Unit 6 The Museum.docx

Unit 6 The Museum.docx

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Unit6TheMuseum

Unit6

TheMuseum

LeilaAboulela

StructureoftheText

PartI（Paras.1-15）

Shadia,anAfricangirl,hascometostudyforaMasterofScienceDegreeinStatisticsatauniversityinScotland.Shefindsoneofhercoursesdifficult.

ØShadiawantstoaskBryan,alocalScottishstudent,forhisnotes,butshehesitatesbecausethelatter’slonghairandearringmakesheruncomfortable.Thisisoneofaspectofthecultureshockshehasencounteredsincecomingtothisforeigncountry.（Para.1）

ØAswellasShadia,studentsfromotherThirdWorldcountriesexperienceanxietyovertheirstudies.（Paras.2-3）

ØBryanhadbeenanundergraduatestudentatthisuniversity,earningFirstClassHonours,soShadiawantstoborrowhisnotestostrengthenherownweakbackgroundinstatistics.（Paras.4-6）

ØShadiaandtheotherforeignstudentsfindScotlandfarfromwelcominginitsattitudetowardthem.（Paras.7-10）

ØShadiagathershercourageandasksBryanforhisnotes.Bryanissurprisedwhenshespeakstohim,butheimmediatelypromisesthathewillgiveherhisnotesonMonday.（Paras.11-15）

PartII（Paras.16-25）

Ontheweekends,Shadiaseldomgoesout.Sometimes,shegetsalong-distancecallfromsomeoneathome.（Paras.16-25）

ØOntheweekends,Shadiastaysinside,missingthegoodlifeathome.Sheisworriedaboutherstudies.（Paras.16-18）

ØIntheevening,shegetsalong-distancetelephonecallfromFareed,towhomsheisengaged.Fareedisrichandbymarryinghim,Shadiawillenterintohiswholelife,includinghisbusinessandhismotherandsisters.Fareedisnotinterestedinherstudies.（Paras.19-25）

PartIII（Paras.26-28）

OnMonday,BryangaveShadiahisnotes.Seeingtheclearnotesandtidyhandwriting,Shadiacries.Shestaysuplateandstudiesthenotescarefully,findingthemextremelyuseful.

PartIV（Paras.29-37）

Returningthenotes,ShadiathanksBryanandtalkstohim.Shetellshimthatshedoesn’tlikehisearring.Bryanremovestheearringatonce.ThenShadiasaysthatshedoesn’tlikehislonghair.Bryanturnsawaywithoutsayinganything.（Paras.29-37）

PartV（Paras.38-42）

ThenexttimeShadiaseesBryanintheclassroom,shefindsthathehashadhishaircutshort.Shefeelsflatteredbecausesheknowsthathehasdonethisforher.

PartVI（Paras.43-83）

ShadiaandBryandrinkcoffeetogetherandhaveaconversation.

ØShadiafeelsthatsheshouldn’thavehadcoffeewithBryanbyherself.Shedecidestomakehimdislikeher.（Para.43）

ØFromtheirconversation,welearnthatShadiacomesfromawell-offmiddle-classfamily,herfatherbeingadoctor.WealsolearnthatBryan’sfatherisajoinerandhismotherisalollipoplady.（Paras.44-60）

ØShadiahasbehavedarrogantly,andBryanisshyandawkward.（Paras.61-65）

ØBryantellsShadiathatonweekendsherowsontheriverDee.ShadiatalksabouttheNile,saying,“TheNileissuperiortotheDee.”（Paras.66-68）

ØTheytalkaboutIslam,andBryantellsShadiathathestudiedIslaminclassandwentonatriptoMecca,inabook.BryaninvitesShadiatovisitalocalmuseumaboutAfrica.（Paras.69-83）

PartVII（Paras.84-93）

Shadia’sfiancéFareedcallsagain.HewantsShadiatobuyfixturesfortheirtoilets—gold-coloredtoiletseats.

