--- url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-4/45-of-men-and-galaxies.md description: 新概念英语第四册：Of Men and Galaxies。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。 --- # 论人类和星系 ## 课文学习台 {#study} ### 第1段 In man's early days, competition with other creatures must have been critical. But this phase of our development is now finished. Indeed, we lack practice and experience nowadays in dealing with primitive conditions. I am sure that, without modern weapons, I would make a very poor show of disputing the ownership of a cave with a bear, and in this I do not think that I stand alone. The last creature to compete with man was the mosquito. But even the mosquito has been subdued by attention to drainage and by chemical sprays. 中文理解：在人类早期，人类与其它生物的竞争一定极其重要。但到了我们现在的发展阶段，（与其它生物的竞争）就没那么重要了。的确，我们如今缺乏应对原始状况的实践和经验。我很肯定，如果没有现代武器，要我和一只熊去争夺洞穴的所有权，我会狼狈不堪；而在这方面，我想自己也并非唯一会如此狼狈的人。最后还在与人类竞争的生物是蚊子。然而，即使是蚊子，也因人类对排水系统的重视，以及化学喷雾（的使用）而制服了。 #### 1. competition must have been critical. 简单句，主系表结构. #### 2. this phase is finished… 简单句，主系表结构. finished 为形容词，结束了的. 此句是跟着上一句来的，行文上有些省略，以免啰嗦，这里不是说人类的发展阶段结束了，而是指上一句，跟其它物种的竞争不再那么重要了，下一句也是接着说我们缺乏相关的竞争经验，已经无法匹敌. 该句其实可以看作but competition (with other creatures) \[in this phase] (of our development) is finished. #### 3. we lack practice and experience… 简单句，主谓宾结构. #### 4. I am sure that…I would make show…and I do not think that I stand alone. 复合句，主句主系表+that 引导的宾语从句结构. that 后面全句均为sure 的宾语， 该宾语从句为并列结构，以and 连接，两句均为主谓宾结构. 该宾语从句的后句中又有一个that 引导的宾语从句作think 的宾语，为主谓结构. 状语in this 的this 即指代在没有现代武器的帮助下，与熊争夺洞穴的所有权. #### 5. creature was the mosquito. 简单句，主系表结构. 前文表达了现如今，与其它物种的竞争不再重要了，主要是有了现代武器，这些动物都无法给人类构成威胁，但是蚊子还能不时地叮咬人类. #### 6. the mosquito has been subdued… 简单句，主谓结构. 这句进一步讲解了哪怕是蚊子，人类也有各种办法予以制服. ### 第2段 Competition between ourselves, person against person, community against community, still persists, however; and it is as fierce as it ever was. 中文理解：然而人类之间的竞争，包括个人之间和团体之间，依然存在；而且，竞争的激烈程度，一如以往。 #### 1. Competition persists, and it is fierce as it was… 复合句，and 连接前后两句，第一句主谓结构，中间有一个比较长的同位语；第二句为主系表结构，含有一个as…as 结构的比较状语从句，该从句亦为主系表结构，属于同级比较的情况. ### 第3段 But the competition of man against man is not the simple process envisioned in biology. It is not a simple competition for a fixed amount of food determined by the physical environment, because the environment that determines our evolution is no longer essentially physical. Our environment is chiefly conditioned by the things we believe. Morocco and California are bits of the Earth in very similar latitudes, both on the west coasts of continents with similar climates, and probably with rather similar natural resources. Yet their present development is wholly different, not so much because of different people even, but because of the different thoughts that exist in the minds of their inhabitants. This is the point I wish to emphasize. The most important factor in our environment is the state of our own minds. 中文理解：但是，人与人的竞争并非生物学弱肉强食意义上的简单过程。这个过程并非争夺特定环境中有限的食物而引发的简单竞争，因为决定着我们人类进化的环境，本质上已不在物质层面了。 我们的环境主要受我们所相信的东西所影响。