新编大学英语阅读部分第四册Unit1-2.doc

Unit 1 Happiness After-Class Reading PASSAGE I You Cant Buy Happiness Everyone wants to be happy, but exactly what is happiness and how can one obtain it? Philosophers have been arguing about the matter for centuries and have not been able to reach an agreement; yet everyone knows happiness when they experience it or when it is denied to them. Websters New Collegiate Dictionary defines happiness as a state of contentment, but we know that different people experience contentment in different ways. Many people have felt that if they were rich they could buy happiness for themselves; however, many stories from history tell us that this is probably not true, including the famous King Midas story. According to Greek mythology, King Midas was a ruler who wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. When this wish was granted, to his dismay, he found that his beloved young daughter turned to gold at his touch and he had lost his source of greatest happiness in life.1 A golden statue could not give him the love that he had so enjoyed from his daughter. Neither wealth nor status nor privilege nor family power nor prestige can guarantee happiness. A prime example of this is the true story of Queen Victorias daughters. Victoria, Queen of England for 64 years during the 19th century, had five daughters. They grew up with the kinds of luxuries that other people only dream about, including jewels, silk gowns, and handsome princes for husbands. Each daughter grew up with a unique personality and with a very different future awaiting her.2 Yet, although each had a happy childhood, none lived a happy life as an adult. The eldest daughter, Princess Victoria (called Vicky by her family), was the most intelligent of the children. By the time she was four years old, she spoke German and French fluently. Her virtues were a painful contrast to the many defects her parents saw in her brother, the Prince of Wales, who would become king after Queen Victorias death.3 When Vicky became a young lady, her parents chose a husband for her, Prince Frederick, a tall and handsome soldier who would become King of Prussia, a part of Germany. Although she loved her husband deeply until he died, she was never happy in Prussia. Her liberal political beliefs were not liked by the Prussians and the Prussian chancellor managed to turn her eldest son, Wilhelm, against her. Two other sons died in childhood. Vicky was Queen of Prussia and Empress of Germany for only 99 days because by the time her husband became king he was dying. For the last thirteen years of her life she was a widow in a land where she was not liked, ruled by a son who hated her. She tried to find some happiness by spending her final years working for the advancement of German women. The second daughter, Alice, was known as the lovable, peaceful sister. For a husband, her parents chose a German Duke. As a duchess, Alice was known for her good works.4 She was especially interested in the training of nurses. During the times of war, she worked in the hospitals that she had established. She helped poor women by arranging for their needlework to be sold. Her seven children included five daughters, one of whom became the last Czarina of Russia, who was killed along with her family. Alice did not live long enough to know of that horrible event because in 1878, her children became ill, one after another, with diphtheria, and Alice nursed them all. Shortly after her youngest child died of the disease, Alice fell ill with it too and died at the age of 35. Helena, the middle daughter, was the least attractive daughter. She also was the one that the family paid the least attention to as she was growing up. Queen Victoria decided that she needed one daughter to live close to her as she grew older, so she chose a prince who no longer had a country to rule as Helenas husband. Helena and her husband lived in a house near the Queen and her house became a second home for Alices motherless children. Helena spent her life taking care of her mothers needs, as well as of Alices children and her own four children. She was never asked what she wanted from life but was always at the beck and call of others, whether she liked it or not. Princess Louise, the fourth daughter, was the opposite of Helena. She was beautiful, talented, and willful. She insisted on studying art at Londons art college and even chose her own husband, a nobleman from Scotland. Her family did not want her to marry him but finally allowed her to do so. In 1877 her husband became Governor General of Canada. At first her life there was happy. Louise gave parties and dances. She also traveled to western Canada. However, during a sleigh ride, she was thrown out of the sleigh and dragged along the ground by her long hair, losing an ear. She went home to England to get well but never returned to Canada. Her marriage was really over by then because she had discovered that her husband romantically preferred men rather than women. However, she couldnt divorce him because that was not allowed for a princess at that time. She stayed at the royal palace in London, an unhappy and bitter woman, until she died at the age of 91. Queen Victoria decided that her youngest daughter, Beatrice, should never marry and should be her companion during her older years. Beatrice acted as her mothers secretary and went with her to royal events. They were hardly ever apart. When Beatrice was 28 years old, Victoria allowed her to go to Germany to attend the wedding of a niece. There she met a German Prince, Liko, who immediately fell in love with her. When they asked Victoria for permission to marry, Victoria agreed only if they would live in the palace with her. Even after her marriage, Beatrice was required