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Reflections on Life
After-Class Reading
PASSAGE I Age and Youth
Proper Names
Astan Shlarba
（男子名）阿斯顿·施拉波
Bach （Johann Sebastian Bach）
巴赫 （1685--1750，德国作曲家、管风琴家，一生作品丰富，多用复调音乐写成，把巴罗克音乐风格推向顶峰，对西方音乐发展有深远影响）
Caucasian
adj. 高加索的
Caucasus Mountains
（地名）高加索山脉（位于前苏联西南部）
Georgian
adj. 格鲁吉亚的
Pablo Casals
帕夫洛·卡萨尔斯 （1876－1973，西班牙大提琴家、指挥家，反法西斯和争取和平的知名人士，以完美的音乐修养和表现著称，曾在巴塞罗那创建卡萨尔斯乐队）
Sasha
（男子名）萨舍
New Words
accommodation *
n. 住处，膳宿
e.g. Prices start at $2,095 per person, including flights, hotel accommodation and various excursions.
alien *
adj. very different from what you are used to, strange 奇怪的，不同性质的
e.g. Such an attitude is alien to most businessmen.
amazement *
n. the feeling you have when something surprises you very much 惊讶，诧异
e.g. I stared at her in amazement.
behalf *
n. 利益
benediction
n. 赐福，幸事
climate *
n. the general weather conditions that are typical of a place 气候
e.g. In some parts of the world there is an extreme climate, and it is very hot in summer and very cold in winter.
compose *
v. form 组成，构成
e.g. It takes a baby about two or three months to learn the arrangement of features that compose a face.
constitution *
n. the general state of someone's health 体格，体质
e.g. He's always had the constitution of an ox.
dew
n. 露水
distinction *
n. a special award or honor that is given to someone as a recognition of their very high level of achievement 荣誉，殊勋
e.g. She has the distinction of being one of the few people to have an honorary degree conferred (授予) on her by the university this year.
exception *
n. a particular thing, person, or situation that is not included in a general statement, judgment, or rule 例外
e.g. The law makes no exceptions.
favourable *
adj. 赞成的
e.g. We have had a favourable response to the plan so far.
fugue
n. 赋格曲
gleam *
v. to reflect light because something is shiny and clean 闪烁，发微光
e.g. His black hair gleamed in the sun.
honourable *
adj. worthy of being respected or admired 尊敬的
e.g. I believed he was an honourable man, dedicated to the people and his union.
humour *
n. 幽默
e.g. Fortunately she saw the humour of the situation.
inconceivable
adj. very unlikely to happen or be true 不可思议的
e.g. The idea that they might not win was inconceivable to them.
intensely *
adv. 强烈地
e.g. She dislikes the man intensely.
lessen *
v. cause something to become less strong 减少
e.g. Eating properly can lessen the risk of heart disease.
maestro
n. 杰出的作曲家（或指挥、音乐教师）
miracle *
n. 奇迹
e.g. Every time a baby is born, the miracle of life is renewed .
orchestra *
n. 管弦乐队
periodic *
adj. happening repeatedly over a period of time 定期的
e.g. Periodic checks are taken to ensure that high standards are maintained.
portion *
n. a part of something 部分
e.g. I have spent a fairly considerable portion of my life here.
prelude
n. 序曲，前奏曲
reborn
adj. born again 再生的，新生的
rediscovery
n. 重新发现
rehearse
v. practice a play, dance, or piece of music in order to prepare for a performance 排演，排练
remedy *
n. a successful way of curing an illness or dealing with a problem 治疗措施，补救方法
e.g. The best remedy for grief (悲伤) is hard work.
retirement *
n. 退休
e.g. She went into retirement last year.
sometime *
adv. at a time in the future or the past which is not known or not stated 将来某个时候，过去某个时间
e.g. We really should meet sometime soon to discuss the details.
spider *
n. 蜘蛛
sunlight *
n. the light that comes from the sun 阳光
e.g. the early morning/afternoon/evening sunlight shone through the curtains
talent *
n. a natural ability to be good at something, especially without being taught 天资，才能
e.g. Her talent for music showed at an early age.
tobacco *
n. 烟草
variable *
adj. likely to change frequently 易变的
e.g. The variable performance of the laboratories doing the testing means that the results cannot be relied on.
view *
n. an opinion or belief or idea, or a way of thinking about something 看法，观点
e.g. Do you have a view about what we should do now?
vitality *
n. energy and strength 生气，活力
e.g. China's reforms have brought vitality to its economy.
web *
n. 网
worthwhile *
adj. enjoyable or useful, and worth the time, money that is spent or the effort made 值得（做）的
e.g. She considers teaching a worthwhile career.
youthfulness
n. 年轻
zest
n. a feeling of pleasure and enthusiasm 热情
Age and Youth
Pablo Casals
On my last birthday I was ninety-three years old. That is not young, of course. In fact, it is older than ninety. But age is a relative matter. If you continue to work and to absorb the beauty in the world about you, you find that age does not necessarily mean getting old. At least, not in the ordinary sense. I feel many things more intensely than ever before, and for me life grows more fascinating.
