BK6教师用书Unit11

1、Unit 11BeautyScott Russell SandersStructure of the TextPart I (Paras.1-13)The author recalls his daughter Eva s wedding and his feelings at that time. The last Paragraph of this section gives facts about the wedding, pointing out that it took place in Bloomington, Indianaon a sizzling Saturday in Ju

2、ly.Part ? (Paras. 14 -17)The author compares“ the surpassing joy” he felt at the wedding with the wonders of the universeand points out that the sensations he experiences at being in the presence of“ the thrill of bis the same in both cases.1. A transition from the wedding to the wonders of the univ

3、erse. (Para. 14)2. A more specific description of the wonders of the universe. (Para. 15)3. An answer to the question of why such different things could provoke the same “ humof delight ”beauty. (Paras. 16-17)Part ?I (Paras. 18 -21)The author tries to answer one key question: Is beauty purely subjec

4、tive, existing only“ofthe beholder”or does beauty have an objective existence? His answer is that beauty is areflection of the natural order of things. It follows“ the grain of the universe” and is also a part ofourselves.Part IV (Paras. 22-27)The author states that biology (or our genes) plays a ro

5、le in our pursuit of beauty but it is not a determining factor.Part V (Paras. 28-31)The author returns to a description of the wedding and his feeling of joy.Part VI(Paras. 32-36)In pursuing the laws of nature, people soon encounter beauty. Theories are beautiful because patterns in the universe are

6、 beautiful and the theories which reflect such patterns cannot but be beautiful.Part VII (Paras. 37-39)In order to perceive beauty, we need training. Training may take the form of paying attention, passing on wisdom from generation to generation. The author thinks there is a deep congruence between

7、the structure of our minds and the structure of the universe.Part VII? (Para. 40)精选文库The author concludes that there is more to beauty than biology, than cultural convention.reassures us that we are exactly and wonderfullymade for life on this glorious planet, in thismagnificent universe. I find in

8、that affinitya profound source of meaning and hope.”Detailed Study of the Text1. In memory, I wait beside Eva in the vestibule of the church to play my part as father of the bride. (Para. 1)“ In memory ” is put here to indicate that the description that followsis a recollection.Note: Since the autho

9、r is recalling in September a wedding that took place in July, why is the present tense used here?The use of the present tense conveys vividness. This is called“ the dramatic present”historical present” ).2. She hooks a hand on my elbow while three bridesmaids fuss over her, fixing the gauzy veil, s

10、preading the long ivory train of her gown. (Para. 1)fuss: to bustle about or worry, esp. over triflesQuestion: Why is the word“ ivory” used here?indicateDoesitthe material?No. It describes the gown s creamy white color.3. tucking into her bun a loose strand of hair, which glows the color of honey fi

11、lled withsunlight. (Para. 1)bun: hair worn in a roll or knottuck into her bun a loose strand of hair:to thrust dangling hair into the hair knotNote: This is in inverte d order. The normal order should be“ tucking a loose strand of hair intoher bun” . The reason for the inversion is to place the“ whi

12、ch ” clause closer to the noun (it modifies.Question: What is the color of the hair?It is the yellow of honey and it shines in the sunlight.4. Clumsy in my rented patent leather shoes and stiff black tuxedo, I stand among thesegorgeous women like a crow among doves. (Para. 1)Questions:(1) How does t

13、he author feel in his formal dress? He feels uncomfortable and awkward.(2) Did he buy the shoes?No, he rented them.(3)Why does he rent them, do you think?He rarely wears such fancy shoes. He has no use for them, so he rents them.(4) By “ in stiff black tuxedo ” , does the author mean the suit is ver

14、y stiff or that he feels stiff in such clothes?Both, because a tuxedo is worn on formal occasions and carefully pressed, while the shirt worn with it is starched. At the same time, he is not accustomed to such dress.2精选文库Note: Two rhetorical devices are used in this statement: One is inversion with

