UNITlessonfromJefferson(来自Jefferson的启示).docVIP

UNIT2- 3 Lessons from Jefferson 　　Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States, may be less famous than George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but most people remember at last one fact about him: he wrote the Declaration of Independence. 　　Although Jefferson lived more than 200 years ago, there is much that we learn from him today. Many of his ideas are especially interesting to modern youth. Here are some of the things he said and wrote: 　　Go and see. Jefferson believed that a free man obtains knowledge from many sources besides books and that personal investigation is important. When still a young man（省略了 he was）, he was appointed to a committee to find out whether the South Branch of the James River was deep enough to be used by large boats. While the other members of the committee sat in the state capitol(州议会大厦) and studied papers on the subject, Jefferson got into a canoe（独木舟） and made on-the-spot-observations. 　　You can learn from everyone. By birth and by education Jefferson belonged to the highest social class. Yet, in a day when few noble（贵族） persons ever spoke to those of humble（低下的） origins（出身卑贱的人，下等人） except to give an order发号施令）, Jefferson went out of his way to（go out of one’s way to do sth.特地地，不怕麻烦地去做某事） talk with gardeners(园丁。Garden 花园), servants, and waiters. Jefferson once said to the French nobleman, Lafayette, You must go into the peoples homes as I have done, look into（深入调查） their cooking pots and eat their bread. If you will only do this, you may find out why people are dissatisfied and understand the revolution（革命） that is threatening France. 　　Judge for（由……的观点来看） yourself. Jefferson refused to accept other peoples opinions without careful thought. Neither believe nor reject anything, he wrote to his nephew（外甥）, because any other person has rejected or believed it. （不要因为其他的任何人相信或拒绝了一些东西你就也去相信或拒绝）Heaven（上帝） has given you a mind for judging truth and error(错误). Use it. 　　Jefferson felt that the people may safely be trusted to hear