你也是自考生吗？我的高级英语去年就考过了，当时也没怎么看书，只是把两本书的练习题看了一下，没想到课后的练习题很实用，考试的时候好多都是书上的。我在没考试的时候也在担心填单词的部分，因为如果对书本不理解的话，这项题目根本很难拿到分，还好我把书过了一遍，确切的说只是把上册过了一遍，后来自己就买了一本试卷做，这样复习起来就很有方向，还有就是在考试前你可以把你的试卷拿出来再看一遍，很有用的，平时注意积累，不会很难的。相信我，加油。。
没必要 可以去百度查你们英语重点要发现的知识点，然后认真的背下来，这样子就可以了， 望采纳
持之以恒，我自考英语专业的，学了三年多。
高级英语学习的重点已从基本的英语语音，词汇，语法的掌握上升到：一、 阅读理解及词汇应用：能够区分、应用同、近义词；很好地理解文章的主题与内容。二、 提高英语的表达能力：学员应能用英语解释英语难句，进行有一定难度的英汉互译，用英语对文章内容进行归纳，并对文章进行简要的分析、评论。高级英语学习方法学习时应该注意下列一些方面：首先，牢记教材是根本。以前，教材单调，教辅条件简陋，照样培养出学贯东西的语言大师来。现在英语读物多了，时尚的学习工具多了，英语并没有变得容易学了。究其原因是人们的心态变了，变得浮躁了。对什么都这山望着那山高，今天这个时髦得学习方法，明天那本最新教材。殊不知一切方法都建立在一定的基础上的，一个人的兴趣、悟性、修行没有到达那个层面，再美好的东西跟你也是无缘。而且从高级英语考试大纲规定来看，以教材为本这一思想也是显而易见的，试卷中60%分值的题目都是根据教材中课文内容设计的。其次，要培养自己对教材中三十二篇课文的兴趣和热爱。这些课文不但是帮助我们学好英文语言知识，而且帮助我们学到很多为人处世的道理。通过精读、熟记这些课文，不但可以扩大词汇量、掌握许多句型结构，而且在与他人交谈时不再是只会一点‘乒乓英语’ —— 几个来回，‘短平快’就说不下去了，而是能够使自己说的话既有深度，又有广度，同时有能通过《高级英语》自学考试。以后，我们谈到摇滚不只会说‘闹心’，谈到电视只会说‘费时’，谈到国际政治只会说‘虚伪’，而是可以做到探讨每一个话题的多个方面。
1.或许爱上的不是你，而是恋爱的感觉罢了. Maybe I didin't fall in love with you, it is just the feeling of being in love2.许多人都这样对我说 Many people told me this.3.我很想保护你，但是又无法在你身边，或许我们只是有缘无份. I want to protect you, but I can't stay beside you. Maybe we are not destine to be.4.爱情对我来说，只是麻醉剂. To me, love is just Anesthetic5.感谢你曾经给我的回忆和快乐. Thank you for all the memories and happiness that you brought to me6.我有了很多朋友，缺少了爱情我想我也可以活得很快乐. I have many friends, even without love I think I can also be happy.7.我想你会对我说：对不起，我不是有意伤害你的. 不，在爱情上不存在谁对得起谁，谁对不起谁，更没有对错. I think you will say to me: I am sorry, I didn't meant to hurt you.No, in love there is no such thing as who is not sorry for who, who is sorry for who, there is no wrong or right.8.你知道么？我可以因为你的一句话，一个动作.开心一整天，、. Do you know? Because of you every word and every movement I can be happy all day9.爱得死去活来，反而把自己变得渺小. When fall in love too deeply, oneself will seem insignificant10.放过你，也就是放过自己..Maybe letting you go is also letting myself go...
1.Maybe I don't love you,just the feeling of love.2.A lot of people said it to me.3.I really want to protect you,but I can't stay with you,5.Thank you for your memory and happy to me.6.I have a lot of friends,I can enjoy happy days without love.中学生的能力，不具权威，只供参考！
高级英语语法讲解比起初级语法来相对来说比较深入剖析。下面是我给大家整理的高级英语语法，供大家参阅!
一 、定语从句的回顾
定语从句两种连接词：关系代词&关系副词
关系代词：that、which、who 关系副词：when、where、why(一般不可省略)
eg. Fruit that contains vitamin C can relieve a cold.(that充当主语)
eg. The man who we met yesterday is a famous psychologist. (who充当宾语)
eg. This is the right/very() book that you are looking for. (that充当宾语)
关系代词在从句中只能充当主语或宾语
二、关系词充当宾语的时候：可以直接省略，而从句不发生任何形式的改变
三、关系词充当主语
(1)谓语结构为实词：关系代词进行省略，从句中实词要发生形式的改变。若原从句是主动语态，则动词直接变成ing形式，若原从句谓语动词是被动语态，则可以直接保留过去的分词。
eg. Fruit that contains vitamin C can relieve a cold.= Fruit containing vitamin C can relieve a cold.
eg. I have a dog which is called King.= I have a dog called King.
(2)谓语结构为be + 名词：可将be动词同时省略，将后面的名词和前面从句所修饰的名词构成同位语结构。
eg. I know YU Minhong who is the president of New Oriental School.
= I know YU Minhong, the president of New Oriental School.
四、先行词为the way，后边的关系代词可以使that，in which或者不加任何关系代词。
eg. I like the way you talk.
一、主句和从句的助于保持一致，称为分词作状语。
(1)条件：状语从句，前后主语一致
(2)形式：分词作状语在句首+分词作状语在句后
(3)省略方式：省略从句的主语，关系词(可保留)+动词形式变化(主动语态-ing/被动语态-ed)
(一)时间状语从句：when、after、as soon as
eg. When the mouse saw the cat, it ran off = (when) Seeing the cat , the mouse ran off.
(二)原因状语从句
eg. As she was very weak, she couldn’t move. = Being very weak , she couldn’t move.
(三)条件状语从句
eg. If you work hard, you will succeed. = Working hard , you will succeed.
eg. If we are united, we stand; if we divided, we fall. = United, we stand; divided, we fall.
(四)让步状语从句
eg. Although he lived miles away, he attended the course. = Although living miles away=Living miles away
(五)伴随状语从句
eg. He sat in the chair reading a newspaper.
eg. He came in, followed by his wife.
(六)方式状语从句
eg. He came as we expected. =He came as (he was) expected.
(七)结果状语从句 eg. He fired and killed one of the passers-by. = He fired, killing one of the passers-by.
若前后主语不一致，则成为独立主格结构。
1、构成：分词短语的逻辑主语和句子主语不一致。独立结构只能作状语，多用于书面语言。
(1)名词/代词+分词(现在分词&过去分词)
eg. The boy ran quickly, his father following.(表伴随情况，父亲主动跟随)
eg. He lay on his back, his hands acrossed under his head.(one’s hands be acrossed)
(2)名词/代词+形容词
eg. They started home, theirs minds full of plans for increasing production.
eg. He was silent for a moment, his lips tight.
(3)名词/代词+副词
eg. He put on his socks, wrong side out.(表示补充说明)
eg. The war over, all the Chinese people’s volunteers came back to China.
(4)名词/代词+介词(短语)
eg. She came in, a baby in her arms.
eg. He went off, gun in hand.
2、句中的作用
(1)表示时间
eg. His homework done, Jim decided to go and see the play.
= After his homework was done, he decided to go and see the play.
(2)表示原因
eg. The last bus having gone, we had to walk home.
=Because the last bus having gone, we had to walk home.
