新概念英語(yǔ)Lesson 57 Of Men and Galaxies人和星系
In man's early days, competition with other creatures must
have been critical. But this phase of our development is now
finished. Indeed, we lack practice and experience nowadays in
dealing with primitive conditions. I am sure that, without modern weapons, I would make a very
poor show of disputing the ownership of a cave with a bear, and in this I do not think that I stand
alone. The last creature to compete with man was the mosquito. But even the mosquito has been
subdued by attention to drainage and by chemical sprays.
Competition between ourselves, person against person, community against community, still
persists, however; and it is as fierce as it ever was.
But the competition of man against man is not the simple process envisioned in biology. It is not a
simple competition for a fixed amount of food determined by the physical environment, because
the environment that determines our evolution is no longer essentially physical. Our environment
is chiefly conditioned by the things we believe. Morocco and California are bits of the Earth in
very similar latitudes, both on the west coasts of continents with similar climates, and probably
with rather similar natural resources. Yet their present development is wholly different, not so
much because of different people even, but because of the different thoughts that exist in the minds
of their inhabitants. This is the point I wish to emphasize. The most important factor in our
environment is the state of our own minds.
It is well known that where the white man has invaded a primitive culture the most destructive
effects have come not from physical weapons but from ideas. Ideas are dangerous. The Holy office
knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by. Indeed, the concept of
free speech only exists in our modem society because when you are inside a community you are
conditioned by the conventions of the community to such a degree that it is very difficult to
conceive of anything really destructive. It is only someone looking on from outside that can inject
the dangerous thoughts. I do not doubt that it would be possible to inject ideas into the modern
world that would utterly destroy us. I would like to give you an example, but fortunately I cannot
do so. Perhaps it will suffice to mention the nuclear bomb. Imagine the effect on a reasonably
advanced technological society, one that still does not possess the bomb, of making it aware of the
possibility, of supplying sufficient details to enable the thing to be constructed. Twenty or thirty
pages of information handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925 would have
been sufficient to change the course of world history. It is a strange thought, but I believe a correct
one, that twenty or thirty pages of ideas and information would be capable of turning the
present-day world upside down, or even destroying it. I have often tried to conceive of what those
pages might contain, but of course I cannot do so because I am a prisoner of the present-day world,
just as all of you are. We cannot think outside the particular patterns that our brains are conditioned
to, or, to be more accurate, we can think only a very little way outside, and then only if we are very
original.
New words and expressions 生詞短語(yǔ)
dispute v. 爭(zhēng)奪latitude n. 緯度
mosquito n. 蚊子 heretic n. 異教徒，異端邪說(shuō)
subdue v. 征服conceive v. 想象
drainage n. 下水系統(tǒng)suffice v. 足夠
envision n. 預(yù)想nuclear adj. 原子彈的
Morocco n. 摩洛哥 original adj. 有獨(dú)到見(jiàn)解的
1．Dispute 爭(zhēng)奪，很有新意。以前的意思如爭(zhēng)論，爭(zhēng)端,辯論，
dispute with sbdispute on sth dispute sth .with sb
I dispute the position with him 爭(zhēng)地盤 talentsVie for sth .with sb 爭(zhēng)奪
Scramble for sth . with sb .scramble 爬 scramble eggs 煎雞蛋
2.Subdue conquer overpower tame 馴服 subject adjQuell 鎮(zhèn)壓
3.Bear 熊 polar bear 北極熊 penguin 企鵝 panda 熊貓 bear hug 擁抱
4.Envision en-動(dòng)詞前綴，predict envisage
5.Morocco n. 摩洛哥，north Africa Monaco 摩納哥，Europe
6.Latitude 緯度， longtitude 經(jīng)度 28 degrees North latitude 北緯 28 度 latituede (古)自由
Let’s allow him some latitude in his private Envision vt 預(yù)想
7.The holy officen. 宗教法庭， pope 教皇 cardinal 紅衣主教 以前學(xué)過(guò)一個(gè)同義詞
–the inquisition (t 天主教)宗教法庭
8.Heretic 異教徒，純粹邪教 herecy 邪說(shuō) pagan,異教徒
9.Power ,大國(guó)。
10. Conceive 想象經(jīng)常出現(xiàn)，以前的很多課學(xué)過(guò) conceive of sth Perceive 察覺(jué)，感知 i
11. Picture v. 構(gòu)思，構(gòu)想
12.Suffice 足夠 v.sufficient adi 足夠的 A fraction of rice will suffice .
