Unit4 Imagination and Creativity

Detailed Reading

Unit4 Imagination and Creativity

I. Difficult Sentences

1. His hair was a mess; he had forgotten to comb it again. What do the words “mess” and “again” suggest about Einstein? (=These words suggest two things about Einstein: 1) Einstein paid little attention to his appearance.

2) It was more a regular practice than an accident for Einstein to go to workwith messy hair.) Translate the sentence into Chinese. (=他的头发凌乱，他又忘了梳头了。)

2. With nothing better to do, he developed his Theory of UniversalGravitation. What can we learn about the author’s tone from the part “With nothing better todo”?

(=The part is another vivid proof of the author’s humorous tone. In fact, it’sby no means a piece of cake for Isaac Newton to develop the Theory of UniversalGravitation.) What do you know about the “Theory of Universal Gravitation”?

(=It is an empirical physical law developed by Isaac Newton describing thegravitational attraction between bodies with mass.)

3. All of his 1905 papers unraveled problems being worked on, with mixedsuccess, by other scientists. Paraphrase the sentence.

(=All of Einstein’s 1905 papers solved problems that other scientists had beenworking on and making some progress.)

Translate the sentence into Chinese.

(=他所有发表于1905年的那些论文解决了当时其他科学家正多多少少在解决的问题。)

4. This character flaw was to be a key ingredient in Einstein’s discoveries. What does “this character flaw” refer to?

(=It refers to Einstein’s defiance of authority and his character traits ofalways doubting and questioning.)

Translate the sentence into Chinese.

(=这种个性缺陷成为日后爱因斯坦作出种种发现的主要因素。)

5. Disdaining caution, Einstein adopted the intuitive leap as a basic tool. Paraphrase the sentence.

(=Although Einstein felt bewildered by the bizarre duality of light, hebelieved in his intuition and conducted scientific researches instead of beingtoo cautious to take any actions.) Translate the sentence into Chinese.

(=爱因斯坦不屑谨小慎微，他采用直觉跳跃思维作为基本工具。)

6. Neither was Einstein’s brain.

Analyze thegrammatical structure of the sentence.

(=The sentence is in the inverted order, the predicate “was” being placedbefore the subject “Einstein’s brain”.)

What is the function of the sentence in the text?

(=The sentence serves as a transitional sentence, helping the author shift fromdiscussion on

Einstein’s brainpower to discussion on the structure ofEinstein’s brain, thus achieving coherence of the text.)

II. Words & Expressions

in a row: happening a number of times, one after another

- Bill Gates lost $6 billion last year,but that didn’t stop him from being the richest man in the world for the 8thyear in a row.

- 这是接连着第三个星期天下雨了。

(=This is the third Sunday in a row thatrains.)

strain: vt.

1) make a situation or relationship more difficult

- Relations between Tokyoand Washingtonwere further strained by the monetary crisis involving the December 1971revaluation of the Japanese yen. - 该事件使得两国关系趋于紧张。

(=The incident has strained relationsbetween the two countries.) 2) stretch tightly by pulling

- They strained the wire between twoposts. - 负载过重会把绳子拉紧到崩断的地步。

(=Too heavy a load will strain the rope toits breaking point.) Collocation：

strain every nerve 尽力 strain at the leash 渴望挣脱束缚 strain one’s muscles 绷住劲 strain one’s authority 滥用职权

stretch: 1. vt.

1) make sth. longer, wider or tighter bypulling

- Where can I buy those things thatstretch your shoes?

- A spider’s web can be stretchedconsiderably without weakening. - 你如果拉橡皮带，它就会伸长。

(=If you stretch a piece of elastic, itbecomes much longer.)

2) extend or thrust out (a limb or part ofthe body) and tighten the muscles - She went out to stretch her legs afterlunch.

