Lesson 40 Themes and Variations
主旋律与变奏曲
主旋律与变奏曲
Populations increase and decrease relatively not only to one another, but also to natural resources. Inmost parts of the world, the relation between population and resources is already unfavourable andwill probably become even more unfavourable in the future. This growing poverty in the midst ofgrowing poverty constitutes a permanent menace to peace. And not only to peace, but also todemocratic institutions and personal liberty. For overpopulation is not compatib1e with freedom. Anunfavourable relationship between numbers and resources tends to make the earning of a livingalmost intolerably difficult. Labour is more abundant than goods, and the individual is compelled towork long hours for little pay. No surplus of accumulated purchasing power stands between him andthe tyrannies of unfriendly nature or of the equally unfriendly wielders of political and economicpower. Democracy is, among other things, the ability to say 'no' to the boss. But a man cannot say'no' to the boss, unless he is sure of being able to eat when the boss's favour has been withdrawn.And he cannot be certain of his next meal unless he owns the means of producing enough wealth,for his family to live on, or has been able to accumulate a surplus out of past wages, or has a chanceof moving to virgin territories, where he can make a fresh start. In an overcrowded country, very fewpeople own enough to make them financially independent; very few are in a position to accumulatepurchasing power; and there is no free land. Moreover, in any country where population presseshard upon natural resources, the general economic situation is apt to be so precarious thatgovernment control of capital and labour, production and consumption, becomes inevitable. It is noaccident that the twentieth century should be the century of highly centralized governments andtotalitarian dictatorships; it had to be so for the simple reason that the twentieth century is thecentury of planetary overcrowding.
New words and expressions 生词短语
precarious a. 不稳定的 perilous 山势险恶的，危险的
poverty n.贫困
I live in poverty. / I’m poverty-stricken. / My family is poverty-stricken.
constitute vt. 构成 constitute a menace 构成威胁
compatible with 和??处的来
incompatible
The meal is tolerable. 这饭还说的过去。
The meal is intolerable 这饭真差。
virgin work 处女作 virgin soil 处女地 virgin voyage 处女航 Virgin Mary 圣母玛利亚apt a.易于 apt to / be apt to theme song 主题歌
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- 109 – 文字录入：wuwuandjian 整理发布：kaiziliu 荣誉出品 新概念英语（第二版第四册）Lesson 40Notes on the text 课文注释
populations 表示各地的人口
to one another 相互之间有关系
to natural resources 和自然资源也有关系
the growing poverty in the midst of growing poverty=people become poorer and poorere.g. The growing prosperity in the midst of growing prosperity enables men to travel worldwide.permanent=long time, enduring 长期的，永久的(lasting)
permanent love 永久的爱 / permanent friendship 持久的友谊 / permanent member 永久会员And not only to peace, but also to democratic institutions and personal liberty. (无谓句)liberty 自由度，个人自由
I love my sister, my brother?also my grandmother. (强调grandmother)强调句
?, constitutes a permanent menace to peace, also to democratic institutions and personalliberty.(语气较弱)
freedom 用途很广 I enjoy freedom. 今天我休息。
liberty 政治上的自由 Statue of Liberty 自由女神像
numbers=population dog-eat-dog 人吃人 lucrative job 肥缺 / cut
figure out 崭露头角tend 强调无意识的 e.g. He tends to rise early. 他习惯于早起。
intend 强调有意识的 e.g. He intends to rise early. 他爱早起。
labour force 劳动力
surplus 剩余 surplus value 剩余价值 labour surplus 剩余劳动力
purchasing power 购买力
accumulated 堆积的，蓄积的（open-handed）
tyranny n. 残暴
political and economic power=countries
wielders 统治者
此句话的意思可表示为：It is impossible for him/for individual to get anything under the ruthlessnature and the merciless government.
power: America is a superpower. 美国是超级大国。
above all 首要 = among other things 表示强调说法 democracy:
to build a government of the people, by the people and for the people. (Lincoln)
(民有、民治、民享)
unless=if…not
favour: 恩惠 in the boss’s favour. 这是老板的大红人 He is the boss’s favourite. (很吃香)
- 110 – 文字录入：wuwuandjian 整理发布：kaiziliu 荣誉出品 新概念英语（第二版第四册）Lesson 40He is a diplomat. 他左右逢源，很会来事。
withdraw: 取走
and: 句式连接
My mother is a doctor, and my father is a driver.
My mother is a doctor. And my father is a driver.
be certain=be sure of
means 手段，方法 by means of 通过??手段
live on: 依靠??而生活 I live on rice/noodle.
live by one’s hands 靠劳动 live by the mountains 靠山吃山，靠水吃水
feed on
out of 从??出来 out of reason / He did out of impulse. 他出于冲动。
virgin territories 新的国度
make a fresh start 重新开始
financially independent 经济独立 = economically independent
financially dependent on my parents 需要父母给钱
Mentally I would rather you stay. 打心眼里我是真舍不得你走。
be in a position to=be able to
这位教授有资格能对这个事件发表看法。
The professor is in a position to air on this topic.
press upon=press on 施加压力给??
be apt to=tend to government control 政府控制 capital 资本
it is no accident 决不是偶然
centralized : (I want to build a cradle for security. (Stalin))
Aldous Huxley (奥尔德斯·赫胥黎) (1894-1963英国作家，他最著名作品Brave New World (美丽新世界)描绘了以科学方式组织的理想社会的恐怖情景)
Aldous Huxley is No. 1 humorist in Britain. (林语堂)
Arnold 阿诺德：英国著名作家（Aldous Huxley’s uncle）
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