Unit 2 Text A  语言点Language points

Detailed study of the text

1. When the going gets tough, the tough take accounting. (Para. 1)

Meaning: When conditions or situations become difficult, determined people choose to study the subject of accounting, hoping they can more easily find a job in the future.

★When the going gets tough: when the situation becomes difficult 当形势变得严峻时

When the going gets tough, women can get as tough as men. 当形势变得严峻时，女人可以变得跟男人一样坚强。

★take accounting: choose to study the subject of accounting 选择学会计

2. When the job market worsens, many students calculate they can’t major in English or history. (Para. 1)

Meaning: When there are fewer job openings, many college students make a judgment from the situation and think they can’t study English or history as their major.

★calculate: vt.

1) make a judgment about what is likely to happen using the available information 估计；预测；推测

It’s difficult to calculate the long-term effects of these changes in the law. 这些法律上变化带来的长期影响是难以预测的。

2) find out how much sth. will cost, how long sth. will take, etc. by using numbers 计算；核算

Nowadays the accountants in the enterprise use computers to calculate the cost of production with accuracy. 如今，企业财务人员利用电脑来计算准确的生产成本。

★major in: study sth. as your main subject at college or university 主修（某一）科目

The high demand for persons with knowledge about computers is why I chose to major in computer science at the university. 对具有电脑知识人才的高需求是我选择在大学主修计算机科学的原因。

3. They have to study something that boosts their prospects of landing a job. (Para. 1)

Meaning: They have to study something that improves their chances of success in finding a job.

★boost: vt. increase or improve sth. to make it more successful 促进；推动；使兴旺

Some countries hope that warmer weather and more rain will boost their farm output. 一些国家希望更温暖的天气和更多的降雨能提高他们的农业产量。

4. The data show that as students have increasingly shouldered the ever-rising cost of tuition, they have defected from the study of the humanities and toward applied science and “hard” skills that they bet will lead to unemployment.

Meaning: The facts and information show that as students have spent increasingly more money on tuition, they have turned away from the humanities to some practical courses that they believe will enable them to get a job more easily.

★defect: vi. Leave a country, political party, or organization to go to another one 被判；叛逃

He defected from the party in the late 1970s. 他在20世纪70年代后期背叛了该党。

n. [C] a fault in sb. or sth. 缺点；欠缺；不足之处

Stammering is probably an inherited defect. 口吃可能是一种遗传缺陷。

★applied: a. (usu. before noun) used for describing educational subjects when they are studied for their practical uses （学科）应用的，实用的

Industry leaders want scientists to engage in basic research, not applied research. 产业领导者们希望科学家们从事基础研究，而不是应用研究。

★bet : (bet, bet) vt. be fairly sure that sth. is true, that sth. will happen, etc., although you can’t prove this 肯定

I bet the train will be late. 我敢打赌，列车会晚点。

v. risk money on the result of a race, game, competition or other future event 下赌注；与…打赌

I bet my life that he will take my money and leave. 我敢用我的命打赌，他将拿着我的钱离开。

5. This is a trend that is likely to persist and even accelerate. (Para. 2)

Meaning: Very likely, the trend will continue to exist and even go faster than ever.

★persist: vi. (fml.) continue to exist 继续存在；持续

1) If the bad weather persists, the farmers will suffer great losses this year. 如果恶劣天气持续，农民今年将遭受巨大的损失。

2) continue to do sth., although this is difficult, or other people oppose it 坚持；执意

Students must persist in their efforts if they wish to do well. 学生如果想取得好成绩就必须坚持努力。

★accelerate: v. happen or make sth. happen at a faster rate （使）加快；促进

Human activities can cause or accelerate permanent changes in natural systems. 人类的活动可能导致或加速自然系统的永久变化。

6. Over the next few years, as labor market struggle, the humanities will probably continue their long slide in succession. (Para. 3)

Meaning: For the next few years, as the going gets tough with labor markets, the subjects of the humanities will continue to shrink and worsen for a long time each year.

