《基础英语》课件 Unit 1 Thinking as a Hobby

1、 Unit 1 Thinking as a HobbyWilliam GoldingI. Introduction to the TextStudents who have been using this textbook must have noticed that each book begins with an essay about studies or education, and this one is no exception. The present text is about thinking, and thinking is important. Intelligent y

2、oung students do not need to be told this. They know that linguistic competence is not just grammar and vocabulary. They know that they have learn to deal with more serious subjects and discuss more complex problems. They know a good liberal arts education must include good training in logical and c

3、ritical thinking problems. The authors use of the word hobby is interesting. By using this word he means that thinking is not just for professional thinkers like philosophers. It is something all educated people should enjoy doing. This special interest is often referred to as “idle curiosity”, and

4、it is considered one of the most precious qualities in young scholars. Students should play with ideas the way they play with balls. Both are important for their healthy development, one mental, and the other physical.The essay can be neatly divided into three parts. The first part tells us how the

5、subject of thinking was first brought up to the author and how he came to understand the nature of what he calls grade-three thinking, which, he discovered, was no thinking at all, but a combination of ignorance, prejudice and hypocrisy. Unfortunately, according to the author, most people belong to

6、this category. The second part deals with grade-two thinking. People who belong to this category can detect the contradictions of grade-three thinkers beliefs. They can see their ignorance, prejudice, hypocrisy and lack of logic, which gives them great delight and satisfies their ego. However, grade

7、-two thinking has nothing constructive to offer. It destroys without the power to create. Therefore the satisfaction it brings the thinker is limited and does not last. The answer to this lies in the third part in which the author discusses the definition of grade-one thinkerspeople who set out to f

8、ind the truth and get it.It would be interesting to ask ourselves which of the three categories we belong to, and if, for some reason, we are not yet grade-one thinkers, whether we have any need or wish to move up to the next grade.The author does not say explicitly what coherent system of thought h

9、e has finally developed which makes him a grade-one thinker. But he has given us very broad hints. Obviously his thinking is based on high moral standards and is opposed to such things as big business, centralized government, wars, armies, heady patriotism, dishonest politicians, etc which he regard

10、s as mere trifles or pointless actions. We can also infer from his sarcastic description of those historical events and political figures where he stands in religion and politics.William Golding does not seem to have much confidence in mass wisdom. In fact he pities the nine tenths of the people who

11、 enjoy agreement as cows will graze all the same way on the side of a hill. He is particularly critical about young people who seem to him particularly contented with the world. Is he justified in taking this attitude toward people in general and young people in particular?Despite the serious nature

12、 of the subject, the essay is written with a great sense of humor. We know that the authors purpose is to tell people how important it is to be able to think. But he does not adopt the approach of a straight lecture. Instead, he tries to achieve this aim by making the unthinking people appear ignora

13、nt, illogical, self-contradictory and, generally, silly and ridiculous. In other words, laughter is his chief weapon. Through those hilarious anecdotes, he laughs at the headmaster and Mr. Houghton, ridicules British and American politicians and teases his girlfriend Ruth. But he also laughs at hims

14、elf as the disintegrated boy in school, and for this he uses the first person in his narration. It should be noted that self-mockery is a very important kind of humor and can have an unusually powerful effect.II. About the AuthorWilliam Golding (1911-1993) was a British writer who won the Nobel Priz

15、e for Literature in 1983, and who is known especially for his novel Lord of the Flies. Golding was born in Cornwall and educated at Brasenose College, Oxford. Before World War II, he worked as a writer, actor, and producer with small theatre companies and as a teacher. During the war he served in th

16、e Royal Navy. He returned to writing and teaching after the war. Lord of the Flies did not appear until 1954 and was an immediate success. The intrinsic cruelty of man is at the heart of many of Goldings novels. He often presents isolated individuals or small groups in extreme situations dealing wit

17、h man in his basic condition stripped of trappings, creating the quality of a fable. His novels are remarkable or their strikingly varied settings.III. Cultural NotesVenus It refers to the goddess of beauty and love in Roman mythology, but here it refers to the Greek stature of the goddess that can

18、be seen in the Louvre in Paris. It is badly damaged and is famous for having no arms.Rodins Thinker（罗丹的思想者）This piece of work was part of a commission（委托）by the Muse des Arts Dcoratifs（装饰艺术博物馆),Paris. The museum wanted a monumental portal(雄伟的人口)to act as the door of the museum. Rodin was the creator

