[New York Times] V.S. Naipaul, who explored colonialism through unsparing books, dies at 85
V.S. Naipaul, who explored colonialism through unsparing books, dies at 85
V.S. Naipaul, the Nobel laureate who documented the migrations of peoples, the unraveling of the British Empire, the ironies of exile and the clash between belief and unbelief in more than a dozen unsparing novels and as manay works of nonfiction, died Saturday at his home in Londaon. He was 85.
His family confirmed the death in a statement, The Associated Press reported.
In many ways embodying the contradictions of the postcolonial world, Naipaul was born of Indian ancestry in Trinidad, went to Oxford University on a scholarship and lived the rest of his life in England, where he forged one of the most illustrious literary careers of the last half century.
Naipaul personified a sense of displacement. Having left behind the circumscribed world of Trinidad, he was never entirely rooted in England. In awarding him the Nobel Prize in literature in 2001, the Swedish Academy described him as “a literary circumnavigator, only ever really at home in himself, in his inimitable voice.”
Yet his existential homelessness was as much willed as fated. Although he spent his literary career mining his origins, Naipaul fiercely resisted the idea of being tethered to a hyphen, or to a particular ethnic or religious identity. His guiding philosophy was universalism which he described as “Our Universal Civilization”.
- colonialism:(n) [kə’ləʊnɪəlɪz(ə)m] 殖民主義, when a powerful country rules a weaker one, and established its own trade and society there. back
His emphasis was on how Middle Eastern countries could emerge from colonialsim. 他的研究重点是中东国家何以能够摆脱殖民主义.
- unsparing:(a) [ʌn’speərɪŋ] 苛刻的, 無情的, not sparing or frugal. back
Officers are unsparing in traning their men, to a point which U.S. trainers would probably think insane. 军官们在训练手下的时候非常严厉，严厉到美军教官或许认为是疯狂的程度.
- Nobel:(n) [‘nəʊbel] 諾貝爾. back
He was honoured with the Nobel prize for medicine in 2002. 他曾获2002年度诺贝尔生理学或医学奖.
- laureate:(n) [‘lɒrɪət; ‘lɔː-] 得獎者, someone who has been given an important prize or honour, especially the nobel prize. back
This is the wisdom of 1986 Nobel Laureate James Buchanan, one of the most prolific and original economists of the twentieth century. 这是二十世纪最初的且最负创造力的经济学家，1986年诺贝尔奖获得者 詹姆斯布坎南的智慧.
The poet and Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney has died. 詩人兼諾貝爾獎得主 Seamus Heaney 與世長辭.
- unraveling:(n) [ʌnˈrævəlɪŋ] 解體; 瓦解; 解開, If you unravel something that is knotted, woven, or knitted, or if it unravels, it becomes one straight piece again or straight piece again or separates into its different threads. back
We built a wall, Math, science, history, unraveling the mysteries, That all started with the big bang! 我们修建了城墙数学，科学，历史，探解奥秘，那都是是从大爆炸开始！
- irony:(n) [‘aɪrənɪ] 反諷, 反語, when you use words that are the opposite of what you really mean, often in order to be amusing. back
What irony! 多么讽刺！
Wagner calls his program ‘the worst talk show in America,’ without a hint of irony. Wagner 不带一丝讽刺，称他的节目是“美国最糟糕的访谈节目”.
- exile:(n) [‘eksaɪl; ‘egz-] 放逐, 流亡, a situation in which you are forced to leave your country and live in another country, especially for policial reasons. back
He went into exile to escape political imprisonment. 他为了逃避政治监禁而流亡国外.
- clash:(n) [klæʃ] 衝突, 碰撞, a short fight between two armies or groups - used in news reports. back
violent clashes between police and demonstrators. 警方和示威者之间的暴力冲突.
The event descended into violence, with clashes erupting between attendees and counterprotesters. 這一件事件演變為暴力事件, 與會者和反抗者之間爆發了衝突.
- statement:(n) [‘steɪtm(ə)nt] 聲明, something you say or write, especially publicly or officially, to let people know your intentions or opinions, or to record facts. back
In an official statement, she formally announced her resignation. 在一份官方声明中，她正式宣布辞职.
- embody:(v) [ɪm’bɒdɪ; em-] 表現, 體現, to be a very good example of an idea or quality. back
She embodies everything I admire in a teacher. 她體現了我所钦佩的教师该具备的一切素质.
- contradiction:(n) [kɒntrə’dɪkʃ(ə)n] 矛盾, a difference between two statements, beliefs, or ideas about something that means they cannot both be true. back
His public speeches are in direct contradiction to his personal lifestyle. 他的公开言论与他本人的生活方式恰恰相反.
- postcolonial:(a) [pəʊs(t)kə’ləʊnɪəl] 後殖民的 back
As such, The Holy Land in English Culture 1799-1917 provides a significant contribution to both postcolonial studies and English social history. 因此，1799年至1917年在英国文化圣地都提供了一个后殖民研究和英国的社会历史上的重要贡献
- ancestry:(n) [‘ænsestrɪ] 祖先, 血統, the members of your family who lived a long time ago. back
Helen’s family can trace their ancestry back to the 1700s. helen 家的祖先可追溯至18世纪.
DNA holds the key to diversity, ancestry and which traits you’ll pass to future generations. DNA 掌握著關鍵要素: 多樣性, 血統以及哪些特徵會傳給後代.
Trinidad:(n) [‘trɪnɪ,dæd] 地名 back
forge:(v) [fɔːdʒ] 開創, 創造, to develop something new, especially a strong relationship with other people, groups, or countries. back
Back in the 1980s, they were attempting to forge a new kind of rock music. 20世纪80年代，他们尝试开创一种新的摇滚乐.
