大学英语精读_双语4 (3)

Unit Three

第三单元

Text

课文

Can you prove that the earth is round?

你能证明地球是圆的吗？

Go ahead and try!

继续去试一试！

Will you rely on your senses or will you have to draw on the opinions of experts?

你将依靠你的感觉还是不得不利用专家的观点？

WHY DO WE BELIEVE THAT THE EARTH IS ROUND?

我们为什么相信地球是圆的？

Somewhere or other-

记得在什么地方

I think it is in the preface to Saint Joan-

我想是在《圣女贞德》序言中——

Bernard Shaw remarks that we are more gullible and superstitious today than we were in the Middle Ages,

肖伯纳评论说，今天我们比在中世纪时更加轻信，更加迷信。

and as an example of modern credulity he cites the widespread belief that the earth is round.

而作为现代轻信的例证，他举出地圆这一广为传播的信念。

The average man, says Shaw,

肖伯纳说，普通人

can advance not a single reason for thinking that the earth is round.

举不出一条理由来说明为什么相信地球是圆的。

He merely swallows this theory because there is something about it that appeals to the twentieth-century mentality.

他全盘接受这一理论，只是因为这一理论有一种迎合20世纪心态的东西。

Now, Shaw is exaggerating,

当然，肖伯纳是夸大其词了，

but there is something in what he says,

但他说的也确实有些道理，

and the question is worth following up,

这一问题值得进一步探讨，

for the sake of the light it throws on modern knowledge.

因为它会帮助人们看清现代知识的真实情况。

Just why do we believe that the earth is round?

我们究竟为什么会相信地球是圆的呢？

I am not speaking of the few thousand astronomers,

我说的不是指那些为数不多的几千位天文学家、

geographers and so forth who could give ocular proof,

地球学家之类的人，

or have a theoretical knowledge of the proof,

他们可能用观察到的事实或用理论上的根据来证实这一点，

but of the ordinary newspaper-reading citizen,

我的是报纸的普通读者，

such as you or me.

如同你我之辈。

As for the Flat Earth theory,

至于“地平线”，

I believe I could refute it.

我相信我能够加以驳斥，

If you stand by the seashore on a clear day,

如果你在天气晴朗的日子站立海边，

you can see the masts and funnels of invisible ships passing along the horizon.

你可以看到船桅和烟囱沿着地平线移动而不见船体本身。

This phenomenon can only be explained by assuming that the earth's surface is curved.

只有假设地球表面呈曲线状，这一现象才能到解释。

But it does not follow that the earth is spherical.

便不能由此推断地球是球形的。

Imagine another theory called the Oval Earth theory,

设想另一个称做“地球卵形说”的理论吧，

which claims that the earth is shaped like an egg.

这一学说声称地球形如蛋状。

What can I say against it?

对此，我能说什么加以反驳呢？

Against the Oval Earth man,

面对“地球卵形说”者，

the first card I can play is the analogy of the sun and moon.

我能打的第一张牌是，可以根据太阳和月亮来类推。

The Oval Earth man promptly answers that I don't know,

“地球卵形说”者立即回敬道，

by my own observation, that those bodies are spherical.

我无法根据自己的观察得知那些天体是球形的。

I only know that they are round,

我只能得知他们是圆的，

and they may perfectly well be flat discs.

而它们完全可能呈扁盘状。

I have no answer to that one.

我对此无言以答。

Besides, he goes on,

此外，他还会说，

what reason have I for thinking that the earth must be the same shape as the sun and moon?

I can't answer that one either.

对此，我同样无法解答。

My second card is the earth's shadow:

我的第二张牌是地球的影子：

when cast on the moon during eclipses,

月食期间，

it appears to be the shadow of a round object.

地球投在月亮上的影子看上去呈圆物体状。

But how do I know,

但“地球卵形说”者马上要问，

demands the Oval Earth man,

我怎么知道，

that eclipses of the moon are caused by the shadow of the earth?

月食是由地球的影子造成的呢？

The answer is that I don't know,

回答是，我并不知道，

but have taken this piece of information blindly from newspaper articles and science booklets.

我只是照搬报刊文章和科普小册上的说法而已。

Defeated in the minor exchanges,

小小交锋受挫，

I now play my queen of trumps:

于是我打出一张王牌“Q”：

the opinion of the experts.

专家的看法。

The Astronomer Royal,

英国格林威治皇家天文台台长

who ought to know, tells me that the earth is round.

总该是知道的，他告诉我说地球是圆的。

The Oval Earth man covers the queen with his king.

“地球卵形说”者用他的“K”牌压倒我的“Q”牌。

Have I tested the Astronomer Royal's statement,

天文台台长的话我检验了没有？

and would I even know a way of testing it?

再说，我知道怎么检验法吗？

Here I bring out my ace.

这时候，我打出我的“爱司”。

Yes, I do know one test.

是的，我确实知道一个检验方法。

The astronomers can foretell eclipses,

天文学家能预报月食，

and this suggests that their opinions about the solar system are pretty sound.

这一点表明他们关于太阳系的看法是非常可信的。

I am, to my delight,

因此，令我高兴的是，

justified in accepting their say-so about the shape of the earth.

