1. The facilities and skills of the teachers were probably well above average for the United States at that time. —— The facilities and skills of the teachers were perhaps much better than those in most schools in………學校的設(shè)施、教師的水平在當時的美國要遠遠高于平均水平。
well： adv. quite， rather
The work is well done. 這件工作干得很好。
It's well past midnight， I think it’s more time you went home.早過了午夜，我想你該回家了。
above/below average高于或低于一般標準或水平
2. ………h(huán)ow much I don't yet know. ——how much I don’t know up till now.我至今依然不了解的東西太多。
yet： at this point in time
3.Sometimes I think how grateful I would be today if I had learned more back then about what really matters.——I would be grateful today if I had learned more at high school about things that are really important.有時候， 我想那時要是能多學點真正重要的東西，那么今天我會多么地心存感激。
I would be ………if I had learned 虛擬語氣， 主句表示現(xiàn)在，從句表示過去
I would not be so sleepy if I had slept well last night.
back then： back in my high school days
what really matters： what is important matter is used as a verb——
eg： Does it matter much whether he will not pass the exams？ 他能否通過考試是否很重要？
4.in some respects……； the only thing I ever heard in school about Napoleon was that the U.S made the Louisiana Purchase from him.
In some respects在某些方面；in respect of就某方面
Louisiana Purchase路易斯安那購置
5.On a planet where some 95% of the inhabitants are not Americans， the only history that was thought worth teaching was American history.——The population of the US accounts for only about 5% of that of the world. But in my high school days taught American history only because it was thought that the history of other countries was not important for Americans to learn.在一個約95%的居民不是美國人的星球上，學校*認為只有美國歷史才值得講授。（此處作者也是委婉批評了美國教育部門的狹隘與偏見。）some： about； approximately
worth teaching——be worth doing值得做
6.Perhaps all the deficiencies have since been rectified.——Perhaps schools have overcome all the shortcomings and improved greatly since I left school.或許自那以后，該教而沒有教的缺陷已經(jīng)得到了糾正。
Deficiencies：不足，缺乏，缺少
This disease is caused by Vitamin D deficiency.
Since：從那以后（與完成時態(tài)連用）
He left home in 1980 and has not been heard of since.他于1980年離家，此后便音信全無。
7. ……often more a matter of attitude and perception than the simple memorization of facts………——Students should not merely be taught facts to memorize， but they should also be taught to cultivate their ability to judge what is happening around them and take the right attitude towards this.（該教的）與其說是簡單的對事實的記憶問題，還不如說是態(tài)度問題。
more……more 與其說——不如說
For me， music is more a way of life than an interest.對我來說，音樂與其說是一種愛好，還不如說是一種生活方式。
matter， n. （討論、考慮的）問題
a matter of principle原則問題 a matter of time時間問題 a matter of opinion看法問題
a matter of life and death生死攸關(guān)問題
8.That's one of the few things that we do better than the other species on our planet. In most things man’s fellow creatures on earth are better， but in learning man does better.這是人類在這個星球上比其他物種做得好些的為數(shù)有限的幾件事中的一件。
此處含有作者對人類所作所為的批評，意思是：人有種種惡習，優(yōu)點不多，但喜歡學習卻是一大優(yōu)點。
9. Every student should regularly experience the “Aha！”when something you never understood， or something you never knew was a mystery， becomes clear.——Students should be constantly learning new things so that they can experience the joy of learning and of discovering things they didn't know or understand before.每個學生都應該經(jīng)常體驗一下說出“啊，原來是這么一回事！”時的感受——也就是你以往不懂的事情，一下子變得豁然開朗時的感受。
Aha：Ah， I see！ /Now I understand！
10. The Greek philosopher Socrates said this was one of the greatest of human joys， and it is.
of the greatest of human joys： “the+ 形容詞高級+名詞”的用法：the most beautiful of the places美的地方
the greatest of scientists偉大的科學家 the best of my friends我要好的朋友
and it is： learning is still one of the greatest of human joys today
11. While you learn a little bit about many subjects， make sure you learn a great deal about one or two.——On the one hand， you should have a wide scope of knowledge； on the other hand， you should learn one or two subjects thoroughly.
while： 表示對比
make sure：to do sth. in order to be sure that sth. else happens
eg： We'll do our best to make sure that everything is ready before the sportsmeet.
