英语泛读第三单元课件

Unit3Web(I)JohnWyndham

''Unit3Web(I)''1I.BackgroundInformation

''I.BackgroundInformation''21.JohnWyndham:

Englishscience-fictionwriter,whogainedfamewithhiscatastrophenovels：TheDayoftheTriffids(1951)《三角树时代》TheKrakenWakes

(1953)《海妖苏醒》TheChrysalids(1955)《蝶蛹》

''1.JohnWyndham:Englis3LifeStory:JohnWyndhamParkesLucasBeynonHarrisWasborninthevillageofKnowleinWarwickshire,England,thesonofGeorgeBeynonHarris,abarrister(大律师).Aftertryingseveralcareersincludingfarming,law,commercialartandadvertising,hestartedwritingshortstoriesforMoneyin1925.AfterservingintheCivilServiceandthearmyduringthewar,Wyndhamreturnedtowriting,inspiredbythesuccessofhisbrotherwhohadhadfournovelspublished.''LifeStory:JohnWyndhamParkes4Healteredhiswritingstyleandby1951,usingtheJohnWyndhampennameforthefirsttime,wrotethenovelTheDayoftheTriffids.ThebookprovedtobeanenormoussuccessandestablishedWyndhamasanimportantexponentofsciencefiction.HewentontowriteandpublishsixmorenovelsunderthenameJohnWyndham,allofwhichappearedinhislifetime.''Healteredhiswritingstylea5MajorworksTheDayoftheTriffids(1951),filmedin1962TheKrakenWakes(1953)waspublishedintheUnitedStatesasOutoftheDeeps.TheChrysalids(1955)waspublishedintheUnitedStatesasRe-Birth,andwasadaptedasaBBCRadio4playintheearly1980s.TheMidwichCuckoos(1957)hasbeenfilmedtwiceasVillageoftheDamned.TroublewithLichen(1960)Chocky(1968)hasbeenadaptedasaThamesTelevisionserial.''MajorworksTheDayoftheTrif6

''''7Web(1979)isashortnovelthat,althoughlesswellknown,includesallhismajorthemes.

Thefirstfournovels,writtenoverafairlyshortperiodinthe1950s,arewidelyregardedasthepeakofhisachievement.TheDayoftheTriffidsremainsbest-knownwork,butsomeofhisreadersconsiderthatTheChrysalidswasreallyhisbest.''Web(1979)isashortnovelth8CentralThemeandHeroes:

ThecentralthemeinWyndham'smajorworksiscatastrophe----thestruggleforsurvivalinextremesituations.Hisheroesareoftenordinarypeople,whotrytosustaincivilizedvalues,whenthenormalsocialsystemhascollapsed.MostofWyndham'snovelshaveacontemporary1950sEnglishmiddle-classsetting,whichtodaygivesthemanold-fashionedsense,andimpliesapropersenseofrationality.''CentralThemeandHeroes:The9AnewformofScienceFiction

AlthoughWyndhamwaswritingattheheightofthecoldwar,hisanticipationoftheriseofgeneticengineeringmeansthatthestoryremainsjustasrelevant-andterrifying-today.Wyndhamwasalsoredefiningthesciencefictiongenre.Upuntilthelate1940s,sci-fiwasalmostexclusivelysetinspaceandinvolvedwhatWyndhamhimselfdescribedas"theadventuresofgalactic(银河的)gangsters".''AnewformofScienceFiction10Bychoosinginsteadtowriteaboutsituationsthatwererationalextensionsofthepresentday,Wyndhampioneeredaformofsci-fithathelabelled"logicalfantasy"butwhichiswidelyknownnowas"speculativefiction".SimilarlyaheadoftimeistheemphasisthatWyndhamputondisruptions(破裂，瓦解)tothebiosphere(生物界)asawhole.ThefamousAmericanwriterStephenKinghascalledWyndham"perhapsthebestwriterofsciencefictionthatEnglandhaseverproduced".''Bychoosinginsteadtowritea11

Web

Web(1979)depictedthebeginningofaworldtake-overbyspiders.Itisaboutagroupformingautopiancommunityonanisland,onlytodiscoverthattheislandiscoveredwiththespiderwebofkillerspiders,andonebyonethecommunityiskilledoff.Itisascary,grippingstory.

