現(xiàn)代大學英語精讀4 Lesson 7 Spring Sowing

Lesson7SpringSowingbyLiamO’FlahertyQuestionstoThinkOver:1.Whatdoyouthinkofthetitle?Whatweretheysowing?Howdidtheysowit?2.Whatwerethelifeambitionoftheyoungcouple?Isthereanydifferencebetweenthehusbandandthewife?What?3.Howisthestorydeveloped?Doyoufindanyvividdescriptionsinthestory?What?

II.Introductions1.Abouttheauthor(seeP.204oftheStudent’sBook)2.BriefIntroductiontotheTextLiamO’FlahertyisconsideredoneofthemostimportantmodernAnglo-IrishauthorstogetherwithJamesJoyce.Hewasbornin1896onanislandinIreland,whichmusthavehadverybiginfluenceonhischaracteraswellasonhiswriting.“SpringSowing”istakenfromhisfirstcollectionofshortstorieswhichbearsthesametitlepublishedin1924.Thestorydescribesthefirstdayofthefirst

springplantingofanewly-weddedcoupleagainstthebackgroundofatraditionalagriculturalcountry.InIrelandatthattime,mostpeoplestilldependedonfarmingforaliving,andthemaincropwasthepotato.Modernscienceandtechnologyhadnotyetcaughtupwiththeland.Therewaslittlemachinery.Practicallyeverythingwasstilldonebyhand.Atypicalfarmerbelievedintraditionalvirtues:hardwork,simpleliving,discipline,andaboveall,astrongsenseofresponsibility,

responsibilityforthehappinessofyourwife/husband,parents,andchildren.Inspiteoftheiralmostprimitivelivingandworkingconditions,however,theyalsohadtheirjoysandlove,andtheirlongingsforthefutureasdoesthenewly-marriedcoupledescribedhere.ForMaryandMartinDelaney,thiswasanextremelyimportantday,becauseitnotonlywoulddeterminethecroptheywouldharvestinautumn,butwouldalsoshowwhatkindofwifeandhusbandtheywouldprovetoeachotherandwhatkindoffamilytheyweregoingtohave.Whattheauthordescribeshere,ofcourse,islargelyathingofthepast.AyoungcoupleinIrelandtodaymostlikelywouldnotgetupsoearlytoplanttheirpotatoes.NorwouldmanyChineseyoungcouplesforthatmatter,notinthecitiesatleast.Today’syounghusbandsprobablywouldnottrytoprovetheirmanhoodbyplowingthefield10hoursaday.Theywouldprobablybedreamingofthingsofaverydifferentnature.Butiswhattheauthordescribesherereallytotallyirrelevanttoourlifetoday?Canwereallyhavesuchaclearbreakwithourpast?Isitreallytruethatwhatourgrandparentsorgreatgrandparentsdidandexperiencedismeaninglessanduseless?Itmightjustbepossiblethatvalues,lifestylesandpeople’sdreams,arelikefashion.Theycomeandgo.Itjustmight.Atatimewheneverybodyisyearningforacaranddreamingofbecomingarichmanager,thisstorymighthaveasoberingeffect.Thestoryheredoesnothavemuchofaplot.Buttheauthorhasseizedaverydramaticmomentintheyoungcouple’slifeandhasshowntheirlifeanddreamsthroughhisdescriptionsoftheirspringplantinginminutedetail.Itisinthisqualitythatthepowerofthisstorymainlylies.III.DetailedDiscussionoftheText1.

Martinfelloverabasketinthehalf-darknessofthebarn,hesworeandsaidthatamanwouldbebetteroffdeadthan…

Inthebarn,itwasstillverydarkasitwasveryearlyinthemorning.SoMartintrippedoverabasket.Hecursedandsaidthatitwouldbebetterforhimtodiethan(tohavetogetupatsuchanearlyhourandbegintheday’stoil—probablyfortherestofhislife).

betteroff:

inamorefavourablepositionorfinancialcircumstances

Theywouldbebetteroffflyingthandrivingthere.Theywerenotrich,buttheywerebetteroffthanmostoftheirneighbours.2.Andsomehow,astheyembraced,alltheirirritationandsleepinessleftthem.AndtheystoodthereembracinguntilatlastMartinpushedherfromhimwithpretendedroughnessandsaid:“Come,come,girl,itwillbesunsetbeforewebeginatthisrate.”However,alloftheunhappinessanddrowsinessmeltedawaywiththeirhug.Theyremainedineachother’sarmsuntilfinallyMartinpushedheraway,withpretendedroughness,toshowthathewasnowthebread-winnerofthefamilyandhadseriousworktodoandthereforemuststopthissentimentalnonsense,otherwisetheywouldnotbeabletogetanythingdoneinthewholeday.atthisrate:progressingatthisspeed,e.g.Atthisratewe’llneverfinishintime.Atthisratethey’llsoonovertakeothercountries.