19、 of the sculpture and his inspiration came from The Divine Comedy（神曲）of Dante（但丁）, therefore, he named the door The Gates of Hell（地狱之门). The statues represented the main characters in The Divine Comedy. The Thinker was originally intended to depict（描绘）Dante in front of The Gates of Hell, contemplati

20、ng his great poem. (In the final sculpture, a miniature of the statue, the thinker, sits atop the gates, pondering the hellish fate of those characters beneath the gates.) The sculpture is nude, as Rodin wanted to create a heroic figure, following the tradition of Michelangelo (米开朗基罗), to demonstrat

21、e the poets compassion as well as struggling of his feelings for the characters who were tortured in the hell. At first, Rodin made a small plaster version around 1880. Then he finished a large-scale bronze (青铜) cast in 1902, but not presented it to the public until 1904.IV. Structure of the TextPar

22、t I ( Paras. 1-15) The author tells us how he begins to consider the subject of thinking. Part II ( Paras. 16-24) The author states his opinion about “grade-three thinking” through a typical character Part III (Paras. 25-29) The author points out the confusion of the “grade-two thinkers” through his

23、 own experience. Part IV (Paras. 30-35) The author reveals the essence of “grade-one thinking” and tells us his determination to do it. V. Detailed Discussion of the TextPara 11. I came to the conclusion that there were three grades of thinking.1) Language points: (1) Draw students attention to the

24、collocations of “conclusion”: to come to a conclusion; to reach a conclusion; to arrive at a conclusion; to draw a conclusion; to jump to a conclusion, etc(2) grade: degree; level; stage in a process, eg. low-grade steel; high-grade alloy; grade-one pupils; well-graded teaching material; to upgrade

25、productsPara 22. grammar school1) Culture: In Britain, it refers to a school for children over 11 who are academically bright. Today, there are few grammar schools. Most secondary schools are called “comprehensive” and take in all children over 11 whatever their abilities. In the United States, a gr

26、ammar school used to mean an elementary school, but it is now considered old-fashioned.3. He had some statuettes in his study.1) Language points: statuette n. 小雕塑，小塑像: A china statuette of a boy holding a fish stands on the table. 桌上有个小男孩抱鱼的小瓷像。串 同族：statue n. 雕像，雕塑 同义：figurine n. 小雕像，小雕塑同根：state v.

27、陈述 stance n. 姿态；立场辨statuette / statute / stature这三个单词属于形近词，容易混淆，但意思各不相同。statuette小雕像：A china statuette of a shepherdess stood on the table. 桌上有一个牧羊女的小瓷像。statute 法令，法规：Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute. 保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。条例，规章：under the Universitys statutes根据该大学的章程stature 身高：She had

28、not yet grown to full stature. 她的身体还没有完全发育好。 = 2 * GB3 * MERGEFORMAT 名望She is an artist of great stature. 她是一位极具名望的艺术家。警在单词statuette中，-ette是后缀，表示“小”的意思，例：novelette中篇小说，与其意思相同的前缀和后缀还有：mini-例：miniskirt短裙 micro-例：microenvironment小环境-ing 例：ducking小鸭子 -let例：booklet小册子 -y或-ie例：cooky / cookie小甜饼-et例：lionet

29、小狮子4. One was a lady wearing nothing but a bath towel.1) Language points: nothing but: nothing except; only, e.g. The doctor told her that it was nothing but a cold. / He cared for nothing but his name and position. / He was nothing but a coward.5. She seemed frozen in an eternal panic lest the bath

30、 towel slip down any farther; and since she had no arms, she was in an unfortunate position to pull the towel up again.1) Language points:(1) eternal: a. continuing forever or indefinitely永恒的，永久的：Some people believe that the real love between a man and a woman can be eternal.有人相信男女之间的爱情可以永恒。tiresome

31、ly long，seemingly without end没完没了的，无休止的：I cant bear their eternal arguments. 我受不了他们无休止的争吵。串 同族：eternity n. 永恒 反义：temporary n短暂的辨 eternal / permanent / perpetual / everlasting这四个词均有“持久的，永久的”的意思。eternal语体较庄重，指永远存在，无始无终。例：It seems that the universe is an eternal thing.宇宙好像是一种永恒存在的事物。permanent指总是处于相同的情况

32、，可长期持续下去。例：This is my permanent address.这是我的长期地址。perpetual语气最强，指保持永久不变或永无止境地持续下去，有时用于贬义，指令人厌烦之事。例：We lived for years in a perpetual state of fear. 多年来我们一直生活在恐惧中。everlasting语气较庄重，有时可与eternal换用，指持续不尽，或指开始后一直进行下去。例：We cherish our everlasting friendship. 我们珍视彼此之间长存的友谊。(2) lest: (fml) for fear that; to m

