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t by far the more unpleasant is the blood poison。 It is said that the nerve poison is the more primitive of the two； that the blood poison is； so to speak； a newer product from an improved formula。 Be that as it may； the nerve poison does its business with man far more quickly than the blood poison。 This； however； means nothing。 Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use against prey such as rats and mice； and the effects on these of viperine poison is almost immediate。
JOHN CROMPTON The snake
New words and expressions 生词和短语
saliva
n。 唾液
digestive
adj。 助消化的
defy
v。 使不可能
analysis
n。 分析
prey
n。 被捕食的动物
fierce
adj。 凶猛的
tussle
n。 扭打
carnivore
n。 食肉动物
vertebrate
n。 脊椎动物
lizard
n。 蜥蜴
concoct
v。 调制
potency
n。 效力
conversion
n。 转变
arsenic
n。 砒霜
strychnine
n。 马钱子碱
mamba
n。 树眼镜蛇
cobra
n。 眼镜蛇
venom
n。 毒液
neurotoxic
adj。 毒害神经的
viper
n。 蝰蛇
adder
n。 蝮蛇
rattlesnake
n。 响尾蛇
haemolytic
adj。 溶血性的
viperine
adj。 毒蛇
参考译文
蛇是怎样产生毒液的，这是一个谜。蛇的唾液本来和我们人的消化液一样柔和，但经过漫长的时间，演变成了今天仍无法分析清楚的毒液。毒液不是生存竞争强加给它们的，它们也可以不用毒液捕捉动物而生存，就像今天成千上万的无毒蛇那样。毒液对毒蛇来说只不过是一种舒适生存的优越手段，它使蛇不用费多大力气就能捕获到食物，轻咬一口即可。为什么只有蛇才有毒液呢？譬如说，如果猫有毒液，那对猫会大有帮助，它就不必再和又大又凶的老鼠边跑边博斗了，也不必再和大兔子扭斗了，只要咬一口，就不必再费大力气。因此，任何食肉动物有了毒液，都能从中获益。不过，当它们相互撕打时，毒液就成了利弊参半的武，可以杀死对方，也可以被对方的毒液杀死。然而，在脊椎动物中，大自然神秘模测地只选择了蛇（还有一种蜥蜴），人们弄不清楚大自然为什么在某些蛇的身上调制出如此高效的毒液来。
人们可能认为，唾液转变成毒液，其中有固定的程序。其实没有。有些蛇产生的毒液也在各方面与另外一些毒蛇产生的毒液不同，就像砒霜不同于马钱子碱一样。不同毒蛇产生的毒液产生的效果不同，一种毒液作用于神经，另一种毒液作用于血液。
产生神经毒液的蛇有一种非洲树眼镜蛇和眼镜蛇，它们的毒液称为神经毒素。蝰蛇（蝮蛇）和响尾蛇产生血液毒素，称为溶血性毒液。这两种毒液都很可怕，但溶血性毒液尤其厉害。据说，神经毒液在两种毒液中是较为原始的一种，而溶血性毒液，打个比方说，是根据改良配方生产的一种较新的产品。不过，神经毒辣液比溶血性毒液在人身上起作用快得多。但是，这没有什么关系，因为蛇有毒液不是用来对付人的，而是对付它的猎物，诸如鼠类，毒液对这些猎物会立刻起作用。
Lesson 21
William S。 Hart and
the early 'Western' film
威廉。S。 哈特和早期限的‘西部’影片
First listen and then answer the following question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
How did William Hart's childhood prepare him for his acting role in Western films？
William S。 hart was； perhaps； the greatest of all Western stars； fro unlike Gary Cooper and John Wayne he appeared in nothing but Westerns。 From 1914 to 1924 he was supreme and unchallenged。 It was Hart who created the basic formula of the Western film； and devised the protagonist he played in every film he made； the good…had man； the accidental…noble outlaw； or the honest…but…framed cowboy； or the sheriff made suspect by vicious gossip； in short； the individual in conflict with himself and his frontier environment。
Unlike most of his contemporaries in Hollywood； Hart actually knew something of the old West。 He had lived in it as a child when it was already disappearing； and his hero was firmly rooted in his memories and experiences； and in both the history and the mythology of the vanished frontier。 And although no period or place in American history has been more absurdly romanticized； myth and reality did join hands in at least one arena； the conflict between the individual and encroaching civilization。
Men accustomed to struggling for survival against the elements and Indians were bewildered by politicians； bankers and businessmen； and unhorsed by fences； laws and alien taboos。 Hart's good…bad man was always an outsider； always one of the disinherited； and if he found it necessary to shoot a sheriff or rob a bank along the way； his early audiences found it easy to understand and forgive； especially when it was Hart who； in the end； overcame the attacking Indians。
