Cancong: college english 5

    It is probably easier for teachers than for students to appreciate the reasons why learning English seems to become increasingly difficult once the basic structures and patterns of the language have been understood. Students are naturally surprised and disappointed to discover that a process which ought to become simpler does not appear to do so.
    It may not seem much consolation to point out that the teacher, too, becomes frustrated when his efforts appear to produce less obvious results. He finds that students who were easy to teach, because they succeeded in putting everything they had been taught into practice, hesitate when confronted with the vast untouched area of English vocabulary and usage which falls outside the scope of basic textbooks. He sees them struggling because the language they thought they knew now appears to consist of a bewildering variety of idioms, clichéd and accepted phrases with different meanings in different contexts. It is hard to convince them that they are still making progress towards fluency and that their English is certain to improve, given time and dedication.
    In such circumstances it is hardly surprising that some give up in disgust, while others still wait hopefully for the teacher to give them the same confident guidance he was able to offer them at first. The teacher, for his part, frequently reduced to trying to explain the inexplicable, may take refuge in quoting proverbs to his colleagues such as: "You can lead a horse to water but you can't what you say. It's the way that you say it." His students might feel inclined to counter these with: "The more I learn, the less I know."
    Of course this is not true. What both students and teachers are experiencing is the recognition that the more complex structures one encounters in a language are not as vital to making oneself understood and so have a less immediate field of application. For the same reason, from the teacher's point o view, selecting what should be taught becomes a more difficult task. It is much easier to get food of any kind than to choose the dish you would most like to eat on a given day from a vast menu.
    Defining the problem is easier than providing the solution. One can suggest that students should spend two or three years in an English-speaking country, which amounts to washing one's hands of them. Few students have the time or the money to do that. It is often said that wide reading is the time or the money to do that. It is often said that wide reading is the best alternative course of action but even here it is necessary to make some kind of selection. It is no use telling students to go to the library and pick up the first book they come across. My own advice to them would be: "read what you can understand without having to look up words in a dictionary (but not what you can understand at a glance); read what interests you; read what you have time for (magazines and newspapers rather than novels unless you can read the whole novel in a week or so); read the English written today, not 200 years ago; read as much as you can and try to remember the way it was written rather than individual words that puzzled you." And instead of "read", I could just as well say "listen to."
    My advice to teachers would be similar in a way. I would say "It's no good thinking that anything will do, or that all language is useful. It's no good relying on students to express themselves without the right tools for expression. It's still your duty to choose the best path to follow near the top of the mountain just as it was to propose a practicable short-cut away from the beaten track in the foothills. And if the path you choose is too overgrown to make further progress, the whole party will have to go back and you will have to choose another route. You are still the paid guide and expert and there is a way to the top somewhere."

NEW WORDS

    sermon
n. a talk given in church by a priest; a long and solemn piece of advice 布道；说教
    consolation
n. (a person or thing that gives) comfort during a time of sadness and disappointment 安慰
    untouched
a. not touched; not dealt with
    usage
n. (a) generally accepted way of using a language 习惯用法
    scope
n. the area within the limits of a question, subject, action, etc.; ranged
    idiom
n. a phrase which means something different from the meanings of the separate words from which it is formed 习语；成语
    cliche
n. an expression or idea used so often that it has lost much of its expressive force 陈词滥调，陈腐思想
    context
n. what comes before and after (a word, phrase, statement, etc.), helping to fix the meaning （文章的）上下文
    fluency
n. a smooth, easy flow 流利；流畅
    fluent
a.
    dedication
n. self-sacrificing devotion 献身；忠诚；专心
    dedicate
vt.
    disgust
n. strong feeling of dislike or distaste 厌恶
    hopefully
ad. in a hopeful manner; if our hopes succeed 怀着希望；但愿
    guidance
n. the act or process of guiding; advice on vocational or educational problems given to students
    inexplicable
a. incapable of being explained 无法说明的；费解的
    refuge
n. shelter or protection from danger or distress 避难；庇护
    refugee
n. 难民
    quote
vt. repeat in speaking or writing (the words of another person) 引用，引述
    proverb
n. a brief popular saying 谚语
    respectfully
ad. in a way or manner that shows respect
    respectful
a.
    grammatically
ad. according to the rules of grammar
    grammatical
a.
    ain't
    (spoken) a short form of "am not", "is not" or "are not"
    counter
vt. oppose
    recognition
n. the act of recognizing 认识；承认
    immediate
a. with nothing between; coming at once
    given
a. specified, fixed 特定的，一定的
    define
vt. explain the meaning of; state, show or describe clearly 给...下定义;界定
    selection
n. the act of selecting
    novel
n. a long story in prose about either imaginary or historical people
    rely
vi. be dependent, count
    practicable
a. capable of being done, put into practice or accomplished; feasible
    shortcut
n. a route more direct than that usu. taken; a quicker way of doing sth. 捷径
    beaten
a. much walked on or traveled (路)踏平的；人们常走的
    overgrown
a. covered with plants growing uncontrolled

            The Fifth Freedom
                    by Seymour St . John

    More than three centuries ago a handful of pioneers crossed the ocean t Jamestown and Plymouth in search of freedoms they were unable to find in their own countries, the freedoms of we still cherish today: freedom from want, freedom from fear, freedom of speech, freedom of religion. Today the descendants of the early settlers, and those who have joined them since, are fighting to protect these freedoms at home and throughout the world.
    And yet there is a fifth freedom - basic to those four - that we are in danger of losing: the freedom to be one's best. St. Exupery describes a ragged, sensitive-faced Arab child, haunting the streets of a North African town, as a lost Mozart: he would never be trained or developed. Was he free? "No one grasped you by the shoulder while there was still time; and nought will awaken in you the sleeping poet or musician or astronomer that possibly inhabited you from the beginning." The freedom to be one's best is the chance for the development of each person to his highest power.
    How is it that we in America have begun to lose this freedom, and how can we regain it for our nation's youth? I believe it has started slipping away from us because of three misunderstandings.
First, the misunderstanding of the meaning of democracy. The principal of a great Philadelphia high school is driven to cry for help in combating the notion that it is undemocratic to run a special program of studies for outstanding boys and girls. Again, when a good independent school in Memphis recently closed, some thoughtful citizens urged that it be taken over by the public school system and used for boys and girls of high ability, what it have entrance requirements and give an advanced program of studies to superior students who were interested and able to take it. The proposal was rejected because it was undemocratic! Thus, courses are geared to the middle of the class. The good student is unchallenged, bored. The loafer receives his passing grade. And the lack of an outstanding course for the outstanding student, the lack of a standard which a boy or girl must meet, passes for democracy.
    The second misunderstanding concerns what makes for happiness. The aims of our present-day culture are avowedly ease and material well-being: shorter hours; a shorter week; more return for less accomplishment; more softsoap excuses and fewer honest, realistic demands. In our schools this is reflected by the vanishing hickory stick and the emerging psychiatrist. The hickory stick had its faults, and the psychiatrist has his strengths. But hickory stick had its faults, and the psychiatrist has his strengths. But the trend is clear. Tout comprendre c'est tout pardoner (To understand everything is to excuse everything). Do we really believe that our softening standards bring happiness? Is it our sound and considered judgment that the tougher subjects of the classics and mathematics should be thrown aside, as suggested by some educators, for doll-playing? Small wonder that Charles Malik, Lebanese delegate at the U.N., writes: "There is in the West" (in the United States) "a general weakening of moral fiber. (Our) leadership does not seem to be adequate to the unprecedented challenges of the age."
    The last misunderstanding is in the area of values. Here are some of the most influential tenets of teacher education over the past fifty years: there is no eternal truth; there is no absolute moral law; there is no God. Yet all of history has taught us that the denial of these ultimates, the placement of man or state at the core of the universe, results in a paralyzing mass selfishness; and the first signs of it are already frighteningly evident.
    Arnold Toynbee has said that all progress, all development come from challenge and a consequent response. Without challenge there is no response, no development, no freedom. So first we owe to our children the most demanding, challenging curriculum that is within their capabilities. Michelangelo did not learn to paint by spending his time doodling. Mozart was not an accomplished pianist at the age of eight as the result or spending his days in front of a television set. Like Eve Curie, like Helen Keller, they responded to the challenge of their lives by a disciplined training: and they gained a new freedom.
    The second opportunity we can give our boys and girls is the right to failure. "Freedom is not only a privilege, it is a test," writes De Nouy. What kind of a test is it, what kind of freedom where no one can fail? The day is past when the United States can afford to give high school diplomas to all who sit through four years of instruction, regardless of whether any visible results can be discerned. We live in a narrowed world where we must be alert, awake to realism; and realism demands a standard which either must be met or result in failure. These are hard words, but they are brutally true. If we deprive our children of the right to fail we deprive them of their knowledge of the world as it is.
    Finally, we can expose our children to the best values we have found. By relating our lives to the evidences of the ages, by judging our philosophy in the light of values that history has proven truest, perhaps we shall be able to produce that "ringing message, full of content and truth, satisfying the mind, appealing to the heart, firing the will, a message on which one can stake his whole life." This is the message that could mean joy and strength and leadership -- freedom as opposed to serfdom.

