Lesson 22 Knowledge and progress

第二十二课知识和进步

   G.N.M.TYRRELL

form The Personality of Man

22-1. Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world?

【译文】在现代世界上为何进步这个概念显得这么突出，这么令人不安？

【讲解】loom的基本词义是appear in an unusually large shape（以庞然大物的形状出现在前面）。这是该词的指示意义（denotation），但是该词还有其内涵意义（connotation），即appear great and very worrying in the mind（出现在人们心目中既重大又令人不安），或appear indistinctly and in a threatening way（隐约地、威胁性地出现在前面）。这里可以举两个例子来进一步说明loom的含义和用法。学生害怕考试，可以说The examinations are looming large in the students’minds.（考试在学生心目中显得既重要，又令人担心。）战争对人类构成威胁，因此也可以说War loomed large in peope’s minds.（战争在人们心目中显得既重大，又具有威胁性。）由此可见，在Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world? 这句中作者对所谓的“进步”（progress）概念持谴责态度。

【单词和短语】

loom large：赫然耸现，显得突出或严重（to seem important,worrying, and difficult to avoid），例如：

Of all the shows I did，this onelooms largest in my mind.

在我演过的所有节目中，这一个印象最突出。

22-2. Surely progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us and is becoming more and more manifest.

【译文】当然是因为有种特殊的进步确实正出现在我们周围，而且变得越来越明显。

【单词和短语】

manifest：显然的，明白无误的，明了的（plain and easy to see），例如：

manifest superiority 明显的优势

It was manifest to all of us that he would fail.

他要失败，这点对我们大家来说是显而易见的。

22-3. Although mankind has undergone no general improvement in intelligence or morality, it has made extraordinary progress in the accumulation of knowledge.

【译文】虽然人类在智力或道德方面没有普遍提高，但在知识积累方面却取得了非凡进步。

【讲解】has undergone no general improvement in中，no（或not）置于行为动词后是种古旧用法，现多用于庄重文体或谚语和诗歌中，例如：

A rolling stone gathers no mass. 滚石不生苔。

I know not what he is going to say. 我不知他打算说些什么。

【单词和短语】

accumulation的动词形式是accumulate。

22-4. Knowledge began to increase as soon as the thoughts of one individual could be communicated to another by means of speech.

【译文】人的思想一旦能用语言传达给别人，知识就开始增长了。

【单词和短语】

by means of：用，依靠（using a particular method or system），例如：

lift a weight by means of a lever 用杠杆举起重物

He succeeded by means perseverance. 他靠坚忍不拔的毅力成功。

22-5. With the invention of writing, a great advance was made, for knowledge could then be not only communicated but also stored.

【译文】随着书写的发明，又迈进了一大步，因为这样一来知识不仅能交流而且能储存了。

【讲解】with是“由于”之意。

22-6. Libraries made education possible, and education in its turn added to libraries: the growth of knowledge followed a kind of compound interest law, which was greatly enhanced by the invention of printing.

【译文】图书馆使教育成为可能，教育反过来又丰富了图书馆：知识的增长遵循着“复利法则”。印刷术的发明又大大提高了知识增长的速度。

【讲解】compound interest law即复利法则，又称雪球法则，意即利滚利，增长速度极快。作者认为知识的积累亦如是。

22-7. All this was comparatively slow until, with the coming of science, the tempo was suddenly raised.

【译文】所有这些发展都比较缓慢，直到出现了科学，其速度才突然加快。

【讲解】with是“随着”之意。

22-8. Then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic plan.

【译文】于是，知识便开始有系统有计划地积累起来。

22-9. The trickle became a stream; the stream has now become a torrent.

【译文】涓涓细流汇成小溪，小溪现已成了奔腾的江河。

【讲解】本句是暗喻（metaphor）句，作者把knowledge先后比作trickle 、stream和torrent，这是类比手法。

22-10. Moreover, as soon as new knowledge is acquired, it is now turned to practical account.

【译文】而且，新知识一经获得便得到实际应用。

【讲解】now意为“立刻”。

【单词和短语】

account：理由，根据，考虑（consideration），例如：

On this account it is best to do so.

因为这个缘故，最好就这么干。

22-11. What is called 'modern civilization' is not the result of a balanced development of all man's nature，but of accumulated knowledge applied to practical life.

【译文】所谓“现代文明”不是全人类的本性平衡发展的结果，而是积累起来的知识应用于实际生活中的结果。

【讲解】what is called 'modern civilization'作主语。of accumulated knowledge applied to practical life作result的定语。applied to practical life是过去分词短语，作knowledge的定语。

22-12. The problem now facing humanity is: What is going to be done with all this knowledge?

【译文】现在人类面临的问题是：打算用这些知识干什么？

【讲解】now facing humanity作problem的定语。What is going to be done with all this knowledge?作problem的同位语，is后的冒号引出同位语。

22-12. As is so often pointed out, knowledge is a two-edged weapon which can be used equally for good or evil.

【译文】正像人们常指出的，知识是双重性的武器，既可造福，亦可为害。

【讲解】as是关系代词，代表knowledge is…for good or evil，作主语。

22-13. It is now being used indifferently for both.

【译文】现在人们正漫不经心地把知识用于这两方面。

【单词和短语】

indifferently的形容词形式是indifferent，名词形式是indifference。

indifferent：不感兴趣的，不关心的，冷淡的，冷漠的，不在乎的，不计较的（not at all interested in someone or something），例如：

I am absolutely indifferent to his talk.

我对这番讲话全然不感兴趣。

be indifferent to the miseries endured by the disadvantaged

对弱势群体所受痛苦漠不关心

His eyes assumed a weary, indifferent look

他眼中露出一种厌倦而满不在乎的神色。

22-14. Could any spectacle, for instance, be more grimly whimsical than that of gunners using science to shatter men’s bodies while close at hand，surgeons use it to restore them？

【译文】例如：炮手利用科学毁坏人的身体，而外科医生就在附近用科学抢救被炮手毁坏的人体，还有什么情景比这更可怕、更怪诞的吗？

【讲解】本句是修辞疑问句（rhetorical question），这种句子形式上是疑问句，实际起加强语气的陈述句作用。具体言之，肯定的修辞疑问句像强烈的否定句，而否定的修辞疑问句像强烈的肯定句。例如：

Is that a reason for despair？

难道那是绝望的理由吗？（意即“那根本不是绝望的理由。”）

Is no one going to defend me?

难道没有人准备为我辩护吗？（意即“肯定有人要为我辩护。”）

that代指spectacle以避免重复。using science to shatter men’s bodies是动名词短语，作of的宾语，其逻辑主语是gunners。close at hand作状语修饰use。it指science。them指men’s bodies。

【单词和短语】

由grimly联想到grimace（鬼脸，怪相）。

whimsical的名词形式是whimsicality。

22-15. We have to ask ourselves very seriously what will happen if this twofold use of knowledge, with its ever-increasing power, continues.

【译文】我们不得不严肃地问问自己：知识的力量与日俱增，如果我们继续利用知识的这种双重性，将会出现何种情况呢？

【讲解】with its ever-increasing power作knowledge的非限制性定语，its指knowledge’s。