现代大学英语精读6第二版参考用书.docx

现代大学英语精读6第二版参考用书.docx

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现代大学英语精读6第二版参考用书

现代大学英语精读6（第二版）参考用书

Unit8HousewifelyArts

MeganMayhewBergman

AdditionalBackgroundInformation

Whatisthisstoryabout?

Oneanswerissimplythatitisaboutlove.Becauseoftheprotagonist’sstrongmaternalloveforherson,Ike,sheworriesaboutgeneticweaknessesshemighthavepassedontohim―Dcancergenes,hayfever,highbloodpressure,perhapsafearofmath‖,plusbeingundersizedforhisagemakinghimaneasytargetforbullies.Beingasingleparent,sheknowsthatsheisallhersonhas.Shetakescaretoshelterhimfrombadexamplesandpossibleharm.Thedesiretobeagoodmother,tohelpherchildgrowuphappy,healthy,andproductiveissointensethatsheissometimeshauntedbynightmares.

Theexperienceofparentingherchildgraduallymakestheprotagonistmoreawareofherrelationshipwithhermother:

Willyoulovemeforever?

Ithinktomyself.WillyoulovemewhenI’mold?

IfIgocrazy?

Willyoubeembarrassedbyme?

Avoidmycalls?

Washdisheswhenyoutalktomeonthephone,rollyoureyes,laythereceiverdownnexttothecat?

Thesewereexactlythethingsshedidtohermother.Lovingherson,shefinallyrealizeshowmuchherparentsalsolovedher.Herfather’slovewaseasiertounderstand.Hetriedhisbesttogiveheropportunitiesinlife,butwhenshefailedintheyearataprivatecollege,whichhehadfundedforherwithconsiderabledifficulty,hedidnotjudgeorreproachher.Shelovedherfather,butsheregardedhermotherascoldandharshandfoughtconstantlywithher,reactinglikeherformerself,therebelliousteenager,beingneithermaturenorcompassionateinlookingafterhermotherinoldage,understandingher,forgivingherweaknesses,andlovingher.

Butnowthathermotherisdead,shebeginsincreasinglytomissher,andthedecisiontodriveninehourswithhersonforthesakeofhearinghermother’svoiceagainthroughtheimitationsofCarnie,theAfricanparrot,showshowmuchsheneedsthisconnection.“IrealizehowbadlyIneedapieceofmymother.Ascrap,asound,asmell―something.”Sheknowsshehasnotbeenagooddaughter,andtheparrothermotherlovedandwhichshehatedsomuch,alwaysseemedtocomebetweenthem.Now,however,Carniehasbecomeheronlyavenuetothekindofmemoryshecraves.Butthebirddoesnotgiveherthatsatisfaction,remainingcompletelysilent.Perhapsitcouldnotforgiveherunkindtreatmentofitinthepast.

Nonetheless,thejourneyprovessuccessful.InthetraditionoftheAmericanDroadtrip‖,anotherwayofthinkingaboutthisstory,theprotagonistdoesnotmerelymakeanactualjourneywithhersoninacar,duringwhichvariousthingshappenalongtheway,shealsomakesapersonal,emotionaljourneyinwhichsheachievesameasureofenlightenment.Itisatypicalfeatureof

Droadtrip‖journeysthattheyteachthecharactersthingsaboutthemselvesthattheydidnotpreviouslyknow.

Drivingtowardhome,theystopatthehouseinwhichtheprotagonistgrewupC-Dadeserted,plainhouseforplainfolks…‖

…Ileadhimtothebackofthehouse,downthehallwaywhichstillfeelsmorefamiliartomethananyIknow…IremovethevalancesMommadeintheearlyeighties,driedbugsfallingfromthefoldsofthefabricintothesinkbelow.Thesearethethingswithwhichshemadeahome.Hercontributionstooursenseofplacewerehumbleandputforthwithgreatintent,craftswhichtookweeksofstitchingandunstitching,measuring,cutting,gathering.Irealizehowmuchinthehomewasdonebyhandandsweat.Myfatherhadlaidthecarpetingandlinoleum.Momhadpaintedthesamedinnerchairstwice,sewedallthewindowtreatments…IscanthekitchenandpictureMompayingbills,herperfectscript,thewayshealwayslistedheroccupationwithpride:

homemaker…

RecallinghowherparentshadcreatedahomethatshedescribestoIkebysaying,DThiswasabeautifulhouse‖,sheunderstandsthatherparentswerenotdemonstrativepeople,notpeoplewhotalkedaboutlove,butpeoplewhohadshownittoherinalltheiractionsandthesethingstheyhadmade.Andhere,also,shefindstheclearrecollectionsofhermotherthatshehadbeenseeking:

D…NowIcanhearmymothereverywhere―inthekitchen,inmybedroom,onthefrontporch…‖

Thisvisitalsohelpstheprotagonisttomakeamajordecisionaroundwhichonepartoftheplotisconstructed:

shouldsheandIkemovetoConnecticut,astatetowhichherfirmhasofferedtotransferher?

Ikeisreluctant.

“…Whatifwelivehereforever?

Heasked.Peopleusedtodothat,Isaid.Livedinonehousetheirentirelife.Mymother,forinstance…”

Inrevisitingthehouseofherchildhood,shehasgraspedtheprofoundsenseofhomethatgrowingupinthissingleplacehasgivenher.Sheconcludes:

“Together,wecanmakeasolidgrilledcheese,pruneshrubs,cleanhouse.Together,maybewe’rethehousewifethishouseneeds.Maybeourbestlifeishere.”

