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Unit 12
Reflections on Life
In-Class Reading
A Diary of the Century
I. Word List
Directions: Memorize the words and phrases before class. You will benefit from your effort when you get the passage from your teacher and read it in class.
Proper Names
Bertrand Russell
伯特兰.罗素(1872-1970，英国哲学家、数学家、逻辑学家、分析哲学主要创始人、世界和平运动倡导者)
Delphi
特尔斐(古希腊城市，因有阿拉伯神庙而出名)
Welsh
adj. 威尔士的
New Words
absolute *
adj. not relative 绝对的
e.g. A child has absolute trust in his mother.
absorber
n. 吸收装置
analysis *
n. (plural analyses) a careful examination of something in order to understand it better 分析
e.g. I accepted her analysis of the situation.
atom *
n. 原子
beam *
n. 光线，光束
breakdown *
n. a sudden failure in operation or effectiveness 崩溃，破裂
e.g. Parents and teenagers often suffer from a breakdown in communications.
capability *
n. the fact or quality of being able to do something 能力，才能
e.g. She has capabilities as a singer: she's worth training.
capacity *
n. the ability to do a particular thing 能力，才智
e.g. She has a great capacity for hard work.
carve *
v. form (something) by cutting away material from wood or stone 雕刻
e.g. He has carved a beautiful wooden chess set.
civilization *
n. the culture and way of life of a society or country at a particular period in time 文明
e.g. The ancient civilizations of Central and Latin America were founded upon corn.
confront *
v. face, meet or deal with (a difficult situation or person) 面对，遭遇
e.g. She was confronted with severe money problems.
creation *
n. something made especially by means of skill or intelligence 创造，创作
e.g. The bathroom is entirely my own creation.
curiosity *
n. a desire to know or learn 好奇（心）
e.g. There was an intense curiosity about their wedding plans.
diarist
n. a person who writes a diary, especially one that is later published 日记作家，日记作者
eccentric *
1) n. an unusual or peculiar person 行为古怪的人
e.g. The old eccentric left a fortune to her pet cat.
2) adj. 古怪的，怪僻的
e.g. Mr Thomas is a businessman with eccentric views.
egotistical
adj. behaving selfishly and believing oneself to be more important than others 自我主义的，傲慢自尊的
ending
n. 末梢
equip *
v. make able, fit or prepared 配备
e.g. Your education will equip you to earn a good living.
failure *
n. a lack of success in doing or achieving something 失败
e.g. Their attempt to climb the mountain ended in failure.
frontier *
n. 新领域，未知领域
e.g. the frontiers of science / technological frontier
fruitful *
adj. successful, useful, producing good results 有收获的，富有成效的
e.g. The lecture led to a fruitful discussion.
genius *
n. a highly talented, creative, or intelligent person 天才
e.g. Chaplin (卓别林) was not just a genius, he was among the most influential figures in film industry.
ignorance *
n. lack of knowledge or information about something 无知
e.g. I regret my ignorance on the subject.
infinite *
adj. without limits or end, very great 无穷的，无限的
e.g. Man's will to survive is infinite.
inherit *
v. receive from one's parents, grandparents, etc. 继承
e.g. He inherited all of his father's bad habits.
inner *
adj. inside or contained within something else, or (of thoughts or feelings) secret and of the spirit 内部的，内心的
e.g. Michael needed 10 express his inner tensions.
intensity *
n. strength or depth 强度
e.g. In modern society, people work with greater intensity.
judgment *
n. the opinion that you have or express after thinking carefully about something 判断
e.g. How can he form any judgment of the matter without the figures?
layman *
n. 外行
limitation *
n. lack of ability 局限
e.g. It's a good little car, but it has its limitations.
magnify *
v. make something appear larger than it really is 放大
e.g. A microscope will magnify these, germs, so that you can actually see them.
motivate *
v. provide someone with a strong reason for doing something 激发，促动
e.g. There is little to motivate these kids to work hard at school.
mysterious *
adj. strange, not known about or understood 神秘的，难以理解的
e.g. He began to feel sympathy for this slightly mysterious man.
outer *
adj. on the outside 外部的，外面的
e.g. outer space 宇宙空间，外部空间
passion *
n. a very strong feeling about something or a strong belief in something 激情
e.g. Football arouses a good deal of passion among its supporters.
probe *
v. search or examine 探索
e.g. Have you read the report probing into the activities of drug dealers （毒贩子）
provided *
conj.if or only if 假如，只要
e.g. I don't mind his coming with us, provided (that) he pays for his own meals.
psychoanalysis
n. 精神分析（治疗法）
psychoanalyst
n. 精神分析学家
regardless *
adv. paying no attention to 不管怎样
e.g. He continued speaking, regardless of my feelings on the matter.
reporter *
n. 记者
resolve *
v. solve or settle 解决
e.g. Her arrival did little to resolve the problem.
rigid *
adj. difficult to change or unwilling to change; strict and severe 严格的，刻板的
e.g. I ) When I was studying for exams, I kept to a rigid schedule.
II) After yesterday's disturbances, it's likely that they'll now insist on much more rigid control.
specialty *
n. 专业，特长
temple *
n. 庙，寺，神殿
thyself
pron.(old use) yourself
troublesome *
adj. causing trouble or anxiety 麻烦的，令人烦恼的
e.g. a troublesome child/cough
A Diary of the Century
1 How do I feel upon becoming 50 years old? Surprised. Surprised that I should live so long. Surprised that it should seem so short. Surprised that I am not famous. Surprised that I should be surprised because I am not famous.
