大学英语精读2全部课文.docx
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大学英语精读2全部课文
1.Thedinnerparty
欧阳光明(2021.03.07)
IfirstheardthistaleinIndia,whereistoldasiftrue--thoughanynaturalistwouldknowitcouldn'tbe.LatersomeonetoldmethatthestoryappearedinamagazineshortlybeforetheFirstWorldWar.Thatmagazinestory,andthepersonwhowroteit,Ihaveneverbeenabletotrackdown.
ThecountryisIndia.Acolonialofficialandhiswifearegivingalargedinnerparty.Theyareseatedwiththeirguests--officersandtheirwives,andavisitingAmericannaturalist--intheirspaciousdiningroom,whichhasabaremarblefloor,openraftersandwideglassdoorsopeningontoaveranda.
Aspiriteddiscussionspringsupbetweenayounggirlwhosaysthatwomenhaveoutgrownthejumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouseeraandamajorwhosaysthattheyhaven't.
"Awoman'sreactioninanycrisis,"themajorsays,"istoscream.Andwhileamanmayfeellikeit,hehasthatouncemoreofcontrolthanawomanhas.Andthatlastounceiswhatreallycounts."
TheAmericandoesnotjoinintheargumentbutwatchestheotherguests.Ashelooks,heseesastrangeexpressioncomeoverthefaceofthehostess.Sheisstaringstraightahead,hermusclescontractingslightly.Shemotionstothenativeboystandingbehindherchairandwhisperssomethingtohim.Theboy'seyeswiden:
hequicklyleavestheroom.
Oftheguests,noneexcepttheAmericannoticesthisorseestheboyplaceabowlofmilkontheverandajustoutsidetheopendoors.
TheAmericancomestowithastart.InIndia,milkinabowlmeansonlyonething--baitforasnake.Herealizestheremustbeacobraintheroom.Helooksupattherafters--thelikeliestplace--buttheyarebare.Threecornersoftheroomareempty,andinthefourththeservantsarewaitingtoservethenextcourse.Thereisonlyoneplaceleft--underthetable.
Hisfirstimpulseistojumpbackandwarntheothers,butheknowsthecommotionwouldfrightenthecobraintostriking.Hespeaksquickly,thetoneofhisvoicesocommandingthatitsilenceseveryone.
"Iwanttoknowjustwhatcontroleveryoneatthistablehas.Iwillcountthreehundred--that'sfiveminutes--andnotoneofyouistomoveamuscle.Thosewhomovewillforfeit50rupees.Ready?
"
The20peoplesitlikestoneimageswhilehecounts.Heissaying"...twohundredandeighty..."when,outofthecornerofhiseye,heseesthecobraemergeandmakeforthebowlofmilk.Screamsringoutashejumpstoslamtheverandadoorssafelyshut.
"Youwereright,Major!
"thehostexclaims."Amanhasjustshownusanexampleofperfectself-control."
"Justaminute,"theAmericansays,turningtohishostess."Mrs.Wynnes,howdidyouknowthatcobrawasintheroom?
"
Afaintsmilelightsupthewoman'sfaceasshereplies:
"Becauseitwascrawlingacrossmyfoot."
