Unit3-现代大学英语精读2

Unit3TheRiteofSpringArthurMillerContentTheauthorThemestructureLead-in

Doyoulikegardening?Whyorwhynot?HisLifeArthurMiller(1915-2005)AHarlem-bornPolish-JewishboyMajoredinjournalismatUniversityofMichiganWrotefirstplayin1936ReceivedBAinEnglishin1938HisCareerFirstsuccessfulplay:AllMySons,1946Hugesuccess:DeathofaSalesman,1949TheCrucible,1953AboutSalemWitchhuntin1692HUAC(HouseUn-AmericanActivitiesCommittee),anti-communistMcCarthyismAttendedaHUAChearingin1956,refusingtogivenames;sentencedtoa$500fineorthirtydaysinprison,blacklisted,anddisallowedaUSpassportConvictionoverturnedin1958Returntotheatricalsuccess:ThePrice,1968Experimentaldramain1970s,unsuccessfulKeptwritinguntil2004HisInfluenceOneofthegreatestdramatistsofthetwentiethcenturyPoliticallyengaged,commerciallysuccessful,socialplaysNumerousawardsandhonors:ThreeTonyAwards,PulitzerPrizeforDeathoftheSalesmanin19491965,ElectedthefirstAmericanpresidentofInternationalPen1993,awardedthe

NationalMedalofArts

2001,selectedforthe

JeffersonLecture,theU.Sgovernment'shighesthonorforachievementinthe

humanitiesDeathofaSalesman1949;1984moviestarringDustinHoffman)TheCrucible,1953,1996moviestarringDanielDay-LewisHisWorksHisMarriage

MarySlattery,collegesweetheart,1940MarilynMonroe,1956Briefaffairin1951AccompaniedMillertohis1956trialMadeTheMisfitswithMillerasthescriptwriterDivorcedin1961IngeMorath,1962SonDanielbornwithDownSyndrome;institutionalizedatMiller’sinsistenceSon-in-law,EnglishactorDanielDay-Lewis“TheRiteofSpring”rite:asolemnceremonyoract;asetoffixedwordsoracts

TheRiteofSpringbyStravinsky:asacredpaganritualwherethewiseeldersareseatedinacircleandareobservingthedancebeforedeathofthegirlwhomtheyareofferingasasacrificetothegodofSpringinordertogainhisbenevolenceWhatdoes“TheRiteofspring”refertointhistext?Howisgardeningarite?Doesgardeningcarryanysymbolicmeaning?

ThemeStructurePartI(1-2)ParaII(3-10)A.(3-4)B.(5)C.(6-8)D.(9-10)ParaIII(11-12)GardeningasacelebrationofthecomingspringGardeninginvolvesconflictandchoice-making.

Gardeningteachesyouaboutnature.Gardeningisneuroticandmoral.Gardeninghelpscharacterbuilding.Gardeningenablespeopletostayhopefulforthefuture.Whygardening?AssignmentExerciseon69WordStudycompensationWehavetherighttoclaimagainstyouforcompensationofalllosses.Ascompensation,heofferedtotakeheroutforameal.V.compensateAdj.compensatoryconflictMaxpointsoutthepotentialconflictsbelowthesurfaceofsociety.(astateofdisagreementorargumentbetweenpeople,groups,countriesetc,political/social/industrialconflict)Aconflictbetweenthetwocountriescouldeasilyspreadacrossthewholeregion.(fightingorawar,armed/military/violentconflict)Manyoftheseideasappeartobeinconflictwitheachother.cultivateA.togrowcropsandplants=grow耕作，种植，培育B.toworkhardtodevelopaparticularskill,attitude,orquality培养Eg:Thelandwastoorockytocultivate.Trytocultivateamorerelaxedandpositiveapproachtolife.Adj.cultivated有素养的，有教养的N.cultivationN.cultivator耕种者，耕耘机delicateAdelicateglassAdelicatechildHerdelicateskinAplatewithadelicatepatternofleavesAdelicatepink(easilydamagedorbroken)(behurtorilleasily)(attractiveandgraceful)(madeskillfullyandwithattentiontothesmallestdetails)(ofataste,smell,orcolor)notstrongoccupationPleasestateyourname,ageandoccupationbelow.(ajoborprofession)Hermainoccupationseemstobeshopping.

