Unit 13-14

1. Unit 13-14 What Life Means to Me

2. Analysis of the text

3. Analysis of the text A naive child Anxious to climb up into the upper society (having enthusiasm, ambition, ideals; cherishing romantic ideas about upper class ) ↓ Newsboy (at 10) climbing the fist rung of “business ladder” ↓ Oyster pirate (16) believing in the law of the jungle; ↓ A hard laborer (muscle seller) game of capitalism; the survival of the fittest (cruelly exploited) ↓ A tramp, beggar (at 18) slipping back the rung of ladder, (down in the cellar, beneath the point at which he had started) ↓

4. Be scared into thinking realizing the truth of “commodities” in society “muscle seller” vs “brain vendor” ↓ A knowledge pursuerdetermined to become a brain vendor ↓ • A successful writer disillusioned with the upper class: • - materialism • ↓ - hypocrisy • - callousness (moral paralysis ) • - intellectually ignorance • - corruption A determined socialistwith a proletarian outlook resolving to topple over the society he had once been so eager to enter

5. metaphorical expressions • a)comparing society to an edifice, and the class division of a society to the construction structure of a building: • nAbove me towered the colossal edificeof society • ncellar of society • nparlor floor of society (the best floor, where the sitting room is located) • nattic

6. nInto this edifice I early resolved to climb (Line 8) • nI was hard put to find the ladder whereby to climb (Line 21) • nBut the ladder whereby to climb was a different one. It was now the ladder of business (Line.35) • nThis one rung was the height I climbed up the business ladder” (Line 48) I had slipped back the one rung I had climbed, and never again did I attempt the business ladder. (Line 63) b) Comparing his attempt to rise in the society to climbing on a ladder

7. Language points remunerate (fml) • to reward; to pay someone for work or trouble 补偿， • remuneration : 待遇，报酬 be hard put to do something: • to find it difficult to do something, e.g. - You’d be hard put to find water in a desert.

8. a meager existence of scraping and scrimping勉强度日 • Scrape (+by, along, through): to live with only just enough money, e.g. - to scrape by on very small wages, 靠一点工资勉强维持生活 • “scrimp and save” save slowly and with difficulty 节俭, e.g. - She had to scrimp and save to pay for her trip. rebate n. a return of part of a payment 折扣, 回扣 • (c.f. discount: to reduce the price of: 降价，打折) - a rebate of tax退税 - an export rebate 出口回扣 - The company is offering a $500 rebate if you buy a new car

9. be wont to: be liable, likely, inclined to, e.g. - be wont to do something 习惯做某事 forsooth(archaic or joc.) truly, for truth, no doubt, indeed,(often to imply contempt) to carve (out) one’s way : to carve a way: 开辟道路 to pitch in (inf): to begin or join an activity such as un attack or meal, e.g. • - If everyone pitches in, we’ll soon have the job finished. • - He would never pass a street fight without pitching in.

10. vender=vendor: sb who sells things - streets venders colossal: extremely largely, e.g. - a colossal status edifice: a building, especially a large one e.g. - Their head office was an imposing edifice in Millbank

11. at one’s prime: to be at the time when one is the strongest and most active disincline sb toward: be unwilling to do something replenish: to fill sth again or put new supplies into sth, e.g. - to replenish a petrol –tank with gasoline put up the shutters: :to close a business at the end of the day or permanently, e.g. - The shop put up the shutters very early

12. Organization of the text Section I paragraph 1-4 Early delights and enthusiasm over the intellectualliving Section II paragraph 5- 11 Disillusionment with upper class (on the parlor floor of society) Section III paragraph 12-15 Getting out of disillusionment to reach a new realm

13. satire/criticism a) this gentleman: decent, & honest looking, yet wicked at the bottom of the heart, who is responsible for adulteration, for exploitation of cheap labour, for causing deaths to men b) this gentleman: while purporting to be a literature-lover (i.e. admiring pure, high-browed stuff), was involved in dishonest (secret, dirty) deals with the political group. (bribing them for ulterior motives) c) this editor: while advertising, hid truth from the public to secure his profits.

14. d) this senator, Governor, supreme court judge;: (all civil servants, are corrupted tools, slaves and puppets to business tycoons; accepting privilege offered by the wealthy business class, taking advantage of their position) e) This man (3 time):while making donations to charities, promoting education and other good-willed ventures, humanitarian acts, nevertheless have been cruel in their pursuit of material wealth. Under the disguise of their benevolence lies the evil of dishonesty and cruelty. They are indeed “wolves in sheep’s clothing’

15. Language points 1. inasmuch as: conj. (fml) owing to the fact that, because. e’g’ Their father is also guilty, inasmuch as he knew what they were going to do. (他的父亲也是有罪的，因为他知道他们要干的事。) 2. unfrock = defrock : deprive a priest of ecclesiastical status 剥夺圣职 3. to break sb. on the wheel of用刑车处死某人（新英汉） (figurative used in the text) 4. be flung out(fling):: to make sb. leave because of a fault: 被赶出去 nTwo members were flung out of the club for failing to pay the money they owed. nThe old lady was flung out of the house because the owner wanted to pull it down.

16. 5.all fire and dew: fresh and enthusiastic npure and fresh as dews na lad in the dew of his youth 朝气蓬勃的小伙子 6. prattle (+ on, about): to talk meaninglessly or lightly in a childish way， 夸夸其谈，空谈，唠叨，e,g, -- He prattled on about his job. (说个没停) 7. read sb a lesson/ lecture:训斥某人--- read me preachments about 8. acquiesce in: agree, esp. tacitly 默许 9.subservient: less important than sth else . e.g nYour own needs must subservient to those of the group. 10. renunciation: a decision not to keep a particular set of beliefs, way of life ,power or object

17. 11. rehabilitate: to help sb to live a healthy ,useful or active life again after they have been seriously ill or in prison a special unit for rehabilitating stroke patients. 12. exalt :to put sb or sth into a high rank or position . e.g be exalted to the position of manager 13. innate: having sth when sb was born . e.g -- innate kindness 14.intemperate: not having enough control over the feeling so as to behave in a way that is unacceptable to other people e.g an intemperate outburst

18. 15. invoke:to use a law, principle or theory to support one’s view.行使法权，实行e.g nto invoke the veto in disputes在辩论中行使否决权 nto invoke economic sanction 实行经济制裁 Compare: nto invoke new problems 引起新问题 nto invoke sb’s help. 恳求某人帮助 16. diatribe: a long speech or piece of writing that criticizes sb or sth very severely a diatribe against contemporary American civilization 17.adulterate :to make food or drink less pure by adding another substance of lower quality to it adulterate wine with water.

19. 18.demagogue: sb who gives political speeches that try to persuade people by using emotional language rather that reason . 19.perjure oneself:to tell a lie after promising to tell the truth in a court of law. 20. decadent: having low moral standards and being more concerned with one’s own pleasure than serious matters e.g nPop music was condemned as decadent and crude.

20. Questions for discussion to conclude the course 1.What is your opinion of the throw-away mentality in contemporary society? 2.What is your view on the obligations of news reporters? Is it possible for a journalist to be both human and professional? How? 3.Do your regard as unfortunate those people who can command everything they want? Why or why not? To what extent do you agree with Churchill in this regard?

21. Do you have a writer to whom you have owed a heavy debt in your life? How have you been influenced? Tell your experience. • 5.Can you conclude what life meant to Jack London? Have you ever thought over this philosophical issue? What life means to you? • 6.How do you appreciate London’s observation that “I retain my belief in the nobility and excellence of the human. I believe that spiritual sweetness and unselfishness will conquer the gross gluttony of today.”