    cherish
vt. care for tenderly; keep alive 爱护，珍爱；抱有，怀有
    religion
n. 宗教
    settler
n. a person who has settled in a newly developed country; colonist 移民；殖民者
    sensitive
a. quick to receive impressions; easily hurt or offended 敏感的
    sensitive-faced
a. having a sensitive face
    Arab
n., a. 阿拉伯人（的）；阿拉伯的
    haunt
vt. visit often
    lost
a. not used, won, or claimed; ruined or destroyed physically or morally
    grasp
vt. seize firmly with the hand(s) or arm(s); understand with the mind 抓住，抱住；理解，掌握
    nought
n. (old use or lit) nothing; zero
    awaken
vt. arouse from sleep; make active
    musician
n. a composer or performer of music
    inhabit
vt. live or dwell in
    regain
vt. gain or get again; get back
    democracy
n. government by the people, esp. rule by the majority
    principal
n. head of a school
    combat
vt. n. fight; struggle
    notion
n. idea; belief; opinion
    undemocratic
a. not democratic; not in accordance with the principles of democracy
    independent
a. not subject to control or rule by another; not depending on others for support
    independent school
    a private school, not controlled by the public
    urge
vt. present, advocate or demand earnestly; push or drive
    loafer
n. a person who spends time idly 游手好闲的人
    lack
n. not have; have less than enough of
    avowedly
ad. as declared openly or frankly
    softsoap
a. 姑息的，软言相劝的
    realistic
a. having or showing an inclination to face facts and to deal with them sensibly practical
    hickory
n. 山核桃（木）
    hickory stick
    山核桃木做的教鞭
    classics
n. the language and literature of ancient Greece and Rome
    doll
n. a small-scale figure of a human being, used as a child's plaything
    Lebanese
n., a. 黎巴嫩人（的）；黎巴嫩的
    delegate
n. a person sent with power to act for another; representative 代表
    U.N., the
    the United Nations 联合国
    weaken
vt. make or become weak(er)
    fiber
n. a person's inner character; quality; strength
    leadership
n. power of leading; the qualities of a leader
    unprecedented
    having no precedent 无先例的，空前的
    influential
a. having or exerting influence
    tenet
n. a principle or belief held by a person or organization 信条，原则
    eternal
a. having no beginning and no end; lasting forever 永恒的；不朽的
    denial
n. a refusal to admit the truth of a statement or to grant sth. asked for
    ultimate
n. fundamental principle; final point or result
    placement
n. an act or instance of placing, esp. the assignment of a person to a suitable place
    core
n. the most important or central part of anything 核心
    paralyze
vt. make powerless or unable to act, move or function 使麻痹，使瘫痪
    selfishness
n. a concern for one's own welfare or advantage at the expense or in disregard of others
    selfish
a.
    consequent
a. following as a consequence
    curriculum
n. a course of study, esp. the body of courses offered in a school or college (学校的全部）课程
    capability
n. power of doing things 能力，才能
    paint
v. make a picture (of) with paint
    doodle
vi. draw irregular lines, figures, etc. aimlessly while thinking about sth. else 心不在焉地乱写乱画
    pianist
n. person who plays the piano
    discipline
vt. apply discipline to
    regardless
a. having or taking no regard; careless 不关心的；不留心的
    visible
a. capable of being seen; apparent
    discern
vt. see, notice, or understand, esp. with difficulty; perceive
    realism
n. accepting and dealing with life and its problems in a practical way, without being influenced by feelings or false ideas
    relate
vt. connect in thought or meaning
    fire
vt. inspire; stimulate or inflame
    stake
vt. risk (money, one's life, etc.) on a result; bet 把...押下打赌
    oppose
vt. set oneself against; set up against 反对；使对抗
    serfdom
vt. the state or fact of being a serf; slavery 农奴的境遇;奴役

    The most important psychological of this century is the discovery of the "self-image." Whether we realize it or not, each of us carries about with us a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves. It may be vague and ill-defined to our conscious gaze. In fact, it may not be consciously recognizable at all. But it is there, complete down to the last detail. This self-image is our own conception of the "sort of person I am." It has been built up from our own beliefs about ourselves. But most of these beliefs about ourselves have unconsciously been formed our past experiences, our successes and failures, our humiliations, our triumphs, and the way other people have reacted to us, especially in early childhood. From all these we mentally construct a "self," (or a picture of a self). Once an idea or a belief about ourselves goes into this picture it becomes "true", as far as we personally are concerned. We do not question its validity, but proceed to act upon it just as if it were true.
    This self-image becomes a golden key to living a better life because of two important discoveries:
    1. All your actions, feelings, behavior -- even your abilities -- are always consistent with this self-image.
    In short, you will "act like" the sort of person you conceive yourself to be. Not only this, but you literally cannot act otherwise, in spite of all your conscious efforts or will power. The man who conceives himself to be a "failure type person" will find some way to fail, in spite of all his good intentions, or his will power, even if opportunity is literally dumped in his lap. The person who conceives himself to be a victim of injustice, one "who was meant to suffer" will invariably find circumstances to verify his opinions.
    The self-image is a "premise," a base, or a foundation upon which your entire personality, your behavior, and even your circumstances are built. Because of this our experiences seem to verify, and thereby strengthen our self-images, and a vicious or a beneficent cycle, as the case may be, is set up.
    For example, a schoolboy who sees himself as an "F" type student, or one who is "dumb in mathematics," will invariably find that his report card bears him out. He then has "proof". A young girl who has an image of herself as the sort of person nobody likes, will find indeed that she is avoided at the school dance. She literally invites rejection. Her woebegone expression, her hang-dog manner, her over-anxiousness to please, or perhaps her unconscious hostility towards those she anticipates will affront her - all act to drive away those whom she would attract. In the same manner, a salesman or a businessman will also find that his actual experiences tend to "prove" his self-image is correct.
    Because of this objective "proof" it very seldom occurs to a person that his trouble lies in his self-image or his own evaluation of himself. Tell the schoolboy that he only "thinks" he cannot master algebra, and he will doubt your sanity. He has tried and tried, and still his report card tells the story. Tell the salesman that it is only an idea that he cannot earn more than a certain figure, and he can prove you wrong by his order book. He knows only too well how hard he has tried and failed. Yet, as we shall see later, almost miraculous changes have occurred both in grades of students, and in the earning capacity of salesmen - when they were prevailed upon to change their self-images.
    2. The self-image can be changed. Numerous case histories have shown that one is never too young nor too old to change his self-image and thereby start to live a new life.
    One of the reasons it has seemed so difficult for a person to change his habits, his personality, or his way of life, has been that heretofore nearly all efforts at change have been directed to the circumference of the self, so to speak, rather than to the center. Numerous patients have said to me something like the following: "If you are talking about 'positive thinking', I've tried that before, and it just doesn't work for me." However, a little questioning invariably brings out that these individuals have employed "positive thinking," or attempted to employ it, either upon particular external circumstances, or upon some particular habit or character defect ("I will get that job." " I will be more calm and relaxed in the future." "This business venture will turn out right for me," etc.) But they had never thought to change their thinking of the "self" which was to accomplish these things.
    Jesus warned us about the folly of putting a patch of new material upon an old garment, or of putting new wine into old bottles. "Positive thinking" cannot be used effectively as a patch or a crutch to the same old self-image. In fact, it is literally impossible to really think positively about a particular situation, as long as you hold a negative concept of self. And, numerous experiments have shown that once the concept of self is changed, other things consistent with the new concept of self, are accomplished easily and without strain.
    One of the earliest and most convincing experiments along this line was conducted by the late Prescott Lecky, one of the pioneers in self-image psychology. Lecky conceived of the personality as a "system of ideas", all of which must seem to be consistent with each other. Ideas which are inconsistent with the system are rejected, "not believed," and not acted upon. Ideas which seem to be consistent with the system are accepted. At the very center of this system of ideas -- the keystone -- the base upon which all else is built, is the individual's "ego ideal," his "self-image," or his conception of himself. Lecky was a school teacher and had an opportunity to test his theory upon thousands of students.
    Lecky theorized that if a student had trouble learning a certain subject, it could be because (from the student's point of view) it would be inconsistent for him to learn it. Lecky believed, however, that if you could change the student's self-conception, which underlies this viewpoint, his attitude toward the subject would change accordingly. If the student could be induced to change his selfdefinition, his learning ability should also change. This proved to be the case. One student who misspelled 55 words out of a hundred and flunked so many subjects that he lost credit for a year, made a general average of 91 the next year and became one of the best spellers in school. A boy who was dropped from one college because of poor grades, entered Columbia and became a straight "A" student. A girl who had flunked Latin four times, after three talks with the school counselor, finished with a grade of 84. A boy who was told by a testing bureau that he had no aptitude for English, won honorable mention the next year for a literary prize.
    The trouble with these students was not that they were dumb, or lacking in basic aptitudes. The trouble was an inadequate self-image ("I don't have a mathematical mind"; "I'm just naturally a poor speller"). They "identified" with their mistakes and failures. Instead of saying "I failed that test" (factual and descriptive) they concluded "I am a failure." Instead of saying "I flunked that subject" they said "I am a failure." Instead of saying "I flunked that subject" they said "I am a flunk-out." For those who are interested in leaning more of Lecky's work, I recommend securing a copy of his book: self consistency, a Theory of Personality. The Island Press, Now York, N.Y.

    hang-dog
a. (of an expression on the face) unhappy esp. because ashamed or sorry 惭愧的；自觉有罪的
    unconscious
a. having lost consciousness; unaware
    hostility
n. ill-will; antagonism
    affront
vt. be rude to or hurt the feelings of, esp. intentionally or in public; offend 当众侮辱，有意冒犯
    businessman (business woman)
    a person who works in business, esp. as an owner, director, or top manager of a company
    objective
a. existing outside the mind, real; not influenced by personal feelings or opinions, fair
    sanity
n. the state of having a sound and healthy mind
    miraculous
a. being or resembling a miracle
    prevail
vt. be stronger or more successful; be most common or frequent
    heretofore
ad. until now, before this time 迄今为止；在此之前
    circumference
n. the line round the outside edge of a figure, object, or place; the length round the outside of a circle 周围；周长
    external
a. on, of, or for the outside
    defect
n. something missing or imperfect; fault
    venture
n. a course of action, esp. in business, in which there is a risk of loss as well as a chance of gain 商业冒险
    folly
n. (an act of) stupidity
    patch
n. a piece put in to mend a hole or a tear 补钉
    garment
n. an article of clothing
    effectively
ad. in an effective manner; with great effect
    effective
a.
    negative
a. not positive or helpful; expressing a refusal or denial
    concept
n. a general idea
    keystone
n. the middle stone in the top of an arch, which keeps the other stones in place; an idea, belief, etc. on which everything else depends 拱顶石；基础
    ego
n. one's opinion of oneself; self-esteem
    ideal
a. perfect in every way
n. a perfect example; high principles or perfect standards
    theorize
v. form a theory; speculate
    inconsistent
a. not in agreement with each other; tending to change
    underlie
vt. be a hidden cause or meaning of
    viewpoint
n. a point of view
    accordingly
ad. in a way suitable to what has been said or what has happened; therefore 相应地；因此
    induce
vt. lead (sb.) to do sth., often by persuading 引诱，劝
    definition
n. the act of explaining the nature of a thing; a precise statement in which the mature of a thing is made clear
    self-definition
n. definition of one's own character, identity, or the like
    misspell
vt. spell wrongly
    flunk
vt. fail (an exam or study course); to mark the exam answers as unsatisfactory
    credit
n. a completed unit of a student's work that forms part of a course, esp. at a university 学分
    speller
n. one who spells words
    counselor
n. someone who advises or guides; adviser
    counsel
vt., n.
    honorable
a. deserving or winning honor or respect
    honorable mention
    an honorary award next below those that win prizes 荣誉奖
    literary
a. (typical) of literature; fond of, studying, or producing literature
    mathematical
a. of or using mathematics; (of numbers, reasoning, etc.) exact, precise
    factual
a. based (only) on facts
    descriptive
a. that describes
    flunk-out
n. a person who is dismissed from school for failure

