21世紀大學英語讀寫教程第4冊Unit9課文及詞彙講解

導語：我們所生活的“現代世界”是中西成分的獨特綜合。“現代世界”所擁有的基本發明和發現的一半以上可能來自中國。可是中國人越來越羨慕歐洲的技術專長，經歷了一段關於自己成就的遺忘。下面是一篇關於這方面的英語課文，歡迎大家學習。

　　Robert Temple

One of the greatest untold secrets of history is that the'"modern world" in which we live is a unique synthesis of Chinese and Western ingredients. Possibly more than half of the basic inventions and discoveries upon which the "modern world" rests come from China. And yet few people know this. Why?

The Chinese themselves are as ignorant of this fact as Westerners. From the seventeenth century onwards, the Chinese became increasingly dazzled by European technological expertise, having experienced a period of amnesia regarding their own achievements. When the Chinese were shown a mechanical clock by Jesuit missionaries, they were awestruck. They had forgotten that it was they who had invented mechanical clocks in the first place!

It is just as much a surprise for the Chinese as for Westerners to realize that modern agriculture, modern shipping, the modern oil industry, modern astronomical observatories, modern music, decimal mathematics, paper money, umbrellas, fishing reels, wheelbarrows, multi-stage rockets, guns, underwater mines, poison gas, parachutes, hot-air balloons, manned flight, brandy, whisky, the game of chess, printing, and even the essential design of the steam engine, all came from China.

Without the importation from China of nautical and navigational improvements such as ships' rudders, the compass and multiple masts, the great European Voyages of Discovery could never have been undertaken. Columbus would not have sailed to America, and Europeans would never have established colonial empires.

Without the importation from China of the stirrup, to enable them to stay on horseback, knights of old would never have ridden in their shining armor to aid damsels in distress; there would have been no Age of Chivalry. And without the importation from China of guns and gunpowder, the knights would not have been knocked from their horses by bullets which pierced the armor, bringing the Age of Chivalry to an end.

Without the importation from China of paper and printing, Europe would have continued for much longer to copy books by hand. Literacy would not have become so widespread.

Johann Gutenberg did not invent movable type. It was invented in China. William Harvey did not discover the circulation of the blood in the body. It was discovered — or rather, always assumed — in China. Isaac Newton was not the first to discover his First Law of Motion. It was discovered in China.

These myths and many others are shattered by our discovery of the true Chinese origins of many of the things, all around us, which we take for granted. Some of our greatest achievements turn out to have been not achievements at all, but simple borrowings. Yet there is no reason for us to feel inferior or downcast at the realization that much of the genius of mankind's advance was Chinese rather than European. For it is exciting to realize that the East and the West are not as far apart in spirit or in fact as most of us have been led, by appearances, to believe, and that the East and the West are already combined in a synthesis so powerful and so profound that it is all-pervading. Within this synthesis we live our daily lives, and from it there is no escape. The modern world is a combination of Eastern and Western ingredients which are inextricably fused. The fact that we are largely unaware of it is perhaps one of the greatest cases of historical blindness in the existence of the human race.

Why are we ignorant of this gigantic, obvious truth? The main reason is surely that the Chinese themselves lost sight of it. If the very originators of the inventions and discoveries no longer claim them, and if even their memory of them has faded, why should their inheritors trouble to resurrect their lost claims? Until our own time, it is questionable whether many Westerners even wanted to know the truth. It is always more satisfying to the ego to think that we have reached our present position alone and unaided, that we are the proud masters of all abilities and all crafts.

We need to set this matter right, from both ends. And I can think of no better single illustration of the folly of Western complacency and self-satisfaction than the lesson to be drawn from the history of agriculture. Today, a handful of Western nations have grain surpluses and feed the world. When Asia starves, the West sends grain. We assume that Western agriculture is the very pinnacle of what is possible in the productive use of soil for the growth of food. But we should take to heart the astonishing and disturbing fact that the European agricultural revolution, which laid the basis for the Industrial Revolution, came about only because of the importation of Chinese ideas and inventions. The growing of crops in rows, intensive hoeing of weeds, the "modern" seed drill, the iron plow, the moldboard to turn the plowed soil, and efficient harnesses were all imported from China. Before the arrival from China of the trace harness and collar harness, Westerners choked their horses with straps round their throats. Although ancient Italy could produce plenty of grain, it could not be transported overland to Rome for lack of satisfactory harnesses. Rome depended on shipments of grain by sea from places like Egypt. As for sowing methods — probably over half of Europe's seed was wasted every year before the Chinese idea of the seed drill came to the attention of Europeans. Countless millions of farmers throughout European history broke their backs and their spirits by plowing with ridiculously poor plows, while for two thousand years the Chinese were enjoying their relatively effortless method. Indeed, until two centuries ago, the West was so backward in agriculture compared to China, that the West was the Underdeveloped World in comparison to the Chinese Developed World. The tables have now turned. But for how long? And what an uncomfortable realization it is that the West owes its very ability to eat today to the adoption of Chinese inventions two centuries ago.

