Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there's always a temptation(诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character,and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to resist the temptation.
Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science revealed about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren't?
To answer these questions, Brooks surveys a wide range of disciplines（学科）. Considering this, you might expect the book to be a dry recitation of facts. But Brooks has structured his book in an unorthodox(非常规的), and perhaps unfortunate, way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader's attention.So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.
On the whole, Brooks's story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks's attempt to translate his tale into science.
The Wizarding World(魔法世界) of Harry Potter theme park will open in Florida in 2009, and will provide attractions and rides based on places from the Harry Potter books.
The novels' author JK Rowling has already given her blessing to the project. She said, “The plans I've seen look unbelievably exciting, and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed.”
Stuart Craig, the man in charge of the design of the park, is an Oscar-winning production designer who worked on the Harry Potter films so it should be faithful(忠实的) to JK Rowling's vision.
Stuart Craig said, “Our primary goal is to make sure this experience is an authentic extension(原著的延伸) of Harry Potter's world as it is portrayed in the books and films.”
Visitors to the park will be able to explore some of their favourite places from the book such as the village of Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest and, of course, Hogwarts Castle, where Harry goes to school.
Although fans can look forward to a holiday in the Harry Potter theme park, many will be saddened by the fact that the best-selling series (系列)is now drawing to a close.
The final instalment(分期连载的一部分) in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, will be published on 21 July, and to mark the event JK Rowling is to read extracts(摘录) from the book to a select audience at midnight on the day of publication.
Rowling has announced that two characters die in the final book, but has not revealed(透露) if Harry is one of them so fans will have to wait to find out the fate of their magical hero.
Love, success, happiness, family and freedom—how important are these values to you? Here is one interview which explores the fundamental(基本的) questions in life.
Q: Could you introduce yourself first?
A: My name is Misbah, 27 years old. I was born in a war-torn(战争毁掉的) area. Right now I'm a web designer.
Q: What are your great memories?
A: My parents used to take me to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields. For me it was like a holiday, because we were going to have fun all day long. Those are my great memories.
Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?
A: Yes. As life was very hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family. I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age. However, it taught me to deal with problems all alone. I learnt to be independent.
Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?
A: If I could change something in my life, I'd change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area. I would have loved to live with my family in freedom. Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn't matter as long as I can live with my family and we are safe.
Q: How do you get along with your parents?
A: My parents supported me until I came of age. I want to give back what I've got. That's our way. But I am working in another city. My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it. It filters(过滤) out your emotion and leaves your voice only. My deepest feelings should be passed through sight, hearing and touch.
Most American students go to traditional public schools. There are about 88, 000 public schools all over the US. Some students attend charter schools.
Charter schools are self governing. Certain companies operate some charter schools. They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools. They receive tax money just as other public schools do. Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning. These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate.
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws that govern traditional public schools. Each school can choose its own goals and decide what to teach and how to teach them in their own way. Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools.
The government strongly supports charter schools as a way to reorganize public schools, which are failing to educate students. But some education unions are against charter schools. One teachers' union has just released the results of the first national study, which compared the progress of students in both traditional schools and charter schools.
The results of the study show that charter school students performed worse on math and reading tests than the students in traditional public schools.
Some experts say the study is not fair because students in charter schools have more problems than students in traditional schools. Other education experts say the study results would make charter school officials realize that they should help their students make greater progress .
After a year of examining many studies concerning whether homework is effective, NYC P. S. Elementary School decided that math worksheets and essay assignments were actually a waste of time. In February, Principal Jane Hsu sent a letter to parents stating that the Pre-K(学前班) through fifth grade students wouldn't be given any traditional homework to encourage kids to free time for reading, playing outside, or doing activities they enjoy.
“The negative effects of homework have been well established.” Hsu wrote in a note to parents. “They include, children's frustration and exhaustion, lack of time for other activities and family time and, sadly for many, loss of interest in learning.”
