英语专业晨读文化类美文15篇英音美音.docx

英语专业晨读文化类美文15篇英音美音.docx

《英语专业晨读文化类美文15篇英音美音.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《英语专业晨读文化类美文15篇英音美音.docx（22页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

英语专业晨读文化类美文15篇英音美音

46.WesternCivilizationFacesaStarkChoiceⅠ西方文明面临严峻抉择

（一）（美音）

In1900,mostwesternerswereconfidentandoptimistic,

fullofprideabouttheircivilization.

Sincethen,thewesthasmadeenormousstridesineconomic,

scientific,military,politicalandsocialterms.

Yettheearlierconfidencehasgone.

Westoppedbelievingintheideas

thatdroveearliergenerationstoimprovetheworld.

Sixmainideasmadethewest,centuryaftercentury,

progressivelysuccessful,powerful,

andattractive—Christianity,optimism,science,

economicgrowth,individualismandliberalism.

Aretheseideaspasttheirsell-bydate?

Optimism

Theimportanceofoptimismindrivingsuccess—

ofindividuals,ofwholecivilizations—

hasbeengreatlyoverlooked.

OptimismcomesfromthreeGreekandChristian“myths”—

themythofautonomy,themythofprogress

andthemythofhumangoodness.

Creationisultimatelygood.

So,too,arepeople—God'screation.

Wehavestoppedbelievingpeoplearegood.

After1760,ourstoriesbegantofeaturebadheroes—

egotisticalpeople,amoralorimmoral.

Thelastcenturyconfirmedadimviewofhumannature—

Freud'sideas,Hitler,twoworldwars,

horrificandhatefulsocieties.

Adiminishedviewofpeoplefacilitatedthesehorrors.

Optimismandpessimism,however,arefancies,notfacts.

Onlyifwerecoverbeliefinhumangoodness

canweresumebuildingabetterworld.

Christianity

Westernsecularvalues,aboveallthegodsofconsumption,

havetrumpedChristianones.Doubtisrampant.

AndChristianstodayaredeeplydivided.

Yetperhapsweneednotworry.Christianitytransformedthewest.

Itwastheworld'sfirstindividualized,activist,

self-helpmovement.Ordinarypeoplewereencouragedtocleanup

theiractandgivenGod'shelptodoso.

Everyonehada“soul”;individualhumandignity

andresponsibilityweregreatlyenhanced.

TodaymanyofusdonotbelieveinthesoulorChrist.

Inaway,however,weallstillbelievetheChristianmessage.

Webelievewehaveaself,justlikewehavearmsandlegs.

Withtheideaofthesoulsafelytransmutedintheideaoftheself,

Christianityhaspermanentlychangedthewest.

Themodernself-helpmovementbestexemplifies

thecentralChristianinnovation-personalresponsibility.

Christianity'scrisisdoesnotthreatenthewest.

Buttheattacksontheotherfiveideasdo.

Science

Scienceispreeminentlywestern.

Itarosethroughbeliefinaperfect,rationalCreator,

andinourabilitytofigureout

theperfectuniversethatGodcreated.

Since1900,wehavelostourfaithinscience.

Superstitionandmumbo-jumboabound.

Scienceseemstohavebecomeweird.

Itportraysabafflingandinscrutableuniverse,

ruledbymystery,uncertainty,randomchance.

Also,thedarksideofsciencehasemerged:

monstrousweapons,poisoningtheplanet.

Yetscienceisstillfundamentallybenignandrational.

Themicro-worldmightbeweird.

Butscientistsstillfollowthescientificmethod-

reasonandinvestigation.

Thechallengetounderstandingisgreater,

butlogicandresearchstillholdthekey.

Wecannotgiveupourtrustinrationalityandsciences,

forthebestformsofcivilizationdependutterlyuponthem.

47.WesternCivilizationFacesaStarkChoiceⅡ西方文明面临严峻抉择

（二）（美音）

EconomicGrowth

Thewest'sstunningeconomicadvance

overthepast1000years,andespeciallythelast200years,

hasmademankindanecologicalsuccessandthewestdominant.

Victoriesoverhungeranddiseaseareunprecedented.

Yet,ifnon-westerncountrieseventuallyreached

westernconsumptionlevels,thedamagetotheenvironment

wouldbemultiplied12times.Theplanetcannotcopewiththat.

Happily,anewfactorisemerging—

the“personalisedeconomy”,

drivenbyimaginationandintellect,

notcapitalandhierarchy.

Growthtodaycanbeincreasingly“weightless”—

weconsumesoftwareandservicesratherthanhunksofmetal.

InthelastcenturytheUSeconomygrewto

20timesitsearliersize,buttheweight

ofoutputstayedroughlythesame.

Avertingecologicalsuiciderequiresgrowth

usingfarfewerfiniteresources.

Individualism

Thishasalwaysbeenthewest'smoststrikingcharacteristic.

Nowmanyinsidethewestareworriedbyindividualism.

Ourhighlyatomisticsocietymakesiteasytofeelafailure.

Everycivilizationhashadself-madepeople.

Oursisthefirsttofostermillions

ofself-destroyedpeople.

Yetselfishindividualismisarecentheresy,

acontradiction.Historically,

individualismhasadvancedhigherstandards

ofpersonalbehavior,withcommunitybuilding,

withleadership.Wehavestoppedrequiringthat.

Ifwedonotdemandtrulyresponsibleindividualism,

fromourleaders,rolemodelsandourselves,

ourcivilizationwilldisintegrate.

Liberalism

Thegreatestthreattothewestcomesfromliberalism'sdecline

andfromthe“liberalimperialists”

andneo