UNIT 3 TEXT
杰斐逊的遗训
布鲁斯.布利文
也许美国第三任总统托马斯. 杰斐逊不如乔治.华盛顿和亚伯拉罕.林肯那样著名，但大部分人至少能记住一件有关他的事实，即他写了《独立宣言》。
尽管杰斐逊生活的时代距今已经二百多年了，但我们今天仍能从他那里学到很多东西。他的很多思想对今天的青年一代尤其具有吸引力。以下是他曾说过和写过的言论：
亲自观察。杰斐逊认为，一个自由的人不仅能从书本上获得知识，还能从很多其他源泉获得知识，并且，个人亲自进行调查非常重要。在他年青的时候，他被任命为一个委员会的成员，负责调查詹姆斯河南端支流的水深是否可以通行大型船只，在其它委员会成员坐在州议会大厦研究有关文献的时候，杰斐逊却乘上一只独木舟到现场实地观测去了。
您能从每个人身上学到知识。论出身及所受的教育，杰斐逊均属于社会的最高阶层。那个时代，出身高贵的人除了向穷人发号施令外，很少与其说话。然而杰斐逊却想方设法找园艺工人，佣人及仆人交谈。杰斐逊有一次跟法国贵族拉斐特说：“您应象我那样到老百姓家里去，看看他们的锅里有什么，亲口尝一尝他们吃的面包。只要你这样做了，你就会明白老百姓为什么不满意，并且理解那声威协法国的革命。”
自己作出判断。杰斐逊绝不在未经认真思考的情况下授受别人的意见。“不能因为别人曾经或者相信过某件事情，你就去拒绝或者相信此事”，他在给侄儿的信中写道，“上帝赐给你一个判别正误的大脑，您应该利用它。”
杰斐逊感到人民“是完全可以信赖的，任何事情-无论真假都应该让他们听到。让他们作出正确判断。如果由我来决定，我们是应该有一个政府而不要报纸还是应该有报纸而不要政府，我将毫不犹豫地选择后者。”
做你认为对的事情。自由国家里总是会存在对立的思想，这就是力量的源泉。正是这种对立，而不是绝对的统一才使得自由得以存在。尽管杰斐逊很多年来一直是被猛烈抨击的对象，他却从未予以反击。他在给一位朋友的信中这样解释他的哲学思想：“任何问题都有两个方面。如果你选择了一面并卓有成效地干下去，那么，选择另一方面的那些人当然会怨恨你的举动。” 相信未来，相信青年。杰斐逊觉得，当今之事不应被那些毫无用处的旧习惯束缚住。“没有一种社会，”他说，“能创造出一种永恒的宪法，甚至是一项永恒的法律。这个地球属于活着的一代。”他不怕新思想，也不怕未来。“多少痛苦，”他评论道，“是由于并未发生的不幸带来的呀。我期待着最好的事物，而不是最坏的事情。我带着希望引航扬帆，把恐惧抛在身后。”
杰斐逊的勇气和理想主义是基于知识之上的。也许他的学问在他那个时代无人可以比拟。他是农学，建筑学和医学方面的专家。他在庄稼轮作和土壤保持被人们广泛认可前一世纪就已实行该技术了。他发明的一种耕犁比现存的任何一种都好。他影响了整个的美国的建筑业，并且，他还不断地制造出各种器械装置，使得日常生活里的许多工作变得更加容易操作。 杰斐逊的诸种才能中，有一种是最突出的，那就是，他首先是一位优秀的，不知疲倦的作家。目前正在首次出版的他的作品全集将超过五十集。他的写作天才很早就被人发现。当1776年在费城撰写《独立宣言》的时刻到来之时，执笔的任务便落在了他肩上。千百万人激动地读着以下豪言：“我们认为这是不言而喻的真理，即人生来平等?”。
1826年7月4日，即美国独立50周年纪念日，杰斐逊与世长辞了。他为国人留下了丰富的思想遗产及行为典范。美国的教育从托马斯. 杰斐逊那里得益甚多。在他看来，只有国民受过教育的国家才能永远自由。
Jefferson died long ago, but many of his ideas are still of great interest to us.