(3)表示原因
eg. (with) Weather permitting, we’ll go for outing tomorrow.
=If weather permitting, we’ll go for outing tomorrow.
(4)表示伴随情况
eg. They walked though the forest, (with) an old hunter leading the way.
(5)表示补充说明
eg. He lived in a wooden house with two rooms, one being a bedroom and the other being an office.
=He lived in a wooden house with two rooms, one was a bedroom, the other was an office.
3、独立主格的变化
在带有逻辑主语的分词及其短语前加“with”
虚拟语气
【1】if 引导的虚拟语气(与事实相反，过去&现在&将来)
if—如果(可能发生&不可能发生)
If it rains tomorrow, I will stay at home.(主将从现)
(1)表示与过去事实相反时，从句中应使用had+过去分词，主句中用would，could，might +have+过去分词
eg. If you had got there earlier, you would have caught the bus.
(2)表示与现在事实相反时，从句中所有的be都有were，动词都要用过去式，主句中用would，could，might +动词原形 eg. If there were no air, people would die.
eg. If I had wings, I would fly over the sea to see you.
(3)表示与将来事实相反时，从句中be变成were，动词变成should+动词原形，主句中用would，could，might +动词原形 eg. If it were Sunday tomorrow, we would not have an examination.
错综虚拟语气：eg. If you had followed my advice yesterday, you would know how to do it now.
倒装形式的虚拟语气：从句中出现助动词do或were，可以将if省略，将do或were提前
eg. Had you got there earlier yesterday(=if you had got…), you could have caught the bus.
eg. Were I you(=if I were you), I would help him.
【2】馒头面条原理
当句子中出现建议、命令、要求这三个单词的时候，不管它是什么词性，也不管其后接何种从句，从句中的动词都应使用should+动词原形，should可以省略。
注：虽为虚拟语气的一种用法，但后面的句子并不表示与事实相反。
常见表示建议、命令、要求的单词：advice, suggest, propose, recommend; order, command; demand, require, insist, urge
eg. He suggested that we (should) go to tomorrow’s exhibition together.
eg. Mike’s uncle insisted that he (should) not live in this hotel.
注：suggest表“表明”义时不使用虚拟语气。
eg. Her face suggested that she was ill. So I suggested that she (should) be sent to the nearest hospital immediately.
【3】固定句型
1、It is time that ...
It is time that sb. did sth.早该做某事了
It is (high/about) time that…
eg. It is time that you worked hard on English.
eg. It is already 5 o’clock now, don’t you think it is time we went home?
eg. I think it is high time that she made up her mind.
2、Would rather that .....
只要是与现在或过去相反，从句中be动词变成were，动词变为过去式。如果与过去相反，则用had+过去分词。
eg. I would rather he came tomorrow than today.
eg.John would rather that she had not gone to the party yesterday evening.
eg. I would rather everything hadn' t happened in the past.
3、“It is (was)+形容词(或过去分词)+that+ (should) do……”结构中的虚拟语气
eg. It is necessary that we (should)have a walk now.
eg. It was necessary that we (should) make everything ready ahead of time.
eg. It is required that nobody (should) smoke here.
eg. It is important that every pupil (should) be able to understand the rule of school.
4、as if，wish等后使用虚拟语气
Although it is summer, it seems as if it were spring.
He wished we would go there with him.
(wish表示不可能实现的愿望，hope表示可以实现的愿望)
倒装
全部倒装:主谓宾构成了正常的语序，把谓语动词提到了动词的前面，谓语动词直接发生在主语之前，那么就是全部倒装。
1、当首句为方位或时间副词，谓语动词为go，come等时通常用全部倒装。如果是进行时态的话，倒装后要改为一般现在时。 eg. The bus is coming here. Here comes the bus.
进行时态在变为倒装的时候要变为一般现在时。
eg. Students went away. Away went students.
eg. The boy rushed out. Out rushed the boy.
here/away/out/ 在英语当中称作方位副词或时间副词。
eg. Then came the hour we had been looking forward to. 方位副词或时间副词置于句首
2、如果句首出现了地点状语，句子也可以进行全部倒装。
eg. The old man lives in the city center. In the city center lives the old man.
eg. A temple stands on the mountain. On the mountain stands a temple.
3、当句子当中出现分词结构的时候，可以把现在分词或过去分词和地点状语联系在一起放在句首，把be 动词留在中间当作谓语动词，主语放在后面。
eg. Lying on the floor was a boy aged about 18. On the floor lies a boy aged about 18.
eg. Sitted on the ground are a group of young people.
eg. 访问北京的是300名日本青年。/ 300名日本青年正在访问北京。
300 Japanese young people are visiting Beijing.
Visiting Beijing are 300 Japanese young people.
部分倒装：主谓宾保持原来的形式，谓语动词的助动词放到主语的前面。
1、当句首状语为否定词或带有否定意义的词语时，这个句子就需要部分倒装
这类词语有hardly, scarcely, rarely, seldom, never, few, little, less, at no time, by no means, in no case, under no circumstance, in no way, on no account, on no consideration, no longer, not only等。
eg. He never smokes. 他从来不抽烟。Never does he smoke.
eg. Not only did the customer complain about the food, he also refused to pay for it.
这位顾客不仅仅 抱怨食物不好，还拒绝付费。
eg. Under no circumstance do I trust you.在任何情况下我都不会相信你。
2、当句首为only加状语的时候，这个句子需要部分倒装。
eg. Only with you can I feel happy.
eg. Only when you come, can we start the meeting.
只有当你来了这，我们才可以开始会议。
3、so......that 结构中的so位于句首时，常引起部分倒装
eg. He runs so fast that I can't catch up with him.
他跑得实在是太快了，以致于我都没有办法追上他。
So fast does he run that I can't catch up with him.
eg. The moon was so bright that the flowers bright as by day.
皓月当空，花朵就像白天那样的鲜艳。
So bright was the moon that the flowers bright as by day.
4、句子开头的as 处在第二个单词的位置上，表示虽然的意思。(表让步)
eg. Although I am young, I can live by myself. 虽然我很小但是我却能养活自己了。
Young as I am, I can live by myself.
eg. Although she is a girl, she can support the whole family.
虽然她是个女孩，但是她却可以养活整个家庭的人。
Girl as she is, she can support the whole family.
eg. Although I like music very much,.... Much as I like music,.....
5、常见的固定搭配结构中需要用倒装的情况。
(1)hardly/ scarcely.....when.... 一......就......
hardly，scarcely 后面一定要用过去完成时，when 后面用一般过去时。
eg. Hardly had he seen me when he ran away. 他一看到我就跑开了。
eg. Hardly had the baby cried when his mother rushed to carry him.
婴儿一哭，他妈妈就跑去抱他。
(2)no sooner....than..... 一......就......
no sooner 后面一定要用过去完成时，than 的后面用一般过去时。
eg. No sooner had they reached home than it rained more and more heavily. 他们一到家，雨就越下越大起来。
(3)the more ......the more... 越....越....
eg. The harder you work, the happier you feel. 你工作越努力，就越觉得快乐。
总结：倒装分为全部倒装和部分倒装。
全部倒装：
①当首句为方位或时间副词，谓语动词为go，come等时通常用全部倒装。
② 如果句首出现了地点状语，句子也可以进行全部倒装。 ③ 当句子当中出现分词结构的时候，可以把现在分词或过去分词和地点状语联系在一起放在句首，
把be 动词留在中间当作谓语动词，主语放在后面。
部分倒装：
1、当句首状语为否定词或带有否定意义的词语时，这个句子就需要部分倒装 。
2、当句首为only加状语的时候，这个句子需要部分倒装。
3、so......that 结构中的so位于句首时，常引起部分倒装 。
4、句子开头的as 处在第二个单词的位置上，表示虽然的意思。
5、常见的固定搭配结构中需要用倒装的情况。
hardly.....when....; scarcely .....when..... ;no sooner....than.....： hardly，scarcely，no sooner 后面一定要用过去完成时，when 后面用一般过去时;the more ......the more... 越....越.... ;
否定：
eg. All the birds can not fly.
