🍁视频和文字同步，建议先看视频
Ladies and gentlemen, my subscribers, and life-long learners：
Today, I stand before you, infused with a profound vision – a vision of linguistic empowerment and an intellectual renaissance, firmly rooted in the transformative power of reading. In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr.'s immortal "I have a dream," I expand upon this dream within the realm of language acquisition. And going beyond the realm of dreams, I will offer a concrete plan, one that outlines a clear and achievable path towards mastering the English language through the enlightening odyssey of reading.今天，我站在你们面前，怀着一个远大的愿景——一个语言赋能和智性复燃的愿景，它坚定地植根于阅读改变人生的力量之中。我将以马丁·路德·金的不朽之作“我有一个梦想”为精神启示，扩展这一梦想到语言习得的领域。并且，超越梦想本身，我将提供一个具体的计划，一个清晰可行的路线图，通过启迪心灵的阅读之旅来掌握英语语言。Imagine with me, if you will, embarking on a journey – not just any journey, but a pilgrimage back to the innocence and marvels of childhood, navigated through the vibrant pages of children's literature. In the magical words of Roald Dahl from "The Minpins," "Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." To the adults among us, I implore you to reawaken the inner child. Rediscover the profound yet effortless art of storytelling as masterfully portrayed by the likes of Roald Dahl.如果你愿意，请想象一下，踏上一段旅程——不仅仅是任何旅程，而是一次回归童真与奇迹的朝圣之旅，通过儿童文学的活色生香来引导自我。正如罗尔德·达尔在《小矮人》中所说的那样：“最重要的是，用闪闪发光的眼睛观察你周围的世界，因为最伟大的秘密总是隐藏在最不可能的地方。那些不相信魔法的人永远也找不到它。”对我们当中的成年人，我恳请你们唤醒内心中的少年。重新发现罗尔德·达尔等人所精湛呈现的深邃而不费力的讲故事艺术。![]()
Envision immersing yourself in the world of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," where the simple but insightful words, "So shines a good deed in a weary world," illuminate the story. Or, as Dahl urges us in his unique way, "So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookshelf on the wall." These lines, straightforward yet resonant, teach us about more than just kindness and hope; they reveal the pathway to these virtues through a lifelong devotion to reading.设想沉浸在《查理和巧克力工厂》的世界中，简单而富有洞察力的话语，“在疲惫的世界中，善行如星光闪耀”，照亮了整个故事。或者，正如达尔以他独特的方式敦促我们：“所以，请求你，我们恳求你，我们祈祷，把你的电视机扔掉，你可以在墙上安装一个可爱的书架。”这些话虽简单，却意味深长，不仅教会我们善良和希望，还通过终身致力于阅读揭示了通往这些美德的路径。![]()
However, the message transcends mere interpretation of the world – it's about transforming it. "Matilda," with her diminutive stature but immense intellect, challenging the tyranny of Ms. Trunchbull and the deceit of her father, reminds us that "Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world." Revisiting these books as adults is not a step backward; rather, it's a rediscovery of linguistic simplicity and narrative elegance. These tales are far from mere child's play; they lay the foundational stones for language acquisition, providing us with essential vocabulary and sentence structures for advanced English learning.然而，这里想表达的超越了对世界的单纯解释——它关乎改变这个世界。《玛蒂尔达》，她身材娇小却智慧无穷，挑战特兰奇布尔女校长的暴政和她父亲的欺骗，提醒我们“我们每个人内心都有改变世界的力量。” 作为成人的我们重读这些书籍并不是水平退步；相反，这是重新发现它们的语言简洁和叙事优雅。这些故事远非小儿科；它们为语言习得奠定了基础，为我们提供了更高维英语学习所需的基本词汇和句子结构。Our odyssey doesn't end with children's literature. As we burgeon in confidence and linguistic dexterity, we delve into the more intricate realms of storytelling. Consider Khaled Hosseini's "The Kite Runner," a tapestry of friendship, guilt, and redemption set against the backdrop of war-torn Afghanistan. The line, "For you, a thousand times over," resonates with impregnable loyalty, showcasing the unfathomable ability of language to encapsulate deep emotions and complex human connections.我们的旅程并不止步于儿童文学。随着我们在信心和语言技巧上的成长，我们将深入更复杂的小说。想想卡勒德·胡赛尼的《追风筝的人》，这是一幅描绘了友情、罪感和救赎的画布，背景是饱受战争蹂躏的阿富汗。这句话，“为你，千千万万遍”，充满了坚不可摧的忠诚，展示了语言捕捉深刻情感和复杂人际关系的无法估量的能力。![]()
