book 4 unit8 The Discus Thrower

1、 Unit 8Text 1 The Discus ThrowervWhat do you think this text is about after you know its title?vHow do you think a dying man will most probably behave?vWhat attitude do you think that we should take towards financial or physical problems?vThis passage can be divided into three parts.vPart One (Parag

2、raph 1): Spying on Patientsa Habit of MinevThis part serves as an introduction to the background of the story. The narrator tells about one of his unique habits of “spying on” the patient and justifies himself for the sake of better medical treatment.vPart Two (Paragraphs 2-13): Encounters with a Pa

3、rticular PatientvThis part talks about the narrators contact with the “discuss thrower”. The miserable condition of the patient is compared to a bonsai. The reason for his “discus throwing” is that his plight throws him into despair and he hopes for nothing, only waiting for death.vPart Three (Parag

4、raphs 14-15): The Death of the PatientvThis part tells about how the man is found dead and the doctor discovered the secret that the man starved himself to death as is suggested by the doctors attention to the repeatedly washed place where the scrambled eggs dropped to the floor.Language WorkvPart I

5、v1. stance: n. the attitude of a person or organization towards sth. vWhat is the newspapers stance on the war? vHe has changed his stance on monetary union. 他已經(jīng)改變了對貨幣聯(lián)盟的態(tài)度.vhey have maintained a consistently neutral stance. v2. he might the more fully assemble evidence? he might gather evidence mor

6、e fully than without spying?vThe structure “the more fully” is the elliptical form of “all the more fully”. In English the structure “all/ so much/ none + the + the comparative degree of adjectives or adverbs” is used without “than”following it to express emphasis. Sometimes all can be omitted. ve.g

7、. 1) She was waiting for the spring. She felt the younger for it.v 2) I walked around for two hours yesterday, and the doctor said I was none the worse for it. (P67,V - 4)v 3) I know theres danger ahead, but I am all the more set on driving forward. v3. furtive: attempting to avoid notice or attenti

8、on; secretivevI saw him cast a furtive glance at the woman at the table to his right. v她心里不安，回頭偷偷瞥了一下。 vShe cast a furtive glance over her shoulder. v他鬼鬼祟祟的行為引起了我們的懷疑。vHis furtive behaviour aroused our suspicion. Part II (paras2-13)v1. tan: v. cause sbs skin to become brown and or brownerv We lie in

9、 the sunshine for hours, getting a tan. (n.)vThe westerners like going to the beaches to get tanned on holidays. v2. It is rusted, rather, in the last stage of containing the vile repose within.vvile: extremely unpleasant vrepose: n. temporary rest from activity, excitement, esp. sleep or the rest g

10、iven by sleep 休息，安眠 vRather, his skin gets dark brown because he was approaching the last stage of his life, that is, he was dying. Here “vile repose” is a metaphor, and it means “death”.v3. And the blue eyes are frosted, looking inward like the windows of a snowbound cottage.And (under scrutiny) th

11、e blue eyes are not clear but covered with a gray frost-like layer, without looking outside at the external world like the windows of a snow-surrounded cottage.v4.he cups his right thigh in both hands.vhe holds his right thigh with his hands curved like a dish.vcup: support or hold something with th

12、e hands that are curved like a dishvHe cupped his chin in the palm of his hand. vDavid knelt, cupped his hands and splashed river water onto his face. v5. cache n. a secret store of valuables or moneyvPolice discovered a cache of weapons in the room. 警方在房間里發(fā)現(xiàn)了一批隱藏的武器。v6. swing: move something from o

13、ne side to the otherve.g. 1) A large pendulum swung back and forth inside the big clock.v 2) The truck driver swung himself up into the drivers seat.v7. disinfectant n./adj.vThis disinfectant kills most germs. vThe nurse bathed the wound with disinfectant water. v8. blink v. vThe TV announcer never

14、seems to blink.這個電視廣播員似乎從來都不眨眼。v vThe lights were blinking on the horizon.燈光在地平線上閃爍著。vblink away tears v9. inert adj. lacking the ability or strength to movevShe lay there inert, I thought she must be dead. vHe stood inert as the car came towards him. vHe“(helium) is one of the six inert gasses. v10

15、.slant vMost handwriting slants to the right. vThe carpenter slant the roof to allow water to run off.v11. scramble: vA table was pushed over in the scramble. vHow can you scramble up such a steep hillside? v12. probe: physically explore or examine (something) with the hands or an instrument; invest

16、igate 用探針測；探測；詳細調查用探針測；探測；詳細調查 vThey probed in/into the mud with a special drill, looking for a shipwreck. vDetectives questioned him for hours, probing for any inconsistencies in his story.v13. heft: lift or hold (something) in order to test its weightve.g. I hefted a suitcase.v14. I see that we ar

17、e to be accomplices.vI see that I have to help the aide feed the patient.Part Three (Paragraphs 14-15): The Death of the Patientv1. make ones rounds: make ones usual visits, esp. of inspectionve.g. The production manage makes his rounds to check whether everything goes well.v2. dignified: having or

18、showing a composed or serious manner that is worthy of respectvHe has maintained a dignified silence about the rumours.vThe defeated candidate in the election gave a dignified speech in which he congratulated his rival.v3.sweep: glide swiftly; speed alongvA 1970s fashion revival is sweeping Europe.Her gaze swept across the assembled crowd.The National