Jeremy Bernstein. The Merely Very Good Jeremy Bernstein (1929-- ): professor of physics and writer....

Jeremy Bernstein

The Merely Very GoodJeremy Bernstein (1929-- ):

professor of physics and writer. After getting his Ph. D. in physics at

Harvard, he spent time at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton and at the National Science Foundation.

He taught physics for 5 years at New York University . In 1962 he became an associate professor of physics .

He has been a professor of physics at the Stevens Institute of Technology New Jersey since 1967 and was a staff writer for the New Yorker until 1993.

The Merely Very Good

Jeremy Bernstein (1929-- ): But Jeremy Bernstein has also spent

more than 30 years on the staff of The New Yorker magazine, writing mostly about physics, computers, and other topics in physical science. He moves as comfortably among sentences and paragraphs as among equations . He is widely known for the clarity of his writing for the readers on the major issues of modern physics.

The Merely Very GoodJeremy Bernstein (1929-- ): Dr. Berstein has written over 50 technical

papers as well as 12 books on popular science and mountain travel including In the Himalayas, Hitler's Uranium Club, and Dawning of the Raj.

Some of his publications are: The Analytical Science: computers---past, present and future (1964, revised 1981); Einstein (1973); Experiencing science (1978) ; Science Observed: Essays Out Of My Mind(1982); and The Merely personal: Observations on Science and Scientists (2001).

The Merely Very Good About the authorJeremy Bernstein knows both physics

and writing well. Besides, he is related to Oppenheimer , Dirac and Spender in one way or another. Therefore he is in a position to come to the conclusion that Oppenheimer and Spender are merely very good.

The Merely Very GoodRelationship of the four characters in the

article:

merely good Oppenheimer----Spenderphysicists Dirac--------------Auden poets excellent

Robert Oppenheimer's name has become almost synonymous with the atomic bomb. He was largely responsible for the creation of the atom bomb, one of the most destructive forces known to man. According to a new biography by Jeremy Bernstein, he exhibited destructive tendencies in his own personal life as well.

美国物理学家 / 原子物理学家，他于1942 年至 1945 年间在第一颗原子弹的研究过程中，指导了新墨西哥州的洛斯阿拉莫斯的实验室工作 ,原子弹计划主持人

Oppenheimer as Teacher

student J. Robert Oppenheimer


Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey, 1947

Paul A. M. Diracborn on 8th August, 1902, at

Bristol, England, his father being Swiss and his mother English.

he studied electrical engineering, obtaining the B.S. (Engineering) degree in 1921. He then studied mathematics for two years at Bristol University, later going on to St.John's College, Cambridge, as a research student in mathematics. He received his Ph.D. degree in 1926. The following year he became a Fellow of St.John's College and, in 1932, Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge.

Paul A. M. Dirac

Dirac's work has been concerned with the mathematical and theoretical aspects of quantum mechanics. Dirac's publications include the books Quantum Theory of the Electron (1928) and The Principles of Quantum Mechanics (1930

at a SuperCollider workshop in the early 1930s.

W. H. AudenW.H.Auden(1907—

1973) British-born American writer and critic . As a young man he was influenced by the poetry of Thomas Hardy and Robert Frost, as well as William Blake, Emily Dickinson, Gerard M.Hopkins, and Old English verse. He formed lifelong friendships with two fellow writers----Stephen Spender and Christopher Isherwood .

W. H. AudenAt Oxford his talent as a

poet was immediately recognized .His collection of poems , published in 1930, established him as the leading voice of a new generation. His collections of poems such as The Dance of Death (1933) and The Double Man (1941), established his importance in 20th-century literature.英裔美国作家及评论家，他的诗集，如死亡之舞（ 1933 年）和双重人（ 1941 年）中的诗篇，奠定了他在 20 世纪文坛上的重要地位 .

Stephen SpenderStephen Spender(1909—1995) British

writer whose poetry reflects personal emotional responses to social and political injustices. His works include the collection The Still Center (1939) and Generous Days (1971). His autobiography, World within World (1951) , is a recreation of much of the political and social atmosphere of the 1930s. his passionate and lyrical verse is filled with images of the modern industrial world yet intensely personal. Spender was knighted in 1983.

