课文原文-Unit-1-Another-School-Year-What-For

1/3如果对您有帮助，请您也上传资源，帮助更多的人Unit1AnotherSchoolYear------WhatFor?JohnCiardi1.Letmetellyouoneoftheearliestdisastersinmycareerasateacher.ItwasJanuaryof1940andIwasfreshoutofgraduateschoolstartingmyfirstsemesterattheUniversityofKansasCity.Partofthestudentbodywasabeanpolewithhairontopwhocameintomyclass,satdown,foldedhisarms,andlookedatmeasiftosay“allright,teachmesomething.”TwoweekslaterwestartedHamlet.Threeweekslaterhecameintomyofficewithhishandsonhiships.“Look,”hesaid,“Icameheretobeapharmacist.WhydoIhavetoreadthisstuff?”andnothavingabookofhisowntopointto,hepointedtominewhichwaslyingonthedesk.2.NewasIwastothefaculty,Icouldhavetoldthisspecimenanumberofthings.Icouldhavepointedoutthathehadenrolled,notinadrugstore-mechanicsschool,butinacollegeandthatattheendofhiscoursemeanttoreachforascrollthatreadBachelorofScience.Itwouldnotread:QualifiedPill-GrindingTechnician.Itwouldcertifythathehadspecializedinpharmacy,butitwouldfurthercertifythathehadbeenexposedtosomeoftheideasmankindhasgeneratedwithinitshistory.Thatistosay,hehadnotenteredatechnicaltrainingschoolbutauniversityandinuniversitiesstudentsenrollforbothtrainingandeducation.3.Icouldhavetoldhimallthis,butitwasfairlyobvioushewasn’tgoingtobearoundlongenoughforittomatter.4.Nevertheless,IwasyoungandIhadahighsenseofdutyandItriedtoputitthisway:“fortherestofyourlife,”Isaid,“yourdaysaregoingtoaverageouttobeabouttwenty-fourhours.Theywillbealittleshorterwhenyouareinlove,andalittlelongerwhenyouareoutoflove,buttheaveragewilltendtohold.Foreightofthesehours,moreorless,youwillbeasleep.”5.“Thenforabouteighthoursofeachworkingdayyouwill,Ihope,beusefullyemployed.Assumeyouhavegonethroughpharmacyschool---orengineering,orlawschool,orwhatever---duringthoseeighthoursyouwillbeusingyourprofessionalskills.Youwillseetoitthatthecyanidestaysoutoftheaspirin,thatthebulldoesn’tjumpthefence,orthatyourclientdoesn’tgototheelectricchairasaresultofyourincompetence.Theseareallusefulpursuits.Theyinvolveskillseverymanmustrespect,andtheycanallbringyoubasicsatisfactions.Alongwitheverythingelse,theywillprobablybewhatputsfoodonyourtable,supportsyourwife,andrearsyourchildren.Theywillbeyourincome,andmayitalwayssuffice.”6.“Buthavingfinishedtheday’swork,whatdoyoudowiththoseothereighthours?2/3Let’ssayyougohometoyourfamily.Whatsortoffamilyareyouraising?Willthechildreneverbeexposedtoareasonablypenetratingideaathome?Willyoubepresidingoverafamilythatmaintainssomecontactwiththegreatdemocraticintellect?Willtherebeabookinthehouse?Willtherebeapainingareasonablysensitivemancanlookatwithoutshuddering?WillthekidsevergettohearBach?”7.ThatisaboutwhatIsaid,butthisparticularpestwasnotinterested.“Look,”hesaid,“youprofessorsraiseyourkidsyourway;I’lltakecareofmyown.Me.I’mouttomakemoney.”8.“Ihopeyoumakealotofit,”Itoldhim,“becauseyou’regoingtobebadlystuckforsomethingtodowhenyou’renotsigningchecks.”9.FourteenyearslaterIamstillteaching,andIamheretotellyouthatthebusinessofthecollegeisnotonlytotrainyou,buttoputyouintouchwithwhatthebesthumanmindshavethought.IfyouhavenotimeforShakespeare,forabasiclookatphilosophy,forthecontinuityofthefinearts,forthatlessonofman’sdevelopmentwecallhistory---thenyouhavenobusinessbeingincollege.Youareonyourwaytobeingthatnewspeciesofmechanizedsavage,thepush-buttonNeanderthal.Ourcollegesinevitablygraduateanumberofsuchlifeforms,butitcannotbesaidthattheywenttocollege;ratherthecollegewentthroughthem—withoutmakingcontact.10.Noonegetstobeahumanbeingunaided.Thereisnottimeenoughinasinglelifetimetoinventforoneselfeverythingoneneedstoknowinordertobeacivilizedhuman.11.Assume,forexample,thatyouwanttobephysicist.Youpassthegreatstonehallsof,say,M.I.T.,andtherecutintothestonearethenamesofthescientists.Thechancesarethatfew,ifany,ofyouwillleaveyournamesbecutintothosestones.Yetanyofyouwhomanagedtostayawakethroughpartofahighschoolcourseinphysics,knowsmoreaboutphysicsthandidmanyofthosegreatscholarsofthepast.Youknowmorebecausetheyleftyouwhattheyknew,becauseyoucanstartfromwhatthepastlearnedforyou.12.Andasthisistrueofthetechniquesofhumankind,soitistrueofmankind’sspiritualresources.Mostoftheseresources,bothtechnicalandspiritual,arestoredinbooks.Booksareman’speculiaraccomplishment.Whenyouhavereadabook,youhaveaddedtoyourhumanexperience.ReadHomerandyourmindincludesapieceofHomer’smind.ThroughbooksyoucanacquireatleastfragmentsofthemindandexperienceofVirgil,Dante,Shakespeare---thelistisendless.Foragreatbookisnecessarilyagift;itoffersyoualifeyouhavenotthetimetoliveyourself,andittakesyouintoaworldyouhavenotthetimetotravelinliteraltime.Acivilizedmindis,inessence,onethatcontainsmanysuchlivesandmanysuchworlds.Ifyouaretoomuchinahurry,ortooarrogantlyproudofyourownlimitations,toacceptasagifttoyourhumanitysomepiecesofthe3/3mindsofAristotle,orChaucer,orEinstein,youareneitheradevelopedhumannorausefulcitizenofademocracy.13.IthinkitwasLaRochefoucauldwhosaidthatmostpeoplewouldneverfallinloveiftheyhadn’treadaboutit.Hemighthavesaidthatnoonewouldevermanagetobecomehumaniftheyhadn’treadaboutit.14.Ispeak,I’msure,forthefacultyoftheliberalartscollegeandforthefacultiesof