimated from the length of the star’s cycle), Leavitt could determine the distance
from Earth to the nebula. She and other scientists showed that the Magellanic Clouds were
beyond the boundaries of the Milky Way Galaxy.
After World War Ⅰ , with the Hooker telescope at his disposal, Hubble was able to make
significant advances in his studies of nebulas. He focused on nebulas thought to be outside of the
Milky Way, searching for Cepheid stars within them. In 1923 he discovered a Cepheid star in the
Andromeda nebula, now known as the Great Andromeda Spiral Galaxy. Within a year he had
detected 12 Cepheid stars within the Andromeda Galaxy. Using these variable stars, he determined
that the Andromeda nebula was about 900,000 light-years away from Earth. (A light-year is the
distance light can travel in one year, a measurement equal to 9.46 trillion km or 5.88 trillion mi).
The diameter of the Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years, so Hubble’s measurements showed
that the Andromeda nebula was far outside the boundaries of Earth’s galaxy.
Hubble discovered many other nebulas that contained stars and were located outside of the
Milky Way. He found that they contained objects similar to those within the Milky Way Galaxy.
These objects included round, compact groups of stars called globular clusters and stars called
novas that flare suddenly in brightness. In 1924 he finally proposed that these nebulas were in fact
other galaxies like our own, a theory that became known as the island universe. From 1925 he
studied the structures of these external galaxies and classified them according to their shape and
composition into regular and irregular forms. The regular galaxies, 97 percent of the total, had
elliptical or spiral shapes. Hubble further divided the spiral galaxies into normal spiral galaxies
and barred spiral galaxies. Normal spiral galaxies have arms that come out from a central,
circular core and spiral around the core and each other. The arms of barred spiral galaxies come
out from an elongated, bar-shaped nucleus. There are no distinct boundaries between the types of
galaxies—some galaxies have the characteristics of both spiral and elliptical galaxies, and some
spiral galaxies could be classified as either normal or barred. Irregular galaxies—galaxies that
seem to have no regular shape or internal structure—made up only 3 percent of the galaxies that
Hubble found.
Hubble began to measure the distance from Earth to the galaxies that he classified. He used
information provided by Cepheid stars within the galaxies to measure their distance from Earth.
He compared these distance measurements to measurements of the galaxies’ movement with
respect to Earth. Several astronomers, in particular American astronomer Vesto Slipher, studied
the speed of the galaxies in the 1910s and 1920s, before Hubble classified them as galaxies.
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The astronomers measured the galaxies’ speed by measuring the redshift of the galaxy. Redshift
results from the radiation that an object emits. This radiation will appear to shift in wavelength
if the object is moving with respect to the observer. If the object is moving away from the
observer, each wave will leave from slightly farther away than the wave before it did, increasing
the distance between the waves. The wavelength of an object’s radiation will seem shorter if
the object is moving toward the observer. This is called the Doppler effect. When the radiation
emitted by the object is visible light, a lengthening in wavelength corresponds to a reddening of
light. Therefore, the light of astronomical objects moving away from the observer is said to be
red-shifted. Slipher and the other astronomers found that all of the galaxies were moving away
from Earth. Hubble also did his own redshift measurements.
In 1929 Hubble compared the distances of the galaxies to the speed at which they were
moving away from Earth, and he found a direct and very consistent correlation: The farther a
galaxy was from Earth, the faster it was receding. This relationship was so consistent throughout
the 46 galaxies that Hubble initially studied, as well as in virtually all of the galaxies studied
later by Hubble and other scientists, that it is known as Hubble’s Law. Hubble concluded that the
relationship between velocity and distance must mean that the universe is expanding. In 1927
Belgian scientist Georges Lemaître had developed a model of the universe that incorporated the
general theory of relativity of German American physicist Albert Einstein. Lemaître’s model
showed an expanding universe, but Hubble’s measurements were the first real evidence of this
expansion.
The relationship of the velocity of galaxies to their distance is called the Hubble constant.
If astronomers knew the precise value of Hubble’s constant, they could determine both the
age of the universe and the radius of the observable universe. Many teams of scientists have
attempted to measure the value since Hubble proposed his theory. In 1999 a group of scientists
measured Hubble’s constant to be 70 kilometers per second-megaparsec, with an uncertainty of
10 percent—the most precise measurement to date. This result means that a galaxy appears to be
moving 260,000 km/h (160,000 mph) faster for every 3.3 million light-years that it is away from
Earth. The universe is infinitely large, but if objects really do move faster as they move farther
from the center of the universe, at some distance objects will be moving at the speed of light. That
distance would be the limit to the observable universe, because light from an object moving at the
speed of light could never reach Earth. The radius of the observable universe is called the Hubble
radius.
During the 1930s, Hubble studied the distribution of galaxies. His results showed that
galaxies should be scattered evenly across the sky. He explained that there seemed to be fewer
galaxies in the area of the sky that corresponds to the plane of the Milky Way because large
amounts of dust block light from external galaxies.
Hubble was an active researcher until his death. He was involved in building the 200-in
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(508-cm) Hale telescope at the Mount Palomar Observatory, also in southern California. The Hale
telescope was the largest telescope in the world from when it went into operation in 1948 until
the Keck telescope at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii was completed in 1990. The Hubble
Space Telescope (HST), a powerful telescope launched in 1990 and carried aboard a satellite
in orbit around Earth, was named after Hubble and has helped scientists make many important
observations.
9. big bang: big bang theory, currently accepted explanation of the beginning of the
universe. The big bang theory proposes that the universe was once extremely compact, dense, and
hot. Some original event, a cosmic explosion called the big bang, occurred about 10 billion to 20
billion years ago, and the universe has since been expanding and cooling.
10. Empedocles: (490?—430 BC) Greek philosopher, statesman, and poet, born in
Agrigentum (now Agrigento), Sicily. He was a disciple of the Greek philosophers Pythagoras and
Parmenides. According to tradition, he refused to accept the crown offered to him by the people
of Agrigentum after he had aided in overthrowing the ruling oligarchy. Instead he instituted a
democracy.
Modern knowledge of his philosophy is based on the extant fragments of his poems on
nature and purification. He asserted that all things are composed of four primal elements: earth,
air, fire, and water. Two active and opposing forces, love and hate, or affinity and antipathy, act
upon these elements, combining and separating them into infinitely varied forms. According to
Empedocles, reality is cyclical. At the beginning of a cycle, the four elements are bound together
by the principle of love. When hate penetrates the cycle, the elements begin to separate. Love
reunites everything; then hate begins the process once again. The world as we know it is halfway
between the primary sphere and the stage of total separation of the elements. Empedocles
believed also that no change involving the creation of new matter is possible; only changes in the
combinations of the four existing elements may occur. He also formulated a primitive theory of
evolution in which he declared that humans and animals evolved from antecedent forms.
11. Karl Popper: Popper, Sir Karl Raimund (1902—1994), Austrian-born British
philosopher of science, known for his theory of scientific method and for his criticism of
historical determinism. He was born in Vienna and received a Ph.D. degree from Vienna
University in 1928. Although not a member of the so-called Vienna school of philosophy, Popper
was sympathetic with their scientific attitude, but critical of certain of their beliefs. From 1937 to
1945 he taught at Canterbury University, New Zealand, and then at the University of London.
Popper’s most significant contribution to the philosophy of science was his characterization
of the scientific method. In The Logic of Scientific Discovery (1934; trans. 1959), he criticized
the prevailing view that science is fundamentally inductive in nature. Proposing a criterion of
testability, or falsifiability, for scientific validity, Popper emphasized the hypothetico-deductive
character of science. Scientific theories are hypotheses from which can be deduced statements
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testable by observation; if the appropriate experimental observations falsify these statements, the
hypothesis is refuted. If a hypothesis survives efforts to falsify it, it may be tentatively accepted.
No scientific theory, however, can be conclusively established.
In The Open Society and Its Enemies (1945), Popper defended democracy and advanced
objections to the totalitarian implications of the political theories of Plato and Karl Marx. He
criticized the view that discoverable laws of the development of history render its future course
inevitable and thus predictable.
12. Mercury: one of the planets in the solar system. Mercury orbits closest to the Sun of all
the planets, at an average distance of approximately 58 million km (about 36 million mi). The
planet’s diameter is 4,879 km (3,032 mi), and its volume and mass are about one-eighteenth that
of Earth. Mercury’s mean density is approximately equal to that of Earth and is higher than that
of any of the other planets. The force of gravity on the planet’s surface is about one-third of that
on Earth’s surface or about twice the surface gravity on the Moon.
13. Newton’s theory of gravity: Newton, Sir Isaac (1642—1727), English physicist,
mathematician, and natural philosopher, considered one of the most important scientists of all
time. Newton formulated laws of universal gravitation and motion—laws that explain how objects
move on Earth as well as through the heavens. He established the modern study of optics—or the
behavior of light—and built the first reflecting telescope. His mathematical insights led him to
invent the area of mathematics called calculus (which German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm
Leibniz also developed independently). Newton stated his ideas in several published works, two
of which, Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural
Philosophy, 1687) and Opticks (1704), are considered among the greatest scientific works ever
produced. Newton’s revolutionary contributions explained the workings of a large part of the
physical world in mathematical terms, and they suggested that science may provide explanations
for other phenomena as well.
In early 1672 Newton was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. Shortly afterward Newton
offered to submit a paper detailing his discovery of the composite nature of white light. Much
impressed by his account, the Society published it. This publication triggered a long series of
objections to Newton’s scientific views in general, mostly by European scientists from outside
England. Many of the criticisms later proved unsound. The strongest criticism of Newton’s
work, however, concerned his work on the theory of gravity and came from English inventor,
mathematician, and curator of the Royal Society Robert Hooke. Hooke insisted that he had
suggested fundamental principles of the law of gravitation to Newton. Newton answered these
objections carefully and at first patiently but later with growing irritation. These public arguments
aggravated Newton’s sensitivity to criticism, and for several years he stopped publishing his
findings.
14. Einstein’s general theory of relativity: In 1915 Einstein developed the general theory
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of relativity in which he considered objects accelerated with respect to one another. He developed
this theory to explain apparent conflicts between the laws of relativity and the law of gravity. To
resolve these conflicts he developed an entirely new approach to the concept of gravity, based on
the principle of equivalence.
The principle of equivalence holds that forces produced by gravity are in every way
equivalent to forces produced by acceleration, so that it is theoretically impossible to distinguish
between gravitational and accelerational forces by experiment. In the theory of special relativity,
Einstein had stated that a person in a closed car rolling on an absolutely smooth railroad track
could not determine by any conceivable experiment whether he was at rest or in uniform motion.
In general relativity he stated that if the car were speeded up or slowed down or driven around
a curve, the occupant could not tell whether the forces so produced were due to gravitation or
whether they were acceleration forces brought into play by pressure on the accelerator or on the
brake or by turning the car sharply to the right or left.
Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity. Consider an astronaut standing in a
stationary rocket. Because of gravity his or her feet are pressed against the floor of the rocket with
a force equal to the person’s weight, w. If the same rocket is in outer space, far from any other
object and not influenced by gravity, the astronaut is again being pressed against the floor if the
rocket is accelerating, and if the acceleration is 9.8 m/sec2 (32 ft/sec2) (the acceleration of gravity
at the surface of the earth), the force with which the astronaut is pressed against the floor is again
equal to w. Without looking out of the window, the astronaut would have no way of telling whether
the rocket was at rest on the earth or accelerating in outer space. The force due to acceleration is in
no way distinguishable from the force due to gravity. According to Einstein’s theory, Newton’s law
of gravitation is an unnecessary hypothesis; Einstein attributes all forces, both gravitational and
those associated with acceleration, to the effects of acceleration. Thus, when the rocket is standing
still on the surface of the earth, it is attracted toward the center of the earth. Einstein states that
this phenomenon of attraction is attributable to an acceleration of the rocket. In three-dimensional
space, the rocket is stationary and therefore is not accelerated; but in four-dimensional space-
time, the rocket is in motion along its world line. According to Einstein, the world line is curved,
because of the curvature of the continuum in the neighborhood of the earth.
Thus, Newton’s hypothesis that every object attracts every other object in direct proportion
to its mass is replaced by the relativistic hypothesis that the continuum is curved in the
neighborhood of massive objects. Einstein’s law of gravity states simply that the world line of
every object is a geodesic in the continuum. A geodesic is the shortest distance between two
points, but in curved space it is not generally a straight line. In the same way, geodesics on the
surface of the earth are great circles, which are not straight lines on any ordinary map.
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Lesson 11 Mind over Machine
KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. C (Paragraph 1: OK, nothing particularly astonishing here—robot arms, after all, do
everything from building our cars to sequencing our DNA. But those robot arms are operated by
software; the arm at Duke follows commands of a different sort.)
2. D (Paragraph 6: Since then, insights into the working of the brain—how it encodes
commands for the body, and how it learns to improve those commands over time—have piled
up at an astonishing pace, and the researchers at Duke studying the macaque and the robotic
arm are at the leading edge of the technology. “This goes way beyond what’s been done
before,” …)
3. A (Paragraph 7: Nicolelis and his team are confident that in five years they will be
able to build a robot arm that can be controlled by a person with electrodes implanted in his
or her brain.)
4. B (Paragraph 7: But the success they and other groups of scientists are achieving has
triggered broader excitement in both the public and private sectors.)
5. D (Paragraph 7: Their chief focus is medical—they aim to give people with paralyzed
limbs a new tool to make everyday life easier. …High on DARPA’a wish list: mind-controlled
battle robots, and airplanes that can be flown with nothing more than thought. You were hoping
for something a bit closer to home? How about a mental telephone that you could use simply by
thinking about talking.)
6. B (Paragraph 10)
7. B (Paragraph 12: If scientist could decipher the code—to translate one signal as “life
hand” and another as “look left”, they could use the information to operate a machine. “This idea
is not new,” ... “People have thought about it since the 1960s.”)
8. D (Paragraph 13: …the need to monitor the whole brain in order to find those few would
make the successful decoding a practical impossibility. “If you wanted to have a robot arm move
left,” Chapin explains, “you would have to find that small set of neurons that would carry the
command to move to the left. But you don’t know where those cells are in advance.”)
9. A (Paragraph 14.)
87
B.
Chronological Order Experiments/Thoughts/Results
Neuroscientist began to record these impulses with implantable

electrodes. Although each neuron is coated in an insulating sheath, an
impulse still creates a weak electric field outside the cell. Researchers
1930s
studying rat and monkey brains found that by placing the sensitive tip of
an electrode near a neuron they could pick up the sudden changes in the
electric field that occurred when signals coursed through the cell.
The more scientists studied this neural code, the more they realized that
it wasn’t all that different from the on-off digital code of computers. If
1960s scientist could decipher the code—to translate one signal as “life hand”
and another as “look left”, they could use the information to operate a
machine.
For decades scientist have pondered, speculated on, and pooh-poohed

the possibility of a direct interface between a brain and a machine. Most
researchers assumed that each type of movement was governed by a
Decades before the 1990s
specific handful of the brain’s billions of neurons—the need to monitor
the whole brain in order to find those few would make the successful
decoding a practical impossibility.
Scientists started learning enough about the brain and signal-processing

to offer glimmers of hope that this science-fiction vision could become
Late 1990s reality. Since then, insights into the working of the brain—how it encodes
commands for the body, and how it learns to improve those commands
over time—have piled up at an astonishing pace.
The researchers at Duke studying the macaque and the robotic arm are
at the leading edge of the technology. Indeed, the performance of the
At present
center’s monkeys suggests that a mind-machine merger could become a
reality in humans very soon.
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1. C　　2. A　　3. D　　4. B　　5. D　　6. D　　7. C　　8. A　　9. C　　10. B
B.
1. albeit　　2. stimuli　　3. dole out　　4. give rise to　　5. turn out　　6. wish list
7. fool’s errand　　8. On the face of it　　9. Leading-Edge　　10. interface
Ⅲ. Cloze
1. pride 2. roughly 3. realm 4. apply 5. lest 6. realistic 7. through
8. awarded 9. thereafter 10. enlarging
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Lеsson 11
Mind over Machine
Ⅳ. Translation
1. 再看看那些电缆。电缆弯弯曲曲地进入计算机后盖，然后又出来，最后到达猕猴头
上的帽子里。电缆从埋在猕猴大脑里的数百个电极接收信号，猕猴用思维向机器手臂发出
指令。
2. 几十年来，科学家就一直在思索、推测大脑和机器直接联系的可能性，但都认为这
不切实际。只是到了 20 世纪 90 年代末，科学家才开始充分地了解大脑与信号处理的有关
知识，从而出现了使科幻小说的幻象变成现实的希望的曙光。
3. 解码大脑指令的想法乍看起来可能像是十足的狂妄自大。计算机怎么能窃听日常生
活每时每刻发生在大脑里的全部活动呢？
4. 但是，大多数研究人员认为，每种类型的运动都是靠大脑几十亿神经元中一些少数
特定的神经元来控制的——为了找到那些少数神经元而需要监测整个大脑则会使成功的解
码变为实际办不到的事。
5. 因此，那时知道的一切表明，脑 - 机联系是徒劳无益之举。结果证明，那一切都是
错误的。

1. In what ways is the robot arm in Duke’s lab different from other robot arms?
The other robot arms are operated by software; but the arm at Duke follows commands of a
different sort: It is moved by the monkey with its thoughts. There are cables, one end connected
with the computer, the other end linked with a cap on the monkey’s head where signals from
hundreds of electrodes buried in its brain can be received. In this way the monkey is directing the
robot with its thoughts.
2. Cite examples from the text to show the possible applications of Duke’s brain-
machine research.
(1) A robot arm that can be controlled by a person with electrodes implanted in his or her
brain. So people with paralyzed limbs can get a new tool to make everyday life easier.
(2) Mind-controlled battle robots, and airplanes that can be flown with nothing more than
thought.
(3) A mental telephone that you could use simply by thinking about talking.
3. What do you think of Duke’s brain-machine research?
Open.
4. Discuss the leading-edge technologies in your special research field. (or: Discuss your
favorite leading-edge technologies.)
Open.
5. How has technology changed our lives?
Open.
89
Carl Zimmer:
“The guy is smarter than anyone I know. If you were to open up his head, his brain would
burst out like an airbag.”
—Mary Roach
The New York Times Book Review calls Carl Zimmer “as fine a science essayist as we have”.
He is the author of five books about science.
His first book, At the Water’s Edge (1999), followed scientists as they tackled two of the most
intriguing evolutionary puzzles of all: how fish walked ashore, and how whales returned to the
sea. It was followed in 2000 by Parasite Rex , which explores the bizarre world of nature’s most
successful life forms. In 2001 he published Evolution: The Triumph of an Idea, the companion
volume to a PBS television series. It was named one of the best science books of the year by both
Discover and New Scientist.
Soul Made Flesh, published in 2004, chronicled the dawn of neurology in the 1600s. The
Sunday Telegraph calls it a “tour-de-force”, and it was named one of the 100 notable books
of 2004 by the New York Times Book Review. His latest book is Smithsonian Guide to Human
Evolution, published in November 2005 by Smithsonian Books. He is now writing a book about E.
coli and the meaning of life.
Zimmer writes regularly about science for The New York Times, as well as for magazines
including TIME, Scientific American, National Geographic, Science, Newsweek, Natural History,
and Discover, where he is a contributing editor. His book reviews appear in The New York Times
Book Review, The Washington Post Book World, Newsday, and Scientific American.
His honors include the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s 2004
Science Journalism Award. Zimmer has also won the Pan-American Health Organization Award
for Excellence in International Health Reporting, the American Institute Biological Sciences
Media Award, and the Everett Clark Award for science writing. His work has appeared in
The Best American Science and Nature Writing series. In 2002 he was named a John Simon
Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow. He is also an associate fellow at Morse College, Yale
University.
Zimmer frequently lectures about science, and has appeared on numerous radio programs,
including “Fresh Air” and “This American Life”.

