How to Grow Old -- Bertrand Russell 1

Unit One How to Grow Old

Key to Exercise II 1. related 5. recipe 9. justification 13. receded 17. known

Key to Exercise III 1. sustained 6. physically 11. exercises 16. fear 21. favours 26. idea 31. criticizing 36. overstress 41. concerned 46. longevity 51. but 56. Over 61. bore

2. melancholy 6. wholesome 10. undue 14. absorption 18. indifferent

3. inquire 7. callous 11. abject 15. ignoble 19. weariness

4. dismal 8. philanthropic 12. contain 16. decay 20. contemplative

2. life 7. at 12. about 17. crucial 27. zest 32. funeral 37. must 42. are 47. little 52. of 57. that 62. more

3. retire 8. not 13. take 18. past 28. subjects 38. terms 43. on 48. enjoy 53. day 58. the 63. laugh

4. immerse 9. prolong 14. against 19. extensive 29. Thinking 39. may 44. long-lived 49. people 54. walks 59. feeling 64. by

5. activity 10. forms 15. intensive 20. fun 25. lazy 30. complaining 35. But 40. way 45. not 50. not 55. day 60. against 65. life

22. explosive 23. disadvantage 24. relaxed

33. life-stretcher 34. life-shorteners

Key to Exercise IV

I am not sure that I can draw an exact line between wit and humor. Perhaps the distinct is so subtle that only those can decide∧have long white beards. ∧I am quite positive that of the two, humor is∧more comfortable and the more livable Humorous persons, if their gift is genuine and not a ine upon the surface, are always companions and they sit through ∧evening best. They have pleasant mouths turned up at the corners. ∧These corners the great Master of marionettes has fixed the strings, and he holds them in imblest fingers to twitch them at the slightest jest. e mouth of a witty man

1. distinction 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. agreeable 8. the 9. 10. 11. his 12.

How to Grow Old -- Bertrand Russell 2 is hard and sour until the moment of ∧discharge.

Nor is the flash from a witty man comforting,

whereas a humorous man radiates∧general pleasure

and is like andle in the room.

I admire wit, but I have l liking for it.

It has been too often employed against me,

whereas humor is always an ally. it never

points an impertinent finger into my defects.

Humorous persons do not sit explosives on a

fuse. They are safe and easy comrades. But∧wit’s

tongue is as sharp as a donkey driver stick. It

may gallop∧faster for its prodding, yet the touch

behind is too persuasive for my comfort.

Key to Exercise V (for reference only) 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. no 18. had 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. driver’s 24. the 25. 1. The rich businessman could never forget the day when he parted from his friends and

relatives and came to Hong Kong in search of a job.

2. The couple was cheated of the joys of life by having too many children.

3. It is no use complaining; we must do something to solve the problem.

4. I never spoke to that man, still less insulted him.

5. Though peace and collaboration/cooperation have become the trend/tendency of the times,

certain western governments still cling to the hostile policies of the Cold War era.

6. My parents told me to read law on the grounds that it is more useful than literature.

7. He was suddenly cut off by a heart attack.

8. As regards its quality, our country’s primary education can well compare with that of the

United States.

5. (original)He wondered why the U.S. clung to the practices of the Cold War era.

第二篇：Unit 7 How to grow Old

English in Use

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How to Grow Old By Bertrand Russell

[Many people feel at a loss when stepping into old age, and many of them are worried about death. To face up the challenges of old age is not an easy thing. But a philosopher may look at this in a quite different way.]

1.In spite of the title, this article will really be on how not to grow old, which at my time of life, is a much more important subject. My first advice would be to choose your ancestors carefully. Although both my parents died young, I have done well in this respect as regards my other ancestors. My maternal grandfather, it is true, was cut off in the flower of his youth at the age of sixty-seven, but my other three

grandparents all lived to be over eighty. Of remoter ancestors I can only discover one who did not live to a great age, and he died of a disease which is now rare, namely, have his head cut off. A great-grandmother of mine, who was a friend of Gibbon, lived to the age of ninety-two, and to her last day remained a terror to all her

descendants. My maternal grandmother, after having nine children who survived, one who died in infancy, and many miscarriages, as soon as she became a widow devoted herself to women’s higher education. She was one of the founders of Girton College, and worked hard at opening the medical profession to women. She used to relate how she met in Italy

an elderly gentleman who was looking very sad. She inquired the cause of his melancholy and he said that he had just parted from his grandchildren. “Good

gracious,” she exclaimed, “I have seventy-two grandchildren, and if I were sad each time I parted from one of them, I should have a dismal existence!” “Madre snaturale,” he replied. But speaking as one of the seventy-two, I prefer her recipe. After the age of eighty she found she ad some difficulty in getting to sleep, so she habitually spent the hours from midnight to 3 a.m. in reading popular science. I do not believe that she ever had time to notice that she was growing old. This, I think, is the proper recipe for remaining young. If you have wide and keen interests and activities in which you can still be effective, you will have no reason to think about the merely statistical fact of the number of years you have already lived, still less of the probable brevity of your future.