12.It hardly matters what the subject is， as long as it deeply interest you， and you place it in its broader human context.
It hardly matters what： 句型“it +否定詞 + matter（s） + wh-”eg：
It doesn't matter how you do it as long as you finish it on time.你如何做并不重要，但只要按時完成。
as long as： so long as： （表示條件）只要
You will succeed as long as you work hard.
context：上下文；背景
We will be able to understand why this event happened if we see it in its historical context.如果我們能夠從該事件的歷史背景來考慮，就能理解事件為何發(fā)生。
13.But don't get trapped by the first subject that interest you， or the first thing you find yourself good at.——But you shouldn’t limit your study to anything that attracts you immediately or anything you first find yourself good at不要把自己的學習限制在初吸你的范圍或者你初擅長的范圍。
Be/get trapped： to be in a bad situation someone from escaping from dangerous place陷于，被困于
More than 50 miners got trapped in the pit following yesterday's explosion.50多名礦工在昨天的爆炸發(fā)生后被困在礦井中。
get trapped： （fig.）to get so deeply involved that one finds it hard to be interested in anything else
They got trapped when they were doing the experiment
14. The answers can be a gateway to real insights.
a gateway to——通向——途徑；獲得——手段
A good education can be a gateway to success.良好的教育是獲得成功的手段。
The Suez Canal is a gateway to Europe from East Asia.蘇伊士運河是從亞洲通向歐洲的通道。
15. And don't confine your learning to schoolwork.不要把自己局限于課堂
confine …。to把——限制在——之內(nèi)
They managed to confine Sars to a definite area.他們設(shè)法將“非典”控制在一定的范圍。
16. It's much braver to ask questions even when there’s a prospect of ridicule than to suppress your questions and become deadened to the world around you. 明知會引起嘲笑而提問要比把問題埋在心里、對周圍的一切變得麻木不仁要勇敢得多。
prospect ：something that you expect or know is going to happen預料會發(fā)生的事
He doesn't like the prospect of having to live alone.他將不得不獨居，這事他可不喜歡
become deadened to sth.對——變得麻木
He has become deadened to failures， for he has experienced so many.
Deaden sb. to sth.使——對——麻木
17. Many conversations are a kind of competition that rarely leads to discovery on either side.——Often， when people talk they show off： they try to show they are smarter， or that they know more than the person they are talking to； this kind of conversation gives you nu useful information or understanding.經(jīng)常，人們談話時總是爭相表現(xiàn)自己，這類談話對雙方都無多大益處。
Lead to ：to result in； to bring about通向；導致
All roads lead to Rome.
Hard work can lead to success.
18. …。try to understand………what you can learn from or about them
——try to learn something from what they say， or try to find out the kind of person they are.而是設(shè)法搞懂他們說的是什么，什么樣的經(jīng)歷才能使他們說這些話，你從這些話中能學到什么，你對說這些話的人又能了解到什么情況等。
19.The only embarrassment is in not learning from your mistakes.
Be in： lie in/exist in 在于；存在于
The cause of the accident was（lay/existed） in the drinking of the driver.事故的原因在于駕駛員喝酒了
20……often for some short-term advantage when the long term implications are unknown.——often for some quick profit now， when you don't know possible harm or danger might arise in the future.我們往往為了短期的利益，在尚不了解（這些做法）長遠影響的情況下——
The citizens of any country should have at least something to say about the direction in which we are doing.——All people in the world have the right at least to express their views on the future of our planet.任何一個國家的公民至少對我們?nèi)祟愐呦蚝翁幱邪l(fā)言權(quán)。
Have sth. to say： have a say， have a right to make a decision about sth.
21.This is a deflation of our pretensions， to be sure. （鏈接）……——Undoubtedly， to accept the fact that the earth is not the center of the universe is the shatter the importance of human beings.毫無疑問，這就挫殺了我們?nèi)祟惖陌翚狻?BR> to be sure：undoubtedly， certainly， of course “to do……”在此處是個獨立成分，修飾全句，此類不定式短語可放在句首，也可置于句尾。
to tell you the truth； to be frank； to be honest etc.
