大学英语精读第二册16单元课文原文教程文件Word格式文档下载.docx

大学英语精读第二册16单元课文原文教程文件Word格式文档下载.docx

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IfirstheardthistaleinIndia,whereitistoldasiftrue—thoughanynaturalistwouldknowitcouldn’tbe.LatersomeonetoldmethatthestoryappearedinamagazineshortlybeforetheFirstWorldWar.Thatmagazinestory,andthepersonwhowroteit,Ihaveneverbeenabletotrackdown.

ThecountryisIndia.Acolonialofficialandhiswifearegivingalargedinnerparty.Theyareseatedwiththeirguests—officersandtheirwives,andavisitingAmericannaturalist—intheirspaciousdiningroom,whichhasabaremarblefloor,openraftersandwideglassdoorsopeningontoaveranda.

Aspiriteddiscussionspringsupbetweenayounggirlwhosaysthatwomenhaveoutgrownthejumping-on-a-chair-at-the-sight-of-a-mouseeraandamajorwhosaysthattheyhaven’t.

“Awoman’sreactioninanycrisis,”themajorsays,“istoscream.Andwhileamanmayfeellikeit,hehasthatouncemoreofcontrolthanawomanhas.Andthatlastounceiswhatreallycounts.”

TheAmericandoesnotjoinintheargumentbutwatchestheotherguests.Ashelooks,heseesastrangeexpressioncomeoverthefaceofthehostess.Sheisstaringstraightahead,hermusclescontractingslightly.Shemotionstothenativeboystandingbehindherchairandwhisperssomethingtohim.Theboy’seyeswiden:

hequicklyleavestheroom.

Oftheguests,noneexcepttheAmericannoticesthisorseestheboyplaceabowlofmilkontheverandajustoutsidetheopendoors.

TheAmericancomestowithastart.InIndia,milkinabowlmeansonlyonething—baitforasnake.Herealizestheremustbeacobraintheroom.Helooksupattherafters—thelikeliestplace—buttheyarebare.Threecornersoftheroomareempty,andinthefourththeservantsarewaitingtoservethenextcourse.Thereisonlyoneplaceleft—underthetable.

Hisfirstimpulseistojumpbackandwarntheothers,butheknowsthecommotionwouldfrightenthecobraintostriking.Hespeaksquickly,thetoneofhisvoicesocommandingthatitsilenceseveryone.

“Iwanttoknowjustwhatcontroleveryoneatthistablehas.Iwillcountthreehundred—that’sfiveminutes—andnotoneofyouistomoveamuscle.Thosewhomovewillforfeit50rupees.Ready!

”

The20peoplesitlikestoneimageswhilehecounts.Heissaying“...twohundredandeighty…”when,outofthecornerofhiseye,heseesthecobraemergeandmakeforthebowlofmilk.Screamsringoutashejumpstoslamtheverandadoorssafelyshut.

“Youwereright,Major!

”thehostexclaims.“Amanhasjustshownusanexampleofperfectself-control.”

“Justaminute,”theAmericansays,turningtohishostess.“Mrs.Wynnes,howdidyouknowthatcobrawasintheroom?

Afaintsmilelightsupthewoman’sfaceasshereplies:

“Becauseitwascrawlingacrossmyfoot.”

第二单元

LessonsfromJefferson

BruceBliven

1ThomasJefferson,thethirdPresidentoftheUnitedStates,maybelessfamousthanGeorgeWashingtonandAbrahamLincoln,butmostpeoplerememberatleastonefactabouthim:

hewrotetheDeclarationofIndependence.

2AlthoughJeffersonlivedmorethan200yearsago,thereismuchthatwecanlearnfromhimtoday.Manyofhisideasareespeciallyinterestingtomodernyouth.Herearesomeofthethingshesaidandwrote:

3Goandsee.Jeffersonbelievedthatafreemanobtainsknowledgefrommanysourcesbesidesbooksandthatpersonalinvestigationisimportant.Whenstillayoungman,hewasappointedtoacommitteetofindoutwhethertheSouthBranchoftheJamesRiverwasdeepenoughtobeusedbylargeboats.Whiletheothermembersofthecommitteesatinthestatecapitolandstudiedpapersonthesubject,Jeffersongotintoacanoeandmadeon-the-spotobservations.

4Youcanlearnfromeveryone.BybirthandbyeducationJeffersonbelongedtothehighestsocialclass.Yet,inadaywhenfewnoblepersonseverspoketothoseofhumbleoriginsexcepttogiveanorder,Jeffersonwentoutofhiswaytotalkwithgardeners,servants,andwaiters.JeffersononcesaidtotheFrenchnobleman,Lafayette,“Youmustgointothepeople’shomesasIhavedone,lookintotheircookingpotsandeattheirbread.Ifyouwillonlydothis,youmayfindoutwhypeoplearedissatisfiedandunderstandtherevolutionthatisthreateningFrance.”

5Judgeforyourself.Jeffersonrefusedtoacceptotherpeople’sopinionswithoutcarefulthought.“Neitherbelievenorrejectanything,”hewrotetohisnephew,“becauseanyotherpersonhasrejectedorbelievedit.Heavenhasgivenyouamindforjudgingtruthanderror.Useit.”

6Jeffersonfeltthatthepeople“maysafelybetrustedtoheareverythingtrueandfalse,andtoformacorrectjudgment.Wereitlefttometodecidewhetherweshouldhaveagovernmentwithoutnewspapersornewspaperswithoutagovernment,Ishouldnothesitateamomenttopreferthelatter.”

