In man's early days, competition with other creatures must
have been critical. But this phase of our development is now
finished. Indeed, we lack practice and experience nowadays in
dealing with primitive conditions. I am sure that, without modern weapons, I would make a very
poor show of disputing the ownership of a cave with a bear, and in this I do not think that I stand
alone. The last creature to compete with man was the mosquito. But even the mosquito has been
subdued by attention to drainage and by chemical sprays.
Competition between ourselves, person against person, community against community, still
persists, however; and it is as fierce as it ever was.
But the competition of man against man is not the simple process envisioned in biology. It is not a
simple competition for a fixed amount of food determined by the physical environment, because
the environment that determines our evolution is no longer essentially physical. Our environment
is chiefly conditioned by the things we believe. Morocco and California are bits of the Earth in
very similar latitudes, both on the west coasts of continents with similar climates, and probably
with rather similar natural resources. Yet their present development is wholly different, not so
much because of different people even, but because of the different thoughts that exist in the minds
of their inhabitants. This is the point I wish to emphasize. The most important factor in our
environment is the state of our own minds.
It is well known that where the white man has invaded a primitive culture the most destructive
effects have come not from physical weapons but from ideas. Ideas are dangerous. The Holy office
knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by. Indeed, the concept of
free speech only exists in our modem society because when you are inside a community you are
conditioned by the conventions of the community to such a degree that it is very difficult to
conceive of anything really destructive. It is only someone looking on from outside that can inject
the dangerous thoughts. I do not doubt that it would be possible to inject ideas into the modern
world that would utterly destroy us. I would like to give you an example, but fortunately I cannot
do so. Perhaps it will suffice to mention the nuclear bomb. Imagine the effect on a reasonably
advanced technological society, one that still does not possess the bomb, of making it aware of the
possibility, of supplying sufficient details to enable the thing to be constructed. Twenty or thirty
pages of information handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925 would have
been sufficient to change the course of world history. It is a strange thought, but I believe a correct
one, that twenty or thirty pages of ideas and information would be capable of turning the
present-day world upside down, or even destroying it. I have often tried to conceive of what those
pages might contain, but of course I cannot do so because I am a prisoner of the present-day world,
just as all of you are. We cannot think outside the particular patterns that our brains are conditioned

to, or, to be more accurate, we can think only a very little way outside, and then only if we are very
original.

New words and expressions 生词短语
dispute v. 争夺latitude n. 纬度
mosquito n. 蚊子 heretic n. 异教徒，异端邪说
subdue v. 征服conceive v. 想象
drainage n. 下水系统suffice v. 足够
envision n. 预想nuclear adj. yuanzidan的
Morocco n. 摩洛哥 original adj. 有独到见解的
1．Dispute 争夺，很有新意。以前的意思如争论，争端,辩论，
dispute with sbdispute on sth dispute sth .with sb
I dispute the position with him 争地盘 talentsVie for sth .with sb 争夺
Scramble for sth . with sb .scramble 爬 scramble eggs 煎鸡蛋
2.Subdue conquer overpower tame 驯服 subject adjQuell 镇压
3.Bear 熊 polar bear 北极熊 penguin 企鹅 panda 熊猫 bear hug 拥抱
4.Envision en-动词前缀，predict envisage
5.Morocco n. 摩洛哥，north Africa Monaco 摩纳哥，Europe
6.Latitude 纬度， longtitude 经度 28 degrees North latitude 北纬 28 度 latituede (古)自由
Let’s allow him some latitude in his private Envision vt 预想
7.The holy officen. 宗教法庭， pope 教皇 cardinal 红衣主教以前学过一个同义词
–the inquisition (t 天主教)宗教法庭
8.Heretic 异教徒，纯粹邪教 herecy 邪说 pagan,异教徒
9.Power ,大国。
10. Conceive 想象经常出现，以前的很多课学过 conceive of sth Perceive 察觉，感知 i
11. Picture v. 构思，构想
12.Suffice 足够 v.sufficient adi 足够的 A fraction of rice will suffice .
If you are in troube ,turn to me .ok, one word will suffice.
Enough？ ,that suffices me .Power 大国nuclear power 核大国
Nuclear bomb ,记住，一般 mb 结尾的，发音只发《m》如 comb tomb
Critical
crucial vital decisive critical juncture ciritical eye

Notes on the text 课文注释
1． Make a very poor show, 出丑。
2． I stand alone, 仅我一人。
3． The last creature to compete with man, 其中的 last 有“极不可能”的意思。
The Holy Office knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by. The
Holy Office 是指罗马天主教的宗教法庭；full well 中的 full 是副词，有 very 的意思；gone
by 作 days 的定语，整个词组的意思是“过去的日子”。
Must have been 表示猜测，推测！ in the man’a days , phase :perisd ,estate
I am sure that…

Withour …I would make ….虚拟语气
Make a very poor show 出洋相 make a fool of oneself 做傻事，出丑 make an exhibition of
oneself 当中出丑
The ownership of a cave 一个洞穴的所有权 In this view ,I don’t stand alone;
Stand alone 独立，孤立； I am alone in this point ; Stick in the back 放冷枪
Competition between ourselves 人类内部的竞争； person against person 人与人之间的竞争；
Community against community 群体与群体之间的竞争
The survival of the fittest 适者生存
A fixed amount of food 固定量的食物， determined 作 food 的后置定语
The physical environment 客观环境 Evolution ; development 进化 Mental outlook 世界观
Similar latitude 相近的纬度 west coasts 西海岸；Similar climates 相似的气候
California: highly advanced 高度发展 Morocco : highly backward;
Not …..but …….转折；different thought in inhabitants: livers,residents
The most important factor in our environment is the state of our own minds.我们的自然环境中
最重要的因素是我们的心态；
It is well known that …. Where 引导的从句都可以用 if 来引导，如
Where there is a will ,there is a way , If there is a will….
The most destructive effects 最具有破坏性的影响 westlization
in this days gone by;in the past days ; in days to come;the insider can’t see the game .当局者迷
looking on 观望 the outer sees most of the game .旁观者清
I would like to …………假设语气Imagine the effect on ………
One 指 society Effect of making it aware of the possibility of nuclear bomb ; it 代表 society.
Turn upside down 完全颠倒
I have often tried to conceive of what those pages might contain but of course do do because I
am a prisoner of the present-day world ,just as all of you are .符合“”因为我们身处这个社会，
就受社会的制约的思想
Be conditioned to (by) 被约束 outside :beyond 超越 original 创新的
Important Kownledge
。。。。when you are inside a community you are conditioned by the conventions of the
community to such a degree that it is very difficult to cou=nceive of anything really destructive .
It is only someone looking on from ourside that can inject the dangerous thoughts…
2…… and then only I we are very original ,
建议阅读：新概念英语Lesson 56 新概念英语Lesson 54
关于林语堂：The enjoyment of culture
Good taste in knowledge 知识方面的品味
The development of good taste in kownledge 知识品位的培养
Well-read 博学的
Parrot 鹦鹉学舌者， a great man who have the hate and who have the love .
Erudition 博学，学识 Discernment 洞察力，辨别力。 Scholar 学者，scholarship 奖学金
Given :specific 特定的
Bulldozev。蒙骗，威胁 adult life 成年时期。Patriotic
Bogus 假的
Paunch肠胃。Ambition 志向,aggressiveness，挑战性。 Sense of duty ,责任感。 Stinginess
小气。Nonsense 废话 Awe 敬畏，over awed 别吓住