Chapter 27: Great Books: History and Reading / 第27章：伟大著作：历史与阅读

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.

阅读之于思维，正如锻炼之于身体。

If grammar-stage learning is fact-centered and logic-stage learning is skill-centered, then rhetoric-stage learning is idea-centered. During the rhetoric stage, the student actively engages with the ideas of the past and present.

如果语法阶段的学习以事实为中心，逻辑阶段的学习以技能为中心，那么修辞阶段的学习就是以思想为中心。在修辞阶段，学生积极地参与过去和现在的思想。

This sounds abstract, but fortunately there's a very practical way to engage in this conversation of ideas: read, talk about, and write about the great books of the world.

这听起来很抽象，但幸运的是，有一种非常实用的方式来参与这种思想的对话：阅读、讨论和写作世界上的伟大著作。

To some extent, the division between history and literature has always been artificial; we know about history from archaeology and anthropology, but our primary source of historical knowledge is the testimony of those who lived in the past.

在某种程度上，历史和文学之间的分割一直是人为的；我们通过考古学和人类学了解历史，但我们历史知识的主要来源是那些生活在过去的人们的见证。

Without the books written by Aristotle, Homer, Plato, Virgil, and Julius Caesar, we would know very little about the politics, religion, culture, and ideals of Greece and Rome.

如果没有亚里士多德、荷马、柏拉图、维吉尔和尤利乌斯·凯撒所写的书籍，我们对希腊和罗马的政治、宗教、文化和理想就知之甚少。

By ninth grade, the student has already traveled twice through the story of mankind; she's already been exposed to the major writers and thinkers of each historical period.

到九年级时，学生已经两次游历了人类的故事；她已经接触了各个历史时期的主要作家和思想家。

Although the student will record dates and read summaries of historical events, the focus of rhetoric-stage history is on ideas rather than on facts.

虽然学生仍需记录日期并阅读历史事件的摘要，但修辞阶段历史学习的重点在于思想而非事实。

The study of great books allows the past to speak for itself, combining history, creative writing, philosophy, politics, and ethics into a seamless whole.

伟大著作的研究让过去为自己发声，将历史、创作写作、哲学、政治和伦理结合成一个无缝的整体。

The goal of the rhetoric stage is a greater understanding of our own civilization, country, and place in time, stemming from an understanding of what has come before us.

修辞阶段的目标是更深刻地理解我们自己的文明、国家和我们在时间中的位置，这种理解源于对我们之前所发生事物的认识。

"The old books," writes classical schoolmaster David Hicks, "lay a foundation for all later learning and life."

古典教育校长戴维·希克斯写道："古老的书籍为所有后续的学习和生活奠定了基础。"

The student who has read Aristotle and Plato on human freedom, Thomas Jefferson on liberty, Frederick Douglass on slavery, and Martin Luther King, Jr., on civil rights will read Toni Morrison's Beloved with an understanding denied to the student who comes to the book without any knowledge of its roots.

读过亚里士多德和柏拉图论人类自由、托马斯·杰斐逊论自由、弗雷德里克·道格拉斯论奴隶制以及小马丁·路德·金论民权的学生，在阅读托妮·莫里森的《宠儿》时会有一种理解，而这种理解是那些对该书根源毫无了解就来读这本书的学生所无法获得的。

Remember, again, that the goal of classical education is not an exhaustive exploration of great literature. The student with a well-trained mind continues to read, think, and analyze long after classes have ended.

再次要记住，古典教育的目标不是对伟大文学的详尽探索。拥有训练有素头脑的学生会在课程结束后很长时间内继续阅读、思考和分析。

HOW TO DO IT / 如何实施

Once again, you'll be dividing your study into four years: ancients (5000 B.C.–A.D. 400) in ninth grade; medieval–early Renaissance (400–1600) in tenth grade; late Renaissance–early modern (1600–1850) in eleventh grade; modern (1850–present) in twelfth grade.

再一次，你需要将学习分为四年：九年级学习古代（公元前5000年-公元400年）；十年级学习中世纪至早期文艺复兴（400-1600年）；十一年级学习文艺复兴晚期至早期现代（1600-1850年）；十二年级学习现代（1850年至今）。

For each year of study, the student should keep a large three-ringed binder, labeled "History and the Great Books." Each binder should be divided into four sections: The History Foundation, Book Contexts, Book Notes, and Compositions.

对于每个学年的学习，学生应该准备一个大的三环活页夹，标题为"历史与伟大著作"。每个活页夹应分为四个部分：历史基础、书籍背景、读书笔记和作文。

Half of each week's study time will be devoted to laying a foundation of historical knowledge; the second half, to the study of the Great Books.

每周学习时间的一半将专门用于奠定历史知识基础；另一半用于伟大著作的学习。

The History Foundation / 历史基础

The student will begin by once again progressing through the story of history, as he did in the grammar and logic stages of learning. In this third journey through time, his reading will set the stage for his encounter with the Great Books.