PHRASES & EXPRESSIONS

    The stood still for a little while with the paper in her hand; then sat down by the open window to read. The letter was closely written in pencil, and in some parts hardly legible. But the first two words stood out quite clear upon the page; and they were in English:
    "Dear Jim."
    The writing grew suddenly blurred and misty. And she had lost him again -- had lost him again! At the sight of the familiar childish nickname all the hopelessness of her bereavement came over her afresh, and she put out her hands in blind desperation, as though the weight of the earth-clods that lay above him were pressing on her heart.
    Presently she took up the paper again and went on reading:
    "I am to be shot at sunrise to-morrow. So if I am to keep at all my promise to tell you everything, I must keep it now. But, after all, there is not much need of explanations between you and me. We always understood each other without many words, even when we were little thing."
    "And so, you see, my dear, you had no need to break your heart over that old story of the blow. It was a hard hit, of course; but I have had plenty of others as hard, and yet I have managed to get over them, -- even to pay back a few of them, -- and here I am still, like the mackerel in our nursery-book (I forget its name), 'Alive and kicking, oh!" This is my last kick though; and then, to-morrow morning, and -- 'Finita la Commedia!" You and I will translate that: 'The variety show is over'; and will give thanks to the gods that they have had, at least, so much mercy on us. It is not much, but it is something; and for this and all other blessings may we be truly thankful!
    "About that same to-morrow morning, I want both you and Martini to understand clearly that I am quite happy and satisfied, and could ask no better thing of Fate. Tell that to Martini as a message from me; he is a good fellow and a good comrade, and he will understand. You see, dear, I know that the stick-in-the-mud people are doing us a good turn and themselves a bad one by going back to secret trials and executions so soon, and I know that if you who are left stand together steadily and hit hard, you will see great things. As for me, I shall go out into the courtyard with as light a heart as any child starting home for the holidays. I have done my share of the work, and this death-sentence is the proof that I have done it thoroughly. They kill me because they are afraid of me; and what more can any man's heart desire?
    "It desires just one thing more, though. A man who is going to die has a right to a personal fancy, and mine is that you should see why I have always been such a sulky brute to you, and slow to forget old scores. Of course, though, you understand why, and I tell you only for the pleasure of writing the words. I loved you, Gemma, when you were an ugly little girl in a gingham frock, with your hair in a pig-tail down your back; and I love you still. Do you remember that day when I kissed your hand, and when you so piteously begged me 'never to do that again'? It was a scoundrelly trick to play, I know; but you must forgive that; and now I kiss the paper where I have written your name. So I have hissed you twice, and both times without your consent.
    "That is all. Good-bye, my dear."
    There was no signature, but a verse which they had learned together as children was written under the letter:
             "Then am I
            A happy fly,
             If I live
            Or if I die."
    Half an hour later Martini entered the room, and, startled out of the silence of half a life-time, threw down the placard he was carrying and flung his arms about her.
    "Gemma! What is it, for God's sake? Don't sob like that -- you that never cry! Gemma! Gemma, my darling!"
    "Nothing, Cesare; I will tell you afterwards -- I -- can't talk about it just now."
    She hurriedly slipped the tear-stained letter into her pocket; and, rising, leaned out of the window to hide her face. Martini held his tongue and bit his moustache. After all these years he had betrayed himself like a schoolboy -- and she had not even noticed it!
    "The Cathedral bell is tolling," she said after a little while, looking round with recovered self-command. "Someone must be dead."
    "That is what I came to show you," Martini answered in his everyday voice. He picked up the placard from the floor and handed it to her. Hastily printed in large type was a black-bordered announcement that: "Out dearly beloved Bishop, His Eminence the Cardinal, Monsignor Lorenzo Montanelli," had died suddenly at Ravenna, "from the rupture of an aneurism of the heart."
    She glanced up quickly from the paper. And Martini answered the unspoken suggestion in her eyes with a shrug of his shoulders.
    "What would you have, Madonna? Aneurism is as good a word as any other."

    Science is the body of knowledge about nature that represents the collective efforts, insights, findings, and wisdom of the human race. Science is not something new but had its beginnings before recorded history when humans first discovered reoccurring relationships around them. Through careful observations of these relationships, they began to know nature and, because of nature's dependability, found they could make predictions to enable some control over their surroundings.
    Science made its greatest headway in the sixteenth century when people began asking answerable questions about nature -- when they began replacing superstition by a systematic search for order -- when experiment in addition to logic was used to test ideas. Where people once tried to influence natural events with magic and supernatural forces, they now had science to guide them. Advance was slow, however, because of the powerful opposition to scientific methods and ideas.
    In about 1510 Copernicus suggested that the sun was stationary and that the earth revolved about the sun. He refuted the idea that the earth was the center of the universe. After years of hesitation, he published his findings but died before his book was circulated. His book was considered heretical and dangerous and was banned by the Church for 200 years. A century after Copernicus, the mathematician Bruno was burned at the stake -- largely for supporting Copernicus, suggesting the sun to be a star, and suggesting that space was infinite. Galileo was imprisoned for popularizing the Copernican theory and for his other contributions to scientific thought. Yet a couple of centuries later, Copernican advocates seemed harmless.
    This happens age after age. In the early 1800s geologists met with violent condemnation because they differed with the Genesis account of creation. Later in the same century, geology was safe, but theories of evolution were condemned and the teaching of them forbidden. This most likely continues. "At every crossway on the road that leads to the future, each progressive spirit is opposed by a thousand men appointed to guard the past." Every age has one or more groups of intellectual rebels who are persecuted, condemned, or suppressed at the time; but to a later age, they seem harmless and often essential to the elevation of human conditions.
    The enormous success of science has led to the general belief that scientists have developed and ate employing a "method" - a method that is extremely effective in gaining, organizing, and applying new knowledge. Galileo, famous scientist of the 1600s, is usually credited with being the "Father of the Scientific Method." His method is essentially as follows:
    1. Recognize a problem.
    2. Guess an answer.
    3. Predict the consequences of the guess.
    4. Perform experiments to test predictions.
    5. Formulate the simplest theory organizes the three main ingredients: guess, prediction, experimental outcome.
    Although this cookbook method has a certain appeal, to has not been the key to most of the breakthroughs and discoveries in science. Trial and error, experimentation without guessing, accidental discovery, and other methods account for much of the progress in science. Rather than a particular method, the success of science has more to do with an attitude common to scientists. This attitude is essentially one of inquiry, experimentation, and humility before the facts. If a scientist holds an idea to be true and finds any counterevidence whatever, the idea is either modified or abandoned. In the scientific spirit, the idea must be modified or abandoned in spite of the reputation of the person advocating it. As an example, the greatly respected Greek philosopher Aristotle said that falling bodies fall at a speed proportional to their weight. This false idea was held to be true for more than 2,000 years because of Aristotle's immense authority. In the scientific spirit, however, a single verifiable experiment to the contrary outweighs any authority, regardless of reputation or the number of followers and advocates.
    Scientists must accept facts even when they would like them to be different. They must strive to distinguish between what they see and what they wish to see -- for humanity's capacity for self-deception is vast. People have traditionally tended to adopt general rules, beliefs, creeds, theories, and ideas without thoroughly questioning their validity and to retain them long after they have been shown to be meaningless, false, or at least questionable. The most widespread assumptions are the least questioned. Most often, when an idea is adopted, particular attention is given to cases that seem to support it, while cases that seem to refute it are distorted, belittled, or ignored. We feel deeply that it is a sign of weakness to "change out minds." Competent scientists, however, must be expert at changing their minds. This is because science seeks not to defend our beliefs but to improve them. Better theories are made by those who are not hung up on prevailing ones.
    Away from their profession, scientists are inherently no more honest or ethical than other people. But in their profession they work in an arena that puts a high premium on honesty. The cardinal rule in science is that all claims must be testable -- they must be capable, at least in principle, of being proved wrong. For example, if someone claims that a certain procedure has a certain result, it must in principle be possible to perform a procedure that will either confirm or contradict the claim. If confirmed, then the claim is regarded as useful and a stepping-stone to further knowledge. None of us has the time or energy or resources to test every claim, so most of the time we must take somebody's word. However, we must have some criterion for deciding whether one person's word is as good as another's and whether one claim is as good as another. The criterion, again, is that the claim must be testable. To reduce the likelihood of error, scientists accept the word only of those whose ideas, theories, and findings are testable -- if not in practice then at least in principle. Speculations that cannot be tested are regarded as "unscientific." This has the long-run effect of compelling honesty - findings widely publicized among fellow scientists are generally subjected to further testing. Sooner or later, mistake (and lies) are bound to be found out; wishful thinking is bound to be exposed. The honesty so important to the progress of science thus becomes a matter of self-interest to scientists.

