Advanced English
Lvhong
English Department R-516
Lhong9904@yahoo.com
82066873
Unit 7
? The Libido for the Ugly
? By H,L,Menchen
Teaching Points
? I,Background knowledge
? II,Introduction to the passage
? III,Text Analysis
? IV,Rhetorical devices
? V,Questions
I,Background Knowledge
? About the author:
? 1,Henry Louis Mencken
The Author
? Henry Louis Mencken (1880 - 1956)
? --- the most prominent newspaperman
? --- book reviewer
? --- political commentator
? He was a prolific writer of his day.
The Author
? --- his prose is as clear as an azure sky
? --- his rhetoric as deadly as a rifle shot
? No other entertainment gave him greater
pleasure than reporting from the
conventions; nor did anyone appreciate his
efforts more than Mencken himself.
The Author
? One reporter,peering through Mencken's
window late at night after one rally,
recalled watching him at work alone in his
hotel room,pounding out copy on a
typewriter propped on a desk,He would
type a few sentences,read them,slap his
thigh,toss his head back,and roar with
laughter,Then he would type some more
lines,guffaw,and so on until the end of the
article.
Mencken's Creed
? I believe that religion,generally
speaking,has been a curse to mankind - that
its modest and greatly overestimated
services on the ethical side have been more
than overcome by the damage it has done to
clear and honest thinking,
Mencken's Creed
? I believe that all government is evil,in
that all government must necessarily make
war upon liberty..,
I believe that the evidence for
immortality is no better than the evidence of
witches,and deserves no more respect,
Mencken's Creed
? I believe in the complete freedom of
thought and speech..,
I believe in the capacity of man to
conquer his world,and to find out what it is
made of,and how it is run,
I believe in the reality of progress,
Mencken's Creed
? I - But the whole thing,after all,may be
put very simply,I believe that it is better to
tell the truth than to lie,I believe that it is
better to be free than to be a slave,And I
believe that it is better to know than be
ignorant,
II,Introduction to the Passage
? This is a subjective and highly emotional
piece of description.
? Ugliness is the dominant impression.
Introduction to the Passage
? Description
? --- person
? --- place
? --- object
? --- idea
Introduction to the Passage
? Description is organized usually by space
order.
? --- from a fixed position to moving position
? --- from close up to distance
? --- from general to specific
? --- from subjective to objective
Introduction to the Passage
? Thesis:
? By revealing the ugliness of Westmoreland,
the author attacks the whole American race-
-- a race that loves ugliness for its own sake,
that lusts to make the world intolerable; a
race which hates beauty as it hates truth.
III,Text Analysis
? 1,Choose the strongest words possible
? ---abominable,agonizing ugliness,revolting
monstrousness,leprous,etc.
? 2,Use figures of speech
Words and expressions
? Libido [li5baidEu]
? n,(1) the strong force of life in a person
? (2) The sexual urge
? Tech,(esp,in Freudian psychology)
? Libido,sex,sexuality
Words and expressions
? Roll [rEul]
? adj,滚动,滚转,(使 )摇摆,(使 )摇晃,卷起,
卷拢
? vt,辗,轧 run over
? Roll,scroll,trundle,tumble,welter
? n,(一 )卷,卷形物,摇晃,摆动,名单
Words and expressions
? Appalling [E5pC:liN]
? adj.令人震惊的,骇人听闻的 be astonished,
be shocked
? appalling crimes
? appall
? vt,使胆寒,使惊骇 shock,horrify
? Appalling desolation
Words and expressions
? Abominable [E5bCminEbl]
? adj,讨厌的,令人憎恶的 disgusting,annoying,
? Abominably
? Abominate
? Abomination
? abominator
? n,憎恶者,嫌恶者
Words and expressions
? Allude [E5lju:d]
? vi,暗指,影射,间接提到 imply,r
? allude to
? 提到,暗指,..说的 refer to,mention
Words and expressions
? Revolting [ri5vEultiN]
? adj.令人厌恶的 nasty
? revolt
? v,反抗,起义,反叛,反感,厌恶
? revolt against,revolt at
? v.厌恶,憎恶
? revoltive
? adj.厌恶的,反感的
Words and expressions
? lacerate[5lAsEreit]
? v.割裂 hurt,split,crack
? laceration
? n.破口
? lacerant
