A-Clean--Well-Lighted-Place

AClean,Well-LightedPlaceErnestHemingwayAbouttheAuthorErnestHemingway(1899-1961)wasborninIllinois.HebeganhiswritingcareerforTheKansasCityStarin1917.Manyofhispersonalexperiencesprovidedthemes,backgroundmaterial,andsettingsforhiswriting.HisfamousnovelAFarewelltoArmswasbasedonhisknowledgeofanambulancedriverontheItalianfrontduringtheFirstWorldWar.TheSpanishCivilWarbecamethebackgroundforhisbrilliantwarnovelForWhomtheBellTolls.WiththeappearanceofTheSunAlsoRisesin1926,Hemingwaybecamenotonlythevoiceofthelostgenerationbutthepreeminentwriterofhistime.HedescribedhisexperiencesofbullfightinginDeathintheAfternoonandbig-gamehuntinginGreenHillsofAfrica.In1953,hismostpopularworkTheOldManandtheSeawasawardedthePulitzerPrize,andinthefollowingyear,hewontheNobelPrizeinLiteratureforhispowerful,style-formingmasteryoftheartofnarration.Hemingway'swritingstyleisstriking.Heoftenusesshortsentencesandsimplewordstoconveydeepmeaning.TheIcebergTheory(alsoknownasthetheoryofomission)isthewritingstyleofAmericanwriterErnestHemingway.Hemingwaybeganhiswritingcareerasareporter.Journalisticwriting,particularlyfornewspapers,focusesonlyoneventsbeingreported,omittingsuperfluousandextraneousmatter.Whenhebecameawriterofshortstories,heretainedthisminimalisticstyle,focusingonsurfaceelementswithoutexplicitlydiscussingtheunderlyingthemes.Hemingwaybelievedthetruemeaningofapieceofwritingshouldnotbeevidentfromthesurfacestory,rather,thecruxofthestoryliesbelowthesurfaceandshouldbeallowedtoshinethrough.CriticssuchasJacksonBensonclaimthathisicebergtheory,incombinationwithhisdistinctiveclarityofwriting,functionedasameanstodistancehimselffromthecharactershecreated.MainIdeaThestorydepictswhathappenedonenightinaSpanishcaféwhereanolddeafmanwasdrinkinghisbrandy.Hispreferencetostayinginthecafélatetillnightpromptedalongconversationbetweenayoungwaiterandanoldwaiter,whichhelpsrevealthetwomen’sattitudestowardlife:theyoungwaslivinginblindness,concernedonlywithhisdailyroutinesanddesireswhiletheoldone,awareofthedifficultyinthepursuitofprofundityinlife,triedtocounterdarknessandchaoswithcleanness,lightandorder.HowtoDetecttheMainCharacterThemaincharacterinastoryreferstotheonewhoismostlydescribedandwhosefeelingsandpsychologyarerevealedindetail.Inthissense,themaincharacterinthisstoryistheolderwaiterwho,unliketheyoungwaiter,sympathizeswiththedeafoldmanbecausehehimselfisalsooldandlonelyandtakespleasureinaquietpublicplace.Whatdoyouknowaboutthem?Hewasoldandlackedconfidence.Hecouldnotsleepuntildawn.Hehadawifewaitingforhimtogohome.Hewasyoungandself-confident.Whataretheirdifferentattitudestowardstheoldman?Hesympathizedwiththeoldmananddefendedhimbysayingthathewasclean.Hedidn'tfeelitbadfortheoldmantostayinthecafélateintothenight.Hewasanxioustogohomesohewantedtheoldmantoleaveassoonaspossible;therefore,hebecameangryandimpolite.Hedidn'tsensethedignitythattheoldmanhadabouthim.Whataretheirdifferentopinionsaboutacaféandabodega/abar?Inhisopinion,acaféwasclean,well-lightedwhileabodegawasdirty,noisyandunpleasant.Heknewthedifferencebetweenacaféandabodegaorabarandahome,buthedidn'trealizetheimportanceofacafétotheoldman.TheOldManTheoldmanwas80yearsold.Hewasrichandlivedwithhisniece.Hevisitedthecaféeveryeveninganddrownedhissorrowsindrink.Heeventriedtocommitsuicide.Hewasoldanddeaf,butneatanddignified.TheOldWaiterTheolderwaiterwasasympatheticman.Heknewtheoldman'shistoryandunderstoodhislonelinessanddespair.Liketheoldman,theoldwaiterwasalsolonelyandnotconfidentaboutlife.Healsolikedtotakepleasureinaquietpublicplace.Helivedaloneandsufferedfrominsomnia.TheYoungWaiterUnliketheolderwaiter,theyoungerwaiterwasquiteindifferenttotheoldman.Hewasyoungandlivedamarriedlife.Hewasimpatientwiththeoldmanandtreatedhimcoldly,makingtheoldmanfeelunwelcomeandunwanted.Asthetwowaitersdiscussedthedrunkenoldman,theyoungerwaiterfoundhimdisgusting.1)aclean,well-lightedplaceThecaféisaClean,Well-LightedPlace.Itisarefugefromthechaosanddarknessoutside.Darknessisasymboloffearandloneliness.Thelightsymbolizescomfortandthecompanyofothers.Unfortunatelyfortheoldman,thislightisanartificialone,andthepeacehegetsinthecaféisbothtemporaryandincomplete.2)shadowoftheleavesTheoldmanhidesintheshadowoftheleaves.Theshadowservesasaprotectionfromtheartificiallight,whichimpliesthattheoldmanwantstobeseparatedfromtheworldlyaffairs.Thisexplainshisattempttocommitsuicide.3)brandyTheoldmandrankalottoquenchhissorrowsandtroubles.Phrases(1)keepwatchon:monitorsomeoneorsomething仔细盯着a.Thedetectiveswerekeepingguardatthedoorofthemainbuildingbyturnstokeepwatchonthethievesmovements.b.Withradarequipmentandheatradiationdetectors,thesesatellitescankeepaconstantwatchonenemynations.(2)goby:pass经过,过去a.Neverletagoodopportunitygoby.b.Saturdayafternoonsgobylikelightning!(3)getoff:leave离开a.Wemustgetoffbeforeitgetsdark.b.Weshouldallowcivilianstogetofftheurbanbattlefield.(4)stayup:remainawakeandoutofbed不睡觉；熬夜a.OntheSpringFestivalEvethechildrenwereallowedtostayupuntilmidnight.b.Shepromisedherhusbandthathecouldstayupforhisfavoritefootballgame.(5)lockup:lockcareful