15、the adverbial element “ clumsy ” at the beginning of the statement for emphasis; the other is the simile in which he compares himself to a crow among doves.(5)A crow with black feathers among white doves presents a sharp contrast. The author isin black, feels stiff and awkward, and may even appear q

16、uite out of place among these women dressed in silk and bright colors. The contrast is as sharp as the contrast between a crow and doves.5. I realize they are gorgeous not because they carry bouquets or wear silk dresses, but because the festival of marriage has slowed time down until any fool can s

17、ee their glory. (Para. 1)bouquet: a bunch of cut flowersParaphrase: . but because the festival of marriage has slowed time down until any fool cansee their glory. but because in a wedding ceremony, time seems to pass slowly so that everybody, even a fool, can observe things clearly and see how splen

18、did they are.Question: What is implied in this statement?The implication is that we usually fail to observe the beauty around us.It takes a specialoccasion, such as a marriage ceremony, to grant us the necessary awareness.Can the“ festival of marriage” slow time down?A festival cannot slow time down

19、 except psychologically; the phrase is used metaphorically.It is people s attentiveness that makes them feel that time passes more slowly than usual.6.I fear that I willstagger along beside my elegant daughterlike a veteran wounded inforeign wars. (Para. 4)stagger: to move unsteadily as from a blow,

20、 fatigue, drunkenness; characterized by a loss ofbalance and failure to maintain a fixed courseParaphrase:I am afraid that I will walk unsteadily beside my graceful daughter like an old,demobilized soldier wounded in wars fought overseas.Question: What makes the author think of“ a veteran wounded in

21、 foreign wars” ?He might be thinking of patriotic parades in which war veterans march even though crippled by their wounds. If he were to appear that way, it would mar the elegance of the marriage ceremony.7. Eva, meanwhile, seems blissfully confident, not only of being able to walk gracefully, assh

22、e could doin her sleep,but of standing before this congregation and solemnlypromising to share her life with Matthew Allen, the man who waits in thinly disguisedturmoil at the far end of the aisle. (Para. 5)blissful: full of spiritual joy or happinesscongregation: a gathering of people, especially i

23、n a churchas she could do in her sleep:She could walk gracefully and effortlessly even if she weresleepwalking.(A sleepwalker is in no position to watch her steps.)Question: How does Allen feel?Allen is verynervous but he tries to hide it, though not very successfully. That is to say,3精选文库people can

24、 still see that he is nervous.8. Poised on the dais, wearing a black ministerial robe and a white stole, is the good friendwhom Eva and I know best as our guide on canoe trips through the Boundary Waters.(Para. 5)Note: This is an inverted sentence. Inversion is used here so that “ friendthe” , word

25、the“ whom”clause modifies, can be close to that clause. Also the inversion helps surprise thereader at the shift from the wedding scene to“ canoe trips”.9.“ There is one happy preacher” , Eva says. (Para. 6)Note: “ There ” , in this case, is not being used together with“ is ” as in“ there is”being u

26、sed as an adverb.“ One” is used here as an intensifying substitute for the indefinite article.10. Love may last, I want to say, but do not, feeling unsure of my voice. (Para. 10) Question: Does the father speak out? Why not?No, because he is afraid that he may be unable to speak due to strong emotio

27、n.1. in her left hand she holds a Belgian lace handkerchief, also borrowed from Ruth.(Para. 10)Question:Eva is wearing a string of pearls (mentioned in Paragraph 9) and a Belgian lacehandkerchief, both borrowed from her mother? Why?The reason is a traditionalcustomconnected withweddings:The bridemus

28、twear“ something borrowed (and) something blue” to bring good fortune on her wedding.The dayauthor may also want to link his daughter s wedding with his own, thirty years before.12. TheorganstrikesupBach s“ Jesus,Joyof Man s Desiring”forthebridesmaidsentrance. (Para. 11)Translation:管风琴奏起巴赫的“基督，人们期望的

