LESSON XII

4. LESSON XII • THE • LOONS

5. I. Background knowledge • Author: Margaret Laurence, one of the major contemporary Canadian writers, was born in 1926 and died of lung cancer in 1987. She was educated in Manitoba, a province in south central Canada. After marrying an engineer, she moved with her husband to Africa and lived there for a number of years.

6. I. Background knowledge • About the Novel: THE LOONS is included in the 2nd section of her Norton Anthology (collection) of Short Fiction. Margaret Laurence wrote 5 separate short stories about this community. The Tonnerre family is one of the central families.

7. I. Background knowledge • The touching story tells of the plight of Piquette Tonnerre, a girl from a native Indian Family. Her people were marginalized by the white-dominating society. They were unable to exist independently in a respectable, decent and dignified way. They found it impossible to fit into the main currents of culture and difficult to be assimilated comfortably.

8. I. Background knowledge • At school, Piquette felt out of place and ill at ease with the white children. When she had grown up she didn't have any chance to improve her life. In fact her situation became more and more messed up. In the end she was killed in a fire.

9. I. Background knowledge • Her death is like the disappearance of the loons on Diamond Lake. Just as the narrator's father had predicted, the loons would go away when more cottages were built at the lake with more people moving in. The loons disappeared as nature was ruined by civilization. In a similar way, Piquette and her people failed to find their position in modern society.

10. I. Background knowledge • 2. The comprehension and perception of the title: • loon: any of several large fish-eating diving birds of the northern part of the northern hemisphere that have the legs placed far back under the body and as a result have a clumsy floundering gait on land

11. I. Background knowledge • loon: distinctive Canadian bird, the bird of the lakes • Several years ago, the Canadian government collected all the one-dollar paper notes and issued a one-dollar coin with a loon engraved on it. So, one dollar is slangily called a loony.

12. I. Background knowledge • loony: (from lunatic)(person who is) crazy or eccentric; lunatic • He does have some pretty loony ideas. • From the above coincidence, one can easily perceive the underlying reason why the author chooses such a title for her novel.

13. II. Detailed Study • 1. pebble: small stone made smooth and round by the action of water, eg. in a stream or on the seashore • 2. scrub: underdeveloped trees or shrubs • oak 橡树， 栎树 • scrub oak: short, stunted (short, not-fully-grown) oak tree

14. II. Detailed Study • cf: • bush: (large) low growing plant with several or many woody stems coming out from the root • tree: with a single trunk • shrub: (small) plant with woody stem, lower than a tree, & usu. with several separate stems from the root

15. II. Detailed Study • 3. chokecherry: North American wild cherry tree • 4. thicket: a thick growth of shrubs, underbrush or small trees • 5. clearing: open space from which trees have been cleared in a forest • 6. shack: a small roughly built house, hut

16. II. Detailed Study • 7. dwelling: (fml) place of residence, house, flat, etc. • Welcome to my humble dwelling. • dwelling-house (esp. law): house used as a residence, not as a place of work • 8. cabin: small hut or shelter, usu made of wood  • cabin class: second highest standard of accommodation on a ship 二等舱

17. II. Detailed Study • 9. poplar: 杨树 • 10. chink: close the narrow openings with, plaster • 11. Batoche:巴托什, a village at the centre of Saskatchewan Province, Canada. The battle ground where the Canadian militia beat the rebellious army in 1885. It’s been established as the National Park of History now.

18. II. Detailed Study • 12. Métis: [mei’ti:s] half-breed, one of mixed blood, esp. (often cap.) half breed 混血儿，尤指法国人与印第安人的混血后裔，杂种动物 • 13. chaos: complete disorder or confusion • The burglars left the house in (a state of) chaos. • The wintry weather has caused chaos on the roads. 

19. II. Detailed Study • chaotic: in a state of chaos; completely disorganized • With no one to keep order, the situation in the classroom was chaotic.

