英语课文翻译

Unit 1享受幽默——是什么使人开怀？

[1] The joy of laughing at a funny story is universal, probably as old as language itself. But, what is it that makes a story or a joke funny?

1 听了一个有趣的故事会发笑、很开心，古今中外都一样。这一现象或许同语言本身一样悠久。那么，到底是什么东西会使一个故事或笑话让人感到滑稽可笑的呢？

[2] As one who has enjoyed humor since I first recognized it, I've made an attempt to explain and discuss humor with students in such diverse cultures as Latin America and China. I've done some serious thinking about funny stories. It has been a labor of love!

2 我是第一次辨识出幽默便喜欢上它的人，因此我曾试图跟学生议论和探讨幽默。这些学生文化差异很大，有来自拉丁美洲的，也有来自中国的。我还认真地思考过一些滑稽有趣的故事。这么做完全是出于自己的喜好。

[3] Why is it that several students in a class will fall out of their chairs laughing after I tell a joke while the rest of the students look as if I've just read the weather report?[N] Obviously some people are more sensitive to humor than others. And, we recognize that some people tell jokes very well while others struggle to say something funny. We've all heard people say, "I like jokes, but I can't tell one well, and I can never remember them." Some people have a better sense of humor than others just as some people have more musical talent, mathematical talent, etc. than others. A truly funny person has a joke for every occasion, and when one is told, that triggers an entire string of jokes from that person's memory bank. A humorless person is not likely to be the most popular person in a group. It is reasonable to say that the truly humorous individual is not only well liked, but is often the focus of attention in any gathering.

3 为什么听我讲完一个笑话后，班上有些学生会笑得前仰后合，而其他学生看上去就像刚听我读了天气预报一样呢？显然，有些人对幽默比别人更敏感。而且，我们也发现有的人很善于讲笑话，而有的人要想说一点有趣的事却要费好大的劲。我们都听人说过这样的话：“我喜欢笑话，但我讲不好，也总是记不住。”有些人比别人更有幽默感，就像有些人更具有音乐、数学之类的才能一样。一个真正风趣的人在任何场合都有笑话可讲，而且讲了一个笑话，就会从他记忆里引出一连串的笑话。一个缺乏幽默感的人不可能成为一群人中最受欢迎的人。一个真正有幽默感的人不仅受人喜爱，而且在任何聚会上也往往是人们注意的焦点。这么说是有道理的。

[4] Even some animals have a sense of humor. My wife's mother often visited us for extended stays. She normally didn't like dogs, but she fell in love with Blitzen[N] —a female Lab we had, and the relationship was mutual（相互的）. Even when young, Blitzen would tease Grandma by very selectively carrying one of her bedroom slippers into the living room where Grandma sat in her favorite, comfortable chair. Blitzen pranced（蹦来跳去）just beyond the reach of Grandma until Grandma was tempted to leave her chair to get the slipper from Blitzen. When Grandma left her chair, Blitzen would quickly jump into the chair, flashing her Lab smile from sparkling（闪烁的）brown eyes which clearly said, "Aha, I fooled you again."

4 甚至有些动物也具有幽默感。我岳母从前经常来我们家，并能住上很长一段时间。通常她不喜欢狗，但却很喜欢布利茨恩—我们养过的一条拉布拉多母猎犬。而且，她们的这种喜欢是相互的。布利茨恩在很小的时候就常常戏弄外祖母，当外祖母坐在起居室里她最喜欢的那张舒适的椅子上时，布利茨恩就故意把她卧室里的一只拖鞋叼到起居室，并在外祖母刚好够不到的地方蹦来跳去，一直逗到外祖母忍不住站起来去拿那只拖鞋。外祖母从椅子上一起来，布利茨恩就迅速跳上那椅子，从它那闪亮的棕色眼睛里掠过一丝拉布拉多式的微笑，无疑是在说：“啊哈，你又上了我的当。”

[5] Typical jokes or humorous stories have a three-part anatomy（结构）that is easily recognized. First is the SETUP (or setting), next is the BODY (or story line), and these are followed by the PUNCH LINE[N] (an unexpected or surprise ending) which will make the joke funny if it contains some humor. Usually all three parts are present, and each must be clearly presented. It helps if the story/joke teller uses gestures and language which are well-known to the audience.

5 典型的笑话或幽默故事由明显的三部分构成。第一部分是铺垫（即背景），接下来是主干部分（即故事情节），随后便是妙语（即一个出人意料或令人惊讶的结尾）。如果这个妙语含有一定的幽默成分，这个笑话便会很有趣。通常笑话都包含这三部分，而且每部分都必须交代清楚。如果讲故事或说笑话的人使用听众都熟悉的手势和语言，则有助于增强效果。

[6] Humor, as a form of entertainment, can be analyzed in order to discover what makes a funny story or joke seem funny. Here, for example, are some of the most common types of humor. They range from the most obvious humor to the more subtle（微妙含蓄的）types.

6 我们可以对幽默这种娱乐形式，进行分析，从而发现究竟是什么使一个有趣的故事或笑话令人发笑。举例来说，最常见的幽默有以下几种，包括了从最显而易见的幽默到比较微妙含蓄的幽默。[7] "SLAP-STICK" is the most obvious humor. Its language is simple, direct, and often makes fun of another person or group. Slap-stick was and is the technique of the stand-up（单人的）comedian[N] and the clown. It appeals to all ages and all cultures. Nearly every English-speaking comedian in this century has used the following joke in one form or another. One man asks another, "Who was that lady I saw you with last night?" The other replies, "That was no lady, that was my wife."The humor lies in the fact that the second man is saying that his wife is not a lady.In other words, she is not a refined （优雅的）woman. The joke is no less funny because it is so often used. The audience knows in advance what will be said, because it is classic humor, and any audience values it even more because of its familiarity.

7 滑稽剧”是最明显的幽默。它语言简单、直截了当，常常以取笑他人为乐。说笑打闹这种形式过去是、现在仍然是滑稽说笑演员和小丑的惯用技巧。它为不同年龄、不同文化背景的人们所喜爱。几乎本世纪的每个讲英语的滑稽说笑演员都曾以这样或那样的方式说过下面这则笑话。一位男士问另一位男士：“昨晚我看到的那位和你在一起的贵妇是谁？”那位男士回答道：“那可不是什么贵妇，那是我老婆。”这个笑话的幽默之处在于第二位男士说他的妻子不是一位贵妇，也就是说她不是一个高雅的女人。这个笑话并没有因为经常讲而变得不再那么好笑。

由于这是一个经典笑话，观众都知道要说什么，而且因为大家对这个笑话很熟悉而更加珍爱它。

[8] Chinese "cross-talk（相声）" is a special type of slap-stick in which two Chinese comedians humorously discuss topics such as bureaucrats（官僚主义者）, family problems, or other personal topics. Cross-talk can be heard anywhere from small village stages to the largest Beijing theatres, and to radio and television. It is clearly a traditional form of humor well understood by Chinese people. 8 中国的相声是一种特殊的滑稽剧。相声中两名中国喜剧演员幽默地谈论诸如官僚主义者、家庭问题或其他一些有关个人的话题。相声随处都能听到，无论是在乡村的小舞台上，还是在北京最大的剧院里，抑或在广播、电视上。它显然是中国人家喻户晓的一种传统的幽默形式。

[9] A PLAY ON WORDS is not so obvious as slap-stick, but it is funny because of misused or misunderstood language. My favorite example is the story of three elderly gentlemen traveling by train in England. As the train slowed for a stop the first man asked, "Is this Wembley[N] ?" "No," said the second, "It's Thursday." "So am I," said the third man. "Let's stop for a beer." We know that older people often do not hear things clearly, so the misunderstanding of both Wednesday (for Wembley) and thirsty (for Thursday) makes a nice setup for the punch line delivered by the third man.

