two words to avoid ,two to remember译文

Two words to Avoid ,Two to Remember讲述一个如何对待自己所犯错误或失败的思想认识问题/它提醒人们面对已经造成的错误或失败，不能老是以追悔的心态“如果当时我不那么做就成功了。

” “如果不听别人的话就对了。

”没完没了的“如果这样，如果那样”而长期浸溺在沮丧，失落懊悔情绪之中，那这个人便废了。

世上没有后悔药。

人生谁不犯错，错了就改，从上次错误或失败中总结经验，吸取教训，记住“下次”把事情办好办成功，这才是正确的，健康的人生观。

（附上译文，共享）在生活中，没有什么比顿悟更令人激动和兴奋的，它可以改变一个人---------不仅仅是改变，而且变得更好。

当然，这种顿悟是很罕见的，但仍然可以发生在我们所有人身上。

它有时来自一本书，一个说教或一行诗歌，有时也来自一个朋友。

在曼哈顿一个寒冷的冬天下午，我坐在一个法国小餐馆，倍感失落和压抑。

因为几次误算，在我生命中一个至关重要的项目就这样落空了。

就因为这样，甚至连期望看到一个老朋友（我常常私下亲切的想到的一个老人）的情形都不像以前那样令我兴奋。

我坐在桌边，皱起眉头看着色彩多样的桌布，清醒地嚼着苦涩的食物。

他穿过街道，过着旧棉袄，一顶帽子从光头打下来，看上去不像是一个有名的精神病医生，倒像是一个精力充沛的侏儒。

他的办公室在附近到处都有，我知道他刚刚离开他最后一个病人。

他接近80岁，但仍然扛着一个装着满满文件的公文包，工作起来仍然像一个大公司的主管，无论何时有空，他都仍然爱去高尔夫球场。

当他走过来坐在我旁边时，服务员早已把他总是要喝的啤酒端了过来。

我已经几个月没有见他了，但他似乎还是老样子。

没有任何寒暄，他就问我“怎么了，年轻人？”我已经不再对他的样子感到奇怪，所以我详细地把烦恼告诉他。

带着一丝忧伤的自豪，我尽量说出实情，除了我自己，我并没有因为失望而责备任何人。

我分析了整件事情，但所有负面评价以及错误仍然继续。

我降了约有十分钟，这期间老人只是默默的喝着啤酒。

Unit 1Text I Two Words to Avoid, Two Words to RememberArthur GordonTeaching aims1.chronological arrangement of details in a narration.2.learning to achieve the purpose of instruction in a narration.Main and difficult teaching points: relevant information; understanding the thesis;text organization; text comprehension; language points; elements of narration;narrative writing.Time allotment: 9 periodsTeaching Procedures:I. Warm-up questions1. what do you think are the two words the author advises the reader to avoid and the two words to remember? Make a guess.2. the answers to the proceeding question are “next time” and “if only”. Which two do you think are the words to avoid and which two to remember? Give your reasons for your answer.II. Relevant information❖ 1. Manhattan, an island near the mouth of the Hudson River, is a borough of New York City, in southeastern New York State, U.S.A. Commercial and cultural heart of the city, Manhattan is the site of the Metropolitan Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the City Center of Music and Drama, and numerous other music institutions. Main museums and art galleries of Manhattan include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and American Museum of Natural History, etc. Columbia University and New York University are also located here.Among other points of interest are the Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building.❖ 2. A psychiatrist is a medical practitioner specializing in the diagnosis, and treatment of mental illness. Generally, after completion of medical training, physicians take a three-year residency in psychiatry to become qualified psychiatrists. As psychiatry is an area of medicine, psychiatrists tend to view and conceptualize disordered behavior as types of mental illness. Those who have mental illness, psychological and emotional disorders consult psychiatrists.❖ 3. Sigmund Freud /‵zikmunt ‵froit/ (1856 - 1939) is anAustrian physician and the founder of psychoanalysis. Freudexplored the workings of the human mind and developedpsychoanalysis as a therapeutic technique to treat neurosis ormental disturbances. His idea of the unconscious mentalprocesses and his theory that a principal cause of neurosis is the repression of painful memories into the unconscious hold a central place in psychology and psychiatry today.❖His Theory:Freud didn't exactly invent the idea of the conscious versus unconscious mind, but he certainly was responsible for making it popular. The conscious mind is what you are aware of at any particular moment, your present perceptions, memories, thoughts, fantasies, feelings, what have you. Working closely with the conscious mind is what Freud called the preconscious,what we might today call "available memory:" anything that can easily be made conscious, the memories you are not at the moment thinking about but can readily bring to mind. Now no-one has a problem with these two layers of mind. But Freud suggested that these are the smallest parts!The largest part by far is the unconscious. It includes all the things that are not easily available to awareness, including many things that have their origins there, such as our drives or instincts, and things that are put there because we can't bear to look at them, such as the memories and emotions associated with trauma.According to Freud, the unconscious is the source of our motivations, whether they be simple desires for food or sex, neurotic compulsions, or the motives of an artist or scientist. And yet, we are often driven to deny or resist becoming conscious of these motives, and they are often available to us only in disguised form. We will come back to this.The id, the ego, and the superego"it" or id:In Freudian theory, the division of the psyche that is totally unconscious and serves as the source of instinctual impulses and demands for immediate satisfaction of primitive needs.私我，本我在弗洛伊德理论中，完全处于无意识中的心理状态，它是产生本能冲动和要求直接满足原始欲望的根源ego: in psychoanalysis, the division of the psyche that is conscious, most immediately controls thought and behavior, and is most in touch with external reality. 自我在精神分析学中指有意识的最直接地控制思想和行为，与外部世界联系也最多的那部分自我superego: In Freudian theory, the division of the psyche that is formed through the internalization of moral standards of parents and society, and censors and restrains the ego. Mostly unconscious, it is composed of the ego ideal and the conscience. 超我弗洛伊德理论中自我的一部分，由父母和社会道德标准的内在化而形成，审查并约束自我。

