大学英语自学教程上UNIT21

[00:04.41]The Language of Uncertainty 1
[00:06.69]语言的不确定性
[00:08.96]Uncertainty spreads through our lives so thoroughly
[00:12.29]无法确定的事情在我们生活中无所不在，
[00:15.62]that it dominates our language.
[00:17.91]以致支配着我们的语言。
[00:20.19]Our everyday speech is made up in large part of words like probably many,
[00:24.87]我们的日常讲话很大一部分是由probaby(大概),
[00:29.54]soon,great,little;What do these words mean?
[00:33.97]soon(很快)great(很大)little（很小）一类的词构成的。这些词是指什么意思呢？
[00:38.40]"Atomic war," declared a recent editorial in the London Times,
[00:42.67]伦敦《泰晤士报》最近的一篇社论声称：
[00:46.94]"is likely to destroy forever the nation that wages it."
[00:50.77]伦敦《泰晤士报》最近的一篇社论声称：
[00:54.60]How exactly are we to understand the word likely?
[00:57.77]“我们如何准确理解（很可能）这个词呢？
[01:00.94]Lacking any standard for estimating the probability,
[01:04.07]因为缺乏任何估计可能性的标准，
[01:07.19]we are left with the judgment 2 of the editorial writer.
[01:10.06]我们只能听任社论作者的判断。
[01:12.93]Such verbal imprecision is not necessarily to be criticised.
[01:16.56]这类言词的不准确性并非一定要予以责备。
[01:20.20]Indeed,it has a value just because it allows us to express judgments
[01:24.38]甚至，它还有一定的价值，
[01:28.56]when a precise quantitative 3 statement is out of the question.
[01:32.08]因为它容许我们在无法作出一个精确的定量表述时来表达判断。
[01:35.61]The language of uncertainty has three main categories:
[01:39.74]不确定的语言主要有三种分类：
[01:43.86](1)words such as probably, possibly, surely,
[01:48.29]（1）像probably（大概），possibly（可能）surely（肯定）
[01:52.72]which denote a single subjective 4 probability
[01:56.05]之类的词，表达某一主观的，
[01:59.38]and are potentially quantifiable;
[02:02.20]可以量化的可能性；
[02:05.02](2) words like many,often,soon,which are also quantifiable
[02:09.71]（2）像many（很多）often（常常）soon（很快）这一类词，也是可量化的，
[02:14.40]but denote not so much a condition of uncertainty as a quantity imprecisely known;
[02:19.42]但它们表示的与其说是不能肯定的状态，不如说是一个知之不确的数量；
[02:24.43](3) words like fat,rich,drunk,
[02:28.11]（3）像fat（胖）rich（富）drunk（醉）一类的词，
[02:31.80]which can not be reducedto any accepted number
[02:34.51]不能将其转化为任何可接受的数字，
[02:37.23]because they are given different values by different people.
[02:40.31]因不同的人赋予它们不同的量值。
[02:43.40]We have been trying to pin down by experiments
[02:46.18]我们一直想用实验准确说明，
[02:48.96]what people mean by these expressions in specific contexts,
[02:52.49]在特定语境下人们使用这些说法时所指的意思，
[02:56.01]and how the meanings change with age.
[02:58.73]以及这些意思如何随年龄而变化。
[03:01.45]For instance, a subject is told "
[03:03.67]比如，一名实验对象被告知
[03:05.89]There are many trees in the park"
[03:08.26]“公园里有很多树，”，
[03:10.64]and is asked to say what number the word many mean to him.
[03:14.02]然后问他“很多”这个词对他的意味着多少
[03:17.41]Or a child is invited to take "some" sweets from a bowl
[03:20.93]或叫一个孩子从一个碗里拿出“一些”粮果，
[03:24.46]and we then count how many he has taken.
[03:27.09]然后我们数数他拿了几颗。
[03:29.71]We compare the number he takes when he is alone with the number
[03:32.99]我们拿他单独在场时出的糖果的数目
[03:36.27]when one or more other children are present
[03:39.14]和有一个或几个孩子在场的，
[03:42.01]and are to take some sweets after him,
[03:44.34]随后也要拿糖果情况下取出的糖果的数目进行比较，
[03:46.66]or with the number he takes when told to give"some" sweets to another child.
