大学英语精读第五册Unit 2 The Fifth Freedom

这一课的译文还需对照教参修改一下！！

Unit 2

The Fifth Freedom

More than three centuries ago a handful of（少数）pioneers(先驱者)crossed the ocean to Jamestown and Plymouth in search of freedoms they were unable to find in their own countries, the freedom we still cherish(珍视)today: freedom from want, freedom from fear, freedom of speech, freedom of religion(宗教)。Today the descendants(后代) of the early settlers （早期殖民者），and those who have joined them since ,are fighting to （斗争）protect（保卫）these freedom at home and throughout the world.（国内国外）（300多年前，少数拓荒者穿过大洋来到詹姆斯顿和普利茅斯，寻找他们在国内不能找到的自由，这些也是我们今天仍然珍视的自由：免于匮乏的自由，免于恐惧的自由，言论自由，宗教自由。今天这些早期殖民者的后代们和那些后来加入他们行列的人们还在国内国外为保卫这些自由而斗争。）

And yet there is a fifth freedom----basic to those four ---that we are in danger of (处于--危险中)losing: the freedom to be one's best（达到自己最佳水平的自由）（然而，我们正面临失去第五种自由的危险，它是上述四种自由的基础，这种自由是：达到自己最佳水平的自由）.St. Exupery(埃克苏佩里)

describes （描述）a ragged（衣衫褴褛的）, sensitive-faced （长相聪明）Arab child(流浪儿)，haunting the streets of a North African town(北非小镇),as a lost（失去）Mozart :he would never be trained or developed. Was he free?（埃克苏佩里把一个衣衫褴褛、面貌聪慧，常在北非某市街头游荡的流浪儿描写成一个被埋没的莫扎特，他决不会受到训练或培养，他自由吗？）"No one grasped you by the shoulder（肩膀）while there was still time; and nought will awaken in you the sleeping poet （诗人）or musician （音乐家）or astronomer（天文学家）that possibly （可能）inhabited （居住）you from the beginning.（从出生）" The freedom to be one's best is the chance for the development of each person to his highest power （力量）.（“也许从出生开始，你就具有成为诗人、音乐家、天文学家的才能，但是在时机还不算太晚的的时候没有人拉你一把，但是时机一过，就再也无法唤醒在你身上沉睡的这些才能了。”一个人达到自己最高水平的自由就是让每个人把自己的能力发展到最高水平的机会。）

How is it that we in America have begun to lose this freedom, and how can we regain （恢复）it for our nation's youth?

I believe it has started slipping away from us because of three misunderstandings（误解）.（在美国我们是怎么开始失去这种自由的呢？并且我们怎样才能为我们的年轻人重新获得

这种自由？我相信这种自由正开始从我们身边悄悄溜走，因为存在着三个方面的误解。）

First, the misunderstanding of the meaning of democracy（民主）. The principal（校长）of a great Philadelphia （费城）high school is driven to cry for help in combating the notion （概念）that it is undemocratic to run （实施）a special（特殊的）program（大纲）of studies for outstanding（优秀）boys and girls. （首先被误解的是对民主含义的误解。费城一个著名的中学为一些出类拔萃的学生实施一份特殊的教学大纲竟

被视为不民主，结果校长被迫大声疾呼，要求人们一起来与这种观念作斗争。）Again,（又如）when a good independent （私立的）school in Memphis（孟菲斯）recently（最近）closed, some thoughtful （有思想的）citizens（公民）urged （促请）that it be taken over （接管）by the public school system （系统）and used for boys and girls of high ability（能力）, that it have entrance （入口）requirements （要求）and give advanced （高级的）program（方案）of studies to superior （优秀的）students who were interested（有兴趣的）and able to take it .（又如，在孟菲斯当一所优秀私立学校最近停办时，一些有思想的公民主张该学校被公立教育学校系统接管，用于培养那些有较高能力的学生，这所学校要有入学要求，为那些有兴趣和有能力接受的学生制定高级的学习方案。）The