主要英语国家概况chapter 6

1、Chapter 6LiteratureBeowulfEnglish Before 1066- Old EnglishExcerpt from the epic poem BeowulfHWT, WE GAR-DEna in geardagum, eodcyninga rym gefrunon, hu a elingas ellen fremedon! oft Scyld Scefing sceaena reatum, monegum mgum meodosetla ofteah, egsode eorlas, syanrest wearfeasceaft funden; he s frofre

2、 gebad,weox under wolcnum weormyndum ah,o t him ghwylc ymbsittendraofer hronrade hyran scolde, gomban gyldan; t ws god cyning! m eafera ws fter cenned geong in geardum, one God sende folce to frofre; fyrenearfe ongeat, The English language before 1066 was quite different than what it is todayNative

3、English speakers cannot read or speak Old English unless they have studied itThe epic poem Beowulf came from this period before 1066BeowulfAn epic poem telling of the rise to power and eventual death of the warrior king BeowulfThe poem is named after its central character and heroSet in an area prob

4、ably not within EnglandIs 3183 lines longThe story could have first existed in either England or ScandinaviaOrigins of BeowulfThe only surviving manuscript was probably written around 1000 ADNo one can be sure when the story originatedIs not considered a great piece of literature, but the first majo

5、r work in something resembling EnglishBasic Plot1) Beowulf fights the monster Grendel to save a foreign kings people2) Beowulf fights Grendels mother who is seeking revenge3) Fifty years later, after being king of the Geats for that time, Beowulf fights the Fire Dragon- Beowulf kills the dragon, but

6、 also is killed himselfAs we can see, Beowulf bases most of its action on violence against monsters and dragonsThis perhaps reflects the harsh and superstitious life that people in early England lived in at that timeMore on BeowulfWhile Beowulf is not considered a great piece of art, it did contribu

7、te a great deal to the English literary traditionThe King Arthur legends, The Lord of the Rings, and the Harry Potter novels can trace their roots back to BeowulfIn other words, while it is not considered to be a fantasy, it does contain many of the elements that would later become essential compone

8、nts of the fantasy genreWilliam Shakespeare and his SonnetsShakespeares literary achievements 38 plays + 154 sonnets +2 long poems. His Great Comedies: “ A Midsummer Nights Dream” “ The Merchant of Venice” “ As You Like It” “ Twelfth Night” His Great Tragedies: “ Othello” “ King Lear” “ Mac Beth” “H

9、amlet” Major features of his drama a. realismb. method of adaptation(改编）改编）, widely borrowing. Commentsmaster in play-writing; skilled in many poetic forms such as song, sonnet, couplet and dramatic blank verse; great master of English language. 16,000 words are used in his works. Some old English w

10、ordsThee you Thou you Art areHath has /have Thy your Thine yours Thyself yourself Owst owest: own; possess Growst grow st: just the end of a verb without any meaningShall I compare thee to a summers day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summers

11、lease hath all too short a date:Sometime too hot the eye of heaven ,And often is his gold complexion dimmed,And every fair from fair sometime de, By chance, or natures changing course untrimmed: But thy eternal summer shall not fade,Nor lose possession of that fair thou owst,Nor shall death brag tho

12、u wandrest in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou growst,So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. 我怎么能够把你来比作夏天？我怎么能够把你来比作夏天？你不独比它可爱也比它温婉：你不独比它可爱也比它温婉：狂风把五月宠爱的嫩蕊作践，狂风把五月宠爱的嫩蕊作践，夏天出赁的期限又未免太短：夏天出赁的期限又未免太短：天上的眼睛有时照得太酷烈，天上的眼睛有时照得太酷烈，它那炳耀的金颜又常遭掩蔽

13、：它那炳耀的金颜又常遭掩蔽：被机缘或无常的天道所摧折，被机缘或无常的天道所摧折，没有芳艳不终于雕残或销毁。没有芳艳不终于雕残或销毁。但是你的长夏永远不会雕落，但是你的长夏永远不会雕落，也不会损失你这皎洁的红芳，也不会损失你这皎洁的红芳，或死神夸口你在他影里漂泊，或死神夸口你在他影里漂泊，当你在不朽的诗里与时同长。当你在不朽的诗里与时同长。只要一天有人类，或人有眼睛，只要一天有人类，或人有眼睛，这诗将长存，并且赐给你生命这诗将长存，并且赐给你生命。Summary: You are comparable to a summer day, but summers beauty is brief. Y

14、ou, on the other hand, will enjoy eternal youth in my verse, which can make you immortal. William Wordswortha major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads.(抒情诗）My Heart Leaps Up

15、When I BeholdMy heart leaps up when I beholdA rainbow in the sky:So was it when my life began;So is it now I am a man;So be it when I shall grow old,Or let me die!The Child is father of the Man;And I could wish my days to beBound each to each by natural pietyI wandered lonely as a CloudI wandered lo

16、nely as a CloudThat floats on high oer Vales and Hills,When all at once I saw a crowdA host of dancing Daffodils;Along the Lake, beneath the trees,Ten thousand dancing in the breeze.The waves beside them danced, but theyOutdid the sparkling waves in glee: -A poet could not but be gayIn such a laughi

17、ng company:I gazedand gazedbut little thoughtWhat wealth the show to me had brought:For oft when on my couch I lieIn vacant or in pensive mood,They flash upon that inward eyeWhich is the bliss of solitude,And then my heart with pleasure fills,And dances with the Daffodils. 咏水仙我好似一朵孤独的流云，高高地飘游在山谷之上，突然我看到一大片鲜花，是金色的水仙遍地开放。它们开在湖畔，开在树下它们随风嬉舞，随风飘荡。它们密集如银河的星星，像群星在闪烁一片晶莹；它们沿着海湾向前伸展，通往远方仿佛无穷无尽；一眼看去就有千朵万朵，万花摇首舞得多么高兴。粼粼湖波也在近旁欢跳，却不如这水仙舞得轻俏；诗人遇见这快乐的旅伴，又怎能不感到欢欣雀跃；我久久凝视-却未领悟这景象所给铁精神至宝。后来多少次我郁郁独卧，感到百无聊赖心灵空漠；这景象便在脑海中闪现，多少次安慰过我的寂寞；我的心又随水仙跳起舞来，我的心又重新充满了欢乐。Oscar Wilde1. To love oneself