Not long ago my friend Sasha brought me a letter addressed[1] to me by a group of musicians in the Caucasus Mountains. This was the text of the letter:
Dear Honourable Maestro—
I have the pleasure on behalf of the Georgian Caucasian Orchestra to invite you to conduct one of our concerts. You will be the first musician of your age who receives the distinction of conducting our orchestra.
Never in the history of our orchestra have we permitted a man under one hundred years to conduct. All of the members of our orchestra are over one hundred years old. But we have heard of your talents as a conductor, and we feel that, despite your youthfulness, an exception should be made in your case.
We expect a favourable response as soon as possible.
We pay travel expenses and of course shall provide living accommodations during your stay with us.
Respectfully,
Astan Shlarba
President, 123 years old
Sasha is a man with a sense of humour; he likes to play a joke. That letter was one of his jokes; he had written it himself. But I must admit I took it seriously at first. And why? Because it did not seem to me unbelievable that there should be an orchestra composed of musicians older than a hundred. And, indeed, I was right! That portion of the letter was not a joke. Sasha had read about it in the newspaper. He showed me the article, with photographs of the orchestra. There is such an orchestra in the Caucasus. All of its members were more than a hundred years old. There were about thirty of them—they rehearse regularly and give periodic concerts. Most of them are farmers who continue to work in the fields. The oldest of the group, Astan Shlarba, is a tobacco grower who also trains horses. They are splendid-looking men, obviously full of vitality. I should like to hear them play sometime[2] —and, in fact, to conduct them, if the opportunity arose. Of course I am not sure they would permit this, in view of my inadequate age.
There is something to be learned from jokes, and it was so in this case. In spite of their age, those musicians have not lost their zest for life. How does one explain this? I do not think the answer lies simply in their physical constitutions or in something unique about the climate in which they live. It has to do with their attitude toward life; and I believe that their ability to work is largely due to the fact that they do work. Work helps prevent one from getting old. I, for one, cannot dream of retiring. Not now or ever. Retire? The word is alien and the idea inconceivable to me. I don't believe in retirement for anyone in my type of work, not while the spirit remains. My work is my life. I cannot think of one without the other. To "retire" means to me to begin to die. The man who works and is never bored is never old. Work and interest in worthwhile things are the best remedy for age. Each day I am reborn. Each day I must begin again.
For the past eighty years I have started each day in the same manner. It is not a mechanical routine but something essential to my daily life. I go to the piano, and I play two preludes and fugues of Bach. I cannot think of doing otherwise. It is sort of a benediction on the house. But that is not its only meaning for me. It is a rediscovery of the world of which I have the job of being a part. It fills me with awareness of the wonder of life, with a feeling of the incredible marvel of being a human being. The music is never the same for me. Each day it is something new, fantastic and unbelievable. That is Bach, like nature, a miracle.
I do not think a day passes in my life in which I fail to look with fresh amazement at the miracle of nature. It is there on every side. It can be simply a shadow on a mountainside, or a spider's web gleaming with dew, or sunlight on the leaves of a tree. I have always especially loved the sea. Whenever possible, I have lived by the sea. It has long been a custom of mine to walk along the beach each morning before I start work. True, my walks are shorter than they used to be, but that does not lessen the wonder of the sea. How mysterious and beautiful is the sea! How infinitely variable! It is never the same, never, not from one moment to the next, always in the process of change, always becoming something different and new. (885 words)
Phrases and Expressions
be composed of
be formed from a group of substances or parts 由......组成
e.g. A diet composed entirely of processed foods is not good for you.
due to
as a result of, caused by, because of 由于，因为
e.g. A lot of her unhappiness is due to boredom.
lie in 在于
e.g. The very essence of justice lies in the right of every man to a fair trial.
in view of
considering 鉴于，考虑到
e.g. In view of this, the decision may not be easy.
on behalf of
instead of someone, or as their representative 代表......
e.g. On behalf of the company as a whole, I would like to thank you for all your work.
take...seriously
consider a subject, situation or person to be important and worth a lot of attention or respect 认真对待
e.g. You don't take anything seriously, do you? It's just one big joke to you.
