# 第四册 Lesson 46 Hobbies 业余爱好

## 一、课文原文

A gifted American psychologist has said, 'Worry is a spasm of the emotion; the mind catches hold of something and will not let it go.' It is useless to argue with the mind in this condition. The stronger the will, the more futile the task. One can only gently insinuate something else into its convulsive grasp. And if this something else is rightly chosen, if it is really attended by the illumination of another field of interest, gradually, and often quite swiftly, the old undue grip relaxes and the process of recuperation and repair begins.

The cultivation of a hobby and new forms of interest is therefore a policy of the first importance to a public man. But this is not a business that can be undertaken in a day or swiftly improvised by a mere command of the will. The growth of alternative mental interests is a long process. The seeds must be carefully chosen; they must fall on good ground; they must be sedulously tended, if the vivifying fruits are to be at hand when needed.

To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real. It is no use starting late in life to say: 'I will take an interest in this or that.' Such an attempt only aggravates the strain of mental effort. A man may acquire great knowledge of topics unconnected with his daily work, and yet get hardly any benefit or relief. It is no use doing what you like; you have got to like what you do. Broadly speaking, human beings may be divided into three classes: those who are toiled to death, those who are worried to death, and those who are bored to death. It is no use offering the manual labourer, tired out with a hard week's sweat and effort, the chance of playing a game of football or baseball on Saturday afternoon. It is no use inviting the politician or the professional or business man, who has been working or worrying about serious things for six days, to work or worry about trifling things at the weekend.

As for the unfortunate people who can command everything they want, who can gratify every caprice and lay their hands on almost every object of desire — for them a new pleasure, a new excitement is only an additional satiation. In vain they rush frantically round from place to place, trying to escape from avenging boredom by mere clatter and motion. For them discipline in one form or another is the most hopeful path.

It may also be said that rational, industrious, useful human beings are divided into two classes: first, those whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure; and secondly those whose work and pleasure are one. Of these the former are the majority. They have their compensations. The long hours in the office or the factory bring with them as their reward, not only the means of sustenance, but a keen appetite for pleasure even in its simplest and most modest forms. But Fortune's favoured children belong to the second class. Their life is a natural harmony. For them the working hours are never long enough. Each day is a holiday, and ordinary holidays, when they come, are grudged as enforced interruptions in an absorbing vocation. Yet to both classes, the need of an alternative outlook, of a change of atmosphere, of a diversion of effort, is essential. Indeed, it may well be that those whose work is their pleasure are those who most need the means of banishing it at intervals from their minds.

— WINSTON CHURCHILL, *Painting as a Pastime*

## 二、重点词汇详解

| 单词 | 音标 | 词性 | 释义 | 用法说明 |
|------|------|------|------|----------|
| spasm | /ˈspæzəm/ | n. | 痉挛，突发 | a spasm of the emotion 情绪的痉挛 |
| futile | /ˈfjuːtaɪl/ | adj. | 徒劳的 | the more futile the task 越徒劳 |
| insinuate | /ɪnˈsɪnjueɪt/ | v. | 暗示，巧妙引入 | gently insinuate 委婉地引入 |
| convulsive | /kənˈvʌlsɪv/ | adj. | 痉挛性的 | convulsive grasp 痉挛性的紧握 |
| illumination | /ɪˌluːmɪˈneɪʃn/ | n. | 启发，照亮 | illumination of another field 另一领域的启发 |
| recuperation | /rɪˌkjuːpəˈreɪʃn/ | n. | 恢复，休养 | process of recuperation 恢复过程 |
| improvise | /ˈɪmprəvaɪz/ | v. | 即兴，临时凑合 | swiftly improvised 迅速临时凑合 |
| sedulously | /ˈsedjələsli/ | adv. | 孜孜不倦地 | sedulously tended 勤勉地培育 |
| vivifying | /ˈvɪvɪfaɪɪŋ/ | adj. | 赋予生命的 | vivifying fruits 赋予生命的果实 |
| aggravate | /ˈæɡrəveɪt/ | v. | 加重，使恶化 | aggravates the strain 加重了负担 |
| caprice | /kəˈpriːs/ | n. | 任性，反复无常 | gratify every caprice 满足每一个任性要求 |
| satiation | /ˌsæʃiˈeɪʃn/ | n. | 饱足，厌腻 | additional satiation 更多的厌腻 |
| grudge | /ɡrʌdʒ/ | v. | 怨恨，不愿给 | grudged as enforced interruptions 被视为被迫的打断 |

**固定搭配：**
- **catch hold of**：抓住
- **of the first importance**：头等重要的
- **toil to death**：累死
- **in vain**：徒劳

## 三、语法知识点

### 1. The + 比较级, the + 比较级

> **The stronger** the will, **the more futile** the task

越……越……，两个比较级对应。

| 结构 | 例句 |
|------|------|
| The more..., the more... | The more you read, the more you know. |
| The less..., the better... | The less said, the better. |

### 2. It is no use + V-ing

> **It is no use** starting late in life to say...
> **It is no use** doing what you like

It is no use + V-ing = 做……是没用的。

### 3. 分词结构作定语

> those **whose work is work and whose pleasure is pleasure**

whose 引导的定语从句修饰 those。

### 4. 虚拟语气

> it may well be that those whose work is their pleasure are those who **most need** the means of banishing it

may well be = 很可能，表示推测。

## 四、重点句型分析

### 句型1：比喻论证

> The seeds must be carefully chosen; they must fall on good ground; they must be sedulously tended, if the vivifying fruits are to be at hand when needed

