Lesson FiveLesson FiveLesson FiveLesson Five

Love is a FallacyLove is a Fallacy

Ⅰ. Additional background knowledge Ⅱ. Introduction to the passage Ⅲ. Detailed study of the text Ⅳ. Effective writing skills Ⅴ. Logical fallacy Ⅵ. Questions for discussion

1. The author: Max Shulman (1919~1988) 20th century American writer best known as his television, short story and

best-selling novels. His writing often focused on young people, particularly in a collegiate setting.

Ⅰ. Additional background knowledge

2. Carlyle: Thomas Carlyle(1795-1881), British historian and essayist.

He developed a peculiar style of his own which was called “Carlylese” which is a compound of biblical phrases, colloquialisms, and his own coinges, arranged in unexpected sequences.

3. Ruskin: John Ruskin(1819-1900), British writer, art critic and social theorist.

His works : Modern Painters (1843- 1860), The Seven Lamps of Architecture (1849),

Sesame and Lilies (1865), The Crown of Wild Olive (1866), Time and Tide (1867), Fors Clavigera (8 vols,1871-1884).

4.Charles Lamb4.Charles Lamb English essayist and poet, famous for his collection: The Essay of Elia (1823,1833) Tales from Shakespeare (1807) his critical comments: Specimens of English Dramatic poets (1808)

Ⅱ Introduction to the passage

• This text is a piece of narrative writing. Narrative writing is a style of writing, which is based on personal experience and change of things development.

• Narration is the main way of expression.• The essential element are: time, person,

place and event

• The author employs a whole variety of writing techniques to make his story vivid,dramatic and colorful.

• 1, A large lexical spectrum;• 2,figurative language;• 3, inversion for special emphasis;• 4,many figures of speech like simile:• metaphor; hyperbole; • metonymy; antithesis

Detailed study of each part• Part 1:(para1-3)• 1. Main idea : • a brief introduction to, and a comment, on the story.

• 2. Questions to think:– 1).What implication does the title contain?– 2).What does the writer say about his own essay? Is he serious?

• 3. Words and phrases• 1) There follows…frontier(Para.1,line3): • The informal essay that follows here is freer than the

one Charles Lamb wrote. (metaphor)

Unfettered (Para.1): v. • to be free from fetters; • to be free restraint of any kind ( 除掉…的脚镣，解放 )

2) Vague though…an essay(Para.2): • Though its category is vague, it is certainly an essay.

(Inversion and ellipsis)

3) Could Carlyle…Could Ruskin? Carlyle could not write a better essay than this on

e. Neither could Ruskin (two rhetorical questions for emphasis)

• Part 2 (Para 4-59)• 1. main idea:• It humorously depicts how the promises of e

xchanging a girlfriend for a racoon coat is made and fulfilled.

2.Language points 1).My brain… a scalpel. My brain was like a forceful dynamo, accurate sca

les, and a fierce scalpel. (simile and hyperbole) calculating: shrewed or cunning,esp in a selfish wa

y; Scalpel: a small, light,straight knife with a sharp b

lade used by surgeons 解剖刀 , 手术刀

scheming: 精明的 ,( 尤指 ) 专为自己打算的 perspicacious: a. having keen judgement or u

nderstanding 聪颖的，敏锐的 astute: a. showing a clever mind; crafty; wil

y 精明的，狡猾的 dynamo ： generator 发电机

2) Fads, I submit are the very negation of reason: fads in my opinion, shows a complete lack of reason.

3)To swept…of mindlessness(Para5): It is the greatest of lack of intelligence for me

to follow enthusiastically every current fashion that appears, or to indulge yourself to stupid action just because everyone else is doing it.

Fad: n. passing fashion; craze 一度时髦的风尚，一时的狂热

4) Nothing upstairs (slang): empty-headed; 5) Acme ： n. the highest point 极点，顶点 6) Mumble: v. speak or say indistinctly and in a l

ow voice; mutter 喃喃地说，含糊地说 7).Flight: n. the act of escaping from a dangero

us situation 逃跑，逃避 e.g seek safety in flight 溜之大吉 8) Temple: either of the flat surface alongside the forehead in front of each ear 太阳穴，鬓角•

9) incredulous: a. unwilling or unable to believe; skeptical

e.g: be incredulous of 10) shed: v. cast off or lose hair ( 毛发等 ) 脱落11) Unsightly: not sightly; not pleasant to look at ;ugly 不美观的，难看的12) in the swim: conforming to the current fashion 赶时髦e.g She is always involved in the swim. 她总是追求时髦。

13). Making: the material or qualities needed for the making or developed of something. 素质 , 内在因素 e.g: She has the making of a fine teacher

14) Carriage: conduct, behavior, gesture 行为，举止，姿态。15) Bearing: way of carrying and conducting oneself, ma

nner 举止

16) Breeding: good upbringing or training 良好的教育17) Specialty: 特产 , 特制品。

18).My brain…high gear(para20): My brain worked like a precision instrument as well a

s a machine which began to work at high speed or efficiency.

