《高级英语》精品课程第二册

长江师范学院外国语学院 《高级英语》精品课程第二册

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas Unit Nine

Teaching Aims 1) To familiarize students with allegorical writings. 2) To familiarize students with science fiction. 3) To discuss the topic “what is happiness and on what real happiness depends”

Ursula Le Guin ( 1929 - ) • --- born in Berkeley, California. • --- Bachelor of Arts degree at Radcliff College • --- M.A. from Columbia university, in 1952. • --- awarded a Fulbright fellowship to study in France. Now lives in Portland, Oregon. • science fiction writer : 16 novels, 4 collections of poetry, 10 children's books, several screenplays and more. • A Wizard of Earthsea (1968), The Tombs of Atuan (1971),The Farthest Shore (1972),The Dispossessed (1974), The Beginning Place (1980) • She uses science fiction to explore contemporary issues, saying “ Science fiction allows me to help people get out of their cultural skins and into the skins of other beings…in science fiction you are often expected to get into the skin of another person from another culture.”.

William James (1842 - 1910) • B. in New York City, • first child of Henry James and Mary Walsh. James. • An original thinker in and between the disciplines of physiology, psychology and philosophy. • Works by William James: • The Works of William James 1975 • William James: Writings 1878-1899 • William James: Writings 1902-1910 • The Principles of Psychology, Cambridge 1890 • The Meaning of Truth 1909 • Some Problems of Philosophy 1911

Quotations by William James • A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely re-arranging their prejudices. • As a rule we disbelieve all the facts and theories for which we have no use. • Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact. • Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives. • The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook. The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.

Background of the Writing Allegory (讽喻)– Allegory, in literature, a symbolic story that serves as a disguised representation for meanings other than those indicated on the surface. The characters in an allergy often have no individual personality, but are embodiments of moral qualities and other abstractions. The allegory is closely related to the parable, fable, and metaphor, differing from them largely in intricacy and length. A variety of literary forms have been used for allegories. The medieval morality play Everyman, personifying such abstractions as Fellowship and Good Deeds, recounts the death journey of Everyman. John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, a prose narrative, is an allegory of man’s spiritual salvation. Spenser’s poem The Faerie Queen, besides being a chivalric romance, is a commentary on morals and manners in 16th-century England as well as a national epic. Although allegory is still used by some authors, its popularity as a literary form has declined in favor of a more personal form of symbolic expression.

Background of the Subtitle and “Omelas” • The subtitle of the text is ‘Variations on a theme by William James’. For this, Le guin once explained it in one of her story collection The Wind’s Twelve Quarters”: The central idea of this psychomyth(心理小说), the scapegoat turns up in Dostoyevsky’s Brothers Karamazov, and several people have asked me, rather suspiciously, why I gave the credit to William James. The fact is, I haven’t been able to re-read Dostoyevsky, much as I loved him, since I was twenty-five, and I’d simply forgotten he used the idea. But when I met it in James’s The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life, it was with a shock of recognition. Of course I didn’t read James and sit down and say. Now I’ll write a story about that “lost soul”. It seldom works that simply. I sat down and started a story, just because I felt like it, with nothing but the word ‘Omelas’ in mind. It came from a road sigh: Salem (Oregon) backwards. Salem equals schelomo equals salaam equals Peace. Melas. O melas. Omelas. “Where do you get your ideas from, Ms Le Guin?” from forgetting Dostoyevsky and reading road signs backwards, naturally. Where else?

An usual writing style In the text, Paragraph 2, 7 and 13 are all cases in which the writer intrudes to direct its development. And there are many more in the text. The author’s intrusive comments demonstrate her writing process clearly before readers’ eyes and encourage them to think actively with her. • The theme of the text The theme: the nature of happiness and on what it depends.