- illustrious:(a) [ɪ’lʌstrɪəs] 傑出的, 輝煌的, famous and admired because of what you have achieved. back
She has had an illustrious career. 她已经有了辉煌的事业.
- literary:(a) [‘lɪt(ə)(rə)rɪ] 文學的, typical of the style of writing used in literature rather than in ordinary writing and talking. back
He often undervalued the literary works of young writers. 他经常低估青年作家的文学作品.
- personify:(v) [pə’sɒnɪfaɪ] 擬人化, 人格化, to think of or represent a quality or thing as a person. back
Time is often personified as an old man. 时间经常被比拟为一位老人.
displacement:(n) [dɪs’pleɪsm(ə)nt] 位移 back
circumscribed:(a) [‘sɜːkəmskraɪb] 局限的, 受約束的, if someone’s power or freedom is circumscribed, it is limited or restricted. back
The army evidently fears that, under him, its activities would be severely circumscribed. 军方明显担心，在他的管辖下，各种活动都将受到严格限制.
The President’s power is circumscribed by Congress and the Supreme Court. 总统的权力受到国会和最高法院的制约.
- award:(v) [ə’wɔːd] 授予, to officially give someone something such as a prize or money to reward them for something thye have done. back
A Nobel Prize was awarded to Waksman in 1952. 1952年瓦克斯曼获得一项诺贝尔奖.
- Academy:(n) [ə’kædəmɪ] 學院, 研究院, an official organization which encourages the development of literature, art, science etc. back
It is the custom of this academy to make an annual award for outstanding researchers in chemistry. 每年向杰出的化学研究人员发奖是这个学会的惯例.
circumnavigator:(n) [sə:kəm’nævəgeitə] 周遊世界者 back
inimitable:(a) [ɪ’nɪmɪtəb(ə)l] 獨一無二的, 無法模仿的, too good or skillful for anyone else to copy with the same high standard. back
He delivered the speech in his own inimitable style. 他以其无人可模仿的独特风格发表了演说.
- existential:(a) [,egzɪ’stenʃ(ə)l] 存在主義的, relating to the existence of humans or to existentialism. back
This was like a bad film, quickly escalating into one of those existential angst moments. 这简直就像一部怀旧电影，很快就进入了存在主义的焦虑时刻.
- homelessness:(n) [‘homlɪsnɪs] 無家可歸 back
We wanted to have kids, but I don’t feel like I can stop working because I’m funding all this. Growing up with homelessness, I know the consequences of stopping working. 我们都很喜欢孩子，但是，我因为我承担着家里的一切开支，我认为我不能辞掉工作，我是在无家可归的环境下长大的，我知道停止工作的后果”.
- fated:(a) [‘feɪtɪd] 命中註定的, certain to happen or to do something because a mysterious force is controlling events. back
I’m fated to spend my last years in an old folks’ home. 我注定要在养老院里度过晚年.
- fiercely:(adv) [‘fɪəslɪ] 猛烈地, 厲害地, back
The enemy attacked fiercely, but the line held firm. 敌人猛烈进攻，但防线巍然不动.
- resist:(v) [rɪ’zɪst] 抵抗, to try to prevent a change from happening, or prevent yourself from being forced to do something. back
He resisted pressure to resign. 他顶住压力，没辞职.
- tether:(v) [‘teðə] 用..拴住, If you tether an animal or object to something, you attach it there with a rope or chain so that it cannot move. back
The officier dismounted, tethering his horse to a tree. 这位军官下了马，把马拴在一棵树上.
Officers rescued a pit bull that was tethered outside with a chain that weighted more than the dog. 警察就出了一隻被拴在外面的鬥牛犬, 他的鏈子比狗還重.
- hyphen:(n) [‘haɪf(ə)n] 連字符, a short written or printed line (-) that joins words or syllables. back
Further, you can specify an inclusive range of characters in a set with the - (hyphen) operator. 而且，还可以使用 -（连字符）操作符在集合中指定包含的字符范围.
- ethnic:(a) [‘eθnɪk] 人種的, 種族的, relating to a particular race, nation, or tribe and their customs and traditions. back
The school teached pupils from different ethnic groups. 该校教授不同种族的小学生.
It was a blend of histories, customs and ethnic identities which later formed an important part of his work. 她融合了歷史, 風俗和種族認同, 後來成為他作品的重要組成部分.
- religious:(a) [rɪ’lɪdʒəs] 宗教的, relating to religion in general or to a particular religion. back
I don’t share her religious beliefs. 她的宗教信仰和我的不同.
- philosophy:(n) [fɪ’lɒsəfɪ] 哲學, 人生哲學, 生活準則, the attitude or set of ideas that guides the behaviour of a person or organization. back
The company explained their management philosophy. 公司阐述了他们的管理原则.
- universalism:(n) [,juːnɪ’vɜːsəlɪzəm] 普世主義 back
The common foundation of science and art is human creativity, and their goals are all to pursue the universalism of the truth. 科学和艺术的共同基础是人类的创造力，它们追求的目标都是真理的普遍性.
- Universal:(a) [juːnɪ’vɜːs(ə)l] 全世界的, involving everyone in the world or in a particular group. back
Overpopulation is a universal problem. 人口过多是全球性的问题.
- Civilization:(n) [ˌsɪvɪlaɪˈzeɪʃən] 文明, 文化, a society that is well organized and developed, used especially about a particular society in a particular place or at a particular time. back
The book explores the relationship between religion and civilization. 本书探讨了宗教和文明的关系.