现代大学英语精读2课文.docx

现代大学英语精读2课文.docx

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现代大学英语精读2课文

Unit1

AnotherSchoolYear—WhatFor

Letmetellyouoneoftheearliestdisastersinmycareerasateacher.ItwasJanuaryof1940andIwasfreshoutofgraduateschoolstartingmyfirstsemesterattheUniversityofKansasCity.Partofthestudentbodywasabeanpolewithhairontopwhocameintomyclass,satdown,foldedhisarms,andlookedatmeasiftosay"Allright,teachmesomething."TwoweekslaterwestartedHamlet.Threeweekslaterhecameintomyofficewithhishandsonhiships."Look,"hesaid,"Icameheretobeapharmacist.WhydoIhavetoreadthisstuff"Andnothavingabookofhisowntopointto,hepointedtominewhichwaslyingonthedesk.

NewasIwastothefaculty,Icouldhavetoldthisspecimenanumberofthings.Icouldhavepointedoutthathehadenrolled,notinadrugstore-mechanicsschool,butinacollegeandthatattheendofhiscoursemeanttoreachforascrollthatreadBachelorofScience.Itwouldnotread:

QualifiedPill-GrindingTechnician.Itwouldcertifythathehadspecializedinpharmacy,butitwouldfurthercertifythathehadbeenexposedtosomeoftheideasmankindhasgeneratedwithinitshistory.Thatistosay,hehadnotenteredatechnicaltrainingschoolbutauniversityandinuniversitiesstudentsenrollforbothtrainingandeducation.

Icouldhavetoldhimallthis,butitwasfairlyobvioushewasn'tgoingtobearoundlongenoughforittomatter.

Nevertheless,IwasyoungandIhadahighsenseofdutyandItriedtoputitthisway:

"Fortherestofyourlife,"Isaid,"yourdaysaregoingtoaverageouttoabouttwenty-fourhours.Theywillbealittleshorterwhenyouareinlove,andalittlelongerwhenyouareoutoflove,buttheaveragewilltendtohold.Foreightofthesehours,moreorless,youwillbeasleep."

"Thenforabouteighthoursofeachworkingdayyouwill,Ihope,beusefullyemployed.Assumeyouhavegonethroughpharmacyschool—orengineering,orlawschool,orwhatever—duringthoseeighthoursyouwillbeusingyourprofessionalskills.Youwillseetoitthatthecyanidestaysoutoftheaspirin,thatthebulldoesn'tjumpthefence,orthatyourclientdoesn'tgototheelectricchairasaresultofyourincompetence.Theseareallusefulpursuits.Theyinvolveskillseverymanmustrespect,andtheycanallbringyoubasicsatisfactions.Alongwitheverythingelse,theywillprobablybewhatputsfoodonyourtable,supportsyourwife,andrearsyourchildren.Theywillbeyourincome,andmayitalwayssuffice."

"Buthavingfinishedtheday'swork,whatdoyoudowiththoseothereighthoursLet'ssayyougohometoyourfamily.WhatsortoffamilyareyouraisingWillthechildreneverbeexposedtoareasonablypenetratingideaathomeWillyoubepresidingoverafamilythatmaintainssomecontactwiththegreatdemocraticintellectWilltherebeabookinthehouseWilltherebeapaintingareasonablysensitivemancanlookatwithoutshudderingWillthekidsevergettohearBach"

ThatisaboutwhatIsaid,butthisparticularpestwasnotinterested."Look,"hesaid,"youprofessorsraiseyourkidsyourway;I'lltakecareofmyown.Me,I'mouttomakemoney."

"Ihopeyoumakealotofit,"Itoldhim,"becauseyou'regoingtobebadlystuckforsomethingtodowhenyou'renotsigningchecks."

FourteenyearslaterIamstillteaching,andIamheretotellyouthatthebusinessofthecollegeisnotonlytotrainyou,buttoputyouintouchwithwhatthebesthumanmindshavethought.IfyouhavenotimeforShakespeare,forabasiclookatphilosophy,forthecontinuityofthefinearts,forthatlessonofman'sdevelopmentwecallhistory—thenyouhavenobusinessbeingincollege.Youareonyourwaytobeingthatnewspeciesofmechanizedsavage,thepush-buttonNeanderthal.Ourcollegesinevitablygraduateanumberofsuchlifeforms,butitcannotbesaidthattheywenttocollege;ratherthecollegewentthroughthem—withoutmakingcontact.

Noonegetstobeahumanbeingunaided.Thereisnottimeenoughinasinglelifetimetoinventforoneselfeverythingoneneedstoknowinordertobeacivilizedhuman.

Assume,forexample,thatyouwanttobeaphysicist.Youpassthegreatstonehallsof,say,M.I.T.,andtherecutintothestonearethenamesofthescientists.Thechancesarethatfew,ifany,ofyouwillleaveyournamestobecutintothosestones.Yetanyofyouwhomanagedtostayawakethroughpartofahighschoolcourseinphysics,knowsmoreaboutphysicsthandidmanyofthosegreatscholarsofthepast.Youknowmorebecausetheyleftyouwhattheyknew,becauseyoucanstartfromwhatthepastlearnedforyou.

Andasthisistrueofthetechniquesofmankind,soitistrueofmankind'sspiritualresources.Mostoftheseresources,bothtechnicalandspiritual,arestoredinbooks.Booksareman'speculiaraccom