[03:50.79]或者和叫他取一些糖果分给别的孩子的情况进行比较。
[03:54.92]First,we find that the number depends,of course,on the items involved.
[03:59.75]首先，我们当然发现数目取决于涉及的事物。
[04:04.58]To most people some friends means about five,
[04:07.86]对大多数人而言，“一些朋友”意味着大约5个，
[04:11.14]while some trees means about twenty.
[04:14.11]而“一些树”则指大约20棵。04:17.07]However,unrelated areas sometimes show parallel values.
[04:20.79]然而，同一数字在不相关的方面有时量值是相似的。
[04:24.52]For instance,the language of probability seems to mean about the same thing in predictions about the weather
[04:29.19]比如，表示概率的语言在预报天气
[04:33.87]and about politics:the expression is certain to (rain, or be elected)
[04:38.44]和政治时似乎所指意思相同：“肯定要”（下雨或被选为）
[04:43.01]signifies to the average person about a 70 per cent chance;
[04:46.54]对一般人意味着70%的概率；
[04:50.06]is likely to,about a 60 per cent chance[04:53.09]“很可能”大约有60%的机会；
[04:56.12]probably will, about 55 perscent.
[04:59.01]“大概会”则大约有55%的可能性。
[05:01.90]Secondly, the size of the population of items influences
[05:05.67]其次，事物总量的大小会影响
[05:09.45]the valueassigned to an expression.
[05:12.08]一种表达方式被赋予的量值。
[05:14.72]Thus,if we tell a subject to take "a few"
[05:17.54]因此，如果叫一名实验者从盒子里取出“一些”
[05:20.37]or "a lot of"glass balls from a box,
[05:23.49]或“很多”玻璃球，
[05:26.61]he will take more if the box contains a large number of glass balls
[05:30.33]盒子里玻璃球数目多的时候，他取出的就多，
[05:34.05]than if it has a small number.
[05:36.33]反之他取出的就少。
[05:38.60]But not proportionately more:
[05:40.94]但不是按比例增加的：
[05:43.28]if we increase the number of glass balls eight times,
[05:46.45]如果将玻璃球的数目增加7倍，
[05:49.62]the subject takes only half as large a percentage of the total.
[05:53.04]被试者也只按玻璃球总数比例的一半取出玻璃球。
[05:56.47]Thirdly, there is a marked change with age.
[05:59.39]最后，取球数目随年龄显著变化。
[06:02.32]Among children between six and fourteen years old,
[06:05.19]在6岁到14岁的孩子中，
[06:08.07]the older the child,the fewer glass balls he will take.
[06:11.10]年龄越大，孩子取出的玻璃球越少。
[06:14.13]But the difference between a lot and a few widens with age.
[06:17.55]但“许多”和“一些”之间的差别随年龄增长而变大。
[06:20.97]This age effect is so consistent that it might be usedas a test of intelligence.
[06:25.36]这种年龄产生的效果是一贯的，以致都可用其作智商测验。
[06:29.75]In place of a long test
[06:32.07]我们可以叫实验者
[06:34.40]we could merely ask the subjectto give numerical values to expressions such as nearly always
[06:39.76]给在某一特定语境下的说法如nearly always
[06:45.13] and very rarely in a given context,
[06:48.16]和very rarely赋予数值意义，
[06:51.19]and then meagre hi8 intelligence by the ratio of the number for
[06:54.68]通过所得的   nearly always的数值与very rarely数值之间的比率，
[06:58.17]nearly always to the one for very rarely.
[07:01.45]来衡量实验者的智商。
[07:04.72]We have found that this ration 5 increases systematically
[07:07.51]我们发现，这个比率随着年龄 的增长有规律地变大，
[07:10.29]from about 2 to 1 for a child of seven
[07:13.41]从7岁小孩所给的约为2：1
[07:16.53]to about 20 to 1 for a person twenty--five years old.
[07:19.95]增大到25岁成人所给的约为20：1。
[07:23.38]Text B
[07:26.12]It Never Rains but It Pours!
[07:28.69]“不雨则已，一雨倾盆”
[07:31.27]An hour before midnight is worth two afteror so my mother used to tell me
[07:35.24]“午夜前睡一小时能顶午夜后两小时。”
[07:39.21]as I sat down to breakfast after a particularly late night.
[07:42.03]过去如果我很晚才睡第二天坐下来吃早餐时母亲 就总这么对我唠叨。
[07:44.85]But is it really true that sleep before 12 p.m.
