The Human Story

温斯顿·丘吉尔 / Winston Churchill

温斯顿·丘吉尔（1874—1965），英国著名的政治家、作家。丘吉尔生于牛津贵族家庭，毕业于桑赫斯特军事学院，1895—1900年先后参加侵印战争和英布战争。他曾连续当选为自由党和保守党议员，历任政府要职。第二次世界大战爆发后，他于1940年出任首相，并连任两届（1940—1945年及1951—1955年）。任内，他领导英国人民对德作战，直至胜利。他在文学上造诣很深，曾于1953年获诺贝尔文学奖。

Ace in the Hole

Understand these new words before you listen to this article.

1. scroll [skrəʊl] n. 纸卷，卷轴

2. pedagogue [\'pedəɡɔɡ] n. 教师，卖弄学问的教师

3. destiny [\'destini] n. 命运; 天命; 天数

As the great scroll of history unrolls, many complicated incidents occur which it is difficult to introduce effectively into the pattern of the likes and dislikes of the epoch in which we live.

The human story does not always unfold like a mathematical calculation on the principle that two and two make four. Sometimes in life they make five or minus three; and sometimes the blackboard topples down in the middle of the sum and leaves the class in disorder and the pedagogue with a black eye.

Science, which now offers us a golden age with one hand, offers at the same time with the other the doom of all that we have built up inch by inch since the Stone Age and the dawn of any human annals. My faith is in the high progressive destiny of man. I do not believe that we are to be flung back into abysmal darkness of fiercesome discoveries which human genius has made let us make sure that they are our servants, but not our masters.

Its place in the healing of the sick, and in giving more food and leisure for life. When it helps the strong crush the weak, and rob those who are asleep, it is using truth for impious ends. Those who are thus sacrilegious will suffer and be punished, for their own weapons will be turned against them.

参考译文

当历史巨大的卷轴展开之时，许多错综复杂的事件出现了，而这些事件很难有效地纳入我们这个时代人们的好恶模式之中。

人类的故事并不总是像数学运算一样根据二加二等于四的原则展开。人的一生中，有时可能等于五或负三；有时，正算到一半，黑板倒塌，使全班陷于混乱，教师被砸得鼻青脸肿。

现在科学用一只手给我们奉献了一个黄金年代，但同时又用另一只手给我们制造了一个厄运，我们自从石器时代以及任何人类历史开始以来一点点建造起来的一切都将陷入困境。但我深信，人类的命运是非常积极向上的。我不相信我们将被扔进由自己才智发明所构成的黑暗深渊中。务必要确保我们主宰那些发明，而不要被那些发明所主宰。

发明的用处应该是治愈病人，为生活提供更多的食物和娱乐。如果它被用来帮助强者压迫弱者，掠夺熟睡的人们，它就是怀着不虔诚的动机去利用真理。以这种方式亵渎神灵的人们将遭到报应和惩罚，因为他们的武器将反过来对付他们自己。