斯彭德，斯蒂芬英国作家，他的诗反映了他个人对于社会及政治不平等的反感情绪。他的作品包括诗集静止的中心 (1935 年 )以及慷慨的日子 (1971 年 )

Stephen SpenderEnglish poet and critic Sir Stephen Spender

at his home

Stephen Spender born in London on Feb. 28, 1909. He began to write poems early, and when he came up to Oxford, he took his courage in his hands and showed the work to W. H. Auden, who was a little his senior. Later Spender published both Auden's first book and his own on a small handpress. After Oxford he traveled in Germany for a time, and was later to translate various German poets.

Stephen SpenderDuring the Thirties , Spender and his

friends worked for the Loyalists in Spain, though he became somewhat disillusioned about his efforts there. From 1939 to 1941 he was co-editor with Cyril Connolly of the important review Horizon, and from 1953 to 1967 he was co-editor with Melvin J. Lasky of Encounter. Spender has lectured a good deal, and for some years taught at American universities before accepting a chair in English Literature in the University of London. He retired in 1975.

Left to right: Louis MacNeice, Ted Hughes,TS Eliot, WH Auden and Stephen Spender

W.H. Auden, Stephen Spender, and Christopher Isherwood, （ 1931）

Structure of the textPart I (Para.1 ) the conference in 1981Part II ( Paras 2-3) Comparison between

Oppenheimer and Dirac Part III (Para 3) my reasons to come to the

meetingPart IV (Paras 4-7) Spender’s journal on

OppenheimerPart V (Paras8-9) Dirac’s anecdote at the

institutePart VI. (Paras10-18) 1981 conferencePart VII (Paras 19-20) conclusion: The merely

very good can’t contribute to the development of either poetry or physics.

The Merely Very GoodPara1 Why does the author state in this

personal way? 1)Use the personal way to appeal to the readers. 2) Use it to state the personal view; 3) this way is less resistant

Why doses the author begin the essay with such an incident?

Such a beginning serves three purposes: 1)it adds a personal touch to the subject; 2) recreating his everyday thoughts makes it easier for readers to identify with him, and in this way he will communicate to them more effectively. 3)as a link to weave the things together

The Merely Very GoodPara2 1. What is the role of the first

sentence in Paragraph 2?It is a transitional sentence. The first

part of the sentence links the paragraph with the previous one. The second part brings in a chief character of the essay, Robert Oppenheimer

2.fellowship: sum of money paid by an institution for the support of a graduate student, scholar, etc. doing advanced study in some field. 研究员薪金 , 学院或大学中给予研究员的财政资助

The Merely Very GoodMax Born(1982—

1970): German nuclear physicist, who published a paper in 1924 in which the term Quantum Mechanics was used for the first time. Winner of Nobel Prize in Physics in 1954.

The Merely Very GoodPara2 At the age of 23: Why is the age

mentioned here? He graduated from Harvard University in 1925 . Then he went to Germany to study, and got his Ph. D degree in 1927. In 2 years time , he got his Ph D degree which shows that he is a bright/ intelligent young man, few people can get Ph. D in 2 years time.

Quantum mechanics: quantum theory. Especially the quantum theory of the structure and behavior of atoms and molecules

The Merely Very GoodPara2 3. took his degree.., at the age of twenty-

three. Why do you think the age is mentioned here?

The age is mentioned to show he was young and bright. When such a bright person is considered "merely very good" by the author, his message will come across more strongly.

4. Born’s recollections ... were not sympathetic. What was Prof. Born's view of Oppenheimer?

He did not have very favorable assessment of Oppenheimer.


5.. I was conscious of his superiority in a way which was embarrassing and led to trouble:

I knew that Oppenheimer was a man of great talent but his way of showing his talent at my seminars caused uneasiness and resentment among people, especially among his fellow students.

The Merely Very Good5.. I was conscious of his superiority in a

way which was embarrassing and led to trouble:

Why was the way embarrassing? It was embarrassing because Oppenheimer

was very rude in interrupting speakers at Born's seminars, yet at the same time his scientific superiority to the Professor was evident to all present.

Why did it lead to trouble? Oppenheimer's behavior offended his

fellow students and they protested to Prof. Born, demanding he put an end to such behavior.

