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大学英语精读第二册 Unit Three:Lesson from Jefferson

时间:2005-04-20 16:00:00

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(单词翻译)

TEXT

Jefferson died long ago, but may of his ideas still of great interest to us.

Lessons from Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, may be less famous than George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but most people remember at last one fact about him: he wrote the Declaration1 of Independence.
Although Jefferson lived more than 200 years ago, there is much that we learn from him today. Many of his ideas are especially interesting to modern youth. Here are some of the things he said and wrote:
Go and see. Jefferson believed that a free man obtains knowledge from many sources besides books and that personal investigation2 is important. When still a young man, he was appointed to a committee to find out whether the South Branch of the James River was deep enough to be used by large boats. While the other members of the committee sat in the state capitol and studied papers on the subject, Jefferson got into a canoe and made on-the-spot-observations.
You can learn from everyone. By birth and by education Jefferson belonged to the highest social class. Yet, in a day when few noble persons ever spoke3 to those of humble4 origins except to give an order, Jefferson went out of his way to talk with gardeners, servants, and waiters. Jefferson once said to the French nobleman, Lafayette, "You must go into the people's homes as I have done, look into their cooking pots and eat their bread. If you will only do this, you may find out why people are dissatisfied and understand the revolution that is threatening France."
Judge for yourself. Jefferson refused to accept other people's opinions without careful thought. "Neither believe nor reject anything," he wrote to his nephew, "because any other person has rejected or believed it. Heaved5 has given you a mind for judging truth and error. Use it."
Jefferson felt that the people "may safely be trusted to hear everything true and false, and to form a correct judgment6. Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."
Do what you believe is right. In a free country there will always be conflicting ideas, and this is a source of strength. It is conflict and not unquestioning agreement that keeps freedom alive. Though Jefferson was for many years the object of strong criticism, he never answered his critics. He expressed his philosophy in letters to a friend, "There are two sides to every question. If you take one side with decision and on it with effect, those who take the other side will of course resent7 your actions."
Trust the future; trust the young. Jefferson felt that the present should never be chained to customs which have lost their usefulness. "No society," he said, "can make a perpetual8 constitution, or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs to the living generation." He did not fear new ideas, nor did he fear the future. "How much pain," he remarked, "has been caused by evils which have never happened! I expect the best, not the worst. I steer9 my ship with hope, leaving fear behind."
Jefferson's courage and idealism were based on knowledge. He probably knew more than any other man of his age. He was an expert in agriculture, archeology, and medicine. He practiced crop rotation10 and soil conservation a century before these became standard practice, and he invented a plow11 superior to any other in existence. He influenced architecture throughout America, and he was constantly producing devices for making the tasks of ordinary life easier to perform.
Of all Jefferson's many talents, one is central. He was above all a good and tireless writer. His complete works, now being published for the first time, will fill more than fifty volumes. His talent as an author was soon discovered, and when the time came to write the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia in 1776, the task of writing it was his. Millions have thrilled to his words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…"
When Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American independence, he left his countrymen a rich legacy12 of ideas and examples. American education owes a great debt to Thomas Jefferson, Who believed that only a nation of educated people could remain free.

NEW WORDS

declaration
n. document containing an open public announcement 宣言
independence
n. freedom from the control of others 独立
obtain
vt. get through effort 获得
source
n. place from which sth. comes; place where a river starts (来)源;源头
personal
a. done in person; belonging to a person 亲自的;个人的
investigation
n. detailed13 or careful examination 调查
investigate
vt.
appoint
vt. put (sb.) in a position 任命
appointment
n.
committee
n. a group of people chosen for special duties 委员会
capitol
n. (美国)州议会大厦
canoe
n. light boat moved by a paddle 独木舟
on-the-spot
a. at the place of the action 现场的
humble
a. low in position 地位低下的
origin
n. parentage; birth; beginning 血统;出身;起源
gardener
n. person who works in a garden either for pay or as a hobby 园丁
waiter
n. person who serves food to the tables in a restaurant (男)侍者
nobleman
n. 贵族
dissatisfy
vt. hang over dangerously; utter a threat against 使不满
threaten
vt. hang over dangerously; utter a threat against 威胁
threat
n.
reject
vt. refuse to take, believe, use of consider 拒绝
rejection
n.
nephew
n. the son of one's brother or sister
error
n. mistake; sth. done wrongly
false
a. not true or correct
judgment
n. opinion 判断, 看法
hesitate
vi. feel doubtful; be undecided 犹豫,迟疑不决
hesitation
n.
prefer
vt. like better; choose (one thing) rather than (another) 更喜欢;宁愿
preference
n.
latter
a. nearer to the end 后面的;后半的
n. the second of two persons or things just spoken of 后者
conflict
n. be opposed; clash14 冲突
n. disagreement; clash; fight
unquestioning
a. given or done without question or doubt
agreement
n. having the same opinion(s); thinking in the same way 同意;一致的
criticism
n. unfavourable remarks of judgments15 批评
critic
n. person who makes judgments about the good and bad qualities of sth.; person who points out mistakes 评论家;批评者
criticize
vt.
philosophy
n. 哲学
resent
vt. feel angry or bitter at 对...忿恨;对...不满
action
n. the process of doing things; sth. done 行动过程;行动
custom
n. 习惯,风俗
perpetual
a. never-ending; going on for a long time or without stopping 永恒的;连续不断的
constitution
n. 宪法;章程
living
a. alive now 活(着)的
remark
vt. say; comment 说;评论说
n. 话语;评论
evil
n. sth. bad; sin 邪恶,罪恶
a. very bad 邪恶的,坏的
idealism
n. 理想主义;唯心主义
arch(a)eology
n. study of ancient things, esp. remains16 of prehistoric17 times 考古学
rotation
n. 轮作;旋转
rotate18
v.
conservation
n. protecting from loss of from being used up 保护;保存
conserve
vt.
superior
a. good or better in quality or value 较好的;优的
superiority
n.
existence
n. the state of existing 存在
influence
vt. have an effect on 影响
architecture
n. art and science of building 建筑术;建筑学
constantly
ad. continuously; frequently 不断地;经常地
constant
a.
perform
vt. do, carry out 做,履行
talent
n. special natural ability 才能,天资
central
a. chief; main; most important 主要的
tireless
a. never or rarely getting tired
writer
n. a person who writes esp. as a way of earning money 作家
publish
vt. have (a book, etc.) printed and put on sale 出版
volume
n. book, esp. one of a set of books 卷;册
thrill
vi. have a very exciting feeling 非常激动
self-evident
a. clear without proof 不言而喻的
create
vt. make (sth. that has not been made before) 创造
creation
n.
anniversary
n. the yearly return of a special date 周年纪念日
countryman
n. a person from one's own country 周胞
legacy
n. sth. that one person leaves to another when he dies 遗产
owe
vt. 欠(债等);应把...归功于
debt
n. something owed to someone else 债(务)
educate
vt. train; teach how to read, write, think, etc.