Unit OneText IPre-reading Questions1.You may have kept in your memory some words, phrases or even whole sentences that are ofgreat wisdom and can serve as guidelines in your life. Share them with your classmates and discuss their value.2.The two words that, as the author of the text suggests, should be avoided are "if only", and thetwo be remembered are "next time". Can you guess, before you read the text, what message the author intends to convey to the reader with such a suggestion?General ReadingI. Judge which of the following best states the purpose of the article.A. To explain how Freud's psychotherapy works.B. To demonstrate the power of positive thinking.C. To call attention to the importance of the choice of words.Key: BII. Judge whether the following statements are true or false.1.That wintry afternoon, the author was in a bad mood and he happened to meet an old friend ofhis in a French restaurant in Manhattan.2.The Old Man asked the author to go to his office because he thought that the office was a betterplace than the restaurant for their talk.3.The three speakers on the tape had all been unfavorably affected by what had happened to them.4.In the Old Man's opinion, it was a bad way of thinking always to regret what one had done orhad not done.Key: 1. F 2. F 3. T 4. TBackground Notes1.Manhattan, an island near the mouth of the Hudson River, is a borough of New York City, insoutheastern New York State, U.S.A. Commercial and cultural heart of the city, Manhattan is the site of the Metropolitan Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the City Center of Music and Drama, and numerous other music institutions.2.Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) is an Austrian physician and the founder of psychoanalysis. Freudexplored the workings of the human mind and developed psychoanalysis as a therapeutic technique to treat neurosis or mental disturbances.Text StudyTextTwo Words to Avoid, Two to RememberArthur Gordon1 Nothing in life is more exciting and rewarding than the sudden flash of insight that leaves you a changed person — not only changed, but changed for the better. Such moments are rare, certainly, but they come to all of us. Sometimes from a book, a sermon, a line of poetry. Sometimes from a friend ...2 That wintry afternoon in Manhattan, waiting in the little French restaurant, I was feeling frustrated and depressed. Because of several miscalculations on my part, a project of considerable importance in my life had fallen through. Even the prospect of seeing a dear friend (the Old Man, as I privately and affectionately thought of him) failed to cheer me as it usually did. I sat there frowning atthe checkered tablecloth, chewing the bitter cud of hindsight.3 He came across the street, finally, muffled in his ancient overcoat, shapeless felt hat pulled down over his bald head, looking more like an energetic gnome than an eminent psychiatrist. His offices were nearby; I knew he had just left his last patient of the day. He was close to 80, but he still carried a full case load, still acted as director of a large foundation, still loved to escape to the golf course whenever he could.4 By the time he came over and sat beside me, the waiter had brought his invariable bottle of ale. I had not seen him for several months, but he seemed as indestructible as ever. "Well, young man," he said without preliminary, "what's troubling you?"5 I had long since ceased to be surprised at his perceptiveness. So I proceeded to tell him, at some length, just what was bothering me. With a kind of melancholy pride, I tried to be very honest. I blamed no one else for my disappointment, only myself. I analyzed the whole thing, all the bad judgments, the false moves. I went on for perhaps 15 minutes, while the Old Man sipped his ale in silence.6 When I finished, he put down his glass. "Come on," he said. "Let's go back to my office."7 "Your office? Did you forget something?"8 "No," he said mildly. "I want your reaction to something. That's all."9 A chill rain was beginning to fall outside, but his office was warm and comfortable and familiar: book-lined walls, long leather couch, signed photograph of Sigmund Freud, tape recorder by the window. His secretary had gone home. We were alone.10 The Old Man took a tape from a flat cardboard box and fitted it onto the machine. "On this tape," he said, "are three short recordings made by three persons who came to me for help. They are not identified, of course. I want you to listen to the recordings and see if you can pick out the two-word phrase that is the common denominator in all three cases." He smiled. "Don't look so puzzled. I have my reasons."11 What the owners of the voices on the tape had in common, it seemed to me, was unhappiness. The man who spoke first evidently had suffered some kind of business loss or failure; he berated himself for not having worked harder, for not having looked ahead. The woman who spoke next had never married because of a sense of obligation to her widowed mother; she recalled bitterly all the marital chances she had let go by. The third voice belonged to a mother whose teen-age son was in trouble with the police; she blamed herself endlessly.12 The Old Man switched off the machine and leaned back in his chair. "Six times in those recordings a phrase is used that's full of subtle poison. Did you spot it? No? Well, perhaps that's because you used it three times yourself down in the restaurant a little while ago." He picked up the box that had held the tape and tossed it over to me. "There they are, right on the label. The two saddest words in any language."13 I looked down. Printed neatly in red ink were the words: If only.14 "You'd be amazed," said the Old Man, "if you knew how many thousands of times I've sat in this chair and listened to woeful sentences beginning with those two words. 'If only,' they say to me, 'I had done it differently — or not done it at all. If only I hadn't lost my temper, said the cruel thing, made that dishonest move, told that foolish lie. If only I had been wiser, or more unselfish, or more self-controlled.' They go on and on until I stop them. Sometimes I make them listen to the recordings you just heard. 