1.The teaching aims2.The background3.The explanation of the text4. The figures of speech 5. The exercises

1.The teaching aims2.The background3.The explanation of the text4. The figures of speech 5. The exercises

Unit 12

The Loons Margaret Laurence

2 The backgroundThe background

3 The explanation of the textThe explanation of the text

4 The figures of speech The figures of speech

1 The teaching aimsThe teaching aims

Contents Contents

5 The exercisesThe exercises

The teaching aimsThe teaching aims

1. the comprehension of the text and the mastery of the important language points

2. the paraphrase of certain complicated or difficult sentences

3. the enlargement of the students' vocabulary

4. the familiarization with the styles of composition and devices of figuration

backbackbackback

• Margaret Laurence (1926-1987)• A much-loved Canadian author• Writing about women & their struggles for

self-understanding & acceptance• Known for outspoken support of peace,

women’s rights, and other progressive causes

• The Margaret Laurence Fund• The Margaret Laurence Award for Excellence• 玛格丽特劳伦斯优秀作品奖

The backgroundThe background

Writing featuresWriting features

• Realistic depiction

• Objective view of the marginalized ethnics

• Lyricism of language while describing the setting

• Colloquialism & idioms in the dialogues between characters

Writing featuresWriting features

• Symbolism: the parallel of the loons & Piquette

• The loons: singing at night

• Piquette: hiding her feelings & wishes from others

• The destroying of the loons’ natural habitat: the invasion of the white people on the Indians territory

Writing featuresWriting features

• The birds being familiar with the new environment near their invaders and having the chance to adapt to it: Piquette marrying a white man and having the chance to start a new life

• Both the birds’ chance & Piquette’s attempt fail.

Writing featuresWriting features

• Their old way has been destroyed by the new comers.

• The loons disappear as nature is ruined by civilization

• Piquette can not succeed in finding her position in this white-dominating society and dies.

The structure and stylistic analysisThe structure and stylistic analysis

• Part I. Para 1 - 2

• Introduction of the novel, when, where, who, etc.

• The general background.

The structure and stylistic analysisThe structure and stylistic analysis• Part II. Para.3 – Para.4 (p. 218) The whole story

• Section 1. Para.3 (p.206) – Para.6 (p.208)Introducing Piquette.

• Section 2. Para.7 (p.208) – Para.2 (p.214)Days together with Piquette at Diamond Lake

• Section 3. Para.3 (p. 214) – Para.2 (p.217)Second meeting with Piquette several years later

• Section 4. Para.3 (p.217) – Para.4 (p.218)Piquette’s death

The structure and stylistic analysisThe structure and stylistic analysis

• Part III. Para. 5 on page 218 – end.

• Analogy类比，类推

The key points in paragraph 1The key points in paragraph 1

• Para. 1: introduction of the story: when, where and who, etc

• Just below Manawaka…in a dense thicket:

• 马纳瓦卡山下流淌着一条名叫瓦卡科瓦的小河，浑浊的河水咆哮着冲打着河边的鹅卵石矮小的橡树、灰绿的柳树和北美稠李丛，茂密地生长在山脚下，形成一片林地。

The key points in paragraph 1The key points in paragraph 1

• scrub: short, stunted, underdeveloped trees or shrubs 矮树丛

• chokecherry: wild cherry tree

• In a clearing… family’s shack:

• 林中央的空地上矗立着 Tonnerre 家的小木屋。

• thicket: a thick growth of shrubs

• shack: a small house or cabin

The key points in Paragraph 1The key points in Paragraph 1

• the basis: 地基• a small square cabin : 四方形的小屋• made of poplar poles: 用杨木柱子搭成• chinked with mud: closed the opening of …

with mud 木头与木头之间糊着泥巴• Riel: Louis Riel(1844-1885)1869 年加拿大从哈

德逊海湾公司手中购买了卢伯特地区， 11月， Riel 带领梅提斯人占据了 Fort Garry 地区。 1885 年， Riel 带领梅提斯人发动武装叛变，被镇压，并处以绞刑。

The key points in Paragraph 1The key points in Paragraph 1

• Metis: 梅提斯人，北美印第安人与欧洲人的混血，包括英裔混血与法裔混血

• As the Tonnerres…and rusty tin cans:

• …had increased: the family had become larger & larger

• settlement: a small or isolated community, village

• be added to: be expanded

The key points in Paragraph 1The key points in Paragraph 1• a chaos: a complete disorder or confusion

混乱，乱作一团• lean-tos: 披屋，单坡棚 • Wooden packing cases: 木制包装箱• warped lumber ： 变形的木料• Discarded car tyres: 废弃的轮胎 Ramshackle

chicken coops: 摇摇欲坠的鸡窝• Tangled strands of barbed wire : 缠绕在一起的

带刺的铁丝• rusty tin cans: 生锈的罐头盒

The key points in Paragraph 2The key points in Paragraph 2

• An introduction to the Tonnerres • half-breed: a person whose parents are

of different ethic types• Patois: a form of language, a provincial

or local dialect 法裔混血儿讲的语言，既不是法语，也不是英语（象征了其边缘生存的特点）

• broken: not fluent• obscenities: offensive remarks 粗话

The key points in Paragraph 2The key points in Paragraph 2

• They did not …, either:

• They didn’t have a proper and suitable place among the Cree.

