让人家记下它们公司的名字和借阅的某一本书。他们生怕别的公司的情报人员据此摸到他们可能要 从事的某项科研项目。 Lesson16 The modern city现代城市 In the organization of industrial life the influence of the factory upon the physiological and mental state of the workers has been completely neglected. Modern industry is based on the conception of the maximum production at lowest cost,in order that an individual or a group of individuals may earn as much money as possible.It has expanded without any idea of the true nature of the human beings who run the machines,and without giving any consideration to the effects produced on the individuals and on their descendants by the artificial mode of existence imposed by the factory.The great cities have been built with no regard for us.The shape and dimensions of the skyscrapers depend entirely on the necessity of obtaining the maximum income per square foot of ground,and of offering to the tenants offices and apartments that please them.This caused the construction of gigantic buildings where too large masses of human beings are crowded together. Civilized men like such a way of living.While they enjoy the comfort and banal luxury of their dwelling,they do not realize that they are deprived of the necessities of life.The modern city consists of monstrous edifices and of dark,narrow streets full of petrol fumes and toxic gases,torn by the noise of the taxicabs,lorries and buses, and thronged ceaselessly by great crowds.Obviously,it has not been planned for the good of its inhabitants. 参考译文 在工业生活的组织中，工厂对工人的生理和精神状态的影响完全被忽视了。现代工业的基本概 念是：以最低成本获取最多产品，为的是让某个个人或某一部分人尽可能多地赚钱。现代工业发展 起来了，却根本没想到操作机器的人的本质。工厂把一种人为的生存方式强加给工人，却不顾及这 种生存方式给工人及其后代带来的影响。大城市的建设毫不关心我们。摩天大楼完全是按这样的需 要修建的：每平方英尺地皮取得最大收入和向租房人提供使他满意的办公室和住房。这样就导致了 许多摩天大厦拔地而起，大厦内众多的人挤地一起。文明人喜欢这样一种生活方式。在享受自己住 宅的舒适和庸俗的豪华时，却没有意识到被剥夺了生活所必需的东西。大得吓人的高楼和阴暗狭窄 的街道组成了今日现代化的城市。街道上充斥着汽油味和有毒气体，出租汽车、卡车、公共汽车的 噪音刺耳难忍，络绎不绝的人群挤来挤去。显然，现代化的城市不是这居民的利益而规划的。 Lesson17Aman-made disease人为的疾病 In the early days of the settlement ofAustralia,enterprising settlers unwisely introduced the European rabbit.This rabbit had no natural enemies in the Antipodes, so that it multiplied with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits.It overran a whole continent.It caused devastation by burrowing and by devouring the herbage which might have maintained millions of sheep and cattle.Scientists discovered that this particular variety of rabbit (and apparently no other animal)was susceptible to a fatal virus disease,myxomatosis.By infecting animals and letting them loose in the burrows,local epidemics of this disease could be created.Later it was found that there was a type of mosquito which acted as the carrier of this disease and passed it on to the rabbits.So while the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes,Australiawas encouraging this one.It effectively spread the disease all over the continent and drastically reduced the rabbit population.It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to this disease, so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be completely exterminated.There were hopes,however,that the problem of the rabbit would become manageable. Ironically,Europe,which had bequeathed the rabbit as a pest toAustralia, acquired this man-made disease as a pestilence.A French physician decided to get rid of the wild rabbits on his own estate and introduced myxomatosis.It did not
