lesson-15-the-damned-human-race(英语精读)

lesson15TheDamnedHumanRaceByMarkTwainQuotationsonhumanIsometimesthinkthatGodincreatingmansomewhatoverestimatedHisability.—OscarWildMen!Theonlyanimalintheworldtofear.—D.H.LawrenceWeareperversecreaturesandneversatisfied.—NanFairbrotherQuotationsonhumanSuchisthehumanrace,oftenitseemsapitythatNoah...didn'tmisstheboat.—MarkTwainMan—acreaturemadeattheendoftheweek'sworkwhenGodwastired.—MarkTwainDiscussion:whatisyourview?1.Whatisyourunderstandingofhumannature?2.Haveyoufoundanydefect?Ornothingnegativeatall?3.Pleasenamethreemajordefectsofhumannature.ThemeThroughtheanalysisofvarioustraitsanddispositionshumanbeingsascontrastedtothe“higheranimals”,theauthorfindsthatmenhavedescendedanddegenerated.StructureofthetextThethesisstatementIntroductiontothescientificexperimentandtheanalysisrelatedtovarioustraitsanddispositionsofhumanbeingsascontrastedtothe“higheranimals”.Arguingwithpeoplewhobelieveinman’ssuperiority.Part1(para.1)Part2(para.2-9)Part3(para.10-17)Part4(para.18)Menhavedescendedanddegenerated.Question:Isthisarticlewritteninacolloquialorformalway?Answer:Language:formal(bigwords,longsentences,serioustone,etc)Hepretendstobereportingonascientificexperiment.Tone:tongue-in-cheek(开玩笑地)Toachievehumor.Partone:Thesisstatement•Ihavebeenstudyingthetraitsanddispositionsofthe“loweranimals”,andcontrastingthemwiththetraitsanddispositionsofman.Ifindtheresulthumiliatingtome.(Para.1)Q:Whyisloweranimalsputinquotationmark?Readthesentenceandpayattentiontothetoneanddiction.Noticethetongue-in-cheekwaytheauthorexpresseshisideas.Hemakesitsoundasifhewereconductingandreportingontheresultofascientificinvestigation.Inotherwords,heisdeliberatelyusingapompous(夸大的)styletoachievehumor.ForitobligesmetorenouncemyallegiancetotheDarwiniantheoryoftheAscentofManfromtheLowerAnimalsandtonameittheDescentofManfromtheHigherAnimals.(para1)toobligesbtodosth:toforcesbtodosth;tomakeitnecessaryforsbtodosthtoabandonorgiveup;torejectordisownmyloyalty/firmbelief,esp.toanationoracauseDoyouknowsomethingaboutDarwiniantheory?DarwiniantheoryIn1817,CharlesDarwinpublishedtheDescentofManwhichgaveevidencetoshowthatmanwasderivedfromanimalsthat,ifalivetoday,wouldbeclassifiedasapes.Parttwo(para2-9)1.IsMarkTwainseriouswhenhesaysthathehasdonemanymonthsofpainstakingandfatiguingworkintheLondonZoologicalGarden?2.WhateffectdoyouthinkMarkTwainhopestoachievewiththismockseriousness?LondonZoologicalGardens:LondonZoo•SetintheheartofLondon'smajesticRegent'sPark,LondonZooboastsnotonlyavastarrayofamazinganimals,butalsobeautifulgardens,fineart,astoundingarchitectureandtheastonishingexhibition.•LondonZoowastheWorld‘sfirstscientificzoo.Openedin1828,ithousedacollectionofexotic(外来的)animalsthatwerestudiedbyeminentscientistsoftheday.Onlylaterin1847didtheZooopenitsdoorstothepublicand,fromthenon,becamethemostfamouszoointheWorld.Today,LondonZoohousesawonderfulrangeofreptiles(爬行类动物),fish,invertebrates(无脊椎类动物),birdsandmammals(哺乳动物).Traitsanddispositionsofhumanbeingscontrastedtothehighanimals(Findoutthemfrompara3-para9)•1.Maniscruelerthananimal.•2.Manisavoriciousandmiserlyandtheirdesirescan'tbeendedforever.•3.Manistheonlyonewhotakespossessionofrevenge.•4.Maninventedindecency,vulgarityandobscenity.•5.Manissoiled-mindedandhealwayscovershimself.•6.Manistheonlyonethatinflictspainforthepleasureofdoingit.1.Maniscruelerthananimal.whowheretowhomwhatwhyresulttraitItheanacondassomehuntersonourGreatPlainsinLondonZooanEnglishearlorganizedabuffalohuntcaused7youngcalvestobeturnedintothecagetoentertainandprovidesomefreshmeatforhistabletodeterminethedifferencebetweenananacondaandanearlKilled72,atepartofoneofthemtheleftthe71torotcrushedoneofthemandswallowedit,thenlaybacksatisfiedTheearliscruelanddestroyswhathehasnousefor.Theearlwasdescendedfromtheanacondaandhadlostagooddealinthetransition.calf:ayoungcow,bullorelephantayoungsheepayoungchickenorbirdayoungwolf,bearorlionayounghorseayounggoatayoungcatayoungduckayoungpigayounggooseayoungdoglambchickcubfoal/coltkidkittenducklingpigletgoslingpuppyPlainsBison美洲或欧洲的野牛•OriginatinginEurasia(欧亚大陆)butmigratingtoNorthAmericaacrosstheBeringlandbridgeduringprehistorictimes,theythrivedontheGreatPlains,untilthearrivalofwhitesettlersdrovethemtothebrinkofextinction.•AlthoughtheyoncerangedacrosstheGreatPlainsfromMexicotoCanada,withnumbersestimatedat60million,todaytheyexistprimarilyongamereservesandranches(大牧场),withestimatednumbersof200,000.BuffaloChasewithBowsandLances(长矛)•HorsemenpursuebuffaloontheGreatPlainsinBuffaloChasewithBowsandLances(长矛).•Huntersfirstisolatedabuffalobyridingbetweenitandtherestoftheherd;then,ridingatfullspeedalongsidetheanimal,theyshotitwithabowandarroworalance.Later,firearmswereused.ThePeerage(贵族阶级)•Thecollectivenounforpeers,menandwomenwhoserankisequaltonobilityandaristocracy.IntheUnitedKingdom,thepeeragecompriseshereditarypeers(世袭贵族)andlifepeers(终身贵族).Bothmaleandfemalepeersreceivethesamerights.•IntheUnitedKingdom,hereditarypeersareknownbyanumberoftitles,whichrankthemintermsofimportance.•Mostimportantare24dukes.Nextinrankarethe35marquises.Earls,thelevelbelow,therearearou