研究生英语作文——My--Unit-5.ppt

1、Unit Five,Reflections on His Eightieth Birthday By Bertrand Russell,* “The soul is born old but grows young. That is the comedy of life. And the body is born young and grows old. That is lifes tragedy.” -Oscar Wilde *The minute a man ceases to grow, no matter what his years, that minute he begins to

2、 be old. - William James,Famous quotes,Famous quotes * Age appears to be best in four things, - old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read” -Alonso of Aragon * That man never grows old who keeps a child in his heart” -Richard Steele, Sr.,Warm-up Questions

3、,List three things youre determined to finish before you die,David Cawley (DC) Looking in the mirror every morning. Its great to see someone looking back, but a pity theyre so weak.,Stefanie Logie (SL) Best is that people give you a seat on public transport, you always get served first at mealtimes

4、and younger friends and family look after and care for one. The worst is physical deterioration. As Shakespeare put it in the seven ages: Sans (without) eyes, sans teeth, sans everything.,Elaine Morgan (EM) Best - with any luck, the number of people dependent on you decreases so you can please yours

5、elf. Worst - the fear of becoming dependent on others in turn.,Introduction to the author * philosopher * logician, * mathematician, * historian, and * social critic. * Nobel Prize Winner in Literature(1950), in recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian id

6、eals and freedom of thought.,fallacy a false idea or belief; false reasoning * It is a fallacy to suppose that wealth always brings happiness. totter sway as if about to fall * The outcome of this strife will be the collapse of the already tottering government. * When my confidence is tottering, all

7、 I see in my life is weakness and hopelessness.,Vocabulary,indubitable unquestionable * It is indubitable that these experiences and information have value and meaning to our clients. exterminate- kill all the creatures or people in a place. * You cannot exterminate them because from their seed come

8、s more with greater hatred.,sober- in control of oneself * The lessons learned at the cost of blood helped to sober us. * He wore a sober suit that befitted the occasion. fatalistic - showing a belief in fate * Even though they bring us suffering, we accept them with almost fatalistic resignation, f

9、or we are so used to giving in to them.,ascertain- discover the facts of sth. * We must ascertain the usual customs of the local people and arrange accordingly. discord- disagreement between people * Profit is generally the apple of discord among the capitalist nations. * He was cursed for sowing se

10、eds of discord among his friends.,interlude an intervening episode, feature, or period of time The piano playing was only a brief interlude between the real evenings activities. preclude prevent（sth.,or sb.from doing sth.）; make（sth.）impossible * The flood precluded him from coming. * Her French cit

11、izenship precluded her from voting in the U.S. elections, although she has lived there as a permanent resident for 20 years and has a green card.,elude-escape from sth. or sb,esp. by tricks * They go rambling over the world as if pursued by some mysterious fate they cannot possibly elude. allegiance

12、 loyalty or the obligation of loyalty, as to a nation, sovereign,or cause * Many heads of state demand their military forces swear allegiance to them. * The Foundation needs and deserves our allegiance and financial support for it to continue to be the premier organization in our field.,Detailed rea

13、ding for paras 1-3,What are the two objects to which Russell has devoted the serious part of his life? 2. What contributes to human unhappiness, according to Russell?,pass for/as:Do I speak French well enough to pass for a Frenchman?,I was troubled by skepticism and unwillingly forced to the conclus

14、ion that most of what passes for knowledge open to reasonable doubt. (L810),be open to: willing to consider or deal withEvery topic is open to discussion, and the project is always open to new ideas and contributions.,大多数被当作知识的东西都可以合理地质疑。,But I discovered that many mathematical demonstrations, which

15、 my teachers expected me to accept, were full of fallacies, and that, if certainty were indeed discoverable in mathematics,it would be in a new kind of mathematics, with more solid foundations than those that had hitherto been thought secure.（L13-18） 但后来我却发现，老师们期望我接受的许多数学论证都充满了缪误；假如确切性果真能发现于数学，它也是在一