（ Mixed-metaphor)19).He didn’t have…on it(para22): 注意此处” it” 指人

Polly Espy, 足可见“我”对她的感情并不是发至内心的，而是出于理智上的考虑。

20).I wanted Polly…cerebral reason(para23): I wanted Polly for a cleverly thought out and an entir

ely intellectual reason.

21).She was not…lack(para25): She was not as beautiful as a pin-up girl bu

t I felt sure she would become beautiful enough after some time.

22).In fact…opposite direction(para27): In fact, she went in the opposite direction. euphemism. She was not intelligent and she was rather st

upid.

23).It is, after all…girl beautiful(para27): It is easier to make a pretty stupid girl

clever than to make an ugly clever girl pretty.

(contrast) “beautiful, dumb and smart” to cont

rast“ ugly, smart and beautiful”.

Covet: long for with envy 垂涎。e.g:It is a sin to covet. 贪得无厌是一种罪恶。

Cerebral: appealing to the intellect rather than emotion, intellectual. 理智的，凭理智行事的。

Pin-up: desinating a girl whose sexual attractiveness makes her a object for the kind of pictures often pinned up on walls.

女子其照片可供倾慕者钉在墙上的。Proportion: lines,shape of body 线条，身材

25) .In other words....would be open(Para 34 ): metaphor. If you're no longer involved with her( if you stop dating h

er ) others would be free to compete for her firendship.. out of the picture: not considered as involved in a situatio

n 出局 , 与某事无关field: an area where games or athletic events are heldopen : free to take part or compete in (games being held in

the field ）

26).I said ... wink. (Para 40 ) : • a transferred epithet. • He said mysteriously with a wink (the wink was not

mysterious).• wink:v./n.• V. (1) to close one eye and open it again quickly,esp

ecially as a private signal to sb,or to show sth is a joke. 眨一只眼 , 眨眼示意 ( 尤指使眼色或表示开玩笑 )

• eg:He winked at her and she knew he was thinking the same thing that she was

• 他冲她眨了眨眼 , 她便知道他的想法和她一样• blink:shut and open your eyes quickly. 眨眼睛

• He blinked in the bright sunlight.• 他在强烈的阳光下直眨眼睛• eg:I 'll be back before you can blink(=very quickly) • 我眨眼的功夫就回来 .• (2).to shine with an unsteady light;to flash on and off 闪烁 ,

明灭 .• eg:We could see the lights of the ship winking in the dista

nce• 我们看见船在远方忽明忽暗地闪着灯光 .• PHR V:wink at sth.( 尤指对坏事 )视而不见 ,睁一只眼闭一只

眼 .• N. an act of winking,especially as a signal to sb. 眨一只眼 ,

眨眼示意 , 眼色 .

27).He plunged his hands into the raccoon coat and then his face. (para.42)

• First he threw both his hands into the raccoon coat,then he threw his head into the raccoon coat too. 他先是将双手猛地插入浣皮大衣 ,接着把脸也扑到里面 .

• plunge into:to throw sb or sth into sth else.跳进 ,闯进

• eg:The van broke through the parapet(矮墙 ,护墙 ) and plunged into twenty feet of water

• 这辆装运车撞毁栏杆 , 冲进 20英尺深的水里 .

28)."You girl,"I said,mincing no words.(para 45)• I said directly and forcefully,"i want your girl".• mince:to lessen the force of;weaken,as by eup

hemism.• V.(1) to cut food,especially meat,into very smal

l pieces using a special machine(=call a mincer)用绞肉机绞 (食物 , 尤指肉 )

• eg:minced beef 绞碎的牛肉• (2) (v+adv./prep)(disapproving)to walk with qu

ick short steps,in a way that is not natural 装腔作势的用小步走 .

• eg:He minced over to serve us• 他迈着碎步过来招待我们 .• not mince(your)words:to say sth in direct way e

ven though it might offend other people. 毫不言讳 ,直言不讳 .

