高级英语MarkTwain--MirrorofAmerica

1、Teaching Objectives1. To acquaint students with the writing of biography.2. To get to know Mark Twains life experience and his remarkable works.3. To learn and master the new words and expressions used in the text.4. To identify and appreciate rhetoric devices employed in the text.5.To analyze the t

2、ext structure and appreciate its writing techneques and language features. Introductin to Mark TwainIntroductin to textOrganizational pattern of text Detailed study of the text Summarizing the Language features Mark Twain Mirror of AmericaMark Twain Mirror of America1. Who was Mark Twain ? Where did

3、 his pen name come from?2. What had he been before he became an author? The Name of Mark TwainThe Name of Mark Twain Twains real name was Samuel Clemens.Mark Twainmeanswatermark two, which was a call used by sailors on the Mississippi to warn shipmates that they were coming into shallow water. Early

4、 life experienceMark Twain Born in a little town in Mississippi At 11, he lost his father At 13, he stopped schooling Tramp printer Steamboat pilot on the Mississippi Confederate guerrilla Prospector Reporter on the far western frontier Traveler abroadIn His Middle AgesIn His Middle Ages By 1900 Twa

5、in had become Americas foremost celebrity. He was invited to attend ship launchings, anniversary gatherings, political conventions, and countless dinners. Reporters met him, anxious to print a new quip (俏皮话)from the famous humorist. To enhance his image, he took to wearing white suits and loved to s

6、troll down the street and see people staring at him.His Later LifeHis Later Life There are many tragic events in his later life: the failure of his investments, his fatiguing travels and lectures in order to pay off his debts, the death of his wife and two daughters. Some critics link these tragic e

7、vents with the change of style in his later works, from an optimist and humorist to a pessimist and almost despairing determinist (决定论者).His Death Mark Twain died of illness on April 21, 1910. When he passed away, newspapers around the country declared, “The whole world is mourning.” By then, Sam Cl

8、emens had long since ceased to be a private citizen. He had become Mark Twain, a proud possession of the American nation. Mirror of America “Mirror ”- Is a piece of glass or other shinny/polished surface that reflects images. Here, it is a metaphor. It means a faithful representation or description

9、of something (the country). Why does the author say that Mark Twain is the mirror of America? Mark Twain: Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910) His Life experience _ Historic Events of USAu Tramp printer -Prosperous age u River pilot - Mississippi River Transcontinental Railroadsu Guerrilla - The Civ

10、il Waru Prospector - Gold Rushu Reporter - Westward Expansionu Correspondent - Europe, the Holy Landu Writer - Tom Sawyers innocence Huck Finns experienceThe historical background of Mark Twains time Twain lived in the stirring(动荡) years in American history - the American-Mexican War, The Civil War,

11、 the Gold Rush, the Western Expansion, the American Spanish War, the rapid development of capitalism and later the emergence of imperialism along with the first economic depressions, etc. Mark Twain-the mirror of America is made in two senses. Mark Twains exciting, adventurous life stories mirror a

12、part of true American history, and the life of ordinary American people. Second, his life experience furnished him with a wide knowledge of humanity, as well as with the perfect grasp of local customs and speech, which Mark Twain has manifested so well in his writing. His works mirror the real socie

13、ty of his time. As a man, he grew up with America as a country (a young country) As a writer, he grew up with America, moved along with America, from innocence to experience. Text writing styleFrom the title of text, we know this text is related to the life of Mark Twain.What writing style does the

14、writing on the life of someone belong to? Especially, the writing only foucuses on a certain feature of a persons life, for example, life of Mark Twain as mirror of America.Biography? Introductin to a biography Pre-reading questions1. What is a biography?2. If you were asked to write a biography of

15、sb., how are you going to arrange all the material available. What is the general way of writing a biography?3. What kind of language do you expect to encounter and why?Introductin to a biography A biography is, by definition, an account of someones life that has been written by someone else, or a w

