1.1.1.精读

《英译中国现代散文选》张培基译注 上海外语教育出版社

《英语背诵文选》 上海外语教育出版社

《英语世界》 English World

21st Century

Oxford/Longman Advanced English-English Dictionary (the Fifth Edition)

Plays of Shakespeare

the Bible

Listening Speaking Reading Writing Translating

16 weeks（Mid-Exam: Week 8-9; Final Exam: Week 17-18）
10 texts from Book One, each text for 2-3 times.




Unit 1 The English Language

Text 1 English Is a Queer Language

I. Pre-Reading Discussion
Have you ever found English strange? Explain.
A sailor went to sea to see what he can’t see on the land.
I never saw a saw saw a saw.
Never trouble trouble till before trouble troubles you.
When he said you were mean he did not mean it.

Is Chinese strange in any way? Explain. (晒衣服/太阳，大胜/败，打)

Brainstorming Hints
Homograph（同形异义字）; heteronym（同拼法异音异义的字lead）; homonym（同形/音异义字）; Countable/uncountable nouns; articles; prepositions; phrasal verbs（短语动词；动词词组）; idioms; pictorial（图示的）; ideograph象形(表意)文字/ideographic（表意的, 表意字构成的）; tone（语调）/tonal（音调的）; inflectional（抑扬的）; intonation（语调, 声调）

II. Close Reading of the Text
1. queer (adj.): strange or difficult to explain奇怪的, 奇妙的,古怪的
Perhaps from Middle Low German “dwer”（中古低地德语“倾斜的，偏离中心的”）
e.g. act in a queer way行为古怪have queer ideas有古怪的想法
That's queer indeed! 真奇怪!
(vt.): to ruin or destroy把...弄糟, 损坏, 破坏
e.g. queer sb.'s plans破坏某人的计划
His cheating on the final queered his chances of graduation.
他在大考中作弊影响了他的毕业。
2. phrasal verb : a group of words that act like a verb and consist usually of a verb with an adv. and/or a prep 动词词组 (phrase)
e.g. see (sth.) through/ look for (sth.)
3. defy (v.) : to refuse to obey or behave in the usual or expected way
不服从, 公然反抗, 违抗
e.g. defy the law 违法It defies description. 无法形容。
So the plague defied all medicines (Daniel Defoe)“所有药物都无法治愈的瘟疫”(丹尼尔·迪福 Robinson Crusoe)
4. essay (n.): a usually short piece of writing on a particular subject, esp. as part of a course of study散文, 小品文, 随笔
e.g. The other day I came across an interesting essay on the war with Napoleon.前几天我偶然地读到一篇关于同拿破仑作战的有趣文章。
political essay政论文essay question(与填充题、是非题相对而言的)问答题
5. Linguistically oriented as it is, the essay does not make heavy reading.
Paraphrase: Although the essay discusses language maters, it is not difficult to read and understand. 本文虽属语言学范畴，但读起来并不难懂。
1) oriented (v. + -ed) : gi

ving a great deal of time, effort, or attention to something
e.g. export-oriented industries 出口型企业 democratically-oriented votes 民主投票a poor but education-oriented family 重视教育的
2) as (conj.): introduces an inverted structure for emphasis
e.g. Cold as it was, John went swimming. = Although it was cold …
Rich as she is, she counts every penny. = Although she is rich...
6. anecdotal (adj.) : containing short, interesting or amusing stories about particular persons or events轶话的,多轶事趣闻的
anecdotal approach: a way of talking about something by employing interesting or amusing stories
anecdote (n.)
e.g. Do you like to read anecdotes about Hollywood stars?
7. (L1) puzzle (n.): something that one cannot understand or explain
难题；难解之事
e.g. It's a puzzle where all my money goes each week.我每星期的钱都到哪儿去了是一个难解的问题。a crossword puzzle纵横填字游戏
A jigsaw puzzle is a picture which has been cut up into bits, and you must make the picture again.拼板玩具是一个被分割成块的图，你必须再把这图拼起来。
The old general was puzzling over the old map. (v.)老将军对着那张旧地图苦苦思索着。
8. (L4-5) A has nothing/something/ much/little to do with B
e.g. Scientific development has much to do with exploration, something to do with speculation, and little to do with luck.
9. (L6) identical (adj.): the same相同的；同一的
e.g. The handwriting on both cheques is identical.两张支票上的笔迹完全相同。
This is the identical hotel we stayed in last year. 这就是我们去年住过的那家旅馆。
10. (L7) see sb./sth. through: to continue with something until the end; to help somebody out注意, 留心, 经历, 阅历
e.g. We'll see you through until you finish your college education. 我们会帮助你直到你大学毕业。
I saw the project through and then resigned. 我将这个计划完成后就辞职。
Once Charles started a job, he saw it through till it was finished.
During her early working years Jennifer encountered many difficulties, but Mrs. Miller always saw her through.

