Lesson 9 Book II.docx

Lesson 9 Book II.docx

《Lesson 9 Book II.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Lesson 9 Book II.docx（17页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

Lesson9BookII

LessonnineTheOnesWhoWalkAwayfromOmelas

VariationsonathemebyWilliamJames

byURSULALEGUIN

Contents

I.TeachingObjectives

II.TeachingMethods

III.BackgroundInformation

IV.Warming-up

V.DetailedStudyofthetext

VI.Difficulties

VII.Exercises

VIII.ReferenceBooks

I.TeachingObjectives:

Tounderstandthetext

Tolearntheusefulwordsandphrases

Tolearnaboutanallegorystory

II.TeachingMethodSituationalTeachingMethod

III.BackgroundInformation

1.   URSULALEGUIN

2.    Allegory

UrsulaK.LeGuinisawell-knownsciencefictionandfantasywriter.

ShewasborninBerkeley,Californiain1929.AftergraduatingfromRadcliffCollege,shetookanM.A.degreeatColumbiaUniversity.Herwritingsforceustore-examinemanyofthethingsthatweoncetookforgranted,likeourcities,ourpoliticalandsocialstructures,etc.

Shebeganwritingduringthe1950s,butnotuntilthe‘60sdidshebeginpublishing.LeGuin’sworkhasappealedtoawideraudiencethansciencefictionfans.Bringingasocialscientist’seyeandafeminist’ssensibilitytosciencefiction,shehasemployedthisspeculativegenretocriticizecontemporarycivilization.

Manyofherstories—like“TheOnesWhoWalkAwayFromOmelas”（1974HugoAward）—createcompleximaginarycivilizations,envisionedwithanthropologicalauthority.LeGuinhasalsowrittenpoetryandjuvenilefiction,includingtheEarthsea[video-2]trilogy,WizardofEarthsea[video-2]（1968）,TheTombsofAtuan[video-2]（1971）,andTheFarthestShore[video-2]（1972）,whichrankamongtheclassicsofmodernchildren’sliterature.ShelivesinPorland,

Thetext

ThistextistakenfromTheNortonAnthologyofShortFiction.Thiswritingmaybecalledapieceofallegoricaldescription.

Allegory（讽喻）inliteratureisasymbolicstorythatservesasadisguisedrepresentationformeaningsotherthanthoseindicatedonthesurface.Thecharactersinanallegoryoftenhavenoindividualpersonality,butareembodimentsofmoralqualitiesandotherabstractions.

“Omelas”

So"Omelas"shouldnotbereadasarealisticstory.LeGuinisplayingaroundwiththeoldideaabout"thegreatestgoodforthegreatestnumber"andtakingittoitslogicalextreme.Whatif,magically,alltheevilintheworldcouldbeheapedononepersonandeveryoneelsecouldbehappy.Woulditbeworthwhileorwouldtheinjusticedonetothatoneprobablyretardedchildoutweighthegoodofalltherest.

Theoneswho"walkaway"arebuyingoutofthesystem,refusingtoaccepttheirownhappinessifitcomesattheexpenseofsomeoneelse.Ononelevelthestorycanbeunderstoodaboutthewesternworldlivingoffthesufferingofthethirdworld.Onanotherlevelitcanbeunderstoodaboutoursociety'srefusaltoacceptthelegitimacyoftheplightofthepoor.

Bythissharpcontrastbetweentheformerhappinessandthepresentcruelty,LeGuindrawstheattentionuponhertheme—thenatureandbasisofhappiness—shouldthehappinessofthemanybebaseduponthesufferingofthefew?

Butsheprovidesnosolutionexceptanopen,thought-provokingendingthatsomepeopleleaveOmelasafterseeingthechild.

IV.Warming-up

IsOmelasarealplaceintheworld?

Whatisthemeaningofthesubtitleofthearticle?

Whatdoestheauthorwanttoexpress?

V.DetailedStudyoftheText

WhatdoesParagraphonedescribe?

ThehappycityofOmelas.

Omelasisaportcitybytheseawithbrighttowersandhouseswithredroofsandpaintedwalls.Therearetree-linedavenues,moss-growngardens,greatparksandpublicbuildings.Towardsthenorthsideofthecitythereisagreatwater-meadowcalledtheGreenFields.FarofftothenorthandwestaremountainswithsnowypeakshalfencirclingOmelas.

ThepeopletherewerejoyouslycelebratingtheFestivalofSummerwithmusic,danceandprocessions.Men,womenandchildrenexceptfortheriderswhowerenaked.Thehighlightofthecelebrationswasahorseracetobeheldonthegreatwater-meadowcalledtheGreenFields.Sothewholecityisimmersedinhappiness.

Withaclamorofbells…thecityOmelas,bright-toweredbythesea:

Theloudringingofthebells,whichsentthefrightenedswallowsflyinghigh,marksthebeginningoftheFestivalofSummerinOmelas.

bright-toweredbythesea:

Omelasisaportcityby/nearthesea.Ithadwhitetowersthatshonebrightinthesun.

Theriggingoftheboatsinharborsparkledwithflags:

Thelinesandchainsontheshipsweredecoratedwithflagswhichwereshininginthesun.

rigging:

linesandchainsusedaboardashipespeciallyinworkingsailandsupportingmastsandspars;

therigging:

alltheropes,chains,etc.thatholdupaship’ssails.

e.g.Thesailorclimbeduptheriggingtoseeifhecouldsightland.

