发布时间 : 星期四 文章大学英语Book2 Unit 2更新完毕开始阅读27c0363276eeaeaad0f3301a
Meaning: Ever since ancient times, people have thought carefully and seriously why the mysterious forces coming from their inner world could be so powerful that it could make some people great while others morally deteriorate.
speculate; v. consider or discuss why sth. has happened 思索；沉思；推测；猜测 Archeologists speculate that people first reached the island over 1,000 years ago. 考古学家们推测人类第一次到达这些岛屿是在一千多年前。
Speculate about / on: make guesses about the possible causes or effects of sth. without knowing all the facts or details 猜测；推测
It is too early to speculate about the outcome of the negotiations between the workers union and the company’s leadership. 要推测工会和公司管理层之间的谈判结果，还为时过早。
mystery; n. [c, usu. sing. ] sth. That you are not able to understand, explain, or get information about 不可思议的事物；无法解释的事物；谜
No one had ever been able to explain the mystery of the Burmuda Triangle. 从来没有人能够解释百慕大三角之谜。
destruction; n. [U] damage that is so severe that sth. stops existing or can never return to its normal state 毁灭；摧毁；破坏
The destruction caused by too many wars and the death of millions of people shook the foundation of Western idealism. 太多的战争所造成的破坏和数以百万计人的死亡动摇了西方理想主义的基础。
12 This inner drive has been called many things over the centuries. (para.4)
Meaning: Over the past centuries, many different names have been used to describe this inner force of human beings.
13The famous psychologist, Sigmund Freud, called it the “unconscious mind” or,
more familiarly, “instinct”. (para.4)
Meaning: Sigmund Freud, a famous psychologist, named it the unintentional mind or, more familiarly to us, natural ability to know something.
unconscious: a. relating to or coming from the part of your mind in which there are thoughts and feelings that you do not realize you have 潜意识的；下意识的；无意识的
I don’t know if he noticed my unconscious desire. 我不知道他是否注意到我潜意识的愿望。
14From the beginning of time, this inner aspect of our being, this drive that can be
constructive or destructive, has captured our imagination. (para.5)
Meaning：Since ancient times, it is this very inner force of our being, either constructive or destructive, that has stimulated our imagination.
destructive: a. causing severe damage or harm 破坏性的；毁灭性的
Lack of trust is very destructive in a relationship. 缺乏信任在人际关系中是很具有破坏性的。
15The stories of this amazing struggle have formed the basis of cultures the world
over. (Para .5)
Meaning: It is these stories about this fascinating inner struggle of human beings that have laid the foundation of the world cultures.
16Historians, architects, authors, philosophers and artists have captured the words,
images and meanings of this inner struggle in the form of story, music, myth, painting, architecture, sculpture, landscape and traditions. (Para. 5)
Meaning: Our historians, architects, authors, philosophers and artists have successfully caught the words, images and meanings of this mysterious inner force by way of story, music, myth, painting, architecture, sculpture, landscape and traditions. architect: n. [C] sb. whose job is to design buildings 建筑师
He is the architect of this building, and he’s always on the construction site. 他是这个大楼的建筑师，他总出现在施工现场。 philosophers：n. [C]
1) a photograph or painting showing an area of countryside or land 风景照；风景画 Adams is well-known for his landscapes of Yosemite National Park. 亚当斯以他所作的优胜美地国家公园风景画而闻名。
2) an area of land that is beautiful to look at or has a particular type of appearance(陆上的)风景，景致，景色
The landscape is dotted with the tents of campers. 露营者的帐篷点缀了风景。
17These men and women developed artistic“languages”that help us understand
these aspirations and also educate generations.(Para. 5)
Meaning: The artistic works and masterpieces created by these men and women help us understand the strong desires and beautiful dreams of human beings and also help educate future generations.
Meaning beyond words: “languages”is in the quotation marks because the word doesn’t just refer to the regular meaning but to all the things mentioned earlier: story, music, myth, painting, architecture, sculpture, landscape and traditions.
18 This fertile body of work from ancient times, the very foundation of civilization,
forms the basis of study of the humanities. (Para. 5)
Meaning: The large amount of work filled with rich ideas and imagination from ancient times—the fundamental components of civilization—provides the basis of the study of the humanities. fertile: a.