2 All my life I have been motivated by curiosity. I wonder why? My mother wasn't curious. Although my grandfather died before I was born, judging from what I've heard about him, read about him, and from the books he left, I think it is possible that I inherited my curiosity from him. Born in England of Welsh parents, he came to America alone when he was only 16 years old.
3 At the age of 50 my mind is better than ever-surprise, surprise! I can concentrate with the intensity of a beam of sunshine focused through a magnifying glass. Guilt and passion distract my attention far less frequently. Slowly I begin to perceive the relationships among everything I have experienced and read. My analyses and judgments seem sounder than before. My curiosity burns brighter. Problems once mysterious now seem obvious.
4 And yet-! Every new answer breeds a dozen new questions. What I know, compared with what I do not know, is like a grain of sand by the sea. I am not sure whether there is anything absolute. While I believe I am alive, I am unable to say exactly what this phrase means. Maybe the atoms that make up my body now existed before I was born, and maybe they will continue to exist after I die.
5 A few people consider me egotistical. Actually, I am humble. I was lucky to have been born with a fairly good mind, and I have spent years polishing this instrument I inherited. I'll admit I become impatient when confronted with ignorance. However, I know my limitations even better than my capabilities. At times I feel discouraged by my own ignorance.
6 I can find no meaning in life. I believe that the individual life can be filled with meaning only through love and work of one's choice. My wife is a more valuable person than I because she has an infinite capacity for loving others. She is a genius at loving. I am a genius at nothing. When she dies an ocean of tears will flow. I admire her without envying her.
7 When I was a boy of 14 I knew I wanted to become a reporter and then an author. Well, now I am an experienced reporter and next fall my first book will be published. The fact that I say first proves that I am optimistic about my career. I believe that the next decade of my life will become the most fruitful one. Perhaps my only really valuable creation is this diary.
8 My 10 months of psychoanalysis have helped me learn how to forgive myself. I'm more at peace with myself now than at any time in the past. Nevertheless, I'm aware I haven't identified all my psychological conflicts, let alone resolved them. Bertrand Russell says there are three major conflicts: 1) Man against his environment; 2) man against man; 3) man against himself. In my opinion, the conflict of man with himself is the most troublesome.
9 Carved on the temple of Delphi was "Know thyself." I think I know myself better than most people because I spend more time studying myself than anything else. A diarist is a writer who watches himself. If I can learn to know myself well, then I'll be able to know others as well.
10 Human beings are more alike than different. By paying close attention to whatever I feel and think, I can learn what others feel and think. Fortunately, it is the differences among people that make them interesting.
11 Now that I've got rid of much of my guilt, now that I am less rigid about what I expect from myself, I get along better with others because I expect less from them, too. Life hurts. For years I've realized I'm an eccentric, without understanding exactly what I meant by this word. Now I know: An eccentric is one who insists upon being himself regardless of the opinion of others, provided he does not hurt them or himself. If everyone in the world were as eccentric, meaning if everyone accepted himself, there would be no more war.
12 Now that I have lived a half-century, do I have any regrets? Sure, I regret that I was slow to mature. I regret that I did not become a psychoanalyst. Although I am not sorry I decided to become a journalist, I wish that early on I had chosen to become a therapist. Why? Because nothing interests me more than human nature.
13 We are left with two frontiers. One is outer space. The other is inner space. While I lack the interest and ability to probe outer space, I'm rather well equipped to probe the mysteries of the human mind. But will I be able to communicate them to others?
14 My brother, an inventor with several patents, is perhaps the world's leading expert about shock absorbers. But he and I cannot communicate about them. I have no technical knowledge of his specialty. He cannot explain it in simple language. This is an example of the failure of communication between the specialist and the layman. This breakdown is spreading. It is as though nerve endings had lost touch with one another. For lack of communication we may come to the end of civilization. (920 words)
Time taken: ____ minutes
Phrases and Expressions
at times
sometimes 有时，间或
e.g. At times I wonder if it's worth all the effort.
be at peace with
be calm and contented, have no emotional conflicts within yourself or with other people
e.g. Once I knew I was forgiven I could be at peace with myself at last.
be born with
have a natural quality from or as if from birth
e.g. He was born with a talent (才能) for drawing.
be confronted with
be faced with
e.g. I thought I would remain calm, but when I was confronted with the TV camera, I became very nervous.
early on
at an early stage in a relationship, process, etc. 早些时候，在初期
e.g. He realized early on he'd never pass the exam.
get along with
form or have a friendly relationship 与......友好相处
e.g. Do you get along well with your classmates?
have a/the capacity for
have the ability or power to do
e.g. He has a great capacity for enjoying himself.
judging from
according to, based on 根据......判断
e.g. Judging from the evidence I cannot but believe he is guilty.
let alone
without considering, not to mention 更别提
e.g. The baby can't even walk, let alone run.
lose touch with 与......失去联系
e.g. In my job one tends to lose touch with friends.
of one's (own) choice
that one chooses 自己选择的
e.g. She married Bill, a man of her choice.
regardless of
without being affected by different situations, problems, etc. 不顾，不惜
e.g. Regardless of whether he is right or wrong, we have to abide by (遵守) his decisions. |