高级英语第七课The+Libido+for+The+Ugly

ChenHuanhongTheLibidoforTheUglyH.L.MenckenChenHuanhongTeachingObjectivesTolearnaboutHenryL.MenckenTolearnaboutthewritingtechniqueofdescriptionToappreciatethewriter’sbombasticstyleToappreciatethelanguagefeaturesChenHuanhongHenryLouisMenckenChenHuanhongHenryLouisMencken(1880-1956)•HislifeHespentmostofhislifeinthecityofBaltimore,Maryland.HewasthesonofGermanimmigrantparents.Hecompletedhighschoolbutdidnotattenduniversity,onlygraduatedfromBaltimorePolytechnicInstituteat16.HebecameareporterontheBaltimoreMorningHerald.ChenHuanhong•Afewyearslater,hejoinedthestaffofitsrivalnewspaper,theBaltimoreSunorEveningSun,firstasareporter,thenasitsdramacriticandeditor,apositionwhichhehelduntil1941.ChenHuanhong–Hehelpedtofoundandedittwoliterarymagazineswhichwerehighlyinfluentialamongintellectuals.1)TheSmartSet2)TheAmericanMercuryChenHuanhong•HewasacentralfigureinAmericanintellectuallifeduringthe1920's.HelaunchedthemostcuttingattacksofanywriteragainstAmerica'smiddleclassculture.•Heinventedthewordbooboisie,combiningthetwowordsbourgeoisieandbooby(anawkward,foolishperson).ChenHuanhong•Incaustic,wittyessays,hederided(mocked)theinstitutionwhichsupportedthemiddleclass.Heenjoyedcontroversyandtriedtoarousehisantagonistswithhisdirectanddevastatingattacks.ChenHuanhongHisworks–TheAmericanLanguage1918–Prejudices(6vols)1919--1927–Happydays–NewspaperDays1940--1943autobiography–HeathenDays–25BooksandthousandsofarticlesChenHuanhong•Hewasaleadingscholarinthefieldoflanguage.HismonumentalbookTheAmericanLanguageisconsideredanoutstandingworkofphilology.ChenHuanhongTheAmericanLanguagea)ItexaminedthedevelopmentoftheEnglishlanguageinAmerica,b)ItcontrastedEnglishandAmericanexpressionsandusage.c)ItexplainedtheoriginofmanyAmericanidioms,d)IttracedtheinfluenceofimmigrantlanguagesonAmericanEnglish.•HemadealargecontributiontothestudyoflanguageandparticularlyencouragedscholarlystudyoftheAmericanbranchofEnglish.ChenHuanhongMencken'sCreeds•Ibelievethatreligion,generallyspeaking,hasbeenacursetomankind-thatitsmodestandgreatlyoverestimatedservicesontheethicalsidehavebeenmorethanovercomebythedamageithasdonetoclearandhonestthinking.•Ibelievethatallgovernmentisevil,inthatallgovernmentmustnecessarilymakewaruponliberty...ChenHuanhongMencken'sCreeds•Ibelievethattheevidenceforimmortalityisnobetterthantheevidenceofwitches,anddeservesnomorerespect.•Ibelieveinthecompletefreedomofthoughtandspeech...•Ibelieveintherealityofprogress.ChenHuanhongMencken'sCreeds•Ibelieveinthecapacityofmantoconquerhisworld,andtofindoutwhatitismadeof,andhowitisrun.•I-Butthewholething,afterall,maybeputverysimply.Ibelievethatitisbettertotellthetruththantolie.Ibelievethatitisbettertobefreethantobeaslave.AndIbelievethatitisbettertoknowthanbeignorant.ChenHuanhong•1)Hehatednarrow-mindedreligion.Hebelievedstronglyinintellectualfreedomandfoughtallattemptstocensorliteratureanddrama.Hefeltthatthegreatestthreatofcensorshipcamefromthecountry'sreligionfundamentalists,whoseopinionswereallbasedontheirinterpretationoftheBible.ChenHuanhong•2)Hehatedcommercialism.•3)Hedidnotsupportdemocracybecauseheconsideredthemassestooignorantandgreedytoexerciseitwisely.ChenHuanhongHisStyle–Heiswell-knownforhisbombasticstyleandacidtongue.ChenHuanhongHisStyle•Hewrotewithstrongfeeling,eagerenjoymentandexaggeration.Hisextravagantuseofthelanguagewassoamusingandstartlingthatevenhismostviolentlycriticalessaysbecameacceptabletohisreaders.ChenHuanhongHisStyle•Heemployedahugevocabularyandlikedtoinsertunusualorunexpectedwords,forsurpriseorcomiceffect,intootherwisenormalsentences.•Althoughhisstyleisoccasionallydifficulttoread,Menckenisstillconsideredoneofthebestandliveliestessayistsofthiscentury.ChenHuanhong•Bombasticstyleandacidlanguage–exaggeration–hyperbole–pompous•Language---biting\sharpChenHuanhongPennsylvaniaPittsburghChenHuanhongChenHuanhongPennsylvaniaStateProfileStateUniqueNameTheKeystoneStateCapitalCityHarrisburgLocation40.27605N,076.88450WBirdRuffedGrouseBorderStatesDelaware-Maryland-NewJersey-NewYork-Ohio-WestVirginiaEconomyAgricultureFlowerTheMountainLaurelLargestCityPhiladelphiaLandArea44,892sq.mi.Population1,20,19,661StatehoodDecember12,1787TreeHemlockChenHuanhong•Pittsburgh:acityinSouthwestPennsylvania.ItisoneofthemostimportantindustrialcitiesofAmerica,andacenterofrailandrivertransportation.Termedthe“SteelCity”or“SmokyCity”,itisthecenterofrichbituminous-coal(生煤)region,producingalsonaturalgas,oilandlimestone;alargepartofU.S.steelandironisproducedhere.PittsburghChenHuanhong•Westmorelandcounty:acountyinSouthwestPennsylvania.ItscountyseatisGreensburg.Itisaminingandmanufacturingregion.ChenHuanhong•Greensburg:acountycityofWestmorelandcounty,SouthwestcentralPennsylvania.25mileseastsouthwestofPittsburg.ChenHuanhongMainIdeas•Subjective,impressionisticoremotionaldescription•Westmorelandwasappallinglydesolateandagonizinglyugly•Allthehousesweremisshapenandshabby.•Thelandscapeitselfwasbeautiful•ItwasduetotheaesthetictasteofthelocalpeoplewhomadethehouseslookuglyChenHuanhongMainIdeas•InWestmoreland,Peoplehadapulltowardsugliness,whichevenborde