It is well known that where the white man has invaded a primitive culture, the most destructive effects have come not from physical weapons but from ideas.

man ^{n. a person, either male or female ―used esp. in formal situations or in the past 人}

• All men are equal in the eyes of the law.
• Growing old is something a man has to accept.

come from / of (doing) sth.: be the result of sth. ^{因为，是…的结果，来自于}

• His air of confidence came from his firm belief that he was the best candidate for the job.
• It's the kind of accident that comes from being careless.
• I did ask a few questions, but nothing came of it.
• That comes of eating too much!
• That's what comes of not practicing ― you've forgotten everything!

Ideas are dangerous. The Holy Office knew this full well when it caused heretics to be burned in days gone by. 

the Inquisition / Holy Office ^宗教法庭

a Roman Catholic organization in the past whose aim was to find and punish people who had unacceptable beliefs.

• In his own lifetime Galileo was the centre of violent controversy; but the scientific dust has long since settled, and today we can see even his famous clash with the Inquisition in something like its proper perspective.

know sth. full well / very well / perfectly well ^{非常清楚…心知肚明 / 完全清楚}

• Preachers pray for rain, knowing full well that no such prayer was ever answered.
• You know very well what I'm talking about!
• I knew perfectly well it was a trap.
• I knew full well / very well / perfectly well that it was a risky investment, but I decided to take the chance. ^{我心知肚明那是项高风险投资，但我还是决定冒险一试。}
• She knew this full well that delaying the repair would lead to greater problems later.^{她非常清楚，推迟修理会在以后导致更大的问题。}

cause ^{v. to compel by command, authority, or force 逼迫，迫使}

• The king caused him to resign.
• The moderator invoked a rule causing the debate to be ended.

in days / times / years gone by = in the past ^{在过去 / 在往昔}

• In times gone by, all crops were harvested by hand.
• These herbs would have been grown for medicinal purposes in days gone by.
• Life was simpler in days gone by, before the invention of the internet.^{在过去的日子里，在互联网发明之前，生活更简单。}
• In days gone by, it was common for families to live under one roof for several generations. ^{在往昔岁月里，几代人同住一个屋檐下是很平常的事。}

let bygones be bygones ^{to forget sth. bad that someone has done to you and forgive them 不计前嫌，既往不咎}

• Forget it, let bygones be bygones. ^{算了，过去的事就让它过去吧。}
• Don't be sad. Let bygones be bygones. ^{别难过了，过去的就让它过去吧！}
• How about we let bygones be bygones and start over? ^{不如我们既往不咎，重新开始？}

Indeed, the concept of free speech only exists in our modern society because when you are inside a community, you are conditioned by the conventions of the community to such a degree that it is very difficult to conceive of anything really destructive.

free speech = freedom of speech ^{n. the right to express any opinion in public without censorship or restraint by the government 言论自由}

• The university provides a safe space for students to exercise their right to free speech. ^{大学为学生行使言论自由权提供了一个安全的空间。}
• The ruling was a welcome affirmation of the constitutional right to free speech. ^{此裁决是对言论自由这一宪法权利的受人欢迎的肯定。}
• Many experts in constitutional law have warned that the rule violates the right to free speech. ^{很多宪法专家已警告说，该条例违反了言论自由权。}

to such a degree / extent that … ^{到如此程度以至于…}

• Her condition deteriorated to such a degree that a blood transfusion was considered necessary.
• It is a harmless habit, but it litters up her desk to such an extent that every time she opens it, loose bits of paper fall out in every direction.
• Sometimes the secrecy goes to such an extent that the whole nature of the research cannot be mentioned.
• The pollution has increased to such an extent that the river is no longer safe for swimming. ^{污染已增加到如此程度，以至于这条河不再适合游泳了。}
• The market changed to such a degree that the original business model was no longer viable.^{市场变化到了如此程度，以至于最初的商业模式不再可行。}

conceive ^{v. (fml.) to imagine a particular situation or to think about something in a particular way 想象，设想}

