现代大学英语精读2课文Word文档格式.docx

现代大学英语精读2课文Word文档格式.docx

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Icameheretobeapharmacist.WhydoIhavetoreadthisstuff"

Andnothavingabookofhisowntopointto,hepointedtominewhichwaslyingonthedesk.

NewasIwastothefaculty,Icouldhavetoldthisspecimenanumberofthings.Icouldhavepointedoutthathehadenrolled,notinadrugstore-mechanicsschool,butinacollegeandthatattheendofhiscoursemeanttoreachforascrollthatreadBachelorofScience.Itwouldnotread:

QualifiedPill-GrindingTechnician.Itwouldcertifythathehadspecializedinpharmacy,butitwouldfurthercertifythathehadbeenexposedtosomeoftheideasmankindhasgeneratedwithinitshistory.Thatistosay,hehadnotenteredatechnicaltrainingschoolbutauniversityandinuniversitiesstudentsenrollforbothtrainingandeducation.

Icouldhavetoldhimallthis,butitwasfairlyobvioushewasn'

tgoingtobearoundlongenoughforittomatter.

Nevertheless,IwasyoungandIhadahighsenseofdutyandItriedtoputitthisway:

"

Fortherestofyourlife,"

Isaid,"

yourdaysaregoingtoaverageouttoabouttwenty-fourhours.Theywillbealittleshorterwhenyouareinlove,andalittlelongerwhenyouareoutoflove,buttheaveragewilltendtohold.Foreightofthesehours,moreorless,youwillbeasleep."

"

Thenforabouteighthoursofeachworkingdayyouwill,Ihope,beusefullyemployed.Assumeyouhavegonethroughpharmacyschool—orengineering,orlawschool,orwhatever—duringthoseeighthoursyouwillbeusingyourprofessionalskills.Youwillseetoitthatthecyanidestaysoutoftheaspirin,thatthebulldoesn'

tjumpthefence,orthatyourclientdoesn'

tgototheelectricchairasaresultofyourincompetence.Theseareallusefulpursuits.Theyinvolveskillseverymanmustrespect,andtheycanallbringyoubasicsatisfactions.Alongwitheverythingelse,theywillprobablybewhatputsfoodonyourtable,supportsyourwife,andrearsyourchildren.Theywillbeyourincome,andmayitalwayssuffice."

Buthavingfinishedtheday'

swork,whatdoyoudowiththoseothereighthoursLet'

ssayyougohometoyourfamily.WhatsortoffamilyareyouraisingWillthechildreneverbeexposedtoareasonablypenetratingideaathomeWillyoubepresidingoverafamilythatmaintainssomecontactwiththegreatdemocraticintellectWilltherebeabookinthehouseWilltherebeapaintingareasonablysensitivemancanlookatwithoutshudderingWillthekidsevergettohearBach"

ThatisaboutwhatIsaid,butthisparticularpestwasnotinterested."

youprofessorsraiseyourkidsyourway;

I'

lltakecareofmyown.Me,I'

mouttomakemoney."

Ihopeyoumakealotofit,"

Itoldhim,"

becauseyou'

regoingtobebadlystuckforsomethingtodowhenyou'

renotsigningchecks."

FourteenyearslaterIamstillteaching,andIamheretotellyouthatthebusinessofthecollegeisnotonlytotrainyou,buttoputyouintouchwithwhatthebesthumanmindshavethought.IfyouhavenotimeforShakespeare,forabasiclookatphilosophy,forthecontinuityofthefinearts,forthatlessonofman'

sdevelopmentwecallhistory—thenyouhavenobusinessbeingincollege.Youareonyourwaytobeingthatnewspeciesofmechanizedsavage,thepush-buttonNeanderthal.Ourcollegesinevitablygraduateanumberofsuchlifeforms,butitcannotbesaidthattheywenttocollege;

ratherthecollegewentthroughthem—withoutmakingcontact.

Noonegetstobeahumanbeingunaided.Thereisnottimeenoughinasinglelifetimetoinventforoneselfeverythingoneneedstoknowinordertobeacivilizedhuman.

Assume,forexample,thatyouwanttobeaphysicist.Youpassthegreatstonehallsof,say,M.I.T.,andtherecutintothestonearethenamesofthescientists.Thechancesarethatfew,ifany,ofyouwillleaveyournamestobecutintothosestones.Yetanyofyouwhomanagedtostayawakethroughpartofahighschoolcourseinphysics,knowsmoreaboutphysicsthandidmanyofthosegreatscholarsofthepast.Youknowmorebecausetheyleftyouwhattheyknew,becauseyoucanstartfromwhatthepastlearnedforyou.

Andasthisistrueofthetechniquesofmankind,soitistrueofmankind'

sspiritualresources.Mostoftheseresources,bothtechnicalandspiritual,arestoredinbooks.Booksareman'

speculiaraccomplishment.Whenyouhavereadabook,youhaveaddedtoyourhumanexperience.ReadHomerandyourmindincludesapieceofHomer'

smind.ThroughbooksyoucanacquireatleastfragmentsofthemindandexperienceofVirgil,Dante,Shakespeare—thelistisendless.Foragreatbookisnecessarilyagift;

itoffersyoualifeyouhavenotthetimetoliveyourself,andittakesyouintoaworldyouhavenotthetimetotravelinliteraltime.Acivilizedmindis,inessence,onethatcontainsmanysuchlivesandmanysuchworlds.Ifyouaretoomuchinahurry,ortooarrogantlyproudofyourownlimitations,toacceptasagifttoyourhumanitysomepiecesofthemindsofAristotle,orChaucer,orEinstein,youareneitheradevelopedhumannorausefulcitizenofademocracy.