PartVIII（Paras.94-119）

ThemuseumisnotinanywaywhatShadiahasexpectedtosee.ShefeelsthattheculturalgulfbetweenherandBryanistoowidetobebridged.

•ThemuseumisfullofexhibitsaboutthecolonialperiodinAfricafromtheperspectiveofthecolonialrulers.ItisentirelydifferentfromwhatShadiawantedtosee.Meanwhile,Bryanisintenselyinterestedinthemuseum’sexhibits.（Paras.94-113）

•ThemuseumisamajorcultureshockforShadia,andshecries.Bryantriedtocomfortherbysaying“Museumschange,Icanchange…”（Paras.114-118）

•ShadiaknowsthatthegulfbetweenherandBryanissowidethatitisunbridgeable.（Para.119）

DetailedStudyoftheText

1.TheMuseum（Title）:

Whyisthestoryentitled“TheMuseum”?

Bearthisquestioninmindwhilereadingthestory.

2.AtfirstShadiawasafraidtoaskhimforhisnotes.（Para.1）

Thestoryopenswithashortsentence,inwhichboththeheroineandtheheroofthestoryareintroduced.

3.Theearringmadeherafraid;thestraightlonghairthathetiedupwitharubberband.Shehadneverseenamanwithanearringandsuchlonghair.（Para.1）:

Shadiafindsitstrangeforamantohavelonghairandwearanearring.Itisalientohercultureforamantolooklikethat.

4.Butthenshehadneverknownsuchcold,somuchrain.（Para.1）

Notonlydoesshefindthatpeopleherelookstrange,theweatherisalsosomethingshehasneverexperiencedbefore.ThisdetailindicatesthatShadiamusthavecomefromawarmanddrycountry,aswewillseelater.

5.HissilverearringwasthestrangenessoftheWest,anothercultureshock.（Para.1）Phraseslike“thestrangenessoftheWest”confirmthatShadiaisnotfromtheWest.Amanwearingasilverearringisaninstanceofthecultureshocksheexperiencesinthisunfamiliarenvironment.

cultureshock:

Cultureshockisthepersonaldisorientationapersonmayfeelwhenexperiencinganunfamiliarwayoflifeduetoimmigrationoravisittoanewcountryoramovebetweensocialenvironmentswithinacountry.文化冲击（又译文化震惊，文化休克）

6.Herignoranceandtheimpendingexamswerehorrorsshewantedtoescape.（Para.1）Shewassofrightenedbyherownignoranceofthesubjectshewasstudyingandthecomingexamsthatshewishedshecouldescapethem.

impending:

（onlybeforeanoun,usuallyofanunpleasantevent）thatisgoingtohappenverysoon即将发生的，迫在眉睫的

7.Itremindedherofadollshehadwhenshewasyoung.（Para.1）

ThiswasmostprobablyadollmadeinaWesterncountry,modeledonaWesternchild.

8.Shehadlongedforsuchstraighthair.（Para.1）

Herlongingrevealsthefactthatherhairisnotstraight.LaterwewilldiscoverthatshecomesfromAfrica.TypicallythehairofAfricansisshortandtightlycurled.HavingreceivedaWesterneducation,ShadiahasacceptedaWesternconceptofbeauty.

9.Shepicturedherdoll,vividsuddenly,andfeltsickthatshewasdaydreaminginclass,notlearningathing.（Para.1）

Shehasavividmentalimageofherdollandthenrealizesthatsheisdaydreaminginclass,notlearningathing.Shefeelsashamedofandangrywithherself.

10.Thefirstdaysoftheterm,whentheclassesstartedfortheM.Sc.inStatistics,shewaslikesomeonetossedaroundbymonstrouswaves—battered,asshelostherwaytothedifferentlecturerooms,fumbledwiththephotocopyingmachine,couldnotfindanythinginthelibrary.（Para.2）

Paraphrase:

Duringthefirstdaysoftheterm,whentheclasseshadstartedfortheM.Sc.inStatistics,shewascompletelydisoriented:

shecouldn’tfindherwaytothedifferentlecturerooms,shehandledthephotocopyingmachineclumsily,andshehaddifficultyinfindingthebooksandothermaterialssheneededinthelibrary.