It would be better if the nations and the peoples of the world had a clearer understanding of each other, allowing the mental chasm between East and West to be bridged. After all they are, and have been for several centuries, intimate partners in the business of building a world civilization. The technological world today is a product of both East and West to an extent which until recently no one had ever imagined. It is now time for the Chinese contribution to be recognized and acknowledged, by East and West alike. And, above all, let this be recognized by today's schoolchildren, who will be the generation to absorb it into their most conceptions about the world. When that happens, Chinese and Westerners will be able to look each other in the eye, knowing themselves to be true and full partners.

untold

a. not told to anyone 未説過的，未被講述的;未透露的

synthesis

n. (pl syntheses / -si:z /) the combining of separate things, esp. ideas, to form a complex whole 綜合，結合，綜合體

Westerner

n. a native or inhabitant of the West, i.e. Europe and North America 西方人，歐美人

onwards

ad. forward in time or space 向前

dazzle

vt. (often passive) to impress sb. greatly through beauty, knowledge, skill, etc. 使昏眩;使驚奇;使讚歎不已;使傾倒

amnesia

n. partial or total loss of memory [醫] 記憶缺失;遺忘(症)

regarding

reference to; concerning 關於;至於;就…而論，在…方面

awestruck

a. suddenly filled with wonder and respect or fear 充滿敬畏(或畏怯、驚奇)之心

astronomical

a. of astronomy 天文學的;天文的，天體的

decimal

a. based on or counted in tens or tenths 小數的;十進位的

wheelbarrow

n. (also barrow) an open container for moving small loads in, with a wheel at one end, and two legs and two handles at the other 手推車;獨輪車

multi-stage

a. having many stages (火箭、導彈等)多級的

underwater

a. situated, used or done below the surface of the water 在水下的;供水下用的;在水中操作(或生長)的

parachute

n. 降落傘

hot-air

a. filled with heated air 熱空氣的

brandy

n. a strong alcoholic drink usu. made from wine 白蘭地(酒)

whisky

n. (US or Irish whiskey) a strong alcoholic drink made from malted grain, esp. barley or rye 威士忌酒

importation

n. the act of bringing goods, services, ideas, etc. from a foreign country into one's own country 進口;輸入

nautical

a. of ships, sailors or sailing 船舶的;海員的;航海的

navigational

a. relating to the action, process or art of finding the position and direct the course of a ship, an aircraft, a car, etc., using maps, instruments, etc. 航行的;航海的`;航空的

navigation

n. 航行;航海;航空

rudder

n. a vertical piece of wood or metal at the back of a boat, used for steering (船的)舵

compass

n. (also magnetic compass) a device for finding direction. with a needle that always points to the north 羅盤(儀)，指南針

multiple

a. having or involving many individuals, items or types 多個(或多項、多種)的

n. <數> 倍數

multiplyvt. 乘，使相乘

mast

n. an upright post of wood or metal used to support a ship's sails 船桅，桅杆

voyage

n. a long journey, esp. by sea or in space 航行，(尤指)航海;航天

colonial

a. of, relating to or possessing a colony or colonies 殖民地的;擁有殖民地的

stirrup

n. either of a pair of metal or leather loops that hang down from a horse's saddle to support a rider's feet 馬鐙

knight

n. (歐洲中世紀的)騎士;(近代英國的)爵士(品位低於從男爵，其名前稱號用 Sir)

armo(u)r

n. (formerly) a protective, usu. metal, covering for the body, worn when fighting 盔甲

damsel

n. (arch) a young woman who is not married (古)(詩)少女，姑娘;閨女

chivalry

n. (in the Middle Ages) the ideal qualities expected of a knight, such as courage, hono(u)r and concern for weak and helpless people 騎士品質(或氣概、精神、道德標準、信條等)(如勇武、榮譽感、俠義、扶持弱小、慷慨、謙恭、尊敬女性、對敵人寬容等);騎士制度

