新概念英语85年上外美音版第四册 第27课

　　Lesson 27 The Personality of Man 人的性格

Why does the idea of progress loom 1 so large in the modern world ? Surely because progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us and is becoming more and more manifest. Although mankind has undergone no general improvement in intelligence or morality, it has made extraordinary progress the accumulation of knowledge. Knowledge began to increase as soon as the thoughts of one individual could be communicated to another by means of speech. With the invention of writing, a great advance was made, for knowledge could then be not only communicated but also stored. Libraries made education possible, and education in its turn added to libraries: the growth of knowledge followed a kind of compound-interest law, which was greatly enhanced by the invention of printing. All this was comparatively slow until, with the coming science, the tempo 2 was suddenly raised. Then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic 3 plan. The trickle 4 became a stream; the stream has now become a torrent 5. Moreover, as soon as new knowledge is acquired, it is now turned to practical account. What is called 'modern civilization' is not the result of a balanced development of all man's nature, but of accumulated knowledge applied 6 to practical life. The problem now facing humanity is: What is going to be done with all this knowledge ? As is so often pointed 7 out, knowledge is a two-edged weapon which can be used equally for good or evil. It is now being used indifferently for both. Could any spectacle, for instance, be more grimly whimsical than that of gunners using science to shatter men's bodies while, close at hand, surgeons use it to restore them ? We have to ask ourselves very seriously what will happen if this twofold use of knowledge, with its ever-increasing power, continues.

loom  vi.  阴森的逼近（带贬义）

Eg: The shadow of the impending 8 war looms 9 ahead/large/big.

(即将来临的战争的阴影正在迫近。)

Eg: It was approaching the Spring Festival(vocation), the examinations were loomed 10 up.

(春节快到了，考试也正在迫近。)

Eg: A high mountain looms ahead.

(一座大山横在面前。)

manifest  adj.  明显的

S: visible  adj.  明显的，显著的

patent   n.  专利； adj.  显著的，明显的

另有：obvious/clear/parent…

mankind  n.  人类

morality  n.  道德

moral  adj.  道德；moral code  道德准则；moral standard  道德标准

to enhance people’s consciousness of morality  提高人们的道德意识

communicate  vt.  交流，交际

communication  n.  交流

enhance communication between(among) people  加强交流

enhance communication among nations  增进国际交流

Eg: Language is a tool for communication.

(语言是交流的工具。)

communicative  adj.

communicative means  交流方式

Eg: Language is a communicative tool.

(语言是交流的工具。)

enhance  vt.  增进

enhance friendship  增进友谊

enhance cohesion  增强凝聚力

enhance consciousness/awareness  增强意识

S: boost  v.  推进，促进

rein 11 in force  促进

另有：heighten…

tempo  n.  速率  trickle  n.  涓涓细流 torrent  n.  滔滔洪流  evil  n.  恶行

evil thought  邪念

evil sigh  邪恶的迹象,凶兆（dog bark at midnight）

Eg: Your cough is an evil sign, probably I will lie in bed.

S: vice 12  n. v.  恶

vice president  副总统；坏总统

wicked  adj.  邪恶的； wickedness  n.  邪恶

indifferently  ad.  不在乎地------------------此处flash中直接跳过

grimly  ad. 可怖地 whimsical  a.  怪诞的

shatter  v.  毁坏  close at hand  附近

twofold  a.  双重的 fold  翻倍的； fivefold  五倍； time  倍数

主题：Social advancement  社会的进步

loom so large

in the modern world  在现代社会

surely because  引导原因，恰恰因为

progress of a particular kind  一种特别的进步，介词短语作后置定语

particular  特殊的，特别的

more and more  越来越

manifest  明显

Eg: You were walking on the way, he loomed out of mist.

Although…此句：

in intelligence/morality  在智力/道德方面

undergone: experienced 经历

no general improvement  （注意no的位置）

no 用not any替换，则…has undergone no general improvement…

等同于：…has not undergone any general improvement…

“…, it has made extraordinary progress in the accumulation of knowledge.”中it指代人类，（人类的总称,普遍所指时用it）

accumulation  堆积，堆砌 extraordinary progress  显著进步

Although…主题句提出，做原因解释

Knowledge began to…此句：

be communicated  可以交流，传递 another = another individual

speech  口语

oral  adj.  口头的

Eg: … people go hunting.

I found the place where the bears are inhabited.

With…此句：

with…  随着……

writing = written language

a great advance  巨大的进步

not only … but also …

communicated  交流；stored  储存

Libraries made education possible…此句：

libraries: a place where books of various kinds are stored

and education in its turn added to libraries…

add to  增加 in its turn  反过来

in its turn added to = enrich  丰富

Eg: His humor added to the ball.  (他的幽默使晚会增色不少。)

Fireworks added to the ball.  （焰火使晚会增色不少。）

Eg: Harmony among peoples makes world peace possible, and world peace in its turn enhances harmony.  (民族间的和睦有助于世

界和平，而世界和平反过来促进和睦。)

“：”后的句子解释作用

the growth of knowledge  知识的增长

compound interest law  [银行业术语：复利法规则]

which 指代the growth of knowledge

printing  印刷术

printing 对于知识的发展is a great impetus 13

impetus  推动力

All this…此句：all this… 这一切…

comparatively slow  相对较慢 with the coming of science  科学的到来

with 引导插入语

Eg: 4 years ago, in American telecommunication 14 is not so popular.

If a person can predict what happens in 30 years, he is…

It’s really hard mobile phone really so big as first as…

Then knowledge began to… 此句：

systematic  系统化

Aristotle  亚里士多德  把知识分类为：

Physics  物理学；Psychics  心理学；Poetics  诗学；Math  数学

The trickle became a stream; the stream has now become a torrent.

涓涓细流汇成小溪；小溪又变成了奔腾的江河。

Moreover…此句：

as soon as  既然

acquired  获得

account  账户：you can easily and freely get money from it

What is called…此句：

What is called  所谓的

all man's nature  人类本质

a balanced development  平衡的发展

but  而

accumulated knowledge  积累的知识

to practical life  作后置定语，实际生活

Eg: Probably he has many abilities…

Eg: medical people  医学奇才；English people  英语人才；doctor  博士；post doctor  博 士后

The problem now facing humanity is: 总结

The problem now facing humanity is: 人类所面临的问题是：

As…此句：

as  正如；指代从句knowledge is…

Eg: As is often the case that he helps others.  他经常帮助他人。

two-edged  双刃的

for good or evil  可好可坏

indifferently  毫不在乎，引申为毫不辨析的

discriminate  辨析，区别

Could…此句：

Could…引导虚拟语气的问句

spectacle  壮丽的场面

be more grimly whimsical  更加荒诞无奇

than that  “that” 修饰spectacle

gunner  枪手

shatter  击碎，粉碎

field hospital  野战医院

We have to ask…此句：

with its ever-increasing power  状语后置

ever-increasing  逐渐增强