现代大学英语精读4lesson5.pptVIP

Paragraph 14 1. Man is the Religious Animal. He is the only Religious Animal. He is the only animal that has the True Religion--- several of them. Man claims to be the only animal capable of religious belief. Religion of course is considered here something much more important and noble than animal instincts because it emphasizes the spiritual and moral life of human beings. But Mark Twain sneers at this because the different religious in the world have resulted in endless religious suppressions, persecutions and wars. 2. He was at it in the time of the Caesar’s, he was at it in Mohammed’s time, he was at it in the time of the inquisition, he was at it in France a couple of centuries, he was at it in England in Mary’s day, he had been at it ever since he first saw the light to be at sth: to be engaged in a certain activity The Caesars: in the times of Caesars, the early Christians were cruelly persecuted by the Romans. Julius Caesar Mohammed: in Mohammed’s time, the Muslims were cruelly persecuted. Inquisition: it means that “inquiry” or “investigation”. Specifically, it refers to the former tribunal in the Roman Catholic Church directed at the suppression of heresy. (Queen) Mary: in Mary’s day, the Protestants were persecuted. to see the light: to come into existence, to be born. Mary Tudor: commonly known as Bloody Mary, Queen of England. Paragraph 17 1. And so I find that we have descended and degenerated, from some far ancestor--- some microscopic atom wandering at its pleasure between the mighty horizons of a drop of water perhaps… down the long highway of perfect innocence, till… And so I find that without knowing it, we have descended and deteriorated from our ancestor---some tiny atom which moved about freely and happily in the huge world of a drop of water perhaps… perfectly innocence during this long process of change… until we have fallen to the bottom, to the lowest stage of our development and become human beings. to do sth at one’s own pleas