Word List of Text A

Word Explanation for Text A

describe … as 

state sb. / sth. to be sb. / sth.; call       把……叫做；称作

e. g.    1. He describes himself as a doctor; but infact, he knows little about medicine.

           2. I hesitate to describe him as really clever.

              我很难说他真聪明。

classical      a.

[no comp.]   based on or belonging to anold or established system of principles or methods, e.g. in art or science;traditional  

［无比较级］经典的；传统的

e.g.1. Did shemainly study classical literature or modern literature?

      2. Do you prefer classical music like Mozart,or pop?

        你喜欢如莫扎特那样的古典音乐还是流行音乐？

Word choice

classic / classical
Classical        强调“传统”，可以表达2个不同意思：

1、“遵循传统风格的”，如 a classical composer 是“一个古典作曲家”。

2、“古希腊古罗马的”，如 a classical scholar 是“研究古希腊古罗马的学者”。

Classic    可以表达3个不同意思：

1、描述某物已经被认定在同类中具有相当高质量，如a classic movie是“一部优秀影片”；

2、表达“典型的”，如a classic mistake是“一个典型错误”。

3、 表达“优雅但是很简单而且传统的”，如a classic design是“一个经典的设计”。

distinguish between

recognize differences between    辨别，分清

e. g. 1. The two paintings are quite similar. I can’t distinguish between the original and the fake.

        2. English law clearly distinguishes between murder and man slaughter.

                英国法律明确了“谋杀”和“过失杀人”的区别。

utility      n.

1. fml        the degree of usefulness 〖正式〗有用，实用，效用

e. g. 1. It is a research project with limited practical utility.

        2. Belief in the utility of higher education is shared by students nationwide.

              全国学生都相信高等教育是有用的。

2. [C esp. pl.]   a service such as gas orelectricity provided for people to use

     公用事业（如水电煤气等）

e. g.     Rescue teams worked desperately to restore utilities in the are ashattered by the hurricane.

     救援小组竭力抢修在飓风中毁坏的水电煤气等公用设施。

ground        n.

[C esp.pl.]    reason(s) or justification for saying, doing or believing sth. 

［尤作复数］说话、做事或相信某事的原因或理由

e. g.     1. The company has reasonable grounds to dismiss him; he was late forwork three times last week despite constant warnings.

  2. He had been fired from his job on the grounds of incompetence.

              因为不称职他被解雇了。

break up 

come or bring to an end, esp. by separating        结束；解散

e. g.     1. She has done everything possible to prevent their relationship from breaking up.

   2. The party had to break up because of a sudden power cut.

             由于突然停电，聚会不得不解散。

take pleasure in (doing) sth.

enjoy (doing) sth. 以（做）某事为乐；喜欢（做）某事

e. g.      1. He takes great pleasure in taking pictures of birds.

    2. She seemed to take pleasure in our suffering.

                她似乎对我们的痛苦幸灾乐祸。

in so far as 

to the degree that      到……程度

e. g.     1. I will help you in so far as I can.

     2. This is the truth in so far as I know it.

                  就我所知，这就是事实。

ground       vt.

[(on)]  base               [常与on连用]   根据；以……为依据

e. g.      1.   Sally’s argument is soundly grounded on facts.

              2.   The professor’s theory is grounded on the results of his experiments.

                  教授的理论以他的实验结果为依据。

regulate       vt.   

control, esp. by rules; bring order ormethod to      (尤指以规章)控制，管理

e. g.      1. His mother strictly regulates what books he reads in his spare time.

             2. This section of the highway is regulated by policemen 24 hours a day.

                          警察24小时管制这段公路。

regulation      n.

as the saying goes

according to a saying       正如俗话所说，常言道

e. g.     1. As the saying goes, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

            2. “There is no smoke without fire”, as the saying goes.

                     常言道：无风不起浪。

trials and tribulations 

troubles and events that cause suffering     艰难困苦

e. g.    1. She has gone through trials and tribulations in bringing up three children all by herself.