3.Andtheybothlookedbackatthelittleclusterofcabinsthatwasthecenteroftheirworld,withthrobbing

hearts.Forthejoyofspringhadnowtakencompleteholdofthem.Bothofthemlookedbacktowardstheirsmallvillage,whichwasthemostimportantplaceforthembecausetheyandtheirforefathersbeforethemwerebornandraisedhere.Theirheartswerequiveringwithexcitementatthatmoment,forthecomingofspringhadalreadyfilledtheirheartswithpleasure.aclusterofcabins:agroupofwoodenhousesveryclosetogether

thecenteroftheirworld:thecenteroftheirlifethrobbing:beatingrapidlyorviolentlytotakecompleteholdof:togaincompletecontrolorinfluenceoversb;tohavegreatpoweroversb;tooverpowersb,e.g.Shefeltastrangeexcitementtakingholdofher.Shewasdeterminednottolettheillnesstakeholdagain.Theideawillnevertakeholdwiththevoters.4.

Supposeanybodysawuslikethisinthefieldofourspringsowing,whatwouldtheytakeusforbutapairofuseless,soft,empty-headedpeoplethatwouldbesuretodieofhunger.Ifpeopleshouldseeuslikethis(withyourarmroundmywaist),whatwouldtheythinkofus?Theyweresuretotakeusforapairofgood-for-nothings,peoplewhoareunabletoendurehardshipsandfoolishand,therefore,weresuretodieofhunger.totakefor:

toregardas,e.g.Don’ttakeoursilenceforapproval.IthinktheytookusforJapanese.soft:

weakordelicate;notstrongorvigorous;esp.notabletoendurehardship,asbecauseofeasylivingempty-headed:

stupid;sillyandignorant;lackingsenseordiscretionbut:

only;just,

e.g.ThisisbutoneofthemethodsusedtotryandgetthroughtothepatientsThatalcoholshouldbeathingofthepast.5.

Hiseyeshadawild,eagerlightinthemasifsomeprimevalimpulsewereburningwithinhisbrainanddrivingouteveryotherdesirebutthatofassertinghismanhoodandofsubjugatingtheearth.Hiseyesshoneandhisonlydesirenowwastoprovewhatastrongmanhewasandhowhecouldconquertheland.primeval(feelingsoremotions)：belongingtothefirstorearliestageorages;primitive;ancientbut:

except;withtheexceptionof;save,e.g.Europewillberepresentedinallbuttwoofthesevenraces.

toassertone’smanhood:

tostatestronglyorbehaveinsuchawayastoshowthatyouarealreadyafull-grownman,anadult,amancapableofsupportinghisfamilyandabletohandlealldifficultiesinlifetosubjugate:tobringundercontrol;toconquer;tosubdue

tosubjugatetheearth:

toconquertheearthandmakeitproducefood

6.

…h(huán)eturnedupthefirstsodwithacrunchingsound

…h(huán)edugupthefirstpieceofsoilwithgrassandrootswithhisspade,makingacrunchingsound

toturnup:

todigup

Noticethat“toturnup”hereisnotanidiomaticphrasalverblikethefollowing:Turnuptheradioalittlebit.Ican’thear.Idon’tknowwhyshedidnotturnupatthemeetingtheotherday.Youmusthavemislaidyourpensomewhere.Don’tworry,itwillturnupsoonerorlater.sod:

asectionofgrass-coveredsurfacewithsoilheldtogetherwithmattedrootstocrunch:tomakeacracklingsoundasifyouarechewingsthnoisily7.

Shebecamesuddenlyafraidofthatpitiless,cruelearth,thepeasant’sslavemaster,thatwouldkeepherchainedtohardworkandpovertyallherlifeuntilshewouldsinkagainintoitsbosom.Shebecameafraidoftheearthbecauseitwasgoingtoforcehertoworklikeaslaveandtostruggleagainstpovertyallherlifeuntilshediedandwasburiedinit.pitiless:

withoutpity;unfeeling;cruel;mercilesstobechainedto:tobeboundto;tohaveyourfreedomrestrictedbecauseofaresponsibilityyoucannotescape,e.g.Womennowadaysrefusetobechainedtothekitchensink.Mybrotherwaschainedtomysickmotherformorethanfiveyears.tosinkagainintoitsbosom:todieandbeburiedintheearth;toreturntotheearth8.

Birdshoppedsilentlybeforethespades,withtheirheadscockedsideways,watchingforworms.Madebravebyhunger,theyoftendashedunderthespadestosecuretheirfood.Thebirdswereearlytoojustlikethefarmers.tococksideways:

totiltorturn(saidoftheheadorear)tooneside,e.g.Hepausedandcockedhisheadasiflistening.Theyoungmanthoughtaboutthisforamoment,hisheadcockedtooneside.tosecure:togetholdorpossessionof;toobtainafteralotofeffort;toacquire,e.g.

Withatremendouseffort,shemanagedtosecureaticketforme.Graham’squalificationswouldnodoubthelpsecurehimajob.9.

“Yes,isn’titlovely,”saidMary,lookingattheblackridgeswistfully.WhatdoyouthinkwasonMary’smindatthatmoment?Shewassadthatthiswasgoingtobeherlifefromnowon,toilingandsweatingoverthelanduntilthedayshedied.Butontheotherhandwhattheyhaddonethatdayalsomadeherproudandhopeful.Yes,isn’titlovely:

Yes,itislovelyindeed.(Noticethatthispatternisusedtoexpressagreement.)wistfully:showingorexpre