- 应付抽筋最有效的方法就是轻柔缓和地去伸展肌肉抽筋的部位。

(=The most effective treatment for musclecramps is to gently stretch the cramped muscle.) 2. vi. spread out over an area or aperiod of time; extend - The ocean stretched as far as they couldsee on all sides. - 这条道路穿过沙漠伸向远方。

(=The road stretched out across the desertinto the distance.) Collocation：

stretch one’s legs 散步 stretch a point 做出让步 at a stretch 连续地 at full stretch 竭尽全力 beyond the stretch of … 超出?范围 CF: stretch, extend, lengthen &prolong

这四个动词均有“伸展、伸长”之意。

stretch 表示在长宽上增加，意思是“延伸、伸长”。 例如： - I stretchedout my arm trying to reach the ball. (=我伸手设法够到那只球。)

extend表示时空的延长，一般指延伸到某一预想的位置。还可以表示某一范围，如种类、影响、适用度的增加。例如：

- The kingdom extended as far as hundredsof miles in every direction. (=这个王国的领土绵延方圆数百里。)

lengthen 表示时空长度的增加、伸长。例如： - I have to ask the tailor to lengthenthis skirt. (=我得要裁缝将这条裙子放长一些。)

prolong表示超过通常、普通的限定，使期限延长。 例如：

- The meeting may be prolonged into theevening because so many problems have to be solved tonight.

(=会议可能要延长到夜里，因为今晚有太多问题要解决。)

twist: vt.

1) turn round; revolve

- Twist the handle to the right and thebox will open. - 我扭过头去把汽车向后倒。

(=I twisted my head round to reverse thecar.) 2) deliberately give a false meaning towords, etc.

- The police tried to twist the man’sstatement into an admission of guilt. - 报纸把我的话全都歪曲了。

(=The papers twisted everything I said.) Pattern:

twist sth. round sth. 使某物缠绕某物 twist sth. into sth. 把某物扭/搓成某物 twist off 扭断；拧开 twist up 扭弯；歪曲

alien:

1. n. anyone who does not belong inthe environment in which they are found - Immigrant workers were classed asresident aliens.

- 背井离乡这么久，现在在他自己的国家，他觉得自己像个外人。

(=After being away for so long, he feelslike an alien in his own country now.) 2. adj.

1) very different from what you are usedto, especially in a way that is difficult to understand or accept

- Their ideas are quite alien to our waysof thinking. - 残忍完全不合他的本性。

(=Cruelty is quite alien to his nature.)

2) being or from or characteristic ofanother place or part of the world

- After the alien spacecraft had hoveredover the park for a short time, it vanished. - 我在异国他乡遇到故知。

(=I ran into an old friend in the alienland.) CF: alien, foreign & extrinsic

这三个形容词均有“外来的”之意。

alien 表示无关联的、外来的，不能成为事物固有的组成部分，常带有厌恶之意，至少有不可兼容、不可调和之意。

foreign 是正式用法，表示在本国以外的，涉及到国外的。还表示因没有共同特性、关联而与其他事物有所不同的，不相干的。

extrinsic 表示明显在某物之外的，或从其他事物中得来的。

Fill in theblanks with the words above. Change the form where necessary. 1. I can’t understand what he says; hemust be foreign. 2. Failure, like pain, is alien tomy life.

3. A man’s courage and talent areintrinsic advantages; his wealth and family influence are extrinsic advantages.

4. The swelling on her finger was causedby a foreign body in it.

remarkable: adj. 1) striking

- He showed remarkable courage when hefaced the danger. - 他生病的整个阶段都表现出非凡的忍耐力。

(=He showed remarkable endurancethroughout his illness.) 2) worthy of attention

- The social changes which occurred in Chinaare remarkable. - 唐朝是一段以开明著称的时期。

(=The Tang Dynasty is a period remarkablefor its liberality.) CF: remarkable, noticeable, outstanding& conspicuous 这四个形容词均含有“突出的、值得注意的”之意。

remarkable 指所描写的事物或特征因与众不同或非同寻常而显得突出，含有需要大家评论、注意或关注的意味。

noticeable 指某事物或某特征太明显而不可避免地引起人们的注意，可作定语或表语。 outstanding 为普通用词，指人或物在同类比较中显得出类拔萃或具有显著的特征。

conspicuous 指某事物或某特征太显眼太突出而刺激感官或头脑并立即为感官或头脑所感觉到。 Fill in theblanks with the words above.