    circulate
v. (cause to) spread widely; move or send around 传播，（使）流传，（使）循环
    heretical
a. (of opinion) opposed to established beliefs or standards 异端的
    ban
vt. forbid by law or decree
    largely
ad. for the most part; mainly
    infinite
a. having or seeming to have no limits; endless; very large
    imprison
vt. put in prison
    popularize
v. cause to be well know and generally liked or used; make (a difficult subject) easily understandable to ordinary people 使普及；推广
    geologist
n. a person who knows much about geology 地质学家
    violent
a. having, showing, or resulting from great physical force; showing or having strong feelings 强暴的；猛烈的
    condemnation
n. express strong disapproval of, pronounce guilty of crime or wrong 谴责；宣告...有罪
    condemnation
n.
    genesis
n. the beginning or origin: (G-) the first book of the Old Testament 起源;(《旧约全书》第一卷)《创世纪》
    geology
n. the study of origin, structure, and history of the earth 地质学
    evolution
n. slow, gradual development; the scientific theory that all living things developed very slowly over millions of years from simpler forms of life 进化（论）
    crossway
n. crossroad; a road that crosses another
    progressive
a. moving forward step by step; favoring or promoting improvement or reform
    appoint
vt. name for an office, duty or position 指定，任命
    rebel
n. a person who resists or opposes authority 反叛者
    persecute
vt. treat continually in a cruel way, esp. because of political or religious beliefs 迫害
    suppress
vt. stop or put down by force; keep in, hold back 镇压；抑制
    essential
a. very important; vital
    elevation
n. the act of raising to a higher place or position
    elevate
vt.
    effective
a. able to bring about a desired result; being in force or operation
    credit
vt. (with) believe that (sb.) has (a quality, or has done sth. good) 认为（某人）有（某种优点或成就等）
    formulate
vt. express in an exact way 精确地阐述
    ingredient
n. a substance that is part of a mixture or compound 成分
    experimental
a. used for or connected with experiments
    outcome
n. a final result
    cookbook
n. a book of directions and recipes for cooking
    breakthrough
n. an important advance or discovery, often after earlier failures
    trial and error
    process of solving a problem by trying various solutions and learning from one's failures 反复试验
    experimentation
n. the making of experiments
    accidental
a. happening by chance, not by plan or intention
    countere idence
n. opposing evidence
    modify
vt. change, esp. slightly
    abandon
vt. give up completely; leave for good, desert
    reputation
n. the general worth or quality of sb. or sth. as judged by others
    Greek
n. sb. who was born in or is a citizen of Greece; the language of the Greeks 希腊人（语）
a. of Greece, its people, or their language
    proportional
a. in proportion 成比例的
    immense
a. of great size, extent or degree
    verifiable
a. that can be checked or tested and proved to be true
    outweigh
vt. weigh more than; exceed in value, importance or influence
    follower
n. a person who follows or supports a particular person, belief, or cause, etc.
    strive
vt. try hard
    distinguish
v. know or see clearly the difference between two things; to hear or see clearly 区分，辨别
    humanity
n. human beings as a group; people
    adopt
vt. take and use as one's own
    creed
n. a statement of the beliefs of principles held by a person or group 信条
    retain
vt. continue to have; keep; hold in the mind or memory
    questionable
a. perhaps not true, right or honest; not certain
    assumption
n. sth. that is taken as a fact or believed to be true without proof
    belittle
vt. cause to seem small or unimportant
    weakness
n. the condition or quality of being weak; a weak point; fault
    inherent
a. of or being a basic quality or characteristic of a person or thing 内在的，固有的
    inherently
ad.
    ethical
a. agreeing with the rules or standards of right behavior
    ethics
n. moral rules or principles of behavior governing a person or group 伦理，道德
    arena
n. an enclosed area used for sports events and entertainments; any place of activity 竞技场；活动场所
    premium
n. an unusual or high value
    cardinal
a. chief, main, most important
    testable
a. capable of being tested
    procedure
n. a set of actions necessary for doing sth.; the method and order of directing business in an official meeting, law case, etc. 程序
    contradict
vt. say the opposite of; disagree with 反驳；同...矛盾
    stepping-stone
n. a means of advancing or rising; a way of improvement or gaining success 进身之阶;垫脚石
    criterion
n. an established standard or principle on which a judgment or decision is based 标准
    likelihood
n. the fact or degree of being likely; probability
    speculation
n. careful thought, reflection; the act or process of guessing 沉思;推测
    speculate
v. reflect; guess
unscientific
a. not scientific
    long-run
a. happening or continuing over a long period of time
    publicize
vt. bring to public notice 宣传,公布
    publicity
n. (the business of bringing sb. or sth. to) public notice or attention
    wishful
a. having or expressing a wish
    wishful thinking
    the false belier that sth. is true of will happen simply because one wishes it 如意算盘

                    By Jean Gilbertson
    Charles saw them both at the same time: the small white bird floating from among the park trees and the girl wheeling down the walk. The bird glided downward and rested in the grass; the girl directed the chair smoothly along the sunlit, shadowy walk. Her collapsible metal chair might have been motorized; it carried her along so smoothly. She stopped to watch the ducks on the pond and when she shoved the wheels again, Charles sprang to his feet. "May I push you?" he called, running across the grass to her. The white bird flew to the top of tree.
    It was mostly he who talked and he seemed afraid to stop for fear she'd ask him to leave her by herself. Nothing in her face had supported the idea of helplessness conveyed by the wheelchair, and he knew that his assistance was not viewed as a favor. He asked the cause of her handicap; not because it was so important for him to know, but because it was something to keep the conversation going.
    "It was an automobile accident when I was twelve," Amy explained. "I was reading to my younger brother in the back seat and suddenly my mother screamed and tried frantically to miss the truck that had pulled out in front of us. When I woke up in hospital, my mother was screaming again outside the door. This time she was trying to escape the fact that I would never walk again."
    "Pretty rough on both of you. What about your brother?"
    "He came out of it a little better than I did; at least he was dismissed from the hospital before I was. It took us all a long time to accept and adjust."
    They went for lunch, and he would have felt awkward except that she knew completely how to take care of herself. It was he who seemed clumsy and bumped into a table; she who moved competently through the aisle.
    "Do you live with someone?" he asked the next day for he'd made a point of asking to meet her again.
    "Just myself," she answered. He felt a qualm in his stomach, and it was more in memory of his own loneliness than anticipation of hers.
    He came to like to feel the white handles in his grasp, to walk between the two white-rimmed metal wheels. And he grew almost more familiar with the slight wave at the back of her hair than with her eyes or her mouth. The chair was a moveable wonder; he loved the feeling of power and strength it gave him for so little exertion. Once, he said to the wave at the back of her hair, " I hope I'm the only chair-pusher in your life," but she had only smiled a little and her eyes had admitted nothing. When he looked up, he noticed a white bird flying from one tree to another, tracing their route with them.
    She cooked dinner for him once in June. He expected her to be proud of her ability to do everything from her seat in the wheelchair -- and was faintly disappointed to see that she would not feel pride at what was, for her, simply a matter of course. He watched his own hand pick up the salt shaker and place it on one of the higher, unused cabinet shelves, then awaited her plea for assistance. He didn't know why he'd done it, but the look in her eyes a moment later gave him a shock in his easy joy. He felt as though he were playing poker and he had just accidentally revealed his hand to the opponent. To make her forget what he'd done, he told her about the little white bird in the park.
    "I've seen it, too," she said. "I read a poem once about a little white bird that came to rest on a window sill and the lady who lived in the house began to put out food for it. Soon the lady fell in love, but it was a mismatched love. Everyday the little bird came to the window and the lady put out food. When the love affair was over, the little white bird never returned, but the woman went on putting out the crumbs every day for years and the wind just blew them away."
    In July he took her boating frequently. She prepared a picnic lunch each time, and he manned the sails. The most awkward event of this, she felt, was the loading and unloading of herself. For Charles, however, these "freight handlings," as she came to call it, seemed to be the highlight of the outings. He appeared to take great delight in wheeling her to the end of the pier, picking her up out of the chair, balancing himself to set her into the boat, then collapsing the chair and setting it on its side on board. On the first few outings, she had felt distinctly ill at ease at having been placed helplessly in a spot form which she could not move herself. It occurred to her, too, that she was unable to swim, should the boat turn over. Charles, who adapted himself marvelously to the captain's role, was completely oblivious to her discomfort; she noted with a returning sense of helplessness how much he enjoyed being in control. When he called for her one day in early August with a brand new captain's hat cocked atop his soft brown hair, all her emotions revolted at the idea of another day trapped on the wooden seat over the water -- and she refused to go.
    They would, instead, she said, go for a walk in which she would move herself by the strength of her own arms and he would walk beside her. He finally agreed, but his displeasure grew with each step; this was a role he didn't want to play.
    "Why don't you just rest your arms and let me push you?"
    "No."
    "Your arms'll get sore; I've been helping you do it for three months now."
    "I wheeled myself for twelve years before you came along - I doubt that my arms have forgotten how."
"But I don't like having to walk beside you while you push yourself!"
"Do you think I've liked having to sit helpless in your boat every weekend for the past two months?"
    For a moment he was stunned into silence by this new learning. Finally he said quietly, "I never realized that, Amy. You're in a wheelchair all the time -- I never thought you'd mind sitting in the boat. It's the same thing."
    "It is not the same thing. In this chair, I can move by myself; I can go anywhere I need to go. That boat traps me so I can't do anything -- I couldn't even save myself if something happened and I fell out."
    "But I'm there. Don't you think I could save you or help you move or whatever it is you want?"
    "Yes, but Charles -- the point is I've spent twelve years learning to manage by myself. I even live in a city that's miles from my family so I'll have to be independent and do things for myself. Being placed in the boat takes all that I've won away from me. Can't you see why I object to it? I can't let myself be at anyone's mercy -- not even yours."
    They continued down the path in silence as his feelings boiled within him and finally ran over the edge of his control: "Amy, I need to have you dependent upon me. I need your dependence upon me." And, as if to punctuate his desire, he took the familiar white bars in hand and pushed her rapidly along so that her own hands came off the wheels and rested in her lap. The wave at the back of her hair did not show the anger in her eyes, and it was just as well for it was an anger he would not have understood.
    She would not answer her telephone the next morning but in his mail that afternoon came an envelope that he knew had come from Amy. The handwriting was not beautiful, but it was without question hers. Inside was only a card on which she had written:
    If you want something baby written,
    You must let it go free.
    If it comes back to you,
        It's yours.
    If it doesn't,
    You really never had it anyway.
                        (Anonymous)
    He ran out of his apartment, refusing to believe that Amy might no longer be in her home. As he was running towards her apartment, he kept hearing a roar in his ears: "You must let it go free; you must let it go free."
    But he thought: I can't risk it, she is mine, can't just let go, can't give her a chance not to belong to me, can't let her think she doesn't need me, she must need me. Oh God, I have to have her.
But her apartment was empty. Somehow in the hours overnight, she had packed -- by herself - and moved by herself. The rooms were now impersonal; their cold stillness could not respond when he fell to the floor and sobbed.
    By the middle of August he had heard nothing from Amy. He lay often on his bed with her letter on his chest and counted the minute cracks in his ceiling; he went often to the park but scrupulously avoided looking for the white bird. Sometimes he would sit for hours there in the wind under a tree and not even notice that he was outside, that life went on around him.
    September came and had almost gone before he finally received an envelope of familiar stationery. The handwriting was not beautiful but it was without question hers. The postmark was that of a city many miles distant. With a shock of feeling returning to his heart, he tore open the envelope and at first thought it was empty. Then he noticed on his desk a single white feather that had fallen from it. In his mind, the white bird rose in flight and its wings let fly one feather. Were it not for the feather lost in departure, no one would have known that the white bird had ever been. Thus he knew Amy would not be back, and it was many hours before he let the feather drop out of his hand.