33、ake sure that sth would not happen The subjunctive mood is used in the clause lest introduces. 即“唯恐，以免”，在句子中引导目的状语从句，且从句中要用虚拟语气“should+v.”或者动词原形。e.g. We ran as fast as we could lest we miss the train. / He did not tell his father about the exam lest he get mad at him.(3) Do not mix up farther with “

34、further”. The former refers to physical distance whereas the latter to degree, time and all other figurative uses. 前者通常用来指实际的、物理意义上的距离，而后者指程度、时间上的距离 Often further is used too often in translation from the Chinese and is not needed.e.g. The next village turned out to be much farther than we had thoug

35、ht. / We will discuss it further tomorrow. / Further development of our economy will strain our resources too.(4) (not) to be in a position to do sth: (not) to be able to do sth because you (do not) have the ability, money or power to do it, e.g. Im sorry, but I am not in a position to answer that q

36、uestion. / For the first time in history, man is now in a position to destroy the whole world. / We are now in a better financial position to deal with our social problems.2) Paraphrase: She seemed forever worried about how to make sure that the bath towel would not slip down, and because she had no

37、 arms, she was not able to pull the towel up again.3) Analysis: frozen 一词用得非常精妙，刻画出雕像的人物造型和其惊恐的表情像瞬间冻住一样。6. Next to her, crouched the statuette of a leopard, ready to spring down at the top drawer of a filing cabinet.1) Language points: (1) next to: situated very close to sb / sth with nobody / noth

38、ing in between, e.g. Do you know the girl standing next to the teacher? / The two tall buildings used to stand right next to each other here.(2) crouch v. to bend low with the limbs pulled up close together蹲伏，蜷伏：Crouching Tiger，Hidden Dragon卧虎藏龙to bend parts of the body as in humility or fear蜷缩：She

39、crouched by the fire to get warm. 她蜷缩在火堆旁取暖。(3) leopard n.豹：A leopard cannot change its spots. 谚江山易改，本性难移。2) Grammar:这是一个倒装句，正常语序应该是the statuette of a leopard crouched next to her。Language points: 7. Beyond the leopard was a naked, muscular gentleman.1) Language points: Pay attention to the followin

40、g words in which -ed is pronounced as /-id/: a naked man; a learned professor; that blessed morning; a wicked boy; the wretched life; our beloved country; ragged pants; my aged parents (But not in a man aged 45); rugged individualism; dogged effortsPara 38. The headmaster had placed them where they

41、would face delinquent children.1) Language points: a. failing in what duty requires不尽责的，失职的：He was assumed as a delinquent manager.大家都认为他是一个没尽到责任的经理。guilty of a minor misdeed有过失的，有罪的：Should we help the delinquent children with the instruction of psychologists?我们是不是应该在心理学家的指导下去帮助那些犯了罪的孩子？| n. 罪犯；违法者：

42、a juvenile delinquent少年犯串 同族：delinquency n. 失职，过失 反义：duteous n. 尽职尽责的In the original text (The present text is an abridged version. ) , the author mentioned some of his delinquent behavior for which he was punished: breaking a window, failing to remember Boyles Law and being late for school. But he

43、said, I had broken the window because I had tried to hit Jack Arney with a cricket ball and missed him; I could not remember Boyles Law because I had never bothered to learn it; and I was late for school because I preferred looking over the bridge into the river. 2) Paraphrase: The headmaster had pl

44、aced them where the naughty children who disobeyed obligations could see it.9. . because they symbolized to him the whole of life.1) Paraphrase: . because they represented / stood for the whole of life to him. (The leopard stood for all animal needs or desires; Venus stood for love and the Thinker s

45、tood for thinking as a uniquely human feature. )10. The naked lady was Venus. 1) Culture: Venus: (Roman mythology) the goddess of love and beauty, identified with the Greek goddess Aphrodite11. She was just busy being beautiful.1) Language points: to be busy doing sth: In this pattern, what follows

46、the word busy is usually an action verb. 2) Analysis: This sentence means that from the boys point of view, the Goddess of Love was simply trying to remain beautiful.12. Rodins Thinker1) Culture: This is the most famous piece of art by the French sculptor August Rodin. It is said to be the statue th

47、at most clearly shows the abstract idea of thinking. The thinker is pondering so intensely that his toes are tightly clutching the ground.Para 413. As we now know, I was not integrated. I was, if anything, disintegrated. 1) Paraphrase: As we now say, I was not a good pupil to become one part of the

