现代大学英语精读2_

1、Unit 4The Nightingale and the RoseBackground InformationnFairy talesnWhat is it?nHans Andersen & Grimm BrothersnFeaturesnOscar OWildenArts for arts sakeFairy TalesWhat is your favourite fairy tale? What is it?nWitches and Queensngiants and elves (精灵) nprinces and princessesntalking animalsWhat is it

2、?nMarvelous and magical things happen: na boy may become a birdna princess may sleep for a hundred years What is it?nAlways same ending and similar theme: ntruth prevails over deceptionngenerosity is ultimately rewardednhard work overcomes obstaclesnlove, mercy and kindness are the greatest powers o

3、f allHans Christian Andersenn“The King of Tales”n The Little MermaidnThe Emperors New ClothesnThe Ugly DucklingnThe Princess and The PeaGrimm BrothersnCinderellan Sleeping Beautyn The Frog Kingn The Fisherman & His Wifen Snow Whiten Little Red-CapFeatures of fairy talesnfrequent use of personificati

4、onnsymbolic meaning given to wordsnvivid, simple narrationnrepetitive pattern usedOscar OWilde(1854-1900)Oscar OWildenIrish-born novelist, playwright, poet, and criticnKnown for witty, often paradoxical, sayings that lampoon the social modes and behavior of the English upper classes of his timenCham

5、pioning the aesthetic movement, which is based on the idea of art for arts sake Oscar OWilden“As a youngster he was exposed to the brilliant literary talk of the day at his mothers Dublin salon.” n“As an aesthete, the eccentric young Wilde wore long hair and velvet knee breeches （天鹅绒及膝马裤）. His rooms

6、 were filled with various objects such as sunflowers, peacock feathers, and blue china; Wilde claimed to aspire to the perfection of the china.” Oscar OWildenOnly novel: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) nFour most distinctive and engaging comedies: nLady Windermeres Fan (1892)nA Woman of No Importa

7、nce (1893)nAn Ideal Husband (1895)nThe Importance of Being Earnest (1895) Quotes from WildenMen become old, but they never become good. Lady Windermeres Fan.nA man who moralizes is usually a hypocrite, and a woman who moralizes is invariably plain. Lady Windermeres Fan.nRich bachelors should be heav

8、ily taxed. It is not fair that some men should be happier than others. In Conversation.nMen are horribly tedious when they are good husbands, and abominably conceited when they are not. A Woman of No Importance.Quotes from WildenA bad man is the sort of man who admires innocence, and a bad woman is

9、the sort of woman a man never gets tired of. A Woman of No Importance.n Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood. The Sphinx Without a Secret.nThe more one analyses people, the more all reasons for analysis disappear. Sooner or later one comes to that dreadful universal thing called human n

10、ature. The Decay of Lying.Quotes from WildenWe are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell. The Duchess of Padua.nThe world is a stage, but the play is badly cast. Lord Arthur Saviles Crime.nTo love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance. Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of

11、the Young.nYoung men want to be faithful and are not; old men want to be faithless and cannot. The Picture of Dorian Gray.Art for Arts SakeArt for Arts Sakenshould not paint or write for financial, political or religious reasons. n“ Ah, I have read all that the wise men have written my life is made

12、wretched.” (para.3)n“ She has form. That cannot be denied. But has she got feeling? Im afraid not. In fact, like most artists, she is all style without any sincerity.” (para.34)Art for Arts Saken“Art for arts sake,” said Somerset Maugham , “makes no more sense than gin for gins sake.” The artists wo

13、rks, being part of his human activities, must be guided by his sense of moral responsibility, by what he conceives to be true, good and beautiful.Word Studyn1. wretchedn2. for want ofn3. balln4. flingn5. fluttern6. something ofn7. soarn8. plotn9. bloom/blossomn10. chill/chillyn11. stainn12. filmn13.

14、 lingern14. go withn15. dance to the sound ofn16. delicaten n1. wretchednadj. 1)very unhappy or illnThe wretched man has lost all his money. （不幸的男人）na wretched cripple （可怜的跛子）nfeel wretched after illness （病后感到苦恼）n2) (only before noun) making you feel annoyed or angryna wretched headache 剧烈的头痛nWhat w

15、retched weather! 多么讨厌的天气！多么讨厌的天气！ n2. for want of: for the lack ofnFor want of a better word, lets call it Me-firstism. (As I cant think of a better word, lets call it me-firstism.)nFor want of something better to do she decided to try gardening. (As she could not find anything more interesting to d

16、o, she decided to try gardening.) n3. ballnn. a large formal occasion at which people dancengive a ball/attend a ball/danced all night at the ballnhave a ball: (informal) to have a very good timenWe had a ball at the party last night.nHave a ball on your trip.nThese are films to have a ball with. n4

