Unit 6
个性和对生活的看法是因人而异的。从生物宿命论(biological determinism)的观点来看，一个人是无法逃脱基因特质的。从社会宿命论(social determinism)的观点来看，一个人则无法逃脱社会环境，或者说，他的世界观基本上受其经济社会地位支配。在古代，人们认为人体内有四种体液(the cardinal humors)，即血液(blood)、黏液(phlegm)、胆汁(choler) 和黑胆汁(black bile)，这四种体液在一个人身上的比例决定了一个人的脾性。因此，如果我们大多数人不是独自生活在荒野里，我们肯定要与不同个性和世界观的人发生各种联系。为享有舒适的环境，我们应该努力使这些关系更加和谐。首先，我们应该欣赏多样性，而不是为多样性感到苦恼。第二，我们绝不可干涉别人的私事；绝不可嘲笑别人的品味。第三，我们应该为别人有着不同于我们追求的喜好而感到高兴。第四，我们应该尽量避免很有可能引起争论的话题。第五，我们不应希望像两个律师或政治家一样彼此没完没了地摆道理来解决一切问题。第六，我们应该记住美德和智慧可能有多种形式。第七，我们应该尽量避免引起坏脾气的各种途径和原因。当然，我们只是提供了几条努力构建和谐人际关系的原则，你还可以根据你的生活经历加上一些新的原则。
Personalities and views on life vary f rom individual to individual. In the light of biologic al determinism, one can not escape from hereditary traits. In the light of social determinism, one can not escape from social environment; in other words, one’s world outlook is largely determined by his economic-social status. In ancient times, people were believed to have four different cardinal humors, namely blood, phlegm, choler and black bile, whose relative proportions in a person determined his mental qualities. Therefore, if most of us should not live alone in a wilderness, we are sure to have various relations with people of different personalities and world outlooks. We should endeavor to makeappreciates these relations more harmonious so as to enjoy more comfortable surroundings. Firstly we should appreciate diversities rather than feel distressed by diversities. Secondly, we should never intrude on others’ privacy, or never ridicule others , tastes. Thirdly, we should take delight in others ’ pursuits different from our own. Fourthly，we should avoid as far as possible having subjects which are most likely to cause disputation. Fifthly, we should not wish to settle everything by contending endlessly with each other just like two lawyers or two politicians. Sixthly, we should remember that virtues and wisdom may be displayed in various forms. S
eventhly, we should cut off as far as possible the means and causes of ill-temper. Of course , we have only offered a list of principles in an effort to build up harmonious relationships between people, and you may add more to the list from your own life experiences.
Unit 7
作者认为，国际主义情怀与世界主义情怀有着根本的差异。具有民族主义情怀是培养国际主义精神的先决条件。国际主义和平主张反对任何形式的战争，不是毁灭各国之后的和平。他相信，一个人对另—个民族的特性越赞赏，就越不会试图模仿这个民族的特性，因为民族特性非常深刻，无法模仿。大部分人的问题在于仅仅凭着一些短暂的印象，就对某一个民族的特性作出过于笼统的概括。另外，我们应该明白，从最宽泛意义上说，语言可以被看做是一个民族的象征标示，因为语言包含了这个民族的生活方式、思维模式以及他们的历史文化背景。语言和文化相互联系、相互依存。因此，如果你希望了解某一民族的特性，学习他们的语言、了解他们的文化极其重要。
The author holds that there is an essential difference between being international and bein
g cosmopolitan. Being national is an essential prerequisite of fostering international spirit. International peace advocates opposition to war in any form and not a peace after the destruction of nations. He believes that the more a man really appreciates and admires the character of another nation, the less he will attempt to imitate it, for it is too deep to imitate. The problem with most people is that they tend to make a sweeping generalization of the character of a particular nation just based on some fleeting impressions. In addition, we should understand that language could be deemed as the symbolic designation of a people in the broadest sense, for it comprises their historical and cultural backgrounds as well as their approach to life and their way of thinking. Language and culture are interrelated with and interdependent upon each other. Therefore, it is extremely important to study their language and acquire knowledge of their culture if you wish to understand the character of a certain nation.