If you are in troube ,turn to me .ok, one word will suffice.
Enough？ ,that suffices me .Power 大國(guó)nuclear power 核大國(guó)
Nuclear bomb ,記住，一般 mb 結(jié)尾的，發(fā)音只發(fā)《m》如 comb tomb
Critical
crucial vital decisive critical juncture ciritical eye
Notes on the text 課文注釋
1． Make a very poor show, 出丑。
2． I stand alone, 僅我一人。
3． The last creature to compete with man, 其中的 last 有“極不可能”的意思。
The Holy Office knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by. The
Holy Office 是指羅馬天主教的宗教法庭；full well 中的 full 是副詞，有 very 的意思；gone
by 作 days 的定語(yǔ)，整個(gè)詞組的意思是“過(guò)去的日子”。
Must have been 表示猜測(cè)，推測(cè)！ in the man’a days , phase :perisd ,estate
I am sure that…
Withour …I would make ….虛擬語(yǔ)氣
Make a very poor show 出洋相 make a fool of oneself 做傻事，出丑 make an exhibition of
oneself 當(dāng)中出丑
The ownership of a cave 一個(gè)洞穴的所有權(quán) In this view ,I don’t stand alone;
Stand alone 獨(dú)立，孤立； I am alone in this point ; Stick in the back 放冷槍
Competition between ourselves 人類內(nèi)部的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)； person against person 人與人之間的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)；
Community against community 群體與群體之間的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)
The survival of the fittest 適者生存\
A fixed amount of food 固定量的食物， determined 作 food 的后置定語(yǔ)
The physical environment 客觀環(huán)境 Evolution ; development 進(jìn)化 Mental outlook 世界觀
Similar latitude 相近的緯度 west coasts 西海岸；Similar climates 相似的氣候
California: highly advanced 高度發(fā)展 Morocco : highly backward;
Not …..but …….轉(zhuǎn)折；different thought in inhabitants: livers,residents
The most important factor in our environment is the state of our own minds.我們的自然環(huán)境中
重要的因素是我們的心態(tài)；
It is well known that …. Where 引導(dǎo)的從句都可以用 if 來(lái)引導(dǎo)，如
Where there is a will ,there is a way , If there is a will….
The most destructive effects 具有破壞性的影響 westlization
in this days gone by;in the past days ; in days to come;the insider can’t see the game .*者迷
looking on 觀望 the outer sees most of the game .旁觀者清
I would like to …………假設(shè)語(yǔ)氣Imagine the effect on ………
One 指 society Effect of making it aware of the possibility of nuclear bomb ; it 代表 society.
Turn upside down 完全顛倒
I have often tried to conceive of what those pages might contain but of course do do because I
am a prisoner of the present-day world ,just as all of you are .符合“”因?yàn)槲覀兩硖庍@個(gè)社會(huì)，
就受社會(huì)的制約的思想
Be conditioned to (by) 被約束 outside :beyond 超越 original 創(chuàng)新的
Important Kownledge
。。。。when you are inside a community you are conditioned by the conventions of the
community to such a degree that it is very difficult to cou=nceive of anything really destructive .
It is only someone looking on from ourside that can inject the dangerous thoughts…
2…… and then only I we are very original ,
建議閱讀：新概念英語(yǔ)Lesson 56 新概念英語(yǔ)Lesson 54
關(guān)于林語(yǔ)堂：The enjoyment of culture
Good taste in knowledge 知識(shí)方面的品味
The development of good taste in kownledge 知識(shí)品位的培養(yǎng)
Well-read 博學(xué)的
Parrot 鸚鵡學(xué)舌者， a great man who have the hate and who have the love .
Erudition 博學(xué)，學(xué)識(shí) Discernment 洞察力，辨別力。 Scholar 學(xué)者，scholarship 獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金
Given :specific 特定的
Bulldozev。蒙騙，威脅 adult life 成年時(shí)期。Patriotic
Bogus 假的
Paunch腸胃。Ambition 志向,aggressiveness，挑戰(zhàn)性。 Sense of duty ,責(zé)任感。 Stinginess
小氣。Nonsense 廢話 Awe 敬畏，over awed 別嚇住
In man's early days, competition with other creatures must
have been critical. But this phase of our development is now
finished. Indeed, we lack practice and experience nowadays in
dealing with primitive conditions. I am sure that, without modern weapons, I would make a very
poor show of disputing the ownership of a cave with a bear, and in this I do not think that I stand
alone. The last creature to compete with man was the mosquito. But even the mosquito has been
subdued by attention to drainage and by chemical sprays.