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 least one fact about his: he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Although Jefferson lived more than 200 years ago, there is much that we can 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, 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 and studied papers on the subject, Jefferson got into a canoe 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 persons ever spoke to those of humble origins except to give an order, Jefferson went out of his way to talk with gardeners, servants, and waiters. Jefferson once said to the French nobleman, Lafayette, \look into 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 that is threatening France.\
Judge for yourself. Jefferson refused to accept other people's opinions without careful thought. \believe nor reject anything, \wrote to his nephew, \any other person has rejected or believed it. Heaven has given you a mind for judging truth and error. Use it. \
Jefferson felt that the people \a correct judgment. Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.\
Do what you believe is right. In a free country there will always be conflicting ideas, and this is a source of strength. It is conflict and not unquestioning agreement that keeps freedom alive. Though Jefferson was for many years the object of strong criticism, he never answered his critics. He expressed his philosophy in letters to a friend, \take one side with decision and act on it with effect, those who take the other side will of course resent your actions.\
Trust the future; trust the young. Jefferson felt that the present should never be chained to customs which have lost their usefulness. \a perpetual law. The earth belongs to the living generation.\fear the future. \much pain,\he remarked, \been caused by evils which have never happened!\
Jefferson's courage and idealism were based on knowledge. He probably knew more that any other man of his age. He was an expert in agriculture, archeology, and medicine. He practiced crop rotation and soil conservation a century before these became standard practice, and he invented a plow superior to any other in existence. He influenced architecture throughout America, and he was constantly producing devices for making the tasks of ordinary life easier to perform.
Of all Jefferson's many talents, one is central, He was above all a good and tireless writer. His complete works, now being published for the first time, will fill more than fifty volumes. His
talent as an author was soon discovered, and when the time came to write the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia in 1776, the task of writing it was his, Millions have thrilled to his words: \
When Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of American independence, he left his countrymen a rich legacy of ideas and examples. American education owes a great debt to Thomas Jefferson, who believed that only a nation of educated people could remain free.
NEW WORDS
Declaration n. document containing an open public announcement 宣言
[] n.[C][U]
1. 宣布,宣告;宣言,声明 a declaration of war 宣战
2. 【律】(原告的)申诉;(证人的)陈诉,证言 3. (纳税品等的)申报
a declaration at the customs house 报关
independence n. freedom from the control of others 独立
[] n.
1. 独立;自主;自立[U][(+from)]
India gained independence from Britain in 1947. 印度于一九四七年脱离英国获得独立。
obtain vt. get through effort 获得
[] vt.
1. 得到,获得
He failed to obtain a scholarship. 他没有获得奖学金。
They obtained a loan from the government. 他们从政府那里得到一笔贷款。
source n. place from which sth, comes; place where a river starts (来源)；源头
[]
n.[C]
1. (河的)源头;水源
Do you know the source of Amazon River? 你知道亚马逊河的源头吗? 2. 根源;来源[(+of)]
They are required to publish the sources of their campaign funds. 他们必须公布自己竞选经费的来源。
3. 提供消息(或证据)者;消息(或证据)来源[P1] The news comes from a reliable source. 这消息来自一位可靠人士。 4. 出处;原始资料[P1]
The library has quantities of reference sources. 该图书馆藏有大量可供参考的原始资料。
personal a. done in person; belonging to a person 亲自的；个人的
[] a.
1. 个人的,私人的[Z]
It's all a matter of personal taste. 这纯粹是个人的兴趣问题。 2. 本人的,亲自的[Z]
The plan was drawn up under the chief engineer's personal guidance. 这一方案是在总工程师的亲自指导下制定的。 3. 涉及私事的;攻击个人的
Frank is always making personal remarks about his cousin. 弗兰克老是对他表兄弟进行人身攻击。 4. 身体的;容貌的[Z]
Our parents teach us personal tidiness. 我们的父母教育我们注意打扮整洁。
investigation n. detailed or careful examination 调查
[] n.
1. 研究;调查[C][U][(+on/of/into)]
The investigation into the accident was carried out by two policemen. 两名警察对这一事故展开调查。
investigate vt.
[vt.
]