Audiences in the second decade of the twentieth century found it pleasant to escape to a time when life； though hard； was relatively simple。 We still do； living in a world in which undeclared aggression； war； hypocrisy； chicanery； anarchy and impending immolation are part of our daily lives； we all want a code to live by。
CARL FOREMAN Virtue and a Fast Gun from The Observer
New words and expressions 生词和短语
Supreme
adj。 首屈一指
protagonist
n。 主角
outlaw
n。 逃犯，亡命之徒
framed
adj。 遭到陷害的
vicious
adj。 恶毒的
mythology
n。 神话
vanished
adj。 消失了的
absurdly
adv。 荒诞地
arena
n。 竞技场在
encroaching
adj。 渐渐渗入的
Indian
n。 印第安人
bewilder
v。 使手足无措
alien
adj。 外来的
taboo
n。 戒律
disinherit
v。 剥夺。。。继承权
undeclared
adj。 未经宣布的
hypocrisy
n。 伪善
chicanery
n。 诈骗
impending
adj。 迫近的，近在眉睫的
immolation
n。 杀戮
code
n。 准则
参考译文
威廉。S。哈特大概是美国西部电影明星中的佼佼者。他和加里。古柏、约翰。韦恩不同，他只在西部电影中扮演角色。在1914年至1924年期间，他首屈一指，独霸影坛。正是他创造了西部电影的基调，即在他自己的拍摄的影片中他所塑造的主人公形象：被认为是坏人的好人，出人意料的高尚的逃犯，诚实却遭陷害的牛仔或因流言蜚语蒙受嫌疑的司法官。总之，主人公是一个自相矛盾，又与他的拓荒环境相矛盾的人物。
哈特与大部分同时代在好莱坞的演员不同，他确实了解西部早期拓荒生活的一些情况。作为一个孩子他曾在西部生活过，当时西部拓荒生活正在消失。他塑造的英雄人物深深地扎根于他本人的记忆和经历之中，也扎根于有关已经消失的拓荒生活的历史和神话之中。虽然在美国历史上没有任何时期或地区像西部拓荒时期那样被荒谬地浪漫主义化了，但神话和事实至少在某一个舞台上共存，也就是存在于个人与渐渐闯入的文明这两者的冲突之中。
习惯与大自然和印第安人作斗争以求生存的拓荒者被政客、银行家和商人搞得晕头转向，最后被圈地、尖律我外来的清规戒律所击败。哈特扮演的被误为坏人的好人总是一个局外人，总是一个被剥夺继承权的人。如果他认为在进行过程中有必要枪击一个司法官或抢劫一个银行，他的早期观众很容易接受，觉得应该原谅他，特别是当哈特最后战胜了前来进攻的印第安人时，观众更能原谅他。
生活在20世纪20年代的观众认为，逃到一个即使艰苦但比较简朴的时代中去是件愉快的事，我们今天仍有这种感觉。如今，不宣而战的侵略、战争、虚伪、诈骗、无政府状态以及即将临头的毁灭成了我们日常生活的一部分，我们都希望有一个赖以生存的行为准则。
Lesson 22
Knowledge and progress
知识和进步
First listen and then answer the following question。
听录音，然后回答以下问题。
In what two areas have people made no 'progress' at all？
Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world？ Surely progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us and is being more and more manifest。 Although mankind has undergone no general improvement in intelligence or morality； it has made extraordinary progress in the accumulation of knowledge。 Knowledge began to increase as soon as the thoughts of one individual could be municated to another by means of speech。 With the invention of writing； a great advance was made； for knowledge could then be not only municated but also stored。 Libraries made education possible； and education in its turn added to libraries： the growth of knowledge followed a kind of pound interest law； which was greatly enhanced by the invention of printing。 All this was paratively slow until； with the ing of science； the tempo was suddenly raised。 Then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic plan。 The trickle became a stream； the stream has now bee a torrent。 Moreover； as soon as new knowledge is acquired； it is now turned to practical account。 What is called 'modern civilization' is not the result of a balanced development of all man's nature。 but of accumulated knowledge applied to practical life。 The problem now facing humanity is： What is going to be done with all this knowledge？ As is so often pointed out； knowledge is a two…edged weapon which can be used equally for good or evil。 It is now being used indifferently for both。 Could any spectacle； for instance； be more grimly whimsical than that of gunners ourselves very seriously what will happen if this twofold use of knowledge； with its ever…increasing power； continues。
G。N。M。TYRRELL The Personality of Man
New words and expressions 生词和短语
loom
v。 赫然耸起
manifest
adj。明显的
morality
n。 道德
municate
v。 交流，交际
pound
adj。 复合的
enhance
v。 增进
tempo
n。 速率
trickle
n。 涓涓细流
torrent
n。 滔滔洪流
humanity
n。 人类
indifferently
adv。 不在乎地
grimly
adv。 可怖地
whimsical
adj。 怪诞的
shatter
v。 毁坏
twofold
adj。 双重的
参考译文
为什么进步这个概念在现代世界显得如此突出？无疑是因为有一种特殊的进步实际上正在我们周围发生，而且变得越来越明显。虽然人类有智力和道德上没有得到