The Merely Very GoodPara3 Erwin Schrodinger (1887-1961) :Austrian

physicist. He shared a 1933 Nobel Prize for new formulations of the atomic theory. 奥地利物理学家，因发现原子理论的新模式而获 1933 年诺贝尔奖

Werner Karl Heisenberg (1901-1976) : German physicist and a founder of quantum mechanics. He won a 1932 Nobel Prize for his uncertainty principle. 维尔纳 ·卡尔 . 海森堡德国物理学家，量子力学的奠基人。因其测不准原理而荣获 1932 年诺贝尔物理学奖

Paul Dirac & Werner Heisenberg

Dirac, Heisenberg, and Schrödinger (L to R) at the Stockholm train station on their way to the Nobel Prize ceremony, December 1933.

The Merely Very GoodPara 31. --- insofar as one could have a friendship Did Dirac have friends? Not really. Did Dirac make friend with Oppenheimer

in a real sense? No. In Fact no one can be friend with

Oppenheimer Was there any limit to such friendship? Yes, Dirac’s friendship with others would

only go to a certain extent. So Oppenheimer and Dirac were friends only to a certain extent.

The Merely Very Good2. What are the similarities and

differences of Dirac and Oppenheimer as shown in Paragraph3

1)Both were young--- in their twenties 2) Both were physicists, working on quantum mechanics.

3)But when Oppenheimer was showing his talent in doing calculation better in the quantum theory, Dirac had invented the theory. Dirac was already famous.

4) Dirac concentrated on physics while Oppenheimer also wrote poetry.

The Merely Very Good3. While Oppenheimer was

interrupting Born’s seminar --- Dirac had invented the subject:

What sort of image is created about Oppenheimer?

It gives readers the impression of a young man who was bright but lacked creativeness, who could only follow other's step yet was pompous and conceited.

The Merely Very Good4. I would imagine that the

"discussion"... like an Oppenheimer monologue

1) Why is the word "discussion" in quotes? Because it is so-called "discussion" since Dirac did not say anything or did not have a chance to say anything. Hence there was no discussion to speak of.

2) Does this show anything about Oppenheimer? Yes, it shows that Oppenheimer was eager to offer his opinion without thinking of giving others a chance to express their views. He liked to monopolize the whole situation.

The Merely Very GoodPara35. who asked, "How can you do both--- In

physics we try to---, whereas in poetry---:

Dirac's understanding of physics and poetry: Dirac thought that the physicists tried to make people understand something nobody knew before whereas poets were dealing with subjects people were familiar with.

Did Dirac think people could do both poetry and physics? Why (not)?

Dirac did not think people could do both poetry and physics because the nature of the two things was diametrically different.

The Merely Very GoodPara36. As interesting as it might have been---

devoted to poetry: 1) Did the author repeat this anecdote? No, he

decided against telling the anecdote.2) Why did he decided against telling the

anecdote? (paraphrase) Since those who attended the conference were people devoted to poetry and he had been asked to talk about the connection between physics and poetry, such an anecdote, though interesting, might not be appreciated by the audience. Such an anecdote would not be well received.


Para41. the function of paragraph4: it

brings the readers back to the decision of going to the conference and introduces Spender and Auden, thus presenting to the readers the two pairs of contrast: Dirac and Oppenheimer and Auden and Spender.

The Merely Very GoodPara42. S1 Pitted against these excellent

reasons ... that finally carried the day: There were two reasons for my going to the conference set against the reasons for my not going and they became decisive in my final decision.

to carry the day: to win; overcome the opposition of others, e. g. They found that my views, with which they mostly disagreed, often carried the day.

The Merely Very Good3. What were the two very powerful

reasons for the author's going?1) he wanted to cheer up his girl friend

who was rather discouraged as a result of the rough going in writing. 2) he would like to meet Stephen Spender.

4. This,--- was decisive: Why was this so important to the author?

The author was eager to meet Spender not because he admired Spender's writing but because Spender knew things about Auden who meant a lot to the author.


5. He is, for me, one of those whose writing about their writing is more interesting than their writing itself:

In my view, Spender belongs to the group whose writings about their life experience, that is, whose autobiographies, are more interesting than their literary works.

