The Historical Background-3
The other incidents of this Athenian period are still more problematical.?
Some biographers tell us that Aristotle founded a school of oratory to rival Isocrates;?
oratory，演說(shuō)
and that he had among his pupils in this school the wealthy Hermias, who was soon to become autocrat of the city-state of Atarneus.?
autocrat，獨(dú)裁者
Afterreaching this elevation Hermias invited Aristotle to his court;?
and in the year 344 B.C. he rewarded his teacher for past favors by bestowing upon him a sister (or a niece) in marriage.?
One might suspect this as a Greek gift;?
but the historians hasten to assure us that Aristotle, despite his genius, lived happily enough with his wife, and spoke of her most affectionately in his will.?
will，遺囑
It was just a year later that Philip, King of Macedon, called Aristotle to the court at Pella to undertake the education of Alexander.?
It bespeaks the rising repute of our philosopher that the greatest monarch of the time, looking about for the greatest teacher, should single out Aristotle to be the tutor of the future master of the world.
bespeak，不言自明
Philip was determined that his son should have every educational advantage, for he had made for him illimitable designs.?
illimitable，無(wú)可限定的
His conquest of Thrace in 356 B.C. had given him command of gold mines which at once began to yield him precious metal to ten times the amount then coming to Athens from the failing silver of Laurium;?
his people were vigorous peasants and warriors, as yet unspoiled by city luxury and vice:?
here was the combination that would make possible the subjugation of a hundred petty city-states and the political unification of Greece.?
Philip had no sympathy with the individualism that had fostered the art and intellect of Greece but had at the same time disintegrated her social order;?
in all these little capitals he saw not the exhilarating culture and the unsurpassable art, but the commercial corruption and the political chaos:?
he saw insatiable merchants and bankers absorbing the vital resources of the nation, incompetent politicians and clever orators misleading a busy populace into disastrous plots and wars, factions cleaving classes and classes congealing into castes:?
this, said Philip, was not a nation but only a welter of individuals—geniuses and slaves;?
he would bring the hand of order down upon this turmoil, and make all Greece stand up united and strong as the political center and basis of the world.?
In his youth in Thebes he had learned the arts of military strategy and civil organization under the noble Epaminondas;?
and now, with courage as boundless as his ambition, he bettered the instruction.
▍語(yǔ)言點(diǎn)
oratory: n. 雄辯；演講術(shù)
Isocrates: 伊蘇克拉底，雅典愛(ài)國(guó)演說(shuō)家
autocrat: n. 獨(dú)裁者
elevation: n. 提升
bestow upon: 賜予；贈(zèng)與
hasten: vi. 著急
affectionately: adv. 深情地；熱情地
It bespeaks ... : 不言自明；不言而喻
monarch: n. 君王
illimitable: adj. 無(wú)法限制的
conquest: n. 征服
vice: n. 罪惡
subjugation: n. 臣服
foster: vt. bring up，撫養(yǎng)
exhilarating: adj. 令人振奮的
insatiable: adj. 難以滿足的；貪得無(wú)厭的
cleave: vt. 劈開(kāi)
congeal: vi. 凝結(jié)；凝固
caste: n. 印度社會(huì)中的種姓制度
welter: n. 大雜燴
turmoil: n. 混亂；騷動(dòng)
better: vt. improve，提升
生詞好句
oratory?n. 雄辯；演講術(shù)
Isocrates?伊蘇克拉底，雅典愛(ài)國(guó)演說(shuō)家
autocrat?n. 獨(dú)裁者
elevation?n. 提升
bestowing upon?bestow upon: 賜予；贈(zèng)與
hasten?vi. 著急
affectionately?adv. 深情地；熱情地
It bespeaks?It bespeaks ... : 不言自明；不言而喻
monarch?n. 君王
illimitable?adj. 無(wú)法限制的
conquest?n. 征服
vice?n. 罪惡
subjugation?n. 臣服
fostered?foster: vt. bring up，撫養(yǎng)
exhilarating?adj. 令人振奮的
insatiable?adj. 難以滿足的；貪得無(wú)厭的
cleaving?vt. 劈開(kāi)
congealing?vi. 凝結(jié)；凝固
castes?caste: n. 印度社會(huì)中的種姓制度
welter?n. 大雜燴
turmoil?n. 混亂；騷動(dòng)
bettered?better: vt. improve，提升