22. ……——far from being the center of the universe，……
far from： 遠非；根本不
The result of the exams are far from his parents' expectation. 考試的結(jié)果遠出他父母的預料。
What he said was far from the truth.他所說的遠非事實。
23. Gain some exposure to （鏈接）the great works of literature， art and music.——Read the great works of literature， and get to know art and music and gain some insight into the profound thoughts in them.感受一下文學、藝術(shù)和音樂名篇的熏陶。
exposure to： 接觸——，感受——的熏陶；受到——的影響
Living in Europe for a year， she gained some exposure to western culture.在歐洲生活了一年，她接觸了一些西方文化。
Be exposed to 接觸；受影響
Have you ever been exposed to ancient Chinese culture？
你接觸過中國古代文化嗎？
24. If such a work is hundreds or thousands of years old and is still admired， there is probably something to it.既然一部作品已存在了幾百年或者幾千年， 今天仍然受到贊賞，那么它大概確實是有些名堂。
if引導的從句表示說話者承認的一個事實，但主句所表示的內(nèi)容更重要。
Eg： If I said that， I didn't mean to hurt anyone.如果我說過這話，但我的本意并不想傷害任何人。
there is something to/in： 確有道理、見地、不同凡響之處
There is something to what he just said.他剛才說的話很有見地。
25. ……it may takea little work on your part to discover what all the fuss is about.——you have to make some effort to find out why people admire and are crazy about those works of the past.
it takes effort/energy， etc. To do sth. ： it needs or requires the specified amount， quality or action for a person to complete a certain task or process to do sth.
eg： It takes courage to ask “stupid” questions.
It takes two to make a quarrel.
Cf： It takes sb. Time to do sth.
It took him two years to write the book.
26. In a world as tightly connected as ours is， don't restrict your attention to American or Western culture.——In our age， countries and regions are closely related； what happens in one country or region can affect others. Therefore we should not only study American culture and Western culture. We should also pay attention to other cultures——Asian， African and Latin American.
In a world as tightly connected as ours is：在介詞短語“in a world……”中，過去分詞短語as tightly connected as ours is 起形容詞作用，作定語，修飾a world； 在as……as 表示形容詞同級比較的結(jié)構(gòu)中，第二個as引出比較從句ours is
restrict oneself/sb./sth. （to sth./ doing sth.）： to put a limit on
Families in China are generally restricted to （having） one child.中國家庭一般只允許生一個孩子。
Nowadays women are no longer restricted to domestic work.當今婦女不再只限于做家務(wù)活。
27. Humans are capable of great mutual compassion， love， and tenderness.
be capable of sth/doing sth.： be able to do有能力做某事；有潛力做某事
He is capable of overcoming the difficulties.他有能力克服困難。
Under the leadership of our Party and our governments， we are capable of winning the battle against Sars.在黨和政府的領(lǐng)導下，我們有能力取得抗擊Sars這場戰(zhàn)役的勝利。
28. Look at the delight a one-or two-year-old takes in learning， and you see how powerful is the human will to learn.
Look……，and： do sth. and you （will）： 如果——，你就會——，這里該句型相當于條件從句。
Eg： Work hard and you will pass the exam. 如果你努力學習，你就會通過考試。
Show me the evidence and I will believe you.如果你拿來證據(jù)，我就相信你。
take （a） delight in sth. /doing sth.以——為樂
eg： The old man takes great delight in playing chess.這位老人從下棋中得到很大樂趣。
We should never take delight in others' failures.我們不應該對別人的失敗而幸災樂禍。
see的賓語從句how powerful is the human will to learn 是倒裝句，由于主語the human will to learn較長而置于系動詞is之后。
29. Our passion to understand the universe and our compassion for others jointly provide the chief hope for the human race.——We have a strong desire for learning and we are kind and tender towards one another. With these two fine qualities， the human race will have a bright future.我們有渴望了解宇宙的熱忱，我們有對他人的同情心，人類的希望主要寄托于此。
passion熱忱；激情 compassion 同情心， 作者在此用了passion 與compassion 兩個諧音詞來表達他對人類的希望。諧音詞是一種修辭手法，用來取得一定效果。
provide sth. or sb. For sb. Or sth./ provide sb. Or sth. with ……： to supply sb. With……
eg： Our school has provided every teacher with a notebook computer.