[07:47.93]但真的是这样吗，晚上12点以前睡效果
[07:51.01]is twice as good for you as sleep after that hour.'?
[07:53.53]比之后睡要好得多？
[07:56.06]At the time, like most young people,
[07:58.54]可那时像大多数年轻人一样，
[08:01.02]I regarded this proverbas an old wive's tale with no relevance 6 to my own life.
[08:04.44]我对此不以为然，把它看成是与我生活不相关的无稽之谈。
[08:07.86]I mean, an hour is an hour ... it's 60 minutes, a.m. or p.m.
[08:11.59]我的意思是，一小时就是一小时，不管上午还是下午，都是60分钟。
[08:15.31]However, now older and wiser,
[08:17.65]但是，现在我长大了，也懂得多了，
[08:19.98]I remember my mother's wordsas I scramble 7 into bed at 11 o'clock. [08:23.26]晚上11点爬上床时总记起我母亲的话。
[08:26.54]I am now a firm believer in the value of getting at least one hour's sleep before midnight!
[08:30.56]现在我对午夜12点以前睡一小的作用笃信不疑。
[08:34.59]Advice about how to live a healthy life
[08:37.56]一些公认的智慧
[08:40.54]is one example of the type of received wisdom
[08:42.97]浓缩成格言的形式世代相传，
[08:45.40]which is condensed and passed onto the next generation in the form of proverbs.
[08:49.18]对如何过健康生活的建议就是一个例子。
[08:52.95]Proverbs also serve to express general truths in a short and coloufful way
[08:56.82]格言也以简短精炼，色彩丰富的方式起着表达普遍真理的作用。
[09:00.68]for example, There' s no smoke without fire,
[09:03.22]比如，“无风不起浪”
[09:05.75]meaning that there is generally some truth in even the wildest rumours 8.
[09:09.22]思是即使最茺诞的谣言一般也有某些真实之处。
[09:12.70]Another type of proverb acts as a reminder 9 of the correct way to behave
[09:16.38]另一类格言则起着提醒人们要正确行事的作用，
[09:20.07]for example,Don't wash your dirty linen 10 in public[09:22.95]例如，“家丑不可外扬”，
[09:25.84]This means don't discuss personal or family problems
[09:28.66]指不要在生人面前或大庭广众下
[09:31.48]in front of strangers or in public.
[09:33.70]谈论个人隐私或家事。
[09:35.92]Other proverbs are offered to peopleas means of comfort in times of trouble,
[09:39.10]另一些格言则在人们陷入麻烦时起安慰作用。
[09:42.27]for example, It's no use crying over spilt milk.
[09:45.25]例如，“为无可挽回的事悲伤无补”，
[09:48.23]This proverb advises that it really is a waste of time
[09:51.20]这句格言建议人们不要浪费时间，
[09:54.18]to weep over mistakes that have already been made.
[09:56.61]为已铸成的错误痛哭流涕，悔恨不已，
[09:59.04]Instead, it is much better to Make the best of a bad job
[10:02.00]而应该“在没有法中想办法”——不管情况如何，
[10:04.97]to do your best whatever the situation.
[10:07.19]尽力而为，这样要好得多。
[10:09.41]Some English proverbs are native to Britain,
[10:11.93]有些英语格言原本就是英国的，
[10:14.45]for example,It never rains but it pours
[10:17.09]比如，“不雨则已，一雨倾盆”
[10:19.73]a reference to the joys of the British weather!
[10:22.21]指的是英国天气带来的结果！
[10:24.69]This proverb means that when one thing goes wrong,
[10:27.17]这条格言的意思是一件事出差错，
[10:29.66]many other things go wrong as well.
[10:31.73]很多别的事也一起错。
[10:33.81]Another home-grown proverb is Every dog is allowed one bite.
[10:37.28]另一句土生土长的格言的意思是，“每条狗允许咬一次人”。
[10:40.76]This proverb is based on ma old English law dating back to the 17th century
[10:44.48]这句格言基于一条可追溯到17世纪的古老法律。
[10:48.20]The law said that the flint time a dog bit somebody,
[10:50.93]这条法律说，狗第一次咬人，
[10:53.66]its owner did not have to pay compensation to the vietim
[10:56.39]它的主人可以不给受害者赔偿金，
[10:59.12]because one bite did not prove that the dog was vieious.