7Dowhatyoubelieveisright.Inafreecountrytherewillalwaysbeconflictingideas,andthisisasourceofstrength.Itisconflictandnotunquestioningagreementthatkeepsfreedomalive.ThoughJeffersonwasformanyyearstheobjectofstrongcriticism,heneveransweredhiscritics.Heexpressedhisphilosophyinletterstoafriend,“Therearetwosidestoeveryquestion.Ifyoutakeonesidewithdecisionandactonitwitheffect,thosewhotaketheothersidewillofcourseresentyouractions.”

8Trustthefuture;

trusttheyoung.Jeffersonfeltthatthepresentshouldneverbechainedtocustomswhichhavelosttheirusefulness.“Nosociety,”hesaid,“canmakeaperpetualconstitution,orevenaperpetuallaw.Theearthbelongstothelivinggeneration.”Hedidnotfearnewideas,nordidhefearthefuture.”Howmuchpain,”heremarked,“hasbeencausedbyevilswhichhaveneverhappened!

Iexpectthebest,nottheworst.Isteermyshipwithhope,leavingfearbehind.”

9Jefferson’scourageandidealismwerebasedonknowledge.Heprobablyknewmorethananyothermanofhisage.Hewasanexpertinagriculture,archeology,andmedicine.Hepracticedcroprotationandsoilconservationacenturybeforethesebecamestandardpractice,andheinventedaplowsuperiortoanyotherinexistence.HeinfluencedarchitecturethroughoutAmerica,andhewasconstantlyproducingdevicesformakingthetasksofordinarylifeeasiertoperform.

10OfallJefferson’smanytalents,oneiscentral.Hewasaboveallagoodandtirelesswriter.Hiscompleteworks,nowbeingpublishedforthefirsttime,willfillmorethanfiftyvolumes.Histalentasanauthorwassoondiscovered,andwhenthetimecametowritetheDeclarationofIndependenceatPhiladelphiain1776,thetaskofwritingitwashis.Millionshavethrilledtohiswords:

“Weholdthesetruthstobeself-evident,thatallmenarecreatedequal...”

11WhenJeffersondiedonJuly4,1826,the50thanniversaryofAmericanindependence,helefthiscountrymenarichlegacyofideasandexamples.AmericaneducationowesagreatdebttoThomasJefferson,whobelievedthatonlyanationofeducatedpeoplecouldremainfree.

第三单元

MyFirstJob

RobertBest

WhileIwaswaitingtoenteruniversity,IsawadvertisedinalocalnewspaperateachingpostataschoolinasuburbofLondonabouttenmilesfromwhereIlived.Beingveryshortofmoneyandwantingtodosomethinguseful,Iapplied,fearingasIdidso,thatwithoutadegreeandwithnoexperienceinteachingmychancesofgettingthejobwereslim.

However,threedayslateraletterarrived,askingmetogotoCroydonforaninterview.Itprovedanawkwardjourney:

atraintoCroydonstation;

aten-minutebusrideandthenawalkofatleastaquarterofamile.AsaresultIarrivedonahotJunemorningtoodepressedtofeelnervous.

Theschoolwasaredbrickhousewithbigwindows.Thefrontgardenwasagravelsquare;

fourevergreenshrubsstoodateachcorner,wheretheystruggledtosurvivethedustandfumesfromabusymainroad.

Itwasclearlytheheadmasterhimselfthatopenedthedoor.Hewasshortandfat.Hehadasandy-colouredmoustache,awrinkledforeheadandhardlyanyhair.

Helookedatmewithanairofsurpriseddisapproval,asacolonelmightlookataprivatewhosebootlaceswereundone.‘Ahyes,’hegrunted.‘You’dbettercomeinside.’Thenarrow,sunlesshallsmelledunpleasantlyofstalecabbage;

thewallsweredirtywithinkmarks;

itwasallsilent.Hisstudy,judgingbythecrumbsonthecarpet,wasalsohisdining-room.‘You’dbettersitdown,’hesaid,andproceededtoaskmeanumberofquestions:

whatsubjectsIhadtakeninmyGeneralSchoolCertificate;

howoldIwas;

whatgamesIplayed;

thenfixingmesuddenlywithhisbloodshoteyes,heaskedmewhetherIthoughtgameswereavitalpartofaboy’seducation.Imumbledsomethingaboutnotattachingtoomuchimportancetothem.Hegrunted.Ihadsaidthewrongthing.TheheadmasterandIobviouslyhadverylittleincommon.

Theschool,hesaid,consistedofoneclassoftwenty-fourboys,ranginginagefromseventothirteen.Ishouldhavetoteachallsubjectsexceptart,whichhetaughthimself.FootballandcricketwereplayedinthePark,amileawayonWednesdayandSaturdayafternoons.

Theteachingset-upfilledmewithfear.Ishouldhavetodividetheclassintothreegroupsandteachtheminturnatthreedifferentlevels;

andIwasdismayedatthethoughtofteachingalgebraandgeometry—twosubjectsatwhichIhadbeencompletelyincompetentatschool.WorseperhapswastheideaofSaturdayafternooncricket;

mostofmyfriendswouldbeenjoyingleisureatthattime.

Isaidshyly,‘Whatwouldmysalarybe?

’‘Twelvepoundsaweekpluslunch.’BeforeIcouldprotest,hegottohisfeet.‘Now’,hesaid,‘you’dbettermeetmywife.She’stheonewho