'If only,' I say to them, 'you'd stop saying if only, we might begin to get somewhere!'"15 The Old Man stretched out his legs. "The trouble with 'if only,'" he said, "is that it doesn'tchange anything. It keeps the person facing the wrong way — backward instead of forward. It wastes time. In the end, if you let it become a habit, it can become a real roadblock, an excuse for not trying any more.16 "Now take your own case: your plans didn't work out. Why? Because you made certain mistakes. Well, that's all right: everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes are what we learn from. But when you were telling me about them, lamenting this, regretting that, you weren't really learning from them."17 "How do you know?" I said, a bit defensively.18 "Because," said the Old Man, "you never got out of the past tense. Not once did you mention the future. And in a way — be honest, now! — you were enjoying it. There's a perverse streak in all of us that makes us like to hash over old mistakes. After all, when you relate the story of some disaster or disappointment that has happened to you, you're still the chief character, still in the center of the stage."19 I shook my head ruefully. "Well, what's the remedy?"20 "Shift the focus," said the Old Man promptly. "Change the key words and substitute a phrase that supplies lift instead of creating drag."21 "Do you have such a phrase to recommend?"22 "Certainly. Strike out the words 'if only'; substitute the phrase 'next time.'"23 "Next time?"24 "That's right. I've seen it work minor miracles right here in this room. As long as a patient keeps saying 'if only' to me, he's in trouble. But when he looks me in the eye and says 'next time,' I know he's on his way to overcoming his problem. It means he has decided to apply the lessons he has learned from his experience, however grim or painful it may have been. It means he's going to push aside the roadblock of regret, move forward, take action, resume living. Try it yourself. You'll see."25 My old friend stopped speaking. Outside, I could hear the rain whispering against the windowpane. I tried sliding one phrase out of my mind and replacing it with the other. It was fanciful, of course, but I could hear the new words lock into place with an audible click....26 The Old Man stood up a bit stiffly. "Well, class dismissed. It has been good to see you, young man. Always is. Now, if you will help me find a taxi, I probably should be getting on home."27 We came out of the building into the rainy night. I spotted a cruising cab and ran toward it, but another pedestrian was quicker.28 "My, my," said the Old Man slyly. "If only we had come down ten seconds sooner, we'd have caught that cab, wouldn't we?"29 I laughed and picked up the cue. "Next time I'll run faster."30 "That's it," cried the Old Man, pulling his absurd hat down around his ears. "That's it exactly!"31 Another taxi slowed. I opened the door for him. He smiled and waved as it moved away. I never saw him again. A month later, he died of a sudden heart attack, in full stride, so to speak.32 More than a year has passed since that rainy afternoon in Manhattan. But to this day, whenever I find myself thinking "if only", I change it to "next time". Then I wait for that almost-perceptible mental click. And when I hear it, I think of the Old Man.33 A small fragment of immortality, to be sure. But it's the kind he would have wanted.Words and Phrases1.prospect n. sth. one expects to happen; a possibility or likelihood of sth. happeninge.g. I look forward to the prospect of being a volunteer doing social work in the GreatNorthwest.There is a reasonable prospect of reaching the trapped miners within the next 24 hours.prospects pl. — opportunitiese.g. Most people are not quite optimistic about the prospects for/of employment.Don't think too much how the job pays now. What really matters is that it holds good prospects.2.eminent adj.famous and respected within a particular profession, e.g. eminentdoctor/surgeon/scientist, etc.3.invariable adj. never changinge.g. The invariable question the mother asked her child after school every day was: "How dideverything go today?"4.proceed v. begin a course of actione.g. After the preparations had been made, we proceeded to draft the plan.5.at some length: (formal) in some detaile.g. She described to us her trip to New Zealand at some length.cf. at length— after a long time; at laste.g. He thought over the mathematical problem day and night and solved it at length.6.false move: an unwise action that turns out to be a mistake and brings one risks or failuree.g. Be very careful with the designing of the plan; a false move and it will fall through.7.berate v. (formal) scold or criticize angrily because of a faulte.g. Don't berate anyone just because he has made a mistake. Don't we all make mistakes fromtime to time?ment v. feel or express deep sorrow (for or because of sth.)e.g. One should not lament the past mistakes, but should try to do better later.9.ruefully adv. regretfullye.g. He faced his recent failure ruefully.10.promptly adv. quickly, at oncee.g. He always responded to the customers' requests promptly.11.grim adj. harsh, unpleasant, dreadfule.g. He was depressed when he heard the grim news that two-thirds of the workforce might bedischarged.Notes1.the sudden flash of insight that leaves you a changed person: the quick and spontaneousunderstanding that makes you a different persona flash of insight— an understanding that comes to one suddenly and quicklyleave(with object and adverbial or complement) —cause (object) to be or to remain in a particular state or positione.g. Buying an expensive car has left the family penniless.The children were left in the care of the nanny.2. chewing the bitter cud of hindsight: thinking repeatedly about the painful realization of what hadhappenedLiterally cud means "partly digested food returned from the first stomach of ruminants to the mouth for further chewing" (反刍的食物). When an animal chews the cud, it chews further the partly digested food. When a person chews the cud, he thinks about something reflectively.e.g. He chewed the cud for a long while before he set pen to paper.hindsight— understanding the reasons for an event or situation only after it has happenede.g. The accident could have been avoided with the wisdom of hindsight.With hindsight they should not have left their little daughter alone in the country villa.3.he still carried a full case load: he still kept himself fully occupied in the treatment of his patientscase load— the number of patients a doctor has to deal with4.I had long since ceased to be surprised at his perceptiveness.: I had long before come to knowthat he was good at perceiving how others thought and felt; so I was not at all surprised when he noticed