1. More about the brain-machine interface research: Researchers at Duke University
Medical Center have taught rhesus monkeys to consciously control the movement of a robot
arm in real time, using only signals from their brains and visual feedback on a video screen. The
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Mind over Machine
scientists said that the animals appeared to operate the robot arm as if it were their own limb.
The scientists and engineers said their achievement represents an important step toward
technology that could enable paralyzed people to control “neuroprosthetic” limbs, and even free-
roaming “neurorobots” using brain signals.
Importantly, said the neurobiologists, the technology they developed for analyzing brain
signals from behaving animals could also greatly improve rehabilitation of people with brain
and spinal cord damage from stroke, disease or trauma. By understanding the biological factors
that control the brain’s adaptability, they said, clinicians could develop improved drugs and
rehabilitation methods for people with such damage.
The advance was reported in an article published online Oct. 13, 2003, in the Public
Library of Science (PLoS), by neurobiologists led by Miguel Nicolelis, M.D., who is professor
of neurobiology and co-director of the Duke Center for Neuroengineering. Lead author of the
paper was Jose Carmena, Ph.D., in the Nicolelis laboratory. Besides Nicolelis, the other senior
co-author is Craig Henriquez, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering in the Pratt
School of Engineering, who is also the other center co-director. The research was funded by the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the James S. McDonnell Foundation.
In previous research, Nicolelis and his colleagues demonstrated a brain-signal recording and
analysis system that enabled them to decipher brain signals from owl monkeys in order to control
the movement of a robot arm.
The latest work by the Duke researchers is the first to demonstrate that monkeys can learn to
use only visual feedback and brain signals, without resort to any muscle movement, to control a
mechanical robot arm—including both reaching and grasping movements.
“The most amazing result, though, was that after only a few days of playing with the
robot in this way, the monkey suddenly realized that she didn’t need to move her arm at all,”
said Nicolelis. “Her arm muscles went completely quiet, she kept the arm at her side and she
controlled the robot arm using only her brain and visual feedback. Our analyses of the brain
signals showed that the animal learned to assimilate the robot arm into her brain as if it was her
own arm.” Importantly, said Nicolelis, the experiments included both reaching and grasping
movements, but derived from the same sets of electrodes.
“We knew that the neurons from which we were recording could encode different kinds
of information,” said Nicolelis. “But what was a surprise is that the animal can learn to time
the activity of the neurons to basically control different types of parameters sequentially. For
example, after using a group of neurons to move the robot to a certain point, these same cells
would then produce the force output that the animals need to hold an object. None of us had ever
encountered an ability like that.”
Also importantly, said Nicolelis, analysis of the signals from the animals’ brains as they
learned revealed that the brain circuitry was actively reorganizing itself to adapt.
91
“It was extraordinary to see that when we switched the animal from joystick control to
brain control, the physiological properties of the brain cells changed immediately. And when we
switched the animal back to joystick control the very next day, the properties changed again.”
“Such findings tell us that the brain is so amazingly adaptable that it can incorporate an
external device into its own ‘neuronal space’ as a natural extension of the body,” said Nicolelis.
“Actually, we see this every day, when we use any tool, from a pencil to a car. As we learn to use
that tool, we incorporate the properties of that tool into our brain, which makes us proficient in
using it.” Said Nicolelis, such findings of brain plasticity in mature animals and humans are in
sharp contrast to traditional views that only in childhood is the brain plastic enough to allow for
such adaptation.
According to Nicolelis, the finding that their brain-machine interface system can work
in animals will have direct application to clinical development of neuroprosthetic devices for
paralyzed people.
2. Duke University: Duke University is a private coeducational research university located
in Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A. The school, which officially became Duke University in 1924,
traces its institutional roots to 1838. Beginning in the 1970s, Duke administrators began a long-
term effort to strengthen Duke’s reputation both nationally and internationally. Interdisciplinary
work was emphasized, as was recruiting minority faculty and students.
In its 2007 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranked the undergraduate division eighth in
the nation (down from fifth in 2006), while ranking the medical, law, and business schools among
the top 11 in the country. Duke’s research expenditures are among the largest in the U.S. and the
athletic program is one of the nation’s elite.
Rankings
In the 2007 U.S. News & World Report ranking of undergraduate programs at doctoral
granting institutions, Duke ranked 8th. In the past decade, U.S. News has placed Duke as high
as 3rd and as low as 8th. Duke was ranked the 13th-best university in the world in 2006 by The
Times Higher Education Supplement (THES). In the “Faculty/Student” category (a measure
of the amount of attention students can hope to receive from faculty), THES ranked Duke
first in the world. Duke was ranked 32nd globally and 24th nationally by Shanghai Jiao Tong
University in 2005 in terms of quality of scientific research and number of Nobel Prizes. The
Wall Street Journal ranked Duke sixth in its “feeder” rankings in 2006, analyzing the percentage
of undergraduates that enroll in what it considers the top five medical, law, and business schools.
Carnegie Communications ranked Duke fifth among U.S. universities in regard to students’
perceptions of quality and third for popularity in 2004. A survey by the Journal of Blacks in
Higher Education in 2002 ranked Duke as the best university in the country in regards to the
integration of African American students and faculty.
In U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2007”, Duke’s medical
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Mind over Machine
school ranked 6th for research and tied for 6th for primary care, while the law school ranked
11th. Among business schools in the United States, the Fuqua School of Business was ranked
11th by U.S. News and 9th by BusinessWeek in 2006. The graduate program for the Pratt School
of Engineering was ranked 30th by U.S. News and 2nd by The Princeton Review in 2006 among
national engineering schools. In the rankings of doctoral programs by U.S. News & World Report,
Duke ranked 1st in literary criticism and theory, 5th in ecology and evolutionary biology, 5th
in biomedical engineering, tied for 12th for doctoral programs in the sciences, tied for 21st in
mathematics, tied for 25th in computer science, tied for 29th in physics, and ranked 38th in
chemistry.
3. Duke University Center for Neuroengineering: The Center for Neuroengineering
brings together engineers, biologists, physicists, mathematicians, neurologists and psychologists
to advance the methodologies for the recording, imaging and analyzing normal and abnormal
brain activity. The center brings new capabilities to the community of Neuroscientists on campus
but will house state-of-the-art computational and fabrication facilities for developing novel
technologies for the brain.
By partnering with existing departments, the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the
Brain Imaging and Analysis Center and their outstanding faculties and facilities, the Center
for Neuroengineering will become the intellectual hub for neuro-based technologies such as
neurochips, system-level computational modeling, and in the application of electrophysiological
and functional imaging techniques to both monitor and treat neurological diseases.
Co-Director Miguel Nicolelis’s research in brain machine interfaces has been recognized
in MIT’s Magazine of Innovation Technology as among the top 10 “Emerging Technologies That
Will Change the World”.
4. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency: The Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible
for the development of new technology for use by the military. DARPA was responsible for
funding development of many technologies which have had a major impact on the world,
including computer networking (starting with the ARPANET, which eventually grew into the
Internet), as well as NLS, which was both the first hypertext system, and an important precursor
to the contemporary ubiquitous graphical user interface.
Its original name was simply Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), but it was
renamed DARPA (for Defense) on March 23, 1972, then back to ARPA on February 22, 1993,
and then back to DARPA again on March 11, 1996
DARPA was established in 1958 in response to the Soviet launching of Sputnik in 1957,
with the mission of keeping the U.S.’s military technology ahead of its enemies. DARPA
is independent from other more conventional military R&D and reports directly to senior
Department of Defense management. DARPA has around 240 personnel (about 140 technical)
93
directly managing a $3.2 billion budget. These figures are “on average” since DARPA focuses on
short-term (two- to four-year) projects run by small, purpose-built teams.
5. The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn: Formally
known as The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn—but better
known to patients and Brooklyn neighbors as SUNY Downstate Medical Center—it is older than
the Brooklyn Bridge. It traces its roots back to 1860, when a school of medicine was founded at
the Long Island College Hospital. The new college’s faculty revolutionized medical education in
this country by bringing the teaching of medicine to the hospital bedside, thus rejecting the idea
that physicians should be trained exclusively in university lecture halls.
Today, SUNY Downstate is one of the nation’s leading urban medical centers. SUNY
Downstate comprises a College of Medicine, College of Health Related Professions, College of
Nursing, School of Graduate Studies, and University Hospital of Brooklyn.
University Hospital of Brooklyn is the borough’s only hospital located at an academic
medical center. As such, it offers the most advanced and comprehensive care in Brooklyn.
Many of its physicians are regularly rated among the best in New York City. Some are known
throughout the world.
94
Lesson 12　2 Inches Between Life, Death
KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. A (Paragraph 2: But its protective sheath of about 26,000 tiles is under intense scrutiny
in the investigation of the accident that killed seven astronauts and scattered wreckage across the
Southwest.)
2. D (Paragraph 3: The exotic tiles of silica—fused from the purest river sand—are in many
ways the essence of NASA itself, embodying the agency’s engineering resourcefulness and its
daring, as well as its false starts and misjudgments.)
3. C (Paragraph 5: Tiles begin as glassy 6-inch squares of silica are molded from a slurry of
sand, seasoned with traces of exotic chemicals and baked in the world’s largest microwave oven.
The finished slabs are the size of Texas toast.)
4. A (Paragraph 6: Every square inch of the spacecraft behaved differently, said Subra
Suresh, a materials engineering expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Consequently,
each tile is custom-fitted to its exact spot on the shuttle more precisely than a Savile Row suit.
There was to be no such thing as a standard, off-the-shelf tile.)
5. A (Paragraph 8: When Columbia returned from a 16-day mission in December 1997,
technicians reportedly found 308 scratches, streaks and cracks in tiles. The damaged tiles were
only 2 inches thick and the deepest hits penetrated three-quarters of the way through. “It has
always been one of the most difficult challenges that the shuttle program has had to deal with,”
said David Spencer, an aerospace engineer at Penn State. )
6. D (Paragraph 9: In all, Columbia had lost 15 tiles, but NASA replaced hundreds more
before allowing Columbia to fly again.)
7. B (Paragraph 10: The vibration of its twin boosters shook loose a chunk of foam
insulation from its external fuel tank 80 seconds after lift-off. As the shuttle accelerated to 1,900
mph, the foam struck the left wing so hard that the fragment disintegrated.)
8. A (Paragraph 12: When Columbia made its first flight, it was armored in 34,000 tiles.
Today, there are 24,000 to 26,000 tiles on every space shuttle, as NASA has refined and improved
the materials used in the heat shield.)
9. C (Paragraph 13: At its height, the manufacture of shuttle tiles was a booming cottage
industry, involving 13 contractors from Los Angeles to Dedham, Mass. But after 22 years, tile
operations have been consolidated under one contractor at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida,
95
and the job itself has become more of a museum-restoration task, like replacing one broken plate
in a pattern of antique china.)
10. D (Paragraph 15: The tiles, in a sense, will always be an experiment. No one has ever
flown such materials back and forth from space so many times. No one can really tell how long
they might endure. “The question of what may be the real lifetime of these tiles is still up in the
air,” Goldstein said.)
B.
1. 18; space shuttle
2. tiles
3. first manned experiment
4. custom-fitted; off-the-shelf
5. routine
6. altered; subtle
7. hand-held laser scanners
8. experiment; up in the air
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1. C　　2. D　　3. B　　4. A　　5. A　　6. C　　7. C　　8. B　　9. B　　10. A
B.
1. come close to 2. consolidated …into 3. sought to 4. In a sense
5. are up in the air 6. keep track 7. worrying/worried about 8. despite
9. back and forth 10. live with
Ⅲ. Cloze
1. scheduled 2. mission 3. which 4. surface 5. launch 6. damaging
7. whatsoever 8. crew 9. cooperated 10. wreckage
Ⅳ. Translation
1. 这奇特的二氧化硅瓦片——由最纯净的河沙熔制而成——在许多方面代表着国家航
空航天局本身，既体现了这个机构技术上的足智多谋和胆识，也体现了它的错误出发点和
判断失误。
2. 加利福尼亚理工学院航空和应用物理学教授保罗 · 迪莫塔基斯说，作为一个技术问
题，这些瓦具有平衡热量、强度、重量和柔韧性的独特能力；它们是保护航天飞机的铝合
金机身在重返地球大气层时不被高温火舌熔化所必需的。
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Lеsson 12
2 Inches Between Life, Death
3. 这些瓦最初是玻璃状的 6 英寸见方的硅片，由砂浆模铸而成，添加微量的特殊的化
学物质并在世界上最大的微波炉中烘焙，制成的瓦片有得克萨斯烤面包片大小。它们重如
轻木的木材。宾夕法尼亚大学冶金学家查尔斯 · 麦克马洪说，它们像海绵一样多孔，像掉
到地上的咖啡杯那样易碎。
4. 因此，每一片瓦都是按照其在航天飞机上的确切位置专门定制的，其精确度胜于萨
维尔 · 罗的赛车服。不会有任何标准规格的现货。
5. “哥伦比亚”号最后一次飞行就这样开始了——在许多方面像它的第一次飞行。在
它 1981 年的处女航行中，火箭猛烈的冲击力摇动 2 200 吨重的航天飞机就像摇动一个空
的垃圾桶。大大小小的冰凌从航天飞机的窗子上四下弹出。
6. 为了跟踪使用情况，这成千上万块瓦都按其大小、类型以及在飞机上的位置一一进
行登记编目。每一块都用抹不掉的数字条形码做上记号。在飞行高峰期，航天飞机防热瓦
的制造业是个兴旺的家庭小工业，从洛杉矶到麻省戴达姆有 13 家承包商参与其中。

1. What does the title of the passage “2 Inches Between Life, Death” mean?
“2 Inches” in the title refers to the measure of most of the space shuttle Columbia’s ceramic
heat-shield tiles. At 18 times the speed of sound, Columbia’s protective sheath of about 26,000
tiles playing a crucial role is protecting the shuttle, and therefore, the lives of its seven astronauts
on board. As it turned out, the space shuttle was destroyed on its way back to earth, and
investigators suspected that there could have been something wrong with the tiles.
2. How are tiles for space shuttles produced? And what are they like?
Tiles begin as glassy 6-inch squares of silica are molded from a slurry of sand, seasoned with
traces of exotic chemicals and baked in the world’s largest microwave oven. The finished slabs
are the size of Texas toast. They have the heft of balsa wood. They are as porous as a sponge,
brittle as a coffee mug dropped on the floor.
3. What happened when Columbia shuddered off the launch pad in its last mission?
Eighty seconds after lift-off in Columbia’s last mission, the vibration of its twin boosters
shook loose a chunk of foam insulation from its external fuel tank. As the shuttle accelerated to
1,900 mph, the foam struck the left wing so hard that the fragment disintegrated.
4. How is each of the tiles for a space shuttle individually treated after each mission?
Every tile for a space shuttle is unique. The space shuttle fleet still requires many people
working with hand-held laser scanners to inspect, tag, document and replace damaged tiles after
each mission. To keep track, each of the thousands of tiles is cataloged according to size, type of
tile and location on the vehicle. Each one is marked with an indelible digital barcode.
5. Did scientists worry about the effects that age would have on reusable tiles before the
Columbia accident? Do scientists know the lifetime of tiles for space shuttles?
Yes. According to the passage, even before the Columbia accident, scientists were worrying
97
about the effects of age on the reusable tiles. There were concerns that repeated exposure to
the stresses and extreme temperatures of spaceflight could alter the ceramics in ways normal
inspections would not reveal. As for the lifetime of space shuttle tiles, no one can really tell
how long the tiles might endure. According to Goldstein, “The question of what may be the real
lifetime of these tiles is still up in the air.”
6. Space science can be a risky business, both for astronauts and scientists. If you were an
astronaut, or a space scientist, what comments would you make on the Columbia accident?
Open.
Robert Lee Hotz: a Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer for the Los Angeles Times, has
been named a 1998 Science Writer in Residence by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Hotz has been covering science full time for 16 years. For the past five years Hotz, 48, has
covered science, medicine, technology and research issues for the Los Angeles Times.
He has three times won the American Association for the Advancement of Science
Journalism Award (AAAS) for distinguished science writing. He has also won the Walter Sullivan
Award from the American Geophysical Union and, in 1995, he shared a Pulitzer Prize with
colleagues for coverage of the Northridge Earthquake. In 1987, he was Pulitzer Prize finalist for
his coverage of genetic engineering issues.

1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): an agency of the United
States government responsible for developing space exploration and research initiatives, as well
as coordinating various communications-related projects. NASA also administers the space
shuttle program and a variety of other endeavors, which include improving the performance of
airplanes and rockets (aeronautics), conducting scientific experiments in space, improving data-
tracking technology, increasing international alliances for space activities, and establishing
partnerships between private companies and government agencies in the aeronautics industry.
2. Space Shuttle: a spacecraft designed for transporting humans and cargo to and from
orbit around Earth. The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
developed the shuttle in the 1970s to serve as a reusable rocket and spacecraft. This objective
differed significantly from that of previous space programs in which the launch and space
vehicles could be used only once. After ten years of preparation, the first space shuttle, Columbia,
was launched on April 12, 1981. Today NASA has three space shuttles: Discovery, acquired in
1983; Atlantis, which arrived in 1985; and Endeavour, which joined the fleet in 1991. The Union
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Lеsson 12
2 Inches Between Life, Death
of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) started a shuttle program in 1988 with the Buran space
shuttle, but the program was halted in 1993.
The space shuttle was initially used to deploy satellites in orbit; to carry scientific experiments
such as Spacelab, a modular arrangement of experiments installed in the shuttle’s cargo bay; and
to carry out military missions. As the program has matured, the space shuttle also has been used
to service and repair orbiting satellites and to retrieve and return to the earth previously deployed
spacecraft.
The space shuttle carries a wide range of equipment, known as the payload, into space,
ranging from communication, military, and astronomical satellites; space experiments for
studying the apparent weightlessness (called “microgravity”) experienced aboard a shuttle flight;
and human experimental facilities. Often, NASA collaborates with other countries by allowing
them to use shuttle cargo space for special projects.
The space shuttle is designed to leave Earth as a vertically launched rocket weighing up to 2.0
million kg (4.5 million lb) with 3 million kg (7 million lb) of thrust from its multiple propulsion
systems. The orbiter segment returns from space—withstanding the intense heat when entering
Earth’s atmosphere. Flown by the shuttle crew much like an aircraft, the shuttle lands horizontally
on a conventional airport runway.
The crew of the shuttle is an integral part of the system and is critical to the success of each
mission. The flight crew is led by the commander and backed up by the pilot—both are professional
astronauts and proven pilots with extensive space systems and operations training. Their primary
responsibility is to fly the shuttle as a launch vehicle, spacecraft, and aircraft.
The remaining crew members—up to five more people—are responsible for the unique
aspects of a particular space mission. The mission specialist is the lead astronaut and ensures that
the mission meets all the objectives. Payload specialists are experts in that mission’s objectives
and cargo, which are usually space experiments or artificial satellites. Often the payload
specialists are astronauts from other countries on board to help with a project in which their
country has an interest.
3. the space shuttle Columbia: It broke apart and burned up while reentering Earth’s
atmosphere over Texas on February 1, 2003. The entire seven-member crew was killed as they
returned to Earth after completing a series of scientific experiments. Investigation of the disaster
pointed to structural failure of the shuttle’s left wing. Sensors inside the wing recorded unusually
high temperatures just before NASA lost contact with the shuttle. The wing may have been
damaged during lift-off when it was struck by a piece of insulation from the external fuel tank.
Such falling debris is common during launches, however, and NASA engineers felt the incident posed
no danger. The space shuttle fleet has been grounded indefinitely while the investigation proceeds and
until preventive measures can be taken to insure that no similar accident can occur again.
4. Apollo Program: American manned lunar-space program designed to land an astronaut
99
on the moon and return him safely to earth, as well as to overtake the former Soviet Union in
the race to dominate space exploration. Conducted between May 1961 and December 1972 by
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the program successfully landed
Neil Armstrong—the first person to walk on the moon—and 11 other astronauts on the moon.
The program included 12 manned missions: 2 into earth orbit (Apollo 7 and 9); 2 into lunar orbit
(Apollo 8 and 10); 3 lunar landing missions (Apollo 11, 12, and 14); and 3 lunar exploration
missions (Apollo 15, 16, and 17), which involved extended stays on the moon’s surface and more
in depth scientific exploration. One mission was lost during a test on the launch pad (Apollo
1), and one mission returned to the earth before making a scheduled lunar landing (Apollo 13).
Following the Apollo program, Apollo spacecraft were used to shuttle astronauts to and from the
Skylab space station, and an Apollo spacecraft docked with the orbiting Soviet spacecraft Soyuz
19 in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project.
The Apollo program was initiated by United States President John F. Kennedy on May 25,
1961. It was preceded by the manned Gemini program, which engineers used to develop the
techniques that would be needed for the ambitious trip to the moon, and the unmanned Surveyor
Program, which scientists used to probe the lunar surface. At the peak of Apollo preparations
in 1965, NASA employed 36,000 civil servants, 376,700 contractor employees, and a yearly
operating budget of $5.2 billion. Between 1961 and 1973, NASA spent approximately $25.4
billion on the Apollo missions.
5. Caltech: California Institute of Technology, a private, coeducational institution in Pasadena,
California. The institute, commonly known as Caltech, was founded in 1891 by Amos Gager
Throop and known successively as Throop University, Throop Polytechnic Institute, and Throop
College of Technology. The present name was adopted in 1920. Caltech confers bachelor’s,
master’s, and doctoral degrees in a broad range of fields. It offers courses of study in the physical
sciences, natural sciences, computer science, aerospace engineering, civil engineering, electrical
engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, materials sciences, neurosciences,
and planetary and space sciences.
Research facilities include the Beckman Institute for Fundamental Research in Biology and
Chemistry, the Seismological Laboratory, and Mead Chemistry Laboratory. Off-campus, affiliated
installations include the Palomar Observatory, on Palomar Mountain, California; the W.M. Keck
Observatory, at Mauna Kea, Hawaii; and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in Pasadena.
6. Savile Row suit: a kind of sports suit usually worn by car racers
7. Kennedy Space Center: one of the facilities administrated by NASA. It is located in
Merritt Island, Florida. It is one of the five space centers where space shuttles launch and land.
The other four space centers are: the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas; the
Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland; and the George C. Marshall Space Flight
Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
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Lеsson 13
Cat in the Rain
Unit Five
Reading Short Stories and Novels
Lesson 13　Cat in the Rain

KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. D (Paragraph 1: There were only two Americans stopping at the hotel…It was raining.
The rain dripped from the palm trees. Water stood in pools on the gravel paths…Motorcars were
gone from the square by the war monument. Across the square in the doorway of the café a waiter
stood looking out at the empty square.)
2. B (Paragraph 1: They did not know any of the people they passed on the stairs on the
way to and from their room.)
3. A (The whole text.)
4. B (Paragraph 10: She liked the deadly serious way he received any complaints. She liked
his dignity. She liked the way he wanted to serve her. She liked the way he felt about being a
hotelkeeper. )
5. B (Paragraph 22: The padrone made her feel very small and at the same time really
important. )
6. D (Paragraph 28: She went over and went in front of the mirror of the dressing table,
looking at herself with the hand glass. She studied her profile, first one side and then the other.
Then she studied the back of her head and her neck…Paragraph 34: She laid the mirror down on
the dresser and went over to the window and looked out.)
7. C (Paragraphs 32: George shifted his position in the bed. He hadn’t looked away from
her since she started to speak. Paragraph 33: “You look pretty darned nice,” he said.)
8. A (Paragraph 38: “Oh, shut up and get something to read,” George said. He was reading
101
again. )
B.
1. What is the setting of the story?

An American tourist couple was stranded in an Italian hotel in rainy days, with no sight-
seeing, nobody to talk to, and nothing to do.
2. What are the characters in the story?
The American couple, the hotelkeeper, the maid and the cat.
3. What is the conflict of the story? And how did the author present it?
As the American tourist couple was stranded in an Italian hotel on rainy days they couldn’t
go sight-seeing, talk to others or do other things. Their holiday was ruined. So the wife felt bored
and depressed. But the husband cared little about his wife’s feeling. He just paid lip services and
killed his time by reading a book. By contrasting with the hotelkeeper’s good service (though
professional) the author was able to highlight the husband’s indifference to his wife’s feelings.
4. What is the ending of the story?
The hotelkeeper sent a cat for the American wife.
5. What is the theme of the story?
In the story “Cat in the Rain” the author described a trivial matter in common life, but
brought the readers into focus a rift in the relationship between the American husband and wife.
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1. B　　2. A　　3. C　　4. D　　5. C　　6. B　　7. A　　8. B　　9. D　　10. C
B.
1. look up 2. compact 3. dignity 4. supreme 5. profile 6. shift
7. clipped on 8. look after 9. tired of 10. swung
Ⅲ. Cloze
1. in line　　2. generated　　3. vivid　　4. probes　　5. Free of
6. impact　　7. than　　8. grounded　　9. extended　　10. positive
Ⅳ. Translation
1. 艺术家们喜欢棕榈树生长的形状以及那面对花园与大海的旅馆明亮的色彩。
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Lеsson 13
Cat in the Rain
2. 雨水在砾石路上聚集成了一个个小水坑。海水涌上了沙滩，在与雨水相接之处形

成了一条长长的分界线，之后又顺着沙滩滑回去，然后再涌上沙滩，又形成了一条长长
的分界线。
3. 就在他们的窗外一只小猫蹲在一张绿色的滴着雨水的桌子下面。它尽量地缩着身子
以免被雨水淋湿。
4. 她喜欢旅馆老板非常认真地听取顾客意见的方式。她喜欢他那威严的样子。
5. 女孩的心被轻轻地触动了。旅馆老板对她的态度使她感到自己既柔弱又非常重要……
在一瞬间感觉自己好像是最重要的人物了。

1. Why does the author use a long paragraph to describe the setting of the story?
He uses the long paragraph to serve as a foil to the emotion of the female leading character:
being stranded in a Italian hotel in rainy days, she felt bored, depressed, helpless and fidgeting.
2. Why does the author use “want” 10 times when describing the wife’s argument with
her husband?
The repetition of the word highlights the emotional stress of the wife.
3. Hemingway is known for his simplicity and style. This is fully reflected in his short
story “Cat in the Rain”. He only uses less than 20 adjective modifiers in it. Please try to find
them.
American, public, big, empty, green, good, bright, long, poor, far, serious, old, heavy, bad,
dim, new, small, momentary, supreme…
4. Have you ever read any other stories written by Hemingway? Can you name their
common characteristics?
Open.
Hemingway, Ernest Miller: (1899—1961) American novelist and short-story writer, whose
style is characterized by crispness, laconic dialogue, and emotional understatement. Hemingway’s
writings and his personal life exerted a profound influence on American writers of his time. Many
of his works are regarded as classics of American literature, and some have been made into motion
pictures.
Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Hemingway was educated at Oak Park High School. After
graduating from high school in 1917, he became a reporter for the Kansas City Star, but he left
his job within a few months to serve as a volunteer ambulance driver in Italy during World War
Ⅰ (1914—1918). He later transferred to the Italian infantry and was severely wounded. After the
war he served as a correspondent for the Toronto Star and then settled in Paris. While there, he was
103
encouraged in creative work by the American expatriate writers Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein.
After 1927 Hemingway spent long periods of time in Key West, Florida, and in Spain and Africa.
During the Spanish Civil War (1936—1939), he returned to Spain as a newspaper correspondent.
In World War Ⅱ (1939—1945) he again was a correspondent and later was a reporter for the
United States First Army; although he was not a soldier, he participated in several battles. After the
war Hemingway settled near Havana, Cuba, and in 1958 he moved to Ketchum, Idaho.
Hemingway drew heavily on his experiences as an avid fisherman, hunter, and bullfight
enthusiast in his writing. His adventurous life brought him close to death several times: in the
Spanish Civil War when shells burst inside his hotel room; in World War Ⅱ when he was struck
by a taxi during a blackout; and in 1954 when his airplane crashed in Africa.
One of the foremost authors of the era between the two world wars, Hemingway in his early
works depicted the lives of two types of people. One type consisted of men and women deprived,
by World War Ⅰ , of faith in the moral values in which they had believed, and who lived with
cynical disregard for anything but their own emotional needs. The other type were men of simple
character and primitive emotions, such as prizefighters and bullfighters. Hemingway wrote of
their courageous and usually futile battles against circumstances. His earliest works include the
collections of short stories Three Stories and Ten Poems (1923), his first work; In Our Time (1924),
tales reflecting his experiences as a youth in the northern Michigan woods; Men Without Women
(1927), a volume that included “The Killers”, remarkable for its description of impending doom;
and Winner Take Nothing (1933), stories characterizing people in unfortunate circumstances in
Europe. The novel that established Hemingway’s reputation, The Sun Also Rises (1926), is the
story of a group of morally irresponsible Americans and Britons living in France and Spain,
members of the so-called lost generation of the post-World War Ⅰ period. Hemingway’s second
important novel, A Farewell to Arms (1929), is the story of a deeply moving love affair in wartime
Italy between an American officer in the Italian ambulance service and a British nurse. The novel
was followed by two nonfiction works, Death in the Afternoon (1932), prose pieces mainly about
bullfighting; and Green Hills of Africa (1935), accounts of big-game hunting.
Hemingway’s economical writing style often seems simple and almost childlike, but his
method is calculated and used to complex effect. In his writing Hemingway provided detached
descriptions of action, using simple nouns and verbs to capture scenes precisely. By doing so he
avoided describing his characters’ emotions and thoughts directly. Instead, in providing the reader
with the raw material of an experience and eliminating the authorial viewpoint, Hemingway
made the reading of a text approximate the actual experience as closely as possible. Hemingway
was also deeply concerned with authenticity in writing. He believed that a writer could treat a
subject honestly only if the writer had participated in or observed the subject closely. Without
such knowledge the writer’s work would be flawed because the reader would sense the author’s
lack of expertise. In addition, Hemingway believed that an author writing about a familiar subject
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Lеsson 13
Cat in the Rain
is able to write sparingly and eliminate a great deal of superfluous detail from the piece without
sacrificing the voice of authority. Hemingway’s stylistic influence on American writers has been
enormous. The success of his plain style in expressing basic, yet deeply felt, emotions contributed
to the decline of the elaborate Victorian-era prose that characterized a great deal of American
writing in the early 20th century. Legions of American writers have cited Hemingway as an
influence on their own work.
In his original work, Hemingway used themes of helplessness and defeat, but in the late 1930s
he began to express concern about social problems. His novel To Have and Have Not (1937) and
his play The Fifth Column, published in The Fifth Column and the First Forty-nine Stories (1938),
strongly condemned economic and political injustices. Two of his best short stories, “The Short
Happy Life of Francis Macomber” and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”, were part of the latter work.
In the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), which deals with the Spanish Civil War, he showed
that the loss of liberty anywhere in the world is a warning that liberty is endangered everywhere.
During the next decade Hemingway’s only literary efforts were Men at War: The Best War Stories
of All Time (1942), which he edited, and the novel Across the River and into the Trees (1950).
In 1952 Hemingway published The Old Man and the Sea, a powerful novelette about an aged
Cuban fisherman, for which he won the 1953 Pulitzer Prize in fiction. In 1954 Hemingway was
awarded the Nobel Prize in literature. The last work published in his lifetime was Collected Poems
(1960). He committed suicide in Ketchum, Idaho, in 1961. Hemingway’s posthumously published
books include A Moveable Feast (1964), an account of his early years in Paris; Byline: Ernest
Hemingway (1967), selected newspaper articles and dispatches; Ernest Hemingway, Cub Reporter:
Kansas City Star Stories (1970); Islands in the Stream (1970), a sea novel; the unfinished The
Garden of Eden (1986); and True at First Light (1999), edited by Hemingway’s son Patrick from a
draft manuscript.
105
Lesson 14　The Stolen Party
KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. A (Paragraph 1: As soon as she arrived she went straight to the kitchen to see if the
monkey was there. It was: what a relief! She wouldn’t have liked to admit that her mother had
been right. )
2. B (Paragraphs 2-3.)
3. C (Paragraph 13: “Monkeys at a birthday?” she said. “Get away with you, believing any
nonsense you’re told!”)
4. D (Paragraph 16.)
5. B (Paragraph 20: Señora Ines had said: “You yes, but not the others, they’re much too
boisterous, they might break something.”)
6. C (Paragraphs 21-36.)
7. D (Paragraphs 31-36.)
8. A (Paragraph 40: The best came after Luciana blew out the candles. First the cake.
Señora Ines had asked her to help pass the cake around, and Rosaura had enjoyed the task
immensely, because everyone called out to her, shouting “Me, me!” Rosaura remembered a story
in which there was a queen who had the power of life or death over her subjects. She had always
loved that, having the power of life or death. To Luciana and the boys she gave the largest pieces,
and to the girl with the bow she gave a slice so thin one could see through it.)
9. C (Paragraph 59: But one could see that she was beaming.)
10. D (Paragraph 73: Rosaura felt her arms stiffen, stick close to her body, and then she noticed her
mother’s hand on her shoulder. Instinctively, she pressed herself against her mother’s body. That was all.
Except her eyes. Rosaura’s eyes had a cold, clear look that fixed itself on Señora Ines’s face.)
B.
Characters Relationship with Rosaura