提问者:
纯美素然-三级最佳答案检举晚宴
我最初听到这个故事是在印度,那儿的人们今天讲起它来仍好像确有其事似的——尽管任何一位博物学家都知道这不可能是真的。
后来有人告诉我,在第一次世界大战之前不久,一家杂志曾刊登过这个故事。
但登在杂志上的那篇故事以及写那篇故事的人,我却一直未能找到。
故事发生在印度。
某殖民地官员和他的夫人正举行盛大的晚宴。
筵席设在他们家宽敞的餐室里,室内大理石地板上没有铺地毯;屋顶明椽裸露,宽大的玻璃门外便是走廊。
跟他们一起就做的客人有军官和他们的夫人,另外还有一位来访的美国博物学家。
席间,一位年轻的女士同一位少校展开了热烈的讨论。
年轻的女士认为妇女已经有所进步,不再像过去那样一见到老鼠就吓得跳到椅子上,少校则不以为然。
他说:
“一遇到危急情况,女人的反应便是尖叫。
而男人虽然也可能想叫,但比起女人来,自制力却略胜一筹。
这多出来的一点自制力正是真正起作用的东西。
”
那个美国人没有参加这场争论,他只是注视着在座的其他客人。
在他这样观察时,他发现女主人的脸上显出一种奇异的表情。
她两眼盯着正前方,脸部肌肉在微微抽搐。
她向站在座椅后面的印度男仆做了个手势,对他耳语了几句。
男仆两眼睁得大大的,迅速地离开了餐室。
在座的客人中除了那位美国人以外谁也没注意到这一幕,也没有看到那个男仆把一碗牛奶放在紧靠门边的走廊上。
那个美国人突然醒悟过来。
在印度,碗中的牛奶只有一个意思——引蛇的诱饵。
他意识到餐室里一定有条眼镜蛇。
他抬头看了看屋顶上的椽子——那是最可能有蛇藏身的地方——但那上面空荡荡的。
室内的三个角落里也是空的,而在第四个角落里,仆人们正在等着上下一道菜。
这样,剩下的就只有一个地方了——餐桌下面。
他首先想到的是往后一跳,并向其他人发出警告。
但他知道这样会引起骚乱,致使眼镜蛇受惊咬人。
于是他很快讲了一道话,其语气非常威严,竟使得所有的人都安静了下来。
“我想了解一下在座的诸位到底有多大的克制能力,我数三百下——也就是五分钟——你们谁都不许动一动。
动者将罚款五十卢比。
准备好!
”
在他数数的过程中,那二十个人都像一尊尊雕塑一样端坐在那儿。
当他数到“……二百八十……”时,突然从眼角处看到那条眼镜蛇钻了出来,向那碗牛奶爬去。
在他跳起来把通往走廊的门全都砰砰地牢牢关上时,室内响起了一片尖叫声。
“你刚才说的很对,少校!
”男主人大声说。
“一个男子刚刚为我们显示了从容不迫、镇定自若的范例。
”
“且慢,”那位美国人一边说着一边转向女主人。
“温兹太太,你怎么知道那条眼镜蛇是在屋子里呢?
”
女主人脸上闪出一丝淡淡的微笑,回答说:
“因为它当时正从我的脚背上爬过去。
”
2.lessonsfromjefferson
Jeffersondiedlongago,butmayofhisideasstillofgreatinteresttous.
LessonsfromJefferson
ThomasJefferson,thethirdPresidentoftheUnitedStates,maybelessfamousthanGeorgeWashingtonandAbrahamLincoln,butmostpeoplerememberatlastonefactabouthim:
hewrotetheDeclarationofIndependence.
AlthoughJeffersonlivedmorethan200yearsago,thereismuchthatwelearnfromhimtoday.Manyofhisideasareespeciallyinterestingtomodernyouth.Herearesomeofthethingshesaidandwrote:
Goandsee.Jeffersonbelievedthatafreemanobtainsknowledgefrommanysourcesbesidesbooksandthatpersonalinvestigationisimportant.Whenstillayoungman,hewasappointedtoacommitteetofindoutwhethertheSouthBranchoftheJamesRiverwasdeepenoughtobeusedbylargeboats.Whiletheothermembersofthecommitteesatinthestatecapitolandstudiedpapersonthesubject,Jeffersongotintoacanoeandmadeon-the-spot-observations.
Youcanlearnfromeveryone.BybirthandbyeducationJeffersonbelongedtothehighestsocialclass.Yet,inadaywhenfewnoblepersonseverspoketothoseofhumbleoriginsexcepttogiveanorder,Jeffersonwentoutofhiswaytotalkwithgardeners,servants,andwaiters.JeffersononcesaidtotheFrenchnobleman,Lafayette,"Youmustgointothepeople'shomesasIhavedone,lookintotheircookingpotsandeattheirbread.Ifyouwillonlydothis,youmayfindoutwhypeoplearedissatisfiedandunderstandtherevolutionthatisthreateningFrance."
Judgeforyourself.Jeffersonrefusedtoacceptotherpeople'sopinionswithoutcarefulthought."Neitherbelievenorrejectanything,"hewrotetohisnephew,"becauseanyotherpersonhasrejectedorbelievedit.Heavedhasgivenyouamindforjudgingtruthanderror.Useit."
