新概念英语线上一对一辅导

新概念英语第四册课文原文：衰老过程

686. But the chances are against it, and there is a virtual limit on how long we can hope to remain alive, however lucky and robust we are.

但这种可能性很小。不管我们多么幸运，多么健壮，我们所希望的长寿实际上是有限度的。

687. Normal people tend to forget this process unless and until they are reminded of it.

衰老的过程，不经提起，正常人容易忘记;一经提醒，才会记起。

688. We are so familiar with the fact that man ages, that people have for years assumed that the process of losing vigour with time, of becoming more likely to die the older we get, was something self-evident,

我们对人总是要衰老的现象并不陌生，多年来就已认识到。生命随着时间流失而丧失活力，人随着年龄的增长而接近死亡，这是不言而喻的，

689. like the cooling of a hot kettle or the wearing-out of a pair of shoes.

就像一壶热水迟早会凉不来，一双鞋渐渐会磨破一样。

690. They have also assumed that all animals, and probably other organisms such as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things 'wear out'.

人们不但认识到所有的动物，大概也认识到所有的有机物。如树木，甚至宇宙本身，从事物的本质上来说都会“磨损掉”。