9 “俏皮话”不像滑稽剧那样浅显，它是因语言的误用或误解而引人发笑。我特别喜欢的一个例子是三位年长的绅士在英国乘火车旅行的故事。当火车慢慢停下来时，第一位绅士问道：“这是Wembley (温布利)吗？”“不，”第二位绅士说：“是Thursday (星期四)。”“我也是，”第三位说道，“让我们下车喝杯啤酒吧。”我们知道上了年纪的人往往耳背，因此会把Wembley（温布利）听成了Wednesday（星期三），把Thursday（星期四）听成了thirsty（渴了），这样一来就为第三位老人的妙语做好了铺垫。

[10] The famous Chinese cartoonist and humorist Ding Cong is a master of word play. In one of his funny cartoons, a teacher says, "How come[N] you completely copied somebody else's homework?" The young student replies, "I didn't completely copy it. My name on the page is different." In another classic Ding Cong cartoon, an irritated（生气的）father asks, "Tell me, what's one plus two?" The son says, "I don't know." The impatient father then says, "For example, you, your mother, and I altogether are how many, you idiot?" The son proudly answers, "Three idiots." Whether these stories are cartoons or jokes, told by a slap-stick comedian or a cross-talking team, they appeal to people everywhere as funny stories because they have a note of reality to them, and the unexpected punch line is quite funny.

10 著名的中国漫画家和幽默家丁聪便是一位俏皮话大师。在他的一幅幽默漫画中，一位老师说：“你为什么一字不改地抄别人的作业？”那位年轻的学生回答道：“我没有一字不改地抄。我把作业上的名字改成自己的了。”在丁聪的另一幅经典漫画里，一位生气的父亲问道：“告诉我，1加2等于几？”儿子说：“我不知道。”这位不耐烦的父亲接着说道：“比方说，你、你妈妈和我，我们加起来一共是几个，傻瓜？”儿子得意地回答道：“是三个傻瓜。” 这些故事无论是漫画还是笑话，是由演滑稽剧的喜剧演员说还是由搭档的相声演员讲，都为各地人们所喜爱。人

们喜爱这些有趣的故事，因为它们贴近现实生活，而且里面那些出人意料的妙语十分有趣。

[11] PUNS are even more subtle forms of word play. They use the technique of similar sounding words or alternative meanings of the same word. Puns are thought by some critics to be the lowest form of humor, but I disagree with this.Puns require more subtle and sophisticated（巧妙复杂的）language skills than most humor forms, but even the very young can use them in their simpler forms. For example, the "riddle（谜语）" or trick question（脑筋急转弯）often uses a pun in the setup, the story line, or, more often, the punch line. Puns are the first type of humor I learned, and at about 5 years of age I remember hearing the following riddle. One person asks, "What is black and white and red all over?" The other person usually cannot answer the riddle, so says, "I give up. What is the answer?" The riddler replies, "A newspaper."This is the obvious answer if one knows that "red" is pronounced the same as "read" in English, but the meanings are clearly different.

11 双关语是一种更微妙的俏皮话。它使用的技巧是利用发音相似的词或同一个词的不同意思。有些批评家认为双关语是最低级的幽默，但我不同意这种观点。双关语与其他形式的幽默相比需要更细微、更巧妙（复杂）的语言技巧；然而，简单的双关语甚至很小的孩子也能利用。例如，谜语或脑筋急转弯问题常使用双关语做铺垫、制造故事情节，而且更多地是用在妙语部分。双关语是我最早懂得的幽默。记得大约在五岁时我听到了下面这个谜语。一个人问：“什么东西整个儿是黑的、白的和红的？”另外一个人通常猜不出来，于是问道：“我不猜了。是什么呀？”出谜语的人回答：“是报纸。”如果你知道在英语中“red（红色）”和“read （读）”的读音一样但意思完全不同，答案就很明显了。

[12] DOUBLE ENTENDRES (French for double meanings) are special variations of puns in which words or phrases have double meanings.Frequently the two meanings are very different, and one is quite proper while the second is often, but not always, vulgar（粗俗的）. I like the somewhat mild story of a school teacher and a principal of a high school who are concerned because some boys and girls have been seen kissing on the school playground. The teacher says to the students, "The principal and I have decided to stop kissing on the school playground." Hearing some laughter, she senses her message was not altogether clear, so she adds, "What I mean to say is that there will be no more kissing going on under our noses[N] ." This clarification（解释）, of course, does nothing to correct the first statement and the double meaning of the joke becomes even more laughable.

12 DOUBLE ENTENDRES （法语中的“一语双关”）是双关语的特殊形式, 其中的词或短语有双重意思。两个意思往往很不相同，一个比较恰当，另一个往往比较粗俗—但并不总是这样。我喜欢那个关于一位中学教师和校长因看见学生在学校操场上接吻而感到担心的故事。故事并不过火。那位教师对学生们说；“我和校长已经决定停止在学校操场上接吻。”听到笑声，她意识到她没有把意思表达清楚，于是补充说：“我的意思是不能再在我们的鼻子下面发生接吻这样的事了。”当然，这个解释并没有纠正她的第一句话，反而使这个笑话的双重含义变得更加好笑。

[13] Some professional humorists think too much of today's humor is not very intelligent or sophisticated. They dislike the suggestive（挑逗的）or vulgar language used too frequently, and they feel that most humorists are not very creative. It is true that some of today's humor is rather shocking, but I don't think humor is to be blamed for that. Humor is alive and well, and it will persist simply because there are funny things happening every day. Some humorous people see and hear these funny things and are able to make them into funny, entertaining jokes and stories. (1,346 words)

13 一些专业的幽默家认为如今的幽默大多缺乏智慧，不够巧妙。他们不喜欢在幽默中过多使用有色情意味或粗俗的语言，而且觉得大多数幽默家缺乏创造性。的确，现在有些幽默令人震惊，但我认为这不是幽默的过错。幽默本身是活泼健康的，它还会继续生存下去，只因为每天都有有趣的事情发生。一些有幽默感的人会看到听到这些有趣的事情，并把它们编成妙趣横生、令人开心的笑话和故事。

Unit 3 从文化角度看性别角色

Over the past few decades, it has been proven innumerable（无数的）times that the various types of behavior, emotions, and interests that constitute（组成，建立）being masculine and feminine are patterned by both heredity and culture. In the process of growing up, each child learns hundreds of culturally patterned details of behavior that become incorporated（吸收，体现）into its gender identity. Some of this learning takes place directly. In other words, the child is told by others how to act in an appropriately feminine or masculine way. Other details of gender behavior are taught unconsciously, or indirectly, as the culture provides different images,aspirations（向往的目标）, and adult models for girls and boys.

