大学英语精读第二册-Unit-9-What-Is-Intelligence--Anyway

1Asimovexplainswhythereismuchmoreinintelligencethanjustbeingabletoscorehighonintelligencetests.UnitNineWhatIsIntelligence,Anyway?Whatisintelligence,anyway?WhenIwasinthearmyIreceivedakindofaptitudetestthatallsoldierstookand,againstanormalof100,scored160.Nooneatthebasehadeverseenafigurelikethatandfortwohourstheymadeanigfussoverme.(Itdidn'tmeananything.ThenextdayIwasstillabuckprivatewithKPasmyhighestduty.)AllmylifeI'vebeenregisteringscoreslikethat,sothatIhavethecomplacentfeelingthatI'mhighlyintelligent,andIexpectotherpeopletothinkso,too.Actually,though,don'tsuchscoressimplymeanthatIamverygoodatansweringthetypeofacademicquestionsthatareconsideredworthyofanswersbythepeoplewhomakeuptheintelligencetests-peoplewithintellectualbentssimilartomine?Forinstance,Ihadanauto-repairmanonce,who,ontheseintelligencetests,couldnotpossiblyhavescoredmorethan80,bymyestimate.IalwaystookitforgrantedthatIwasfarmoreintelligentthanhewas.Yet,whenanythingwentwrongwithmycarIhastenedtohimwithit,watchedhimanxiouslyasheexploreditsvitals,andlistenedtohispronouncementsasthoughtheyweredivineoracles-andhealwaysfixedmycar.Well,then,supposemyauto-repairmandevisedquestionsforanintelligencetest.Orsupposeacarpenterdid,orafarmer,or,indeed,almostanyonebutanacademician.Byeveryoneofthosetests,I'dprovemyselfamoron.AndI'dbeamoron,too.InaworldwhereIcouldnotusemyacademictrainingandmyverbaltalentsbuthadtodosomethingintricateorhard,workingwithmyhands,Iwoulddopoorly.Myintelligence,then,isnotabsolute.ItsworthisdeterminedbythesocietyIlivein.Itsnumericalevaluationisdeterminedbyasmallsubsectionofthatsocietywhichhasmanagedtofoistitselfontherestofusasanarbiterofsuchmatters.Considermyauto-repairman,again.Hehadahabitoftellingmejokeswheneverhesawme.Onetimeheraisedhisheadfromundertheautomobilehoodtosay:Doc,adeaf-and-dumbguywentintoahardwarestoretoaskforsomenails.Heputtwofingerstogetheronthecounterandmadehammeringmotionswiththeotherhand.Theclerkbroughthimahammer.Heshookhisheadandpointedtothetwofingershewashammering.Theclerkbroughthimnails.Hepickedoutthesizeshewanted,andleft.Well,doc,thenextguywhocameinwasablindman.Hewantedscissors.Howdoyousupposeheaskedforthem?Iliftedmyrighthandandmadescissoringmotionswithmyfirsttwofingers.Whereuponmyauto-repairmanlaughedheartilyandsaid,Why,youdumbfool,heusedhisvoiceandaskedforthem.Thenhesaid,smugly,I'vebeentryingthatonallmycustomerstoday.Didyoucatchmany?Iasked.Quiteafew,hesaid,butIknewforsureI'dcatchyou.Whyisthat?Iasked.Becauseyou'resogoddamnededucated,doc,Iknowyoucouldn'tbeverysmart.AndIhaveanuneasyfeelinghehadsomethingthere.