my troubled state.perceptiveness(n.) — unusual ability to notice and understand; awareness and understandinge.g. We all admired his perceptiveness; he was always so quick to respond to a new situation.5.With a kind of melancholy pride: Apparently the author was still proud of his "project ofconsiderable importance", though he was sad because of "several miscalculations on his part".mon denominator: This is a term used in mathematics, meaning "the common multiple ofthe denominator of several fractions" (公分母). In this context, it means "the characteristic shared by the three persons", i.e. the phrase if only was used by all three of them.7.all the marital chances she had let go by: all the chances for her to get married she had missedlet (sth.) go by— lose sth.e.g. The short course is a good opportunity for you to learn a skill. Don't let it go by.8.There's a perverse streak in all of us that makes us like to hash over old mistakes.: There's anobstinately unreasonable quality in all of us which makes us enjoy bringing up old mistakes again for consideration.perverse—(of a person or one's actions) showing an obstinate desire to behave in an unreasonable waye.g. We just couldn't understand her perverse decision against the majority.streak—an element of a specified kind in one's character （性格行为的）倾向, an often unpleasant characteristice.g. Her streak of stubbornness makes her difficult to get along with.hash over— (slang) bring up (sth.) again for consideratione.g. What has been done cannot be undone. Don't hash over past mistakes. Cheer up and try todo better next time.9.substitute a phrase that supplies lift instead of creating drag: use a phrase (in place of if only) thatprovides encouragement that pushes you forward instead of discouragement that pulls you backwardsubstitute (v.) — use (sth.) in place of (sth. else)e.g. The old lady suffers from diabetes, so she substitutes saccharine for sugar/so shesubstitutes sugar with saccharine.substitute (n.) — a person or thing acting or used in place of anothere.g. The actress's substitute performed as well as the actress herself.10.when he looks me in the eye: when he looks directly at me without showing embarrassment, fear,or shame11.I could hear the new words lock into place with an audible click: I could sense the new wordsfirmly fixed in my mind without any doubt12.that almost-perceptible mental click: the reminder provided by the Old Man that can roughly befelt in the mind13.a small fragment of immortality: a small piece of advice to be remembered foreverQuestions1.How were the author and the old man related?Key: The old man was an eminent psychiatrist and the author was a client of his.2.According to the author, how much did the session with his psychiatrist friend that afternoonmean to him? (para. 1)Key: To him, the session was just like "a flash of insight that leaves him a changed person — not only changed, but changed for the better."3.Why did the old man let the author listen to the three speakers on the tape? (para.15)Key: The three speakers on the tape were all unhappy, and the two words they all used frequently in what they said were "if only". What the old man wanted to point out to the author was that to keep saying "if only" would not change anything; on the contrary, it only kept the person facing the wrong way — backward instead of forward. Thus it did more harm than good to the person who kept saying them.4.What did the old man advise the author to do to get out of his depressed state of mind? (para. 20)Key: Shift the focus; substitute "next time" for "if only".5.In what way are the two phrases "if only" and "next time" different? (para. 20)Key: They point to entirely different mental directions; one is backward and negative, and the other forward and positive.6.What do you think is the tone of the passage?Key: It is instructive and inspirational.Activity1.Failures and setbacks are an inevitable part of our life. Tell your classmates about one such"unfortunate" experience and how you managed to get back on your feet.Sentence patterns for your referenceWhen I was ... I met ...It is true that life is ...In spite of the ..., I ...2.Discuss the "flash of insight" Gordon suddenly got. What psychological effect did this piece ofadvice produce on Gordon? Do you believe that one's mentality is an essential factor when one is unfortunately thrown into adversity? Give examples to support your view.Sentence patterns for your referenceIn case one meets ..., it is essential that ...As in Gordon's case, ...An example to show ... is that ...Organization and DevelopmentNarrationIn terms of mode of development, the present text is basically a narration, in which the author, Arthur Gordon, relates his meeting with his psychiatrist friend "the Old Man".Characteristics of NarrationThe purpose of a narration is to recount an event or a series of events; therefore it is usually chronological in its arrangement of details. The chief purpose of narration is to interest and entertain, though, of course, it may be used to instruct and inform.Narrative Structure of the TextGordon's purpose of writing, obviously, is not just to tell what happened during his meetingwith his friend, but, more importantly, to instruct. The instructive significance of the story is made clear in the first paragraph. In the first few lines Gordon has already made it clear to the reader that what he is going to do is to tell how "the sudden flash of insight that leaves you a changed person —not only changed, but changed for the better — ... Sometimes from a friend."In the first three paragraphs, which serve as a kind of introduction to the narration, we learn something about the physical circumstances for the meeting, i.e. the time —one rainy wintry afternoon, and the place — a French restaurant in Manhattan; the author's somber mood caused by his failure to complete an important project; and also something about the Old Man — his age, his profession, and perhaps more importantly, his positive attitude towards life.The last two paragraphs form a sort of conclusion, in which what the author has learned from his friend, which is also what he wants his readers to learn, is explicitly stated: ... whenever I find myself thinking "if only", I change it to "next time".TranslationEnglish-Chinese Translation1.Even the prospect of seeing a dear friend (the Old Man, as I privately and affectionately thoughtof him) failed to cheer me as it usually did.译文：即使想到要见一位好朋友（私底下，我会亲切地把他想成“老头子”），我也高兴不起来，尽管通常不是这样的。