''WebWeb(1979)d122.ScienceFiction(SF/Sci-fi):Sciencefictionisagenreoffictiondealingwiththeimpactofimaginedinnovationsinscienceortechnology,ofteninafuturisticsetting.Itdiffersfromfantasyinthat,withinthecontextofthestory,itsimaginaryelementsarelargelypossiblewithinscientificallyestablishedorscientificallypostulatedlawsofnature(thoughsomeelementsinastorymightstillbepureimaginativespeculation).''2.ScienceFiction(SF/Sci-f13Exploringtheconsequencesofsuchdifferencesisthetraditionalpurposeofsciencefiction,makingita"literatureofideas".Sciencefictionislargelybasedonwritingrationallyaboutalternativepossibilities.Thesettingsforsciencefictionareoftencontrarytoknownreality,butthemajorityofsciencefictionreliesonaconsiderabledegreeofsuspensionofdisbeliefprovidedbypotentialscientificexplanationstovariousfictionalelements.''Exploringtheconsequencesof14

Thesemayinclude:Asettinginthefuture,inalternativetimelines,orinanhistoricalpastthatcontradictsknownfactsofhistoryorthearchaeological[考古学(上)的]recordAsettinginouterspace,onotherworlds,orinvolvingaliens

''Thesemayinclude:''15StoriesthatinvolvetechnologyorscientificprinciplesthatcontradictknownlawsofnatureStoriesthatinvolvediscoveryorapplicationofnewscientificprinciples,suchastimetravelorpsionics,ornewtechnology,suchasnanotechnology,faster-than-lighttravelorrobots,orofnewanddifferentpoliticalorsocialsystems(e.g.,adystopia非理想化的地方,糟透的社会;地狱般的处境,orasituationwhereorganizedsocietyhascollapsed)''Storiesthatinvolvetechnolog16Severalearlyprecedentshavebeenclaimedforthegenre---notablyMaryShelly’sFrankenstein(1818)---buttruemodernsciencefictionbeginswithJulesVerne’sVoyageauCentredelaTerre(1864)andH.G.Well’sTheTimeMachine(1895).''Severalearlyprecedentshave17

3.Utopia(fromGreek,meaning“noplace”or“placedoesnotexist”)animaginaryisland,depictedbySirThomasMoreasaperfectsocial,legal,andpoliticalsystem.Inanegativemeaningitreferstoasocietythatisunrealisticandimpossibletorealize.Ithasalsobeenusedtodescribeactualcommunitiesfoundedinattemptstocreateanidealsociety.''3.Utopia(fromGreek,meani18II.FurtherInformationonText-RelatedDetails''II.FurtherInformationon191.theMidsummersandTanakuatua:imaginaryislandsinthePacificOcean,justastheislandinSirThomasMore’sbookUtopia.ThousandsofmainlysmallcoralandvolcanicislandsarescatteredacrossthePacificOcean,uninhabitedorisolated,suchastheonedescribedinthisnovel.Andtheybecometheperfectsiteofadventure,infictionsandreallifeaswell.''1.theMidsummersandTanakuat202.ArgoInGreekMyth,ArgowastheshiponwhichJasonsailstofindtheGoldenFleece.Inthetext,thenarratorcomparedtheirshiptoArgotoimplythattheywereabouttobeginanadventure.''2.ArgoInGreekMyth,Argo213.theAegeanSea

(爱琴海:地中海的一部分,在希腊和土耳其之间)

anarmofMediterraneanSeabetweenGreeceandTurkey;about612km.longand299km.wide.ItwasthecenterofearliestEuropeancivilization,formallycalledMycenaean(古希腊迈西尼文化)orMinoan（米诺斯文化）butinbroaderaspectsnowtermedAegean(c.3000-1100B.C.)''3.theAegeanSea

