Alfred Nobel: A Man of Peace

 

The newspaper reported the death of Alfred Nobel on April 13, 1888. The newspaper called him a person who traded in death, because he had developed and sold explosives. In fact, Alfred Nobel’s business had made him a very rich man. The newspaper story continued, giving Alfred Nobel’s age, nation, and other information about his business. However, the words about “trading in death” were all that the 55-year-old man read.

Alfred Nobel put down the newspaper sadly. No, he wasn’t dead ---- his brother Ludwig had died, and the French newspaper had made a mistake. All the same, Alfred Nobel was worried. Was this the way the world was going to remember him? He did not like that idea at all. He had spent his life working for peace in the world, and hated war. He created his explosive to save lives ----lives that were lost because other explosives were dangerous to use. He wanted people to remember him as a man of peace.

Alfred Nobel invented his explosive at a perfect moment in time. Many countries were beginning to build roads through mountains, and needed a safe, strong explosive. Alfred Nobel’s explosive was developed for such peaceful uses. He also thought that if all countries had the same great weapons, they would see how impossible war was ---- that any country fighting a war would surely be destroyed. There would be no more wars. Many people of his day also thought this way.

Nobel was worried about the way the world looked at him, but he did not know what to do. He wanted to think of the best way for people to use the money after his death. Then, in 1895, a man made plans for a journey to the North Pole. Nobel read about the plan, and at last he knew what to do with the money. He decided that after he died, his money should be used for a prize to honor people who did great things in science, writing, and world peace. Men or women of any country might receive the prize.

Alfred Nobel died on December10, 1896, at the age of 63. He was unmarried and had no children. People all over the world wondered who was going to get Nobel’s money. They were very surprised when they learned of Alfred Nobel’s plan to award prizes every year in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, and they very soon became the greatest honor that a person could receive in these fields. In 1969, an award for economics was added.

The report of Alfred Nobel’s death had been a mistake, but the decision that he made as a result finally gave him what he wanted. Alfred Nobel created the Nobel Prize, and now the world thinks of him the way he wanted to be remembered: Alfred Nobel, a man of peace.

 

New Words:

report  vt.	write about sth. that has happened 报道（新闻）
n.	[C] sth. written for what has happened 报告，报道
death  n.	[C;U] the end of life; the state of being dead  死，死亡
April  n.	[C;U] the fourth month of the year  四月
call   vt.	1.say or think that sth. or sb. is 认为……是;把……称为
	2.give a name to 命名;称呼
trade  vi.	buy or sell goods 买卖货物,从事交易
n.	the act of buying and selling 贸易,买卖,交易
explosive n.	[C]a substance that can burst suddenly with a very loud noise  炸药
business n.	1.[C]a particular activity to make money 行业
	2.[U]buying and selling things 买卖,商业,贸易
continue  v.	1.go on doing or happening 连续,继续
	2.start again after a break (中断后)再开始
age   n.	[C]the period of time a person has lived or a thing has existed  年龄,岁数
information  n.	[U]sth. that gives knowledge in the form of facts 消息;信息;报道
however   n.	然而,但是
brother    n.	[C]兄;弟
remember  vt.	1.think about with special respect or honor 纪念
	2.keep in memory; call back to mind 记住;想起
	3.take care not to forget 牢记
spend   vt.	1.use time for sth. 花时间,度过
	2.give out money in payment 花钱
create  vt.	produce sth. new  创造,创作
save     v.	1.take sb. away from danger 救.挽救
	2.keep sth. for later use 节省;储存
invent  vt.	make or produce a new thing or idea for the first time 发明,创造
perfect  adj.	1.the most suitable 最合适的
	2.so good that it can not be better 完美的
	3.complete;thorough 完全的,十分的
mountain   n.	[C]a very high hill  山,山岳
peaceful    a.	1.without war 和平的,没有战争的
	2.quiet and calm  平静的,安静的
weapon   n.	[C] sth. that one uses for fighting or killing 武器
destroy    vt.	break into pieces; make useless 摧毁,毁灭
pole       n.	[C]the most northern or southern parts of the Earth or other planets(地球或其他星球的)南极或北极
prize   n.	[C]sth. Given to the person who wins a game, race etc. (给予获胜者的)奖,奖品,奖金
wonder  v.	1.wish to know 想知道; 对……感到疑惑
	2.feel great surprise 感到惊奇
n.	1.[U]a feeling caused by sth. strange, surprising, or beautiful 惊奇,惊叹
	2.[C] sth. That gives one this feeling 奇迹,奇观
award   vt.	give as the result of an official decision 给予,授予
n.	[C]sth. esp. a prize given as the result of an official decision 奖,奖品,奖金
physics   n.	[U]the science that studies matter and natural forces, such as light, heat and movement 物理学
chemistry  n.	[U]the science that studies the structure of substances and the way they change 化学
medicine   n.	1.[U]the science of understanding and treating disease 医学
	2.[C;U]a substance used for treating disease 药,药物
literature  n.	1.[U]the study of written works which have artistic value 文学
	2.[U]written works which have artistic value 文学作品
economics n.	[U]the scientific study of the way in which wealth is produced and used 经济学
add        vt.	1.put together with sth. else so as to increase the number, size, or importance 增加,添加
	2.put numbers together to find the total 相加
decision    n.	[C;U]a choice about what should be done 决定;抉择

