笔译期末复习资料
Unit 4 conversion转换法
1.I have no intension of wearying you with this matter.
2.It was only my capacity for hard work that saved me from early dismissal.
3.The two leaders had a serious and frank exchange of views on Sino-U.S.
relations and world affairs.
4.The basilica is a conglomeration of contrary styles and periods.
5.In the exchange of cultures throughout the world, the study of foreign
languages is a must.
6.The thought of him always fills me with strength. (adverbial clause of time)
7.Urgent business prevented me from calling on you.
8.A day’s exploration convinced him that this was not the spot.
9.A wet day brings out colorful light mackintoshes.
Unit 5 addition 增补法
1.It is a part, and a very important part, of the air defense of our country.
2.Since gaining our independence, we have made every effort to overcome the
servitude of our past.
3.The frequency, wavelength, and speed of sound are closely related.
4.The chief effects of electric currents are the magnetic, heating and chemical
effects.
5.This report summed up the new achievements made in electron tubes,
semiconductors and components.
6.The spirit of peaceful coexistence must embody the idea that states cannot be
left to struggle on single-handed.
7.Theory is something, but practice is everything.
8.The whole square was alive with singing and rejoicing.
9.He has in his vision the totality of every world problem, political, economic,
human…
10.I t’s a bit fishy that she should have given away a villa like that.
Unit 6 Omission 省略法
1.Water passes from a liquid to solid state when it freezes.
2.You should keep calm even when you are in danger.
3.She covered her face with her hands as if to protect her eyes.
4.Turning on his face, he rested his chin on his hands.
5.Never get on or off the bus before it comes to a standstill.
6.Practically all substances expand when heated and contract when cooled.
7.As she turned the corner she had a new idea which made her stop dead.
8.It is ten to one that we will over-fulfil our production quota.
9.From 4℃on down, water will decrease in density and increase in volume as
it gets colder.
10.T here are a number of peculiarities about the surface features of the earth.
11.H e went out and shut the door gently behind him.
unit 7 repetition 重复法
2. The use of atomic weapons is a clear violation of international law, in particular of the Geneva Convention;
3. Aerostatics is the study of how an object is supported in the air by buoyancy, that is, its ability to float in the air as a boat floats on water.
1. Despite his versatility of talent and shiftiness of purpose, this man has in his whole lifetime been wedded to the most fossilized routine. ;
2. The solid friendship between our two countries took shape during our protected struggles against colonialism, hegemonism, and outmoded relationships.
5. Reading exerci ses one’s eyes; speaking, one’s tongue; while writing, one’s mind.;
6. Thales thought water was the beginning of everything; Anaximenes, air; Heraclitus, fire.
1. Radar is a newly developed technique by which people can see things beyond the visibility of them. ;
3. We have advocated the principle of peaceful co-existence, which is now growing more and more popular among the nations of Asia and Africa.
19. He walked down the line shaking hands with each other and mumbling a few words that were inaudible.;
21. Walking up and down the empty room, he stopped here and there to touch or look.
unit 8 Inversion 倒置法
12.S he had such a kindly, smiling, tender, gentle, generous heart of her own.;
13.S he was an intelligent, attractive and somewhat temperamental daughter of a
well-to-do doctor in Haddington.
14.T hen one can see the oval face of a handsome young woman with deep dark
eyes and long heavy clinging tresses.
15.B ernard Shaw was a well-known English playwright, who wrote many plays.;
16.A ir is a mixture of gases, of which oxygen forms 21 percent by volume.
17.J ohn, who was sick yesterday, did not come to class.;
18.I n a dispute between two states with which one is friendly, try not to get
involved.;
19.W e maintain that no peace situation is permanent which does not take into
account the legitimate wishes of the majority of the people of any country.
20.S he was so worried that she could hardly eat her supper.;
21.N ow that I think of it, we were wrong in turning down her proposal.
unit 9 Negation 反译法
22.S he did not leave the letter here on purpose for you to read.;
23.Y ou cannot politely turn down the invitation to the conference.
24.U nder no circumstances would we give up our principles.
