TED演讲：学校扼杀创造力(7)

 　　And I like university professors, but you know, we shouldn't hold them up as the high-water mark of all human achievement. 我倾慕大学教授的学识，但我们不应该用这样一个头衔作为衡量一个人成功与否的分水岭。

　　They're just a form of life, another form of life.  其实大学教授只是360行中的一行。

　　But they're rather curious, and I say this out of affection for them. 只不过他们比较好求知，我这样说不是因为对他们的倾慕。

　　There's something curious about professors in my experience -- not all of them, but typically, they live in their heads. 在我看来，大学教授有个特点，虽然不是共性，但很典型，他们只用脑子生活。

　　They live up there, and slightly to one side. They're disembodied, you know, in a kind of literal way. 而且偏重于大脑的一侧。用书面语来说就是，他们脑体分离。

　　They look upon their body as a form of transport for their heads. Don't they? 他们只是把身体当作大脑的载体而已，难道不是吗？

　　It's a way of getting their head to meetings. 这个载体可以载着大脑去开会。

　　If you want real evidence of out-of-body experiences,  如果你想亲身体验，

　　get yourself along to a residential¹ conference of senior academics, and pop into the discotheque on the final night. 你就去参加一次会议，学术研讨会，然后在会议结束后再去迪厅蹦迪。

　　And there, you will see it. Grown men and women writhing² uncontrollably, off the beat. 在那你会看到成年男女在不和乐拍地疯狂摇摆。

　　Waiting until it ends so they can go home and write a paper about it. 期待夜晚的结束，好回家写篇关于蹦迪的论文。

　　Our education system is predicated on the idea of academic ability. And there's a reason.  注重培养学术能力的观点根植于我们的教育体系之中。形成这种状况还有个原因。

　　The whole system was invented, around the world, there were no public systems of education, really, before the 19th century.  所有国家的教育体系在最初建立时，也就是在19世纪之前，那时教育还不是公共事业。

　　They all came into being to meet the needs of industrialism.  那时建立教育体系是为了满足工业化发展的需要。

　　So the hierarchy³ is rooted on two ideas. 所以有两点基本的等级原则。

　　Number one, that the most useful subjects for work are at the top.  第一点，对工作最实用的科目是最重要的科目。

　　So you were probably steered⁴ benignly⁶ away from things at school when you were a kid, things you liked, 这样就能轻易地避开孩子们喜欢的科目，从小就不让他们碰触。

　　on the grounds that you would never get a job doing that. Is that right?  理由就是不这样学就找不到工作。对吗？

　　Don't do music, you're not going to be a musician; don't do art, you won't be an artist.  别玩音乐了，你成不了音乐家；别画画了，你成不了艺术家。

　　Benign⁵ advice -- now, profoundly mistaken. The whole world is engulfed⁷ in a revolution. 这些温和的忠告--筑成现在的大错。全世界都被卷入了工业革命的热潮。

1 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

2 writhing   

（因极度痛苦而）扭动或翻滚( writhe的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was writhing around on the floor in agony. 她痛得在地板上直打滚。
• He was writhing on the ground in agony. 他痛苦地在地上打滚。

3 hierarchy   

n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层

参考例句：

• There is a rigid hierarchy of power in that country.那个国家有一套严密的权力等级制度。
• She's high up in the management hierarchy.她在管理阶层中地位很高。

4 steered   

v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导

参考例句：

• He steered the boat into the harbour. 他把船开进港。
• The freighter steered out of Santiago Bay that evening. 那天晚上货轮驶出了圣地亚哥湾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

6 benignly   

adv.仁慈地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Everyone has to benignly help people in distress. 每一个人应让该亲切地帮助有困难的人。 来自互联网
• This drug is benignly soporific. 这种药物具有良好的催眠效果。 来自互联网

7 engulfed   

v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. 他被一群记者团团围住。
• The little boat was engulfed by the waves. 小船被波浪吞没了。 来自《简明英汉词典》