Some parents, however, disagree with the policy change, believing that a lack of focus will cause children to fall behind. Homework has been part of education from the beginning, and has increased in amount in recent years.
Hsu's advice that children should read and spend time with their families has upset some parents to the point of considering pulling their children out of the school. This group feels that homework gives children a goal to work toward. Others feel so strongly about the importance of homework that they have begun giving their own homework to their children.
An Australian Childhood Foundation survey finds that 71% of Australian parents feel they don't spend enough quality time with their children mainly because of the time spent running the household or the time spent helping with homework. Education experts in Australia are saying that parents should stop helping. Doing so will give kids more independence, give parents more free time, and help reduce the number of arguments caused by homework in the family.
While some research suggests that homework has little academic benefit for elementary students, other researches show homework can help kids develop independence, and confidence. It can also contribute to a sense of belonging or control over their lives. When parents try to help their children with homework, the assistance can take away that feeling and can also make working parents more tired.
You have probably been told by your high school instructor that writing is an important and practical skill. However, you may not be convinced that the ability to write will be important in your own future. If so, you will be surprised at the results of a recent survey by the National Institute of Education. More than four thousand working men and women who had graduated fifteen years earlier were asked to name the courses they would have taken in college if they had known better. The designer of the survey expected people to name courses in computer science, mathematics, or business. But the course most often mentioned was writing.
If you already have a job, you are probably not surprised at their answers. Many jobs require the ability to write. Despite the increasing use of the telephone and the computer, much information must be communicated in writing.Some ten million people—managers, engineers, sales representatives, and many others— write regularly as part of their jobs. Summaries, reports, reports, letters and speeches are required in today's work world. The ability to write, therefore, is an important skill. The successful individual is almost always the one who can communicate successfully in writing.
Writing communicates your thoughts and feelings to others; it also tells you something about yourself. Maybe this is what Eldridge Cleaver had in mind in his autobiography, “I started to write... to save myself...I had to seek out the truth... I had to find out who I am and what I want to be ,what type of man I should be ,and what I could do to become the best of which I was capable.”
Tom was one of the brightest boys in the year,with supportive parents.But when he was 15 he suddenly stopped trying.He left school at 16 with only two scores for secondary school subjects.One of the reasons that made it cool for him not to care was the power of his peer（同龄人）group.
The lack of right male role models in many of their lives—at home and particularly in the school environment—means that their peers are the only people they have to judge themselves against.
They don't see men succeeding in society so it doesn't occur to them that they could make something of themselves.Without male teachers as a role model,the effect of peer actions and street culture is all-powerful.Boys want to be part of a club.However,schools can provide the environment for change,and provide the right role models for them.Teachers need to be trained to stop that but not in front of a child's peers.You have to do it one to one, because that is when you see the real child.
It's pointless sending a child home if he or she has done wrong.They see it as a welcome day off to watch television or play computer games.Instead,schools should have a special unit where a child who has done wrong goes for the day and gets advice about his problems—somewhere he can work away from his peers and go home after the other children.
The end of the school year is in sight — Christmas cards, candy canes and of course, end of year reports.
While most parents welcome an assessment of their kids' performance, they do not expect their own input to be evaluated. But a school in the UK is changing that. As well as assessing their students, they are dishing out grades to mums and dads. Parents that are really involved in their kids' education are rewarded with an A, and parents that haven't done their bit get a disappointing D.
The school, Greasley Beauvale Primary in Nottinghamshire, uses standard such as whether mums and dads have attended school events such as plays and parent teacher evenings to decide on the grade. The school's principal, Donna Chambers, said that the scheme had been well received.
“There were some critics. In spite of it, between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of parents started out in the lower categories but now that has been reduced to just two per cent,” she explained.
Chambers hopes that the scheme will help motivate parental involvement. “The system is important because you have got to get the parents on board from day one. That one hour initial conversation saying they could improve will make a difference to the rest of that child's academic life”, she said.
