原版英文小故事 14. Because God Says So

The Dover Area School District in Pennsylvania is being sued by a group of parents after it added “intelligent design” to the curriculum presented to high school biology students. Intelligent design, the parents argue, is false science. It is simply a clever phrase for creationism. Creationism is based on the Book of Genesis in the Bible. It is the belief that, in six days, God created the universe and all its creatures, including Adam and Eve, the first humans.

School district officials believe that evolution is merely a theory, and a flawed one at that. They argue that, if students taking biology must learn about evolution, these students must also learn about intelligent design.

“There are two sides to every story,” said Daryl Scopes, a district official. “Darwin’s theory of evolution is just that—a theory. Not one scientist has ever proved that it is valid¹. The whole idea is absurd. Darwin wants us to believe that all Earth’s animals, from ants to elephants, have one common ancestor—the sponge! How ridiculous is that? We decided² that our students must be aware of the true facts, as described in Genesis. God created the first man—Adam—in His own image. From one of Adam’s ribs³, God then created Eve. God put Adam and Eve in charge of the Earth and all its creatures. Adam and Eve were perfect humans. But then they listened to the evil serpent and ate the forbidden fruit, and life for them—and us, their children—has been far from perfect ever since. That’s a beautiful story and, more important, a completely true story.”

 

1 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 ribs   

n.肋骨( rib的名词复数 )；（船或屋顶等的）肋拱；肋骨状的东西；（织物的）凸条花纹

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• Make a small incision below the ribs. 在肋骨下方切开一个小口。