Essence of Education翻译译文.doc

1、Essence of Education 教育的本质Robery W. Tracinki1.The essence of education is the teaching of facts and reasoning skills to our children, so that they learn to think.教育的本质是向我们的孩子们教授事实和推理的技能，让他们学会思考。2. Yet almost a century, our schools have been under assault by an approach to education that elevates fee

2、lings over facts. Under the influence of Progressive Education - It is now more important than getting him in touch with the facts of history, mathematics or geography.然而几乎一个世纪以来，我们的学校都在受到一种将感受凌驾于事实之上的教育方法的攻击。在进步教育的影响下让学生了解历史事实、数学或地理都不如感觉重要。Note:elevate v. to make more important or to improvee.g. Th

3、ey want to elevate the status of teachers.3. “Creative spelling“- in which students are encouraged to spell words in whatever way they feel is correct - is more important than the rules of language. Urging children to “feel good“ about themselves is more important than ensuring that they acquire the

4、 knowledge necessary for living successfully.“创造性的拼写”鼓励学生以任何他们感觉正确的方式拼写单词这比语言规则更加重要。鼓励孩子们对自己“感觉良好”比确保他们获得顺利生活所必需的知识更为重要。4. This emotion-centered, anti-reason assault on education has found a new ally: those who believe the literal words of the Bible. The Kansas Board of Education has just excised th

5、e theory of evolution from the states official science standards. Several other states have enacted similar anti-evolution policies, thereby elevating the feeling of religious fundamentalists over the accumulated evidence of the entire science of biology.这种以情绪为中心、反对理性的对教育的攻击已经找到了新的同盟军：那些相信圣经上文学词汇的人。

6、堪萨斯州教育理事会刚刚推翻了该州官方科学标准中的进化论。几个其他的州已经颁布了相似的反对进化政策，从而将宗教原教旨的感受凌驾于整个生物科学所累积的证据之上。Note:Ally n. a person or organization that cooperates with or helps another in a particular activity.Excise v. to remove as if by cuttinge.g. The official censors have excised the controversial sections of the report.5. Th

7、ese policies do not actually ban the teaching of evolution, nor do they mandate the teaching of “Creationism” -biblical claim that the Earth and all life on it were created in six days. They simply drop evolution from the required curriculum. The goal of the religious activities is to keep students

8、ignorant of the theory of evolution, or to encourage the teaching of evolution and Creationism side-by-side, as two “competing“ theories.这些政策实际上并不禁止教授进化论，他们也不命令教授特创论圣经上说地球及其上的所有生命是在六天中被创造出来的。他们只是在必修课程中排除了进化论。宗教活动的目的是令学生对进化论的原理保持无知，或者是鼓励同时教授进化论和特创论，把他们作为两个相互竞争的理论。命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离Note:Mandate v. To make

9、 mandatory, as by law; decree or require:批准：制订一个训令，如通过法律；发布命令或要求：e.g. mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离.g. Our delegates have been mandated to vote against the proposal at the conference.n. A command or an authorization given by a political electorate to its representative.授权：

10、某政治代表机构给它的代表发出的命令或委任e.g. The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。e.g. After protracted consideration the national government had decided to ask a mandate from the people.国家政府经过长期考虑后, 决定征求民意。6. Consider what this latter would mean in the classroom. On the one side, teachers w

11、ould present the theory of evolution, supported by countless observations, all integrated into a comprehensive explanation of virtually every fact in its field.考虑一下后一种做法在课堂上意味这什么吧。一方面，教师将呈现进化论的原理，一个被无数观察者所支持，整合了对领域内每一个方面解释的综合理论。7. On the other side, teachers would present - what? All that the Creati

12、onist view offers is the assertion by would-be authorities that an ancient religious text reveals that 10,000 years ago God created the world in six days. 另一方面，教师将教授什么？特创论信奉者的观点只是自诩为权威的人的断言，即一部古老的宗教书揭示了一万年以前上帝在六天中创造了世界。Note：would-be: wanting or trying to be 想要成为，自称自诩。e.g. Hollywood was full of would