Unit 10
林语堂在论人性时，详述了人的尊严。他说，人类之所以优于其他一切生物，因为人类具有
由几个要素构成的尊严。首先，人有带有游戏意味的好奇心，这种好奇心可以看做是人类发展智慧的最早迹象。第二，人类有梦幻。人生活在一个真实的世界里，却有着梦想另一个世界的能力和倾向。他说，世界就像一个点菜餐馆，每个人都认为邻座点的菜肴总比自己点的菜肴更加诱人、更加可口。第三，人类有幽默感。他给幽默感很高的评价。他认为，幽默与敏锐的感觉、合乎情理的精神以及头脑探知矛盾、愚蠢和糟糕逻辑的微妙能力联系在一起。幽默是人类智能的最高形式。林语堂还细致讨论了个性主义的理念。他认为，就文化而言，对某一文化的最后判断是看它产生怎样的男人和女人。他还用儒家的观点来阐明自己的看法：身修而后家齐，家齐而后国治，国治而后天下平。
When he talks about being human, Lin Yutang elaborates on human dignity. He says that human beings are superior to any other living creatures thanks to human dignity which consists of several elements. First of all, human beings have playful curiosity, which could be the first signs of developing human intelligence. Secondly, human beings have dreams. A man has the capacity and tendency to dream of another world though living in a real world. He says that the world is just like an a la carte restaurant where everybody thinks that the food the next table has ordered is invariably much more inviting and delicious than
his own. Thirdly, human beings have a sense of humor. He eulogizes humor immensely, thinking that humor goes with good sense and the reasonable spirit, plus some subtle power of the mind in detecting inconsistencies and follies and bad logic. Humor is the highest form of human intelligence. Lin Yutang also talks in detail about the doctrine of the individual. He holds that the final judgment of any particular culture is what type of men and women it turns out as far as culture is concerned. He also uses the argument of Confucianism to illustrate his own point that when personal life is cultivated, then home life is regulated; when home life is regulated then national life is regulated, then the
world is at peace.
Unit 14
科学领域的人与艺术领域的人表现出相互不理解，甚至相互厌恶。一种文化不知道另一种文化的优点，似乎故意不愿意看到对方的优点。科学界似乎对哲学，尤其是形而上学比较漠然。在诸多乞术形式中，音乐可能是在科学家中培养兴趣时最为关注的。科学家一般对诗歌、小说没有很大的兴趣。一般层次的年轻科学家似乎很少读文学作品。大多数科学家沉浸
在自己的工作中。他们会说，若你不了解科学的结构，特别是自然科学的结构，你就不能懂得世界。说实话，从事艺术的人中也很少有人关心科学的事。有人说，科学家像一轮旭日，持续不断地变得越发辉煌；而艺术家则是日薄西山，慢慢沉入被人忘却的境地。罗素认为，科学家比艺术家更为幸运。他说：“当大众不理解一幅画或一首诗时，他们就下结论说这幅画不行，那首诗糟糕。当大众不理解‘相对论’时，他们的结论是（他们没错）他们尚未受到足够的教育。”我们认为，科学界和艺术界应该多一点相互理解，这样可以帮助大众更加全面地理解世界，最终使他们不仅关心“更大”、“更快”的问题，也关心“更美”、“更雅”的问题。
The scientific culture and the artistic culture show incomprehension and even dislike towards each other. Either culture does not know the virtues of the other, and it seems that it deliberately does not want to know the virtues of the other. The scientific culture seems to view with indifference philosophy, especially metaphysics. Music is perhaps among the arts the one that is the most cultivated as personal interests among scientists. As a rule, scientist do not show much interest in poetry or novels. It seems that the younger rank-and-file of scientists read very little literary works. Most scientists are immersed in their own work. They would claim that you couldn’t comprehend the world unless you acquire knowle
dge about the structure of science, in particular of physical science. To tell the truth, very few among those who are engaged in artistic work are concerned about scientific work. Some people hold that the scientist is like the rising sun, constantly and incessantly gaining splendor, while the artist is going downhill, sinking into obscurity by degrees. Russel holds that the scientist is more fortunate than the artist. He says,”When the public cannot understand a picture or a poem,they conclude that it is a bad picture or a bad poem. When they cannot understand the theory of relativity they, conclude (rightly) that their education has been insufficient.” We maintain that the scientific culture and the artistic culture need more mutual understanding, which may help the public understand the world in a comprehensive manner. In the end，they may display much interest in not only such issues as size and speed, but also such issues as beauty and elegance.