大学英语第二册课后答案

21世纪大学英语读写教程(第二册)课文翻译及课后答案

第一单元
UNIT1
翻译
TEXT A
温斯顿?丘吉尔——他的另一种生活

玛丽?索姆斯

我的父亲温斯顿?丘吉尔是在40几岁开始迷恋上绘画的，当时他正身处逆境。1915年，作为海军大臣，他深深地卷入了达达尼尔海峡的一场战役。原本那次战役是能够缩短一场血腥的世界大战的，但它却失败了，人员伤亡惨重，为此丘吉尔作为公务员和个人都付出了代价：他被免去了海军部的职务，失去了显赫的政治地位。

“我本以为他会因忧伤而死的。”他的妻子克莱门泰因说。被这一不幸压垮的他同家人一起退隐到萨里郡的一个乡间居处---耘锄农场。在那儿，正如丘吉尔日后所回忆的，“绘画女神拯救了我!”

一天他正在花园里漫步，正巧碰上他的弟妹在用水彩画素描。他观看了她几分钟，然后借过她的画笔，试了一下身手----于是缪斯女神施展了她的魔法。自那天以后，温斯顿便爱上了绘画。

任何能让沉浸在忧思中的温斯顿分心的事情都让克莱门泰因高兴。于是，她赶紧去买来她所能找到的各种颜料和画具。水彩颜料、油画颜料、纸张、帆布画布---很快耘锄农场里便堆满了一个绘画者可能想要或需要的各样东西。

画油画最终成了温斯顿的一大爱好---但是最初几步却出奇地艰难。他凝视着他的第一块空白画布，异乎寻常地紧张。他日后回忆道：“我迟疑不决地选了一管蓝色颜料，然后小心翼翼地在雪白的底子上的画上蚕豆般大小的一笔。就在这时，我听到车道上传来一辆汽车的声音，于是惊恐地丢下我的画笔。当我看清是谁从汽车里走出来时，更是惊慌失措。来者正是住在附近的著名画家约翰?莱佛利爵士的妻子。

“‘在画画呢!’她大声说道。‘多么有趣。可你还在等什么呢? 把画笔给我---大的那支。’她猛地用笔蘸起颜料，还没等我缓过神来，她已经挥笔泼墨在惊恐不已的画布上画下了有力的几道蓝色。谁都看得出画布无法回击。我不再迟疑。我抓起那支最大的画笔，迅猛异常地向我可怜的牺牲品扑了过去。自那以后，我再也不曾害怕过画布。”

后来教丘吉尔画画的莱佛利曾经说起过他这位不同寻常的学生的艺术才能：“如果他当初选择的是绘画而不是政治，他定会成为一位驾驭画笔的大师。”

在绘画中，丘吉尔发现了一个将陪他走过大半人生的伴侣。1921年，他的母亲去世，两个月后，他又失去了他和克莱门泰因的3岁爱女玛丽戈尔德。那时，绘画是他的慰藉。悲痛欲绝的温斯顿住到了苏格兰朋友们的家中---并在他的绘画中寻得安慰

。他写信给克莱门泰因：“我外出画了一条在午后阳光下的美丽的河流，背景是红色和金黄色的山峦。爱怜的思绪油然而生……啊，我一直感受到失去玛丽戈尔德的痛楚。”

生命、爱和希望慢慢地复苏了。1922年9月，克莱门泰因和温斯顿的另一个孩子出生了：那就是我。同年，温斯顿买下了查特威尔，这是他将在以后40年里画出其所有不同风貌的他所钟爱的家。

20世纪20年代中期，我父亲在伦敦举行的一次享有盛名的业余画展中赢得了一等奖，当时他一定颇为得意。参赛作品不署名，所以一些评委坚持认为温斯顿的画---有关查特威尔的第一批画作中的一幅---是一位专业画家而不是一位业余画家的作品，所以应该取消其参赛资格。但最后，他们同意信赖那位艺术家的诚实，而在得知那幅画为丘吉尔所作时他们都很高兴。

史学家们一直把1929年温斯顿再次被免职后的10年称为他无所作为的十年。也许政治上那些年（他）的确毫无作为，因为他一个人大声疾呼，想要唤醒英国人认识到来自希特勒的威胁，然而响应者寥寥无几。但在艺术上，那些年却硕果累累：现存的500多幅丘吉尔的油画中，约有一半作于1930年至1939年之间。

绘画始终是丘吉尔的一种乐趣，直到他生命的结束。“画家是幸福的，”他在他的《作为一种消遣的绘画》一书中写道，“因为他们不会孤独。光线与色彩，宁静与希望，将终日伴随着他们。” 对我的父亲来说也是这样。
Text Comprehension
II．
1. It was a military campaign in which many soldiers died. The effects on Churchill were () he lost his political position and he was overwhelmed with grief.
2. He felt so inspired to paint that he was distracted from his personal problems.
3. His sister-in-law’s painting inspired him to try his hand at it; his wife rushed out to buy all the materials he would need; and the wife of Sir John Lavery helped him overcome his fear of the blank canvas.
4. The blank whiteness of the canvas made him feel he didn’t know where to begin. This nervousness was not typical of Churchill, who was known publicly as a brave and strong-willed person.
5. Churchill was comparing the canvas to an opponent in a fight, and he could now see that he need not fear his “adversary”.
6. He meant that Churchill would have been a great painter, just as he was a great politician.
7. It was his great comfort when the death of his mother was followed quickly by the death of his daughter.
8. Because the judges suspected that it was not painted by an amateur; they were later surprised and delighted because Churchill was not just a famous political figure but also a talented untrained artist.
9. No, she considers that decade an artistically fruitful one.
10. He meant that pain