• It is difficult to conceive how the situation could get any worse. ^{很难想象情况还会变得多么糟糕。}
• It is hard for people living in peace to conceive of anything really destructive like a large-scale conflict.^{对于生活在和平中的人来说，很难构想出任何真正具有破坏性的事物，比如大规模冲突。}

It is only someone looking on from outside that can inject the dangerous thoughts.

looking on = stand by ^旁观

• Only one man tried to help us, the rest just looked on / stood by in silence. 
• The report provided a critical perspective by looking on from outside the company's internal politics.^{这份报告通过从公司内部政治的外部观察，提供了批判性的视角。}

inject ^{v. to add something new to a situation 注入…}

• Young staff are injecting new life into the company.
• Try to inject confidence into your voice.
• Propaganda aims to inject the dangerous thoughts of division and hatred into the public discourse.^{宣传旨在向公共话语中注入分裂和仇恨的危险思想。}

I do not doubt that it would be possible to inject ideas into the modern world that would utterly destroy us.

utterly ^{adv.完全地，彻底地}

• This was utterly beyond her comprehension. ^{这完全超出了她的理解力。}
• Their life seemed utterly distant from his own. ^{他们的生活与他自己的生活似乎完全不同。}
• Tom was utterly indiscreet, and could never keep a secret. ^{汤姆言行完全不慎重，从来守不住秘密。}
• The unexpected natural disaster had the potential to utterly destroy us if not for the early warning systems.^{如果不是早期预警系统，这场意料之外的自然灾害有可能彻底摧毁我们。}

I would like to give you an example, but fortunately I cannot do so. Perhaps it will suffice to mention the nuclear bomb.

suffice to mention ^{提及…就足够了}

• This single item will suffice to typify all the rest. ^{即此一端， 可概其余。}
• Word will suffice to convey his grief. ^{他的悲伤足以用言辞表达。}
• The money will suffice to keep her alive. ^{这些钱足以维持她的生活。}
• When explaining the concept, it will suffice to mention the core principle without delving into the complex mathematics.^{在解释这个概念时，提及核心原理就足够了，而无需深入复杂的数学。}

Imagine the effect on a reasonably advanced technological society, one that still does not possess the bomb, of making it aware of the possibility, of supplying sufficient details to enable the thing to be constructed.

reasonably ^{adv. 1. in a reasonable way 合理地，合乎逻辑地}

• discuss the matter calmly and reasonably

reasonably ^{2. to a fairly high degree, level, or standard = fairly 相当地，颇为}

• We are reasonably sure this is the best solution.

the effect / influence / impact of … on / upon …^{…对…的影响 / 作用}

• the influence of parents on their children
• the effect of fertilizers on the crops
• the impact of the oil spill on marine life
• The study explores the impact of social media on the mental health of teenagers. ^{这项研究探讨了社交媒体对青少年心理健康的影响。}
• In the organization of industrial life the influence of the factory upon the physiological and mental state of the workers has been completely neglected.
• This result merely confirms earlier American and British studies: if there is any effect of noise upon mental health, it must be so small that present methods of psychiatric diagnosis cannot find it.
• Snakes did not acquire their poison for use against man but for use against prey such as rats and mice, and the effects on these of viperine poison is almost immediate.

Twenty or thirty pages of information handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925 would have been sufficient to change the course of world history.

power ^{n. a country that is strong and important and can influence events, or that has a lot of military strength 大国， 强国}

• Egypt is still a major power in the Middle East.
• Zheng He’s seven expeditions established China as the world’s top naval power.
• The summit brought together leaders from all the major world powers to discuss climate change.^{这次峰会汇集了所有世界主要大国的领导人，讨论气候变化问题。}

superpower ^{n. any of the most powerful nations in the world, esp. the USA or former USSR 超级大国}

• Since the disintegration of the USSR, there has been only one superpower ― the USA.

