1、研究生英语精读教程(第三版上),中国人民大学出版社,Unit Six,Two Truths to Live By,1. Text,2. Exercises,3. Supplementary Reading,Two Truths to Live By,Hold fast, and let go: understand this paradox*, and you stand at the very gate of wisdomAlexander M. Schindler,paradox n. statement that seems to say sth. opposite to common
2、sense or the truth, but which may contain a truth似非而是可能的隽语，反论,Menu,Translation,enjoin v. give an order for; urge; command命令；催促；吩咐 cling to (sth. ) hold tight to; together抓住，粘住，坚持 ordain v. (of God, law, authority) decide; destine (指上帝，法律，当局作的 )决定；注定 relinquishment n.relinquish v. give up (hope, a ha
3、bit, belief, plan, etc. ); let go (ones hold of sth. )放弃 (希望，习惯，信仰，计划等 )；松手放开,Menu, 1 The art of living is to know when to hold fast and when to let go. For life is a paradox: it enjoins* us to cling to* its many gifts even while it ordains* their eventual relinquishment*.,The rabbis* of old put it
4、this way: “A man comes to this world with his fist clenched*, but when he dies, his hand is open.“,rabbi n. teacher of the Jewish law犹太法学专家，犹太学者 clench v. press firmly together紧握，捏紧,Menu,Translation, 2 Surely we ought to hold fast to life, for it is wondrous*, and full of a beauty that breaks throug
5、h* every pore* of Gods own earth. We know that this is so, but all too often we recognize this truth only in our backward glance when we remember what it was and then suddenly realize that it is no more.,wondrous adj. (=wonderful) break through make a way through 突破，透过 pore n. tiny opening (esp. in
6、the skin of an animal body) through which fluids (e. g. sweat) may pass小孔，(尤指动物身体上的 )毛孔,Menu,Translation, 3 We remember a beauty that faded, a love that waned*. But we remember with far greater pain that we did not see that beauty when it flowered, that we failed to respond with love when it was ten
7、dered.,wane v. become less or weaker减少，减弱，衰弱,Translation,Menu, 4 A recent experience re-taught me this truth I was hospitalized* following a severe heart attack and had been in intensive care for several days. It was not a pleasant place. 5 One morning, I had to have some additional tests. The requi
8、red machines were located in a building at the opposite end of the hospital, so I had to be wheeled across the courtyard on a gurney*.,hospitalize v. send to, admit into hospital送入医院；允许住院 gurney n. a wheeled cot or stretcher有轮子的小床或躺椅,Menu,Translation, 6 As we emerged from our unit, the sunlight hit
9、me. Thats all there was to my experience. Just the light of the sun. And yet how beautiful it was-how warming, how sparkling*, how brilliant! 7 I looked to see whether anyone else relished* the suns golden glow, but everyone was hurrying to and fro, most with eyes fixed on the ground.,sparkling adj.
10、 sparkle v. send out flashes of light闪闪发光；闪耀，闪烁 relish v. enjoy;get pleasure out of享受；爱好；喜好,Menu,Then I remembered how often I, too, had been indifferent to* the grandeur* of each day, too preoccupied* with petty* and sometimes even mean concerns to respond to the splendor* of it all.,be indifferent
11、 to (sth. ) having no interest in; neither for nor against对不感兴趣的；漠不关心的 grandeur n. greatness; magnificence大；壮丽；华丽 preoccupy v. take all the attention of (sb., his mind) so that attention is not given to other matters使全神贯注；盘据 (心头 )；迷住 petty adj. small; unimportant细小的；次要的 splendor n. magnificence; bri
12、ghtness华丽，壮丽，光亮,Menu,Translation, 8 The insight* gleaned* from that experience is really as commonplace* as was the experience itself: lifes gifts are precious -but we are too heedless* of them.,insight n. understanding power of seeing into sth. with the mind洞察力；见解 glean v. pick up (grain) left in a
13、 (harvest) field by the workers; (fig) gather (news, facts) in small quantities拾 (遗穗 )；(喻 )一点点地搜集 (消息，事实 ) 3. commonplace adj. n. ordinary or usual平常的；平庸的；平常话；平凡的事 4. heedless adj. not attending to不注意的，掉以轻心的 be heedless of pay no attention to不留心，不注意；不顾,Translation,Menu, 9 Here then is the first pole
14、 of lifes paradoxical demands on us: Never too busy for the wonder and the awe* of life. Be reverent* before each dawning day. Embrace each hour. Seize each golden minute.,awe n. respect combined with fear and reverence敬畏 reverent adj. feeling or showing reverence (deep respect; feeling of wonder an
15、d awe)尊敬的，虔诚的，谦恭的,Menu,Translation, 10 Hold fast to life . but not so fast that you cannot let go. This is the second side of lifes coin, the opposite pole of its paradox: we must accept our losses, and learn how to let go.,Translation,Menu, 11 This is not an easy lesson to learn, especially when we
16、 are young and think that the world is ours to command, that whatever we desire with the full force of our passionate* being can, nay, will, be ours. But then life moves along to confront* us with realities, and slowly but surely this second truth dawns upon* us.,passionate adj. easily moved by pass
17、ion; filled with, showing passion易动情的；热情的 confrontv.confront.with. become or bring face to face with面对；面临 dawn on/upon (sb. ) begin to appear; grow clear (to the mind)开始现出；变得 (为人所 )明白,Menu,Translation, 12 At every stage of life we sustain losses - and grow in the process. We begin our independent li
18、ves only when we emerge from the womb* and lose its protective shelter. We enter a progression* of schools, then we leave our mothers and fathers and our childhood homes. We get married and have children and then have to let them go.,womb n. organ in a female mammal in which offspring is carried and