Not all the birds can fly. 不是所有的鸟都会飞。
1. 部分否定
eg. All the birds can not fly. 并非所有的鸟都会飞。
None of the birds can fly. 所有的鸟都不会飞。
表示全部意思的代词或副词如all, both, every, everybody, every day, everyone, everything, everywhere等与not搭配使用时，无论not在前还是在后，都表示部分否定，意思为“并非都是"等。
eg. All is not gold that glitters. = Not all is gold that glitters. 发光的并非都是金子。
2. 全部否定
英语中常用not, none, nobody, nothing, nowhere, neither, never等表示全部否定的概念。
eg. Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind to it. 世上无难事，只怕有心人。
双重否定：
1.在一个句子中出现两个否定词：not, never, hardly, scarcely, rarely, seldom, few, little, none等，双重否定表示肯定的概念。 eg. No one can command others who cannot command himself.
A person can command others who command himself. 正人先正己。
eg. Without the ability to think critically, to defend their ideas and understand the ideas of others, they can not fully participate in our democracy.
如果没有能力进行批判性思维，维护自己的观点，并理解他人的观点，他们就不能充分的参与我们的民主政治中来。
2.形式否定，意义肯定
eg. A man can never have too many ties. 一个男人可以拥有很多的领带。
A woman can never have too many dresses. 一个女人拥有再多的衣服也不为过。
eg. We can hardly praise his achievement too much. 对他的成就我们无论怎样赞扬也不过分。
eg. A mother can never be patient enough with her child. 一个母亲对她的孩子再怎么耐心也不为过。
A teacher can never be strict enough with his students. 一个老师对他的学生再怎么严格也不为过。
3. 形式肯定，意义否定
①more A than B 意思为“A不是B;与其说是B，不如说是A”
eg. The book seems to be more a dictionary than a grammar. 这本书看起来与其说是一本语法书，不如说是一本词典。
He is more a composer than a singer. 与其说他是一个歌唱家不如说他是一个创作者。
② anything but 意思为“一点都不是，根本不是，绝对不是”
eg. I am anything but a teacher. 我一定不是一个老师。
eg. I will do anything but that. 我决不干那件事。
③ no more ...than 与 not more ....than
no more ...than意为“两者都不....” not more....than 意为“两者都肯定，前者不如后者”
eg. This book is no more interesting than that one. 这本书和那本书一样特别没趣。
eg. This book is not more interesting than that one. 这本书不如那本书有趣。
eg. This boy is not more honest than that one. 这两男孩都很诚实，前面的男孩不如后面的男孩诚实。
This boy is no more honest than that one. 这两个男孩都不诚实。
④ no more than与 not more than
no more than 强调“少”，译作“只有、不过、仅仅” not more than 是客观叙述，意为“不超过”。
eg. He said no more than we had expected. 他只是说了我们所预料的而已。
eg. Though they think it takes no more than three days to fulfill the mission, I believe it takes not less than six days. 虽然他们认为完成这任务只需三天，但我却认为至少需要六天。
eg. He has not more than five dollars on him. 他身上带的钱不超过五美元。
eg. He is not more than 10 years old. 他最多不超过10岁。
总结：
1. 部分否定
2. 全部否定
3. 双重否定：①在一个句子中出现两个否定词;②形式否定，意义肯定
4. 形式肯定，意义否定
5. no more .... than与 not more ....than ;no more than与 not more than
1、在翻译高级英语句子时，有多个代词要使用删减法；遇到固定的句型要找到相应的中文译法；要注意句子中的主被动时态的转换；学会分析句子的基本成分，抓住主干，再填充修饰的成分。 2、拆分法。当然，英译汉的时候，就要采取完全相反的战术——拆分法，即把一个长难句细细拆分为一个个小短句、简单句，并适当补充词语，是句子通顺。最后，注意还需要按照汉语习惯调整语序，达到不仅能看懂而且不拗口的目标。 3、省略翻译法。要求把不符合汉语，或者英语的表达的方式、思维的习惯或者语言的习惯的部分删去，以免使所翻译出的句子沉杂累赘。
译文：全部真相和我们的消失之夜。
重点词汇：Whole
［hoʊl］
n.（美、巴、比、澳）霍尔（人名）
adj.（whole）完整的；纯粹的
n.（whole）整体；全部
短语：
whole note全音符；音乐中全音符
词语使用变化：night
n.（名词）
1、night意为“夜晚”，所指的时间一般从下午6点到第二天上午6点，也可指从日落到日出这段时间，还可指从夜间睡下到次日起床这段时间。night是抽象名词，故其前通常不加the，但特指时则要加the。
2、在美式英语中其复数nights可用作状语，意思是“每夜”。
3、night引申可指“黑暗时期，令人悲伤痛苦的经历”。
1.或许爱上的不是你，而是恋爱的感觉罢了. Maybe I didin't fall in love with you, it is just the feeling of being in love2.许多人都这样对我说 Many people told me this.3.我很想保护你，但是又无法在你身边，或许我们只是有缘无份. I want to protect you, but I can't stay beside you. Maybe we are not destine to be.4.爱情对我来说，只是麻醉剂. To me, love is just Anesthetic5.感谢你曾经给我的回忆和快乐. Thank you for all the memories and happiness that you brought to me6.我有了很多朋友，缺少了爱情我想我也可以活得很快乐. I have many friends, even without love I think I can also be happy.7.我想你会对我说：对不起，我不是有意伤害你的. 不，在爱情上不存在谁对得起谁，谁对不起谁，更没有对错. I think you will say to me: I am sorry, I didn't meant to hurt you.No, in love there is no such thing as who is not sorry for who, who is sorry for who, there is no wrong or right.8.你知道么？我可以因为你的一句话，一个动作.开心一整天，、. Do you know? Because of you every word and every movement I can be happy all day9.爱得死去活来，反而把自己变得渺小. When fall in love too deeply, oneself will seem insignificant10.放过你，也就是放过自己..Maybe letting you go is also letting myself go...
