内容概述
斯托比亚斯在为其子编纂的“格言大全”中讲述了第二个关于欧几里得的轶事：一名学生在学完第一个命题后问学它有什么好处、自己又能得到什么；欧几里得于是叫来仆人，吩咐给这学生一块银币，因为他想从所学的东西中获利。故事未必可靠，却常被用来讨论学习数学的功利态度。
中文正文
欧几里得流传到今天的第二个故事，是斯托比亚斯（Stobaeus）在给儿子编的“格言大全”里讲的，很有趣但也不大可靠。欧几里得的一个学生，在学过第一个命题之后，问老师说：“可这有什么好处呢？我学这些东西能得到什么呢？”欧几里得马上叫来一个仆人，“给这伙计一块银币，因为他想学有所获。”
英文正文
68° Euclid and the student. The second anecdote about Euclid that has come down to us is an unreliable but pretty story told by Stobaeus in his collection of extracts, sayings, and precepts for his son. One of Euclid's students, when he had learned the first proposition, asked his teacher, “But what is the good of this and what shall I get by learning these things?” Thereupon Euclid called a slave and said, “Give this fellow a penny, since he must make gain from what he learns.”
英语学习拓展
常用词汇
anecdote音标/ˈænɪkdəʊt/
轶事；趣闻。
原文用法：The second anecdote about Euclid
unreliable音标/ˌʌnrɪˈlaɪəbl/
不可靠的；靠不住的。
原文用法：an unreliable but pretty story
extract音标/ˈekstrækt/
摘录；选段。
原文用法：his collection of extracts, sayings, and precepts
saying音标/ˈseɪɪŋ/
格言；谚语。
原文用法：his collection of extracts, sayings, and precepts
precept音标/ˈpriːsept/
箴言；准则。
原文用法：his collection of extracts, sayings, and precepts
proposition音标/ˌprɒpəˈzɪʃn/
命题。
原文用法：when he had learned the first proposition
thereupon音标/ˌðeərəˈpɒn/
于是；随即。
原文用法：Thereupon Euclid called a slave
slave音标/sleɪv/
奴隶；仆人。
原文用法：Euclid called a slave
penny音标/ˈpeni/
便士；一分硬币。
原文用法：Give this fellow a penny
gain音标/ɡeɪn/
收益；利润。
原文用法：make gain from what he learns
fellow音标/ˈfeləʊ/
家伙；伙计。
原文用法：Give this fellow a penny
同义词与近义词
对应核心词汇：unreliable
对应核心词汇：unreliable。
辨析：unreliable 侧重“不可靠、不可信”；doubtful 侧重“值得怀疑”；questionable 侧重“成问题的、可疑的”。
对应核心词汇：proposition
对应核心词汇：proposition。
辨析：proposition 泛指需要证明的命题；theorem 指已经证明的重要定理；statement 仅指一般陈述。
对应核心词汇：gain
对应核心词汇：gain。
辨析：gain 可指物质或抽象收益；profit 侧重金钱利润；benefit 侧重好处、益处。
常用短语与固定搭配
- come down to us：流传下来。原文用法：The second anecdote about Euclid that has come down to us
- the good of ...：……的好处。原文用法：what is the good of this
- make gain from：从……中获利。原文用法：make gain from what he learns
- learned the first proposition：学了第一个命题。原文用法：when he had learned the first proposition
常用句式
- What is the good of ...?：……有什么好处？原文例句：But what is the good of this and what shall I get by learning these things?
- What shall I get by ...?：我通过……能得到什么？原文例句：what shall I get by learning these things?
长难句解析
The second anecdote about Euclid that has come down to us is an unreliable but pretty story told by Stobaeus in his collection of extracts, sayings, and precepts for his son.
- 主干：The second anecdote ... is an unreliable but pretty story。
- 修饰与从句：about Euclid 为介词短语作后置定语；that has come down to us 为定语从句，修饰 anecdote；told by Stobaeus ... 为过去分词短语作后置定语，修饰 story。
- 逻辑关系：句子先定位“关于欧几里得的第二个轶事”，再说明其来源与性质。
语言使用特点
- 叙事中常用 thereupon 连接动作，表示“于是、随即”，带有书面色彩。
- 直接引语生动再现对话场景，体现人物态度。
迁移练习
- 用英文复述欧几里得与学生的对话，注意直接引语的标点。
- 用 What is the good of ...? 或 What shall I get by ...? 写一句你曾对某门学科产生过的疑问。
点击展开参考答案
- 示例：One of Euclid's students asked, “What is the good of this and what shall I get by learning these things?” Euclid then called a slave and said, “Give this fellow a penny, since he must make gain from what he learns.”
- 示例：I once asked my teacher, “What is the good of learning poetry and what shall I get by memorizing so many poems?”