阅读理解Itisperhapsnoaccidentthatmanyoftheoutstandingfiguresofthepastwereexceptionallyversatilemen.Rightupuntilcomparativelyrecenttimesitwaspossibleforanintelligentpersontoacquainthimselfw

　　阅读理解

　　Itisperhapsnoaccidentthatmanyoftheoutstandingfiguresofthepastwereexceptionallyversatilemen.Rightupuntilcomparativelyrecenttimesitwaspossibleforanintelligentpersontoacquainthimselfwithalmosteverybranchofknowledge.ThusmenofgeniuslikeLeonardoDaVinciorSirPhilipSidneyengagedinmanycareersatonceasamatterofcourse.DaVinciwassobusywithhisnumerousinventionsthathebarelyfoundthetimetocompletehispaintings;Sidneywhodiedinbattlewhenhewasonlythirty-twoyearsoldwasnotonlyagreatsoldierbutabrilliantscholarandpoetaswell.BoththesemencameveryneartofulfillingtheRenaissanceideal(文艺复兴时期的典型)ofthe“universalman”themanwhowasproficientaseverything.

　　Todaywerarelyifeverhearthatamusicianhasjustinventedanewtypeofsubmarine.Knowledgehasbecomedividedandsub-dividedintocountlessnarrowlydefinedcompartments.Thespecialistisvenerated(受尊敬的);theversatilepersonfarfrombeingadmiredismoreoftenregardedwithsuspicion.Themodernworldisaworldofhighly-skilled“experts”whohavehadtodevotethegreaterpartoftheirlivestoaverylimitedfieldofstudyinordertocompetewiththeirfellows.

　　Withthishighdegreeofspecializationthefrontiersofknowledgearesteadilybeingpushedbackmorerapidlythaneverbefore.Butthishasnotbeenachievedwithoutconsiderablecost.Thescientistwhooutsidehisownparticularsubjectislittlemorethanamoron(低能者)isamodernphenomenon;asisthemanofletterswhoisbarelyawareofthetremendousstridesthathavebeenmadeintechnology.Similarlyspecializationhasindirectlyaffectedquiteordinarypeopleineverywalkoflife.Manyactivitieswhichwereoncepursuedfortheirownsakesareoftengivenupindespair:theyrequiretechniquestheexpertstelluswhichtakealife-timetomaster.Whylearntoplaythepianowhenyoucanlistentotheworld'sgreatestpianistsinyourowndrawing-room?

　　Littlebylittlewearebecomingmoreandmoreisolatedfromeachother.Itisalmostimpossibletotalktoyourneighborabouthisjobevenifheisengagedinroughlythesameworkasyouare.TheRoyalSocietyinBritainincludesamongitsmembersonlythemosteminent(杰出的)scientistsinthecountry.Yetitishighlydisconcerting(窘迫的