现代大学英语精读6第二版Unit 8 Housewifely Arts教学参考书.docx
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现代大学英语精读6第二版Unit8HousewifelyArts教学参考书
Unit8HousewifelyArts
MeganMayhewBergman
AdditionalBackgroundInformation
Whatisthisstoryabout?
Oneanswerissimplythatitisaboutlove.Becauseoftheprotagonist’sstrongmaternalloveforherson,Ike,sheworriesaboutgeneticweaknessesshemighthavepassedontohim—“cancergenes,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.InthetraditionoftheAmerican“roadtrip”,anotherwayofthinkingaboutthisstory,theprotagonistdoesnotmerelymakeanactualjourneywithhersoninacar,duringwhichvariousthingshappenalongtheway,shealsomakesapersonal,emotionaljourneyinwhichsheachievesameasureofenlightenment.Itisatypicalfeatureof“roadtrip”journeysthattheyteachthecharactersthingsaboutthemselvesthattheydidnotpreviouslyknow.
Drivingtowardhome,theystopatthehouseinwhichtheprotagonistgrewup–-“adeserted,plainhouseforplainfolks…”
…Ileadhimtothebackofthehouse,downthehallwaywhichstillfeelsmorefamiliartomethananyIknow…IremovethevalancesMommadeintheearlyeighties,driedbugsfallingfromthefoldsofthefabricintothesinkbelow.Thesearethethingswithwhichshemadeahome.Hercontributionstooursenseofplacewerehumbleandputforthwithgreatintent,craftswhichtookweeksofstitchingandunstitching,measuring,cutting,gathering.Irealizehowmuchinthehomewasdonebyhandandsweat.Myfatherhadlaidthecarpetingandlinoleum.Momhadpaintedthesamedinnerchairstwice,sewedallthewindowtreatments…IscanthekitchenandpictureMompayingbills,herperfectscript,thewayshealwayslistedheroccupationwithpride:
homemaker…
RecallinghowherparentshadcreatedahomethatshedescribestoIkebysaying,“Thiswasabeautifulhouse”,sheunderstandsthatherparentswerenotdemonstrativepeople,notpeoplewhotalkedaboutlove,butpeoplewhohadshownittoherinalltheiractionsandthesethingstheyhadmade.Andhere,also,shefindstheclearrecollectionsofhermotherthatshehadbeenseeking:
“…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,buthismothertellshimthatitwas“abeautifulhouse”.
(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’sanswerwasalwaysno,sayingthatshe“couldturnherheartoff”.Lookingback,theprotagonistrealizesthatthiswasnottrue,andthattheywereall“sickwithlove”.
DetailedAnalysisoftheText
1.Iammyownhousewife,myownbreadwinner.(Para.1)
Theprotagonistisasingleparentandhastotakecareofeverythingbecausethereisnooneelsearoundtohelpher.InChinese“singleparent”istranslatedas单亲,Itisveryclose,also,totheexpression“又当爹,又当娘”or“里里外外就靠她一个人”
2.Icanmakeapiecrustandexterminatehumpbackcricketswithahomemadeglueboard,thoughnotatthesametime.(Para.1)
Theprotagonistisbeinghumorous:
itwouldbeawkwardifsheweretoexterminatecricketsandcookatthesametime.
3.I’dliketocomplimentmyselfonthesethings…(Para.1)
tocomplimentsbonsomething:
topraisesbfor(doing)something
Noticethesubtledifferencesbetweenthes