Luciana Playmate
Señora Ines Mother’s employer
Herminia Mother
The magician One that gave her the best compliment
Girl with the bow in the hair Playmate Luciana’s cousin
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Lеsson 14
The Stolen Party
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1. A　　2. B　　3. C　　4. D　　5. B　　6. C　　7. D　　8. A　　9. C　　10. D
B.
1. were fixed on　　2. rinse　　3. swung　　4. unmanly　　5. How come
6. so there　　7. every so often　　8. beamed　　9. the odd one out　　10. sparkle
Ⅲ. Cloze
1. learned 2. infinitely 3. down 4. ago 5. but 6. come 7. still
8. as 9. going 10. reached 11. go out of 12. wholeness 13. which
14. no more than 15. While 16. without 17. never 18. beyond
19. above 20. until
Ⅳ. Translation
1. 她一到那儿就直奔厨房，看猴子是否在那里。猴子在：心里一块石头落了地！她可
不愿意承认妈妈是对的。生日聚会上有猴子？她妈妈曾讥笑道。去你的吧，别人说什么胡
话你都信！
2. 罗索娜从没有打碎过什么东西。她甚至把盛橙汁的大缸子从厨房拿到了餐厅。她
小心翼翼地捧着，一滴橙汁都没溅出来。伊内丝夫人说：“ 那么大的缸子，你肯定拿得了
吗 ?” 她当然拿得了。她可不像别的孩子那样毛手毛脚的。比如那个头发上别着蝴蝶结的
金发女孩。
3. 她妈妈很明白地告诉她：“ 如果有人问，你就说你是雇员的女儿，就这样。” 她还
叫她加一句：“ 我很自豪。” 不过罗索娜觉得自己一辈子也没有勇气说那样的话。
4. 但最快乐的还在后面。那是在露茜安娜吹了蜡烛以后。首先是蛋糕。伊内丝夫人
让她帮着分发蛋糕，罗索娜万分喜欢做这件事，因为每个人都向她喊着：“给我！给我！”
罗索娜想起一个故事，故事中的女王对臣民有着生杀予夺的权力。她一直都喜欢这一点，
拥有生杀予夺的权力。
5. 她不害怕。不论是抱着猴子，还是当魔术师让猴子消失的时候；甚至在最后，魔术
师挥动他的红色斗篷盖住罗索娜的头，念了几句咒语，她也没有害怕……猴子又回来了，
在她的臂弯里兴奋地叽叽叫唤。
6. 罗索娜觉得自己的手臂僵硬，粘在身体上，然后她注意到妈妈的手搭在自己的肩上。
她本能地紧贴着妈妈的身体。就这样一动不动。除了她的眼睛。罗索娜的目光冰冷而清澈，
死死地盯着伊内丝夫人的脸。
伊内丝夫人伸着手，站在那里一动不动。她似乎不敢把手缩回去，似乎一个极其轻微
的动作就可能打破一种无限微妙的平衡。
107

1. Do you think Rosaura was aware of the differences between Luciana and herself?
Can you find any evidence?
Both yes and no. Yes because she didn’t dare to add “And proud of it” as was told by her
mother, which was an evidence of her subconscious awareness of the difference; no because she
had expected so much happiness in the party and equal treatment from Señora Ines.
2. What had the mother done in the whole event to help her daughter? Do you think
she had done it right? Why?
First the mother tried to prevent her daughter from going to the party; then she silently helped
her with the preparation for the party; then she felt happy and proud of her daughter’s performance;
lastly when she found her daughter was hurt she tried to console her silently by putting her hand on her
shoulder. She probably had done the right thing, for that was all she could have done.
3. What kind of social force do Señora Ines and the girl with a bow represent?
Señora Ines and the girl with a bow represent the rich class. Señora Ines, the sophisticated adult,
is unaware of the fact that the poor also have the right to be respected in pursuit of their happiness;
while the girl with a bow, though pretty young, has developed a prejudice against the poor.
4. How did the mother, Rosaura, and the girl with a bow think about the friendship
between Rosaura and Luciana respectively?
The mother insisted that those rich people would not make friends with the poor. (“Ah yes,
your friend,” her mother grumbled. She paused. “Listen, Rosaura,” she said at last. “That one’s
not your friend. You know what you are to them? The maid’s daughter, that’s what.”)
The girl with a bow was suspicious of the friendship between her rich cousin and Rosaura,
though probably not knowing why. (“No,” said the girl with the bow, “you are not a friend of
Luciana because I’m her cousin and I know all her friends. And I don’t know you.”)
Rosaura, however, argued that there was friendship between her and Luciana, which proved
to be an illusion. (Rosaura blinked hard: she wasn’t going to cry. Then she yelled: “Shut up! You
know nothing about being friends!”…Rosaura felt her arms stiffen, stick close to her body…)
5. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” (Thomas
Jefferson) Do you believe it? Why or why not?
Open.
6. According to your understanding, what are those factors that contribute to social
differences? And how shall we deal with social discrimination?
Open. (There might be economical, political, racial, academic, cultural, and hereditary
factors, etc.)
7. Did you expect the story to have a happy ending? What ending do you personally
prefer? Why?
Open.
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Lesson 15　A Summer’s Reading
KEYS TO EXERCISES
A.
1. C (Paragraph 1: George Stoyonovich was a neighborhood boy who had quit high
school on an impulse when he was sixteen, run out of patience, and though he was ashamed
every time he went looking for a job, when people asked him if he had finished and he had to
say no, he never went back to school…He also considered registering in a night high school,
only he didn’t like the idea of the teachers always telling him what to do. He felt they had
not respected him. )
2. B (Paragraph 1: …and his sister Sophie, who resembled George, a tall bony girl of
twenty-three, earned very little…)
3. C (Paragraph 2: Otherwise he had a couple of old copies of the World Almanac he
had bought long ago, and he liked to read in them and also the magazines and newspapers that
Sophie brought home, that had been left on the tables in the cafeteria. They were mostly picture
magazines about movie stars and sports figures, also usually the News and Mirror.)
4. B (Paragraph 7: Nights, during the hot weather, he sat on his stoop in an undershirt,
reading the New York Times in the light of the shoemaker’s window. He read it from the first page
to the last…)
5. C (Paragraphs 13-22.)
6. C (Paragraph 7: Mr. Cattanzara, a stocky, bald-headed man who worked in a change
booth on an IRT station...)
7. D (Paragraph 24: To his surprise, George found out that his father and Sophie knew
about his reading too. His father was too shy to say anything about it—he was never much of a
talker in his whole life—but Sophie was softer to George, and she showed him in other ways she
was proud of him.)
8. A (From the context.)
9. C (Paragraph 51: He stayed in his room for almost a week, except to sneak into the
kitchen when nobody was home.)
10. D (Paragraph 52: …before long he discovered they were still friendly to him. He
figured Mr. Cattanzara hadn’t told on him. Maybe when he woke up out of his drunk the next
morning, he had forgotten all about meeting George. George felt his confidence slowly come
back to him.)
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B.
Before the Lie After the Lie Spread After the Lie Was Nailed
no words but inwardly happy
Father not told not told
and proud
Sophie not generous generous, softer, and proud angry
interested, surprised, and
Mr. Cattanzara kind silent, disappointed
earnest
still friendly (as they didn’t
Other neighbors nothing special kind and friendly
know it was a lie.)
Ⅱ. Vocabulary
A.
1. A　　2. B　　3. C　　4. D　　5. B　　6. C　　7. D　　8. A　　9. C　　10. D
B.
1. picking　　2. winding　　3. narrow escapes　　4. came to　　5. kicks
6. Beat　　7. shoot the breeze　　8. in the mood　　9. hang around　　10. nerve
Ⅲ. Cloze
1. over 2. liberty 3. tended 4. boisterous 5. still 6. stuffed
7. followed 8. roundest 9. pile 10. against 11. aside 12. looking
13. rolled 14. gather 15. away 16. rather than 17. shortly 18. gossip
19. reluctantly 20. grasping
Ⅳ. Translation
1. 乔治无所事事，曾经打算去上暑期学校，但年龄会比班上的同学大太多。他还考虑
过报名参加高中夜校，只不过他不喜欢老师对他指手画脚。他觉得他们根本不尊重他。
2. 他坐在那里的一张凳子上，看着茂密的树木和栏杆里盛开的花朵，为自己设想着未
来更加幸福的生活。他想起退学以来所干过的工作——投递员、库房保管员、信使、后来
在工厂的活儿——没有一样他满意的。他觉得他有一天会有一份好工作，住在林荫大道边
有前廊的私宅里。
3. 偶尔卡坦扎拉先生会喝得醉醺醺地回家，但他并不嚷嚷。他从不惹事儿，只是僵直
地在街上走着，慢慢地爬上楼梯进入大厅。虽然醉了，他看上去和平时没什么两样，只不
过走路僵硬，默不作声，两眼潮湿。
4. 他晚上仍然散步到小公园里。但一天晚上隔壁街区的鞋匠叫住乔治，说他是个好孩
子。他估摸卡坦扎拉先生告诉过他关于自己读书的事。从鞋匠的嘴里这件事情肯定传遍了
整条街，因为乔治看见一些人友善地向他微笑，虽然没有人单独和他说过话。他对这个街
区的感觉好了一些，不过还没有到希望永远在这里生活下去的地步。
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Lеsson 15
A Summer’s Reading
5. 他用这些钱买了他喜欢享受的东西——大部分是香烟，偶尔是啤酒或者电影票。假
如懂得如何享受，生活还不算太坏。偶尔他也从报刊亭买一本平装书，但总是腾不出时间
来读，虽然他很高兴自己屋子里有一两本书。
6. 一天晚上，他再也无法忍受酷热，后半夜一点钟冲到大街上，像个幽灵一般。他希
望偷偷溜进公园，不被人看见，但整个街区都是人，没精打采地等待着凉风到来。

