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Unit Thirteen Marriage

海南大学外国语学院 基础英语教研室

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• Contents• A. Text one• I. Pre-reading: • (I). Warm-up questions • (II). Background information • II. While-reading: Text Analysis• (I) Structure analysis• (II) Comprehension questions • (III) Language points• (IV) Difficult sentences • III. Post-Reading:• (I) Grammatical items• (II) Translation Exercises• (III) Oral activities• (IV) Writing practice • B. Text two• （I）Questions for text comprehension• （II）Language points

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• I. Pre-reading: Background information

• 1. Divorce in America• The divorce rate in America is reported to be

more than 50%, which means one in two couples will break up. Why is it so high? What is the real reason for them to divorce? Freedom is one of the most important beliefs for Americans and nothing can replace it. So if they think the love and family can’t offer them happiness and safety, they would choose to divorce. They wouldn’t think more about the family or the children because they take themselves as the center. What’s worse, as the divorce rate in America rises, bad effects are brought on children who are used to growing up with both parents.

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2. Stuttered speech 1) Money Money is a sensitive area and your household finances need to be properly structured. You and your spouse should define your core values. Try to come to an understanding about what you both care the most about spending money on.

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2) The in-laws It is not uncommon for some mothers- or fathers-in law to overstep their boundaries and interfere with their child’s marriage. If your in-laws are causing difficulties in your marriage, you and your spouse will then need to set boundaries with your parents.

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3) The way they spend their time together Of course, you and your spouse have individual needs and interests. However, you and your spouse should focus on the time you spend together, instead of the activity itself.

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Marriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. People get married for such reasons as legal, social, emotional and economical; for public declaration of love; or for the lawful foundation of a family. Marriage practices are diversified in different cultures. They are dependent on many things, such as conventions, habits, legal system, etc. How much do contemporary people value their marriage? What are the possible causes of their difficulties in regard to marriage? How can marriage be more rationally understood? This text attempts to convince the readers that marriage is thought to be full of difficulties by all people, conventional and unconventional, past and present, and it suggests that taking a proper attitude towards these difficulties may make some difference.

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II. While-Reading Text AnalysisStructure AnalysisThe text falls into three parts:

Part I (Paragraph 1): The author, after quoting

Russell on the subject, puts forward his own argument that difficulties in regard to marriage have been an old issue for centuries.

Part II

(Paragraphs 2 － 7): The author analyzes the roots of such difficulties by listing quotations from famous literary works and famous people.

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Part III (Paragraphs 8 － 9): The author assigns the causes of unhappy marriages to the excessive consciousness of difficulties in human beings, and encourages people to face the difficulties in marriage bravely.

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1. Why is it said that the younger generation of conventional people has a rosier conception of marriage than their ancestors? (Paragraph 1)

Because people of the younger generation are mostly not yet married and they thus have great expectations of marriage.

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2. What attitude did people in the Victorian era have towards marriage? (Paragraph 1)

Even people in the Victorian era, which was a period renowned for its emphasis on social duties rather than rights, did not have expectations for a difficulty-free marriage.

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1. Who are those people the author quoted? Are they considered conventional or unconventional? Why? (Paragraphs 2 － 7)

The people quoted are all philosophers, writers, and scientists, whom the author considers as unconventional people, since they were all people with knowledge, talents and wisdom beyond the ordinary. What they thought of marriage could be derived from the essence of human experience.

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2. How did the novelists and playwrights describe marriage in their works? (Paragraphs 2 － 7)

The conventional novelists of the nineteenth century seldom described marriage after the wedding. Even when married people did appear in plays and novels later on, they usually seemed more and more miserable.

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1. What attitudes do social reformers and thinkers and aesthetes hold towards marriage? Why? (Paragraphs 8 － 9)Social reformers tend to take an optimistic view towards marriage, while thinkers and aesthetes are on the pessimistic side, thinking of marriage as full of miseries. Social reformers usually encourage people to get married by convincing them of the happiness of marriage, since marriage and family are the cornerstones of a stable society; while thinkers tend to analyze both the positive and negative sides of marriage, and aesthetes strive for the perfection of marriage, so they focus more on its miserable side.

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2. Did the author draw a conclusion concerning the truth of marriage? Why or why not? (Paragraphs 8－ 9)No, he didn’t. He explains that whether marriage is difficult or not depends on people’s attitude: if we think it’s difficult, then it is; but if we can ignore the difficulties, then they may well cease to exist.

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Group discussionsDo you think that half our difficulties are imaginary? Give some specific examples in your study and life experiences to illustrate your opinion.

