2021年英语四级美文赏析：Versatile Man思维导图

Itis,perhaps,noaccidentthatmanyoftheoutstandingfiguresofthepastwereexceptionallyversatilemen.Rightupuntilcomparativelyrecenttimes,itwaspossibleforanintelligentpersontoacquainthimselfwithalmosteverybranchofknowledge.Thus,menofgeniuslikeLeonardodaVinciorSirPhilipSidney,engagedinmanycareersatonceasamatterofcourse.

DaVinciwassobusywithhisnumerousinventions,thathebarelyfoundthetimetocompletehispaintings;Sidney,whodiedinbattlewhenhewasonlythirty-twoyearsold,wasnotonlyagreatsoldier,butabrilliantscholarandpoetaswell.BoththesemencameveryneartofulfillingtheRenaissanceidealofthe“universalman”,themanwhowasgoodateverything.

Today,werarely,ifever,hearthatamusicianhasjustinventedanewtypeofsubmarine.Knowledgehasbecomedividedandsub-dividedintocountless,narrowly-definedparts.Thespecialistisrespected;theversatileperson,farfrombeingadmired,ismoreoftenregardedwithsuspicion.Themodernworldisaworldofhighly-skilled“experts”whohavehadtodevotethegreaterpartoftheirlivestoaverylimitedfieldofstudyinordertocompetewiththeirfellows.

Withthishighdegreeofspecialization,thefrontiersofknowledgearesteadilybeingpushedbackmorerapidlythaneverbefore.Butthishasnotbeenachievedwithoutconsiderablecost.Thescientist,whooutsidehisownparticularsubjectislittlemorethananidiot,isamodernphenomenon;asisthemanofletterswhoisbarelyawareofthetremendousstridesthathavebeenmadeintechnology.

Similarly,specializationhasindirectlyaffectedquiteordinarypeopleineverywalkoflife.Manyactivitieswhichwereoncepursuedfortheirownsakes,areoftengivenupindespair:theyrequiretechniques,theexpertstellus,whichtakealife-timetomaster.Whylearntoplaythepiano,whenyoucanlistentotheworld’sgreatestpianistsinyourowndrawing-room?