1. What question would make George feel ashamed in a job interview?
He felt ashamed when asked whether he had finished his high school education or not.
2. Can you guess why made-up stories irritated George lately?
Probably it was because he began to feel the bitter taste of life’s reality after he quit high
school. He no longer believed any told stories and subconsciously longed for something that was
true and valuable to life.
3. Why did George like the little park blocks away? What did he usually do over there?
Because it gave him a feeling of quietness and privacy. He stayed there thinking about his
past jobs and daydreaming a happy future mostly.
4. Why did George think that Mr. Cattanzara was different from other neighbors? Can
you imagine what a life course he had experienced?
First, he was very kind to George when he was a kid. Secondly, he asked different questions
than the others and seemed to know what went on in all the newspapers because he was fond of
reading.
Possibly he regretted that he had not made good use of his early time to learn enough for a
better life, or he was not given a good chance to become somebody that he had dreamed of being.
5. Please give your analysis of George’s motive for telling the lie about book reading.
Open (possibly for saving face and an illusion to get respect).
6. Lies cannot hold long. Yet people do tell lies sometimes, even though they know they
will do no good when the time comes. Why?
Open. (A reference to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs may be of help:
Maslow theorized that all people are motivated to fulfill a hierarchy of needs. At the bottom
of the hierarchy are basic physiological needs, such as hunger, thirst, and sleep. Further up the
hierarchy are needs for safety and security, needs for belonging and love, and esteem-related
needs for status and achievement. Once these needs are met, Maslow believed, people strive for
self-actualization, the ultimate state of personal fulfillment. As Maslow put it, “A musician must
make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is ultimately to be at peace with himself.
What a man can be, he must be.”)
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Malamud, Bernard: (1914—1986) an American novelist and short-story writer, most of
whose books focus on the Jewish experience in America. Born in Brooklyn, New York. Malamud
was educated at the City College of New York and Columbia University. Beginning in 1961 he
taught at Bennington College. Malamud’s first novel, The Natural (1952), reworks the legend
of the Holy Grail as an allegorical fantasy about a star baseball player. His second novel, The
Assistant (1957), is concerned with Jewish themes and reflects the sad, impoverished Brooklyn
scenes of his childhood. The Fixer (1966), for which Malamud received the 1967 Pulitzer
Prize for fiction, is a poignant novel (based on a true story) of the suffering of a Russian Jewish
workman sentenced unjustly to prison; it demonstrates how human beings can come through
suffering to an affirmative view of life. The Tenants (1971), about the relationship between a
Jewish man and a black man, deals with inner-city tensions. Malamud’s later novels include
Dubin’s Lives (1979), about a writer of biographies, and God’s Grace (1982). Malamud’s short
stories mix an abiding compassion for Jewish life with subtle touches of wry humor. They have
been collected in The Magic Barrel (1958), Idiots First (1963), Pictures of Fidelman (1969), and
Rembrandt’s Hat (1973); a complete collection, The Stories of Bernard Malamud, was published
in 1983.
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课文全文参考译文
第一课　漏油经济：低估风险
戴维 · 伦哈特
[1] 回想起来，模式似乎很清楚。早在“深水地平线”钻机自爆前的很多年，BP 石油
公司为了省钱甘冒安全的风险就已经声名狼藉。 2005 年得克萨斯州炼油厂爆炸中有 15 名
工人丧生。联邦监管机构和前国务卿詹姆斯 · 贝克三世领导的专门小组认为，削减成本是
事故的部分原因。第二年，阿拉斯加腐蚀的管道将石油漏入普拉德霍湾。就连乔 · 巴顿，
对全球变暖持怀疑态度、来自得克萨斯州的共和党众议员，都谴责 BP 管理人员“对安全
和环境问题表现得漠不关心”。
[2] 这种冷漠大部分源于对利润的过度追求，不管出现什么情况。但似乎也还有另一
个因素在起作用，一个更普遍的人性的因素。BP 的管理人员在估计似乎不太可能发生但
一旦发生就会带来巨大损失的事件真正会发生的可能性时，犯了一个可怕的错误。
[3] 也许理解这一点最简单的方法就是思考一下 BP 高管们如今的想法。显然，考虑
到清理费用和对 BP 声誉的影响，高管们真希望可以回到过去，多花些钱让“深水地平线”
更安全。他们没有增加这笔费用就表明他们认为钻机在当时的状态下不会出问题。
[4] 尽管针对 BP 高管的所有批评可能都是他们应得的，但是他们绝不是唯一艰难应对
这种低概率、高成本事件的人。几乎每个人都会如此。
“这些正是我们人类处理时很难做
出合理反应的一类事件，”哈佛大学环境经济学家罗伯特 · 斯塔文斯说。我们经常犯两种
基本且性质相反的错误。当一件事情是很难想象的，我们往往会低估它的可能性。这就是
众所周知的黑天鹅（稀有之物）现象。大多数在“深水地平线”工作的人可能从未经历过
钻井平台爆炸。因此他们认为这不会发生，至少不会发生在他们身上。
[5] 同样，不久以前，本 · 伯南克和艾伦 · 格林斯潘也喜欢称全国房地产市场没有泡沫，
因为以前从未有过泡沫。华尔街交易员也持同样观点，他们建立的数学模型根本不存在房
价下降的可能性。许多购房者签订了负担不起的抵押贷款，相信一旦其价格上涨，他们可
以再融资或卖掉房子。看起来房价好像是在上涨。
[6] 另一方面，当一个不太可能发生的事件是很容易想象的，我们经常会走向另一
“9 · 11”恐怖袭击后，美国人取消了飞机旅行，转而驾车上
个方向，高估它的可能性。
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路。2002 年在这个国家没有发生恐怖袭击，但更多的驾车出行显然导致了交通死亡人数
的增加。
[7] 当风险非常高时，应该由政府负责以帮助避免这些完全人为的错误。如果让市场
自行其是，往往做不到这一点。然而，在“深水地平线”这件事情上，政府的政策实际上
起到了相反的作用。它助长 BP 低估了灾难的可能性。
[8] 埃克森公司瓦尔迪兹漏油事件发生后，在 1990 年的一个法案很少引人注意的一项
条款中，美国国会将钻机泄漏清理费用的责任上限定为 7 500 万美元。即使对旅游业、渔
业等造成的经济损失高达数十亿美元，责任方也仅需要支付 7 500 万美元。
（在这种情况下，
BP 已同意对它认为合法的索赔，放弃这一上限。）在华盛顿负责汉密尔顿项目的麻省理工
学院经济学家迈克尔 · 格林斯通说这一法律从根本上扭曲了公司的决策。如果赔偿没有上
限，管理人员就会权衡油井可能的收益以及钻井的成本和损害赔偿的风险。而有了这个上
限，他们就可以在很大程度上忽略清理费用之外的潜在损害赔偿。所以在损害可能非常可
怕的地方，如靠近海岸线的地方，他们也会钻井。换句话说，人类的弱点使得 BP 公司高
管低估了低概率、高成本事件的可能性。而联邦法律则使得他们低估了成本。
[9] 在“深水地平线”之后，美国国会和奥巴马政府毫无疑问希望通过相关法律以减
少再次出现“深水地平线”这样的风险。当然他们可以采取一些明智的做法，如解除责任
上限，摆脱石油业对监管人员的影响。不过，如果认为我们目前仍然低估的只是那些突然
间引人注目的风险，那是非常愚蠢的。
[10] 大的金融风险已不再是房地产泡沫。相反，它可能是医疗保险、医疗救助和社会
保障的增长在未来将会导致的巨额赤字，以及贷款人可能最终不愿再向华盛顿扩大信贷。
诚然，一些经济学家和决策者坚持认为国家还不应该考虑如何应对这种可能性，因为贷款
人与美国政府的关系从来没有恶化过，也没有迹象显示现在就是这样。但这是不是让人联
想到伯南克和格林斯潘对住房市场的老调呢？
[11] 当然，即使油井正常运转时，油井（与其他事物一起）也会向大气中排放温室气体。
科学家们说，这些气体的积累已经可能在下个世纪将地球温度提高至少 3 度，并导致干旱、
风暴和更多的冰层融化。最近，研究人员的预测又提高了，地球温度有可能上涨约 12 度。
这样的气候变暖可能会在各大城市引起洪灾，并导致南极部分坍塌。
[12] 这样的事情还没有发生过。即使想象它都是困难的。更容易做的是希望出现这样
结果的可能性微乎其微。事实上，抱有这样的希望是自然的反应。但是，这并不代表它是
明智的。
第二课　俯首于自然，造谦逊的文化
苏珊娜 · 琼斯
[1] 3 月 11 日日本地震和海啸的巨大规模在深刻地提醒我们，人类是多么渺小。但它
也为日本与自然界的长期斗争传递了希望的消息。
[2] 新闻报道中描述的日本北部地区就像是恐怖片的场景。看着这些事件的电视画面，
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与朋友讨论时，头脑中总是出现相同的词语。说到世界末日和噩梦又是老生常谈，但是当
事情超出我们的经验时，我们总会寻找现有的东西作为参照。在英国从未发生过这种巨大
规模的自然灾害，因此当我们看到整个社区被海啸吞没、直升机在绵延数英里的大火上盘
旋时，世界末日就是我们唯一能想到的与此相关的事件。华纳兄弟公司已经从电影院撤下
克林特 · 伊斯特伍德执导的电影《来世》
，因为其“不合适”的海啸场景。恐怖已成为现实，
而且它的规模已经超出了我们的理解。
[3] 没有人可以为这种规模的地震做好准备，但没有人比日本更有准备。此次地震和
海啸对于了解日本与自然的关系至关重要。纵观历史，日本一直在努力开垦陆地和海洋以
保证生存，并使社会蓬勃发展。
[4] 日本条件恶劣，国内多山。大自然带来了频繁的地震和台风。而且唯恐你会忘记
作为人类的渺小，标志性的富士山，一眼即能认出但不知何故每次观看又呈现出不同景象，
就是一座死火山。
[5] 日本与自然的关系并非都是有关困难和恐惧。20 世纪 80 年代和 90 年代我在这个
国家住了很长时间，发现这里也有对自然的庆祝，伴随着对它的崇敬。我的日语老师在每
个不同的季节会拿出一套不同的盘子，盘子的颜色与季节匹配：秋季使用带有红色和金色
线条的盘子，春季则使用带有粉红色花朵的盘子。一顿饭中不仅包含了当季的风味，还包
含了这个季节特有的氛围和记忆。在城市中，人们等待和庆祝从土地中长出的盛开的樱花
和秋天的红叶，仿佛在提醒我们，混凝土和霓虹灯只不过是表面的装饰物。
[6] 日本人一直接受这样的认识，即自然灾害可能会发生在任何时刻，过去几十年也
一直认为地震——“大地震”——总会发生。小的震动，大部分是无害的，总在不断地提
醒人们。上课的时候，在银行付账的时候，在床上熟睡的时候，脚下的地面开始震动，就
会立刻引起你的注意，令你短暂地凝滞不动。这是一种不确定的状态，使你时刻保持谦恭。
即使你从未经历过能把周围建筑物摧毁这样的大地震，地震都会成为你的想象、你的意识
的一部分。
[7]1995 年阪神大地震时我住在日本。在地震和随后的火灾中有 6 000 多人丧生。仅仅
两个月后，麻原彰晃领导的一个奇怪的邪教奥姆真理教，在东京地铁放置了一个内装沙林
毒气的背包。12 人死于毒气，更多的人因此受伤。在随后的几个月里，让我吃惊的是毒
气攻击似乎占据了国家媒体报道的主要内容，而阪神大地震经过了最初几周骇人听闻的电
视报道后，已经退居次位了。日本在逆境中坚忍，也许“什么也做不了”这种态度能够解
释这一点。然而，沙林毒气攻击是一种新的、意料之外的恐怖事件，但它也是可以调查和
分析的，也有人会得到谴责。可以查到姓名和照片。而阪神大地震中即使有人批评神户的
急救服务准备不足、反应迟缓，地震本身却是无法避免的。
[8] 阪神大地震是一个恐怖的事件，没有人会愿意再经历一次。在英国，我们能够享
受这样的奢侈，例如，通过在影院和剧院观看未来世界末日的景象，思考全球变暖的后果，
知道我们在现在和不久的将来都会安好无恙。而在日本，灾难发生在过去、现在，还会
发生在将来。所有与地震有关的注意事项——抗震建筑、应急演练——都会以一种切合实
际的效率得到处理，但当灾难发生时，人们却不愿更多提及它。
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[9] 东北地区的恢复需要几代人的时间。这对日本整体会有什么影响呢？我们不能沉
浸在恐怖片和世界末日的语言中；在合适的时间，如果想要了解这一新的领域，我们可以
看看日本最流行的现代小说家的一本书。2002 年村上春树以英文出版的短篇小说集《地
震后》，虽然不是直接与地震有关，写的就是对阪神大地震的反应。从痛苦到超现实到自
然感人，小说集描绘了一系列的心理余震。
[10] 在“蜂蜜饼”中，一个小女孩看了电视上的灾难镜头后不断做噩梦，她从母亲朋
友的故事中得到安慰，反过来，母亲的朋友也从他自己的故事中获得了安慰。在“熨斗景
观”中，一个人花时间收集浮木用于在沙滩上点燃篝火。这会与烧毁神户的火灾有关吗？
我们无从得知，但我们感到，所有事情里面都有地震的影子。
[11] 恐惧多是通过梦境探索的，仿佛现实难以承受或无法提供帮助。故事结尾留下了
希望。村上作为一个作家本性是乐观的，但这种乐观是有道理的。
[12] 现在有人在谈论东京的恐慌局面，但我从朋友们那里——通过电话、电子邮件、
Facebook——得到的消息描述了一个阴郁但更为平静的画面。他们会担心，但不会歇斯底
里。在全市各地的学校，课程还在继续，按照校历本学期即将结束，最后一学年的学生们
即将举行毕业典礼。他们知道福岛核电厂爆炸后的辐射水平，也知道到目前为止还没有健
康风险。他们各自忙着自己的事情，继续生活。
[13] 也许不是每个人都那么平静，他们为什么就应该平静呢？但是，我们不应该总想
着成群结队恐慌的人们抢空所有食物、逃离首都，把这些当成是恐怖故事的下一个情节。
3 月 11 日星期五，地震袭击东京时，一个朋友正在她的公寓组织一些日本女性参加阅读会。
当时正值下午时分，得知列车不能运行后，她向那些远路而来的人提供晚上的住宿。几
个小时后，接近午夜时分，她们打来电话说离她的公寓只有 10 分钟的路程。火车仍然没
有来，所以她们问是否可能留宿？这就是典型的日本风格，邻里互相帮助，在有需要的时
候静静地接受帮助，而不会强加给别人。
[14] 看清或理解这些事件对日本文化的长期影响可能需要很长一段时间。在日本，变
化往往不会戏剧性地或急速发生，而是潜移默化悄然显现。在这场重大的灾难还未结束之
际，樱花不久即将开放，似乎会显得格格不入。我们也难以想象重建开始后这些事件对幸
存者的未来会有什么影响。
第三课　我们是如何揭开默多克丑闻的
英国《卫报》主编艾伦 · 拉斯布里杰讲述了他顽强的记者、美国的盟友以及一场最终
得到了回报的赌博。
[1]《卫报》记者尼克 · 戴维斯偶尔——或许是每 18 个月一次——到我的办公室里来，
警觉地向后看一眼，然后关上门，接着告诉我一些令人毛骨悚然的事情。
[2] 早在 2009 年年初，尼克就发现全世界最强大的私人新闻媒体公司的继承人詹姆
斯 · 默多克在进行一桩秘密交易，花 100 多万美元来掩盖公司内部的犯罪行为证据。感兴
趣吧？这个问题的答案是——当然。
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[3] 现在，人人都知道默多克的故事是如何结束的：其雇员的所作所为引起人们强烈
的反感，议会的投票结果令一个价值数十亿美元的并购行动戛然而止。这个投票结果是迄
今为止人们所知最一边倒的。一家每周销售数百万份的收益可观的报纸被终结了。英国新
闻监管部门一败涂地。
[4] 不过，默多克的故事并未完结。它深深地渗透到英美两国公民生活中的许多方
面——包括警方、政治、媒体和监管部门等等，因此这个故事将持续几个月，甚至几年时
间。人们预计会有更多的人被捕。已有数人向英国法院提出了民事诉讼。还有两方面的公
开质询——质询媒体和警方的行为。一旦新闻集团的股东或美国监管当局了解到更多该家
族企业在英国的管理情况，谁知道他们还会制造什么麻烦。
[5] 倒回到 2009 年 7 月，想想情况可能会有多么不同。当时，官方的说法是直截了当
的。《世界新闻报》采访皇家新闻的记者克莱夫 · 古德曼被抓到“窃听”王室的电话。或
者说，他把这项工作转包给一位私人调查员格伦 · 马凯尔，后者擅长侵入语音信息以及破
解受害者设置的任何安全密码。警方采取了突袭行动。这两人锒铛入狱。国际新闻公司对
每个人——媒体、议会、警方和监管部门——都说，古德曼是个害群之马。总编安迪 · 库
尔森辞职了，抗议说他对这些事都一无所知。游戏结束。
[6] 英国《卫报》2009 年 7 月 9 日的报道拨开了迷雾。报道表明，当时受雇于《世界新
闻报》的另一名初级记者把留给职业球员协会负责人戈登 · 泰勒的语音信息转录下来，传
给了内维尔——指的是该报长期以来的首席记者内维尔 · 瑟贝克。那么，又有两名《世界
新闻报》的记者是知道内情的。某个主管肯定给那名初级记者下了指令，那么就有三个人
了。一位已点出姓名的主管（他可能给那名初级记者下了指令，也可能没有）为马凯尔签
署了一份奖金合约，条件是他能够弄到泰勒的故事。那么，除了古德曼之外，就有三个或
者四个人知晓内情了。
[7] 当得知这个新案件的时候，詹姆斯 · 默多克想花钱了事——他现在将这一决定归咎
于当时别人给他的建议。当另一桩涉及窃听名人公关专家马克斯 · 克利福德的案件发生时，
詹姆斯故伎重演。
[8] 但是其他机构的反应同样说明问题。警方宣布进行调查——然后，在几个小时之内，
就发表一项简短声明说，没有什么“新”内容值得调查。当然事实并非如此。内容全都在
马凯尔长达 1.1 万页的笔记中。警方早在 2005 年就查获了这些笔记，但是对此几乎没有
采取过任何行动。
[9] 国际新闻公司将警方的声明视为对公司的辩白。这家公司发表了一项非常愚蠢的
声明向全世界表明，《卫报》有意误导英国公众。新闻投诉委员会及时公布了自己的调查
结果：没有证据表明，“害群之马”的理论不属实。在那个时候，就连国际新闻公司也不
再坚持自己的论调，但是监管部门却像个小狗一样满地打滚来讨好他们。
[10] 一个议会委员会竭尽全力挖开最深层的内幕，但国际新闻公司高级主管、前《太
阳报》和《世界新闻报》主编丽贝卡 · 布鲁克斯没有给这个委员会面子，根本没有到场。
该委员会的一两位成员曾经说，他们感觉受到了恐吓，因为有人扬言，如果他们坚持这么
做，国际新闻公司的记者就可能会对他们做些什么。因此，他们就没有坚持下去。
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[11] 绝大多数媒体也好不到哪儿去。令公众感到震惊的是，库尔森当时已经受雇于人
人都知道将会成为下任首相的戴维 · 卡梅伦，担任其新闻发言人。卡梅伦距离唐宁街 10
号的大门越近，就越少有人有兴趣发表有关库尔森的负面新闻。2009 年 11 月就业法庭认
定《世界新闻报》一位前记者在库尔森手下遭受了欺凌之后判给他超过 100 万美元的赔偿。
当时我就知道我们所选择的道路将会是多么的孤独。
[12] 这是大新闻吗？根本不是。除了《卫报》以外没有其他任何一家报纸在第二天的
新闻版中报道了这一消息。奥美塔（黑手党惯用的对犯罪行动表示沉默和拒绝作证的行为
准则）原则似乎在起作用，这意味着没有其他任何一家全国性报纸认为这件事可能值得哪
怕一英寸的新闻版面。
[13]《卫报》的生活变得有点寂寞。尼克 · 戴维斯被告知布鲁克斯曾告诉同事，最终
的结果将会是艾伦 · 拉斯布里杰跪地求饶。“他们会摧毁我们，”戴维斯上周在播客中说。
“如果他们可以的话，他们会停掉《卫报》
。”
[14] 如果舰队街的大多数同仁准备视而不见，我想我最好在别处试试，别让这故事胎
死腹中，现在只有尼克还在孜孜不倦地为我们自己的报纸提供更多的故事。我打电话给《纽
约时报》的比尔 · 凯勒。几天之后，三位来自《纽约时报》的记者就坐到了《卫报》一间
毫不起眼的会议室里。戴维斯尽他的努力向他们介绍了故事的基本情况，这可是他多年来
从众多的记者、律师和警官那里搜集来的。
[15]《纽约时报》的记者花了数月时间，进行了出色细致的工作，确定了尼克所写的
真相，并有了自己的新发现。他们劝说了一个或两个提供信息的人公开情况。故事又迫使
警方开展了不太认真的调查，没有取得进展。但《纽约时报》调查的事实和可靠性却给了
其他人勇气。广播节目开始涉足其中。两名受害人之一开始提起诉讼。《名利场》也参与
进来。《金融时报》和《独立报》也开始在幕后活动。更多的人开始相信，也许，只是也许，
确实有些问题。
[16] 引爆点在新年前后出现了。民事法律行动的涓涓细流演变成了滚滚洪流。警方最
终认真参与其中，指派了一个新的由 45 人组成的团队来做一些 2006 年明显没有做的事情。
警方说，迄今已经调查了近 4 000 个目标中的 170 个。这个监管部门将过去的报告批得一
文不值。然后尼克 · 戴维斯揭露说，《世界新闻报》窃听了失踪少女米莉 · 道勒的电话，删
掉了她的语音留言，以便能够听到新的留言。这一行动在那些黑暗的日子里，在警方证实
她已经遭到毒手之前给了米莉的父母希望。这件事使得人们对该报的行为深恶痛绝，而这
家报纸发现很难再恢复元气了。
[17] 很少看到单单一个报道能够具有如此爆炸性的效果。突然之间，政客、记者、警
官以及监管人员再也躲不开电视镜头。警官们排着队就失察疏忽和判断错误而道歉。议员
们突然公开说一些两周前他们只会悄悄说的事情。
[18] 有人将其命名为“默多克之春”。人们普遍承认，在一代人或者更长的时间里，
英国公众一直在让自己的生活去适应默多克家族。这家公司越来越壮大，越来越成功（占
全国媒体的 40%，其广播公司的收入是英国广播公司的两倍），越来越咄咄逼人——而且，
正如我们所知，还有一个由犯罪调查人员组成的小团伙受雇于该报，在公众生活中侵入任
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何人的隐私，人们也随之形成了一个约定的看法，这些人就是让人讨厌的坏人。在英国
你若想当选就需要默多克——大约大多数政客都是这么认为的。并且——向来不言而喻的
是——默多克也需要某些东西。这不一定就是腐败的事情，但一定正在引起腐化堕落。如
今一篇报道外加下议院完全一致的投票结果，已经把这个符咒给打破了。
第四课　比尔 · 克林顿
希拉里 · 克林顿
[1]1970 年秋天，你想不注意比尔 · 克林顿也不容易。他来到耶鲁大学法学院时，看上

去像一个北欧海盗，而不像一个在牛津大学待了两年后回国的罗兹奖学金获得者。他身材
高大，棕红色的胡子和卷曲而浓密的头发使他显得很帅气。他浑身充满了活力。当我第一
次在法学院的学生休息室里见到他时，他正对着一帮全神贯注的同学滔滔不绝地讲着什么。
当我经过时，听到他说：
“不只那样，我们家乡种了全世界最大的西瓜！”我问朋友：
“他
是谁啊？”
[2]“哦，他是比尔 · 克林顿。”朋友说，“从阿肯色州来，他只说过这些。”
[3] 我们偶尔会在校园里碰上，不过直到次年春天的某个晚上，两人才在法学院图书
馆正式打招呼。当时我在图书馆学习，他在走廊和另一位同学杰夫 · 格勒克尔交谈，后者
希望他能为《耶鲁法学杂志》撰稿。我注意到他不断回头朝我这边看，事实上他常这么
干。于是我起身走到他面前说：“如果你一直盯着我不放，我也会一直回瞪你，与其这样，
不如相互介绍一下，我是希拉里 · 罗德姆。”就这么简单。在比尔讲述这段事情的版本中，
他说他当时都想不起来自己叫什么名字了。
[4] 直到 1971 年春季最后一天上课，我们才有机会再度交谈。上完托马斯 · 埃默森教
授的政治与民权课后，我们同时走出教室。比尔问我要去哪里，我说要到注册办公室确定
下学期的课，他说他也正要去。两人同行时，他赞美我穿的花色长裙，我说这是我母亲亲
手缝制的，他便问起我的家庭以及出生地。两人到了注册办公室，排了好久的队才轮到我
们。注册员抬头看了一下，然后说：“比尔，你在这里干吗？你已经注册过了。”他坦言只
是想跟我在一起，我笑了，接着便一块走了很久，就这样开始了第一次约会。
[5] 我们都想去耶鲁美术馆欣赏马克 · 罗思科的画展，不过因为劳资纠纷，校园内一些大
楼被迫关闭，美术馆也不例外。比尔和我经过那里时，他说他有办法让我们进去，只要我们
提出帮忙收拾美术馆院子里的垃圾。看着他说服人家让我们进去，我第一次发现他的说服力
惊人。整个美术馆就只有我们两人穿梭在各个展示厅之间，讨论罗思科与 20 世纪的画作。我
承认被他的艺术修养与兴趣吓了一跳，毕竟一个从阿肯色来的北欧海盗，乍看之下根本不
像有艺术细胞。我们最后来到美术馆的院内，我坐在亨利 · 摩尔的雕像作品《穿褶皱服坐
着的女人》的腿上，和他一直聊到天黑。我邀比尔到宿舍参加我和室友谭关关（音）合办
的派对，庆祝学期结束。谭关关是华裔缅甸人，到耶鲁留学研读法律，缅甸舞跳得很好，
是个活泼可爱的伙伴。她还有她丈夫（也是同学）比尔 · 王和我们至今仍保持着友谊。
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[6] 比尔参加了我们的派对，不过很少开口。那时我还不怎么了解他，心想他一定是
害羞，或不怎么擅长交际，抑或只是不自在。我并不看好两人会变成一对，况且当时我已
有男友，周末还计划和他一起出城度假。周日晚我回到耶鲁时，比尔打电话来，我因为旅
游着了凉，干咳不停。
[7]“你听起来真惨，”他说。大约 30 分钟后，他带着鸡汤和橘子汁来敲门了。他一进
屋便开始说话，
从非洲政治到西部乡村音乐什么都谈。
我问他，
那天派对他为什么那么安静。
[8]“因为我想进一步认识你和你的朋友，”他答道。
[9] 我这才开始意识到，这位阿肯色州的年轻人远比第一印象复杂。直到现在我还常
为他敏捷的思维和恰如其分的用词，以及他如何能够将要表达的思想说得那么动听而感到
惊讶不已。我也欣赏他的思考方式与神态。我首先注意到的是比尔的手的形状。他的手腕
不粗，手指修长而灵巧，就像一双钢琴家或外科医生的手。学生时代我们第一次见面时，
我就喜欢看他用手翻书的样子。如今他的手已因成千上万次的握手、打高尔夫球和无数次
的签名而增添了岁月的痕迹。它们和它们的主人一样，虽历经风雨却依然充满表现力、魅
力与活力。
[10] 比尔的鸡汤和橘子汁打动了我，两人旋即变得形影不离。虽然我忙于期末考试以
及第一年对儿童问题的关注，仍想办法抽出几小时，和比尔驾着他那辆 1970 年出厂的褐
橘色欧宝房车——那真可算是有史以来最丑的车之一——四处兜风。比尔和室友道格 · 埃
克利、唐 · 波格、比尔 · 科尔曼合住在康涅狄格州米尔福德，我们有时也会到那附近的长
岛湾散步。一天晚上，我们在他的住处开派对，我和比尔在厨房讨论毕业后的打算。我还
不知道自己将来会住在哪里和要做什么，因为我在儿童权益促进和民权方面的兴趣尚未为
我指明一条明确的道路。比尔则很确定：他将回阿肯色老家竞选公职。许多同学都称他们
有意投身公职，不过比尔是唯一一位令你感觉言出必行的。
[11] 我告诉比尔，暑假计划到加州奥克兰一家名叫“特里伊哈夫特，沃尔克与伯恩斯
坦”的小律师事务所当助理，他便说要跟我一起去。我诧异不已。我知道他已经登记到
乔治 · 麦戈文参议员的竞选阵营里工作，协助麦戈文参与总统初选。麦戈文的竞选经理加
里 · 哈特要他负责组织南方各州。一想到能够驾车穿梭在南方各州之间来说服民主党人既
支持麦戈文，又反对尼克松的越战政策就使他非常激动。
[12] 他曾在阿肯色州帮参议员 J· 威廉 · 富布赖特以及其他人竞选，在康涅狄格州也曾
参与过乔 · 达菲与乔 · 利伯曼的竞选，不过他从未有机会参与总统竞选。
[13] 我努力消化他的意思，激动起来。
[14]“为什么？”我问道，
“你真想要放弃自己憧憬已久的良机，跟我去加州？”
[15]“为了我爱的人，就这个，”他说。
[16] 比尔说，他已决心与我相守，好不容易找到另一半，不愿让我一个人去加州。
[17] 我和比尔在加州大学伯克利分校——那是 1964 年“言论自由运动”的发源地——
附近合租了一间小公寓。我的多数时间为律师事务所的马尔 · 伯恩斯坦律师工作，帮他承
接的儿童监护权官司做研究、写诉状与摘要。比尔则在伯克利、奥克兰与旧金山寻幽访胜。
周末一到，他会带我去他事先勘察的景点，诸如北滩的餐厅、电报街的复古服饰店等。我
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则教他打网球，或是两人消磨于厨艺。我帮他烤了一个桃子派，这是我认为和阿肯色有关的，
虽然我还没去过那里。我们合力做出美味的咖喱鸡，每次在家里做东，都以此待客。比尔
多半靠阅读打发时间，然后和我分享他的读后心得，其中一本是埃德蒙 · 威尔逊所著的《到
芬兰车站》。出外散步时，他往往边走边唱，常哼的是他最爱的一首猫王的歌。
[18] 人们常说，我看准比尔迟早会当上总统，还说我到处帮比尔扬名，其实不然，这
一想法是多年后才有的。不过我曾在伯克利一家小餐厅有过一次奇特遭遇：我和比尔约好
在餐厅碰面，却因工作迟到，到了餐厅已不见他人。我向服务生描述了一番，问是否看到他。
附近一位客人听了，大声说：
“他来了好一会儿，一直在看书，于是我和他聊书。我不知
道他的名字，但总有一天他会当上总统。
”“是啊，
”我说，
“不过你知道他去哪儿了吗？”
[19] 暑假结束，我和比尔返回纽黑文，租下埃奇伍德街 21 号一楼，月租 75 美元。屋
内的起居室有壁炉，另外有两间房——一间充当卧室，一间是书房兼餐厅，卫生间很小，
厨房设备粗陋。地板也凹凸不平，必须在桌脚垫木块，否则桌面倾斜得厉害，连盘子都托
不住。如果不用报纸塞住墙缝，风便会灌进来。尽管有这些问题，但我仍然喜爱我们的第
一个家。我俩到古德威尔商场和救世军店之类的便宜地方买家具，对于自己布置出来的结
果非常自豪。
[20] 榆树街餐厅与我们的公寓只有一街之隔，因它通宵营业，所以我们常去光顾。我
在埃奇伍德街另一头报名上瑜伽课，比尔答应和我一起去——前提是不得告诉任何人。他
也常去“流汗天地”——耶鲁的哥特式体育中心，疯了似的在跑道上跑。自养成跑步习惯
之后，他便保持不变，我则半途而废。
[21] 我们经常在巴塞尔餐馆吃饭，这是我们喜欢的希腊餐馆。我们还喜欢到步行街里
面一家名叫“林肯”的小电影院看电影。一天晚上在暴风雪终于停下之后，我们决定去看
电影。路面残雪尚未清掉，所以来回都得穿过及踝的积雪，我俩只觉气氛活泼，沉浸于爱
情之中。
[22] 尽管我们都获得了学生贷款，但是我们俩还是不得不打些工来完成法学院的学业，
不过仍挤出时间参与政治活动。比尔决定在纽黑文帮麦戈文成立竞选总部，并自掏腰包租
了一间门面。由于纽黑文的民主党首脑阿瑟 · 巴比里不支持麦戈文，比尔只好号召耶鲁的
学生与教员当志愿者。比尔在一家意大利餐厅安排了饭局，让我们和巴比里见面。在漫长
的午餐会上，比尔告诉巴比里，他号召了 800 名志愿者，将走上街头帮麦戈文拉票，让民
主党的正规宣传机构相形见绌。巴比里最终同意支持麦戈文，并邀我们参加民主党在一家
意式俱乐部的大会，他将在那里正式宣布支持麦戈文。
[23] 接下来的一周，我们开车来到一栋非常普通的建筑物，进了门，走下通往地下室
的阶梯。在大餐厅里，巴比里起身致辞，要求纽黑文县的民主党委员（多半是男性）注意
他的演说。他从越战开始谈起，一一念出纽黑文地区参加越战的青年，并悼念战死的士兵。
接着他说：“这场战争不值得我们再为它多牺牲一条人命。我们应该支持麦戈文，因为他
想带我们的孩子回家。”一开始大家反应冷淡，巴比里不断劝说施压，最后表决时，麦戈
文获得了一致支持。巴比里信守支持麦戈文的承诺，先是在州党代表大会上，而后在总统
选举时，麦戈文在纽黑文的得票率超过尼克松，是全国的少数例外之一。
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[24] 圣诞节过后，比尔开车从阿肯色州温泉市到帕克里奇，在我家住了几天。我的父
母早在这之前的暑假就见过他，不过我还是有些紧张，因为父亲对我的男友一向是鸡蛋里
挑骨头，这次不知父亲又会给这位蓄着和猫王一样的络腮胡的民主党南方佬出什么难题。
母亲说过，在父亲眼中，谁都配不上他的女儿。比尔教养好，又肯主动帮忙洗碗，深得母
亲赏识，但真正让母亲打心底喜欢他的是：他看到母亲埋首阅读大学课程指定的一本哲学
书，于是花了整整一个多小时和母亲讨论其内容。父亲属于慢热型，所幸在玩扑克牌、看
电视转播的足球赛中，也慢慢热情起来。弟弟们感受到了他的温暖，周围朋友也都喜欢他。
我带他到贝琪 · 约翰逊家，离去时，贝琪的母亲罗斯林把我拉到一角告诉说：“我不管你
用什么办法，绝对要留住他，我见过这么多人，他是唯一能让你笑的。”
第五课　乔布斯传
沃尔特 · 艾萨克森
第三十六章
iPhone
三位一体设计
可以打电话的 iPod
[1] 至 2005 年，iPod 销量暴涨，当年售出 2 000 万台，数量惊人，是 2004 年销量的 4 倍。
该产品对于苹果公司的营收越发重要，占当年收入的 45%。同时，iPod 还带动了 Mac 系
列的销售，为苹果公司塑造出时髦的企业形象。
[2] 而这也是乔布斯担忧的地方。
“他总在担心有什么东西会让我们陷入困境。”苹果公
司董事会成员阿特（亚瑟）· 莱文森回忆道。乔布斯得出结论：“能抢我们饭碗的设备是手
机。”他向董事会说明，手机都开始配备摄像头，数码相机市场正急剧萎缩。如果手机制
造商开始在手机中内置音乐播放器，同样的情况也可能发生在 iPod 身上。“每个人都随身
带着手机，就没有必要买 iPod 了。”
[3] 乔布斯曾当着比尔 · 盖茨的面承认自己天生不善于合作，而此刻，他的第一个策
略就是与另一家公司合作。乔布斯开始和摩托罗拉公司新任 CEO 埃德 · 赞德商议与摩托
罗拉的畅销手机刀锋（RAZR）系列合作。该系列手机配有摄像头，双方准备合作，在其
中内置 iPod，摩托罗拉 ROKR 手机就此诞生。但是，该系列手机既没有 iPod 迷人的简约
格，也没有刀锋系列便捷的超薄造型。它外观丑陋，下载困难，只能容纳近百首歌曲。这
是典型的委员会讨论之下形成的产品，与乔布斯喜欢的工作方式相悖。RAZR 系列手机的
硬件、软件和内容并非由同一家公司控制，而是由摩托罗拉公司、苹果公司及无线运营商
辛格勒共同拼凑而成。《连线》杂志在其 2005 年 11 月号的封面上嘲讽道：“你们管这叫未
来的手机？”
[4] 乔布斯怒不可遏，在一次 iPod 产品评价会上，他对托尼 · 法德尔及其他人说：“我
受够了跟摩托罗拉这些愚蠢的公司打交道，
我们自己来。”他注意到市场上手机的奇怪之处：
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它们都很烂，就像以前的便携式音乐播放器一样。“我们会坐在一起谈论有多么讨厌自己
的手机，”他回忆说。“它们太复杂，有些功能没人能搞明白，包括通讯簿。简直就像拜占
庭一样混乱不堪。”苹果的外聘律师乔治 · 莱利还记得自己当时坐在会议室里检查法律问
题，乔布斯觉得厌烦了，于是拿起莱利的手机，历数各类缺陷，指出这完全就是“脑残”
设计。乔布斯及其团队十分兴奋，因为他们看到了打造一款自己想用的手机的前景。“这
是最好的动力，”乔布斯后来说道。
[5] 另一个动力是潜在的市场。2005 年，全球手机销量超过 8.25 亿部，消费者从小学
生直至上了年纪的老祖母。由于大多数手机都很烂，因此，一款优质时髦的手机是会有市
场空间的，就像之前的便携式音乐播放器市场一样。起初乔布斯把这个项目交给了研发
AirPort 无线基站的团队，理由是该手机是一款无线产品。但是他很快意识到，这实际上
是一款消费类电子设备，和 iPod 一样，于是他又将该项目重新分配给法德尔及其团队。
[6] 他们的最初设想是在 iPod 的基础上制作一款手机，让使用者用滚轮选择手机功能，
并且不用键盘就能输入数字。但这样的设计并不自然。“使用滚轮有很多问题，尤其是拨
号的时候，”法德尔回忆说，
“会很麻烦。
”用滚轮浏览通讯簿很方便，但是想输入点儿什
么就很不方便。团队一直在努力让自己相信，人们的电话主要是打给已经存储在通讯簿里
的人，但是他们知道，这样其实是行不通的。
[7] 当时，苹果还有一个项目处于进行中：秘密打造一款平板电脑。2005 年，项目组
之间互相交流后，平板电脑的概念融入了手机计划之中。换言之，iPad 的想法实际上先于
iPhone 出现，并且帮助塑造了 iPhone。
…………
iPhone 发布
[8] iPhone 即将发布时，乔布斯决定像往常一样，让某家杂志独家参与发布会预演。
他通过电话联系到时代集团总编约翰 · 休伊，开始了自己惯用的夸张言辞：“这是我们做
过的最好的东西。”他说道，他本来想把这个独家报道的机会给《时代》杂志，
“但是《时代》
杂志的人都不够聪明，不配写，于是我打算给别人。”休伊把他介绍给列夫 · 格罗斯曼——《时
代》杂志一位悟性高、精通文字的作家。格罗斯曼在独家报道中一针见血地指出，iPhone
并没有真正发明许多新功能，而只是让这些功能实用了很多。“但这很重要，如果工具不
顺手，我们往往会觉得是自己太傻，没有阅读使用手册，或者手指太粗……如果工具很糟，
我们会觉得自己也很无能。如果有人改进了工具，我们会觉得自己也完美了点儿。”
[9] 2007 年 1 月，iPhone 在旧金山 Macworld 大会亮相。乔布斯邀请了安迪 · 赫茨菲尔
德、比尔 · 阿特金森、史蒂夫 · 沃兹尼亚克以及 1984 年首款麦金塔的研发团队，就像之前
iMac 发布时一样。在其辉煌的产品演示生涯中，这可能是乔布斯最好的一次。“每隔一段
时间，就会出现一个能够改变一切的革命性产品，”他开场说道。乔布斯举出了两个较早
的例子：最早的麦金塔，它“改变了整个计算机行业”，以及第一台 iPod，
“改变了整个音
乐产业”。接着，经过一番小心翼翼的铺垫，他引出了自己即将推出的新产品：“今天，我
们将推出三款这一水准的革命性产品。第一个是宽屏触控式 iPod，第二个是一个革命性的
手机，第三个是突破性的互联网通信设备。”他又将这句话重复了一遍以示强调，然后他
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问道：“你们明白了吗？这不是三台独立的设备，而是一台设备，我们称它为 iPhone。”
[10] 5 个月后，即 2007 年 6 月底，iPhone 上市销售时，乔布斯和妻子前往位于帕洛
奥图的苹果专卖店，感受人们的兴奋。由于乔布斯经常在新产品开始销售的第一天去店里，
所以有些粉丝已等在专卖店里期待他的到来，他们跟他打招呼，就好像他们能碰到摩西去
买《圣经》的情形一样。赫茨菲尔德和阿特金森也出现在忠实的粉丝中间。“比尔排了一
赫茨菲尔德说。乔布斯挥了挥手臂，笑了起来：
晚上的队，” 赫茨菲尔
“我送了他一部。”
德回答：“他要 6 个。”
[11] iPhone 立刻被博客写手们称为“耶稣手机”
。但是苹果公司的竞争对手强调，售
价 500 美元很难成功。“这是世界上最贵的手机，”微软公司的史蒂夫 · 鲍尔默在接受美国
全国广播公司财经频道（CNBC）的采访时这样说道。“而且它对商务人员没有吸引力，因
为它没有键盘。” 微软又一次低估了乔布斯的产品。至 2010 年底，苹果公司已售出 9 000
万部 iPhone，其利润占全球手机市场利润总额的一半以上。
[12]“史蒂夫了解人的欲望。”艾伦 · 凯说道。凯是施乐 PARC 的先驱，他在 40 年前
就设想过推出一台 Dynabook 平板电脑。凯善于作出预言性的市场评价，于是乔布斯询问
他对于 iPhone 的看法。“把屏幕做成 5 英寸宽、8 英寸长，世界就是你的了，”凯说。而他
当时并不知道，iPhone 的设计源自平板电脑的想法，并将用于平板电脑上，而苹果的平板
电脑实现了并且实际上超越了凯所设想的 Dynabook。
第六课　美丽心灵
西尔维亚 · 纳萨尔
[1] 小约翰 · 福布斯 · 纳什，数学天才、理性行为理论创立者、预见会思考的机器出现