           2. After many trials and tribulations, we finally reached our destination.

                        我们经历了千辛万苦，终于到达目的地。

influential     a.

having great influence or importance      有很大影响(力)的

e. g.     1. She is one of the most influential figures in local politics.

                    她是当地政治生活中最有影响力的人物之一。

            2. The study looks at the influential role of professional athletes in public life.

                   本研究探讨职业运动员在大众生活中的影响力。

influence      n. & v.

as to 

(used esp. when speaking of arguments anddecisions) on the subject of; concerning 

(尤用于争论和作出决定时) 有关，关于

e. g.    1. She had no idea as to whether he was the right person for the job.

           2. As to where we’ll get the money, let’s talk about that later.

                  至于我们从哪得到这笔钱，以后再讨论。

have the courage of one’s (own) convictions

be brave enough to do or say what onethinks is right    有勇气去做或说出自己认为正确的事

e. g.     1. He had the courage of his convictions and was still pursuing his studies at the age of 80.

   2. If they had the courage of their convictions, they might get more people voting for them.

               如果他们敢于去做自己认为正确的事情，就有可能赢得更多人的选票。

virtue        n. 

[U] moral goodness or excellence; 

[C]a good quality of character or behaviour 

美德；德行

e.g.      1. He loved her not because of her beauty or wealth, but because of her virtue, i.e., her moral excellence.

         2. I hope my son will understand the traditional virtue of hard work.

      我希望我的儿子能懂得勤劳这一传统美德。

possess       vt. 

[not in progressive forms]   fml     have as one’s property, as aquality, etc.; own 

［不用进行式］〖正式〗拥有，占有；具有(某种品质)

e. g.     1. I had to give up my dream of becoming a singer because I don’t possess a beautiful voice.

            2. The Western Highlands possess a beauty and a majesty found nowhere else in Britain.

            西部高地的美丽和壮观在英国是独一无二的。

surpass       vt. 

fml     do or be better than; exceed    〖正式〗胜过；优于；超过

e. g.    1. To surpass your teacher in drawing, you must at first try hard to do as well as he does.

           2. The beauty of the scenery surpassed all my expectations.

                       我万万没想到风景那么漂亮。

commitment            n.

[C; U (to)]   deeply-felt loyalty to a particular aim, belief, etc.; aresponsibility or promise to follow certain beliefs or a certain course ofaction 

[常与to连用]忠诚；信奉；奉献；承诺；承担的义务

e. g.    1. Without your commitment to the company our success would not have been possible.

           2. She is knownchiefly for her commitment to nuclear disarmament.

                         她为大家所知，主要是因为她坚持主张消除核武器。

Collocations:

make a commitment      作出承诺 

fulfil / honour / meet acommitment     履行义务 

have / take on a commitment     承担义务

bind       vt.      (bound, bound)

usu. fml or lit        tie together;   fig unite 

〖一般正式或文〗捆，绑；〖比喻〗结合

e. g.   1. The three girls are bound together by the same hobbies and close friendship.

             2. They bound his hands together tightly.

                      他们把他的手紧紧地绑在一起。

Word Explanation for Text B 

keen      a.

1.    (of the mind, the feelings, the senses, etc.) good, strong, quick atunderstanding, etc. 

       (思想、感情、感觉等)良好的；敏锐的；敏捷的

e. g.     1. Even at the age of 90 he still had a keen mind — he was quick to understand everything.

      2. Dogs, especially police dogs, have a keen sense of smell.

Collocations:

a keen mind      敏捷的头脑 

keen eyesight     敏锐的眼光 

a keen ear        灵敏的耳朵 

a keen sense of smell     灵敏的嗅觉

2.    [(on)] (of a person) having a strong, activeinterest in sth.; eager to do sth.

      [常与on连用]   (人)热衷的，热心的；渴望（做某事）的

  e. g.      1. She likes biology, but she’s not too keen on physics.

               2. They were very keen to start work as soon as possible.

correspond        vi.

1.   [(with)]    exchange letters regularly       [常与with连用]    通信

e. g.     1. Bill wishes to correspond with students from US — he wants to make some pen friends.

