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AnotherSchoolYear--WhatFor?又是一个新学年—上大学到底为了什么1.Letmetellyouoneoftheearliestdisastersinmycareerasateacher.ItwasJanuaryof1940andIwasfreshoutofgraduateschoolstartingmyfirstsemesteratauniversity.Atallboycameintomyclass,satdown,foldedhisarms,andlookedatmeasiftosay:“allright,damnyou,teachmesomething.”TwoweedslaterwestartedHamlet.Threeweekslaterhecameintomyofficewithhishandsonhiships.“Look,”hesaid,“Icameheretobeapharmacist.ShydoIhavetoreadthisstuff?”hepointedtothebookwhichwaslyingonthedesk.2.NewasIwastothefaculty,Icouldhavetoldthisspecimenanumberofthings.Icouldhavepointedoutthathehadenrolled,notinadrugstore-mechanicsschool,butinacollegeandthatattheendofhiscoursehemeanttoreachforascrollthatwouldreadBachelorofScience.Itwouldnotread:QualifiedPill-GrindingTechnician.Itwouldcertifythathehadspecalizedinpharmacy,butitwouldfurthercertifythathehadbeenexposedtosomeoftheideasmankindhasgeneratedwithinitshistory.Thatistosay,hehadnotenteredatechnicaltrainingschoolbutauniversityandinuniversituesstudentsenrollforbothtrainingandeducation.3.Icouldhavetoldhimallthis,butitwasfairlyobvioushewasn’tgoingtobearoundlongenoughforittomatter.4.Nevertheless,IwasyoungandIhadahingsenseofdutyandItriedtoputitinthisway:“Fortherestofyourlife,”Isaid,“yourdaysaregoingtoaverageouttoabouttwenty-fourhours.Theywillbealittleshorterwhenyouareinlive,buttheaveragewilltendtohold.Foreightofthesehours,moreorless,youwillbeasleep.5.“Thenforabouteighthoursofeachworkingdayyouwill,Ihope,beusefullyemployed.Assumeyouhavegonethroughpharmacyschool---orengineering,orlawschool,orwhatever---duringthoseeighthoursyouwillbeusingyourprofessionalskills.Youwillseetoitthatthecyanidestaysoutoftheaspirin,thatthebulldoesn’tjumpthefence,orthatyourclientdoesn’tgototheelectricchairasaresultofyourincompetence.Theseareallusefulpursuits.Theyinvolveskillseverymanmustrespect,andtheycanallbringyoubasicsatisfactions.Alongwitheverythingelse,theywillprobablybewhatputsfoodonyourtable,supportsyourwife,andrearsyourchildren.Theywillbeyourincome,andmayitalwayssuffice.6.“Buthavingfinishedtheday’swork,whatdoyoudowiththoseothereighthours?Let’ssayyougohometoyourfamily.Whatsortoffamilyareyouraising?Willthechildreneverbeexposedtoareasonablypenetratingideaathome?Willyoubepresidingoverafamilythatmaintainssomecontactwiththegreatdemocraticintellect?Willtherebeabookinthehouse?Willtherebeapaintingareasonablysensitivemancanlookatwithoutshuddering?WillthekidsevergettohearBach?”7.ThatisaboutwhatIsaid,butthisparticularpestwasnotinterested“Look,”hesaid,“youprofessorsraiseyourkidsyourway;I’lltakecareofmyown.Me,I’mouttomakemoney.”8.“Ihopeyoumakealotofit,”Itoldhim,“becauseyou’regoingtobebadlystuckforsomethingtodowhenyou’renotsigningchecks.”9.FourteenyearslaterIamstillteaching,andIamheretotellyouthatthebusinessofthecollegeisnotonlytotrainyou,buttoputyouintouchwithwhatthebesthumanmindshavethought.IfyouhavenotimeforShakespeare,forabasiclookatphilosophy,forthecontinuityofthefinearts,forthatlessonofman’sdevelopmentwecallhistory---thenyouhavenobusinessbeingincollege.Youareonyourwaytobeingthatnewspeciesofmechanizedsavage,thepush-buttonNeabderthal.Ourcollegesinevitablygraduateanumberofsuchlifeforms,butitcannotbesaidthattheywenttocollege;ratherthecollegewentthroughthem–withoutmakingcontact.10.Noonegetstobeahumanbeingunaided.Thereisnottimeenoughinasinglelifetimetoinventforoneselfeverythingoneneedstoknowinordertobeacivilizedhuman.11.Assume,forexample,thatyouwanttobephysicist.Youpassthegreatstonehallsof,say,M.I.T.,andtherecutintothestonearethenamesofthesciencists.Thatchancesarethatfewifanyofyouwillleaveyournamestobecutintothosestones.Yetanyofyouwhomanagedtostayawakethroughpartofahighschoolcourseinphysics,knowsmoreaboutphysicsthandidmanyofthosegreatscholarsofthepast.Youknowmorebecausetheyleftyouwhattheyknew,becauseyoucanstartfromwhatthepastlearnedforyou.12.Andasthisistrueofthetechniquesofmankind,soitistrueofmankind’sspiritualresources.Mostoftheseresources,bothtechnicalandspiritual,arestoredinbooks.Booksareman’speculiaraccomplishment.Whenyouhavereadabook,youhaveaddedtoyourhumanexperience.ReadHomerandyourmindincludesapieceofHomer’smind.ThroughbooksyoucanacquireatleastfragmentsofthemindandexperienceofVirgil,Dante,Shakespeare---thelistisendless.Foragreatbookisnecessarilyagift;itoffersyoualifeyouhavenotthetimetoliveyourself,andittakesyouintoaworldyouhavenotthetimetotravelinliteraltime.Acivilizedmindis,inessence,onethatcontainsmanysuchlivesandmanysuchworlds.Ifyouaretoomuchinahurry,ortooarrogantlyproudofyourownlimitations,toacceptasagifttoyourhumanitysomepiecesofthemindsofAristotle,orChaucerorEinstein,youareneitheradevelopedhumannorausefulcitizenofademocracy.13.IthinkitwasLaRochefoucauldwhosaidthatmostpeoplewouldneverfallinloveiftheyhadn’treadaboutit.Hemighthavesaidthenoonewouldevermanagedtobecomehumaniftheyhadn’treadaboutit.14.Ispeak,I’msure,forthefacultyoftheliberalartscollegeandforthefacultiesofthespecializedschooldaswell,whenIsaythatauniversityhadnorealexistenceandnorealpurposeexceptasitsucceedsinputtingyouintouch,bothasspecialistsanda