Contents 1
Introduction 原书引言 1
Pronunciation Key 语音说明 1
1 Civilization and History 文明与历史C．E．M．Joad 1
2 TheFun TheyHad 前人享有的乐趣 Isaac Asimov 10
3 Big Numbers and Infinities 大数和无穷数 George Gamow 20
4 Oil 油 G.C．Thornley 30
5 An Observation and an Explanation 观察与解释Desmond Morris 41
6 A Robot about the House 家用机器人 M．W．Thring 51
7 A Wrong Man in Workers'Paradise 误入工人天堂的人 Rabindranath Tagors 62
8 Making Surgery Safe 保障外科手术安全 Horace Shipp 73
9 Using Land Wisely 合理地使用土地 L．Dudley Stamp 87
10 The Karburator 碳化装置 Karel Capek 100
11 Work and Play 工作和娱乐Herbert Read 113
12 Three Days to See 若能重见光明三日 Helen Keller 125
13 The Laws ofNature 自然法则 J．B．S．Haldane 138
14 Spaceship？ 宇宙飞船？ J．B．Priestley 151
15 The Wisdom of Socrates 苏格拉第的智慧 168
16 Snapshot ofa Dog 一只狗的快照 James Thurber 179
17 Individuals and Masses 个人和大众 Aldous Huxley 192
18 Children at Play 玩耍的孩子们 Rumer Godden 203
19 Symptoms 症状 Jerome K．Jerome 216
20 How to Avoid Foolish Opinions 如何避免愚蠢的见解 Bertrand Russell 227