Unit 9 How to Avoid Foolish Ideas.docVIP

English in Use 当前位置: 主页/ 网上教室/ 返回 English in Use ?? Unit 9 ????How to Avoid Foolish Ideas ??? By Bertrand Russell ???? About the author Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a British philosopher and mathematician, who combined scholarship with literacy skill and had a rare talent for popularization both in writing and as a broadcaster. On politics and education he held unorthodox opinion. In 1918 he was jailed for pacifism. Undeterred by age, he was active in nuclear disarmament demonstrations, which led to another spell in prison. He was unquestionably one of the most influential thinkers in the world of the 20th century. ???? Text????? Vocabulary????? Language Points????? Discussion????? Translation? Writing ? ??? 1. To avoid the various foolish opinions to which mankind is prone, no superhuman genius is required. A few simple rules will keep you, not from all errors, but from silly errors. 　 ??? 2. If the matter is one that can be settled by observation, make the observation yourself. Aristotle could have avoided the mistake of thinking that women have fewer teeth than men, by the simple device of asking Mrs. Aristotle to keep her mouth open while he counted. He did not do so because he thought he knew. Thinking that you know when in fact you dont is a fatal mistake, to which we are all prone. I believe myself that hedgehogs eat black beetles, because I have been told that they do; but if I were writing a book on the habits of hedgehogs, I should not commit myself until I had seen one enjoying this unappetizing diet. Aristotle, however, was less cautious. Ancient and medieval authors knew all about unicorns and salamanders; not? one of them thought it necessary to avoid dogmatic statements about them because he? had never seen one of them. 　 ??? 3. Many matters, however, are less easily brought to the test of experience. If, like most of mankind, you have passionate convictions on many such matters, there are ways in which you can make yourself aware