的预言者，已经和他的同样是数学家的来访者一起坐了差不多半个小时。那是 1959 年春
季一个工作日的傍晚时分，虽然才是 5 月，天气却很热，令人不太舒服。纳什颓然坐在医
院会客室一角的扶手椅上，身上随意穿着的那件尼龙衬衫，松松垮垮地盖在他没有系皮带
的长裤上。他的魁梧身躯现在就像一个布娃娃一样缺乏活力，他的线条优美细致的五官没
有任何表情。他一直目光呆滞地盯着哈佛教授乔治 · 麦基左脚前方不远的地方，除了一次
次重复着将垂在前额的略长的黑发拨开的动作，他几乎一动不动。麦基正襟危坐，被沉默
压得透不过气来，并且非常清楚地意识到会客室的所有门都锁上了。麦基再也控制不住自
己。他尽量使语气温和，但听上去仍有些愠怒。“你，一个数学家，
”他开始说道，“一个
致力于研究理性和逻辑证明的人，怎么能相信外星人正在给你发送消息呢？怎么能相信你
被来自太空的外星人选中要来拯救世界呢？怎么能……”
[2] 纳什终于抬起头，用类似某种鸟类或者蛇一样冰冷而不动声色的目光，紧紧盯着
麦基。“因为，”他慢慢地回答，带着温和适度的南方人特有的慢条斯理的语气，好像自言
自语一般，“我的有关超自然生物的想法出现在我的脑海里的方式，是和我的数学思想一
样的，所以我会认真对待。”
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[3] 这个来自西弗吉尼亚州布卢菲尔德的年轻天才——英俊、傲慢，而且非常古怪——
在 1948 年闯入数学界。在接下来的十年，在那既以对人类理性抱有无上信念而著称，又
以对人类生存怀有无尽忧虑而闻名的十年，纳什，用知名几何学家米克哈尔 · 格罗莫夫的
话说，证明了自己是“20 世纪后半叶最杰出的数学家”。策略博弈、经济竞争、计算机建
筑学、宇宙的形状、虚构空间的几何学、素数的神秘，都是他广阔的想象力涉猎的领域。
无疑会推动科学思考进入新的方向。
他的想法属于那种非常深奥而又完全出人意料的类型，
[4] 数学家保罗 · 哈莫斯写道，天才“分为两种：一种就像我们大家一样，只是更为
出色；另一种则是那些明显具备超凡人类灵感的人。我们都能跑步，有些人还能在四分钟
内跑完一英里；但是我们大多数人所做的一切无论如何也无法与谱写出Ｇ小调赋格曲相提
并论”。纳什的天分就属于那种常与音乐和艺术而非与最古老的科学紧密相连的神奇异禀。
这不仅仅是指他的头脑运转更加灵敏，记忆力更加出众，或是他更能集中精力。事实上，
直觉的火花稍纵即逝，不能用常理解释。就像其他伟大的数学直觉大师格奥尔格 · 费里德
里希 · 伯恩哈德 · 黎曼、朱尔斯 · 亨利 · 庞加莱、斯里尼瓦萨 · 拉马努金一样，纳什先看到
一个结论，然后才开始构筑耗费心力的证明过程。不过，即便在他尝试解释某个令人震惊
的结论之后，对于那些企图跟随他的逻辑的人而言，他所选择的真正途径却始终是一个谜。
20 世纪 50 年代就在麻省理工学院认识纳什的唐纳德 · 纽曼曾经这样描述他 :“其他人通常
会在山上寻找攀登顶峰的道路。纳什却干脆爬上另外一座山，再反过来从那个遥远的山峰
用探照灯照射这座山。”
[5] 没有人比纳什更对原创力着迷、更蔑视权威、更珍惜自己的独立性。早在青年时
代，他的身边就不乏 20 世纪最伟大的科学权威，比如艾伯特 · 爱因斯坦、约翰 · 冯 · 诺伊曼、
诺伯特 · 维纳，但是他没有加入任何一个学派，不是任何人的门徒，基本上是在既没有引
导者，也没有跟随者的状况下前进。在他所做的从博弈论到几何学等多个学科的几乎所有
工作之中，他对广为接受的知识、公认的方式以及根深蒂固的规律都持怀疑态度。他差不
多一直是独立工作。通常他一边散步，不时用口哨吹出巴赫的作品，一边进行思考。纳什
掌握的数学知识，主要并非来源于学习其他数学家已经取得的成果，而是自己重新发现这
些成果中蕴藏的真理。他迫切希望取得一鸣惊人的成就，因此随时准备捕捉真正重大的问
题。当他全神贯注地思考某个新的难题时，会留意到那些精通这个领域的人（他从来不认
为自己已经精通某个领域）最初认为是幼稚或错误从而不予考虑的角度。即便是在学生时
代，他对旁人的怀疑、疑虑和嘲笑的漠视就已经到了令人畏惧的地步。
[6] 纳什对理性以及纯粹思维的力量抱有旁人难以理解的绝对信念，即使是对一个非
常年轻的数学家，即使是在计算机、空间旅行和核武器的新时代，都是如此。爱因斯坦就
曾经责备他居然想不学物理学就修正相对论。他的偶像是牛顿和尼采这样的孤独的思想者
和超人。计算机和科幻小说使他着迷。他把计算机称做“会思考的机器”，认为它在某些
地方比人类优越。他一度被药物可能提高体力和智力水平的主意所蛊惑。他也曾沉迷于由
超理性生物组成的外星人能够教会自己将所有感情置之度外的想法。他具有一种强迫性的
理性，希望将生活中的决定——是搭乘第一部电梯还是等待下一部，到哪里存钱，接受什
么样的工作，是否结婚——都转化为利弊得失的计算，转化为完全脱离感情、习俗和传统
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的算法法则或数学规则。即便是别人在走廊里随口和他打声招呼这样的小事情，也会引起
他愤怒地发问：“你究竟为什么要向我打招呼？”
[7] 他的同辈人基本上认为他实在不可理喻。他们说他“孤僻”、
“傲慢”、
“无情”、
“孤立”、
“幽灵一般”、
“隔绝”和“古怪”
。他和同辈人只是混合在一起，却没有真正融合。他沉醉
于自己的隐秘世界，根本不能理解别人操心的世俗事务。他的举止稍微有些冷淡，有些高
高在上，还有一点秘而不宣的样子，暗示了某种神秘而非自然的东西。他一贯冷漠，但
一时兴起也会喋喋不休地谈论外太空和地缘政治趋势，或做出孩子般的恶作剧，或者毫无
征兆地勃然大怒。但是这些情感的迸发总是和他的沉默一样神秘莫测。“他和我们不一样”
是人们常说的一句话。一位在普林斯顿高等研究院工作的数学家这样描述他在普林斯顿拥
挤的学生舞会上第一次遇见纳什的情景：
我从那里的一大群人当中一下子就注意到他。当时他坐在地上，身边围了半个圆圈的
学生，正在讨论什么问题。他使我感到不安，给我一种奇怪的感觉。我觉察到一种特别陌
生的东西，他在某些地方与众不同。我并不了解他究竟有多大本事，也根本想不到后来他
会作出那么大的贡献。
[8] 但是他确实作出了贡献，而且非同凡响。而让人感到矛盾的是，他的许多想法本
身并不晦涩。1958 年，由于纳什在博弈论、代数几何学和非线性理论方面取得的成就，
《财富》杂志推举他为同时活跃在纯粹数学和应用数学两个领域的新一代天才数学家中最
杰出的人物。纳什对于人类竞争动态变化的洞察——他的理性竞争与合作理论—— 将会
成为 20 世纪最具影响的思想理论之一。这一理论改变着新兴的经济学，其作用无异于孟
德尔的基因遗传、达尔文的自然选择模式和牛顿的天体力学再造了当时的生物学和物理学。

第七课　圣诞和平祈福
小马丁 · 路德 · 金
[1] 今年圣诞时节，人们困惑惶恐，内心无法宁静，外部没有和平。无论身置何处，
恐慌昼夜萦绕于胸。我们这个世界已厌倦了战争，无论何处都危机四伏。各位教友 , 即便
如此 , 我们不能把祈求和平、善待众人的基督圣训视作不切实际的虔诚美梦。如果不能友
善待人 , 我们所有和所能必将由于使用不当而使我们走向自我毁灭。历史的经验告诉我们 ,
战争早已过时。曾几何时 , 战争或有以毒攻毒之效 , 可以遏制邪恶势力的蔓延与发展 , 然
而正是现代战争利器的巨大破坏力 , 使它再不能被视作打击邪恶的正义之举。因此，如果
我们认为人生值得一过，如果我们认为人类有权生存，那么我们就必须抛弃战争，另寻他径。
正因为如此，今天上午让我们探讨怎样才能和平，重新思考“世界和平，人人友爱”的圣
诞梦想的含义。说到何以有和平，我认为生活于现代的人们确实要好好研究非暴力主义的
意义，研究它的哲学和战略。
[2] 关于非暴力主义的含义，我们在美国争取种族正义的斗争中，已经有所尝试。现
在是把非暴力主义运用到人类的各种冲突中去的时候了，也就是说要在国际范围内推行非
暴力主义。
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[3] 现在，我首先要说的是，要想世界和平，我们就必须忠于芸芸，而不是忠于一隅。
我们的忠心必须超越我们的种族和部落，超越我们的阶层和国家；这就意味着我们必须放
眼世界。没有一个人能够独自生存，没有一个国家能够孤立存在。我们越想独立，世上越
有战争的可能。上帝的审判就在眼前，我们要么学会像兄弟一样和平共处，要么像一群傻
瓜统统消失。
[4] 的确，无论是国家还是个人，我们都要相互依存。我以前和你们说过，若干年前
我去过印度。那次经历美妙无比，但是我现在要告诉你们，其中也有不少令人沮丧的时刻。
眼见数百万人饿着肚子上床睡觉，怎能不让人沮丧？目睹成千上万的人晚上睡在马路边，
如何不让人沮丧？每天晚上有一百多万人睡在孟买的街道旁，有五十多万人睡在加尔各答
的道路边。他们无家可归。他们没床可睡。此情此景，我的心中不禁要问：“身在美国的
我们能袖手旁观、不闻不问吗？”有个声音答道：“不能！”我突然想到就在美国，就在
这儿，我们每天要花费数百万美元储藏过剩的食物。我对自己说：“我知道有个地方，可
以免费储存那些食物，就在上帝的数百万子民干瘪的肚子里。他们有的在亚洲、非洲、拉
丁美洲，有的甚至就在我们自己的国度，饥饿与他们的睡眠相伴。”
[5] 归结起来，就是一点：一切生命休戚相关。我们大家都身不由己，置身在一个相
互关联的网络之中，我们共穿同一件命运的外衣。不管是什么，只要直接影响到一个人，
就会间接影响到所有人。我们生来就得共处，因为世界是相互关联的。你是否偶尔想到过，
如果不依靠世上的大部分人，你早上连班都上不了呢？你起了床，去洗手间，伸手要拿海
绵，那是经过太平洋上的某个岛民之手你才有的。你要拿块肥皂，那是经过某个法国人之
手才有的。然后，你走进厨房用早餐，你的咖啡是经过某个南美人之手才有的。也许你想
喝茶，那是经过某个中国人之手才有的。或许你很想喝一杯可可茶，那是经过某个西非人
之手才有的。你伸手去拿烤面包，那是经过某个会说英语的农夫之手才有的，更不必说面
包师傅了。你的早餐还没吃完，就和大半个世界的人产生关联了。这就是我们的宇宙的构
造方式，这就是宇宙相互关联的属性。一切事物相互联系，我们只有认识到这一基本事实，
世界才有和平。
[6] 其次 , 我呼吁 , 要实现世界和平，所有人、所有国家必须坚守非暴力信念，坚信目
的、手段必须互渗互连。手段与目的的关系一直是历史上颇有争议的重大哲学问题之一。
总有人认为只要目的正确 , 可以不择手段 , 重要的是要达到目的。
[7] 因此他们说，假如你正寻求建立一个公正的社会，重要的是建立与否，而手段如
何实在无关紧要。只要能让这样的社会建立起来，任何手段都行，包括暴力手段、欺诈
手段，甚至于可以通过非正义的手段达到正义的目的。纵观历史，总有些人是这样认为的。
然而，世上永远不会出现和平，除非人们普遍认识到手段与目的并非毫无关系，因为手段
让理想体现在行动中，让目的体现在过程中。通过邪恶的手段终归达不到好的结果，因为
手段相当于树苗，而目的就像是长出的树。
[8] 世上所有伟大的军事天才都谈论过和平，这是最让人感到奇怪的事情之一。古时
的征服者们为了所谓的和平一路杀来，亚历山大大帝、裘力斯 · 恺撒、查理曼大帝，还有
拿破仑，他们寻求和平的世界秩序的做法都一样。要是你真的好好读了《我的奋斗》一书，
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你就会发现希特勒曾经声称，他在德国所做的一切都是为了和平。今日世界的领导者们谈
起和平来头头是道。每次美军在北越投下炸弹，约翰逊总统都会就和平夸夸其谈一番。问
题出在哪里？他们是把和平当做一个遥远的目标，当做我们所追求的一个目的来谈的，可
是总有一天我们一定会看到，和平不仅仅是我们追求的一个遥远的目标，而且是我们达到
这一目标的一个途径。我们必须运用和平的途径达到和平的目的。归根结底一句话，手段
和目的是一致的，因为目的先存于手段之中，破坏性的手段终究不能带来建设性的目的。
[9] 再则 , 我要说，若想世界和平、世人和睦，必须以非暴力申明所有人的生命都是
神圣的。每个人都很重要，因为他们都是上帝之子，因此，我们说“勿杀生”，是指人的
生命是神圣的，不应在战场上被轻易夺走。人的生命远非旋转电子构成的奇妙之物 , 也不
是无尽燃烧的焖火中升起的一缕轻烟。人类是上帝的子民，是上帝按自身的样子造出来的，
因此必须得到应有的尊重。除非天下的人们懂得这一点，世界的各国看到这一点，否则我
们就会争战不断。总有一天有人会提醒我们，即使我们之间可能存在政见的不同，存在意
识形态的不同，但是，越南人是我们的兄弟，俄国人是我们的兄弟，中国人也是我们的兄弟，
终有一天我们会坐在一起，共享手足之情。在基督里不分犹太人和异教徒，不分男人和女
人，不分共产主义者和资本主义者。在基督里，无论如何，不分自由的和不自由的。在耶
稣基督里，我们同为一体。一旦我们真的相信人格的神圣性，我们就不会压榨别人，就不
会用压迫的铁蹄践踏别人，就不会伤人性命。
第八课　放弃意味着死亡
诺尔玛 · 哈钦森
[1] 结束了一天的加班，萨利顿觉浑身轻松。特罗伊 · 萨利锁上了音像店的门，走到夏