The Merely Very Good6. Like English bishops on the

Quantum Theory. What is funny about this statement?Quantum Theory is a serious scientific

subject , it deals with laws in physics, with new understandings of nature unknown to people in the past. physics believes that nature can be revealed through science. while Bishop is the person who is in charge of the church and makes preach or delivers sermon They believe everything is created by God. So It is funny if a bishop explains Quantum Theory, it sounds ridiculous to put the two together.

The Merely Very Good7. Auden must have been to Spender... They

focused like laser beams.In this part the author brings up two

important points: one is the idea of "great" and "merely very good"; the other is the reason for the difference: focused attention versus an unfocused approach.

Laser beam: traveling in the same direction and essentially of the same wavelength (the same frequency), i.e., color. A laser beam does not diverge （分叉） by a significant amount and maintains a high energy density.所发射的光线是同相的 ,沿同一方向传播 ,且其波长(或说其频率 )完全一样 ,亦即颜色完全一样。激光束不会明显发散 ,且能保持高的能量密度。


Para. 51.This was the director's mansion:

1)The director here refers to director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. Oppenheimer at that time was the director. 2) mansion: a large, imposing house

2. Spender did not notice that, ... the odd horse on the grounds.

The horse refers to a real horse Oppenheimer brought back from the western part of the United States.

The Merely Very GoodPara53.van Gogh Vincent (1853-1890) Dutch

postimpressionist painter whose early works, such as The Potato Eaters (1885), portray peasant life in somber, dark colors. His later works, including numerous self-portraits, a series of sunflower paintings (1888), and Starry Night (1889), are characterized by bold, rhythmic brush strokes and vivid colors. His long struggle with depression ended in suicide 凡 ·高 .文森特 , 荷兰后印象主义派作家，他的早期作品，如吃马铃暑的人，用低沉的，暗淡的色彩描绘了农民的生活。他的后期作品，包括许多自画像，一系列向日葵花的画，和星夜 (1889 年 )，以大胆的、有节奏的绘画技巧和鲜艳的颜色为特点，他与失落情绪长期斗争最终以自杀结束

Van Gogh


Para5 4. Why did Oppenheimer want to

show people the painting of van Gogh? Oppenheimer wrote poetry. The

display of his collection of paintings also revealed the artistic side of his character. He may not be able to appreciate art but he wanted to show he had artistic taste. This is also an example to show his unfocused interests.

The Merely Very GoodPara5 5.Where did his small collection come

from? Did the collection expand? Why (not)?

He had inherited the collection from his father but he had never added to the collection. This showed that he was not really interested in art collection. The constant display and the never adding anything bring light to his character.

The Merely Very GoodParas6 .... Oppenheimer appears in Spender’s

journal--- Spender’s own life: In his book, Spender fails to give a connected, complete picture of Oppenheimer and does not mention that Oppenheimer's background and situation has quite a lot to do with Spender.

Disembody v. 1) To free (the soul or spirit) from the body. 使（灵魂或幽灵）脱离躯壳 2)To divest of material existence or substance. 使脱离实体；使脱离现实

The Merely Very GoodPara7 1. Oppenheimer has been "tried" for

disloyalty to this country and that his clearance had been taken away.

1)clearance: official, especially governmental, authorization allowing a person to examine classified documents, participate in confidential projects, etc 通过审查，可以接触机密文件，参与保密项目，即通俗语言中的“通过政审” , “政审合格”

2) Why is "tried" in quotes? Oppenheimer bad not been tried by a court but was called before a three-member Security Board set up by the Atomic Energy Commission to hear accusations against him and to defend himself. The hearing lasted for four weeks.

The Merely Very Good3) Did the hearings prove that Oppenheimer

was disloyal to the country? What was the final conclusion? No, even the Security board had to admit in its final report that it had not found any act of disloyalty committed by Oppenheimer. The final decision of the Atomic Energy Commission was to deny security clearance. In other words, he could no longer have access to classified materials.

4) What is the real reason for the “trial”? The real reason is Dr.Oppenheimer opposed the development of hydrogen bomb by the United States. The “trial” took place in 1954, the time of McCarthyism n.麦卡锡主义 (指美国共和党参议员J.R.McCarthy 于 1951-1954 年间发动的反共以及迫害民主进步力量的法西斯行经 )

The Merely Very GoodOppenheimerOn July 16, 1945, Oppenheimer

witnessed the first explosion of an atomic bomb in the New Mexico desert. "We knew the world would not be the same," he said. Within a month, two atomic bombs were dropped on Japanese cities. Japan surrendered on August 10, 1945.


