高级英语 13课 赏析.docx

高级英语 13课 赏析.docx

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高级英语13课赏析

Appreciatioinof

BritanniaRuestheWaves

BackgroundInformation

Author:

AndrewNeil（1949--）:

aScottishjournalistandbroadcaster,writingonindustrialandlabouraffairsforthe‘Economist'

HowBritaingainednavalsupremacy

⒈Inmediaevaltimes,thetradeoftheworldandthecenterofmaritimepowerlayintheMediterraneanSea.

⒉ThediscoveryoftheCaperoutetoIndiaandthediscoveryoftheAmericancontinentshiftedthecenterfromtheMediterraneantotheAtlanticOcean.

⒊TheearlymajorseapowersweretheNetherlands,Portugal,SpainandFrance.

⒋HenryⅦ（1485-1509）laidthefoundationoftheBritishmerchantnavy.

⒌HenryⅧ（1491-1547）foundedtheBritishRoyalNavy.Hecreatedshipsspeciallymannedandcommissionedtofightandhisshipbuildersdesignedanewkindofship（firingbroadsides）,betteradaptedtotheoceanandtomanoeuvringinbattles

⒍In1588,ElizabethⅠ（1558-1603）defeatedtheSpanishArmada,afleetof130greatships,sentbyKingPhilipⅡofSpainagainstEngland.TherewasarunninggunfightintheBritishChannelandtheArmadawasrouted.TheremnantoftheSpanishfleetlatermetastormalongthecoastsofScotlandandIreland.Outofthe130ships,onlyabouthalfreachedhome.ThisvictoryestablishedEnglandasamajorseapower.

⒎ThebattleofTrafalgartookplaceonOctober21,1805,betweentheBritishfleetandthecombinedFrenchandSpanishfleet,offSpain’sCapeTrafalgar.TheBritishfleet,33shipsinall,wascommandedbyAdmiralNelson.Thebattleendedwiththecaptureof20Frenchships.Nelsonwasbadlywoundedanddiedshortlybeforethebattlecametoanend.ThevictoryestablishedBritain’snavalsupremacywhichwasunchallengedforoveracentury.

NorthSeaoil

TodayBritainhasdiscovered50oilfieldsintheNorthSea,withareserveof2.2billiontons.Productionbeganinthesecondhalfof1975andwentupgradually.In1976productionofcrudeoilreached52.8milliontons.Itwasestimatedthatby1980productionwouldrisetoabout110milliontons.BythenBritainwouldbecomeself-sufficientinoil.

Structure

PartⅠ（paras.1—3）:

theauthorgivesabriefaccountofthepresentconditionofBritain’sshippingindustrywhichisdeclining.Stillasthelifelineofthenation’seconomy,theshippingindustrymeetstwomainthreatsfromtheRussiansandeasternbloccountries.

PartⅡ（paras.4—8）:

contrastedwiththedecliningsituationoftheBritishfleet,theBritishmerchantnavycontinuestoexpand.The“conference”isgenerallyacceptedasthekeyfactoriftheBritishfleetstillaimstokeepdominanceonthehighseas.

PartⅢ（paras.9—14）:

theauthoranalyzestheinfluenceoftheworstdepressionoftheindustrializedworldbytheearly1970sontheshippingindustry.Inspiteofthat,theconferencecontrolledthescheduledfreight-linerservicewhichcontributedtothesurvivaloftheBritishfleetfromthecrisis.

PartⅣ（paras.15—18）:

theauthorrevealstheseverechallengethattheBritain’sshippingindustryisnowfacedwithfromtheThirdWorldcountries,andpurposesthewaystodealwiththechallenge.

PartⅤ（paras.16—24）:

theauthoranalyzestheevengreaterandmoreorganizedthreattothefutureofBritain’smerchantfleetfromtheRussiansandtheeasternbloccountrieswhichismuchmoredifficulttocounter.

PartⅥ（paras.25—29）:

theBritishshippingindustrydoesnothaveabrilliantfuture.EECissodividedaboutshippingthatitispowerlesstotakeanyaction.Theauthordoesn’tfeeloptimisticaboutthefateoftheBritishshippingcompanies.

DetailedStudyoftheText

1.Britanniaruesthewaves:

1）Britainissorrythatshehaslostherdominanceonthehighseas;Britainregretsthatshenolongerenjoysanavalsupremacy.

2）Britannia:

nowpoetic,GreatBritainortheBritishIslands

3）Britanniarulesthewaves:

Britainisproudofbeingthelordofthesea.

4）rue:

repentof:

regrethavingenteredinto;wishnonexistent

5）thewaves:

（poet.orrhet.）thesea.

2.Britain’smerchantnavyseldomgrabstheheadlinesthesedays:

1）Britain’smerchantfleetisnolongeranimportantitemofnewsthesedays;thereisverylittleabouttheBritishmerchantfleetinthepapersrecently;Britain’smerchantfleetisverylittleinthenewsrecently

2）grab:

capture

3）theheadlines:

titlesofimportantnewsitems,generallyprintedinlarge,

boldtype

3.Yetshippingistheessentiallifelineforthenation’seconomy:

1）YetthemerchantfleetisvitaltoBritisheconomy.