ting was like a friend who never betrayed or abandoned him. This seems to suggest that he often felt lonely, misunderstood and/or disappointed in his relationship with other people.
Vocabulary
III.
1.artistic 2.overcome 3.infinite 4.plunged 5.mission 6.camgpain 7.revived 8.distract 9.accustomed 10.retreat 11.precaution 12. disastrous
IV.
1. delighted with 2. bore fruit 3. kept Clementine company 4. rely on
5. take refuge 6. awaken people to 7. pay the price 8. chanced upon; dated from 9. tried his hand at 10. fell upon; came to her rescue
Word Building
V.
1. broadens the mind 2. weakened 3. sweeten Diet Coke 4.hardens 5. strengthen 6. deepen your understanding of the course materiall
7. sharpen the kitchen knives 8. reddened 9. brighten; quickens
10. lightened
VI.
1. lucky 2. wealthy 3. tasty 4. icy 5. wavy 6. smelly 7. sleepy 8. noisy (smelly is also plausible) 9. healthy 10. sunny
Structure
VII.
1. Amazed at the great changes that are taking place in shanghai, many foreign visitors leave China with a completely new view of our country.
2. Unpleasantly startled by the appearance of a mouse, we promptly decided to clean our apartment.
3. Tired of their own cooking, they’ve decided to go to a restaurant for a change.
4. Frightened by the horror film, the little girl was alert to every sound in the house that night.
5. Deeply disappointed with the actress’s performance, tom soon switched to another channel.
6. Embarrassed about still being in bed at 10 a.m., when my friends came I pretended to be sick with a terrible headache.
VIII.
1. So I did 2. So did my brother 3. So she was 4. So they do; so do his classmates 5. So am I
Cloze
IX
lonely; overcame; refuge; finally; however; where; delighted; contemplated; entry; campaign; distract; plunged into; Within a month; rescue; when; overwhelming
Translation
X.
“‘在画画呢!’她大声说道。‘多么有趣。可你还在等什么呢? 把画笔给我---大的那支。’她猛地用笔蘸起颜料，还没等我缓过神来，她已经挥笔泼墨在惊恐不已的画布上画下了有力的几道蓝色。谁都看得出画布无法回击。我不再迟疑。我抓起那支最大的画笔，迅猛异常地向我可怜的牺牲品扑了过去。自那以后，我再也不曾害怕过画布。”
XI
1. When his wife died of a stroke in her sixties, the 72-year-old retired professor was overwhelmed by grief. Life would be too difficult for him without anybody to rely on.
2. Last month two amateur painters held an exhibition of their pictures in London. Many people went to see it, including a few celebrated professors.
3. When seven astronauts died in the Challenger disaster in the mid-1980s, it plunged the whole world into shock and grief.
4. After completing her second prime ministry, she remained actively involved in political affairs. She came to the rescue several times when the government was i

n difficulty.
5. After his failure in the election campaign, Dr. Smith retired to a small village, where he tried his hand at farming.
6. As long as you keep working hard all your life, you will recall your past with a glow of satisfaction.
7. We must awaken people to the importance of environmental protection now, or it will soon be too late.
8. That official was removed from office for being involved in a political scandal. Had he known this would happen, he might have acted differently.
Reading Analysis
XII.
Major Event:
Life and love and hope slowly revived.
How did the change happen?
(1)Churchill bought a new house.
(2) Another child was born to Churchill.
Structured Writing
XIII. One example, for reference
My sister Stephanie began her love affair with television in the second grade amid highly emotional circumstances. She had had a quarrel with her best friend, and found herself alone and lonely every day after school with nothing to do. That’s when the miracle of television came toText
第二单元
翻译
UNIT2
TEXT A
他们为何出类拔萃？

富克斯?巴特菲尔德

当郑金枝的父亲用积蓄的钱为她买了一张票，让她乘上一条将带她离开越南的渔船时，她才9岁。对这个家庭来说，将金枝送上小船，置身于陌生人中间，是一种令人心碎、代价昂贵的牺牲。他们只愿她最终能到达美国，在那儿受到良好的教育，享受更美好的生活。

对小女孩来说，这是一次充满危险的艰苦旅程。 在小船到达安全之地以前很久，食物和水的贮备已经用完。当金枝最终到达美国后，她又不得不同一连3个收养家庭相处。但是当她1998年从圣地亚哥的帕特里克?亨利中学毕业时，她取得了全优的成绩以及这个国家最享盛名的几所大学提供的奖学金。

“我必须取得好成绩，”这个现为康奈尔大学二年级学生的19岁姑娘说，“这样我才对得起在越南的父母。”

金枝是一群聪明伶俐、积极进取的美籍亚裔中的一员，他们正突然潮水般地涌入我们最好的大学。虽然美籍亚裔只占全国人口的2.4%，但他们在哈佛的本科生中却占了17.1%， 在麻省理工学院占了18%，在加州大学伯克利分校占了27.3%。

为什么美籍亚裔的成绩这样优秀呢? 他们是否像一些陈旧的看法所暗示的那样是些埋头用功的学生? 他们是否有更高的智商? 或者在我们一向珍视，但也许已经丢失的价值观----如敬业、家庭和教育等方面，我们是否可以向他们学到一些有用的东西呢?

并非所有的亚裔人都学得一样好；比如，没受过什么教育的柬埔寨难民的孩子就常常需要特殊的帮助。许多美籍亚裔人不喜欢被称为“模范的少数民族”，他们感到这是美国白人的逆向歧视----虽与1965年以前排斥大多数亚

洲移民进入美国的法律截然不同，但仍是一种偏见。

亚裔年轻人的成绩已经引发了一系列引人注目的研究。也许最令人不安的结果来自于密歇根大学心理学家哈罗德?W?斯蒂文森进行的研究。他将芝加哥和明尼阿波利斯7000多名幼儿园、一年级、三年级和五年级的学生同他们在北京、台北和仙台的同级伙伴作了比较。在一组数学测试中，美国学生在所有的年级层次上都考得最差。

斯蒂文森没有发现智商上的差别。 但是如果成绩上的差异在幼儿园就开始显现，那就表明事情出在家庭中，甚至是在孩子们上学之前。

正是在这一点上，各研究者的不同研究趋于了一致：亚洲的父母在激发孩子的学习动力方面做得更好。“决定的因素是亚洲孩子学习努力。”斯蒂文森说。

接下来，真正要弄清的问题是，亚洲父母是如何将这种学习动力灌输给他们的后代的。 斯蒂文森的研究提出了一个重要的答案。当被问及他们认为他们的孩子为什么学得好时，大多数亚洲父母说是“用功”。而美国父母则说是“天赋”。

“依我看，”斯蒂文森说，“对于我们都能通过艰苦努力在生活中取得成功的观念我们已经不再相信。相反，美国人现在认为有的孩子具备成功所必需的素质，而有的孩子则不具备。于是我们开始把班级分为‘快班’和‘慢班’，而中国人和日本人则认为所有的孩子都能在同一课程中成功。”

这种对于勤奋的信念是促成亚洲学生成绩突出的三大要素中的第一个。它来源于亚洲人共同的儒教传统，即公元前5世纪那位中国圣人的哲学思想，他的教义对中国社会产生了深远的影响。孔夫子的主要教义之一是，人们通过努力能够完善自我。

儒教也为亚洲人的成功提供了另一个要素。在孔夫子的哲学中，家庭起着最重要的作用----这种定向引导人们为家庭的荣誉而学习工作，而不仅仅是为了他们自己。一个人永远无法报答他的父母，而且在亚洲人中间还有一种责任感、乃至负罪感，这是一种如同新教哲学在西方一样的强大力量。

