新编大学英语阅读部分第三册Unit9-1

Unit 9
Friends and Friendship

In-Class Reading

On Friendship

1 Today millions of Americans vacation abroad, and they go not only to see new sights but also-in those places where they do not feel too strange-to perhaps meet new people. No one really expects a vacation trip to produce a close friend. But surely the beginning of a friendship is possible. Surely in every country people value friendship.
2 The difficulty when strangers from two countries meet is not a lack of appreciation¹ of friendship, but different expectations about what constitutes friendship and how it comes into being. In those European countries that Americans are most likely to visit, friendship is quite sharply distinguished² from other, more casual relations, and is differently related to family life. For a Frenchman, a German or an Englishman, friendship is usually more particularized and carries a heavier burden of commitment.
3 But as we <1> use the word, "friend" can be applied³ to a wide range of relationships-to someone one has known for a few weeks in a new place, to a close business associate, to a childhood playmate, to a man or woman, to a trusted confidant. There are real differences among these relations for Americans-a friendship may be superficial, casual, situational or deep and enduring. But to a European, who sees only our surface behavior, the differences are not clear.
4 Who, then, is a friend?
5 In France, as in many European countries, friends generally are of the same sex, and friendship is seen as basically a relationship between men. Frenchwomen laugh at the idea that "women can't be friends," but they also admit sometimes that for women "it's a different thing <2>." And many French people doubt the possibility of a friendship between a man and a woman. There is also the kind of relationship within a group-men and women who have worked together for a long time, who may be very close, sharing great loyalty⁴ and warmth of feeling. In French eyes this is not friendship, although two members of such a group may well be friends.
6 For the French, friendship is a one-to-one relationship that demands a keen awareness⁵ of the other person's intellect, temperament⁶ and particular interests. A friend is someone who draws out your own best qualities, with whom you sparkle and become more of whatever the friendship draws upon <3>. Your political philosophy assumes more depth, appreciation of a play becomes sharper, taste in food or wine is accentuated⁸, enjoyment⁹ of a sport is intensified¹⁰.
7 And French friendships are compartmentalized. A man may play chess with a friend for thirty years without knowing his political opinions, or he may talk politics with him for as long a time without knowing about his personal life. Different friends fill different niches¹² in each person's life. These friendships are not made part of family life. A friend is not expected to spend evenings being nice to children or courteous¹³ to a deaf grandmother. These duties are primarily for relatives. Men who are friends may meet in a cafe. Intellectual friends may meet in larger groups for evenings of conversation. Working people may meet at the little bistro <4> where they drink and talk, far from the family.
8 In Germany, in contrast with France, friendship is much more distinctly a matter of feeling. Adolescents, boys and girls, form deeply sentimental¹⁴ attachments¹⁵, walk and talk together-not so much to polish their wits as to share their hopes and fears and dreams, to form a common front against the world of school and family and to join in a kind of mutual¹⁶ discovery of each other's and their own inner life <5>. Within the family, the closest relationship over a lifetime is between brothers and sisters. Outside the family, men and women find in their closest friends of the same sex the devotion of a sister, the loyalty of a brother <6>. Appropriately, in Germany friends usually are brought into the family. Children call their father's and their mother's friends "uncle" and "aunt." Between French friends, who have chosen each other because they have similar points of view, lively disagreement and sharpness of argument are the breath of life. But for Germans, whose friendships are based on mutuality¹⁷ of feeling, deep disagreement on any subject that matters to both is regarded as a tragedy <7>. Like ties of kinship, ties of friendship are meant to be permanently¹⁸ binding¹⁹. Young Germans who come to the United States have great difficulty in establishing such friendships with Americans. We view friendship more tentatively, subject to changes in intensity²⁰ as people move, change their jobs, marry, or discover new interests.
9 English friendships follow a still different pattern. Their basis is shared activity. Activities at different stages of life may be of very different kinds-discovering a common interest in school, serving together in the armed forces, taking part in a foreign mission, staying in the same country house during a crisis. In the midst of the activity, whatever it may be, people fall into step-sometimes two men or two women, sometimes two couples, sometimes three people-and find that they walk or play a game or tell stories or serve on a tiresome²¹ and exacting²² committee with the same easy anticipation²³ of what each will do day by day or in some critical situation. Americans who have made English friends comment that, even years later, "you can take up just where you left off." Meeting after a long interval²⁴, friends are like a couple who begin to dance again when the orchestra strikes up after a pause. English friendships are formed outside the family circle, but they are not, as in Germany, complementary to the family nor are they, as in France, separated from the family. And a break in an English friendship comes not necessarily as a result of some irreconcilable²⁵ differences of viewpoints or feelings but instead as a result of misjudgment, where one friend seriously misjudges how the other will think or feel or act, so that suddenly they are out of step <8>.
10 What, then, is friendship? Looking at these different styles, including our own, each of which is related to a whole way of life, are there common elements? There is the recognition that friendship, in contrast with kinship, implies freedom of choice. A friend is someone who chooses and is chosen. Related to this is the sense each friend gives the other of being a special individual, on whatever grounds this recognition is based <9>. And between friends there is inevitably²⁶ a kind of equality of give-and-take <10>. These similarities make the bridge between societies possible, and the American's characteristic openness to different styles of relationships makes it possible for him to find new friends abroad with whom he feels at home. (1124 words)
Time taken: ________ minutes

