Unit 2
The humanities: Out of date? many students calculate they
1 When the going gets tough, the tough take accounting. When the job market worsens,
can't major in English or history. They
have to study
something that boosts their prospects of landing a job. 2 The data show that as students
have increasingly
shouldered the ever-rising
cost of
tuition, they have defected from the study of the humanities and toward applied science and \ is more and more seen as
a means for economic betterment
human betterment. This is a trend that is likely to persist and even accelerate. 3 Over the next few years, as labor markets struggle, continue their
long slide in succession. There
rather than a means
for
the humanities will probably
already has been a nearly 50 percent
and it is logical to
decline in the portion of liberal arts majors over the past generation, university
life, the humanities
now play little roles when students
think that the trend is bound to continue or even accelerate. Once the dominant pillars of tours. These days, labs are more vivid and compelling than libraries.
take their
college
4 Here, please allow me to stand up for and promote the true value that the humanities
add to people's lives. Since ancient times, people have speculated about the mystery of inner drive has been called psychologist, Sigmund \
those inner forces that drive some people to greatness and others to self-destruction. This
many
things
over
the
centuries. The
famous familiarly,
Freud,
called it the \
mind\ or, more
5 From the beginning constructive
of time, this inner aspect of our being,
has captured our
this drive that can be
or destructive, imagination. The stories of this amazing
struggle have formed the basis of cultures the world over. Historians, architects, authors, philosophers and
struggle in the form of story, music, myth, painting, architecture, sculpture, landscape and traditions. These men and women developed artistic \ these aspirations and also educate generations. This fertile body
artists have captured the words, images and meanings of this inner
of work from ancient
times, the very foundation of civilization, forms the basis of study of the humanities.
6 Studying the humanities improves our ability to read and write. No matter what we do in life, we will have a huge advantage if we can read complex ideas and understand their clear and elegant analysis of those ideas! 7 Studying the humanities
meaning. We will have a bright career if we are the person in the office who can write a
makes us familiar with the language of emotion and the
creative process. In an information economy, many people have the ability to produce a spectacular brand:
useful product such as a new MP3 player. Yet, very few people have the ability to create a
the iPod. Most importantly, studying the humanities invests us self-awareness, there by releasing our creative
with
great insight and energy and talent in a
positive and constructive manner.
8 Perhaps the best argument in favor of the humanities is the scope of possibilities that are widely open to us. Did you know that James Cameron, world-famous director of the movie, Titanic , graduated with a degree in the humanities? So Damon. Dr. Harold
did Sally Ride, the first
woman in space. So did actors Bruce Lee, Gwyneth Paltrow, Renee Zellweger and Matt
Varmus,
who
won a
Nobel Prize
for Medicine,
humanities. Even Michael to see that
the humanities
Eisner, Chairman of the Disney Company, majored
studied the
in the
humanities. Famous people who studied the humanities make a long list indeed. It's easy
can prepare us for many different careers
business, science or entertainment. If
can undertake,
whether medicine,
and jobs we we are
we study only
mathematics, it's likely we will include studying the 9 Of
be a candidate only for jobs as a mathematician. If
humanities, we can make breakthroughs on many barriers and
limited only by our effort and imagination.
course, nowadays, if we study the humanities alone, we are liable to
to help meet the needs of modern
and inner insight is seen
life. In fact, increasingly
miss many
opportunities. Each one of us needs to become as technically and professionally skilled as possible
technical knowledge
a pairing of
a
as the ideal in the establishment of
career. If I were the Dean of Admissions at a medical school and two people applied to our school, both having the required basic scientific courses, one a philosophy major and the other solely a pre-med student, the philosophy applicant would be chosen. understanding
of the passions,
hopes and dreams
useful and
common
to all
10 In summary, the humanities help to create well-rounded human beings with insight and humanities, the ancient timeless reservoir of knowledge, teach us to see things differently and broaden our horizons. They are as have
humanities,
humanity. The
relevant in our modern age as they of the
always been. Doesn't it make sense to spend some time in the company
our outstanding and
remarkable treasure of knowledge? Who
knows how
famous YOU might become!