Unit OneText IPre-reading Questions1.You may have kept in your memory some words, phrases or even whole sentences that are ofgreat wisdom and can serve as guidelines in your life. Share them with your classmates and discuss their value.2.The two words that, as the author of the text suggests, should be avoided are "if only", and thetwo be remembered are "next time". Can you guess, before you read the text, what message the author intends to convey to the reader with such a suggestion?General ReadingI. Judge which of the following best states the purpose of the article.A. To explain how Freud's psychotherapy works.B. To demonstrate the power of positive thinking.C. To call attention to the importance of the choice of words.Key: BII. Judge whether the following statements are true or false.1.That wintry afternoon, the author was in a bad mood and he happened to meet an old friendof his in a French restaurant in Manhattan.2.The Old Man asked the author to go to his office because he thought that the office was abetter place than the restaurant for their talk.3.The three speakers on the tape had all been unfavorably affected by what had happened tothem.4.In the Old Man's opinion, it was a bad way of thinking always to regret what one had done orhad not done.Key: 1. F 2. F 3. T 4. TBackground Notes1.Manhattan, an island near the mouth of the Hudson River, is a borough of New York City, insoutheastern New York State, U.S.A. Commercial and cultural heart of the city, Manhattan is the site of the Metropolitan Opera House, Carnegie Hall, the City Center of Music and Drama, and numerous other music institutions.2.Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) is an Austrian physician and the founder of psychoanalysis.Freud explored the workings of the human mind and developed psychoanalysis as a therapeutic technique to treat neurosis or mental disturbances.Text StudyTextTwo Words to Avoid, Two to RememberArthur Gordon1 Nothing in life is more exciting and rewarding than the sudden flash of insight that leaves you a changed person — not only changed, but changed for the better. Such moments are rare, certainly, but they come to all of us. Sometimes from a book, a sermon, a line of poetry. Sometimes from a friend ...2 That wintry afternoon in Manhattan, waiting in the little French restaurant, I was feeling frustrated and depressed. Because of several miscalculations on my part, a project of considerable importance in my life had fallen through. Even the prospect of seeing a dear friend (the Old Man, as I privately and affectionately thought of him) failed to cheer me as it usually did. I sat there frowning at the checkered tablecloth, chewing the bitter cud of hindsight.3 He came across the street, finally, muffled in his ancient overcoat, shapeless felt hat pulled down over his bald head, looking more like an energetic gnome than an eminent psychiatrist. His offices were nearby; I knew he had just left his last patient of the day. He was close to 80, but hestill carried a full case load, still acted as director of a large foundation, still loved to escape to the golf course whenever he could.4 By the time he came over and sat beside me, the waiter had brought his invariable bottle of ale. I had not seen him for several months, but he seemed as indestructible as ever. "Well, young man," he said without preliminary, "what's troubling you?"5 I had long since ceased to be surprised at his perceptiveness. So I proceeded to tell him, at some length, just what was bothering me. With a kind of melancholy pride, I tried to be very honest. I blamed no one else for my disappointment, only myself. I analyzed the whole thing, all the bad judgments, the false moves. I went on for perhaps 15 minutes, while the Old Man sipped his ale in silence.6 When I finished, he put down his glass. "Come on," he said. "Let's go back to my office."7 "Your office? Did you forget something?"8 "No," he said mildly. "I want your reaction to something. That's all."9 A chill rain was beginning to fall outside, but his office was warm and comfortable and familiar: book-lined walls, long leather couch, signed photograph of Sigmund Freud, tape recorder by the window. His secretary had gone home. We were alone.10 The Old Man took a tape from a flat cardboard box and fitted it onto the machine. "On this tape," he said, "are three short recordings made by three persons who came to me for help. They are not identified, of course. I want you to listen to the recordings and see if you can pick out the two-word phrase that is the common denominator in all three cases." He smiled. "Don't look so puzzled. I have my reasons."11 What the owners of the voices on the tape had in common, it seemed to me, was unhappiness. The man who spoke first evidently had suffered some kind of business loss or failure; he berated himself for not having worked harder, for not having looked ahead. The woman who spoke next had never married because of a sense of obligation to her widowed mother; she recalled bitterly all the marital chances she had let go by. The third voice belonged to a mother whose teen-age son was in trouble with the police; she blamed herself endlessly.12 The Old Man switched off the machine and leaned back in his chair. "Six times in those recordings a phrase is used that's full of subtle poison. Did you spot it? No? Well, perhaps that's because you used it three times yourself down in the restaurant a little while ago." He picked up the box that had held the tape and tossed it over to me. "There they are, right on the label. The two saddest words in any language."13 I looked down. Printed neatly in red ink were the words: If only.14 "You'd be amazed," said the Old Man, "if you knew how many thousands of times I've sat in this chair and listened to woeful sentences beginning with those two words. 'If only,' they say to me, 'I had done it differently — or not done it at all. If only I hadn't lost my temper, said the cruel thing, made that dishonest move, told that foolish lie. If only I had been wiser, or more unselfish, or more self-controlled.' They go on and on until I stop them. Sometimes I make them listen to the recordings you just heard. 