IthinkitwasLaRochefoucauldwhosaidthatmostpeoplewouldneverfallinloveiftheyhadn'

treadaboutit.Hemighthavesaidthatnoonewouldevermanagetobecomehumaniftheyhadn'

treadaboutit.

Ispeak,I'

msure,forthefacultyoftheliberalartscollegeandforthefacultiesofthespecializedschoolsaswell,whenIsaythatauniversityhasnorealexistenceandnorealpurposeexceptasitsucceedsinputtingyouintouch,bothasspecialistsandashumans,withthosehumanmindsyourhumanmindneedstoinclude.Thefaculty,byitsveryexistence,saysimplicitly:

Wehavebeenaidedbymanypeople,andbymanybooks,inourattempttomakeourselvessomesortofstorehouseofhumanexperience.Weareheretomakeavailabletoyou,asbestwecan,thatexpertise."

Unit2

MaheegunMyBrother

TheyearIfoundMaheegun,springwaslateincoming.Thatday,IwasspearingfishwithmygrandfatherwhenIheardthefaintcryingandfoundtheshiveringwolfcub.

AsIbentdown,hemovedweaklytowardme.Ipickedhimupandputhiminsidemyjacket.LittleMaheegungainedstrengthafterIgotthefirstfewdropsofwarmmilkinhim.Hewiggledandsoonhewasfullandwarm.

Mygrandfatherfinallyagreedtoletmekeephim.

Thatyear,whichwasmy14th,wasthehappiestofmylife.

Notthatwedidn'

thaveourtroubles.Maheegunwasthemostmischievouswolfcubever.Hewascurioustoo.LikelookingintoGrandma'

ssewingbasket—whichheupset,scatteringthreadandbuttonsalloverthefloor.Atsuchtimes,shewouldchasehimoutwithabroomandMaheegunwouldpokehisheadaroundthecorner,waitingforthingstoquietdown.

ThatsummerMaheegunandIbecamehuntingpartners.Wehuntedthegrasshoppersthatleapedaboutlikelittlerockets.Andinthefall,afterthefirstsnowourgamestookustothenearestmeadowsinsearchoffieldmice.Bythen,Maheegunwashalfgrown.Gonewasthepuppy-woolcoat.Initsplacewasahandsomeblackmantle.

ThewintermonthsthatcamesoonafterwerethehappiestIcouldremember.TheybelongedonlytoMaheegunandmyself.Oftenwewouldmakeafireinthebushes.Maheegunwouldlayhisheadbetweenhisfrontpaws,withhiseyesonmeasItoldhimstories.

ItallservedtofogmymindwithpleasuresothatIforgotmyGrandpa'

srepeatedwarnings,andonenightleftMaheegununchained.ThefollowingmorninginsailedMrs.Yesno,wildwithanger,whodemandedMaheegunbeshotbecausehehadkilledherrooster.Thenextmorning,mygrandpaannouncedthatweweregoingtotakeMaheeguntothenorthshack.

Bythetimewereachedthelakewherethetrapper'

sshackstood,Maheegunseemedtohavebecomerestless.Oftenhewouldsitwithhisnosetothesky,turninghisheadthiswayandthatasiftocheckthewind.

Thewarmthofthestovesoonbroughtsleeptome.Butsomethingcausedmetowakeupwithastart.Isatup,andinthemoon-floodedcabinwasmygrandfatherstandingbesideme."

Comeandsee,son,"

whisperedmygrandfather.

Outsidethemoonwasfullandtheworldlookedallwhitewithsnow.Hepointedtoarockthatstoodhighattheedgeofthelake.Onthetopwastheclearoutlineofagreatwolfsittingstill,earspointed,alert,listening.

Maheegun,"

Slowlythewolfraisedhismuzzle."

Oooo-oo-wow-wowoo-oooo!

Thewholewhiteworldthrilledtothatwildcry.Thenafterawhile,fromthedistancecameasoftercallinreply.Maheegunstirred,withthedeeprumbleofpleasureinhisthroat.Heslippeddowntherockandheadedoutacrosstheice.

He'

sgone,"

Isaid.

Yes,he'

sgonetothatyoungshe-wolf."

Mygrandfatherslowlyfilledhispipe."

Hewilltakeherforlife,huntforher,protecther.ThisisthewaytheCreatorplannedlife.Nomancanchangeit."

Itriedtotellmyselfitwasallforthebest,butitwashardtolosemybrother.

ForthenexttwoyearsIwasasbusyasasquirrelstoringnutsforthewinter.ButonceortwicewhenIheardwolfcriesfromdistanthills,IwouldstillwonderifMaheegun,inhisbattleforlife,foundtimetorememberme.

ItwasnotlongafterthatIfo