20. II. Detailed Study • 14. lean-to: small building or shed with its roof resting against the side of a larger building, wall or fence • They keep hens in a lean-to at the end of the garden. • a lean-to greenhouse

21. II. Detailed Study • 15. warp: cause sth to become bent or twisted from the usual or natural shape, esp because of uneven shrinkage or expansion • The damp wood began to warp. • The hot sun had warped the cover of the book.

22. II. Detailed Study • 16. lumber: (esp Brit) unwanted pieces of furniture, etc. that are stored away or take up space • (esp US) = timber • 17. coop: cage for small creature • 18. tangle: (cause sth to) become twisted into a confused mass • Her hair got all tangled up in the barbed wire fence.

23. II. Detailed Study • 19. strand: a single piece or thread • Many strands are twisted together to form a rope. • 20. barb: the sharp point of a fish hook, arrow, etc, with a curved shape which prevents it from being easily pulled out

24. II. Detailed Study • 21. rust: the reddish brown surface that forms on iron when attacked by water and air • rusty: covered with rust • 22. Patois  a dialect other than the standard illiterate or provincial speech, jargon 洋泾浜英语

25. II. Detailed Study • 23. broken: (of a foreign language) spoken imperfectly; not fluent • speak in broken English • (of land) having an uneven surface; rough • an area of broken, rocky ground 

26. II. Detailed Study • (of a person) weakened and exhausted by illness or misfortune • He was broken-hearted when his wife died. • broken home: family in which the parents have divorced or separated • He comes from a broken home. 

27. II. Detailed Study • 24. obscene: (of words, thoughts, books, pictures, etc) indecent, esp sexually; disgusting and offensive; likely to corrupt • obscenity: offensive, repulsive remarks, cursing, vulgarity • laws against obscenity on the television • four letter words: fuck, shit, bull shit

28. II. Detailed Study • 25. belong: to be suitable or advantageous, be in the right place • I don't belong in a place like this. • He doesn't belong in the beginner's class. • I refuse to go abroad: I belong here.

29. II. Detailed Study • 26. Cree: one of the Indian tribes in Canada • 27. reservation: a piece of land set apart for N. American Indians • cf: resort: (a) popular holiday centre • seaside, skiing, health, etc resorts • Beidaihe is a leading north coast resort. • (b) (US) hotel or guest-house for holiday-makers

30. II. Detailed Study • 28. neither fish, flesh nor good red herring / neither flesh, fowl, nor good salt herring: • difficult to identify or classify; vague; ambiguous

31. II. Detailed Study • fowl: a. domestic cock or hen • We keep a few fowls and some goats. • b. flesh of certain types of birds, eaten for food • We had fish for the first course, followed by roast fowl and fresh vegetables. • c. any bird: the fowls of the air • waterfowl / barnyard fowl / wildfowl

32. II. Detailed Study • herring: Atlantic fish, usu swimming in very large shoals (鱼群）, used for food 鲱鱼 • 29. odd: not regular, occasional, casual, occasional, random • Life would be very dull without the odd adventure now and then. • 30. section hands / gang: a group of workmen keeping one section of a railway line repaired

33. II. Detailed Study • 31. relief: aid in the form of goods, coupon or money given, as by a government agency, to persons unable to support themselves • on relief: receiving government aid because of poverty, unemployment, etc. • a relief teacher

34. II. Detailed Study • 32. …with a face that seemed totally unfamiliar with laughter, would knock at the doors of the town’s brick houses… • This suggests that the Tonnerres lived a very miserable life. They had never experienced happiness in their whole life. The “brick houses” indicates the wealthy people’s home.

35. II. Detailed Study • 33. lard: pig fat made pure by melting, used in cookery • 34. pail: a usu. round open vessel of metal or wood, with handles, used for carrying liquids, bucket • 35. bruise: injury caused by a blow to the body or to a fruit, discolouring the skin but not breaking it • He was covered in bruises after falling off his bicycle.

