大学英语5 第5课.docx

大学英语5 第5课.docx

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大学英语5第5课

大学英语精读第五册05

大耳朵英语　　2005-09-3000:

40:

16　【打印】

UNIT5

TEXT

Astheauthorpointsoutbelow,thesuccessofsciencehaslesstodowithaparticularmethodthanwithanessentialattitudeofthescientist.Thisattitudeisessentiallyoneofinquiry,experimentationandhumilitybeforethefacts.Therefore,agoodscientistisanhonestone.Truescientistsdonotbowtoanyauthoritybuttheyareeverreadytomodifyorevenabandontheirideasifadequateevidenceisfoundcontradictingthem.Scientists,theydoplaceahighvalueonhonesty.

ScienceandtheScientificAttitude

byPaulG.Hewitt

Scienceisthebodyofknowledgeaboutnaturethatrepresentsthecollectiveefforts,insights,findings,andwisdomofthehumanrace.Scienceisnotsomethingnewbuthaditsbeginningsbeforerecordedhistorywhenhumansfirstdiscoveredreoccurringrelationshipsaroundthem.Throughcarefulobservationsoftheserelationships,theybegantoknownatureand,becauseofnature'sdependability,foundtheycouldmakepredictionstoenablesomecontrolovertheirsurroundings.

Sciencemadeitsgreatestheadwayinthesixteenthcenturywhenpeoplebeganaskinganswerablequestionsaboutnature—whentheybeganreplacingsuperstitionbyasystematicsearchfororder—whenexperimentinadditiontologicwasusedtotestideas.Wherepeopleoncetriedtoinfluencenaturaleventswithmagicandsupernaturalforces,theynowhadsciencetoguidethem.Advancewasslow,however,becauseofthepowerfuloppositiontoscientificmethodsandideas.

Inabout1510Copernicussuggestedthatthesunwasstationaryandthattheearthrevolvedaboutthesun.Herefutedtheideathattheearthwasthecenteroftheuniverse.Afteryearsofhesitation,hepublishedhisfindingsbutdiedbeforehisbookwascirculated.HisbookwasconsideredhereticalanddangerousandwasbannedbytheChurchfor200years.AcenturyafterCopernicus,themathematicianBrunowasburnedatthestake—largelyforsupportingCopernicus,suggestingthesuntobeastar,andsuggestingthatspacewasinfinite.GalileowasimprisonedforpopularizingtheCopernicantheoryandforhisothercontributionstoscientificthought.Yetacoupleofcenturieslater,Copernicanadvocatesseemedharmless.

Thishappensageafterage.Intheearly1800sgeologistsmetwithviolentcondemnationbecausetheydifferedwiththeGenesisaccountofcreation.Laterinthesamecentury,geologywassafe,buttheoriesofevolutionwerecondemnedandtheteachingofthemforbidden.Thismostlikelycontinues."Ateverycrosswayontheroadthatleadstothefuture,eachprogressivespiritisopposedbyathousandmenappointedtoguardthepast."Everyagehasoneormoregroupsofintellectualrebelswhoarepersecuted,condemned,orsuppressedatthetime;buttoalaterage,theyseemharmlessandoftenessentialtotheelevationofhumanconditions.

Theenormoussuccessofsciencehasledtothegeneralbeliefthatscientistshavedevelopedandateemployinga"method"—amethodthatisextremelyeffectiveingaining,organizing,andapplyingnewknowledge.Galileo,famousscientistofthe1600s,isusuallycreditedwithbeingthe"FatheroftheScientificMethod."Hismethodisessentiallyasfollows:

1.Recognizeaproblem.

2.Guessananswer.

3.Predicttheconsequencesoftheguess.

4.Performexperimentstotestpredictions.

5.Formulatethesimplesttheoryorganizesthethreemainingredients:

guess,prediction,experimentaloutcome.

Althoughthiscookbookmethodhasacertainappeal,tohasnotbeenthekeytomostofthebreakthroughsanddiscoveriesinscience.Trialanderror,experimentationwithoutguessing,accidentaldiscovery,andothermethodsaccountformuchoftheprogressinscience.Ratherthanaparticularmethod,thesuccessofsciencehasmoretodowithanattitudecommontoscientists.Thisattitudeisessentiallyoneofinquiry,experimentation,andhumilitybeforethefacts.Ifascientistholdsanideatobetrueandfindsanycounterevidencewhatever,theideaiseithermodifiedorabandoned.Inthescientificspirit,theideamustbemodifiedorabandonedinspiteofthereputationofthepersonadvocatingit.Asanexample,thegreatlyrespectedGreekphilosopherAristotlesaidthatfallingbodiesfallataspeedproportionaltotheirweight.Thisfalseideawasheldtobetrueformorethan2,000yearsbecauseofAristotle'simmenseauthority.Inthescientificspirit,however,asingleverifiableexperimenttothecontraryoutweighsanyauthority,regardlessofreputationorthenumberoffollowersandadvocates.