(pastime)Theareasunderoccupationcontainedmajorindustrialareas.(theactofmovingintoacountry,town,etc.andtakingcontrolofitusingmilitaryforce)v.occupyAdj.occupiedbeoccupiedwith忙于…N.occupier占用者，占领者rationalA.rationalthoughts,decisionetc.arebasedonreasonsratherthanemotionsEg:Parentsneedtobefullyinformedsotheycanmakearationaldecision.B.arationalpersonisabletothinkcalmlyandsensiblyEg:Culleywasquiterationalatthetimeofherbaby’sdeath.N.rationalityAnt.irrationalreflectShecouldseeherselfreflectedinhiseyes.(usu.Passive)toshowtheimageofsb./sth.onthesurfaceofsth.suchasamirror,waterorglass.Howmuchyou’repaidreflectshowimportantyouaretothecompany.(toshoworbeasignofthenatureofsth.orofsb’sattitudeorfeeling)Reflecton/uponsth.:tothinkcarefullyanddeeplyaboutsth.Eg:Hehadtimetoreflectonhissuccessesandfailures.N.reflectionresolveA.tosolve,settle--adispute/conflict/problemetc.B.(formal)tomakeadefinitedecisiontodosth.Translation:

约翰迫切需要钱来解决他的金融问题。

离婚后，她决定不再结婚。eg:Johnwasdesperateformoneytoresolvehisfinancialproblems.Afterthedivorcesheresolvednevertomarryagain.Adj:resolute坚决的，果断的N.Resolution解决，决心stakeBecauseofthis,Britishtaxpayersnowholdan84percentstakeinthebank.(moneythatsb.investsinacompany)Somelegendssayhewasburnedatthestake.Atstakeisnotonlythehealthofhumansbutthatoftheearth.(indanger)Theywereplayingcardsforhighstakes.(sth.thatyouriskastheresultofahorserace,cardgameetc.)strangle1.Thevictimhadbeenstrangledwithabelt.(=choke)2.Millsarguesthathightaxationstranglestheeconomy.

(tolimitorpreventthegrowthordevelopmentofsth.)DetailedAnalysisoftheTextStructurePartI(1-2)ParaII(3-10)A.(3-4)B.(5)C.(6-8)D.(9-10)ParaIII(11-12)GardeningasacelebrationofthecomingspringGardeninginvolvesconflictandchoice-making.

Gardeningteachesyouaboutnature.Gardeningisneuroticandmoral.Gardeninghelpscharacterbuilding.Gardeningenablespeopletostayhopefulforthefuture.Whygardening?PartIPara1.Whenyouthinkhoweasyandcheap,relatively,itistobuyabunchofcarrotsorbeets,whyraisethem?Ellipticalsentence:Eg:Whygotheretoday?Whytellmenow?Ifyouknowitisveryeasyandcheaptobuysomevegetables,youwouldwonderwhyyougrowthembyyourselves.Androotcropsespeciallyarehardtotell

apart,whenstore-bought,fromourown.Itishardtotellthedifferencebetweenrootcropsboughtinstoresandthoseplantedbyourselves.Thereisahumaninstinctatworkhere,akindofback-breakingmake-believethathasnoreality.(para.1)Back-breaking:physicallyhardandtiringMake-believe:believinginthingsthatyouwanttobelievebecausetheyareeasyorexciting,butarenotrealAtwork:(lit.)tobehavinganeffect,usuallyanobviousorbadeffectEg:Wemustunderstandthatthereisstillastronganti-reformforceatwork.Paraphrasing:Ithassomethingtodowithhumannature,thatis,peoplealwayspretendthatwhattheyhavedoneisbetterthanitreallyis.Para.2Asitis,though,IcannotdenythatwhenAprilcomesIfindmyselfgoingouttoleanonthefenceandlookatthatmiserableplotofland,resolvingwithallmyrationalpowersnottoplantitagain.(para.2)Analyzethegrammaticalstructureofthesentence.Paraphrase:Infact,IhavetoadmitthatIdecidecalmlyandrationallynottoplantiteveryspringwhenIseetheterriblelandinthegarden.Andthesunmeansbusiness…(para.2)Meanbusiness:(infml)tobeveryseriousaboutsth.youhavetodoEg:Issheseriouswhenshesaysshe’llquitherpresentjob?Yes,Ithinkshemeansbusiness.Paraphrasing:Thesunshinesmorebrightlyandit’sgettingwarmer.Para.1Reasonsformynotunderstandingwhywekeptagarden.Itiseasyandcheaptobuyvegetables.Thereisnodifferencebetweenrootcropsboughtinstoresandthoseplantedbyourselves.Idon’tparticularlylikeeatingvegetables.Para.2

Thingsthatcouldjustifymykeepingagarden.amorninginApril:Ascentwaftsthroughthewindow…….Thesunhasadifferent,deeperyellowinitsbeams…….Thebirdsbeginscreaming……Thewormsaredeliciously…..

