2000 passage 3
farfetched (牵强的)即far+fetch+ed,far远的,fetch拿来,-ed形容词后缀,叫别人到很远(far)的地方去把东西
拿回来(fetch),这个要求是很“牵强的”(fartetched)。
futurist (未来派的;未来派艺术家)即futur(e)+ist,future(未来;未来的),-ist后缀。if we open a
quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future.我们如果在过去和现在之间展开争吵,就会发现
我们丧失了未来。every hour of lost time is a chance of future misfortune.失去的每一小时都构成未来不幸发生的可能。future —
something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour 未来——每个人都在以每小时60分钟的速度接近的东西。future
shock — the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too
short a time 未来的冲击——我们通过让个人在太短的时间内承受太多的变化而施加给他们的破坏性压力和定向障碍。
undergo (v.经历;承受)即under+go,“在下面走”→经历。you cannot create experience, you must undergo
it.你不能创造经验,你必须经历它。undergo a long process of tempering 经受长期的磨练。
corresponding (相应的;符合的)即cor+respond+ing,cor-共同(con-在r前的变形),respond反应(见
2003年text 2),-ing形容词后缀;动词形式为correspond(相应;符合;通信)。two delusions fostered by higher education are that
what is taught corresponds to what is learned, and that it will somehow pay off in money.高等教育造成了两种错觉,一是教的东西就
等于学到的东西,二是它总会通过某种方式以金钱回报。
interpret (v.解释;口译);interpretor(译员)←interpret+or后缀表“人”。the philosophers have only
interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it.哲学家们只是以不同的方式解释世界,而问题在于改变世界。
interpretor — someone who lies in two languages 译员——用两种语言说谎的人。
essential (必不可少的;本质的);名词形式为essence(本质;精华),记谐音“爱深思”→只有爱深思(essence)才
可能发现事物的“本质”和“精华”。as a researcher perhaps two characters are most essential, one is love for sciences, the other
is curiosity.作为研究人员有两种品质也许是最基本的:一是对科学的热爱,一是对事物的好奇心。
finite (有限的)即fin+ite,fin词根“完”(如finish→fin+ish后缀→v.n.完成),-ite形容词后缀,“有完的”→
有限的。反义词:infinite(无限的;无限的东西)←in否定前缀+finite。参define(下定义;限定),2002年text 4)。a finite number of
possibilities 有限的几种可能性。
explanatory (说明的,解释的)即ex+plan+atory,ex-前缀=out,plan即plain(元音可增减),-atory形容
词后缀,“简单明白地表达出来的”→解释的;动词形式为explain←ex+plain;名词形式为explanation←ex+plan+ation。mediocrities can
explain everything, and are surprised at nothing.庸人能够解释一切,他们对任何事都不感到意外。←mediocrity参2000年passage 2。a
little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanations.少许的含糊有时能省去大量的解释。
determine (v.决心;确定)即de+termine,de-加强前缀,termine词根“结束”(参terminal,2002年text 2),故
“使结束”→决定。the surest way not to
fail is to determine to succeed.不致失败的最可靠方法是决心成功。when it is not in our power to detemine what is true, we ought
to follow what is most probable.在无法认定何者正确之时,就应采用可能性最大的一个。
all the same 仍然;at will 随意。
2000 passage 4
postwar (战后)←post前缀“在后”+war;
prewar (战前)←pre前缀“在前”+war。postwar architecture — the accountants' revenge on the prewar
businessmen's dreams 战后的建筑——会计师们对战前商人们的梦想的报复。
harmony (和谐,融洽)可看作har+mony,har谐音“哈”,mony即money,于是“哈!money!”→有钱很多事情都会变得
“和谐”与“融洽”。no family harmony, no social stability.没有家庭的和睦,就没有社会的稳定。
sacrifice (v.n.牺牲;奉献)可看作sa+cri+fice,sa谐音似“杀”,cri看作cry(元音替换),fice看作face(
元音替换),于是“因马上要被杀(sa)而泪留(cri)满面(fice)的东西”→牺牲。good manners are made up of petty sacrifices.得体的僦褂尚
