哈牛堂头条1月0125谈读书

0125谈读Obama’sSecrettoSurvivingtheWhiteHouseYears:BooksBYMICHIKOKAKUTANI,January16,NotNotsinceLincolnhastherebeenasshaped—inhislife,convictionsandoutlookontheworld—readingandwritingasBarackObama.DuringhiseightyearsinWhiteHouse—inanoisyeraofinformationextremepartisanshipandknee-jerkreactions—bookswereasustainingsourceofideasandinspiration,andgavehimarenewedappreciationforthecomplexitiesandambiguitiesofthehuman“Atatimewheneventsmovesoquicklyandsomuchinformationistransmitted,”hesaid,readinggavehimtheabilitytooccasionally“slowdownandget”and“theabilitytogetinsomebodyelse’sshoes.”Thesetwothings,headded,“havebeeninvaluabletome.”ThewritingsofLincoln,theRev.MartinLutherKingJr.,GandhiandNelsonMandela,Mr.Obamafound,were“particularlyhelpful”when“whatyouwantedasenseofsolidarity,”adding“duringverydifficultmoments,jobcanbeveryMr.Obama’slongviewofhistoryandtheoptimism(combinedwithastirringreminderofthehardworkrequiredbydemocracy)thathearticulatedinhisfarewellspeechlastweekarepartofahard-wonfaith,groundedinhisreading,inhisknowledgeofhistory(and(anditsunexpectedzigsandzags),andhisembracesShakespearewhosawthehumansituationentire:itscrueltiesandmadblunders,butalsoitsresilience,decenciesandactsofgrace.Theywright’stragedies,hesays,havebeen“foundationalformeinunderstandinghowcertainpatternsrepeatthemselvesandythemselvesoutbetweenhumanbeings.”EvenbooksinitiallypickedupasescapereadingliketheHugoAward-winningapocalypticsci-fiepic“TheThree-BodyProblem”bythe writerLiuCixin,hesaid,couldunexpectedlyputthingsin:“Thescopeofitwasimmense.Sothatwasfuntoread,partlybecausemyday-to-dayproblemswithCongressseemfairlypetty—notsomethingtoworryabout.Aliensareabouttoinvade!”Suchbookswereawayforthetoshiftmentalgearsfromthebriefsandpapershestudiedduringtheday,away“togetoutofmyownhead,”awaytoescapetheWhiteHousebubble.Somenovelshelpedhimtobetter“imaginewhat’swhat’sgoingoninthelivesofpeople”acrossthecountryforinstance,hefoundthatMarilynneRobinson’snovelsconnectedhimemotionallytothepeoplehewasmeetinginIowaduringthe2008n,andtohisowngrandparents,whowerefromtheMidwest,andthesmalltownvaluesofhardworkandhonestyandhumility.Othernovelsservedasakindoffoil—somethingtowith.V.S.Naipaul’snovel“ABendintheRiver,”Mr.Obamarecalls,“startswiththeline‘Theworldiswhatitis;menwhoarenothing,whoallowthemselvesto nothing,havenoceinit.’AndIalwaysthinkaboutthatlineandIthinkabouthisnovelswhenI’mthinkingaboutthehardnessoftheworldsometimes,particularlyinforeign,andIresistandfightagainstsometimesthatverycynical,morerealisticviewoftheworld.Andyet,therearetimeswhereitfeelsasifthatmaybetrue.”outlookˈautluknyourgeneralattitudetolifeandthewhatisexpectedtohappenintheaviewfromaparticularoverload:ˌəuvəˈləudUSˌouvərˈloud/n.超载themoderndayinformationanoverloadofurgentdailypartisanship:ˌpɑːtɪˈzænʃɪpUSˈpɑːrtɪzənʃɪp,-sən/nPartisanshipissupportfora orgroupwithoutfairconsiderationofthefactsandcircumstances.knee-jerkreaction:膝跳反应ambiguity:/ˌæmbɪˈgjuːɪti/nthestateofbeingunclear,confusing,ornotcertain,orthingsthatproducethiseffecttransmit:/trænzˈmɪtUStrænsv.传输；tosendorpasssomethingfromone ,ceorthingto:/pəˈspektɪvUSpər-/n.视角；对事情的洞察力；正确的asensiblewayofjudgingandcomparingsituationssothatyoudonotimaginethatsomethingismoreseriousthanitreallyisawayofthinkingaboutsomething,especiallyonewhichisinfluencedbythetypeof youareorbyyourexperiencesinvaluable:ɪnˈvæljuəbəljʊbəlUSˈvæljʊbəladj.无法估值的；extremelysolidarity:ˌsɔlɪˈdærɪtiUSˌsɑːn.团结betweendifferentgroupsbecausetheyallhaveasharedstirring:/ˈstəːrɪŋ/adjproducingstrongfeelingsorexcitementinarticulateɑːˈtɪkjʊleɪtUSɑːrv.说出toexpressyourideasorfeelingsinhard-won:adj.来之不易的achievedonlyafteraofloteffortandzigsandzags:曲折folly:ˈfɔliUSˈfɑːlin.愚蠢averystupidthingtodo,especiallyonethatislikelytohaveseriousblunder:ˈblʌndəUSər/n.错误acarelessorstupidresilience:rɪˈzɪliənsntheabilityto estrong,happy,orsuccessfulagainafteradifficultsituationoreventtheabilityofasubstancesuchasrubbertoreturntoitsoriginalshapeafterithasbeenpressedorbentfoundationalfaunˈdeɪʃənəladj.escapereadingapocalyptic:əˌpɔkəˈlɪptɪkUSəˌpɑːadjApocalypticmeansrelatingtoorinvolvingpredictionsaboutfuturedisastersandthedestructionoftheworld.sci-fi:/ˌsaɪˈfaɪ/nSci-fiisshortforscienceepicˈepɪkn.史诗Anepicisalongbook,poem,orfilm,whosestoryextendsoveralongperiodoftimeorlsofgreatevents.scopescope/skəupUSskoupntherangeofthingsthatasubject,activity,booketcdealspetty:/ˈpeti/adj.Youcanusepettytodescribethingssuchasproblems,rules,orargumentswhichyouthinkareunimportantorrelatetounimportantthings.shiftgear:换挡brief:nofficialinstructionsthatexinwhatsomeone'sjobis,whattheirdutiesareetctogivesomeonealltheinformationaboutasituationthattheywillhumility/hjuːˈmɪlɪtin.谦卑thequalityofnotbeingtooproudaboutyourself usethistoshowfoil:/fɔɪl/nIfyourefertoonethingor asafoilforanother,youapproveofthefactthattheycontrastwitheachotherandgowelltogether,ofteninawaythatmakesthesecondthingorseembetterorlesscynicalˈsɪnɪkəl/adjunwillingtobelievethatpeoplehavegood,hon