19、 nourished while developing before birth子宫 2. progression n. progress; moving forward进步；前进；进行,Menu,We confront the death of our parents and our spouses*. We face the gradual or not so gradual waning of our own strength. And ultimately, as the parable* of the open and closed hand suggests, we must co
20、nfront the inevitability of our own demise*, losing ourselves, as it were, all that we were or dreamed to be.,spouse n. husband or wife配偶 parable n. story designed to teach a moral lesson寓言；比喻 3. demise n. death (法律 )死亡,Menu,Translation, 13 But why should we be reconciled* to lifes contradictory* de
21、mands? Why fashion things of beauty when beauty is evanescent*? Why give our heart in love when those we love will ultimately be torn from our grasp?,reconcile v. be reconciled to: overcome ones objections to;resign oneslf to克服 , (对的 )反对；顺从 (于 )；听从 (于 ) contradictory adj. contradicting互相矛盾的 evanesce
22、nt adj. quickly fading; soon going from the memory迅速凋落的；不久便被遗忘的,Translation,Menu, 14 In order to resolve this paradox, we must seek a wider perspective, viewing our lives as through windows that open on eternity*. Once we do that, we realize that though our lives are finite, our deeds on earth weave
23、 a timeless pattern. 15 Life is never just being. It is a becoming, a relentless* flowing on.,eternity n. time without end; the future life永恒；来世 relentless adj. without pity无慈悲的；不怜悯的,Menu,Our parents live on through us, and we will live on through our children. The institutions we build endure, and
24、we will endure through them. The beauty we fashion cannot be dimmed by death. Our flesh may perish*, our hands will wither*, but that which they create in beauty and goodness and truth lives on for all time to come.,perish v. be destroyed; come to an end; die毁灭；死亡 wither v. (cause to) become dry; fa
25、ded; or dead (使 )枯萎；凋谢,Translation,Menu, 16 Dont spend and waste your lives accumulating objects that will only turn to dust and ashes. Pursue not so much the material as the ideal, for ideals alone invest life with meaning and are of enduring worth.,Menu,Translation, 17 Add love to a house and you
26、have a home. Add righteousness* to a city and you have a community. Add truth to a pile of red brick and you have a school. Add religion to the humblest of edifices* and you have a sanctuary*.,righteousness n. righteous adj. doing what is morally right; obeying the law正当 edifice n. building (esp. a
27、large one)大厦 sanctuary n. holy or sacred place, esp. a church or temple圣堂；神殿；教会；寺院,Menu,Add justice to the far-flung* round of human endeavor* and you have civilization. Put them all together, exalt* them above their present imperfections, add to them the vision of humankind redeemed*, forever free
28、of need and strife* and you have a future lighted with the radiant* colors of hope.,far-flung adj. widely extended广泛的，漫长的，辽阔的 endeavor n. shining放射光线的；闪烁明亮的,Menu,Translation,Exercises,. Comprehension,. Vocabulary,. Cloze,. Translation (English to Chinese),. Translation (Chinese to English),. Writing
29、,Menu,. Comprehension,Answer the following questions or complete the following statements by choosing the best alternative A, B, C or D under each. You are allowed 2 minutes 30 seconds for this part.,“Wisdom“ in the subheading means _. knowing how to enjoy good health and longevity knowing what use
30、to make of life to the fullest understanding that the laws of nature are inevitable knowing that life is full of wonder and beauty,Menu,Answers,. Comprehension,2. Which of the following is an example of a paradox? To be believed, make the truth unbelievable. Men are not hanged for stealing horses, b
31、ut that horses may not be stolen. It is healthy to be sick once in a while. In expanding the field of knowledge we but increase the horizon of ignorance.,Answers,Menu,3. Which of these ideas is true about the phrase “hold fast to life”? Enjoy life as fast as one can. Enjoy life with abandon. Enjoy l
32、ifes rewards gradually. Lead a fast life.,. Comprehension,Menu,Answers,4. Life is a paradox in the sense that life _. A. is full of contradictions B. can be absolutely different for different people C. is a process of life to death D. is full of happiness and sorrow,. Comprehension,Answers,Menu,Why
33、didnt the author appreciate the beauty of the sunlight until one day he was in hospital? He took no interest in it since it is too commonplace. The suns glow was too commonplace for him to respond to it. He was too busy to enjoy the beauty of the suns golden glow. He was too busy to notice the light
34、 of the sun.,. Comprehension,Menu,Answers,6. The second truth to live by is _. to learn to deal with the losses we suffer in life to learn that death is unavoidable to learn to face a variety of deaths to learn to get accustomed to the pattern of life, departure and death,. Comprehension,Answers,Men
35、u,7. Which of the following statements is true? Invest your time and energy in pursuance of ideal. We grow old by deserting our ideals. One should strive for truth and justice. One must set out to live life.,. Comprehension,Menu,Answers,Which of the following conclusions does the passage support? An
36、 ounce of wisdom is worth a million tons of books. Death makes a contract with everyone, but no one can break it. Look on all that appears commonplace as something hard to come by, and well all the more treasure it. Own ones life and know how to treasure it, and this is a happy and beautiful life.,.