? adj.令人痛苦的,折磨人的 painful,torturous,bitter
? lacerative
? adj.有伤害或撕裂力的,割碎的 break into pieces
Words and expressions
? downright
? adj.明白的,显明的,率直的 obvious
? adv.全然,完全,彻底 completely,utterly
? downstreet
? adv.去闹市区
? downtrend
? n.下降趋势
? down-to-earth
? adj.实际的
Words and expressions
? one and all
? 大家,所有的人,每个人,全部
? one and only
? adj.唯一的
? one and the same
? n.同一个,完全一回事
? one from the other
? 分别,各别
Words and expressions
? sightly
? adj.好看的
? good-looking
? nice
? clean-cut
Words and expressions
? loathsome
? adj.讨厌的
? loathe
? vt.厌恶,憎恶
? loathing
? n.讨厌,嫌恶
? loathful
? 可厌的,令人讨厌的
Words and expressions
? grotesquerie[^rEJ`teskErI]
? n.怪异图案,奇怪,滑稽可笑
? grotesque
? adj.奇形怪状的,奇异
? n.奇形怪状的人 (或物,图案等 ),奇异风格
Words and expressions
? in retrospect
? 回顾,回顾往事 looking back
? 检讨过去
? retrospect
? n.回顾
? retrospective
? adj.回顾的 retrospective exhibition回顾展
Words and expressions
? inadvertence[9InEd`v\:tEns]
? n.不注意,怠慢,漫不经心 neglect,
inadvertent
? adj.不注意的,疏忽的,无意中做的
? inadvertently
? adv.不注意地
Words and expressions
? in obedience to
? 遵照,依照 according to
IV,Rhetorical Devices
? 1,hyperboles
? 2,sarcasm
? 3,ridicule
? 4,irony
? 5,Metaphor
? 6,simile
Special Difficulties
? 1,Some striking words
? 2,Understanding the metaphorical phrase
? 3,The use of topic sentences
? 4,Paraphrasing some sentences
? 5,Identifying figures of speech
V,Questions
? 1,Why does the writer use the uncommon
word libido in his title?
? 2,Does Mencken achieve or defeat his own
purpose by using so many striking
metaphors and hyperboles?
? 3,Sum up the main views of the writer and
comment on how they are organized and
presented.
Lvhong
English Department R-516
Lhong9904@yahoo.com
82066873
Unit 7
? The Libido for the Ugly
? By H,L,Menchen
Teaching Points
? I,Background knowledge
? II,Introduction to the passage
? III,Text Analysis
? IV,Rhetorical devices
? V,Questions
I,Background Knowledge
? About the author:
? 1,Henry Louis Mencken
The Author
? Henry Louis Mencken (1880 - 1956)
? --- the most prominent newspaperman
? --- book reviewer
? --- political commentator
? He was a prolific writer of his day.
The Author
? --- his prose is as clear as an azure sky
? --- his rhetoric as deadly as a rifle shot
? No other entertainment gave him greater
pleasure than reporting from the
conventions; nor did anyone appreciate his
efforts more than Mencken himself.
The Author
? One reporter,peering through Mencken's
window late at night after one rally,
recalled watching him at work alone in his
hotel room,pounding out copy on a
typewriter propped on a desk,He would
type a few sentences,read them,slap his
thigh,toss his head back,and roar with
laughter,Then he would type some more
lines,guffaw,and so on until the end of the
article.
Mencken's Creed
? I believe that religion,generally
speaking,has been a curse to mankind - that
its modest and greatly overestimated
services on the ethical side have been more
than overcome by the damage it has done to
clear and honest thinking,
Mencken's Creed
? I believe that all government is evil,in
that all government must necessarily make
war upon liberty..,
I believe that the evidence for
immortality is no better than the evidence of
witches,and deserves no more respect,
Mencken's Creed
? I believe in the complete freedom of
thought and speech..,
I believe in the capacity of man to
conquer his world,and to find out what it is
made of,and how it is run,
I believe in the reality of progress,
Mencken's Creed
? I - But the whole thing,after all,may be
put very simply,I believe that it is better to
tell the truth than to lie,I believe that it is
better to be free than to be a slave,And I
believe that it is better to know than be
ignorant,
II,Introduction to the Passage
? This is a subjective and highly emotional
piece of description.
? Ugliness is the dominant impression.
Introduction to the Passage
? Description
? --- person
? --- place
? --- object
? --- idea
Introduction to the Passage
? Description is organized usually by space
order.