还有另外一个重要因素存在于亚洲父母及其子女的这种关系中。 在我住在中国、日本和越南的15年间，我注意到同大多数美国父母相比，亚洲父母同他们的婴儿建立了一种更为亲密的身体联系。比如，当我让幼小的女儿在地板上爬时，我的中国朋友们会大惊失色，冲过去把她抱起来。我们认为这种无时不在的关心已经过时、甚至是不健康的，但是对于亚洲人来说，它却十分有效。

我们能从亚洲人那儿学到点什么吗？“我还没有天真到认为亚洲的每样东西都能被

移植过来。”斯蒂文森说。但是，他却提出了3条建议。

“首先，”他说，“我们需要为我们的孩子们确立更高的目标。我们不会指望他们不经过刻苦训练就能成为职业运动员。”

第二，他宣称，美国父母需要更加关心子女的教育。“在孩子表现不好时表示理解是不够的。” 斯蒂文森发现，亚洲父母比美国父母花费更多的时间帮助孩子做作业或者写信给孩子的老师。

第三，我们的学校可以用简单而有效的方式加以重组，斯蒂文森说。近90%的中国年轻人说他们确实喜欢学校， 60%的年轻人迫不及待地盼着学校假期结束。同美国年轻人所表示的态度相比，这种态度要积极得多。原因之一也许是中国和日本的学生一般在每节课后都有一段休息时间， 这有助于他们放松并增加注意力集中的持续时间。

“我并不认为亚洲人更聪明。”伯克利的一位美籍亚裔学生李?唐说，“在我的化学班里，有一些很聪明的美国人。但是亚洲学生更刻苦。我在美国人身上看到很多被浪费的潜能。”
Comprehension
II．
a 1F 2T 3F 4F 5T 6 F 7T
b. 1I 2I 3 I 4N 5I 6N 7I 8N
Vocabulary
III.
https://www.wendangku.net/doc/1f11072188.html,bel 2.converged 3.sacrifices 4.motivate 5.transplanted 6.horrified 7.bond 8.constitute 9.surged 10.prejudice 11.resents
12. recommendations
IV.
NB. these are not the only possible synoms/definitions/translations.
1. carried out; conducted, performed
2. led to; resulted in, caused
3. springs from; arises from, comes from
4. get ahead; make progress in life, achieve more, etc.
5. showed up; appeared, arrived
6. make up; constitute, comprise
7. owes it to; 归功于
8. cope with; find a way of dealing with, manage
9. divided the cake into; 把蛋糕分成……
10. excluded from; 被剥夺了
11. committed to; devoted to, dedicated to
12. make it to; arrive at or on after much effort
V.
1. sense of guilt 2. finally 3. imbued her with 4.offspring
5. horrified, motivated me 6. recommendations, To start with 7. naive
8. by contrast
Word Building
VI.
1. misplaced 2. mismatched 3. misusing 4. mislead
5. misprinted 6. misinformed 7. misspelled 8. misunderstood
Structure
VII.
1. After the earthquake the government spent millions of dollars to help the victims rebuild their houses.
2. ill you reconsider your decision? No one wants you to leave.
3. Some of Lu Xun’s writings were lost for decades, but they were rediscovered in the mid-80s.
4. I see no need to restate the policy on late homework.
5. The library’s been rearranged, and I can’t find any of the books I need.
6. I hope this dictionary will be reprinted soon—I’d like to buy one.
7. Stevie Wonder’s earliest albums have been unavailable for several years, but they’re being r

e-released next month.
8. I didn’t care much for the book the first time, but I enjoyed it when I reread it.
9. John Harding is best known for reinterpreting Shakespeare’s plays.
10. You’ve misunderstood me—let me rephrase what I said.
VIII.
A. gardener calculator receiver container commander remainder hike inspector steamer processor supervise builder contributor consumer paint teenager
B. 1.superviser 2. inspector 3. remainder 4. processor 5. gardener
6. calculator 7. commander 8. container 9. hiking 10. teenagers
Structure
IX
1. It was for the benefit of the old people in the neighborhood that we organized this volunteer group.
2. It is only when we look back that we realize how far we have come.
3. It is his secretary who does all the work.
4. It is through the act of giving that we experience our fullest strength and power.
5. It was gold that led them to undertake the long and risky journey to California.
6. As I recall, it was you who suggested this idea in the first place.
7. It wasn’t until last week that they finished their report on the project.
8. It’s her beautiful eyes that I can’t forget.
X.
1. The elephant weighs about 3,600 kg, whereas the blue whale weighs up to 130, 000 kg.
2.The word ‘youngster’ has a cheerful connotation, whereas ‘offspring’ sounds rather clinical.
3. Confucianism emphasizes family ties, whereas Protestantism teaches individual responsibility.
4.The earliest mammals appeared on the earth hundred millions years ago, whereas the first evidence of humans dates from only about one million year ago.
5. The aim of the natural science is to predict and control natural process, whereas the aim of the social science is to understand human behavior.
6. He must be about sixty, whereas his wife looks about thirty.
Translation
XI.
儒教也为亚洲人的成功提供了另一个要素。在孔夫子的哲学中，家庭起着最重要的作用----这种定向引导人们为家庭的荣誉而学习工作，而不仅仅是为了他们自己。一个人永远无法报答他的父母，而且在亚洲人中间还有一种责任感、乃至负罪感，这是一种如同新教哲学在西方一样的强大力量。
XII.
9. Female students constitute the majority of our class. By contrast, their class is made up of males only.
10. American children can usually watch TV three hours a day, whereas their Chinese counterparts have to work on their homework during most their after-school time.
11. His development of a series of new research methods led to his huge success. He said he owed all this to his parents’ encouragement.
12. He resented being excluded from discussions that directly concerned his future.
13. The fact that these problems are continually showing up suggests that this new device has to be readjusted.
14. As one of the many Asian students who have surged into the best American universities in recent years, Zhang Hu

a says that many of his ideas are based on traditional Chinese philosophy.
15. To start with, it is not merely money that makes Mr. Young work so hard. He is committed to educating the young and tires to motivate them to get ahead in life.
16. As time was running out, we drove even faster in the hope that we could make it to the airport in time.
Cloze
XIII
1. immigrant 2. than 3. obligation 4. motivated 5. widespread
6. however 7. although 8. discrimination 9. but/although 10. One day
11. guilty 12. horrified 13. repay 14. owe
Reading Analysis
XII.
Stevenson offered three recommendations:
To start with, we need higher standards for our kids second, American parents need to become more committed to their children’s education. And third, our school could be reorganized in simple but effective ways.
Structured Writing
XIII. One example, for reference
Students at our university admire their English teachers for three main reasons. To start with, the teachers’ hard work and dedication are highly inspiring to us. Second, the wonderfully creative lessons they prepare strongly motivate us to study as hard as we should. And third, our teachers’ warmly human characters create bonds of friendship that will last forever.
第三单元
翻译
UNIT3
TEXT A
一个文化翻译的故事