And,significantly,shecomes,finally,toatrueunderstandingofhermother’scourageandstrength,grantingherrespectandadmiration:

“Steamrolledbytheworld,butinthefaceofdefeat,shethreatenedusall.‖Andthelastthreesentencesofthestory―

Myheart,she’dsaid.Icanturnitoff.Foryears,I’dbelievedher.

ButIknowthetruthnow.Whatmaniacsweare―sickwithlove,allofus.

―makeclearherfinalrealizationthathermotherlovesandhasalwayslovedher,andthatshe,too,lovesandhasalwayslovedhermother.

StructureoftheText

PartI（Paras.1-11）

Theprotagonistintroducesherselfandtellsusthatsheisdrivingninehourswithher7-year-oldsonsothatshecanhearhermother’svoiceagain.

PartII（Paras.12-22）

Theprotagonistdescribeshowshehadtosellhermother’shouseandhowthehousebroughtbackmemoriesofherdeadmotherwithherAfricanparrot.

PartIII（Paras.23-34）

OntheirwaytotheZoo,theprotagonistandhersoncometoareststopandwhatsheseesmakesherthinkaboutherresponsibilitiesasamother.

PartIV（Paras.35-51）

Theprotagonistreminiscesabouthowshefirstsawtheparrotathermother’shomeandhowtheydevelopedahostilerelationshipfromtheverybeginning.

PartV（Paras.52-58）

Theprotagonisttellshersonwheretheyaregoingandforwhatpurpose.Welearnfromthissectionwhatkindofpersonherson’sfatherisandhowshebecameasingleparent.

PartVI（Paras.59-65）

Theprotagonist’sson,Ike,tellsherastoryabouthisclassmateLouis’crazymotherandthisonceagainmakesherkeenlyawareofherdesiretoprotecthersonagainsteventheknowledgethatsuchpeopleexist.

PartVII（Paras.66-97）

Thisisamostrevealingandtouchingpartofthestoryinwhichwelearnthereasonsfortheintensedisagreementsbetweentheprotagonistandhermother.Shedoesnotunderstandwhyhermotheroftenappearsharshandcold,unlikeherfather,whowaskindanddidnotjudgeher,norcansheunderstandwhyhermothergavesomuchofhercareandattentiontoabirdsosoonafterherfather’sdeath.

PartVIII（Paras.98-110）

Theprotagonistandhersoncheckintoaninnandtheresheremembershowhermothercriedoverhergrandmother’sdeath.Shealsohearsinthenewsaboutapythonstranglingatoddler,whichremindsherofavideoofasimilareventIke’sfathershowedher.Thefearthatthiscouldreallyhappentohersonkeepsherawakethatnight.

PartIX（Paras.111-123）

Inthissection,theprotagonistrecallshowcruellyshehurthermother’sfeelingsovertheparrotwhenitwastimetosendhermothertoanursinghome.

PartX（Paras.124-143）

Thesememoriesshowwhytheprotagonistmisseshermothersomuchandwantssomuchtohearherdeadmother’svoiceonceagainthroughtheimitationsoftheparrot,butthebirdrefusestotalk,asthoughhermotherstillwillnotforgiveherforthewayshetreatedthebird.

PartXI（Paras.144-150）

Theprotagonistnowremembersthedayhermotherfinallyhadtopartwithherbelovedbirdandgotothenursinghome.Itwasaheart-breakingdayforher.

PartXII（Paras.151-177）

Astheprotagonistrevisitsherhome,happymemoriescometoherandsherecallsherdeceasedparents.Hersonfeelssorrythathismotherhasbeenbroughtupinthisplace;initsrundownstate,heseesitasmiserable,buthismothertellshimthatitwasDabeautifulhouse‖.

（提醒：

因编辑的疏忽，教材（184页）1-4行漏标了段落序号，造成176-179序

号缺失，并非文字缺失，特此说明。

编者为此疏忽表示歉意，并将在教材重印时修正。

）

PartXIII（Paras.178-192）

Arealtorcomesforapreview,thenacouplecomeforaninspection.Astheycheckthehouse,theyjotdowncriticalobservations.Theprotagonistthinksthatperhapsthisisjusttherightplaceforherandherson.

PartXIV（Paras.193-211）

Theprotagonistagainremembersthedayshewastosendhermothertothenursinghome.Shekeptaskinghermotherwhethershewouldliketokeepafewthingsassouvenirs,buthermother’s

answerwasalwaysno,sayingthatsheDcouldturnherheartoff‖.Lookingback,theprotagonistrealizesthatthiswasnottrue,andthattheywereallDsickwithlove‖.

DetailedAnalysisoftheText

1.Iammyownhousewife,myownbreadwinner.（Para.1）

Theprotagonistisasingleparentandhastotakecareofeverythingbecausethereisnooneelsearoundtohelpher.InChineseDsingleparent‖istranslatedas单亲，Itisveryclose,also,totheexpressionD又当爹，又当娘‖orD里里外外就靠她一个人‖

2.Icanmakeapiecrustandexterminatehumpbackcricketswithahomemadeglue

board,thoughnotatthesametime.（Para.1）

Theprotagonistisbeinghumorous:

itwouldbeawkwardifsheweretoexterminatecricketsandcookatthesametime.

3.I’dliketocomplimentmyselfonthesethings…（Para.1）

tocomplimentsbonsomething:

topraisesbfor（doing）something

N