课文
Why does the idea of progress loom so large in the modern world?
为什么进步这个概念在现代世界显得如此突出？
Surely because progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us and is
becoming more and more manifest.
无疑是因为有一种特殊的进步实际上正在我们周围发生，而且变得越来越明显。
Although mankind has undergone no general improvement in intelligence or morality, it
has made extraordinary progress in the accumulation of knowledge.
虽然人类有智力和道德上没有得到普遍提高，但在知识积累方面却取得了巨大的进步。
Knowledge began to increase as soon as the thoughts of one individual could be
communicated to another by means of speech.
人一旦能用语言同别人交流思想，知识的积累便开始了。
With the invention of writing, a great advance was made, for knowledge could then be
not only communicated but also stored.
随着书写的发明，又迈进了一大步，因为这样一来，知识不仅能交流，而且能储存了。
Libraries made education possible, and education in its turn added to libraries: the
growth of knowledge followed a kind of compound interest law, which was greatly
enhanced by the invention of printing.
藏书使教育成为可能，而教育反过来又丰富了藏书，因为知识的增长遵循着一种“滚雪球”
的规律，印刷术的发明又大大提高了知识增长的速度。
All this was comparatively slow until, with the coming of science, the tempo was
suddenly raised.
所有这些发展都比较缓慢，而随着科学的到来，增长的速度才突然加快。
Then knowledge began to be accumulated according to a systematic plan.
于是，知识便开始有系统有计划地积累起来。
The trickle became a stream: the stream has now become a torrent.
涓涓细流汇成小溪，小溪现已变成了奔腾的江河。
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