1. The actress red dress was very conspicuouson the stage. 2. Improvement is noticeable in thefactory.

3. He took a conspicuous seat nearthe entrance to wait for his girlfriend. 4. The economy of our country isdeveloping with a remarkable speed.

5. Our arts and crafts are enjoying fastsales for their outstanding workmanship.

beyond any doubt: allowing no uncertainty

- The authenticity of the manuscript isbeyond any doubt.

- The prosecution must prove beyond anydoubt that the accused is guilty of the crime. - 她使我深信，保罗确实是清白无辜的。

(=She convinced me that Paul was, beyondany doubt, innocent.) Collocation：

beyond all doubt 毫无疑问 beyond the shadow of doubt 毫无疑问 without doubt 无疑地 cast doubt on … 对?产生怀疑 hang in doubt 悬而未决

not give a figfor: not be at all concerned about or interested insth. or sb. - He didn’t give a fig for his mistake.

- 对邻居们的闲言碎语她丝毫不放在心上。 (=She wouldn’t give a fig for herneighbors’ gossip.) Collocation：

not care a fig for 毫不重视 not worth a fig 一文不值

undermine: vt. graduallyor insidiously make sb. or sth. less strong or effective - Badgers had undermined the foundationsof the church.

- The constant criticism was beginning toundermine her confidence. - 足球教练的主要竞争对手在散布谣言以逐渐破坏他的威信。

(=The football coach’s major opponent isspreading rumors to undermine his authority.) Collocation：

undermine confidence 破坏信心 undermine authority 损害权威 undermine credibility 破坏名誉 undermine health 损害健康

never getanywhere: not be successful

- You will never get anywhere unless youhave set your goal.

- We shall never get anywhere with allthis criticism and fault finding. I believe in the principle “live and letlive”.

- 除非我们立即采取行动，否则我们就不会成功。

(=We shall never get anywhere unless wetake immediate actions ourselves.)

ingredient: n.

1) anyof the foods that are combined to make a particular dish - Get all the ingredients together beforeyou start cooking. - 她能用简单配料烹调出美味的饭菜。

(=She can produce delicious meal from verysimple ingredients.) 2) any of the qualities of which sth. ismade

- John has all the ingredients of a greatbasketball player.

- Investment in new product development isan essential ingredient of corporate success. - 想象力和勤奋工作是成功的要素。

(=Imagination and hard work are theingredients of success.) CF: ingredient, element & component 这三个名词均有“成分、要素”之意。

ingredient 指混合物中的一部分，既可指混在一起而本身没有变化的物质，如配料，又可指与别的物质混在一起，发生了变化的成分。有时用于比喻。

element指一个整体必不可少或固有的部分，强调一个复杂整体中最基本、最简单的元件、元素或成分等。

component 指在混合物或化合物中的单个物质。

Fill in theblanks with the words above. Change the form where necessary. 1. The food is home-cooked using fresh ingredients.

2. All material things in the universeknown to our senses are composed of one or more chemical elements.

3. Each component is carefullychecked before assembly.

4. You must understand the elementsof mathematics before we can proceed further.

caution:

1. n. great care and attention - 他小心翼翼地爬上墙头。

(=With much caution he climbed to the topof the wall.) 2. vt. warn sb. to be careful

- Officials were quick to caution thatthese remarks did not mean an end to the peace process. - 我必须告诫你谨防危险。

(=I must caution you against the danger.) Pattern:

caution sb. against sth. 警告某人防止某事物 caution sb. (not) to do sth. 提醒某人（不要）做某事 Collocation:

throw caution to the winds 鲁莽行事

Caution is the parent of safety. 谨慎为安全之本。 with a caution 加以警告

stimulate: vt. makesb. interested and excited

- The exhibition stimulated people’sinterest in the artist’s works. - 政府将竭尽全力去刺激经济发展。

