Modern American Universities
Before the 1850’s, the United States had a number of small colleges, most of
them dating from colonial days. They were small, church connected institutions
whose primary concern was to shape the moral character of their students.
Throughout Europe, institutions of higher learning had developed, bearing the
ancient name of university. In German university was concerned primarily with
creating and spreading knowledge, not morals. Between mid-century and the end
of the 1800’s, more than nine thousand young Americans, dissatisfied with
their training at home, went to Germany for advanced study. Some of them return
to become presidents of venerable colleges-----Harvard, Yale, Columbia---and
transform them into modern universities. The new presidents broke all ties with
the churches and brought in a new kind of faculty. Professors were hired for
their knowledge of a subject, not because they were of the proper faith and had
a strong arm for disciplining students. The new principle was that a university
was to create knowledge as well as pass it on, and this called for a faculty
composed of teacher-scholars. Drilling and learning by rote were replaced by
the German method of lecturing, in which the professor’s own research was
presented in class. Graduate training leading to the Ph.D., an ancient German
degree signifying the highest level of advanced scholarly attainment, was
introduced. With the establishment of the seminar system, graduate student
learned to question, analyze, and conduct their own research.
At the same time, the new university greatly expanded in size and course
offerings, breaking completely out of the old, constricted curriculum of
mathematics, classics, rhetoric, and music. The president of Harvard pioneered
the elective system, by which students were able to choose their own course of
study. The notion of major fields of study emerged. The new goal was to make
the university relevant to the real pursuits of the world. Paying close heed to
the practical needs of society, the new universities trained men and women to
work at its tasks, with engineering students being the most characteristic of
the new regime. Students were also
trained as economists, architects,
agriculturalists, social welfare workers, and teachers.
date : n. 日期,约会,枣椰子;vt. 约会,定日期;vi. 注明日期,过时;n. DOS命令:显示或设置系统日期
colonial : a. 殖民的,殖民地的
connect : vt. vi. 连接,联合,关连
primary : n. 最主要者,原色;a. 主要的,初期的,根本的,首要的,基本的
concern : n. 关心,忧虑;vt. 与...有关,使担心,挂虑
moral : n. 道德,品行,寓意;a. 道德的,品性端正的,良心的
bearing : n. 举止,轴承,忍受,方向,意义,关系,生育
ancient : a. 远古的,旧的
develop : vt. 发展,发达,进步,洗印,显影;vi. 发展,生长
primarily : ad. 主要地,首先地,基本地
spreading : 撒布
dissatisfy : vt. 使感觉不满,不满足
advanced : a. 高等的,在前的,年老的,先进的
venerable : a. 庄严的,值得尊敬的
Harvard : 美国哈佛大学
Yale : n. 耶鲁
Columbia : n. 哥伦比亚
transform : vt. 转换,改变,改造,使...变形;vi. 改变,转化,变换
tie : n. 带子,线,鞋带,不分胜负,关系,领带,领结,平局,束缚;vt. 系,打结,扎,约束,与...成平局;vi. 结合,打结,不分胜负
faculty : n. 才能,能力,全体教员,(大学的)系
hire : n. 租金,租用,雇用;vt. 雇请,出租;vi. 受雇
proper : a. 适当的,高尚的,专属的;ad. 完全地,彻底地
discipline : n. 训练,纪律;vt. 训练,惩罚
principle : n. 原则,原理,主义
compose : vt. 组成,写作,作曲,使平静,编写;vi. 创作,排字
scholar : n. 学者,公费生,有文化者,学习者
drilling : n. 演练
rote : n. 机械性的背诵,反复,死记硬背
lecture : n. 演讲,谴责,教训;vt. 演讲,训诫,说教;vi. 讲演
present : n. 礼物,现在,瞄准;a.现在的,出席的,当面的;vt.介绍,引见,赠送,上演,提出,呈现;vi. 举枪瞄准
signify : vt. 象征,预示;vi. 要紧,重要
attainment : n. 达到
seminar : n. 研究会,讨论发表会
analyze : vt. 分析,分解
conduct : n. 行为,举动,指导;vt.引导,指挥,实施;vi.引导,传导,指挥
expand : vt. 使膨胀,详述,扩张;vi. 张开,发展;v. 展开
constrict : vt. 压缩,束紧,使收缩;vi. 压缩
curriculum : n. 课程
classic : n. 古典作品,杰作,第一流艺术家;a.第一流的,最优秀的,古典的
rhetoric : n. 修辞,修辞学,华丽虚饰的语言
elective : a. 选举的,根据选举的,选任的;n. 选修课程
notion : n. 概念,观念,想法,打算,主张
emerge : vi. 浮现,形成,(由某种状态)脱出,(事实)显现出来
relevant : a. 有关联的,中肯的,有关系的,成比例的,相应的,适当的
pursuit : n. 追踪,追捕,追求,追赶,工作,职业
heed : n. 注意,留心;vt. vi. 注意,留心
characteristic : n. 特性,特征,特色;a. 特性的,本性的,有特色的
regime : n. 政权,当权期间,政体,社会制度
economist : n. 经济学者,经济家
architect : n. 建筑师,设计者,造物主