西方和日本公司的合资企业经常会发生冲突----许多无关紧要的琐事会扩大为情绪激动的交战， 各方不停地叫嚷：“他们是怎么了!?他们能不能理解……?!” 但是因为冲突主要是由文化差异引起的，所以没有一方能够理解----除非他们有一名“文化翻译”。

我遇到的第一位文化翻译是一位设备安装工程师，名叫乔治，他在一家我担任国际业务部主任的美国公司里工作。 这家公司刚同一家日本商社开办了一家合资企业，美方管理部门需要有人在它的独特技术方面培训日本雇员。乔治对设备及其安装和使用的透彻了解使他成为最能胜任这项工作的雇员， 所以当乔治接受了暂时调往日本的一份两年期合同时，大家都很高兴。

从一开始，乔治就被所有的日本雇员欣然接受。日方经理通常不信任任何被派去代表美方业主的人，但乔治生性随和，没有人把他看作是对自己职业的一种威胁。所以他们喜欢就广泛的各类问题征求他的意见，包括大洋彼岸他们的合作伙伴的古怪行为。公司上下的工程师们都珍视乔治的专业知识和他友好而技能熟练的帮助，他们已养成了一有问题----任何问题，就找他帮忙的习惯。办公室里的秘书们都热衷于帮助这个讨人喜欢的单身汉学习日语。

谁也没有料到那么快公司就成了一家赢利、兴旺、日益壮大的企业。乔治的第一份两年期合同到期了。这时，他已经能讲很好的日语，并养成了一些日本人的

习惯。他整天喝绿茶，顿顿吃米饭，甚至学会了正确地坐榻榻米。所以，当公司向乔治提出在日本的第二份两年期合同的建议时，他立即就接受了。之后又有第三份合同，乔治与日本文化的情缘在继续着。

但是当乔治在这个国家的第6个年头即将结束时，一个未曾料到的困难变得显而易见了：日本工程师对迅速更新的技术的了解已经超过了乔治。他没有什么剩下的东西可以教他们了。

难道这就是可怜的乔治的结局吗? 他对于这家他曾经如此忠诚地服务过的、现已成熟的合资企业，就再也没有什么可以贡献的了吗? 他只得离开他已开始爱上的这个国家吗? 不! 面对着要离开日本的威胁，乔治心有不甘，于是将自己重新塑造成了一名“文化翻译”。

一天，这家合资企业的日方总裁----又一次----被来自美方管理层的一份电文激怒了，乔治就是在那一天产生了做一名“文化翻译”这一想法的。像通常碰到类似的情况时一样，日方总裁冲进乔治的办公室，怒气冲冲地将那份电文扔到了他面前。乔治也同往常一样，读了电文，然后心平气和地解释了美国人这样说的真正意思，而不是在日本文化背景下听上去的那种意思。

对大家来说都很幸运的是，合资企业的日方和美方都已经听说过足够多的有关文化冲突的骇人故事，他们能够认识到乔治的技能的价值，所以当他为自己提出这个新的职位时，这个想法很快便被采纳了。在这几年中，这一决定的英明一次又一次地得到了证明。

有时我们需要比熟练的英语远为重要的东西。当日方会计师不得不解释花在874份十二月假日礼物上的46,534美元时，就是这么一种情况。或者当日方人事经理不得不说明即使公司不再需要一个化学师的专业知识仍要继续聘用他的理由时也是如此。在诸如此类的情况下，人人都求助于乔治。

他用各种办法让他们的电文使美国人听上去至少有一部分道理。当有些事连乔治也无法“译”成美国式的含义时，他会写道：“这听上去很荒唐，但你们无论如何也应该同意。”

反之亦然。当美方经理们访问日本时，乔治便处处陪着我们，以确保我们不会做出或说出任何在日本人看来十分愚蠢的事或话来。 一旦我们做了蠢事， 说了蠢话，他马上就来解救：“他们真正的意思是……”多亏乔治有办法在小冲突激化、情绪化、造成巨大损失之前就将其化解，公司从未出现过成堆的麻烦。

自把那家公司交到能干的乔治手中以来， 我已经在国际业务方面为许多公司出谋划策。我的第一条建议总是相同的：不要担心语言问题------你首先需要的是

一名文化翻译。方面为许多公司出谋划策。我的第一条建议总是相同的：不要担心语言问题------你首先需要的是一名文化翻译。
Text comprehension
II.
1. The author is talking about cultural differences: different ways of doing things in different cultures; different attitudes, traditions, beliefs, etc. she or he says neither side can understand because people are not usually conscious of their deepest cultural attitudes.
2. The American company George worked for started a joint venture with a Japanese firm, and they needed someone to train the Japanese engineers. George was the most highly qualified employee for the position, and he accepted a two-year contract for temporary transfer to Japan.
3. The Japanese liked George’s nonassertive nature, his expertise and his willingness to help; it’s also implied that they liked his efforts to learn Japanese, and that the secretaries liked the fact that he was single. These qualities contributed to his becoming a cultural translator by making the Japanese trust him, feel comfortable with him, and grow accustomed to asking him for all kinds of advice.
4. He had to ‘reinvent’ himself because his expertise as an engineer was no longer needed, but he didn’t want to leave Japan. The company accepted his ‘reinvention’ because they had heard lots of horror stories about cultural conflicts and recognized the value of having someone like George around.
5. The author means that the misunderstandings were not always merely linguistic.
6. The examples imply that there is a strong group orientation in Japanese business, that sentiment can be as important as profit and efficiency, and that employees may be valued for something other than their material contribution to the company. The fact that these examples mystified the US side implies that in American business relations, profit and efficiency are considered more important than sentiment, and that Americans expect logical explanations for decisions, expenditures, etc.
7. Because the words and actions of the American visitors could be misinterpreted by the Japanese: things that could seem crazy or rude to the Japanese are normal to Americans.
8. Because the author believes that language problems are not a serious barrier, compared with cultural differences.
Vocabulary
III.
1. surpassed 2. approved 3. ensure 4. thriving 5.escalated
6. qualified 7. represent 8. apparent 9. justify 10. conflicts
IV.
1. go along with 2. from the farmers’ viewpoint 3. multitudes of
4. run into 5. come to an end 6. picked up 7. at times
8. gotten into the habit of 9. smooth over 10. the other way around
V.
1. due to 2. thanks to 3. Due to 4. Thanks to 5. due to 6. Thanks to
Word Building
VI.
Interchangeable: that can be used in place of each other
Interface: a place or area where different things meet and have an effect on each other
Intercontinental: between continents
Inter