The organization provided a lot of food and clothes for the children.
well： adv. quite， rather
The work is well done. 這件工作干得很好。
It's well past midnight， I think it’s more time you went home.早過了午夜，我想你該回家了。
above/below average高于或低于一般標準或水平
2. ………h(huán)ow much I don't yet know. ——how much I don’t know up till now.我至今依然不了解的東西太多。
yet： at this point in time
3.Sometimes I think how grateful I would be today if I had learned more back then about what really matters.——I would be grateful today if I had learned more at high school about things that are really important.有時候， 我想那時要是能多學點真正重要的東西，那么今天我會多么地心存感激。
I would be ………if I had learned 虛擬語氣， 主句表示現(xiàn)在，從句表示過去
I would not be so sleepy if I had slept well last night.
back then： back in my high school days
what really matters： what is important matter is used as a verb——
eg： Does it matter much whether he will not pass the exams？ 他能否通過考試是否很重要？
4.in some respects……； the only thing I ever heard in school about Napoleon was that the U.S made the Louisiana Purchase from him.
In some respects在某些方面；in respect of就某方面
Louisiana Purchase路易斯安那購置
5.On a planet where some 95% of the inhabitants are not Americans， the only history that was thought worth teaching was American history.——The population of the US accounts for only about 5% of that of the world. But in my high school days taught American history only because it was thought that the history of other countries was not important for Americans to learn.在一個約95%的居民不是美國人的星球上，學校*認為只有美國歷史才值得講授。（此處作者也是委婉批評了美國教育部門的狹隘與偏見。）some： about； approximately
worth teaching——be worth doing值得做
6.Perhaps all the deficiencies have since been rectified.——Perhaps schools have overcome all the shortcomings and improved greatly since I left school.或許自那以后，該教而沒有教的缺陷已經(jīng)得到了糾正。
Deficiencies：不足，缺乏，缺少
This disease is caused by Vitamin D deficiency.
Since：從那以后（與完成時態(tài)連用）
He left home in 1980 and has not been heard of since.他于1980年離家，此后便音信全無。
7. ……often more a matter of attitude and perception than the simple memorization of facts………——Students should not merely be taught facts to memorize， but they should also be taught to cultivate their ability to judge what is happening around them and take the right attitude towards this.（該教的）與其說是簡單的對事實的記憶問題，還不如說是態(tài)度問題。
more……more 與其說——不如說
For me， music is more a way of life than an interest.對我來說，音樂與其說是一種愛好，還不如說是一種生活方式。
matter， n. （討論、考慮的）問題
a matter of principle原則問題 a matter of time時間問題 a matter of opinion看法問題
a matter of life and death生死攸關(guān)問題
8.That's one of the few things that we do better than the other species on our planet. In most things man’s fellow creatures on earth are better， but in learning man does better.這是人類在這個星球上比其他物種做得好些的為數(shù)有限的幾件事中的一件。
此處含有作者對人類所作所為的批評，意思是：人有種種惡習，優(yōu)點不多，但喜歡學習卻是一大優(yōu)點。
9. Every student should regularly experience the “Aha！”when something you never understood， or something you never knew was a mystery， becomes clear.——Students should be constantly learning new things so that they can experience the joy of learning and of discovering things they didn't know or understand before.每個學生都應該經(jīng)常體驗一下說出“啊，原來是這么一回事！”時的感受——也就是你以往不懂的事情，一下子變得豁然開朗時的感受。
Aha：Ah， I see！ /Now I understand！
10. The Greek philosopher Socrates said this was one of the greatest of human joys， and it is.
of the greatest of human joys： “the+ 形容詞高級+名詞”的用法：the most beautiful of the places美的地方
the greatest of scientists偉大的科學家 the best of my friends我要好的朋友
and it is： learning is still one of the greatest of human joys today
11. While you learn a little bit about many subjects， make sure you learn a great deal about one or two.——On the one hand， you should have a wide scope of knowledge； on the other hand， you should learn one or two subjects thoroughly.
while： 表示對比
make sure：to do sth. in order to be sure that sth. else happens
eg： We'll do our best to make sure that everything is ready before the sportsmeet.