让人家记下它们公司的名字和借阅的某一本书。他们生怕别的公司的情报人员据此摸到他们可能要 从事的某项科研项目。 Lesson 16 The modern city 现代城市 In the organization of industrial life the influence of the factory upon the physiological and mental state of the workers has been completely neglected. Modern industry is based on the conception of the maximum production at lowest cost, in order that an individual or a group of individuals may earn as much money as possible. It has expanded without any idea of the true nature of the human beings who run the machines, and without giving any consideration to the ef fects produced on the individuals and on their descendants by the artificial mode of existence imposed by the factory. The great cities have been built with no regard for us. The shape and dimensions of the skyscrapers depend entirely on the necessity of obtaining the maximum income per square foot of ground, and of of fering to the tenants of fices and apartments that please them. This caused the construction of gigantic buildings where too large masses of human beings are crowded together. Civilized men like such a way of living. While they enjoy the comfort and banal luxury of their dwelling, they do not realize that they are deprived of the necessities of life. The modern city consists of monstrous edifices and of dark, narrow streets full of petrol fumes and toxic gases, torn by the noise of the taxicabs, lorries and buses, and thronged ceaselessly by great crowds. Obviously, it has not been planned for the good of its inhabitants. 参考译文 在工业生活的组织中，工厂对工人的生理和精神状态的影响完全被忽视了。现代工业的基本概 念是：以最低成本获取最多产品，为的是让某个个人或某一部分人尽可能多地赚钱。现代工业发展 起来了，却根本没想到操作机器的人的本质。工厂把一种人为的生存方式强加给工人，却不顾及这 种生存方式给工人及其后代带来的影响。大城市的建设毫不关心我们。摩天大楼完全是按这样的需 要修建的：每平方英尺地皮取得最大收入和向租房人提供使他满意的办公室和住房。这样就导致了 许多摩天大厦拔地而起，大厦内众多的人挤地一起。文明人喜欢这样一种生活方式。在享受自己住 宅的舒适和庸俗的豪华时，却没有意识到被剥夺了生活所必需的东西。大得吓人的高楼和阴暗狭窄 的街道组成了今日现代化的城市。街道上充斥着汽油味和有毒气体，出租汽车、卡车、公共汽车的 噪音刺耳难忍，络绎不绝的人群挤来挤去。显然，现代化的城市不是这居民的利益而规划的。 Lesson 17 A man-made disease 人为的疾病 In the early days of the settlement ofAustralia, enterprising settlers unwisely introduced the European rabbit. This rabbit had no natural enemies in the Antipodes, so that it multiplied with that promiscuous abandon characteristic of rabbits. It overran a whole continent. It caused devastation by burrowing and by devouring the herbage which might have maintained millions of sheep and cattle. Scientists discovered that this particular variety of rabbit (and apparently no other animal) was susceptible to a fatal virus disease, myxomatosis. By infecting animals and letting them loose in the burrows, local epidemics of this disease could be created. Later it was found that there was a type of mosquito which acted as the carrier of this disease and passed it on to the rabbits. So while the rest of the world was trying to get rid of mosquitoes,Australiawas encouraging this one. It ef fectively spread the disease all over the continent and drastically reduced the rabbit population. It later became apparent that rabbits were developing a degree of resistance to this disease, so that the rabbit population was unlikely to be completely exterminated. There were hopes, however, that the problem of the rabbit would become manageable. Ironically, Europe, which had bequeathed the rabbit as a pest toAustralia, acquired this man-made disease as a pestilence. A French physician decided to get rid of the wild rabbits on his own estate and introduced myxomatosis. It did not
however,remain within the confines of his estate.It spread throughFrance,Where wild rabbits are not generally regarded as a pest but as sport and a useful food supply,and it spread toBritainwhere wild rabbits are regarded as a pest but where domesticated rabbits,equally susceptible to the disease,are the basis of a profitable fur industry.The question became one of whether Man could control the disease he had invented. 参考译文 在澳大利亚移民初期，一些有创业精神的移民不明智地把欧洲兔子引进了澳大利亚。这种兔子 在澳大利亚及新西兰没有天敌，因此便以兔子所特有的杂乱交配迅猛繁殖起来。整个澳洲兔子成 灾。它们在地下打洞，吃掉本可以饲养数百万头牛羊的牧草，给澳洲大陆造成了毁灭性的破坏。科 学家们发现，这种特殊品种的兔子（显然不包括别的动物）易患一种叫”多发性粘液瘤"的致命毒性 疾病。通过让染上此病的动物在洞内乱跑，就可以使这种疾病在一个地区蔓延起来。后来又发现， 有一种蚊子是传播这种疾病的媒介，能把此病传染给兔子。因此，世界上其他地方在设法消灭蚊子 的时候，澳大利亚却在促使这种蚊子大量繁殖。蚊子把这种疾病扩散到整个澳洲大陆，效果甚佳， 结果兔子的数目在为减少。后来，明显看出，兔子对这种疾病已产生了一定程度的免疫力，所以兔 子不可能被完全消灭。但是，已有希望解决兔子所带来的问题。 具有讽刺意味的是，欧洲把这种兔子作为有害动物传给澳洲，而欧洲自己却染上了这种人为的 瘟疫般的疾病。一位法国内科医生决定除掉自己庄园内的野兔子，于是引进了这种多发性粘液瘤疾 病。