2023考研英語(yǔ)閱讀追求永生
For ever and ever
追求永生
Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever and How ItDrives Civilisation.
《永生：對(duì)長(zhǎng)命百歲的追求及這是如何影響文明》
IMMORTALITY is an age-old obsession. Plentyof literature deals with the subject, from theSumerian Epic of Gilgamish to the poems of Homerand the writings of the Old Testament. The quest to live for ever has motivated medievalalchemists, modern techno-Utopians and mystics through the centuries.
永生是人們亙古不變的追求。不論是蘇美爾人的《《吉爾迦美什史詩(shī)》，還是荷馬的詩(shī)歌，亦或是《舊約》，大量的文學(xué)作品都以此為主題。歷經(jīng)了數(shù)個(gè)世紀(jì)，人們都追求著永生，這種觀點(diǎn)激勵(lì)著中世紀(jì)煉金術(shù)士，現(xiàn)代的技術(shù)烏托邦主義者，神秘主義者。
In his survey of the subject, Stephen Cave, a British philosopher, argues that mansvarious tales of immortality can be boiled down into four basic narratives. The first is thesimplest, in theory at least: do what the medieval alchemists never managed and discoveran elixir to simply avoid dying. The second concerns resurrection, or coming back to life afterdying, a belief found in all three of the Abrahamic religions. The idea of an immaterial soulthat can persist through death dates back, in a formal form, at least to Plato, and forms MrCaves third narrative. His fourth narrative deals with immortality through achievement,by becoming so famous that ones name lives on through the ages.
英國(guó)哲學(xué)家史蒂芬?凱夫在他對(duì)這一問(wèn)題的調(diào)查中指出，關(guān)于永生的各種傳說(shuō)都可以歸為四類(lèi)說(shuō)法。第一種在理論上至少是最簡(jiǎn)單的：完成中世紀(jì)煉金術(shù)士的遺愿，即發(fā)明一種長(zhǎng)生不老藥;第二種是復(fù)活，即死而復(fù)生，這種信仰普遍存在于三個(gè)亞拉伯罕宗教中;第三種是人們認(rèn)為無(wú)形的靈魂能夠穿越死亡，這種理念的正式形態(tài)，至少可以追溯回柏拉圖時(shí)代。第四種是通過(guò)取得成就獲得永生，即讓自己名垂千古。
For the aspiring undying, Mr Cave unfortunately concludes that immortality is a mirage.But his demolition project is fascinating in its own right. The section on the soul is an ableattack on the related doctrines of vitalism, the soul and mind-body dualismthe intuitiveand still widely held body of ideas that hold that living creatures are animated by some sortof supernatural spark, and that an individuals personality or consciousness can survivedeath. The chapters on resurrection will interest Christians, as Mr Cave examines how theliteral recreation, by God, of dead peoples bodies remains the doctrine of most branches ofChristianity. The idea of ones soul, as opposed to ones body, ending up in heaven or hell isa subsequent embellishment.
對(duì)向往長(zhǎng)生不老的人而言遺憾的是，凱夫做出了一個(gè)結(jié)論：永生是種幻想。不過(guò)就事論事，他對(duì)此的解析的確很吸引人。調(diào)查中，關(guān)于靈魂的部分對(duì)與之相關(guān)的生機(jī)論教義做了有力的攻擊，即靈魂與身心二元論這是一種非常直接，且許多人都相信的思想，他們認(rèn)為某種超自然的力量賦予了生物生命，一個(gè)人的人格及意識(shí)能夠超越死亡而存在。基督徒會(huì)對(duì)凱夫探討復(fù)活的章節(jié)感興趣，因?yàn)樗接懥松系壑卦煲阉勒叩娜怏w這一點(diǎn)是怎樣一直做為各基督教派的教義保留下來(lái)的。人們認(rèn)為，一個(gè)人的靈魂，不同于其軀體，它終會(huì)上天堂或是下地獄，則是在該思想之后才發(fā)展出來(lái)的一種修飾。
If anything, readers might want more of Mr Caves crisp conversational prose. Therecould be more on living longer; Mr Cave barely has time to give even the briefest overview ofthe emerging science of life extension, which has allowed researchers to lengthen thelifespans of mice by a third or more in the lab.
如果凱夫與其他調(diào)查有和不同的話，那便是讀者也許想讀到更多他的干凈利索的對(duì)話式散文。有關(guān)延長(zhǎng)壽命的章節(jié)可以再長(zhǎng)一些，但凱夫幾乎沒(méi)時(shí)間對(duì)當(dāng)今研究長(zhǎng)壽的科學(xué)做一個(gè)最簡(jiǎn)潔的概述。這種科學(xué)使得科研者們將實(shí)驗(yàn)室里小白鼠的壽命延長(zhǎng)了三分之一或更多。
There are a few quibbles. Mr Caves repeated claim that the quest for immortalitydrives every human activity feels overdone. Others might dispute his definition ofimmortality itself. Mr Caves chief argument against the desirability of living for ever is the familiar one of boredom. As the uncountable billions of yearstick away, the argument runs, even the most vivacious will come to realise that they havedone everything there is to do, hundreds of times. With yet more billions of years loomingahead they will be struck down with a debilitating ennui.