日夜晚的街上。时值 1988 年 7 月 11 日晚 8 点刚过，印第安纳州贝德福德市萨利音像店附
近的购物中心已渐趋安静，只有那家几个店面之遥的药店依然开着门。
[2] 那天下午，因当班的职员生病，萨利并不介意来顶班。随后他也没叫其他职员来
值夜班，而是自己一直干到商店打烊。
[3] 打开车门，他并没有注意到一辆银色轿车已停在他的商店门口。车上四人中的一
个朝他喊了一声：“还能租录像吗？”
[4] 萨利迟疑了片刻，但仅仅是片刻。年仅 27 岁的萨利已拥有三家音像店，是个成功
的商人。他经常为了顾客而推迟关店门。这次同样也没有理由不满足顾客的需求。
[5] 回到音像店，那人在挑选，萨利则在一旁耐心等待。5 分钟后，车上另外两人下
了车，加入了他们的同伴。随后他们叫萨利到货架前，询问其中展示的一件，萨利流利地
做出了回答。
[6]“这是抢劫，”其中一人粗声粗气地说，另一人则掏出了手枪。“如果你配合，我们
不会伤害你。不然，就要你的脑袋。”
[7] 萨利按他们说的做了。他把现金出纳机清空，把里面的钱全倒出来给了他们。
[8] 消财免灾，他想。
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[9] 黑暗中摸索。三个劫匪抢走了他的钱包和钥匙。其中一人把前门锁上，另外两人
则命令萨利到后面去。
[10] 到了后店，三个劫匪把他的双手绑在身后，双脚捆了起来，双眼也蒙上了。想到
他们的威胁，萨利顺从着，没有反抗。他们把他推到商店货仓的储藏柜里，甚至当他们要
他歪着点脑袋时，他也服从了。
[11] 突然，萨利感到有尖尖的东西压迫他的喉部，还来回重复了两三次。他心想，这
只不过是吓唬吓唬我罢了。但随后他惊恐地意识到从脖子上流到胸前的热乎乎的液体是血，
是鲜血！
[12] 惊恐地意识到眼前所发生的事实，萨利用力挣脱绑在手脚上的绳子，试图躲开乱
刺的刀。劫匪恼羞成怒地把他从狭窄的储藏室推了出来。萨利用力地、不停地拉扯着他的
双手，直到捆绑的绳子松开。
[13] 他在黑暗中摸索着，想摸到刀，但却抓到了锋利的刀刃，割破了三个手指，差点
割断了一根手指头。此时，从颈部以下他已逐渐失去知觉，他意识到他的体力在快速减弱。
[14] 在挣扎中，萨利的蒙眼布掉了下来，但毫无益处。劫匪被他们的猎物的顽强抵抗
震惊了，他们诅骂着萨利，其中一人一拳打在萨利的脑袋上，把他击倒在地，另一人则开
始朝他脸上踢。
[15] 萨利挣扎着想起来，但手里握着刀的家伙把他按倒在地，并不停用刀割他的脖子，
砍他的背部和胸部。
[16] 阵阵目眩，阵阵痛楚，萨利已极其虚弱。他想假如他不再挣扎，这帮劫匪知道他
活不了，兴许会弃他而去。
[17] 他猜对了。劫匪们看着他们的猎物毫无反抗地躺在地上，相信直到他流血至死也
不会有人发现。他们抱着其他战利品——一台录像机和一部电话机——从后门出口扬长而
去。
[18] 生命在渐渐消失。萨利等待着，大气不敢出。他怕动，他怕有劫匪留下监视他。
但他也清楚，如果不马上得到救援，他会马上死掉。他匍匐着爬到后门，门在劫匪离开时
已自动关上。他使出浑身力气，慢慢地站了起来，把门推开。
[19] 小巷空无一人。劫匪已经走了，但萨利却不敢爬到小巷喊救援，很可能等有人发
现时已太晚了。萨利意识到他唯一的希望就是到商店前面了——仅隔 60 英尺。
[20] 萨利无力地靠在一面墙上，试图查看自己的伤势。他犹豫着，把手慢慢地抬到嗓
子部位。把手移开时，他模糊的双眼似乎看到了许多只手的叠现，它们全都沾满了血。生
命渐渐地离他而去，但他却一动也不能动。他想父母也许会看到他这副样子，那该多伤心啊。
[21]“你能行。”
想到此，心里突然涌起了一股力量，取代了刚才的麻木和痛苦。他
竟然能站起来，能走路。萨利知道他已身受重伤，靠他自己是站不起来的。瞬间，他意识
到冥冥中奇迹发生了。
[22] 他听到有人在说话。声音很轻但语气很坚定，那声音说：“一步一步走，特罗伊。
来吧，你能行。”起初，他想这只是脑子中的幻象，是一种回音。但后来，这声音越来越
清楚，就在耳畔回响。那声音在为他加油，就像特罗伊小时候刚开始学走路时父亲为他加
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油一样：“来吧，特洛伊，你能行。”
[23] 他真能行！慢慢地萨利走到他的办公室——离商店的后门有 45 英尺——一步一
步挪，身后留下了一路斑斑血迹。
[24] 店里的灯还亮着，但这店里的灯光却不能解释他脸上所泛出的光明。萨利自己也
不知道这是什么。他只知道每走一步他都变得更坚强了。
[25] 萨利跌跌撞撞地走到他的办公室，踉踉跄跄地穿过门廊，寻找能砸开已上锁的前
门的玻璃的东西。
[26] 很遗憾没找到，萨利又回到商品展示区。最后，目光停留在现金出纳机上，他清
楚出纳机重达 35 英磅。失了这么多血之后他是怎样把它提起来的，至今仍是个谜，但他
确实把它提起来了——而且把它扔出去了——他做到了！
[27] 门上的玻璃只是裂开了一条缝。
[28] 特罗伊并没有气馁。他跪着爬回办公室，寻摸着电话线，他知道电话线在桌子上
垂挂着。
[29] 找到了电话线，他把电话机拽到地上，开始拨打 911，但头两次都拨错了。最后，
他终于拨通了求救电话。
[30] 受害者的镇静。很快，萨利就听到警车和救护车呼啸而至，停在他商店外面。爬
到商品展示区，萨利费力地站了起来，朝警察挥手，示意他仍活着。随即就倒了下去。
[31] 很显然，警察如果按部就班地进入上了锁的商店的话，萨利就没命了。肯 · 贝尔
警官毫不迟疑地跳回警车，加大马力，从商店的前门冲了进去。
[32] 警车上的救护人员随即为萨利套上充压的裤子，拉上拉锁，迫使血液往心脏回流，
并采用各种办法维持他的生命，直到把他送进贝德福德医疗急救中心。
[33] 在医生抢救的过程中，萨利向贝尔警官仔细地描述了劫匪的长相。他记得车上还
有第四个人，甚至记得车的模样，包括后车窗上贴的纸车牌。
[34] 萨利一直保持着镇静，只是当他被医护人员从急救室推到手术室时，看到站在楼
道里泪流满面的父母和姐姐时，他再也控制不住，失声痛哭。
[35]“假如手术失败，”他哽咽着对亲人说，“记住，我永远爱你们！”
[36] 大夫们花了几乎一整夜的时间，为他缝合被劫匪捅破的 25 处伤口，其中一处伤口
又长又深，且紧挨着心脏，十分危险。大夫们都很惊讶，受了这么重的伤，萨利居然能活下
来，真是奇迹！但是萨利不仅活了下来，而且伤口也最终愈合，只是伤疤将永远留在身上。
[37] 多亏了萨利仔细的描述，只用了一个小时多一点的时间，警察就抓获了凶手，他
们躲藏在距离音像店不到 25 英里的地方。现在 4 个劫匪全都关押在监狱里。拿刀的家伙，
迈克尔 · G · 齐格勒被判了 120 年监禁；用脚朝萨利脸上踢的家伙，大保罗 · R · 米勒，被
判了 90 年；拿枪的家伙，克里斯托弗 · C · 米勒 , 获刑 40 年；在车里蹲守的家伙，小保
罗 · R · 米勒，被判了 15 年监禁。
[38] 他被离弃等死的漫长的几分钟内所发生的事，仍然使萨利心有余悸。“以前经常
听说这类奇迹，也读了不少这种奇迹般的故事，”特罗伊 · 萨利说，“而现在我明白了这种
奇迹真的会发生。”
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第九课　月亮升起来
彼得 · 斯坦哈特
[1] 我家附近有座小山。晚上，我常爬上山去。
[2] 此时，城市的喧嚣成了遥远的低语。在这黑夜的静谧中，我可以尽情分享蟋蟀的
欢乐，感受猫头鹰的自信。可我上山是来看月出的，因为这可以让我重新得到在城市中失
去的宁静与清新。
[3] 在这座山上，我已欣赏过许多次月亮升起的景象。每一次月亮的姿容脾性都有所
不同。秋天，满月如轮，充满自信；春天，月亮灰蒙蒙，羞羞答答；冬天，银白的月亮挂
在漆黑的、悄无声息的夜空中，显得那般孤寂；夏天，橘黄的月似被烟尘笼罩，俯瞰干燥
的田野。每一种月亮都像美妙的音乐，震动我的心灵，令我的灵魂平静。
[4] 观月自古有之。在远古的猎人眼里，月亮如同心跳一样准确无误。他们知道每 29
天，月亮都要变得明亮饱满，然后萎缩、消失，然后又再复活；他们知道，月盈期间，每
经一次日落，头顶的月亮就会显得更高更大；他们还知道月亏期间，月亮每晚都要更迟升
起，待到日出才落。他们竟能从经验中了解到月亮的行踪变化，真可谓心深意广。
[5] 但我们这些人却因深居室内，与月亮失去了联系。城市炫目的街灯、污浊的烟尘
掩盖了夜晚的天空。虽然人类已在月亮上行走过，但月亮对于我们却显得更加陌生了。几
乎没人能说得出今晚月亮会几时升起。
[6] 但无论怎样，月亮依旧牵动我们的心灵。倘若我们偶尔遇见一轮黄灿灿的满月高
悬中天，谁都会禁不住停下来凝神仰望她尊贵的姿容。而月亮也向注视她的人赐予厚礼。
[7] 我了解到她的馈赠是在山间七月的一个夜晚。我的车突然熄火，将我孤身一人困
在山中。太阳已经西沉，我看见东边山头涌出一团橘红色的明光，好像森林起火一般，俄
而山头自己也似乎迸出火焰。一会儿，大大的月亮涨红着脸，从密林中鬼魅似地钻了出来，
夏天空气中弥漫的尘雾与湿气把它变得丑陋不堪。
[8] 大地灼热的呼吸扭曲了它，它变得格外暴躁，不再完美。附近农舍的狗紧张地狂
吠起来，以为这团奇怪的光亮叫醒了野草中的魔鬼。
[9] 然而当月亮缓缓升起，离开山头，它变得坚定、威严；它的面孔也由红变成了
橘红，又变成金色，最后是平静的明黄色。它似乎从渐暗的大地中吸取了光明，因为随着
它的升起，下面的丘陵山谷愈来愈黯淡朦胧。待到皓月当空，满月如盘，闪烁着象牙般乳
白的清辉，山谷便成了风景中一片片幽深的阴影。那些狗明白了那团光原是它们熟悉的月
亮，也安定下来，停止了吼叫。霎时间，我也觉得信心倍增，心情舒畅，几乎笑了起来。
[10] 这奇特的景观持续了一个小时。月出是缓慢的，充满神奇。观看月出，我们得回
到过去那种对时间的耐心中去。观看月亮不可阻挡地升到空中就能让我们内心安宁。我们
的神思能让我们看到宇宙的广漠和大地的宽阔，能让我们忘掉自己。我们觉得自身渺小，
却又深感大自然的厚待。
[11] 月色下，我们看不到生活中坚硬的棱角。山坡在月光下如同笼上了柔和的轻纱，
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一片银白；海水在月光下碧蓝而静谧；我们在月光下也不再像白日那般精于算计，而是沉
醉于自然的情感中。
[12] 这个时候，奇特的事发生了。在那个七月的夜晚，我看了一两个小时的月景后，
回到车中，转动钥匙点火，发动机居然响了起来，就像几个小时前熄火那般突然而神秘。
我驱车沿着山路回家，肩上披着明月，心灵一片宁静。
[13] 后来我常回到山上观月，尤其是在接踵而来的事使我身心疲惫、头晕眼花时。这
种境况经常发生在秋天，这时我就登上那座小山，守候猎月出现，等着那金色的圆月俯照
大地，为黑夜带来光明。
[14] 一只猫头鹰自山头俯冲下来，静悄悄地如一团火焰闪过，一只蟋蟀在草丛长鸣。
我想起了诗人和音乐家，想起了贝多芬的《月光奏鸣曲》和莎士比亚笔下《威尼斯商人》
中洛伦佐的话 :“月光沉睡在这岸边多么轻柔 !/ 我们要坐在这里让音乐之声 / 潜入我们的
耳内。”我不知道他们的诗篇与音乐，连同蟋蟀的歌声，是否都可算作月的声音。想到这些，
我那些城市化的昏乱心绪也融化在了夜的幽静之中。
[15] 恋人和诗人在夜里能找到生活更深刻的意义。其实我们都爱问一些深刻的问
题——我们的祖先是什么？我们的命运在哪里？我们不喜欢那些统治着白天世界的刻板的
几何教科书，都愿意沉溺于永远找不到答案的谜团中。在夜里，我们都成了哲人和神秘主
义者。
[16] 月出之时，当我们放慢自己的思想，让它跟随天国的脚步，一种心醉神迷的感觉
就会流遍全身。我们会打开情感的窗口，会让白天被理智锁住的那部分思绪尽情奔涌。我
们越过遥远的时空，听见远古猎人的低语，再次看到很久以前的恋人与诗人眼中的世界。
第十课　宇宙的图像
史蒂芬 · 霍金
[1] 一位著名的科学家（有人说是伯特兰 · 罗素）曾经作过一次有关天文学的演讲。他

描述了地球如何围绕太阳运转，以及太阳如何进而围绕大量星群的中心运转，这些星群即
所谓的银河系。演讲结束之时，一位坐在房间后排的矮个老妇人站起来说道：
“你讲得一
派胡言。这个世界实际上是驮在一只大乌龟背上的平板。”这位科学家不为所动，带着一
种优越感微笑着答道：“那么这只乌龟是站在什么上面的呢 ? ”“你很聪明，年轻人，的确
很聪明，”老妇人说，“不过，这是一只驮着一只一直驮下去的乌龟塔啊！”
[2] 大部分人会觉得把我们的宇宙喻为一个无限的乌龟塔相当荒谬，可是我们凭什么
自以为知道得更多一些呢 ? 对于宇宙，我们了解多少，又是怎样知道的呢 ? 宇宙从何而来，
又将向何处去 ? 宇宙有开端吗 ? 如果有的话，在这之前发生了什么 ? 时间的本质是什么 ?
它会有一个终结吗 ? 我们能回到过去的时间吗？奇妙新技术的出现引发了物理学上的一些
最新突破，为回答这些长期以来悬而未决问题提供了建议。也许有一天这些答案会像我们
认为地球绕着太阳运动那样显而易见——当然也可能像乌龟塔那般荒唐可笑。唯有时间（不
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管其含义如何）才能判断。
[3] 依据一些早期的宇宙论的观点和犹太 / 基督 / 穆斯林教派传统的观点，宇宙起源于
一个有限的并且不太遥远的过去的时间。对这样一个起源，有一种观点是感到必须有“第
一原因”来解释宇宙的存在。( 在宇宙中，你总可以将一个事件解释为由另一个更早的事
件所引起，但是宇宙本身的存在只有当宇宙具有一个开端时才能被解释。) 另一种观点是
圣 · 奥古斯丁在他的《上帝之城》中提出的。他指出，文明在进步，我们将记住创造业绩
和发展技术的人们。因此，人，也许宇宙，不可能已经存在了太长的时间。圣 · 奥古斯丁
根据《创世纪》一书，将公元前 5000 年作为宇宙诞生的时间。( 有趣的是，这和上一次的
冰河时期结束的时间，大约公元前 1 万年相距不远。考古学家告诉我们，文明实际是从那
时开始的。)
[4] 另一方面，亚里士多德和大多数其他希腊哲学家不喜欢创生的思想，因为它带有
太多神学干涉的味道。他们相信，人类及其周围的世界已经并将继续永远存在。古代的人
们已经考虑到上述文明进步的论点，并用周期性洪水或其他灾难的重复出现使人类回到文
明的起点，来回答上述问题。
[5] 1781 年，哲学家伊曼努尔 · 康德发表了里程碑般的 ( 也是非常晦涩的 ) 著作——《纯
粹理性批判》。在这本书中，他深入地考察了关于宇宙在时间上是否有开端、空间上是否
有限的问题。他称这些问题为纯粹理性的二律背反（也就是矛盾 )。因为他感到存在同样
令人信服的论据，来证明宇宙有开端的正命题，以及宇宙已经存在无限久的反命题。他对
正命题的论证是：如果宇宙没有一个开端，则任何事件之前必有无限的时间。他认为这是
荒谬的。他对反命题的论证是：如果宇宙有一开端，在它之前必有无限的时间，为何宇宙
必须在某一特定的时刻开始呢 ? 事实上，他对正命题和反命题用了同样的论证。它们都是
基于他的未言明的假设，即不管宇宙是否存在了无限久，时间均可无限地倒溯回去。我们
会看到，在宇宙开端之前时间概念是没有意义的。这一点是圣 · 奥古斯丁首先指出的。当
他被问及：“上帝在创造宇宙之前在做什么 ?”奥古斯丁并没有回答说：“它正为问这类问
题的人准备地狱。
”而是说：“时间是上帝所创造的宇宙的一种产物，在宇宙开端之前不
存在。”
[6] 在多数人都认为宇宙基本上是静态的而且是不变的情况下，探讨宇宙是否有一个
起源确实是一个属于玄学或神学范畴的问题。人们可以用两种不同的理论解释他们所观察
到的事物。一种理论是宇宙永存；而另外一种理论是宇宙在某一个有限的时间以一种特定
的方式被启动，而这种方式又使得宇宙看上去曾经永远存在。但在 1929 年，埃德温 · 哈
勃做出了一个具有里程碑意义的观测，即不管你往哪个方向看，远处的星系正急速地远离
我们而去。换言之，宇宙正在膨胀。这意味着，在早先星体相互之间更加靠近。事实上，
在过去的某一时刻，大约 100 亿至 200 亿年之前，所有星体都存在于同一地点，而那时候
宇宙的密度是无限大。这个发现最终将宇宙起源的问题带进了科学的王国。
[7] 哈勃的发现暗示存在一个叫做大爆炸的时刻，当时宇宙的尺度无穷小，而且无限
紧密。在这种条件下，所有科学定律，所有预见将来的能力都失效了。如果在此时刻之前
有过些事件，它们也不可能影响现在所发生的一切。我们可以不理它们，因为它们并没有
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可观测的结果。由于更早的时间根本没有定义，所以在这个意义上人们可以说，时间在大
爆炸时有一个开端。必须强调的是，这个时间的开端和早先考虑的非常不同。在一个不变
的宇宙中，时间的起点必须由宇宙之外的某存在物所赋予 ; 宇宙的开端并没有物理的必要
性。人们可以想象上帝创造宇宙发生在过去的任何时间。另一方面，如果宇宙在膨胀，宇
宙的起源似乎就有了物理的原因。人们仍然可以想象，上帝是在大爆炸的瞬间创造宇宙，
或者在晚些时候，以使它看起来就像发生过大爆炸似的方式创造，但是设想在大爆炸之前
创造宇宙是没有意义的。膨胀的宇宙并没有排斥造物主，但却对它何时从事这工作加上了
时间限制！
[8] 为了探讨宇宙的本质以及关于宇宙是否有始终等问题，你必须清楚什么是科学理
论。我将采用一个简单的观点，即理论只不过是宇宙的模型或它的受限制的部分模型，是
一组联结这模型的量和我们所做的观察的规则。它只存在于我们的头脑中，不具有任何的
现实性（不管在任何意义上）
。一个好的理论应满足两个要求。一是它必须能够用只包含
少数几个任意要素的模型来准确地描述人们所观察到的大量现象。二是它还必须能够对人
们未来所能观察到的现象的结果加以明确的预测。例如亚里士多德相信恩培多克勒的理论，
即任何东西都是由四种元素组成的：土、空气、火和水。这一理论足够简单，但它没有做
出任何明确的预测。另一方面，牛顿的引力理论是基于甚至更为简单的模型，即两物体之
间的相互吸引力与被称为其质量的量成正比，与它们之间的距离的平方成反比。但是它能
够以很高的精确性预言太阳、月亮和行星的运动。
[9] 任何物理理论都只是假设，从这个意义上来讲，理论总是暂时的，永远不可能被
证明。不管多少回实验的结果和某一理论相一致，你永远不可能断定下一次结果不会和它
矛盾。另一方面，哪怕你只找到一个和理论预言不一致的观测事实，即可证明它的错误。
正如科学哲学家卡尔 · 波珀所强调的，一个好的理论的特征是，它能给出许多原则上可以
被观测所否定或证明有误的预言。如果新的实验中观测的结果与这预言相符，则这理论就
幸存，我们对它的信心也随之增加。但是如果有一个新的观测与之不符，我们就只得抛弃
或修正这理论。
[10] 至少人们认为应该是这样的，但是你总是可以对做出观测的人的能力表示怀疑。
[11] 实际上经常发生的是，创建的新理论是原先理论的推广。例如：对水星的非常精
确的观测揭示出它的运动和牛顿理论预言之间存在很小差异。爱因斯坦的广义相对论所预
言的运动则和牛顿理论的预言略有不同。爱因斯坦的预言和观测相符，而牛顿的预言与观
测不相符，这一事实是这个新理论的关键证据之一。然而我们在大部分实际情况下仍用牛
顿理论，因为在我们通常处理的情形下，两者差别非常小。（牛顿理论的另一个巨大优势
在于，它比爱因斯坦理论容易得多！）
[12] 科学的终极目标在于提供一个简单的理论去描述整个宇宙。然而，大部分科学家
实际采用的方法是把问题分为两部分。首先，是一些告诉我们宇宙如何随时间变化的定律。
（如果我们知道在任意时刻宇宙是什么样子，那么这些定律就能告诉我们在以后的任一时
刻宇宙的样子。）第二，关于宇宙初始状态的问题。有些人认为科学只应过问第一部分；
他们认为初始状态的问题应是玄学或宗教的范畴。他们会说，全能的上帝可以随心所欲地
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启动宇宙。也许是这样的。但是，倘若那样，它也可以使宇宙以完全任意的方式演化。可
是，看起来它却选择让宇宙以一种非常规则的、按照一定规律的方式演化。所以，看起来
可以同样合理地假定，也存在着影响初始状态的定律。
[13] 事实上，要想创立一个能够描述一切宇宙现象的理论是十分困难的。取代的办法
是，我们可以把问题分割开来，进而创建一些局部理论。每个局部理论对特定有限范围的
观测进行描述和预言，而忽略其他量的效应，或仅用简单的一组数字来代表它们。可能这
种方法是完全错误的。如果宇宙中的每一个事物都非常依赖于其他的任何一个事物，就不
可能通过隔离法研究问题的部分去找到完整的答案。尽管如此，这确实是我们在过去取得
进展所用的方法。牛顿引力理论又是一个经典的例子，它告诉我们两个物体之间的引力只
取决于与每个物体相关的一个数字——它的质量，而与物体由何物组成无关。这样，人们
不需要太阳和行星结构及成分的理论就可以计算它们的轨道。
[14] 因为除了在最极端的情况下，我们目前所掌握的局部理论已经足够进行精确的预
测，因此很难找到现实的理由去探索宇宙的终极理论。( 但是值得指出，类似的论点也可
以用来攻击相对论和量子力学，而这些理论已给我们带来了核能和微电子学革命 !) 一套完
整的统一理论的发现可能无法帮助我们种族的存活，甚至也不会影响我们的生活方式。但
是自从文明开始，人们就不甘于将事件做互不关联的、不可理解的。他们渴求理解世界的
根本秩序。今天我们仍然渴望知道，我们为何在此？我们从何而来？人类求知的最深切的
愿望足以为我们不断的探索提供正当的理由。而我们的目标恰恰正是对于我们生存其中的
宇宙做出完整的描述。
第十一课　用思维操作机器
卡尔 · 齐默
杜克大学实验室里一项猕猴试验表明，我们不久就能仅用我们的思维来活动人造假肢，
控制机器人战士，并和数千英里外的人通讯。
[1] 在杜克大学神经工程中心的实验室里，发生了不可思议的事——不过，开始很难
看明白是什么东西。一个机器手臂从这边到那边不停地摆动，活像真的，非常怪异，好像
它试图从空中抓取看不见的苍蝇。机器手臂伸出机械手时绕枢轴转动并伸直。手钳合拢，
夹紧几秒钟，然后松开并缩回来，再朝新的方向伸出去。不错，这里没有什么特别惊人的
东西——机器手臂毕竟能做从制造汽车到给 DNA 排序的每样事情。但是，那些机器手臂
是用软件操纵的；而杜克大学的机器手臂接受的是一种不同的指令。要察看这些指令来自
何方，你得沿着从实验室出来的一长串乱糟糟的电缆走进大厅，再到另一个较小的房间。
[2] 这个房间里坐着一个不动的猕猴。
[3] 猕猴被捆在椅子上，
眼睛盯着计算机显示屏。显示屏上有个小黑点，
从这边跑到那边；
黑点停住时，围绕它的圆圈就扩大。只观看，你不会知道那黑点是表明另一个房间里机器
手臂的活动情况。圆圈表示机器人的手钳夹紧；夹力增加，圆圈扩大。换句话说，黑点和
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圆圈随机器手臂的活动作出反应。机器手臂呢 ? 它是由猕猴操纵的。
[4] 我刚才不是提到猕猴是不动的吗 ?
[5] 再看看那些电缆。电缆弯弯曲曲地进入计算机后盖，然后又出来，最后到达猕猴
头上的帽子里。电缆从埋在猕猴大脑里的数百个电极接收信号，猕猴用思维向机器手臂发
出指令。
[6] 几十年来，科学家就一直在思索、推测大脑和机器直接联系的可能性，但都认为
这不切实际。只是到了 20 世纪 90 年代末，科学家才开始充分地了解大脑与信号处理的有
关知识，从而出现了使科幻小说的幻象变成现实的希望的曙光。自那以后，人们开始以
惊人速度积累对大脑活动的深刻认识——大脑怎样给人体编码指令及大脑随后怎样学会改
进那些指令。杜克大学从事猕猴和机器手臂研究的人员处在该项技术的前沿。该大学的神
经学家、神经工程中心联席主任米格尔 · 尼科莱利斯说：“这大大超出我们以前所做的。”
的确，该中心猕猴的表现说明，人类的思维与机器结合很快就会变为现实。
[7] 尼科莱利斯及其小组深信，5 年内他们就能制造出由脑内植入电极的人来控制的机
器手臂。他们首要关注的是医疗领域——其目的是给肢体瘫痪的人提供使他们日常生活更
方便的新工具。但是，他们和其他科学家小组取得的成就在公营和私营部门激起了更为广
泛的兴趣。国防高级研究规划局已拨款 2 400 万美元，支持美国全国各种脑 - 机研究活动，
其中包括杜克大学的研究小组。该局希望开发的重点项目是：由思维操纵的作战机器人和
能完全用思维控制飞行的飞机。你想要与家庭生活关系密切一些的东西吗 ? 那就试试只要
通过大脑想就能交谈的智能电话吧。
[8] 解码大脑指令的想法乍看起来可能像是十足的狂妄自大。计算机怎么能窃听日常
生活每时每刻发生在大脑里的全部活动呢 ?
[9] 然而，经过一个世纪神经病学的研究有了突破性进展后，科学家不再那么畏惧
大脑，缩手缩脚了；他们只把大脑看做另一个信息处理器，尽管是世界上最复杂的处理器。
与尼科莱利斯同为神经工程中心主任的克雷格 · 亨利克斯说：“我们不把大脑看做神秘的
器官。我们把大脑中迸发出来的信息看成是 1 与 0，我们正在解码大脑。”
[10] 当然，所有这些 1 与 0 都来自大脑几十亿个神经元。神经元一端受到进来的刺激
物时——例如，光子击中视网膜，视网膜就将视觉信息传递给临近的神经元——电脉冲便
经过神经元全长传递。根据接收到的信号，神经元每秒钟可爆发出数以百计的这种脉冲。
当每个脉冲到达神经元的远端时，便刺激这神经细胞发出神经传递素，这些神经传递素能
在邻接的神经元中激发出新的电脉冲。用这种方法，信号就像赛跑中的接力棒一样，传递
到大脑各处。最终，这种连珠炮似的代码引起沿神经传播的电脉冲，因为这些神经从大脑
发端，遍布全身，就会引起肌肉各种不同形式的收缩、张弛，使我们眨眼、说话、行走或
吹大号。
[11] 20 世纪 30 年代，神经学家开始用可植入体内的电极记录这些脉冲。尽管每个神
经元都包有绝缘鞘，但脉冲仍然在神经细胞外产生微弱的电场。研究大鼠与猴子大脑的人
员发现，将电极的敏感尖端放在一神经元附近，他们能检测到信号迅速穿过神经元时电场
发生的突然变化。
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[12] 科学家越深入研究这种神经密码，他们就越意识到这种神经密码与计算机的
开、关数码并非完全不同。如果科学家能破解这种密码——将一个信号转变为“抬手”而
另一个信号转变为“向左看”——那么，他们就能用这信息操纵机器。与杜克大学研究人
员合作的研究者、纽约州立大学州南部地区布鲁克林卫生科学中心的研究人员约翰 · 蔡平
说 :“这种想法并不新鲜。人们自 20 世纪 60 年代就开始考虑这个问题了。”
[13] 但是，大多数研究人员认为，每种类型的运动都是靠大脑几十亿神经元中一些少
数特定的神经元来控制的——为了找到那些少数神经元而需要监测整个大脑则会使成功的
解码变为实际办不到的事。蔡平说 :“如果你想要机器手臂向左动，你就得找携带向左运
动指令的那一小撮神经元。但是，你事先并不知道那些神经元在什么地方。”
[14] 因此，那时知道的一切表明，脑 - 机联系是徒劳无益之举。结果证明，那一切都
是错误的。
第十二课　生死之间的二英寸
罗伯特 · 李 · 霍茨
[1] 在以 18 倍于声速的速度飞行时，在航天飞机上生与死之间的距离只有 2 英寸。