'If only,' I say to them, 'you'd stop saying if only, we might begin to get somewhere!'"15 The Old Man stretched out his legs. "The trouble with 'if only,'" he said, "is that it doesn't change anything. It keeps the person facing the wrong way —backward instead of forward. It wastes time. In the end, if you let it become a habit, it can become a real roadblock, an excuse for not trying any more.16 "Now take your own case: your plans didn't work out. Why? Because you made certain mistakes. Well, that's all right: everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes are what we learn from. But when you were telling me about them, lamenting this, regretting that, you weren't really learning from them."17 "How do you know?" I said, a bit defensively.18 "Because," said the Old Man, "you never got out of the past tense. Not once did you mention the future. And in a way — be honest, now! — you were enjoying it. There's a perverse streak in all of us that makes us like to hash over old mistakes. After all, when you relate the story of some disaster or disappointment that has happened to you, you're still the chief character, still in the center of the stage."19 I shook my head ruefully. "Well, what's the remedy?"20 "Shift the focus," said the Old Man promptly. "Change the key words and substitute a phrase that supplies lift instead of creating drag."21 "Do you have such a phrase to recommend?"22 "Certainly. Strike out the words 'if only'; substitute the phrase 'next time.'"23 "Next time?"24 "That's right. I've seen it work minor miracles right here in this room. As long as a patient keeps saying 'if only' to me, he's in trouble. But when he looks me in the eye and says 'next time,' I know he's on his way to overcoming his problem. It means he has decided to apply the lessons he has learned from his experience, however grim or painful it may have been. It means he's going to push aside the roadblock of regret, move forward, take action, resume living. Try it yourself. You'll see."25 My old friend stopped speaking. Outside, I could hear the rain whispering against the windowpane. I tried sliding one phrase out of my mind and replacing it with the other. It was fanciful, of course, but I could hear the new words lock into place with an audible click....26 The Old Man stood up a bit stiffly. "Well, class dismissed. It has been good to see you, young man. Always is. Now, if you will help me find a taxi, I probably should be getting on home."27 We came out of the building into the rainy night. I spotted a cruising cab and ran toward it, but another pedestrian was quicker.28 "My, my," said the Old Man slyly. "If only we had come down ten seconds sooner, we'd have caught that cab, wouldn't we?"29 I laughed and picked up the cue. "Next time I'll run faster."30 "That's it," cried the Old Man, pulling his absurd hat down around his ears. "That's it exactly!"31 Another taxi slowed. I opened the door for him. He smiled and waved as it moved away. I never saw him again. A month later, he died of a sudden heart attack, in full stride, so to speak.32 More than a year has passed since that rainy afternoon in Manhattan. But to this day, whenever I find myself thinking "if only", I change it to "next time". Then I wait for that almost-perceptible mental click. And when I hear it, I think of the Old Man.33 A small fragment of immortality, to be sure. But it's the kind he would have wanted.Words and Phrases1.prospect n. sth. one expects to happen; a possibility or likelihood of sth. happeninge.g. I look forward to the prospect of being a volunteer doing social work in the GreatNorthwest.There is a reasonable prospect of reaching the trapped miners within the next 24 hours.prospects pl. — opportunitiese.g. Most people are not quite optimistic about the prospects for/of employment.Don't think too much how the job pays now. What really matters is that it holds good prospects.2.eminent adj.famous and respected within a particular profession, e.g. eminentdoctor/surgeon/scientist, etc.3.invariable adj. never changinge.g. The invariable question the mother asked her child after school every day was: "How dideverything go today?"4.proceed v. begin a course of actione.g. After the preparations had been made, we proceeded to draft the plan.5.at some length: (formal) in some detaile.g. She described to us her trip to New Zealand at some length.cf. at length— after a long time; at laste.g. He thought over the mathematical problem day and night and solved it at length.6.false move: an unwise action that turns out to be a mistake and brings one risks or failuree.g. Be very careful with the designing of the plan; a false move and it will fall through.7.berate v. (formal) scold or criticize angrily because of a faulte.g. Don't berate anyone just because he has made a mistake. Don't we all make mistakesfrom time to time?ment v. feel or express deep sorrow (for or because of sth.)e.g. One should not lament the past mistakes, but should try to do better later.9.ruefully adv. regretfullye.g. He faced his recent failure ruefully.10.promptly adv. quickly, at oncee.g. He always responded to the customers' requests promptly.11.grim adj. harsh, unpleasant, dreadfule.g. He was depressed when he heard the grim news that two-thirds of the workforce might bedischarged.Notes1.the sudden flash of insight that leaves you a changed person: the quick and spontaneousunderstanding that makes you a different persona flash of insight— an understanding that comes to one suddenly and quicklyleave(with object and adverbial or complement) —cause (object) to be or to remain in a particular state or positione.g. Buying an expensive car has left the family penniless.The children were left in the care of the nanny.2. chewing the bitter cud of hindsight: thinking repeatedly about the painful realization ofwhat had happenedLiterally cud means "partly digested food returned from the first stomach of ruminants to the mouth for further chewing" (反刍的食物). When an animal chews the cud, it chews further the partly digested food. When a person chews the cud, he thinks about something reflectively.e.g. He chewed the cud for a long while before he set pen to paper.hindsight— understanding the reasons for an event or situation only after it has happenede.g. The accident could have been avoided with the wisdom of hindsight.With hindsight they should not have left their little daughter alone in the country villa.3.he still carried a full case load: he still kept himself fully occupied in the treatment of hispatientscase load— the number of patients a doctor has to deal with4.I had long since ceased to be surprised at his perceptiveness.: I had long before come toknow that he was good at perceiving how others thought and felt; so I was not at all surprised when he noticed my