约翰·斯坦贝克/John Steinbeck

　　Adults often forget how hard, dull and long school is. The learning by memory of all the basic things one must know is a most incredible and un-ending effort. Learning to read is probably the most difficult and revolutionary thing that happens to the human brain and if you don't believe that, watch an illiterate adult try to do it. School is not easy and it is not for the most part very much fun, but then, if you are very lucky, you may find a real teacher. Three real teachers in a lifetime is the very best of my luck. My first was a science and math teacher in high school, my second, a professor of writing at Stanford, and my third was my friend and partner, Ed Ricketts.

　　I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that there are as few as there are any other great artists. It might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.

　　My three teachers had these things in common: They all loved what they were doing. They did not tell, but catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But the most important of all, the truth became beautiful and very precious.

　　I shall speak only of my first teacher because in addition to the other things, she brought discovery.

　　She aroused us to shouting, book-waving discussions. She had the noisiest class in school and she didn't even seem to know it. We could never stick to the subject. Our speculation passed over the world. She breathed curiosity into us so that we brought in facts or truths like fireflies caught in our hands.

　　She was fired and perhaps rightly so, for failing to teach basic things. Such things must be learned. But she left a strong desire in us for the pure knowable world and she inflamed me with a curiosity, which has never left. I could not do simple arithmetic but through her I sensed that mathematics was very much like music. When she was sent away, sadness came over us but the light did not go out. She left her signature on us, words of the teacher who wrote on minds. I have had many teachers who told me soon forgotten backs but only these three created in me a new thing, a new attitude and a new hunger. What deathless power lies in the hands of such a person!

　　I can tell my son who looks forward with horror to fifteen years of hard work that somewhere in the dusty dark magic may happen that will light up the years—if he is very lucky.

　　成年人通常都忘记了上学时是多么艰苦、乏味和漫长。为了把那些基本的原理背下来，必须付出令人难以置信的巨大努力。学会阅读也许是人脑碰到的最艰巨、最具革命性的事情。如果你不相信，看看一个成年文盲是怎样尝试识字的。上学不是一件容易的事儿，大部分也没什么乐趣，不过，如果你非常幸运，也许会碰到一个真正的老师。我一生中最幸运的是曾遇到过三个真正的老师。第一位是高中时教数理化的老师；第二位是斯坦福大学里教写作的教授；第三位是我的朋友和伙伴埃德·雷克茨。

　　我相信一个伟大的教师就是一个伟大的艺术家，而且像其他任何大艺术家一样可遇而不可求。它甚至可以说是一门最伟大的艺术，因为它传递着人类的思想和精神。

　　我的三位良师拥有这些共同之处：他们都热爱自己的工作；但不灌输知识，而是激发学生求知的欲望。在他们的影响下，我们开阔了眼界，消除了胆怯，从无知变成了有知。但最重要的是，真理变得美好而珍贵。

　　我只想谈谈我的第一位良师，因为除了课堂上的那些知识以外，她还教会了我如何发现。

　　她激励我们挥舞书本大声讨论。她的课堂是学校里最热闹的，但她好像从来不知道。我们从不拘泥于书本，而是任思绪翱翔。她激发了我们的好奇心，使我们所追求的事实和真理就如同捕到的萤火虫一样被牢牢抓在手中。

　　她被学校辞退也许不无道理，因为她没有教授学生基本知识，而那些东西是不可不学的。但她在我们心中留下了一种对纯粹可知世界的强烈渴望，她激发起我强烈的好奇心，并且这种好奇心从来没有消逝。她不仅教会了我做简单的算术，更让我感觉到数学像音乐一样。她被辞退时，我们心中悲伤不已，但她的光芒却从未褪去。她把签名留在我们身上，那是老师写在我们心灵上的作品。我有很多老师，他们教过我的一些东西不久就忘记了，只有这三位老师让我萌生了新的东西、新的态度和新的渴望。这样的一个人蕴藏着多么不朽的力量啊！

　　我会这样告诉我的儿子——他正心怀恐慌地面临长达十五年的寒窗苦读：混沌黑暗的世界里，某处也许会有一种神奇的力量，会点亮未来的岁月——如果他非常幸运。

　　心灵小语

　　教育家和教书匠的区别在于：前者激发学生的求知欲望，后者强给学生灌输知识。

　　词汇笔记

　　adult [??d?lt] n. 成年人

　　例 What do you think of that an adult reads children reading?

　　你对成年人阅读儿童读物有什么想法？

　　incredible [in?kred?bl] adj. 难以置信的；惊人的

　　例 Now ladies and gentlemen, you’re about to hear the most incredible tale.

　　女士们、先生们，你们将要听到一个最令人难以置信的故事。

　　inflame [in?f leim] v. 激怒；点火；使……发炎

　　例 They do indeed speak beautifully, but if you remain silent they can not inflame the heart.

　　他们的话，虽然美妙，但没有你，不能燃起人们的心火来。

　　curiosity [?kjuri??siti] n. 好奇；好奇心；珍品

　　例 Its curiosity can be of great value.

　　它的好奇心会是非常有价值的。

　　小试身手

　　为了把那些基本的常理背下来，必须付出令人难以置信的巨大努力。

　　译_______________

　　学会阅读也许是人脑碰到的最艰巨、最具革命性的事情。

　　译_______________

　　我相信一个伟大的教师就是一个伟大的艺术家，而且像其他任何大艺术家一样可遇而不可求。

　　译_______________

　　短语家族

　　My three teachers had these things in common:They all loved what they were doing.

　　in common：和……有共同之处；共用；共同；共有

　　造_______________

　　I shall speak only of my first teacher because in addition to the other things, she brought discovery.

　　in addition to：除了……外（还）；除了

　　造_______________