37、 Comprehension,Answers,Menu,The author appears to encourage people to _. seek material enjoyment make best use of their lives for their health and well-being make endeavor for the well-being of mankind. treasure both happiness and pains, for they mark the existence of life,. Comprehension,Menu,Answe
38、rs,10. The author develops his main idea by _. summarising the journey of his own life teaching people the proper way to live explaining the origin of the parable of the open and closed hand giving an account of his personal experience.,. Comprehension,Answers,Menu,. Vocabulary,A. Identify one of th
39、e four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the underlined word or phrase.,1. The patient clenched the arms of the dentists chair. A. grasped B. touched C. placed on D. pressed2. The retiring professor was exalted by his colleague. A. criticized B. honored C. driven out D. examined,
40、Menu,Answers,. Vocabulary,A. Identify one of the four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the underlined word or phrase.,3. All the tourists were impressed by the amazing grandeur of Niagara Falls. A. power B. splendor C. speed D. height 4. We stared in awe at the president himself
41、. A. respect B. concern C. satisfaction D. envy,Answers,Menu,. Vocabulary,A. Identify one of the four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the underlined word or phrase.,5. The term “paper” is a little misleading when you consider the strength and endurance of the construction mater
42、ial. A. lasting quality B. unique C. element D. current status 6. When the moon wanes, it changes from the full to the new phase. A. becomes smaller B. transforms C. eclipses D. vanishes,Menu,Answers,. Vocabulary,A. Identify one of the four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the u
43、nderlined word or phrase.,7. Edward relinquished his throne to marry Mrs. Simpson. A. took over B. yielded C. disregarded D. vanished 8. The teacher had unusual insight into childrens emotions and knew clearly how to treat them. A. perception B. ignorance C. creation D. comprehension,Answers,Menu,.
44、Vocabulary,A. Identify one of the four choices A, B, C, or D which would keep the meaning of the underlined word or phrase.,9. Have you seen the new edifice of Elm Street? A. department store B. building C. school D. theatre 10. Property on which money has been lent is redeemed when the loan is paid
45、 back. A. recovered B. repurchased C. rescued D. discharged,Menu,Answers,. Vocabulary,B. Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.,11. She practiced the speech until her delivery and timing were completely _. A. faulty B. imperfect C. incorrect D. faultless 12. He is an honest person. H
46、is actions are always _ his words. A. contradictory to B. contradicted by C. agreed with D. consistent with,Answers,Menu,. Vocabulary,B. Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.,13. They called for “immediate, absolute, _ separation from the North“ and elected their own president, Jeff
47、erson Davis. friendly B. lifelong C. eternal D. lasting14. Charles _ to the rope his would-be rescuers had thrown to him. A. held B. grasped C. gripped D. clung,Menu,Answers,. Vocabulary,B. Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.,15. This revived all my _ love of science A. wondrous B
48、. passionate C. intensive D. enthusiastic16. He is doing an _ course in physics. A. intense B. internal C. instant D. intensive,Menu,Answers,. Vocabulary,B. Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.,17. I dont care what you do about your job; its no _ of mine. A. importance B. matter C.
49、 concern D. subject18. He was disappointed by his result, but he is now _ to having to retake the exam. A. composed B. submitted C. reconciled D. supposed,Answers,Menu,. Vocabulary,B. Choose the correct answer. Only one answer is correct.,19. Americans _ with but one primitive bathroom on each floor revolted in horror. A. facing B. confronted C. threatened D. confused20. Giving presents at Christmas is _ in the West. A. an institution B. a habit C. a rule D. a law,