(=The government will do everything in itspower to stimulate economic growth.) Pattern:

stimulate sb. to do sth. 激励某人去做某事 stimulate one’s interest in sth. 激发某人对?的兴趣

credit:

1. vt. say that sb. or sth. isresponsible for sth. good

- Much of Manchester United’s success canbe credited to their manager. - The relics are credited with miraculouspowers. - 她总是把自己独特的性格归功于父母。

(=She always credited her distinctivecharacter to her parents.) 2. n. praise, approval, recognition

- She was given the credit for what shehad done. - 他的勇敢使他所在的团大为增光。

(=His courage has brought great credit tohis regiment.) Pattern:

credit sth. to sb./sth. 把?归功于 credit sb./sth. with sth. 认为某人、某事具有? Collocation:

add to one’s credit 增加荣誉 to be one’s credit 为某人争光 give credit to 称赞，赞扬 get credit for 因?而得到好评

if anything: if there is anythingdifferent; on the contrary even

- Sam didn’t seem too disappointed atlosing, if anything, he seemed relieved that it was all over.

- 他可不瘦——按说还算有点胖呢。

(=He’s not thin, if anything, he’s ratheron the plump side.) Collocation: for anything 无论如何也不 like anything 全力地；无比地 anything but 一点也不

After Reading >> Useful Expressions

连续地 in a row 弄得全家都没法睡 keep the household awake 打瞌睡 doze off 不能一天不上班 couldn’t skip a day 维持生计 make ends meet

为量子力学奠定基础 lay the foundation for quantum mechanics 迸发出创造性思想 have a creative outburst 躲避瘟疫爆发 avoid an outbreak of plague 由于没有什么更好的事情可做 with nothing better to do 将?描述成 paint … as 外星人 space alien 产生光电效应 do the photoelectric trick 接近 close in 毫无疑问 beyond any doubt 毫不在乎权威 not give a fig for authority 一事无成 never get anywhere 个性缺陷 character flaw 回顾 in retrospect 使?放慢脚步 slow … down

采用直觉跳跃思维 adopt the intuitive leap 相信直觉 believe in intuition 在世纪初 at the turn of the century 集中思想的能力 powers of concentration 专心致志地解题 engross oneself in a problem 要说有什么区别的话 ifanything

After Reading >> Sentence Translation

1. Einstein credited his discoveries toimagination and endless questioning more so than orthodox intelligence.

(=爱因斯坦把他的发现更多地归功于想象力和不断地提出问题，而不是通常所谓的智慧。) 2. 联合国宣布2005年为“世界物理学年”，以庆祝爱因斯坦“奇迹年”出现100周年。 (=The United Nations has declared 2005“The World Year of Physics” to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s“miracle year.”)

3. 你呆在这里损害了全班学生对我的尊重。

(=Your mere presence here undermines theclass’s respect for me.) 4. 科学是爱因斯坦家餐桌上聊天的话题。

(=Science was dinner-table conversation inthe Einstein household.) 5. 爱因斯坦对科学技术与生俱来怀有兴趣。

(=Albert’s interest in science andtechnology came naturally.)

After Reading >> Proverbs and Quotations

1.Imagination is the source of creation.

(=想象是创作之源。)

2.Imagination is sometimes more vivid than reality. (=想象有时比现实生动得多。)

3.Activity is the only road to knowledge.

(=行动是通往知识的唯一道路。)

4.Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules,making mistakes, and having fun.

— Mary Lou Cook, American educationist

(=创造性就是发明、试验、成长、冒险、犯规、犯错和游戏。

——美国教育家 M.L. 库克)

5. Thetragedy of the world is that those who are imaginative have but slightexperience, and those who are experienced have feeble imaginations.

— Alfred North Whitehead,British philosopher

(=世界的悲剧就在于有想象力的缺乏经验，而有经验的又缺乏想象力。

——英国哲学家 A. N. 怀特海)

6. Afree man obtains knowledge from many sources besides books.

— Thomas Jefferson, American president

(=一个自由的人除了从书本上获取知识，还可以从许多别的来源获得知识。

——美国总统 托马斯?6?1杰斐逊)

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