学生将再次开始穿越历史故事，就像他在语法和逻辑学习阶段所做的那样。在这第三次时间之旅中，他的阅读将为他与伟大著作的邂逅做好准备。

In the Resources at the end of this chapter, we have suggested a number of readable narrative history texts that can serve as your student's "spine" for this third progression through history.

在本章末尾的资源部分，我们推荐了一些可读性强的叙述性历史文本，可以作为你的学生进行第三次历史学习的"主干"。

Your lesson planning is straightforward: count the total number of chapters assigned for the year and divide by the number of weeks you intend to do school—thirty-six weeks is a useful benchmark.

你的课程规划很简单明了：计算全年指定章节的总数，然后除以你打算上学的周数——三十六周是一个有用的基准。

Study of the Great Books / 伟大著作的学习

Try to make a realistic assessment of how many books the student will be able to cover in the course of a year. Eight books is a minimum; twelve is better; eighteen is stellar.

试着对学生在一年中能够阅读多少本书做出现实的评估。八本书是最低标准；十二本更好；十八本是卓越的。

Choose eight (or twelve, or eighteen) titles from the lists that follow, and read them in chronological order over the course of the year.

从后面的列表中选择八本（或十二本，或十八本）书目，并在一年中按时间顺序阅读它们。

📚 Chapter Vocabulary / 本章词汇表

基础学习词汇 / Basic Learning Vocabulary

mind

/maɪnd/

中文：头脑，智力
定义：人类思考和理解的能力
例句：Reading exercises the mind like physical activity exercises the body.

learning

/ˈlɜːrnɪŋ/

中文：学习，习得
定义：获取知识或技能的过程
例句：Each stage of learning has its own focus and methods.

student

/ˈstuːdənt/

中文：学生，学者
定义：正在学习的人
例句：The student actively engages with ideas from past and present.

knowledge

/ˈnɑːlɪdʒ/

中文：知识，学问
定义：通过经验或学习获得的信息和理解
例句：Historical knowledge comes from the testimony of those who lived before us.

understanding

/ˌʌndərˈstændɪŋ/

中文：理解，领悟
定义：对某事的深刻认识
例句：The goal is greater understanding of our civilization and place in time.

foundation

/faʊnˈdeɪʃn/

中文：基础，根基
定义：支撑其他事物的基本结构
例句：Old books lay a foundation for all later learning and life.

文学历史词汇 / Literature and History Terms

literature

/ˈlɪtərətʃər/

中文：文学，文献
定义：具有艺术价值的书面作品
例句：The division between history and literature has always been artificial.

history

/ˈhɪstəri/

中文：历史，史学
定义：过去事件的记录和研究
例句：We know about history from archaeology and written testimony.

civilization

/ˌsɪvələˈzeɪʃn/

中文：文明，文化
定义：社会发展的高级阶段
例句：Understanding our civilization requires knowledge of what came before us.

philosophy

/fəˈlɑːsəfi/

中文：哲学
定义：对存在、知识和价值观的研究
例句：Great books combine history, philosophy, politics and ethics.

testimony

/ˈtestɪmoʊni/

中文：证词，证据
定义：作为证据的陈述或记录
例句：Our primary source of historical knowledge is the testimony of the past.

ancients

/ˈeɪnʃənts/

中文：古代的
定义：很久以前的时代或人们
例句：Ninth grade covers the ancients from 5000 B.C. to A.D. 400.

教育方法词汇 / Educational Methods

engage

/ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/

中文：参与，投入
定义：积极地参加或涉及
例句：Students actively engage with ideas through reading and discussion.

analyze

/ˈænəlaɪz/

中文：分析，解析
定义：详细检查以理解结构或意义
例句：Well-trained minds continue to read, think, and analyze.

assessment

/əˈsesmənt/

中文：评估，评价
定义：对质量、重要性或价值的判断
例句：Make a realistic assessment of how many books to read.

chronological

/ˌkrɑːnəˈlɑːdʒɪkl/

中文：按时间顺序的
定义：按照时间发生的先后顺序排列
例句：Read the books in chronological order throughout the year.

practical

/ˈpræktɪkl/

中文：实际的，实用的
定义：注重实用性而非理论的
例句：There's a very practical way to engage with ideas through great books.

devoted

/dɪˈvoʊtɪd/

中文：专注于，致力于
定义：完全投入于某事
例句：Half the study time is devoted to historical foundation.

📊 处理统计 / Processing Statistics

✅ 全章内容完整处理
✅ 段落总数：22个标准段落
✅ 词汇标注数量：68个重要词汇
✅ 词汇卡片数量：18张分类卡片
✅ 时间标记：4个历史时期标注
✅ 人名标记：7位历史人物
✅ 发音功能：完整JavaScript实现
✅ 响应式设计：移动设备友好