    float
vt. move on a current of air or water 飘动；漂浮
    sunlit
a. lighted by the sun
    shadowy
a. full of shade
    collapsible
a. that can be folded 可折叠的
    motorize
vt. equip with a motor
    pond
n. a body of water that is smaller than a lake 池塘
    shove
vt. push with force
    wheelchair
n. a chair mounted on wheels used by people who are sick or who cannot walk 轮椅
    assistance
n. help; aid
    assist
vt.
    handicap
n. a disability of the body or the mind; a disadvantage that makes achievement or success difficult
    clumsy
a. awkward in moving or acting; not graceful
    bump
v. knock or strike; move along in an uneven way
    aisle
n. a narrow passage, as between rows of seats in a theater （座席间的）纵直通道，走道
    qualm
n. a sudden, disturbing feeling in the mind; uneasiness; a feeling of faintness or sickness, esp. of nausea, that lasts for just a moment 疑虑，不安；一阵眩晕；一阵恶心
    loneliness
n. the condition or the feeling of being lonely
    rim
n. the border, edge, or margin of sth.
    white-rimmed
a. with white rims 白边的
    moveable
a. capable of being moved
    exertion
n. great effort 努力，尽力
    salt shaker
    a small container for salt at the table with a hole or holes in the top for shaking salt out （餐桌上的）盐瓶
    cabinet
n. a case or cupboard with doors and compartments or shelves for storing or showing objects 橱，柜
    shelf
n. a flat piece of wood or metal fixed to a wall or built into furniture for holding and storing things （柜橱等的）架子；搁板
    poker
n. a card game 扑克牌戏
    sill
n. a piece of wood or stone that forms the bottom of a door or window门槛；窗台
    window sill
    窗台
    mismatch
vt. match wrongly or unsuitably, esp. in marriage
    man
vt. provide with people for operation; serve or operate
    unload
v. remove cargo from a vehicle, ship, etc
    highlight
n. the best, most interesting or most exciting part of sth.
    outing
n. a trip or walk outdoors for fun
    pier
n. a platform built over water from a shore, used as a landing place or protection for boats or ships （凸出）码头；突堤
    collapse
v. fold together
    adapt
v. adjust or become adjusted to fit different conditions （使）适应
    role
n. a part performed by a person or thing; a part or character played by an actor 作用；角色
    oblivious
a. not noticing; unaware 不注意的，不知不觉的
    discomfort
n. lack of comfort; sth. that makes one uncomfortable
    cock
vt. cause (a hat) to slope slightly; tilt 歪戴（帽子）
    atop
prep. on, to, or at the top of
    revolt
v. feel horror or disgust; rebel against a government or other authority 憎恶；生反感；反叛
    trap
vt. catch in a trap; place or hold firmly with no possibility of escape
    displeasure
n. angry dislike, annoyance or disapproval
    sore
a. painful, hurting 痛的
    dependence
a. the state of being dependent; inability to exist without the help of others
    punctuate
vt. emphasize 强调
    handwriting
n. writing done with the hand
    anonymous
a. from or by a person whose identity is not know or whose name is kept secret 无名的，匿名的
    impersonal
a. not showing or including personal feelings
    minute
a. very small
    postmark
n. an official mark stamped on mall to cancel the stamp and to show the date and place of mailing 邮戳
    distant
a. far away in space or time; not near
    flight
n. the act or process of flying through the air by means of wings 飞行
    departure
n. the act of departing 出发

              Love Story

                   by Erich Segal
CHAPTER 13

       Mr. And Mrs. Oliver Barrett III
     request the pleasure of your company
        at a dinner in celebration of
       Mr. Barrett's sixtieth birthday
        Saturday, the sixth of March
              at seven o'clock
     Dover House, Ipswich, Massachusetts
     R. S. V. P.
    "Well?" asked Jennifer.
    "Do you even have to ask?" I replied. I was in the midst of abstracting The State v. Percival, a very important precedent in criminal law. Jenny was sort of waving the invitation to bug me.
    "I think it's about time, Oliver," she said.
    "For what?"
    "For you know very well that," she answered. "Does he have to crawl here on his hands and knees?"
    I kept working as she worked me over.
    "Ollie -- he's reaching out to you!"
    "Bullshit, Jenny. My mother addressed the envelope."
    "I thought you said you didn't look at it!" she sort of yelled.
Okay, so I did glance at it earlier. Maybe it had slipped my mind. I was, after all, in the midst of abstracting The State v. Percival, and in the virtual shadow of exams. The point was she should have stopped haranguing me.
    "Ollie, think," she said, her tone kind of pleading now. "Sixty goddamn years old. Nothing says he'll still be around when you're finally ready for the reconciliation."
    I informed Jenny in the simplest possible terms that there would never be a reconciliation and would she please let me continue my studying. She sat down quietly, squeezing herself onto a corner of the sofa where I had my feet. Although she didn't make a sound, I quickly became aware that she was looking at me very hard. I glanced up.
    "Someday," she said, "when you're being bugged by Oliver V --"
    "He won't be called Oliver, be sure of that!" I snapped at her. She didn't raise her voice, though she usually did when I did.
"Listen, Ol, even if we name him Bozo the Clown that kid's still going to resent you because you were a big Harvard athlete. And by the time he's a freshman, you'll probably be in the Supreme Court!"
    I told her that our son would definitely not resent me. She then inquired how I could be so certain of that. I couldn't produce evidence. I mean, I simply knew our son would not resent me, I couldn't say precisely why. Jenny then remarked:
    "Your father loves you too, Oliver. Her loves you just the way you'll love Bozo. But you Barretts are so damn proud and competitive, you'll go through life thinking you hate each other."
    "If it weren't for you," I said jokingly.
    "Yes," she said.
"The case is closed," I said, being, after all, the husband and head of household. My eyes returned to The State v. Perival and Jenny got up. But then she remembered.
"There's still the matter of the RSVP."
I said that a Radcliffe music major could probably compose a nice little negative RSVP without professional guidance.
    "Listen, Oliver," she said, "I've probably lied or cheated in my life. But I've never deliberately hurt anyone. I don't think I could."
    Really, at that moment she was only hurting me, so I asked her politely to handle the RSVP in whatever manner she wished, as long as the essence of the message was that we wouldn't show unless hell froze over. I returned once again to The State v. Percival.
    "What's the number?" I heard her say very softly. She was at the telephone.
    "Can't you just write a note?"
    "In a minute I'll lose my nerve. What's the number?"
    I told her and was instantly immersed in Percival's appeal to the Supreme Court. I was not listening to Jenny. That is, I tried not to. She was in the same room, after all.
    "Oh -- good evening, sir," I heard her say.
    She had her hand over the mouthpiece.
    "Ollie, does it have to be negative?"
    The nod of my head indicated that it had to be, the wave of my hand indicated that she should hurry up.
    "I'm terribly sorry," she said into the phone. "I mean, we're terribly sorry, sir…"
    We're! Did she have to involve me in this? And why can't she get to the point and hang up?
    "Oliver!"
    She had her hand on the mouthpiece again and was talking very loud.
"He's wounded, Oliver! Can you just sit there and let you father bleed?"
    Had she not been in such an emotional state, I could have explained once again that stones do not bleed. But she was very upset. And it was upsetting me too.
    "Oliver," she pleaded, "could you just say a word?"
    To him? She must be going out of her mind!
    "I mean, like just maybe 'hello'?"
    She was offering the phone to me. And trying not to cry.
    "I will never talk to him. Ever," I said with perfect calm.
And now she was crying. Nothing audible, but tears pouring down her face. And then she -- she begged.
    "For me, Oliver. I've never asked you for anything. Please."
Three of us. There of us just standing (I somehow imagined my father being there as well) waiting for something. What? For me?
    I couldn't do it.
    Didn't Jenny understand she was asking the impossible? That I would have done absolutely anything else? As I looked at the floor, shaking my head in adamant refusal and extreme discomfort, Jenny addressed me with a kind of whispered fury I had never heard from her:
    "You are a heartless bastard,' she said. And then she ended the telephone conversation with my father saying:
    "Mr. Barrett, Oliver does want you to know that in his own special way…"
    She paused for breath. She had been sobbing, so it wasn't easy. I was much too astonished to do anything but await the end of my alleged "message."
    "Oliver loves you very much," she said, and hung up very quickly.
There is no rational explanation for my actions in the next split second. I must never be forgiven for what I did.
    I ripped the phone from her hand, then from the socket -- and hurled it across the room.
    "God damn you, Jenny! Why don't you get the hell out of my life!"
    I stood still, panting like the animal I had suddenly become. Jesus Christ! What the hell had happened to me? I turned to look at Jen.
But she was gone.
    I mean absolutely gone, because I didn't even hear footsteps on the stairs. Christ, she must have dashed out the instant I grabbed the phone. Even her coat and scarf were still there. The pain of not knowing what to do was exceeded only by that of knowing what I had done.
    I searched everywhere.
    In the Law School library, I prowled the rows of grinding students, looking and looking. Up and back, at least half a dozen times. Though I didn't utter a sound, I knew my glance was so intense, my face so fierce, I was disturbing the whole place. Who cares?
But Jenny wasn't there.
   Then all through Harkness Commons, the lounge, the cafeteria. Then a wild sprint to look around Agassiz Hall at Radcliffe. Not there, either. I was running everywhere now, my legs trying to catch up with the pace of my heart.
    Paine Hall? (Ironic goddamn name!) Downstairs are piano practice rooms. I know Jenny. When she's angry, she pounds the keyboard. Right? But how about when she's scared to death?
    It's crazy walling down the corridor, practice rooms on either side. The sounds of Mozart and Bartok, Bach and Brahms filter out from the doors and blend into this weird infernal sound.
    Jenny's got to be here!
    Instinct made me stop at a door where I heard the pounding (angry?) sound of a Chopin prelude. I paused for a second. The playing was lousy -- stops and starts and many mistakes. At one pause I heard a girl's voice mutter, "Shit!" It had to be Jenny. I flung open the door.
    A Radcliffe girl was at the piano. She looked up. Au ugly, big-shouldered hippie Radcliffe girl, annoyed at my invasion.
    "What's the matter, man?" she asked.
    "Sorry," I replied, and closed the door again.
    Then I tried Harvard Square. Nothing.
    Where would Jenny have gone?
    I just stood there, lost in the darkness of Harvard Square, not knowing where to go or what to do next. A colored guy approached me and inquired if I was in need of a fix. I kind of absently replied, "No, thank you sir."
    I wasn't running now. I mean, what was the rush to return to the empty house? It was very late -- almost 1 A. M. -- and I was numb -- more with fright than with the cold (although it wasn't warm, believe me). From several yards off, I thought I saw someone sitting on the top of the steps. This had to be my eyes playing tricks, because the figure was motionless.
    But it was Jenny.
    She was sitting on the top step.
    I was too tired to panic, too relieved to speak. Inwardly I hoped she had some blunt instrument with which to hit me.
    "Jen?"
    "Ollie?"
    We both spoke so quietly, it was impossible to take an emotional reading.
    "I forgot my key," Jenny said.
    I stood there at the bottom of the steps, afraid to ask how long she had been sitting, knowing only that I had wronged her terribly.
"Jenny, I'm sorry --"
    "Stop!" she cut off my apology, then said very quietly, "Love means not ever having to say you're sorry."
    I climbed up the stairs to where she was sitting.
    "I'd like to go to sleep. Okay?" she said.
    "Okay."
    We walked up to our apartment. As we undressed, she looked at me reassuringly.
    "I meant what I said, Oliver."
    And that was all.

