【英语时差8,16】为人师表行比言更有力

Public reaction to a recent proposal at Soochow University to rein¹ in the number of appearances faculty² members may make on talk shows was swift and negative. Various voices argued in favor of reasonable involvement by university instructors⁴ in political television programs.

The Soochow fracas⁵ raises questions about the kind of impact that professors who "talk politics" have on their students.

I believe in everyone's right to express political views, but I also believe it is wrong for an instructor³ to use more than an occasional few minutes in class to do so. A teacher's primary responsibility is to meet student needs.

Among all the people with whom youth are acquainted, parents seem to be natural influences on youth. Next come peers, sports and entertainment figures, religious and political leaders, authors of admired books, neighbors, family members, and teachers. If we weigh the words that the people above speak for their potential to influence our youth, teachers might well finish last.

Words alone will not enable any teacher to have an enduring impact on students. If we aim to influence our students, we must examine our behavior. What students see teachers do might make a dent⁶ on their minds.

1 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

2 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

3 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

4 instructors   

指导者，教师( instructor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The instructors were slacking on the job. 教员们对工作松松垮垮。
• He was invited to sit on the rostrum as a representative of extramural instructors. 他以校外辅导员身份，被邀请到主席台上。

5 fracas   

n.打架；吵闹

参考例句：

• A couple of mobsters were rubbed out in a fracas with the law.几个暴徒在与警方喧闹的斗争中丧命。
• The police were called in to stop the fracas.警察奉命去制止骚乱。

6 dent   

n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展

参考例句：

• I don't know how it came about but I've got a dent in the rear of my car.我不知道是怎么回事，但我的汽车后部有了一个凹痕。
• That dent is not big enough to be worth hammering out.那个凹陷不大，用不着把它锤平。