• N.(BrE)绞碎的肉 ,肉末 ( 尤指牛肉 )• eg:a pound of mince 一磅碎肉

29.He flung the coat from him."Never."he said stoutly.(para 48)• stout: adj. (1) (of a person 人 )rather fat 肥胖的 ,肥壮的 (2) (usually before n)strong and thick 粗壮结实的 ,厚实牢固的 eg: a stout pair of shoes 一双厚而耐穿的鞋 (3) (usually before noun)(formal)brave and determined 顽强的 , eg:He put up a stout defence in court. 他在法庭上进行了顽强的辩护 eg:This requires a stout heart. 这需要有毅力的人来做

• adv.stoutly• n. stoutness• eg:He was tall and stoutly built• 他长得五大三粗的• eg:"I disagree,"said Polly stoutly• "我不同意 ".Polly拒不妥协的说 .• n. strong dark beer.烈性黑啤酒

30)."if you don't want to be in the swim".(para. 49)• in the swim(of things):(informal) involved in things th

at are happening in society or in a particular situation.• 积极参与社会生活 ( 或者活动 ),合潮流 .31) "......a torn man."(para. 50)• torn man:• He was agitated and tormented,not knowing what wa

s the right thing to do.• tear:to divide with doubt,uncertainty,etc

32).First he looked..a bakery window."(para.50)• simile:comparing his torn expression with the

expression of a hungry homeless child looking longingly at the bread at a bakery window.

33) Set his jaw (para 50): he put his jaw in a fined or rigid position. This action shows fixed,unyielding determinat

ion.

34) .Back and forth... waning (para 50) : antithesis. " Desire waxing" is balanced against " resoluti

on waning". His head turned back and forth (look at the coat then looking away from the coat) .Every time he look his desire for the coat grew strong and his resolution not to give away Polly became weaker.

35).he just stood ... at the coat (para 50): hyperbole. It's an exaggeration to describle his great longing

for the coat as "mad lust" . He just stood there , looking with great longing at

the coat.• mad lust : frantic, insane, overmastering desire.

Part 3• Part 3(para 60-125)

1.Main idea:

It vividly describes the incredibly tough project of making dumb Polly

smart ,and the seeming success.

Part 32. Language points1).Gee, that was delish dinner (para 60): the writer deliberately makes Polly Espy use a lot of excl

amatory words like:"Gee, Oo, wowdow" and clipped vulgar forms like:"delish, marvy, sensaysh, ect." to create the impression of a simple and rather stupid girl.

This contrasts strongly with the boasting of the narrator and thus helps to increase the force of satire and irony.

• gee : an exclamation of surprise, wonder, etc.• delish: clipped vulgar form for "delicious"• Gee... movie (para60): • Oh! That was a marvelous movie • Gee... a sensaysh time (para60): • Oh! I had a sensational time.

2).I had ... following evening (para60): I had my first social engagement (outing) with Polly the next evening.3).This was ... survey (para60) : The aim of this date was to find out how stup

id (or intelligent ） Polly was (so that he would have an idea of how much work he had to do to make her intelligent enough to be his wife)

4) This loomed as a project of no small dimensions, and at first I was tempted to give her back to Petey. :

This appears to me a great and hard task with little possibility of achievement, so at first I had the intention to give Polly back to her boyfriend Petey.

• loom v. appear, or come in sight indistinctly. • 隐约出现• e.g. A warship loomed up through the heavy f

og.

6). dimension (Para.61 line5) n. space; size and extent; scale. 体积，容积，面积，

范围，规模。• e.g. What are the dimensions of this language la

boratory?• have… at one’s finger tips: to be completely f

amiliar with. 精通• e.g. We have all the facts and figures at our finge

rs tips.

7).(Para63 line2): You would go far…agreeable you would achieve much success if you could find another girl who was so agreeable. It isn’t easy to find a girl so agreeable.

• go far: to accomplish much; achieve much success. 成功，大有前途。

• e.g. Ginny’s a smart girl, and I’m sure she will go far.

8).Para.64 line1 We went to …old oak: We went to the Knoll, the campus meeting place,

and sat down under an old oak. （引用了罗宾汉的典故。）

9). wince v. (para69, line1) escape or draw back when having a feeling of pain or embarrassment. （ 因疼痛、窘迫等）畏缩，退缩。

• e.g. He winced at the insult. • 他因受到侮辱而躲开了。

10).unqualified adj. not modified by conditions or reservations; absolute.

绝对的，没有被条件或保留意见所限定的。• e.g. an unqualified refusal 斩钉截铁的拒绝。11).Otherwise you have… Simpliciter: Other

wise you have committed a logical fallacy called “a dicto simpliciter ad dictum secundum quid” .

