I Have a Dream
Three hundred years ago, an English poet, Alexander Pope, wrote the lines
Nature, and Nature＇s laws
lay hid in sight;
God said, let Newton be! And
all was light.
This momentous epitaph came as an encouraging torch to mankind who had long wandered in the valley of ignorance. It came as an exciting aurora leading to the "Age of Reason."
But three centuries later, even the "Mansion of Reason" has been furnished and stabilized (and partly reconstructed, we admit) by more "Newtons". We have to face the tragic fact that came as an exciting aurora leading to the "Age of Reason. "
But three centuries later, even the "Mansion of Reason" has been furnished and stabilized (and partly reconstructed, we admit) by more "Newtons". We have to face the tragic fact that mankind, to some extent, is still ignorant.
Pm not dramatizing the appalling conditions by citing the following examples, but being serious.
It once struck me as odd to hear that some physics majors (fortunately not from Fudan) were discouraged from studying the fine structure of equipments during the experimental classes because their laboratory work would be graded according to the time length they spent.
It did make me feel indignant at the fact that some biology majors were still encouraged to draw what they should theoretitally observe instead of what they had actually seen with their
It sounds like medieval education but it is true now in some universities in this world.
It has been three hundred years since the "Age of Reason"began; however, some essential reasons are now still blowing in the wind, rather than taking root in all men＇s hearts. Among them is the crucial idea the importance of scientific curiosity.
Without curiosity, students were forced to swallow innumerable facts, confess their validity and forget them after exams. Without curiosity, learners were bereft of the freedom to imagine, the ability to ask questions and the chances to modify the old theories. Without curiosity, how could our civilization,the Age of Reason, make progress?
I wrote here today to my readers, that in spite of the conditions of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream of waking up the rational curiosity which inhabits all human beings.
I have a dream that one day university labs will be open for 24 hours to students from any department to testify their own hypotheses and make their own inventions.
I have a dream that one day a professor and a student, or a "boss" and a researcher, will be able to sit down together at the table of equality to discuss problems like classmates or brothers.
I have a dream that one day more "why" questions than "how" questions will be raised by common users of computers or other home facilities so that they will transcend the "press-the button" satisfaction and become expert DIY ers.
It is the dream once carried out by Descartes, Newton and Maxwell in the way of their own times. And if mankind has not lost his creativity, he should keep it up.
If we keep up this dream, we will live out the true meaning of Montaignesque motto, "We are born to seek and quest after truth." Not only that, the dream will make us know that we believe what is worth believing and we doubt what deserves skepticism. It is curiosity that enables us to tell the true from the false.
If we keep up this dream, our material life will no longer be spoiled by unscientific administrations and our spiritual world will no longer be timely intruded by the opium of evil cults because the man and the society will then be armed with reason.
If we keep up this dream and stretch out the antennae of curiosity to explore the creation, we will be conveying new meanings of Shakespeare＇s lines: "beauty of the world, paragon of animals !"
简 评
读过马丁．路德．金的《我有一个梦想》的人，大概都不会忘记那篇感人肺腑的演讲。
以此名篇为模本的本文犀利地指出：在这个所谓的“理性时代”，对科学进步乃至人类发展至关重要的“好奇心”或者说探索精神却没有得到重视，反而备受压抑。作者列举了“象牙塔”内外许多触目惊心的事实，让我们看到：失去好奇心，求知欲被扼杀的人类将面临灵魂的荒芜，文明的停滞。接着作者与我们分享了他的美好梦想：解放人类的心智，插上想像的翅膀，放飞探索的潜能，世界必将迎来更瑰丽的前景。
文章质地醇厚，感情真挚、丰沛而饱满，语言精湛，表达几乎滴水不漏，再加上朗朗上口的节奏，高瞻远瞩的气魄，确是一篇令人荡气回肠的上乘佳作。
难道您不觉得这个气势磅礴的梦想背后是无数颗渴求的心灵，无数双期盼的眼睛，无数个响亮的回应吗?那是祖国未来的希望.