现代大学英语精读第一册 Lesson3

Lesson Three Message of the Land

Teaching Objectives:

A. To know the background information about the author, and the style of this text.

B. To acquire the key words, important and difficult sentences and language points

C. To understand and master the usage of the basic rhetorical devices: simile and metaphor

D. To understand the connotation of the title and main idea of the text. Teaching Procedure:

I. Pre-task

1. Warm up

Individual questions:

The title “Message of the Land’ means that land can convey something to people. Then what does land convey to people, or what role does land play in people’s daily life in your mind?

What is people’s attitude to land nowadays?

2. Background information:

The author:

Pira Sudham(1942~)is an English writer in Thailand . He was born in a poor family in rural Esarn, in the northeast of the country. At the age of 14, he traveled to Bangkok to become a temple boy, a servant to the monks. He continued to study and won entrance to Thailand’s top University, Chulalongkorn. He later won a New Zealand government scholarship which allowed him to travel from New Zealand to Australia, China’s Hong Kong and Europe. Pira Sudham never forgets Esarn, where he experienced poverty and injustices in his early years, and which became the background for many of his short stories and novels. His novel Monsoon Country made him a nominee for the 1990 Nobel Prize for the literature. This text is adapted from the farmer and his wife in guidebook to better reading series published in 1982. The city: Bangkok

Bangkok, population 8,538,610 (1990), is the capital and largest city of Thailand. The city is located on the east bank of the Chao Phraya River, near the Gulf of Thailand. Bangkok is one of the fastest-growing, most economically dynamic and socially progressive cities in Southeast Asia. Local people like to think that it is emerging as a regional centre to rival Singapore and Hong Kong, but it suffers from major infrastructure and social problems as a result of its rapid growth. It is also one of the world's most popular tourist destinations.

Bangkok is the economic center of Thailand. The Chao Phraya River allows Bangkok to function as a port. The Stock Exchange of Thailand is located in Bangkok. Tourism is a major source of revenue. The city contains many Buddhist temples (known in Thai as Wats), among the best known being Wat Pho and Wat Arun. Thailand Buddhism

Buddhism is Thailand's main religion. 94% of Thai people are Buddhist. The other are Muslim, Catholic or Chinese. Buddhism was born 2,546 years ago (the official year in Thailand is the year 2003 and the traditional year is the year 2546). Buddhism is linked with the historical Indian prince, Siddharta Gautama, who became the Buddha and reached the enlightenment. Now his teachings are still followed. His teachings say that people suffer because they are attached to material things, to women or men by heart links. These links cause suffer, jealousy so pain. People are never satisfied, i.e. they want more money, more power. The aim of Buddhism is to get rid of these pains and of these links. There are several kinds of Buddhism. Thai Buddhism is called Theravada Buddhism.

Quote from the author:

The following is a part of the author’s remarks, based on which we can have a glimpse of the poor of Tailand.

“If I had not left my village then, I would have been subject like most villagers, to the mercy of nature: floods, drought, disease, ignorance and scarcity. With endurance, I would have accepted them as my own fate, as something I can not go against in this life.”

II. Task cycle:

Theme of the text:

The text tells about the deep regret of the old people over the loss of traditional values and the way of life.

Structure of the text:

The text can be divided into two parts:

Part I (paras 1-7): about the interview of wife.

Part II: (paras. 8—11) about the farmer’s speech

In-class discussion:

Question: What kind of writing does this text belong to?

Answer: This text is an essay in a very broad sense of the word, or rather an interview.

It is written down by the writer who interviewed a farmer and his wife. (Since the World War II it has become popular for writers to interview people, record what they say and, after some, not too much, editing, publish these people’s stories in book form.)

Question: What are stylistic features of essay?

Answer: Generally speaking, the style of essay is colloquial. The language is

straightforward. The sentences are short and words are small and easy, which help readers to understand what’s going on.

Questions in mind:

What do we learn from the old couple in the interview? What are their characteristics?

What problems does the old couple meet with?

What is the root of the problem?

Are there any effective ways to solve the problem?

Detailed study of the Text:

1).

to belong to sb: to be owned by sb.

“Yes, these are our rice fields. They belonged to my parents and forefathers. The land is more than three centuries old.”

Question: In the first paragraph, why does the wife start her conversation with the talk about the land?

Answer: The wife has already regarded the land as part of her life. This is the land

where her parents and forefathers lived and it is bound with family history and tradition. It represents the root of her family.