1 在过去的几十年里，已经无数次地证实了这样一个事实：构成男子阳刚之气和女子阴柔之气的各种不同类型的行为、情感、和兴趣都既是遗传又是文化熏陶的结果。在成长的过程中，每个孩子学会了细微的行为举止，数量之多数以百计，这一切都带有文化的烙印，成了他们性别特征的一部分。有些行为举止是直接学到的。也就是说，别人教孩子如何恰如其分地行事, 男有男的规矩, 女有女的标准。另一些跟性别有关的具体举止是无意识地或间接地学会的，因为文化为女孩子和男孩子提供的形象、向往的目标以及成人的榜样各不相同。

[2] Recently, for example, a study of American public schools showed that there is a cultural bias in education that favors boys over girls. According to the researchers, the bias is unintentional and unconscious, but it is there and it is influencing the lives of millions of schoolchildren every year. Doctors David and Myra Sadker videotaped classroom teachers in order to study sex-related bias in education.Their research showed that many teachers who thought they were nonsexist were amazed to see how biased they appeared on videotape. From nursery school[N] to postgraduate（博士后的）courses, teachers were shown to call on males in class far more than on female students. This has a tremendous impact on the learning process for, in general, those students who become active classroom participants develop[N] more positive attitudes and go on to

higher achievement. As a matter of fact, in the late 1960s, when many of the best all-women's colleges[N] in the northeastern United States opened their doors to male students, it was observed by professors and women students alike that the boys were "taking over"[N] the classroom discussions and that active participation by women students had diminished noticeably. A similar subordination（处于次要地位）of female to male students has also been observed in law and medical school classrooms in recent years.

2 例如，最近对美国公立学校的一项研究显示，在教育中存在一种男孩比女孩更受偏爱的文化偏见。据研究人员反映，这种偏爱是无意的、不知不觉的，但它确实存在，并每年都在影响着数百万计学生的生活。为了研究在教育中存在的性别偏爱，戴维?赛德克博士和迈拉?赛德克博士夫妇录制了教师在课堂上课的情形。他们的研究显示，许多自认为无性别偏爱的教师惊奇地发现，从录像带上看他们竟是那么偏心。从幼儿园到研究生课程，都可以看到教师们请男生回答问题的次数远比女生多。这对学习过程有着巨大的影响，因为总的来说，那些积极的课堂活动参与者对学习更加乐观有信心，并能在今后取得更大的成就。事实上，在20世纪60年代末期，当美国东北部多所最好的女子学院向男生开放之后，教授们和女学生们都发现男孩们正在“接管”课堂讨论，而女生积极参与的程度则明显下降。近年来，在法学院和医学院的课堂上也发现了类似的情况：与男生相比女生处于次要的地位。

[3] Research done by the Sadkers showed that sometimes teachers unknowingly prevented girls from participating as actively as boys in class by assigning（分配，布置）them different tasks in accordance（一致，和谐）with stereotyped（老套，模式化的）gender roles. For instance, one teacher conducting a science class with nursery school youngsters, continually had the little boys perform the scientific "experiment"[N] while the girls were given the task of putting the materials away. Since hands-on work[N] with classroom materials is a very important aspect of early education, the girls were thus being deprived of a vital learning experience that would affect their entire lives.

3 赛德克夫妇所做的研究显示，教师有时候会按照固有的性别模式给女孩子和男孩子布置不同的任务，这样便不知不觉地使女孩子不能像男孩子一样积极地参与。例如，有位教师在给幼儿园的孩子上自然科学课时，不断地让小男孩去操作科学“实验”，而让女孩子只是做一些安放材料的工作。既然使用课堂材料动手操作是早期教育的一个重要方面，这些女孩子就这样被剥夺了重要的学习经历，这会影响到她们今后的整个人生。

[4] Another dimension of sex-biased education is the typical American teacher's assumption that boys will do better in the "hard", "masculine" subjects of math and science while girls are expected to have better verbal（语言的）and reading skills. As an example of a self-fulfilling（自我实现的）prophecy（预言）, American boys do, indeed, develop reading problems, while girls, who are superior to boys in math up to the age of nine, fall behind from then on.[N] But these are cultural, not genetic patterns. In Germany, for example, all studies[N] are considered "masculine", and it is girls who develop reading problems. And in Japan, where early education appears to be nonsexist, both girls and boys do equally well in reading.

4 美国教师中一个具有代表性的想法是，男孩擅长数学和自然科学，这些学科都是“难懂的”、“适合于男性的”，而女孩会在语言和阅读技能上比男孩强。这是教育中性别偏见的另一种表现。结果美国的男孩们确实在阅读上出了问题，而在数学方面女孩尽管在九岁以前一直比男孩强，但此后却落在了他们后面。这成了预言自我应验的一个例子。然而这些特征是文化造成的，而非遗传的原因。例如，在德国，读书学习都被看作是“适合于男性的”，于是在阅读上有问题的便是女孩子了。而在日本，由于早期教育似乎不分性别，女孩和男孩在阅读上就旗鼓相当。

[5] The different attitudes associated with the educational process for girls and boys begin at home. One study, for example, showed that when preschoolers were asked to look at a picture of a house and tell how far away from the house they were permitted to go, the boys indicated a much wider area than the girls, who generally pointed out a very limited area close to the home.Instead of being encouraged to develop intellectual curiosity and physical skills that are useful in dealing with the outside world, as boys are, girls are filled with fears of the world outside the home and with the desire to be approved of for their "goodness" and obedience to rules.[N] These lessons carry over[N] from the home to the classroom, where girls are generally observed to be more dependent on the teacher, more concerned with the form and neatness of their work than with its content, and more anxious about being "right" in their answers

than in being intellectually independent, analytical, or original.[N] Thus, through the educational process that occupies most of the child's waking hours, society reinforces its established values and turns out[N] each sex in its traditional and expected mold. (722 words)

