Of Men and Galaxies

来源：长理培训发布时间：2017-08-09 12:34:56

In man's early days, competition with other creatures must have been critical. But this phase of our development is now finished. Indeed, we lack practice and experience nowadays in dealing with primitive conditions. I am sure that, without modern weapons, I would make a very poor show of disputing the ownership of a cave with a bear, and in this I do not think that I stand alone. The last creature to compete with man was the mosquito. But even the mosquito has been subdued by attention to drainage and by chemical sprays.

Competition between ourselves, person against person, community against community, still persists, however; and it is as fierce as it ever was.

But the competition of man against man is not the simple process envisioned in biology. It is not a simple competition for a fixed amount of food determined by the physical environment, because the environment that determines our evolution is no longer essentially physical. Our environment is chiefly conditioned by the things we believe. Morocco and California are bits of the Earth in very similar latitudes, both on the west coasts of continents with similar climates, and probably with rather similar natural resources. Yet their present development is wholly different, not so much because of different people even, but because of the different thoughts that exist in the minds of their inhabitants. This is the point I wish to emphasize. The most important factor in our environment is the state of our own minds.

It is well known that where the white man has invaded a primitive culture the most destructive effects have come not from physical weapons but from ideas. Ideas are dangerous. The Holy office knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by. Indeed, the concept of free speech only exists in our modem society because when you are inside a community you are conditioned by the conventions of the community to such a degree that it is very difficult to conceive of anything really destructive. It is only someone looking on from outside that can inject the dangerous thoughts. I do not doubt that it would be possible to inject ideas into the modern world that would utterly destroy us. I would like to give you an example, but fortunately I cannot do so. Perhaps it will suffice to mention the nuclear bomb. Imagine the effect on a reasonably advanced technological society, one that still does not possess the bomb, of making it aware of the possibility, of supplying sufficient details to enable the thing to be constructed. Twenty or thirty pages of information handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925 would have been sufficient to change the course of world history. It is a strange thought, but I believe a correct one, that twenty or thirty pages of ideas and information would be capable of turning the present-day world upside down, or even destroying it. I have often tried to conceive of what those pages might contain, but of course I cannot do so because I am a prisoner of the present-day world, just as all of you are. We cannot think outside the particular patterns that our brains are conditioned to, or, to be more accurate, we can think only a very little way outside, and then only if we are very original. New words and expressions

dispute v. 争夺 latitude n. 纬度

mosquito n. 蚊子 heretic n. 异教徒，异端邪说

subdue v. 征服 conceive v. 想象

drainage n. 下水系统 suffice v. 足够

envision n. 预想 nuclear adj. 原子弹的

Morocco n. 摩洛哥 original adj. 有独到见解的

Critical time, critical moment, critical juncture 关键时刻

关键 crucial, vital 决定性的 decisive critical eye

1．Dispute 争夺，很有新意。以前的意思如争论，争端,辩论，

dispute with sb/dispute on sth

与某人争论谋事：dispute sth .with sb

I dispute the position with him 争地盘 talents

Vie for sth .with sb 争夺

Scramble for sth . with sb .争夺

scramble 爬 scramble eggs 煎鸡蛋

2.Subdue conquer overpower tame 驯服 subject v.征服adj 受他国统治的 Quell 镇压

3.Bear 熊 polar bear 北极熊 penguin 企鹅 panda 熊猫 bear hug拥抱

4.Envision en-动词前缀，predict envisage

5.Morocco n. 摩洛哥，north Africa Monaco 摩纳哥，Europe

6.Latitude 纬度， longitude 经度 28 degrees North latitude 北纬28度 latitude (古)自由

Let's allow him some latitude in his privacy.