But while the scheme may be well intentioned, it is likely to be connected with parent shaming. There are lots of reasons why some mums and dads might not be involved in school activities such as work commitments, looking after younger children or caring for elderly relatives.
And of course, being involved in your kid's education doesn't begin and end at school. There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes from helping with homework to keeping uniforms freshly laundered. And what about all the parents who stayed up sewing special costumes at the last minute? Surely that earns a gold star instead of a grade!
Often people receive a guitar, mandolin, or some other musical instrument as a birthday or Christmas gift. There's joy everywhere. The giver of the gift knows how much the receiver wants to learn this instrument and the receiver is actually holding it in his hands instead of longing for it through the shop window.
Finding an instructor that fits into a busy work schedule is hard enough, but once you decide on a lesson plan, then you must consider the practice time, how to practice, what to practice—and let's face it...not all people learn something the same way. So in order to learn a musical instrument, how much practice time is enough and what kind of practice is right for you?
There is no set amount of time that anyone should practice a musical instrument. When I was in programming classes, I could have studied nightly for 5 hours each night. It would have taken me years to learn the art of computer programming. Though I'm attracted by the systematic logic of it, my talent is towards another thing. However, on the other hand, if I spent an hour every couple days with a passionate hobby like playing the violin, not only would the time fly quickly...I'd also be learning at a much greater speed since the built-in passion is the motivation for advancement.
So as much as it's important to practice, a step back is to first find the harmonious instrument that fits you as a person; as development of your personality. If you're learning the guitar because it's cool....obviously that's the modern-day mindset, however, you might not be actually linking your talent for musical satisfaction with your most creative advantages you have to offer.
It's been my experience that every person has a certain level of musical talent. My pleasant challenge has been to assist them in this adventure and actually locate their best abilities as quickly as possible. Then and only then can we match learners with instruments and truly begin a fun and exciting walk down the road of happiness and contentment, where music, ability, personality and soul all meet. Once this piece of the mystery puzzle is in place, I've never had to work at motivating a learner to practice...
“Sesame Street” has been called “the longest street in the world”. That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American's exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969.
In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation's pre-school children, from every kind of economic, racial, and geographical group.
Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from “Sesame Street” are in the same class with children who have not watched the program.
Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional（偶然的）viewers. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly.
The programs all use songs, stories, jokes, and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters.
Why has “Sesame Street” been so much more successful than other children's shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories（理论）of its creators, the support by the government and private（私人的）businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more.
Gardening is a very popular hobby. And it is one that produces wonderful results – food for your dinner table and flowers for your home! Gardens themselves can be very beautiful. So you would think that a garden path is a great place to be. Well, in conversation, it is not. Leading someone up the garden path means you are trying to trick them. You are not trying to show them your beautiful flowers.
Speaking of beautiful flowers, gardeners love to see small buds (芽) forming on their plants. Besides plants and flowers, people can bud, too. If a child is good at drawing and painting, we can call him a budding artist. So “budding” describes something that is beginning to develop.
On the opposite end, you stop something from growing if you nip it in the bud. This is a common expression when we talk about stopping something bad and preventing it from continuing. It's good to nip small problems in the bud before they turn into big problems.
Now flowers that bloom （开花）are beautiful to see – even garden-variety flowers. “Garden-variety” describes anything that is common and not so special. You can have a garden-variety cold—not a serious illness.
Now, a problem that many gardeners have is weeds. Weeds grow easily and can quickly take over a garden. In conversation, we sometimes use “weeds” to mean too many details. So, if you are in the weeds, you are taken over by too many details.
As we said, weeds grow quickly. So do children. So, we like to say a child grows like a weed. This expression compares a child's fast growth to that of a weed.