    chapter
n. a main division of a book 章，回，篇
    r. s. v. p / R. S. V. P
    [Fr.] please reply
    abstract
vt. make a shortened form of (a statement, speech, etc.) by separating out what is important 摘录...要点
    versus
prep. (Latin) against 对
    precedent
n. a judicial decision, case, or proceeding that serves as a guide in future similar situations 前例;判例
    invitation
n. a spoken or written request to go or come somewhere or do sth.
    bug
vt. annoy; irritate
    bullshit
int, n. (sl.) foolish talk; nonsense
    virtual
a. almost what is stated; in fact though not officially
    harangue
vt. attack or try to persuade with a long, loud, and scolding speech 向...夸夸其谈地演讲;大声训斥
    goddamn
a. (sl.) (used to express annoyance or give force to an expression) 该死的,讨厌的
    reconciliation
n. bring back of friendly relations 和解
    reconcile
v.
    squeeze
v. fit by forcing, pressing or crowding 挤
    bozo
n. (sl.) a stupid person
    freshman
n. a student in the first year of high school or university
    supreme
a. highest in rank, power or authority
    precisely
ad. exactly; accurately
    precise
a.
    damn
ad. (sl.) (used to give force to an expression, good or bad) very 非常
    jokingly
ad. in a joking manner
    deliberately
ad. On purpose
    deliberate
a.
    essence
n. the basic or most important part of sth. 要素，实质
    nerve
n. any of the threadlike parts of the body which form a system to carry messages to and from the brain; courage 神经；勇气
    instantly
ad. at once; immediately
    immerse
vt. put deep into a body of liquid; cause (oneself) to enter deeply into an activity 使沉浸于；使（自己）专心于
    mouthpiece
n. the part of a musical instrument, telephone, etc. that is placed at or between the lips （乐器的）吹口；（电话的）送话口
    bleed
vi. lose blood
    upset
vt. disturb or make worried
    audible
a. loud enough to be heard
    adamant
a. firmly or stubbornly determined
    refusal
n. the act of refusing
    fury
a. violent anger; rage 暴怒
    furious
a.
    heartless
a. having no sympathy or pity
    bastard
n. a child of unmarried parents; (sl.) an unpleasant, disagreeable or cruel person
    allege
vt. declare without definite proof 断言，宣称
    rational
a. able to reason; based on reason
    rip
vt. tear open or split apart
    socket
n. 插座
    hurl
vt. throw with force
    pant
vi. breathe in short, quick gasps 气喘
    footstep
n. a step of the foot; the sound of a foot stepping
    dash
vi. move with sudden speed
    scarf
n. a piece of cloth worn around the neck or head for warmth or decoration
    prowl
v. 徘徊于；在...搜寻
    grind
vi. study hard, esp. for an examination
    fierce
a. extremely severe or violent; terrible
    commons
n. a dining hall where food is served to a large group at common tables 公共食堂
    lounge
n. public sitting room in a hotel, club, etc. (旅馆,俱乐部等的)休息室
    cafeterla
n. a restaurant in which customers wait on themselves 自助餐厅
    ironic
a. expressing one thing and meaning the opposite; expressing irony 讽刺的
    irony
n.
    corridor
n. a narrow hallway or passage in a building, that often has rooms opening onto it
    filter
vi. pass through a filter; pass slowly in a specific direction 过滤;透过
    blend
vi. mix together thoroughly
    infernal
a. (inf.) extremely unpleasant; terrible
    instince
n. an ability or way of behaving that a person or animal possesses from birth and does not need to learn 本能
    lousy
a. (inf.) very bad, unpleasant, useless, etc. 糟糕的,劣等的
    mutter
v. speak in a low voice that is hard to hear; complain or grumble 轻声低语;抱怨
    shit
int. (taboo)(expressing anger or annoyance) 呸!妈的!
    hippie
n. (esp. in the 1960s and 1970s) a person who opposes the accepted standards of ordinary society, esp. when showing this by dressing in unusual clothes, living in groups together, and sometimes taking drugs for pleasure 嬉皮士
    invasion
n. the act of invading, esp. an attack in war when enemy spreads into and tries to control a country 入侵;侵犯
    fix
n. an injection of narcotics 毒品注射剂
    absently
ad. in an absent-minded manner
    fright
n. sudden, intense fear
    motionless
a. without any movement; completely still
    inwardly
ad. in the innermost being; mentally; to oneself
    inward
a. directed toward or located on the inside of interior
    blunt
a. having an edge or point that is not sharp 钝的
    instrument
n. a device used for a particular kind of work
    apology
n. a statement that one is sorry for sth.
    undress
vi. take one's clothes off
    reassuringly
ad. in a way that comforts, encourages, or restores confidence

    Darkness has fallen on Cambridge, England, and on a damp and chilly evening king's Parade is filled with students and faculty. Then, down the crowded thoroughfare comes the University of Cambridge's most distinctive vehicle, bearing its most distinguished citizen. In the motorized wheelchair, boyish face dimly illuminated by a glowing computer screen attached to the left armrest, is Stephen William Hawking, 46, one of the world's greatest theoretical physicists. As he skillfully maneuvers through the crowd, motorists slow down, some honking their horns in greeting. People wave and shout hello.
    A huge smile lights up Hawking's bespectacled face, but he cannot wave or shout back. Since his early 20s, he has suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive deterioration of the central nervous system that usually causes death within three or four years. Hawking's illness has advanced more slowly, and now seems almost to have stabilized. Still, it has robbed him of virtually all movement. He has no control over most of his muscles, cannot dress or eat by himself and has lost his voice. Now he "speaks" only by using the slight voluntary movement left in his hands and fingers to operate his wheelchair's built-in computer and voice synthesizer.
    While ALS has made Hawking a virtual prisoner in his own body, it has left his courage and humor intact, his intellect free to roam. And roam it does, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, from the subatomic realm to the far reaches of the universe. In the course of these mental expeditions, Hawking has conceived startling new theories about black holes and the disorderly events that immediately followed the Big Bang from which the universe sprang. More recently, he has shaken both physicists and theologians by suggesting that the universe has no boundaries, was not created and will not be destroyed.
    Most of Stephen Hawking's innovative thinking occurs at Cambridge, where he is Lucasian professor of mathematics, a seat once occupied by Isaac Newton. There, in the Department of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, he benevolently reigns over the relativity group, 15 overachieving graduate students from nine countries. On his office door is a small plaque irreverently reading QUIET, PLEASE. THE BOSS IS ASLEEP.
    Hardly. From midmorning until he departs for dinner around 7 p. m., Hawking follows a routine that would tax the most able-bodied, working in his book-lined office, amid photographs of his wife Jane and their three children. When he rolled into the department's common room one morning last month, his students were talking shop around low tables. Maneuvering to one of the tables, Hawking clicked his control switch, evoking tiny beeps from his computer and selecting words from lists displayed on his screen. These words, assembled in sequence at the bottom of the screen, finally issued from the voice synthesizer: "Good morning. Can I have coffee?" Then, for the benefit of a visitor: "I am sorry about my American accent." (The synthesizer is produced by a California company.)
    When the conversation shifted to creativity and how mathematicians seem to reach a creative peak in their early 20s, Hawking's computer beeped. "I'm over the hill," he said, to a chorus of laughter.
    Hawking was born on Jan. 8, 1942-300 years to the day, he often notes, after the death of Galileo. As a small boy, he was slow to learn to read but liked to take things apart though he confesses that he was never very good at putting things back together. When he was twelve, he recalls humorously, "one of my friends bet another friend a bag of sweets that I would never come to anything. I don't know if this bet was ever settled and, if so, who won.
    Fascinated by physics, Stephen concentrated in the subject at Oxford's University College, but did not distinguish himself. He partied, took a great interest in rowing and studied only an hour or so a day. Moving on to Cambridge for graduate work in relativity, he found the going rough, party because of some puzzling physical problems; he stumbled frequently and seemed to be getting clumsy.
    Doctors soon gave him the bad news: he had ALS, it would only get worse, and there was no cure. Hawking was overwhelmed. Before long, he needed a cane to walk, was drinking heavily and ignoring his studies. "There didn't seem to be much point in completing my Ph. D.," he says.
    Then Hawking's luck turned. The progress of the disease slowed, and Einsteinian space-time suddenly seemed less formidable. But what really made the difference, he says, "was that I got engaged to Jane," who was studying modern languages at Cambridge. "This gave me something to liver for." As he explains, "if we were to get married, I had to get a job. And to get a job, I had to finish my Ph. D. I started, working hard for the first time in my life. To my surprise, I found I liked it."
   What particularly interested Stephen was singularities, strange beasts predicted by general relativity. Einstein's equations indicated that when a star several times larger than the sun exhausts its nuclear fuel and collapses, its matter crushes together at its center with such force that it forms a singularity, an infinitely dense point with no dimensions and irresistible gravity. A voluminous region surrounding the singularity becomes a "black hole," from which -- because of that immense gravity -- nothing, not even light, can escape.
    Scientists years ago found compelling evidence that black holes exist, but they were uncomfortable with singularities, because all scientific laws break down at these points. Most physicists believed that in the real universe the object at the heart of a black hole would be small (but not dimensionless) and extremely dense (but not infinitely so). Enter Hawking. While still a graduate student, he and Mathematician Roger Penrose developed new techniques proving mathematically that if general relativity is correct, singularities must exist. Hawking went on to demonstrate - again if general relativity is correct - that the entire universe must have sprung from a singularity. As he wrote in his 1966 Ph. D. thesis, "There is a singularity in our past."
    Stephen later discerned several new characteristics of black holes and demonstrated that the amazing forces of the Big Bang would have created mini-black holes, each with a mass about that of a terrestrial mountain, but no larger than the subatomic proton. Then, applying the quantum theory (which accurately describes the random, uncertain subatomic world) instead of general relativity (which, it turns out, falters in that tiny realm), Hawking was startled to find that the mini-black holes must emit particles and radiation. Even more remarkable, the little holes would gradually evaporate and, 10 billion years or so after their creation, explode with the energy or millions of H-bombs.
    Hawking has visited the U. S. 30 times, made seven trips to Moscow, taken a round-the-word journey, and piloted his wheelchair on the Great Wall of China. On the road, the activities occasionally deviate somewhat from physics. One night Stephen accompanied a group to a Chicago discotheque, where he joined in the festivities by wheeling onto the dance floor and spinning his chair in circles.
    Recently, Hawking, who has no qualms about recanting his own work if he decides he was wrong, may have transcended his famous proof that singularities exist. With Physicist James Hartle. He has derived a quantum wave describing a self-contained universe that, like the earth's surface, has no edge or boundary. If that is the case, says Hawking, Einstein's general theory of relativity would have to be modified, and there would be no singularities. "The universe would not be created, not be destroyed; it would simply be," he concludes, adding challengingly, "What place, then, for a Creator?"

