The Historical Background
We have a choice of stories for his youth.
One narrative represents him as squandering his patrimony in riotous living, joining the army to avoid starvation, returning to Stagira to practice medicine, and going to Athens at the age of thirty to study philosophy under Plato.
squandering,浪费
patrimony，遗产
riotous，暴乱
A more dignified story takes him to Athens at the age of eighteen, and puts him at once under the tutelage of the great Master;
tutelage，指导
but even in this likelier account there is sufficient echo of a reckless and irregular youth, living rapidly.
The scandalized reader may console himself by observing that in either story our philosopher anchors at last in the quiet groves of the Academy.
Under Plato he studied eight—or twenty—years;
and indeed the pervasive Platonism of Aristotle's speculations—even of those most anti-Platonic—suggests the longer period.
One would like to imagine these as very happy years;
a brilliant pupil guided by an incomparable teacher, walking like Greek lovers in the gardens of philosophy.
But they were both geniuses;
and it is notorious that geniuses accord with one another as harmoniously as dynamite with fire.
Almost half a century separated them;
it was difficult for understanding to bridge the gap of years and cancel the incompatibility of souls.
▍语言点
a choice of stories: 一系列故事；多个版本的故事
squander: vt. 浪费；挥霍
patrimony: n. heritage，遗产
riotous: adj. 动荡的；喧哗的
practice medicine: 行医
tutelage: n. 监护；指导
account: n. 记载
reckless and irregular: 动荡的；无规律的
scandalized: adj. 震惊的；被诽谤的
console: vt. 安慰
anchor: vi. 抛锚停泊（本文引申为“栖居”）
grove: n. 树丛
Academy: “柏拉图学园”又叫“阿加德米”学园，欧洲第一所综合性学校，教授哲学和自然科学，同时也为周围城邦提供政治咨询。
pervasive: adj. 普遍的；流行的
anti-Platonic: adj. 反柏拉图的
notorious: adj. 臭名昭著的；声名狼藉的
生词好句
a choice of stories 一系列故事；多个版本的故事
squandering squander: vt. 浪费；挥霍
patrimony patrimony: n. （heritage）遗产
riotous adj. 动荡的；喧哗的
practice medicine 行医
tutelage n. 监护；指导
account n. 记载
reckless and irregular 动荡的；无规律的
scandalized adj. 震惊的；被诽谤的
console vt. 安慰
anchors anchor: vi. 抛锚停泊（本文引申为“栖居”）
groves grove: n. 树丛
Academy “柏拉图学园”又叫“阿加德米”学园，欧洲第一所综合性学校，教授哲学和自然科学，同时也为周围城邦提供政治咨询。
pervasive adj. 普遍的；流行的
anti-Platonic adj. 反柏拉图的
notorious adj. 臭名昭著的；声名狼藉的
