Not Just Another Russian 俄国文坛巨擘──托尔斯泰
by Christine Newton
In 1828, baby Leo was born into the rich and powerful Tolstoy family of Central Russia. He would grow up to write two of the greatest novels in the history of literature and inspire social reform that would make an impact on the world. Not just another Russian author, Leo Tolstoy was a teacher, a philosopher, and the grandfather of non-violent revolution.
Tolstoy was an unsettled young man. He was a poor student who left his university when he could find no meaning in his studies. He joined the army but could not endure the violence and soon left that as well. By this time, Tolstoy was being noticed as a writer but he still felt unfulfilled. It was during this time that Tolstoy wrote his most famous books, War and Peace and Anna Karenina. In them, Tolstoy offered a new kind of fiction to Russian readers. He described events and characters so detailed and convincing that they blurred the line between the imaginary and real life. In Tolstoy's version, it was not great leaders that moved history, but the common people. His work has been called, "not art, but a piece of life."
Tolstoy suffered a mid-life crisis after writing Anna Karenina. Giving up his fortune to live among the peasants, he decided he must find the meaning of life or else kill himself. What he found came from the core of his Christian faith—universal love and passive resistance to evil. Gandhi later adopted this message in his campaign to free India. Martin Luther King, Jr. did the same in his fight for racial equality in America. The effects of passive resistance can still be felt today. Tolstoy was a gifted writer, but it was his revolutionary ideas that changed the course of history and the world in which we live.
1. According to the article, which of the following is most true about Leo Tolstoy?
(A) He always valued his peasant upbringing.
(B) His teachers thought he was very smart.
(C) He was satisfied with his life after people began noticing his work.
(D) He struggled to find meaning throughout his life.
2. What was special about Tolstoy's style of writing?
(A) He was the first author to address the issue of war.
(B) He described important events that really happened.
(C) The characters in his books were very true to life.
(D) He wrote about the great leaders who changed history.
3. Tolstoy considered killing himself because he ______.
(A) had not yet found the meaning of life
(B) was traumatized by his time in the army
(C) lost his inspiration for writing
(D) lost faith in universal love
4. How are Ghandi and Tolstoy alike?
(A) Tolstoy adopted Ghandi's message and wrote about it in his books.
(B) Tolstoy and Ghandi studied together at the university.
(C) Ghandi helped Tolstoy find the meaning of life.
(D) Ghandi used Tolstoy's ideas in his struggle to free India.
单字小铺
1. reform n. 改革
2. revolution n. 革命
3. unsettled a. 不安定的
4. unfulfilled a. 未得到满足的
5. convincing a. 令人信服的
6. imaginary a. 虚构的
7. peasant n. 农夫
8. core n. 核心，精髓
9. passive a. 被动的
10. resistance n. 抵抗
11. campaign n.（为达成某目标所作的）运动∕活动
12. equality n. 平等
13. gifted a. 有天赋的
14. revolutionary a. 革命性的
15. upbringing n. 养育
词组小铺
1. be born into... 出生在……（家庭背景）
2. join the army 从军
3. give up... 放弃……
4. struggle to V 努力做……
5. be true to life 逼真的
精解字词词组
1. inspire vt. 激发
inspire sb to V 激发某人做……
例: My grandfather's military service inspired me to join the Navy.
（我爷爷的从军经验激发我加入海军的行列。）
2. make an impact on... 对……产生影响
例: This new discovery will make a big impact on the field of physics.
（这项新发现将大大影响物理学界。）
3. endure vt. 忍受
例: I had to endure his complaining for two hours during our hike yesterday.
（昨天去爬山时，我必须忍受他两个小时的抱怨。）
4. offer A to B 提供 A 给 B
例: Having a new restaurant in town will offer more options to the people living here.
（镇上新餐厅的开张将提供居民更多选择。）
5. detailed a. 详细的
in detail 详细地
例: The satellite takes such detailed pictures that you can see people's faces in them.
（这架人造卫星拍下的照片非常详尽，连人的脸部都看得到。）
例: The woman described the thief in detail and he was soon caught.
（那位女子详细描述窃贼的样子，他不久就落网了。）
6. blur the line between A and B 模糊 A 与 B 的界线
blur vt. 使模糊
例: Sandra moved and blurred the picture we were taking.
（珊卓拉动了一下，害我们的照片模糊了。）
7. suffer vt. 遭受；经历 & vi. 罹患；受苦
suffer from... 罹患……（疾病）；受……所苦
例: David thought he was very healthy until he suffered a minor heart attack.
（在一次轻微心脏病发之前，戴维一直以为自己很健康。）
例: People often suffer from colds at this time of year.
（每年这个时候，人们时常受感冒所苦。）
8. adopt vt. 采用，采取
例: Yesterday, the government adopted a new law making all guns illegal.
（昨天政府采用一项新法案，将所有枪枝列为非法。）
9. be satisfied with... 满足于……
= be content(ed) with...
