研究生综合英语2第五单元.ppt

Unit Five Reflections on His Eightieth Birthday I. Warm up Activity 1. What kinds of passion do you think governed Russell’s life? Cite examples. (“Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life： the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.”) 2. Do you agree with the view that man is born to trouble? Why or why not? 3. Russell claims that “Diversity is essential in spite of the fact that it precludes universal acceptance of a single gospel.” Do you agree with him on this point? State your reasons. 4. Russell lived in pursuit of a vision, both personal and social. What kind of vision do you pursue in your life? II.Background Knowledge Bertrand Russell Bertrand Arthur William Russell （1872-1970）, British philosopher, logician, essayist, and social critic, is best known for his work in mathematical logic and analytic philosophy. His most influential contributions include his defense of logicism, and his theories of definite descriptions and logical atomism. Along with G. E. Moore, Russell is generally recognized as one of the founders of analytical philosophy. He is also usually credited with being one of the two most important logicians of the 20th century, the other being Kurt Godel. V.Text analysis 1.?The serious part of my life ever since boyhood has been devoted to two different objects which for a long time remained separate and have only in recent years united into a single whole.(L1—4) 自少年时代起，我一生中的重要时光都致力于实现两个不同的目标。长期以来，这了两个目标一直上分离的。唯近几年才合为一体。 2．I was troubled by skepticism and unwillingly forced to the conclusion that most of what passes for knowledge open to reasonable doubt.(L8—10) That :introduces an appositive clause. Open to means being willing to consider or being easily affected. 大多数被当作上知识的东西都可以合理地质疑。 4.??there was nothing more that I could do in the way of making mathematical knowledge indubitable.(L25---27) indubitable : unquestionable. 在使数学知识不容置疑这个方面，我已