25.H e was grown into quite another creature from what he was.;
Spring Festival is on the traditional Chinese festivals.People used to call it "the Lunar New Year".It always starts between january the first and february the twentie its the most important festival in China Spring Festival The most important festival in China is the Spring Festival. It is said that the Spring Festival evolved from an activity known as the Winter Sacrifice. It was a custom practiced by the people of primitive society. The Spring Festival marks the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year,so the first meal is rather important. People usually eat Jiaozi or dumplings shaped like a crescent moon on that special day. As for recreational activities during the Sping Festival, the Dragon Dance and Lion Dance are traditionally performed . One legend goes that the beast Nian had a very big mouth that would swallow a great many people with one bite. People were very scared. 传说有一个叫“年”的怪兽，有一个大嘴，能一口吞下很多人。人们都很怕它。The custom of putting up red paper and firing fire-crackers is to scare away Nian. 贴红纸和方鞭炮的习俗就是为了吓跑年。 However, people today have long forgotten why they are doing all this, except that they feel the color and the sound add to the excitement of the celebration. 但是，现在人们大多忘记了为什么这么做的原因，只是觉得色彩和响声增加了过节的气氛罢了！ Traditions of Chinese New Year Before New Year's Eve The celebration actually starts on New Year's Eve with the family reunion dinner. By New Year's Eve, you should have done the following: Clean the entire home to get rid of all the things that are associated with the old year. Put away all brooms and brushes. Pay all your debts. Resolve differences with family members, friends, neighbors and business associates. Buy the following: Red money envelopes, Oranges and/or tangerines, Fill a "Cheun hup(a circular red tray separated in eight compartments) with melon seedslotuschocolate coinsnuts etc. Flowers (especially plum blossoms, peach blossoms, water lilies), A new set of clothes and shoes for children, preferably something red or orange. Get new dollar bills from the bank. Insert the new dollar bills into the red envelopes. Now the red envelope is called a lai see or lucky money envelope. On New Year's Eve
春节是中国传统的新年，它从中国农历正月的第一天开始到第十五天结束，一共十五天。春节也预示着春天的来临。在新年的前一段时间，人们开始准备食物、买新衣服和打扫房间。很多家庭会在门上贴上春联。按照习俗，所有的准备是希望新的一年会带来幸福和好运。在中国，红色是好运的象征。 Spring Festival is the Chinese New Year. It starts on the 1st and ends on the 15th of lunar January. Spring Festival celebrates the coming of spring. Several days before the New Year, every family prepares rich food, buys new clothes, and cleans the house. Many families buy or write Spring Festival couplets and put them on the door. People believe that everything must be new and clean for the Spring Festival celebration so that the New Year will bring happiness and good luck. In China, red represents luck.
在除夕夜，人们通常要到十二点以后才睡觉，这叫“守岁”，“岁”也是“年”的意思，通常人们用岁表示年龄，即一年是一岁。守岁是送走旧的一年迎来新的一年，所以在晚上12点时，很多家庭都会放鞭炮以示新的一年的到来。新年的第一天，也就是初一，人们基本上都呆在家里。从年初二开始，人们起的很早，互相拜年并致以新年的祝福等。 On New Year’s eve, people set off fireworks from around midnight to see out the end of the previous year and welcome in the New Year, called “shǒusuì” .“suì”means year. On the first day of the New Year people usually stay at home. On the 2nd day people get up early and exchange New Year’s greetings with relatives, friends, neighbors, etc.
