新概念英语第四册25-01

第27课

New words and expressions 生词短语

loom vi. 阴森的逼近（带贬义）

Eg: The shadow of the impending war looms ahead/large/big.

(即将来临的战争的阴影正在迫近。)

Eg: It was approaching the Spring Festival(vocation), the examinations were loomed up.

(春节快到了，考试也正在迫近。)

Eg: A high mountain looms ahead.

(一座大山横在面前。)

manifest adj. ：明显的

visible adj.： 明显的，显著的 patent n. ：专利； adj. 显著的，明显的

另有：obvious/clear...

morality n. ：道德

moral adj. ：道德； moral code 道德准则； moral standard 道德标准

to enhance people’s consciousness of morality 提高人们的道德意识

communicate vt. ：交流，交际

communication n.： 交流

enhance communication between(among) people 加强交流

enhance communication among nations 增进国际交流

Eg: Language is a tool for communication.

(语言是交流的工具。)

communicative adj.

communicative means 交流方式

Eg: Language is a communicative tool.

enhance vt. ：增进

enhance friendship 增进友谊

enhance cohesion 增强凝聚力

enhance consciousness/awareness 增强意识

boost v.： 推进，促进

rein in force ： 促进

evil n. ：恶行

evil thought ：邪念

evil sigh ：邪恶的迹象,凶兆（dog bark at midnight）

Eg: Your cough is an evil sign, probably I will lie in bed.

vice n. v. ：恶

vice president 副总统；坏总统

wicked adj.： 邪恶的； wickedness n. ：邪恶

indifferently ad. ：不在乎地

twofold a. 双重的 fold 翻倍的； fivefold 五倍； time 倍数

Lesson27

Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world ? Surely because progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us and is becoming more and more manifest. Although mankind has undergone no general improvement in

intelligence or morality, it has made extraordinary progress the accumulation of knowledge. Knowledge began to increase as soon as the thoughts of one individual could be communicated to another by means of speech. With the invention of writing, a great advance was made, for knowledge could then be not only communicated but also stored. Libraries made education possible, and education in its turn added to libraries: the growth of knowledge followed a kind of compound-interest law, which was greatly enhanced by the invention of printing. All this was comparatively slow until, with the coming science, the tempo was suddenly raised. Then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic plan. The trickle became a stream; the

stream has now become a torrent. Moreover, as soon as new knowledge is acquired, it is now turned to practical account. What is called 'modern civilization' is not the result of a balanced development of all man's nature, but of accumulated knowledge

applied to practical life. The problem now facing humanity is: What is going to be done with all this knowledge ? As is so often pointed out, knowledge is a two-edged weapon which can be used equally for good or evil. It is now being used indifferently for both. Could any spectacle, for instance, be more grimly whimsical than that of gunners using science to shatter men's bodies while, close at hand, surgeons use it to restore them ? We have to ask ourselves very seriously what will happen if this twofold use of knowledge, with its ever-increasing power, continues.

G.N.M.TYRRELL The Personality of Man

参考译文

为什么进步这个概念在当今的世界如此令人担忧呢？无疑是因为在我们周围确实正在出现一种特殊进步，而其特殊性显得日益明显。虽然人类在智力和道德方面均无普遍的提高，然而在知识积累方面已取得了非凡的进步。自人们的思想可借语言进行相互交流之日起，知识便日益增加。由于书写的发明，知识的增多加快了步伐，因为此时知识不仅可以口头交流，还能以文字储存起来。利用图书馆使教育成为可能，而教育反过来使图书馆藏书日趋丰富：知识是遵循复利法则增长的，印刷的发明使增长明显加快。上面的这些进展都比较缓慢的，直到出现了科学，增长的速度才突飞猛进。于是，知识便开始按计划系统化积累起来。涓涓细流汇成小溪，小溪现在已成了滔滔洪流。而且现在新知识一经掌握便马上应用于实际。所谓的“现代文明”，不是人类全部本性均衡发展的结果，而是积累的知识应用于实际生活的产物。人类面临的问题是该怎样来利用这些知识？人们常说知识是一把双刃刀，它既能造福人类，又会给人类带来祸害。现在，知识正被无分轩轾地用于这两个方面。例如，炮手利用科学去杀伤人体，而就在附近，战地的外科医生则利用科学为受伤者医治创口，难道还有比这更为可怕、怪诞的景象吗？我们不得不十分严肃地问一问自己：威力日益增强的知识，如果仍然这样不明辨是非地继续应用下去的话，将产生怎样的后果呢？