内容概述
毕达哥拉斯向学社成员提出一系列生活戒律：不要穿毛皮衣服，尽量走小路，不要用铁棍拨火；更令人费解的是，不要坐在一夸脱容器上，不要抚弄公鸡，不要吃豆子。他还要求成员独身——尽管他自己后来与缇诺结了婚。中文脚注补充说明这些诫命属于原始禁忌观念。
中文正文
42° 毕达哥拉斯的教诲
毕达哥拉斯告诫他社团的同胞们，不要穿毛皮衣服（因为人的灵魂会轮回为动物）；假如有小路，就不要走大路（为了谦卑）；不要拿铁棍去拨动火苗（因为火苗是真理的象征）。更令人迷惑的是，他告诫同胞，不要坐在一夸脱的容器上，不要抚弄公鸡，不要吃豆子。他还告诫同胞要独身——尽管他和缇诺结婚了。
17 罗素在《西方哲学史》里从 John Burnet《早期希腊哲学》抄录了 15 条“诫命”，说“所有这些诫命都属于原始的禁忌观念”。（还有人解释，古希腊人拿豆子来投票，所以，老毕“不要吃豆子”的本意是不要与政治往来。）
英文正文
42° Pythagorean teaching. Pythagoras taught his Brothers to refrain from wearing wool clothing (because of the transmigration of souls of men into animals), never to take a higher road if a lower one should be present (because of humility), and never to poke a fire with iron (because flame was the symbol of truth). More obscurely, he instructed the Brothers not to sit on a quart measure, not to touch a white rooster, and not to eat beans. He also taught the Brothers celibacy—in spite of his marriage to Theano.
英语学习拓展
常用词汇
refrain音标/rɪˈfreɪn/
克制；避免。
原文用法：refrain from wearing wool clothing
transmigration音标/ˌtrænzmɑɪˈɡreɪʃn/
转生；轮回。
原文用法：because of the transmigration of souls
humility音标/hjuːˈmɪləti/
谦逊；谦卑。
原文用法：because of humility
poke音标/poʊk/
戳；拨动。
原文用法：never to poke a fire with iron
flame音标/fleɪm/
火焰。
原文用法：because flame was the symbol of truth
obscurely音标/əbˈskjʊrli/
含糊地；令人费解地。
原文用法：More obscurely, he instructed the Brothers...
instruct音标/ɪnˈstrʌkt/
指示；吩咐。
原文用法：同上
quart音标/kwɔːrt/
夸脱（容量单位）。
原文用法：not to sit on a quart measure
rooster音标/ˈruːstər/
公鸡。
原文用法：not to touch a white rooster
celibacy音标/ˈselɪbəsi/
独身；禁欲。
原文用法：He also taught the Brothers celibacy
同义词与近义词
对应核心词汇：refrain
对应核心词汇：refrain。
辨析：refrain 常与 from 搭配，指主动克制；abstain 多指因原则而戒除；avoid 泛指避免。
对应核心词汇：humility
对应核心词汇：humility。
辨析：humility 较正式，常指道德或宗教上的谦逊；modesty 侧重不自夸；humbleness 为日常表达。
对应核心词汇：instruct
对应核心词汇：instruct。
辨析：instruct 强调正式指示或教授；teach 通用；command 带有命令意味。
常用短语与固定搭配
- refrain from：避免；克制不做。原文用法：refrain from wearing wool clothing
- transmigration of souls：灵魂轮回。原文用法：because of the transmigration of souls of men into animals
- because of：因为。原文用法：because of humility
- poke a fire with iron：用铁棍拨火。原文用法：never to poke a fire with iron
- in spite of：尽管。原文用法：in spite of his marriage to Theano
- sit on a quart measure：坐在一夸脱容器上。原文用法：not to sit on a quart measure
常用句式
- Pattern: teach sb. to do / not to do ...：教某人做/不做某事。原文例句：Pythagoras taught his Brothers to refrain from wearing wool clothing...
- Pattern: never to ... if ... should be present：如果有……在，绝不要……。原文例句：never to take a higher road if a lower one should be present
- Pattern: in spite of ..., ...：尽管……，……。原文例句：He also taught the Brothers celibacy—in spite of his marriage to Theano.
长难句解析
Pythagoras taught his Brothers to refrain from wearing wool clothing (because of the transmigration of souls of men into animals), never to take a higher road if a lower one should be present (because of humility), and never to poke a fire with iron (because flame was the symbol of truth).
- 主干：Pythagoras taught his Brothers to refrain ..., never to take ..., and never to poke ...
- 修饰与从句：
- 三个并列的不定式短语作宾语补足语； - 每个不定式后都有 because of / because 引导的原因状语； - if a lower one should be present 为条件状语从句，修饰 never to take a higher road。
- 逻辑关系：句子并列列举三条戒律，每条都给出理由，结构对称、层次分明。
语言使用特点
- 大量使用不定式短语列举戒律，语气正式、庄重；
- 括号中的原因说明使句子信息密集；
- 结尾用 in spite of 引出对比，形成轻微的反讽：要求独身的老师自己却结了婚。
迁移练习
- 用 refrain from 写一句话，说明你应该避免做的一件事。
- 解释为什么英文用 in spite of his marriage to Theano 来结束这段话。
- 翻译：他嘱咐兄弟们，如果有小路，就不要走大路。
点击展开参考答案
- （示例）I should refrain from eating too much sugar.
- （示例）It creates irony: Pythagoras taught celibacy even though he himself was married to Theano.
- ...never to take a higher road if a lower one should be present.