Lesson22-2? Knowledge and progress 知識(shí)和進(jìn)步

Then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic plan. The trickle became a stream; the stream has now become a torrent. Moreover, as soon as new knowledge is acquired, it is now? turned? to?practical? account． What? is?called‘ modern? civilization’ is? not the result? of a balanced?development? of all man's nature, but of accumulated knowledge applied to practical life. The problem now facing humanity is: What is going to be done with all this knowledge? As is so often pointed out, knowledge is a two-edged weapon which can be used equally for good or evil. It is now being used indifferently for both. Could any spectacle, for instance, be more grimly whimsical than that of gunners using science to shatter men's bodies while, close at hand, surgeons use it to restore them? We have to ask ourselves very seriously what will happen if this twofold use of knowledge, with its ever-increasing power, continues.

systematic?/?s?st??m?t?k/??系統(tǒng)的;有條理的

trickle?/?tr?kl/??涓流;細(xì)流;涓涓細(xì)流

torrent?/?t??r?nt/?洪流;激流;急流

turn ... to account? ?利用。。。。

humanity?/hju??m?n?ti/??人類;

indifferently??漠不關(guān)心;冷淡地;無(wú)動(dòng)于衷地,不在乎地

spectacle?/?spekt?kl/??壯觀的景象;壯觀的場(chǎng)面;精彩的表演;出人意外的情況;

grimly?/ɡr?m/??嚴(yán)峻的;嚴(yán)肅的;陰森的;

whimsical?/?w?mz?kl/??異想天開的;想入非非的;滑稽可笑的;

gunner?/?ɡ?n?r/??炮手;炮兵;

shatter?/???t?r/??粉碎;(使)破碎;被破壞; 毀壞

close at hand?在附近;在近旁

surgeon?/?s??rd??n/?外科醫(yī)生

twofold?/?tu?fo?ld/??雙重的;兩倍的;