to accompany her mother everywhere and had very little time to be with her husband and children. Prince Liko, who had once been a soldier and was bored with the kind of life he was leading, volunteered to help put down a revolt in an African nation in 1896. He soon fell ill with a fever and died. The life has gone out of me, Beatrice said when she learned of his death. She was 39 years old at the time. Even after Queen Victoria died in 1901, Beatrice remained in her shadow.5 She spent the rest of her life copying and editing Victorias journals. Neither wealth, status, nor family prominence gave happiness to Victorias so daughters. Their lives were filled with disappointment and loss. Their stories support the concept that happiness results only when people are permitted to plan their own lives, to pursue their goals in the way they see most appropriate and to base them on something other than a desire for wealth, prominence or status. (1175 words) Proper Names Alice （女子名）艾丽斯 Beatrice （女子名）比阿特丽斯 Frederick （男子名）弗雷德里克 Governor General 总督 Helena （女子名）海伦娜 Liko （男子名）利科 Louise （女子名）露易丝 Midas （希腊神话）迈达斯（Phrygia国王，贪恋财富，能点物成金） Prussia 普鲁土（位于北欧的原古普鲁土族居地，1701年起成为王国，1871年以其为中心建立了统一的德意志帝国） Prussian adj. 普鲁士的 Queen Victoria 维多利亚女王 (18191901，英国女王及印度女王，即位后英国加紧向外扩张，建立庞大殖民地，工商业亦迅猛发展，一些英国史家称“维多利亚时代”为英国历史上的“黄金时代”) Scotland 苏格兰（英国的一部分，在大不列颠岛北部） Vicky （女子名）维姬（Victoria的昵称） Victoria （女子名）维多利亚 Wales 威尔士（英国的一部分，在大不列颠岛西南部） Webster Collegiate Dictionary 韦伯斯特大学词典或韦氏大学词典 Wilhelm （男子名）威廉（William的德语形式） New Words beck n. a gesture requesting attention, such as a nod or wave 点头，招手 chancellor n. the title of the head of government in Germany, Austria, etc. (德国、奥地利等国的)总理 collegiate adj. Of or belonging to a college or its students 大学的，大学生的 czarina n. the wife of a czar or the female Russian ruler 沙皇皇后，女沙皇 defect n. a fault or imperfection in a person or thing 缺点，缺陷，毛病 e.g. I) A defect in the aircraft caused the crash. II) I bought these shoes cheaply because they have slight defects in them. diphtheria n. a dangerous infectious disease which causes fever and difficulty in breathing and swallowing 白喉 dismay n. 1) a strong feeling of fear or worry 惊恐，惊愕 e.g. I) To the soldiers astonishment and dismay, he ordered them to throw away their weapons and flee with him. II) She discovered, to her dismay, that her exam was a whole month earlier than she had expected. 2) sudden or complete loss of courage 失望，气馁 e.g. I) A sigh of dismay ran through her, for she was not very good at reading. II) The supporters watched in dismay as their team lost 6-0. duchess n. a woman who is a dukes wife or widow, or who has the same rank as a duke 公爵夫人，公爵遗孀，女公爵 duke n. a man of very high rank in a country, or the ruler of a small independent country 公爵，（欧洲公国的）君主 empress n. the wife of a male ruler of an empire, or a female ruler of an empire 皇后，女皇 fluently adv. easily, well and quickly 流利地，流畅地 e.g. I) Id like to speak English fluently. II) All students must be able to type fluently before they start the course. governor n. a ruler or chief magistrate appointed to govern a province, town or the like 地方长官，州长 e.g. After the independence ceremony, the former governor left the colony. liberal adj. 1) favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs 赞成进步或改革的 e.g. They favor liberal free-market policies. 2) free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc., open-minded 不受传统和准则等约束的，开明的 e.g. They have more liberal views towards marriage and divorce than some people. mythology n. myths in general 总称 神话 needlework* n. things made by sewing, or the activity or art of sewing 针线活， 缝纫手艺 nobleman n. (plural noblemen) a man of noble birth or rank 出身或地位高贵的人，贵族 princess n. a female member of a royal family, usually the daughter of a king or the wife of a prince 公主，王妃 e.g. the Prince and Princess of Wales 威尔士亲王和王妃（英国太子和太子妃的称号） prominence* n. the fact of being important and well-known 显著，杰出 e.g. He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy. revolt n. an illegal and often violent attempt by a group of people to change their countrys political system 反叛，起义 e.g. Troops were called in to put down the revolt. willful adj. stubborn and determined to have your own way 任性的，固执的 e.g. She can be very willful when she sets her mind to something, just like her father. Phrases and Expressions be at someones beck and call always be ready to do what someone wants 听候.的吩咐 e.g. Go and get it yourself! Im not at your beck and call. deny something to someone/deny someone something refuse to allow someone to have or do something 拒绝给予 e.g. I) I would have liked to have learned French, but opportunity was denied (to) me at school. II) If you regularly take snacks instead of eating properly, you will deny yourself the important nutrients that your body requires. fall ill (fall is a link-verb in this case) become ill 得病 e.g. She fell ill suddenly and was dead within a week. pot down 1) stop by using force e.g. Police used tear gas to put the riot (骚乱) down. 2) write or type 记下，写下 e.g. I had prepared for the meeting by putting down what I wanted from them. reach an agreement come to or arrive at an agreement usually after a discussion 取得一致意见，达成协议 e.g. The two sides have reached an agreement to divide the money into two equal parts. turn someone against someone else decide or make someone decide not to like someone any more 使.转而反对.,使.对.