1.Maybe I don't love you,just the feeling of love.2.A lot of people said it to me.3.I really want to protect you,but I can't stay with you,5.Thank you for your memory and happy to me.6.I have a lot of friends,I can enjoy happy days without love.中学生的能力，不具权威，只供参考！
高级英语学习的重点已从基本的英语语音，词汇，语法的掌握上升到：一、 阅读理解及词汇应用：能够区分、应用同、近义词；很好地理解文章的主题与内容。二、 提高英语的表达能力：学员应能用英语解释英语难句，进行有一定难度的英汉互译，用英语对文章内容进行归纳，并对文章进行简要的分析、评论。高级英语学习方法学习时应该注意下列一些方面：首先，牢记教材是根本。以前，教材单调，教辅条件简陋，照样培养出学贯东西的语言大师来。现在英语读物多了，时尚的学习工具多了，英语并没有变得容易学了。究其原因是人们的心态变了，变得浮躁了。对什么都这山望着那山高，今天这个时髦得学习方法，明天那本最新教材。殊不知一切方法都建立在一定的基础上的，一个人的兴趣、悟性、修行没有到达那个层面，再美好的东西跟你也是无缘。而且从高级英语考试大纲规定来看，以教材为本这一思想也是显而易见的，试卷中60%分值的题目都是根据教材中课文内容设计的。其次，要培养自己对教材中三十二篇课文的兴趣和热爱。这些课文不但是帮助我们学好英文语言知识，而且帮助我们学到很多为人处世的道理。通过精读、熟记这些课文，不但可以扩大词汇量、掌握许多句型结构，而且在与他人交谈时不再是只会一点‘乒乓英语’ —— 几个来回，‘短平快’就说不下去了，而是能够使自己说的话既有深度，又有广度，同时有能通过《高级英语》自学考试。以后，我们谈到摇滚不只会说‘闹心’，谈到电视只会说‘费时’，谈到国际政治只会说‘虚伪’，而是可以做到探讨每一个话题的多个方面。
没必要 可以去百度查你们英语重点要发现的知识点，然后认真的背下来，这样子就可以了， 望采纳
持之以恒，我自考英语专业的，学了三年多。
你也是自考生吗？我的高级英语去年就考过了，当时也没怎么看书，只是把两本书的练习题看了一下，没想到课后的练习题很实用，考试的时候好多都是书上的。我在没考试的时候也在担心填单词的部分，因为如果对书本不理解的话，这项题目根本很难拿到分，还好我把书过了一遍，确切的说只是把上册过了一遍，后来自己就买了一本试卷做，这样复习起来就很有方向，还有就是在考试前你可以把你的试卷拿出来再看一遍，很有用的，平时注意积累，不会很难的。相信我，加油。。
高级英语之前过了，这门课我没有用任何辅导材料，一直在看教材。个人感觉背课文太累，时间也来不及。因为这门课考完很久，有些已经记不清，所以我只能回忆个大概，高级英语中考到课文内容的主要有选择题、选词填空和最后的翻译题。选择题虽然不是直接摘自课文，但几个选项中出现的词都是课文中出现过的，只要理解课文内容，对一些重要词汇熟悉，选择题的问题不大；选词填空直接摘自课文，并且只要填字母，因此只要看过课文，对课文有个大致的印象，这题也不难；翻译题我印象中几乎是课文里有的，如果对课文内容不熟悉，可以用自己的方式去表达。自考高级英语中的阅读题是课外的，重在平时的课外积累。高级英语的课文有一定的难度，因此学这门课之前最好有一定的英语基础，否则理解起来会很困难。网上有课文的音频和翻译，多花时间去准备，考试一般都能通过的。
lesson8-10 人生的一课 快一年了，大部分时间我都泡在家里、店铺、学校和教堂里，就像一块旧饼干，又脏又难以下咽。 For nearly a year， I sopped around the house， the Store， the school and the church， like an old biscuit， dirty and inedible. 这时我遇到或者说认识了抛给我第一根救生索的那位夫人。 Then I met， or rather got to know， the lady who threw me first lifeline. 波萨？弗劳尔斯夫人是斯坦普司黑人区中的出类拔萃的人物。 Mrs. Bertha Flowers was the aristocrat of Black Stamps. 她动作优雅，即使在最冷的天气里也不缩手缩脚，而在阿肯色州的夏日里，她似乎又有属于自己的微风环绕在她的身旁，给她带来凉爽。 She had the grace of control to appear warm in the coldest weather， and one the Arkansas summer days it seemed she had a private breeze which swirled around， cooling her. 她的皮肤深黑迷人，如果被挂住就会像李子皮一样剥落，但没有人敢离她近点，碰皱她的衣服，更不要说挂住她的皮肤了。 Her skin was a rich black that would have peeled like a plum if snagged， but then no one would have thought of getting close enough to Mrs. Flowers to ruffle her dress， let alone snag her skin. 她不太喜欢亲近，另外她还带着手套。 She didn't encourage familiarity. She wore gloves too. 她是我所知道的为数不多的有气质的女士之一，并且是我做人的楷模，影响了我一生。 She was one of the few gentlewomen I have ever known， and has remained throughout my life the measure of what a human being can be. 我被她深深地吸引，因为她像是我从没有亲身遇到过的那些人。 She appealed to me because she was like people I had never met personally. 她就像英国小说中的女人，走在沼泽地里（不管是什么地方），一群忠实的狗奔跑在她们的身旁，并与她们保持一定的距离以示尊敬。 Like women in English novels who walked the moors （whatever they were） with their loyal dogs racing at a respectful distance. 她就像坐在炉火熊熊的壁炉前的女人，不时从装满蛋糕和松脆饼的银盘中取东西喝。 Like the women who sat in front of roaring fireplaces， drinking tea incessantly from silver trays full of scones and crumpets. 她就像走在“石南丛生的荒野”中，读着用摩洛哥山羊皮装订的书的那些女人，而且有用连字符隔开的两个姓。 Women who walked over the “heath” and read morocco-bound books and had two last names divided by a hyphen. 可以肯定地说，是她本人使我为自己是个黑人而感到骄傲。 It would be safe to say that she made me proud to be Negro， just by being herself. 那个在我的记忆中如甜奶般鲜活的夏日的午后，她来我们的店里买东西。 One summer afternoon， sweet-milk fresh in my memory， she stopped at the Store to buy provisions. 换了另外一个同她身体情况和年龄相当的黑人妇女就会一只手把纸袋拎回家去，但奶奶却说，“弗劳尔斯大姐，让贝利帮你把东西送回家去。” Another Negro woman of her health and age would have been expected to carry the paper sacks home in one hand， but Momma said， “Sister Flowers， I'll send Bai-ley up to your house with these things.” “谢谢您，汉德森夫人。但我想让玛格丽特帮我送回去。” “Thank you， Mrs. Henderson. I'd prefer Marguerite， though.” 她说我名字时，我的名字也变得动听起来。 My name was beautiful when she said it. “反正我一直想跟她谈一谈。”她们互相对视了一下，其间的意思只有她们这些同龄人才明白。 “I've been mean-ins to talk to her， anyway.” They gave each other agegroup looks. 在石头路旁有一条小路，弗劳尔斯夫人在前面摆动着胳膊，在碎石路上小心地走着。 There was a little path beside the rocky road， and Mrs. Flowers walked in front swinging her arms and picking her way over the stones. 她没有回头，对我说，“听说你在学校里功课很好，玛格丽特，但那都是笔头作业。老师说他们很难让你在课堂上发言。” She said， without turning her head， to me， “I hear you're doing very good school work， Marguerite， but that it's all written. The teachers report that they have trouble getting you to talk in class. 我们走过左边三角形的农场，路变宽了，可以允许我们并排走在一起。但我畏缩地走在后面，想着那些没有问出口也无法回答的问题。 We passed the triangular farm on our left and the path widened to allow us to walk together. I hung back in the separate unasked and unanswerable questions. “过来和我一起走，玛格丽特。”我无法拒绝，尽管我很想。 “Come and walk along with me， Marguerite.” I couldn't have refused even if I wanted to. 她把我的名字叫得如此动听。或者更确切地说，她把每个词都说得这样清晰，我相信就是一个不懂英语的外国人也能听懂她的话。 She pronounced my name so nicely. Or more correctly， she spoke each word with such clarity that I was certain a foreigner who didn't understand English could have understood her. “现在没有人要强迫你说话——恐怕也没人能做到这一点。但是你记住，语言是人类进行沟通的方式，是语言将人类同低等动物区分开来。” “Now no one is going to make you talk —possibly no one can. But bear in mind， language is man's way of communicating with his fellow man and it is language alone which separates him from the lower animals.” 这对我来说是一个全新的观点，我需要些时间认真考虑一下。 That was a totally new idea to me， and I would need time to think about it. “你奶奶说你读了很多书，一有机会就读。这很好，但还不够好，言语的含义不仅是写在纸上的那点。它需要人的声音赋予它深层含义的细微差别。” “Your grandmother says you read a lot. Every chance you get. That's good， but not good enough. Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with the shades of deeper meaning. ” 我记住了有关声音赋予言语更多内涵的话。这些话听起来是那么正确，那么富有诗意。 I memorized the part about the human voice infusing words. It seemed so valid and poetic. 她说她要给我一些书，要我不仅阅读这些书，还要大声朗读。 She said she was going to give me some books and that I not only must read them， I must read them aloud. 