( 借代 metonymy)

12).tug (para.75 line1) v. to pull sth hard; drag; haul 用力拉，拖曳。

e.g. The child tugged at my hand to make me go with her.• desist v.(para75 line2) to stop doing; cease 停止。• e.g. You had better desist. 你最好打消念头。13) Really ... Nobody: It is the truth that everybody at the Uni

versity of Minnesota can’t speak French?14). I hid my exasperation: I was greatly irritated and annoye

d by Polly’s stupidity. I controlled my voice and temper to hide my true feelings.

15).exasperation n. the state of being exasperated; frustrated annoyance. 激怒。

• e.g. Constant interruption of his work made him full of exasperations.

16).I fought of a wave of despair. : I struggled to keep away the feeling of despair.17).You are guilty of Post Hoc: you have committed t

he logical fallacy called Post Hoc.

18).contrite adj. (para83,line1) feeling very sorry what you have done wrong. 忏悔的，深感懊悔的。

• e.g. with a humble and contrite heart. 怀着谦恭并悔罪的心情。

19). premise n. (para86) an idea or a statement forming the bases of a reasonable argument. 前提

20).chirp v. (para87) to speak cheerfully and lively. 嘁嘁喳喳地说。

• e.g. “Yes, all finished!” he chirped.

21) .If there is an irresistible force, there can be no argument. If there is an immovable object, there can be no irresistible force. (p94) ：

An irresistible force and an immovable object cannot coexist.

(如果存在不可抵抗的力量，就不存在搬不动的东西。如果存在搬不动的东西，也就不存在不可抵抗的力量。）

22).I deposited her at the girl’s dormitory.(p97)• deposit vt. ① put down or lay down 放下，搁下 eg. Deposit the sand here. ② put sth. valuable or important in a place

where it will be safe 寄放，寄存 eg. Guests may deposit their valuables i

n hotel safe. Deposit account 定期存款用户

23).Maybe somewhere…into flame.(p98) : Perhaps there is still some intelligence left in h

er stupid and empty mind. Maybe I could develop the little intelligence still existing in Polly’s mind.

或许在她头脑的死火山口的某个地方，还有余烬尚存呢。没准我还可以煽风点火，使之成为万丈高焰呢。

24).Smolder (p98) v. ①Burn slowly without a flame闷烧，熏 烧

eg. The campfire smoldered for hours after the blaze died out.

②to be filled with a strong emotion that you do not fully express( 感情）郁积，压在心头

eg. His eyes smoldered with anger.

25).Lawyers have …a trail (p105): Lawyers have a written summary of the main p

oints of a case to guide them during a trail.(律师在审案时可以查看辩护状。）

If Madame Curie…would not know about radium.(p111) :

It is a drawer with a chunk of pitchblende, that people nowadays know about radium.

假如当初居里夫人不是凑巧把一张相片底片落在装有一块沥青铀矿石的抽屉里，那么，当今世人或许还不知道镭究竟为何物呢

26).Fracture (Pa112) v. to make fascinated about sth. （ 美俚）使着迷 .

eg. Her beauty fractured me.Gurgle v. (婴儿高兴时）发出咯咯的笑声Notorious adj. well known for being bad 声名狼藉的， 臭名昭著的 eg. Those days everyone in the town was talki

ng about the notorious murderer and his gang.

反义词 famous celebrated renowned

Indignation n . a feeling of anger and surprise coming out of a sense of unfairness 义愤 ， 愤慨

eg. Indignation at the injustice 对不公平的愤慨Exultant adj. Feeling great happiness and excitement 兴高采烈的 eg. Exultant crowds were dancing in the street Hamstring v. disable by cutting a hamstring; lessen or dest

roy the power or effectiveness of 使不能正常（或行动）；妨碍

eg. Police officers claim that they are hamstring by regulation and paperwork .警官们声称他们的活动受到了规约条款和文书工作的限制

27).There is a limit to what flesh and blood can bear .

synecdoche ， flesh and blood 代替 human being28).The first man has poisoned the well bef

ore anybody could drink from it . metaphor ，把说话者的个人攻击比作投毒下井。

Part 4• Part 4(126-154)• 1. main idea: • It ironically represents the seemingly

Pygmalion effect, which turns out to be a Frankenstein tragedy and forms the climax of the story.

2. Questions to think1).After the failure of logic teaching, why he still want a more try?2).Dobie first described Polly as “a logic-proof head” and

then said “ I’m proud of you.” Was it the fact that Polly suddenly became clever due to Dobie’s teaching of logic?

3).Pay attention to the language of Polly, which is full of slangs and colloquialisms. Does her language create a effect of irony?

4).Someone said that Dobie always think sth with ration, while Polly’s brain is full of emotion, the different thinking style predict Dobie‘s failing .Do you agree ? If so, Find out some examples in the text.