- 培养爱好如种植：选种→好土→勤勉照料→果实
- 三重排比，层层递进

### 句型2：三分法

> human beings may be divided into three classes: those who are **toiled to death**, those who are **worried to death**, and those who are **bored to death**

- 三种人的分类：累死的、愁死的、闷死的
- 每种人需要不同的爱好

### 句型3：反直觉结论

> those whose work is their pleasure are those who **most need** the means of banishing it at intervals from their minds

- 工作即乐趣的人最需要偶尔把工作从脑中驱逐
- 似乎矛盾，实则有理

## 五、课文翻译

一位有天赋的美国心理学家说过："忧虑是情绪的痉挛；大脑抓住某件事不肯放手。"在这种状态下与大脑争论是无用的。意志越强，任务越徒劳。人们只能委婉地将别的东西引入它痉挛性的握持中。如果这个别的东西选择得当，如果它真正伴随着另一个兴趣领域的启发，渐渐地——往往相当迅速地——旧的过度紧握就会放松，恢复和修补的过程就开始了。

因此，培养一种爱好和新的兴趣形式，对于一个公众人物来说是一项头等重要的策略。但这不是一天就能完成的事，也不是仅凭意志的命令就能迅速临时凑合的。替代性精神兴趣的培养是一个漫长的过程。种子必须精心选择；必须落在好地上；必须勤勉地培育，如果要在需要时就能得到赋予生命的果实的话。

要真正快乐和安全，一个人至少应该有两三种爱好，而且都必须是真正的爱好。到了晚年才说"我要对这个或那个感兴趣"是没用的。这种尝试只会加重精神努力的负担。一个人可以获得与他日常工作无关的题目的丰富知识，却几乎得不到任何益处或轻松。做自己喜欢的事是没用的；你必须喜欢自己做的事。大体上说，人可以分为三类：累死的人、愁死的人和闷死的人。给劳累了一整周、汗流浃背的体力劳动者在周六下午踢足球或打棒球的机会是没用的。邀请一周六天都在为严肃事务工作或忧虑的政治家、专业人士或商人，在周末还为琐事工作或忧虑也是没用的。

至于那些不幸的、要什么有什么的人，能满足每一个任性要求、几乎能弄到手任何渴望之物的人——对他们来说，新的快乐、新的刺激只是增加更多的厌腻。他们从一个地方疯狂地奔向另一个地方，试图仅靠喧闹和运动来逃避报复性的无聊，都是徒劳。对他们来说，某种形式的自律是最有希望的道路。

也可以说，理性的、勤勉的、有用的人可以分为两类：第一类，工作是工作、娱乐是娱乐的人；第二类，工作和娱乐合为一体的人。其中前者占多数。他们有他们的补偿。在办公室或工厂里的漫长工作时间带来的回报，不仅是谋生的手段，还有对快乐——即使是最简单最朴素的形式——的强烈渴望。但命运之神的宠儿属于第二类。他们的生活是一种自然的和谐。对他们来说工作时间永远不够长。每天都是假日，而普通的假日到来时却被抱怨为对引人入胜的职业的被迫打扰。然而对两类人来说，需要一种替代的视角、一种氛围的变化、一种精力的转移，都是必不可少的。确实，很可能那些工作即乐趣的人最需要偶尔把工作从脑中驱逐出去的方法。

## 六、语言点精讲

### 1. 写作手法：分类论证

- 三分法：累死的、愁死的、闷死的
- 二分法：工作与娱乐分离的、工作与娱乐合一的
- 每种分类都有针对性的建议

### 2. 逻辑结构

| 段落 | 主题 | 论证方式 |
|------|------|----------|
| 第一段 | 爱好的心理学原理 | 引用+比喻 |
| 第二段 | 培养爱好需要长期投入 | 种植比喻 |
| 第三段 | 爱好必须真实 | 三分法 |
| 第四段 | 富人的困境 | 反讽 |
| 第五段 | 两类人都有替代视角的需要 | 二分法 |

### 3. 文化背景

- Winston Churchill（1874-1965）：英国首相，二战领袖
- 《Painting as a Pastime》：丘吉尔40岁开始画画后的感悟
- 丘吉尔本人就是"工作即乐趣"的典型

### 4. 修辞分析

- "toiled to death / worried to death / bored to death"——排比+夸张
- "Fortune's favoured children"——隐喻
- "seeds...good ground...vivifying fruits"——扩展比喻

## 七、课后练习要点

1. **词汇练习**：掌握 spasm、futile、insinuate、sedulously、caprice、grudge 等核心词
2. **语法练习**：The+比较级, the+比较级；It is no use + V-ing
3. **翻译练习**：注意比喻的翻译；分类结构的处理
4. **写作练习**：模仿分类论证法，讨论现代人如何选择爱好

## 八、本课小结

本课论述培养爱好的重要性。核心观点：**爱好不是简单的消遣，而是对抗忧虑、保持心理健康的必要手段；爱好必须真实且长期培养**。丘吉尔将人分为累死的、愁死的和闷死的三类，指出每类人需要不同的爱好。反直觉结论：工作即乐趣的人最需要偶尔远离工作。语法重点为 The+比较级结构和 It is no use + V-ing。