New Words

accentuate⁷
v. emphasize, intensify²⁷ 加强，增强

anticipation *
n. the act of expecting something to happen 期待，希望
e.g. Jimmy was full of anticipation on his fifth birthday.

chess
n. a board game designed to simulate a war between two kingdoms （国际）象棋
e.g. I taught Bill how to play chess.

compartmentalize *
v. divide something into several kinds or categories and deal with one at a time 把......分成各自独立的几部分

complementary *
adj. making something complete; supplying what is lacking or needed for completion 补充的；互补的

confidant
n. a trusted person to whom one speaks about one's private affairs or secrets 密友，知己

disagreement *
n. objection, dispute 分歧，争论
e.g. Disagreements can lead to arguments.

enjoyment *
n. pleasure, delight 愉快，乐趣
e.g. I take great enjoyment in climbing mountains.

exacting
adj. severe in demands or requirements, requiring close application and attention 严格的，费力的，需要集中思想和注意力的
e.g. My exacting piano teacher expects perfection.

intellect
n. power of the mind to reason and acquire knowledge 智力，理解力
e.g. The professor had a very sharp intellect.

intensify
v. (cause something to) become more intense 增强，加剧
e.g. Sharing an apartment has intensified our friendship.

irreconcilable
adj. characterized by differences that cannot be solved 不能调和的

kinship
n. blood relationship 血缘关系，亲属关系

midst
n. middle part 中部，中间，当中
e.g. In the midst of all his troubles he managed to remain cheerful.

misjudge *
v. form a wrong opinion of somebody or something 错误判断
e.g. I thought he wasn't going to support me, but I misjudged him.

misjudgment *
n. a wrong opinion or idea 错误的判断

mutual
adj.
1) felt or done by each towards the other 相互的，彼此的
e.g. Their partnership²⁸ was based on mutual respect, trust and understanding.
2) shared by two or more people 共同的，共有的
e.g. Linda and Paul met through a mutual friend.

mutuality
n. the state of being mutual 相互关系，相互依存

niche¹¹
n.
1) suitable or comfortable position, place, job, etc. 适合的或舒适的位置、地方、职业等
2) shallow recess²⁹, especially in a wall (浅的)凹处；（尤指）壁龛

particularize *
v. state or treat in detail, specify³⁰ 详细论说，具体说明

philosophy
n.
1) a set of beliefs or an outlook on life that is a guiding principle for behavior 哲理，人生哲学，见解
e.g. Mary's personal philosophy is to treat people the way she would like to be treated.
2) the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence 哲学
e.g. He studied philosophy and psychology³¹ at Cambridge.

temperament
n. a person's nature as it affects the way heshe thinks, feels or behaves 气质，性格，性情
e.g. The nurse had a pleasant temperament.

tiresome *
adj. causing someone to tire, wearisome 令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的
e.g. We both fell asleep during the tiresome movie.

viewpoint
n. a point of view, a standpoint opinion 观点
e.g. Susan explained her viewpoint during the debate.


Phrases and Expressions

come into being
begin to exist 开始形成，产生
e.g. Nobody knows how the universe came into being.

draw out
demand or elicit³² the full expression of 使.....充分发挥
e.g. The new mission drew out his talents.

draw upon
depend on as a base 利用，凭，靠
e.g. Your expert knowledge will be drawn³³ upon increasingly as the business negotiations³⁴ proceed.

the breath of life
a thing that someone needs or depends on 生活中不可缺少的东西
e.g. Admiration³⁵ is the breath of life to a man like Peter.

fall into step
conform to what others are doing or thinking, walk in step with someone 步调一致
e.g. After the big companies agreed to accept our terms, the smaller ones immediately fell into step.

in the midst of
among; in the middle of 在......当中
e.g. He often stops in the midst of speech.

leave off
break off; stop 停止
e.g. I ) Let's start again from where we left off.
II) It's time to leave off work.

strike up
begin (a conversation, a piece of music...) 开始（谈话，演奏......）
e.g. The band struck up a waltz.