然而，这种疾病并未被局限在他的庄园内，结果在整个法国蔓延开来。野兔在法国一般不被当 作有害动物，而被视为打猎取乐的玩物和有用的食物来源。这种疾病又蔓延到了英国。在英国，野 兔被当作有害的动物，可是家兔是赚钱的毛皮工业的基础，然而家兔同样易感染这种疾病。现在的 问题是，人类能否控制住这种人为的疾病。 Lesson18 Porpoises海豚 There has long been a superstition among mariners that porpoises will save drowning men by pushing them to the surface,or protect them from sharks by surrounding them in defensive formation.Marine Studio biologists have pointed out that,however intelligent they may be,it is probably a mistake to credit dolphins with any motive of lifesaving.On the occasions when they have pushed to shore an unconscious human being they have much more likely done it out of curiosity or for sport,as in riding the bow waves of a ship.In 1928 some porpoises were photographer working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress.If,as has been reported,they have protected humans from sharks,it may have been because curiosity attracted them and because the scent of a possible meal attracted the sharks.Porpoises and sharks are natural enemies.It is possible that upon such an occasion a battle ensued,with the sharks being driven away or killed. Whether it be bird,fish or beast,the porpoise is intrigued with anything that is alive.They are constantly after the turtles,who peacefully submit to all sorts of indignities.One young calf especially enjoyed raising a turtle to the surface with his snout and then shoving him across the tank like an aquaplane.Almost any day a young porpoise may be seen trying to turn a 300-pound sea turtle over by sticking his snout under the edge of his shell and pushing up for dear life.This is not easy, and may require two porpoises working together.In another game,as the turtle swims across the oceanarium,the first porpoise swoops down from above and butts his shell with his belly.This knocks the turtle down several feet.He no sooner recovers his equilibrium than the next porpoise comes along and hits him another crack.Eventually the turtle has been butted all the way down to the floor of the tank. He is now satisfied merely to try to stand up,but as soon as he does so a porpoise knocks him flat.The turtle at last gives up by pulling his feet under his shell and the game is over. 参考译文
however, remain within the confines of his estate. It spread throughFrance, Where wild rabbits are not generally regarded as a pest but as sport and a useful food supply, and it spread toBritainwhere wild rabbits are regarded as a pest but where domesticated rabbits, equally susceptible to the disease, are the basis of a profitable fur industry. The question became one of whether Man could control the disease he had invented. 参考译文 在澳大利亚移民初期，一些有创业精神的移民不明智地把欧洲兔子引进了澳大利亚。这种兔子 在澳大利亚及新西兰没有天敌，因此便以兔子所特有的杂乱交配迅猛繁殖起来。整个澳洲兔子成 灾。它们在地下打洞，吃掉本可以饲养数百万头牛羊的牧草，给澳洲大陆造成了毁灭性的破坏。科 学家们发现，这种特殊品种的兔子（显然不包括别的动物）易患一种叫“多发性粘液瘤”的致命毒性 疾病。通过让染上此病的动物在洞内乱跑，就可以使这种疾病在一个地区蔓延起来。后来又发现， 有一种蚊子是传播这种疾病的媒介，能把此病传染给兔子。因此，世界上其他地方在设法消灭蚊子 的时候，澳大利亚却在促使这种蚊子大量繁殖。蚊子把这种疾病扩散到整个澳洲大陆，效果甚佳， 结果兔子的数目在为减少。后来，明显看出，兔子对这种疾病已产生了一定程度的免疫力，所以兔 子不可能被完全消灭。但是，已有希望解决兔子所带来的问题。 具有讽刺意味的是，欧洲把这种兔子作为有害动物传给澳洲，而欧洲自己却染上了这种人为的 瘟疫般的疾病。一位法国内科医生决定除掉自己庄园内的野兔子，于是引进了这种多发性粘液瘤疾 病。然而，这种疾病并未被局限在他的庄园内，结果在整个法国蔓延开来。野兔在法国一般不被当 作有害动物，而被视为打猎取乐的玩物和有用的食物来源。这种疾病又蔓延到了英国。在英国，野 兔被当作有害的动物，可是家兔是赚钱的毛皮工业的基础，然而家兔同样易感染这种疾病。现在的 问题是，人类能否控制住这种人为的疾病。 