介绍万圣节的英文资料 篇一：中英文对照：万圣节的介绍 中英文对照：万圣节的介绍 中英文对照：万圣节的介绍 Halloween Halloween is an autumn holiday that Americans celebrate every year. It means "holy evening," and it comes every October 31, the evening before All Saints' Day. However, it is not really a church holiday, it is a holiday for children mainly. Every autumn, when the vegetables are ready to eat, children pick large orange pumpkins. Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put a burning candle inside. It looks as if there were a person looking out of the pumpkin! These lights are called jack-o'-lanterns, which means "Jack of the lantern". The children also put on strange masks and frightening costumes every Halloween. Some children paint their faces to look like monsters. Then they carry boxes or bags from house to house. Every time they come to a new house, they say,"Trick or treat! Money or eat!" The grown-ups put treat-money or candy in their bags. Not only children, but most grown-ups also love Halloween and Halloween parties because on this day,they can disguise themselves as personages or ghost as their imaginations will lead them. This bring them the satisfaction of being young. 万圣节前夕 万圣节前夕是美国人年年都会庆祝的秋季节日。它的意思是“神圣的夜晚”，在每年的 10 月 31 日， 也就是万圣节前夜。 但实际上这不是一个真正的宗教节日， 而主要是孩子们的节日。 每年秋天蔬菜成熟可以食用的时候，孩子们就会挑出大个儿的橙色南瓜。然后在南瓜上 刻上一张脸，把一根点燃的蜡烛放在里面。看起来就好像有人在向南瓜外面张望。这些灯就叫 做“iack-o'-lantems”，意思也就是“杰克的灯”。 每年万圣节前夕孩子们还戴上奇怪的面具，穿上吓人的服装。有些孩子把脸刷成怪物。 然后他们拿着盒子或袋子挨家挨户串门。每来到一个新房子他们就说：“不款待就捣乱!给钱还 是吃的!”大人们就会把用来招待的钱或糖放在他们的袋子里了。 不仅孩子，许多成年人也喜欢万圣节前夕和万圣节前夕晚会。因为这一天 他们可以根据自己的想象把自己装扮成名流或幽灵。这会带给他们年轻的快感。 篇二：万圣节的英文介绍 11 月 1 日万圣节英文：Hallowmas，南瓜是万圣节的代表。 10 月 31 日是万圣夜英文：Halloween，华语地区常将万圣夜称为万圣节。 1 / 8
关于春节的英文介绍 Spring Festival ○1The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. All people living away from home go back, becoming the busiest time for transportation systems of about half a month from the Spring Festival. Airports, railway stations and long-distance bus stations are crowded with home returnees. (春节是中国人民最重要的节日，所有家庭成员聚在一起，在西方圣诞节一样。所有远离家乡的人都要回家，成为了为期半个月左右的运输系统最繁忙的时间——春运。机场，火车站和长途巴士站都挤满了回家的人。) ○2The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. It originated in the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600 BC-c. 1100 BC) from the people's sacrifice to gods and ancestors at the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one. （春节落在正月的第一天，往往比公历晚一个月。它起源于商朝（西元1600 BC-C。公元前1100年）从人民祭祀神灵和祖先，在旧的一年结束和一个新的开始。） ○3Strictly speaking, the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid-1st lunar month of the next year. Of them, the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days. The Chinese government now stipulates people have seven days off for the Chinese Lunar New Year. （严格地说，春节是指从腊月初开始一直到第二年中旬的一个月。其中，最重要的日子是除夕和一年的前三天。现在中国政府规定，人民在中国农历新年有七天的休假。） ○4Many customs accompany the Spring Festival. Some are still followed today, but others have weakened. （春节的时候有不少传统习俗。有的人至今还在保持，不过有的人已经慢慢淡化了这种习俗。） ○5On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, many families make laba porridge, a delicious kind of porridge made with glutinous rice, millet, seeds of Job's tears, jujube berries, lotus seeds, beans, longan and gingko. （腊月的第8天，许多家庭做腊八粥，糯米，小米，薏苡种子，红枣浆果，莲子，豆类，龙眼，银杏制成美味的粥样。） ○6The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month is called Preliminary Eve（小年）. At this time, people offer sacrifice to the kitchen god. Now however, most families make delicious food to enjoy themselves. （腊月23日，被称为小年。在这个时候，人们祭祀灶神。但是现在，大多数家庭做出美味的食物来过节。） ○7After the Preliminary Eve, people begin preparing for the coming New Year. This is called "Seeing the New Year in". （过了小年之后，人们开始为新年做准备。这被称为“看得见的新年”。） ○8Store owners are busy then as everybody goes out to purchase necessities for the New Year. Materials not only include edible oil, rice, flour, chicken, duck, fish and meat, but also fruit, candies and kinds of nuts. What's more, various decorations, new clothes and shoes for the children as well as gifts for the elderly, friends and relatives, are all on the list of purchasing. （商店老板都那么忙，因为每个人都出去购买生活必需品新年。材料不仅包括食用油，大米，面粉，鸡，鸭，鱼，肉，而且水果，糖果和各种坚果。更重要的是，各种装饰，新衣服和鞋的儿童以及老人的礼物，朋友和亲戚，所有的采购清单。） ○9Before the New Year comes, the people completely clean the indoors and outdoors of their homes as well as their clothes, bedclothes and all their utensils. （在新的一年到来之际，人们彻