48、unified class. On the contrary, I was a trouble maker.2) Language points:(1) integrated: a. formed or united into a whole, forming a part of a harmonious group完整的；综合的：Now they can design integrated iron and steel works. 现在他们能设计出钢和铁的合成制品。考 be integrated into统一到中去，与相结合串 同族：integrate v. 整合，使融人integral

49、a. .整体的 反义：disintegrated a. 分崩离析的 同根：integer n. 整数 integrant n. 构成整体的成分专八现频 In these cases, the project in question must be integrated into one of the partner nations overall or sector specific policies that aim at reducing poverty. TEM-8, 2004阅读 译文鉴于这些情况，这一有争议的项目必须被纳入合作国家整体或部门的一项旨在减少贫困的具体政策中。(2) if

50、 anything: on the contrary相反；甚至还不如说：e.g. He is not known for his generosity. He is, if anything, quite miserly. / The weather forecast says that it will not be warmer this winter. It will, if anything, even colder than last year. / Joe isnt a bad boy. If anything，hes a pretty good one.乔不是一个坏男孩。相反，他是

51、一个非常好的男孩。串 anything but除外什么都；绝不；一点也不3) Analysis: disintegrated: Here, it is used by the author to mean the direct opposite of integrated, and therefore means some kind of a trouble-maker.Note: This is not the way the word is normally used.14. Whenever I found myself in a penal position before the he

52、admasters desk I would sink my head, and writhe one shoe over the other.1) Paraphrase: Whenever I found myself would be punished before the headmasters desk, I would lower my head and writhe the shoes.2) Language points: (1) penal a. of, relating to punishment esp. by law应受处罚的；刑罚的：penal offense 刑事犯罪

53、串 同族：penalize v. 处以刑罚；惩罚 penalty n. 刑罚；罚金 同义：punishable a. 该罚的；可处罚的(2) writhe v. to twist in or as if in pain (因痛苦而)扭动身体; 蠕动：The prisoner writhed in discomfort. 犯人因为不舒服而扭动身体。to suffer acutely from embarrassment, revulsion, etc.（因尴尬、厌恶筹情绪而）难受：Of course students will writhe under such unjust treatment

54、. 当然，学生会对这样不公正的对待感到不快。Para 6-715. “What are we going to do with you?” Well, what were they going to do with me?Analysis: When the school headmaster asked, What are we going to do with you? he meant How can we make you mend your ways and become a nice boy? But when the boy mused, Well, what were they

55、 going to do with me? he was wondering how the school authorities were going to punish him this time.Para 9Then I would look up at the cupboard, where the naked lady was frozen in her panic and the muscular gentleman contemplated the hindquarters of the leopard in endless gloom.1) Paraphrase: Then I

56、 would look up at the cupboard, where the naked lady showed a panic look and the gentlemen with muscles seemed in endless sadness as he was looking the back part of the leopard and thinking deeply.2) Language points: (1) muscular a. = 1 * GB3 * MERGEFORMAT of, relating to or consisting of muscles 肌肉

57、的: muscular dystrophy肌肉萎缩possessing physical strength and weight 强健的 The football player is tall and muscular. 那名足球运动员身高体壮。串 同族：muscle n. 肌肉；力量 同义：athletic a. 体格健壮的 strong n. 强壮的反义：feeble a. 虚弱的，无力的 weak a. 虚弱的，体弱的(2) contemplate: to think for a long time in order to understand better, to think abou

58、t intently and at length沉思;考虑：The young surgeon contemplated the difficult operation of kidney transplant. 年轻的外科医生为肾移植这一棘手的手术冥思苦想。to have in mind as a possibility计划，打算：Are you contemplating marriage?你打算结婚吗？to look at thoughtfully注视，凝视：She lay on the grass, contemplating the high, blue sky. 她躺在草地上，凝视

59、着高高的蓝天。串 同族：contemplative a. 沉思的 contemplation n. 注视；沉思 同义：meditate v. 冥想 deliberate v. 深思熟虑 ponder v. 思索(3) the hindquarters: the rump; the back part of an animal3) Analysis: Note the humorous way the boy viewed the image of The Thinkerlooking at and contemplating the rump of an animal in this gloo

60、my manner. It didnt make any sense to him.17. His spectacles caught the light so that you could see nothing human behind them. There was no possibility of communication. 1) Paraphrase: to catch the light: to have the light shine on it brightly and suddenly2) Analysis: The teachers glasses caught the