Unit-10-The-Role-of-Academy-in-Times-of-Crisis英语课件.doc

Unit-10-The-Role-of-Academy-in-Times-of-Crisis英语课件.doc

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高等学校研究生英语综合教程（上）---Unit6主编：

熊海虹

UnitTen

Theopportunitytoreceivehighereducationisaprivilegethatbringswithitresponsibilities.ThePresidentofPrincetonUniversitytalksaboutthisinherinauguralspeech.

THEROLEOFACADEMYINTIMESOFCRISIS

ShirleyM.Tilghman

1TodaytheacademyholdsahighlyprivilegedplaceinAmericansocietybecauseofaaboutthelong-standingnationalconsensusaboutthevalueofeducation.Oneofmypredecessors,PresidentHaroldDodds,saidinhisinauguraladdressin1933that"Nocountryspendsmoneyforeducation,publicorprivate,solavishlyasdoestheUnitedStates.Americanshaveanalmostchildlikefaithinwhatformaleducationcandoforthem."ThatfaithisbasedonaconvictionthatthevitalityoftheUnitedStates,itscreativeanddiverseculturallife,itsisnationalsecurityandtherobustnessofitsdemocraticinstitutionsowemuchtothequalityofinstitutionsofhighereducation.

2Oursociety’sconfidenceinitsinstitutionsofhighereducationisexpressedthroughthegenerousinvestmentsofthefederalandstategovernmentinbasicandappliedresearch,investmentthatwiselycouplesupportforresearchwithsupportforgraduateeducation.Itisalsoexpressesthroughfederalandstateinvestmentsthatsubsidizethecostofhighereducationforthosewhocannotaffordtopay,investmentsbyprivatefoundationsandcharitieswhoseecollegesanduniversitiesasthebestroutesforachievingtheirstrategicgoals,andinvestmentsbyindividualsandbytheprivatesector,whoseeuniversitiesastheincubatorsoffuturehealthandprosperity.Inreturnforthisbroadsupport,societyrightfullyexpectscertainthingsfromus.Itexpectsthegenerationofnewideasandthediscoveryofnewknowledge,theexplorationofcomplexissuesinanopenandcollegialmannerandthepreparationofthenextgenerationofcitizensandleaders.Intimesoftrouble,itisespeciallyimportantthatweliveuptotheseexpectations.

3Themedievalimageoftheuniversityasanivorytower,withscholarsturnedinwardinsolitarycontemplation,immunizedfromthecaresoftheday,isanimagethathasbeensupersededbythemodernuniversityconstructednotofivory,butofahighlyporousmaterial,onethatallowsfreediffusioninbothdirections.Theacademyisoftheworld,notapartfromit.Itsideals,craftedovermanygenerations,aremeanttosuffusethenationalconsciousness.Itsscholarsandteachersaremeanttomoveinandoutoftheacademyinpursuitofopportunitiestousetheirexpertiseinpublicservice,inpursuitofcreativeworkthatwillgiveusilluminationandinsightandinpursuitofwaystoturnlaboratorydiscoveriesintousefulthings.Ourstudentsengagetheworldwithastrongsenseofcivicresponsibility,andwhentheygraduatetheybecomealumniwhodothesame.Thisisasitshouldbe.

4Thesearchfornewideasandknowledgeisnotandcannotbemotivatedbyutilitarianconcerns.Ratheritdependsontheabilitytothinkinnewandcreativeways.WhentheNobellaureateJohnNashdevelopedthemathematicalconceptsunderlyingnon-cooperativegametheory8asagraduatestudentatPrinceton,hecouldnotforeseethatthoseconceptswouldbeusedtodaytoanalyzeelectionstrategiesandthecausesofwarandtomakepredictionsabouthowpeoplewillact.WhenProfessorofMolecularBiologyEricWieschaus'setoutasayoungscientisttoidentifygenesthatpatternthebodyplanofthefruitflyembryo,hecouldnotknowthathewouldidentifygenesthatplayacentralroleinthedevelopmentofhumancancer.Wehavelearnedthatwecannotpredictwithanyaccuracyhowdiscoveriesandscholarshipwillinfluencefuturegenerations.Wealsohavelearnedthatitisunwisetosearchonlyinpredictableplaces,fornewknowledgeoftendependsuponpreparingfertilegroundinobscureplaceswhereserendipityandgoodluck,aswellasdeepintelligence,cansprout.Freedomofinquiry,whichisoneofourmostcherishedorganizingprinciples,isnotjustamoralimperative,itisapracticalnecessity.

5Justaswehaveanobligationtosearchwidelyforknowledge,sowealsohaveanobligationtoensurethatthescholarlyworkoftheacademyiswidelydisseminated,sothatotherscancorrectitwhennecessary,orbuildonit,oruseittomakebetterdecisions,developbetterproductsorconstructbetterplans.Inthedaysahead,Ihopethatourcountry'sdecision-makerswilldrawontheknowledgethatresidesonourcampuses,onhistorianswhocaninformthepresentthroughdeepunderstandingofthepast,philosopherswhocanprovideframeworksforworkingthroughissuesofrightandwrong,economistswhoseinsightscanhelptogettheeconomybackontrack,engineerswhoknowhowtobuildsaferbuildings,