section: a joint where two roads or lines cross
Interdisciplinary: involving two or more disciplines
Interview: an occasion when a person is asked questions by one or more other people
1. intercontinental 2. interface 3. intersection 4. interchangeable
5. interview 6. interdisciplinary
VII.
1. Almost everyone would like to have more money for nonessential goods and services just because they make life a little more pleasant.
2 Mr. Peterson is the chairman of nonprofit charity organization.
3. Hostility towards outsiders is characteristic of both humans and non-humans.
4. Although I’m a nonsmoker, I don’t support discrimination against smokers.
5. It would be nonsense to say that all Asian societies are the same.
6. There’s a difference between using words in a nonstandard way and using them incorrectly.
Cloze
VIII.
1. among 2. conflicts 3. made 4. understanding 5. since
6. conscious of 7. so 8. run into 9. with 10. crazy 11. that is
12. since 13. That’s is 14. escalating 15. parties
Translation
IX.
从一开始，乔治就被所有的日本雇员欣然接受。日方经理通常不信任任何被派去代表美方业主的人，但乔治生性随和，没有人把他看作是对自己职业的一种威胁。所以他们喜欢就广泛的各类问题征求他的意见，包括大洋彼岸他们的合作伙伴的古怪行为。公司上下的工程师们都珍视乔治的专业知识和他友好而技能熟练的帮助，他们已养成了一有问题----任何问题，就找他帮忙的习惯。办公室里的秘书们都热衷于帮助这个讨人喜欢的单身汉学习日语。
X.
1. When this temporary job came to an end, George was offered a permanent job, which he accepted at once.
2. To ensure that their ventures in Japan are profitable, the American companies need cultural translators even more than language translators.
3. As a cultural translator, George was eager to help the Japanese employees who came to ask his advice on a great many matters, both within and outside of his field of expertise.
4. Somehow or other, George persuaded the American manager to go along with the Japanese accountant’s decision, thus smoothing over the conflict between the two.
5. Conflicts and arguments do arise at times between the American managers and their Japanese counterparts. But since both parties have the good sense to compromise, these conflicts are prevented from escalating into big emotional battles.
6. All the Japanese employees, the personnel manager included, appreciated George’s frequent help with the multitude of problems they run into.
7. My spoken Japanese is not good enough to express myself well. Please don’t get offended if I sometimes say stupid things.
8. with a solid understanding of traditional Chinese medicine and a good mastery of English, dr. Zhang is highly qualified to train foreign doctors who came to China to study Chinese medicine.
Reading analysis
X

I.
General observation: at times something far more important than good English was needed.
Illustration 1: one such case was when the Japanese accountant had to explain the $ 46,534 spent of 874 December- holiday presents.
Illustration 2: or there was the time when the Japanese personnel manager had to justify keeping a chemist on the payroll even though the company no longer needed his expertise.
Structured writing
XII. One example, for reference
When foreign visitors come to China for the first time they often run into embarrassing situations. One such case was when some British tourists tried to pay for what they bought at a street market with their credit cards. Or there was the time when they went shopping in small shops without bargaining at all.
第四单元
翻译
UNIT4
TEXT A
化失败为成功

维姬——才貌双全、聪明伶俐，在大学里曾被选为“最有可能成功的人士”---毕业后在一家大公司找到一份很有前途的工作。然而，过了两年，她非但没有得到提升，反而被解雇了。她的精神完全崩溃了。“这真叫人害怕，”她后来告诉我说，“我以前样样都那么顺利，因此对遭受拒绝时应如何处理毫无经验。我觉得自己是个失败者。”维姬的反应是某种常见现象的一个极端例子。

我们的社会如此推崇“成功”， 以至于我们认为凡失败都是坏事。我们往往认识不到，看似失败的东西也许从长远来看大有裨益。比如，当维姬得以冷静地思考自己被解雇的原因时，她便认识到自己只是不适合做老是跟人打交道的工作而已。在文字编辑这一新的岗位上，她独挡一面，心情愉快，又一次“成功”了。

人们大多受到语言学家S?I?早川所谓的“双值定向”的影响。我们都说要看到一个问题的两个方面，好像每个问题只有两面似的。我们以为每个人不是成功就是失败。而事实上，成功和失败都可能有极多不同的程度。正如早川所指出的，在“我失败了三次”和“我是个失败者”之间有着天壤之别。其实，失败和成功这两个词不能用来合理地描述一个复杂的、活生生的、不断变化的人。它们只能描述某一特定时间某一特定地点的情况。

很显然，没有哪个人能够样样事情都出类拔萃。事实上，某一方面的成功常常会妨碍另一方面的成功。一位著名的政治家曾告诉我说他的事业几乎毁掉了他的婚姻。“我没有时间顾及家人，”他解释说，“我经常外出旅行。即使在家也难得与妻子儿女见面。我有权、有钱、有威望---但作为丈夫和父亲，我却是个失败者。”

某些种类的成功有时候确实有毁灭性。过早成功的危害尤为严重。我记得在我小时候有个女孩，其高超的滑冰技术表明她是“奥运人材”。当我

们其余的人在玩耍、骑车、读书或悠闲地消磨时光时，这个女孩却在滑冰---每天放学后以及整个周末都在滑。她的照片经常出现在报纸上，我们都很羡慕她这种充满刺激的生活。然而，若干年后，她谈起早年那些非凡的成功时却不无酸楚。“除了滑冰，我从来没准备做别的事情。”她说，“我17岁时达到了顶峰----自那以后就一直在走下坡路。”

来之太易的成功也具有破坏性。因一篇匆匆写成的文章而获奖的孩子；凭运气侥幸在第一份工作中即出人头地的成年人， 当真正的挑战出现时都可能面临失望。

以牺牲某种经历的整体质量为代价而获得的成功也是有害的。 成功的学生有时心里只想着分数而永远享受不到学校生活的乐趣。 他们从不扩大兴趣范围，涉足诱人的新领域，因为他们不想拿自己的平均积分点去冒险。

为什么有这么多的人这么害怕失败呢? 完全是因为没有人告诉我们如何失败从而使失败成为一种成长的经验。我们忘记了失败是人生的一部分，忘记了“每个人都有失败的权利。”

大多数家长不是竭力防止失败就是竭力不让孩子们知道他们已经失败。 一种办法是降低标准。孩子匆匆打成的桌子，即使是制作粗糙而且摇摇晃晃，做母亲的也称之为“棒极了!”另一种办法就是把过错推给别人。如果约翰数学不及格，那准是老师不公平或者太蠢。

防止失败的种种策略有问题， 问题就在于它们使孩子对现实世界的生活毫无准备。年轻人需要认识到没有人能样样都是最好，没有人能一直获胜---即使你没有获胜，你也可能享受到比赛的乐趣。一个孩子没有受到参加生日庆祝会的邀请，没有上光荣榜或进棒球队，心里当然不好受。但是家长却不应该马上送上一份安慰奖或者说“没关系”， 因为这实在是有关系的。应该让年轻人去经历失望---然后再帮助他们去战胜它。

失败从来就不是什么令人愉快的事情。它让成年人和孩子同样伤心。然而，一旦你学会了去利用失败，它就能对你的生活起到积极的作用。第一步是要问：“我为什么失败了?”要抵制责怪别人的本能冲动，问问自己做错了什么，如何才能改正。如果别人能够给予帮助，那就不要羞于询问。

在我十几岁的时候，我没能得到我指望得到的那份工作，于是我便打电话给对我进行面试的人询问原因。他告诉我说：“因为你迟到了10分钟。浪费别人时间的雇员我们可要不起。” 这番解释让我消除了疑虑(我并非作为一个人而遭到拒绝)，并且使我获益匪浅。从那以后我再也没有为任何事迟到过。

成功鼓励人们重复过去的行为

，因而远不及失败这个老师来得好。你可以从一次极糟的晚会中学会如何举办一次成功的晚会， 从第一次不当的选房中学到下次选房时要注意些什么。即使一次看似彻底的失败也能激发新的思路，引起方向的改变。

我的一位朋友学了12年的芭蕾，却未能成为一名舞蹈家。一位芭蕾舞大师拒绝了她，说：“你永远也成不了舞蹈家。你没有舞蹈家的身材。”在这类情况下，利用失败的方法就是勇敢地审时度势，问一问：“我还剩下些什么? 我还可以做些什么别的?”我的朋友收起了舞鞋，转而搞起了舞蹈疗法，一个她不仅胜任而且对别人也有帮助的领域。

虽然我们也许会羡慕随着成功而来的自信，但我们大多数人都敬佩面对失败时的勇气。有一种失败可以称作崇高的失败---即胸怀大志，竭尽全力，而在这被证明不够时，仍勇往直前这样一种独特的英雄主义。正如拉尔夫?沃尔多?爱默生所说的：“一个人的成功是由多次失败组成的，因为他每天都在进行试验、冒险，他跌倒的次数越多，前进的速度也越快……我听说在骑术中---一个人要被摔下马背后才会成为好骑手；那样他才不再因怕坠马而老是提心吊胆，才会任意纵马驰骋。”
Text comprehension
II.
1. Vicky didn't know how to cope with rejection or failure because everything had always gone so well for her.
2. She now realizes she was simply not suited for that job, and has another in which she is happy and successful.
3. Two-valued orientation makes us see success and failure as the only two possibilities.
4. That “success” in one area is frequently accompanied by failure in another.
5. Success that’s too early can mean a person lacks preparation for other things in life; success that comes too easily can mean the person will not know how to deal with real challenges; and success that's achieved at the cost of the total quality of an experience can be a barrier to enjoying life fully and to trying anything new.
6. Lowering standards, shifting blame, offering a consolation prize and saying “it doesn't matter” are “failure prevention devices” that leave the child unequipped for life in the real world.
7. She learned something from her failure that's been valuable to her in her life ever since.
8. Success encourages repetition of old behavior, whereas failure can motivate us to try something different.
9. “Noble failure” is when a person aims high, tries their best, fails and moves bravely on.
10. Emerson means that fear of failure is a barrier to progress and achievement. You might say it this way: experiencing failure can make a person more confident and effective, because once s/he loses her/his fear of failure s/he can concentrate on achieving her/his aims.
Vocabulary
III.

1. afford 2. preclude 3. emphasis 4. prone 5. applied
6. distinguished 7. obsessed 8. alike 9. enquire 10. impulse
11. practically 12. prompted
IV.
1. We put in a request for a little extra time to finish the project, but the board turned us (or it) down.
2. The politician enjoyed a successful career at the cost of his relationship with his family.
3. The author is of the opinion that early success may eventually prove harmful to a person’s all -round development in the long run.
4. I took your umbrella by accident—I’m sorry.
5. The bookshop was on the brink of failure until they branched out into CDs and cassettes.
6. With this out-of-date equipment, you can’t count on good results.
7. Students sometimes get in the habit of disrupting classes with annoying comments. In such cases, teachers are advised to send to the school psychologist.
8. Ever since she started her own business, she’s been much more satisfied with her life.
Word building
V.
A. a. departure b. exposure c. pleasure d. pressure e. composure f. enclosure
g. displeasure h. disclosure
B. 1. exposure 2. displeasure (or pleasure, if someone thinks that’s funny!)
3. departure 4. disclosure; pressure 5. enclosure
VI.
A. 1. d 2. a 3. f 4. g 5. h 6. b 7. c 8. e
B. 1. feedback 2. breakup 3. takeoff 4. setbacks 5. breakthrough 6. build-up
Structure
VII.
1. a) their laughter and conversation sound as if they’re enjoying each others’ company.
b) Their laughter and conversation sound as if they were in the same room with us.
2. a) the secretary has been working in her office late every night this week, as if her boss is under serious deadline.
b) The secretary has been staying in her office late every night this week, as if she had no home to go to.
3. a) you’re so pale! You look as if you’re getting sick.
b) You’re so pale! You look as if you had seen a ghost.
4. a) he acts as if he has a very high opinion of himself.
b) He acts as if he were the heir to the throne.
Cloze
VIII.
1 prone 2 in the long run 3 preclude 4 obsessed 5 though 6 distinguishing
7 positive 8 beneficial 9 Even if 10 therapy
Translation
IX.
成功鼓励人们重复过去的行为，因而远不及失败这个老师来得好。你可以从一次极糟的晚会中学会如何举办一次成功的晚会，从第一次不当的选房中学到下次选房时要注意些什么。即使一次看似彻底的失败也能激发新的思路，引起方向的改变。
X．
1. Protecting children from the knowledge that they have failed is anything but beneficial to their growth and development.
2. Emerson does not think there is a world of difference between success and failure.
3. A mature person is one who is good at turning failure into success.
4. She was so obsessed with becoming a success in ice skating that she never prepared herself for challenges of the rea