不過(guò)，凱夫的調(diào)查還是存在小瑕疵。他一直宣稱(chēng)，對(duì)永生的追求主導(dǎo)了人類(lèi)所有活動(dòng)，這未免讓人覺(jué)得有些夸大。他對(duì)于永生自身的定義還存在爭(zhēng)議。對(duì)于長(zhǎng)生的好處，凱夫最主要的辯駁觀點(diǎn)是人們非常熟悉的：厭煩。該論點(diǎn)認(rèn)為：隨著數(shù)十億年逐漸過(guò)去，即使是最有活力的人/永生者也會(huì)慢慢意識(shí)到自己已經(jīng)做完了所有可做的事，而且每一件都做了不下數(shù)百次了。未來(lái)還有數(shù)十億年要面對(duì)，這些永生者將會(huì)感到一種壓倒一切的無(wú)聊感。
That argument only applies if these notional immortals are also invincible, and thereforeimpervious to accident. But that is an odd definition, and not one that crops up very often,especially in scientific research into ageing. The holy grail there is simply to arrest the ageingprocess. Indeed, Mr Cave quotes an actuary who has estimated that the average medicalimmortal would persist for around 6,000 years before dying in a plane accident or a carcrash or the like. And besides, boredom seems to be a non-problem: after all, if an immortaldoes ever get truly bored of his vastly extended life, there would be nothing to prevent himfrom ending it.
只有在這些所謂的永生者也是所向無(wú)敵，因此不受任何事故傷害時(shí)，上述論點(diǎn)才能成立。不過(guò)這是個(gè)奇怪的定義，并非時(shí)不時(shí)冒出來(lái)的，尤其是在研究衰老的科研中。圣杯只是為了阻止衰老。的確，凱夫引用了一位精算師的話，據(jù)那位精算師估計(jì)，一個(gè)醫(yī)學(xué)上永生的人平均大約可以活6000年，不過(guò)最終他會(huì)死于墜機(jī)，撞車(chē)等事故。另外，這種厭煩似乎不是問(wèn)題：別忘了，若一個(gè)獲得永生的人實(shí)在厭煩了自己沒(méi)完沒(méi)了的生命，什么也阻止不了他將其結(jié)束。
For ever and ever
追求永生
Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever and How ItDrives Civilisation.
《永生：對(duì)長(zhǎng)命百歲的追求及這是如何影響文明》
IMMORTALITY is an age-old obsession. Plentyof literature deals with the subject, from theSumerian Epic of Gilgamish to the poems of Homerand the writings of the Old Testament. The quest to live for ever has motivated medievalalchemists, modern techno-Utopians and mystics through the centuries.
永生是人們亙古不變的追求。不論是蘇美爾人的《《吉爾迦美什史詩(shī)》，還是荷馬的詩(shī)歌，亦或是《舊約》，大量的文學(xué)作品都以此為主題。歷經(jīng)了數(shù)個(gè)世紀(jì)，人們都追求著永生，這種觀點(diǎn)激勵(lì)著中世紀(jì)煉金術(shù)士，現(xiàn)代的技術(shù)烏托邦主義者，神秘主義者。
In his survey of the subject, Stephen Cave, a British philosopher, argues that mansvarious tales of immortality can be boiled down into four basic narratives. The first is thesimplest, in theory at least: do what the medieval alchemists never managed and discoveran elixir to simply avoid dying. The second concerns resurrection, or coming back to life afterdying, a belief found in all three of the Abrahamic religions. The idea of an immaterial soulthat can persist through death dates back, in a formal form, at least to Plato, and forms MrCaves third narrative. His fourth narrative deals with immortality through achievement,by becoming so famous that ones name lives on through the ages.
英國(guó)哲學(xué)家史蒂芬?凱夫在他對(duì)這一問(wèn)題的調(diào)查中指出，關(guān)于永生的各種傳說(shuō)都可以歸為四類(lèi)說(shuō)法。第一種在理論上至少是最簡(jiǎn)單的：完成中世紀(jì)煉金術(shù)士的遺愿，即發(fā)明一種長(zhǎng)生不老藥;第二種是復(fù)活，即死而復(fù)生，這種信仰普遍存在于三個(gè)亞拉伯罕宗教中;第三種是人們認(rèn)為無(wú)形的靈魂能夠穿越死亡，這種理念的正式形態(tài)，至少可以追溯回柏拉圖時(shí)代。第四種是通過(guò)取得成就獲得永生，即讓自己名垂千古。
For the aspiring undying, Mr Cave unfortunately concludes that immortality is a mirage.But his demolition project is fascinating in its own right. The section on the soul is an ableattack on the related doctrines of vitalism, the soul and mind-body dualismthe intuitiveand still widely held body of ideas that hold that living creatures are animated by some sortof supernatural spark, and that an individuals personality or consciousness can survivedeath. The chapters on resurrection will interest Christians, as Mr Cave examines how theliteral recreation, by God, of dead peoples bodies remains the doctrine of most branches ofChristianity. The idea of ones soul, as opposed to ones body, ending up in heaven or hell isa subsequent embellishment.