PHRASES & EXPRESSIONS

go out of one's way (to do sth.)
take particular trouble; make a special effort 特地
leave...to
leave sb. in charge of 交托,委托
act on
act according to 按照...行事
leave behind
abandon; fall to take or bring 丢弃;留下,忘带
in existence
existing 存在
above all
most important of all 首先,尤其是

PROPER NAMES

Bruce Bilven
布鲁斯.布利文
Thomas Jefferson
托马斯.杰斐逊
George Washington
乔治.华盛顿
Abraham Lincoln
亚伯拉罕.林肯
the Declaration of Independence
《独立宣言》
the James River
詹姆斯河
Lafayette
拉斐特
France
法国
Heaven
上帝;天堂
Philadelphia
费城(美国港市)



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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 declaration rxrxj     
n.宣布,宣告,宣言,声明(书),申报
参考例句:
  • We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
  • At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。
2 investigation MRKzq     
n.调查,调查研究
参考例句:
  • In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
  • He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
3 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
4 humble ddjzU     
adj.谦卑的,恭顺的;地位低下的;v.降低,贬低
参考例句:
  • In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见,他将在选举中获胜。
  • Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。
5 heaved 3d255da00c17a8baeb5a081ade1f8161     
v.举( heave的过去式和过去分词 );拉;扔;抛
参考例句:
  • The poor child has heaved up her dinner again. 那个可怜的孩子又把吃下的饭吐了出来。
  • All afternoon we heaved bales of hay up onto the truck. 整个下午我们把一捆捆干草扔上卡车。
6 judgment e3xxC     
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见
参考例句:
  • The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
  • He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。
7 resent wsqyu     
v.对...表示忿恨,对...怨恨
参考例句:
  • I resent his dictatorial manner.我痛恨他的独断作风。
  • I resent comments on the impracticality of small cars.我反对说小骄车不实用的说法。
8 perpetual h3Mz2     
adj.永久的,长期的,无休止的
参考例句:
  • He is on a perpetual search for truth.他毕生在寻求真理。
  • The wind and the water were carrying on their perpetual quarrel.风和海水正进行着它们那永无休止的争吵。
9 steer 5u5w3     
vt.驾驶,为…操舵;引导;vi.驾驶
参考例句:
  • If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车,我就来驾车。
  • It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。
10 rotation LXmxE     
n.旋转;循环,轮流
参考例句:
  • Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
  • The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。
11 plow eu5yE     
n.犁,耕地,犁过的地;v.犁,费力地前进[英]plough
参考例句:
  • At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
  • We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后,我们将马上耕田。
12 legacy 59YzD     
n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西
参考例句:
  • They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
  • He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。
13 detailed xuNzms     
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的
参考例句:
  • He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
  • A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。
14 clash hOfzg     
vi.冲突,不协调,砰地相撞;n.冲突,不协调
参考例句:
  • There is a clash between two classes at 2 p.m. on Thursday.星期四下午两点有两堂课是冲突的。
  • The pot came down on the stone floor with a clash.锅“当”地一声掉到石地上。
15 judgments 2a483d435ecb48acb69a6f4c4dd1a836     
判断( judgment的名词复数 ); 鉴定; 评价; 审判
参考例句:
  • A peculiar austerity marked his judgments of modern life. 他对现代生活的批评带着一种特殊的苛刻。
  • He is swift with his judgments. 他判断迅速。
16 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。
17 prehistoric sPVxQ     
adj.(有记载的)历史以前的,史前的,古老的
参考例句:
  • They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
  • It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。
18 rotate 8Cnzk     
v.(使)旋转,转动;使轮流
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked the patient to rotate his eyes.医生叫病人转动一下眼球。
  • You can rotate the wheel with your hand.你可以用手转动轮子。

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