她建议我用尽可能丰富的语调去读每一句话。 She suggested that i try to make a sentence sound in as many different ways as possible. “如果你草草读完这些书就还给我的话，我不接受任何理由。” “I'll accept no excuse if you return a book to me that has been badly handled.” 我想像不出如果我真的没有认真读弗劳尔斯夫人的某一本书，将会受到怎样的惩罚。让我去死恐怕是太仁慈太干脆了。 My imagination boggled at the punishment I would deserve if in fact I did abuse a book of Mrs. Flowers'。 Death would be too kind and brief. 房子里的气味让我有点吃惊。 The odors in the house surprised me. 不知什么缘故，我从来没有将弗劳尔斯夫人与食物、吃饭或是平常人的琐事联系起来。 Somehow I had never connected Mrs. Flowers with food or eating or any other common experience of common people. 那里一定也有户外厕所，但我一点也记不起来了。 There must have been an outhouse， too， but my mind never recorded it. 她打开门，香草的芬芳迎面扑来。 The sweet scent of vanilla had met us as she opened the door. “今天早上我做了些茶点。你瞧，我早打算好要请你来吃点心、柠檬水，这样我们就可以聊一会了。柠檬水正放在冰盒子里呢。” “I made tea cookies this morning. You see， I had planned to invite you for cookies and lemonade so we could have this little chat. The lemonade is in the icebox.” 这意味着弗劳尔斯夫人平时也买冰，而镇上大多数人家只是在星期六下午才买冰，放在木头做的冰淇凌冷藏机内，整个夏天也不过只买几次。 It followed that Mrs. Flowers would have ice on an ordinary day， when most families in our town bought ice late on Saturdays only a few times during the summer to be used in the wooden ice-cream freezers. “坐吧，玛格丽特，坐到那边桌子旁。” “Have a seat， Marguerite. Over there by the table.” 她端着一个用茶布盖着的盘。 She carried a platter covered with a tea towel. 尽管她事先说过她已经好久没有做点心了，我还是相信就像她的其他任何东西一样，点心也会十分精美可口。 Although she warned that she hadn't tried her hand at baking sweets for some time， I was certain that like everything else about her the cookies would be perfect. 我吃点心的时候，她开始给我讲我们后来称之为“我生活中的一课”的第一部分。 As I ate she began the first of what we later called “my lesson in living.” 她告诉我不能宽容无知，但可以理解文盲。 She said that must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. 她认为有些人虽然没有上过学，但却比大学教授更有知识，甚至更聪明。 That some people， unable to go to school， were more educated and even more intelligent than college professors. 她还鼓励我认真倾听被乡下人称为常识的一些俗语。她说这些朴实谚语是一代代人集体智慧的结晶。 She encouraged me to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit. That in those homely sayings was couched the collective wisdom of generations 我吃完点心后，她把桌子打扫干净，从书架上拿了一本又厚又小的书。 When I finished the cookies she brushed off the table and brought a thick， small book from the bookcase. 我读过《双城记》，认为这本书符合我心目中浪漫主义小说的标准。 I had read A Tale of Two Cities and found it up to my standards as a romantic novel. 她翻开第一页，于是我平生第一次听到了诗朗诵。 She opened the first page and I heard poetry for the first time in my life. “这是最辉煌的时代也是最糟糕的时代……”她的声音圆润，随着言语的起伏而抑扬顿挫，就像在唱歌一样。 “It was the best of times and the worst of times. . .” Her voice slid in and curved down through and over the words. She was nearly singing. 我想看一下她读的是否真的和我过去看的一样？ I wanted to look at the pages. Were they the same that I had read？ 还是像赞美诗一样，书页上满是音符？ Or were there notes， music， lined on the pages， as in a hymn book？ 她的声音开始慢慢低沉下来。 Her sounds began cascading gently. 我听过很多次布道，因此我知道她的朗诵就要结束了，但我还没有真正听见或听懂一个词。 I knew from listening to a thousand preachers that she was nearing the end of her reading， and I hadn't really heard， heard to understand， a single word. “你觉得怎么样？” “How do you like that？” 我这才意识到她在期待我的回答。 It occurred to me that she expected a response. 我的舌间还留有香草的余味，她的朗诵对我来说很奇妙。 The sweet vanilla flavor was still on my tongue and her reading was a wonder in my ears. 我得说点什么了。 I had to speak. 我说：“是的，夫人。”我至少得说这些，我也只能说这些。 I said， “Yea， ma'am.” It was the least I could do， but it was the most also. “还有一件事。你把这本诗集拿去，背下其中的一首。下次你再来看我时，我希望你背诵给我听。” 'There s one more thing. Take this book of poems and memorize one for me. Next time you pay me a visit， I want you to recite.“ 在经历了成年后的复杂生活后，我多次试图弄清楚为什么当年她送给我的礼物一下子就让我陶醉了。 I have tried often to search behind the sophistication of years for the enchantment I so easily found in those gifts. 书中的内容已经忘却，但余韵仍存。 The essence escapes but its aura remains. 被准许，不，是被邀请进入一群陌生人的私人生活中，与他们共同分享喜悦和恐惧，这使我读贝奥武夫时就犹如喝一杯蜜酒，读奥立佛？特威斯特时，犹如饮一杯热奶茶，忘记了那犹如南方苦艾酒般的痛苦经历。 To be allowed， no， invited， into the private lives of strangers， and to share their joys and fears， was a chance to exchange the Southern bitter wormwood for a cup of mead with Be-owulf or a hot cup of tea and milk with Oliver Twist. 当我大声地说“这比我做过的任何一件事都好得多”时，我眼中涌出了爱的泪水，那是为了自己的忘我 When I said aloud， “It is a far， far better thing that I do， than I have ever done…” tears of love filled my eyes at my selflessness. 在我第一次去她家回来，我跑下山去冲到马路上（路上很少有车经过），快到店铺时我还居然没忘了停下来。 On that first day， I ran down the hill and into the road （few cars ever came along it） and had the good sense to stop running before I reached the Store. 有人喜欢我，这是多么的不同啊。 was liked， and what a difference it made. 有人尊敬我，并不是因为我是汉德森夫人的外孙女或是贝利的妹妹，而是因为我是玛格丽特？约翰逊。 I was respected not as Mrs. Henderson's grandchild or Bailey's sister but for just being Marguerite Johnson. 孩提时的逻辑永远不需要证实（所有的结论都是绝对的）。 Childhood's logic never asks to be proved （all conclusions are absolute）。 我从来没有想过为什么弗劳尔斯夫人会选中我来表示关怀，也从来没想过也许是奶奶曾请求她开导我一下。 1 didn't question why Mrs. Flowers had singled me out for attention， nor did it occur to me that Momma might have asked her to give me a little talking to. 我只关心她曾给我做点心吃，还给我读她最喜欢的书。这些足以证明她喜欢我 All I cared about was that she had made tea cookies for me and read to me from her favorite book. It was enough to prove that she liked me. 奶奶和贝利在店铺里等我。 Momma and Bailey were waiting inside the Store. 他问：“她给了你什么？”他已经看到那些书了，但我把装着他那份点心的纸袋放在怀里，用诗集挡住。 He said. “My， what did she give you？” He had seen the books， but I held the paper sack with his cookies in my arms shielded by the poems. 奶奶说：“小姐，我知道你的举止像位女士。 Momma said， “Sister， I know you acted like a little lady. That do my heart good to see settled people take to you all. 我已经尽努力了，上帝知道，但这些天……“她的声音低下来，”快去把衣服换了。 I'm trying my best， the Lord knows， but these days…“ Her voice trailed off. ”Go on in and change your dress.