Competition between ourselves, person against person, community against community, still
persists, however; and it is as fierce as it ever was.
But the competition of man against man is not the simple process envisioned in biology. It is not a
simple competition for a fixed amount of food determined by the physical environment, because
the environment that determines our evolution is no longer essentially physical. Our environment
is chiefly conditioned by the things we believe. Morocco and California are bits of the Earth in
very similar latitudes, both on the west coasts of continents with similar climates, and probably
with rather similar natural resources. Yet their present development is wholly different, not so
much because of different people even, but because of the different thoughts that exist in the minds
of their inhabitants. This is the point I wish to emphasize. The most important factor in our
environment is the state of our own minds.
It is well known that where the white man has invaded a primitive culture the most destructive
effects have come not from physical weapons but from ideas. Ideas are dangerous. The Holy office
knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by. Indeed, the concept of
free speech only exists in our modem society because when you are inside a community you are
conditioned by the conventions of the community to such a degree that it is very difficult to
conceive of anything really destructive. It is only someone looking on from outside that can inject
the dangerous thoughts. I do not doubt that it would be possible to inject ideas into the modern
world that would utterly destroy us. I would like to give you an example, but fortunately I cannot
do so. Perhaps it will suffice to mention the nuclear bomb. Imagine the effect on a reasonably
advanced technological society, one that still does not possess the bomb, of making it aware of the
possibility, of supplying sufficient details to enable the thing to be constructed. Twenty or thirty
pages of information handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925 would have
been sufficient to change the course of world history. It is a strange thought, but I believe a correct
one, that twenty or thirty pages of ideas and information would be capable of turning the
present-day world upside down, or even destroying it. I have often tried to conceive of what those
pages might contain, but of course I cannot do so because I am a prisoner of the present-day world,
just as all of you are. We cannot think outside the particular patterns that our brains are conditioned
to, or, to be more accurate, we can think only a very little way outside, and then only if we are very
original.
New words and expressions 生詞短語(yǔ)
dispute v. 爭(zhēng)奪latitude n. 緯度
mosquito n. 蚊子 heretic n. 異教徒，異端邪說(shuō)
subdue v. 征服conceive v. 想象
drainage n. 下水系統(tǒng)suffice v. 足夠
envision n. 預(yù)想nuclear adj. 原子彈的
Morocco n. 摩洛哥 original adj. 有獨(dú)到見(jiàn)解的
1．Dispute 爭(zhēng)奪，很有新意。以前的意思如爭(zhēng)論，爭(zhēng)端,辯論，
dispute with sbdispute on sth dispute sth .with sb
I dispute the position with him 爭(zhēng)地盤 talentsVie for sth .with sb 爭(zhēng)奪
Scramble for sth . with sb .scramble 爬 scramble eggs 煎雞蛋
2.Subdue conquer overpower tame 馴服 subject adjQuell 鎮(zhèn)壓
3.Bear 熊 polar bear 北極熊 penguin 企鵝 panda 熊貓 bear hug 擁抱
4.Envision en-動(dòng)詞前綴，predict envisage
5.Morocco n. 摩洛哥，north Africa Monaco 摩納哥，Europe
6.Latitude 緯度， longtitude 經(jīng)度 28 degrees North latitude 北緯 28 度 latituede (古)自由
Let’s allow him some latitude in his private Envision vt 預(yù)想
7.The holy officen. 宗教法庭， pope 教皇 cardinal 紅衣主教 以前學(xué)過(guò)一個(gè)同義詞
–the inquisition (t 天主教)宗教法庭
8.Heretic 異教徒，純粹邪教 herecy 邪說(shuō) pagan,異教徒
9.Power ,大國(guó)。
10. Conceive 想象經(jīng)常出現(xiàn)，以前的很多課學(xué)過(guò) conceive of sth Perceive 察覺(jué)，感知 i
11. Picture v. 構(gòu)思，構(gòu)想
12.Suffice 足夠 v.sufficient adi 足夠的 A fraction of rice will suffice .
