导读
不怕思考,不畏权威,创新思维,追寻真理,给我们的思想插上自由的翅膀。
原文诵读
Sir Bertrand Russell's ten commandments
1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
2. Do not think it worthwhile to produce belief by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.
3. Never try to discourage thinking, for you are sure to succeed.
4. When you meet with opposition, even if it is from your family, endeavour to overcome it with argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
5. Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.
6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do, the opinions will suppress you.
7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
9. Be scrupulously truthful even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool’s paradise, for only a fool will think that is happiness.
词汇加油站
absolutely ['æbsəlu:tli] ad.绝对地;确实
conceal [kən'si:l] vt.隐藏, 隐瞒, 掩盖
come to light 显露,暴露
endeavour [in'devə] v.尽力, 努力
authority [ɔ: 'θɔriti] n.权力[ pl.]官方;当权者;权威,专家
illusory [i'lu:səri] adj. 虚幻的, 幻觉的
suppress [sə'pres] vt.镇压, 隐瞒, 压制, 止住, 禁止
pernicious [pə'niʃəs] adj.有害的, 恶性的
eccentric [ik'sentrik] adj.古怪的, 反常的
dissent [di'sent] n. 异议 v. 持异议
scrupulously ['skru:pjuləsli] adv. 小心翼翼地, 多顾虑地, 严谨地
envious ['enviəs] adj. 嫉妒的
中文欣赏
伯特兰德·罗素自由思想十诫
一、凡事不要抱绝对肯定的态度;
二、不要试图隐瞒证据,因为证据最终会被暴露;
三、不要害怕思考,因为思考总能让人有所补益;
四、有人与你意见相左时,应该用争论去说服他们,而不是用权威去征服,因为靠权威取得的胜利是虚幻而自欺欺人的;
五、不用盲目地崇拜任何权威,因为你总能找到相反的权威;
六、不要用权力去压制你认为有害的意见,因为如果你采取压制,其实只说明你自己受到了这些意见的压制;
七、不要为自己持独特看法而感到害怕,因为我们现在所接受的常识都曾是独特看法;
八、与其被动地同意别人的看法,不如理智地表示反对,因为如果你信自己的智慧,那么你的异议正表明了更多的赞同;
九、即使真相并不令人愉快,也一定要做到诚实,因为掩盖真相往往要费更大力气;
十、不要嫉妒那些在蠢人的天堂里享受幸福的人,因为只有蠢人才以为那是幸福。
长句分析
原句:When you meet with opposition, even if it is from your family, endeavour to overcome it with argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
分析:本句是一个主从复合句,主句是以endeavour开头的祈使句,when 引导时间状语从句。在这个时间状语从句中,又由even if引导让步状语从句。for引导原因状语从句,从句中dependent upon作为victory的后置定语。
译文:人与你意见相左时,应该用争论去说服他们,而不是用权威去征服,因为靠权威取得的胜利是虚幻而自欺欺人的。
原句:Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do, the opinions will suppress you.
分析:本句是一个并列句,for并列连词,引导的句子表示原因。前半句中的you think pernicious是一个定语从句, opinion是先行词。后半句又是一个主从复合句,其中if引导条件状语从句。
译文:不用盲目地崇拜任何权威,因为你总能找到相反的权威。
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