         2. They’ve been corresponding with each other about this matter for months.

correspondence       n.           信件；通信

correspondent         n.            通信者；通讯记者

2.   [(with, to)] be in agreement; match         [常与with或to连用]   符合；相一致

e. g.      1. The witness’s statements correspond with the available evidence.

               证人的陈述与现有证据吻合。

             2. His first job was as a Lecturer, which roughly corresponds to Associate Professor here.

                    他第一份工作是做“Lecturer”，大概相当于这儿的“副教授”。

grasp   

vt.       1.  take or keep a firm hold of, esp. with the hands 抓牢，抓紧

         e. g. 1. We both grasped the handle of the big box and tried to lift it up onto the truck.

                    2. She is ready to grasp any opportunity to expand the business.

    2.    succeed in understanding 理解，领会

        e. g.  1. Anyone who does not grasp the importance of budget control will never be successful in business.

            2. Veronica has not yet grasped that to pass exams you have to work very hard.

n.       1.  hold, grip     抓住，把握

         e. g.     1. Take a firm grasp of the handle and pull.

                        2. They had fled to America,and were beyond the grasp of their enemies.

    2.   understanding     理解，掌握

          e. g.   1. She has a good grasp of the subject.

             2. These complex formulae are beyond the grasp of the average pupil.

                     这些复杂公式一般学生是无法理解的。

Collocations:

a good / firm / thorough grasp of sth.           对……很好的理解

grasp on sth.           了解……

within one’s grasp            在理解范围内

beyond one’s grasp       无法理解

brilliant

a.    1. very bright, splendid, or showy in appearance     光亮的，光辉夺目的，灿烂的

      e. g.    1. He closed his eyes against the brilliant light.

           2. She was dressed in brilliant white.

      2. extremely clever or skilful    极聪明的，杰出的

    e. g.    1.  I think that’s a brilliant idea.

            2. It was his brilliant performance in My Left Foot that established his reputation.

gaze      vi.  l

ook steadily, esp. for a long time and often without being conscious ofwhat one is doing 

(尤指长时间无意识地)凝视；注视

   e. g.    1. He gazed at me in disbelief when I told him the news.      

        2. Nell was still gazing out of the window.

sensible      a.  

having or showing good sense; reasonable     明智的；合理的

   e.g.     1.   It’s sensible of you to avoid rich foods if youare feeling ill.

        2.  She is sensible about money and keeps track of every expense.

           她花钱很理智，总是记录每笔开销。

 Word choice:    sensible  sensitive

 sensible     “明智的”，是指“能做出好判断的能力”。例如：

         It wasn’t very sensible to go out on your own so late atnight.

 sensitive     意思是“敏感的”，可指身体上或情感上的“敏感”。例如：

        1. This is a soap for sensitive skin. 

        2. This movie may upset a sensitive child.

unfold vt.  open from a folded position 展开，打开(折叠之物)

e. g.1. If we unfold the table we can fit eight people around it.

    2. Asthe story unfolds, we learn more about Max’s childhood.

随着故事的展开，我们会知道更多麦克斯童年的事情。

appoint         vt. 

1.     fml     arrange or decide (esp. a time or place when sth. will happen) 

       〖正式〗约定，指定，决定(时间、地点)

e. g.     1.   Our visitors arrived at the appointed time; so the party started as planned.

            2.  The committee appointed a day in June for celebrations.

2.     [(as, to)]     choose for a position orjob    [常与as或to连用]   任命；委任

e. g.   1. A lawyer was appointed to represent the child.

       2. I can’t understand why they decided to appoint Wilsonas managing director.

cast an/one’seye(s) over  

look through or examine sb. / sth. quickly       快速地看或查某人(某事物)

    e. g.     1.   I put a cheque of 1000 dollars on her desk but she turned away without even casting an eye over it.

                2.  Would you cast your eye over these calculations to check that they are correct?

             你看一下这些计算数字，检查是否正确，好吗?