矶嘞感〉奈钩伞henever you have an aim you must sacrifice something of freedom to attain it.无论何时,只要有目标,你就要牺
牲一定的自由以达到它。
counterpart (相似或对应的人或物)即counter+part,counter-前缀“对等”,part部分,“对等的部分”。
personality (人格;个性)←person+ality名词后缀。personality is to man what perfume is to a
flower.个性之于人一如香气之于花。personality — everything that's false in a human, everything that's been added on to him and
contrived 个性——人类身上所有虚假的东西,所有强加在他身上的不自然的东西。
assault (v.n.攻击)即as+sault,as前缀=to,sault沪方言“烧掉”之谐音,于是“去把敌人的东西烧掉”→“火攻”→
攻击。against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.没有东西能抵挡笑声的进攻。
conservative (保守的;保守主义者)即con+serv(e)+ative,con-前缀“全部”,serve词根“保持”(=keep
),-ative后缀;参conservation(2002年text 3)。when a nation's young men are conservative, its funeral bell is already rung.当
一个国家的青年因循守旧,这个国家的丧钟即已敲响。conservative — ①someone who wants to keep what he already had lost ②a man who
wants the rules changed so that no one can make a pile the way he did ③someone who believes that nothing should be done for the
first time 守旧者——①试图保留已经失去的东西的人 ②希望改变一下规矩,使任何人都不能再像他那样赚钱的人 ③相信什么事都不应当有第
一次的人。
authorities (当局,官方);原形为authority(权力;权威;权威者)←author作者+ity名词后缀。all
authority belongs to the people.一切权力属于人民。authority is not truth, but truth possesses the authority.权威不是真理,但真理
拥有权威。authority — a high hat under which every donkey can hide his ears 权力——一顶高帽子,驴子戴上它也能遮住耳朵。
endure (v.忍受;持续)即en+dure,en-前缀“使”,dure词根“持续”(如durable→持久的)。we have all
sufficient strength to endure the misfortunes of others.我们具有极其充足的力量来忍受他人的不幸。colors fade, temples crumble,
empires fall, but wise words endure.色彩会消退,庙宇会坍塌,帝国会崩溃,但智慧的话永存。
isolate (v.隔离,孤立)←isol+ate,isol即isle“小岛”(元音可增减替换),-ate动词后缀,使像小岛一样被“
孤立”。the word, even the most contradictions word, preserves contact — it is silence which isolates.话语,甚至最矛盾的话语也
维持着人们的联系——是沉默使人们隔离。
generation (产生;一代人)←generat(e)+ion,generate(v.产生),-ion名词后缀。each generation
imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.每代人都想象
自己比前一代聪明,也比后一代明智。
commute (v.乘公交车上下班,乘车船往返于两地)即com+mute,com-前缀“一起”,mute词根“交换”,于是“一直在
两地间交换位置”→乘车往返上下班。参mutually,2003年text 1。
divorce (v.n.离婚;分离)与diverse(多种多样的;不同的)一起记,“离婚”后双方就成为“不同的”人。friendship
is the marriage of the soul, and this marriage is liable to divorce.友谊是心灵的结合,这种结合是易于解体的。divorce — ①a
tragedy that after a while feels suspiciously like relief ②the best way to replace the first mistake by a second 离婚——①一场
悲剧,片刻之后又似乎觉得像是一种解脱 ②用第二次错误代替第一次错误的最佳方法。
cultivation (耕作;培养)←cultivat(e)+tion,cultivate(v.耕作;培养),-tion名词后缀。to
cultivate oneself in disposition is not for the others, but for strengthening his own capacity in life.修养性情不是为了他人,而
是为了加强自己的生活能力。
tolerant (宽容的)←toler+ant。the public is wonderfully tolerant — it forgives everything except
genius.公众宽容得惊人——他们宽恕一切,除了天才。
2000 passage 5
ambition (雄心,野心)看作am+bit+ion,am是,bit一点,-ion名词后缀,考研的人都是(am)有一点点(bit)野心
(ambition),谐音“俺必胜”!
