203. "The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its heroines." 4 L8 J4 ~2 ?9 H, @4 N
" @2 {' p, |# ?; n4 a5 A了解一个社会特点最好的方法是去考察被这个社会视为英雄的人们的特点。
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1. First consider the sports hero, whom in my observation society chooses not merely by virtue of athletic prowess. ; N& ? e5 k+ d8 {1 R5 m
2. Next consider the military hero, who gains heroic stature by way of courage in battle, or by otherwise facing certain defeat and emerging victorious. & s5 q6 } V- X5 q! J O8 M
3. On the other hand, consider a third type of hero: the champion of social causes who inspires and incites society to meaningful political and social change. 6 `0 u. N6 \& i3 n8 f) z" @
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7 y- r1 Y7 |! D3 a" |+ m, d; X$ b220. "The increase in knowledge is forcing people to specialize. As a result, the distance between fields of specialization has become so vast that specialists in different areas are rarely able to influence each other." . Q6 ^- {' [" s2 C" h# A& |% H
知识的增加促使了人们的专业化。其结果是不同的专业化领域之间的差异变得越来越大以至于各个领域中的专业人员很少能够互相影响了。
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2 q+ m5 b4 r3 ?! r7 c; z0 wOverspecialization in the academic world is liable to exert negative impacts on academic research in various fields, which makes it necessary for education to encourage interdisciplinary studies.
! _5 P. d! j: C6 F, R5 B: X& C1. The dramatic increase in knowledge today has made it impossible for any one to keep pace with the latest developments in all academic fields.
+ y y8 B0 C. g2. As a result, specialists in different areas tend to focus only on their own area of study.
+ B/ C7 S! e9 i7 D3. However, this overspecialization is harmful not only academically but also socially.
* Y* P7 z+ i& y& N' h/ _. s" c3 I2 ^4. Schools should aim at cultivating not only specialists but also generalists.
5 |( s4 g9 G4 P! H8 H/ A4 l, g% J少数和多数的关系之专业化 ) X- x: W6 O6 L; H
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) t2 s4 e ^6 A242. "Societies should try to save every plant and animal species, regardless of the expense to humans in effort, time, and financial well-being."
- n: o* K7 r( U5 w0 l4 U8 M/ R$ S社会应该以不计人类的努力、时间和金钱为代价,尝试挽救每一个动植物物种。
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$ t! r# W- v2 ~8 p, [% l LThere is no need to save every plant and animal species regardless of the human costs.
" H6 z- b6 z( B* \8 U1. The history of natural evolution has witnessed the extinction of some plants and animals species, which did not result in any harm to the environment. % T: G- K: _3 B+ [: \( j: j7 v
2. Of course, if scientists can more or less prove that the extinction of a certain plant or species will cause some disastrous chain effects, we should make every effort to save it. |