现代大学英语阅读四 4.The Duchess and the Jeweller

TheDuchessandtheJeweller,VirginiaWoolf,AdelineVirginiaWoolf(25January188228March1941)ShewasanEnglishauthor,essayist(评论家）,andwriterofshortstories,regardedasoneoftheforemostmodernistliteraryfiguresofthetwentiethcentury.Duringtheinterwarperiod,WoolfwasasignificantfigureinLondonliterarysocietyandamemberoftheBloomsburyGroup.,(一个英国艺术家和学者的团体),HermostfamousworksincludethenovelsMrsDalloway(1925),TotheLighthouse(1927)andOrlando(1928),Thebook-lengthessayARoomofOnesOwn(1929),withitsfamousdictum：Awomanmusthavemoneyandaroomofherownifsheistowritefiction.,Theplot,TheheroofthisnovelisawealthyjewellerinLondon,whonamedOliverBacon.Atfirst,thenarratoruseagreatdealofwordstodescribeBaconslife,whichisluxurious.ThenthroughBaconsmentalactivity,weknowthathegrewupinapoorneighborhoodandcamefromapoorfamily.,Theplot,Nowhelivesinabigflat,thereisamanservantserveforhim,hecouldbuyeverythinghewants,buthealwaysrecollecthispoorchildhood,thoserecollectionmakeshimunconfident,evenifheiswealthynow.SohedoesbusinesseswiththeduchessofLambourne.whentheduchessshowshimthetenpeals,hewantstotestit,buttheduchesspreventshim,hefinallygivesinbecauseofDiana,aswellasbecauseofthetemptingstatus.,Theme,Thisnovelisbasicallytosatirethesociety,inthatsociety,ifyouarethenoblestlord,youwillbehonoured.Butifyouarejustanordinarypeople,evenifyouarewealthy,youarestillanordinarypeople.,Snobbish:whenheentershisoffice,hejustwaggleshisonefingeroftheamber-colouredglove;Greedy:hisnose,whichislongandflexible,seemedtosaybyitscuriousquiveratthenostrilsthatheisnotsatisfiedyet;Ambitious:hewantstobecomeanutterclassperson;Fullofvanity:heasktheDuchesstowaitfortenminutes;,PersonalityofMr.Bacon,Myfeeling,Inmypointofview,thoughOliverBaconisagreedy,ambitiousandsnobbishman,justbecauseheissoattractedbythewealthandsocialstatus;however,heisalsosmartandquickminded,hestruggledtohiscareer,andfinally,ownedhisownstore,moreover,hisstorebecamefamousintheworldjewelrymarket.Ithinkitsgreat,heisveryintelligent.,RankinBritain,RoyalDuke大公Duke公爵Duchess公爵夫人Marquis侯爵Marchioness侯爵夫人Earl伯爵Countess伯爵夫人Viscount子爵Viscountess子爵夫人Baron男爵Baroness男爵夫人Baronet从男爵Knight骑士,StreamofConsciousness(意识流）,Streamofconsciousnessisaformofnarrative（叙事的）techniqueusedtorendertheflowofmyriad（无数的）impressionsvisual,auditory,physical,associative,andsubliminalthatimpingeontheconsciousnessofanindividualandformpartofhisawarenessalongwiththetrendofhisrationalthoughts.,IthinkitmaybedifficultforustouderstandtheexactmeaningofStreamofConsciousnessbyreadingthedefination.Theniwillgiveyouanexplanation.Aliterarytechniqueinwhichacharactersthoughtsarepresentedintheconfusing,hiskindoffiction,interiormonologuewillbecommonused.ifyouwanttolearnmoreaboutstreamofconsciousnesstechnique,youcanreadtotheLighthouse,writtenbyWoolf.,WrittingSkills,Interiormonologue:Thisstoryhappenedjustonsomedaysmorning,butthenarratorletusknowaboutMr.Baconschildhoo