12.It hardly matters what the subject is， as long as it deeply interest you， and you place it in its broader human context.
It hardly matters what： 句型“it +否定詞 + matter（s） + wh-”eg：
It doesn't matter how you do it as long as you finish it on time.你如何做并不重要，但只要按時完成。
as long as： so long as： （表示條件）只要
You will succeed as long as you work hard.
context：上下文；背景
We will be able to understand why this event happened if we see it in its historical context.如果我們能夠從該事件的歷史背景來考慮，就能理解事件為何發(fā)生。
13.But don't get trapped by the first subject that interest you， or the first thing you find yourself good at.——But you shouldn’t limit your study to anything that attracts you immediately or anything you first find yourself good at不要把自己的學習限制在初吸你的范圍或者你初擅長的范圍。
Be/get trapped： to be in a bad situation someone from escaping from dangerous place陷于，被困于
More than 50 miners got trapped in the pit following yesterday's explosion.50多名礦工在昨天的爆炸發(fā)生后被困在礦井中。
get trapped： （fig.）to get so deeply involved that one finds it hard to be interested in anything else
They got trapped when they were doing the experiment
14. The answers can be a gateway to real insights.
a gateway to——通向——途徑；獲得——手段
A good education can be a gateway to success.良好的教育是獲得成功的手段。
The Suez Canal is a gateway to Europe from East Asia.蘇伊士運河是從亞洲通向歐洲的通道。
15. And don't confine your learning to schoolwork.不要把自己局限于課堂
confine …。to把——限制在——之內(nèi)
They managed to confine Sars to a definite area.他們設(shè)法將“非典”控制在一定的范圍。
16. It's much braver to ask questions even when there’s a prospect of ridicule than to suppress your questions and become deadened to the world around you. 明知會引起嘲笑而提問要比把問題埋在心里、對周圍的一切變得麻木不仁要勇敢得多。
prospect ：something that you expect or know is going to happen預料會發(fā)生的事
He doesn't like the prospect of having to live alone.他將不得不獨居，這事他可不喜歡
become deadened to sth.對——變得麻木
He has become deadened to failures， for he has experienced so many.
Deaden sb. to sth.使——對——麻木
17. Many conversations are a kind of competition that rarely leads to discovery on either side.——Often， when people talk they show off： they try to show they are smarter， or that they know more than the person they are talking to； this kind of conversation gives you nu useful information or understanding.經(jīng)常，人們談話時總是爭相表現(xiàn)自己，這類談話對雙方都無多大益處。
Lead to ：to result in； to bring about通向；導致
All roads lead to Rome.
Hard work can lead to success.
18. …。try to understand………what you can learn from or about them
——try to learn something from what they say， or try to find out the kind of person they are.而是設(shè)法搞懂他們說的是什么，什么樣的經(jīng)歷才能使他們說這些話，你從這些話中能學到什么，你對說這些話的人又能了解到什么情況等。
19.The only embarrassment is in not learning from your mistakes.
Be in： lie in/exist in 在于；存在于
The cause of the accident was（lay/existed） in the drinking of the driver.事故的原因在于駕駛員喝酒了
20……often for some short-term advantage when the long term implications are unknown.——often for some quick profit now， when you don't know possible harm or danger might arise in the future.我們往往為了短期的利益，在尚不了解（這些做法）長遠影響的情況下——
The citizens of any country should have at least something to say about the direction in which we are doing.——All people in the world have the right at least to express their views on the future of our planet.任何一個國家的公民至少對我們?nèi)祟愐呦蚝翁幱邪l(fā)言權(quán)。
Have sth. to say： have a say， have a right to make a decision about sth.
21.This is a deflation of our pretensions， to be sure. （鏈接）……——Undoubtedly， to accept the fact that the earth is not the center of the universe is the shatter the importance of human beings.毫無疑問，這就挫殺了我們?nèi)祟惖陌翚狻?BR> to be sure：undoubtedly， certainly， of course “to do……”在此處是個獨立成分，修飾全句，此類不定式短語可放在句首，也可置于句尾。
to tell you the truth； to be frank； to be honest etc.
