当代英文散文选读 前三课翻译和答案

Answers to the Exercises
　I Questions
　A
　1. Did all Russell's ancestors live to a ripe old age?
　No, they didn't. His maternal grandfather died at 67 and one of his remoter ancestors did not die a natural death.
　2. How did his maternal grandmother keep herself occupied after she became a widow? What was her attitude towards her grandchildren?
　She did that by devoting herself to women's higher education, specifically to opening the medical profession to women.
　Her attitude towards her grandchildren was impersonal.
　3. According to the author, what is the proper recipe for remaining young?
　To have wide and keen interests and to be engaged in some related activities.
　4. What dangers does the author think one should guard against in old age?
　One is excessive absorption in the past, and the other is undue dependence on the young for getting vigour from its vitality.
　5. What attitude should be adopted towards one's grown-up children?
　Accepting the fact that they are grown-ups now and leave them to live their own lives.
　6. Why is it no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes?
　One reason is that grown-up children do not accept what their parents tell them.
　The other reason is that no one can avoid making mistakes. So we may say that everyone learns from his own mistakes.
　7. What, in the opinion of the author, is the best way for an old person to overcome the fear of death?
　The best way is to make one's interests gradually wider and more impersonal, or to make one's life increasingly merged in the universal life.
　B
　1. Do you agree with the author's views on old age and death? State your reasons.
　Yes. An active and independent old age is good way to keep young..
　2. What does the author compare the life of an individual to?
　A river.
　3. Are the author's views in this essay to be taken seriously through out?
　Not through out. The author was joking when he said that one should choose one's ancestors carefully.
　4. Comment on the sentence 'Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer.'
　The author means that the fear of death in young people may be justified because they have not tasted the best things of life.
　On the other hand, the author is suggesting that the fear of death in the old is not as acceptable - because he has known human joys and sorrows.
　We may further say that the author is urging the old to accept the fact of human life, that man has a limited lifetime. So if one has had his share of human joys and sorrows, one should be ready to accept that fact he is near the end of his life.
　II Paraphrasing
　1. If this is true it should be forgotten, and if it is forgotten it will probably not be true.
　If it is true that one's emotions used to be more vivid and one's mind used to be more keen, one should try to forget that. And if one can really forget that, who can say for certain that one is older or lower than one used to be.
　2. One's interest should be contemplative and, if possible, philanthropic, but not unduly emotional.
　One should have impersonal interests and one should not concern oneself too much with one's children and grandchildren.
　3. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful, and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive.
"this sphere" refers to "appropriate activities"
　Only in appropriate activities is long experience helpful and is the wisdom brought by experience useful - otherwise it is unbearable.
　III Topics for composition
　1. Bertrand Russell's Views on Old Age
　This composition is very much a summary of the essay.
　the proper recipe for remaining young (paragraph 1)
　two psychological dangers to be guarded against (paragraphs 3-5)
　undue absorption in the past (paragraph 3)
　clinging to the youth hoping to suck vigour (paragraph 4): the importance of impersonal interests for the old (paragraph 5)
　how to overcome the fear of death (paragraph 6)
　2. The Best Things That Life Has to offer
　This is an essay where you give your personal ideas about life.
　You may talk about love, adventure, career, travels, even music
　"What I have lived for"- an essay by Russell.