 

 

 

Vocabulary

I.                   Fill the blanks with the words given below. Change the form where necessary.

perfect    create    death   trade   continue spend    information   prize   award   invent

 

 

 

 

1.      Before his _____ Alfred Nobel decided to set up a prize with his money to honor the people who did great things in science, writing, and world peace.

2.      The old man died but his shop _____ to trade under its old name.

3.      This was the chance I’d been waiting for ----– a chance to learn a _____and make something of myself.

4.      Earnest Hemingway believed that he should kill himself when he was not able to _____any more.

5.      We wrote down the direction (方向) of travel and sent the _____back to the base.

6.      Many people with AIDS (艾滋病) have to _____ months in hospital up to a time when they have someone at home to help and look after them.

 

II. Replace the underlined parts in the following sentences with words or expressions from the text that best keep the original meaning.

1.      Among other important businesses, people of our time mainly do one thing: they buy and sell information.

2.      We didn’t finish the work on time because of my mistake.

3.      It is reported that the new machine has mainly been used in the areas of making food and drying clothes.

4.      There was no way in which people could become informed of the winner of the prize.

5.      It is very bad for us to make mistakes, but it happens for every one of us, every day of the week and in every part of the world.

6.      Now, finally, at the age of 71, he feels that things are starting to come right.

7.      Mandy had come because she was anxious about her parents and she didn’t know who else to turn to.

8.      Harry Hinton was a well-known character (人物) of his age.

 

III. Translation

1.      Alfred Nobel invented his explosive at a perfect moment in time.

2.      He wanted to think of the best way for people to use his money after his death.

3.      The world thinks of him the way he wanted to be remembered: Nobel, a man of peace,

4.      He decided that after he died, his money should be used for a prize to honor people who did great things in science, writing, and world peace.

5.      The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901, and they very soon became the greatest honor that a person could receive in these fields.

 

Spotlight on Grammar

不定式主动语态表示被动意义

He created his explosive to save lives ---- lives that were lost because other explosives were dangerous to use. (Unit 3)

这句中的to use 是不定式的主动语态，但表示被动意义。

不定式的主动语态表示被动意义往往用于S. + Vt. + Sc (adj.+inf.) 句型，即“主语+动词+主语补语”句型，其中的主语补语由“形容词+不定式”构成。用于这一句型的形容词较常见的有easy, hard, difficult, good, comfortable, possible, impossible等。在这种情况下，不定式必须用主动语态表示被动意义，不可用被动语态。例如：

 

The story is hard to believe.    这个故事令人难于相信。

[误]The story is hard to be believed.

 

This shirt is easy to wash.     这件衬衫很容易洗。

[误]This shirt is easy to be washed.

 

The sick baby was difficult to look after.    照料这个生病的孩子很不容易。

[误]The sick baby was difficult to be looked after.

 

The light is impossible to turn off.    这盏灯无法熄灭。

[误]The light is impossible to be turned off.

 

Grammar exercises

IV. Complete the following sentences by adding suitable infinitives(不定式).

1.          This word is difficult __________.

2.          A little bird flying far away is hard __________.

3.          The text of Lesson One is not difficult __________.

4.          The box is too heavy __________.

5.          Our house is very pleasant __________.

6.          The room is so dirty that it is very difficult __________

7.          Her weak voice is impossible __________.

8.          This kind of food is not good __________.

9.          This kind of information is difficult __________.

10.      Weapons are difficult __________.

 

V. Translate the following into English using the SVC (adj. +inf.) pattern.

1.          这个错误很难发现。

2.          这本书读起来很有趣。

3.          获得诺贝尔奖是很不容易的。

4.          要通过这次考试很不容易。

5.          汤太热了，现在还不能喝。

6.          听这个故事真是太有趣了。

7.          史密斯先生的课不容易听懂。

8.          在这个花园里散步很惬意。

9.          戒烟(smoking)真的那么难吗？

10.      我喜欢和那些容易相处的人交朋友。