高级英语第二册Lesson9The-Ones-Who-Walk-Away-from-Omelas

(Edited)VariationsonathemebyWilliamJamesURSULALEGUIN9.TheOnesWhoWalkAwayfromOmelasObjectivesTounderstandthetextTolearntheusefulwordsandphraseslearnaboutanallegorystoryTeachingContents1.Introduction(10min.)2.Detailedstudyofthetext(140min.)3.Structureanalysis(5min.)4.Languageappreciation(5min.)5.Summaryofwordsandphrases(5min)6.Exercises(15min)1.IntroductionTheauthor:UrsulaK.LeGuinisawell-knownsciencefictionandfantasywriter.UrsulaLeGuinShewasborninBerkeley,Californiain1929.AftergraduatingfromRadcliffCollege,shetookanM.A.degreeatColumbiaUniversity.Herwritingsforceustore-examinemanyofthethingsthatweoncetookforgranted,likeourcities,ourpoliticalandsocialstructures,etc.UrsulaLeGuinShebeganwritingduringthe1950s,butnotuntilthe‘60sdidshebeginpublishing.LeGuin’sworkhasappealedtoawideraudiencethansciencefictionfans.Bringingasocialscientist’seyeandafeminist’ssensibilitytosciencefiction,shehasemployedthisspeculativegenretocriticizecontemporarycivilization.UrsulaLeGuinManyofherstories—like“TheOnesWhoWalkAwayFromOmelas”(1974HugoAward)—createcompleximaginarycivilizations,envisionedwithanthropologicalauthority.LeGuinhasalsowrittenpoetryandjuvenilefiction,includingtheEarthsea[video-2]trilogy,WizardofEarthsea[video-2](1968),TheTombsofAtuan[video-2](1971),andTheFarthestShore[video-2](1972),whichrankamongtheclassicsofmodernchildren’sliterature.ShelivesinPorland,Oregon.UrsulaLeGuinInaninterviewwithLarryMcCafferytheauthorexplainswhyshelikesthesciencefictionform.Shesays:“Sciencefictionallowsmetohelppeoplegetoutoftheirculturalskinsandintotheskinsofotherbeings.Inthatsensesciencefictionisjustafurtherextensionofwhatthenovelhastraditionallybeen.Inmostfictiontheauthortriestogetintotheskinofanotherperson;insciencefictionyouareoftenexpectedtogetintotheskinofanotherpersonfromanotherculture.WilliamJames(1842-1910)AmericanphilosopherWilliamJamesHewasbornNewYorkCityandgraduatedfromHarvardUniversityin1869withadoctorofMedicinedegree.In1872hejoinedtheHarvardfacultyasalectureronanatomyandphysiology(生理学),continuingtoteachuntil1907(3yearslaterhedied),after1880inthedepartmentofpsychologyandphilosophy.In1890hepublishedhisbrilliantandepoch-makingPrinciplesofPsychology,inwhichtheseedsofhisphilosophyarealreadydiscernible/perceptive.WilliamJamesJames’sfascinatingstyleandhisbroadcultureandcosmopolitanoutlookmadehimthemostinfluentialAmericanthinkerofhisday.Hisphilosophyhasthreeprincipleaspects--hisvoluntarism,hispragmatism,andhis“radicalempiricism.”ThetextThistextistakenfromTheNortonAnthologyofShortFiction.Thiswritingmaybecalledapieceofallegoricaldescription.Allegory（讽喻）inliterature,isasymbolicstorythatservesasadisguisedrepresentationformeaningsotherthanthoseindicatedonthesurface.Thecharactersinanallegoryoftenhavenoindividualpersonality,butareembodimentsofmoralqualitiesandotherabstractions.AllegoryTheallegoryiscloselyrelatedtoparable/religiousteachingstory,fable,/animalstory,andmetaphor,differingfromthemlargelyinintricacyandlength.Althoughallegoryisstillusedbysomeauthors,itspopularityasaliteraryformhasdeclinedinfavorofamorepersonalformofsymbolicexpression.“Omelas”SoOmelasshouldnotbereadasarealisticstory.LeGuinisplayingaroundwiththeoldideaaboutthegreatestgoodforthegreatestnumberandtakingittoitslogicalextreme.Whatif,magically,alltheevilintheworldcouldbeheapedononepersonandeveryoneelsecouldbehappy.Woulditbeworthwhileorwouldtheinjusticedonetothatoneprobablyretardedchildoutweighthegoodofalltherest.Theoneswhowalkawayarebuyingoutofthesystem,refusingtoaccepttheirownhappinessifitcomesattheexpenseofsomeoneelse.Ononelevelthestorycanbeunderstoodaboutthewesternworldlivingoffthesufferingofthethirdworld.Onanotherlevelitcanbeunderstoodaboutoursociety'srefusaltoacceptthelegitimacyoftheplightofthepoor.Noteon“TheOnesWhoWalkAwayFromOmelas”:UrsulaK.LeGuinonceexplainedinoneofherstorycollectionTheWind’sTwelveQuartersThecentralideaofthispsychomyth,thescapegoat,turnsupinDostoyevsky’sBrothersKaramazovandseveralpeoplehaveaskedme,rathersuspiciously,whyIgavethecredittoWilliamJames[video-2]Thefactis,Ihaven’tbeenabletore-readDostoyevsky,muchasIlovedhim,sinceIwastwenty-five,andI’dsimplyforgottenheusedtheidea.ButwhenImetitinJames’s“TheMoralPhilosopherandtheMoralLife”itwaswithashockofrecognition….OfcourseIdidn’treadJamesandsitdownandsay,NowI’llwriteastoryaboutthat“lostsoul.”Itseldomworksthatsimply.Isatdownandstartedastory,justbecauseIfeltlikeit,withnothingbuttheword“Omelas”inmind.Itcamefromaroadsign:Salem(Oregon)backwards….Salem…equalsPeace.Melas.Omelas.Omelas.“Wheredoyougetyourideasfrom,MsLeGuin?”FromforgettingDostoyevskyandreadingroadsignsbackwards,naturally.Whereelse?Thegeneralideaofthetext:Inthisallegoricalwriting,LeGuinbringsuparatherprovocativetheme,thenatureofhappinessandonwhatitdepends.Inthebeginning,LeGuinfashionsautopiancity,Omelas.ItiscelebratingtheFestivalofSummer.Thereisanairofexcitementthroughoutthecitywithitsclangingbells,flag-adornedboats,beautifulbuildingsandjoyfulprocessions.Peoplemarchinprocessiontowatchahorserace,whichwillbeginverysoon.ThenLeGuincommen