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Collocation:

be beset with/by

e.g.A nightmare afflicts me from time to time.Unemployment afflicts 1.2 million workers in that country.

beset: v. (of a problem or difficulty) trouble (sb. or sth.)

persistentlye.g.problems besetting the country

The maintenance of an effective incomes policy is beset with problems.

Synonym:

afflict

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rosy: a. likely to be satisfactory and very successful or

enjoyablee.g. rosy prospects

a rosy view

Synonym:

hopeful, promising

Idiom:

Everything in the garden is rosy.样样称心如意。 / 一切都满意。 / 事事如意。

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illusion: n. a false idea or belief, esp. about sb. or about a

situatione.g.He could no longer distinguish between illusion

and reality.It is time for them to cast aside their illusions.

Collocation:

be under no illusions about sth.have/cherish/entertain/hold illusions about sth.

e.g. illusionary stage effects

Derivation:

illusionary a.

Synonym:

vision, delusion, fantasy, misconception

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cynical: a. skepticale.g.

a cynical view/smileHe was getting harder and more cynical about life.

Translation:

由于困难很大，他对这个主意是否可行持怀疑态度。The enormous difficulty makes him cynical about the feasibility of the idea.______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

他不相信她有胜利的希望。He was cynical about her prospects for victory.______________________________________________________________

Derivation:

cynicism n.

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crude: a. rude and offensivee.g.a crude remark/joke

crude interference in another country’s internal affairsthe crude behaviour of schoolchildren

Synonym:

vulgar

Derivation:

crudely ad.crudity n.

e.g.The crudity of her language shocked him.

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reverent: a. showing great respect and admiration

e.g.a reverent silencefile past the tomb in a reverent mannergive reverent attention to the sermon

Synonym:

respectful, adoring

Derivation:

reverently ad.reverence n.

e.g.The crowd knelt in reverence and worshipped.The younger generation lack reverence.

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refrain: n. (in Paragraph 2) a regularly recurring phrase or verse, esp. at the end of each stanza or division of a poem or song; chorus vigorous and glowingv. (in Paragraph 4) stop oneself from doing sth., esp. sth. that one wants to do

Collocation:

refrain from (doing) sth.

e.g. refrain from laughing/tearsHe has refrained from criticizing the government in public.

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green: a. young and lacking experience

e.g.a green handThe new trainees are still very green.

Antonym:

experienced, mature, versed

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tipsy: a. slightly drunk

e.g.The wine had made Barton a trifle tipsy.

Synonym:

tiddly

Antonym:

sober

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rose-coloured: a. used in reference to a naively optimistic or idealistic viewpointe.g.a rose-coloured talk/plan

a rose-coloured vision of the world

Synonym:

rose-tinted

Translation:

他总是过于乐观地看待世界。He tends to view the world through rose-coloured spectacles.______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

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reputed: a. generally thought to be sth. or to have done sth., although this is not certain

e.g.a man reputed to have worked miraclesHe is the reputed writer of the two epic poems.

Synonym:

supposed

Derivation:

reputedly ad.

e.g.events that reputedly took place thousands of years agoReputedly, he is very dangerous.

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henpecked: a. dominated by one’s wife

e.g.A henpecked husband always gives in to his wife.

Translation:

他是个典型的“妻管严”。He is a typical henpecked husband.______________________________________________________________

我看他将来是要怕老婆的。I can see he’s going to be henpecked.______________________________________________________________

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repent: v. feel regret or sorrow about one’s wrongdoing or sin

repent one’s crimes before a priestBitterly did we repent our decision.

Collocation:

repent of sth.; repent bitterly; come to repent

Derivation:

repentance n.

repentant a.

He shows no sign of repentance.

She was not in the least repentant.

e.g.

e.g.

e.g.

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caustic: a. critical in a bitter or sarcastic way

caustic comments/wita caustic tongueSome caustic things have been written about media stars.

Collocation:

be caustic about

e.g.

Synonym:

biting, acid

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scribble: v. write sth. quickly and untidily

I scribbled his phone number in my address book. He scribbled down our names.

Word formation:

“scrib-” means “to write”

e.g.

describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe, transcribe, postscript, scripture

e.g.

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decoy: v. lure (a person or animal) away from their intended course, typically into a trap

They decoyed him into a dark street.decoy sb. away from the house

Synonym:

lure, entice

e.g.

The child was lured into a car but managed to escape.The bargain prices are expected to entice customers away from other stores.

e.g.

Collocation:

decoy into

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pious: a. having or showing a deep respect for God and

religionpious acts/utterancesMrs. Smith was a very pious woman who attended church services regularly.

e.g.

Antonym:

impious, profane, undutiful

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prolong: v. make sth. last longer

prolong a visitprolong one’s stay in LondonAll the time people are seeking to prolong life.The operation could prolong his life by two or three years.

e.g.