5).Do you think true love is based on the management of logic or the gradual develpment of emotion? why?

6). Why does the narrator refers to Pygmalion and Frankenstein ?

7).Are these allusions chosen aptly ?

2. Language points:1).“You are the whole world to me ,and the moo

n and the stars space .” (Para 135)

For me you are as important as the whole world ,the moon ,the stars ,and the universe .

-- Exaggeration

2).Languish : lose vigor and strength ;

become weak 变得衰弱无力，长期受苦• Her interest has greatly languished .• 她的兴趣已经大减了 .

3 ） .That did it ,” (Para 147)• ——That made me lose my self-control .• -- Ellipsis

4 ） .After he promised ,after he made a deal ,after he shook my hand .” ( Para 151 )

• He did traitorous act after he promised ,after he made a deal , after he shook my hand .( 省略句）

5 ） .Modulate: change the quality of the voice by making it lower ,louder or safer

变调，调节音量• eg : The music modulates from G to D .

6.“Let’s look at this thing logically ,…, a guy who’ll never know where his next meal is coming from .”( Para 153 )

antithesis

Brilliant , intellectural 和 assured 对照 knothead ,jetterbug 和 never know where next meal is coming from .

1. fast pace with a racy dialogue full of American colloquialism and slangs. He employs a great variety of writing techniques to make his story vivid, dramatic and colorful.

Ⅳ. Effective writing skills

2.The lexical spectrum is colorful—from the ultra learned terms to the infra clipped vulgar forms to fit in each character.

3.profuse figurative language and also grammatical inversion for special emphasis. The speed of the narration is maintained by the use of short sentences, elliptical sentences and dashes throughout the story. This mix adds to the realism of the story.

Ⅴ. Logical fallacy1.Dicto Simplicity• —the fallacy is committed by an argument that appl

ies a general rule to a particular case in which some special circumstances make the rule inappropriate.

• Car is fast. Therefore every time we hang out, we should drive a car.

• Dog is a pet. Everyone likes it.• Post education is beneficial. so everyone should at l

east get a bachelor degree.

2. Hasty GeneralizationThe converse fallacy of accident argues imprope

rly from a special case to a general rule.• A sports program is interesting. An entertainm

ent program is interesting. A TV series is interesting. Therefore every TV program is interesting.

• Tom is a prime student. Jane is a prime student. Jack is a prime student. All the students therefore in this class are prime students.

3. Post HocThe fallacy of false cause mislocates the cause of on

e phenomenon in another that is only seemingly related. Post hoc mistakes temporal sequence for causal connection .

• Don’t sing this song. Every time you sing this song, the baby gets sick.

• I never drink purified water, each time I do I’ll get diarrhea.

• His eyes are very big, so he must have good eyesight.

4. Contradictory PremisesThe conclusion is contradictory to the premise• This is the mightiest sword which is able to

shatter any shield, and that is the most indestructible shield which is capable of enduring any stroke.

• I think he is the invincible man in the world, and nothing is powerful enough to defeat him. But, of course, he has certain drawbacks that might cause him lose.

5. Ad MisericordiamThe fallacy of irrelevant conclusion is committed

when the conclusion changes the point that is at issue in the premises

• “He was late to the class today.” “Because he was scolded by his mother yesterday.”

• “ Have you had lunch?” “ I got up late this morning, and unfortunately I fell down from my bike when riding to school.”

• 6. False Analogy• Since we have moon cakes in the Moon Festiv

al, why don’t we have spring cakes in the Spring Festival?

• Before the founding of the People’s Republic, eating rotten vegetables and bran was so common to the people. So I don’t think it is unbearable to eat the remains of the meal.

• 7. Hypothesis Contrary to Fact• If the gunpowder hadn’t been invented, the

re wouldn’t have been so many wars in the world.

• How could you have passed the exam what if I hadn’t told you the answer in advance?

8. Poisoning the Well--- “speaking against the man” rather than to the

issue in which the premises may only make a personal attack on a person who holds some thesis, instead of offering grounds showing why what he says is false.

• Don’t listen to any word from him, for he is most shameful cheating around the world.

• The defendant killed the victim cruelly, I suggest Lord sentence him guilty.

Ⅵ.Questions for discussion 1. What do you think of Polly’s choice? 2. What is your idea about love? Is love a fallacy? 3. Whom does the writer try to satirize? In what

way? 4. Comparing with the narrator’s description

of the three characters in the story, what do you think of each of them?

5. What have you learned about the young Americans from this story?

6.In what sense is the conclusion ironic ?