--- url: https://gaojian.site/new-concept/book-4/11-how-to-grow-old.md description: 新概念英语第四册：How to Grow Old。精读、词块回忆、双向译练、句法、逻辑与FSRS复习。 --- # 11 · 如何安度晚年 ### 第1段 Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 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. But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. The best way to overcome it—so at least it seems to me—is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. An individual human existence should be like a river—small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past boulders and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being. The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not suffer from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue. And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will be not unwelcome. I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do, and content in the thought that what was possible has been done. 中文理解：有些老年人因害怕死亡而深感压抑。年轻人有这种恐惧，倒是可以理解的。一个年轻人若有理由担心自己会战死沙场，想到生命中最美好的一切还没来得及享受就可能被夺走，心中悲愤，自然情有可原。但一个已经历过人生悲欢、完成了自己力所能及的工作的老人，若还这样惧怕死亡，就显得有些卑怯、不够坦然了。克服这种恐惧的最好办法——至少在我看来如此——是逐渐拓宽自己的兴趣，少一些只关乎个人得失的牵挂，让自我的围墙一点点退去，让自己的生命越来越融入更广阔的生命整体。一个人的生命应当像一条河：最初细小，拘束在狭窄的河岸之间，满怀激情地冲过巨石、飞下瀑布；随后河面渐宽，两岸渐远，水流也更平静，最终自然而然地汇入大海，不再独立存在，却不感到痛苦。人在老年若能这样看待生命，就不会再害怕死亡，因为他关心的事物还会延续。随着精力衰退，倦意渐浓，想到可以休息，也未必不是一种安慰。我希望离世时仍在工作，知道别人会继续我已无力完成的事业，也满足于自己已经做完能够做到的事。 * **oppressed by**：被……压得难受；此处是心理负担，不是政治压迫的唯一义项。 * **fear of death**：对死亡的恐惧；说恐惧的对象，注意of。 * **have reason to**：有理由；强调判断有依据，不只是想这样。 * **cheated of**：被剥夺了本可得到的东西；of引出失去的东西，不是被骗者。 * **joys and sorrows**：人生的欢乐与悲伤；并列复数概括多种人生经历。 * **overcome it**：克服它；overcome直接接困难对象，不加with。 * **bit by bit**：一点一点地；突出渐进过程，不要求瞬间改变。 * **becomes increasingly**：变得越来越；undefined * **merged in**：融入；文中是人生融入整体的比喻。例句使用into强调汇入的方向；in与into在这里分别呈现融合状态与进入过程。 * **within its banks**：在河岸之间；undefined * **without any visible break**：没有明显中断；undefined * **individual being**：独立的存在；undefined * **suffer from**：受……折磨；说明持续承受的问题，不仅表示生病。 * **the decay of vitality**：生命力的衰退；undefined * **carry on**：继续下去；说继续事业或活动，不是carry物品的意思。 * **no longer**：不再；保留从过去到现在的变化，不等于从来没有。 #### Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. 简单句，主谓结构. #### In the young there is a justification for this feeling. there be 句型结构. #### 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. 复合句，主句为主系表结构，但里面穿插了众多修饰成分. who…battle 为修饰 young men 的定语从句，该定语从句中，有一个不定式短语作定语，to fear…in battle，该定语中，含有一个完整的句子，可以看作是 fear 的宾语从句，我们予以细分，该宾语从句为主谓结构. 之后是一个 that they have…offer 的同位语从句，对 thought 的内容进行说明，该同位语从句为主谓宾结构，在该从句中，含有一个 that life…offer 定语从句修饰 things，该定语从句为主谓结构. 第二次世界大战于1945 年结束，1950 年代的文章中提及青年人可能死于战争非常合理. #### But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. 复合句，句首是一个定语从句 who…to do 修饰状语，该定语从句为并列结构，定语从句的前半句为主谓宾结构，and 后面省略了主语 who，然后是主谓+宾语从句结构，宾语从句为 whatever work it was in him to do. 调整语序为 it was (whatever) work \[in him] \[to do]. 主句为主系表结构. #### The best way to overcome it—so at least it seems to me—is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life. 复合句，主句为主系表结构，中间有一个插入语，转换成正常语序为 at least it seems so to me. 不定式 to make 短语作表语，不过这里面在逻辑上有主谓形式存在，make interest wider and personal，细分成补足语. until 到句末为时间状语从句，该从句为并列句，前句为主谓结构，and 后面为主系表结构. #### An individual human existence should be like a river—small at first, narrowly contained within its banks, and rushing passionately past boulders and over waterfalls. 简单句，主系表结构，后面接了很多定语. 句中热情奔放地冲过巨石，飞下瀑布即比喻人生的青春阶段. #### Gradually the river grows wider, the banks recede, the waters flow more quietly, and in the end, without any visible break, they become merged in the sea, and painlessly lose their individual being. 并列简单句，主谓结构. 逗号在这里是比较特殊的用法，属于连接一个句子中的平行成分，这里的成分由短句构成. 一般说来，逗号不能用来连接完整的两个句子，要么以分号、冒号，要么以 and 相连. 句子结构比较简单，均为主谓宾或主系表结构. 最后 and painlessly 后面省略了 they 主语. #### The man who, in old age, can see his life in this way, will not suffer from the fear of death, since the things he cares for will continue. 复合句，主句为主谓宾结构，其中有一个 who 引导的定语从句修饰 man，该定语从句为主谓宾结构. 后面有一个 since 引导的原因状语从句，为主谓结构，该从句中有一个定语从句 he cares for，为主谓结构. #### And if, with the decay of vitality, weariness increases, the thought of rest will be not unwelcome. 复合句，主句为主系表结构. 句首为 if 引导的条件状语从句，主谓结构. #### I should wish to die while still at work, knowing that others will carry on what I can no longer do, and content in the thought that what was possible has been done. 复合句，主句为虚拟语气的用法，主谓宾结构. while still at work 省略了 I am，还原为 while I am \[still] at work. while…done 整句为时间状语从句，该从句中有一个 knowing…no longer do 的原因状语，该状语成分之中含有一个 that 引导的从句作 knowing 的宾语，该宾语从句为主谓+宾语从句结构，这个宾语从句中的从句是 what 引导的宾语从句，为主谓宾结构. and 后面 content…thought 为原因状语，后面 that what…done 是同位语从句，为主谓结构，该从句中又有一个 what 引导的主语从句，为主系表结构. ## 学完这一课 描述一项担忧，并明确担忧针对什么未来情形。 [Nce · 本册复习台](/new-concept/book-4/review) · [三册选择地图](/new-concept/) *译文依据整理稿，由本站按中文表达重新校订；解析据吴应时整理资料及首轮审校稿；词伙与练习提示为本站学习设计。原PDF第47—49页，2022年2月第2版。*