精读4 paraphrase unit3

paraphrase

Perhaps it was away back in our early childhood …

Paraphrase: Maybe it could be traced continuously back into our early childhood.

But if the staunchest Roman Catholic and ……we can have very little doubt what the result would have been.

Paraphrase : But if they were exchanged when they were infants and brought up in different homes and under different influences, then the staunchest Roman Catholic would be the staunchest Presbyterian, and vice versa. This shows that our beliefs are largely influenced by our surroundings.

It is consistent with all our knowledge of psychology to conclude that……than those of a religious nature.

Paraphrase: We can conclude, based on all our knowledge of psychology, that each would have grown up having exactly the opposite beliefs to what they have now.

The same thing is true, of course, of many beliefs other than those of a religious nature. Paraphrase: Not only are religious beliefs like this. Many other beliefs are, too.

Many of our beliefs---……to have been “brought up” to them.

Paraphrase: Many of our deep-rooted and basic beliefs are determined by our social or cultural traditions.

Of course we do not cease, when we cease to be children, ……and the effectiveness of skilful advertising.

Paraphrase: Of course it does not mean that when we grow up we no longer have such mistaken beliefs. We still do. We are still easy and often willing victoms of newspapers and advertising , for example.

Most people, most of the time, are mere parrots.

Paraphrase: According to the author, most people, most of the time, simply copy,echo, or repeat others’ ideas without question.

Yet---they did.

Paraphrase: Nevertheless, persons in history really thought or supposed like that.

…that the very suggestion of any other possibility would have been ---and was---regarded as a joke.

Paraphrase : If someone had really suggested any other possible forms of the earth, it would have been considered ridiculous. And this view was actually considered as a joke in the past.

But, as a rule, the person concerned……to recognize this in himself.

Paraphrase : People who hold those beliefs through self-interest usually will not admit this. They usually try to clock themselves with beautiful altruistic words.

Putting it broadly, we should suspect any of our opinions……,by changing our opinion.

Paraphrase: If by changing our opinions we might lose something and therefore be unhappy, we must be suspicious about these opinions and try to find out whether we are not being blinded by self-interest.

Many groundless opinions are held through sentimental associations…….who held similar opinions.

Paraphrase: Very often we like or dislike an opinion because it is held by somebody we like or dislike. This is another common error. The fact is that there is no correlation between the truthfulness of an opinion and the person who holds that opinion. Nice and well-meaning people may have erroneous opinions, whereas unpleasant people may hold correct opinions.

In adult life, as we have often observed,……some antagonism to his opinions…

Paraphrase: There was a time when we believed that we should oppose whatever our

enemies supported and support whatever our enemies opposed. This often proved to be wrong. The author has told us why here.

To take one example: how largely our opinions on the merits …; but others of our own set. Paraphrase : Our opinions of authors, poets and composers are to a large extent determined by fashion. And as fashion come and go, our opinions also change.

Once an opinion is accepted, whatever be the cause of ……it has a strong tendency to persist. Paraphrase : Old idas die hard. That’s why it is common for a person to enter a new century while his brain remains in the old century. Only a few great intellects can think ahead of their time. Most people suffer from mental inertia or cultural lag.

The “brain path” becomes so well worn;……almost exactly the same course.

Paraphrase: We tend to hold old ideas (It’s easy to fall into a rut ) because they are familiar and make us feel secure and comfortable. They are comfortable because we are following the same brain path which offers no resistance, and our thinking ( The author calls it “nerve current” ) tends to follow the easy path the way water flows along a course which has the least resistance.

Put them on to the “record” about the good old days;……until the “record” has run out! Paraphrase: If you start them talking about these things, they will repeat themselves just like the playing of an old bramophone.

Sometimes our thought-patterns set while we are still quite young…….or alterable even into old age.

Paraphrase: Sometimes our ideas and thought habits are fixed when we are very young, and therefore we are able to absorb new ideas. Only in a few rare cases people will be open to new ideas when they are old.

Yet when full allowance has been made for……whatever it may turn out to be!

Paraphrase: Yet in spite of all those factors which make it difficult for people to form their opinions rationally, there are still some people who have a desire to think in a clear and rational way, and to do everything possible to find the truth, no matter whether the truth is pleasant or unpleasant.

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