2). …Sentence structure: the emphatic structure.

Pattern: it is \was …that\who…

Function: to emphasize some parts in a sentence,

e.g. the subject. e.g. the object. e.g. the adverbial of place)

It was that the policeman caught a pickpocket on No. 933 bus. (the adverbial of time)

Task: Make sentence according to each pattern

“As” introduces a defining relative clause, and functions as its subject, representing what is stated in the main clauses.

More examples:

As is known to all, Taiwan belongs to China. (as-----subject of the clause) As is often the case, the boy was late for class. (as-----subject of the clause) Question: What is the cultural connotation in this sentence?

Answer: When we got married) my husband came to live in our house. It was the tradition here in Esarn that the bridegroom should come to live with the bride’s family. away as soon as we could jeans for them. ( para 1)

the rest (of sth): the remaining people or things; the others

e.g. 其中一本书比较难，其他的简单。

One of the books is quite difficult; the rest are easy.

to afford sth.\to do sth.: to have enough money to buy or to do sth.

e.g. 目前，我负担不起去欧洲旅行。

At the moment, I can’t afford a trip to Europe.

two boys and two girls: used as the appositive of “the rest”

More examples:

Your father, a proud and unbending man, refused all help that was offered him. Playing football, his only interest in life, brought him many friends.

A dry lightning storm, that is, a thunderstorm without rain, started a fire in a

remote part of the forest in August.

The whole sentence: Our other children—two boys and two girls—left as soon as we had the money to buy them jeans. (para 2)

(every) now and then: from time to time; now and again; occasionally

stay a few days: Here the phrase “a few days” is used adverbially.

be off: be away from a place,

6). …and tell us that they are doing well. I know this is not always true. (para 2)

The whole sentence: …although they always tell us that everything is fine with them, I know they also have difficulties and problems. They just do not tell us because they

do not want us to worry.

7) …it is like a knife piercing my heart. (para 2)

The whole sentence: When I hear about their hardships, I feel very bad.

8) It’Sentence structure: These three clauses are all restrictive relative clause and they are the parallel structure.

The whole sentence: News about my children’s problems doesn’t make my husband as sad as me. He doesn’t bother about what is happening around us and to our children. He never says anything about them. mind: take care of; attend to

“minding his own life”: this present participle phrase functioning as adverbial of accompanying circumstances

The whole sentence He’s always been patient and talks little. He just does his duty and carries on his life.

Cf. “ mind one’s own business” ----------＞“don’t interfere” year after year: every year for many years

The whole sentence: Our land is getting poorer with each passing year, like us who are getting old, weak and tired.

“bleeding year after year”: this present participle phrases functions here as a cause. More example:

They sent us their statement, hoping to get our support.

They went on with their struggle, thinking theirs was a just cause.

Not having received an answer, he decided to write another letter to them.

The doctor, not wishing to make her nervous, did not fully explain the seriousness

of her condition.

“getting old and exhausted”: (rhetorical device) personification

Personification:

Definition: Referring to inanimate things or abstractions as if they were human. It is a kind of metaphor.

More examples:

The youth were singing, laughing and playing the music instruments. The twentieth year!

11) … but in a bad year, 3)

it’s not only: a kind of emphatic structure.

break: “break” in this sentence governs both “ploughs” and “hearts”, therefore we call this kind of rhetorical device as syllipsis.

Syllipsis (一语双叙)

Definition: a single word is made to modify or govern two or more words in the same sentence.

More examples:

The senator picked up his hat as well as his courage.

COATTAILS: Clothes that fit the man and the times. (Advert. In New York Times

Magazine, 1980)

Ten minutes later, the coffee and Commander Dana of Naval Intelligence arrived

simultaneously.

蜜蜂是在酿蜜，又是在酿造生活，……

----杨朔《荔枝蜜》

水调数声持酒听，午醉醒来愁未醒。送春出去几时回？临晚镜，伤流景，往

事后期空记省。

----张先《天仙子》

第二位汪太太过了门没生孩子，只生病。在家养病反倒把这病养家了，不肯

离开她，所以她终年娇弱得很……

----钱钟书《围城》

The whole sentence: … but when there is a drought, the land is so hard that the ploughs break. And we become very, very sad.

Question: Summarize these three paragraphs:

Answer: The wife tells us briefly about her family and how all her children left.

