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'speculiaraccomplishment.Whenyouhavereadabook,youhaveaddedtoyourhumanexperience.ReadHomerandyourmindincludesapieceofHomer'smind.ThroughbooksyoucanacquireatleastfragmentsofthemindandexperienceofVirgil,Dante,Shakespeare—thelistisendless.Foragreatbookisnecessarilyagift;itoffersyoualifeyouhavenotthetimetoliveyourself,andittakesyouintoaworldyouhavenotthetimetotravelinliteraltime.Acivilizedmindis,inessence,onethatcontainsmanysuchlivesandmanysuchworlds.Ifyouaretoomuchinahurry,ortooarrogantlyproudofyourownlimitations,toacceptasagifttoyourhumanitysomepiecesofthemindsofAristotle,orChaucer,orEinstein,youareneitheradevelopedhumannorausefulcitizenofademocracy.
IthinkitwasLaRochefoucauldwhosaidthatmostpeoplewouldneverfallinloveiftheyhadn'treadaboutit.Hemighthavesaidthatnoonewouldevermanagetobecomehumaniftheyhadn'treadaboutit.
Ispeak,I'msure,forthefacultyoftheliberalartscollegeandforthefacultiesofthespecializedschoolsaswell,whenIsaythatauniversityhasnorealexistenceandnorealpurposeexceptasitsucceedsinputtingyouintouch,bothasspecialistsandashumans,withthosehumanmindsyourhumanmindneedstoinclude.Thefaculty,byitsveryexistence,saysimplicitly:
"Wehavebeenaidedbymanypeople,andbymanybooks,inourattempttomakeourselvessomesortofstorehouseofhumanexperience.Weareheretomakeavailabletoyou,asbestwecan,thatexpertise."
Unit2
MaheegunMyBrother
TheyearIfoundMaheegun,springwaslateincoming.Thatday,IwasspearingfishwithmygrandfatherwhenIheardthefaintcryingandfoundtheshiveringwolfcub.
AsIbentdown,hemovedweaklytowardme.Ipickedhimupandputhiminsidemyjacket.LittleMaheegungainedstrengthafterIgotthefirstfewdropsofwarmmilkinhim.Hewiggledandsoonhewasfullandwarm.
Mygrandfatherfinallyagreedtoletmekeephim.
Thatyear,whichwasmy14th,wasthehappiestofmylife.
Notthatwedidn'thaveourtroubles.Maheegunwasthemostmischievouswolfcubever.Hewascurioustoo.LikelookingintoGrandma'ssewingbasket—whichheupset,scatteringthreadandbuttonsalloverthefloor.Atsuchtimes,shewouldchasehimoutwithabroomandMaheegunwouldpokehisheadaroundthecorner,waitingforthingstoquietdown.
ThatsummerMaheegunandIbecamehuntingpartners.Wehuntedthegrasshoppersthatleapedaboutlikelittlerockets.Andinthefall,afterthefirstsnowourgamestookustothenearestmeadowsinsearchoffieldmice.Bythen,Maheegunwashalfgrown.Gonewasthepuppy-woolcoat.Initsplacewasahandsomeblackmantle.
ThewintermonthsthatcamesoonafterwerethehappiestIcouldremember.TheybelongedonlytoMaheegunandmyself.Oftenwewouldmakeafireinthebushes.Maheegunwouldlayhisheadbetweenhisfrontpaws,withhiseyesonmeasItoldhimstories.
ItallservedtofogmymindwithpleasuresothatIforgotmyGrandpa'srepeatedwarnings,andonenightleftMaheegununchained.ThefollowingmorninginsailedMrs.Yesno,wildwithanger,whodemandedMaheegunbeshotbecausehehadkilledherrooster.Thenextmorning,mygrandpaannouncedthatweweregoingtotakeMaheeguntothenorthshack.
Bythetimewereachedthelakewherethetrapper'sshackstood,Maheegunseemedtohavebecomerestless.Oftenhewouldsitwithhisnosetothesky,turninghisheadthiswayandthatasiftocheckthewind.
Thewarmthofthestovesoonbroughtsleeptome.Butsomethingcausedmetowakeupwithastart.Isatup,andinthemoon-floodedcabinwasmygrandfatherstandingbesideme."Comeandsee,son,"whisperedmygrandfather.
Outsidethemoonwasfullandtheworldlookedallwhitewithsnow.Hepointedtoarockthatstoodhighattheedgeofthelake.Onthetopwastheclearoutlineofagreatwolfsittingstill,earspointed,alert,listening.
"Maheegun,"whisperedmygrandfather.
Slowlythewolfraisedhismuzzle."Oooo-oo-wow-wowoo-oooo!
"
Thewholewhiteworldthrilledtothatwildcry.Thenafterawhile,fromthedistancecameasoftercallinreply.Maheegunstirred,withthedeeprumbleofpleasureinhisthroat.Heslippeddowntherockandheadedoutacrosstheice.
"He'sgone,"Isaid.
"Yes,he'sgonetothatyoungshe-wolf."Mygrandfatherslowlyfilledhispipe."Hewilltakeherforlife,huntforher,protecther.ThisisthewaytheCreatorplannedlife.Nomancanchangeit."
Itriedtotellmyselfitwasallforthebest,butitwashardtolosemybrother.
ForthenexttwoyearsIwasasbusyasasquirrelstoringnutsforthewinter.ButonceortwicewhenIheardwolfcriesfromdistanthills,IwouldstillwonderifMaheegun,inhisbattleforlife,foundtimetorememberme.
ItwasnotlongafterthatIfo