16、ritten history of someones life. Generally, a biography is about sb. who enjoys certain reputation, who has acquired certain fame by his / her success in certain area. The protagonist can be a positive or negative character.A brief introduction to the whole textP1. A short summary of his life; An ov

17、erall estimation P2. His early life on the Mississippi P3. Life in the west P4. How he became a writer P5. How he looked at the Old World P6. How he came to write his masterpiece P7. His last period Para.1 Pre-reading questions1. What is the main idea and function of paragraph one?2.Why was Twain sa

18、id to be adventurous, patriotic, romantic, and humorous?3.what did the author mean by I found another Twain.? Detailed Study of the textP1. (Para.1) A short summary of his life; An overall estimation on the one hand, adventurous, patriotic, romantic, and humorous, optimistic. on the other hand, grew

19、 cynical, bitter, saddened by the profound personal tragedies, obsessed with the frailties of the human race, pessimistic. . Words and Expressions Words and Expressions (para.1) (para.1)1. rememberas the father father: creator e.g. Most Chinese people remember Luxun as the father of Ah Qu.figure of

20、speech: metaphor Detailed Study of the Text (para.1) (para.1) 2. Huck Finns idyllic cruise through eternal boyhood:If you describe something as idyllic, you mean that it is extremely pleasant, simple, and peaceful without any difficulties or dangers. .an idyllic setting for a summer romance.适于夏日恋曲的质

21、朴宜人的环境Married life was not as idyllic as he had imagined.婚姻生活并不像他想象的那么浪漫美好。cruise: n. a sea voyage for pleasure v. sail or travel about as for pleasureHe was on a world cruise. They spent the summer cruising in the Greek islands.The taxi cruised off down the Changan Avenue.cruise missile 巡航导弹cruiser

22、: a large fast warship 巡洋舰 2. Huck Finns idyllic cruise through eternal boyhood: Paraphrase: Huck Finns simple and pleasant journey through his boyhood which seems eternal.3. Tom Sawyers endless summer of freedom and adventure: endless: hyperbole； parallelism summer : because all the adventures of T

23、om Sawyer described in the book are supposed to have taken place in one particular summer.Mark Twains Masterpieces Paraphrase for the first sentence:Mark Twain was known as the writer of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckberry Finn. In the first book, he described Toms free and

24、adventurous activities in a long summer that seems endless. In the latter, he depicted Huck Finns simple and pleasant voyage through Finns boyhood that seems eternal.The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)A story written for boys, full of the horror, joys and Adventures of childhood . Generations after

25、generations of young people have held it dear to their hearts. Tom Sawyer is sure to be studied in American schools as The Declaration of Independence. Tom Sawyer The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, generally considered Twains greatest work, was published in Great

26、Britain in 1884 and in the United States in 1885. Twain had begun the book in 1876 as a sequel to Tom Sawyer. It describes the adventures of two runaways-the boy Huck Finn and the black slave Jim-and is told from the point of view of Huck himself. The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Adventures of

27、Huckleberry Finn Twain used realistic language in the novel, making Hucks speech sound like actual conversation and imitating a variety of dialects to bring the other characters to life. Tom Sawyer also reappears in certain chapters, and his mischievous behaviors provide the familiar humor for which

28、 Twain was known.Contribution of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn One of his greatest accomplishments was the development of a writing style that was distinctly American, rather than an imitation of the style of English writers. Twain made a more extensive combination of American folk humor and seriou

29、s literature than previous writers had done.Contribution of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (local colorism, a dominant fashion from 1860s1900s) The loose rhythms of the language in his books give the impression of real speech. Twains realistic prose style has influenced numerous American writers.Con

30、tribution of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. . There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since. -Ernest Hemingway3. (every bit ) as as anyone has ever imaginedevery bit: to the same degree, altoge

31、ther, entirely (often followed by as), for example: He is every bit as clever as you are. Im every bit as sorry about it as you. She is every bit as beautiful as any one has ever imagined. Luxun, one of best-loved authors in China, was every bit as patriotic, acid-tongued and humorous as anyone has