36. II. Detailed Study • 36. quarter: 25 cents • dime: 10 cents • buck: 1 dollar, loon, loony • yard: 100 / 1000 dollars • 37. brawl: noisy quarrel or fight • a drunken brawl in a bar

37. II. Detailed Study • 38. howl: long loud wailing cry of a dog, wolf, etc , loud cry of a person expressing pain, scorn, amusement, etc • let out a howl of laughter, agony, rage • howl: v.‘ • wolves howling in the forest • to howl in agony • syn: bawl, moan, scream, wail, sob

38. II. Detailed Study • 39. Mountie: member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police • mount: ~ sb (on sth) get onto or put (sb) onto a horse, etc for riding; provide (sb) with a horse for riding • He quickly mounted (his horse) and rode away. • He mounted the boy on the horse. • The policemen were mounted on (ie rode) black horses.

39. II. Detailed Study • 40. cell: a small room in a prison • 41. sporadic: happening or seen only occasionally or in a few places; occurring irregularly • sporadic showers • sporadic raids, gunfire, fighting • syn: irregular, infrequent, intermittent occasional

40. II. Detailed Study • 42. negligible: too slight or unimportant to be worth any attention, of little importance or size; not worth considering • a negligible amount, error, effect • This year’s deficit in foreign trade is negligible.

41. II. Detailed Study • 'negligent: not taking or showing enough care, careless • He has been negligent in not locking the doors as he was told to. • She was negligent in her work. • He was negligent of his duty.

42. II. Detailed Study • 43. She existed for me only as a vaguely embarrassing presence. • As far as I am concerned, her presence would only make other people feel ill at ease / uncomfortable. • 44. hoarse: sounding or growling rough and harsh • He shouted himself hoarse.

43. II. Detailed Study • 45. limp: walk unevenly, as when one foot or leg is hurt or stiff • That dog must be hurt; he's limping. • The injured footballer limped slowly off the field. • cf: shuffle: walk without lifting the feet completely clear of the ground • The prisoners shuffled along the corridor and into their cells.

44. II. Detailed Study • totter: walk or move unsteadily • hobble: walk with difficulty because the feet or legs hurt • stagger: walk or move unsteadily as if about to fall (from carrying sth. heavy, being weak or drunk,etc) • stumble: strike one’s foot against sth. and almost fall • flop: move or fall clumsily

45. II. Detailed Study • 46. grimy: dirty, messy, filthy • grime: dirt, esp. in a layer on a surface • 47. peculiar: odd or strange, eccentric, strange in a troubling or displeasing way • a peculiar taste, smell, noise, etc • a peculiar feeling that one has been here before. • My keys have disappeared; it's most peculiar! • He's a bit peculiar!

46. II. Detailed Study • 48. flare: burn brightly but briefly or unsteadily • The match flared in the darkness. • flare up: burn suddenly more intensely • The fire flared up as I put more logs on it. • reach a more violent state, suddenly become angry • Robbery has flared up again.

47. II. Detailed Study • He flares up at the slightest provocation. • (of an illness) recur, happen again • My back trouble has flared up again. • 49. It's under control all right • all right:(infml) certainly; beyond doubt; expressing absolute certainty • That's the man I saw in the car all right.

48. II. Detailed Study • 50. the dickens: (infml euph) (used to give emphasis, esp in questions) the Devil Who / what / where the dickens is that? We had the dickens of a job finding the place. • 51. take off: go away, depart • I grabbed my hat and took off for the Town Hall.

49. II. Detailed Study • 52. back: ago, into the past • some few years back • far back in the Middle ages • 53. contagious: (of a disease) that can be spread by touch, infectious • 54. distress: pain, agony, misery

50. II. Detailed Study • 55. bet: • I'll bet you $5 that they'll win the next election. • He bet me that I couldn't do it. • I bet it rains / will rain tomorrow. • You bet: certainly • Will you tell her? You bet.