世界节假日博览 第15期:自由思想日

 　　January 29 is Freethinkers Day in America. It is an opportunity for people to promote and appreciate free thought. This is where logic¹ and reason are seen as more important than faith. The day is also called Thomas Paine Day. He was a great American who lived between 1737 and 1809. He spent his life speaking and writing about the importance of freedom of thought. He wrote many books that became famous. These include ‘The Age of Reason’, ‘The Rights of Man’, and ‘Common Sense’. They helped change societies across the world, particularly in 19th century America and France. His writing played a big part in the American and French revolutions. Paine was among the first to call for an end to slavery and for human rights around the world.

　　1月29日是美国自由思想日。这一天，人们推崇并感激思想自由给我们带来的好处。逻辑与推论比事实更加重要。这一天也被叫作托马斯·潘恩日。他是一位生活在1737至1809年的美国伟人。他倾其一生来宣讲并撰写有关思想自由之重要的文章。他编写了许多著作。这些包括：《理性时代》，《人权论》以及《常识》。这些著作改变了全世界，特别是改变了19世纪的美国和法国。他的文章对美国和法国革命起到了重要作用。潘恩也是几名首先呼吁结束奴隶制并呼吁人权的伟人之一。

　　Thomas Paine.jpg

　　In the 1990s, the Thomas Paine Foundation began celebrating Thomas Paine’s birthday. At the same time, the‘Truthseeker’ magazine began celebrating Freethinkers Day on the same day. The magazine’s aim was to inform Americans of the importance of Thomas Paine in the history of their freedom and liberty. The great inventor Thomas Edison said: “I have always regarded Paine as one of the greatest of all Americans. Never have we had a sounder intelligence….It was my good fortune to encounter Thomas Paine's works in my boyhood…Paine educated me, then, about many matters of which I had never before thought….I recall thinking, atthat time, ‘What a pity these works are not today the schoolbooks for all children!’”

　　20世纪90年代，托马斯·潘恩基金会开始庆祝托马斯·潘恩诞辰。同一时期，“真相寻求者”杂志开始在同一日庆祝自由思想日。该杂志的目的是要告诉美国人，托马斯·潘恩在美国自由发展史中所占据的重要位置。伟大发明家托马斯·爱迪生称：“我把潘恩看成是美国历史上最伟大的人物之一。我们从来没有像他如此高深的思想，我很幸运能够在童年时期读到托马斯·潘恩的作品。潘恩教育了许多我从来没有想过的事情。那时我就在回想，如今这些作品为什么没有选录入孩子们的课本当中呢？

　　1.common Sense 常识

　　例句：He is devoid² of common sense.

　　他缺乏常识。

　　2.inform of 通知

　　例句：He urged designers "to place a cute, educational caution tag on all bags to inform of potential neck and shoulder dangers."

　　他建议设计师们“在所有的包里加上一个可爱的‘温馨提示’ 标签，以提示女性朋友注意颈部和肩部健康。”

　　3.regard as 把…认作

　　例句：That's because those experiences are among your most important experiences in life, and your spouse³ shouldknow anything you regard as important.

　　因为那些过去是你最重要的人生经历的一部分，你的配偶应该知道任何关于你的重要事情。

　　4.across the world 全世界

　　例句：And what we want to do is unleash⁴ the talent and creativity that exists across the world, in everycommunity.

　　我们要做的是释放存在于全世界、存在于每一个社区的才能和创造力。

1 logic   

n.逻辑(学)；逻辑性

参考例句：

• What sort of logic is that?这是什么逻辑？
• I don't follow the logic of your argument.我不明白你的论点逻辑性何在。

2 devoid   

adj.全无的，缺乏的

参考例句：

• He is completely devoid of humour.他十分缺乏幽默。
• The house is totally devoid of furniture.这所房子里什么家具都没有。

3 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

4 unleash   

vt.发泄，发出；解带子放开

参考例句：

• They hope to create allies to unleash against diseases,pests,and invasive species.他们希望创造出一些新群体来对付疾病、害虫和一些有侵害性的物种。
• Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage.如今，大坝不时地改变水位，从暴露的污水释放出了疾病瘴气。