13、-be starlets.译文：特创论信奉者的观点只是自诩为权威的人的断言，即一部古老的宗教文本揭示了10,000年以前，上帝在六天内创造了世界。8. Some of these religious activists claim that they reject the teaching of evolution because it is “unproven,“ since it lacks “sufficient evidence.“一些宗教激进分子宣称他们反对教授进化论，因为它“未经证明”，由于它缺乏“充分的证据”9. Yet their arguments systematicall

14、y reject the need for proof and evidence. Scientists can point to a billion-year-long fossil record of continuous changes across a11 species as they develop from more-primitive to present-day forms. They can point to the natural variations among members of a species, variations that change from one

15、climate to another as species adapt to their environment. But the Creationist categorically dismisses the evidence - because it contradicts biblical dogma.然而，他们的论点恰好系统地反对检验和证据的需要。科学家们能够指出一百万年以来的化石记录，它记载了所有物种从原始形态发展到今天的形态的持续变化。他们能够指出在中物种成员之间的自然变异，这些为适应环境、随气候的变化而发生的变异。但是特创论的信奉者明确的拒绝这样的证据，因为它与圣经教义相悖。No

16、te:Categorically adv. 绝对地, 明确地, e.g. One interesting fact is that even people who state categorically they do not believe in mind over matter have themselves been cured by using a placebo.有趣的是，即使那些明确宣称根本就不相信意识支配物质 的人自己也采用过安慰剂并得到康复。dogma n. An authoritative principle, belief, or statement of ideas or

17、 opinion, especially one considered to be absolutely true.信条：有权威的原理、信仰或观念意见的陈述，尤指人们认为绝对正确 e.g. “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present”(Abraham Lincoln)“平静的过去时代的那些信条，不适用于暴风骤雨式的现代社会了”(亚伯拉罕林肯)e.g. This is a action born of dogma rather than good sense.10. The central issue is

18、 not whether there is enough scientific evidence to validate a particular conclusion - but whether science as such, rather than faith, is the basis for arriving at conclusions. There can be no scientific debate between these two positions. There can be no rational argument between a view that rests

19、on observation and reason, and one that rests on blind faith - i.e., on its adherents desire to believe something, irrespective of logic. 中心问题不在于是否有足够的科学证据来证实某个特定的结论而在于科学本身而非信仰，是否是得到结论的基础。在这两种立场之间不可能有科学的辩论。一中观点依靠观察和推理，另一种观点依靠盲目的信仰即依靠追随者相信某件事的渴望而不考虑逻辑，在这两种观点之间不可能有理性的争论。Validate vt. 证实; 证明正确 使生效, 使有法律

20、效力; 批准, 确认e.g. validate a passport 使护照生效(在护照上签字)Time validated our suspicion. 时间证实了我们的怀疑。as such：表示上文所指明的事或人.；本身e.g. He is a child, and must be treated as such. 他是个孩子，必须被当作孩子对待。adherent n. 追随者, 拥护者, 信徒; 胶粘体e.g. the adherents of materialism 唯物主义拥护者adherent to the Communist Party 共产党拥护者11. If the Crea

21、tionist approach were taken seriously, what would remain of education? If evidence and reasoning are to be “balanced“ by faith or feeling - what, then, would not belong in the curriculum? Even the theory that the Earth is flat has proponents who feel it is true. More to the point, what is to stop te

22、achers from presenting any other nonrational view of the origin of man? Why not give equal time to, say, the Nazi claim the white race descended from the superior Aryans?假如特创论的观点被当真，那教育将剩下什么呢？如果证据和推理被信仰和感觉所平衡，那么什么将不属于课程的一部分呢？即使地球是平的这样的理论也有人认为它是正确的。此外，什么将阻止教师教授其他关于人类起源的非理性观点？为什么不用同样的时间来讲解诸如纳粹认为白种人是源自

23、高等雅利安人的观点？to the point：Concerning or with relevance to the matter at hand:切题的，切中的：有关正在讨论的事件的，或与正在讨论的事件有关的：e.g. remarks that were to the point; 和本题相关的话；rambled and would not speak to the point.随便地乱讲却不讲与本题相关的Aryan n. 亚利安语亚利安人 (在纳粹德国指犹太人以外的白种人, 尤指北欧的)12. The most ominous implication of the Creationist