• They were neither flesh, fowl, nor good salt herring: 在白人统治的社会里， 梅提斯人不仅仅处在社会边缘，作为混血儿，他们遭到歧视、被嘲讽、“不伦不类”，并不被主流社会所接受。

• metaphor

The key points in Paragraph 2The key points in Paragraph 2

• odd jobs: not regular, occasional , incidental

• section hands: sb. Who does the maintenance work 养路工

• live on relief: receiving government aid

• With a face which was totally unfamiliar with laughter: who looked deadly serious , never laughed

The key points in Paragraph 2The key points in Paragraph 2

• offer for sale: offer for purchase, to be sold

• full of bruised wild strawberries: full of strawberries with injured face

• …had time to change her mind: had time to decide not to buy the bruised strawberries

• get mixed up in a brawl: get involved in a rough, noisy quarrel or fight

The key points in Paragraph 2The key points in Paragraph 2

• hit out at: aim a blow at

• howl: utter a long, loud cry

The key points in part 2: section 1The key points in part 2: section 1

• An introduction to Piquette the same class at school;

• Order than “I”;• Failed several years: failed in school work and had to repeat the

same grade several times• Sporadic: not constant or regular• Because her attendance…her interest negligible: she often

missed her classes and had little interest in school work.

The key points in part 2: section 1The key points in part 2: section 1

• She existed…presence:

• I only knew her as a person who would make other people feel ill at ease.

• She dwelt…when I was eleven:

• She lived and moved somewhere within my range of sight.

• This implied that although I saw her , I paid little attention to her.

The key points in part 2: section 1The key points in part 2: section 1

• flared up: suddenly increase in violence

• The condition of the bones were suddenly worsened.

• took off: went away, departed

• What about Roddie and Vanessa?:

• What would happen to our children if we have her with us for the summer?

The key points in part 2: section 1The key points in part 2: section 1

• contagious: spread by direct or indirect contact

• I’ll bet…in her hair:• I am absolutely sure that she has got louses

in her hair.• crossly: ill-tempered• rigid: stiff• mauve-veined hands: hands with visible pale

purple veins 紫红色血管暴起的双手

The key points in part 2: section 1The key points in part 2: section 1

• stifle: suppress, repress, hold back

• I could hardly suppress my urge to laugh.

• If it came to… nits or not:

• If my mother had to make a choice between grandmother Maclord and Piquette, she would certainly chose the latter without hesitation no matter whether the latter had nits or not.

The key points in part 2: section 1The key points in part 2: section 1

• At that: additionally, besides, as well

• piled into: crowded into

• provisions: food and drink

• He had to get back…to his practice: he had to go back to work as a doctor

The key points in Part 2: section 2The key points in Part 2: section 2

• Days together with Piquette at Diamond Lakeaustere: very plain

• filigrees: an intricate, delicate or fanciful ornamentation 复杂且精致的装饰

• You can look at…caught it: 可以看见在阳光照耀下碧波粼粼的水面。

• miniature: very small or detailed • 细小的，微型的

The key points in part 2: section 2The key points in part 2: section 2

• bleached : become more colorless

• fissured: to form a crack

• meticulously: extremely carefully, excessively carefully

• Winter: to pass the winter

• After the winter, the place still remains in a good shape.

• scuffing: to scrape with the feet

The key points in part 2: section 2The key points in part 2: section 2

• Her long hair…had gone elsewhere:

• Her hair , which was long, black and straight hang around her shoulders

• As though… gone elsewhere:

• As though her mind had gone out of her body.

• Unlikely as it may seem: although this may seem impossible

• spring from: being descended from

The key points in part 2: section 2The key points in part 2: section 2

• Exalted voice: filled with a great feeling of joy

• impart: make known to sb, reveal

• …thrashing my arms…grew cold:

• …flinging my arms and legs so fast and so violently and energetically that I didn’t feel cold at all.

The key points in part 2: section 2The key points in part 2: section 2

• squashed: beat, squeeze or press into a pulp or a flattened mess 压扁，挤扁

• sullenly: silently, bad- tempered and gloomy

• dogged: determined, not giving up easily

• rebuff: unfriendly answer

• scrambling: climbing and crawling

The key points in part 2: section 2The key points in part 2: section 2

• a streak of : a long line of • amber: having the color of amber,

brownish- yellow• The path of the moon: a line of

moonlight reflected on the lake• At night the lake …the path of the

moon.• 夜籁人静，湖面像一块黛色的玻璃，月关

在湖面上投下一条琥珀色的光带。

The key points in part 2: section 2The key points in part 2: section 2

• close –set: set close together • flickering: (of light) shine unsteadily• All around… flickering of the stars:• 湖水四周，高大的杉树密密丛丛地生长着

