英语流行话题阅读-单词5500 unit002

The Puritans Behind the Myths

Who were the real Puritans? And why did Puritan become a derogatory label? In what ways have the Puritans shaped what we believe and how we live today?

Most Americans picture the Puritans as people who had no humor and no compassion¹.In their minds,the Puritans sat in self-righteous judgment² on the rest of the word.That stereotype³ has lent the word Puritanical⁴ the dark meaning it assumes today.That myth should be dispelled⁵.The Puritans were fascinated with bright clothing,and not opposed to parties.They were not prudes.It's true that promiscuity⁶ was absent from colonial New England.But for husband and wife ,sex was important, and Puritan families were routinely large. A spouse⁷ could be punished by the authorities for withholding⁸ sex from his or her partner.

So how did the "joyless Puritan" sterotype get started? It began during Prihibition. When people asked ,"Whom do we blam for this Victorian Amercia we live in"？ and the Puritans came out as culprits.In fact,the Puritans were not teetotalers. Scholars estimate the Puritans had a rum consumprion rate that surpasses the alcoholconsumption rate in the twentirth century.

Puritans were intense lovers and intense haters.They were intensely reverent⁹. For the Puritans ,nothing was done unthinkingly or unfeelingly.They believed that their life mattered,that what they were doing was more important than anything else in the world.The Puritans also feared the rising generation would not measure up to the piety¹⁰ of their fathers and mothers.They often talked about loss of faith in their children.

To understand the Puritans,you have to adopt their attitude :Life is a great adventure.The Puritans saw themselves on a group mission ,like a corporate¹¹ Pilgrim's Progress.If you read the Puritans' writings as cold ,theological prose,they will kill you quickly.You have to look deeper to see what's motivating them:the yearning¹² to build a Christian¹³ civilization, a new world order.Creating this was the adventure of a lifetime.

Puritanism shaped American society to an extraordinary degree.They exerted an influence in Amenican culture disproportionate to their numbers .For instance ,thet gave us a vision infuses American literature,foreign policy and our entire sense of identity.

Listen to Jimmy Carter ,Ronald Reagan ,George Bush,or BIll Clinton.They often speak of "destiny" and "providence¹⁴" .Or civil-rights leaders speak of a dream of treatment under the law.All of these people are drawing from Puritan roots,whether they know it or not .The Puritans believes that education was central to the Christian life.Harvard was formeng while people were didding out the first settlements.The first classes at Harvard took place with bears running through the campus,yet classes were in Latin.The Puritan colleges were steeped in the Western Christian,classical tradition.In fact,Harvard and Yale wre the only colleges in the Western world that required Hebrew.

1 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

2 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

3 stereotype   

n.固定的形象，陈规，老套，旧框框

参考例句：

• He's my stereotype of a schoolteacher.他是我心目中的典型教师。
• There's always been a stereotype about successful businessmen.人们对于成功商人一直都有一种固定印象。

4 puritanical   

adj.极端拘谨的；道德严格的

参考例句：

• He has a puritanical attitude towards sex.他在性问题上主张克制，反对纵欲。
• Puritanical grandfather is very strict with his children.古板严厉的祖父对子女要求非常严格。

5 dispelled   

v.驱散，赶跑( dispel的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His speech dispelled any fears about his health. 他的发言消除了人们对他身体健康的担心。
• The sun soon dispelled the thick fog. 太阳很快驱散了浓雾。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 promiscuity   

n.混杂，混乱；（男女的）乱交

参考例句：

• Promiscuity went unpunished, divorce was permitted. 乱交挨不着惩罚，离婚办得成手续。 来自英汉文学
• There is also no doubt that she falls into promiscuity at last. 同时无疑她最后也堕入性乱。 来自互联网

7 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

8 withholding   

扣缴税款

参考例句：

• She was accused of withholding information from the police. 她被指控对警方知情不报。
• The judge suspected the witness was withholding information. 法官怀疑见证人在隐瞒情况。

9 reverent   

adj.恭敬的，虔诚的

参考例句：

• He gave reverent attention to the teacher.他恭敬地听老师讲课。
• She said the word artist with a gentle,understanding,reverent smile.她说作家一词时面带高雅，理解和虔诚的微笑。

10 piety   

n.虔诚，虔敬

参考例句：

• They were drawn to the church not by piety but by curiosity.他们去教堂不是出于虔诚而是出于好奇。
• Experience makes us see an enormous difference between piety and goodness.经验使我们看到虔诚与善意之间有着巨大的区别。

11 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

12 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

13 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

14 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。