第一部分真题精选 英语二级笔译实务英译汉真题精选（42篇）及答案 Passage1 Where Shakespeare Slept,or So They Say Tucked away in this small village in Buckinghamshire County is the former Elizabethan coaching inn where William Shakespeare is said to have penned part of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Dating from1534,the inn,now called Shakespeare House,is thought to have been built as a Tudor hunting https://www.doczj.com/doc/417474356.html,ter it became a stop for travelers between London and Stratford-upon-Avon,where Shakespeare was born and buried. It was“Brief Lives,”a17th-century collection of biographies by John Aubrey, that linked Shakespeare to the inn,saying that he had stayed there and drawn inspiration for the comedy while in the village. One of the current owners,Nick Underwood,said the local lore goes even further:“It is also said he appears at the oriel window on the top floor of the house on April23every year—the date he is said to have been born and to have died.” “In later years,the house later became a farm house,with150acres of land, but,over time,pieces were sold off,”Mr.Underwood said.“In the20th century,it was owned by two American families.”Now,he and his co-owner,Roy Elsbury, have put the seven-bedroom property on the market at1.375million,or$2.13 million. Despite its varied uses and renovations over the years,the4,250-square-foot,
1.万圣节的庆祝活动来源于每年11月1日的all hallows day 或all saints day。它原先是异教徒们纪念死者的节日，但是逐渐演变成一个纪念基督圣者的节日。 halloween这个词来自于all hallows eve(夜晚)，all hallows eve是all hallows day 前一天的缩写。人们认为在当天晚上，亡者的灵魂会重新复活！ 3. dressing up in costumes is one of the most popular halloween customs, especially among children. according to tradition, people would dress up in costumes (wear special clothing, masks or disguises) to frighten the spirits away. dressing up in costumes是最受欢迎的万圣节风俗之一，尤其是受孩子们的欢迎。按照传统习俗，人们会dress up in costumes（穿戴一些特?的服?，面具或者装饰）来吓跑鬼魂。 4. popular halloween costumes include vampires (creatures that drink blood), ghosts (spirits of the dead) and werewolves (people that turn into wolves when the moon is full). 流行的万圣节服装包括vampires（吸血鬼），ghosts（死者的灵魂）和werewolves（每当月圆时就变成狼形的人）。 5. trick or treating is a modern halloween custom where children go from house to house dressed in costume, asking for treats like candy or toys. if they dont get any treats, they might play a trick (mischief or prank) on the owners of the house. trick or treating 是现代万圣节的风俗。孩子们穿着特殊的衣服走街串巷，讨取糖果和玩具之类的赏赐。如果他们得不到任何的赏赐，就可能会对屋主大搞恶作剧或者胡闹了。 jack o lantern 的传统来自于一个民间传说。一个名叫jack的人戏弄了恶魔，之后就不得不提着一盏灯在地球上流浪。jack o lantern是用雕刻成脸型，中间挖空，再插上蜡烛的南瓜做 halloween one story about jack, an irishman, who was not allowed into heaven because he was stingy with his money. so he was sent to hell. but down there he played tricks on the devil (satan), so he was kicked out of hell and made to walk the earth forever carrying a lantern. well, irish children made jacks lanterns on october 31st from a large potato or turnip, hollowed out with the sides having holes and lit by little candles inside. and irish children would carry them as they went from house to house begging for food for the village halloween festival that honored the druid god muck olla. the irish name for these lanterns was jack with the lantern or jack of the lantern, abbreviated as jack-o-lantern and now spelled jack-o-lantern. the traditional halloween you can read about in most books was just childrens fun night. halloween celebrations would start in october in every elementary school.children would make halloween decorations, all kinds of orange-paper jack-o-lanterns. and from black paper youd cut scary designs ---an evil witch with a pointed hat riding through the sky on a broomstick, maybe with black bats flying across the moon, and that meant bad luck. and of course black cats for more bad luck. sometimes a black cat would ride away into the sky on the back of the witchs broom. oh! heres a ghost. oh, theres a witch. oh, heres an old lady. 注释： 1. was stingy with：对??吝啬。stingy这个词你可不要去模仿，因为他是“吝啬的”