，在银光闪烁的行空的映衬下，云杉的树枝呈现出清晰的黑色。

• phantom: illusory 幻影般的• ululate: howl, wail, lament loudly 吼叫• 悲凉凄厉的叫声

The key points in part 2: section 2The key points in part 2: section 2

• plaintive: expressing sorrow, melancholy, mournful, sad

• mockery: mocking, being scorn or ridicule 嘲讽

• 悲凉之中又带有令人心寒的嘲讽的鸣叫声• aeons: a period of time that cannot be

measured 万古，千万年• neat: nice, pleasing, fine• “Home, neat world” representing civilization

The key points in part 2: section 2The key points in part 2: section 2

• …remained ill at ease with each other:

• …failed to improve our relationship and continued to feel uncomfortable in each other’s company for the rest of the summer 相处不融洽

• I failed my father: I disappointed my father’s hope that we should become friends.

The key points in part 2: section 2The key points in part 2: section 2

• I could not reach Piquette at all: I could not understand, impress or make Piquette respond to my suggestions.

• She remained as both a reproach and a mystery: I blamed myself and found her mysterious at the same time.

The key points in part 2:section 3The key points in part 2:section 3

• The second meeting with Piquette several years latter

• For some time …and my mother’s :• I was so deeply absorbed in my pain and

my mother’s that I did not notice what was going on around me.

• when I looked outward once more: • When I emerged from my personal

misfortune and began to look toward the outside world again

The key points in part 2: section 3The key points in part 2: section 3

• jukebox: record player• Booming like tuneful thunder: making

resonant sounds like thunders• The jukebox is made of chrome and

glass with rainbow colors.• stolid: showing no emotion• animated: made lovely• A gaiety that was almost violent: 带有

一分狂气的欢乐

The key points in part 2: section 3The key points in part 2: section 3

• Her hair was frizzily permed: her hair had a permanent wave with small tight curls

• … and her skin-tight skirt…a soft and slender body: her tight fitting skirt and sweater in orange color displayed a soft and slender body in an effect good enough to be envied.

The key points in part 2: section 3The key points in part 2: section 3

• Jerkwater town: small and unimportant town

• You couldn’t catch me staying here:• You couldn’t by any chance find me

staying in this small place.• I don’t give a shit about this place:• I don’t care at all about this place.• It stinks: you don’t like this place • 这地方糟透了。

The key points in part 2: section 3The key points in part 2: section 3

• to look the other way: avoid the real issue回避现实

• classy: first class, elegant, fine

The key points in part 2: section 3The key points in part 2: section 3

• Her defiant face…a terrifying hope: • Normally, she was a defensive person, and

her face was guarded as if it was wearing a mask. But when she was saying this, there was an expression of challenge on her face, which for a brief moment, became unguarded and unmasked. And in her eyes there was a kind of hope which was so intense that it filled people with terror.

• 顷刻，她那张去下保护面罩的脸庞透露出一种坚强不羁的神色，眼睛里透出一种令人生畏的希望。

The key points in part 2: section 3The key points in part 2: section 3

• mouth: say sth, esp. in an affected or insincere manner 言不由衷地说

• I could only guess …so bitterly rejected.

• 我嘴里说着这些客套话，心里却在猜想：她被迫去竭力追求她所拒绝的事情，可见她心底的渴求是多么强烈啊！

• The change of Piquette

The key points in part 2: section 4The key points in part 2: section 4

• The death of Piquette

• Somehow had not found its way into letters…: (things) we had not written in the letters for some reason

• perturbed: worried or annoyed

• sullen: silently showing anger or bad temper

• gauche:lonely

The key points in part 2: section 4The key points in part 2: section 4

• She kept house: she did the cleaning, cooking and other things in the house.

• slattern: dirty and untidy woman

• Dressed any old way: dressed in a very careless way

• shack: a small building which was built not so well 窝棚

The key points in part 3The key points in part 3

• The analogy: Piquette and the loons• What had happened after the death of

“father”? • The cottage had been sold to others.• The pier had disappeared. • The national park• The change of name of the Diamond Lake• Several dozen stores• A flourishing resort

The key points in part 3The key points in part 3

• What was the most important change in the Diamond Lake was that she couldn’t hear the long-drawn call of the loons, half mocking and half plaintive, spearing through the stillness across the lake.

• 她再也没能听到那划过寂静的湖面传来的、拖长尾音的、半是凄厉半是冷嘲的鸟叫声。

The key points in part 3The key points in part 3

• I did not know…lived or not.• This paragraph reminds us of the lot of

Piquette, who had once sought desperately to to the society, but finally failed tragically. We are wondering whether she died accidentally or simply because she ceased to care if she lived or not. This paragraph and the concluding one reveal the relevance of the loons to the central theme of the story.

The key points in part 3The key points in part 3

• Who had heard the crying of the loons:

• Who had truly understood the meaning and emotion conveyed in the crying of the loons.

Part 3: the conclusionPart 3: the conclusion

• terrain: stretch of land

• here: field 领域• eradication: putting an end to根除• inadequate: not enough or sufficient

• meritorious: deserving praise of reward