我接受他们关于地球形状的论断是有道理的。

If the Oval Earth man answers -

如果“地球卵形说”者反驳道

what I believe is true -

——我以为他反驳得有理——

that the ancient Egyptians,

古代埃及人

who thought the sun goes round the earth,

认为太阳绕地球转

could also predict eclipses,

也能预言月食，

then bang goes my ace.

那我的“爱司”牌便立刻化为乌有。

I have only one card left:navigation.

我只剩下一张牌：航海。

People can sail ships round the world,

人们可以扬帆绕地球航行

and reach the places they aim at,

而到达他们的目的地，

by calculations which assume that the earth is spherical.

其航程的计算，就是以地球为圆形的假定的依据的。

I believe that finishes the Oval Earth man,

我相信这一下可以彻底击败“地球卵形说”者了。

though even then he may possibly have some kind of counter.

不过即便如此，他还可能有某种回击的方法。

It will be seen that my reasons for thinking that the earth is round are rather precarious ones.

由此可见，我认为地球是圆的，其根据是相当不牢靠的。

Yet this is an exceptionally elementary piece of information.

然而这却是一点极其基本的知识。

On most other questions I should have to fall back on the expert much earlier,

在别的大多数问题上，我只得更早地依赖专家的理论，

and would be less able to test his pronouncements.

且更少有办法检验他的结论了。

And much the greater part of our knowledge is at this level.

我们的知识，其绝大部分都停在这一水平上。

It does not rest on reasoning or on experiment,

它不是依靠推理或实验，

but on authority.

而是依赖权威。

And how can it be otherwise,

可是，不这样，又有什么别的法子呢？

when the range of knowledge is so vast that the expert himself is an ignoramus as soon as he strays away from his own specialty?

知识的范围如此广博，一旦越出基专业范围，专家也会变得一无所知。

Most people, if asked to prove that the earth is round,

对大多数人来说，如果要他们证明地球是圆的话。

would not even bother to produce the rather weak arguments I have outlined above.

就连我上面概述的这些相当无力的论据，他们也不愿意提供出来。

They would start off by saying that \"everyone knows\" the earth to be round,

他们一开始就会说：谁都知道地球是圆的。

and if pressed further, would become angry.

要是再加追问，就会生气了。

In a way Shaw is right.

在某种程度上讲，肖伯纳是说对了。

This is a credulous age,

如今是一个轻信的时代。

and the burden of knowledge which we now have to carry is partly responsible.

究其缘由，部分在于，我们现今必须掌握的知识实在太多了。

New Words

新单词

preface n.

前言，序

gullible a.

易受骗的；轻信的

superstitious 迷信的

credulity n.

轻信

cite vt.

a.

举出；引用

widespread a.

分布广的；普遍的

advance vt.

提出

appeal vi.

投合所好；有感染力；有吸引力

mentality n.

心理，思想；脑力

exaggerate vt.

夸张；夸大

sake n.

缘故

geographer n.

地理学家

ocular a.

眼睛的；凭视觉的

theoretical 理论上的

citizen n.

公民；市民

refute vt.

驳斥

mast n.

桅杆

funnel n.

n.

（蒸汽机，轮船等的）烟囱

invisible a.

看不见的，无形的

horizon n.

地平线

phenomenon n.

现象

curve vt. & n.

使成曲线 曲线

follow vi.

结果产生；得出

spherical a.

球形的

oval n. & a.

卵形的（东西），椭圆的（东西）

card n.

纸牌

analogy n.

类比；相似

promptly ad.

敏捷地；迅速地

prompt a.

敏捷地；迅速地

body n.

天体

disc n.

圆盘

cast vt.

扔，投；投射

eclipse n.

（天文学）食

booklet n.

小册子

exchange vt. & n.

交换

trump n.

王牌

royal a.

皇家的；王室的

statement n.

陈述；声明

ace n.

（纸牌中的）“Ａ”牌，爱司

foretell vt.

预言

solar a.

太阳能的

the solar system

太阳系

justify vt.

证明…是正当的；为…辨护

say-so n.

权威性声明；无证据的断言

Egyptian n. & a.

埃及人；埃及的

predict 预言

bang 砰地

navigation 航海

calculation 计算

calculate 计算

vt.

ad.

n.

n.

vt.

calculator n.

计算器

counter n.

讨价还价的本钱；回击，反击

precarious a.

不安全的；根据不足的，靠不住的

exceptionally ad.

例外地

authority n.

权威；权力

ignoramus n.

无知的人

stray vi.

走离；离题

specialty n.

专业

outline vt. & n.

作提纲，摘要

press vt.

催促；逼迫

credulous a.

轻信的

burden n.

重负；负荷

Phrases & Expressions

短语

follow up

深入研究或调查；采取进一步行动

for the sake of

为了…的利益；为了

throw/ shed light on

使明白，使明朗；解释

and so forth

等立

as for

至于

may well (not)

完全（不）可能

bring out

拿出；使显出；推出（新产品等）

aim at

以…为目标，目的

fall back on

求助于

rest on

相信，依靠

stray away from

偏离

start off

起身离开

in a way

在某种程度上

Proper Names

名称

Saint Joan

圣女贞德

Bernard Shaw

萧伯纳