Translation
人文学科：过时了吗？
1 当形势变得困难时，强者会去选学会计。
当就业市场恶化时，许多学生估算着他们不能
再主修英语或历史。他们得学一些能改善他们就业前景的东西。
2 数据显示，随着学生肩负的学费不断增加，他们已从学习人文学科转向他们相信有益于 将来就业的应用科学和 “硬 ”技能。 换言之， 大学教育越来越被看成是改善经济而不是提升人类自身的手段。 这种趋势可能会持续，甚至有加快之势。
3 在未来几年内，由于劳动力市场的不景气，人文学科可能会继续其长期低迷的态势。 上一代大学生中，主修文科的学生数跌幅已近
50% 。这种趋势会持续、甚至加速的想法是
合情合理的。 人文学科曾是大学生活的重要支柱，而今在学生们的大学游中却只是一个小 点缀。现在，实验室要比图书馆更栩栩如生、受人青睐。
在
4 在这儿，请允许我为人文学科给人们的生活所增添的真实价值进行支持和宣传。 来，人们一直在思索人类自身具有什么神奇的内力使一些人变得崇高伟大， 向自我毁灭。 几个世纪以来，这股内力被称作很多东西。 德称之为 “潜意识 ”，或更为人熟知的 “本能 ”。 些惊人的、充满内心挣扎的故事形成了世界文化的基础。
自古以
而使另一些人走
·弗洛伊
著名的心理学家西格蒙德
5 从一开始， 人类这股可以是建设性也可以是毁灭性的内在驱动力， 就令我们心驰神往。 这
历史学家、建筑师、作家、哲学
家和艺术家们以故事、音乐、神话、绘画、建筑、雕刻、风景画和传统的形式，捕捉到了这 解人类的这些强烈愿望，并用以教育一代又一代人。 作品，正是文明的底蕴，它奠定了人文研究的基础。 6 学习人文学科会提高我们的阅读和写作能力。
些撞击心灵的文字、 形象及内涵。 这些男男女女创造出了具有艺术性的 “语言 ”，帮助我们了
从古时起开始的这些充满想象的大量
无论我们这一生中从事什么职业，如果我
们能读懂复杂的思想并理解它们的内涵，我们都会受益匪浅。 如果我们是在办公室里能对
这些思想写出既明确又简洁的分析的人，我们会有光明的职业前景。 7 学习人文学科会让我们熟悉表达情感的语言及进行创造的过程。 都有能力创造出一个如新的
MP3 播放器那样的有用产品。
造出一个如 iPod 那样的精彩品牌。
在信息经济中，很多人
然而，仅有很少的人具有能力创
最重要的是， 学习人文学科使我们具有伟大的洞察力和
自我意识，从而以积极和建设性的方式来发挥我们的创造力和才艺。 名的电影《泰坦尼克号》的导演詹姆斯
8 也许，支持人文学科的最好论点是，人文学科为我们提供了广阔的机会。 的女宇航员萨利 ·赖德拿的也是人文学科的学位。 科。 甚至迪士尼公司的总裁迈克尔 可以列出一长串。 商务、科学或娱乐。
你知道世界闻
·卡梅隆拿的是人文学科的学位吗？第一个登上太空
还有电影演员李小龙、格温妮丝·帕特洛、
·瓦慕斯博士也学过人文学 学习人文学科的有名人士确实
蕾妮 ·齐薇格及马特 ·达蒙，也都如此。 获诺贝尔医学奖的哈罗德
·艾斯纳也主修人文学科。
显而易见，人文学能为我们从事许多不同的职业做准备，不管是医学、
如果我们仅学习数学，我们很可能只能申请数学家之类的工作。
如果
我们还学了人文学科，那我们就能突破许多障碍，只要我们愿意付出努力，敢于想象。 9 当然，在当下，如果我们单学人文学科，可能会失去很多机会。 能变得技能化、职业化，以满足现代生活的需要。 越来越被看成是建立职业生涯的理想搭配。 预科生，我会选择那位哲学专业的申请者。 10 总之，人文学科帮助造就全面发展的人， 物，同时也拓宽我们的视野。 相伴，这难道不是明智的吗？
我们每个人都需要尽可
事实上，技术知识和内在洞察力的结合
一个主修哲学， 另一个仅是医学院的
如果我是某个医学院的招生部主任，有两个人
同时申请我们学校， 这两个人都学过基础的科学课程，
这些人具有洞察力， 并理解全人类共有的激情、
希望和理想。 人文学科，这个古老、永恒的知识储蓄库，教我们如何以不同的方式看待事
在现代社会中，人文学科一如既往地同生活息息相关，也发
—— 我们杰出、非凡的知识宝藏
挥着重要作用。 我们在学习中花一些时间与人文学科
——
谁知道你将来会变得多有名气呢！