l world.
5. He suffered a complete nervous breakdown when he learned that his company had gone bankrupt.
6. When talking about his success, Mr. Smith is very prone to exaggeration.
7. The company started by selling radios but now has branched out into selling computers as well.
8. In fact, failure is nothing to be afraid of. Once we learn how to use it, it can make a positive contribution to our growth and development.
Reading analysis
XI.
Presentation of one point of view: people are generally prone to what language expert S. I. Hayakawa calls ‘the two-valued orientation.’ We talk about seeing both sides of a question as if every question had only two sides. We assume that everyone is either a success of a failure.
Presentation of a contrasting view: in fact, infinite degrees of both are possible.
Support for the contrasting view: as Hayakawa points out, there’s a world of difference between ‘I have failed three times’ and ‘I am a failure.’ Indeed, the words failure and success cannot be reasonably applied to a complex, living, changing human being. They can only describe the situation at a particular time and place.
Structured writing
XII. one example, for reference:
People are generally to the belief that a silent room is the best place to study. We act as if quiet surroundings were crucial to concentration. But in fact, noisy rooms can be more educational than quiet ones. When I study in my dorm room, for example, the constant noise my roommates make actually helps me think.
第五单元
课文翻译
UNIT5
TEXT A
矢志不渝追求梦想

1987年，普丽西拉?瓦日奎兹一边为高中毕业作准备，一边急切地等待着华盛顿大学的录取通知书，希望自己成为家中读大学的第一人。当录取通知书送来时，她欣喜若狂。

只有一个问题：华盛顿大学没有为普丽西拉提供助学金。它只为她提供了一笔数目不大的贷款，并要求她的家庭负担其余的费用。“我家挣的钱刚够全家生活，但要花那么多钱供我上学却还不够，”她说。

普丽西拉打电话向经济资助办公室咨询。他们告诉她说，未来的大学生要寻求更多的经济资助，必须与父母分开生活至少两年才符合条件。在这期间，他们的父母不能在家庭税单上称他们为被赡养人。“听到这话，我完全惊呆了，”普丽西拉回忆道，“我意识到我必须抽出一些时间去工作，在经济上不依靠父母，然后重新申请入学。推迟实现我的梦想令人伤心，但这是唯一的选择。”

不到一个月，普丽西拉就在一家餐馆找到了一份工作，并搬到了西雅图贫民区一套低廉的公寓房去住。她还报名参加了城里的一个职业培训班，学的是秘书专业。那是一种很难适应的生活方式。“我早上6点起床，坐很长时间的公交车去学校，下午2点下课，3点开

始工作， 晚上11点下班，然后回到家就累垮了。”

普丽西拉不久就发现她在餐馆的那份工作的收入还不够她维持生计。“于是我找到我那幢公寓楼的楼主，问有没有什么清洁工作可以让我做。他因为同情我，便同意让我每月工作30个小时。”

职业培训班按计划要历时6个月。但普丽西拉只用了４个月就读完了。“他们教我各种办公技能和文字处理程序。我还学会了如何在办公室环境里接电话，以及如何撰写得体的商业函件，”她说。培训班帮普丽西拉在一家小公司找到了一份秘书工作。“这是我第一份像样的工作，”她说。“我那时19岁，独立生活，每年挣15000美元。”

普丽西拉重新向华盛顿大学提出入学申请并被录取了。因为她在经济上不依赖于父母已超过了两年，所以她还有资格申请经济资助。自1990年秋季开始，普丽西拉终于成为一名大学生----她白天做全日制秘书，晚上做全日制学生。

要做到工作学习两不误很困难。“我要一直熬夜学习，每天一大早又要去上班。我上课时很难集中思想，上班时也很难受，因为我实在太累了，”她说。不过她第一学期最后还是得了两个A。

普丽西拉决定攻读考古专业， 并在1992年夏天获得了检验自己对这一学科兴趣的第一个机会。华盛顿州立大学的野外考古中心正在发起一个夏季研究项目，发掘位于华盛顿州斯内克河边的一个遗址。普丽西拉全力投入这项工作，给项目管理人留下了深刻印象。 夏季结束时， 有一个教授给她提供了一份工作。“他说，‘我们刚拿到北达科他州一个项目的合同。 如果你愿意休学一个学期，我们就聘用你。’”这份工作偏离了普丽西拉要获得学士学位的追求。“但那时我已不再怀疑我最终会完成学业，所以很坦然地抓住了这次机 会，”她说。

在北达科他项目结束后，普丽西拉搬到加利福尼亚州与她的一个哥哥同住，这样可以不付房租。“我最后干了三份工作，想尽量多挣些钱，”她回忆说。“我厌烦了既做全职工作又做专职学生的生活。我的目标是要攒够钱，重新回到大学里，做一名全日制学生，只兼职做一些工作。”普丽西拉的哥哥开了一家房屋清洁公司，他同意让她到公司工作。她还决定到一所当地的社区学院读书，那儿的学费要便宜得多。

普丽西拉选修了一些艺术课程(她是一名业余摄影师)，并帮助组织了一次学生艺术作品展，包括她自己的作品。1994年春，她从韦纳奇河谷学院毕业，获得了两年制的文科准学士学位。毕业后，普丽西拉又一次向华盛顿大学提出了入学申请。她被录取并于1994年秋季入学

。因为她不必工作那么多小时，所以能够以学为主。“这真是一种奢侈，我几乎都不想毕业了!”普丽西拉笑着说。“不过我还是在1996年1月被授予了文学士学位。”

