Unit 16 Text IThe Battle of the Ants.docx

Unit 16 Text IThe Battle of the Ants.docx

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Unit16TextITheBattleoftheAnts

TEXT1TheBattleoftheAnts

HenryDavidThoreau

Pre-readingquestions

1.DoyouenjoywatchingtheTVprogramAnimalWorld?

Whyorwhynot?

2.Whatsimilaritiesanddifferenceshaveyoufoundbetweentheanimalworldandthehumanworld?

1OnedaywhenIwentouttomywood-pile,orrathermypileofstumps,Iobservedtwolargeants,theonered,theothermuchlarger,nearlyhalfaninchlong,andblack,fiercelywrestledandrolledonthechipsincessantly.Lookingfarther,Iwassurprisedtofindthatthechipswerecoveredwithsuchcombatants,thatitwasnotaduellum,butabellum,awarbetweentworacesofants,theredalwayspittedagainsttheblack,andfrequentlytworedonestooneblack.ThelegionsoftheseMyrmidonscoveredallthehillsandvalesinmywoodyard,andthegroundwasalreadystrewnwiththedeadanddying,bothredandblack.ItwastheonlybattlewhichIhaveeverwithnessed,theonlybattlefieldIevertrodwhilethebattlewasraging;internecinewar;theredrepublicansontheonehand,andtheblackimperialistsontheother.Oneverysidetheywereengagedindeadlycombat,yetwithoutanynoisethatIcouldhear,andhumansoldiersneverfoughtsoresolutely.Iwatchedacouplethatwerefastlockedineachother’sembraces,inalittlesunnyvalleyamidthechips,nowatnoondaypreparedtofighttillthesunwentdown,orlifewentout.Thesmallerredchampionhadfastenedhimselflikeavicetohisadversary’sfront,andthroughallthetumblingsonthatfiledneverforaninstantceasedtognawatoneofhisfeelersneartheroot,havingalreadycausedtheothertogobytheboard;whilethestrongerblackonedashedhimfromsidetoside,and,asIsawonlookingnearer,hadalreadydivestedhimofseveralofhismembers.Theyfoughtwithmorepertinacitythanbulldogs.Neithermanifestedtheleastdispositiontoretreat:

Itwasevidentthattheirbattle-crywas“Conquerordie.”Inthemeanwhiletherecamealongasingleredantonthehillsideofthisvalley,evidentlyfullofexcitement,whoeitherhaddispatchedhisfoe,orhadnotyettakenpartinthebattle;probablythelatter,forhehadlostnoneofhislimbs;whosemotherhadchargedhimtoreturnwithhisshieldoruponit2.OrperchancehewassomeAchilles2,whohadnourishedhiswrathapart,andhadnowcometoavengeorrescuehisPatroclus3.Hesawthisunequalcombatfromafar—fortheblackswerenearlytwicethesizeofthered—hedrewnearwithrapidpacetillhestoodonhisguardwithinhalfaninchofthecombatants;then,watchinghisopportunity,hesprangupontheblackwarrior,andcommencedhisoperationsneartherootofhisrightforeleg,leavingthefoetoselectamonghisownmembers;andsotherewerethreeunitedforlife,asifanewkindofattractionhadbeeninventedwhichputallotherlocksandcementstoshame4.Ishouldnothavewonderedbythistimetofindthattheyhadtheirrespectivemusicalbandsstationedonsomeeminentchip,andplayingtheirnationalairsthewhile5,toexcitetheslowandcheerthedyingcombatants.Iwasmyselfexcitedsomewhatevenasiftheyhadbeenmen.Themoreyouthinkofit,thelessthedifference.AndcertainlythereisnotthefightrecordedinConcord6history,atleast,ifinthehistoryofAmerica,thatwillbearamoment’scomparisonwiththis;whetherforthenumbersengagedinit,orforthepatriotismandheroismdisplayed.FornumbersandforcarnageitwasanAusterlitzorDresden7.ConcordFight!

Twokilledonthepatriots’side,andLutherBlanchard8wounded!

WhyhereeveryantwasaButtrick9—“Fire!

ForGod’ssakefire!

”—andthousandssharedthefateofDavisandHomer10.Therewasnotonehirelingthere11.Ihavenodoubtthatitwasaprincipletheyfoughtfor,asmuchasourancestors,andnottoavoidathree-pennytaxontheirtea12;andtheresultsofthisbattlewillbeasimportantandmemorabletothosewhomitconcernsasthoseofthebattleofBunkerHill13,atleast.

2ItookupthechiponwhichthethreeIhaveparticularlydescribedwerestruggling,carrieditintomyhouse,andplaceditunderatumbleronmywindowsill,inordertoseetheissue.Holdingamicroscopetothefirst-mentionedredant,Isawthat,thoughhewasassiduouslygnawingatthenearforelegofhisenemy,havingseveredhisremainingfeeler,hisownbreastwasalltornaway,exposingwhatvitalshehadtheretothejawsoftheblackwarrior,whosebreastplatewasapparentlytoothickforhimtopierce;andthedarkcarbunclesofthesufferer’seyesshonewithferocitysuchaswaronlycouldexcite.Theystruggledhalfanhourlongerunderthetumbler,andwhenIlookedagaintheblacksoldierhadseveredtheheadsofhisfoesfromtheirbodies,andthestilllivingheadswerehangingoneithersideofhimlikeghastlytrophiesathissaddle-bow,stillapparentlyasfirmlyfastenedasever,andhewasendeavoringwithfeeblestruggles,beingwithoutfeelers,andwithonlytheremnantofaleg,andIknownothowmanyotherwounds,todivesthimselfofthem,whichatlength,afterhalfanhourmore,heaccomplished.Iraisedtheglass,andhewentoffoverthewindowsillinthatcrippledstate.Whetherhefinallysurvivedthatcombat,andspenttheremainderofhisdaysinsomeHoteldesInvalides14,Idonotknow;butIthoughtthathisindustrywouldnotbeworthmuchthereafter.Ineverlearnedwhichpartywasvictorious,northecauseofthewar,butIfeltfortherestofthatdayasifIhadmyfeelingsexcitedandharrowedbywitnessingthestruggle,theferocityandcarnage,ofahumanbattlebeforemydoor.