M.Sc.inStatistics:

MasterofScienceinStatistics统计学硕士

battered:

attackedviolentlyandinjured,usedfigurativelyhere

tofumble:

Usethehandsclumsilywhiledoingorhandlingsomething

Translation:

开学头几天，当统计学硕士课程刚开始时，她就像一个被巨浪抛来抛去的受伤的人。

她找不到上课的教室，使用复印机时笨手笨脚，在图书馆里晕头转向，找不到自己要找的书和资料。

11.Soshefloundered,sheandtheotherAfricanstudents,thetwoTurkishgirls,andthemenfromBrunei.（Para.2）

ThissentencetellsusthatShadiaisfromAfrica.Theauthormentionsthisfactasifinpassing.

toflounder:

tohavetroubledoingorunderstandingsomething茫然挣扎着前进

Brunei:

BruneiisasovereignstatelocatedonthenorthcoastoftheislandofBorneoinSoutheastAsia.文莱（古称渤泥）

12.Asafa,theshort,round-facedEthiopian,said,inhisgravevoice—asthiscollectionfromtheThirdWorldwhisperedtheiranxietiesingrimScottishcorridors,thegirlsinnervousgiggles—“Lastyear,lastyear,aNigerianonthisverysamecoursecommittedsuicide.Cuthiswrists.”（Para.2）

Atthispoint,wegettoknowthatthesettingofthestoryisScotland.

Translation:

在苏格兰阴森的走廊里，第三世界的留学生们集体倾诉他们的焦虑，女孩们发出紧张的格格笑声。

这时，阿萨法，一个小个头、圆脸盘的埃塞俄比亚人，用低沉的声音对大家说：

“去年，就是去年，这门课上一个尼日利亚学生自杀了，割腕自杀的。

”

13.Usandthem,shethought.Theoneswhowoulddowell,theoneswhowouldcrawlandsweatandbarelypass.（Para.3）

Thefirstsentenceisincomplete,itsmeaningbeingexplainedbythefollowingsentence.“Us’refertothe“oneswhowouldcrawlandsweatandbarelypass.”

theoneswhowouldcrawlandsweatandbarelypass:

thosewhowouldworkextremelyhardandyetwouldbarelypass.Thewords“crawl”and“sweat”areusedfiguratively,meaningworkingveryhard,experiencinggreatdifficulty,butmakingpainfullyslowprogress

barely:

inawaythatisjustpossiblebutonlywithdifficulty勉强地

14.Twopredeterminedgroups.（Para.3）

Thisisanotherincompletesentence,meaningwebelongtotwopredeterminedgroups.Thetwogroupsarepredeterminedbecauseoftheirdifferenteducationalbackgrounds.

15.“Theonewiththeearring?

”（Para.4）

ThissentencetellsusthatthenameoftheboywhosenotesShadiawantstoborrowisBryan.

16.He’llgettheDistinction.Hewasanundergraduatehere;gotFirstClassHonours.（Para.3）

Translation:

他会得到优秀奖。

他在这里念的本科，得了一等奖。

Distinction:

specialrecognitiongiventoastudentforoutstandingwork,e.g.Hegraduatedwithdistinction.

17.“Heknowsallthelecturers,heknowsthesystem.”（Para.5）

Bryanknowstheteachersandisfamiliarwiththeschool’sfunctioningbecausehecompletedhisundergraduatedegreeatthisuniversitybeforebeginninggraduatestudy.

Translation:

他认识所有的讲师，对学校的制度了如指掌。

18.Ifshestrengthenedherbackgroundinstochasticprocessandtimeseries,shewouldbebetterabletocopewiththenewmaterial