从all things to all people谈起

　　在1999年1月CET Band 6A卷的阅读理解第四篇的开头有这样一句话：The Carnegie Foundation report says that many colleges have tried to beall things to all people.In doing so，they have increasingly catered to a narrow-minded careerism while failing to cultivate a global vision among their students.此处all things to all people是让所有的学生学到所有实用的东西吗?

　　首先，我们看一下all things to all people?原义是什么：all things to all people?来自于all things to all men(Bible)。原文如下：

　　Though I am free and belong to no man，I make myself a slave to everyone，to win as many as possible. To the Jews，I became like a Jew，to win the Jews....To those not having the law，...so as to win those not having the law.To the weak I became weak，to win the weak.I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

　　从上文中我们可以看出be all things to all men的意思是：八面玲珑，尽力讨好所有的人。后来all things to all men成了习语。因此many colleges have tried to beall things to all people?的意思就是：许多大学试图做到八面玲珑，满足所有师生的各种需求。

　　此外，在六级阅读考试中也出现过《圣经》中其它的习语，如：在 1997年1月的CET Band 6A卷的阅读理解第四篇第三段中： Ridiculous beliefs?Not to many people，especially many women and members of minority races who，like Coleman，feel that the scales have dropped from their eyes.the scales have dropped from their eyes?也源于《圣经》：Immediately，something like scales fell from Sauls eyes，and he could see again.，后来the scales fall from ones eyes成了习语，英文的意思是：someone suddenly realizes the truth after having been deceived恍然大悟;顿然觉醒。例如：After I saw the video，the scales fell from my eyes：she has been deceiving me all the time.看完录像后，我才恍然大悟，明白了她一直在骗我。

　　在2001年1月的CET Band 6A卷的阅读理解第一篇最后一段中： Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep.Jerome M.Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds half-brain sleepis just the tip of the iceberg.He speculates that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species.the tip of the iceberg?冰山一角?，其英文的意思是：small but evident part of a much larger concealed situation， problem，etc.很小的(表面的)一部分;露在表面的东西(而绝大部分没有显露出来)。例如：Over 100 burglaries are reported every month，and thats just the tip of the iceberg.(i.e.many more occur but are not reported)每月报道的夜间入室盗窃案有一百多起，但是那只是冰山一角?(更多则没有报道)。实际上，冰山一角?在汉语中，尤其是在网上，已经被广泛地使用。

　　习语的理解是CET-6和研究生英语阅读理解中经常考查的项目，平时多看原版的英文报刊，对于我们了解英语国家的一些常用习语或典故很有帮助，从而提高CET-6英语阅读的速度和准确率。