Note  

It might be worthwhile to have a review of the word slide used as a noun or a verb:

n. [usu. sing.] a situation in which sth. gradually gets worse or sb. develops a problem (情况) 变糟，恶化；（人）出现问题

School administrators were unable to explain the slide in students’ performance. 学校管理人员无法解释学生成绩下降的原因。

v. gradually become worse, or begin to have a problem 逐渐破坏；开始出现问题

Students’ test scores started to slide in the mid-1990s. 20世纪90年代中期，学生的考分开始下降。

★succession: n. [sing.] a series of people or things of the same type 一连串，一系列（同类型的人或物）

After graduation, he took a succession of low-paid jobs. 毕业后他干了一连串报酬低微的工作。

★in succession: happening one after the other without anything different happening in between 连续发生地；接连发生地

She is an accomplished athlete and won the championship four times in succession. 她是一个成功的运动员，连续四次获得冠军。

★bound: a. (～to) sth. that is bound to happen will almost certainly happen 一定的；几乎肯定的

The weather is bound to get better tomorrow. 明天的天气肯定更好。

7. Once the dominant pillars of university life, the humanities now play little roles when students take their college tours. These days, labs are more vivid and compelling than libraries. (Para. 3)

Meaning: The humanities that once dominated university life now play a trivial role when students have their college visits; nowadays, labs are more eye-catching and fascinating than libraries.

★pillar: n. [C]

1) a very important part of a system of beliefs or ideas （信仰或思想）非常重要的部分

Equality is one of the pillars of a stable society. 平等是一个稳定社会的支柱之一。

2) a thick strong upright post that supports part of a building 柱子；支柱

Eight massive stone pillars supported the roof. 八根巨大的石柱支撑起房顶。

★compel: vt. force sb. to do sth. 强迫；迫使

As a school boy, he was compelled to wear shorts even in winter. 当他还是一个在校的小男孩时，即使在冬天他也被迫穿短裤。

★compelling: a. interesting or exciting enough to keep your attention completely 有强烈吸引力的；引人入胜的

Steve Job’s life makes a compelling story. 史蒂夫·乔布斯的一生是一个引人入胜的故事。

8. Here, please allow me to stand up for and promote the true value that the humanities add to people’s lives. (Para. 4)

Meaning: I here ask for your permission to let me defend and advertise the true value that the humanities bring to people’s lives.

★stand up for: support or defend a person or an idea when they are being attacked 支持；保卫；维护

Mary stood up for me at the meeting, sparing me some embarrassment. 玛丽在会议上支持了我，使我免受了一些尴尬。

★promote: vt. support or encourage sth. 支持；鼓励；提倡

To acknowledge other cultures will promote good will among people of different backgrounds. 承认别人的文化会促进不同背景的人之间的友好亲善。

9. Since ancient times, people have speculated about the mystery of those inner forces that drive some people to greatness and others to self-destruction. (Para. 4)

Meaning: Ever since ancient times, people have thought carefully and seriously why the mysterious forces coming from their inner world could be so powerful that it could make some people great while others morally deteriorate.

★speculated about / on: make guesses about the possible causes or effects of sth. without knowing all the facts or details 猜测；推测

It’s too early to speculate about the outcome of the negotiations between the workers union and the company’s leadership. 要推测工会和公司管理层之间的谈判结果，还为时过早。

10. Historians、architects、authors、 philosophers and artists have captured the words, images and meanings of this inner struggle in the form of story、music、painting、architecture、sculpture、 landscape and traditions. (Para. 5)

★in the form of: in the way sth. is or appears to be 以…形式；以…方式

They received a benefit in the form of a tax reduction. 他们通过减税的方式获益。

11. This fertile body of work from ancient times, the very foundation of civilization, forms the basis of study of the humanities. (Para. 5)

Meaning: The large amount of work filled with rich ideas and imagination from ancient times — the fundamental components of civilization — provides the basis of the study of the humanities.

★fertile: a.

1) able to produce good ideas or results 富有成果的；富有想象力的

A poet must have a fertile imagination. 诗人必须有丰富的想象力。

2) able to produce good crops or plants (土地) 肥沃的，富饶的

Fertile soil helps Canada rank among the world’s leading wheat producers. 肥沃的土壤帮助加拿大跻身世界主要小麦生产国。

a / the body of sth.: a large amount or mass of sth., esp. sth. that has been collected 大量的某物

Acquiring a language is learning a skill, not collecting a body of information. 学语言是学习技能，而不是获取大量的信息。

12. Most importantly, studying the humanities invests us with great insight and self-awareness, thereby releasing our creative energy and talent in a positive and constructive manner. (Para. 7)

Meaning: The most important advantage for us to study the humanities is that it enables us to become more analytical and self-aware; therefore, our creativeness and talent are brought out in a positive and constructive way.

★invest: v. use your money with the aim of making a profit from it 投资

He invested all our profits in gold shares. 他把我们所有的利润都投资进了黄金股。

★invest sb. / sth. with sth.: (fml.) give sb. or sth. a particular quality 赋予（某人或某物）以（某种性质）

Nature has invested these animals with a capacity for not showing fear. 自然界赋予了这些动物不显露恐惧的本领。

★insight: n.