Two of the hardest things to accomplish in this world are to acquire wealth by honest effort and, having gained it, to learn how to use it properly. Recently I walked into the locker room of a rather wellknown golf club after finishing a round. It was in the late afternoon and most of the members had left for their homes. But a halfdozen or so men past middle age were still seated at tables talking aimlessly and drinking more than was good for them. These same men can be found there day after day, and, strangely enough, each one of these men had been a man of affairs and wealth, successful in business and respected in the community. If material prosperity were the chief necessity for happiness, then each one should have been happy. Yet, it seemed to me, something very important was missing, elsethere would not have been the constant effort to escape the realities of life through scotch and soda. They knew, each one of them, that their productivity had ceased (停止). When a fruit tree ceases to bear its fruit, it is dying. And it is even so with man.
What is the answer to a long and happy existence in this world of ours? I think I found it long ago in a passage from the book of Genesis which caught my eye while I was looking through my Bible. The words were few, but they became memorably impressed on my mind. "In the sweat of the face shall you eat the bread."
To me, that has been a challenge from my earliest recollections (memories). In fact, the battle of life, of existence, is a challenge to everyone. The immortal words of St. Paul, too, have been and always will be a great inspiration to me. At the end of the road I want to be able to feel that I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.
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CAN-DO PEOPLE |
NO-CAN-DO |
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Take initiative to make it happen Think about problems and barriers Act |
Wait for something to happen to them Think about solutions and options Are acted upon |
If you think can-do, and you're creative and persistent, it's amazing what you can accomplish. During college, I remember being told that to fulfill my language requirement, I would "have to" take a class that I had no interest in and was meaningless to me. Instead of taking this class, however, I decided to create my own. So I put together a list of books I would read and the assignments I would do and found a teacher to sponsor me. I then went to the dean of the school and presented my case. He bought into my idea and I completed my language requirement by taking my self-built course.
American aviator Elinor Smith once said, "It has long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things."
It's so true. To reach your goals in life, you must seize the initiative. If you're feeling bad about not being asked out on dates, don't just sit around and sulk, do something about it. Find ways to meet people. Be friendly and try smiling a lot. Ask them out. They may not know how great you are.
Don't wait for that perfect job to fall in your lap, go after it. Send out your resume, network, volunteer to work for free.
If you're at a store and need assistance, don't wait for the salesperson to find you, you find them.
Some people mistake can-do for being pushy, aggressive, or obnoxious. Wrong. Can-do is courageous, persistent, and smart. Others think can-do people stretch the rules and make their own laws. Not so. Can-do thinkers are creative, enterprising, and extremely resourceful.
George Bernard Shaw, the English playwright, knew all about can-do. Listen to how he said it: "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them."
Returning to a book you've read many times can feel like drinks with an old friend. There's a welcome familiarity — but also sometimes a slight suspicion that time has changed you both, and thus the relationship. But books don't change, people do. And that's what makes the act of rereading so rich and transformative.
The beauty of rereading lies in the idea that our bond with the work is based on our present mental register. It's true, the older I get, the more I feel time has wings. But with reading, it's all about the present. It's about the now and what one contributes to the now, because reading is a give and take between author and reader. Each has to pull their own weight.
There are three books I reread annually The first, which I take to reading every spring is Emest Hemningway's A Moveable Feast. Published in 1964, it's his classic memoir of 1920s Paris. The language is almost intoxicating (令人陶醉的), an aging writer looking back on an ambitious yet simpler time. Another is Annie Dillard's Holy the Firm, her poetic 1975 ramble (随笔) about everything and nothing. The third book is Julio Cortazar's Save Twilight: Selected Poems, because poetry. And because Cortazar.
While I tend to buy a lot of books, these three were given to me as gifs, which might add to the meaning I attach to them. But I imagine that, while money is indeed wonderful and necessary, rereading an author's work is the highest currency a reader can pay them. The best books are the ones that open further as time passes. But remember, it's you that has to grow and read and reread in order to better understand your friends.