Synonym:

lengthen, extend

Derivation:

prolongation n.prolonged a.

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motive: n. a reason for doing sth.

be proper in motiveHe says that he is doing this to help me, but I suspect an ulterior motive.

e.g.

Collocation:

motive for sth.ulterior motive

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Translation:

这起谋杀案看不出有什么动机。There seemed to be no motive for the murder.______________________________________________________________

贪婪是他偷窃的唯一原因。Greed was his only motive for stealing.______________________________________________________________

Derivation: motiveless a.

an apparently motiveless murder/attacke.g.

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He has earned himself an enviable position in the bank.Her dedication to her work was admirable.

e.g.

enviable: a. so desirable as to arouse envy

He is in the enviable position of having two job offers to choose from.She learned to speak foreign languages with enviable fluency.

e.g.

Synonym:

admirable

Comparison:

enviable & admirable

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an aesthetic appreciation of the landscapee.g.

aesthete: n. a person who has a love and understanding of art and beautiful things

Derivation:

aesthetic a.

Nobody will deny that Wilde is an outstanding aesthete.

e.g.

aesthetically pleasing colour combinationse.g.

aesthetically ad.

the relationship between aesthetics and translation

e.g.

aesthetics n.

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These technological developments were hardly imaginable 30 years ago.

e.g.

The equator is an imaginary line around the earth.

e.g.

imaginary: a. existing only in your mind or imagination

Comparison:

imaginary: hypothetical, existing only in one’s mind and not in real life

imaginary fears/threatsThe story is wholly imaginary.

e.g.

imaginable: possible to imagine

imaginary & imaginable

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Blank filling:

Even in the danger, we should save the injured by every means.

imaginary___________

imaginable____________

即使是在虚构的危险当中，我们也应该尽一切可能抢救伤员。

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e.g. 申请人须回答下列所有问题，并用墨水笔清晰地写出回答。

Applicant must make answer to all of the following questions, and such answers must be written out plainly in ink.

make answer to: answer, reply

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e.g. 公司关于加班的立场在合同中有明确说明。

The company’s position in regard to overtime is made clear in the contract.

in regard to: concerning

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e.g. 我对节食在我身上所能起的作用不再抱有任何幻想。I am under no illusions about what a diet could do for me.

under no illusions: holding no false belief

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e.g.我们注意到雪莱的诗句如何打动了他的心。

We have noticed how Shelly’s poem went home to his heart.

go home to one’s heart: deeply touch or grieve sb.

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1) comic a.→ comedy n.→ comedian n. ant. tragic a. → tragedy n. → tragedian n.

e.g. 喜剧通常有一个愉快的结局。

这个喜剧演员擅长表演滑稽戏剧。A comedy usually has a happy ending.

The comedian is good at performing comic opera.

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2) exaggerate v. → exaggerated a. → exaggeration n.

e.g. 我认为电视的影响怎么说也不夸张。

这篇新闻报道的内容言过其实。

说大多数同学从未读过一部完整的莎士比亚戏剧一点也不夸张。

I don’t think it is possible to exaggerate the power of television.

The newspaper accounts are exaggerated.

It is no exaggeration to say that most students have never read a complete Shakespeare play.

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3) repute n. → reputable a. → reputation n.

e.g. 她是一位享有国际声誉的作家。

凡是有信誉的公司都提供保单。

他不久就获得了一级厨师的荣誉。

She is a writer of international repute.

All reputable companies give a guarantee.

He soon acquired a reputation as a first-class cook.

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4) repent v. → repentant a. → repentance n.

e.g. 他开始后悔自己的草率决定。

我无心在那颗追悔莫及的破碎的灵魂上再捅一刀。

由忏悔必生悔罪，由悔罪必得饶恕。

He came to repent his hasty decision.

I have no heart to add a hurt to that repentant and broken spirit.

From confession flows repentance and from repentance forgiveness.

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5) desire n. → desirous a.

e.g. 她感到一种难以遏制的想回家的愿望。

他非常希望你参加这次会议。

She felt an overwhelming desire to return home.

He is strongly desirous that you should attend the meeting.

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6) civilize v. → civilized a. → civilization n.e.g.粗鲁的丈夫在妻子的开导下变得文雅了。

他们的目标是创立一个秩序井然、公平文明的社会。

维多利亚时代的人认为铁路带来了进步和文明。

The rough husband has been civilized by his wife.

Their aim is to create an orderly, just and civilized society.

The Victorians regarded the railways as bringing progress and civilization.

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7) imagine v. → imaginary a. → imagination n.e.g.我现在无法想象没有了孩子们的生活。

顷刻间她幻想的全部幸福都成了泡影。

不要一味凭空想象。

I cannot imagine life without the children now.