see through sb./sth.: to recognize the truth about ( an excuse, a false statement, a deceiving person, etc.); not to be deceived by
e.g. She had learned to see through her boyfriend’s deceptions.
He knew his father well enough to see through his laughter and realized he was upset about what had happened.
11. (L8) to be tired out: to be totally exhausted
e.g. By the time we got there, we were tired out.
12. (L9) idiomatic (adj.): (of a word, way of speaking, etc.) typical of the natural speech of a person speaking in their first language惯用的, 合乎语言习惯的
e.g. idiomatic phrases成语 'To pull a face' is an idiomatic expression. 'To pull a face'──'愁眉苦脸'是一个习惯表达法。
13. (L10)
(1) capacity (n.): the ability to understand or do something
e.g. Einstei

n’s capacity for abstract thinking was remarkable.
(2) beyond one’s capacity to do sth: (somebody) being unable to do something
e.g. This puzzling usage of Chinese is beyond my capacity to explain.
His behavior is puzzling, beyond my capacity to explain.
14. (L12-13) miss the bus: to fail to catch the bus

miss sb. : to feel sorry or unhappy at the absence of somebody
e.g. I really miss my friends in Scotland.
15. (L19) cellar (n.): a room under the ground floor of a building (usually used for storage) 地窖, 地下室
(vt.)把...藏入地窖[酒窖]
The wine has been cellared for ten years.酒在地窖里存了十年。
16. (L20) while (conj.): (indicating contrast between ideas, as in the context here)
e.g. It is night with the Americans, while it is day with us.
Some students think physics is easy, while others think it is hard.
17. (L21) attic (n.): a space or room at the top of a building, under the roof (often used for storage) 阁楼, 顶楼
18. The “up” phrases in this paragraph.
slow up (L25): to make or become slower = slow down
hurry up (L27): to act or move more quickly
clean up (L27): to clean thoroughly and remove anything unwanted
wrap up (L28): to cover something in a material folded around it
tidy up (L28): to make neat; to put in order
After the guess left, she spent half an hour ____ the sitting room. 〔CET-4: 1999.6.〕
A. arranging B. tidying up C. ordering D. clearing away
19. (L23) sigh (v.): to exhale audibly in a long, deep breath, as in weariness or relief叹气
e.g. Willows are sighing in the wind.柳树在风中悲泣。
sighing for their lost youth 怀念流逝的青春
20. (L28) mess (n.): (a state of) untidiness or dirt混乱, 脏乱(adj.) messy
e.g. Your room is in a mess. Please tidy it.你的房间杂乱不堪，请把它打扫干净。
Your books and magazines are almost in a mess; go and put them in order.你的书和杂志简直是乱七八糟,去把它们整理一下。
21. (L32) skeptical (adj.): (AmE) = sceptical (BrE) : doubtful
e.g. I am rather skeptical about your prospects of success.
22. (L32) meditation (n.): serious thought or study; deep thinking, reflection (usually followed by “on”) 沉思, 冥想
e.g. She reached her decision only after much meditation.
经过深思熟虑后, 她做出了决定。
He is deep in meditation.他陷入沉思中。
meditation (n.)—meditate (v.)—meditative (adj.)
23. （L33）triumph (n.): a complete victory or success胜利, 成功
e.g. It was a great triumph when our team won the race.
我们队赛跑赢了，这是一个很大的成功。
Arch of Triumph (法国)凯旋门
Background information: A public celebration in ancient Rome to welcome a returning victorious commander and his army.凯旋仪式，古代罗马为欢迎凯旋归来的指挥官和他的军队而举行的公共庆祝活动
24. The “make” phrases in this paragraph:
make up the bed (L34): to arrange

the bed so that it is ready for use
make up one’s mind (L35): to decide
make up one’s face (L35): to use cosmetics to improve the appearance
make up with sb. (L36): to become friends again after a quarrel; to re-establish a good relationship
25. (L35) rouge (n.): a red substance used for coloring the cheeks, esp. by women and actors胭脂
lipstick (n.): (a stick shaped piece of) a usually red substance for brightening the color of the lips 口红
26. (L37) make up a story: to invent a story (often in order to deceive)
e.g. Your story about a two-tailed snake—you didn’t make it up, did you?
27. (L37) entertain (v.): to hold the attention of somebody with something amusing or diverting娱乐, 招待——(n.) entertainment娱乐
e.g. We were all entertained by his tricks.我们都对他的戏法感兴趣。
The Smiths entertain a great deal.史密斯一家常款待客人。
28. (L40) chase them down the alphabet: to look for the “up” phrases according to the order of the alphabet
alphabet (n.): the letters of a language, arranged in the order fixed by custom字母表, 一种语言的全部字母，按固定习惯顺序排列
29. (L43) encyclopedia (n.): a book or a set of books dealing with every branch of knowledge in alphabetical order百科全书
e.g. A dictionary explains words and an encyclopedia explains facts.
30. (L46) compulsion (n.): force or influence that makes a person do something强迫，强制
e.g. They made the prisoners do the work by compulsion.他们强迫囚犯做工。
compulsory (adj.) compulsory education义务教育
compulsory service system义务兵役制compulsory subjects必修科目
compulsive(adj.) 强迫的；难以抑制的；冲动的
Compulsive drinking is bad for one's health.不加节制的饮酒有害健康。
31. (L47) command (n.): an order; (v.): to direct somebody, to order
命令
e.g. The army is under the king's command.军队由国王直接统率。
a person who commands seven languages.懂得七种语言的人
commanding (adj.): having command; being in charge
e.g. Who is your commanding officer?
commander (n.): the officer of any rank who is in charge of a group of soldiers
e.g. He became the commander of our group.