Lesson One Rock Superstars 关于我们和我们的社会，他们告诉了我们些什么？ What Do They Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society？ 摇滚乐是青少年叛逆的音乐。 ——摇滚乐评论家约相？罗克韦尔 Rock is the music of teenage rebellion. —— John Rockwell， rock music critic 知其崇拜何人便可知其人。 ——小说家罗伯特？佩恩？沃伦 By a man's heroes ye shall know him. —— Robert Penn Warren， novelist 1972年6月的一天，芝加哥圆形剧场挤满了大汗淋漓、疯狂摇摆的人们。 It was mid-June， 1972， the Chicago Amphitheater was packed， sweltering， rocking. 滚石摇滚乐队的迈克？贾格尔正在台上演唱“午夜漫步人”。 Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones was singing “Midnight Rambler.” 演唱结束时评论家唐？赫克曼在现场。 Critic Don Heckman was there when the song ended. 他描述道：“贾格尔抓起一个半加仑的水罐沿舞台前沿边跑边把里面的水洒向前几排汗流浃背的听众。听众们蜂拥般跟随着他跑，急切地希望能沾上几滴洗礼的圣水。 “Jagger，” he said， “grabs a half-gallon jug of water and runs along the front platform， sprinkling its contents over the first few rows of sweltering listeners. They surge to follow him， eager to be touched by a few baptismal drops”。 1973年12月下旬的一天，约1.4万名歌迷在华盛顿市外的首都中心剧场尖叫着，乱哄哄地拥向台前。 It was late December， 1973， Some 14，000 screaming fans were crunching up to the front of the stage at Capital Center， outside Washington， D.C. 美国的恐怖歌星艾利丝？库珀的表演正接近尾声。 Alice Cooper， America's singing ghoul， was ending his act. 他表演的最后一幕是假装在断头台上结束自己的生命。 He ends it by pretending to end his life – with a guillotine. 他的“头”落入一个草篮中。 His “head” drops into a straw basket. “哎呀！”一个黑衣女孩子惊呼道：“啊！真是了不起，不是吗？”。 “Ooh，” gasped a girl dressed in black. “Oh， isn't that marvelous？” 当时，14岁的迈克珀力也在场，但他的父母不在那里。 Fourteen-year-old Mick Perlie was there too， but his parents weren't. “他们觉得他恶心，恶心，恶心，”迈克说，“他们对我说，你怎么受得了那些？” “They think he's sick， sick， sick，” Mike said. “They say to me， 'How can you stand that stuff？'” 1974年1月下旬的一天，在纽约州尤宁谷城拿骚体育场内，鲍勃？狄伦和“乐队”乐队正在为音乐会上要用的乐器调音。 It was late January， 1974. Inside the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale， New York， Bob Dylan and The Band were tuning for a concert. 馆外，摇滚歌迷克利斯？辛格在大雨中等待着入场。 Outside， in the pouring rain， fan Chris Singer was waiting to get in. “这是朝圣，”克利斯说，“我应该跪着爬进去。” “ This is pilgrimage，” Chris said， “I ought to be crawling on my knees.” 对于这一切好评及个人崇拜，你怎么看？ How do you feel about all this adulation and hero worship？ 当米克？贾格尔的崇拜者们把他视为上帝的代表或是一个神时，你是赞成还是反对？ When Mick Jagger's fans look at him as a high priest or a god， are you with them or against them？ 你也和克利斯？辛格一样对鲍勃？狄伦怀有几乎是宗教般的崇敬吗？ Do you share Chris Singer's almost religious reverence for Bob Dylan？ 你认为他或狄伦是步入歧途吗？ Do you think he – or Dylan – is misguided？ 你也认为艾利丝？库珀令人恶心而拒不接受吗？ Do you reject Alice Cooper as sick？ 难道你会莫名其妙地被这个奇怪的小丑吸引，原因就在于他表达出你最狂热的幻想？ Or are you drawn somehow to this strange clown， perhaps because he acts out your wildest fantasies？ 这些并不是闲谈。 These aren't idle questions. 有些社会学家认为对这些问题的回答可以充分说明你在想些什么以及社会在想些什么——也就是说，有关你和社会的态度。 Some sociologists say that your answers to them could explain a lot about what you are thinking and about what your society is thinking – in other words， about where you and your society are. 社会学家欧文？霍洛威茨说：“音乐表现其时代。” “Music expressed its times，” says sociologist Irving Horowitz. 霍洛威茨把摇滚乐的舞台视为某种辩论的论坛，一个各种思想交锋的场所。 Horowitz sees the rock music arena as a sort of debating forum， a place where ideas clash and crash. 他把它看作是一个美国社会努力为自己的感情及信仰不断重新进行解释的地方。 He sees it as a place where American society struggles to define and redefine its feelings and beliefs. 他说：“重新解释是一项只有青年人才能执行的任务。只有他们才把创造与夸张、理性与运动、言语与声音、音乐与政治融为一体。” “The redefinition，” Horowitz says， “is a task uniquely performed by the young. It is they alone who combine invention and exaggeration， reason and motion， word and sound， music and politics.” 作曲兼演唱家托德？伦德格伦对这个观点表示赞同。 Todd Rundgren， the composer and singer， agrees. 他说：“摇滚乐与其说是一种音乐力量不如说是一种社会心理的表现。就连埃尔维斯？普雷斯利也并非是一种伟大的音乐力量，他只不过是体现了50年代青少年那种心灰意冷的精神状态。” “Rock music，” he says， “is really a sociological expression rather than a musical force. Even Elvis Presley wasn't really a great musical force. It's just that Elvis managed to embody the frustrated teenage spirit of the 1950s.” 毫无疑问，普雷斯利震惊了美国的成人世界。 Of course Presley horrified adult America. 报纸写社论攻击他，电视网也禁止播他，但也许埃尔维斯证实了霍洛威茨和伦德格伦的看法。 Newspapers editorialized against him， and TV networks banned him. But Elvis may have proved what Horowitz and Rundgren believe. 当他通过电视上埃德？沙利文的星期日晚间的综艺节目出现在千百万人面前时，就引起了某种辩论。 When he appeared on the Ed.Sullivan Sunday night variety show in front of millions， a kind of “debate” took place. 多数年纪大的观众眉头紧皱，而大多数年轻观众则报以掌声欢迎。 Most of the older viewers frowned， while most of the younger viewers applauded. 摇滚乐评论家们说，从埃尔维斯到艾利丝，许多歌星帮助我们的社会解说其信仰与态度。 Between Elvis and Alice， rock critics say， a number of rock stars have helped our society define its beliefs and attitudes. 鲍勃？狄伦触动了对现状不满的神经，他唱到民权、核散落物以及孤独。 Bob Dylan touched a nerve of disaffection. He spoke of civil rights， nuclear fallout， and loneliness. 他唱到变革和老一代人的迷茫，他在歌声中唱道：“这儿正发生着什么事，你不知道是什么事，对吗，琼斯先生？” He spoke of change and of the bewilderment of an older generation. “Something's happening here，” he sang. “You don't know what it is， do you， Mr.Jones？” 其他人也加入了这场辩论。 Others entered the debate. 霍洛威茨说，甲壳虫乐队以幽默的方式，或许还借助麻醉品的力量来倡导和平与虔诚。傲慢无理、打架斗殴的滚石乐队成员要求革命。杰斐逊飞机乐队的歌曲“我们能够联合”和“志愿者”（有一场革命）则是激进青年的更进一步的两项声明。 The Beatles， Horowitz said， urged peace and piety， with humor and maybe a little help from drugs. The Rolling Stones， arrogant street-fighting men， demanded revolution. The Jefferson Airplane's “We Can Be Together” and Volunteers （Got a Revolution）“ were two further statements of radical youth. 