Detailed Study of the text Warming-up Questions on the text 1. Describe the physical features of Omelas. 2. What was the city of Omelas celebrating? How were the people celebrating it? 3. What are the people of Omelas like? 4. What things do the citizens of Omelas do not have? 5. What things are considered unnecessary but undestructive by the writer? 6. Comment on the writer’s views on Happiness. 7. What is the writer’s view on drugs? 8. In what kind of a room is the child imprisoned? 9. What is the imprisoned child like?

1. Describe the physical features of Omelas. Omelas is a port city by the sea with bright towers and houses with red roofs and painted walls. There are tree-lined avenues, moss-grown gardens, great parks and public buildings. Towards the north side of the city there is a great water-meadow called the Green Fields. Far off to the north and west are mountains with snowy peaks half encircling Omelas. 2. What was the city of Omelas celebrating? How were the people celebrating it? They were joyously celebrating the Festival of Summer with music, dance and processions. Men, women and children were all dressed in festive clothes to celebrate the occasion, except for the riders who were naked. The highlight of the celebrations was a horse race to be held on the great water-meadow called the Green Fields.

3. What are the people of Omelas like? They are not simple though happy. They are not barbarians, shepherds or utopians. They are not less complex than ordinary people. They are not native and happy children. They are mature, intelligent, passionate adults. These people have a feeling of boundless and generous contentment and a sense of magnanimous triumph, a triumph over life. They have compassion for the suffering but they are also pragmatic and accept reality. 4. What things do the citizens of Omelas do not have? They do without monarchy and slavery and also without stock exchange, the advertisement, the secret police, the bomb, the clergy and soldiers. They do not have cars nor helicopters. And one thing there is none of is guilt. 5. What things are considered unnecessary but undestructive by the writer? central heating, subway trains, washing machines, beer and even a not habit-forming drug like drooz, and all kinds of marvelous devices not yet invented, floating light sources, fuelless power, a cure for the common cold.

6. Comment on the writer’s views on Happiness. Her views on happiness are ambiguous. She thinks that “happiness is based on a just discrimination of what is necessary, what is neither necessary nor destructive and what is destructive”. This is what she constructs Omelas, the city of happiness in this way: high-tech, but not monarchy, no slavery, no stock exchange, no secret police, no bomb, no guilt. But she does not express clearly what is necessary for happiness. Maybe we can make a list for this : a joyous festival, music, singing, being close to nature, etc. because she loves to write about them so much. But the child’s suffering one of the necessities? Touching this issue, she seems hesitant. She makes it clear that it is guilt to sacrifice the many for the one, but she also plans some people’s departure from the city after knowing the truth. In short, she leaves the question to the reader: should the happiness be based on the misery of the few? 7. What is the writer’s view on drugs? She neither supports nor opposes them completely, because she considers it too puritanical to bam them completely. In this text, she imagines that in Omelas there should be a nonaddictive drug called drooz for those who like drugs.

8. In what kind of a room is the child imprisoned? It is a room in a basement under a public building or in the cellar of a private home. As it only has one looked door and no window, it is almost dark. In one of its corners stand two dirty mops and a rusty bucket. Its floor is damp dirt. The room is about three paces long and two wide in size. It seems a mere broom closet or disused tool room. 9. What is the imprisoned child like? The child could be a boy or a girl. It seems six years old but actually ten. It is imbecile. It sits hunched in the corner farthest from the bucket and mops which it finds horrible. While sitting there, it picks its nose and occasionally fumbles purposelessly with its toes or genitals. The child has no idea of time and seldom speaks, only making a kind of whining. It is naked and very thin. There are no calves to its legs and its belly protrudes. As it always sits in its own excrement, there are festered sores on its buttocks and thighs everywhere.