5 在教育过程中对女孩和男孩的不同态度始于家庭。例如，有一项研究显示了这样一种情况：让学龄前儿童看一幢房子的图片，然后要他们说出家里允许他们走开多远，这时男孩所指的范围要比女孩大得多，女孩指出的范围很有限，而且离家很近。女孩们不像男孩那样受到鼓励去发展求知欲和动手能力，尽管这些正是与外部世界打交道时有用的；对女孩灌输的结果是：对自己家外面的世界充满了恐惧，且期望别人对自己的优良品格和循规蹈矩的服从精神加以认可。这类教诲从家庭一直延续到课堂。于是，在课堂里我们常常可以看到女孩们更依赖教师，更注重作业的形式和整洁而非内容，更在乎她们所给的答案是否“正确”而不在乎智力方面的独立自主以及分析能力和创造能力的提高。教育过程占据了孩子除睡眠以外的大部分时间，社会则通过这一过程加强了它固有的价值观，并按其传统的、期望的模式造就了不同性别的人。

Unit 4 关于创造力的培养——鼓励孩子思考

Creativity is the key to a brighter future, say education and business experts. Here is how schools and parents can encourage this vital skill in children.

1 教育界和商业界的专家们说, 具有创造性是通向光明前程的关键。本文将介绍一下学校和家长如何才能鼓励孩子发展这一至关重要的能力。

[2] If Dick Drew had listened to his boss in 1925, we might not have a product

that we now think of as practically(几乎，实际上) essential: masking tape[N] . Drew worked for the Minnesota Manufacturing（生产）and Mining Company, better known as 3M. At work he developed a sticky-side substance（黏胶）strong enough to hold things together. But his boss told him not to pursue（继续，从事）the idea. Finally, using his own time, Drew perfected[N] the tape, which now is used everywhere by many people. And his former company learned from its mistake:Now 3M encourages people to spend 15 percent of their work time just thinking and developing new ideas.

2 如果1925年迪克?德鲁听从了他老板的意见，也许我们就不会有遮护胶带这种用品了。现在我们几乎离不开它。德鲁当时就职于“明尼苏达制造和矿业公司”，通常称为3M公司。在工作中，他研制了一种用于胶带有黏性那面的物质，黏性很强，能使物体粘在一起。但是老板却不让他做进一步的研究。最后德鲁只好利用自己的时间改进了这种胶带。这种胶带现已被人们广泛使用。而他原来工作过的3M公司也从自己的失误中吸取了教训：现在该公司鼓励员工抽出15%的工作时间专门用来开动脑筋搞创新。

[3] It is a strategy that more and more companies are employing and one that experts around the country say we ought to be following with our children, both at home and at school.[N] The feeling is that if we teach them to think creatively, they will be better able to function in tomorrow's society.

3 现在这种策略已被越来越多的公司所采用，而且全国各地的专家认为，对待孩子也应仿效这种做法，无论是在家里还是在学校。他们认为，如果我们教育孩子进行创造性思维，他们就能在明天的社会中更好地发挥作用。

[4] Creativity's benefits reach beyond music and art. Successful students and adults are the ones who discover a number of ways to approach problems.

4 受益于创造性的不只限于音乐和艺术领域。能取得成功的学生和成人都是那些会寻求各种办法解决问题的人。

[5] Creativity is not something one is just born with, nor is it necessarily a characteristic of high intelligence[N] . Just because a person is highly intelligent does not mean that he uses it creatively. Creativity is the matter of using the resources one has to produce original ideas that are good for something.[N]

5 创造性并非与生俱来，也不一定就是高智慧的特征。一个人智力高并不意味着他必然能创造性地发挥才智。创造性是指能利用已有的资源想出新点子，而这些点子有助于解决某方面的问题。

[6] Unfortunately, schools have not tended to promote creativity. With strong emphasis on test scores and the development of reading, writing and mathematical skills, many educators sacrifice（牺牲）creativity for correct answers. The result is that children can give back information but can't recognize ways to apply it to new situations. They may know their multiplication tables, for example, but they are unable to apply them to story problems[N] .

6 遗憾的是，学校还没有想到要促使学生发挥创造性。许多教育者十分看重考试分数，强调阅读、写作和数学能力，往往因追求正确的答案而牺牲了对创造性的培养。其结果是，孩子们能够反馈所学的知识，却不知道如何灵活地应用知识。比如，他们可能熟记乘法表，却不会用它来解决数学应用题。

[7] In some schools, however, educators are recognizing the problem and are

developing new approaches to teaching which should encourage creativity in their students. Some teachers are combining the basics[N] with activities where the students must use their imagination. For example, instead of simply asking WHEN Columbus discovered the New World, teachers might ask students to think about what would have happened if his trip had taken him to New York first instead of to the Caribbean area. With that question, students would have to use what they know about Columbus, what they know about New York, and what they know about the Caribbean. Teachers feel that even if the answers seem silly, it's OK, that sometimes being silly is an essential step toward creativity. In the classroom as well as at home, children must have the right to have crazy thoughts, experts say. Then it is up to[N] parents and teachers to work with the children to develop those thoughts into workable ideas. The best strategy is to encourage children by asking them questions, meanwhile praising their ideas and new thoughts. Experts say that it is important to create an atmosphere in which there is no risk in being creative—a place where wild ideas are honored and valued, never scorned or dismissed.

7 然而，在有些学校里，教育者们正逐渐认识到这一问题，并致力于研究能启发学生创造性的新的教学方法。一些教师把基础知识和要求学生发挥想象力的活动结合起来。比如，教师不再简单地问学生哥伦布何时发现了新大陆，他们可能让学生思考如果哥伦布首先到达的不是加勒比地区而是纽约，情况会是如何。要回答这一问题，学生必须应用自己掌握的关于哥伦布、纽约和加勒比地区的知识。教师们认为即便学生的回答会很可笑，也毫无关系，这也许是通向创造性的重要一步。专家认为，在课堂以及在家里，必须允许孩子们有些荒唐的念头。家长和教师们则有责任和孩子共同努力，使那些念头成为切实可行的建议。最好的办法是通过提问来鼓励孩子，同时对他们的想法和新点子表示赞赏。专家认为必须创造一个可以自由发挥创造力的氛围，一个尊重和赞赏而不是鄙视或不理会荒诞想法的环境。

[8] There are things that parents can do at home to encourage creativity.They can involve children in decision making if the problem is appropriate, asking the child for suggestions. Parents can help their children to understand the consequences of various decisions. Parents should also encourage their children to talk out loud about things they are doing. Thinking and language skills are closely related. Talking out loud improves language skills and thinking skills.

8 在家里，家长可以做一些鼓励孩子发挥创造力的事情。如果遇到合适的问题，家长可以就该问题征求孩子的意见，让他们参与决策。家长可以帮助孩子了解不同的决策将会带来的各种后果。家长还应鼓励孩子大声谈论他们正在做的事情。思维能力和语言能力是紧密相关的。大声地谈论有助于提高语言能力和思维能力。

[9] Having a sense of humor is also important in helping to develop creativity in a child. When parents show a sense of humor, children can see creativity in its purest form. By its nature, humor crosses conventional boundaries and breaks patterns. Creativity often does the same.