1 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

2 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

3 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

4 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

5 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

6 temperament   

n.气质，性格，性情

参考例句：

• The analysis of what kind of temperament you possess is vital.分析一下你有什么样的气质是十分重要的。
• Success often depends on temperament.成功常常取决于一个人的性格。

7 accentuate   

v.着重，强调

参考例句：

• She has beautiful eyes, so we should accentuate them in the makeup.她眼睛很美丽，我们在化妆时应该突出她的眼睛。
• Mrs Obamas speeches rarely accentuate the positive.奥巴马夫人的演讲很少强调美国积极的一面。

8 accentuated   

v.重读( accentuate的过去式和过去分词 )；使突出；使恶化；加重音符号于

参考例句：

• The problem is accentuated by a shortage of water and electricity. 缺乏水电使问题愈加严重。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her black hair accentuated the delicateness of her skin. 她那乌黑的头发更衬托出她洁嫩的皮肤。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。

10 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 niche   

n.壁龛；合适的职务(环境、位置等)

参考例句：

• Madeleine placed it carefully in the rocky niche. 玛德琳小心翼翼地把它放在岩石壁龛里。
• The really talented among women would always make their own niche.妇女中真正有才能的人总是各得其所。

12 niches   

壁龛( niche的名词复数 )； 合适的位置[工作等]； （产品的）商机； 生态位（一个生物所占据的生境的最小单位）

参考例句：

• Some larvae extend the galleries to form niches. 许多幼虫将坑道延伸扩大成壁龛。
• In his view differences in adaptation are insufficient to create niches commensurate in number and kind. 按照他的观点，适应的差异不足以在数量上和种类上形成同量的小生境。

13 courteous   

adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的

参考例句：

• Although she often disagreed with me,she was always courteous.尽管她常常和我意见不一，但她总是很谦恭有礼。
• He was a kind and courteous man.他为人友善，而且彬彬有礼。

14 sentimental   

adj.多愁善感的，感伤的

参考例句：

• She's a sentimental woman who believes marriage comes by destiny.她是多愁善感的人，她相信姻缘命中注定。
• We were deeply touched by the sentimental movie.我们深深被那感伤的电影所感动。

15 attachments   

n.（用电子邮件发送的）附件( attachment的名词复数 )；附着；连接；附属物

参考例句：

• The vacuum cleaner has four different attachments. 吸尘器有四个不同的附件。
• It's an electric drill with a range of different attachments. 这是一个带有各种配件的电钻。

16 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

17 mutuality   

n.相互关系，相互依存

参考例句：

• The idea of family, mutuality, the sharing of benefits and burdens for the good of all. 这就是家庭、共同性、为所有人的利益分享收益，分担负担。 来自演讲部分
• He practiced Guanxi, a Chinese term that conveys trust and mutuality. 他运用[关系]-一个传达信任和互利的中文名词。

18 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

19 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

20 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

21 tiresome   

adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的

参考例句：

• His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
• He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。

22 exacting   

adj.苛求的，要求严格的

参考例句：

• He must remember the letters and symbols with exacting precision.他必须以严格的精度记住每个字母和符号。
• The public has been more exacting in its demands as time has passed.随着时间的推移，公众的要求更趋严格。

23 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

24 interval   

n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息

参考例句：

• The interval between the two trees measures 40 feet.这两棵树的间隔是40英尺。
• There was a long interval before he anwsered the telephone.隔了好久他才回了电话。

25 irreconcilable   

adj.（指人）难和解的，势不两立的

参考例句：

• These practices are irreconcilable with the law of the Church.这种做法与教规是相悖的。
• These old concepts are irreconcilable with modern life.这些陈旧的观念与现代生活格格不入。

26 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

27 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

28 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

29 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

30 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

31 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

32 elicit   

v.引出,抽出,引起

参考例句：

• It was designed to elicit the best thinking within the government. 机构的设置是为了在政府内部集思广益。
• Don't try to elicit business secrets from me. I won't tell you anything. 你休想从我这里套问出我们的商业机密, 我什么都不会告诉你的。

33 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

34 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

35 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。