Para1&Para2:Whytheauthorstartsagarden.HedoessonotforloveofvegetablebutasawayofembracingSpringaseasonofrevival.PartIIParas.3-4Whatdoestheauthormeanbysayingthat“conflict”sendshimbacktogarden?What’sthedifferencebetweenblackplasticandhaymulch?Butblackplasticlookssoindustrial,sounromantic,thatIhavegraduallymoveovertohaymulch.ButblackplasticlookssounnaturalanduglythatIhavegraduallychangedtohaymulch.Para3&Para4:Ingardening,onehastomakechoicesandlearnbytrialanderror.Para.5Keepingagardenmakesyouawareofhowdelicate,bountiful,andeasilyruinedthesurfaceofthislittleplanetis.Ifyoukeepagarden,itwillhelpyourealizehowgenerousthelandoftheEarthistousandhoweasilydamageditis.Isupposeifyouloadedthesoilwithchemicalfertilizerthesedifferenceswouldbelessnoticeable,butIuseitsparinglyandonlyinrowsright(whereseedsareplanted)ratherthanbroadcastoverthewholearea.Ithinkifyouputtoomuchchemicalfertilizerinthesoil,thesubtledifferencesinitwouldnotbeveryobvious,soIuseitverycarefullyandonlyintheplacewheretheseedsareplantedinsteadofspreadingitoverthewholeplace.I’mnotsurewhyIdothisbeyondthesavinginfertilizerandmyunwillingnesstoaidtheweeds.(para.5)Beyond:except(innegativesentences)Eg.Hehasnoideaofthecurrentsituationbeyondwhatlittleheistold.Paraphrase:Idon’tknowwhyIonlyuseverylittlefertilizer;maybeIdon’twanttospendtoomuchfertilizer,ormaybeIdon’twanttheweedstothriveonfertilizer.Butcertainlytherearemorereasons.Para5:Gardeningremindsusofthedelicacyandbountifulnessofourplanet.Paras.6-8

Gardeningisneuroticandmoral.Also,yourpaternalandmaternalinstinctscomeintoplay.Comeintoplay:tostarttohaveaneffectBesides,yournaturaltendencytoactasakindorcaringfatherormotherbeginstowork.Para.6:Gardeningrequiresloveandcare.

Insomecases,aswithbeansandcucumbers,yourchildrenasitwere,begintoturnuponyouinmassivenumbers,growingmoreandmoreeachmorningandthreateningtofollowyouintothehousetostrangleyouintheirvines.Asitwere:asyoumightsay可以说Theauthorhereisdescribinghowthebeansandcucumberscangrowinmassivenumbersandcometohimsuddenlyasiftostranglehimintheirvines.Theword“strangle”heredoesn’treallymeantochokehimtodeath.Heissayingthesenumerousbeansandcucumbersarelikenaughtyandplayfulchildren,strugglingtoembracehimatthesametime,makinghimalmosthardtobreathe.Para.7:Gardeningrequirespatienceandpersistence.Para.8Whatdoyouthinkofthemother-in-lawstory?Whysuchastory?Sheisanoutspoken,truthfulwoman,orshewasuntilshelearnedbetter.(para.8)Learnbetter:learnthatitisnotwiseormoraltodosth.Paraphrasing:Sheusedtobeawomanwhospokehermindandwhowasalwaysstraightforwardinherspeech,butnowshehaslearnedfromexperiencesthatitisnotwisetodoso.Para.8:Gardeninginvolveslearningfromone’sownmistakes.Para.9

Thegrowthofplantsissimilartothespiritualgrowthofman.Insomepocketofthemindtheremightevenbethetendencytochangethisvisionintoapersonalassurancethatallthishealthygrowth,thisorderlinessandthrustinglifemustsomehowreflectmovementsinone’sownspirit.(para.9)Paraphrasing:Insomesmallcornerofthemind,Iameveninclinedtobelievethatsuchbeautifulviewofthegardencanbetransformedintoaspiritualcertainty;Ifeelcertainthatjustlikethiswell-organizedandarrangedgardenandthelifeandvitalityofeverythinggrowinginit,myspiritisequallyactiveaswellasinorder.Para.10Gardeningentailsstrivingasinotherhumanactivities.Agardenisanextensionofoneself–orselves–andsoithastobeanarenawherestrivingdoesnotcease,butcontinuesbyothermeans.(para.10)Paraphrasing:Gardenhastobeanotherplacewherepeoplecontinuetoworkhardtoachievesomething.Para.9&Para.10:Gardeninghelpscharacterbuilding.Whygardening?(3-10)

Gardeninginvolvesconflictandchoice-making.Gardeningteachesyouaboutnature.Gardeningisneuroticandmoral.Gardeninghelpscharacterbuilding.PartIIIPara.11Onlythegardeneriscapableofrevivingsomuchhopethatthisyear,regardlessofdrought,flood,typhoon,orhisownstupidity,thisyearheisgoingtodoitright!(para.11)Paraphrasing:Onlythegardenercanbecomehopefulafterrepeatedfailuresandbelievethatthisye