Lesson 18 Porpoises 海豚 There has long been a superstition among mariners that porpoises will save drowning men by pushing them to the surface, or protect them f rom sharks by surrounding them in defensive formation. Marine Studio biologists have pointed out that, however intelligent they may be, it is probably a mistake to credit dolphins with any motive of lifesaving. On the occasions when they have pushed to shore an unconscious human being they have much more likely done it out of curiosity or for sport, as in riding the bow waves of a ship. In 1928 some porpoises were photographer working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. If , as has been reported, they have protected humans f rom sharks, it may have been because curiosity attracted them and because the scent of a possible meal attracted the sharks. Porpoises and sharks are natural enemies. It is possible that upon such an occasion a battle ensued, with the sharks being driven away or killed. Whether it be bird, fish or beast, the porpoise is intrigued with anything that is alive. They are constantly af ter the turtles, who peacefully submit to all sorts of indignities. One young calf especially enjoyed raising a turtle to the surface with his snout and then shoving him across the tank like an aquaplane. Almost any day a young porpoise may be seen trying to turn a 300-pound sea turtle over by sticking his snout under the edge of his shell and pushing up for dear life. This is not easy, and may require two porpoises working together. In another game, as the turtle swims across the oceanarium, the first porpoise swoops down f rom above and butts his shell with his belly. This knocks the turtle down several feet. He no sooner recovers his equilibrium than the next porpoise comes along and hits him another crack. Eventually the turtle has been butted all the way down to the floor of the tank. He is now satisfied merely to try to stand up, but as soon as he does so a porpoise knocks him flat. The turtle at last gives up by pulling his feet under his shell and the game is over. 参考译文
长期以来，海员中流传着一种迷信的说法，认为海豚会把快要淹死的人托到水面，救人性命： 或在人们周围列队保护，使他们免遭鲨鱼伤害。海洋摄影室的生物学家指出，无论海豚多么聪明， 认为它们有救人的动机可能是错误的。当它们偶尔把一个失去知觉的人推到岸边时，更大的可能是 出于好奇或游戏，就像它们追逐被船首犁开的浪花一样。1928年，有人拍摄到了海豚像海狸一样 把浸透水的床垫推上岸的情景。正如报道中所说，如果海豚保护人不受鲨鱼侵害，那么它们可能是 出于好奇：而鲨鱼可能是闻到了可以美食一顿的香味。海豚和鲨鱼是天然仇敌，双方可能随之发生 搏斗，搏斗结果是海豚赶走或咬死鲨鱼。 海豚对凡是活的东西都感兴趣，不管是鸟、是鱼，还是野兽。它们经常追逐海龟，海龟则温顺 地忍受着各种侮辱。一只小海豚特别喜欢用鼻子把海龟推到水面，然后像滑水板一样把海龟从水池 的这一边推到那一边。几乎每天都可以看到一只小海豚把鼻子顶入一只300磅重的海龟的硬壳下 面，拼命地把它翻过来。这并非易事，可能需要两只海豚合伙干才行。在另一场游戏中，当海龟游 过水族馆时，第一只海豚从上方猛扑下去，用腹部撞击龟壳。这一下子把海龟撞下去好几英尺。海 龟刚恢复平衡，第二只海豚又冲过来猛击一下。这只海龟最终被撞到池底。此时的海龟，只要能站 起来就满足了，但它刚站起来，就被一只海豚击倒。海龟终于屈服了，将4条腿缩进壳内。游戏到 此结束。 Lesson 19 The stuff of dreams话说梦的本质 It is fairly clear that sleeping period must have some function,and because there is so much of it the function would seem to e important.Speculations about is nature have been going on for literally thousands of years,and one odd finding that makes the problem puzzling is that it looks very much as if sleeping is not simply a matter of giving the body a rest.'Rest',in terms of muscle relaxation and so on,can be achieved by a brief period lying,or even sitting down.The body's tissues are self- repairing and self-restoring to a degree,and function best when more or less continuously active.In fact a basic amount of movement occurs during sleep which is specifically concerned with preventing muscle inactivity. If it is not a question of resting the body,then perhaps it is the brain that needs resting?This might be a plausible hypothesis were it not for two factors.First the electroencephalograph (which is simply a device for recording the electrical activity of the brain by attaching electrodes to the scalp)shows that while there is a change in the pattern of activity during sleep,there is no evidence that the total amount of activity is any less.The second factor is more interesting and more fundamental. Some years ago an American psychiatrist named William Dement published experiments dealing with the recording of eye-movements during sleep.He showed that the average individual's sleep cycle is punctuated with peculiar bursts of eye- movements,some drifting and slow,others jerky and rapid.People woken during these periods of eye-movements generally reported that they had been dreaming. When woken at other times they reported no dreams.If one group of people were disturbed from their eye-movement sleep for several nights on end,and another group were disturbed for an equal period of time but when they were no exhibiting eye-movements,the first group began to show some personality disorders while the others seemed more or less unaffected.The implications of all this were that it was not the disturbance of sleep that mattered,but the disturbance of dreaming. 