现代大学英语精读3 Lesson 9 A Dill Pickle

nullLesson Nine Text A A Dill PickleLesson Nine Text A A Dill PickleI. About the Author:I. About the Author:nullKatherine Mansfield was born in Wellington, New Zealand, into a middle-class colonial family. Her father, Harold Beauchamp, was a banker and mother, Annie Burnell Dyer, a genteel. She lived for six years in the rural village of Karori. Mansfield has later told that "I imagine I was always writing. Twaddle it was, too. But better far write twaddle or anything, anything, that nothing at all." At the age of nine she had her first text published. As a first step to her rebellion against her background, she withdrew to London in 1903 and studied at the Queen's College, where she joined the staff of the College Magazine. Back in New Zealand in 1906, she then took up music, and had affairs with both men and women. Her father denied her the opportunity to become a professional cello player - she was accomplished violoncellist. In 1908 she studied at Wellington Techical College typing and bookkeeping. Her lifelong friend Ida Baker (L.M., Leslie Moore in her diary and correspondence) persuaded Mansfield's father to allow Katherine to move back to England, with an allowance of £100 a year. There she devoted herself to writing. Mansfield never visited New Zealand again.nullII. About the Title: Dill: n. an aromatic herb native to Eurasia with finely dissected leaves and small yellow flowers clustered in umbels. 【植】莳萝(产于欧亚的一种芳香型草本植物，长有纤细分裂的叶子和成伞形花序的小黄花簇)，草茴香。 the leaves or seeds of this plant, used as a seasoning. 莳萝的种子(这种植物的叶子和籽可用作调味品)。dill pickle 莳萝泡菜 Pickle: an edible product, such as a cucumber, that has been preserved and flavored in a solution of brine or vinegar. 腌菜，泡菜(一种在盐水或醋溶液中保存和调味的可食性产品，如腌黄瓜)。nullIII. About the Text: Focus: Interpretation of the theme or themes linked to understand the two characters what happened to them 6 years ago, why don’t they live together since both of them are single. Difficulty: use of symbols. Content and theme: a) learn to piece together the plot of a fragmentary story. b) give character sketches of the 2 people in the story and find out evidence from the text to support the sketches. c) discuss the major themes of the story. Techniques and Languages: Use of metaphors and symbols Use of stream of consciousness (Para. 16 --- 21) Use of point of view/perspective. Mansfield’s style.nullQuestions for preview: 1. The first series of questions are related to the plot of the story. What is the plot of the story? How is the plot revealed? Is there much action in the story? Do you like this way of telling stories? 2. The second series of questions are related to the understanding of the character. How could you describe the two characters and why? How are they portrayed? Do you like these kinds of people? Is the man insensitive, or is the woman oversensitive? 3. What are some of the major symbols? 4. Work in pairs and imagine yourselves to meet former lovers who haven’t seen each other for 6 years. Now you supposed to design the dialogue with your former lovers.nullIV. Details of the Text and Language Points: Part One (para. 1 --- 12): The greeting of the two former lovers. Q: What do you think of the beginning? A: Arousing the reader’s curiosity: What is their relationship? How do you think the story would go on in your imagination? Q: Don’t you know your former boyfriend/girlfriend only six years later? A: No. He/She should be the person at the bottom of my heart, should never be forgotten. Q: What do you think of the trick of interrupting? A: His habit of interrupting her, disrespectful, self-involved, showing little interest in bearing what she wants to say or how she feels perhaps is one of the reasons for her to leave him --- selfish.null(1)Daffodil: n. a bulbous plant with showy, usually yellow flowers with a trumpet-shaped central crown. 黄水仙(一种球茎状的植物，开有艳丽的，通常为黄色的花和喇叭状的花冠)。 (2)Light up: 1. to become or cause to become animated or cheerful. （使）变得容光焕发或振奋。 