Lesson 11-1 How to grow old
Some old people are oppressed by the fear of death. In the young there is a justification for this feeling. Young men who have reason to fear that they will be killed in battle may justifiably feel bitter in the thought that they have been cheated of the best things that life has to offer. But in an old man who has known human joys and sorrows, and has achieved whatever work it was in him to do, the fear of death is somewhat abject and ignoble. The best way to overcome it -- so at least it seems to me -- is to make your interests gradually wider and more impersonal, until bit by bit the walls of the ego recede, and your life becomes increasingly merged in the universal life.
oppress /əˈpres/ 压迫;欺压;压抑
justification /ˌdʒʌstɪfɪˈkeɪʃn/ 正当理由
justifiably /ˌdʒʌstɪˈfaɪəbli/ 无可非议的
in the young 在年轻人身上
cheat 欺骗 cheat of 从。。。那里骗取。。。
sorrow /ˈsɑːroʊ/ 悲伤,悲痛,悲哀
whatever work it was in him to do 他所能做的任何工作
abject /ˈæbdʒekt/ 可怜的,下贱的;凄惨的;自卑的;
ignoble /ɪɡˈnoʊbl/ 卑鄙的;不光彩的;卑劣的,不体面的
overcome 克服;解决;战胜
so at least it seems to me 倒装句式 at least it seems so to me
impersonal /ɪmˈpɜːrsənl/ 超脱个人感情影响的, 客观的;不近人情的;缺乏人情味的;
ego /ˈiːɡoʊ/ 自我,自己;
recede /rɪˈsiːd/ 渐渐远去;退后;逐渐减弱
increasingly /ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli/ 越来越多地;不断增加地
merge /mɜːrdʒ/ 合并;(使)结合;并入;融入;相融
bit by bit 一点一点地