Inthestreets…processionsmoved:

Thestreetswerelinedwithhouseswithredroofsandpaintedwalls.Betweenthehousestherewereoldmoss-growngardens.Therewerealsoavenueslinedwithshadytrees.Thecityhadmanybigparksandpublicbuildings.Thereweremanyprocessionsmovingthroughthestreetsandavenues.

Inthislongsentence,themainidea“processionsmoved”isattheendofthesentence.Thisisagoodexampleofalongperiodicsentence（圆周句）,precededbyastringofmodifiers. 

Someweredecorous:

oldpeopleinlongstiffrobesofmauveandgrey,gravemasterworkmen,quiet,merrywomencarryingtheirbabiesandchattingastheywalked.Someoftheseprocessionsweremarkedbyproprietyandgoodtaste,becausetheyweremadeupofoldpeople,gravemasterworkmenandwomencarryingbabies.Therewerenochildrenoryoungpeopleamongthem.

Inthislongsentence,themainideaisatthebeginning.Thisisanexampleofaloosesentence（松散句）.Thewriterusesavastvarietyofsentencestructures.

decorous:

adj.fml.（ofappearanceorbehavior）correct;showingproperrespectforthemannersandcustomsofsociety.

e.g.Behaviorthatisdecorousispoliteandcorrectanddoesn’toffendpeople.

mauve:

adj.havingapalepurplecolour.

n. sth.thatismauveisofapalepurplecolor

e.g.mauvewritingpaper

Inotherstreetsthemusicbeatfaster,ashimmeringofgongandtambourine,andthepeoplewentdancing,theprocessionwasadance:

Inotherstreetstheprocessionsweredifferent.Themusicwasmuchfasterandonecouldseetheglimmeringlightreflectedfromgongsandtambourines.Thepeopledancedtothemusicastheymovedforward.Thewholeprocessionwasadance.

shimmer:

shinewithasofttremulous[slightlyshakinglight;glimmer

Childrendodgedinandout…overthemusicandthesinging:

Thechildrenranaboutplayfully,nowinandnowoutoftheprocession.Theirhigh-pitchedshoutingcouldbeheardclearlyabovethemusicandsinginglikethecallsoftheswallowsflyingbyoverheard.

dodge:

v.toavoid（sth.）bymovingsuddenlyaside.

e.g.Hedodgedthefallingrockandescapedunhurt.

infml.toavoid（aresponsibility,duty,etc.）byatrickorinsomedishonestway

e.g.Shesomehowmanagedtododgeallthedifficultquestions.

dodger:

ataxdodger,adraftdodger逃避服兵役者

dodge:

n.infml.acleverwayofavoidingsth.orofdeceivingortrickingsb.

ataxdoge逃税花招

synonyms:

avoid,escape,avert,evade,elude

avert:

toprevent（sth.unpleasant）fromhappeninge.g.Anaccidentwasavertedbyhisquickthinking.

evade:

derog.toavoid（esp.adutyorresponsibility）,esp.usingdeception

e.g.Givemeadirectanswerandstopevadingtheissue.

elude:

escapefromesp.bymeansofatrick

e.g.Thefoxsucceededineludingthehuntersbyrunningbackintheoppositedirection.

theirhighcallsrisingliketheswallows’crossingflightsoverthemusicandthesinging:

asimile

flight:

rising,settlingorflyinginaflock

Alltheprocessionswoundtowardsthenorthsideofthecity:

Thestreetstwistedandturnedsotheprocessionsalsotwistedandturnedasitmovedforwardtothenorthsideofthecity.

wound:

pastparticipleoftheverbwindtomake（one’sway）inawindingortwistingcourse.

whereonthegreatwater-meadow…exercisedtheirrestivehorsesbeforetherace:

Thisisanattributiveclausemodifyingthenorthsideofthecity.Themainstructureoftheclauseis“where（onthegreatwater-meadow）boysandgirlsexercisedtheirrestivehorsesbeforetherace.”

lithe:

adj.（esp.ofpeopleoranimals）abletobendandmoveeasilyandgracefully

e.g.thelithebodiesofthedancers

exercisedtheirrestivehorsesbeforetherace:

puttheirhorsesthroughsomeexercisesbecausethehorseswereeagertostartandstubbornlyresistingthecontroloftheriders

restive:

stubbornlyresistingcontrol;unruly;disobedient;unwillingtokeepstillorbecontrolled,nervous

e.g.1.Ifyou’rerestive,you’reimpatient,bored,ordissatisfied.

2.Thecrewwererestiveandrebellious.

restively:

adv.restivenessn.

Theyflaredtheirnostrilsandprancedandboastedtooneanother:

Thewriterusespersonificationherebytreatingthehorsesashumanbeings.Thehorsesopenwidertheirnostrils,jumpedaboutandseemedtobeboastingtooneanother.Allthisshowsthehorsesexcitementbeforetherace.

flare:

to（causeto）openoutwards,esp.towidengraduallytowardstobottom

e.g.flaredtrousers

Hernostrilsflaredwithanger.

flare:

n.awideningtowardsoneend

e.g.trouserswithwideflares

prance:

v.（ofanimal,esp.ahorse）tojumphighormovequicklybyraisingthefrontlegsandspringingforwardsonthebacklegs

fartherandnearerandeverapproaching:

thesewords,inagrammaticalway,alsoindicatethemusicmovementheardfromthestartingplace“farther”tothecomparativedegree“nearer”tothecontinuoustense“approaching,”stressingthedistance