[2] 这是航天飞机大多数陶瓷防热瓦的尺寸。国家航空航天局的调查员正在努力搞
清，是什么原因造成了“哥伦比亚”号航天飞机在星期六返航时失事坠毁。这一事故使 7
名航天员殒命，并使飞机的残骸碎片散布在美国西南部大地上。而在事故调查中，人们正
在对航天飞机上由 26 000 片陶瓷瓦构成的保护层进行认真仔细的检查。
[3] 在以那样高的速度飞行时——温度几乎是航天飞机铝合金机身熔点的两倍——几
乎任何灾难最终都会涉及防热罩的破裂而使航天飞机崩溃。这奇特的二氧化硅瓦片——由
最纯净的河沙熔制而成——在许多方面代表着国家航空航天局本身，既体现了这个机构技
术上的足智多谋和胆识，也体现了它的错误出发点和判断失误。这些瓦片也许比任何其他
曾经建造的最复杂飞行器的部件更能体现现代太空飞行中的一个基本的难题，即如何把轻
型材料的强度和耐久性结合起来，使其能安全发射并能安全返回。尽管 30 年来精心地改进，
研究人员还没有设计出基本性能更简单、更轻巧、更耐用的系统。
[4]“哥伦比亚”号是可重复使用防热罩的“尝试工程”中的第一个载人试验品。不牢
固的瓦片、破裂的瓦片、破碎的瓦片、磨损的瓦片或者脱落的瓦片是航天飞机每次飞行都
会出现的。国家航空航天局原来的一些工程师、太空分析家和退休的航空与航天管理人员
说，航天飞机的防护瓦是在“阿波罗”号航天计划的结束阶段构想出来的，当时国家航空
航天局极想使载人太空飞行继续进行下去。加利福尼亚理工学院航空和应用物理学教授保
罗 · 迪莫塔基斯说，作为一个技术问题，这些瓦具有平衡热量、强度、重量和柔韧性的独
特能力；它们是保护航天飞机的铝合金机身在重返地球大气层时不被高温火舌熔化所必需
的。
[5] 这些瓦最初是玻璃状的 6 英寸见方的硅片，由砂浆模铸而成，添加微量的特殊的
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化学物质并在世界上最大的微波炉中烘焙，制成的瓦片有得克萨斯烤面包片大小。它们重
如轻木的木材。宾夕法尼亚大学冶金学家查尔斯 · 麦克马洪说，它们像海绵一样多孔，像
掉到地上的咖啡杯那样易碎。国家航空航天局的飞行任务纪录表明，在航天飞机飞离地面
时，即使一个弹起的软木片就能损坏它们。然而，这些很轻的瓦片能迅速地散热，甚至在
喷灯加热下摸上去仍会感到凉爽。按照国家航空航天局最初的成本核算，1 平方英尺防热
瓦的制造和安装费用是 1 万美元，在理论上至少能飞行 100 次。与之相比，常规的防热罩
是通过烧蚀来吸收重返大气层时产生的热量——下降时，通过烧焦和烧掉一小部分来处理
这些热量。这种防热罩每平方英尺的费用大约是 3 万美元，只能使用一次。
[6] 国家航空航天局的工程师很快发现需要绝缘层和填充物。但是这些物质依温度变
化而膨胀和收缩时，瓦片会以许多方式受拉。他们非常错误地估计了瓦片所能承受的力量。
在发射台上或在飞行中，一场暴风雨就是引发惊恐的原因。在飞行中，航天飞机的铝合金
框架和外壳也会弯曲，这就增加了张力。麻省理工学院的一位材料工程专家苏布拉 · 苏雷
什说，航天飞机每一平方英寸截面的反应都不相同。因此，每一片瓦都是按照其在航天飞
机上的确切位置专门定制的，其精确度胜于萨维尔 · 罗的赛车服。不会有任何标准规格的
现货。
[7] 麻省理工学院的一位高级制陶技术权威迈克尔 · 西玛说，国家航空航天局的工程师
还低估了当航天飞机以高出声速那么多倍的速度在空中飞行时，飞机表面的防热瓦稍微的
一点变化，会在多大程度上改变飞机的飞行路线。更糟糕的是，他们知道损失一块防热瓦
就会破坏周围瓦的稳定性，引起一排排的脱落。人们都说，防热瓦的技术问题使航天飞机
第一次发射推迟了两年。在 112 次的飞行中，每架航天飞机的修理纪录上都有不明原因的
防热瓦的一系列划痕、凿槽和裂缝。1994 年对前 50 次航天飞机发射时期散落的残骸碎片
的分析结论是，每次飞行大约有 25 片防热瓦受到损坏，深度至少有 1 英寸。在机翼的下
侧靠近机身处和在飞行员舱正下方的位置，是航天飞机最容易受损坏的部位；因为在发射
期间，这部分对着外挂燃料箱和固体火箭助推器。
[8] 1997 年 12 月，当“哥伦比亚”号完成 16 天的飞行任务返回时，据说技术人员在
防热瓦上发现 308 处擦痕、划痕和裂缝。受损的防热瓦只有 2 英寸厚，而最深的受创处穿
透了厚度的四分之三。“这一直是航天计划不得不应付的最困难的挑战之一，”宾夕法尼亚
州的航天工程师戴维 · 斯潘塞说。位于旧金山湾地区的国家航空航天局阿莫斯研究中心空
间技术部的前首席科学家霍华德 · 戈尔茨坦说，即使这样，在航天飞机的 100 万个部件中，
几乎没有别的东西更接近于实现航天飞机真正能够反复使用的伟大梦想。在经受 22 年的
磨损和两次大修后，当 l 月 16 日“哥伦比亚”号进行第 28 次发射时，四分之三的防热瓦
还是最初的那些。
[9]“哥伦比亚”号最后一次飞行就这样开始了——在许多方面像它的第一次飞行。
在它 1981 年的处女航中，火箭猛烈的冲击力摇动 2 200 吨重的航天飞机就像摇动一个空
的垃圾桶。大大小小的冰凌从航天飞机的窗子上四下弹出。航天飞机发射时的冲击力使机
翼的控制失常，支撑燃料箱的部件发生弯曲，而且震松了那么多防热瓦，以至于国家航
空航天局的官员为飞机上两名航天员的生命担忧。那些岌岌可危的防热瓦好像并没有受
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到损坏。航天飞机和它的第一批机组人员安全地着陆了。“哥伦比亚”号总共损坏了 15 块
防热瓦，但国家航空航天局在允许“哥伦比亚”号再次飞行前又更换了数百块防热瓦。
[10] 22 年后——2003 年 l 月 16 日——“哥伦比亚”号又颤抖着离开了发射台。起
飞 80 秒钟后，那对助推器的振动使外油箱上一大块泡沫绝缘材料松动。当航天飞机加速
到 1 900 英里每小时的时候，那块脱落的泡沫材料重重地撞到飞机的左翼上，致使该材料
裂为碎片。轨道上的航天员没有办法检查航天飞机下部防热瓦受损的情况。尽管防热瓦有
这么多问题，在太空中还是没有办法修理它们。然而，这时没有一个人认为有必要进行彻
底检查。国家航空航天局的航天飞机工程师们分析了这次碰撞情况的摄像片，对潜在的损
坏在计算机上进行了一系列的模拟试验，在飞行的第 12 天，做出了防热瓦经得起这种风
险的结论。
[11] 防热瓦受损已经成为航天飞机每次飞行必定出现的情况。每次飞行后，大约有 40
块防热瓦需要某种维护。又过了 4 天，“哥伦比亚”号重返地球大气层，这是最后一次了。
国家航空航天局的科学家和工程师从来没有停止过寻找一种更好的方法来保护人类从飞行
轨道安全返回地球。为了建造新一代的航天器，他们已经试验了钛板、特殊合金罩和更先
进的陶瓷。根据 X-34 可重复使用火箭工程，国家航空航天局的研究人员试图开发能在高
达 2 300 华氏度的高温下完成 25 次飞行的防热瓦，这是个比当初航天飞机设计者制定的
完成飞行 100 次的目标更为适度的一个目标。按照 X-33 航天飞机工程，国家航空航天局
的设计人员开发出了更为坚固耐用的金属隔热板材和柔韧的防热瓦。但是 1998 年的飞行
试验表明，即使这些更为先进的材料仍然会在雨中破碎、腐蚀。
[12] 根据几十年积累的经验，国家航空航天局以微妙的方式更换了航天飞机的防热
瓦，就像裁缝为迎合时尚而改变翻领一样。在“哥伦比亚”号进行第一次飞行时，它总共
镶嵌了 34 000 片防热瓦。如今，每架航天飞机镶嵌着 24 000 到 26 000 片防热瓦，因为国
家航空航天局已经完善并改进了用于防热罩的材料。国家航空航天局的官员说，每片防热
瓦都是一个陶瓷块，现在每片的造价在 2 000 到 3 000 美元之间。它们仍各具特色。有些
是白色的 ; 有些是黑色的 ; 有些被固定在隔热层上。工程师用了 4 种能耐不同高温的绝缘
材料。一些新型防热瓦抗冲击力的能力是“哥伦比亚”号原来防热瓦的 100 倍，但它们也
比原来的重，只用在过去经常受损的地方。
[13] 每次飞行之后，航天飞机仍然需要许多人用手提激光扫描器来检查、标记、论证，
而后更换受损的防热瓦。为了跟踪使用情况，这成千上万块瓦都按其大小、类型以及在飞
机上的位置一一进行登记编目。每一块都用抹不掉的数字条形码做上记号。在飞行高峰期，
航天飞机防热瓦的制造业是个兴旺的家庭小工业，从洛杉矶到麻省戴达姆有 13 家承包商
参与其中。但是 22 年后，防热瓦的业务已经统一由佛罗里达州肯尼迪太空中心的一家承
包商经营。而这项工作本身变得更像博物馆的古物修补工作，就像更换一个有古瓷图案的
破盘子。
[14] 甚至在“哥伦比亚”号失事之前，科学家就担心老化现象对重复使用的防热瓦的
影响。人们担心，反复经受太空飞行的压力和超高温的作用，会使陶瓷发生某些正常检测
不能发现的变化。“反复地对防热瓦施压，就会使它们更容易受损坏，
”苏雷什说。国家航
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空航天局阿莫斯研究中心的戈尔茨坦说，人们对防热瓦长期腐蚀情况的担忧促使对其进行
了试验和分析，结果表明防热瓦仍然符合工作性能标准。
[15] 在某种意义上，这些防热瓦将总会是一个试验品。没有一个人曾经带着这些材料
在太空中来回飞行这么多次。没有一个人能真正地知道它们能持续多长时间。戈尔茨坦说 :
“这些防热瓦的真正寿命有多长仍然是个未知数。”
第十三课　雨中的猫
欧内斯特 · 海明威
[1] 旅馆里，留宿的只有两个美国客人。他们打房间里出出进进，经过楼梯时，一路
上碰到的人他们都不认识。他们的房间就在面海的二楼。房间还面对公园和战争纪念碑。
公园里有大棕榈树、绿色的长椅。天气好的时候，常常可以看到一个带着画架的艺术家。
艺术家们喜欢棕榈树生长的形状以及那面对花园与大海的旅馆明亮的色彩。意大利人老远
赶来望着战争纪念碑。纪念碑是用青铜铸成的，在雨里闪闪发光。天正在下雨。雨水打棕
榈树滴下来。雨水在砾石路上聚集成了一个个小水坑。海水涌上了沙滩，在与雨水相接
之处形成了一条长长的分界线，之后又顺着沙滩滑回去，然后再涌上沙滩，又形成了一
条长长的分界线。停在战争纪念碑旁边广场上的汽车都开走了。广场对面，一个侍者站在
餐馆门口望着空荡荡的广场。那个美国太太站在窗边眺望。就在他们的窗外一只小猫蹲在
一张绿色的滴着雨水的桌子下面。它尽量地缩着身子以免被雨水淋湿。
[2]“我要下去捉那只小猫，”美国太太说。
[3]“我去捉，”她丈夫从床上说。
[4]“不，我去捉。外边那只可怜的小猫想躲在桌子底下，不被淋湿。”
[5] 做丈夫的继续在看书，他枕着垫得高高的两只枕头，躺在床脚那儿。
[6]“别淋湿了，”他说。
[7] 太太下楼去，她走出办公室时，旅馆主人站起来，向她哈哈腰。他的写字台就在
办公室那一头。他是个老头，个子很高。
[8]“下雨啦，”太太说。她喜欢这个旅馆老板。
[9]“是，是，太太，坏天气。天气很不好。”
[10] 他站在昏暗的房间那一头的写字台后面。这个太太喜欢他。她喜欢旅馆老板
非常认真地听取顾客意见的方式。她喜欢他那威严的样子。她喜欢他愿意为她效劳的态
度。她喜欢他那觉得自己是个旅馆老板的态度。她喜欢他那张上了年纪而迟钝的脸和那一
双大手。她一面觉得喜欢他，一面打开了门，向外张望。雨下得更大了。有个披着橡胶
披肩的人正穿过空荡荡的广场，向餐馆走去。那只猫大概就在这附近右边。也许她可以沿
着屋檐底下走去。正当她站在门口时，在她背后有一顶伞张开来。原来是那个照料他们房
间的侍女。
[11]“一定不能让你淋湿，”她面呈笑容，操意大利语说。自然是那个旅馆老板差她来的。
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[12] 她由侍女撑着伞遮住她，沿着石子路走到他们的窗底下。桌子就在那儿，在雨里
给淋成鲜绿色，可是，那只猫不见了。她突然感到大失所望。那个侍女抬头望着她。
[13]“您丢了什么东西啦，太太？”
[14]“有一只猫，”年轻的美国太太说。
[15]“猫？”
[16]“是，猫。”
[17]“猫？”侍女哈哈一笑。“在雨里的一只猫？”
[18]“是呀，”她说，“在这桌子底下。”接着，“啊，我多么想要它。我想要只小猫。”
[19] 她说英语的时候，侍女的脸顿时绷紧起来。
[20]“来，太太，”她说，“我们必须回到里面去，你要淋湿了。”
[21]“我想是这样，”年轻的美国太太说。
[22] 她们沿着石子路走回去，进了门。侍女待在外面，把伞收拢。美国太太经过办公
室时，老板在写字台那边向她哈哈腰。女孩的心被轻轻地触动了。旅馆老板对她的态度使
她感到自己既柔弱又非常重要。她登上楼梯。在一瞬间感觉自己好像是最重要的人物了。
她打开房门。乔治在床上看书。
[23]“猫捉到啦？”他放下书本，问道。
[24]“跑啦。”
[25]“会跑到哪里去，”他说，不看书了，好休息一下眼睛。她在床上坐下。
[26]“我太想要那只猫了，”她说。“我不知道我干吗那么想要那只猫。我要那只可怜
的小猫。做一只待在雨里的可怜的小猫，可不是什么有趣的事儿。”
[27] 乔治又在看书了。
[28] 她走过去，坐在梳妆台镜子前，拿着手镜照照自己。她端详一下自己的侧影，先
看看这一边，又看看另一边。接着，她又端详一下后脑勺和脖子。
[29]“要是我把头发留起来，你不认为这是个好主意吗？”她问道，又看看自己的
侧影。乔治抬起头来，看她的颈窝，像个男孩子那样，头发剪得很短。
[30]“我喜欢这样子。”
[31]“我可对它很厌腻了，”她说。“样子像个男孩子，叫我很厌腻了。”
[32] 乔治在床上换个姿势。打从她开始说话到如今，他眼睛一直没有离开过她。
[33]“你真漂亮极了，”他说。
[34] 她把镜子放在梳妆台上，走到窗边，向外张望。天逐渐见黑了。
[35]“我要把我的头发往后扎得又紧又光滑，在后脑勺扎个大结儿，可以让我摸摸，”
她说。“我想要有一只小猫来坐在我膝头上，我一抚摩它，它就呜呜叫起来。”
[36]“是吗？”乔治在床上说。
[37]“我还要用自己的银器来吃饭，我要点上蜡烛。我还要现在是春天，我要对着镜
子梳头，我要一只小猫，我要几件新衣服。”
[38]“啊，住口，找点东西来看看吧，”乔治说。他又在看书了。他妻子往窗外望。这会儿，
天很黑了，雨仍在打着棕榈树。
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[39]“总之，我要一只猫，”她说，“我要一只猫，我现在就要一只猫。要是我不能有
长头发，也不能有任何有趣的东西，我总可以有只猫吧。”
[40] 乔治没在听她说话。他在看书。他妻子望着窗外，广场上已经上灯了。
[41] 有人在敲门。
[42]“请进，”乔治说。他从书本上抬起眼来。
[43] 那个侍女站在门口，紧抱着一只大花斑家猫，猫的尾巴摇下来贴着她的身体。
[44]“对不起，”她说，“老板要我把这只猫送来给太太。”
第十四课　失落的派对
利利安娜 · 赫克尔
[1] 她一到那儿就直奔厨房，看猴子是否在那里。猴子在：心里一块石头落了地！她
可不愿意承认妈妈是对的。生日聚会上有猴子？她妈妈曾讥笑道。去你的吧，别人说什么
胡话你都信！她很生气，但并不是因为猴子，女孩想：而是因为派对。
[2]“我不想你去，”她告诉她。“那是有钱人的派对。”
[3]“有钱人也一样去天堂，”女孩回答道，她可在学校学过些宗教。
[4]“去你的天堂，”母亲说。“小女士，你的问题是不知天高地厚。”
[5] 女孩并不认同妈妈说话的方式。她不到九岁，却是班上的优等生。
[6]“我要去，因为人家请了我，”她说。“人家请我是因为露茜安娜是我的朋友。就这
么回事！”
[7]“啊，对，你的朋友，”妈妈嘟囔道。顿了一下，她说道：
“听着，罗索娜，那不是
你的朋友。你知道你在他们眼里是什么吗？女仆的女儿，如此而已。”
[8] 罗索娜拼命地眨着眼睛：她不想哭。随后她尖声大叫：“别说了！你根本不懂什么
是朋友！”
[9] 以往她每天下午都会去露茜安娜家，两人一起写作业，而她妈妈则打扫房间。
[10] 她俩在厨房喝茶，互相交换小秘密。罗索娜喜欢那所大房子里的每样东西，还有
住在里面的人。
[11]“我要去，因为那会是世界上最有意思的派对，露茜安娜说的。会来一个魔术师，
他要带一只猴子来，还有全部道具。”
[12] 母亲猛地转过身来，瞪着自己的孩子好半天，然后装模作样地双手叉腰。
[13]“生日派对上有猴子？”她说，
“去你的吧，啥鬼话你都信！”
[14] 罗索娜被深深地触怒了。她觉得，仅仅因为人家是有钱人，妈妈就说人家是骗子，
这不公平。当然，罗索娜也想有钱。假如有一天她住进了漂亮的宫殿，妈妈还会爱她吗？
她很伤心。除了去参加派对，她什么都不想做。
[15]“去不了我宁愿去死，”她小声嘀咕道，嘴唇几乎没动。
[16] 她不知道妈妈听到没有，但是派对那天早上，她发现妈妈已经浆洗好了她的圣诞
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礼服。而且下午洗完头后，妈妈还用苹果醋漂洗了她的头发，这样显得既柔顺又有光泽。
走之前罗索娜在镜子前欣赏自己，雪白的裙子、光滑的秀发，她觉得自己漂亮极了。
[17] 伊内丝太太好像也注意到了。一见面她就说：
[18]“你今天真可爱，罗索娜！”
[19] 罗索娜用手轻轻拽了拽浆洗过的裙子，信心十足地走进了派对。她向露茜安娜打
了声招呼，询问猴子的事。露茜安娜换上一副神秘的表情，在她耳边小声说：“在厨房。
但不要告诉别人，这是个惊喜。”
[20] 罗索娜想确认一下。她小心翼翼地走进厨房，看见了猴子：它在笼子里，若有所
思的样子。它看起来太好玩了，女孩站在那儿盯着它看了好一会儿。后来她还不时从派
对上溜出来去看它。罗索娜是唯一得到允许进厨房的孩子。伊内丝太太说过：“你可以，
但别人不行，他们太闹腾了，会摔碎东西的。”罗索娜从没有打碎过什么东西。她甚至把
盛橙汁的大缸子从厨房拿到了餐厅。她小心翼翼地捧着，一滴橙汁都没溅出来。伊内丝
夫人说：“那么大的缸子，你肯定拿得了吗？”她当然拿得了。她可不像别的孩子那样毛
手毛脚的。比如那个头发上别着蝴蝶结的金发女孩。一看到罗索娜，戴蝴蝶结的小姑娘
就问：
[21]“你呢？你是谁 ?”
[22]“我是露茜安娜的朋友，” 罗索娜回答。
[23]“不可能，” 蝴蝶结说，“你不是露茜安娜的朋友，我是她的堂妹，我认识她所有
的朋友，可我不认识你。”
[24]“那又怎样，” 罗索娜说，
“我每天下午都和我妈妈一起来这儿，我俩一起做作业。”
[25]“你和你妈妈一起做作业？” 小姑娘问，大笑起来。
[26]“我和露茜安娜一起做作业，” 罗索娜很认真地说。
[27] 蝴蝶结耸了耸肩膀。
[28]“那不叫朋友，”她说。“你们一起上学吗？”
[29]“不。
”
[30]“那你是怎么认识她的？”小姑娘问，有些不耐烦了。
[31] 罗索娜清楚地记得妈妈的话。她深深吸了口气。
[32]“我是雇员的女儿，”她说。
[33] 她妈妈很明白地告诉她：“如果有人问，你就说你是雇员的女儿，就这样。”她还
叫她加一句：“我很自豪。”不过罗索娜觉得自己一辈子也没有勇气说那样的话。
[34]“什么雇员？”蝴蝶结问。“商店里的雇员？”
[35]“不是，” 罗索娜很生气。“我妈妈不在商店，也不卖任何东西，就是雇员。”
[36]“那她怎么会是个雇员呢？”蝴蝶结问道。
[37] 正好伊内丝太太来了，让她俩小声点，然后她问罗索娜是否愿意帮着把热狗端出
去，因为她最熟悉这所房子。
[38]“看到了吧？” 罗索娜对蝴蝶结说，然后趁人不注意，踢了她小腿骨一下。
[39] 除了那个蝴蝶结，一切都令人开心。罗索娜最喜欢的是带着生日金冠的露茜安娜，
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其次是那些男孩子们。罗索娜赢得了玩套袋游戏，而在追人游戏中，没人抓得到她。因此，
当他们要分成两组做猜字游戏时，所有的男孩子都想让罗索娜和他们一组。罗索娜觉得这
是她最快乐的时刻。
[40] 但最快乐的还在后面。那是在露茜安娜吹了蜡烛以后。首先是蛋糕。伊内丝夫人
让她帮着分发蛋糕，罗索娜万分喜欢做这件事，因为每个人都向她喊着：“给我！给我！”
罗索娜想起一个故事，故事中的女王对臣民有着生杀予夺的权力。她一直都喜欢这一点，
拥有生杀予夺的权力。她把最大的几块蛋糕给了露茜安娜和男孩子们，只给了蝴蝶结一片
薄得几乎透明的蛋糕。
[41] 吃完蛋糕后，魔术师登场了。他又高又瘦，穿着一件质地上佳的红色斗篷。他是
个真正的魔术师：吹口气能让系着的手帕解开；能把没有缺口的圆环连成一条链子。从一
副牌中抽出一张，他可以猜出是哪一张。那只猴子是他的助手。他把猴子称作“伙计”。“让
我们瞧瞧，伙计，”他会说，“翻过一张牌。
”或者，“别乱跑，伙计：现在是工作时间。”
[42] 最后的戏法非常精彩。一个孩子把猴子抱在怀里，魔术师说可以让他消失。
[43]“谁？那个孩子？”人们叫喊道。
[44]“不，是猴子。”魔术师同样喊着回答道。
[45] 罗索娜觉得这真是世界上最不可思议的派对。
[46] 魔术师首先请了一个小胖墩帮忙，但小胖墩突然害怕了，把猴子掉到了地板上。
魔术师小心地把他抱起来，在他耳边小声说了几句，猴子点点头，好像听明白了似的。
[47]“你不能这么没有男子汉气概，我的朋友。”魔术师对小胖墩说。
[48]“什么是没有男子汉气概？” 小胖墩问。
[49] 魔术师四下里看了看，好像是看看有没有间谍似的。
[50]“就是胆小鬼，”魔术师说，“回去坐下。”
[51] 然后他盯着大家的脸，一个接一个。罗索娜感到她的心颤抖了一下。
[52]“你，西班牙眼睛的那个，”魔术师说。所有人都看到他指着她。
[53] 她不害怕。不论是抱着猴子，还是当魔术师让猴子消失的时候；甚至在最后，魔
术师挥动他的红色斗篷盖住罗索娜的头，念了几句咒语，她也没有害怕……猴子又回来了，
在她的臂弯里兴奋地叽叽叫唤。孩子们像疯了一样鼓掌。罗索娜回座位之前，魔术师对她说：
[54]“非常感谢，我的小女伯爵。”
[55] 这些赞美的话让她非常高兴，稍后她妈妈来接她的时，她告诉她的第一件事就是
这个。
[56]“我帮了魔术师的忙，他对我说：‘非常感谢，我的小女伯爵 !’”
[57] 真奇怪，罗索娜以为此刻自己还应该在生妈妈的气。在她的想象中，她会对她说：
“看到猴子了吧？我没撒谎吧？”相反，她兴奋异常，忍不住把魔术师的事都讲给妈妈听。
[58] 她妈妈拍了拍她的脑袋说：“那么现在你是女伯爵了。”
[59] 不过看得出她一脸自豪。
[60] 眼下她们俩站在门口，刚才一脸微笑的伊内丝太太告诉大家：“请在这等会儿。”
[61] 妈妈忽然显得不安起来。
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[62]“怎么回事？”她问罗索娜。
[63]“什么怎么回事？” 罗索娜说，
“没事，她要送礼物给要走的人，看到了？”
[64] 她指了指站在各自母亲旁边、同样在等礼物的小胖墩和梳着马尾辫的小姑娘。然
后她说了说礼物的事。她都知道，因为她看到过从她前面离开的人。每当一个女孩要离
开的时候，伊内丝太太会给她一个手镯；男孩子离开的时候，伊内丝太太会给他一个溜
溜球。罗索娜更喜欢溜溜球，因为它闪闪发光，但她没有告诉妈妈。否则妈妈会说：“那
你为什么不去要一个呢，你这个大笨蛋？”妈妈就是这样。罗索娜不想解释说如果显得和
大家不一样，她会感到万分羞愧。相反地，她说：
[65]“我是派对上表现最好的。”
[66] 她没再多说，因为伊内丝太太来到大厅，手里拎着两个包，一个粉色的，一个蓝
色的。
[67] 她先来到小胖墩面前，从蓝包里拿了一个溜溜球给他，小胖墩跟着他妈妈走了。
然后，她走到女孩面前，从粉色的包里拿了一个手镯给她，梳着发辫的小姑娘也走了。
[68] 最后，她来到罗索娜和她妈妈前面。她脸上堆满了笑容，这让罗索娜很高兴。伊
内丝太太低头看了看她，然后又抬头看了看她妈妈，说了一句足以让罗索娜骄傲的话：
[69]“你有一个多好的女儿啊 , 赫尔米妮娅！”
[70] 刹那间，罗索娜觉得她会送她两份礼物：手镯和溜溜球。伊内丝太太弯下腰，好
像找东西。罗索娜也向前微倾，准备伸出胳膊。但她没伸出来。
[71] 伊内丝太太既没有在粉色的包里找，也没有在蓝色的包里找。相反，她翻了翻
钱包，于是手里多出两张钞票。
[72]“这的的确确是你劳动应得，”她边说边把它们递过去。“感谢你所做的一切，我
亲爱的小家伙。”
[73] 罗索娜觉得自己的手臂僵硬，粘在身体上，然后她注意到妈妈的手搭在自己的肩
上。她本能地紧贴着妈妈的身体。就这样一动不动。除了她的眼睛。罗索娜的目光冰冷而
清澈，死死地盯着伊内丝夫人的脸。
[74] 伊内丝夫人伸着手，站在那里一动不动。她似乎不敢把手缩回去，似乎一个极其
轻微的动作就可能打破一种无限微妙的平衡。
第十五课　夏日阅读
伯纳德 ·马拉默德
[1] 乔治 · 斯托约维奇是街区里的一名男孩，16 岁时，因为再也无法忍受，一时冲动，