PASSAGE II Let the Questions In
Proper Names
Blaise Pascal
帕斯卡(1623-1662，法国数学家、物理学家、哲学家，概率论创立者之一，提出帕斯卡定律)
Ed
（男子名）埃德（Edward, Edgar, Edwin 的昵称）
Socrates
苏格拉底（469--399BC，古希腊哲学家）
William Wordsworth
威廉.华兹华斯（1770-1850，英国诗人，作品歌颂大自然，开创了浪漫主义新诗风，于1843年被封为桂冠诗人）
Wisconsin
（地名）威斯康星州（美国州名，位于美国中北部）
New Words
awaken *
v. wake someone up 唤醒
e.g. My holiday in Paris awakened my passion for French food.
backward *
adv. towards the back, the beginning, or the past 向后
e.g. This will be seen as a step backward.
bay *
n.
1) 海湾;
2) 绝境，走投无路的处境
continual *
adj. repeated often and over a long period 不停的，频频的
e.g. I've had continual problems with this car ever since I bought it.
cornstalk
n. 玉米秆
creep *
v. (crept, crept) move slowly, quietly or stealthily 缓行，潜行
e.g. Back I go to the hotel and creep up to my room.
crunch
v. （使某物）发出刺耳的碎裂声
define *
v. show clearly the edge of something 画出轮廓，勾勒
distraction *
n. 分心，（注意力）分散
e.g. They were in a state of extreme distraction when their daughter went missing.
drift *
v. move slowly, especially as a result of outside forces, with no control over direction 漂流，漂移
e.g. After the meeting, people drifted away in twos and threes.
drum *
v. tap or beat continuously 敲击
e.g. He drummed his fingers on the leather top of his desk.
dusk *
n. the time just before night when the daylight has almost gone but when it is not completely dark 黄昏，傍晚
e.g. We arrived home at dusk.
era *
n. a period of time that is marked by particular events or developments 年代，时代
e.g. They had worked for peace during the long era of conflict.
fleeting
adj. passing quickly, not lasting long 疾逝的，短暂的
fragility *
n. 脆弱
e.g. The collapse of the bank is a reminder (提醒物) of the fragility of the world's banking system.
frostbitten
adj. 被冻伤的，冻硬的
harsh *
adj. unpleasant, unkind, cruel or unnecessarily severe 极严厉的，无情的
e.g. We thought the punishment was rather harsh for such a minor offense.
liberty *
n. the right or power to do as one chooses 权利
e.g. These laws will restrict our ancient rights and liberties.
motel *
n. 汽车旅馆
nothingness
n. a state where nothing is present, or where nothing is present that is important or gives meaning to life 虚无，不存在
e.g. As she got older it was the fear of nothingness in her life that disturbed her most.
obstinate
adj. refusing to change one's opinion or behavior 固执的
outward *
adj. relating to how people, situations or things seem to be, rather than how they are inside 外面的
e.g. The book details the outward circumstances of her life but fails to reveal anything of her inner self.
overhead *
adv. above one's head 在头顶上
e.g. Now there were only the stars overhead.
perpetually *
adv. continuously, uninterruptedly 持久地，没完没了地
e.g. Animals and plants are perpetually evolving (演变).
plot *
v. make a plan of 计划
e.g. She's plotting with her sister to play a trick on her brother.
precede *
v. come, go, or happen (just) before 先于，位于......之前
e.g. Look at the information that precedes the paragraph in question.
presidential
adj. of a president 总统的
pressing
adj. urgent or needing to be dealt with immediately 紧急的，紧迫的
e.g. The fight against drugs is regarded as a pressing issue.
priest *
n. 教士，牧师
reflection *
n. deep and careful thought 深思，考虑
e.g. After days of reflection she decided to write back.
rural *
adj. of, in or suggesting the countryside 农村的，田园的
e.g. These plants have a tendency to grow in the more rural areas.
satisfactory *
adj. good enough for a purpose 令人满意的
e.g. It seemed a very satisfactory arrangement.
shudder
v. shake uncontrollably from fear, cold or strong dislike 发抖，战栗
span *
n. the period of time between two dates or events during which something exists, functions, or happens 一段时间，持续时间
e.g. The batteries (电池) have a life span of six hours.
superficial *
adj. on the surface, not deep 肤浅的,浅薄的
e.g. He had no more than a superficial knowledge of music.
thankfulness
n. 感谢，感激
thinker
n. 思考者；思想家
e.g. He was known for being an original thinker.
tide *
n. 潮水
unexamined
adj. 未经考虑的，未经权衡的
windowpane
n. a single piece of glass in a window 窗玻璃
wither
v. become dry or dead 干枯，枯萎
Let the Questions In
I have a friend whose whole life plan consists of keeping questions at bay. "Keep yourself surrounded by sound," Ed says. "Always keep moving."
