安 迪: 我需要回到我的公寓去拿我的研究调查。然后,我们得去做
个采访。让我们乘地铁到我家去吧。
珍妮特:那乔怎么办?
安 迪: 他现在应该在去国家剧院的路上。他要去给一位新戏剧的导
演做个采访。但我有点儿希望他在途中迷路。然后,他将会发现伦敦是多么棒的一个地方。
珍妮特:我不明白。
安 迪: 我是在开玩笑!快点,我们走吧!
Outside view
Happiness is not what most students have in mind when they think of school. Yet a school in Germany has developed a novel way to raise the morale of its students, by teaching happiness in classes. Students at Heidelberg’s Willy Hellpach School of Economics are learning how to achieve happiness as an official subject, alongside mathematics and languages. This is the first school in Germany to develop a happiness course, intended for 17- to 19-year-olds preparing for university entrance exams.
Ernst Fritz-Schubert, the school’s principal, is on a mission to change things.
Ernst Fritz-Schubert: It was my idea-I’ve been at this school for 31 years, and I feel that school and happiness have to be reunited. These
are two terms which are not considered together, because one does not connect school with happiness. In some cases school comes behind the dentists on the popularity scale and we should try to push schools’ popularity a bit.
It has been proved by science that a happy student can learn more than an unhappy one, Unhappy students can concentrate for a while but do not use all their potential. The happiness classes are intended to help students fulfill their potential. They will help the students live happy and prosperous lives.
The classes aim to help students in achieving a positive state of mind, by using all their own resources and boosting their self-esteem. In addition, they hope classes will increase self-awareness and physical comfort. Happiness classes are also intended to make students more aware about their environment and society as a whole. During classes students are encouraged to express themselves and observe their peers’ behavior. The classes are taught by Bjoern Bonn, an actor and visiting lecturer.
Bjoern Bonn: One of the exercises I do is to have one of the students walk across the classroom, with the others copying his walk. Through this exercise, I hope they learn something about themselves. Why do I move like this? How do others see my way of walking? I hope that with a higher body awareness they ideally –of course it will take
time-achieve a higher self-consciousness which could lead to happiness.
Wolfgang Lang: We give these classes to students to help them find happiness. Now the question is: How do I define happiness? Happiness is for example a strengthening of the personality. We are providing helpful suggestions to make stronger people. People that ask“Who am I as a person? Am I really happy?”
Pascal Gemble: It takes time and everybody has to find happiness for themselves. You cannot go into a coaching lesson and say teach me happiness. One can only get indications from teachers or the visiting lecturers. There are also happiness scientists, if we could talk to one of those, I am sure he would have some hints.
Yosma Pinar Cetinkaya: You would think that the teachers are writing definitions on the board. Not true. Those who want happiness have to find it for themselves, you cannot really learn that.
So what does it take to be happy and can you learn it at school?
当学生想起学校,快乐不是多数人想到的。目前,德国一所学校已经创造了一种新颖的通过在课堂上教授快乐的方法来提升其学生们的精神面貌。 Heidelberg ‘s Willy Hellpach School of Economics 正在研究怎样将快乐实现为与数学和语言一样的官方课程。这是德国第一家开设快乐课程的学校,意欲为17至19岁的学生作高考的准备。 Ernst Fritz-Schubert,学校的校长,肩负着变革的使命。
Ernst Fritz-Schubert:“这是我的想法—我已经在这所学校呆了31年,我认为学校和快乐必须被重组,这是不被认为该在一起的两部分,因为学生不把学校与快乐联系起来。在某些情况下,学校在受欢迎程度上落后于牙医,我们应该努力推动学校的受欢迎度。
科学已经证明一个快乐的学生能比一个不快乐的学生学到更多。不快乐的学生能在一段时间内集中注意力,但不能发挥他们所有的潜力,这些快乐课程致力于帮助学生发挥他们的潜能,能帮学生生活在快乐繁荣的生活中。”
这种课程旨在帮助学生们通过用他们自己的特长和激励他们的自尊来达到思想的积极状态。另外,他们希望课程会增加自觉意识和身体素质,快乐课程还致力于让学生意识到环境与社会是作为一个整体存在。课堂期间学生被鼓励表达自我和关注同伴的行为,课程由演员和客座讲师 Bjoern Bonn讲授。
Bjoern Bonn:“我做的其中一个练习是让学生走过教室,其他学生模仿他的步伐。通过这个练习,我希望他们从自己身上学得一些东西‘为什么我像这样行动?其他人怎样评价我走路的方式?’我希望伴随着更高的身体意识他们原则上——当然这需要时间——实现更高的抵达快乐的自我意识。”
Wolfgang Lang:“我们为学生们开设这些课程来帮助他们找寻快乐,现在问题是:我该如何给快乐下定义?比如快乐是个性的加强。我们正提供有帮助的建议来使学生更强健,学生会问:我是一个怎样的人?我真的高兴吗?”
Pascal Gembe:“这需要花时间,每个人必须为自己找寻快乐,你不可能去一个训练课说:‘教给我快乐’。一个学生只能从教师或客座讲师那得到暗示,另外也有研究快乐的科学家,如果我们能与他们之一交流,我确信他能给一些暗示。”
Yosma Pinar Cetinkaya:“你会认为老师在黑板上写下快乐的定义,那不正确。哪些想得到快乐的学生必须为他们自己寻找,你不能真正通过学习得到。”
既然如此,得到快乐的代价是什么?你能在学校学到它吗?
Listening in Passage one
Interviewer: Can you tell me…how do you think you have changed as you
have matured?What things have had a major influence on you?
Speaker 1 : Well, let me think…I suppose going to university had a big
impact on my life. It made me much more open-minded. I met so many different types of people there with weird and wonderful ideas and it changed the way I see the world. I’m much more tolerant now… It made me a more rounded person.
Interviewer: Great, and had any particular person had a central role in forming your character?