当普丽西拉回顾自己几年来使自己梦想成真的奋斗历程时，她对其他靠打工挣钱完成学业的人既是鼓励又是提醒。“要平衡工作与学习的关系，你必须了解自己，”她说。“你必须知道哪些自己能承受，哪些不能承受。你需要很多的磨练，而且必须专心致志，持之以恒，即使遇到重重障碍、种种困惑也要如此。但你最需要的是坚定的决心。一旦被击倒，就要重新站起来继续奋斗下去。”
Text comprehension
II.
A. 1. f 2. t 3. f 4. t 5. f 6. f 7. t 8. t 9. f 10. f
B. 1. N 2. N 3. I 4. I 5. N 6. I
Vocabulary
III.
1. sponsor 2. determination 3. claim 4. prospective 5. minimum 6. ultimately 7. eligible 8. employment 9. setting 10. loans
11. exhibit 12. priority
IV. The exact translations, definitions and synonyms may, of course, vary somewhat, but here are some answers for reference.
1. come up with; translation:筹划
2. take some time off; definition: arrange for a break/ a vacation/ some free time
3. throws herself into; definition: participates very enthusiastically, wholeheartedly, etc. in
4. get by; synonym: make ends meet, manage to survive
5. on his own; synonym: independent adjust to; synonym: get used to
6. tired of; translation: 厌倦了
7. stay up; translation: 熬夜
8. ended up; definition: finally and unexpectedly (won)
9. as of; synonym: starting from
10. get put down; definition: run into setbacks, barriers, etc.
V.
1. gets off (work) 2. couldn't take it 3. dependents 4. postpone
5. make your dream come true 6. alongside 7. look back on
8. end up with a cold
Word building
VI.
1. I missed the train this morning because I overslept again.
2. don't pay any attention to his crazy stories- he just has an overactive imagination.
3. the company ended up with 20, 000 unsold copies of the book because their sales director overestimated the demand.
4. as a result of the crowds of people coming from the surrounding countryside looking for work, the city has become overpopulated.
5. I’ve been overeating lately and have decided to go on a diet.
6. Most teenagers agree that their parents are overprotective.
7. I didn't mean anything unkind. Jane’s simply being oversensitive.
8. A cliché is an expression that’s become uninteresting because it’s overused.
VII.
1. novelist 2. nationalist 3. activist 4. idealist 5. psychologist
6. economist 7. terrorists 8. Sociologist 9. typist 10. marxist
VIII.
A. affection calculation collection combination introduction declaration election invitation interruption plantation projection sensation donate negotiate gene

rate organize
B. 1. negotiate 2. sensation 3. projection/calculation 4. combination 5. donate 6. affection 7. calculation 8. generate
Structure
IX.
1. If only you could say longer in Britain- your English might improve.
2. children may enter the club only if they are accompanied by adults.
3. if only you told me you had a spare ticket for the show.
4. you can go to the sky-diving exhibition only if you promise you won’t try if yourself.
5. the students at this university are allowed to take up part-time employment only if it doesn’t interfere with their studies.
6. If only she hadn’t told my mother, everything would have been all right.
X.
1. having traveled a lot, he knows a great deal about other culture.
2. having finished all her housework, she decided to see what was on TV.
3. having spent nearly all our money, we couldn’t afford to stay in a hotel.
4. having forgotten his telephone number, she didn’t know how to get in touch with him.
5. having cleaned the windows, he started to mop the floor.
6. having taken the medicine you gave me, I feel much better.
XI.
1. Seeing so many people around her living in poverty
2. Bringing up the subject at the meeting
3. Looking back on the past
4. Staying up late studying before an examination
5. Working full-time and being a full-time student
6. Living at home rent-free
Translation
XII．
要做到工作学习两不误很困难。“我要一直熬夜学习，每天一大早又要去上班。我上课时很难集中思想，上班时也很难受，因为我实在太累了，”她说。不过她第一学期最后还是得了两个A。
XIII.
1. The university offered Priscilla only a small loan and she had to come up with the rest of the money herself.
2. With small income from her restaurant job, marry could barely make (both) ends meet. That’s why she found some cleaning work to do in the apartment building where she lived.
3. During her first semesters, she often stayed up late studying because she knew she had to get the highest GPA in her class to qualify the scholarship.
4. Anyone who wants to find employment in/ with that company must have at least a master’s degree; if not a Ph. D. otherwise he or she will not be accepted.
5. Only if you completely throw yourself into your studies will you ultimately achieve your long-term goal of becoming an archaeologist.
6. In the office Beth always looked happy and had a ready smile. But deep down, she was tired of being a secretary. She wanted to do something more creative.
7. A migrant farm laborer from Mexico, my father was overjoyed when I was accepted by the University of Washington and became the first person in my family to attend college.
8. When Priscilla looked back on her years of hard struggle, she said that it was no easy job to balance work and study.
Cloze
XIV.
1. knowing 2. out 3. inquired 4. stunned 5. priority 6. stunning
7. available 8. As 9. up

10. make 11. on 12. get 13. ultimately 14. first 15. assume
Reading analysis
Cause 1: Priscilla soon found that her restaurant job just didn’t pay enough for her to mand ends meet.
Effect 1: so I went the landlord of my apartment building and asked if there was any cleaning work I could do.
Cause 2: since he felt sorry for me.
Effect 2: he agreed to give me thirty hours a month.
What markers and structures does the author use to organize the cause-and-effect descriptions? The markers are: hearing this, so, since.
Structured writing
XV. One example
Some working students end up earning/making more money than their teachers. Knowing this, they feel/are more sympathetic. Priscilla says, “Since I can afford better food and clothes than my teachers (can), I make special efforts to be cooperative in class.”
第六单元
课文翻译
UNIT6
TEXT A
斯蒂芬?霍金简历

迈克尔?怀特 约翰?格里宾

他被称为“活着的最有才华的人”，“20世纪后期最伟大的天才”，以及“爱因斯坦的传人”。因《时间简史》一书而闻名遐迩为众人所知的斯蒂芬?霍金是一个多重意义上的明星科学家。 霍金擅长于用一种非科学工作者乐于接受的文体揭示宇宙的奥秘，这种天赋使他声誉鹊起，也使他的书在英国和美国都成了畅销书。该书因在《星期日泰晤士报》十大畅销书名单上持续了184周，并在全世界销售了500多万册而在《吉尼斯世界纪录大全》上赢得了一席之地──对一本科学书籍来说，这简直是前所未闻的成功。

这一切是如何发生的呢？一个几乎全身瘫痪通过电脑说话的人只能是如何克服这些令人难以置信的障碍， 获得了远远超过大多数人所梦想过的成就的呢？

斯蒂芬?威廉?霍金出生时是一个健康的婴儿，父母都是知识分子，但脾气古怪。 他的父亲弗兰克是一个专治热带疾病的医生， 母亲伊泽贝尔是一个医生的女儿。 他们居住在一幢堆满书籍的大而旧的房子里。 地毯和家具一直要用到破烂不堪才更换，墙纸因年长月久而脱落。 家里的汽车是一辆花50英磅买来的伦敦出租车。

霍金一直对他的生日：1942年1月8日迷恋不已。那是意大利数学家和天文学家伽利略逝世300周年的纪念日。伽利略坚信太阳系的中心是太阳，而非古代天文学家所认为的地球，从而使天文学发生了革命性的变革。

“无论从比喻意义还是从字面意义上讲，”霍金说，“伽利略都是第一个开始利用其眼睛的科学家。从某种意义上说，我们现在享有的科学时代应归功于他。”

霍金进了圣?奥尔本斯学校读书，这是一所以学业标准高而著名的私立学校。他属于一个小小的精英集团，即聪明学生中最聪明的一群。他们聚在一起