Words and Expressions Part I (paras 1-6) • clamor: n. [singular, uncountable] 1）a very loud noise made by a large group of people or animals喧哗，吵闹 ---He shouted over the rising clamour of voices. ---The clamor of the traffic gave me a headache. 2）the expression of feelings of anger and shock by a large number of people - used especially in news reports（新闻用语）吵闹着要求；大声疾呼 ---They made a clamor for reform. ---In spite of the public clamor for lower taxes the government decided not to call an election. 3）clamor for/against sth. ---a clamor for revenge 复仇的喊声

v. 1)---The children were clamoring for candy. ---The baby clamored to be fed. ---The starving crowd are clamoring for food. 2) ---The foolish people were clamoring for war. ---The newspapers clamored against the government’s policies. ---The audience clamored for the show to begin. clamorous : adjective

Decorous: adj. formal having the correct appearance or behavior for a particular occasion, polite; decent端庄得体的 --- decorous behavior/speech --- The man was very satisfied with the decorous manner of his servant. decorously adv. ---A servant was hovering decorously behind them. . tambourine: n. [countable] a circular musical instrument consisting of a frame covered with skin or plastic and small pieces of metal that hang around the edge. You shake it or hit it with your hand. 铃鼓（四周有金属圆片，摇动或用手拍打发声） ---A church's liveliness should not be judged by the singing, dancing or tambourine playing. ---Directly in front of him were two wind-up monkeys, one with a tambourine and the other with a drum.

shimmer: vi. to shine with a soft light that looks as if it shakes slightly发微光，闪光 ---The lights shimmered on the water. ---The lake shimmered in the moonlight. ---Silk shimmers in a bright light. n. [singular, uncountable] the shimmer of petrol on the road.闪烁的亮光 ---Pearls have a beautiful shimmer . ---the shimmer of glasses in the candlelight • lithe: adj. readily bent; supple; limber柔软的，易歪曲的 --- the strong lithe bodies of gymnasts体操运动员轻盈而优美的体态 lithely: adv. ---I felt awkward among the lithe young sun-tanned girls on the beach. the dancer's lithe body

restive: adj. 1) restless or uneasy焦躁不安的；不安宁的 ---Another hour passed and the crowd grew/became restive. 2) (esp. of horses) resisting control, esp. by refusing to move forwards or by moving sideways or backwards（尤指马）难以驾驭的，不肯前行的，逡巡不前的 restively adv. restiveness n. Cf. restless: adj. 1) constantly moving静不下来，老在动 ---the restless motion of the sea ---Jimmy is a restless wanderer. 2)unable to be still or quiet, esp. because of boredom, impatience, anxiety, etc.烦乱不安，心绪不宁，安定不下来 ---The children grew restless with the long wait. ---After only a month in the job, he felt restless and decided to leave. 3)without sleep or rest ---spend/pass/have a restless night

encircle: vt. to surround someone or something completely围成一圈，包围 ---The island was encircled by a dusty road. ---The soldiers encircled the enemy camp. ---Many artificial satellites encircle the earth today. ---Oppressed serfs throughout the surrounding countryside joined together to encircle the castle. encirclement n. [uncountable] • archaic: adj. 1) old and no longer used过时的 Syn. outdated 2) old-fashioned and needing to be replaced不合时宜的 ---The existing law is archaic and should be changed. 3) from or relating to ancient times古代的 ---archaic civilizations ---The English used in Chaucer's plays is an archaic form of the language. ---The laws that decide who owns items discovered on an archeological exploration are ridiculously.

sophisticated: adj. 1）having a lot of experience of life, and good judgment about socially important things such as art, fashion etc.老于世故的，老练的 ---She has become very sophisticated since she went to live in London. ---a child quite sophisticated for his age 2) a sophisticated machine, system, method etc is very well designed and very advanced, and often works in a complicated way复杂的，高级的，尖端的 ---sophisticated software ---The play is too sophisticated for the country child. ---This process is highly sophisticated. sophistication n. [uncountable] a New York nightclub that was the height of sophistication (=very fashionable and expensive)

banal: adj. commonplace, uninteresting平常的，乏味的 ---I was expecting an interesting interview but he only asked a few banal questions about the weather. ---It was just another banal newspaper story. banality: n. [uncountable and countable]ordinary and not interesting, because of a lack of new or different ideas ---a speech consisting mainly of banalities有很多陈词滥调的讲话

