◇◇新语丝(www.xys.org)(xys.dxiong.com)(xys.3322.org)(xys.dyndns.info)◇◇   经典英语教材中的伪科学   柔涛   《新概念英语》于上世纪六十年代成书,八十年代即流行于我国,并于九十 年代出了中国化新版。编者在前言中讲,到了学习英语的高级阶段,重要的是理 解“Idea”,但是初版中的第四册第四课,直接宣扬伪科学,而新版照收,可见 其宣扬伪科学内涵并没有为编者和读者所理解,因为笔者尚没有见到公开的批判 文字。   这篇课文讲的是不少苏联人能用皮肤识字,特别提到一个小姑娘,能用指头 读报,用脚巴丫子看画,而这些是由一个科研机构通过实验证实的。为了增强真 实感,其作俑者加了个当她的手被弄湿的时候就丧失这种特异功能的尾巴。   笔者多年前就猜测这则故事的真实性,这在常理上是难以理解的,而且我们 中国并不缺乏类似的例子,如耳朵识字之类,后来被证明是一种类似魔术的游戏。 对于这类故事被制作和传播的起因,笔者猜测是当年美苏争霸的产物。这两个超 级大国,不仅在真枪实弹的军备竞赛中你追我赶,还通过其他一些手段来迷惑对 方。新概念英语教材中收录的这则故事即是一个例子。这个小姑娘,当长成美女 之后,其特异功能的明显的利用价值之一就是培训成间谍。   由于笔者没有条件也没有时间去收集更多的背景材料来支持这一论断,故将 这一浅显的想法投书新语丝,做引玉之石,供大家讨论,使读者认清这篇经典教 材中的课文就内容来讲可作反面教材来读,而不为其所惑。 New Concept English Book IV Lesson 4 In the Soviet Union several cases have been reported recently of people who can read and detect colour with their fingers, and even see through solid doors and walls. One case concerns an eleven-year-old schoolgirl, Vera Petrova, who has normal vision but who can also perceive things with different parts of her skin, and through solid walls. This ability was first noticed by her father. One day she came into his office and happened to put her hands on the door of a locked safe. Suddenly she asked her father why he kept so many newspapers locked away there, and even described the way they were done up in bundles. Vera's curious talent was brought to the notice of a Scientific Research Institute in the town of Ulyanovsk, near where she lives, and in April she was given a series of tests. During these tests she was able to read a newspaper through an opaque screen and, stranger still, by moving her elbow over a child's game of Lotto she was able to describe the figures and colours printed on it. Other experiments showed that her knees and shoulders had a similar sensitivity. During all these tests Vera was blindfold, and, indeed, except when blindfold she lacked the ability to perceive things with her skin. It was also found that although she could perceive things with her fingers this ability ceased the moment her hands were wet. Eric DE Mauny Seeing Hand from The Listener (XYS20050617) ◇◇新语丝(www.xys.org)(xys.dxiong.com)(xys.3322.org)(xys.dyndns.info)◇◇