宽容至上

蒋建平

Tolerance matters a lot

11月16日是國际宽容日，每年一次让世界的目光聚焦于“宽容”这个主题。

1 Theres a song by the great Jamaican singer Bob Marley called So Much Trouble in the World. Marley understood that part of the reason why there are so many problems in the world is the lack of tolerance between people. The UN understands this too—thats why it made Nov. 16 International Day for Tolerance.

2 But first of all， what is tolerance？ French philosopher Voltaire can give us some help. According to him， tolerance is the result of humanity. We are all formed of frailty （脆弱） and error and let us pardon each others folly—that is the first law of nature. Nobodys perfect. When were going to criticize another person， we should perhaps remember our own imperfections first.

3 Very often， people dont realize that theyre intolerant. This is because intolerance has a lot to do with ignorance. For example， the UNs campaign is in part about the treatment of females by males. But often， the behavior of men toward women is intolerant because men dont put themselves in the shoes of women.

4 Its worth thinking a little about the words “tolerance” and “intolerance”. Are they the best words to describe the evils of which were speaking here？ To agree to be “tolerant” of someone isnt necessarily a very respectful thing. When someone is tolerated， it implies that theres something wrong with them.

5 But it seems wrong that people should agree to “tolerate” people with black skin， for example. And should women think they have received the respect they are due when men agree to “tolerate” them？

6 Still， according to Voltaire， we humans are not perfect and this weakness is something that we all share. Thats the reason why we should be tolerant.

7 Its a little like generosity. We can give things to another person， and we can also give our forgiveness. Bob Marley understood this. In the song mentioned above， he advised， “All you got to do： give a little.” Or， as this older piece of wisdom says， “Write your love on a rock so it stays for eternity; write your hate in the sand so the waves will wash it away.”

1. Why is So Much Trouble in the World mentioned in paragraph 1？

A. To show its popularity.

B. To guide people to deal with trouble.

C. To lead up to the topic of tolerance.

D. To prove that life is full of trouble.

2. Which belongs to tolerance according to Voltaire？

A. Expressing your love to your parents.

B. Overcoming your imperfections.

C. Giving a hand to the disabled.

D. Accepting others weaknesses.

3. In what sense is “tolerance” similar to “generosity”？

A. Humans are advised to treat others better.

B. Humans tend to find faults in others.

C. Humans need to give something to others.

D. Humans will change their attitudes to others.

4. What does the underlined word “this” in paragraph 7 refer to？

A. Donating things to others.

B. Forgiving others.

C. The attitude toward love and hate.

D. The fact that humans are imperfect.

[Language][Study]

Ⅰ. 日积月累

criticize v. 批判

imperfection n. 不完美

intolerant adj. 不容忍的

campaign n. 运动；活动

eternity n. 永恒

The reason why...is that ……的原因是……

lack of 缺乏

This is because 这是因为……

put oneself in the shoes of 设身处地

Its worth doing 值得做

Thats the reason why 那就是……的原因

Ⅱ. 完成句子

1. 在你准备演讲时，要设身处地地为听众着想。

as you prepare your speech.

2. 他上学迟到的原因是他起床晚了。

he was late for school was that he got up late.

3. 这是因为这个法案根本就不受人喜欢。

the bill is not much loved.

4. 这个想法很值得考虑。

This idea is well                              .

5. 志愿者不乏其人。

There was no                               volunteers.