if 从句（虚拟语气）

• If twenty or thirty pages of information had been handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925, it would have been sufficient to change the course of world history.^{与过去事实相反}
• If twenty or thirty pages of information had been handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925, the course of world history would have been changed. ^{替换成被动}
• Had twenty or thirty pages of information been handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925, it would have been sufficient to change the course of world history. ^倒装
• Had twenty or thirty pages of information been handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925, the course of world history would have been changed. ^{倒装+被动}

be sufficient to do sth.^{足以做某事}

• The evidence collected by the police was sufficient to convict the suspect. ^{警方收集的证据足以定罪该嫌疑人。}
• The money is not sufficient to cover everything that needs doing.
• A simple apology would have been sufficient to resolve the misunderstanding.^{一个简单的道歉本来就足够解决这个误会。}

It is a strange thought, but I believe a correct one, that twenty or thirty pages of ideas and information would be capable of turning the present-day world upside down, or even destroying it.

present-day ^{adj. existing now  当今的}

• The amount of money is small by present-day standards.
• The novel is set in present-day Russia.

upside down ^{adv. with the top at the bottom and the bottom at the top 颠倒，翻转}

• To get the plant out of the pot, turn it upside down and give it a gentle knock.
• The sudden technological breakthrough risks turning the present-day world upside down.^{突如其来的技术突破有颠覆当今世界的风险。}
• She looked at it critically for a moment. "It's all right," she said, "but isn't it upside down?"

upside-down ^{adj. with the upper part underneath instead of on top 上下翻转过来（的）}

• That picture is upside-down.
• As I looked at the upside-down pizza, I heard Mrs. Martin's voice. ^{当我看着打翻的披萨时，我听到了马丁太太的声音。}
• Transfer the cake upside-down to the cake board. ^{把蛋糕倒过来放到蛋糕板上。}

I have often tried to conceive of what those pages might contain, but of course I cannot do so because I am a prisoner of the present-day world, just as all of you are.

prisoner of  ^{...的囚徒/ 受制于…的人}

• It is easy to become a prisoner of your own past mistakes if you don't learn to forgive yourself. ^{如果你不学会原谅自己，很容易就会成为过去错误的囚徒。}
• The lack of imagination meant the artist felt like a prisoner of the present-day world, unable to escape current trends.^{缺乏想象力意味着这位艺术家感觉自己是当今世界的囚徒，无法摆脱当前的潮流。}

We cannot think outside the particular patterns that our brains are conditioned to, or, to be more accurate, we can think only a very little way outside, and then only if we are very original.

condition ^{v. 1. have an important effect on sb. / sth., determine 对…有重要影响，决定}

• We are all conditioned by early impressions and experiences. ^{我们都受早年印象和经历的长期影响。}
• I just feel women are conditioned into doing housework. ^{我只是觉得女人习惯于做家务。}

condition ^{v. 2. to train or influence a person or animal mentally so that they do or expect a particular thing without thinking about it 训练或影响…使习惯或适应…}

• Pavlov conditioned dogs to salivate at the sound of a bell.
• Many women are conditioned from birth to be accepting rather than questioning.
• It didn't take them long to become conditioned to the new environment.
• Patients can become conditioned to particular forms of treatment. 
• Most people are conditioned to use their phones immediately upon waking up.^{大多数人习惯于在醒来后立即使用手机。}

conditioning ^{n. 潜移默化的影响}

• Conditioning starts as soon as boys are given guns to play with and girls are given dolls.
• Social conditioning makes crying more difficult for men.
• After years of conditioning, most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway time-tables.

then ^{adv. used to add sth. to what you have just mentioned 此外，而且}

• It costs $20, and then there's the sales tax to pay.
• We have to invite your parents and my parents, and then there's your brother.

only if … ^只有…

• The missiles can be fired only if the operator types in a six-digit code.
• If you are younger, and in a solid financial position, you may decide to take an aggressive approach, but only if you're blessed with a sanguine disposition and won't suffer sleepless nights over share prices.
• she will go only if he goes. ⇒ Only if he goes will she go. ^{引起部分倒装}
• The funding will be released only if we are very original in our approach to the problem.^{只有在我们解决问题的方法非常具有独创性时，资金才会被发放。}

original ^{adj. able to produce new ideas, creative 有创见的，有创造力的}

• the product of a highly original mind
• It is one of the most original works of imagination in the language.  ^{这是用这种语言创作的最具想像力的原创作品之一。}