摩洛哥和美国加利福尼亚州是地球上纬度非常一致的两个地方，都在各自大陆的西海岸，气候相似，自然资源也可能相似。 但是，这两个地方目前的发展程度天差地别；与其说是因为两地居民本身不同，不如说是因为他们头脑中的思想不同。 思想不同这一点是我要着重强调的。我们 （决定进化的）环境中最重要的因素，就是我们的思想状态。 * **no longer**：不再；这类否定常标记故事或观点的变化，复述时不能漏掉。 * **because of**：由于；先确认后面是名词性内容；because 后才可以直接接句子。 #### 1. the competition is not (a) process… 简单句，主系表结构，后面是动词的过去分词短语作后置定语修饰process. #### 2. It is not a competition…because the environment that determines our evolution is physical… 复合句，主句为主系表结构，competition 由两组定语修饰，后面是because 引导的原因状语从句，该从句为主系表结构，在原因状语从句中，含有一个that…evolution 的定语从句，修饰environment，为主谓宾结构. 这句话直译是“…本质上已不是物质的了”，实际上就是在说，这个决定着人类进化的环境，已不在于物质层面的不同，而在于思想状态的不同了，下文所举的例子也是地理环境类似而发展迥异. #### 3. Our environment is conditioned… 复合句，主句为主谓结构，后面有一个we believe 的定语从句修饰things，该定语从句为主谓结构. 此句进一步说明，我们的进化环境不在于物质层面了. #### 4. Morocco and California are bits… 简单句，主系表结构，后面几个定语，加上with 引导的伴随状语. Morocco 北非国家摩洛哥，而Monaco 是欧洲国家摩纳哥. #### 5. development is different…that exist… 复合句，主句主系表结构，跟了程度状语、原因状语、让步状语，然后是but 后面有一个that…inhabitants 的定语从句，修饰thoughts. 定语从句为主谓结构. #### 6. This is the point (that) I wish to emphasize. 复合句，主句主系表结构，后面是省略了that 的定语从句，从句为主谓结构. #### 7. factor is the state. 简单句，主系表结构. ### 第4段 It is well known that where the white man has invaded a primitive culture, the most destructive effects have come not from physical weapons but from ideas. Ideas are dangerous. The Holy Office knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by. Indeed, the concept of free speech only exists in our modern society because when you are inside a community, you are conditioned by the conventions of the community to such a degree that it is very difficult to conceive of anything really destructive. It is only someone looking on from outside that can inject the dangerous thoughts. I do not doubt that it would be possible to inject ideas into the modern world that would utterly destroy us. I would like to give you an example, but fortunately I cannot do so. Perhaps it will suffice to mention the unclear bomb. Imagine the effect on a reasonably advanced technological society, one that still does not possess the bomb, of making it aware of the possibility, of supplying sufficient details to enable the thing to be constructed. Twenty or thirty pages of information handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925 would have been sufficient to change the course of world history. It is a strange thought, but I believe a correct one, that twenty or thirty pages of ideas and information would be capable of turning the present-day world upside down, or even destroying it. I have often tried to conceive of what those pages might contain, but of course I cannot do so because I am a prisoner of the present-day world, just as all of you are. We cannot think outside the particular patterns that our brains are conditioned to, or, to be more accurate, we can think only a very little way outside, and then only if we are very original. It is this pattern in which we are all conditioned that constitutes the most essential feature of our environment. 中文理解：众所周知，原始文化所在之地，被白人入侵之后，最具破坏作用的不在于物质上的武器，而在于思想。 