1) able to produce good ideas or results 富有成果的；有想象力的 A poet must have a fertile imagination. 诗人必须有丰富的想象力。 2) able to produce good crops or plants(土地)肥沃的，富饶的
Fertile soil helps Canada rank among the world’s leading wheat producers. 肥沃的土壤帮助加拿大跻身世界主要小麦生产国。
a /the body of sth.: a large amount or mass of sth., esp. sth. that has been collected大量的某物
Acquiring a language is learning a skill, not collecting a body of information. 学语言
是学习技能，而不是获取大量的信息。
19 Studying the humanities improves our ability to read and write. No matter what
we do in life, we will have a huge advantage if we can read complex ideas and understand their meaning. We will have a bright career if we are the person in the office who can write a clear and elegant analysis of those ideas! (Para. 6)
Meaning: Studying the humanities helps us improve our reading and writing ability. In whatever situation, it is a great advantage if we understand complex ideas through reading. To illustrate, if we are the person in the office who can write and analyze those complex ideas in a logical, clear, intelligent yet simple manner, we will have a promising career. elegant: a.
1) very intelligent yet simple(想法或计划)巧妙的，简洁的
The document impressed me with its elegant simplicity. 该文件给我留下了精辟简明的深刻印象。
2) beautiful, attractive and graceful 优美的；高雅的
Patricia looked beautiful and elegant as always. 帕特里夏看上去总是那么美丽优雅。
analysis: n. [C, U] a process of studying or examining sth. in detail in order to understand it or explain it 分析
I am interested in Clare’s analysis of the situation in China. 我对克莱尔对中国形势的分析很感兴趣。
Sentence structure NOTE
no matter 常与疑问代词或疑问副词一起构成连词词组引导让步状语从句，意为 “不管…,无论…”,在使用时应注意以下几点：
1注意从句的时态
由no matter 引导的从句多用一般现在时。例如：
No matter who you are, you must obey the rules. 无论你是谁，都应该遵守规则。 Our aim is to recruit the best person for the job, no matter where they are from. 我们的目标是招聘到该工作的最佳人选，不管他们来自哪里。
2注意被修饰的名词、形容词以及副词的位置
No matter what/whose/which修饰名词时，该名词必须紧跟其后；no matter how修饰形容词或副词时，该形容词或副词也必须紧跟其后。例如：
No matter which method you use, you will get the same result. 不管你用哪种方法做，结果都一样。
No matter how hard he works, he finds it difficult to make ends meet. 无论他工作多么努力，他总是入不敷出。
20 Studying the humanities makes us familiar with the language of emotion and the
creative process. (Para. 7)
Meaning: We get more familiar with the expressions of emotion and the process of
creation by studying the humanities.
21 In an information economy, many people have the ability to produce a useful
product such as a new MP3 player. (Para. 7)
Meaning: In an economy driven by information, many people are capable of producing a useful commodity like a new MP3 player.
22Yet, very few people have the ability to create a spectacular brand: the iPod.
(Para. 7)
Meaning: But very few people have the ability to create an extremely impressive product name such as the iPod.
spectacular: a. extremely impressive 引人入胜的；非常壮观的 There was a spectacular sunset last night. 昨晚的日落极其壮观。
brand: n. [C] a product or group of products that has its own name and is made by one particular company 品牌；商标
The Beatles are probably one of the most spectacular brands of musicians in the world. 披头士可能是全世界音乐界里最吸引人的品牌之一了。
23Most importantly, studying the humanities invests us with great insight and
self-awareness, thereby releasing our creative energy and talent in a positive and constructive mannet. (Para. 7)
Meaning: The most important advantage for us to study the humanities is that it enables us to become more analytical and self-aware; therefore, our creativeness and talent are brought out in a positive and constructive way.
invest: v. use your money with the aim of making a profit from it 投资
He invested all our profits in gold shares. 他把我们所有的利润都投资进了黄金股。 invest sb. / sth. with sth. : (fml.) give sb. or sth. a particular quality 赋予（某人或某物）以（某种性质）
Nature has invested these animals with a capacity for not showing fear. 自然界赋予了这些动物不显露恐惧的本领。 insight: n.
1) [U] the ability to notice and understand a lot about people or situations 洞察力；领悟力
It was an interesting book, full of fascinating insight into human nature. 这是一本有趣的书，充满了对人性绝妙的洞察力。
2) [C, U] a sudden clear understanding of sth. ,esp. sth. complicated 顿悟；洞悉；见解
Her research has given us some insight into what sparks a teenager’s curiosity. 她的研究使我们顿悟到什么会引起青少年的好奇心。
thereby：ad. (fml.) because of or by means of what has just been mentioned 因此；从而；借此
We started our journey early, thereby avoiding most of the traffic. 我们早早地开始了我们的旅程，从而避开了交通堵塞的高峰期。
24 Perhaps the best argument in favor of the humanities is the scope of possibilities