對(duì)向往長(zhǎng)生不老的人而言遺憾的是，凱夫做出了一個(gè)結(jié)論：永生是種幻想。不過(guò)就事論事，他對(duì)此的解析的確很吸引人。調(diào)查中，關(guān)于靈魂的部分對(duì)與之相關(guān)的生機(jī)論教義做了有力的攻擊，即靈魂與身心二元論這是一種非常直接，且許多人都相信的思想，他們認(rèn)為某種超自然的力量賦予了生物生命，一個(gè)人的人格及意識(shí)能夠超越死亡而存在。基督徒會(huì)對(duì)凱夫探討復(fù)活的章節(jié)感興趣，因?yàn)樗接懥松系壑卦煲阉勒叩娜怏w這一點(diǎn)是怎樣一直做為各基督教派的教義保留下來(lái)的。人們認(rèn)為，一個(gè)人的靈魂，不同于其軀體，它終會(huì)上天堂或是下地獄，則是在該思想之后才發(fā)展出來(lái)的一種修飾。
If anything, readers might want more of Mr Caves crisp conversational prose. Therecould be more on living longer; Mr Cave barely has time to give even the briefest overview ofthe emerging science of life extension, which has allowed researchers to lengthen thelifespans of mice by a third or more in the lab.
如果凱夫與其他調(diào)查有和不同的話，那便是讀者也許想讀到更多他的干凈利索的對(duì)話式散文。有關(guān)延長(zhǎng)壽命的章節(jié)可以再長(zhǎng)一些，但凱夫幾乎沒(méi)時(shí)間對(duì)當(dāng)今研究長(zhǎng)壽的科學(xué)做一個(gè)最簡(jiǎn)潔的概述。這種科學(xué)使得科研者們將實(shí)驗(yàn)室里小白鼠的壽命延長(zhǎng)了三分之一或更多。
There are a few quibbles. Mr Caves repeated claim that the quest for immortalitydrives every human activity feels overdone. Others might dispute his definition ofimmortality itself. Mr Caves chief argument against the desirability of living for ever is the familiar one of boredom. As the uncountable billions of yearstick away, the argument runs, even the most vivacious will come to realise that they havedone everything there is to do, hundreds of times. With yet more billions of years loomingahead they will be struck down with a debilitating ennui.
不過(guò)，凱夫的調(diào)查還是存在小瑕疵。他一直宣稱(chēng)，對(duì)永生的追求主導(dǎo)了人類(lèi)所有活動(dòng)，這未免讓人覺(jué)得有些夸大。他對(duì)于永生自身的定義還存在爭(zhēng)議。對(duì)于長(zhǎng)生的好處，凱夫最主要的辯駁觀點(diǎn)是人們非常熟悉的：厭煩。該論點(diǎn)認(rèn)為：隨著數(shù)十億年逐漸過(guò)去，即使是最有活力的人/永生者也會(huì)慢慢意識(shí)到自己已經(jīng)做完了所有可做的事，而且每一件都做了不下數(shù)百次了。未來(lái)還有數(shù)十億年要面對(duì)，這些永生者將會(huì)感到一種壓倒一切的無(wú)聊感。
That argument only applies if these notional immortals are also invincible, and thereforeimpervious to accident. But that is an odd definition, and not one that crops up very often,especially in scientific research into ageing. The holy grail there is simply to arrest the ageingprocess. Indeed, Mr Cave quotes an actuary who has estimated that the average medicalimmortal would persist for around 6,000 years before dying in a plane accident or a carcrash or the like. And besides, boredom seems to be a non-problem: after all, if an immortaldoes ever get truly bored of his vastly extended life, there would be nothing to prevent himfrom ending it.
只有在這些所謂的永生者也是所向無(wú)敵，因此不受任何事故傷害時(shí)，上述論點(diǎn)才能成立。不過(guò)這是個(gè)奇怪的定義，并非時(shí)不時(shí)冒出來(lái)的，尤其是在研究衰老的科研中。圣杯只是為了阻止衰老。的確，凱夫引用了一位精算師的話，據(jù)那位精算師估計(jì)，一個(gè)醫(yī)學(xué)上永生的人平均大約可以活6000年，不過(guò)最終他會(huì)死于墜機(jī)，撞車(chē)等事故。另外，這種厭煩似乎不是問(wèn)題：別忘了，若一個(gè)獲得永生的人實(shí)在厭煩了自己沒(méi)完沒(méi)了的生命，什么也阻止不了他將其結(jié)束。