We then navigate through the autobiographical landscapes of Barack Obama with "Dreams from My Father" and "A Promised Land." The former offers a voyage through the intricate maze of race, heritage, and the quest for identity, weaving a rich fabric of language and emotion. The latter book leads us through the labyrinth of the White House, illuminating the complexities of governance and leadership. Obama reflects, "There’s a reason why progress in this country has always been fitful and hard won. That’s because change worth making is always going to be hard." These insights, eloquently articulated, serve not just as a window into the trials of leadership but also as a beacon of resilience and perseverance. These memoirs are more than personal narratives; they are testaments to the power of hope and the relentless human spirit grappling with the nuances of power and responsibility.然后，我们通过奥巴马的自传《我父亲的梦想》和《应许之地》引导进入传记类作品。《我父亲的梦想》提供了一次穿越种族、传承和寻找身份的错综复杂的旅程，编织了丰富的语言和情感。《应许之地》带领我们穿过白宫的迷雾，揭示了国家治理和领导力的复杂性。奥巴马反思道：“进步之所以总是艰难且断断续续，是因为真正值得的改变总是艰难的。”这些颇有说服力的见解，不仅是对领导力挑战，也是坚韧和不屈的表达。这些回忆录不仅仅是个人叙事；它们是希望的力量和人类不懈精神在权力和责任的细微之处的见证。![]()
But our ascent does not halt there. As we continue to climb this linguistic staircase, we cultivate our philosophical and historical sensibility. We begin humbly with Jostein Gaarder's "Sophie's World," an engaging primer on philosophy, narrated through the experiences of the young Sophie and her enigmatic philosophy teacher, Alberto Knox. Then, Yuval Noah Harari's "Sapiens" unfurls a sweeping panorama of human history, compelling us to ponder our existence with statements like, "History began when humans invented gods, and will end when humans become gods." The intellectual feast reaches new heights with Jared Diamond’s "Guns, Germs, and Steel," a masterful exploration into the environmental factors that have shaped civilizations. Diamond compellingly argues, "History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves." This bold assertion invites us to reevaluate our perspectives on history and human development, through the book’s intricate interplay of geography, ecology, and the diffusion of technology.但我们的阅读攀升之旅并未停止。当我们继续攀登这个语言阶梯时，我们培养了我们的哲学和历史感知力。我们从约斯坦·贾德的《苏菲的世界》开始，这是一本通过年轻的苏菲和她神秘的哲学老师阿尔贝托·诺克斯的经历叙述的哲学入门书。接着，尤瓦尔·诺亚·赫拉利的《人类简史》展开了一幅人类历史的宏大全景，迫使我们思考我们的存在，他说：“历史始于人类发明神灵，将以人类成为神而结束。”智慧盛宴在贾里德·戴蒙德的《枪炮、病菌与钢铁》中达到新的高度，这是对塑造文明的环境因素的深入探讨。戴蒙德引人入胜地论述：“不同民族的历史走向不同，是因为民族环境的不同，而不是因为民族自身的生物学差异。”这一大胆的主张邀请我们重新评估我们对历史和人类发展的观点，通过书中地理、生态学和技术传播的错综复杂的互动为其论证背书。![]()
As we continue on this upward trajectory of reading, we explore the realms of political economy, sociology, and anthropology with seminal works like "Why Nations Fail" and "The Origins of Political Order." These are not mere historical texts; they are intellectual voyages that challenge our comprehension of the world.当我们继续这种阅读上升的轨迹时，我们将探索政治经济学、社会学和人类学的领域，通过阅读如《国家为什么会失败》和《政治秩序的起源》这样的开创性作品。这些不仅仅是历史文本；它们更是挑战我们对世界理解的智识之旅。In "Why Nations Fail," Acemoglu and Robinson argue with eloquence, "Nations fail economically because of extractive institutions. These institutions keep people from participating in economic activities that make the most of their talents and skills." This statement provides a lens to understand how political and economic systems shape the destiny of nations. Similarly, Francis Fukuyama's "The Origins of Political Order" takes us on an expedition through the evolution of societies, stating, "The real question of political development, however, is not why a rule of law exists, but rather how to develop a rule of law that is impersonal and applies equally to all citizens." This insight offers a deeper understanding of the foundations of political systems. Above all, these texts do not merely inform; they provoke thought, they demand engagement, and they illustrate the intricate dance of politics, economics, history and human nature.