但政治并不是60年代强硬派摇滚乐所辩论的惟一主题，始终作为任何音乐永恒组成部分的情感也是一个重要题目。 But politics wasn't the only subject debated in the hard rock of the sixties. Feelings， always a part of any musical statement， were a major subject. 詹妮丝？乔普林用歌声表达自己的悲哀。 Janis Jophin sang of her sadness. 甲壳虫乐队揭示出爱与恨之间的一系列的感情。 The Beatles showed there were a range of emotions between love and hate. 以后又出现了“乐队”乐队把乡村音乐和西部音乐所表达的较为传统的观念与强硬派摇滚乐较为激进的“都市”观念结合在一起。 Then came The Band， mixing the more traditional ideas of country and western music into the more radical “city” ideas of the hard rock. 霍洛威茨认为这一成分的乡村音乐帮助听众表达了一种“摆脱这一切”，“重返过去时光”的强烈愿望。 This country element， Horowitz feels， helped its audience express an urge to “get away from it all，” to “go back to the old day. 当前最能说明霍洛威茨看法的例子之一就是约翰？丹佛，他最的歌曲《阳光照在我肩上》、《高高的落基山》和《乡间小路》把民间摇滚乐的音乐灵魂与力量结合了起来，而歌词则赞美了“往日美好时光”的朴素的欢乐。 。“ One of the best current examples of what Horotwitz is talking about is John Denver. His most notable songs – ”Sunshine on My Shoulders“， ”Rocky Mountain High“， and ”Country Road“ – combine the musical drive and power of folk rock， while the lyrics celebrate the simple joys of ”the good old days.“ 这样的例子不胜枚举。 The list could go on and on. 这些摇滚乐音乐家们和所有的艺术家一样反映出我们借以认识并形成属于自己的感情与信念。 Like all artists， these rock musicians mirror feelings and beliefs that help us see and form our own. 我们以什么来回报他们呢？当然是掌声和赞美。 What do we give them in return？ Applause and praise， of course. 在1972年的一次全国民意测验中，10％的男高中生和30％以上的女高中生都说他们最崇拜的人是超级摇滚歌星。 In one 1972， national opinion poll， more than 10 percent of the high school boys and 20 percent of the girls said their hero was a rock superstar. 此外我们给他们金钱， 商业杂志《福布斯》认为，“当今成为百万富翁的捷径是当摇滚歌星。” We also give them money. “The fastest way to become a millionaire these days，” says Forbes， a business magazine， “is to become a rock 'n' roll star.” 今天的英雄们——至少其中一部分人——告诉我们，他们很喜欢所得到的报偿。 Today's heroes – some of them， anyway – tell us they enjoy their rewards. “我暗自嘲笑这些先生们和女士们，他们从没想到过我们会成为金娃娃。”演唱这支歌曲的是“文化英雄”艾利丝？库珀。 “And I laughed to myself at the men and the ladies. Who never conceived of us billion-dollar babies.” The particular “culture hero” who sings that is Alice cooper. 可是，仍然存在着一个大问题：为什么他是文化英雄？ The big question remains： Why is he a culture hero？ 他，或者当今任何其他走红的摇滚歌星能告诉我们些什么有关他们的歌迷的事情？ What does he – or any other current rock success – tell us about his fans？ 对于我们自己和我们的社会有些什么了解？现在怎样，过去如何，将来又将向何处去？ About ourselves and our society？ Where it is， where it was， where it's heading？
Lesson Nine The Trouble with Television 电视的毛病 The Trouble with Television 要摆脱电视的影响是困难的。 It is difficult to escape the influence of television. 假如统计的平均数字适用于你的话，那么你到20岁的时候就至少看过2万个小时的电视了，从那以后每生活10年就会增加1万小时。 If you fit the statistical averages， by the age of 20 you will have been exposed to at least 20，000 hours of television. You can add 10，000 hours for each decade you have lived after the age of 20. 笔起看电视，美国人只有在工作和睡眠上花时间更多。 The only things Americans do more than watch television are work and sleep. 稍微计算一下，使用这些时间的一部分能够做些什么。 Calculate for a moment what could be done with even a part of those hours. 听说一个大学生仅用5000小时就可以获得学士学位。 Five thousand hours， I am told， are what a typical college undergraduate spends working on a bachelor's degree. 在1万个小时内你能学成一个天文学家或工程师，流利掌握几门外语。 In 10，000 hours you could have learned enough to become an astronomer or engineer. You could have learned several languages fluently. 如果你感兴趣的话，你可能读希腊原文的荷马史诗或俄文版的陀思妥耶夫斯基的作品；如果对此不感兴趣，那你可以徒步周游世界，撰写一本游记。 If it appealed to you， you could be reading Homer in the original Greek or Dostoyevsky in Russian. If it didn't， you could have walked around the world and written a book about it. 电视的毛病在于它分散了人们的注意力。 The trouble with television is that it discourages concentration. 生活中几乎一切有趣的、能给人以满足的事都需要一定的建设性的、持之以恒的努力。 Almost anything interesting and rewarding in life requires some constructive， consistently applied effort. 即使是我们中间那些最迟钝、最没有天才的人也能做出一些事来，而这些事使那些从来不在任何事情上专心致志的人感到像是奇迹一般。 The dullest， the least gifted of us can achieve things that seem miraculous to those who never concentrate on anything. 但电视鼓励我们不做出任何努力，它向我们兜售即时的满足，它给我们提供娱乐，使我们只想娱乐，让时间在毫无痛苦中消磨掉。 But Television encourages us to apply no effort. It sells us instant gratification. It diverts us only to divert， to make the time pass without pain. 电视节目的多样化成了一种麻醉剂而不是促进思考的因素。 Television's variety becomes a narcotic ， nor a stimulus. 它那系列的、多变的画面引着我们跟着它走。 Its serial， kaleidoscopic exposures force us to follow its lead. 观众无休无止地跟着导游游览：参观博物馆30分钟，看大教堂30分钟，喝饮料30分钟，然后上车去下一个参观点，只是电视的特点是时间分配以分秒计算，而所选择的内容却多为车祸和人们的互相残杀。 The viewer is on a perpetual guided tour： 30 minutes at the museum， 30 at the cathedral， 30 for a drink， then back on the bus to the next attraction —-except on television.， typically， the spans allotted arc on the order of minutes or seconds， and the chosen delights are more often car crashes and people killing one another. 总之许多电视节目取代了人类最可贵的一种才能，即主动集中自己的注意力，而不是被动地奉送注意力。 In short， a lot of television usurps one of the most precious of all human gifts， the ability to focus your attention yourself， rather than just passively surrender it. 吸引并抓住人们的注意力是大多数电视节目安排的主要目的，它加强了电视是有利可图的广告的载体的作用。 Capturing your attention —and holding it—is the prime motive of most television programming and enhances its role as a profitable advertising vehicle. 