Oppenheimer After the war, Oppenheimer chaired

the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. He opposed developing an even more powerful hydrogen bomb. When President Truman finally approved it, Oppenheimer did not argue, but his initial reluctance and the political climate turned against him.


OppenheimerIn 1953, at the height of U.S.

anticommunist feeling, Oppenheimer was accused of having communist sympathies, and his security clearance was taken away. He had, in fact, had friends who were communists, mostly people involved in the antifascist movement of the thirties.


OppenheimerThis loss of security clearance ended

Oppenheimer's influence on science policy. He held the academic post of director of the Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton, and in the last years of his life, he thought and wrote much about the problems of intellectual ethics and morality. He died of throat cancer in 1967.

The Merely Very GoodPara72. Did this have anything to do... she was

upstairs "ill" ? Does the author think she was really ill? No, he thinks it is only an excuse, so "ill" is put in quotes the implication of this question is the author believes that Kitty Oppenheimer deliberately tried to avoid meeting Spender.

3. There were so many things the two of them might have said to each other, but they didn’t: The author is showing that there were many things they could have discussed but they only talked about incident far from the American scene. They talked about recent event involving Cold War issues but not the politically more sensitive matters that had involved them both.

The Merely Very GoodPara8 1. ---but no one had actually encountered

him, despite rumored sightings:1) Had any one met him personally? No.2) Did that mean there was no news about

him? No, there were unconfirmed reports about

people having seen him from a distance.2.-- - he had no school or following and had

produced very few students.1) school: a group of people held together by

the same teachings, beliefs, opinions, methods, etc. 学派

2) following: a group of followers or adherents追随者

The Merely Very GoodPara8 3. He had essentially no collaborators ----, ---by only one person.

Why didn't Dirac really have collaborator? because Dirac held that breakthrough ideas in physics could only come from an individual.

The Merely Very GoodPara8 4. the last two sentences--- He taught his

classes.., --- no better way to present it.1)How did he teach his class at

Cambridge? He read aloud from the book he had written on the subject.

2) Why did he teach in that way? He believes that when he wrote he had

given much thought to the subject and he considered his writing the best presentation of the subject. Since that was the case, he would rather read his great text.


Para9 ... and attempted a profile of Dirac...: and tried to write a short biographical and character sketch of Dirac.

profile : A biographical essay presenting the subject's most noteworthy characteristics and achievements. 人物特写，人物概评 , 表现主要人物最值得注意的特点和成就的传记性的文章

The Merely Very Good Para10 the role of the first

sentence: it brings the story back to the year 1981 so as to carry on the story. It serves as a flashback.

flashback: A literary or cinematic device in which an earlier event is inserted into the normal chronological order of a narrative. 倒叙，闪回镜头 , 一种文学或电影的表现手法，往往在一段按正常时间顺序记叙的叙事中插入一件以前发生过的事情

The Merely Very GoodPara 10 What was Dirac's remark when he was

passing the Lincoln Tunnel once with T. D. Lee? Is this a good suggestion?

He said if the toll was doubled and the tollbooths were halved, the tolls collected would be more or less the same. It is a good suggestion, It can cut down costs because fewer tollbooths will mean fewer toll collectors. The Port Authority of New York did the same thing a few years later.

The Merely Very GoodT.D.Lee : Lee Tsung Dao(1926---) Chinese-born American

physicist. Together with Frank Yang （杨振宁）， he won a 1957 Nobel Prize for disproving ( 反驳，证明 --- 不正确 )the principle of conservation （守恒） of parity （量子数的均衡） .李政道 ,华裔美国物理学家。因其证明等量守恒定律的不正确性而获 1957 年诺贝尔物理学奖

in 1956 by T.D. Lee et C.N. Yang

The Merely Very GoodDirac interrupted his silence to remark

that--- : He made his break in a continuity of silence. Imply: He continued to be silent after that.

