问答题
In the 19th century, there was a hydraulic model of how to be a good person. There are all these torrents of passion flowing through you. Your job, as captain of your soul, is to erect dams to keep these passions in check. Your job is to just say no to laziness, temptation, greed, drug use and the other sins.
Praying could really help. They could help you identify sin. Preachers could persuade you to exercise the willpower you need to guard against temptation. These days that model is out of fashion. You usually can"t change your behavior by simply resolving to do something. If that were true, New Year"s resolutions would actually work.
Your willpower is not like a dam that can block the torrent of self-indulgence. It"s more like a muscle, which tires easily. People can change their lives, but ordering change is not simple because many things, even within ourselves, are beyond our direct control.
【正确答案】
【答案解析】19世纪的人们对于如何做一个好人有一种水利模型。种种激情在体内奔流。作为灵魂方舟的船长，人的使命是竖立起心灵的岸堤，将激情掌控在手中。人的使命是拒绝懒惰、诱惑、贪婪、吸毒以及其他罪恶。
祈祷确实有所助益。它可以帮助我们辨明罪恶。牧师能够说服我们运用所需的意志力抗拒诱惑。如今，这一模型已经过时。通常，人们无法简单地通过决定做什么而改变自己的行为举止。果真如此，新年降临时表表决心就行了。
人的意志力并不是一座堤坝，无法隔绝自我放纵的洪流。它更像是一块很容易就会疲倦无力的肌肉。人们能够改变自己的生活，但安排改变没那么简单，因为许多事情，即便是我们自身，都超出了我们直接控制的范围。
In the 19th century, there was a hydraulic model of how to be a good person.
hydraulic model的意思是“水利模型”，这个短语的意思对整篇文章的理解至关重要。所谓的“水利模型”其实是一种比喻，将人们内心涌动的种种欲望比作潮水，而将人们为了压抑欲望而做出的努力比喻为竖起的堤坝。
19世纪的人们对于如何做一个好人提出了一种“水利模型”。
Your job, as captain of your soul, is to erect darns to keep these passions in check.
继续“水利模型”的比喻，这里将人类比喻为掌舵自己心灵的“船长”(captain)。要注意check一词在这里的含义，它表示“制止”，keep sth. in check的意思是“控制……，将……置于控制之下”。
作为灵魂方舟的船长，人的使命是竖立起心灵的岸堤，将激情掌控在手中。
Preachers could persuade you to exercise the willpower you need to guard against temptation.
exercise作为动词在这里的含义是“运用”，exercise the willpower you need“运用你所需要的意志力”；guard against sth. 表示“抵御……”。
牧师能够说服我们运用所需的意志力抗拒诱惑。