Verb phrases with “eye(s)”

keep an eye on sth. / sb.      照料某人/ 某事

have your eye on sth.           将某事作为自己的目标或目的

can’t take your eyes off sb. / sth.    目不转睛地看着某人/ 某物

set / lay / clap eyes on sb. / sth.      看见某人 / 某物

keep an eye open / out (for sth.)      留心或注意某人 / 某事物

close / shut your eyes to sth.           不理会某事物；视而不见；熟视无睹
have a (good) eye for sth.                对某事物有判断力或鉴赏力；有眼力；有眼光
keep your eyes open / peeled / skinned              警觉；留心
can do something with your eyes shut / closed    做事没费多大力气；轻易地
have eyes in the back of your head         脑袋后边长着眼睛；能看到一切
be up to your eyes in sth.              （工作）非常忙
have eyes bigger than your belly     眼大肚小；眼馋肚饱

tear down  

(esp.of a building) pull down, esp. violently; destroy    推倒(尤指建筑物)；拆毁

e. g. 1. We have to tear down a number of houses so as to build a new school there.

        2. A lot of the old tower blocks have been torn down to make way for new housing.

make a / one’s fortune  

earn a large amount of money     赚一大笔钱；发财 

e. g.   1.    He made a fortune by selling second-hand computers to students.

          2.    He had made a fortune out of gambling, but soon lost all his money.

lose track of  

fail to keep oneself informed about a person,situation, etc.; forget 

失去……的线索；不了解……的动态；忘记

e. g.   1. I’ve lost track of her after she got married. I don’t know how she’s getting along.

          2. I lost all track of time while I was listening to the music.

turn up 

1.    arrive; make one’s appearance      到达，来到

       e. g.    1.   I’m sure she will turn up soon. She’s never been late before.

                  2.   We had arranged to meet in town but Sam didn’t turn up.

2.     be found (esp. by chance) afterbeing lost   （失去后）被发现或找到（尤指偶然地）

       e. g.       I’m sure your watch will turn up one of these days.

3.     (of an opportunity) present itself; happen （指机会）出现, 到来

       e. g. He’s still hoping something will turn up.   他仍在期待机会出现。

try for sth. / try out for sth. 

make an attempt to get or win; compete for, e. g. by taking part in a test 

试图赢得；谋得，争取

e. g.    1.    Leather exporters are trying for a larger market share.

           2.    You won’t make the team if you don’t try out.

            不参加选拔就不能加入这个队。

pass on 

1.   move on 继续下去

      e. g.    1. After two days’ rest, we decided it was time to pass on.

                2.  If you don’t have any questions about this topic, let’spass on to the next one. 

2.    give toanother person     传给（另一人）

    e. g.     1. She said she’d pass the message onto the other students.

         2. She caught my cold and passed it on to her husband.

         3. Any increase in our costs will have to be passed on to the consumer.

               我们增加的成本最终都得顾客承担。

check (up)on  

test or examine to see if sth. is correct, true, in good condition, etc.   检查，核实 

e. g.   1. The police checked up on some drivers to make sure they are not drunk driving.

          2. My neighbour comes in once a week to check on things and feed the fish.

(as) sure as fate  

infml      absolutely sure   〖非正式〗的的确确，千真万确

e. g.   1. He’s a great football fan; he will not miss the match, as sure as fate.

    2.  If I could get you out of there, I sure as fate would.

all of asudden  

infml       suddenly 〖非正式〗突然地，猛然地 

e. g.   1.   All of a sudden a man grabbed my bag and ran away.

          2.   All of a sudden I was seized with fear. I had forgotten to lock the door before I left.

be (placed / put) under arrest  

be made a prisoner     被逮捕；被拘捕；成为囚犯 

e. g.   1. He is under arrest and may only be seen by his lawyer.

          2. He was put under arrest for smuggling.

drop over / by 

pay a casual visit (to a person or place)    偶然访问（某人或某地）；顺便访问

e. g.   1.They dropped over to see me on their way home from a movie.