Port Authority: port administration, government commission in charge of the traffic, regulation, etc. of a port.港务局

Engene Paul Wigner (1902—1995) Hungarian-born American physicist. He shared a 1963 Nobel Prize for research on the structure of the atom and its nucleus. 维格纳，尤金 ·保罗 ,匈牙利裔的美国物理学家。因研究原子及原子核结构而获 1963 年诺贝尔奖

The Merely Very GoodPara11 1.Christopher Isherwood (1906---1986) :

British-born American novelist and playwright,, best known for his stories about Berlin in the early 1930's Goodbye to Berlin (1939), which became the basis for the musical Cabaret (1966), is considered among the most significant political novels of the 29th century.英裔美国作家，因描写 20 世纪 30 年代早期的柏林而闻名，作品包括再见了，柏林 (1939 年 )，这部书后来成为歌舞片歌厅 (1966 年 )的基础

The Merely Very GoodPara112. --- the mere wearing of which makes one

feel instantly better. Does the author really think the wearing of

it will make one feel instantly better?No, he is being a little ironical. He is hinting

here that Spender likes expensive clothes because he cares much about status. To such a person, the wearing of a brand name, expensive shirt will certainly make him feel better.

3 Blue-bell: (in Southern England ) plant with blue or white bell-shaped flowers风铃草

The Merely Very GoodPara 114. He had on a club tie of some sort. a club tie is a tie with the symbol of the club

on it. A club is usually an expensive institution, rendering service only to its members. Membership fee may be expensive but the environment is very nice and the service is very good. Being a club member is usually a status symbol. Club tie: signifies that you are the member of the club, here it shows that Spender enjoys the expense in the club.

Why does the author mention a club tie'? The purpose is the same as mentioning the shirt, to show Spender’s taste and sense of status.

The Merely Very GoodPara. 121. One probably should not read too much into appearance .., as if it were some sort of life raft:

Maybe one should not attach too much importance to appearance

How did those attending the poetry workshop look like?

They looked very eager to learn to write poetry as if without poetry they could not survive.

The Merely Very GoodParas. 122. access: The right to approach, enter, exit,

or make use of: 接近权，享用权，出入权：has access to the restricted area; 有权进入禁区； has access to classified material. 有权使用已归类的材料 We have few access to primary / original material.

The Merely Very GoodPara122. ... pretty tired of being an avatar for his now

dead friends---Auden, C. Day Lewis, and the rest--- especially that of Auden: What was he tired of?

He was tired of being the embodiment of his friends, He wanted to get rid of their influence. He was tired of being a person in whom people would find traces or influences of his more famous friends Auden, C. D. Lewis and others. In other words, he no longer wanted to be seen as one always under the influence of others. He wanted to be recognized in his own right.

Avatar : An embodiment, as of a quality or concept; 具体化 ,指某种性质或概念的形象化；

the very avatar of cunning.狡猾的原形


Para13 He seemed to be on autopilot: The questions Spender asked came out automatically, unthinkingly. He was rather mechanical, without giving the writings much thought.

The Merely Very GoodPara14 1. Jacqueline Bouvier Onassis (1929—1994):

born in a socially prominent family in New York and worked (1951—1953) as a journalist and photographer before marrying(1953) John F. Kennedy . As first lady, she planed and constructed the restoration of the White House and had Congress declare the White House a national museum. After the assassination of President Kennedy , she returned to private life and later married (1968) the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, who died in 1975. From 1978 until her death she was an editor at Doubleday.

The Merely Very GoodPara142. Somehow, I was getting

increasingly annoyed--- , but more: Did the author have a reason to feel

increasingly annoyed? No, especially he had no reason to

turn his anger at Spender. This is what we call transferred anger.

Did Spender owe them anything? No, Spender, like the author, was

invited there to conduct a workshop.

The Merely Very GoodPara16 1. T.(homas) S.(tearns) Eliot,

(1888-1965) American-born British critic and writer( 美裔英籍批评家与作家 )whose poems The Waste Land (1922) established him as a major literary figure. He also wrote dramas, such as Murder in the Cathedral 大教堂谋杀案 (1935), and works of criticism( 作品评论 ). He won the 1948 Nobel Prize for literature.

The Merely Very GoodPara16 2. But look, the morn in russet mantle clad/

Walks o’er the dew of yon high eastward hill. (When morning comes, ghost disappears , the sun is shining) 瞧，清晨披着金黄色的斗篷，踏着高山上的露珠从东方走来。 These lines were taken from the opening scene of Shakespeare's Hamlet(Act1 Scene1) , the rising dawn marks the necessary departure of the ghost.