有偏见 e.g. A boy I used to be friends with was turned against me after being told that I had been insulting him. PASSAGE II A Simple Truth about Happiness If youre waiting for it, youve missed the point. After I gave a talk on the subject of happiness, a woman in the audience stood up and said, I wish my husband had come. Much as she loved him, she explained, it wasnt easy being married to someone so unhappy.1 This woman enabled me to put into words what I had been searching for-the altruistic, as well as the personal, reasons for taking happiness seriously.2 I told her that each of us owes it to our spouse, our children, our friends to be as happy as we can be. And if you dont believe me, ask a child what its like to grow up with an unhappy parent, or ask parents what pain they suffer if they have an unhappy child. I was not a particularly happy child, and like most teenagers, I took pleasure in my anguish. One day, however, it occurred to me that I was taking the easy way out. Anyone could be unhappy; it took no courage or effort. True achievement lay in struggling to be happy. The notion that we have to work at happiness comes as news to many people.3 We assume its a feeling that comes as a result of good things that just happen to us, things over which we have little or no control. But the opposite is true: happiness is largely under our control. It is a battle to be fought and not a feeling to be awaited. To achieve a happier life, its necessary to overcome some stumbling blocks, three of which are: Comparison with Others Most of us compare ourselves with anyone we think is happier-a relative, an acquaintance or, often, someone we barely know. I once met a young man who struck me as particularly successful and happy. He spoke of his love for his beautiful wife and their daughters, and of his joy at being a radio talk-show host4 in a city he loved. I remember thinking that he was one of those lucky few for whom everything goes effortlessly right. Then we started talking about the Internet. He blessed its existence, he told me, because he could look up information on multiple sclerosis5-the terrible disease afflicting his wife. I felt like a fool for assuming nothing unhappy existed in his life. Images of Perfection Almost all of us have images of how life should be. The problem, of course, is that only rarely do peoples jobs, spouses and children live up to these imagined ideals. Heres a personal example: No one in my family had ever divorced. I assumed that marriage was for life.6 So when my wife and I divorced after five years of marriage and three years after the birth of our son, my world collapsed. I was a failure in my own eyes. I later remarried but confided to my wife that I couldnt shake the feeling that my family life had failed.7 She asked me what was wrong with our family now (which included her daughter from a previous marriage and my son). I had to admit that, aside from the pain of being with my son only half the time (my ex-wife and I shared custody), our family life was wonderful. Then why dont you celebrate it? she asked. Thats what I decided to do. But first I had to get rid of the image of a perfect family. Missing Tile Syndrome One effective way of destroying happiness is to look at something and focus on even the smallest flaw. Its like looking up at a tiled ceiling and concentrating on the space where one tile is missing. As a bald man told me, Whenever I enter a room, all I see is hair. Once youve determined what your missing tile is, explore whether acquiring it will really make you happy. Then do one of the three things: get it, replace it with a different tile, or forget about it and focus on the tiles in your life that are not missing. Ive spent years studying happiness, and one of the most significant conclusions Ive drawn is this: there is little correlation between the circumstances of peoples lives and how happy they are. A moments reflection should make this obvious. We all know people who have had a relatively easy life yet are essentially unhappy. And we know people who have suffered a great deal but generally remain happy. The first secret is gratitude. All happy people are grateful. Ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that being unhappy leads people to complain, but its truer to say that complaining leads to people becoming unhappy. The second secret is realizing that happiness is a byproduct of something else. The most obvious sources are those pursuits that give our lives purpose-anything from studying insects to playing baseball. The more passions we have, the more happiness were likely to experience. Finally, the belief that something permanent transcends us and that our existence has some larger meaning can help us be happier. We need a spiritual or religious faith, or a philosophy of life. Whatever your philosophy, it should include this truism: if you choose to find the positive in virtually every situation, you will be blessed, and if you choose to find the awful, you will be cursed. As with happiness itself, this is largely your decision to make. (895 words) New Words afflict v. cause distress or great trouble with mental or bodily pain 折磨，使苦恼 e.g. I) He is afflicted with severe rheumatism (风湿病). II) The same social problems continue to afflict them-poverty, crime, homelessness, environmental destruction, to name a few. altruistic adj. willing to do things which benefit other people, even if it results in disadvantage for yourself 利他主义的，无私的 bald adj. having little or no hair on the head 秃顶的 e.g. At twenty he was already going bald. custody n. the legal right to keep and look after a child, especially the right given to a childs mother or father when they get divorced 监管，监护 e.g. He was trying to get custody of their child. effortlessly* adv. with no or little difficulty or exertion 毫不费力地，轻易地 e.g. She runs so effortlessly as if it were the easiest thing in the world. essentially adv. in a way of being fundamental or central to the nature of something or someone 本质上地，实质上地 e.g. He was two when his family left his birthplace to Australia, and he is, essentially, Australian. ex-wife n. someones former wife 前妻 Internet n. the- an international computer n