12) Only ten years ago, you could barter for things, but now it’s all cash. (para 4) The whole sentence: Just ten years ago, we cold exchange one thing for another, but today we have to use money to get everything we need. (In the past, we were more or less self-sufficient. But now, we have to buy everything in the market.)

13) used to do sth….but no longer…: it is often used to show a change

e.g. They used to come and see their parents every week, but no longer.

他们过去每周常来看他们父母，但现在不再了。

The whole sentence: In the past men made fine bamboo crafts but they no longer do that. to spring up: appear suddenly or develop quickly

to be filled with sth: to be made full of sth.

This past participle phrase functioning as post-modifier to modify “shops”. More examples:

The immediately went into

action.

to have no use for sth: to not need sth.

This is a relative clause.

e.g 当他们的儿子开始上学，他就不再需要玩具了。

When their son started school, he had no use of his toys.

The whole sentence: Many shops appear in a short time. In these shops there are lots of colorful plastic things and things that are useless for us.

15) Those rough fingers and toes are for working in the mud of our rice fields. (para 4)

Question: What is good of painting the nails of my fingers and toes?

Answer: Their place is in the paddy fields where I work, so there is no point of making them look pretty. … lightning would strike me. (para 4)

in somebody’s day: when somebody was young

The whole sentence: When I was young, I surely would be punished by God if I ever wore the kind of trousers they wear today.

Cultural background:

In Thailand, females wear wrap-around skirts. In some Asian countries, to be stuck dead by lightening is believed to be a punishment by God.

Question: What is the topic sentence of Para. 4? What are the supporting details? Answer: Topic sentence: “… we two haven’t changed much, but the village has.” Supporting details:

Cash instead of barter

Paid help

Plastic things instead of village crafts

The old alone on the land

Young people’s different way of thinking, dressing and behaving

17) I know, times have changed, but certain things should not change. (para 5) The whole sentence: I know, times have changed, but we shouldn’t give up or

abandon certain things, for example, our duty to our parents, our religious beliefs, our sympathy for others, etc. ’s a shame. (para 5)

tend to do sth.: to be likely to do sth. (usually bad)

e.g. It tends to rain.

要下雨。

The whole sentence: It is shameful that young people don’t do these things, thinking that they are only for the old.

Question: What is the function of the first sentence in para. 5?

Answer: The first sentence in para. 5 is a transitional sentence. The wife shifts her

talk to the things that should not change, which include people’s worship, and young people’s respect to their parents and the aged. The whole sentence: Recently I heard a boy shout or yell rudely at his mother. Compare: “to shout at sb”. and “to shout to sb”.

to shout at sb: to speak loudly, often angrily to sb.

e.g. 他经常对妻子大喊大叫，这让她很伤心。

He often shouted at his wife, and this upset her.

to shout to sb: to speak loudly

e.g. Tom 喊Jack 传球。

Tom shouted to Jack to pass the ball.

20) If that kind of thing when I was young, the whole village had happened ….would have condemned: subjunctive mood, opposite to the past. It is used in the unreal conditional clauses.

e.g. If I had worked harder, I would have passed the exam.

If you had come five minutes earlier, you would have caught the train. condemn: scold severely

given him a good beating: hit him as a punishment

The whole sentence: In my day if a boy had screamed at his mother, the whole village would have scolded him for his lack of gratitude, and his father would certainly have punished him. ’t change, couldn’

as for sb./ sth.: used when you start to talk about something new that is connected with what you have been talking about.,

e.g. Labor is cheap. Land is available. As for money, we can borrow from the bank. 劳动力便宜。土地可用。至于钱，我们从银行贷款。

even if: in spite of the fact or belief that,

e.g. 即便我有钱，我也不买那种东西。

Even if I had money, I wouldn’t buy a thing like that.

The whole sentence: I don’t think that I would change like that, and it would be impossible for me to change even if I wanted to.

Question: What characteristic of the old woman could we see from this sentence? Answer: This implies that it is not easy for her to change her ways and her beliefs of her lifetime.

22）（para 7）

to occur to sb.: (of an idea or thought) to come into sb’s mind.

e.g. 当我上网的时候，有了一个好想法。

An happy thought occurred to me while I was surfing the Internet.

The whole sentence: I’ve never asked myself/ thought about this question—whether or not I am happy. till dusk. (para 7)

bag of bones: very thin. It is the use of metaphor, as thin as a bag of bones. Metaphor: 隐喻

Definition: A metaphor is also a comparison. The difference is that a simile compares things explicitly—that is, it states literally that X is like Y.