32、ever imagined. 4. as adventurous, patriotic, romantic, and humorous as : a) adventurous: Mark Twain was adventurous in every sense of the word. He was always trying new things, and always going to new places. Even in his literary career, he was never satisfied with what he achieved. 4. as adventurou

33、s, patriotic, romantic, and humorous as : b) patriotic: It refers to Mark Twains profound love for his country with its robust people and beautiful scenery and its lofty ideals. It may also refer to his pride in the American tradition and the American language.patriotpatrioticpatriotism 4. as advent

34、urous, patriotic, romantic, and humorous as :c) romantic: (in art, literature and music) marked by feeling rather than by intellect; preferring greatness, passion, informal beauty to order and proportion.d) humorous: His works are so full of humor that he is considered as Americas greatest humorist.

35、5. cynicalcynic: n. a person who sees no goodness in human behavior and has little faith in human sincerity or goodness.cyniccynical cyniccynicisme.g. a cynical remark, attitude, smile Theyve grown rather cynical about democracy, that is, no longer believe that it is an honest system.6. bitterbitter

36、: marked by strong resentment or cynicisme.g. She is said to be very bitter about the way she was sacked. 据说，她对自己被以如此方式解雇而感到愤愤不平。7. profound adj.(here) profound is used to emphasize that sth. is very great and intense e.g. His love/feeling for his country was profound. profound anger/ shock/ disagre

37、ement. a profound idea, work, person-shows great intellectual depth and understanding.This book is full of profound insights 深邃的见解.7. deal v.deal: givee.g. deal sb. a blow to cause sb. great difficulties He dealt me a hard blow on the chin. The news dealt me a severe blow.8. be /become obsessed with

38、 (by)obssess: preoccupy greatly or haunted/troubled in mind to an abnormal degree:使着迷; 困扰 The idea that he might lose the position obsessed him. A lot of young girls are obsessed by their weight.9. frailty frailty: a weakness of character or behavior. e.g. One of the frailties of human nature is laz

39、iness. Frailty, thy name is woman! (Hamlet)the metaphor in the last sentence “A black wall of night”, the color “black” or “dark” and “night” -implies something hopeless. opposite to “day” and “daybreak and “light” - “hope” or “hopefulness”. “a black wall of night” - “despair and hopelessness”. Para

40、phrase: He did not see a bright future but a dark one and a hopeless one.Para 2 Pre-reading questions What is the main idea of the second paragraph? What did Mark Twain do before he became a writer? what was his life attitude at that time? Why later he became more cynical and sarcastic? How did he a

41、dopt his pen name? what is the meaning of his pen name? Para 2 Gives a brief account of Twains experience before he became a writer. He used to move here and there, and he first worked as a printer, then a river pilot, a Confederate guerrilla, a gold miner. When he was young, he embodied hope and be

42、autiful dreams, so he was quite optimistic. But later he became more cynical and sarcastic.1. tramp: a foot traveller tramp printer: a person who goes around doing odd jobs of printing.2. pilot: a person qualified to guide ships through difficult waters going into or out of a harbour3. guerrilla: a

43、member of an irregular armed forcePara 2 Words and expressions4. prospector: one who explores and searches for valuable ores such as gold, silver, oil, etc. Para 2 Words and expressions5. starry-eyed: starry adj. abounding with or resembling stars. eg. a beautiful starry night 繁星满天的美丽夜晚starry-eyed:

44、full of unreasonable or silly hopes, impractical, too romantic to be realistic, blindly optimistice.g. We were all starry-eyed about visiting London.Para. 2 Words and expressions6. acid-tongued: acid: harsh in tone e.g. I was expecting another of his acid remarks, but he remained silent.acid-tongued

45、: sharp, sarcastic in speech more examples of the same formation:empty-minded; kind-hearted Para 2 Words and expressions7. digest: think about, understand , and remember The report contains too much to digest at one reading.He reads rapidly but does not digest very much.Para 2 Words and expressions8