Jeffersonfeltthatthepeople"maysafelybetrustedtoheareverythingtrueandfalse,andtoformacorrectjudgment.Wereitlefttometodecidewhetherweshouldhaveagovernmentwithoutnewspapersornewspaperswithoutagovernment,Ishouldnothesitateamomenttopreferthelatter."
Dowhatyoubelieveisright.Inafreecountrytherewillalwaysbeconflictingideas,andthisisasourceofstrength.Itisconflictandnotunquestioningagreementthatkeepsfreedomalive.ThoughJeffersonwasformanyyearstheobjectofstrongcriticism,heneveransweredhiscritics.Heexpressedhisphilosophyinletterstoafriend,"Therearetwosidestoeveryquestion.Ifyoutakeonesidewithdecisionandonitwitheffect,thosewhotaketheothersidewillofcourseresentyouractions."
Trustthefuture;trusttheyoung.Jeffersonfeltthatthepresentshouldneverbechainedtocustomswhichhavelosttheirusefulness."Nosociety,"hesaid,"canmakeaperpetualconstitution,orevenaperpetuallaw.Theearthbelongstothelivinggeneration."Hedidnotfearnewideas,nordidhefearthefuture."Howmuchpain,"heremarked,"hasbeencausedbyevilswhichhaveneverhappened!
Iexpectthebest,nottheworst.Isteermyshipwithhope,leavingfearbehind."
Jefferson'scourageandidealismwerebasedonknowledge.Heprobablyknewmorethananyothermanofhisage.Hewasanexpertinagriculture,archeology,andmedicine.Hepracticedcroprotationandsoilconservationacenturybeforethesebecamestandardpractice,andheinventedaplowsuperiortoanyotherinexistence.HeinfluencedarchitecturethroughoutAmerica,andhewasconstantlyproducingdevicesformakingthetasksofordinarylifeeasiertoperform.
OfallJefferson'smanytalents,oneiscentral.Hewasaboveallagoodandtirelesswriter.Hiscompleteworks,nowbeingpublishedforthefirsttime,willfillmorethanfiftyvolumes.Histalentasanauthorwassoondiscovered,andwhenthetimecametowritetheDeclarationofIndependenceatPhiladelphiain1776,thetaskofwritingitwashis.Millionshavethrilledtohiswords:
"Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal…"
WhenJeffersondiedonJuly4,1826,the50thanniversaryofAmericanindependence,helefthiscountrymenarichlegacyofideasandexamples.AmericaneducationowesagreatdebttoThomasJefferson,Whobelievedthatonlyanationofeducatedpeoplecouldremainfree.
3.myfirstjob
Tryingtomakesomemoneybeforeenteringuniversity,theauthorappliesforateachingjob.Buttheinterviewgoesfrombadtoworse...
MyFirstJob
WhileIwaswaitingtoenteruniversity,IsawadvertisedinalocalnewspaperateachingpostataschoolinasuburbofLondonabouttenmilesfromwhereIlived.Beingveryshortmoneyandwantingtodosomethinguseful,Iapplied,fearingasIdidso,thatwithoutadegreeandwithnoexperienceinteachingmychancesofgettingthejobwereslim.
However,threedayslateraletterarrived,askingmetogotoCroydonforaninterview.Itprovedanawkwardjourney:
atraintoCroydonstation;aten-minutebusrideandthenawalkofatleastaquartertofeelnervous.
Theschoolwasaredbrickhousewithbigwindows,Thefrontgardenwasagravelsquare;fourevergreenshrubsstoodateachcorner,wheretheystruggledtosurvivethedustandfumesfromabusymainfromabusymainroad.
Itwasclearlytheheadmasterhimselfthatopenedthedoor.Hewasshortandfat.Hehadasandy-colouredmoustache,awrinkledforeheadandhardlyanyhair.
Helookedatmewithanairofsurpriseddisapproval,asacolonelmightlookataprivatewhosebootlaceswereundone.'Ahyes,'hegrunted.'You'dbettercomeinside.'Thenarrow,sunlesshallsmelledunpleasantlyofstalecabbage;thewallsweredirtywithinkmarks;itwasallsilent.Hisstudy,judgingbythecrumbsonthecarpet,wasalsohisdining-room.'You'dbettersitdown,'hesaid,andproceededtoaskmeanumberofquest