(爱琴海:地中海224.typesofvolcanoes

Apopularwayofclassifyingvolcanoesgoesbytheirfrequencyoferuption,withthosethateruptregularlycalledactive,thosethathaveeruptedinhistoricaltimesbutarenowquietcalleddormant,andthosethathavenoteruptedinhistoricaltimescalledextinct.Thehillsmentionedinthetextfallintothesecondcategory.''4.typesofvolcanoesApo235.nativesofthePacificislandsThepopulationsofthePacificarefewinnumber,andyettheyaredispersedoveranareacoveringalmostaquarterofthesurfaceoftheearth.TheculturesofthePacificdivideintothreedistinctgroups:thePolynesians(波利尼西亚人),theMicronesians(littleislands)(密克罗尼西亚人)andtheMelanesians(darkskins)(美拉尼西亚人).Thelocationsofthethreegroupsaregeographicallydistinct.WiththeexceptionoftheresidentsoftheStateoftheHawaii,Micronesiansareinthenorth,Melanesiansareinthesouth,andPolynesiansareinthemiddle.''5.nativesofthePacificisla24III.DifficultPointsoftheText''III.DifficultPointsoftheT251....whenIfirstheardofLordFoxfield’sProject.(Line26)

Whatwastheproject?Theprojectwastobuildafreeandpoliticallyindependentsocietyinwhichpeoplewereabletocreateanewwayoflife.''1....whenIfirstheardofL262.…inwouldcomethefutureEinsteins,

NewtonsandCuries.(Line70)

Explainthesentence.Einstein,Newton,andCuriewereallgreatscientists.Sothesentencemeanspeopleoftalentandpotentialwouldcomeandwouldbecomegreatscientistslikethosementionedabove.''2.…inwouldcomethefuture273.In“normal”circumstancesIwouldalmost

certainlyseesomeonelikehimascrazy.

(Line78)

What“abnormal”circumstanceswasheinatthattime?

Hejustrecoveredfromaterriblecaraccident.Hisjudgmentwasupsetbythedeathofhisdaughterandwife.''3.In“normal”circumstancesI284.TheMidsummersmeantnothingtomeatthetime…(Line126)

Whatisthemeaningofthesentence?IknewnothingabouttheMidsummers''4.TheMidsummersmeantnothin295.Afterthemeeting,theProjectbecame

realinanewsense.(Line129)

HowdidtheProjectbecomerealinanew

sense?LordFoxfieldfoundaplacetobuildthesociety,whichmadetheProjectpractical.''5.Afterthemeeting,theProj306.“Youareleavingtoplantaseedina

bravenewworld…”(Line169)

Whatdoestheword“brave”meanin

thesentence?”

“Brave”heremeans“wonderful”.''6.“Youareleavingtoplanta317.Therewasalotmoreofthis,…(Line173)

Whatdoes“this”referto?

“This”referstoLordFoxfield’sconfusingspeech.''7.Therewasalotmoreofthi328.Horacewasthelifeofanyparty---and

perhapshefoundoneinPanama,…

(Line200)

WhatwasHoracelike?

Whatdoes“one”referto?Hewasthekindofpersonwhoenjoyedsocialoccasionsandwasfunandexcitingtobewith.“One”herereferstoapartyotherthanours.''8.Horacewasthelifeofany339.Sheseemsalonelyfigure---there,

butnotwithus.(Line213)

Explainthissentence.Shewastherewithus,butlostinherownthoughts.''9.Sheseemsalonelyfigure-3410.Iwasabouttosail,notontheSusannahDingly

butonanewArgo.AsIlookthoughtfullyinto

thewatersoftheThames,itisnotLondon’s

dirtyriverthatIseebuttheshiningwatersof

theAegean---andadistantislandinwhicha

lostworldwillbebornagain.(Line218)

Howdidhefeelatthattime?

Howdoyouknow?Hewasexcitedandfilledwithhope.HequotedtheAncientGreekstoryoftheArgoinquestoftheGoldenFleece,asifhe,himself,wassailingonaholyjourneyforagreatdiscovery.''10.Iwasabouttosail,noto3511.Ah,well,itwillbetriedagain,Isuppose.

(Line229)

Whatdoes“it”referto?‘It’referstotheideaofbuildinganewandfreesocietylikewhattheyweredoingintheProject.''11.Ah,well,itwillbetried3612.Bothofthehillsare,infact,volcanoes---

butneitherappearedtohaveshownlife

forthousandsofyears.(Line240)

Whatkindofvolcanoescanyouguess

theymightbe?Maybetheywereextinctordormantvolcanoes.''12.Bothofthehillsare,in3713.Buttogetherwiththiswakingcamea

feelingofalarmsimilartothatwhichI

imaginetofollowalossofmemory.

