新标准大学英语综合教程4-unit2

Unit2Activereading(1)Danger!BooksmaychangeyourlifeCulturepointsLewisCarroll(1832–1898)isthepen-nameofCharlesDodgson.Hewasapriest,amathematicianwhotaughtatOxfordUniversity,aphotographer,humoristandwriterofchildren’sliterature.Alice’sAdventuresinWonderland(1865)wasimmediatelysuccessful,amasterpiecewhichrevolutionizedchildren’sliterature,givingcoherenceandlogicthroughwitandhumourtounlikelyorimpossibleepisodesinwhichimaginarycreaturesembodyrecognizablehumancharacteristics.HeisalsoknownforThroughtheLookingGlassandwhatAlicefoundthere(1871)andnonsensepoems,suchasTheHuntingoftheSnark(1876).WilliamCowper(1731–1800):anotableEnglishpoet,writerofhymnsandletter-writer.Hewrotegentle,pious,directpoemsabouteverydayrurallifeandscenesofthecountrysidewhichhavebeenseenasforerunnersoftheRomanticmovement:ColeridgecalledCowper“thebestmodernpoet”.HetranslatedHomer’sGreekepics.TheOdysseyandTheIliadintoEnglish.Anotherexampleofhisverseswhichhavebecomecommonsayingsis“Godmovesinmysteriousways,Hiswonderstoperform…”JohnSteinbeck(1902–1968):AmericannovelistwhowasawardedtheNobelPrizeforLiteraturein1962.TheGrapesofWrath(1939)isawell-known,longtragicnovelaboutanAmericanfamilyoffarmerswhoaredrivenofftheirlandinOklahomabysoilerosioninthefamous“dustbowl”era.TheyfleetoCaliforniatowhattheyhopewillbeabetterlife.ThebookwonthePulitzerPrizeandwasmadeintoafilmin1940.Otherwell-knownnovelsincludeOfMiceandMen(1937),CanneryRow(1945),ThePearl(1947),EastofEden(1952)andanaccountofapersonalrediscoveryofAmerica,TravelswithCharlie(1962).JohnIrving(1942–):AmericannovelistandscreenwriterwhotaughtEnglishatcollegeandwasawrestlingcoach.TheFourthHand(2001)isacomic-satiricalnovelaboutaTVjournalist,Wallington,whosehandisseenbymillionsofviewerstobebittenoffbyacircuslion.Asurgeongiveshimahandtransplant(athirdhand)butthewifeofthedeaddonorwantstovisitherhusband’shandandhaveachildbyWallington,whofeelswherehisoriginalhandusedtobe(thefourthhand).AudreyNiffenegger(1963–):Americancollegeprofessorwhoteacheswritingtovisualartistsandshowsstudentshowtomakebooksbyhand.Herfirstnovel,TheTimeTraveller’sWife(2003)–filmedin2009–isasciencefictionandromancebestselleraboutamanwhotravelsuncontrollablyintimetohisownhistoryandvisitshiswifeinherchildhood,youthandoldage.Hiswifeneedstocopewithhisabsencesanddangerouslifewhilehetravels.Thestoryisametaphorfordistanceandmiscommunicationinfailedrelationships.PaulTorday(1946–):aBritishbusinessmanwhoworkedforacompanythatrepairedship’senginesformanyyears.SalmonFishingintheYemen(2007)washisfirstnovel.ItisapoliticalsatireandcomedyaboutadullcivilservantwhobecomesinvolvedinaplantopopulatethedesertwithScottishsalmon.Politiciansmanagethemediato“spin”thisasaplantheysupportinordertodivertattentionfromproblemsintheMiddleEast.Therearethemesofcynicismandbelief,andEast-Westcultureclashes.AleksandrSolzhenitsyn(1918–2008):aRussianwriterwhowasimprisonedinSovietlabourcampsin1945;aftereightyears,hewasexiledtoKazakhstanandnotfreeduntil1956,whenhebecameateacher.In1970hewasawardedtheNobelPrizeforLiteraturebutnotreceiveituntil1974.HewenttoGermany,SwitzerlandandtheUSA,returningtoRussiain1994.Hisbestknownnovelswerebasedonhisexperiencesasaprisonerandinclude:OneDayintheLifeofIvanDenisovich(1962),CancerWard(1968),TheGulagArchipelago(1974–1978).HislaterworkswereaboutRussianhistoryandidentity.GrahamGreene(1904–1991):aBritishnovelist,short-storywriter,playwright,travelwriterandessayist.Hewroteanumberofthrillers(hecalledthem‘entertainments’)whichdramatizeanambiguousmoraldilemma,oftenrevealingguilt,treachery,failureandathemeofpursuit.Greenewasalsoafilmcriticandallofthesenovelshavebeenmadeintofilms:BrightonRock(1938),ThePowerandtheGlory(1940),TheHeartoftheMatter(1948),TheThirdMan(1950),TheQuietAmerican(1955),andOurManinHavana(1958).E.M.Forster(1879–1970):aBritishnovelistandwriterofshortstoriesandessays.HelivedatdifferentperiodsinItaly,EgyptandIndiaandtaughtatCambridgeUniversity.HisbestknownnovelsincludeARoomwithaView(1908),Howard’sEnd(1910),APassagetoIndia(1924)whichhaveallbeenmadeintofilms.Hiswritingaboutreadingandwritingincludesabookoflectures,AspectsoftheNovel(1927).ThomasMerton(1915–1968):anAmericanCatholicwriter,whowasaTrappistmonkinKentucky.Hewroteover70books,includingmanyessaysaboutBuddhismandatranslationintoEnglishoftheChineseclassic,ChuangTse.HehadagreatdealtosayaboutthemeetingofEasternandWesternculturesandwrotemanyletterstowriters,poets,scholarsandthinkers.HereadalotinEnglish,Latin,FrenchandSpanishandsaidhealwayshadatleastthreebookswhichhewasreadingatanyonetime.WilliamBlake(1757–1827):aBritishpoet,artistandmystic,whoreadwidelyinEnglish,French,Italian,Latin,GreekandHebrew.HemademanyengravingstoillustratetheworkofsuchwritersasVirgil,DanteandChaucer,aswellashisownpoems.Hestressedthatimaginationwasmoreimportantthanrationalismandthematerialismofthe18thcenturyandcriticizedtheeffectsoftheindustrialrevolutioninEngland,buthisworkwaslargelydisregardedbyhispeers.HeisbestknownforhispoetryinSongsofInnocence(1787)andSongsofExperience(1794).Hisbeliefintheonenessofallcreatedthingsisshowninhi