参考译文 很清楚，睡眠必然具有某种作用。睡眠占去那么多时间，所以其作用似乎还是很重要。人们对 睡眠作用的种种猜测，确实有数千年之久。一项使人对这个问题感到困惑的奇怪的发现是，睡眠在 很大程度似乎并不仅仅是为了使身体得到休息。”休息”，从使肌肉得到放松等方面来看，只要稍微 躺一躺，甚至坐一坐就能达到。人体组织在一定程度上有自我修补和自我恢复的能力，有张有弛地 连续活动时，其功能最佳。事实上，睡眠状态下仍有着基本的活动量，以防止肌肉活动停止。 如果睡眠的功能不是在于使身体得到休息，那么也许是让大脑得以休息？若不是下面两点，这 种假使似乎是有道理的。第一点，脑电图记录仪（不过是一种把电极接到头皮上记录脑电活动的仪
长期以来，海员中流传着一种迷信的说法，认为海豚会把快要淹死的人托到水面，救人性命； 或在人们周围列队保护，使他们免遭鲨鱼伤害。海洋摄影室的生物学家指出，无论海豚多么聪明， 认为它们有救人的动机可能是错误的。当它们偶尔把一个失去知觉的人推到岸边时，更大的可能是 出于好奇或游戏，就像它们追逐被船首犁开的浪花一样。1928 年，有人拍摄到了海豚像海狸一样 把浸透水的床垫推上岸的情景。正如报道中所说，如果海豚保护人不受鲨鱼侵害，那么它们可能是 出于好奇；而鲨鱼可能是闻到了可以美食一顿的香味。海豚和鲨鱼是天然仇敌，双方可能随之发生 搏斗，搏斗结果是海豚赶走或咬死鲨鱼。 海豚对凡是活的东西都感兴趣，不管是鸟、是鱼，还是野兽。它们经常追逐海龟，海龟则温顺 地忍受着各种侮辱。一只小海豚特别喜欢用鼻子把海龟推到水面，然后像滑水板一样把海龟从水池 的这一边推到那一边。几乎每天都可以看到一只小海豚把鼻子顶入一只 300 磅重的海龟的硬壳下 面，拼命地把它翻过来。这并非易事，可能需要两只海豚合伙干才行。在另一场游戏中，当海龟游 过水族馆时，第一只海豚从上方猛扑下去，用腹部撞击龟壳。这一下子把海龟撞下去好几英尺。海 龟刚恢复平衡，第二只海豚又冲过来猛击一下。这只海龟最终被撞到池底。此时的海龟，只要能站 起来就满足了，但它刚站起来，就被一只海豚击倒。海龟终于屈服了，将 4 条腿缩进壳内。游戏到 此结束。 Lesson 19 The stuff of dreams 话说梦的本质 It is fairly clear that sleeping period must have some function, and because there is so much of it the function would seem to e important. Speculations about is nature have been going on for literally thousands of years, and one odd finding that makes the problem puzzling is that it looks very much as if sleeping is not simply a matter of giving the body a rest. 'Rest', in terms of muscle relaxation and so on, can be achieved by a brief period lying, or even sitting down. The body's tissues are self - repairing and self -restoring to a degree, and function best when more or less continuously active. In fact a basic amount of movement occurs during sleep which is specifically concerned with preventing muscle inactivity. If it is not a question of resting the body, then perhaps it is the brain that needs resting? This might be a plausible hypothesis were it not for two factors. First the electroencephalograph (which is simply a device for recording the electrical activity of the brain by attaching electrodes to the scalp) shows that while there is a change in the pattern of activity during sleep, there is no evidence that the total amount of activity is any less. The second factor is more interesting and more fundamental. Some years ago an American psychiatrist named William Dement published experiments dealing with the recording of eye-movements during sleep. He showed that the average individual's sleep cycle is punctuated with peculiar bursts of eyemovements, some drif ting and slow, others jerky and rapid. People woken during these periods of eye-movements generally reported that they had been dreaming. When woken at other times they reported no dreams. If one group of people were disturbed f rom their eye-movement sleep for several nights on end, and another group were disturbed for an equal period of time but when they were no exhibiting eye-movements, the first group began to show some personality disorders while the others seemed more or less unaf fected. The implications of all this were that it was not the disturbance of sleep that mattered, but the disturbance of dreaming. 参考译文 很清楚，睡眠必然具有某种作用。睡眠占去那么多时间，所以其作用似乎还是很重要。人们对 睡眠作用的种种猜测，确实有数千年之久。一项使人对这个问题感到困惑的奇怪的发现是，睡眠在 很大程度似乎并不仅仅是为了使身体得到休息。“休息”，从使肌肉得到放松等方面来看，只要稍微 躺一躺，甚至坐一坐就能达到。人体组织在一定程度上有自我修补和自我恢复的能力，有张有弛地 连续活动时，其功能最佳。事实上，睡眠状态下仍有着基本的活动量，以防止肌肉活动停止。 如果睡眠的功能不是在于使身体得到休息，那么也许是让大脑得以休息？若不是下面两点，这 种假使似乎是有道理的。第一点，脑电图记录仪（不过是一种把电极接到头皮上记录脑电活动的仪