You may not know a lot of people when you start senior high school. Maybe your friends from junior high school are going to a different senior high school. Even if you know other freshmen (一年级学生) , you still feel anxious that you don't know any upperclassmen. How are you going to make friends among this sea of unknown faces?
Mast senior high schools hold the freshman orientation (迎新会) before school actually starts. It is helpful because you not only learn your way around the building but also get to meet some of your teachers and fellow freshmen. That way, when you show up on your first day of school, you may already recognize a few familiar faces.
When you talk to people at orientation, you'll probably find that a lot of them are feeling just like you are. They're all new to the school and don't know what to expect. Talking about a common concern with your classmates can help you develop friendships.
The work in senior high school is something freshmen are probably worried about. It builds on what you learned in junior high school, giving you a more advanced (高深的) knowledge of many subjects. So you may find you have more work to do or that it's a bit more challenging. If you ever find your work too difficult, teachers can give you extra help.
Senior high school also has more after-school activities than junior high school, such as clubs, music and theater groups and sports teams. This is a good time to explore your interests and try new things.
Junior high school taught you the basics of time management and social skills while providing you with a little extra support and guidance. Senior high school gives you the chance to learn how to be more independent and responsible.
Let me explain a bit by telling you where the challenge came from. I have many things in common with my dad, like music taste and sense of humour, but sadly reading isn't one of them. I can happily spend a whole day curled up with a book but my dad can't read a book for longer than about 5 minutes. He reads emails, websites and documents for work, but not books. I think that sitting down to read for just 15 minutes a day is a good way to relax. Giving yourself a goal or a challenge is a good way to change a habit or achieve something, so why not try to create a new habit of reading?
I know lots of people would rather relax on their computers or in front of the TV. Everyone is different and has their own interests, but I think there are lots of benefits from reading, which screen-based activities (games, films, TV) don't have.
One thing I personally love about reading is being transported to another world. I often forget the time or things that are going on around me! Reading is a great way to switch off before you go to bed, so you can truly relax. I know you can be transported to a different world in a film or a TV show, but I think books do it better. While watching a film, I often talk to my flatmates, send texts, or paint my nails. A book, on the other hand, commands your full attention.
Reading gives you the chance to get to know hundreds of new people! It also teaches you to see things from other people's point of view, and understand other people's decisions or opinions, With a book, you can hear everything a character is thinking or feeling—you really can be inside someone else's head!
So give it a go! Take 15 minutes when you're waking up, going to bed, eating lunch, or having a coffee. If you read a lot, why not try 15 minutes of an English book, or pass the challenge on to someone else? Good luck, and happy reading.
Ministers are being urged to do more to encourage children to speak two languages from a young age. Edinburgh University and the Royal Society of Arts say research points to bilingual (双语) children being better at learning a lot of subjects.
A new study by the university suggests children speaking two languages make no more grammatical mistakes in English than those speaking one language. Professor Antonella Sorace tested a number of school-age bilingual children. Her study showed that children learning two languages may begin to talk later.
Professor Sorace said bilingualism made children generally better at learning in their lives. She believes parents often put off bringing their children up bilingually because they feel it may hinder(阻碍) their intellectual(智力的) development.
"My parents don't know how good bilingualism can be and they think that bilingualism can cause confusion (迷惑) and intellectual delay in the child," Professor Sorace said. "They purposely refuse to speak one of the languages they could be speaking."
"By bringing them up bilingually they can give them much more than two languages." Professor Socrace said. She hoped her findings would encourage parents to send their children to Gaelic schools.
Parents often tell kids that playing video games will harm their brains. But last June a study found the opposite — certain video games can give your brain help. Researchers from the University of Montreal, in Canada, asked a group of people to play Super Mario 64 for 90 hours over the course of about 10 weeks. They found that those people experienced growth in the part of the brain that is responsible for memory.