例: I don't need to be more popular because I'm satisfied with the friends I have.
（我不需要更受欢迎，有这些朋友我就很满足了。）
10. address vt. 探讨（问题）
例: If we don't address our problems, we'll never be like we used to be.
（如果我们不探讨彼此之间的问题，就无法回到从前的样子了。）
11. consider + V-ing 考虑……
例: You should consider getting a haircut at that new barbershop.
（你真该考虑去那家新开的理发店理个发。）
12. be traumatized by... （精神上）受到……所创
traumatized a. 精神受创的
例: Bill was so traumatized by the accident that he couldn't get in a car for two months.
（比尔因那起意外而精神受创，两个月都不敢搭车。）
13. lose faith in... 对……失去信心
have faith in... 对……有信心
例: We should have faith in Rose's ability to solve the problem.
（我们应该对萝丝解决问题的能力有信心。）
文法一点灵
It was during this time that Tolstoy wrote his most famous books...
注意:
本句使用 it is/was 引导的强势句构，有下列两种情况：
a. It is/was + 介词词组∕副词子句∕时间副词（词组）+ that 子句
本句构中的 that 为名词子句连接词，而不等于关系代名词 who、whom 或 which。
例: It was until midnight that I finished the report.
（我直到半夜才完成报告。）
b. It is/was +（代）名词 + 关系代名词 who/whom/which 引导的形容词子句
此处的 who、whom、which 均可用 that 取代。且翻译本句构时，通常先译形容词子句，再译被修饰的名词或代名词。
例: It was my best friend who/that stood by me when I felt sad.
（我难过时在身边支持我的是我最好的朋友。）
中文翻译＆标准答案
1828 年，小托尔斯泰诞生于俄罗斯中部一个富裕显赫的家庭。他长大后将写下文学史上最伟大的两部小说，并启发影响全世界的社会改革。托尔斯泰不只是名俄罗斯作家，也是一位老师、一位哲学家，更是非暴力革命的始祖。
托尔斯泰年轻时非常不安定。他是一位可怜的学生，找不到学习的意义便离开就读的大学。他去从军却无法忍受暴力，也很快便离开了。这时候，托尔斯泰以作家的身分闯出了名声，但依旧感觉不得志。就在这段时期，他写了最有名的两部作品《战争与和平》和《安娜．卡列尼娜》。在这两部作品中，他向俄罗斯读者展现了前所未有的小说型态。他笔下所描述的事件与角色如此巨细靡遗，且深具说服力，因而模糊了虚构与现实之间的界线。在托尔斯泰的眼中，改变历史的不是伟大的领导者，而是平民。他的作品被称为『非关艺术，却贴近生活』。
托尔斯泰完成《安娜．卡列尼娜》后经历了一段中年危机。他放弃财富和农民一起生活，决定除非找到生活的意义，否则宁可自我了断。他找到的是基督教信仰的中心思想——广爱世人与被动地对抗邪恶。甘地在稍后的解放印度运动中采用了他的信念，马汀．路德金在争取美国种族平等时亦然。被动反抗的影响延续至今。托尔斯泰是一位天才作家，然而却是他开创性的思想改变了历史与我们所生活的世界。
1. 根据本文，下列关于托尔斯泰的叙述何者最接近事实？
(A) 他一直很重视自己的农民出身。
(B) 他的老师认为他很聪明。
(C) 人们注意到他的作品后，他对生活感到很满意。
(D) 他穷极一生努力寻找生活的意义。
题解: 根据本文，托尔斯泰出身显赫、因认为求学没有意义而离开校园、作品为人所知时依旧感到不得志，因此努力找寻生活的意义，故选 (D)。
2. 托尔斯泰的写作风格有何特别之处？
(A) 他是第一位探讨战争题材的作家。
(B) 他描述真正发生过的事件。
(C) 他书中的角色都十分逼真。
(D) 他撰写关于改变历史的伟大领导者的故事。
题解: 根据第二段，托尔斯泰巨细靡遗描述事件与角色，深具说服力，模糊了虚构与现实之间的界线，故选 (C)。
3. 托尔斯泰曾想过自杀，因为 _____。
(A) 他还没找到生命的意义
(B) 他在军旅生活中受创
(C) 他失去写作的灵感
(D) 他失去广爱世人的信仰
题解: 根据第三段，托尔斯泰放弃财富和农民一起生活，决定除非找到生活的意义，否则宁可自我了断，故选 (A)。
4. 甘地与托尔斯泰有何相似之处？
(A) 托尔斯泰采用甘地的信念，将之写在书中。
(B) 托尔斯泰与甘地是大学同窗。
(C) 甘地帮助托尔斯泰找到生命的意义。
(D) 甘地运用托尔斯泰的想法努力解放印度。
题解: 根据第三段，甘地稍后在解放印度的运动中采用托尔斯泰的信念，发展出不流血、非暴力的被动抗争手法，故选 (D)。
标准答案: 1. (D) 2. (C) 3. (A) 4. (D)
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