These lines mean : But look, the morning in reddish brown color cloak walks over the dew of the high hill over there in the east.

The Merely Very Good3. He looked at it with an expression ... .

There was total silence in the room. Why did he have such an expression? What

sort of feeling was revealed? Sadness indicated that Spender felt he could

never compete with Auden who could produce such unforgettable lines. He himself could never write such beautiful lines;

Wonder indicated Spender's admiration. he wondered how could one produce such beautiful lines?

Regret indicated that Spender felt sorry that he had never written lines of such beauty. it is Auden, not he, who wrote such beautiful lines.

Envy was self-evident.

The Merely Very GoodParas. 171. S1 I had not thought of all this... , it all

came back to me, nearly.the role of this sentence: It brings the

scene from 1981 to the time of writing. The sentence serves as a transition, linking his encounter with Spender in 1981 with the concluding part, the message the author wants to impart to his readers.

The word "nearly" is used here because almost everything came back to the author except the line Spender wrote on the blackboard.

The Merely Very Good2. My companion of 15 years ago is my companion no longer.

Fifteen years ago when the author decided to go to the conference he "was in the beginning stages of a love affair with a young lady". Now he has parted with the young lady.

The Merely Very Good 3. I am a compulsive collector of data from my past: I always have an irresistible, even irrational impulse (or urge) to keep all the papers containing information of my past activities.

4. to see if it jogged to my memory: to find out if the line would make me recall the thing/would revive my memory

The Merely Very GoodPara18 1. Why did Spender think it would not be very difficult to imitate the late Auden?

He thought so because in Auden’s late poetry, there is a kind of eccentric appearance which some young people eager for success and with proficient writing skill can pick up and imitate.

The Merely Very GoodParas 19—20 the last two paragraphs play

the role of presenting the concluding remark, revealing/telling the key message to the readers.

1) Great poetry and great physics cannot be imitated. As Dirac put it, “the real great ideas in physics are had by only one person".

2) Great poetry and physics are pushed (driven) ahead by unanticipated genius. The merely very good cannot contribute to the development of either poetry or physics.

3) To be original and profound, one has to be focused. As the author says, Auden and Dirac focused like laser beams. This, according to the author, is the cause of the difference of being great and being merely very good.

The Merely Very GoodPrincess Margaret( 1930---2002)

Countess of Snowdon, sister to the Queen of UK, a hardworking and much loved member of the royal Family.

Isidor Isaac Rabi (1898-1988)Austrian-born American physicist. He won a 1944 Nobel Prize in physics for his study of magnetic movement of atomic particles. 奥地利裔美国物理学家。因其在原子粒子核磁共振法方面的研究，荣获 1944 年诺贝尔奖

The Merely Very Good Talmud The collection of ancient Rabbinic

writings , consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara, constituting the basis of religious authority in Orthodox Judaism. 犹太教法典 , 古代拉比著作的合集，包括《密西拿》和《革马拉》，构成了正统犹太教中宗教权威的基础

Hebrew: The ancient Semitic language of the Israelites in which most of the Old Testament was written ; the official language of Israel. 希伯来语 , 古代希伯来人使用的闪含语

Sanskrit: the classical old Indic literary language, still used in the rituals of the Northern Buddhist church 梵语

The Merely Very GoodAppreciation: How does the author manage to bring

the people he wants to compare into the article?

His decision to go to the conference1) Oppenheimer's anecdote:

Oppenheimer and Dirac meeting at Gottingen, talking about poetry and physics

2) Spender's being at the conference --- Spender's obsession with Auden--great versus merely very good

The Merely Very GoodHow does the author develop the article?He uses the 1981 conference as the

benchmark ( 基准 )and goes back to earlier times and in the last two paragraphs returns the scene to the time of writing. This technique of montage is used largely in cinema. For example:

The 1981 conference and the author's indecision →(flashback to 1925--1927) earlier life of Oppenheimer and his relations with Dirac→ (back to 1981) the author's decision: Spender and Auden → (flashback) Spender and Oppenheimer (1956) → (1958) Oppenheimer, Dirac and the author → (back to 1981) meeting with Spender → (bringing the scene to 1996) concluding remark.


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