gunpowder

n. explosive powder used esp. in bombs or fireworks 火藥

bullet

n. a small missile with a pointed end that is fired from a gun 子彈

literacy

n. the ability to read and write 識字，有文化;讀寫能力

movable

a. that can be moved 可動的，活動的

circulation

n. the movement of blood round the body from and to the heart 血液循環

circulate

v. (使)環行;(使)環流;(使)循環

borrowingn. a thing borrowed, esp. money or a word taken by one language from another 借用;採用;借用物;借用詞語

downcast

a. (of a person, an expression, etc.) depressed; sad 垂頭喪氣的;沮喪的

all-pervading

a. present and seen or felt everywhere 遍及各方面的;無孔不入的

inextricable

a. so closely linked that separation is impossible (繩結等)解不開的;分不開的

inextricably

ad. 緊密地;不可分割地

gigantic

a. of very great size or extent; huge 巨大的;龐大的

originator

n. a person who originates; inventor 創始人;發明者;創作者

inheritor

n. a person who receives money, property etc. as a result of the death of the previous owner 繼承人;後繼者

resurrect

vt. 1. bring (sb.) back to life again 使(某人)復活

2. revive (a practice, etc.); bring back into use 使(某種做法等)重新流行;重新喚起對…的記憶;重新使用

ego

n. an individual's idea of oneself, esp. in relation to other people or to the outside world 自我，自己

unaided

a. not assisted by sb./sth; without help 無助的;獨立的

folly

n. being foolish; lack of wisdom 愚笨，愚蠢

complacency

n. (usu. derog) a calm feeling of satisfaction with oneself, one's work, etc. 自滿(情緒)，沾沾自喜

self-satisfaction

n. (derog) a feeling of being too pleased with oneself and one's own achievements 沾沾自喜，自鳴得意

handful

n. a small number 少數，少量

pinnacle

n. the highest point; the peak 頂峯，極點，頂點

mo(u)ldboard

n. a curved metal plate in a plow, which turns over the earth from the furrow (農)犁壁

Strap

n. a strip of leather, cloth or other flexible material, often with a buckle, used for fastening sth., keeping sth. in place, carrying sth. or holding onto sth. 帶，條帶;皮帶;布帶;鐵皮條

transport

vt. take sth./sb. from one place to another in a vehicle 運輸，運送;輸送;搬運

overland

ad. across the land; by land, not by sea or air 橫越大陸地;經由陸路

satisfactory

a. of an acceptable nature or standard; good enough for a purpose 令人滿意的;可喜的;恰當的

shipment

n. a cargo or goods transported, esp. by ship 裝載(或交運)的貨物(量)

sow

v. put or scatter seed in or on the ground; plant land with seed 播種，種;撒播(種子);播種於(土地)

effortless

a. needing little or no effort 不需要努力的;不(大)費勁的;容易的

backward

a. having made or making less than normal progress 落後的

underdeveloped

a. (of a country, etc.) not having achieved a high level of economic development 未充分發展的;不發達的;落後的

adoption

n. the act of taking over sth. and having or using it as one's own 採取，採納，採用

chasm

n. a very wide difference between people, groups, etc., esp. one that is unlikely to change (感情、興趣、意見等的)大差別，大分歧

intimate

a. (of people) having a very close and friendly relationship 熟悉的;親密的;密切的

fundamental

a. that need to be known or learned first; most important 基本的，根本的;重要的

an end

end 使…完結(終了、結束)

or rather

(used to correct sth. one has said previously, or to give more accurate information)more exactly; more truly; it would be better to say 或者確切點説

lose sight of

fail to consider (sth.); forget (sth.) 忘記;忽略

t

t; rectify 校正;糾正

heart

consider seriously; be much affected or upset by (sth.) 認真考慮(某事);關注(某事);對(某事)想不開;為(某事)憂慮(或傷心、煩惱)

come about

happen, esp. in a way that seems impossible to prevent 發生，產生

for lack of

because there is not enough 因缺乏

come to the attention of

draw (sb.'s) attention 引起…的關注

compared to/with

examined to see how people or things are alike and how they are different 與…相比

by/in comparison to/with

(when) compared with/to 與…相比

the eye(s)/face

look at (sb.) steadily without shame or embarrassment (心地坦然地)直視(某人)，正視(某人)

Jesuit

耶穌會會士(1534 年 Ignatius Loyola 所創天主教一修會的成員)

Columbus

哥倫布(1451—1506，意大利航海家、新大陸發現者)

Gutenberg

谷登堡(1398—1468，德國金匠、活字印刷術發明者)

Harvey

哈維(1578—1657，英國醫師、生理學家、實驗生理學創始人之一)

Newton

牛頓(1642—1727，英國物理學家、數學家和天文學家)

Egypt

埃及(東北非國家)