Henry Clemens (1838-1858)

Clemens's house in Hartford

Grave of Mark Twain Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, NY

Lesson NineLesson Nine

Mark Twain—Mirror of America

mirror a person who gives a true representation or description of the country

What does the writer claim Mark Twain as the mirror of America?

fatherthe author or the man who created these two unforgettable characters

cruise

a holiday during which you travel on a ship and visit lots of places n.

to move at a constant speed that is comfortable and unhurried v.

They spend the summer cruising in the Greek islands.

He was on a world cruise.

stage coach

wearing a motley collection of old clothes

motley coat

a motley crowd / crew

constantly and carefully avoided clashes with the enemy

diligently avoided contact with the enemy

What literary device is used in this sentence?

(fml) stop resisting (temptation, illness, attack, etc); yield + to

succumb

He finally succumbed to the temptation to have another drink.

The audience made a dash for the exit the minute they heard the siren.

100-meter dash

showing a complete lack of care about danger/about the results of one’s actions

reckless

Some of the young motorcyclists are very reckless.

consequence

which she stands for a name up till now

which she bears unto this day

grave world(collq.) as one characteristically is; in every respect, thoroughly, what one would expect of the person specified

all over

That sounds like my mother all over.

Angels Campa brief note jotted down, as to remind one of sth.

notation

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

well-known, famous, stresses reception of public notice or attention and frequent mention

celebrated

a celebrated actress, writer, pianist, etc

celebrities of stage and screen

Burgundy is celebrated for its fine wines.

a voyage for pleasure of sightseeing, a tourist expedition by ship pleasure cruise

the Holy Land

(infml. derog.) in a sense, in a way, it suggests that what is referred to does not really deserve the name

of sorts/of a sort = of a sort

They served meals of sorts, but nobody enjoyed it. vague, unexplained or unusual type of sth a sort of

I had a sort of feeling he wouldn't come.

to some extent; in some way or other sort/kind of

I sort of suspected this might happen.

-logue/-log

dialogue, monologue, catalogue; travelogue

1. speech; discourse

2. person specialized in certain fieldsinologue

He tried but not very hard or persistently enough to get the enormous wealth available to those lucky and persistent ones, and he failed.

continue to exist without any loss in quality or importance

endure

Mark Twain’s fame as a writer will endure for ever.

Certain relationships endure longer than others.

the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise

Why does the writer claim that the reporting job was “to literature’s enduring gratitude”?

to + sb’s/sth’s + n. digging his way to regional fame

working hard to gain regional fame and become well known locally

He did not succeed in his reporting trade and become rich overnight as a gold-miner might have done at that time by discovering a vein of gold.

What does “pen” and “pickax” represent respectively? What literary device is used here?

San Francisco

then and now

the Sacramento Valley

produced a familiar impression on people in modern world

ring familiarly in modern world

What is the implied meaning of this remark? What literary device is used here?

made California famous for, gave California a reputation for

gave to California a name

to complete (a job) hastily rush…through

We will try to rush the contract through before Saturday.

a combination of bravery and style, a mixture of stylishness, enthusiasm and courage, vigorous and spirited; a sudden movement; a rush

dash

She conducted the orchestra with a great deal of fire and dash.

his affection for Becky

as the Declaration of Independence is sure to be studied in American schools

as is the Declaration of Independence

a complete view of a wide stretch of land; a thorough representation in words or picture

panorama

This book gives a panorama of life in Shenzhen.

a moving…of American society

a moving and constantly changing picture for close examination of American society

rate of activity, tempo pace

When he first got to the States, he found the pace of living much quicker there than back home.

relax, rest, or stay away from all this crazy struggle for success occasionally and keep our edges sharp/keep our senses alert.

lay ourselves on the shelf … our edges

haunt1.to inhabit, visit, or appear to in the form of a ghost or other supernatural being

The old castle is said to be haunted, and maybe that is why Mr. Thompson is going to sell it.

2. to visit often; frequent

haunted the movie theaters

3. to come to mind continually; obsess

I failed to solve the riddle that haunted me all morning.

take as food, eat up, be nourished or strengthened by sth

Hatred feeds on envy.

feed on/upon

The man who had made the world laugh was himself consumed by bitterness.

to protect or make sth more comfortable by covering or filling with soft material pad

He padded the seat of the chair with some foamed plastics.

a jacket with padded shoulders

an appearance of gentleness concealing severity, determination, etc

an iron fist/hand in a velvet glove