? --- from a fixed position to moving position
? --- from close up to distance
? --- from general to specific
? --- from subjective to objective
Introduction to the Passage
? Thesis:
? By revealing the ugliness of Westmoreland,
the author attacks the whole American race-
-- a race that loves ugliness for its own sake,
that lusts to make the world intolerable; a
race which hates beauty as it hates truth.
III,Text Analysis
? 1,Choose the strongest words possible
? ---abominable,agonizing ugliness,revolting
monstrousness,leprous,etc.
? 2,Use figures of speech
Words and expressions
? Libido [li5baidEu]
? n,(1) the strong force of life in a person
? (2) The sexual urge
? Tech,(esp,in Freudian psychology)
? Libido,sex,sexuality
Words and expressions
? Roll [rEul]
? adj,滚动,滚转,(使 )摇摆,(使 )摇晃,卷起,
卷拢
? vt,辗,轧 run over
? Roll,scroll,trundle,tumble,welter
? n,(一 )卷,卷形物,摇晃,摆动,名单
Words and expressions
? Appalling [E5pC:liN]
? adj.令人震惊的,骇人听闻的 be astonished,
be shocked
? appalling crimes
? appall
? vt,使胆寒,使惊骇 shock,horrify
? Appalling desolation
Words and expressions
? Abominable [E5bCminEbl]
? adj,讨厌的,令人憎恶的 disgusting,annoying,
? Abominably
? Abominate
? Abomination
? abominator
? n,憎恶者,嫌恶者
Words and expressions
? Allude [E5lju:d]
? vi,暗指,影射,间接提到 imply,r
? allude to
? 提到,暗指,..说的 refer to,mention
Words and expressions
? Revolting [ri5vEultiN]
? adj.令人厌恶的 nasty
? revolt
? v,反抗,起义,反叛,反感,厌恶
? revolt against,revolt at
? v.厌恶,憎恶
? revoltive
? adj.厌恶的,反感的
Words and expressions
? lacerate[5lAsEreit]
? v.割裂 hurt,split,crack
? laceration
? n.破口
? lacerant
? adj.令人痛苦的,折磨人的 painful,torturous,bitter
? lacerative
? adj.有伤害或撕裂力的,割碎的 break into pieces
Words and expressions
? downright
? adj.明白的,显明的,率直的 obvious
? adv.全然,完全,彻底 completely,utterly
? downstreet
? adv.去闹市区
? downtrend
? n.下降趋势
? down-to-earth
? adj.实际的
Words and expressions
? one and all
? 大家,所有的人,每个人,全部
? one and only
? adj.唯一的
? one and the same
? n.同一个,完全一回事
? one from the other
? 分别,各别
Words and expressions
? sightly
? adj.好看的
? good-looking
? nice
? clean-cut
Words and expressions
? loathsome
? adj.讨厌的
? loathe
? vt.厌恶,憎恶
? loathing
? n.讨厌,嫌恶
? loathful
? 可厌的,令人讨厌的
Words and expressions
? grotesquerie[^rEJ`teskErI]
? n.怪异图案,奇怪,滑稽可笑
? grotesque
? adj.奇形怪状的,奇异
? n.奇形怪状的人 (或物,图案等 ),奇异风格
Words and expressions
? in retrospect
? 回顾,回顾往事 looking back
? 检讨过去
? retrospect
? n.回顾
? retrospective
? adj.回顾的 retrospective exhibition回顾展
Words and expressions
? inadvertence[9InEd`v\:tEns]
? n.不注意,怠慢,漫不经心 neglect,
inadvertent
? adj.不注意的,疏忽的,无意中做的
? inadvertently
? adv.不注意地
Words and expressions
? in obedience to
? 遵照,依照 according to
IV,Rhetorical Devices
? 1,hyperboles
? 2,sarcasm
? 3,ridicule
? 4,irony
? 5,Metaphor
? 6,simile
Special Difficulties
? 1,Some striking words
? 2,Understanding the metaphorical phrase
? 3,The use of topic sentences
? 4,Paraphrasing some sentences
? 5,Identifying figures of speech
V,Questions
? 1,Why does the writer use the uncommon
word libido in his title?
? 2,Does Mencken achieve or defeat his own
purpose by using so many striking
metaphors and hyperboles?
? 3,Sum up the main views of the writer and
comment on how they are organized and
presented.
