时间:2018-12-28 作者:英语课 分类:陈冠商英语背诵文选合集


英语课

19 Choosing An Occupation 选择职业

Hodeslea, Eastbourne, 伊斯特本,荷达斯里亚



November 5, 1892  一八九二年十一月五日



Dear Sir,

I am very sorry that the pressure of other occupations has prevented me from sending an earlier reply to your letter.

In my opinion a man’s first duty is to find a way(1) of supporting himself, thereby 1 relieving other people of(2) the necessity of supporting him. Moreover, the learning to do work of practical value in the world, in an exact and careful manner, is of itself(3) a very important education, the effects of which make themselves felt(4) in all other pursuits. The habit of doing that which you do not care about’ when you would much rather be doing something else, is invaluable 2. It would have saved me a frightful 3 waste of time if I had ever had it drilled into me in youth.(5)



Success in any scientific career requires an unusual equipment of capacity, industry, and energy. If you possess that equipment, you will find leisure enough after your daily commercial work is over, to make an opening(6) in the scientific ranks for yourself. If you do not, you had better stick to commerce. Nothing is less to be desired than the fate of a young man who, as the Scotch 4 proverb says, in "trying to make a spoon spoils a horn,"(7) and becomes a mere 5 hanger- on in literature or in science, when he might have been a useful and a valuable member of Society in other occupations.(8)

 

I think that your father ought to see this letter.

Yours faithfully,

T. H. Huxley



中文译文:

亲爱的阁下:

近来忙于各种事务,未能及早复信,深感抱歉。

依我看来,一个人的首要职责是设法自立,以免除别人对他生活的负担。此外,学会严谨而审慎地从事社会上有实际价值的工作,其本身就是一种非常重要的教育,其效果必将体现在所有别的事业上。在你宁愿做其他事情的时候,却仍能够从事你不感兴趣的工作,这种习惯是十分可贵的。要是我在年轻时养成了这种习惯,就可以避免时间上惊人的浪费。

 

任何科学事业上的成就,都需要具有不寻常的才能、勤勉和精力。你若具有上述资质,你在日常商业工作之余,将有足够的闲暇为自己在科学界觅得立足之地。你若不具有那种资质,还是一心经商为宜。天下最不足取的事情,莫过于一个年轻人如同苏格兰谚语所说的那样,"匙子没做成,倒毁了羊角,"成为在文学或科学领域里滥竽充数的食客,要是去从事其他工作的话,他或许会成为社会上有用和有价值的一员。

 

我认为此信应请你父亲一阅。

你的忠实的

T.H·赫胥黎



英文注释:

(1)to find a way: 设法。

(2)relieving other people of...: 使别人免除……。relieve Sb.of sth.:free sb.from sth.

(3)of itself:本身。

(4)make themselves felt: felt是过去分词,作宾语补语,意为"被人感觉到",此处可解释为"体现"。

(5) It would have saved...if l had ever had it drilled into me…: 过去时态虚拟语气。第二个it指the habit。drill into:通过反复教导或训练使人学会。

(6)to make an opening:开辟一条路。

(7) trying to make a spoon spoils a horn: 原为苏格兰谚语:"匙子做不成反而毁了做匙子的羊角",含有两者都落空之意。

(8)Nothing is less to be desired than…in other occupations: 这是一个比较复杂的主从复合句,主句为Nothing is less to be desired,它带有一个比较状语从句than the fate of a young man(is to be desired),该从句本身又带有一个定语从句,定语从句中who的谓语动词是spoils和becomes,as the Scotch proverb says是插入语。when he might…为定语从句中的状语从句,修饰becomes…



1 thereby
adv.因此,从而
  • I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市,因此对它不怎么熟悉。
  • He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民,因而得到了投票权。
2 invaluable
adj.无价的,非常宝贵的,极为贵重的
  • A computer would have been invaluable for this job.一台计算机对这个工作的作用会是无法估计的。
  • This information was invaluable to him.这个消息对他来说是非常宝贵的。
3 frightful
adj.可怕的;讨厌的
  • How frightful to have a husband who snores!有一个发鼾声的丈夫多讨厌啊!
  • We're having frightful weather these days.这几天天气坏极了。
4 scotch
n.伤口,刻痕;苏格兰威士忌酒;v.粉碎,消灭,阻止;adj.苏格兰(人)的
  • Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。
  • Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景,真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。
5 mere
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
学英语单词
aceto-acetic acid
actinium compound
Alessano
arrive in great state
baithe
base of field
bow pantograhp collector
break the tether
bulk transfer law
Bygdeträsk
cantharidate
cassio
ceramic shell mould
cidar
clausocalanus pergens
conduct both whole-sale and retail business
cushioning material
dacelo novaeguineae
diastrophic dysplasia
dictations
disoxidation
dott
double row of dots
dust oneself down
earthtrusts
edyta
Essex skipper
Fargesia crassinoda
Fazughli
fire trail
for no apparent reason
Foschlor
geochelone elegans
geyik dag
glenville
haenmatinic acid
have weight with
Hvalbafjφrdhur
impudicity
industrial waste liquid
integration
intermediate mamillary nucleus
iron triangle
Lake Lenore
longer-term market outlook
lybster
maedas
mahlsticks
marine emergency battery
Martinist
message heading
mini-rugby
multiplex extension
Munam
Möng Hai
nerve angina
nose and tail
notoungulates
Oaksterdams
oculocerebrorenal
operating jack
optical memory matrice
orbicular muscle
Paulins Kill R.
Pinus quadrifolia
plasma sputtering equipment
polycarbamate
precision point
quantity of water intake
receive versus payment
ribotyping
royal-oak
sail before the mast
sarandi del yi
Schoenorchis tixieri
shorting piston
shrubbed
sphinxian
starkies
statistical wave forecast
stenophyllism
step out
store adjustment
struvea okamurae
styrene acrylic matt latex paint
syngnathidaes
Sφnder Felding
thrimness
time-evolution operator
tracksuit bottoms
Treng, Beng
tubular filter
unsoundy
violation of signal
Viterbo, Prov. di
Waitaha penguin
warragals
Yanshanian stage
zaller
Zepheads
ZERT
zone of accumulation, zone of illuviation