2. As regards health, I have nothing useful to say since I have little experience of illness. I eat and drink whatever I like, and sleep when I cannot keep awake. I never do anything whatever on the ground that it is good for health, though in actual fact the things I like doing are mostly wholesome.

3. Psychologically there are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One of these is undue absorption in the past. It does not do to live in memories, in regrets for the good old days, or in sadness about friends who are dead. One’s thoughts must be directed to the future, and to things about which there is something to be done. This is not always easy; one’s own past is a gradually increasing weight. It is easy to think to oneself that one’s emotions used to be more vivid than they are, and one’s mind more keen. If this is true it should be forgotten, and if it is forgotten it will probably not be true.

4. The other thing to be avoided is clinging to youth in the hope of sucking vigor from its vitality. When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives, and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young, you are likely to become a burden to them, unless they are unusually callous. I do not mean that one should be without interest in them, but one’s interest should be contemplative and, if possible, philanthropic, but not unduly emotional. Animals become indifferent to their young as soon as their young can look after themselves, but human beings, owing to the length of infancy, find this difficult.

5. I think that successful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful, and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive. It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes, both because they will not believe you, and because mistakes are an essential part of education. But if you are one of those who are incapable of

impersonal interests, you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with your children and grandchildren. In that case you must realize that while you can still render them material services, such as making them an allowance or knitting them jumpers, you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.

6. Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is a justification for this feeling. Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer. But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. The best way to overcome it---so at least it seems to me---is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the

universal life. An individual human existence should be like a river---small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more

quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being. The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not suffer from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue. And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will not be unwelcome. I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do, and content in the thought that what was possible has been done.

Selected from Reading in Modern English Prose Vocabulary [Top]

maternal a. 母系的，母方的

miscarriage n. 流产

melancholy a. 忧郁，意志消沉

Good gracious! 天啊！

dismal a. 忧郁的，凄凉的

recipe n. 药方，食谱

brevity n. 短暂，简洁

undue a. 过分的，不适当的

absorption n. 专注，吸收

vitality n. 活力

callous a. 无情的，麻木不仁的

contemplative a. 深思熟虑的

philanthropic a. 慈善的

impersonal a. 淡泊的

knit n. 编织

abject a. 卑鄙的，凄惨的

ignoble a. 可耻的，不体面的

ego n. 自我（意识）

recede vi. 消失

merge v. 汇合，溶入

Discovering Language Points

1. (in) the flower of: in the best part of; the most perfect (of a group) 风华正茂，精英所在 (a) Being in the flower of their age, these young students are full of hope for the future. (b) The flower of the nation’s youth was lost in great numbers in the war.

2. devote…to…: give completely to: to set apart for 献身于，致力于

(a) He has devoted his life to helping the blind people.

(b) Several pages of the paper were devoted to an account of the election.

3. on the ground that…: with a base for argument 根据，依据

The president vetoed the bill on the ground that it harms the interests of the tax-payers.

4. cling to: to hold tightly; not to let go 依附于，依赖于，难舍难分

(a) She still clings to the belief that her son is innocent.

(b) His set shirt clung well to his body.

5. suck…from: to draw from 吸吮，吸取

She was sucking milk through a straw from a large milk bottle.

6. be born of: to be brought into existence through… 诞生，产生

The new nation was born of years of hard struggle against colonialism.

7. make an allowance for sb.: to give a certain amount of money to sb. 给...钱（接济用）

His father-in-law makes an allowance to his wife every month.

8. be cheated (out) of: to take from sb. deceitfully 受期骗

They cheated the old woman (out) of her money by making her sign a document she didn’t understand.

Topics for Discussion

1. Do you agree with the author’s views on old age and death? State your reasons.

2. What is the recipe the author has given for remaining young? Are there any other such recipes

that you can suggest?