We know through painful experience that freedom is never given by the oppressor and it must be _____ by the oppressed. (CET-4: 2003.9)
A. demanded B. commanded C. required D. requested

32. (L49) must have been: subjunctive mood, signifying strong belief
e.g. You did extremely well in the exam. You must have been working hard.
She looks tired. She must have been losing sleep.
33. (L52) tough (adj.): demanding or troubling; difficult困难的, 费力的或麻烦的
e.g. a tough policy强硬的政策a tough winter一个严冬
a tough street group蛮横的街匪路霸
34. (L55) yield (v.): to give; to produce生长, 生产
e.g. an investment that yields high percentages产生高额利润的投资
That apple tree yield s plenty of apples

.那棵苹果树结出很多苹果。
They yielded the fortress to the enemy.他们把要塞放弃给了敌人。

He ____ to his customers and halved the price. (CET-4: 2002.1)
A. leaked B. drew C. quoted D. yielded
35. (L53-54) if… learned … would have mastered…: subjunctive mood
36. (L55) abundant (adj.): more than enough; of a large quantity
丰富的, 充裕的——abundance (n.)
e.g. abundant in petroleum deposits石油储量丰富
a region abundant in wildlife野生动物极多的地区
an abundant harvest丰收an abundant year丰年
﹡“get” Phrases:
get along with sb., get well, get sick, get behind in our work, get ahead of, get even with sb.: to do as much hard (to someone) as someone has done to oneself, get homesick, get cold feet: to lose courage just before doing sth., get discharged: to be released; to be allowed to go.
37. (L63) fall-out (n.): the dangerous radioactive dust that is left in the air after a nuclear explosion辐射尘
38. (L69) arouse (v.): to cause to become active; bring into being激起，引起
e.g. The music aroused an intense homesickness in him.
39. (L69) confusion (n.): disorder; the act of confusing混乱, 混淆
e.g. confusion of tongues语言的混乱(古巴比伦人建筑未成的)通天塔(上帝因他们狂妄, 责罚他们各操不同的语言, 彼此不相了解, 结果该塔无法完成。见旧约创世纪。) （来自《圣经》旧约创世纪：巴别塔 Babel）——confuse (v.)——confusing(adj.)——confused(adj.)
40. (L70) illogical (adj.): (of people or ideas) going against logic; not sensible不合逻辑的；不合理的
e.g. She may think your reaction is crazy or illogical, but she cannot deny what you are feeling.

III. Understanding the Text
How does the author demonstrate that English is a queer language?
In your opinion, what are Jarmilar and Bohus’s identities? Are they native or non-native speakers of English?
How are they related to the author?
Are they just playing words or posing meaningful questions?
What implications can you get from the text?

IV. Exercises

Translation on P9

Writing: Classical Music or Pop Music?


V. Additional Information

English is a Crazy Language
Language is like the air we breathe. It’s invisible, inescapable, indispensable, and we take it for granted. But when we take the time to explore the English language, we find that hot dogs can be cold, darkrooms(暗室) can be lit, homework can be done in school, hours——especially happy hours and rush hours——can last longer than sixty minutes, quicksand（流沙） works very slowly, boxing rings are square, and tablecloth can be made of paper.
A writer is someone who writes, and a stinger(刺激者, 讽刺者) is something that stings（刺痛, 刺激）.But fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham.
Sometimes you have to believe that all English speakers should be committed to an asylum(精神病院) for the

verbally insane. In what other language do people drive in a parkway(驾车专用道路)and park in a driveway(车道)? In what other language do people ship by truck and send cargo by ship? In what other language can your nose run and your feet smell?
English is a crazy language.
Let’s look at a number of familiar English words and phrases that turn out to mean the opposite of or something very different from what we think they mean:
I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth. Let the word go forth to the four corners of the Earth that ever since Columbus we have known that the earth doesn’t have any ends.
Put on shoes and socks. This is an exceedingly difficult maneuver(动作, 程序). Most of us put on our socks first, and then put on our shoes.
The bus goes back and forth between the terminal and the airport. Again we find mass confusion about the order of events. You have to go forth before you can go back.
Watch your head. I keep seeing this sign on low doorways, but I haven’t figured out how to follow the instruction. Trying to watch your head is like trying to bite your teeth.
They do things behind my back. You want they should do things in front of your back?
If the truth be told, all languages are a little crazy. As Ralph Waldo Emerson might proclaim, they contradict themselves. That’s because language is invented, not discovered, by boys and girls and men and women, not computers. As such, language reflects the creativity and fearful asymmetry(不对称) of the human race. That’s why six, seven, eight, and nine change to sixty, seventy, eighty, and ninety, but two, three, four, and five do not become twoty, threety, fourty, and fivety.