器)显示，人在睡眠时大脑活动的方式有变化，但没有迹象表明，其活动总量有任何减少。第二点 更有意思，也更重要。前些年，美国一位精神病学者发表了一篇报告，报告中记录了眼球在睡眠时 的活动情况。他指出，平常人的睡眠周期中不时伴有一阵阵奇怪的眼球队活动，这些活动有的飘忽 而缓慢，有的急剧而快速。在眼球活动期间被叫醒的人都说自己在做梦：在其他期间叫醒他们，则 说没有做梦。如果有两组人，一组人连续几夜在眼球队活动时被叫醒：另一组人也是连续几夜被叫 醒，但是在眼球队没活动时被叫醒的。结果，第一组人开始出现性格失常，而第二组人似乎没受什 么影响。这一切暗示我们：睡眠受到干忧没关系，而做梦受到干忧是有问题的。 Lesson20 Snake poison蛇毒 How it came about that snakes manufactured poison is a mystery.Over the periods their saliva,a mild,digestive juice like our own,was converted into a poison that defies analysis even today.It was not forced upon them by the survival competition;they could have caught and lived on prey without using poison,just as the thousands of non-poisonous snakes still do.Poison to a snake is merely a luxury; it enables it to get its food with very little effort,no more effort than one bite.And why only snakes?Cats,for instance,would be greatly helped;no running fights with large,fierce rats or tussles with grown rabbits --just a bite and no more effort needed.In fact,it would be an assistance to all carnivores though it would be a two- edged weapon when they fought each other.But,of the vertebrates,unpredictable Nature selected only snakes (and one lizard).One wonders saliva into why Nature, with respect from that of others,as other on the blood. In the conversion of saliva into poison,one might suppose that a fixed process took place.It did not;some snakes manufacture a poison different in every respect from that of others,as different as arsenic is from strychnine,and having different effects.One poison acts on the nerves,the other on the blood. The makers of the nerve poison include the mambas and the cobras and their venom is called neurotoxic.Vipers (adders)and rattlesnakes manufacture the blood poison,which is known as haemolytic.Both poisons are unpleasant,but by far the more unpleasant is the blood poison.It is said that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two,that the blood poison is,so to speak,a newer product from an improved formula.Be that as it may,the nerve poison does its business with man far more quickly than the blood poison.This,however,means nothing.Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use against prey such as rats and mice,and the effects on these of viperine poison is almost immediate 参考译文 蛇是怎样产生毒液的，这是一个谜。蛇的睡液本来和我们人的消化液一样柔和，但经过漫长的 时间，演变成了今天仍无法分析清楚的毒液。毒液不是生存竞争强加给它们的，它们也可以不用毒 液捕捉动物而生存，就像今天成千上万的无毒蛇那样。毒液对毒蛇来说只不过是一种舒适生存的优 越手段，它使蛇不用费多大力气就能捕获到食物，轻咬一口即可。为什么只有蛇才有毒液呢？譬如 说，如果猫有毒液，那对猫会大有帮助，它就不必再和又大又凶的老鼠边跑边博斗了，也不必再和 大免子扭斗了，只要咬一口，就不必再费大力气。因此，任何食肉动物有了毒液，都能从中获益。 不过，当它们相互撕打时，毒液就成了利弊参半的武，可以杀死对方，也可以被对方的毒液杀死。 然而，在脊椎动物中，大自然神秘模测地只选择了蛇（还有一种蜥蜴），人们弄不清楚大自然为什 么在某些蛇的身上调制出如此高效的毒液来。 人们可能认为，睡液转变成毒液，其中有固定的程序。其实没有。有些蛇产生的毒液也在各方 面与另外一些毒蛇产生的毒液不同，就像砒霜不同于马钱子碱一样。不同毒蛇产生的毒液产生的效 果不同，一种毒液作用于神经，另一种毒液作用于血液。 产生神经毒液的蛇有一种非洲树眼镜蛇和眼镜蛇，它们的毒液称为神经毒素。蝰蛇（蝮蛇）和 响尾蛇产生血液毒素，称为溶血性毒液。这两种毒液都很可怕，但溶血性毒液尤其厉害。据说，神 经毒液在两种毒液中是较为原始的一种，而溶血性毒液，打个比方说，是根据改良配方生产的一种
器）显示，人在睡眠时大脑活动的方式有变化，但没有迹象表明，其活动总量有任何减少。第二点 更有意思，也更重要。前些年，美国一位精神病学者发表了一篇报告，报告中记录了眼球在睡眠时 的活动情况。他指出，平常人的睡眠周期中不时伴有一阵阵奇怪的眼球队活动，这些活动有的飘忽 而缓慢，有的急剧而快速。在眼球活动期间被叫醒的人都说自己在做梦；在其他期间叫醒他们，则 说没有做梦。如果有两组人，一组人连续几夜在眼球队活动时被叫醒；另一组人也是连续几夜被叫 醒，但是在眼球队没活动时被叫醒的。结果，第一组人开始出现性格失常，而第二组人似乎没受什 么影响。这一切暗示我们：睡眠受到干忧没关系，而做梦受到干忧是有问题的。 Lesson 20 Snake poison 蛇毒 How it came about that snakes manufactured poison is a mystery. Over the periods their saliva, a mild, digestive juice like our own, was converted into a poison that defies analysis even today. It was not forced upon them by the survival competition; they could have caught and lived on prey without using poison, just as the thousands of non-poisonous snakes still do. Poison to a snake is merely a luxury; it enables it to get its food with very little ef fort, no more ef fort than one bite. And why only snakes? Cats, for instance, would be greatly helped; no running fights with large, fierce rats or tussles with grown rabbits -- just a bite and no more