    roam
v. go from one place to another without a goal or purpose; wander 漫游
    cosmos
n. the whole universe considered as an ordered system 宇宙
    cosmic
a.
    damp
a. slightly wet; moist
    chilly
a. rather cold; unpleasantly cold
    chill
n.
    faculty
n. all the teachers of a school or college
    thoroughfare
n. a busy main road 通衢
    distinguished
a. showing remarkable qualities 杰出的
    boyish
a. of or like a boy
    dimly
ad. faintly; unclearly 黯淡地
    glow
vi. give off a steady light; shine 发光
    armrest
n. a support for the arm, esp. one on the chair or couch 扶手
    motorist
n. a person who drives or rides in an automobile
    physicist
n. a person who studies or works in physics
    honk
n. the sound made by a wild goose or an automobile horn
    greeting
n. an act or expression of welcome or salutation 欢迎;致意
    bespectacled
a. wearing glasses
    amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
    肌萎缩性脊髓侧索硬化
    deterioration
n. the act or process of deteriorating 恶化
    deteriorate
vi. become worse
    rob
vt. take from unlawfully, esp. by force 抢劫;使丧失
    voluntary
a. controlled by the will; made, done, or a given of one's own free will 随意的;自愿的;志愿的
    built-in
a. forming a part of sth. that cannot be separated from it
    synthesizer
n. an electrical instrument that can produce many different sorts of sound 音响合成器
    voice synthesizer
    语音合成器
    synthesis
n. the combining of separate things, ideas, etc., into a complete whole 合成
    humor
n. the quality of being amusing or funny; the ability to see or express what is funny 幽默(感)
    intellect
n. the ability to think, reason, and learn; intelligence
    infinitesimal
n. a. 无穷小(的)
    subatomic
a. smaller than an atom 亚原子的
    expedition
n. a long trip for exploring or studying sth. 远征;探险;考察
    disorderly
a. combining lacking organization or order; untidy
    theologian
n. a person who has studied theology 神学家
    boundary
n. a dividing line between one place or thing and another; border
    innovative
a. tending or liking to introduce new ideas or methods; different from, and esp. better than previous ones 创新的
    innovation
n.
    benevolently
ad. in a kindly manner 仁慈地
    reign
v. rule, esp. as a monarch 统治
    relativity
n. 相对论
    overachieve
v. do or perform better than expected
    graduate
n. one who has graduated, esp. from a college or university, holding a bachelor's degree
    graduate student
    研究生
    plaque
n. a flat decorative metal or stone plate, that is fixed to a wall, statue, etc. 饰板，匾
    irreverently
ad. in a disrespectful manner 不敬地
    midmorning
n. the middle of the morning
    able-bodied
a. strong and healthy; physically fit
    book-lined
a. lined with books
    amid
prep. in the middle of; among
    common room
    a room in a school or college for the use of teachers and / or students when they are not teaching or studying 公共休息室
    click
vt. strike or move with a sight short sound
    evoke
vt. produce; call up 产生；唤起
    beep
n. a sharp, short sound
    chorus
n. sth. said or shouted by many people together
    confess
v. say that sth. is true; say that one has committed a crime or done sth. wrong 承认；坦白
    fascinate
vt. attract or interest very strongly 强烈地吸引；迷住
    party
vt. enjoy oneself, esp. at a party or parties
    overwhelm
vt. overcome completely; overpower 征服，制服
    cane
n. a stick used to help in walking 手杖
    formidable
a. difficult to defeat or deal with; frightening 难对付的；可怕的
    engaged
a. having agreed to get married 已订婚的
    singularity
n. a hypothetical point in space at which an object becomes compressed to infinite density and infinitesimal volume 奇点
    beast
n. any (four-footed) animal; a person or thing felt to be hateful or offensive
    nuclear
a. of a nucleus, esp. of an atom 核的，原子核的
    crush
vt. squeeze together violently so as to break
vi. become crushed
    infinitely
ad. without limits of any kind; having no end
    dense
a. packed closely together; thick
    dimension
n. the measurement of the length, width, or height of sth. 尺寸
    dimensionless
a.
    irresistible
a. that cannot be resisted; too great to be withstood
    voluminous
a. very large
    compelling
a. strongly convincing or persuasive
    thesis
n. a long piece of writing on a particular subject, based on original work and written for a higher degree 论文
    amazing
a. causing great surprise or wonder, esp. because of quantity or quality
    amaze
vt.
    mini-
prefix. very small compared with others of its kind
    terrestrial
a. of the planet earth
    proton
n. a tiny particle of an atom that has a positive electric charge 质子
    quantum
n. the basic unit of radiant energy; the smallest amount of energy capable of existing independently 量子
    accurately
ad. precisely; exactly
    accurate
a.
    random
a. without plan, purpose, or pattern 任意的，随机的
    uncertain
a. not certain; likely to change
    falter
vi. move or speak in an unsteady way; lose strength or effectiveness; fail
    radiation
n. the process of sending out rays of energy, such as heat or light; sth. that is radiated 辐射；放射物
    radiate
v.
    evaporate
v. change from a liquid into a vapor or gas 蒸发
    explode
vi. burst with a loud noise; blow up
    H-bomb
n. a hydrogen bomb
    pilot
vt. act as a pilot; guide; lead 驾驶（飞行器等）；指引；引导
    deviate
vi. move away from a usual or accepted standard of behavior 偏离
    accompany
vt. go along with
    discotheque
n. (formal for disco) a club where people dance to recorded music 迪斯科舞厅
    festivity
n. the act of rejoicing; merriment; gaiety 欢庆（活动）
    spin
v. (cause to) turn quickly about an axis
    recant
vt. say publicly that one no longer holds (a former belief)
    self-contained
a. complete in itself; independent
    creator
n. a person who creates; (C) God

    If had to sum up in one word the qualities that make a good manager, I'd say that it all comes to decisiveness. You can use the fanciest computers in the world and you can gather all the charts and numbers, but in the end you have to bring all your information together, set up a timetable, and act.
    And I don't mean act rashly. In the press, I'm sometimes described as a flamboyant leader and a hip-shooter, a kind of fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants operator. I may occasionally give that impression, but if that image were really true. I could never have been successful in this business.
    Actually, my management style has always been pretty conservative. Wherever I've taken risks, it's been after satisfying myself that the research and the market studies supported my instincts. I may act on my intuition -- but only if my hunches are supported by the facts.
    Too many managers let themselves get weighed down in their decision-making, especially those with too much education. I once said to Philip Caldwell, who became the top man at Ford after I left: "The trouble with you, Phil, is that you want to Harvard, where they taught you not to take any action until you've got all the facts. You've got ninety-five percent of them, but it's going to take you another six months to get that last five percent. And by the time you do, your facts will be out of date because the market has already changed. That's what life is all about -- timing."
    A good business leader can't operate that way. It's perfectly natural to want the facts and to hold out for the research that guarantees a particular program will work. After all, if you're about to spend $300 million on a new product, you want to be absolutely sure you're on the right track.
    That's fine in theory, but real life just doesn't work that way. Obviously, you're responsible for gathering as many relevant facts and projections as you possibly can. But at some point you've got to take that leap of fait. First, because even the right decision is wrong if it's made too late. Second, because in most cases there's no such thing as certainty. There are times when even the best manager is like the little boy with the big dog waiting to see where the dog wants to go so he can take him there.
    What constitutes enough information for the decision-maker? It's impossible to put a number on it, but clearly when you move ahead with only 50 percent of the facts the odds are stacked against you. If that's the case, you had better be very lucky -- or else come up with some terrific hunches. There are times when that kind of gamble is called for, but it's certainly no way to run a railroad.
    At the same time, you'll never know 100 percent of what you need. Like many industries these days, the car business is constantly changing. For us in Detroit, the great challenge is always to figure out what's going to appeal to customers three years down the road. I'm writing these words in 1984, and we're already planning our models for 1987 and 1988. Somehow I have to try to predict what's going to sell three and four years from now, even though I can't say with any certainty what the public will want next month.
    When you don't have all the facts, you sometimes have to draw on your experience. Whenever I read in a newspaper that Lee Iacocca likes to shoot from the hip, I say to myself: "Well, maybe he's been shooting for so long that by this time he has a pretty good idea of how to hit the target."
    To a certain extent, I've always operated by gut feeling. I like to be in the trenches. I was never one of those guys who could just sit around and strategize endlessly.
    But there's a new breed of businessmen, mostly people with M. B. A.' S, who are wary of intuitive decisions. In part, they're right. Normally, intuition is not a good enough basis for making a move. But many of these guys go to the opposite extreme. They seem to think that every business problem can be structured and reduced to a case study. That may be true in school, but in business there has to be somebody around who will say: "Okay, folks, it's time. Be ready to go in one hour." When I read historical accounts of Word War II and D-Day, I'm always struck by the same thought: Eisenhower almost blew it because he kept vacillating. But finally he said: "No matter what the weather looks like, we have to go ahead now. Waiting any longer could be even more dangerous. So let's move it!"
    The same lesson applies to corporate life. There will always be those who will want to take an extra month or two to do further research on the shape of the roof on a new car. While that research may be helpful, it can wreak havoc on your production plans. After a certain point, when most of the relevant facts are in, you find yourself at the mercy of the law of diminishing returns.
    That's why a certain amount of risk-taking is essential. I realize it's not for everybody. There are some people who won't leave home in the morning without an umbrella even if the sun is shining. Unfortunately, the world doesn't always wait for you try to anticipate your losses. Sometimes you just have to take a chance -- and correct your mistakes as you go along.
    Back in the 1960s and through most of the 1970s, these things didn't matter as much as they do now. In those days the car industry was like a golden goose. We were making money almost without trying. But today, few businesses can afford the luxury of slow decision-making, whether it involves a guy who's in the wrong job or the planning of a whole new line of cars five years down the road.
    Despite what the textbooks say, most important decisions in corporate life are made by individuals, not by committees. My policy has always been to be democratic all the way to the point of decision. Then I become the ruthless commander. "Okay, I've heard everybody," I say. "Now here's what we're going to do."
    You always need committees, because that's where people share their knowledge and intentions. But when committees replace individuals -- and Ford these days has more committees than General Motors -- then productivity begins to decline.
    To sun up: nothing stands still in this world. I like to go duck hunting, where constant movement and change and facts of life. You can aim at a duck and get it in your sights, but the duck is always moving. In order to hit the duck, you have to move your gun. But a committee faced with a major decision can't always move as quickly as the events it's trying to respond to. By the time the committee is ready to shoot, the duck has flown away.