2. to start smoking a cigarette, cigar, or pipe. 点香烟，开始吸香烟或雪茄、烟斗。 (3)Exclaim: vi. to cry out suddenly or vehemently, as from surprise or emotion. 喊叫，由于惊奇或激动而突然或强烈地喊叫：The children exclaimed with excitement. 孩子们激动地喊了起来。 (8)Loathe: v. to dislike (someone or something) greatly; abhor. 厌恶，很不喜欢（某人或某事）；憎恶。 (12)Exasperate: v. 1. to make very angry or impatient; annoy greatly. 激怒，使生气或不耐烦；非常令人恼怒。 2. to increase the gravity or intensity of. 使加剧，增加严重性或紧张程度。nullPart Two (para. 13 --- 64): The meeting of the two former lovers. Para. 13 --- 15: The first episode in their memory: his naivety and lack of grace in the past and her readiness to reconstruct her own memory. His memory: Sunshine flower, her beautiful voice vs. Her memory: his absurdness, chasing wasps among those elegant people, her embarrassment. (13)Haunting: adj. continually recurring to the mind; unforgettable. 萦绕心头的，经常出现在脑中的；不能够忘怀的：a haunting melody. 萦绕心头的旋律。 (14)Maniac: n. an insane person. 疯子，不理智的人。 (14)Flap: v. to hit with something broad and flat; slap. 拍打，用宽而扁平的物体击打；拍击。 (14)Infuriate: v. to make furious; enrage. 使生气；激怒。nullPara. 16 --- 21: The second episode in their memory: the man: madly in love, having a sweet tongue, yet still immature and impractical, a kind of mother and children relation with Vera. “warm sunshine” use of stream of consciousness. (18)Lean over: 弯下身子；俯身于...之上。 (20)Moan: n. a low, sustained, mournful cry, usually indicative of sorrow or pain. 呜咽，一种很低，痛苦的，悲伤的哭，通常 表 关于同志近三年现实表现材料材料类招标技术评分表图表与交易pdf视力表打印pdf用图表说话 pdf 现悲伤或痛苦。 Para. 22: Her present judgment of the man: the sharp comparison --- lost all that dreamy vagueness and indecision. Q: “the air of a man who has found his place in life. He must have made money, too. His clothes were admirable….” What is the further meaning of the sentence? A: He is successful and financially able to help her realize her dreams. Yet she leaves him again because she recognizes that he has not changed --- he was too egotistical. (22)Air: n. personal bearing, appearance, or manner; mien. 气质，风度，个人的举止、外表或行为方式；态度。 nullPara. 23 --- 31: His sharp transition to talk about his trip to Russia. Q: What is “a strange beast”? A: “a strange beast” uses implied metaphor. Para. 31 is a vivid description of Vera’s inner desire that is compared to the strange beast. What Vera’s wanted from life had been suppressed for some time, but that it was something that could not be controlled for good. (24)Hover: v. to remain or linger in or near a place. 在某处或其附近逗留；徘徊：hovering around the speaker's podium. 在演讲台边徘徊。 (31)Slumber: vi. to sleep. 睡觉。 To be dormant or quiescent. 静止，处于休眠的或静止的。 (31)Stir: vt. to excite strong feelings in. 激起，激起对…的强烈感情。 vi. to be roused or affected by strong feelings. 激动，被强烈的感情激发或影响。 (31)Prick up: v. 竖起, (风)加剧。nullPara. 32 --- 44: The man’s Russian traveling experience. Q: Why does author remark their traveling plan? A: Traveling is a form of freedom, a way of expanding one’s horizon. The obstacles for Vera no traveling are her being a woman, her deteriorating financial status and her health condition. Q: Why does the man “let it go at that (para. 40)”? A: The third evidence (para. 34 --- 40) that he is not interested in knowing her life. Maybe his lack of interest in knowing her present life comes partly from his intention to snub her for revenge. Q: What is the literary technique of Para. 32, 41 and 43? A: Author describes Vera’s great power of imagination --- able to visualize things and her sensitivity to natural beauty, to music and art. Also notice her great imagination to fantasize or daydream --- to indulge herself in some idealistic, romantic, aesthetic, yet impractical imagination. null(36)Amaze at: to surprise at. 使吃惊。 (37)Grimace: n. a sharp contortion of the face expressive of pain, contempt, or disgust. 鬼脸，怪相，脸的极端扭曲以表示痛苦、轻蔑或厌恶。 (40) let go: to cease to employ; dismiss. 解开,释放；不再雇用，解雇：had to let 20 workers go. 必须解雇二十名工人。 (41)Melancholy: adj. 1. affected with or marked by depression of the spirits; sad. 忧郁的，悲哀的，受情绪低落影响的。 2. tending to promote sadness or gloom. 引起悲哀或郁闷的：a letter with some melancholy news. 带来令人悲伤的消息的信。 (42)Impulsive: adj. inclined to act on impulse rather than thought. 易冲动的，倾向于冲动行事而不深思熟虑的。 (42)Coachman: n. a man who drives a coach or carriage. 车夫，驾驶四轮大马车或马车的人(43)Rippling: adj. 起涟漪的, 潺潺流水般声音的nullPara. 45 --- 46: The contrast between now and then: there used to be a deep bond between them but now he has apparently withdrawal from this emotional involvement. That is why Vera is not sure if he is just mocking her when he says she is a marvelous listener. (45)Content: adj. 1. desiring no more than what one has; satisfied. 满意的，不再有所求的。 2. ready to accept or acquiesce; willing. 情愿的，愿意接受或默认的；甘愿的：She was content to step down after four years as chief executive. 她在担任了四年主管之后甘愿让位。 (45) Marvelous: adj. of the highest or best kind or quality; first-rate. 最佳的，在性质或品质上最好的或绝妙的；一流的：has a marvelous collection of rare books. 拥有一流珍本书籍的收藏。 (46)Mockery: n. scornfully contemptuous ridicule; derision. 嘲讽，责备地鄙视可笑之事；嘲笑。nullPara. 47 --- 52: Once again he seems to be playing with her --- a sentimental episode: to arouse her loving response and then humiliating her by saying how he has forgotten he past, how he has moved on in his own life. (47)Miserable: adj. very uncomfortable or unhappy; wretched. 痛苦的，非常不舒适或不快乐的；可怜的。 (51)Snap: vt. to snatch at with or as if with the teeth; bite. 猛咬，用牙或似乎是用牙齿咬住，咬。 (52)Picture: n. a person or an object bearing a marked resemblance to another. 酷似，化身，与另一人或物具有极明显相似性的人或物：She's the picture of her mother. 她酷似她的妈妈。 Para. 53 --- 56: Vera still has preserved a tender spot for his man, however, the man perhaps truly insensitive and unaware that he has hurt her or perhaps purposefully mocking her. (55)clutch at: v. 抓住。null(55)Barbarian: n. 1. a member of a people considered by those of another nation or group to have a primitive civilization. 原始人，未开化的人，被其他民族或群体视为拥有原始文化的人。 2. a fierce, brutal, or cruel person. 凶暴、粗野或残酷的人。 3. an insensitive, uncultured person; a boor. 粗鲁不文，感觉不灵敏，没有文化的人；乡巴佬。 (56)die down: to lose strength; subside. 渐弱，消退，没劲了；平静了：The winds died down. 风渐渐平息了。 Para. 57 --- 64: The last dramatic turn of their relationship. Para. 57: His honeyed tongue. Para. 58: Her awakening love for him. Para. 59: His paradoxical insights. Para. 60: She regrets to pop up. Para. 61 --- 63: The possibility for the two to understand each other and renew their relationship. null(58)Purr: vi. to make or utter a soft, vibrant sound. 产生或发出一种轻柔且颤动的声音：The cat purred. The sewing machine purred. 猫发出呜呜声。缝纫机呜呜地响着。 vt. to express by a soft, vibrant sound. 用轻柔振颤的声音表达。 (60)Throw away: 1. to get rid of as useless. 抛弃，扔掉，作为无用而除去：threw away yesterday's newspaper. 扔掉昨天的报纸。 (61)Just the same: 1. adv. 完全一样, 还是。 2. nevertheless. 然而，不过。 (64)Scrape: vt. 1. to rub (a surface) with considerable pressure, as with an edged instrument or a hard object. 摩擦，使劲用带梭或坚硬的物体磨（表面）。 (64)Wrapped up in: completely immersed or absorbed in. 全神贯注于，完全沉浸于或专注于：She is wrapped up in her studies. 她埋头苦读。 (64)Naive: adj. simple and credulous as a child; ingenuous. 天真的，如同孩子般简单和易轻信的；天真的。 (64)Hearty: adj. expressed warmly, exuberantly, and unrestrainedly. 热心的，热烈地、奔放地和毫无拘束地表达的：a hearty welcome. 热烈的欢迎。nullPart Three (para. 65): The unexpected final. Many questions left here: 1. If he were playing out his little revenge, then why is he astonished beyond words after Vera leaves? 2. Has he ever thought that Vera would want to renew the relationship after his honeyed tongue? 3. And why does Vera leave? “thunder-struck, astounded beyond words” shows his total incomprehension of Vera’s thoughts and feelings. (65)thunderstruck: adj. affected with sudden astonishment or amazement. 大吃一惊的，吓坏了的，被突然的吃惊或诧异所震动的。nullV. Questions for students to think: 1. Do you agree with the man’s conclusion? 2. How do you explain Vera’s loneliness? 3. What is your definition of love? 4. How do you understand the title --- the Dill Pickle?