troubled state.perceptiveness(n.) — unusual ability to notice and understand; awareness and understandinge.g. We all admired his perceptiveness; he was always so quick to respond to a new situation.5.With a kind of melancholy pride: Apparently the author was still proud of his "project ofconsiderable importance", though he was sad because of "several miscalculations on his part".mon denominator: This is a term used in mathematics, meaning "the common multipleof the denominator of several fractions" (公分母). In this context, it means "the characteristic shared by the three persons", i.e. the phrase if only was used by all three of them.7.all the marital chances she had let go by: all the chances for her to get married she hadmissedlet (sth.) go by— lose sth.e.g. The short course is a good opportunity for you to learn a skill. Don't let it go by.8.There's a perverse streak in all of us that makes us like to hash over old mistakes.:There's an obstinately unreasonable quality in all of us which makes us enjoy bringing up old mistakes again for consideration.perverse—(of a person or one's actions) showing an obstinate desire to behave in anunreasonable waye.g. We just couldn't understand her perverse decision against the majority.streak— an element of a specified kind in one's character （性格行为的）倾向, an often unpleasant characteristice.g. Her streak of stubbornness makes her difficult to get along with.hash over— (slang) bring up (sth.) again for consideratione.g. What has been done cannot be undone. Don't hash over past mistakes. Cheer up and tryto do better next time.9.substitute a phrase that supplies lift instead of creating drag: use a phrase (in place of ifonly) that provides encouragement that pushes you forward instead of discouragement that pulls you backwardsubstitute (v.) — use (sth.) in place of (sth. else)e.g. The old lady suffers from diabetes, so she substitutes saccharine for sugar/so shesubstitutes sugar with saccharine.substitute (n.) — a person or thing acting or used in place of anothere.g. The actress's substitute performed as well as the actress herself.10.when he looks me in the eye: when he looks directly at me without showing embarrassment,fear, or shame11.I could hear the new words lock into place with an audible click: I could sense the newwords firmly fixed in my mind without any doubt12.that almost-perceptible mental click: the reminder provided by the Old Man that canroughly be felt in the mind13.a small fragment of immortality: a small piece of advice to be remembered foreverQuestions1.How were the author and the old man related?Key: The old man was an eminent psychiatrist and the author was a client of his.2.According to the author, how much did the session with his psychiatrist friend that afternoonmean to him? (para. 1)Key: To him, the session was just like "a flash of insight that leaves him a changed person —not only changed, but changed for the better."3.Why did the old man let the author listen to the three speakers on the tape? (para.15)Key:The three speakers on the tape were all unhappy, and the two words they all used frequently in what they said were "if only". What the old man wanted to point out to the author was that to keep saying "if only" would not change anything; on the contrary, it only kept the person facing the wrong way — backward instead of forward. Thus it did more harm than good to the person who kept saying them.4.What did the old man advise the author to do to get out of his depressed state of mind? (para.20)Key: Shift the focus; substitute "next time" for "if only".5.In what way are the two phrases "if only" and "next time" different? (para. 20)Key: They point to entirely different mental directions; one is backward and negative, and the other forward and positive.6.What do you think is the tone of the passage?Key: It is instructive and inspirational.Activity1.Failures and setbacks are an inevitable part of our life. Tell your classmates about one such"unfortunate" experience and how you managed to get back on your feet.Sentence patterns for your referenceWhen I was ... I met ...It is true that life is ...In spite of the ..., I ...2.Discuss the "flash of insight" Gordon suddenly got. What psychological effect did this pieceof advice produce on Gordon? Do you believe that one's mentality is an essential factor when one is unfortunately thrown into adversity? Give examples to support your view.Sentence patterns for your referenceIn case one meets ..., it is essential that ...As in Gordon's case, ...An example to show ... is that ...Organization and DevelopmentNarrationIn terms of mode of development, the present text is basically a narration, in which the author, Arthur Gordon, relates his meeting with his psychiatrist friend "the Old Man".Characteristics of NarrationThe purpose of a narration is to recount an event or a series of events; therefore it is usually chronological in its arrangement of details. The chief purpose of narration is to interest and entertain, though, of course, it may be used to instruct and inform.Narrative Structure of the TextGordon's purpose of writing, obviously, is not just to tell what happened during his meeting with his friend, but, more importantly, to instruct. The instructive significance of the story is madeclear in the first paragraph. In the first few lines Gordon has already made it clear to the reader that what he is going to do is to tell how "the sudden flash of insight that leaves you a changed person — not only changed, but changed for the better — ... Sometimes from a friend."In the first three paragraphs, which serve as a kind of introduction to the narration, we learn something about the physical circumstances for the meeting, i.e. the time —one rainy wintry afternoon, and the place — a French restaurant in Manhattan; the author's somber mood caused by his failure to complete an important project; and also something about the Old Man — his age, his profession, and perhaps more importantly, his positive attitude towards life.The last two paragraphs form a sort of conclusion, in which what the author has learned from his friend, which is also what he wants his readers to learn, is explicitly stated: ... whenever I find myself thinking "if only", I change it to "next time".TranslationEnglish-Chinese Translation1.Even the prospect of seeing a dear friend (the Old Man, as I privately and affectionatelythought of him) failed to cheer me as it usually did.译文：即使想到要见一位好朋友（私底下，我会亲切地把他想成“老头子”），我也高兴不起来，尽管通常不是这样的。

