全新版大学英语第二册课文

Unit1TextALearning,Chinese-StylePartIITextAHowardGardner,aprofessorofeducationatHarvardUniversity,reflectsonavisittoChinaandgiveshisthoughtsondifferentapproachestolearninginChinaandtheWest.LEARNING,CHINESE-STYLEHowardGardnerForamonthinthespringof1987,mywifeEllenandIlivedinthebustlingeasternChinesecityofNanjingwithour18-month-oldsonBenjaminwhilestudyingartseducationinChinesekindergartensandelementaryschools.ButoneofthemosttellinglessonsEllenandIgotinthedifferencebetweenChineseandAmericanideasofeducationcamenotintheclassroombutinthelobbyoftheJinlingHotelwherewestayedinNanjing.Thekeytoourroomwasattachedtoalargeplasticblockwiththeroomnumberonit.Whenleavingthehotel,aguestwasencouragedtoturninthekey,eitherbyhandingittoanattendantorbydroppingitthroughaslotintoabox.Becausethekeyslotwasnarrow,thekeyhadtobepositionedcarefullytofitintoit.Benjaminlovedtocarrythekeyaround,shakingitvigorously.Healsolikedtotrytoplaceitintotheslot.Becauseofhistenderageandincompleteunderstandingoftheneedtopositionthekeyjustso,hewouldusuallyfail.Benjaminwasnotbotheredintheleast.Heprobablygotasmuchpleasureoutofthesoundsthekeymadeashedidthosefewtimeswhenthekeyactuallyfounditswayintotheslot.NowbothEllenandIwereperfectlyhappytoallowBenjamintobangthekeynearthekeyslot.Hisexploratorybehaviorseemedharmlessenough.ButIsoonobservedaninterestingphenomenon.AnyChinesestaffmembernearbywouldcomeovertowatchBenjaminand,notinghislackofinitialsuccess,attempttoassist.HeorshewouldholdontoBenjamin'shandand,gentlybutfirmly,guideitdirectlytowardtheslot,repositionitasnecessary,andhelphimtoinsertit.TheteacherwouldthensmilesomewhatexpectantlyatEllenorme,asifawaitingathankyou—andonoccasionwouldfrownslightly,asifconsideringustobeneglectingourparentalduties.IsoonrealizedthatthisincidentwasdirectlyrelevanttoourassignedtasksinChina:toinvestigatethewaysofearlychildhoodeducation(especiallyinthearts),andtothrowlightonChineseattitudestowardcreativity.AndsobeforelongIbegantointroducethekey-slotanecdoteintomydiscussionswithChineseeducators.TWODIFFERENTWAYSTOLEARNWithafewexceptionsmyChinesecolleaguesdisplayedthesameattitudeasthestaffattheJinlingHotel.Sinceadultsknowhowtoplacethekeyinthekeyslot,whichistheultimatepurposeofapproachingtheslot,andsincethechildisneitheroldenoughnorcleverenoughtorealizethedesiredactiononhisown,whatpossiblegainisachievedbyhavinghimstruggle?Hemaywellgetfrustratedandangry—certainlynotadesirableoutcome.Whynotshowhimwhattodo?Hewillbehappy,hewilllearnhowtoaccomplishthetasksooner,andthenhecanproceedtomorecomplexactivities,likeopeningthedoororaskingforthekey—bothofwhichaccomplishmentscan(andshould)induecoursebemodeledforhimaswell.Welistenedtosuchexplanationssympatheticallyandexplainedthat,firstofall,wedidnotmuchcarewhetherBenjaminsucceededininsertingthekeyintotheslot.Hewashavingagoodtimeandwasexploring,twoactivitiesthatdidmattertous.Butthecriticalpointwasthat,intheprocess,weweretryingtoteachBenjaminthatonecansolveaproblemeffectivelybyoneself.Suchself-relianceisaprincipalvalueofchildrearinginmiddle-classAmerica.Solongasthechildisshownexactlyhowtodosomething—whetheritbeplacingakeyinakeyslot,drawingahenormakingupforamisdeed—heislesslikelytofigureouthimselfhowtoaccomplishsuchatask.And,moregenerally,heislesslikelytoviewlife—asAmericansdo—asaseriesofsituationsinwhichonehastolearntothinkforoneself,tosolveproblemsonone'sownandeventodiscovernewproblemsforwhichcreativesolutionsarewanted.TEACHINGBYHOLDINGHISHANDInretrospect,itbecamecleartomethatthisincidentwasindeedkey—andkeyinmorethanonesense.Itpointedtoimportantdifferencesintheeducationalandartisticpracticesinourtwocountries.Whenourwell-intentionedChineseobserverscametoBenjamin'srescue,theydidnotsimplypushhishanddownclumsilyoruncertainly,asImighthavedone.Instead,theyguidedhimwithextremefacilityandgentlenessinpreciselythedesireddirection.IcametorealizethattheseChinesewerenotjustmoldingandshapingBenjamin'sperformanceinanyoldmanner:InthebestChinesetradition,theywerebazheshoujiao—teachingbyholdinghishand—somuchsothathewouldhappilycomebackformore.Theideathatlearningshouldtakeplacebycontinualcarefulshapingandmoldingappliesequallytothearts.Watchingchildrenatworkinaclassroomsetting,wewereastonishedbytheirfacility.Childrenasyoungas5or6werepaintingflowers,fishandanimalswiththeskillandconfidenceofanadult;calligraphers9and10yearsoldwereproducingworksthatcouldhavebeendisplayedinamuseum.Inavisittothehomesoftwooftheyoungartists,welearnedfromtheirparentsthattheyworkedonperfectingtheircraftforseveralhoursaday.CREATIVITYFIRST?Intermsofattitudestocreativitythereseemstobeareversalofpriorities:youngWesternersmakingtheirboldestdeparturesfirstandthengraduallymasteringthetradition;andyoungChinesebeingalmostinseparablefromthetradition,but,overtime,possiblyevolvingtoapointequallyoriginal.OnewayofsummarizingtheAmericanpositionistostatethatwevalueoriginalityandindependencemorethantheChinesedo.Thecontrastbetweenourtwoculturescanalsobeseenintermsofthefearswebothharbor.Chineseteachersarefearfulthatifskillsarenotacquiredearly,theymayneverbeacquired;the