    decisiveness
n. the quality or state of being decisive; resoluteness
    decisive
a. showing or marked by determination and firmness
    timetable
n. a list of the times at which things are to be done or happen
    rashly
ad. too hastily; recklessly
    flamboyant
a. showy and confident 浮华的，炫耀
    leader
n. one who leads
    hip-shooter
n. a person who acts rashly 鲁莽行事者
    conservative
a. favoring traditional values; tending to be against change
    satisfy
vi. free from doubt or uncertainty, convince
    hunch
n. a feeling about what is going to happen 预感
    guarantee
vt. make certain; promise
    projection
n. an estimate of what will happen; forecast made on past performance 估计；预测
    leap
n. a sudden jump
    certainty
n. the condition of being certain or sure
    odds
n. the chance that a particular thing will happen; probability
    lucky
a. having or bringing good luck
    terrific
a. very good
    gamble
n. a risk 冒险
    target
    a mark that is aimed or fired at; goal or aim 靶子；目标
    gut
a. coming from or concerning one's natural feelings, rather than from careful thought 发自内心深处的；直觉的
    reduce
vt. change into a different and less complicated form 简化
    historical
a. of, having to do with, or based on history
    vacillate
vi. be continually changing from one opinion or feeling to another; be uncertain what action to take 犹豫
    corporate
a. of or belonging to a corporation 公司的
    wreak
vt. cause (harm, havoc, etc.)
    havoc
n. widespread damage or serious disorder 大破坏；大混乱；浩劫
    diminish
v. make or become smaller or less
    umbrella
n. a folding framework covered with fabric and used for protection from rain or sun 伞
    luxury
n. sth. expensive or hard to get that is not necessary but gives great pleasure or comfort 奢侈品
    policy
n. a method or plan for action 政策
    democratic
a. of or favoring democracy; believing in or practicing the principle of equality
    ruthless
a. having or showing no pity; cruel
    commander
n. a person in charge; leader 指挥员
    sight
n. (often pl.) a part of a weapon that guides the eye in aiming 瞄准器

    Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro salves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.
    But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred tears later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.
    In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
    It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check; a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of Democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
    It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. 1963 is not an end, but a beginning. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwind of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.
    But there is something I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.
    And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating "For Whites Only," We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
    I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that even the state of Mississippi, a desert state sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.
    I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
    I have a dream today.
    I have a dream that the state of Alabama will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.
    I have a dream today.
    I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough place will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
    This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
    This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:
      My country, tis of thee
      Sweet land of liberty
       Of thee I sing:
     Land where my fathers died,
     Land of the pilgrims' pride,
     From every mountainside
        Let freedom ring.
    And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire! Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
    Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
    Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!
    But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!
    Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.
    Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
    When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

    Jr.
abbr. Junior, a term used with name of a son who has the same name as his father
    symbolic
a. of, having to do with, or using symbols 象征（性）的
    emancipation
n. the act or process of setting free from slavery
    proclamation
n. an official public announcement 宣言，声明
    proclaim
vt. announce publicly
    momentous
n. very important or significant 重大的
    momentum
n. the force or speed of a moving object 动量
    decree
n. an official order; law 法令
    beacon
n. a light used to guide or warn 灯塔；灯标
    Negro
n. a person belonging to the black race
    sear
vt. burn with a powerful heat 烧焦灼伤
    flame
n. a glowing mass of light given off by a burning substance 火焰
    wither
v. (cause to) dry up （使）枯萎
    joyous
a. full of joy; joyful
    daybreak
n. the time each morning when light first shows;
    captivity
n. the state of being in prison or held against one's will 监禁；束缚
    captive
vt. (a person) confined or held against his will
    cripple
vt. injure so as to make useless 使伤残
    manacle
n. (usu. pl.) either of a pair of iron rings joined by a chain, used for fastening the hands or feet of a prisoner 手铐；脚镣
    segregation
vt. the separate of one racial group from the rest of society 种族隔离
    segregate
vt. separate or keep apart from others
    discrimination
n. behavior marked by unfairness or injustice toward others because of color, religion, sex, or age 歧视
    poverty
n. the condition of being poor
    prosperity
n. success or good fortune
    languish
vi. experience long suffering 受苦，受折磨
    exile
n. forced removal from one's country or home; a person who has been forced to leave his country （被）流放（者）
    appalling
a. shocking; extremely bad 骇人听闻的，极恶劣的
    architect
n. a person who designs buildings and supervises their construction; a maker; creator 建筑师；设计师；缔造者；创造者
    independence
n. the condition or quality of being independent
    promissory
a. containing or implying a promise
    promissory note
a. written promise to pay a stated sum of money to a certain person at a certain time 期票
    heir
n. a person who inherits or has the right to inherit the money or property of another 继承人
    inalienable
a. cannot be taken away 不可剥夺的
    liberty
n. freedom from the control or rule of another
    pursuit
n. the act of pursuing; an occupation
    default
vi. fail to do what is required
    insofar
ad. to such an extent or degree
    sacred
a. holy 神圣的
    obligation
n. a duty one must carry out 义务，责任
    insufficient
a. not enough
    justice
n. the quality of being just or fair; fair treatment according to law or honor
    bankrupt
a. unable to pay one's debts 破产的
    vault
n. a room with strong walls, used for keeping valuables safe 金库，保管库
    riches
n. great wealth
    hallow
vt. make or treat as holy 使成神圣；把...视为神圣
    urgency
n. need for immediate action or attention
    tranquilize
vt. make or treat as holy
    gradualism
n. the principle or method of gradual, as opposed to immediate, change
    desolate
a. without people; lonely and sad 荒凉的;孤寂的
    racial
a. of or having to do with race
    quicksand
n. a naturally occurring mixture of sand and water into which anything resting on its surface sinks 流沙
    brotherhood
n. close feeling or friendship among a group; fellowship
    fatal
a. causing death; bringing danger or ruin
    underestimate
vt. guess too low a value for; have too low an opinion of
    determination
n. a strong and firm purpose 决心
    sweltering
n. unpleasantly hot
    swelter
v. oppress with, or suffer from, heat
    legitimate
a. being or acting in agreement with the law; reasonable, fair 合法的；合理的
    discontent
n. lack of satisfaction; restless unhappiness
    invigorate
vt. to give a feeling of freshness and healthy strength to 使精力充沛；使健壮
    equality
n. the condition of being equal
    tranquility
n. calmness; peacefulness
    citizenship
n. the state being a citizen
    whirlwind
n. a strong wind that turns round and round 旋风
    threshold
n. a piece of wood, or stone placed beneath a door; the place or point of beginning 门槛；开端
    rightful
a. in accordance with is just or legally correct
    wrongful
a. unjust; illegal
    thirst
n. a desire for drink, knowledge, freedom, etc.
    hatred
n. extremely strong dislike
    discipline
n. orderly behavior resulting from training and obedience to rules
    degenerate
vi. decline in physical, mental, or moral qualities 蜕化；堕落
    majestic
a. dignified and noble 庄严的，壮丽的
    majesty
n. a stately, grand appearance; splendor 威严；壮丽
    militancy
n. warlike behavior or tendency; militant spirit or policy
    militant
a. aggressive; warlike
    engulf
vt. flow over and swallow up; overwhelm 吞没；席卷
    destiny
n. the fate or fortune of a person or thing
    inextricably
ad. beyond disentanglement; inseparably 解不开地；不可分（割）地
    devotee
n. a person who is strongly devoted to sth.
    unspeakable
a. that can not be expressed in words; had or objectionable beyond description
    horror
    a strong feeling of dread, shock, or fear; sb. or sth. that causes horror （引起）恐怖（的人或物）
    brutality
n. brutal conduct; cruelty 暴行，残忍
    brutal
a. cruel and harsh; savage 残暴的，野蛮的
    fatigue
n. a feeling of being tired
    highway
n. a main public road
    strip
vt. remove the clothing or a covering of (sb.); take away the title rights, office, or self-respect of (sb.)
    selfhood
n. personal individuality; one's personality 个性，人格
    mobility
n. the ability to move or be moved; the movement of people from one social group or status to another
    ghetto
n. a section of a city, often a slum, in which members of a minority group live 少数民族聚居区；贫民区
    righteousness
n. upright conduct; justice 正直；正义
    mighty
a. having or showing great strength or size 强大的；浩大的
    frustration
n. the act of frustrating or the condition of being frustrated 挫折
    slaveowner
n. an owner of slaves
    oppression
n. the act or fact of oppressing; cruel or unjust treatment 压迫
    oppress
vt. control or rule in an unjust or harsh way
    transform
vt. change in form, nature, function, or appearance
    oasis
vt. an area in a desert where there is water and plant life 绿洲
    exalt
vt. raise to a higher level; elevate 提升
    crooked
a. not straight; bent or curved 弯的，扭曲的
    flesh
n. the human race; mankind
    hew
vt. cut with an ax 砍，劈
    despair
n. complete loss of hope or confidence 绝望
    jangle
v. (cause to) sound harshly （使）发出嗓音
    discord
n. lack of harmony in notes sounded at the same time; harsh, clashing sounds 不（谐）和；嘈杂声
    symphony
n. a long musical composition written to be played by an orchestra; a large orchestra made up of string, wind, and percussion instruments 交响乐（团）
    thee
pron. (old use) (object form of thou) you
    pilgrim
n. a person who travels to a religious shrine or other sacred places; one of the English settlers who founded Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1962 朝圣者；清教徒前辈移民
    mountainside
n. the side or slope of a mountain
    prodigious
a. wonderfully large, powerful, etc. 巨大的；惊人的；奇妙的
    hilltop
n. the top of hill
    heighten
v. make or become higher or greater
    snowcapped
a. covered by snow at the top
    curvaceous
a. rounded; attractively or well proportioned
    slope
n. a surface that is not flat; a piece of ground going up or down
    molehill
n. a small mound of earth thrown up by a mole digging underground 鼹鼠丘
    hamlet
n. a small village
    Jew
n. a person who is descended from the Hebrew people or whose religion is Judaism 犹太人
    Gentile
n. a person who is not a Jew非犹太人；非犹太教徒
    protestant
n. a Christian belonging to a church that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century 新教徒
    Catholic
n. a member of the Roman Catholic Church 天主教徒
    spiritual
n., a. a religious folk song sung originally by the black people; of the spirit rather than the body 黑人圣歌；精神（上）的
    almighty
a. able to do everything; omnipotent全能的