The Value of Reading

阅读的价值

You do not need to read a book for the book's sake, but for your own.

你看书不是为了书，而是为了你自己。

You may read because in your high-pressure life, studded with problems and emergencies,

你看书可能是因为在你高压而又满是问题和紧急情况的生活中，

you need periods of relief and yet recognize that peace of mind does not mean numbness of mind.

你需要片刻放松，但又认识到内心平静不意味着头脑麻木。

You may read because you never had an opportunity to go to college, and books give you a chance to get something you missed.

你看书可能是因为你没有机会上大学，而书则给了你机会去追求你错过的东西。

You may read because your job is routine, and books give you a feeling of depth in life.

你看书可能因为你的工作是日常事务，而书则给了你一种生活的深度。

You may read because you did go to college.

你看书可能因为你去上了大学。

You may read because you see social, economic and philosophical problems which need solution,

你看书可能因为你看到有社会、经济和哲学问题需要解决，

and you believe that the best thinking of all past ages may be useful in your age, too.

而你相信过去时代中最好的思想在你的时代可能也同样有用。

You may read because you are tired of the shallowness of contemporary life,

你看书可能是因为你厌倦了当代生活的浅薄，

bored by the current conversational commonplaces, and wearied of shop talk and gossip about people.

厌倦了时下的日常寒暄，厌倦了商店里的闲言碎语和他人的蜚语流言。

Whatever your dominant personal reason, you will find that reading gives knowledge, creative power, satisfaction and relaxation.

无论你看书的主要原因是什么，你会发现阅读会带给你知识、创造力、满足感和放松。

It cultivates your mind by calling its faculties into exercise.

它通过锻炼你的头脑机能来培养你的思维。

Books are a source of pleasure — the purest and the most lasting.

书籍是快乐的源泉——最为纯洁，最为持久。

They enhance your sensation of the interestingness of life.

书籍增强了你对生活乐趣的感知。

Reading them is not a violent pleasure like the gross enjoyment of an uncultivated mind, but a subtle delight.

阅读书籍不像粗野之人享受的那种强烈的快乐，而是一种微妙的喜悦。

Reading dispels prejudices which hem our minds within narrow spaces.

阅读能消除把我们的思想禁锢在狭小空间里的偏见。

One of the things that will surprise you as you read good books from all over the world and from all times of man is that

当你博览全世界的好书，读遍各个时代优秀作家的名作，有一件事会令你感到惊讶，

human nature is much the same today as it has been ever since writing began to tell us about it.

那就是人类本性从写作最开始讲述它那天起到今天为止，几乎一直没变。

Some people act as if it were demeaning to them to wish to be well-read,

有些人表现得好像希望博览群书是对他的贬低，

but you can no more be a healthy person mentally without reading substantial books than you can be a vigorous person physically without eating solid food.

但如果你没有阅读过大量书籍就无法成为精神健康的人，就像你不吃固体食物就无法精力充沛一样。

• sake

n. 缘故; 理由

He moved to the seaside for the sake of his health.

他为了健康而迁居海滨。

• studded with 

布满; 星罗棋布; 点缀;

It's studded with violets and nuts and fruit.

满是紫罗兰，坚果和水果。

• emergency

n. 紧急情况；突发事件

They took the emergency in their stride.

他们轻而易举地处理了这一紧急情况。

• numbness

n. 麻木；麻痹

She was fighting off the numbness of frostbite.

她在竭力摆脱冻僵的感觉。

• routine

n. 例行公事；日常工作；程序

adj. 日常的；例行的

John's departure had upset their daily routine.

约翰的离去打乱了他们的日常生活。

You mustn't worry. These are just routine enquiries.你不必担心，这只是例行的询问。

• philosophical

adj. 哲学上的；冷静的；明达的

He was not accustomed to political or philosophical discussions.

他不习惯政治或哲学讨论。

• shallowness

n.肤浅

Rothko's paintings seemed to give the lie to anyone accusing American culture of shallowness.

罗斯柯的作品则证明了那些谴责美国文化浅陋的人都是错误的。

• contemporary

adj. 当代的；同时代的, 同属一个时期的

n. 同代人, 同龄人

Only the names are ancient; the characters are modern and contemporary.

只有姓名是古代的；人物都是现代的、摩登的。

• weary

adj. 疲倦的；厌烦的；令人厌烦的

vi. 厌烦；疲倦 vt. 使疲倦；使厌烦

weary of (doing) sth

He was weary of the constant battle between them.

他对他们之间不断的争斗感到厌倦了。

• gossip

n. 小道传闻；随笔；爱说长道短的人

vi. 闲聊；传播流言蜚语

He spent the first hour talking gossip.

他头一个小时都在闲聊。

• dominant

adj. 支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的

n. 显性

The dominant male gorilla is the largest in the group.

这只占支配地位的雄性大猩猩是这群大猩猩中个头最大的。

• faculty

n. 能力, 才能，技巧

院, 系, 部

全体教职员, 全体从业人员

She had a great faculty for absorbing information.

她吸收信息的能力很强。

Both faculty and students oppose the measures.

教员和学生都反对这些措施。

• sensation

n. 感觉, 感受，知觉

激动, 轰动

One sign of a heart attack is a tingling sensation in the left arm.

心脏病发作的一个征兆是左臂上有刺痛感。

The sex scenes in the film caused a sensation.

这部影片中的性爱镜头引起了轰动。

• gross

adj. 总共的；粗野的；恶劣的；显而易见的

vt. 总共收入

n. 总额，总数

gross domestic product (GDP) 国内生产总值

soldiers accused of gross violations of human rights

被指控严重侵犯人权的士兵

The movie has already grossed over $10 million.

这部电影票房总收入已经超过一千万美元。

• subtle

adj. 微妙的；难以捉摸的；细微的

敏感的，敏锐的，有辨别力的

He is a subtle character, you know.

你知道他为人狡猾。

There's a subtle hint of garlic in the sauce.

调味汁里稍微有一点蒜味。

• prejudices

n. 成见, 偏见, 歧视

vt. 使有偏见，不利于, 损害

There is widespread prejudice against workers over 45.

人们普遍对年龄超过45岁的工人存有偏见。

I think your South American youth has prejudiced you.

我认为你在南美度过的青少年时代让你产生了偏见。

• hem

n. 摺边；边，边缘

vt. 包围；给...缝边  vi. 做褶边

Turn under and hem the outer edges.

翻下来缝外侧的边。

The hem on her skirt needs sewing.

她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。

• demeaning

adj. 降低身份的;贬低的;贬损

Some are losing the ability to disagree without demeaning the views of others.

对有些人来说，用贬低他人观点的方式表达反对意见，已成为习惯。

• substantial

adj. 坚固的，大量的，实质的

The country bought a substantial number of weapons.

这个国家购买了大量武器。

• vigorous

adj. 有力的；精力充沛的

Very vigorous exercise can increase the risk of heart attacks.

运动太过剧烈会增大心脏病发作的风险。