16、种新的数学中，其基本原理比迄今为止被认为是无懈可击的数学原理更为牢固。,Elephant and tortoise: (India) The world rests upon the head of a great elephant, which is supported by a tortoise, but there is nothing to hold under the tortoise.,Im convinced that intelligence, patience, and eloquence can, sooner or later, lead the human race o

17、ut of its self-imposed tortures provided it does not exterminate itself. provided: Provided that we faithfully apply the method of criticism and self-criticism and constantly review our experience, we can make steady progress. 我相信：只要人类不自相残杀，智慧、忍耐和雄辩终归会指引人类走出自找的磨难。,And there have been morbid miseries

18、 fostered by gloomy creeds, which have led men into profound inner discords that made all outward prosperity of no avail.(L4447) morbid : dreadful Elizabeths mind ran on acquirements to an almost morbid degree. no avail.: meaningless, useless He labored hard without avail. 悲观的信念孳生了病态的痛苦，致使人类的内部极不和谐，

19、从而使外部的繁荣毫无成果。,They think hope is irrational and that, in sitting down to lazy despair, they are merely facing facts. (line 54-55),sit down to sth- begin to do or concentrate fully on sth. Both sides are prepared to sit down to a long talk. 他们认为希望是缺乏理性的， 而沉溺于懒惰 绝望。他们仅仅面对事实而已。,To preserve hope in our

20、world makes calls upon our intelligence and our energy.(L5657) makes calls upon: makes demands on We make calls upon our partners in the international community to join with us in ensuring a democratic and secure future for the Iraqi people. 对我们的世界一直抱有希望，要求我们付出 智慧和精力.,SummaryPart I(Para.12): The aut

21、hor devotes his life to two objects: maths, a happier world,* Para 1: He holds that there is no certainty in mathematics and much of what passes for mathematical knowledge is dubitable. * Para 2 :He assumes that mens inadequate mastery of nature and hostility to their fellows are the causes of human

22、 miseries and follies past and present.,1. What can we infer from the text about Victorian optimism? 2. What is Russells point of view on the relation between institutions and character?,Detailed reading for paras 3-4,Victorian age(1837-1901),The era is a long period of prosperity for the British pe

23、ople Abroad: Profits gained from the overseas At home: Industrial improvements. optimism (mid)-doubt and pessimism (later) Dickens Thomas Hardy,Hardly anyone was haunted by the fear of great wars. Hardly anyone thought of the nineteenth century as a brief interlude between past and future barbarism.

24、 (line 67-69) haunt: frequently visit He will be justifiably suspicious that he has missed something important, something that will come back to haunt him later. barbarism: primitivism.,几乎无人因害怕大规模的战争而提心 吊胆，几乎无人认为19世纪是过去的野蛮和未来的野蛮之间的短暂间歇。,It is comparatively easy to have an immense effect by means of

25、a dogmatic and precise gospel. (L8183) comparatively: relatively immense effect: powerful effect gospel: a set of instructions or teachings 用教条式的简明教义去产生巨大影响，是比较容易的。 Nor can I believe with any wholeheartedness in any partial doctrine which deals only with some part or aspect of human life.(L85-87) 我也

26、不能完全相信只涉及人类生活某一部分或某一方面的任何片面的学说。,The Millennium: The Millennium refers to a 1000 year period during which Christ Reigns with the Believers in Heaven over the purified nations on the Earth. After the Millennium is over, the devil is thrown into the lake of fire, the Kingdom is handed back to the Fathe

27、r and God makes all things new,There are those who believe that what is needed is a change of heart, and that, in comparison, institutions are of little account. (L 90-92) of little account/moment: of little importance * Ability is of little account without opportunity. * Even the matter immediately

28、 in hand was of very little moment as requiring personal appearance on the Secretarys part. 有人认为需要转变心态，而制度相比之下则无关紧要。,And if individuals are to retain that measure of initiative and flexibility which they ought to have, they must not be all forced into one rigid mould; or to change the metaphor, all

29、drilled into one army.(L9498) to retain that measure of initiative and flexibility: to retain a certain amount of passion, enterprise, and flexibility mould: n. shape metaphor:暗喻 如果个人要保持他们应有的那种程度的首创性和灵活性，就万万不可将他们全都逼入同一种刻板的模式；或者换个比喻，把他们全都训练成一支部队。,Summary Part II (para.3-4) The author dedicates himsel

30、f to studying philosophy and human society. Para.3 New thoughts, new freedoms and new restrictions upon freedom are needed. Para.4 Reforms in institutions and character must march hand in hand and diversity is essential.,Detailed reading for paras 5-9,1.How does Russell evaluate his work as a whole?