But many people think that there's nothing good about looking at a screen for hours at a time. They say that playing sports, reading, and doing other activities can give you the same benefits that playing video games does. Plus, some video games can be harmful. The study from the University of Montreal also found that playing shooter games like Call of Duty has a different influence from playing Super Mario 64 — it causes the area of the brain that's responsible for memory to shrink.
Here's what two of our readers think.
Playing video games can be beneficial because it requires skills like problem-solving, strategic thinking, and sometimes teamwork. A study by researchers at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland, found that playing video games improves your communication skills and ability to find ways to solves problems. Video games can also help you become more creative. For example, Minecraft requires you to think outside the box and build things with materials you never even knew existed. Yo can build your dream house! Some schools are even using Minecraft to teach topics like math and computer science.
—Mackenzle Reldy, Nebraska
Playing video games takes time away from other more important things. I used to spend a lot of time playing them. Sometimes that kept me from doing things I needed to do, like studying my spelling words. Playing video games can also be bad for your health. Last year, researchers studied kids and teens in Canada who play video games. They found a connection between playing video games for hours before going to bed and being overweight.
—Devin Lewis, Arizona
Jane Austen ever popular
Last summer, the UK honored one of its favorite writers, Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), by making her the face of the new £10 note. In the 200 years since her death, Austen's fame has increased to global fame.
Yet Austen's works are so very English that it's rather strange she should be so popular all over the world. Her novels are so of her time that it's remarkable that she's still appreciated in this very different age. Her most famous works — including Pride and Prejudice(《傲慢与偏见》) the one for which she is most known — are set in the world of the English gentry (上流社会人士) in the early 19th century.
Most of her fiction is about young women of that time. Women of the gentry could not work, so their chances of happiness or even basic living depended upon finding a husband. This is a very serious subject, of course, but the joy of Austen's stories is her ability to make wonderful, but also touching comedy out of something so serious.
Take Pride and Prejudice as an example. The main plot of the novel is driven by the love-hate relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, a wealthy man. At first, they don't get on. Elizabeth finds Darcy too proud; she feels he thinks he is better than everyone else. She thinks that he looks down upon her family in particular. Darcy, while admiring Elizabeth, believes that she has taken unfairly to him. The pleasure of the novel is reading how these difficulties are overcome and how the comical and unexpected ending is achieved.
If we think about this story, it's obvious why Jane Austen is still popular more than 200 years after her death, and why readers can still have the same feelings with characters from the long dead world of the 19th century English gentry. Although there have been many changes since that time, it's still the greatest challenge in life for men and women to find the partner of their dreams.
This year marks the 81st publication anniversary of Ernest Hemingway's Spanish Civil War epic, For Whom the Bell Tolls. The novel, which drew on the author's own experiences as a reporter for the North American Newspaper Alliance during the war, was a huge critical and commercial triumph for Hemingway, selling half a million copies in its first few months.
For Whom the Bell Tolls was also a finalist for the 1941 Pulitzer Prize, allegedly chosen as the winner by both the jury and the board, before being vetoed (否决) by Columbia president (and ex-official chairman of the board) Nicholas Murray Butler because he found the book offensive.
In 1943, less than two years after the book was first published, Paramount Pictures released a wildly successful movie adaptation of the book staring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, both of whom somewhat incredibly, were handpicked for their roles by Hemingway himself.
Let's look back at one of the earliest reviews of "the first major novel of WWⅠ":
All that need be said here about the new Hemingway novel can be said in relatively few words. For Whom the Bell Tolls is a tremendous piece of work. It is the most moving document to date on the Spanish Civil War, and the first major novel of the Second World War.
As a story, it is superb, packed with the matter of picaresque (传奇式流浪冒险的) romance: blood, lust, adventure, vulgarity, comedy, tragedy. For Robert Jordan, the young American from Montana, the lust and adventure are quickly drowned in blood. The comedy, as in other Hemingway fiction, is practically indistinguishable from the vulgarity, which in this case is a rich and indigenous peasant brand. The tragedy is present and only too plain