3. In this essay, what views has the author expressed on the education of one’s children? In

particular he argues it is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes. Compare the attitude you (or your parents) adopt toward your (or their) own children in these respects. 4. What does the author compare the life of an individual to? What do you think of the comparison? Also, discuss what are the best things life has to offer.

Translation

1. Translate paragraphs 6 of the text into Chinese.

2. Translate the following passage into English.

死亡的权利

近年来，医学技术的发展，使人们有可能比过去活的时间更长。 每天都有新的药品和医疗器械得到开发，用以延长生命。然而，包括一些医生在内的某些人并不赞成这些使用权寿命延长的措施。他们争辨说，当人们希望时，他们应该享有死亡的权利。他们认为，生命的质量与生命本身同样重要。当生命的条件变得令人无法容忍时，人们不应该被迫去继续活着。他们说，人们应该被允许尊严地死去，并有权在极端条件下选择何时和如何结束自己的生命。另外一些人则反驳说，在任何情况下，生总比死要好，医生的责任，始终是尽可能地延长生命。这场争论仍在持续不休，尚无确切的结论。

Learning to Write in English

Paragraph Development by Definition

When you want to describe something in order to make its characteristics known to your readers, you often do it by writing a definition. A definition paragraph is often used at the beginning of a longer paper or book to define a new subject. It may also sometimes serve as a summary of longer essays or chapters. The following model paragraph defines the characteristics of a definition paragraph.

Model paragraph: The Definition Paragraph

A definition paragraph describes, explains or defines an unfamiliar term by relating that which is unknown to that which is already known. It makes use of the techniques of comparison, contrast, and synthesis, often in combination. More specifically, a definition paragraph may be developed by using comparison sentences that show that an unknown term is the same as or like some known term. Or it may be developed by using contrast sentences that show that an unknown term, though similar in some respects, is basically unlike some known term. Or it may be developed by bringing together the

appropriate like and unlike characteristics of two or more terms to form a new concept, or synthesis. In any case, a given definition paragraph, whether developed by comparison, contrast, or synthesis, or some combination of these, normally ends with a sentence that summarizes the distinctive features of the term being defined.

Complete the following exercises:

Now read the following paragraph which defines the term "Nomad". Pay close attention to the kind of developers used.

Nomads

Nomads are people who have no fixed homes but move regularly from place to place. Hunting peoples, such as the Bushmen, Pygmies, and Australian aborigines, move in search of larger animal

populations. Pastoral nomads, in the Middle East and Central Asia, move with the seasons to find

pasture for their animals. Other pastoral peoples, also dependent on the seasons, cultivate crops but are nomadic when their crops require no attention. Some agricultural workers, in the United States

particularly, follow a nomadic life also, migrating northward during the growing and harvesting season and returning to the warmer southern regions in the winter. ____________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________. Generally speaking, the nomads' movements are regulated by the seasons and the effects of the seasons on plant and animal life.

(1) Which of the following techniques are used in developing the above paragraph?

(A) comparison (B) contrast (C) synthesis

(2) Write an additional developer in the space provided, naming another nomadic group with which you are familiar and explaining

why they are nomadic.

(3) The techniques of comparison, contrast, and synthesis used in definition paragraphs may be observed in the table below,

which shows some of the characteristics of a book, magazine, and a newspaper. A partial list of defining characteristics is given

in the center column. This list might serve alone as a satisfactory definition through synthesis, but additional information could

be provided through comparison and contrast. For instance, a magazine is both similar to and different from newspaper. Like

qualities are indicated as + and unlike qualities are indicated as - in the chart. Study these characteristics and discuss other

qualities which could be added to the list; then write a definition paragraph, using one of the following topic sentences:

(a) A book has some of the characteristics of a magazine or newspaper, but it is different from both in several important

ways.

(b) A magazine has some of the characteristics of a book o newspaper, but it is different from both in several important

ways.

(c) A newspaper has some of the characteristics of a book or magazine, but it is different from both in several important

ways.

Topics for Composition

Write a paragraph of about 250 words in which you describe or define one of the following terms. Use the techniques of comparison, contrast, and synthesis wherever necessary. You may also refer to a dictionary or an encyclopedia or an academic publication for the basic concepts of these terms.

1. a) The central processing unit (CPU) of an electronic computer

b) Artificial intelligence (AI)

2. a) Generation gap

b) Moonlighting

3. a) Photosynthesis

b) Cosmology

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