When he is driving, he keeps the radio on in his car. When he walks in the house (he lives alone), he turns on the radio or the television. He never allows himself to be alone with himself.
Drumming fingers on the windowpane, it's as if he senses a presence at the window. He doesn't like to go out into the country. He avoids the mountains, the wind, the quiet fields. They make him nervous. He likes to keep busy.
A strange thing about life in America—it often seems designed to block our questioning.[1] It's so busy, it can rush us into death before we've ever had a chance to stop and think. We might never really stop to ask, "Why?"
"Life," Blaise Pascal wrote in an earlier era, "is a search for continual diversion." That is, for distraction, for keeping the mind occupied with superficial things, for keeping out the voices.
Which voices? The voices that ask questions.
What am I doing on this planet, with the hot sun resting on my face, the wind blowing through my hair? Where am I going? What am I trying to accomplish with my life? Why am I here?
Human beings are thinking, question-asking animals. We cannot live like cats or dogs. We keep asking ourselves that simple question, "Why?"
The questioning impulse in us is our deepest instinct. It is deeper even than the hunger for food. Deeper than the drive to sleep. This instinct to ask questions keeps intruding even during sleep.
More than anything else, to live, you must pay attention to such questions and form some satisfactory answers to them. To truly live is to take charge of your liberties and decide what you intend to do with the short span of years that you are given[2].
Bill, another friend of mine, was giving a lecture in Wisconsin some time ago in one of those little rural towns that hosts a branch of the state university. He went for a walk across the late October fields, just to be alone.
Geese were flying against the gray clouds overhead. He could see his breath, it was so cold, and his feet crunched the frostbitten earth. Rows of cornstalks lay withering as far as his eye could see, out to the woods.
As dusk gathered in the dark shadows, my friend suddenly saw the story line [3] of his life—the way he had been living—saw it as if it belonged to someone else, and he didn't like it. He felt autumn dying all around him.
Bill knew he needed a new start. In which direction, he didn't yet know. When he got back to his motel room to prepare his lecture, his heart was pounding. He has never forgotten that walk in the fields, where in the silence, a question awakened him.
If that question had not arisen, he says, he might still be where he was. It makes him shudder.
Moments of questioning creep up on us. They are rare. We need to seize them. At such moments, a person may fix a goal, plot a course, or determine a whole life. Some thinkers call these defining moments[4] —times when we fill our whole lives with meaning, purpose, goals. The times when we take charge and don't merely drift with the tide[5]. We all have such moments. Presidential candidates certainly have had them. We all have.
William Wordsworth wrote of them:
Not for these I raise
The song of thanks and praise;
But for those obstinate questionings
Of sense of outward things,
Fallings from us, vanishings...[6]
Even my friend Ed—who keeps perpetually busy, perpetually surrounded by sound—has such moments.
His answer, his decision, is just to keep moving, just to keep himself in sound, to drive out the questions.
"The unexamined life is not worth living," Socrates wrote some 23 centuries ago. That is a harsh judgment on my friend and on all of us.
Often we do not allow the questions to rise up to full height and meet us. We keep too busy to allow ourselves to take that long valuable look down the years—backward maybe, forward certainly.[7]
I have often found that air travel is the best time for doing that. It may not seem that I am doing anything. My mind isn't exactly "working." And yet, in fact, the wonder of being alive sweeps over me. And its fragility. And the beauty of it. And the need to concentrate my energies.
In any case, I always feel a sense of thankfulness, since to "ex-sist" (to stand forth out of nothingness, as the Latin roots of the word suggest) is to be receiving a moment-by-moment gift from God.[8]
Your own views, though[9], may be less religious.
However diverse our perspectives, such moments of reflection have become too rare today. And yet the need to take charge of our fleeting lives—to decide who we will be and what we will try to do—is just as pressing as it ever was for Socrates and for all those others who have preceded us.
Take [10] the time to let the questions in, an old priest once counseled me. I took his advice and never regretted that I did. (900 words)
Phrases and Expressions
consist of
be made up of
e.g. University examinations are held in May or June and consist of one three-hour written paper in each of the chosen subjects.
creep up on
seem to come sooner than you expect 不知不觉地来临或消逝
e.g. Somehow, the end of the term had crept up on us.
in any case
no matter what happens 无论如何
e.g. We have to go past your house in any case, so we'll take you home.
keep /hold /have... at bay
prevent. . . from coming near 牵制，不使......前进
e.g. She left the light on at night to keep her fears at bay.
keep out
prevent. . . from getting into a place 不让入内
e.g. Warm clothing will keep out the cold.
take charge (of)
take control of a situation, organization, or group of people
e.g. She took charge of the family business when her father died.
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