9 具有幽默感对于开发孩子的创造力也非常重要。当家长表现出幽默时，孩子们就看到了最地道的创造性。从本质上看，幽默跨越了常规界限，打破了固有模

式。要创造往往也得如此。

[10] It is important to give children choices. From the earliest age, children should be allowed to make decisions and understand their consequences. Even if it's choosing between two food items for lunch, decision-making helps thinking skills. As children grow older, parents should let their children decide how to use their time or spend their money but not automatically help them too much if they make the wrong decision. This may be confusing for the child, but that is all right.[N] This is because one of the most important traits of creative people is a very strong motivation to make order out of confusion. (765 words)

10 给孩子一些选择的余地也很重要。应该允许孩子自己做决定并清楚其后果，要让孩子从尽可能早的年龄开始这样做。做决定有助于培养思维能力，即便只是在午餐的两种食物的选择上做决定也行。随着孩子慢慢长大，家长应让孩子自己做主支配时间或金钱；当他们作出错误的决定时，不要不假思索地给予过多的帮助。这种做法可能会使孩子迷惑不解，但这没有关系。因为富有创造力的人有很强的动力，使他们能够从混乱中创造秩序。这是他们的一个最重要的特点。

unit 5 运动员该成为榜样吗？

I love Charles Barkley like a brother, and except for the times when we're banging and pushing each other under the boards in games between my team, the Utah Jazz, and his, the Phoenix Suns, we're great friends. We don't necessarily[N] like the same things: Charles loves golf so much he would play at halftime if he could[N] , but I think a golf course is a waste of good pasture-land.One of the reasons we get along so well, though, is that we both say what's on our minds[N] without worrying about what other people are going to think—which means we disagree from time to time. Here's an example of what I mean: I disagree with what Charles says in his Nike commercial, the one in which he insists, "I am not a role model." Charles, you can deny[N] being a role model all you want[N] , but I don't think it's your decision to make. We don't choose to be role models, we are chosen. Our only choice is whether to be a good role model or a bad one.

1. 我喜欢查尔斯?巴克利，就像他是我的亲兄弟一样，而且除了比赛中在篮板下彼此冲撞的时候（我在犹他爵士队；他在菲尼克斯太阳队），我们是很好的朋友。我们的爱好不一定完全相同：查尔斯酷爱高尔夫球，要是可能的话他中场休息时都会打，我却认为把优良的牧地造成高尔夫球场是浪费。而我们能很好相处的一个原因是，我俩都心里想什么就说什么，不管别人会怎么想——这也意味着我们时常会意见不一致。有一个例子能说明我的意思：我不同意查尔斯在他做的耐克广告中说的话。在那则广告里，他强调说：“我不是一个行为榜样。”查尔斯，你完全可以否认自己是行为榜样，但是我认为这不是自己可以决定的。我们没想要做行为榜样，而是大家要我们做。我们唯一能选择的是做一个好榜样还是做一个坏榜样。

[2] I don't think we can accept all the glory and the money that comes with being a famous athlete and not accept the responsibility of being a role model, of knowing that kids and even some adults are watching us and looking for us to set

an example. I mean, why do we get endorsements（广告代言）in the first place? Because there are people who will follow our lead and buy a certain sneaker or cereal because we use it.

2 我认为成了著名运动员后，我们不能只接受随之而来的荣誉和金钱，却拒绝承担作为榜样的责任，或者没有意识到孩子们、甚至一些成年人正关注着我们，期望我们树立起一个榜样。我的意思是，首先为什么我们能有机会做广告呢？因为有人会以我们为榜样，他们买某种运动鞋或某种麦片，（仅仅）因为我们在用这些东西。

[3] I love being a role model, and I try to be a positive one. That doesn't mean I always succeed. I'm no saint. I make mistakes, and sometimes I do childish things. And I don't always wake up in a great, role-model mood.[N] There are days when I don't want to pose for a picture[N] with every fan I run into[N] , when I don't feel like picking up babies and giving them hugs and kisses (no matter how cute they are), those are the days I just try to avoid the public.

3 我喜欢成为榜样，并努力去做个好榜样。但这并不是说我总是做得很好。我决非圣贤，我会犯错误，而且有时还会做一些非常幼稚的事情。我并非每天早上醒来都具备了做榜样的好心情。有些日子，我并不想同遇见的每个球迷都摆姿势合影，不想抱起婴儿拥抱、亲吻（无论他们有多可爱）。处在这种时候，我就尽量避开公众。

[4] But you don't have to be perfect to be a good role model, and people shouldn't expect perfection. If I were deciding[N] whether a basketball player was a positive role model, I would want to know: Does he influence people's lives in a positive way away from the court? How much has he given of himself, in time or in money, to help people who look up to him? Does he display（显示）the values—like honesty and determination—that are part of being a good person? I wouldn't ask whether he lives his life exactly the way I would live it[N] or whether he handles every situation just the way I would handle it.

4 但做个好榜样并不需要十全十美，而且人们也不应该期盼完美。如果由我来判定一个篮球运动员是否是个好榜样，我想知道的是：他在球场之外，是否给人们的生活带来了积极的影响？他自己付出了多少时间或金钱去帮助那些敬仰他的人？他显示出一个优秀者应具有的诸如诚实、毅力这些品格吗？但我不会问他是否以我的那种方式生活，或者是否以我处理事情的方式来应付每一个局面。

[5] I do agree with Charles on one thing he says in his commercial（广告）: "Just because I can dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids." But sometimes parents need a little assistance. There are times when it helps for a mother and father to be able to say to their kids, "Do you think Karl Malone or Scottie Pippen or Charles Barkley or David Robinson would do that?" To me, if someone uses my name in that way, it's an honor. Sure, parents should be role models to their children. But let's face it[N] , kids have lots of other role models—teachers, movie stars, athletes, even other kids. As athletes, we can't take the place of parents, but we can help reinforce what they try to teach their kids.

5 查尔斯在他的广告中所说的有一点我赞成，那就是“我能扣篮并不意味着我应该养育你们的孩子。”但是，有时家长们也需要一点帮助。如果父母能对孩子

说：“你想想卡尔?马龙、斯科蒂?皮蓬、查尔斯?巴克利或大卫?罗宾逊会那样做吗？”有时候，这是很管用的。如果有人这样提到我的名字，对我来说是一种荣誉。当然，父母应该成为自己孩子的行为榜样。然而实际情况是孩子们有许多其他的行为榜样——老师、电影明星、运动员、甚至其他孩子。作为运动员，我们不能取代父母，但是我们能协助他们去加强和巩固他们努力教给孩子的那些思想。

[6] Parents just have to make sure they don't take it too far. Sometimes they put us on a pedestal that feels more like a tightrope—so narrow that we're bound to[N] fall off eventually. This is not something I'm especially proud of, but I've had parents in Utah say things to me like, "You know, Karl, in our family we worship（崇拜）the ground you walk on[N] . In our house your picture is right up there on the wall beside Jesus Christ." Now, that's going too far. Is it any wonder some athletes don't want to be role models?[N] Who wants to be held up to that kind of impossibly high standard? Imagine someone putting a life-sized（原物大小的）picture of you on a wall and saying things to your picture before they go to bed. That's scary.