ef fort needed. In fact, it would be an assistance to all carnivores though it would be a twoedged weapon when they fought each other. But, of the vertebrates, unpredictable Nature selected only snakes (and one lizard). One wonders saliva into why Nature, with respect f rom that of others, as other on the blood. In the conversion of saliva into poison, one might suppose that a fixed process took place. It did not; some snakes manufacture a poison dif ferent in every respect f rom that of others, as dif ferent as arsenic is f rom strychnine, and having dif ferent ef fects. One poison acts on the nerves, the other on the blood. The makers of the nerve poison include the mambas and the cobras and their venom is called neurotoxic. Vipers (adders) and rattlesnakes manufacture the blood poison, which is known as haemolytic. Both poisons are unpleasant, but by far the more unpleasant is the blood poison. It is said that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two, that the blood poison is, so to speak, a newer product f rom an improved formula. Be that as it may, the nerve poison does its business with man far more quickly than the blood poison. This, however, means nothing. Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use against prey such as rats and mice, and the ef fects on these of viperine poison is almost immediate. 参考译文 蛇是怎样产生毒液的，这是一个谜。蛇的唾液本来和我们人的消化液一样柔和，但经过漫长的 时间，演变成了今天仍无法分析清楚的毒液。毒液不是生存竞争强加给它们的，它们也可以不用毒 液捕捉动物而生存，就像今天成千上万的无毒蛇那样。毒液对毒蛇来说只不过是一种舒适生存的优 越手段，它使蛇不用费多大力气就能捕获到食物，轻咬一口即可。为什么只有蛇才有毒液呢？譬如 说，如果猫有毒液，那对猫会大有帮助，它就不必再和又大又凶的老鼠边跑边博斗了，也不必再和 大兔子扭斗了，只要咬一口，就不必再费大力气。因此，任何食肉动物有了毒液，都能从中获益。 不过，当它们相互撕打时，毒液就成了利弊参半的武，可以杀死对方，也可以被对方的毒液杀死。 然而，在脊椎动物中，大自然神秘模测地只选择了蛇（还有一种蜥蜴），人们弄不清楚大自然为什 么在某些蛇的身上调制出如此高效的毒液来。 人们可能认为，唾液转变成毒液，其中有固定的程序。其实没有。有些蛇产生的毒液也在各方 面与另外一些毒蛇产生的毒液不同，就像砒霜不同于马钱子碱一样。不同毒蛇产生的毒液产生的效 果不同，一种毒液作用于神经，另一种毒液作用于血液。 产生神经毒液的蛇有一种非洲树眼镜蛇和眼镜蛇，它们的毒液称为神经毒素。蝰蛇（蝮蛇）和 响尾蛇产生血液毒素，称为溶血性毒液。这两种毒液都很可怕，但溶血性毒液尤其厉害。据说，神 经毒液在两种毒液中是较为原始的一种，而溶血性毒液，打个比方说，是根据改良配方生产的一种
较新的产品。不过，神经毒辣液比溶血性毒液在人身上起作用快得多。但是，这没有什么关系，因 为蛇有毒液不是用来对付人的，而是对付它的猎物，诸如鼠类，毒液对这些猎物会立刻起作用。 Lesson21 William S.Hart and the early 'Western'film威廉.S.哈特和早期限的 西部影片 William S.hart was,perhaps,the greatest of all Western stars,fro unlike Gary Cooper and John Wayne he appeared in nothing but Westerns.From 1914 to 1924 he was supreme and unchallenged.It was Hart who created the basic formula of the Western film,and devised the protagonist he played in every film he made,the good-had man,the accidental-noble outlaw,or the honest-but-framed cowboy,or the sheriff made suspect by vicious gossip;in short,the individual in conflict with himself and his frontier environment Unlike most of his contemporaries in Hollywood,Hart actually knew something of the old West.He had lived in it as a child when it was already disappearing,and his hero was firmly rooted in his memories and experiences,and in both the history and the mythology of the vanished frontier.And although no period or place in American history has been more absurdly romanticized,myth and reality did join hands in at least one arena,the conflict between the individual and encroaching civilization. Men accustomed to struggling for survival against the elements and Indians were bewildered by politicians,bankers and businessmen,and unhorsed by fences,laws and alien taboos.Hart's good-bad man was always an outsider,always one of the disinherited,and if he found it necessary to shoot a sheriff or rob a bank along the way,his early audiences found it easy to understand and forgive,especially when it was Hart who,in the end,overcame the attacking Indians. Audiences in the second decade of the twentieth century found it pleasant to escape to a time when life,though hard,was relatively simple.We still do;living in a world in which undeclared aggression,war,hypocrisy,chicanery,anarchy and impending immolation are part of our daily lives,we all want a code to live by 参考译文 威廉.S.