All her imaginary happiness vanished in a moment.

Don’t let your imagination run away with you.

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III. Post-ReadingGiving a talkTopic A: What Factors We Should Consider Before Marriage

love, health, personality, career, family background, education background, life experience, moral standards, common interests, economic condition, plan for future

Words and phrases for reference:

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love, health, personality, career, family background, education background, life experience, moral standards, common interests, economic condition, plan for future

Words and phrases for reference:

Topic B: My Idea of What Marriage Should Be Like

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Consolidation Activities- Having a discussion

Topic: What are the reasons for the phenomenon that more and more people, especially the young, prefer to remain single?

a. It is because marriage leads to more economic pressure.

b. It is because the younger generation wants to have more leisure and pleasure for themselves.

c. It is because their interpretation of marriage has been changing.

Viewpoints for reference:

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Lead-in questions1) What are the responsibilities of a wife?a. to take care of her husband, their child and parentsb. to do the houseworkc. to satisfy the physical and mental needs of her husband

2) What does marriage mean to women?Tip: companionship, enjoyment of the family life, sacrifice of her time and energy even her whole career, less communication with their friends and the outside world

Lead-in questions

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Text1 – About the text

About the text — This text first appeared in the Spring 1971 issue of Ms. Magazine and has been reprinted often and it is one of the best-known manifestos in popular feminist writing and a classic of feminist satire.

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About the author — Born in 1937, Judy Brady became a freelance writer during the 1960s and has written articles on such issues as abortion, education, and the labor and women’s movements for a variety of publications.

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1. What effect does the author obtain with the title “Why I Want a Wife”?

If you have noticed that this article is written by a woman, you will definitely find the title “Why I Want a Wife” so intriguing that your curiosity about what the author has to say is immediately aroused.

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2. What kind of literary devices does the author use to achieve the special satirical effect?The most prevalent device is sarcasm. This can be seen throughout the whole text. She is constantly using sarcasm to describe a wife’s roles. “I want a wife who takes care of the children when they are sick, a wife who arranges to be around when the children need special care, because, of course, I cannot miss classes at school.” As one reads on, one can immediately tell that Brady has gone through all of the situations she describes and has put a humorous twist on them. She also goes into great detail in

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describing why she wants a wife. “I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be, and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it.”Reoccurrence of key elements is another literary device that Brady uses throughout her article. She is always describing what the wife does for the husband, but never describes what the husband does for the wife. She uses this as a strong building block in her essay. Without using this, she would not have conveyed her message that a wife is always giving and that a husband expects a wife to meet all of these traditional standards.

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3. If you are a woman, after you have read Text I and Text II, do you still want to get married and become a wife? This is an open question. What follows is only one of the possible answers.No. Both Text I and Text II are so pessimistic towards marriage and woman’s status in marriage. Because of the difficulties in marriage and the unequal role of husband and wife, it might frighten away some of us from stepping into the wedding hall.

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1. An ideal wife is any woman who has an ideal husband. — Booth Tarkington

2. All young women begin by believing they can change and reform the men they marry. They can’t.

— George Bernard Shaw

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Questions for discussion

1) In your opinion, what’s your standard for an ideal husband/wife?

2) To what extent can you tolerate your future husband/wife?

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I believe that the ideal husband is one who is caring and honest and treasures his family like no one else. An ideal husband is the one who will actually listen to a conversation that you have started and make intelligent remarks. He is the one who will also do the housework without having been asked to. He is a husband who knows everything about you: the things that make you mad or sad and the things that make you happy.

1) Example for reference:

Guidance:

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There are two aspects to consider as to whether I can tolerate my future husband or not. One is physical and the other is spiritual. On one hand, he must pay enough attention to the personal and environmental hygiene. Otherwise, it is too terrible to live with him. On the other, he must give due respect to my parents. Since my parents have taken care of me for more than 20 years, he should feel obliged to treat them well and love them. It’s one of the most fundamental ethical values. In a word, I have rather high expectations for my future husband in the mentioned two aspects in my future marriage.

2) Example for reference:

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Booth Tarkington (July 29, 1869 — May 19, 1946) was an American novelist and dramatist. Tarkington’s best known work today is The Magnificent Ambersons, which won the Pulitzer Prize, due in part to its famous treatment by Orson Welles in 1942 and its frequently favored listing on the Modern Library’s list of top-100 novels.

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George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 — 2 November 1950) was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. He is the only person to have been awarded both a Nobel Prize for Literature (1925) and an Oscar (1938), for his contributions to literature and for his work on the film Pygmalion (adaption of his play of the same name), respectively.