1) [U] the ability to notice and understand a lot about people or situation 洞察力；领悟力

It was an interesting book, full of fascinating insight into human nature. 这是一本有趣的书，充满了对人性绝妙的洞察力。

2) [C, U] a sudden clear understanding of sth., esp. sth. complicated 顿悟；洞悉；见解

Her research has given us some insight into what sparks a teenager’s curiosity. 她的研究是我们顿悟到什么会引起青少年的好奇心。

★thereby: ad. (fml.) because of or by means of what has just been mentioned 因此；从而；借此

We started our journey early, thereby avoiding most of the traffic. 我们早早地开始了我们的旅程，从而避开了交通堵塞的高峰期。

13. Perhaps the best argument in favor of the humanities in the scope of possibilities that are widely open to us. (Para. 8)

Meaning: The most valid argument to support the humanities is perhaps they can provide us with a wide range of opportunities.

★in favor of: supporting a person or an idea, proposal, etc. that you believe is right 支持；赞同

Congress has decided in favor of a ＄200 million housing development. 美国国会已决定赞成一个两亿美元发展住房的计划。

★the scope of: the range of 范围

The Student Association has promised to widen the scope of activities. 学生会已承诺要扩大活动范围。

14. Famous people who studied the humanities make a list indeed. It’s easy to see the humanities can prepare us for many different careers and jobs we can undertake, whether medicine, business, science or entertainment. (Para. 8)

Meaning: It is true that famous people who studied the humanities can make up a long list. Obviously, the humanities enable us to engage in many different careers and jobs, no matter whether they are medicine, business, science or entertainment.

★prepare…for…: make sb. ready and able to deal with a future event 使…做好准备（应对未来）We now need to prepare them for the digital economy. 我们现在需要让他们为数码经济做好准备。

★undertake: vt. (undertook, undertook) agree to be responsible for a job or project and do it 承担；着手做 

Dr. Johnson undertook the task of writing a comprehensive English dictionary. 约翰逊博士着手写一本详尽的英语词典。

15. Of course, nowadays, if we study the humanities alone, we are liable to miss many opportunities. (Para. 8)

Meaning: It is for sure that nowadays if we study the humanities alone, we are likely to miss many chances or opportunities.

★liable: (be ～ to do sth.) likely to do sth. in a particular way because of a fault or tendency 可能（易于）做某事的

Many parts of the country are liable to suffer from flooding. 该国的许多地方已遭水灾。

16. In summary, the humanities helps to create well-rounded human beings with insight and understanding of the passions, hopes and dreams common to all humanity. (Para. 10)

Meaning: To summarize, with the help of the humanities, we can create all-rounded people who are insightful and well understand the passions, hopes and dreams common to all humanity.

★well-rounded human beings: human beings with a range of interests and skills and a variety of experience 全面发展的人

17. The humanities, the ancient timeless reservoir of knowledge, teach us to see things differently and broaden our horizons. They are as useful and relevant in our modern age as they have always been. (Para. 10)

Meaning: The humanities, the ancient timeless resource of knowledge, teach us to see things from different perspectives and to expand our horizons, which is useful and related to our modern life, just as it has always been.

★reservoir: n. [C]

1) a large quantity of sth. that can be used 积蓄；储蓄

Colleges are a reservoir of talents for companies. 大学是企业的人才库。

2) an artificial or natural lake where water is stored so that it can be supplied to the houses in an area （人造的）水库；（天然）蓄水湖

If it rains heavily, the reservoir will overflow. 如果下大雨，水库里的水将会溢出来。

18. Doesn’t it make sense to spend some time in the company of the humanities, our outstanding and remarkable treasure of knowledge? (Para. 10)

Meaning: Isn’t it reasonable to spend some time with the humanities, our extremely good and marvelous treasure of knowledge?  

★in the company of: in sb’s company; with sb. 和某人在一起

She caught sight of her grandson, in the company of three other boys of similar age, going into the narrow alley which led to the railway. 她看见她的孙子和其他三个年龄相仿的男孩一起，进入了那条通向铁路的狭窄小巷。

★outstanding: a. extremely good or impressive 杰出的；出众的；显著的

His performance in charitable activities was outstanding. 在公益活动方面，他的表现非常出色。

19. Who knows how famous YOU might become!

Meaning: No one can tell how famous you will be!