哈特大概是美国西部电影明星中的佼佼者。他和加里.古柏、约翰.韦恩不同，他只在西 部电影中扮演角色。在1914年至1924年期间，他首屈一指，独霸影坛。正是他创造了西部电影 的基调，即在他自己的拍摄的影片中他所塑造的主人公形象：被认为是坏人的好人，出人意料的高 尚的逃犯，诚实却遭陷害的牛仔或因流言蜚语蒙受嫌疑的司法官。总之，主人公是一个自相矛盾， 又与他的拓荒环境相矛盾的人物。 哈特与大部分同时代在好莱坞的演员不同，他确实了解西部早期拓荒生活的一些情况。作为一 个孩子他曾在西部生活过，当时西部拓荒生活正在消失。他塑造的英雄人物深深地扎根于他本人的 记忆和经历之中，也扎根于有关已经消失的拓荒生活的历史和神话之中。虽然在美国历史上没有任 何时期或地区像西部拓荒时期那样被荒谬地浪漫主义化了，但神话和事实至少在某一个舞台上共 存，也就是存在于个人与渐渐闯入的文明这两者的冲突之中。 习惯与大自然和印第安人作斗争以求生存的拓荒者被政客、银行家和商人搞得晕头转向，最后 被圈地、尖律我外来的清规戒律所击败。哈特扮演的被误为坏人的好人总是一个局外人，总是一个 被剥夺继承权的人。如果他认为在进行过程中有必要枪击一个司法官或抢劫一个银行，他的早期观 众很容易接受，觉得应该原谅他，特别是当哈特最后战胜了前来进攻的印第安人时，观众更能原谅 他。 生活在20世纪20年代的观众认为，逃到一个即使艰苦但比较简朴的时代中去是件愉快的事， 我们今天仍有这种感觉。如今，不宣而战的侵略、战争、虚伪、诈骗、无政府状态以及即将临头的 毁灭成了我们日常生活的一部分，我们都希望有一个赖以生存的行为准则。 Lesson22 Knowledge and progress知识和进步 Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world?Surely progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us and is becoming more
较新的产品。不过，神经毒辣液比溶血性毒液在人身上起作用快得多。但是，这没有什么关系，因 为蛇有毒液不是用来对付人的，而是对付它的猎物，诸如鼠类，毒液对这些猎物会立刻起作用。 Lesson 21 William S. Hart and the early 'Western' film 威廉.S. 哈特和早期限的 ‘西部’影片 William S. hart was, perhaps, the greatest of all Western stars, f ro unlike Gary Cooper and John Wayne he appeared in nothing but Westerns. From 1914 to 1924 he was supreme and unchallenged. It was Hart who created the basic formula of the Western film, and devised the protagonist he played in every film he made, the good-had man, the accidental-noble outlaw, or the honest-but-f ramed cowboy, or the sherif f made suspect by vicious gossip; in short, the individual in conflict with himself and his f rontier environment. Unlike most of his contemporaries in Hollywood, Hart actually knew something of the old West. He had lived in it as a child when it was already disappearing, and his hero was firmly rooted in his memories and experiences, and in both the history and the mythology of the vanished f rontier. And although no period or place in American history has been more absurdly romanticized, myth and reality did join hands in at least one arena, the conflict between the individual and encroaching civilization. Men accustomed to struggling for survival against the elements and Indians were bewildered by politicians, bankers and businessmen, and unhorsed by fences, laws and alien taboos. Hart's good-bad man was always an outsider, always one of the disinherited, and if he found it necessary to shoot a sherif f or rob a bank along the way, his early audiences found it easy to understand and forgive, especially when it was Hart who, in the end, overcame the attacking Indians. Audiences in the second decade of the twentieth century found it pleasant to escape to a time when life, though hard, was relatively simple. We still do; living in a world in which undeclared aggression, war, hypocrisy, chicanery, anarchy and impending immolation are part of our daily lives, we all want a code to live by. 参考译文 威廉.S.哈特大概是美国西部电影明星中的佼佼者。他和加里.古柏、约翰.韦恩不同，他只在西 部电影中扮演角色。在 1914 年至 1924 年期间，他首屈一指，独霸影坛。正是他创造了西部电影 的基调，即在他自己的拍摄的影片中他所塑造的主人公形象：被认为是坏人的好人，出人意料的高 尚的逃犯，诚实却遭陷害的牛仔或因流言蜚语蒙受嫌疑的司法官。总之，主人公是一个自相矛盾， 又与他的拓荒环境相矛盾的人物。 哈特与大部分同时代在好莱坞的演员不同，他确实了解西部早期拓荒生活的一些情况。作为一 个孩子他曾在西部生活过，当时西部拓荒生活正在消失。他塑造的英雄人物深深地扎根于他本人的 记忆和经历之中，也扎根于有关已经消失的拓荒生活的历史和神话之中。虽然在美国历史上没有任 何时期或地区像西部拓荒时期那样被荒谬地浪漫主义化了，但神话和事实至少在某一个舞台上共 存，也就是存在于个人与渐渐闯入的文明这两者的冲突之中。 习惯与大自然和印第安人作斗争以求生存的拓荒者被政客、银行家和商人搞得晕头转向，最后 被圈地、尖律我外来的清规戒律所击败。哈特扮演的被误为坏人的好人总是一个局外人，总是一个 被剥夺继承权的人。如果他认为在进行过程中有必要枪击一个司法官或抢劫一个银行，他的早期观 众很容易接受，觉得应该原谅他，特别是当哈特最后战胜了前来进攻的印第安人时，观众更能原谅 他。 生活在 20 世纪 20 年代的观众认为，逃到一个即使艰苦但比较简朴的时代中去是件愉快的事， 我们今天仍有这种感觉。如今，不宣而战的侵略、战争、虚伪、诈骗、无政府状态以及即将临头的 毁灭成了我们日常生活的一部分，我们都希望有一个赖以生存的行为准则。 Lesson 22 Knowledge and progress 知识和进步 Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world? Surely progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us and is becoming more