6 父母们一定不能做得太过火。他们有时把我们奉若神明，使我们感到是在走钢索——在这么细的钢索上我们最终必定会摔下来。这不是一件让我感到特别自豪的事：在犹他州曾经有孩子家长对我说过这样的话：“你要知道，卡尔，我们全家都对你崇拜得五体投地，在我们家里，我们把你的照片和基督画像一起并排挂在墙上。”这就太过分了。难怪有些运动员不愿做行为榜样。谁会愿意被拔得那样高呢，那是能达到的标准吗？设想一下，有人把你真人大小的照片挂在墙上，而且每晚睡觉前都要对着你的照片倾诉一番，这是很可怕的。

[7] Constantly being watched by the public can be hard to tolerate at times. I am sorry that Michael Jordan had to deal with the negative publicity（公众信息）he received about gambling（赌博）. I don't think most people can imagine what it's like to be watched that closely every minute of every day. I was told once that it wouldn't be that bad for me because no one would know me outside of Utah, but that's not true. Ever since I played on the Dream Team in the Olympics, I can't go anywhere without being the center of attention, and that's very confining（限制的）at times. For instance, there have been occasions when I've felt like[N] buying a big Harley-Davidson motorcycle and riding it down the street. First, the Jazz would have a fit and say it's too dangerous. Second, everyone would be watching to see if I wore a helmet, if I was obeying the speed limit, if I was taking turns safely—you name it. The first time I didn't measure up to expectations, I would hear, "What kind of example is that to set for other people who ride motorcycles?"

7 时刻处在公众的注视之下有时令人难以忍受。我十分同情迈克尔?乔丹，他不得不对付有关他赌博的负面报道。我想大多数人都无法想象，分分秒秒、日复一日都被如此密切地注视着是什么滋味。曾经有人对我说，我个人的情况还不至于那么糟，因为出了犹他州就没人认识我了。但事实并非如此。自从我作为梦之队的一员参加了奥运会的

比赛后，我无论到哪里都会成为人们注意的中心。这有时使人受到很大的限制。例如，我有好几次想买一辆哈利-戴维森牌的大摩托车，骑着它逛逛街。首先爵士队会大发雷霆，说这太危险。其次，每个人都会盯着我，看我是否戴了头盔，

是否按照限定的速度行驶，是否安全转弯，不一而足。一旦我没有达到他们的期望，就会有人说：“这给其他骑摩托车的人树立了个什么榜样啊？”

[8] But the good things about being a role model outweigh the bad. It's a great feeling to think you're a small part of the reason that a kid decided to give school another try instead of dropping out or that a kid had the strength to walk away when someone offered him drugs.[N] But one thing I would encourage parents to do is to remind their kids that no matter which athletes they look up to, there are no perfect human beings. That way, if the kid's heroes should make mistakes, it won't seem like the end of the world to them.

8 但是，做一个行为榜样的好处要多于坏处。想到某个孩子决定在学业上再做一番尝试而不是辍学，或者碰到有人向他兜售毒品时，能从毒贩子身边走开，而这其中也有你的一小部分功劳时，那种感觉好极了。但是我要鼓励父母们去做一件事，那就是提醒他们的孩子无论他们敬仰哪位运动员，十全十美的人是没有的。这样一来，如果孩子们心目中的英雄犯了错误，他们就不会觉得世界末日到了。

[9] I would never criticize someone for saying what he thinks. If Charles doesn't consider himself a role model, that's certainly his right. But I think he is a role model—and a good one, too. And if he gets that NBA championship ring[N] , I might just make him my role model. (1,090 words)

9 我决不会因为某个人说了心里话而批评他。如果查尔斯认为他自己不是个行为榜样，这是他的权利。但我认为他是一个行为榜样，而且是一个好榜样。如果他能戴上NBA的冠军戒指，我也许会把他当作我自己的行为榜样。

Unit 6 风险与你

At some time or other, all of us have played the part of a hypochondriac（疑病症患者）, imagining that we have some terrible disease on the strength of very minor symptoms. Some people just have to hear about a new disease and they begin checking themselves to see if they may be suffering from it. But fear of disease is not our only fear, and neither is risk[N] of disease the only risk we run[N] . Modern life is full of all manner of threats—to our lives, our peace of mind, our families, and our future. And from these threats come questions that we must pose to ourselves[N] : Is the food I buy safe? Are toys for my children likely to hurt them? Should my family avoid smoked meats[N] ? Am I likely to be robbed on vacations? Our uncertainties multiply（增加）indefinitely（无限地）.

1 在说不定的某个时候，我们大家都曾充当过疑病症患者的角色,只凭一些轻微的症状便怀疑自己得了某种可怕的病。有的人只要一听说一种新的疾病，就会去检查，看自己是否可能患了这种病。然而，对疾病的恐惧并非我们唯一的恐惧。同样，患病的危险也并非我们唯一会遇上的危险。现代生活中充满了各种各样的威胁，诸如对我们生命的威胁，对我们平和心境的威胁，对我们家人的威胁，对我们未来的威胁。从而产生了好些问题，我们不得不问自己：我买的食品安全吗？给孩子们的玩具会伤害他们吗？我们家的人是不是不该吃熏肉？我度假时会不会遭抢劫？我们的疑虑就无休止地增加。

[2] Anxiety about the risks of life is a bit like hypochondria; in both, the fear or anxiety feeds on（以…为食，以…为能源）partial（局部的，不全面的）information.

But one sharp difference exists between the two. The hypochondriac can usually turn to a physician to get a definitive（决定性的）clarification（澄清，说明）of the situation—either you have the suspected disease or you don't. It is much more

difficult when anxiety about other forms of risk is concerned, because with many risks, the situation is not as simple[N] .

2 对生活中风险的担忧与疑病症有相似之处；二者的恐惧或忧虑皆起因于信息不全面。但二者之间也存在一个明显的差别。疑病症患者通常可以求助于医生，以便澄清疑虑——要么你得了你所怀疑的疾病，要么你没得。但当涉及到其它形式的风险时，事情就要困难得多，因为对许多风险来说，情况并不那么简单。

[3] Risks are almost always a matter of probability rather[N] than certainty.You may ask, "Should I wear a seat belt?" If you're going to have a head-on（正面相撞）collision（碰撞）, of course. But what if you get hit from the side and end up trapped inside the vehicle（车辆）, unable to escape because of a damaged seat belt mechanism（装置）? So does this mean that you should spend the extra money for an air bag[N] ? Again, in head-on collisions, it may well save your life. But what if the bag accidentally[N] inflates（膨胀）while you are driving down the highway, thus causing an accident that would never have occurred otherwise[N] ?