17、. flingn1) to throw something quickly with a lot of force: fling sth. at/into/onnShe flung her shoe at the cat.nHe flung his book on the table.n2) fling oneself into: to begin to do something using a lot of effort.nThe little boy flung himself into his mothers arms.nShe flung herself down on the sof

18、a. After the divorce he flung himself into his work and tried to forget her.n3) fling a door/window etc. open: to quickly and suddenly open a door, window etc. We flung open all the windows.n5. fluttern1) if a bird or insect flutters its wings or if its wings flutter, its wings move quickly and ligh

19、tly up and down.nLittle sparrows fluttered among the branches. 小麻雀在枝条间飞来飞去。nButterflies fluttered from flower to flower.n2) To wave or move gently in the air:nDead leaves fluttered slowly to the ground.nThe telegram fluttered from his finger to the floor.n3) If your heart or your stomach flutters, y

20、ou feel very excited or nervous. His heart fluttered with fear. 他因害怕而心跳得厉害。 The dying mans pulse fluttered feebly. 垂死者的脉搏微弱地跳动着。n6. something of: in some sense to be, but not fully deserving the nameHe is something of an economist among us because his grandfather used to own a little store.She is so

21、mething of a dentist in our village although the method she uses os quite crude.n7. cynic: someone who is not willing to believe that people have good, honest, or sincere reasons for doing something, who believes that everybody is motivated by selfishnessEven the most hardened cynic must agree that

22、charity does some good. ncynical: adj. +about unwilling to believe that people have good, honest, or sincere reasons for doing something He was getting harder and more cynical about life. 他变得更加冷酷和愤世嫉俗。 The enormous difficulties make him cynical about the feasibility of the idea. 由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑

23、态度。 n8 soar:n1) to fly, especially very high up in the sky an eagle soaring into the sky 搏击长空的鹰 soar over the ocean 在大海上空翱翔 The second missile soared into space. 第二枚导弹升入太空。n2) (amounts, prices etc.) to increase quickly to a high level The birthrate continues to soar. 出生率继续剧增。 The figures for unemplo

24、yment have soared above the 1 million mark. 失业人数已猛增到100万以上。nsoaring: adj. a soaring skyscraper 高耸入云的摩天大楼soaring prices 飞涨的物价n9 plot: 1) a small piece of land a vegetable plot蔬菜地/a cemetery plot墓地/a plot of barley 一块大麦地 2) the set of connected events that a story, film etc is based on: The plot of “T

25、win Peaks” was so complicated that I couldnt follow it. 3) a secret plan, involving several people, to do something harmful or illegal: +to a plot against the government/ a plot to assassinate the President hatch a plot: start making a plann9 bloom 1)n. a flower or flowersthe bloom of a cherry tree/

26、green leaves with red blooms 绿叶红花 in (full) bloom: with the flowers fully openThe roses are in blooms. the bloom of youth: (literary) the best or happiest time when you are young in the bloom of youth 在青春焕发时期n2) v. That bush will bloom soon. The friendship between them bloomed when they found out ho

27、w many interests they shared. cf. blossom: usually refer to the flower on fruit trees or busha blossoming apple treeThis tree had an excellent blossom this year. n10. chill v. if you chill something such as food or drink or if it chills, it becomes very cold but does not freezeChill the champagne in

28、 a bucket of ice.Serve the melon chilled.Nothing could chill his love for her.Enthusiasm chilled with the news.消息传来，热情顿时低落下来。nn. a feeling of coldness; a feeling of fear caused by something that is very unpleasant or cruelTheres a real chill in the air.The bad news put a chill into us all. adj. unpl

29、easantly colda chill wind一股冷风 chilling: a chilling wind/ a chilling tale恐怖故事/ a chilling reply冷冰冰的答复 nchilly: 1) cold enough to make you feel uncomfortableThe winds a bit chilly. 2) unfriendlythe speech met with a chilly reception. n11. stain v. 1) to accidentally make a mark on something, especiall

30、y one that cannot be removed, or to be marked in this way: +with His shirt was stained with blood. Cigarettes stained the fingers. 2) to change the color of something, especially something made of wood, by using a special chemical or dye The wooden chair has been stained brown. 这把木椅子已涂成了棕色。 3)stain

31、sbs name/honour/reputation etc: (literary) to damage the good opinion that people have about someone His name was stained with acts of cruelty. 他的残忍行为破坏了他的名声。 n. blood/ink/wine stain a stain on sbs character/reputation etc. 12 film: a very thin layer of something that appears on the surface of something elsea film of oil on the surface of the water 13. linger 1)to