          2. I just dropped by to see how you were getting on.

Read and Explore

Text A of Unit 3

        Friendship is an eternal (永恒的) theme (主题) in human history. A life without friendship is hard to imagine. Butwhat is friendship? Read the following text and see if you can gain some new insights into the true meaning of friendship.

                                                   What is Friendship?

Michele E. Doyle & Mark K. Smith

1      When we approach the notion of friendship, our first problem is that there is a lack of firmly agreed and socially acknowledged criteria for what makes a person a friend. In one setting, we may describe someone as a friend; in another, the label may seemless appropriate. Therefore, people tend to have a very thin understanding of what friendship really means. To help us understand what friendship really means, we need to review some classical views of friendship.

2      One classical view of friendship is provided by Aristotle, the famous ancient Greek philosopher. Aristotle distinguishes between what he believes tobe genuine friendships and two other forms: one based on mutual usefulness, the other on pleasure. So, according to Aristotle, we may find three kinds of friendship:

3       Friendship based on utility. Utility is an impermanent thing: it changes according to circumstances. When the ground for friendship disappears, the friendship also breaks up because that is what keeps it alive. Friendships of this kind seem to occur most frequently between the elderly, because at their age what they want is not pleasure but utility. Friendships based on utility are also frequently found among those in middle or early life who are pursuing their own advantage. Such persons do not spend much time together, because sometimes they do not even like one another, and therefore feel no need of such an association unless they are mutually useful. They take pleasure in each other’s company only in so far as they have hopes of advantage from it.

4       Friendship based on pleasure.  Friendship between the young is thought to be grounded on pleasure, because the lives of the young are regulated by their feelings, and their chief interests are in their own pleasure and the opportunity of the moment. As they grow up, however, their tastes change too, so that they are quick to make and to break friendships. That is why they fall in and out of friendship quickly, changing their attitude often, even within the same day. But the young do like to spend the day and live together, because that is how they realize the object of their friendship.

5      Friendship based on goodness. Perfect friendship is based on goodness. Only the friendship of those who are good, and similar in their goodness, is perfect. And it is those who desire the good of their friends for the friends’ sake that are the truest friends, because each loves the other for what he is, and not for any incidental quality. The conduct of good men is the same or similar. It is between good men that both love and friendship are chiefly found and in the highest form. Such friendships are rare because men of this kind are few and they need time and intimacy; for as the saying goes, true friends must go through trials and tribulations together. And no two persons can accept each other and become friends until each has proved to the other that he is worthy of love, and so won his trust. The wish for friendship may develop rapidly, but true friendship does not.

6      Another classical view of friendship can be found in the writings of Cicero, an ancient Roman statesman and orator. His writings on ethics, the philosophy of religion and natural law have been influential. According to Cicero, true friendship is only possible between good men. He further defines “thegood” as “those whose actions and lives leave no question as to their honor, purity, equity, and liberality; who are free from greed, lust, and violence;and who have the courage of their convictions.” The friendship between goodmen, based on virtue, does offer material benefits, but it does not seek them. Moreover, just as in friendships and relationships, those who possess any superiority must regard themselves as equals of those who are less fortunate, so these latter must not be annoyed at being surpassed in genius, fortune, or rank.

7      Thus, we may see that the traditional idea of friendship is made up of three components: Friends must enjoy each other’s company; they must be useful to one another; and they must share a commitment to the good. According to the classical views, virtuous friends are bound together, as they recognize each other’s moral excellence. To perceive a friend, therefore, is in a manner to perceive oneself; and to know a friend is in a manner to know oneself. Each can be said to provide a mirror in which the other may see himself. The moral excellence of friendship, thus, involves a high level of development and expression of the altruistic emotions of sympathy, concern and care. Friendship of this kind necessarily involves conversations about well-being and of what might be involved in living the good life.