condemn: vt. 1)to say very strongly that you do not approve of something or someone, especially because you think it is morally wrong谴责，责备，指摘 ---The papers were quick to condemn him for his mistake. 报纸及时地指摘他的错误。 condemn something/somebody as something ---The law has been condemned as an attack on personal liberty. ---She is often condemned as uncaring. condemn somebody/something for (doing) something ---She knew that society would condemn her for leaving her children. 2)to give someone a severe punishment after deciding they are guilty of a crime condemn somebody to something宣告某人要受的惩罚；判某人的刑 ---He was found guilty and condemned to death/be shot . ---His nervous looks condemned him.他神态紧张，显出有罪的样子。

3)if a particular situation condemns someone to something, it forces them to live in an unpleasant way or to do something unpleasant使某人接受不好的事物；使某人注定 condemn somebody to (do) something --- His occupation condemned him to spend long periods of time away from his family. 4)to state officially that something is not safe enough to be used官方宣称（某事物）有缺陷或不宜使用 ---an old house that had been condemned condemn something as something ---The pool was closed after being condemned as a health hazard. ---The meat was condemned as unfit for human consumption. 这种猪肉已宣布不适宜人们食用。 condemnation n.谴责，判罪，注定 condemned cell 死囚牢房

embrace: vt. 1. [intransitive and transitive] hug拥抱，搂抱 ---Jack warmly embraced his son. 2. [transitive] formal to eagerly accept and cling to a new idea, opinion, religion etc.欣然接受或采取（某意见等） ---We hope these regions will embrace democratic reforms. ---Most West European countries have embraced the concept of high-speed rail networks with enthusiasm. 3.(of things) include 包含，包括 ---The term “mankind” embraces men, women and children.

wretched adj. • someone who is wretched is very unhappy or ill, and you feel sorry for them极不愉快的,悲惨的,可怜的 ---His stomach-ache made him feel wretched all day. 　他胃疼得整天十分难受． ---The wretched people are starving. ---a poor, wretched girl 2. if you feel wretched, you feel guilty and unhappy because of something bad that you have done内疚的 ---Guy felt wretched about it now.

3. [only before noun] making you feel annoyed or angry该死的（用以表示恼怒） ---Where is that wretched boy? ---The wretched car can’t start.这辆倒霉的汽车就是发动不起来。 ---It’s that wretched cat again!又是那只该死的猫。 4. literary, extremely bad or unpleasant　糟糕的、恶劣的 ---wretched weather ---The hotel food was absolutely wretched.这家旅馆的饭菜糟糕透了． wretchedly adv. wretchedness n. [uncountable]

exuberance: n. [uncountable] • happy and full of energy and excitement兴高采烈，活跃，愉快 ---The speaker’s exuberance enlivened a boring conference. 讲演者谈笑风生，使死气沉沉的会议顿添生气． ---She needs to try and control her natural exuberance. ---an exuberant personality 2. exuberant decorations, patterns etc are exciting and complicated or colorful 茁壮，茂盛，丰富，充沛 ---exuberant carvings ---an exuberant imagination丰富的想象力 ---plants with exuberant foliage枝叶扶疏的植物 exuberant adj. exuberantly adv.

languor n. [uncountable] literary 1) a pleasant feeling of laziness , lazy mood or quality 倦怠 ---Lying there beside her, he was filled with an agreeable languor. 2. feeling of dreamy peacefulness ---music that induces a delightful languor使人心旷神怡的音乐 3. oppressive stillness (of the air, etc.)（空气等）沉闷 ---the hazy languor of a summer’s afternoon夏日午后那种令人迷离恍惚的沉闷 languorous adj. languorously adv.

entangle: vt. 1)to make something become twisted and caught in a rope, net etc使…缠绕、纠缠于（某物中） entangle in/with ---Small animals can get entangled in the net. ---The cord became entangled with the wire from the battery. 2)to involve someone in an argument, a relationship, or a situation that is difficult to escape from使某人陷入（困难或复杂的环境中） --entangle somebody in something fears that the US could get entangled in another war ---Take care not to entangle yourself in dubious transactions. --be entangled with somebody ---I didn't want to become entangled with my best friend's wife. ---Don’t get yourself entangled with people of that sort.