英语翻译二级笔译综合能力模拟试题及答案解析（4） (1/20)Vocabulary Selection In this part, there are 20 incomplete sentences. Below each sentence, there are 4 choices respectively marked by letters A, B, C and D. Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. There is only ONE right answer. Blacken the corresponding letter as required on your Machine-scoring ANSWER SHEET. 第1题 Home to________and gangsters, officials and laborers, refugees and artists, the city was, in its prime, a metropolis that exhibited all the hues of the human character. A.magnates B.magnets C.machines D.magnitudes 下一题 (2/20)Vocabulary Selection In this part, there are 20 incomplete sentences. Below each sentence, there are 4 choices respectively marked by letters A, B, C and D. Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. There is only ONE right answer. Blacken the corresponding letter as required on your Machine-scoring ANSWER SHEET. 第2题 "They′re the best team I′ve seen thus far," says________men′s basketball coach Larry Brown. A.American′s https://www.doczj.com/doc/417474356.html, C.the USA D.United States of America 上一题下一题 (3/20)Vocabulary Selection In this part, there are 20 incomplete sentences. Below each sentence, there are 4 choices respectively marked by letters A, B, C and D. Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. There is only ONE right answer. Blacken the corresponding letter as required on your Machine-scoring ANSWER SHEET. 第3题 Over a very large number of trials, the probability of an event________is equal to the probability that it will not occur. A.occurring B.occurred C.occurs D.occur 上一题下一题 (4/20)Vocabulary Selection In this part, there are 20 incomplete sentences. Below each sentence, there are 4 choices respectively marked by letters A, B, C and D. Choose the word or phrase which best completes each sentence. There is only ONE right answer. Blacken the corresponding letter as required on your Machine-scoring ANSWER SHEET.
万圣节的资料英语 Halloween is an autumn holiday that Americans celebrate every year. It means "holy evening," and it comes every October 31, the evening before All Saints' Day. However, it is not really a church holiday, it is a holiday for children mainly. Every autumn, when the vegetables are ready to eat, children pick large orange pumpkins. Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put a burning candle inside. It looks as if there were a person looking out of the pumpkin! These lights are called jack-o'-lanterns, which means "Jack of the lantern". The children also put on strange masks and frightening costumes every Halloween. Some children paint their faces to look like monsters. Then they carry boxes or bags from house to house. Every time they come to a new house, they say,"Trick or treat! Money or eat!" The grown-ups put treat-money or candy in their bags. Not only children, but most grown-ups also love Halloween and Halloween parties because on this day,they can disguise themselves as personages or ghost as their imaginations will lead them. This bring them