Unit 1 Two Words to Avoid, Two to Remember1. insight: the capacity to gain an accurate and deep instinctive understanding of a situation 洞察力2. checkered tablecloth: tablecloth that has a pattern consisting of alternating squares of different colors. The British spelling of checkered is chequered.3. chew the cud (slang): think reflectively4. gnome: (in legends) a little old man who lives underground and guards the earth’s treasures 土地神; a small ugly person 侏儒5. melancholy: (adj.) sad, gloomy, depressed6. berate: scold or criticize angrily7. a perverse streak: an obstinate quality8. ruefully: regretfully9. drag: (slang) a boring thing; nuisance10. immortality: never-ending life or endless fameUnit 2 The Fine Art of Putting Things Off1. cool one’s heels: be forced to wait; be kept waiting2. attest to: testify to; serve as an evidence to affirm/ to be proof of 证实, 证明3. apocalyptic: foreboding imminent disaster or final doom 预示灾难/最后毁灭的4. proconsul: an administrator in a colony usually with wide powers地方总督5. ruminate: go over in the mind repeatedly and often slowly 反刍, 沉思6. nattering: chattering; hence, noisy7. echelon: rank, level 等级，阶层8. fortify: encourage; support 鼓励9. reappraisal: re-evaluation10. academe: the academic community; academics 学术界11. shrink: (slang) psychoanalyst or psychiatrist心理分析学者/神经科医生12. subliminal: existing or functioning outside the area of conscious awareness潜意识的13. truism: an undoubted or self-evident truth 不言而喻的道理14. mellow and marinate: to mellow is to become ripe or fully developed, and the marinate is to steep (浸, 泡) (meat, fish) in a savory sauce to enrich its flavor; here, ripen and mature 成熟及完善Unit 3 W alls and Barriers1. tangible: substantially real; material 确实的；有形的2. custom: business patronage; the fact of a person or people buying goods or services at a shop/store or business (顾客对商店的)惠顾，光顾.3. impregnable: unassailable, unattackable; sturdy无法攻取的；不能征服的4. credit: trust in a person’s ability and intention to pay at a later time for goods, etc. supplied 信用5. dash: vigor in style and action; here means enthusiasm 精力, 干劲6: flair: ingenuity and vitality才能, 本领7. invulnerability: freedom from harm or attack不会受伤害8. composition: arrangement into proper proportion or relation and especially into artistic form布局9. illusory: deceptive幻影的, 错觉的, 虚假的10. preclude: make impossible 预防; 排除1. exuberant: wild and excessive 狂野的；极度的2. withal: together with this; besides 此外；而且3. bland and genial: adj. composed and gracious 沉着亲切的4. hitch: difficulty 妨碍；困难5. assert oneself: act in such a way as to show one’s power or authori ty6. poetic justice: an outcome in which vice is punished and virtue rewarded 理想的赏罚7. emanate: come out from 发出，散发8. wend one’s way: travel over a distance, esp. slowly9. air: tune, melody10. hilarious: joyous, jubilant 欢闹的1. imperious: domineering, overbearing, arrogant 专横的2. the apple of one’s eye: one that is dear; one’s favorite person3. premises: a tract of land with the buildings thereon房屋(及其附属基地、建筑等)4. throng (v.): fill by crowding into5. moiety: half 一半6. parapet: a low wall or railing to protect the edge of a platform, etc. (阳台、桥等的)栏杆；女儿墙；胸墙7. devious: tricky, not straightforward 狡猾的；迂回的；曲折的8. reverie: daydreamUnit 6 Dull W ork1. assumption: sth. taken for granted; supposition 想当然2. crave for: long for; desire eagerly 渴望3. humdrum: lacking variety; dull 单调的4. immerse: involve deeply; absorb （使）沉浸, 使陷入5. transmute: change; transform 改变6. physiological pressures: irritation; annoyance; affliction 生理压力7. vexation: illness; discomforts 恼怒8. seminal: having possibilities of future development; highly original and influencing the development of future events 影响深远的9. inordinate: excessive 过度的；过分的10. compatible with: able to exist together 和谐的；兼容的11. thrive on: enjoy and do well as a result of 以…为乐；因…而有成12. stave off: keep off; prevent in time 延缓；暂时挡住，避开1. lamely: weakly, unsatisfactorily （听起来）信心不足的；不具说服力的2. paradoxical: seemingly self-contradictory; incongruous; puzzling3. seductive: attractive; charming4. pedagogical: teaching 教学法的5. wary: heedful; careful6. on the defensive: prepared for disapproval or attack7. demeaning overtones: implications of humiliation8. vestiges: traces that have once existed but exist no more 遗迹9. to the detriment of: to the harm of10. throes: a condition of agonizing struggle or effort; upheaval 处于极为痛苦的斗争或苦恼中；挣扎11. narcissism: excessive admiration of oneself 自我陶醉, 自恋12. obligation: duty; social requirement that compels one to follow a certain course of action13. fretful: irritable; complaining14. pass muster: be accepted as satisfactory 及格, 符合要求15. depreciation: a disparaging or a belittling act or instance 轻视，蔑视16. censure: (v. or n.) an expression of blame or disapproval 谴责17. preen: adorn or trim (oneself) carefully刻意打扮并自我欣赏18. interminable: endless1. multitudinous: (fml.) very numerous, existing in great numbers 大量的, 多种多样的2. lust: overwhelming desire or craving强烈欲望, 渴望3. orgy: excessive indulgence in any activity; wild festivity纵欲；放纵4. pitch: point, level, degree 程度；强度5. texture: quality; structure of a substance 质地；结构6. deliberate fasting: eating little or no food on purpose7. bludgeon: (written) force sb. into (doing sth.); beat 胁迫；棒击8. blow-out: (slang) a large, usu. lavish, meal 大餐；盛宴9. indulgence: great satisfaction; gratification of desires 享受；纵容10. homage: honor or respect; reverence paid 敬意11. gorge: stuff/fill oneself completely with food 狼吞虎咽12. impotence: powerlessness; ineffectualness 无力, 无效Unit 9 A Red Light for Scofflaws1. take liberties with: misinterpret; distort; violate2. blithely: heedlessly; without thought or regard3. dereliction: deliberate neglect; negligence 玩忽职守：故意忽视（职责或原则)4. exempt from: not subject to an obligation5. flurry: profusion; abundance; great quantity6. ordinance: authoritative law; command 法令；条例7. flagrant: shameless; notorious 恶名昭著的8. festering scandal: tormenting disgrace9. statutes: laws10. public nuisance: something offensive or annoying to the community, especially in violation of others' legal rights11. flouting: treating with contemptuous disregard12. dent: a depression in a surface, as from a blow; hence, damage凹痕；伤害13. brazen: shameless; impudent厚颜无耻的14. slug: (v.) (infml.) hit hard, especially with the fist 用力猛击15. skirt: avoid; keep distant from; go around the edge of 绕开；回避16. mandate: command from a superior official to an inferior one; authoritative command17. constituent: voters选民18. subvert: undermine the principle of 颠覆19. enact: institute; levy制定法律, 颁布20. puny: small and weak; insignificant弱小的；孱弱的；微不足道的21. nullify: declare legally void 使失去法律效力22. desegregation rulings: official (court) decisions on desegregation23. disquieting: upsetting24. terminally: fatally新编英语教程6（词汇Unit1-10）ants05Unit 10 Straight-A Illiteracy1. plight: condition, state, or situation; esp. an unfavorable one2. as often as not: at least half the time; frequently3. articulate: using language easily and fluently; having facility with words4. a coveted fellowship: a fellowship (i.e., the money given to postgraduate students to allow them to continue their studies at an advanced level) that everyone longs jealously to possess5. allegorically: figuratively6. gibberish: talk or writing containing many obscure, pretentious, or technical words; meaningless or unintelligible talk or writing7. providentially: fortunately; luckily8. inexorably: inescapably9. profundity: profound or deep matters10. grapple with: try to deal with11。