Words and Expressions Part II (paras 7-12) • cobweb: 1.a net of sticky threads made by a spider to catch insects, that is inside a building and has not been removed　蜘蛛网 ---A brisk walk will soon blow the cobwebs away. 2. blow/clear the cobwebs away to do something, especially go outside, in order to help yourself to think more clearly and feel better cobwebbed adj.

imbecile:n. [countable] someone who is very stupid or behaves very stupidly低能者，弱智者，傻瓜 syn. idiot ---He looked at me as if I was a total imbecile. imbecilic adj.愚蠢的，傻的 imbecility n. [uncountable and countable]愚蠢，愚蠢的行为、言语等

excrement: 排泄物产n. [uncountable] (fml) the solid waste material that you get rid of through your bowels; feces 粪便 ---He stopped to wipe away the excrement, which blinded his eyes and coated his lips. ---In my bed is a faint smell of excrement. ---The pavement was covered in dogs’ excrement.便道上满是狗粪．

impotence, n. impotent, impotently • unable to take effective action because you do not have enough power, strength, or control无能为力 --- [uncountable] political impotence 　政治上的无能 Emergency services seem impotent in the face of such a disaster. impotent rage 2) a man who is impotent is unable to have sex because he cannot get an erection impotence n. 阳痿

paradox: 1)[countable] a situation that seems strange because it involves two ideas or qualities that are very different有矛盾特点的人、事物或情况 ---It's a paradox that in such a rich country there can be so much poverty. 　如此富足的国家竟有如此多的穷人，这是个矛盾的现实． 2) [countable] a statement that seems impossible because it contains two opposing ideas that are both true看似矛盾而实际（或可能）正确的说法，似非而是的隽语 ---The paradox is that fishermen would catch more fish if they fished less. ---More haste, less speed is a well-known paradox.欲速则不达是人所熟知的隽语 3) ---[uncountable] the use of statements that are a paradox in writing or speaking

Words and Expressions Part III (paras 13-14) • Comment on the thought provoking paragraph 14 Paragraph 14 stands out sharply from among all the others. It is the most interesting and thought provoking paragraph. The writer puts forward the problem but does not supply the answers, thus allowing the readers to give free rein to their imagination. Who are these people? Are they idealists, nihilists, revolutionaries or perverts? Why are they leaving Omelas? Are they disgusted, frightened, saddened or just dissatisfied with Omelas? Where are they going? Are they going to lead a life of seclusion in a monastery or hermitage far from this maddening world or are they going to found a new utopian city not based on any misery or suffering or what?

Distinct writing style • The use of short paragraphs There are many short paragraphs such as 2, 7, 11 and 13 which serve to introduce new topics or ideas, which are more effective and forceful than ordinary topic sentences. • The use of rhetorical questions

The use of specific words The writer uses a lot of specific words describing sound and color to paint a verbal picture of the city of Omelas and to describe the joyous celebrations that were being held. Here are a few examples: bright –towered, sparkled with flags, red roofs, painted walls, robes of mauve and grey, Green Fields, streamers of silver, gold and green, burned with white-gold fire, sunlit air, dark blue sky, a shimmering of gong and tambourine, a cheerful faint sweetness of the air, joyous clanging of bells, etc. Similarly she successfully paints a very vivid and poignant picture of the misery and suffering of the child. • There is also a variety of sentence structure to be found: long periodic or loose sentences with a string of participial phrase modifiers, varied with short powerful sentences, short elliptical sentences, rhetorical questions, absolute constructions, etc.

《 高级英语 》 精品课程 第二册