[11:01.90]因为仅这一咬不能证明狗就是条恶狗。
[11:04.69]Hence the idea carried in the proverb,
[11:07.11]因此，格言的意思
[11:09.54]that everyone should be allowed to make a mistake without being punished for it .
[11:12.87]应允许任何人犯一次错而不受惩罚。
[11:16.21]Other proverbs have come into the language from Latin or Greek.
[11:19.18]另一些格言则源于拉丁文或希腊文。
[11:22.16]Lucretius, a classical Roman author,
[11:24.64]卢克莱修，一位古罗马作家，
[11:27.12]reated the proverb One man' s meat is another man' s poison,
[11:30.21]创作了这句格言，“ 一人的肉食可能是他人的毒药”，
[11:33.29]meaning that what is good for one person can be harmful to another.
[11:36.57]意指对甲有利的东西可能对乙有害。
[11:39.85]And the proverb Let sleeping dogs lie
[11:42.22]还有“别惹事生非”，
[11:44.60]meaning don' t cause trouble when it can be avoided,
[11:47.08]意思是能避开进就别去惹麻烦。
[11:49.56]came into English from the French in the 14th century.
[11:52.14]是14世纪时由法语传入英语的，
[11:54.71]As Britain came into convict with other counstries and cultures,
[11:58.03]英国与别的国家交往以后，接触到外来文化，
[12:01.35]English became ached with the words and wisdom al different languages
[12:04.27]英语吸收了不同语言的词汇和智慧，因而变得丰富多采。
[12:07.20]From the Chinese,we borrowed the colourful proverb
[12:09.87]我们借鉴了汉语中
[12:12.55]He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount
[12:14.98]“骑虎难下”的格言，
[12:17.41]meaning that if you start on a dangerous enterprise
[12:19.84]意思是如果开始了某项危险的事业，
[12:22.27]it is often easier to carry it through to the end than to stop halfway 11.
[12:25.35]坚持到底比半途而废要容易得多。
[12:28.43]Some proverbs have been in the language for 1,000 years, for example,
[12:31.97]一些格言已有上千年的历史，例如，
[12:35.51]A friend in need is a friend indeed.
[12:37.79]“患难知真交”，意
[12:40.06]The message here is that someonewho stays with you and helps you in times of trouble,
[12:43.49]意思是在困难时帮助你，
[12:46.93]rather than turning their back, is a true friend.
[12:49.41]和你共患难而不是对你置之不理的人才是你真正的朋友。
[12:51.89]Other proverbs, however,are much more recent,
[12:54.57]但另一些格言则年轻得多，
[12:57.25]and reflect changes in the way that we live.
[12:59.38]反映了我们生活方式的变化。
[13:01.51]From the United States come the following two pieces of new wisdom
[13:04.89]以下两条新的智慧格言来自美国。
[13:08.27]Garbage in--garbage out, from the computer world,
[13:11.00]“无用输入——无用输出”来自电脑世界，
[13:13.73]reminds people that computersare only as good as their programs.
[13:16.55]提醒我们电脑实际上就是程序的作用。
[13:19.37]From big business we have.
[13:21.66]从大企业那儿我们学到了[13:23.94]There's no such thing as a free lunch,meaning nothing is free.
[13:26.97]没有免费的午餐”，意思 是没有什么是白给的。
[13:30.00]If someone buys you lunch, they will expect a favour in return.
[13:33.03]如果别人花钱请你吃午饭，就会指望你给他们回报。
[13:36.07]Some English people are reluctant to use proverbsin their everyday conversation
[13:38.94]有些英国人在日常生活中不愿使用格言，
[13:41.81]because they see them as vehicles of too much used wisdom.
[13:44.59]把它们看成是陈词滥调的表达手段。
[13:47.38]Nevertheless,proverbs are still quite oomrnon in both written and spoken English
[13:51.01]然而，格言在书面英语和口头英语中仍然都还很常见，
[13:54.64]and continue to provide a homely 12 commentary on life
[13:57.62]它们继续简明扼要地点评生活，
[14:00.59]and a reminder that the wisdom of our ancestors
[14:03.23]并且提醒我们，
[14:05.87]may still be useful to us today.
[14:07.84]祖先的智慧也许今天对我们还有所裨益。