24、position is its belief that, in judging the truth of an idea, one can simply ignore rational evidence - if it clashes with ones desire to believe otherwise. This is a disastrous methodology to inculcate in our children - and it is even more dangerous to back it up with the ruling of a government bod

25、y. 特创论立场最坏的暗示是它相信在判断一个想法的真实性时，一个人完全可以忽视理性的证据只要它与一个人相信其他事情的愿望相冲突。把这样的方法论灌输给我们孩子是灾难性的而用政府组织的统治来支持这种观点则更加危险。Inculcate v 1) To impress (something) upon the mind of another by frequent instruction or repetition; instill:反复灌输：通过不断的说明或重复以加深（某事）在别人心中的印象；灌输：e.g. inculcating sound principles. 反复灌输正确的原则2) To t

26、each (others) by frequent instruction or repetition; indoctrinate: 谆谆教诲：通过不断的说明或重复来教育（别人）；教训：e.g. inculcate the young with a sense of duty.向年轻人灌输责任感13. The crucial role of education is to provide young people with the information and methods they need in order to learn how to think independently. Ed

27、ucation has liberated mankind from the shackles of myth, superstition and unchallenged tradition. But the prevailing trend - from both the “progressive left“ and the “religious right“ - is to reverse this development, by enshrining feeling over facts and faith over reason. 教育的极其重要角色是为年轻人提供能够使学会如何独立思

28、考的这些信息和方法。教育已经将人类从神话、迷信和未受质疑的传统中解放了出来。但现在普遍的趋势从“进步左翼”和“宗教右翼”两方面来看都在把感受凌驾于事实之上，把信仰凌驾于理性之上，这样做是在倒转发展的方向。14. If campaigns such as the one against teaching evolution are allowed to succeed, the ultimate result will be the extinction of genuine education. 如果类似一个反对教授进化论的运动被允许取得成功，最终的结果将是真正的教育的灭绝。1. From t

29、he passage, we know that the genuine education is _learning to think_.A teaching of facts. B teaching of reasoning skills.C learning to think. D both A and B.2. What does the Progressive Education emphasize _?A facts B feelings C the facts of history, mathematics or geography. D facts and feelings3.

30、 From the passage, what does the anti-evolution policies really mean_?A they support the teaching of evolutionB they support the teaching of “Creationism”-the biblical claim that the Earth and all life on it were created in six daysC they support not only the teaching of evolution, but also the teac

31、hing of “Creationism”-the biblical claim that the Earth and all life on it were created in six daysD they excise evolution from the required curriculum.4. What is the purpose of religious activities_?A. to keep students ignorant of the theory of evolution.B. to encourage the teaching of evolution an

32、d Creationism side-by-side, as two “competing” theories.C. to keep students knowing what is “Creationism”D. to excise evolution from the required curriculum.5. Why do the religious activists reject the teaching of evolution _?A. because evolution lacks “sufficient evidence.”B. because religious acti

33、vists dismiss the evidence.C. because evolution contradicts biblical dogmaD. because the central issue is whether science as such, rather than faith, is the basis for arriving at conclusions.6. Which proof is not mentioned by Scientists who want to prove evolution is true_?A. billion-year-long fossi

34、l record of continuous changes across all species as they develop from more-primitive to present-day formsB. the natural variations among members of a species, variations that change from one climate to another as species adapt to their environmentC. both A and B D. evolution lacks “sufficient evide

35、nce.”7. There is no scientific debate between these two positions what does the author mean_?A. science rests on observation and reason.B. faith rests on blind faith.C. the basis for arriving at conclusions is different between these two positions.D. science is enough scientific evidence to validate

36、 a particular conclusion.8. For arriving at conclusions, science rests on_.9. The ominous implication of the creationist position is_.10. If a campaign which is against teaching evolution is allowed to succeed, it will cause _.第一题，C解析：定位原文第一段 The essence of education is the teaching of facts and reasoning skills to our children, so that they learn to think。第二题，B解析：定位原文第二段 our schools have been under assault by an approach to education that elevates feelings over facts.Under the influence of Progressive Education It is now more important than getting him in touch