3KirbyandSpence15tellusthatthebattlesofantshavelongbeencelebratedandthedateofthemrecorded,thoughtheysaythatHuberistheonlymodernauthorwhoappearstohavewitnessedthem.“AeneasSylvius16,”saythey,“aftergivingaverycircumstantialaccountofonecontestedwithgreatobstinacybyagreatandsmallspeciesonthetrunkofapeartree,”addsthat“‘thisactionwasfoughtinthepontificateofEugeniustheFourth17,inthepresenceofNicholasPistoriensis,aneminentlawyer,whorelatedthewholehistoryofthebattlewiththegreatestfidelity.’AsimilarengagementbetweengreatandsmallantsisrecordedbyOlausMagnus18,inwhichthesmallones,beingvictorious,aresaidtohaveburiedthebodiesoftheirownsoldiers,butleftthoseoftheirgiantenemiesapreytothebirds.ThiseventhappenedprevioustotheexpulsionofthetyrantChristiantheSecondfromSweden19.”ThebattlewhichIwitnessedtookplaceinthePresidencyofPolk20,fiveyearsbeforethepassageofWebster’sFugitive-SlaveBill21.

1,182words

GLOSSARY

Stumpgnaw

Chipfeeler

Combatantdash

Duellumdivest

Bellumpertinacity

Pitbulldog

Legionbattle-cry

Myrmidondispatch

Valelimb

Woodyardperchance

Strewnourish

Ragewrath

Internecineavenge

Resolutelycommence

Viceforeleg

Tumblingcement

Heroismghastly

Carnagetrophy

Hirelingsaddle-bow

Windowsillremnant

Assiduouslyharrow

Vitalscircumstantial

Jawobstinacy

Breastplatepontificate

Piercefidelity

Carbuncleexpulsion

1.AbouttheauthorThoreau,HenryDavid（1817-1862）,wasanAmericanwriter,philosopher,andnaturalistwhobelievedintheimportanceofindividualism.Thoreau’sbest-knowworkisWalden;orLifeinthewoods（1854）,whichembodieshisphilosophyandreflectshisindependentcharacter.ThebookrecordsThoreau’sexperiencesinahand-builtcabin,wherehespenttwoyearsinpartialseclusion,atWaldenPondnearConcord,Massachusetts.Thecurrenttextistakenfromthisbook.

2.…whosemotherhadchargedhimtoreturnwithhisshieldoruponit（Paragraph1）…whosemotherhadtoldhimeithertofightbravelyandreturnintact,ortofighttodeathandreturnlyingontheshield.

3.OrperchancehewassomeAchilles,whohadnourishedhiswrathapart,andhadnowcometoavengeorrescuehisPatroclus（Paragraph1）InGreekmythology,PatrocluswasdearestfriendoftheheroAchilleswhomheaccompaniedtotheTrojanWar.Laterinthewar,Achilleswithdrewhistroops,theMyrmidons,fromcombatbecauseofquarrelwithAgamemnon,commanderoftheGreekforces.SoonafterPatroclusledtheGreekarmytovictoryovertheTrojons,hewasslainbytheTrojoncommander,Hector.Toavengehisfried’sdeath,AchillesrejoinedthebattleandkilledHector.

4.…andcommencedhisoperationsneartherootofhisrightforeleg,leavingthefoetoselectamonghisownmembers;andsotherewerethreeunitedforlife,asifanewkindofattractionhadbeeninventedwhichputallotherlocksandcementstoshame.（Paragraph1）…thenstartedhisattacksattherootoftheblackant’srightfrontleg,leavingtheenemytochoosetousetherestofhislegsfortheconfrontation;ataresult,thethereofthem,fightingforsurvival,weresotightlylocksandcementswerealmostnothing.

5.playingtheirnationalairsthewhile（Paragraph1）playingtheirowntribalmelodytocheeruptheirsoldiersduringthistimeofcombat.

6.Concord（Paragraph1）atownofeasternMassachusettsontheConcordRiverwest-northwestofBoston.AnearlybattleoftheRevolutionaryWarwasfoughthereonApril19,1775.Inthe19thcenturythetownwasnotedasanintellectualandliterarycenter.

7.AusterlitzorDresden（Paragraph1）AusterlitzisatownofsouthernCzechoslovakia.Nearby,onDecember2,1805,NapoleondecisivelydefeatedtheRussianandAustrianarmieswereallpresentonthefield,theBattleofAusterlitzissometimescalledtheBattleoftheThreeEmperors.Dresdenisacityofeast-centralGermanyontheElbeRivereast-southeastofLeipzig.Napoleonwonhislastmajormilitarysuccessherein1813.

8.LutherBlanchard（Paragraph1）OnApirl19,1775,inthetownofActon,