从学校退了学。虽然后来他很惭愧，因为每次找工作，别人问他是否完成了学业，他只能
说没有，但他再也没有回过学校。这个夏天工作很难找，他失业了。有了这么多的空闲时
间，乔治无所事事，曾经打算去上暑期学校，但年龄会比班上的同学大太多。他还考虑过
报名参加高中夜校，只不过他不喜欢老师对他指手画脚。他觉得他们根本不尊重他。结果，
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他大部分时间都待在街区和他的房间里。他已经快 20 岁了，也想与街区里的女孩子约会，
可他一文钱也没有。家里穷，他只能偶尔得到几美分。他的父亲很穷，而他的姐姐索菲
23 岁了，又高又瘦的一个女孩，长得跟乔治挺像，挣得也不多，而且总是把钱留在自己
手里。他们的母亲已经去世了，索菲不得不照料全家。
[2] 每天清晨，乔治的父亲起床去一个鱼市工作。索菲大约八点离开，坐很长时间的
地铁去布郎克思的一家自助餐厅。而乔治喝着自己的咖啡，然后就在家无所事事。当这所
坐落在一个肉店上层的五居室公寓使他心烦的时候，他会把它打扫干净——用湿拖把拖
拖地板，整理整理东西。但大部分时候，他会坐在自己的房间里。到了下午，他会听听球
赛的报道。要不然，他就读两份很久以前买的《世界年鉴》，他喜欢它们，还有索菲从餐
厅餐桌上带回来的杂志和报纸。它们大部分是关于电影和体育明星的图片杂志，通常也有
《新闻》和《镜报》。索菲自己是有什么读什么，尽管她有时也读一些好书。
[3] 她曾经问过乔治整天都在屋里干什么，乔治回答说看很多书。
[4]“除了我带回来的还有别的吗？你读过有意义的书吗？”
[5]“有一些。”乔治说道，虽然他的确没有。他曾试着去看索菲房里的一两本书，但
他发现他根本没心思读。近来，他难以忍受那些虚构的小说，觉得厌烦。他曾希望他有一
些能付诸努力的兴趣爱好——小时候他对木匠活很在行，可他能去哪里干木匠活呢？白天
有时他会出去走走，但他大部分的散步时间集中在太阳落山后，街道变得凉爽的时候。
[6] 晚上吃过饭，乔治离开家，漫步在邻近街道上。因为天气闷热，许多店主和他们
的妻子搬着椅子坐在店门口拥挤、破旧的人行道上，扇着扇子。乔治走过他们和那些在街
角糖果店闲混的家伙们身边。其中有两个乔治打小就认识，但他们都没有认出对方。他没
有特定的地方要去，但通常到最后，他会离开街坊，走过几个街区，走到一个灯光昏暗的
小公园。那儿有树林和长椅，围着铁栏杆，给人一种独处的感觉。他坐在那里的一张凳子
上，看着茂密的树木和栏杆里盛开的花朵，为自己设想着未来更加幸福的生活。他想起退
学以来所干过的工作——投递员、库房保管员、信使、后来在工厂的活儿——没有一样他
满意的。他觉得他有一天会有一份好工作，住在林荫大道边有前廊的私宅里。他希望口袋
里有钱买东西，有一个女孩陪着他，这样他就不会再感到孤单，尤其是星期六的晚上。他
希望人们喜欢他、尊重他。他经常幻想这些东西，特别是晚上独自一人的时候。半夜时分，
他就会站起来，又游荡回他那个闷热、铺着石板的街区。
[7] 有一次他散步的时候，碰到了工作很晚才回来的卡坦扎拉先生。他怀疑他是否喝
醉了，但随后就发现没有。卡坦扎拉先生是个粗壮、秃顶的男人。他在城区快速交通线的
一个零钱兑换处工作，住在乔治家后面的那栋楼，一家修鞋铺的上面。天气炎热的晚上，
卡坦扎拉先生会穿件背心，坐在凳子上，借着鞋匠窗户里的灯光看《纽约时报》。他从第
一版看到最后一版，然后上去睡觉。他看报的这段时间，他的妻子，一个脸色苍白、发福
的女人，从窗户中探出身子，注视着街道，她白胖的胳膊交叉在松弛的胸脯下面，搭在窗
台上。
[8] 偶尔卡坦扎拉先生会喝得醉醺醺地回家，但他并不嚷嚷。他从不惹事儿，只是僵
直地在街上走着，慢慢地爬上楼梯进入大厅。虽然醉了，他看上去和平时没什么两样，只
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不过走路僵硬，默不作声，两眼潮湿。乔治对卡坦扎拉先生很有好感，因为他记得小时候，
他给过他几枚硬币买柠檬冰淇淋吃。卡坦扎拉先生和街区的其他人截然不同。遇到你的时
候，他会问一些与众不同的问题，而且他看起来好像知道所有的报纸新闻。那些报纸他都
看，正如他妻子从窗户看到的那样。
[9]“你这个夏天都在干什么，乔治？”卡坦扎拉先生问道，“我经常在晚上看到你四
处转悠。”
[10] 乔治感到有点难为情，“我喜欢散步。”
[11]“那你白天都在做什么？”
[12]“眼下没什么事。我在等一份工作。”因为承认失业让他很难堪，乔治接着说：
“我待在家里——但我正在看很多书来继续我的学业。”
[13] 卡坦扎拉先生似乎很感兴趣。他用一块红色的手帕擦了擦滚烫的脸。
[14]“你都看些什么书？”
[15] 乔治犹豫了一下，然后说道：“我在图书馆列了一份清单，准备这个夏天看
完它们。”说这些的时候，他觉得有点不自在，又有点不高兴，但他想让卡坦扎拉先生
尊重他。
[16]“清单上有多少本书？”
[17]“没数过，大概有 100 本吧。”
[18] 卡坦扎拉先生吹了个口哨。
[19]“我觉得如果我能读完的话，”乔治很认真地继续道，“将对我的学习很有帮助。
我不是指在高中他们教给你的那种。我想知道和他们所学的不一样的东西，你明白我的意
思吗？”
[20] 零钱找换工点点头，“不管怎么样，一个夏天 100 本书，这是副很重的担子。”
[21]“也许时间会更长一点。”
[22]“等你看完一部分，也许咱们俩能就其中的几本聊聊。”卡坦扎拉先生说。
[23]“那等我看完吧。” 乔治回答道。
[24] 卡坦扎拉先生回家了，而乔治继续散步。打那以后，尽管乔治很想有所作为，可
他仍一如既往。他晚上仍然散步到小公园里。但一天晚上隔壁街区的鞋匠叫住乔治，说他
是个好孩子。他估摸卡坦扎拉先生告诉过他关于自己读书的事。从鞋匠的嘴里这件事情肯
定传遍了整条街，因为乔治看见一些人友善地向他微笑，虽然没有人单独和他说过话。他
对这个街区的感觉好了一些，不过还没有到希望永远在这里生活下去的地步。他从来没有
真正讨厌过这里的人，然而他也从未对这里的人有太多的好感。这是这个街区的错。让他
惊讶的是，乔治发现他的父亲和索菲也知道了他看书的事。他的父亲太腼腆了，没有做任
何评价——他这一生都不是一个健谈的人——但索菲对乔治的态度柔和了许多，她通过其
他方式让乔治知道她很为他骄傲。
[25] 随着夏天的继续，乔治感觉他对待事物的心绪好了很多。每天，他都会打扫房子，
当做帮索菲的忙，他也更喜欢听球赛报道。索菲每星期会给他一美元零花钱，虽然这些钱
还不够，他还得精打细算地用，但总比偶尔有几枚硬币好很多。他用这些钱买了他喜欢享
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受的东西——大部分是香烟，
偶尔是啤酒或者电影票。假如懂得如何享受，生活还不算太坏。
偶尔他也从报刊亭买一本平装书，但总是腾不出时间来读，虽然他很高兴自己屋子里有一
两本书。他倒是把索菲的杂志和报纸翻了个遍。晚上成了他最快乐的时候，因为当他从那
些坐在自家店外的店主身边走过去的时候，他看得出他们很尊重他。他挺直腰板走着，尽
管他们彼此不怎么交谈，但他可以感到所有人的赞许。有几个晚上，他感觉特好，就省了
去公园这一节目。他漫步在街区里面，这儿的人在他还是个孩子时就认识他，那时候他一
看见有吊球游戏就去玩；他在那儿徘徊一会儿，然后回家，脱下衣服上床睡觉，感觉好极了。
[26] 接下来的几个星期里，乔治就和卡坦扎拉先生说过一次话，虽然后者没有再提书
的事，也没再问问题，但他的沉默让乔治觉得有点不自在。有一段时间，乔治不再从卡坦
扎拉先生的房子前面经过，直到一天晚上，乔治自己都不知道怎么回事，他从一个和平时
不同的方向走到了它附近。那时候已经过了半夜。除了偶尔的一两个人，街道上空荡荡的，
当他看到卡坦扎拉先生还在路灯底下借着灯光看报纸的时候，乔治感到非常吃惊。他的第
一冲动是停在门廊前，和他说说话。他不确定自己想要说什么，尽管他觉得只要他开始说，
那些语言就会自动跳出来；但他对这个问题想得越多，这种想法就越使他害怕，最后他决
定最好还是别说了。他甚至考虑过从另外一条街溜回家，但是他离卡坦扎拉先生太近了，
如果他跑的话，后者可能会看见他，并且生他的气。因此，乔治小心地穿过街道，试图装
作自己不得不看着另一边商店的窗户，当他做这些事的时候，他觉得心里很难受。他担心
卡坦扎拉先生会突然抬起头，看到他走在街道的另一边，因此而叫他“卑鄙小人”，但他
只是坐在那里看他的时报，汗水湿透了他的背心，他的光秃秃的脑袋在昏暗的灯光下反着
光；楼上，他妻子把身体探出窗户，好像在和他一起看报纸。乔治认为她会发现他，然后
大声告诉卡坦扎拉先生，可她自始至终都没有把目光从她丈夫身上移开。
[27] 乔治决定在自己读完一部分那些平装书之前，避免靠近那个换零钱的。但他发现
那些大都是些故事书，他立刻失去了兴趣，不想看下去。他同样失去了看其他书的兴趣。
索菲的杂志和报纸开始变得无人问津。她看见它们堆在他房间的椅子上，就问他为什么不
再看那些书了，乔治回答说那是因为他有许多其他的书要看。索菲说她猜也是这样。于是，
白天大部分时候乔治都开着收音机，等厌烦了听人说话，他就调到音乐。他把房子保持得
很整洁，即使有时他忘了做清洁，索菲也没说什么。对他来说，事情不像以前那么美好了，
尽管索菲仍然对他很好，给他零花钱。
[28] 不过一切还算是很不错。无论白天多么糟糕，夜晚的散步总能让他振奋起来。一
天晚上，乔治看到卡坦扎拉先生沿着街道向他走过来。乔治正想转身跑开，不过他看到他
的步伐，知道他喝醉了；果真如此，他可能根本不会注意到他。因此，乔治继续往前走，
直到迎面遇上卡坦扎拉先生。他紧张得要死，但不出他所料，卡坦扎拉先生和他擦肩而过，
什么也没说，只是慢慢地走着，面无表情、身体僵直。乔治死里逃生般地松了口气，却突
然听到有人喊他的名字，回头发现卡坦扎拉先生就站在他的旁边，酒气熏天。他盯着乔治，
眼神充满哀伤，这让乔治非常不舒服。他忍不住想把这个醉鬼推开，继续往前走。
[29] 但他不能那样对他，而且，卡坦扎拉先生从他的裤兜里掏出一个镍币，然后
递给他。
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[30]“去给你自己买个柠檬冰淇淋，乔治。”
[31]“那个时代已经过去了，卡坦扎拉先生，” 乔治说，“我现在是个大人了。”
[32]“不，你不是，” 卡坦扎拉先生说，这让乔治不知该如何回答。
[33]“你的书看得怎么样了？”卡坦扎拉先生问道。虽然他努力想站稳，他还是有点晃。
[34]“很好，我认为，” 乔治回答说，感觉到脸悄悄地发红了。
[35]“你不敢确定？”后者狡猾地笑了笑，一种乔治从未见过的笑容。
[36]“确定，我确定，我看得很好。”
[37] 尽管他的头微微地晃了晃，卡坦扎拉先生的眼神很坚定。他有一双蓝色的小
眼睛，如果你长时间盯着它们，你会被刺痛。
[38]“乔治，”他说，“告诉我那张你这个夏天要读的书的清单上其中一本书的名字，
我会为你的健康干一杯。”
[39]“我不想任何人为我干杯。”
[40]“告诉我一本书的名字，这样我可以提一个关于它的问题。说不定，如果那是本
好书，我自己也会看看。”
[41] 乔治知道虽然他表面上看起来还算镇定，可内心正处于崩溃的边缘。
[42] 说不出来，他干脆闭上了眼。仿佛过了好几年，他睁开眼睛，看到卡坦扎拉先生
带着怜悯走远了，但他的耳边还回响着他临走前说的话：“乔治，不要走我的老路。”
[43] 第二天晚上，他害怕离开屋子，尽管索菲和他吵吵，他也不开房门。
[44]“你在干什么呢？”她问。
[45]“没什么。”
[46]“你不在看书吗？”
[47]“嗯。
”
[48] 她沉默了一分钟，然后问道：“你把你读的书都放哪了？我从没在你的房间里见
到过，只有一些不值钱、没品位的书。”
[49] 他默不作声。
[50]“真是那样，我辛辛苦苦挣来的钱算是白给你了。我干吗要为你累死累活？滚出
去，你这个懒鬼，去找份活干。”
[51] 几乎一个星期，他都待在房间里，只有家里没人时偷偷溜进厨房找吃的。索菲开
始对他冷嘲热讽，后来又求他出来，父亲也抹着眼泪，但乔治无动于衷；尽管天很热，小
屋子里令人窒息。他觉得呼吸困难，每吸一口气都像是往肺里吸入一团火。
[52] 一天晚上，他再也无法忍受酷热，后半夜一点钟冲到大街上，像个幽灵一般。他
希望偷偷溜进公园，不被人看见，但整个街区都是人，没精打采地等待着凉风到来。乔治
垂下眼往前走，感到很羞耻，与他们保持着一段距离，不过他很快发现他们仍然对他很友
好。他认为卡坦扎拉先生并没有把那件事说出去。也许第二天早上酒醒后，他把遇见乔治
的事全给忘了。乔治感觉到自信又慢慢地回到他身上了。
[53] 那天晚上在街角，一个男的问他，是不是他真的看完了那么多书，乔治回答说是。
那个男的说，像他这种年龄的男孩子能看那么多的书，太让人吃惊了。
149
[54]“是的，”乔治说，但他感觉轻松了一些。他不希望别人再提书的事，几天后，他
又遇见了卡坦扎拉先生，他也没再提书的事，不过乔治认为自己看了很多书的传闻就是打
他那儿说出去的。
[55] 秋季里的一天，乔治跑出屋子，来到他已经几年未曾涉足的图书馆。他左看右看，
满屋子到处是书，尽管他使劲控制内心的不安，但他轻而易举地找出了 100 本书，然后坐
在桌子旁看了起来。
150

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新编研究生英语系列教程

艾治琼 重庆邮电大学 车丽娟 东北财经大学

为关于文章结构和逻辑关系的练习 )、词汇练习 A 和 B( 词汇练习 A 为课文中需

Unit One Reading News Reports

Lesson 2 Humbled by Nature, Humble by Culture·························· 9

Lesson 3 How We Broke the Murdoch Scandal· ·····························14

Unit Two Reading Biographies and

Lesson 5 Steve Jobs···················································································39

Lesson 6 A Beautiful Mind········································································42

Unit Three· Reading Essays

Lesson 8 Left for Dead···············································································64

Lesson 9 Spell of the Rising Moon·······················································68

Unit Four· Reading Scientific and

Lesson 11 Mind over Machine· ······························································87

Lesson 12 2 Inches Between Life, Death···········································95

Unit Five· Reading Short Stories and

Lesson 14 The Stolen Party· ·································································106

Lesson 15 A Summer’s Reading·························································109

Lesson 1 Spillonomics: Underestimating Risk

Obsession with profits Cost cutting BP should be fully aware of

Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEXT

evidence that warming generically—however it is caused—is a net benefit to mankind.”

Japanese Characters Examples

Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

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He discovered that James Murdoch had done a secret

When Who What

Clive Goodman: News of the World’s

He resigned, protesting that he knew nothing about any

They established the truth of everything Nick had

He revealed that NotW had hacked into the phone calls

The profitable newspaper selling millions of copies a

The story will continue to play out over the months,

Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

4. What lessons should be learned from the scandal?

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Lesson 4 Bill Clinton

Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

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New Realities (1964) and The Arrogance of Power (1967).

Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

Comments on Nash Descriptions

1. As a young man he was surrounded by the high priests of twentieth-century

1. His contemporaries, on the whole, found him immensely strange. They

5.·superior·to· · 6.·thumbing·nose·at· · 7.·burst·onto· · 8.·obscure·

Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEXT

Lesson 7 A Christmas Sermon on Peace

Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEXT

4.·What did the trio do to Sallee?

Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

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Lesson 10 Our Picture of the Universe

Ⅴ. Oral Practice and Discussion

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEXT

influenced the course of 20th-century philosophy.

eminent Western Doctors of the Church.

Chronological Order Experiments/Thoughts/Results

Neuroscientist began to record these impulses with implantable

For decades scientist have pondered, speculated on, and pooh-poohed

Scientists started learning enough about the brain and signal-processing

研究生英语阅读教程（提高级第三版）教师用书（网络版）

研究生英语阅读教程（提高级第三版）教师用书（网络版）

艾治琼重庆邮电大学车丽娟东北财经大学

Lesson 2　Humbled by Nature, Humble by Culture·························· 9

Lesson 3　How We Broke the Murdoch Scandal· ·····························14

Lesson 5　Steve Jobs···················································································39

Lesson 6　A Beautiful Mind········································································42

Lesson 8　Left for Dead···············································································64

Lesson 9　Spell of the Rising Moon·······················································68

Lesson 11　Mind over Machine· ······························································87

Lesson 12　2 Inches Between Life, Death···········································95

Lesson 14　The Stolen Party· ·································································106

Lesson 15　A Summer’s Reading·························································109

Lesson 1　Spillonomics: Underestimating Risk

Lesson 4　Bill Clinton

Lesson 7　A Christmas Sermon on Peace

Lesson 10　Our Picture of the Universe

Lesson 13　Cat in the Rain

2. 雨水在砾石路上聚集成了一个个小水坑。海水涌上了沙滩，在与雨水相接之处形