29、欢乐”，预示着伴娘即将进入大厅 13. down the aisle they skim, those gorgeous women in midnight blue. (Para. 11)Questions:(1)What is the proper word order of this part of the sentence?It is an inversion. The normal word order would be“ they skim down the aisle”.(2)What is the role of“ those gorgeous women in midnigh

30、t blue”?It is in apposition to“ they ” . Bridesmaids usually wear identical dresses chosen specially forthe occasion. In this case their color is dark blue, to contrast becomingly with the bride swhite dress.skim: to move along swiftly and lightly over a surface14. Overawed by the crowd, the flower

31、girls hang back until their mother nudges them along. (Para. 11)until their mother nudges them along:until their mother pushes them gently to start them4精选文库walking15. and then they dash and skip, carrying their fronds of flowers like spears. (Para. 11)dash: to move swiftlyskip: to hop on alternate

32、feetNote: This description is unlikely to be literal, but is intended to show the children s excitement.1. But how can I walk slowly while my heart races? (Para. 12)Paraphrase: But how can I walk slowly when I am in such an excited mood?2. I want events to pause so I can practice the step, so we can

33、 go canoeing once more inthe wilderness, so we can sit on a boulder by the sea and talk over life s mysteries, so Ican make up to my darling for anything she may have lacked in her girlhood. (Para. 12)Note: This is a sentence using a parallel structure.so I canso we canso we canso I canI want events

34、 to pause:This is the expression of a wish. The author wishes that time wouldpause so that he could do a number of things.Question: What does he want to do?He wants to go boating with his daughter in the wilderness; he wants to discuss the meaningof life with his daughter, sitting on a smooth rock b

35、y the sea; he wants to compensate his daughter for anything she may feel she has missed in her earlier life.Paraphrase:. so I can make up to my darling for anything she may have lacked in her girlhood.My daughter might feel there was something she failed to experience as she was growing up.If so, I

36、wish I could make compensation to her now, before she is married.18. our cue to show ourselves. (Para. 12)Paraphrase:The music signals us that it is time to make our entrance.19. two hundred faces turn their lit eyes on us. (Para. 12)Paraphrase:Two hundred people look back and fix their eyes, lit up

37、 with anticipation, on us.“ Face ”is used here to stand for people. In rhetoric this is called metonymy, where a part stands for the whole.20. And so, lifting our feet in unison, we go. (Para. 12)Question: What is the effect of this statement? How is such an effect achieved?It is vivid and humorous.

38、 The effect is achieved through inversion and choice of words, such as “ lifting ” , “ in unison ”.Paraphrase: And so we start moving down the aisle, in step and at the same pace.21.The weddingtook place in Bloomington,Indiana,hometownfor Matthewas well as5精选文库Eva, on a sizzling Saturday in July. (P

39、ara. 13)Question: When and where did the wedding take place?It took place in Bloomington, Indiana on an extremely hot Saturday in July. Both Matthew and Eva come from Bloomington.22. I can summon up hundreds of details from that radiant day, but on the day itself I was aware only of a surpassing joy

40、. (Para. 13)summon (up):to call forth; to make an effort (to recall the details of that day)Paraphrase: I can now recall many, many, small things about the wedding but at that time I was so overwhelmed with joy that I did not notice any details.23. The glow of happiness had to cool before it would c

41、rystallize into memory. (Para. 13) Paraphrase: With the passing of time, the author felt more detached from this happy eventand could recall details more clearly; these details will then remain in his mind as memories.Question:(1) How is the idea presented? It is presented as truth.(2) What is the r

42、hetorical device used here?Metaphors are used; the basic concept is the cooling of something formerly hot.crystallize:to make a liquid take on a solid form24. if we trace the universe back to its origins in the Big Bang, we find the multiplicity ofthings fusing into greater and greater simplicity, u

43、ntil at the moment of creation itselfthere is only pure undifferentiated energy. (Para. 14)creation:the birth of the universe and everything in it创世Translation: 如果我们追溯宇宙的起源到原始大爆炸，我们就会发现众多的事物逐渐合并成简单的事物，而且越往前追溯，事物就变得越简单，最后到创世那一刻时，就只剩下那一片浑然一体的能量了。25. I believe the energy they speak of is holy, by which

