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UNIT9究竟什么是智力？-阿西莫夫解释，为什么智力低些的反而能在智力测验时取得高分。作者：艾萨克·阿西莫夫究竟什么是智力？当我在军队里时我遇到一种所有士兵参加的能力测试，对应通常的100分，会给160分。基地里还没有人看到那样一种数字并且两个小时时间他们让我造成不必要的紧张（这不意味着任何事情。第二天做为我的最高的职位我仍然是一名厨房值勤的列兵。）在我的一生中，我一直在登记着那样的分数，以至于我产生了自满的感觉我是高智商的，并且我期待其他人也是这样认为。实际上，虽然如此的分数并不简单地表明我在回答那种典型的学术性问题时是很好的，这些问题被那些设计智力测验的人们认为值得回答——那些人的智力与我的近似？例如，我曾经有一名汽车修理工，我估计他在这些智力测验方面是不可能有高过80的分数。我总是据此以为我是比他聪明得多的。但是，我的汽车出了任何问题时我总是赶紧让他来维修，当他检查汽车的零部件时我烦恼地看着他，听着他的似乎是圣言的判断——并且他总能修好我的汽车。于是，就建议我的汽车修理工为一个智力测验设计问题。或者建议一位木匠这么做，或者一位农民，或者其他人，的确，除了院士以外的所有人。通过这些测验中的每一个证明，我自己是一个低能者。并且我已经是一名低能者。在一个我不能使用我所受的学院训练和我的口才但不得不用我的双手来做复杂或粗糙的工作的世界里，我会做得很糟糕。所以，我的智力不是绝对的。它的价值被我所生活的这个社会所决定。它的数字价值被这个社会的已经设计了它的一小部分人所决定并将其强加于做为如此事情的公断人的我们中的其他部分。再次考虑到我的汽车修理工。他有一个无论什么时候都告诉我笑话的习惯。有一次他从车头盖下面抬起头来说：博士，一位聋哑小伙子走进硬件仓库要些钉子。他将两根手指头一起放在柜台上并用另一只手做锤的动作。这个伙计给他一把锤子。他摇头并指着他正在锤的两根手指头。这位伙计带给他钉子。他挑出他想要的尺寸的，离开了。好，博士，第二个进来的小伙子是瞎子。他想要剪刀。你建议他怎样要求它们？我举起我的右手并用前面的两根手指头做剪的动作。随后我的汽车修理工开心地笑了并说，为什么，你真蠢，他用他的声音来要求剪刀。接着他沾沾自喜地说，我今天已经在我所有的顾客身上试了。你套住了多少？我问。相当少，他说，但我确信地知道我套住了你。为什么呢？我问。因为你是如此受了教育，博士，我知道你是不可能很聪明的。因此我有一种不舒服的感觉因为他说的有些道理。TEXTAsimovexplainswhythereismuchmoreinintelligencethanjustbeingabletoscorehighonintelligencetests.WhatIIntelligence,Anyway?IsaacAsimovWhatisintelligence,anyway?WhenIwasinthearmyIreceivedakindofaptitudetestthatallsoldierstookand,againstanormalof100,scored160.Nooneatthebasehadeverseenafigurelikethatandfortwohourstheymadeabifussoverme.(Itdidn'tmeananything.ThenextdayIwasstillabuckprivatewithKPasmyhighestduty.)AllmylifeI'vebeenregisteringscoreslikethat,sothatIhavethecomplacentfeelingthatI'mhighlyintelligent,andIexpectotherpeopletothinkso,too.Actually,though,don'tsuchscoressimplymeanthatIamverygoodatansweringthetypeofacademicquestionsthatareconsideredworthyofanswersbythepeoplewhomakeuptheintelligencetests-peoplewithintellectualbentssimilartomine?Forinstance,Ihadanauto-repairmanonce,who,ontheseintelligencetests,couldnotpossiblyhavescoredmorethan80,bymyestimate.IalwaystookitforgrantedthatIwasfarmoreintelligentthanhewas.Yet,whenanythingwentwrongwithmycarIhastenedtohimwithit,watchedhimanxiouslyasheexploreditsvitals,andlistenedtohispronouncementsasthoughtheyweredivineoracles-andhealwaysfixedmycar.Well,then,supposemyauto-repairmandevisedquestionsforanintelligencetest.Orsupposeacarpenterdid,orafarmer,or,indeed,almostanyonebutanacademician.Byeveryoneofthosetests,I'dprovemyselfamoron.AndI'dbeamoron,too.InaworldwhereIcouldnotsuemyacademictrainingandmyverbaltalentsbuthadtodosomethingintricateorhard,workingwithmyhands,Iwoulddopoorly.Myintelligence,thenisnotabsolute.ItsworthisdeterminedbythesocietyIlivein.Itsnumericalevaluationisdeterminedbyasmallsubsectionofthatsocietywhichhasmanagedtofoistitselfontherestofusasanarbiterofsuchmatters.Considermyauto-repairman,again.Hehadahabitoftellingmejokeswheneverhesawme.Onetimeheraisedhisheadfromundertheautomobilehoodtosay:Doc,adeaf-and-dumbguywentintoahardwarestoretoaskforsomenails.Heputtwofingerstogetheronthecounterandmadehammeringmotionswiththeotherhand.Theclerkbroughthimahammer.Heshookhisheadandpointedtothetwofingershewashammering.Theclerkbroughthimnails.Hepickedoutthesizeshewanted,andleft.Well,doc,thenextguywhocameinwasablindman.Hewantedscissors.Howdoyousupposeheaskedforthem?Iliftedmyrighthandandmadescissoringmotionswithmyfirsttwofingers.Whereuponmyauto-repairmanlaughedheartilyandsaid,Why,youdumbfool,heusedhisvoiceandaskedforthem.Thenhesaid,smugly,I'vebeentryingthatonallmycustomerstoday.Didyoucatchmany?Iasked.Quiteafew,hesaid,butIknewforsureI'dcatchyou.Whyistat?Iasked.Becauseyou'resogoddamnededucated,doc,Iknewyoucouldn'tbeverysmart.AndIhaveanuneasyfeelinghehadsomethingthere.NEWWORDSAptitudenaturalabilityorsill能力.才能normaltheusualstateorlevel正常的状态或水平figure数字fussunnecessaryexpressionofexcitement,anger,impatience,etc.大惊小怪buckprivatecommonsoldierofthelowestrank列兵kpkitchenpolice(amilitarydutyofhelpingthecooksprepareandservethefood,washthedishes,andcleanupthekitchen)炊事值勤(员)registerachieve;writeinalistorrecord取得；登记complacentself-satisfactory;pleasedwithoneself自满的;自鸣得意的highlytoagreatdegree;verysimplyjust;only仅仅;只不过academicscholarly,theoretical,notpractical;ofacollegeoruniversity学术的;学究的;学院的worthy(of)deserving值得的bentnaturaltendencyorinclination嗜好;倾向similaralike;ofthesamesort类似的auto(shortfor)automobile汽车estimatejudgmentoropinionabouthowmuchhowmany,howgood,ect估计grantgiveorallow(whatisaskedfor)授予;准予hastengofast;bequick赶快;急忙exploresearchorexaminethoroughly探索;探究vitalsessentialpartsofanything;themainbodilyorgans主要部件.(人体的)重要器官pronouncementformalorauthoritativestatement;opinion声明;见解divinecomingfromGod;sacred神的;神圣的oracle圣言;神谕devisethinkout;plan想出;设计carpenter木匠academicianmemberofanart,literaryorscientificacademyorsociety院士;学会会员moronstupidperson低能者;蠢人verbalconnectedwithwordsandtheiruse;spoken,notwritten词语的;口头的intricatecomplicated错综复杂的absolutenotmeasuredbycomparisonwithotherthings绝对的determinefoxorfindoutexactly确定numericalofanumber;shownbynumbers数字的;用数字表示的evaluationevaluatesubsectionpartofasection小组;分部foistforceonanotherpersonbyfraudortrickery把...强加于arbiterjudge仲裁人;公断人jokesaidordonetocauselaughterora