思想是危险的。从前，当异教徒因思想而被火刑处死，（可见） 宗教法庭对思想的（危害性）认识得多么清楚。的确，言论自由的概念只存在于我们现代社会之中。因为当你处于社区之中，你便受到社区规则的约束，要产生任何破坏性的想法非常困难。只有来自外部的旁观者才能灌输危险的思想。 我毫不怀疑，完全有可能向现代世界灌输某些能彻底摧毁我们的思想。我本想给你举个例子，但幸亏我举不出来。也许只需提一提核弹，就足以说明这个问题。对于一个科技相当发达而并未拥有核弹的社会，让该社会意识到生产核弹的可能性，以及为其提供足够生产核弹的细节（知识），试想一下会有什么影响。二三十页的情报如果在1925年前后交给世界上任何一个强国，都足以改变世界历史的进程。这个想法很奇怪，但我觉得并没有错。二三十页材料中的思想和情报会使当今的世界翻天覆地，更有甚者，足以让世界毁灭。我经常试想二三十页要包含哪些情报，鉴于你我皆为当今世界所限，我自然是无法想清会包含哪些情报了。我们无法在我们大脑所限定的特定模式之外去思考，或者更严谨一点表述，我们只有在极具创见时，才能稍微跳出大脑所被限定的模式。 也正是我们大家都被限定的思维模式，构成了我们所处环境的最本质的特征。 #### 1. It is known that man has invaded a culture, effects have come from… 复合句，主句为主系表结构，it 为形式主语，that 引导的从句是真正的主语. 主语从句中，含有一个where 引导的地点状语从句，为主谓宾结构，主句为主谓宾结构，第二个宾语ideas 前面的from 有省略，完整是have come from ideas，所以单独的from 在这里也作谓语. #### 2. Ideas are dangerous. 简单句，主系表结构. #### 3. The Holy Office knew this when it caused heretics to be burned… 复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，后面when 引导的时间状语从句为主谓宾+宾补结构，其中this 和it 均指上句的ideas. full well 的full 是副词，修饰well，相当于very. #### 4. the concept exists…because… 复合句，主句为主谓结构，后面跟一个because 引导的原因状语从句一直到句末. 在原因状语从句中，先是有一个when 引导的时间状语从句，为主系表结构；原因状语从句中的主句为主谓结构you are conditioned，后面接了方式状语by the conventions…community. 最后是such…that 结构的结果状语从句，该从句为主系表结构，it 为形式主语，动词不定式短语to conceive…destructive 为真正的主语. #### 5. It is someone that… 强调句，主谓宾结构. #### 6. I do not doubt that it would be possible to inject…that would destroy us. 复合句，主句主谓+宾语从句结构，宾语从句为主系表结构，宾语从句一直到句末，该从句中，to inject…world 为真正的主语，后面又有一个that 引导的定语从句修饰world，该定语从句为主谓宾结构. #### 7. I would like to give you an example, but I cannot do so. 并列句，以but 相连，前句为主谓+双宾语结构，后句为主谓宾结构. #### 8. it will suffice to mention… 简单句，主谓结构，不定式短语为真正的主语，这句话接着前文举例：提到核弹，就足以说明思想和信息可能带来的巨大影响。它不是说“仅提及核弹这个词就会造成毁灭”。 #### 9. Imagine the effect… 复合句，主句主谓结构，其中one 为society 的同位语，由一个that 引导的定语从句修饰，该定语从句为主谓宾结构. 后面of making…possibility和of supplying…constructed 两个定语均修饰effect. 其中it 指society. #### 10. pages would have been sufficient. 简单句，主谓宾结构. #### 11. It is a thought…that pages would be capable of… 复合句，主句为主系表的并列结构，第二个表语one 省略了主系成分，而I believe 为插入语，可以删去而不影响句意. that 引导的同位语从句为主谓宾+宾补结构. #### 12. I have tried to conceive of what…, but I cannot do so because I am a prisoner just as all of you are. 复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，其中不定式to conceive 作为宾语，还包含一个what 引导的从句作介词of 的宾语，该宾语从句为主谓结构. but 连接后句，为主谓宾结构，包含一个because 引导的原因状语从句，该从句为主系表结构，该从句中还包括一个as 引导的方式状语从句，为主谓结构. #### 13. We cannot think…we can think a very little way… 复合句，本句以or 分为两句，前句为主谓宾结构，其中outside 为介词作方式状语，后跟一个that 引导的定语从句修饰patterns，该定语从句为主谓宾结构. 后句为主谓宾结构， outside 在这里也是介词作方式状语，if 引导的条件状语从句为主系表结构. #### 14. It is this pattern that constitutes the most essential feature… 复合句，也是it is that 强调句，主谓宾结构. in which 引导的定语从句修饰pattern，为主谓结构. 本句是我多加的，教材中没有编入. 缺少了这句，本段所表达的观点还不完整，不利于理解. 本段相当于做了一个思想实验，但核心论点其实是想表达，我们受限于特定的思维模式，而特定的思维模式是我们所处社会的本质特征. ## 学完这一课 选一个可以讨论的判断，说明依据，再加上一句限制或不同情况。 [Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-4/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/) *译文与解析据吴应时整理资料及本站首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第205—211页，2022年2月第2版。*