31、 2. How far has he succeeded and how far has he failed?,They were to be crowned by a synthesis, combining pure theory with a practical social philosophy crown: to form the crown, top, or chief ornament of; to confer honor,dignity, or reward upon; to bring to completion or successful conclusion * Her

32、 long brown hair was crowned with flowers and her arms filled with blossoms. * His interest in political issues was crowned with his appointment as a lifelong member of the Washington D.C. association. 二者将用一种综合法来完成即把纯理论与实用的社会哲学结合起来。,As against this must be set two kinds of failure, one outward, one

33、inward.(L117-118) as against: * We had twelve hours of sunshine yesterday, as against a forecast of continuous rain. * She gets Saturdays off in her new job as against working alternate weekends in her last one.,I set out with a more or less religious belief in a Platonic eternal world, in which mat

34、hematics shone with a beauty like that of the last Cantos of the Paradiso.(L129132) Paradiso:one of three sections of Divine Comedythe greatest work of Dante(12661321). Divine Comedy comprises the Inferno（地狱）, the Purgatorio （炼狱）and the Paradiso（天堂）. 我开始近乎虔诚地相信柏拉图的永恒世界，那里的数学就像天堂的最后几个诗章一样灿烂美丽。,I may

35、have conceived theoretical truth wrongly, but I was not wrong in thinking that there is such a thing, and that it deserves our allegiance. allegiance :loyalty The debate over whether the Pledge of Allegiance should be made compulsory in our schools has been long on rhetoric and short on history 我对理论

36、真理的构想或许是错误的，但我坚信这样的真理是存在的，并值得我们去效忠。,.,Personal: to care for what is noble, for what is beautiful, for what is gentle; to allow moments of insight to give wisdom at more mundane times.(L147149) Mundane: ordinary with nothing new in it A grasp of mundane affairs is genuine knowledge, understanding of

37、worldly wisdom is true learning. 世事洞明皆学问, 人情练达即文章 我个人的幻想是： 关注崇高之事，关注美好之事，关注高雅之事；让片刻的顿悟在平凡的岁月中生出智慧。,Part III.(Para.5-9) In spite of his success in his study,he feels two kinds of failure:one outward, one inward.But he is still optimistic about the future of mankind. Para.5-7 Outward failure: freedom

38、,tolerance,old ideas and doctrines are not treated justly. Para.8 Inward failure:there are contradictions in his mental life. Para.9 He is still optimistic about the future of mankind.He looks forward to a world of free and happy human beings,III Main Idea of the Text Russell uses the occasion of hi

39、s eightieth birthday to recall his dedication to mathematics and philosophy and summarize the failures and success he has experienced in his life. Having devoted half of his life to mathematics and logic, his skepticism eventually leads him to the conclusion that there is no certainty in mathematics

40、 and much of what passes for mathematical knowledge is dubitable. Nonetheless, his strong interest in the logical basis of mathematics underpins a fascination with philosophy.,At this point, his reflection moves well beyond the personal level, for he also shares his keen insight into the self-impose

41、d tortures that human beings suffer. He assumes that mens inadequate mastery of nature and hostility to their fellows are the causes of human miseries and follies past and present. He is a very disappointed witness of the scourge of 20th century wars which shook the faith of people who grew up durin

42、g the widespread 19th century optimism.,Nonetheless, he has always had a certain degree of optimism and argues that wisdom and patience will sooner or later lead the human race out of torture. He holds the firm conviction that social and political problems will eventually be solved through reforms in both institutions and character, which should be achieved by developing greater respect for diversity rather than by means of a dogmatic and precise gospel. Beneath all the load of horrors,