22. ……——far from being the center of the universe，……
far from： 遠非；根本不
The result of the exams are far from his parents' expectation. 考試的結(jié)果遠出他父母的預料。
What he said was far from the truth.他所說的遠非事實。
23. Gain some exposure to （鏈接）the great works of literature， art and music.——Read the great works of literature， and get to know art and music and gain some insight into the profound thoughts in them.感受一下文學、藝術(shù)和音樂名篇的熏陶。
exposure to： 接觸——，感受——的熏陶；受到——的影響
Living in Europe for a year， she gained some exposure to western culture.在歐洲生活了一年，她接觸了一些西方文化。
Be exposed to 接觸；受影響
Have you ever been exposed to ancient Chinese culture？
你接觸過中國古代文化嗎？
24. If such a work is hundreds or thousands of years old and is still admired， there is probably something to it.既然一部作品已存在了幾百年或者幾千年， 今天仍然受到贊賞，那么它大概確實是有些名堂。
if引導的從句表示說話者承認的一個事實，但主句所表示的內(nèi)容更重要。
Eg： If I said that， I didn't mean to hurt anyone.如果我說過這話，但我的本意并不想傷害任何人。
there is something to/in： 確有道理、見地、不同凡響之處
There is something to what he just said.他剛才說的話很有見地。
25. ……it may takea little work on your part to discover what all the fuss is about.——you have to make some effort to find out why people admire and are crazy about those works of the past.
it takes effort/energy， etc. To do sth. ： it needs or requires the specified amount， quality or action for a person to complete a certain task or process to do sth.
eg： It takes courage to ask “stupid” questions.
It takes two to make a quarrel.
Cf： It takes sb. Time to do sth.
It took him two years to write the book.
26. In a world as tightly connected as ours is， don't restrict your attention to American or Western culture.——In our age， countries and regions are closely related； what happens in one country or region can affect others. Therefore we should not only study American culture and Western culture. We should also pay attention to other cultures——Asian， African and Latin American.
In a world as tightly connected as ours is：在介詞短語“in a world……”中，過去分詞短語as tightly connected as ours is 起形容詞作用，作定語，修飾a world； 在as……as 表示形容詞同級比較的結(jié)構(gòu)中，第二個as引出比較從句ours is
restrict oneself/sb./sth. （to sth./ doing sth.）： to put a limit on
Families in China are generally restricted to （having） one child.中國家庭一般只允許生一個孩子。
Nowadays women are no longer restricted to domestic work.當今婦女不再只限于做家務(wù)活。
27. Humans are capable of great mutual compassion， love， and tenderness.
be capable of sth/doing sth.： be able to do有能力做某事；有潛力做某事
He is capable of overcoming the difficulties.他有能力克服困難。
Under the leadership of our Party and our governments， we are capable of winning the battle against Sars.在黨和政府的領(lǐng)導下，我們有能力取得抗擊Sars這場戰(zhàn)役的勝利。
28. Look at the delight a one-or two-year-old takes in learning， and you see how powerful is the human will to learn.
Look……，and： do sth. and you （will）： 如果——，你就會——，這里該句型相當于條件從句。
Eg： Work hard and you will pass the exam. 如果你努力學習，你就會通過考試。
Show me the evidence and I will believe you.如果你拿來證據(jù)，我就相信你。
take （a） delight in sth. /doing sth.以——為樂
eg： The old man takes great delight in playing chess.這位老人從下棋中得到很大樂趣。
We should never take delight in others' failures.我們不應該對別人的失敗而幸災樂禍。
see的賓語從句how powerful is the human will to learn 是倒裝句，由于主語the human will to learn較長而置于系動詞is之后。
29. Our passion to understand the universe and our compassion for others jointly provide the chief hope for the human race.——We have a strong desire for learning and we are kind and tender towards one another. With these two fine qualities， the human race will have a bright future.我們有渴望了解宇宙的熱忱，我們有對他人的同情心，人類的希望主要寄托于此。
passion熱忱；激情 compassion 同情心， 作者在此用了passion 與compassion 兩個諧音詞來表達他對人類的希望。諧音詞是一種修辭手法，用來取得一定效果。
provide sth. or sb. For sb. Or sth./ provide sb. Or sth. with ……： to supply sb. With……
eg： Our school has provided every teacher with a notebook computer.
The organization provided a lot of food and clothes for the children.