3 风险几乎总是一个可能性的问题而无确定性可言。你也许会问：“我该不该系安全带？”如果你坐的车要与其它车正面相撞，那当然该系安全带。倘若你的车侧面被撞，结果你被困在车里，又因安全带装置遭破坏而无法挣脱，那怎么办呢？这是否意味着你该再花些钱在车内安一个保险气袋呢？同样，在正面相撞的情况下，保险气袋完全可以救你一命。但是，万一正当你在高速公路上开车时，保险气袋突然意外充气膨胀，从而导致了本来绝不会发生的事故，那又该如何是好？

[4] All of this is another way of saying that nothing we do is completely safe.There are risks, often potentially serious ones, associated with every hobby we have, every job we take, every food we eat—in other words, with every action. But the fact that there are risks associated with everything we are going to do does not, or should not, reduce us to trembling（战战兢兢的）neurotics（神经病患者）. Some actions are riskier than others. The point is to inform ourselves about the relevant（相关的）risks and then act accordingly（相应地）[N] .

4 上面说的这一切，只是从另一角度说明我们所做的事没有一件是百分之百安全的。有些风险——常常是潜在的重大风险——与我们的每个业余爱好、所做的每项工作、所吃的每种食物有关，换句话说，与所进行的任何活动有关。但我们又不能，也不该因危险存在于我们将要做的每件事，而变成战战兢兢的神经症患者。有些活动是比其它活动更危险。关键在于要让自己了解相应的风险，然后相机行事。

[5] For example, larger cars are generally safer than small ones in collisions.But how much safer? The answer is that you are roughly（大致）twice as likely to die in a serious crash in a small car than in a large one. Yet larger cars generally cost more than small ones (and also use more gas, thus increasing the environmental risks!), so how do we decide when the reduced risks are worth the added costs?The ultimate（最*的，根本的）risk avoider might, for instance, buy a tank

or an armored（装甲的）car, thus minimizing the risk of death or injury in a collision. But is the added cost and inconvenience worth the difference in price, even supposing you could afford it?

5 例如，两车相撞时，大车总的说来要比小车安全些。可究竟能安全多少呢？答案是这样：在一起严重的车祸中坐小车丧生的可能性是坐大车的两倍左右。然而，大车通常比小车贵（并且消耗更多的汽油，由此给环境带来了更大的风险！）。那么我们该怎样确定什么时候值得为降低风险增加花费呢？例如，避免风险最保险的做法也许是去买一辆坦克或装甲车，从而把撞车时死亡或受伤的风险降到最小。然而，即便你买得起，这笔额外的费用以及忍受坦克或装甲车所带来的不便是否值得呢？

[6] We cannot begin to answer such questions until we have a feel for the level of risks in question. So how do we measure the level of a risk? Some people seem to think that the answer is a simple number. We know, for instance, that about 25,000 people per year die in automobile accidents. By contrast, only about 300 die per year in mine accidents and disasters. Does that mean that riding in a car is much riskier than mining? Not necessarily. The fact is that some 200 million Americans regularly ride in automobiles in the United States every year; perhaps 700,000 are involved in mining. The relevant figure that we need to assess（评估）a risk is a ratio（比例）or fraction（分数）. The numerator（分子）of the fraction tells us how many people were killed or harmed as the result of a particular activity over a certain period of time; the denominator（分母）tells us how many people were involved in that activity during

that time. All risk levels are thus ratios or fractions, with values between 0 (no risk) and 1 (totally risky).

6 在我们尚不知所涉及的风险程度之前，我们还无法回答这些问题。那么，我们该如何去衡量风险程度呢？有些人似乎认为答案只不过是一个简单的数字。例如，我们知道每年大约有25,000 人死于车祸。相比之下，每年只有大约300人死于矿山事故和灾难。这难道就意味着乘坐汽车要比采矿危险得多吗？未必。事实是，在美国每年大约有两亿人经常性地以车代步；而大概只有70万人从事采矿作业。我们评估一种风险时，所需要的有关数字是一个比率或分数。该分数的分子告诉我们在某个特定时期由于从事某种特定活动而丧生或受伤的人数；其分母告诉我们在这一时期从事这种活动的总人数。这样，所有的风险程度都是由比率或分数表示，其大小介于0（无风险）到1（完全风险）之间。

[7] By reducing all risks to ratios or fractions of this sort, we can begin to compare different sorts of risks—like mining versus（与…相对）riding in a car. The larger this ratio, that is, the closer it is to 1, the riskier the activity in question. In the case just discussed, we would find the relative safety of car travel and coal mining by dividing the numbers of lives lost in each by the number of people participating in each. Here, it is clear that the riskiness of traveling by car is about 1 death per 10,000 passengers; with mining, the risk level is about 4 deaths per 10,000 miners. So although far more people are killed in car accidents than in mining, the latter turns out to be four times riskier than the former. Those ratios enable us to compare the risks of activities or situations as different as apples and oranges[N] .If you are opposed to risks, you will want to choose your

activities by focusing on the small-ratio exposures（暴露）. If you are reckless（无所畏惧，不顾后果的）, then you are not likely to be afraid of higher ratios unless they get uncomfortably large.

7 通过把所有风险都简化为这种比率或分数，我们便可以开始比较不同种类的风险，如比较采矿与乘坐汽车。这个比率越大，也就是说它越接近1，那么有关活动的风险就越大。在刚才讨论的例子中，我们可以用每一活动中死亡的人数除以参与该活动的总人数，从而找出汽车旅行与采煤的相对安全性。此处，我们可以很清楚地看到，乘坐汽车旅行的风险是每一万人中大约有一人丧生；而就采矿而言，其危险程度是每一万矿工中大约有四人死亡。所以，尽管在车祸中丧生的人远比采矿要多，其实后者的风险是前者的四倍。这些比率使我们能够对毫不相干的活动或情形的危险性加以比较，即便差别如苹果与橘子那样大也能比较。如果你反对冒险，你就会选择风险比率较小的活动。如果你无所畏惧，那么你往往会对高比率不太在乎，除非它们大得令人难以承受。

[8] Once we understand that risk can never be totally eliminated from any situation and that, therefore, nothing is completely safe, we will then see that the issue is not one of avoiding risks altogether but rather one of managing risks in a sensible way. Risk management requires two things: common sense and information about the character（性质）and degree（程度）of the risks we may be running. (963 words) 8 我们一旦明白了风险是永远无法从任何情况中完全去除的，因而就没有绝对安全的事，我们也就会明白问题的关键不是要彻底避免风险，而是要理智地管理风险。风险管理需要两大要素：常识以及与我们可能要承担的风险的性质和程度相关的信息。

unit 7 永远不会听到的毕业典礼演说

We the faculty take no pride in our educational achievement with you. We have prepared you for a world that does not exist, indeed, that cannot exist. You have spent four years supposing that failure leaves no record[N] . You have learned at Brown that when your work goes poorly, the painless solution is to drop out. But starting now, in the world to which you go, failure marks[N] you. Confronting(面对，对抗) difficulty by quitting leaves you changed[N] . Outside Brown, quitters are no heroes.