44、 I mean it is the closest we can comewith our instruments to measuring the“ strength of God” . (Para. 14)holy: sacredQuestion: Why does the author think the energy is holy?He thinks so because he believes that with modern instruments this measurement of “ pureundifferentiated energy ”is the nearest

45、approach we can make to measuring the power ofGod.Note: The usual word order would be“ it is the closest we can come to measuring.with ourinstruments”.26. I also believe this primal energy continues to feed us, directly through the goods ofcreation, and indirectly through the experience of beauty. (

46、Para. 14)primal:original; primitiveTranslation: 我还认为这种原始能源继续在给我们提供能量，直接地是通过上帝创造的万物，间接地是通过美的感受。6精选文库27.The thrill of beauty is what entranced me as I stood with Eva s hand hooked over myarm while the weddingmarch played, as it entrances me on these Septembernightswhen I walk over dewy grass among the

47、 songs of crickets and stare at the Milky Way.(Para. 14)Note: “ As” appears twice in this sentence. What is the function in each case?The first“ as ” is a conjunction of time; thedseconisaconjunction of manner.thrill:tremor of excitement; sharp, exhilarating excitementParaphrase:It was the sharp exc

48、itement of beauty that filled me with joy when Eva held myarm as we listened to the wedding march. The same excitement of beauty fills me with joywhen, on these September nights, I walk over dewy grass while crickets sing and I stare at theMilky Way. when I walk over dewy grass among the songs of cr

49、ickets and stare at the Milky Way.Note: This is written in a poetic way, presenting a pleasant, tranquil environment with“ dewygrass ” and“ the songs of crickets”.28. “ We re seeing the Milky Way, and every other denizen of the sky, far more clearly thesedays thanks to the sharp eyes of the Hubble S

50、pace Telescope, as it orbits out beyond theblur of Earth s atmosphere.” (Para. 15)Note: This Paragraph begins with“ We re seeing the Milky Way” , linking it with the previousone, which ends with “ stareat the Milky Way” . This literary device creates smooth transitions between Paragraphs.29.as it or

51、bits out beyond the blur of Earth s atmosphere. (Para. 15)Paraphrase: . as it moves in a fixed path, well above the atmosphere surrounding the earth, so that it can see things more clearly.the blur of Earth s atmosphere:TheEarth s osphereatm is hazy andindistinct, preventinginstruments from observin

52、g the rest of the universe clearly.30. From data beamed down by the telescope, for example, I summon onto my computer screen an image of Jupiter wrapped in its bands of cloud like a ball of heathery yarn. (Para. 15)beam: to send out (signal, light)Translation: 譬如说，利用太空望远镜发回的信息，我在计算机屏幕上显示了一张被云团包着的木星的

53、图像，就像一个紫红色的线团。31. Then I call up the Cat sEye Nebula, incandescent swirls of red looped around thegleam of a helium star, for all the world like the burning iris of a tiger. This fierce glare began its journey toward earth 3,000 years ago, about the time my Assyrian ancestors were in their prime. (P

54、ara. 15)burning:shining; glowingprime:the best or most fully matureincandescent swirls of red: red hot dust whirling around. This is metonymy; the noun “ swirl ”usedis to stand for a kind of whirling matter.7精选文库The word“ like” is used in this sentence and the previous one to introduce similes.Trans

55、lation:然后，我又显示了猫眼星云，一颗闪烁的氦星被灼热的红色漩涡所包围，整个世界就像老虎身上耀眼的五彩斑纹。 这种炽热的强光三千年前开始向地球进发， 当时我的亚述祖先正处于全盛时期。32. Pushing back deeper in time, I summon onto my screen the Eagle Nebula, 7,000light-years away, a trio of dust clouds like rearing horses, their dark bodies scintillating with the sparks of newborn stars. (Para. 15)push back deeper in time:to g