Scientistsmustacceptfactsevenwhentheywouldlikethemtobedifferent.Theymuststrivetodistinguishbetweenwhattheyseeandwhattheywishtosee—forhumanity'scapacityforself-deceptionisvast.Peoplehavetraditionallytendedtoadoptgeneralrules,beliefs,creeds,theories,andideaswithoutthoroughlyquestioningtheirvalidityandtoretainthemlongaftertheyhavebeenshowntobemeaningless,false,oratleastquestionable.Themostwidespreadassumptionsaretheleastquestioned.Mostoften,whenanideaisadopted,particularattentionisgiventocasesthatseemtosupportit,whilecasesthatseemtorefuteitaredistorted,belittled,orignored.Wefeeldeeplythatitisasignofweaknessto"changeoutminds."Competentscientists,however,mustbeexpertatchangingtheirminds.Thisisbecausescienceseeksnottodefendourbeliefsbuttoimprovethem.Bettertheoriesaremadebythosewhoarenothunguponprevailingones.

Awayfromtheirprofession,scientistsareinherentlynomorehonestorethicalthanotherpeople.Butintheirprofessiontheyworkinanarenathatputsahighpremiumonhonesty.Thecardinalruleinscienceisthatallclaimsmustbetestable—theymustbecapable,atleastinprinciple,ofbeingprovedwrong.Forexample,ifsomeoneclaimsthatacertainprocedurehasacertainresult,itmustinprinciplebepossibletoperformaprocedurethatwilleitherconfirmorcontradicttheclaim.Ifconfirmed,thentheclaimisregardedasusefulandastepping-stonetofurtherknowledge.Noneofushasthetimeorenergyorresourcestotesteveryclaim,somostofthetimewemusttakesomebody'sword.However,wemusthavesomecriterionfordecidingwhetheroneperson'swordisasgoodasanother'sandwhetheroneclaimisasgoodasanother.Thecriterion,again,isthattheclaimmustbetestable.Toreducethelikelihoodoferror,scientistsacceptthewordonlyofthosewhoseideas,theories,andfindingsaretestable—ifnotinpracticethenatleastinprinciple.Speculationsthatcannotbetestedareregardedas"unscientific."Thishasthelong-runeffectofcompellinghonesty—findingswidelypublicizedamongfellowscientistsaregenerallysubjectedtofurthertesting.Soonerorlater,mistake（andlies）areboundtobefoundout;wishfulthinkingisboundtobeexposed.Thehonestysoimportanttotheprogressofsciencethusbecomesamatterofself-interesttoscientists.

NEWWORDS

represent

vt.beasignorsymbolof;actfor代表

collective

a.oforsharedbyagroupofpeople集体的

insight

n.thepowerofusingone'smindtoseeorunderstandthetruenatureofasituation洞察力

wisdom

n.intelligenceandgoodjudgment智慧

reoccur

vi.occuragain

dependability

n.reliability,trustworthiness

prediction

n.theactofpredictingorsth.predicted预测

headway

n.motionforward;progress

answerable

n.abletobeanswered

replace

vt.takeorfilltheplaceof

superstition

n.abelieforpracticebasedonignorance,faithinmagicorchance迷信

systematic

a.of,havingorusingasystem;carriedoutaccordingtoasystem

supernatural

n.outsideoforbeyondthenaturalworld超自然的

opposition

n.theactorconditionofopposing;resistance

stationary

a.notmovingorchanging;notcapableofbeingmoved

hesitation

n.theactofhesitating

publish

vt.printandofferforsale

circulate

v.（causeto）spreadwidely;moveorsendaround传播，（使）流传，（使）循环

heretical

a.（ofopinion）opposedtoestablishedbeliefsorstandards异端的

ban

vt.forbidbylawordecree

largely

ad.forthemostpart;mainly

infinite

a.havingorseemingtohavenolimits;endless;verylarge

imprison

vt.putinprison

popularize

v.causetobewellknowandgenerallylikedorused;make（adifficultsubject）easilyunderstandabletoordinarypeople使普及；推广

geologist

n.apersonwhoknowsmuchaboutgeology地质学家

violent

a.having,showing,orresultingfromgreatphysicalforce;showingorhavingstrongfeelings强暴的；猛烈的

condemnation

n.expressstrongdisapprovalof,pronounceguiltyofcrimeorwrong谴责；宣告...有罪

condemnation

n.

genesis

n.thebeginningororigin:

（G-）thefirstbookoftheOldTestament起源;（《旧约全书》第一卷）《创世纪》

geology

n.thestudyoforigin,structure,andhistoryoftheearth地质学

evolution

n.slow,gradualdevelopment;thescientifictheorythatalllivingthingsdevelopedveryslowlyovermillionsofyearsfromsimplerformsoflife进化（论）

crossway

n.crossroad;aroadthatcrossesanother

progressive

a.movingforwardstepbystep;favoringorpromotingimprovementorreform

appoint

vt.nameforanoffice,dutyorposition指定，任命

rebel

n.apersonwhoresistsoropposesauthority反叛者

persecute

vt.treatcontinuallyinacruelway,esp.becauseofpoliticalorreligiousbeliefs迫害

suppress

vt.stoporputdownbyforce;keepin,holdback镇压；抑制

essential

a.veryimportant;vital

elevation

n.theactofraisingtoahigherplaceorposition

elevate

vt.

effective

a.abletobringaboutadesiredresult;beinginforceoroperation

credit

vt.（with）believethat（sb.