46、. the new American experience: Twain lived in the stirring years in American history - the American-Mexican War, The Civil War, the Gold Rush, the western expansion, the American Spanish War, the rapid development of capitalism and later the emergence of imperialism along with the first economic dep

47、ressions, etc.Para 2 Words and expressions9. attest (to): to be or to give proof of His ability was attested by his rapid promotion. The childs good health attests his mothers care. His success attests his ability. Para 2 Words and expressionsPara. 3-5pre-reading questions:1. Can Para. 3-5 be regard

48、ed as a paragraph unit? How does the author organize Para. 3-5 by the Mississippi River?2. What was the main channel of transportation in Twains early years? （para. 3)3. How did his experience as a steamboat pilot influence his later writing? （para. 4-5) Para. 3-5: His early life on the MississippiM

49、ark Twain and the Mississippi Mark Twain loved the great river so much that he always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi. Many of his great works are set in the background of the Mississippi River, such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Life on the

50、 Mississippi. Para 3 Questions for Para. 3:1.What was the main channel of transportation in Twains childhood? 2. Does the River flow northward or southward? How do you know?3. What does “major commerce” refer to?4. What do you know about the westward expansion?Para 3A 1: (the Mississippi River) it p

51、layed a very important role in linking the north and south in trade and transportation. The Native Americans of different tribes who originally lived near the Mississippi and used it for canoe transportation,Para 3 A 2: “Downstream” - flows southward. It flows into the Mexico Gulf. Para 3Para 3 A 3:

52、 major commerce: lumber, corn, tobacco, wheat, furs; sugar, molasses, cotton, whiskey commerce: as an abstract noun, commerce usu. means the buying and selling of goods, trade; here it is used concretely, refers to various commodities, merchandise. Para 3 language Pointscore: the central part e.g. a

53、n apple coreManagers can concentrate on their core activities.The plan has the interests of children at its core. Para 3 language Pointsartery and heart : metaphor “ artery” - “ channel or means”. “heart” - “ the central part or center”. Para 3 language Points lumber: timber sawed into beams, planks

54、, boards, etc. of convenient sizes. Cf. timber: American usage, wood suitable for building houses, ships, etc., whether cut or still in the form of trees.But in British usage, timber and lumber mean the same thing. Para 3 language Pointsfurs: animal skins with fur on itthe delta country: “delta” is

55、the 4th letter of Greek alphabet, whose shaped like a triangle. Therefore anything in the shape of a delta, esp. a deposit of sand and soil formed at the mouth of some rivers is called a delta. Para 3 language Points molasses: a thick dark to light brown syrup that is separated from raw sugar, gener

56、ally used as a singular noun. Para 3 language Pointsdrained three-quarters of the settled U.S. : Drain: receive the waters of this area and carry them to the ocean Here the meaning is that the river drained a vast basin, and the basin made up of the populated area of the U.S. of that time. Para 3 la

57、nguage Points basin: the Yellow River BasinThe basin made up 3/4 of the populated area of the US of that time. independent, 13 states along the Atlantic Ocean. By 1850,U.S. had expanded to the Pacific coast. The events include the Louisiana Purchase (1803), Texas Annexation (1845), the push into Ore

58、gon (1846), Mexican Cession (1848), and the Gadsden PurchaseWestward Expansion In 1848 gold was found in California. The news spread far and wide. - arose the ,-reached its peaks in the 1860s. During the Civil War, President Lincoln passed Homestead Act（美）移居法 that also enabled many courageous and ha

59、rdworking people to develop the west. driving and killing the native Indians. Westward Expansion Para 4 Questions1. Can you explain the meaning of “the cast of characters” and “ a cosmos” and point out the figures of speech used here?2. What does it mean by “participated abundantly in this life”?3.

60、What are the stories he heard on the steamboat? Para 4 language Points“The cast of characters” - all the actors in a play or movie here “people of all sorts”. figures of speech: alliteration, metaphor paraphrase: When he was working on the steamboat, he met people of all kinds. Para 4 language Point