A metaphor compares things implicitly. Read literally, it does not state that things are alike; it says that they are the same thing, that they are identical.

Pattern：

Task: Find more metaphors in this text.

The whole sentence: It’s true I’m not strong and my clothes are full of holes, but I can still work in the rice fields all day.

24) Disease, wounds, hardships ….I don’t complain. (para 7)

The whole sentence: All my life I have suffered from disease, wounds, hardships and shortage, and I’ve become used to them. I don’t complain because I know such is life. Life is always a fierce struggle.

Question: What is the general idea of para 4 to para 7?

Answer: This part focuses on the changes that she finds she can’t adjust to.

Question: How does the wife present her speech? What is her attitude toward the changes around her?

Answer: By the wife presents her idea of

this changing world. She dislikes the changes around her. She won’t accept the changes and even refuses to change with the life.

Question: Find the evidences of comparison/contrast and exemplification in the text.

25) My see—they see more than they should. My —they hear the two “do” : “do” is used to emphasize verb

“more than is good”: is the same as “more than what is good”.

More examples:

He drank more than (what) was good for him.

Kate meant more than (what) was said.

Some of the stories were really more than (what) could be believed.

The whole sentence: I’m not what my wife says I am. I do see and hear—I see and hear too much evil, too many ugly and terrible things, things that I wish I did not have to see and hear. And this is not good for me.

26) I don’t talk about what I know because I know too much. I know for example, greed, anger, and lust are the root of evil. (para 8)

The whole sentence: I’m silent because I don’t want to talk about what I know—I know these things (i,e, greed, anger, lust) lead to evil.

27) I know every inch of it. (para 10)

The whole sentence: I know our land thoroughly/ inside out.

28）（para 10） to tie somebody down: to restrict somebody’s freedom.

e.g. She doesn’t want children because she says they tie you down.

她不想要孩子，就因为她总说孩子会束缚她的自由。

The whole sentence: My children grew up and had happy days on this land. But this couldn’t prevent them from leaving or make them return. 10)

The whole sentence: As soon as they have the chance to go to the cities to enjoy the modern way of life, they just go away.

a pair of jeans: here the jeans symbolizes being modern.

“like birds”: it is the use of simile

Simile: 明喻

Definition: A simile consists of two parts: tenor (本体)and vehicle（喻体）. The tenor is the primary subject; the vehicle is the thing to which the main subject is compared to. The data processing (is

going on) as (slow) as a snail. Records (fell) like ripe apples (on a windy day.) subject / tenor similemarkerreference/ vehicle

Task: Find more examples in the text about simile.

Question: What can be inferred from para. 10?

Answer: The farmer is very traditional. He still clings to the conventional idea of

having a big family with children around him. Because of his strong attachment to the land, he wants his children to follow in his footsteps and be content with the farming life.

30) Sickness comes and goes, and we get back on our feet again. (para 11)

The whole sentence: We often fall ill, and then we are well again and able to stand up and go about our business.

31) It’s good to smell the scent of in November. The soft cool breeze ripening: gerund functioning as modifier

They were infuriated by this insulting demand.

No soaking rain fell in the period.

Our industry is developing at an astonishing speed.

like waves of gold: a simile

which ripple and shimmer like waves of gold: non-restrictive relative clause

The whole sentence: The ripening rice is so pleasant to smell in November. In the soft cool breeze, the sheaves move and shine in the sun like a golden sea.

32) Yes, I love this land and I hope one of my children comes back one day to live, the land’s secret message to them. (para 11)

to pass on: hand or give sth. to sb

The whole sentence: Yes, I love this land and I hope one of my children returns one day to live on it, and produces a lot of grandchildren for me so that I can tell them what this land means to us. It is our history, our culture, our tradition, and our life. Question: What is the main idea of the second part?

Answer: The farmer tells about what he thinks are the root of all evils and what joys he finds in life and farming.

Question: What can we learn from the last paragraph?

Answer: The farmer nurses a strong love towards the land. He loves the feeling when

tilling the land and the smell and sight when the rice on the land is ripening. He feels so close to the land that he can even read the message of the land. He strongly hopes that one day he can pass on the land’s secret message to his grandchildren.

Style: essay (in a very broad sense or interview

The interviewees: a farmer and his wife

(Note: Since the World War II it has become popular for writers to interview people, record what they say and, after some, not too much, editing, publish these people’s stories in book form.)

Stylistic feature

straightforward language

colloquial short sentences

small and easy words

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