在《国家为什么会失败》中，阿西莫格鲁和罗宾逊论证：“国家经济上的失败是因为掠夺性制度。这些制度阻止人们参与能够最大限度发挥他们才能和技能的经济活动。”这个论点为我们提供了一个透镜，以理解政治和经济系统如何塑造国家的命运。同样，弗朗西斯·福山在《政治秩序的起源》中带领我们经历了社会演化的探险之旅，他说：“政治发展的真正问题，不是法治为何存在，而是如何发展出一个对所有公民都是公正无私的法治生态。”这一见解为我们提供了对政治体系基础的更深层理解。最重要的是，这些文本不仅仅是为了提供信息；它们激发我们思考，号召我们参与，它们展示了政治、经济、历史和人性的复杂交织。![]()
In these social science masterpieces, language transcends its basic function, becoming a bridge to greater knowledge and insight. As we converse with these great minds, we enhance not just our vocabulary; we expand our intellectual horizons. We learn to perceive the world, not in black and white, but in a spectrum of colors and shades, understanding the diverse forces that shape our societies.在这些社会科学杰作中，我们超越了语言的基本功能，而是架起了通往更大知识和洞察力的桥梁。当我们与这些伟大的思想家对话时，我们不仅增强了词汇；我们扩大了我们的智力视野。我们学会了摒弃非黑即白的方式来看世界，而是用一系列的颜色和阴影来理解其细微的差别，理解塑造我们社会的多种力量。This journey of reading, which I have named "From Zero to Hero," is more than a curated list of books. It is a carefully crafted trajectory, designed to elevate our English proficiency and our intellectual prowess in an “i+1” upward spiral. It demonstrates that the journey of language learning is both feasible and desirable, preparing us linguistically and practically for the challenges of our globalized world.这一阅读之旅，我称之为“从零到英雄”（From Zero to Hero），不仅仅是一系列书籍清单。它是一条精心设计的轨迹，旨在提升我们的英语熟练度和智能，以“i+1”上升螺旋形式进行可理解输入。它证明了这样的语言学习之旅既是可行的，也是值得的，为我们在全球化世界中面临的挑战，从语言能力和指导实践方面做好了准备。![]()
However, it is with a heavy heart that I must address a significant gap in the realm of English education, particularly in China. The focus on rote memorization and standardized testing, geared towards the Gaokao, has overshadowed the importance of extensive and intensive reading. This approach neglects the development of critical empiricism, a skill refined by engaging deeply with texts, fostering questioning, analysis, and synthesis.然而，我不得不怀着沉重的心情指出，在英语教育领域，特别是在中国，存在一个显著的差距。以高考为准绳，注重死记硬背和标准化考试的做法，已经掩盖了广泛和深入阅读的重要性。这种方法忽视了发展批判性实证主义的技能，这是通过深入文本、培养提问、分析和综合能力来精炼的技能。Let us remember, as Martin Luther King Jr. so wisely stated, "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education." In this spirit, I call upon educators and learners to embrace a comprehensive approach to language learning. Let us create environments where reading is not just encouraged but celebrated. Let us guide our students, irrespective of their age, through a journey that begins with the whimsical tales of childhood and culminates in the profound representations of adulthood and reality of the world. Let us envision a world where each book opens a new horizon, and where every page turns us not just into better speakers of a language but into thinkers, dreamers, and lifelong learners.让我们记住，正如马丁·路德·金曾指出的，“教育的功能是教人深入思考和批判性思考。智力加上品格——这才是教育真正的目标。”本着这种精神，我呼吁教育工作者和学习者采取全面的语言学习方法。让我们创造一个环境，不仅鼓励阅读，还要拥抱阅读。让我们引导我们的学生，无论他们的年龄大小，通过一段从童年的异想天开故事开始，到成年和现实世界的深刻再现的作品结束旅程。让我们想象一个世界，每一本书都打开一个新的视野，每翻一页都不仅使我们成为更好的语言使用者，还成为思考者、梦想家和终身学习者。
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向老师简介
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向杨，芝加哥大学社会学博士在读。四川大学生物技术基地班本科，芝加哥大学政治学与社会学硕士。“羊说”公众号创办人，专访众多政治、社会、文化界领袖。十三年持续从事英语教学和管理。
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