2）shipping:

thecollectivebodyofshipsbelongingtoonecountry

3）lifeline:

（fig.）anythingonwhichone’slifedepends

4.inandoutofthecountry:

domesticandforeigntrade（domestictradereferstomovinggoodsbyseafromoneporttoanother）

5.overhalfofitinBritishships:

itrefersto“ninety-ninepercentofourtrade”

6.ShippingisalsoasignificantBritishsuccessstory:

1）successstory:

person’srisefrompoverty,etc.tofame

2）bigprofitsaremadeinshippinginBritain;shippinginBritainhasdevelopedintoafamous,profit-makingindustry

7.theBritishfleetrisksbeingelbowedoutbystiffforeigncompetition:

1）risk:

exposetothechanceofdamageorloss

2）stiff:

strong;greatindegree;difficulttodealwithastiffjob;stiffreading

3）beingelbowedout:

ametaphor;beingforcedout

4）TheBritishfleetfacesthedangerofbeingforcedoutofthetradeasaresultofintenseforeigncompetition.

8.easternbloccountries:

thecountriesinEasternEuropeunderSovietinfluence:

Poland,Hungary,Czechoslovakia,Bulgaria,EastGermany

9.andcarvingtheirwayintotheinternationalshippingtradebyseverelyundercuttingWesternshippingcompanies:

1）carvingtheirwayinto:

ametaphor;makingtheirwayinto...bycutting

2）undercut:

sellgoodsmorecheaplyorworkforsmallerwagesthan（sb.doingthesame）;sellorworkatlowerpricesorwagesthan...

3）cuttingtheirwayinto...bychargingmuchless（freightrate）thantheWesternshippingcompanies

9.andcarvingtheirwayintotheinternationalshippingtradebyseverelyundercuttingWesternshippingcompanies:

1）carvingtheirwayinto:

ametaphor;makingtheirwayinto...bycutting

2）undercut:

sellgoodsmorecheaplyorworkforsmallerwagesthan（sb.doingthesame）;sellorworkatlowerpricesorwagesthan...

3）cuttingtheirwayinto...bychargingmuchless（freightrate）thantheWesternshippingcompanies

10.whoarebentontakingoverthelion’sshareofthetrade:

1）benton:

stronglyinclinedordeterminedExamples:

ThesocialimperialistsarebentonkeepingthesituationtenseintheMiddleEast.ThereisnodoubtthattheyarebentonthecompletedestructionofHitlerandNazism.

2）thelion’sshare:

thewholethingor,nowpopularly,thebiggestandbestportion;thelargerorlargestpart,nearlyall.ThephrasecomesfromAesop’sfable.Severalbeastsjoinedthelioninahunt;but,whenthespoilwasdivided,thelionclaimedonequarterinrightofhisprerogative,oneforhissuperiorcourage,oneforhisdamandcubs,“andasforthefourth,letwhowilldisputeitwithme.”Awedbyhisfrown,theotherbeastssilentlywithdrew,

3）whoaredeterminedtocontrolmostofthetrade;whoareresolvedtotakethebiggestshareofthetrade

11.inwhichBritainhasabigstake:

1）Britainhasimportantinterestsinthesetraderoutes.

2）stake:

ashareorinterest,asinproperty,aperson,orabusinessventure,

e.g.ThesimplestexplanationfortheWesternnations’reluctancetosupportsanctionsistheirconsiderableeconomicstakeinSouthAfrica.atstake:

atissue,inquestion,risked,e.g.Morethanthefutureofaprovinceisatstake.HisofficeisnotdirectlyatstakeintheMarchelection.

11.inwhichBritainhasabigstake:

1）Britainhasimportantinterestsinthesetraderoutes.

2）stake:

ashareorinterest,asinproperty,aperson,orabusinessventure,

e.g.ThesimplestexplanationfortheWesternnations’reluctancetosupportsanctionsistheirconsiderableeconomicstakeinSouthAfrica.atstake:

atissue,inquestion,risked,e.g.Morethanthefutureofaprovinceisatstake.HisofficeisnotdirectlyatstakeintheMarchelection.

12.around:

（prep.）somewhat;closeto;aboutInformalforapproximately.Othersomewhatmoreinformalexpressionsforthis:

inthevicinityof;intheneighborhoodof.

13.intermsof:

withregardto;concerning

Example:

Intermsofsignificantagreements,VancecollectednomorethistimethanfromhisfirstMideasttrip.Wearebetteroffintermsofcapability.

14.itcannowcarryovertwo-thirdsmorethanitcouldin1914:

Drawthestudents’attentiontothestructureofthesentence.“More”shouldgowith“overtwo-thirds”.

15.almostaloneamongourtraditionalindustries:

1）almosttheonlyoneamongourtraditionalindustries

2）Thetraditionalindustriesareshipbuilding,coalminingandtextiles.

16.investedbig:

putinagreatdealofmoneybig:

adv.（colloq.）toalargeamount;orconsiderableamountcf.talk（act）big:

（sl.）talk（behave）boastfullyorpompouslythinkbig:

plantodoagreatdealinspiteofallpossibledifficulties;planambitiously

17.Intheearly1960’s,theshippingcompaniescashedinongovernmentgrantsandtaxconcessions:

Theshippingcompaniestookadvantageofgovernmentgrantsandtaxconcessions.

18.anewBritishshipwasbeinglaunchedeveryweek:

launch:

set（ashipesp.onenewlybuilt）afloat,e.g.launchasatellite发射卫星;launchanattack发动进攻;launchanewenterprise开办新企业Theverb“launch”,usedfiguratively,maybetranslatedintodifferentChineseverbs.

19.stayedaheadofthecompetitionbyinvestinginthemostsophisticatedships

1）stayedaheadofthecompetition:

haveremained