形容词形式为ambitious ←ambit+ious形容词后缀。all ambitions are lawful except those which climb upward on
the miseries or credulities of mankind.野心是合法的,不过利用人们的痛苦或轻信者除外。ambition — ①the noble name one gives to
his money problems ②the immemorial weakness of the strong 志向——①给经济困难取的高雅名字 ②坚强者的永久性虚弱。
destiny (命运)看作de+s+tiny,de-否定前缀,s谐音“是”,tiny微小的,命运(destiny)不(de)是(s)小事情(tiny)。
a tyrant's authority for crime, and a fool's excuse for failure.命运:暴君作恶的理由,傻瓜失败的借口。destiny — statistics by
another name 命运——统计学的代名词。
vitality (生命力)即vit(a)+al+ity,vita词根“生命”(如vitamin←vita+min,原义为“维持生命的胺类物质”
,即“维生素”),-al形容词后缀,-ity名词后缀。vitality — the pursuit of life 活力——对生命的追求。
hypocritical (伪善的)看作hypo+critical,hypo-前缀“在……之下、次于”(如hypothesis→
hypo+thesis论点→次于论点地位的→n.假设),critical批评的,“在批评之下的”→伪善的;
名词形式为hypocrisy (虚伪,伪善)。hypocrisy — ①the lubricant of society ②the most difficult and
nerve-racking vice that any man can pursue; it needs an unceasing vigilance and a rare detachment of spirit 伪善——①社会的润滑
剂 ②人们所能学到的最困难、最刺激的恶习;它需要不懈的警惕性和精神的高度超脱。
escape (v.n.逃跑;避免)看作es+cap+e,es-(=ex-),cap帽子,“从帽子里出去”→“金蝉脱壳”→逃跑。investing
the future has been man's favourite game of escape.虚构未来一向是人类最喜爱的逃避把戏。many have been ruined by their fortunes,
and many have escaped ruin by the want of fortune.有许多人毁于幸运,还有许多人由于缺乏幸运而免于毁灭。
confess (v.供认;坦白;忏悔)即con+fess,con-一起,fess词根“说”,“把知道的全都说了”。
同根词:profess (v.声称;教授)←pro向前+fess说,“走到前面对大家说”。i'm not ashamed to confess that i'm
ignorant of what i don't know.我不耻于承认对自己不懂的事情的无知。
pushing (有进取心的;急功近利的)←push推+ing形容词后缀。
acquisitive (渴望获得的;贪得无厌的)即acquisit+ive,acquisit为acquire(v.获得)之变形,-ive形容词后缀
。参acquisition,2001年passage 4。in an acquisitive society the form that selfishness predominantly takes is monetary greed.在一
个贪婪的社会里,贪财是自私自利的突出表现形式。
vulgar (粗俗的)谐音“浮哥”,“轻浮的哥哥”→粗俗的;名词为vulgarity(粗俗;粗俗的行为)←vulgar+ity名
词后缀。prejudices are what rule the vulgar crowd.支配庸人们的是偏见。vulgarity — the garlic in the salad of taste 粗俗——味觉
色拉里的大蒜。
spectacle (场面;奇观)即spect+acle,spect词根“看”,-acle表“物”。同根词:spectator(观众,旁观者)
←spect+ator后缀表“人”。life is not a spectacle or a feast; it is a predicament.生活并非奇观,亦非盛宴,它是一种困境。
participatory (供分享的)即parti+cip+atory,parti(=part),cip(=cap)抓,-atory形容词后缀,“
抓取其中一部分”→供分享的。参participation,2001年passage 1。
democracy (民主;民主制;民主国家)←demo+cracy,demo-人民,cracy统治,“由人民统治的”;也可把demo看
作“演示”(如很多演示版软件就叫demo),尚处于演示(demo)阶段的统治(cracy)手段→民主(democracy)。另可记:autocracy(独裁统治;专
制国家)←auto自己+cracy;autonomy(自治)←auto+nom+y。democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for
the people.民主不过是意味着为了人民而由人民来强制人民。democracy — ①the worst form of government except all the others that
have been tried ②hypocrisy without limitation ③a process by which the people are free to choose the man who will get the blame
④the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time 民主——①除所有尝试过的形式以
外最坏的管理形式 ②无限制的虚伪 ③人们自由选择该责备谁的过程 ④一个反复出现的疑问:大多数情况下大多数人都是正确的吗。
enroll (v.招收;入学;入伍)即en+roll,en-使,roll名册,“使登记入册”。i like your institute but i do not
want to enroll.我喜欢你们学院,但我不想报名去那里。
impulse (v.n.推动;冲动)看作im+pulse,im-加强前缀,pulse脉搏。there is one thing better than crushing
impulse, it is using impulse.有一件事比压制冲动更可取,即利用冲动。
stir (v.搅动;激动;鼓动)与star(明星)只一元音字母之差,联想:star有stir的作用。make no little plans: they have
no magic to stir men's blood.不要作小计划,它们没有激动热血的魔力。
earnest (热心的,诚挚的)看作earn+est,earn赚钱,est即最高级,“很多很多人非常非常热衷于赚钱”。an earnest
desire to succeed is almost always prognostic of success.对成功的热切愿望几乎总是成功的预兆。
contemptible (卑劣的)即contempt+ible,contempt蔑视,-ible可……的。
at an end 完结;get on in life 出人头地。