(Line260)

Whatgavehimthefeelingofalarm?HisnewandmorerealisticrealizationabouttheProjectandhiscompanionsalarmedhim.''13.Buttogetherwiththiswak3814.Andnoanimalorplanthasaright

toexist.(Line377)

What’sCamilla’sargument?Allthelivingthingshavetochangeandfightfortheirexistence.''14.Andnoanimalorplanthas3915....butIhadthefeelingthattheisland

wasthinking…waiting.(Line401)

Whydidhefeeltheislandwasthinking

andwaiting?Becausehewasworriedthatsomethingterriblemighthappeninthefuture.''15....butIhadthefeelingt4016.“We’dbetternottelltheothersfor

themoment.”(Line417)

WhydidWaltersuggestnottelling

theothersforthemoment?Becausehedidn’twanttocausemorepanicandtrouble.''16.“We’dbetternottellthe4117.Onthebeachwerehalfadozen

brownpatches.(Line480)

Whatwerethebrownpatches?Theyweregroupsofspiders.''17.Onthebeachwerehalfad42IV.KeytoMultiple-ChoiceQuestions1.D2.A3.C4.A5.B''IV.KeytoMultiple-ChoiceQue43V.SuggestedVersions

ofTranslatedExercise''V.SuggestedVersions''44Iwenttostaywithmysisterin

Tonbridge,butcontinuedtofeelemptyinbothheartandmind.(Line23)我搬去汤布里奇和姐姐同住，但是内心空虚失落。''Iwenttostaywithmysister452.Wewouldliketostartfromthebeginningagain

andencouragepeopletoquestionbeliefsthey

havealwaysheld---principleswhichtiethemto

theworldasitisratherthantotheworldasit

couldbe.Theaimwillbetothrowoffthepast

andlooktothefuture.(Line60)

我们要再一次从头开始，鼓励人们去质询他们一直以来所坚持的信仰——那种将他们束缚于现实世界而不去追求理想世界的原则。我们的目标是抛弃过去，展望未来。''2.Wewouldliketostartfrom463.NeitherWalternorIwashappy

aboutthequalityofperson---and

wecametorealizethattheProject

wasattractivetothosewhofoundit

difficulttofitintothesocietythey

wantedtoleave.(Line131)

我和沃尔特都不满意所选中的人的素质—而且我们开始意识到，这个计划只对那些很难融入他们想要逃离的这个社会的人有吸引力。''3.NeitherWalternorIwasha474.Itisasadphotograph.Wemaynotlook

much,buteachofuswasthenfilledwith

highhopes.Andtheideathathadbrought

ustogetherwasmuchgreaterthan

ourselves.(Line225)这张照片照得很糟糕。我们看起来可能不怎么样，但是，那时每个人心中都充满了美好的希望。那个使我们走到一起的理想远远超越了我们自身。''4.Itisasadphotograph.We485.Mysecondthought,though,wasthatit

lookedtoogoodtobetrue.(Line329)再仔细想想，我觉得这一切看上去太好了，好得那么不真实。''5.Mysecondthought,though,49

VI.KeytoText-RelatedQuestions''VI.KeytoText-RelatedQuest501.HowdidArnoldgetinvolvedintheProject?Whatroledidheplayinit?ArnoldwasinvitedtodinnerbyhissistertomeetWalter,oneoftheinitiatorsoftheProject.Hewasexcitedatthethoughtofleavingbehindtheproblemsandworriesofthepresentandhelpingtobuildacleannewworldinacleannewplace.''1.HowdidArnoldgetinvolved51AfterhemetLordFoxfield,hegotthejobofpreparingadocumentthatlistedthelawsofthenewsocietyandtherightsofitscitizens.Therefore,generallyspeaking,hisroleintheProjectwastohelpmakedecisionsaboutthebestwaysoforganizingthenewsocietyandpreventthedevelopmentoflesssatisfactoryformsoforganization.''AfterhemetLordFoxfield,522.WhatwasLordFoxfield’sideaoftheProject?

How