Spring Festival is the most important festival in China . 春节是中国最重要的节日 It’s to celebrate the lunar calendar ‘s new year . 它是为了庆祝农历新年 In the evening before the Spring Festival ,families get together and have a big meal . 在春节前夜,家人聚在一起享用丰盛的一餐 In many places people like to set off firecrackers . 在许多地方人们还放鞭炮 Dumplings are the most traditional food . 饺子是最传统的食物 Children like the festival very much ,because they can have delicious food and wear new clothes . 孩子们非常喜欢春节,因为他们可以吃好吃的东西和穿新衣服 They can also get some money from their parents. 他们也可以领到压岁钱 This money is given to children for good luck . 给孩子的这些钱是为了(来年的)好运气 People put New Year scrolls on the wall for good fortune . 人们也用贴年画的方式来乞求好运 The Spring Festival lasts about 15 days long . 春节持续近15天
万圣节的资料大全 每年的10月31日就是西方国家的万圣节，这可是仅次于耶诞节和感恩节的第三大节日。万圣节，这一夜是一年中最“闹鬼”的一夜，所以也叫“鬼节”。源自古代凯尔特民族(Celtic)的新年节庆，此时也是祭祀亡魂的时刻，在避免恶灵干扰的同时，也以食物祭拜祖灵及善灵以祈平安渡过严冬，是西方传统节日。 很多民族都在万圣节前夜有庆典聚会，这又被叫做“All Hallow E'en”、“The Eve of All Hallows”、“Hallow e'en”，或者“The eve of All Saintas'Day”。最终约定俗成演变成了“Halloween”，中文意译成了万圣节之夜。 关于万圣节由来的，传说最多的版本认为，那是源于基督诞生前的古西欧国家，主要包括爱尔兰、苏格兰和威尔士。这几处的古西欧人叫德鲁伊特人。德鲁伊特的新年在11月1日，新年前夜，德鲁伊特人让年轻人集队，戴着各种怪异面具，拎着刻好的萝卜灯(南瓜灯系后期习俗，古西欧最早没有南瓜)，他们游走于村落间。这在当时实则为一种秋收的庆典;也有说是“鬼节”，传说当年死去的人，灵魂会在万圣节的前夜造访人世，据说人们应该让造访的鬼魂看到圆满的收成并对鬼魂呈现出丰盛的款待。所有篝火及灯火，一来为了吓走鬼魂，同时也为鬼魂照亮路线，引导其回归。 在中世纪的中欧，曾有过基督教摧毁异教徒的历史。可
是新年夜前的祭祀庆典从未真正消除，不过以巫术的形式出现。这也就是为什么人们现在的万圣节里，还留有巫婆的扫帚、黑猫、咒语等痕迹。 由于万圣夜临近苹果的丰收期，太妃糖苹果(toffee apples)成为应节食品。其他特色食品还有：粟米糖、热苹果酒、烘南瓜子。 万圣节的传统食物是苹果汁、爆玉米花、南瓜馅饼和女巫状的香料生姜饼等。 万圣节的主题是鬼怪、吓人，以及与死亡、魔法、怪物有关的事物。 通常与万圣节扯上关系的事物有鬼魂、食尸鬼、巫婆、蝙蝠、黑猫、猫头鹰、精灵、僵尸、骷髅和恶魔等，还有虚构人物如吸血僵尸和科学怪人。黑色和橙色是万圣节的传统颜色。现代万圣节的产品也大量使用紫色、绿色和红色。秋天的元素如南瓜和稻草人等，也成为万圣节的象征。 杰克灯是万圣节最广为人知的象征物。在英国和爱尔兰，当地人原本在挖空的芜菁中燃点蜡烛造成杰克灯，但移民到美国的人很快便采用南瓜代替，因为南瓜比较大和容易在上面雕刻图案。不少家庭在南瓜上刻上吓人的面容，并放在大门口的阶梯上，传统上此做法是想吓走恶魔或妖怪。 南瓜是万圣节的代表，在脑袋上套个南瓜吧，记得留几个洞。
2004年5月英语二级笔译实务试题 试题部分： Section 1: English-Chinese Translation (英译汉) (60 points) This section consists of two parts: Part A “Compulsory Translation” and Part B “Optional Translations” which comprises “Topic 1” and “Topic 2”. Translate the passage in Part A and your choice from passages in Part B into Chinese. Write “Compulsory Translation” above your translation of Part A and write “Topic 1” or “Topic 2” above your translation of the passage from Part B. The time for this section is 100 minutes. Part A Compulsory Translation (必译题)（30 points） The first outline of The Ascent of Man was written in July 1969 and the last foot of film was shot in December 1972. An undertaking as large as this, though wonderfully exhilarating, is not entered lightly. It demands an unflagging intellectual and physical vigour, a total immersion, which I had to be sure that I could sustain with pleasure; for instance, I had to put off researches that I had already begun; and I ought to explain what moved me to do so. There has been a deep change in the temper of science in the last 20 years: the focus of attention has shifted from the physical to the life sciences. As a result, science is drawn more and more to the study of individuality. But the interested spectator is hardly aware yet how far-reaching the effect is in changing the image of man that science moulds. As a mathematician trained in physics, I too would have been unaware, had not a series of lucky chances taken me into the life sciences in middle age. I owe a debt for the good fortune that carried me into two seminal fields of science in one lifetime; and though I do not know to whom the debt is due, I conceived The Ascent of Man in gratitude to repay it. The invitation to me from the British Broadcasting Corporation was to present the development of science in a series of television programmes to match those of Lord Clark on Civilisation. Television is an admirable medium for exposition in several ways: powerful and immediate to the eye, able to take the spectator bodily into the places and processes that are described, and conversational enough to make him conscious that what he witnesses are not events but the actions of people. The last of these merits is to my mind the most cogent, and it weighed most with me in agreeing to cast a personal biography of ideas in the form of television essays. The