If you are in troube ,turn to me .ok, one word will suffice.
Enough？ ,that suffices me .Power 大國(guó)nuclear power 核大國(guó)
Nuclear bomb ,記住，一般 mb 結(jié)尾的，發(fā)音只發(fā)《m》如 comb tomb
Critical
crucial vital decisive critical juncture ciritical eye
Notes on the text 課文注釋
1． Make a very poor show, 出丑。
2． I stand alone, 僅我一人。
3． The last creature to compete with man, 其中的 last 有“極不可能”的意思。
The Holy Office knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by. The
Holy Office 是指羅馬天主教的宗教法庭；full well 中的 full 是副詞，有 very 的意思；gone
by 作 days 的定語(yǔ)，整個(gè)詞組的意思是“過(guò)去的日子”。
Must have been 表示猜測(cè)，推測(cè)！ in the man’a days , phase :perisd ,estate
I am sure that…
Withour …I would make ….虛擬語(yǔ)氣
Make a very poor show 出洋相 make a fool of oneself 做傻事，出丑 make an exhibition of
oneself 當(dāng)中出丑
The ownership of a cave 一個(gè)洞穴的所有權(quán) In this view ,I don’t stand alone;
Stand alone 獨(dú)立，孤立； I am alone in this point ; Stick in the back 放冷槍
Competition between ourselves 人類內(nèi)部的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)； person against person 人與人之間的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)；
Community against community 群體與群體之間的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)
The survival of the fittest 適者生存\
A fixed amount of food 固定量的食物， determined 作 food 的后置定語(yǔ)
The physical environment 客觀環(huán)境 Evolution ; development 進(jìn)化 Mental outlook 世界觀
Similar latitude 相近的緯度 west coasts 西海岸；Similar climates 相似的氣候
California: highly advanced 高度發(fā)展 Morocco : highly backward;
Not …..but …….轉(zhuǎn)折；different thought in inhabitants: livers,residents
The most important factor in our environment is the state of our own minds.我們的自然環(huán)境中
重要的因素是我們的心態(tài)；
It is well known that …. Where 引導(dǎo)的從句都可以用 if 來(lái)引導(dǎo)，如
Where there is a will ,there is a way , If there is a will….
The most destructive effects 具有破壞性的影響 westlization
in this days gone by;in the past days ; in days to come;the insider can’t see the game .*者迷
looking on 觀望 the outer sees most of the game .旁觀者清
I would like to …………假設(shè)語(yǔ)氣Imagine the effect on ………
One 指 society Effect of making it aware of the possibility of nuclear bomb ; it 代表 society.
Turn upside down 完全顛倒
I have often tried to conceive of what those pages might contain but of course do do because I
am a prisoner of the present-day world ,just as all of you are .符合“”因?yàn)槲覀兩硖庍@個(gè)社會(huì)，
就受社會(huì)的制約的思想
Be conditioned to (by) 被約束 outside :beyond 超越 original 創(chuàng)新的
Important Kownledge
。。。。when you are inside a community you are conditioned by the conventions of the
community to such a degree that it is very difficult to cou=nceive of anything really destructive .
It is only someone looking on from ourside that can inject the dangerous thoughts…
2…… and then only I we are very original ,
建議閱讀：新概念英語(yǔ)Lesson 56 新概念英語(yǔ)Lesson 54
關(guān)于林語(yǔ)堂：The enjoyment of culture
Good taste in knowledge 知識(shí)方面的品味
The development of good taste in kownledge 知識(shí)品位的培養(yǎng)
Well-read 博學(xué)的
Parrot 鸚鵡學(xué)舌者， a great man who have the hate and who have the love .
Erudition 博學(xué)，學(xué)識(shí) Discernment 洞察力，辨別力。 Scholar 學(xué)者，scholarship 獎(jiǎng)學(xué)金
Given :specific 特定的
Bulldozev。蒙騙，威脅 adult life 成年時(shí)期。Patriotic
Bogus 假的
Paunch腸胃。Ambition 志向,aggressiveness，挑戰(zhàn)性。 Sense of duty ,責(zé)任感。 Stinginess
小氣。Nonsense 廢話 Awe 敬畏，over awed 別嚇住