7.The holy office n. 宗教法庭，pope 教皇 cardinal 红衣主教以前学过一个同义词–the inquisition (t天主教)宗教法庭 replaced by the holy office in 16th century

8.Heretic 异教徒，纯粹邪教 heresy 邪教，邪说pagan,异教徒

9.Power ,大国。

10. Conceive 想象经常出现，名词：concept以前的很多课学过 vt/vi: conceive of sth Perceive 察觉，感知 Picture v. 构思，构想

11.Suffice 足够 v. sufficient adi 足够的 A fraction of rice will suffice. If you are in troube ,turn to me .ok, one word will suffice.一句话就够了Enough？ OK, that suffices me .

12. Power 大国 nuclear power 核大国

Nuclear bomb ,记住，一般mb 结尾的，发音只发《m》如comb tomb

Notes on the text

1． Make a very poor show, 出丑。

2． I stand alone, 仅我一人。

3． The last creature to compete with man, 其中的last有"极不可能"的意思。

The Holy Office knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by. The Holy Office是指罗马天主教的宗教法庭；full well 中的full 是副词，有very 的意思；gone

by 作days 的定语，整个词组的意思是"过去的日子"。

Must have been 表示猜测，推测！ in the man'a days , phase :perisd ,estate

I am sure that…

Without…I would make….虚拟语气

Make a very poor show 出洋相 make a fool of oneself 做傻事，出丑 make an exhibition of oneself 当众出丑

The ownership of a cave 一个洞穴的所有权 In this view ,I don't stand alone; Stand alone 独立，孤立； I am alone in this point ; Stick in the back 放冷枪

Competition between ourselves 人类内部的竞争； person against person 人与人之间的竞争Community against community 群体与群体之间的竞争

The survival of the fittest 适者生存

A fixed amount of food 固定量的食物， determined 作 food的后置定语

The physical environment 客观环境Evolution ; development 进化 Mental outlook 世界观

Similar latitude 相近的纬度 west coasts 西海岸；Similar climates 相似的气候

California: highly advanced 高度发展 Morocco : highly backward; even 表强调

Not …..but …….转折；different thought in inhabitants: livers,residents

The most important factor in our environment is the state of our own minds.我们的自然环境中最重要的因素是我们的心态；

It is well known that …. Where 引导的从句都可以用if来引导，如Where there is a will ,there is a way.=If there is a will….

The most destructive effects 最具有破坏性的影响westlization

full well=fully well cause=make

in days gone by/in the past days 在过去的日子里 in days to come 在未来的日子里

looking on 观望the insider can't see the game .当局者迷 the outer sees most of the game .旁观者清

I do not doubt that… 我毫不怀疑 it would be possible… 假设

I would like to …………假设语气

Imagine the effect on …

The effect on 对…的影响

Reasonably: very well, considerably

One 指society

原句结构：Effect of making it aware of the possibility of nuclear bomb ; it 代表society.

But I believe (it is) a correct one...

Turn upside down 完全颠倒

I have often tried to conceive of what those pages might contain, but of course I cannot do so because I am a prisoner of the present-day world ,just as all of you are .符合""因为我们身处这个社会，就受社会的制约的思想

The particular patterns 特殊的模式、定势

Be conditioned to (by) 被约束 outside :beyond 超越 original 创新的

Important Kownledge

。。。。when you are inside a community you are conditioned by the conventions of the community to such a degree that it is very difficult to conceive of anything really destructive .

It is only someone looking on from ourside that can inject the dangerous thoughts…

2…… and then only I we are very original ,

建议阅读：lesson 56 lesson 54

关于林语堂：The enjoyment of culture

Good taste in knowledge知识方面的品味

The development of good taste in kownledge知识品位的培养

Good form in conduct 规束举止 the cultured man 有文化的人

Well-read a. 博学的 learned a.有学问的 right: related

Parrot 鹦鹉学舌者 a great man who have the hate and who have the love.

Erudition 博学，学识 Discernment 洞察力，辨别力。Cram v. 堆积，堆砌 in speaking of: talking of Scholar 学者，scholarship奖学金 particular to: about

Judgement 判断 interpretation 解释，诠释 originality 创新

Given :specific 特定的 vast 巨大的，极大地 require 要求