Chinese Version of Text A

课文 A 参考译文

友谊的真谛

         米歇尔·E·多伊尔  马克·K·史密斯

1       我们探讨友谊这个概念时，遇到的第一个问题是，没有一致赞同并获社会公认的认定（某人为）朋友的标准。在某一情境下，我们会把某个人称为朋友；然而，情境一旦变迁，朋友这个称呼就显得没那么贴切。因此，人们对友谊的真谛的理解往往是非常肤浅的。为了帮助我们理解友谊的真正含义，我们需要回顾有关友谊的几种传统的看法。

2       一种传统的友谊观在古希腊著名的哲学家亚里士多德的著作里得以阐述。他将自己心目中真正的友谊同另外两种友谊截然分开。这两种友谊分别是：基于互利的友谊；基于愉悦的友谊。因此，根据亚里士多德的观点，我们可以将友谊分为三类。

3       建立在功利之上的友谊。功利并非永恒，它依照环境而变化。友谊的根基一旦消失，友谊也随之破灭，因为是功利使其存活。这类友谊似乎在老人之间最为常见，因为上了年纪的人需要的不是愉悦而是实用。基于功利的友谊也同样存在于追逐个人利益的中年人和青年人中。这些人不会在一起消闲时光，因为他们有时甚至不喜欢对方，因而觉得除非可以互相利用，否则没有交往的必要。只有当他们认为彼此有希望相互利用的时候，才会乐于呆在一起。

4       建立在愉悦之上的友谊。年轻人之间的友谊常被看作是建立在愉悦基础之上的，因为年轻人的生活受感情支配，他们感兴趣的主要是自己的快乐和眼前的重要机会。然而，他们的情趣随着自己日渐成长也会变化，他们交友容易，分手也干脆。年轻人的态度变化无常，甚至一日数变，难怪他们的友谊总是迅速地开始，又匆匆地结束。然而年轻人确实喜欢终日作伴，一起生活，他们认为友谊的意义就是如此。

5       建立在美德之上的友谊。完美无瑕的友谊立足于美德。只有那些品德高尚而且拥有相似美德的人之间建立的友谊才是最完美的。只有那些为朋友着想、渴望朋友具有美德的人才是真正的朋友。这样的朋友彼此喜欢不是因为某种附带的品质，而是对方真实的为人。品行高尚的人，其行为是相同的，或者是类似的。爱和友谊多半在品行高尚的人之间发生，而且以最高雅的形式出现。这种友谊是罕见的，因为品行高尚的人并不多见，而且他们需要时间，需要交往。常言道，真正的朋友必须同甘共苦，历经风雨。只有当两个人互相证明自己值得爱并获得对方的信任之后，彼此方能接受对方为朋友。交友的意愿可能倏忽而至，但真正的友谊却要慢慢培养。

6       另一种传统的友谊观可以在古罗马政治家、演说家西塞罗的著作里找到。西塞罗论述伦理、宗教哲学和自然规律的作品影响广泛。西塞罗认为,真正的友谊只能在好人之间发生。他进而将“好人”定义为“那些行为和生活无损于自己的荣誉、纯洁、公平和开明的人；那些摆脱了贪婪、欲念和暴力的人；那些敢于依照自己的信念说话和做事的人。”好人之间建立的这种友谊立足于美德，它确实可以带来物质利益，但决不以追求物质利益为目标。而且在处理朋友关系和其它人际关系时，优越于他人的人必须平等地对待那些没那么幸运的人；同样，后者也不能因为对方的天赋、财富、地位在自己之上而恼怒。

7       我们由此可以看出，传统的友谊观由三个要素构成：朋友以相伴为乐；朋友必须彼此受益；彼此都有志于崇高的事业。这些传统的友谊观告诉我们，两个品德高尚的朋友是永不分离的，因为彼此认同对方的高尚品德。因此，认识朋友在某种意义上就是认识自我，了解朋友在某种意义上就是了解自我。可以说朋友就好比是一面镜子，每个人都可以从朋友身上看清自己。因此，在具有高尚品德的友谊中，同情心、关心、爱心这些忘我的情感会得以高层次的培养和充分的表达。这类朋友势必会涉及幸福安康这一话题，讨论如何过高尚的生活。