节目安排使人生活在无休止的恐惧之中，唯恐抓不住人们的注意力——不管是什么人的注意力都担心。 Programmers live in constant fear of losing anyone's attention—anyone's. 避免造成这一局面的最有把握的办法就是使一切节目都保持简短，不要使任何人的注意力过于集中而受到损害，而要通过多样化、新奇性、动作和行动不断地提供刺激。 The surest way to avoid doing so is to keep everything brief， not to strain the attention of anyone but instead to provide constant stimulation through variety， novelty， action and movement. 很简单，电视的运作原则就是迎合观众的注意力跨度短这一特点。 Quite simply， television operates on the appeal to the short attention span. 这只是最简单的解决办法，但它逐渐被看作是电视这一宣传媒体特定的，内在固有的性质，是必须履行的职责，似乎是司令萨尔诺夫或另一个令人敬畏的电视创始人给我们传下了刻有铭文的石碑，命令电视上出现的一切节目均不得使观众需要片刻以上的注意力。 It is simply the easiest way out. But it has come to be regarded as a given， as inherent in the medium itself； as an imperative， as though General Sarnoff， or one of the other august pioneers of video， had bequeathed to us tablets of stone commanding that nothing in television shall ever require more than a few moments' Concentration. 要是运用得恰当，这倒也无可厚非。 In its place that is fine. 如此出色地把使人忘却现实的娱乐作为大规模推销工具加以包装，谁又能反对这样一种宣传媒介呢？ Who can quarrel with a medium that so brilliantly packages escapist entertainment as a mass-marketing tool？ 但是我看到了它的价值现已充斥于这个国家及其生活之中。 Rut I see its values now pervading this nation and its life. 认为快速思维和快餐食品一样影响着生活节奏很快、性情急躁的公众，这已成了时髦的看法。 It has become fashionable to think that， like fast food， fast ideas are the way to get to a fast-moving， impatient public. 在新闻方面，我认为这种做法不能进行很好的交流。 In the case of news， this practice， in my view， results in inefficient communication. 我怀疑电视每晚的新闻节目真正能够被人吸收和理解的有多少。 I question how much of television's nightly news effort is really absorbable and understandable. 其中许多被形象地描述为“机关枪不连贯地点射”。 Much of it is what has been aptly described as “machine-gunning with scraps.” 我认为这种技术是与连贯性作对的。 I think the technique fights coherence. 我认为它最终会使事情变得枯燥乏味、无足轻重（除非伴以恐怖的画面），因为任何一件事，如果你对它几乎一无所知，那么它差不多总会是枯燥乏味、使人觉得无足轻重的。 I think it tends to make things ultimately boring and dismissible （unless they are accompanied by horrifying pictures） because almost anything is boring and dismissible if you know almost nothing about it. 我认为，电视迎合观众注意力跨度短的做法不仅会造成交流不畅，而且还会降低文化水平。 I believe that TV's appeal to the short attention span is not only inefficient communication but decivilizing as well. 想一想电视要达到的那些极不慎重的原则吧：必须避免复杂性，用视觉刺激来代替思考，语言的精确早已是不合时宜的要求。 Consider the casual assumptions that television tends to cultivate： that complexity must be avoided， that visual stimulation is a substitute for thought， that verbal precision is an anachronism. 它可能已过时，但我所受的教育告诉我思想就是语言，是按准确的语法规则组织起来的。 It may be old-fashioned， but I was taught that thought is words， arranged in grammatically precise 在美国存在着读写能力的危机。 There is a crisis of literacy in this country. 据一项研究估计，约有3000万美国成年人是“功能性文盲”。他们的读写能力无法回答招聘广告，或读懂药瓶上的说明。 One study estimates that some 30 million adult Americans are “functionally illiterate” and cannot read or write well enough to answer the want ad or understand the instructions on a medicine bottle. 能读写可能算不上是一项不可剥夺的人权，但是我们学识渊博的开国元勋们并不感到它是不合理的或者甚至是达不到的。 Literacy may not be an inalienable human right， but it is one that the highly literate Founding Fathers might not have found unreasonable or even unattainable. 从统计数字上看，我们的国家不仅未达到人人能读写的程度，而且离这一目标越来越远。 We are not only not attaining it as a nation， statistically speaking， but we are falling further and further short of attaining it. 尽管我不会天真到认为电视是造成这一情况的原因，但我却相信它起了一定的作用，是有影响的。 And， white I would not be so simplistic as to suggest that television is the cause， 1 believe it contributes and is an influence. 美国的一切：社会结构、家庭组织形式、经济、在世界上的地位，都变得更为复杂，而不是相反。 Everything about this nation —the structure of the society， its forms of family organization， its economy， its place in the world— has become more complex， not less. 然而其占主导地位的传播媒介，全国联系的主要方式，却在人类存在的问题上推销简单的解决方式，而这些问题通常是没有简单的解决方式的。 Yet its dominating communications instrument， its principal form of national linkage， is one that sells neat resolutions to human problems that usually have no neat resolutions. 在我的心目中，那30秒钟一个的商业广告：一位家庭主妇因选对了牙膏而感到幸福的那小小的戏剧性场面就是这一切的象征。电视已使这极其成功的艺术形式成为我们文化不可缺少的一个部分了。 It is all symbolized in my mind by the hugely successful art form that television has made central to the culture，the 30-second commercial： the tiny drama of the earnest housewife who finds happiness in choosing the right toothpaste. 在人类历，几时曾有这样多的人共同把自己这样多的业余时间奉送给一件玩具，一项大众娱乐？ When before in human history has so much humanity collectively surrendered so much of its leisure to one toy， one mass diversion？ 几时曾有一个国家使自己整个地置于商品推销媒介的摆布之下？ When before has virtually an entire nation surrendered itself whole-sale to a medium for selling？ 几年前，耶鲁大学的法学教授小查尔斯？L？布莱克写道：“……被喂食本身并不是件琐碎小事。” Some years ago Yale University law professor Charles L. Black. Jr.，wrote：“…… forced feeding on trivial fare is not itself a trivial matter-” 我认为我们这个社会正在强行被喂食。 I think this society is being forced-fed with trivial fare， 我担心这一做法对我们的思维习惯，对我们的语言、我们努力的极限度及对复杂情况的兴趣等方面所造成的影响，这一点我们还只是极模糊地意识到。 and I fear that the effects on our habits of mind， our language， our tolerance for effort， and our appetite for complexity are only dimly perceived. 就算我的看法不对，用怀疑和批判的眼光来分析这个问题，来考虑如何抵制它，也不会有任何害处。 If I am wrong， we will have done no harm to look at the issue skeptically and critically，to consider how we should be resisting it. I hope you will join with me in doing so.