1 我们这些教师对于在你们身上取得的教育成就一点都不感到自豪。我们培养你们去适应的是一个根本不存在的世界——事实上也是不可能存在的。在这里度过的四年时间里，你们一直以为失败是不会留下任何记录的。要是学得不好，一个最省事的办法就是中途退出(不修这门课)，在布朗大学你们学会了这一点。但是，从现在开始，在你们要涉足的世界里，失败是要给你留下疤痕的。知难而退也会使你变成另一个人。走出布朗，知难而退的人绝不是英雄。

[2] With us you could argue about why your errors were not errors, why mediocre（平凡的）work really was excellent, why you could take pride in routine[N] and slipshod（草率的，普通的）presentation. Most of you, after all, can look back on honor grades[N] for most of what you have done. So, here grades can have meant little in distinguishing the excellent from the ordinary. But tomorrow, in the world to which you go, you had better not defend（辩护）

errors but learn from them[N] . You will be ill-advised（不明智的）to demand praise for what does not deserve it, and abuse[N] those who do not give it.

2 你们可以跟我们争辩，说服我们为什么你们的错误不是错误，为什么平庸的作业是优秀的，为什么你们会对普普通通并不出色的课堂报告感到骄傲。回想一下，毕竟你们中的大多数人在你们所学的大部分课程中都得了高分。因此，在这里分数并不能作为区分优秀学生与学业平平的学生的依据。但是，今后，在你们所要去的世界里，你们最好不要为自己的错误辩护，而应该从中吸取教训。假如你们要求得到你们不该得到的表扬，诋毁那些不给你们表扬的人，这是不明智的做法。[3] For years we created an altogether forgiving world, in which whatever slight effort you gave was all that was demanded. When you did not keep appointments, we made new ones. When your work came in beyond the deadline, we pretended not to care.

3 多年来，我们创造了一个完全宽容的世界。这里所要求于你们的仅仅是一点微不足道的努力。当你们没有按约定的时间赴约时，我们就再约时间。当你们没有按期交作业时，我们装作不在乎。

[4] Worse still, when you were boring, we acted as if you were saying something important. When you were garrulous（唠叨的）and talked to hear yourselves talk[N] , we listened as if it mattered.Whenyou tossed on our desks writing upon which you had not labored[N] , we read it and even responded, as though you earned a response. When you were dull, we pretended you were smart. When you were predictable,unimaginative and routine（日常的，平淡的）, we listened as if to new and wonderful things. When you demanded free lunch, we served it. And all this why?

4 更糟糕的是，当你们的言谈枯燥无味时，我们却装作你们说的是重要的事情；当你们喋喋不休、不知所云时，我们认真倾听，似乎你们说的东西事关重大；当你们把根本没有花心思写的作业扔到我们桌上时，我们不仅拜读，甚至批改给评语，好像值得为你们这样做似的。当你们犯傻时，我们装作你们聪明过人；当你们老生常谈、毫无想象力、平平淡淡时，我们却装作像在听什么美妙绝伦的新鲜事情一样；当你们要不劳而获时，我们拱手奉上。所有这一切究竟是为了什么?

[5] Despite your fantasies, it was not even that we wanted to be liked by you. It was that we did not want to be bothered, and the easy way out was pretense: smiles and easy Bs.

5 对这一切尽管你们可以想入非非，但我们决不是因为想要讨你们的欢心，而是因为我们不想让你们罗唆。一个简单的办法就是作假：微笑，让你们轻轻松松都得B。

[6] It is conventional to quote（引用）in addresses（演讲）such as these. Let me quote someone you've never heard of: Professor Carter A. Daniel, Rutgers University:"College has spoiled you by reading papers that don't deserve to be read, listening to comments that don't deserve a hearing, paying attention even to the lazy, ill-informed and rude. We had to do it, for the sake of education. But nobody will ever do it again. College has deprived you of adequate（充足的）preparation for the last 50 years. It has failed[N] you by being easy, free, forgiving, attentive, comfortable, interesting, unchallenging fun. Good luck tomorrow."

6 在这一类的演说中人们往往习惯于引用，在此让我来引用一个你们从来没有听说过的人的话，这个人是拉特格斯大学的卡特?A．丹尼尔教授。他说：“大学毁了你们，让你们阅读那些不值得一读的论文，听那些不值得一听的评论，甚至要去尊重那些无所事事、孤陋寡闻、极不文明的人。为了教育，我们过去不得不这样做，但是今后不会有人再这样做了。在过去的50年中，大学使你们丧失了得到充分培养的机会。由于大学成了一个轻松、自由、包容、体贴、舒适、充满乐趣、好玩的地方，它没有对你们尽到责任。但愿你们今后好运。”

[7] That is why, on this commencement day, we have nothing in which to take much pride.

7 这就是为什么，在今天进行毕业典礼之际，我们没有任何可引以自豪的东西。

[8] Oh, yes, there is one more thing. Try not to act toward your co-workers and bosses as you have acted toward us. I mean, when they give you what you want but have not earned, don't abuse them, insult them, act out with them your parlous（危险的，糟糕的）relationships with your parents. This[N] too we have tolerated. It[N] was, as I said, not to be liked. Few professors actually care whether or not they are liked by peer-paralyzed（同龄人）adolescents[N] , fools so shallow（肤浅的）as to imagine professors care not about education but about popularity. It was, again, to be rid of you.[N] So go, unlearn（忘却）the lies we taught you. To life![N] (585 words)

8 哦，对了，还有一点。尽量不要像对待我们那样去对待你们的同事和老板。我的意思是，当他们把你们想要但不是你们应得的东西给了你们时，要善待他们，不要侮辱他们，不要在他们身上重演你们与父母之间的那种糟糕的关系。这一切，我们也都忍受了。正如我刚才所说的，这不是为了讨你们的欢心。有一些年轻人只能在同龄人的眼中找到自我，是一些愚昧无知的人，竟然肤浅到以为教授们关心的不是教育，而是自己的人缘。实际上，很少有教授在乎这类年轻人是否喜欢他们。我们容忍这一切，只是为了摆脱你们。摒弃我们在教学中给你们造成的这些假象，投身到真实的生活中去吧。