教材习题
Exercises
I. Oral Presentation
Make a five-minute presentation in class based on your research.
Suggested topics: 1. The position of John F. Kennedy in American history 2. The Cold War
NT i ec eS
II. Questions
A. Questions on the Content
1. Why does Kennedy say that the world is very different now? What differences does he have in mind?
2. What belief is still at issue around the globe according to him?
3. Name some of the old allies of the United States whose cultural and spiritual origins the United States shares.
4. Whom does Kennedy consider as friends and whom as foes?
5. Who are those peoples in huts and villages? Why does Kennedy want to help them?
6. What is his stated policy towards Latin America?
7. Sum up the policy Kennedy says he intends to pursue towards those nations whom he considers to be “our adversary.”
8. What is his message to his fellow citizens? What does he mean by “a long twilight struggle”?
B. Questions on Structure and Style
1. Speeches are usually highly rhetorical. Point out some of the different rhetorical devices Kennedy employs to make his inaugural address as forceful and impressive as possible.
2. Among the different rhetorical devices is antithesis: the setting of contrasting phrases opposite each other for emphasis. Identify places where antithesis is used in the speech.
3. Is the address well organized? Comment on the order in which he addresses the different groups of nations and people.
4. Cite examples to show that Kennedy is very particular and careful in his choice and
use of words.
5. Are his tone and message suited to the different groups he addresses? Give your reasons.
6. This inaugural address is regarded by many in the United States as a classical speech, and many passages are often quoted. Could you pick out some passages likely to be quoted by Americans? Give reasons for your choice.
7. Are Kennedy’s argument and persuasion based mainly on facts and logic or on an appeal to emotions? Would this type of speech be successful on all occasions?
Explain the following sentences in your own words, bringing out any implied meanings. 1. And yet the same revolutionary belief for which our forebears fought is still at issue around the globe... (Para. 2) 2. This much we pledge—and more. (Para. 5) 3. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. (Para. 6) 4. ...our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace... (Para. 10) 5. ...to enlarge the area in which its writ may run. (Para. 10) 6. ...before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction. (Para. 11) 7. ...yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankind’s final war. (Para. 13) 8. So let us begin anew, remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness... (Para. 14) 9. Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. (Para. 17) 10. ...each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty. (Para. 21 ) 11. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love... (Para. 27)
IV. Practice with Words and Expressions
A. Look up the dictionary and explain the meaning of the italicized words and phrases.
1. ...the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarter ago. (Para. 1)
2. For man holds in his mortal hands the power... (Para. 2)
3, ...disciplined by a hard and bitter peace... (Para. 3)
4. ...to witness or permit the slow undoing of these human rights... (Para. 3)
5. ...we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder. (Para. 6) 6. ...to be replaced by a far more iron tyranny. (Para. 7 ) 7. ...struggling to break the bonds of mass misery... (Para. 8) 8. ...to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective... (Para. 10) 9. ...to enlarge the area in which its writ may run. (Para.10) 10, ...that stays the hand of mankind’s final war. (Para. 13) 11. ...tap the ocean depths... (Para. 17) 12. ...not as a call to bear arms... but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle... (Para. 22)
B. Discriminate between these synonyms. 1. mortal, fatal, deadly, lethal 2, faithful, loyal, constant, staunch, resolute
C. The following sentences all contain metaphors. Explain their meaning in plain,
non-figurative language.
1. ...those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside. (Para. 7)
2. But this peaceful revolution of hope cannot become the prey of hostile powers. (Para. 9)
3. And let every other power know that this hemisphere intends to remain the master of its own house. (Para. 9)
4. ...we renew our pledge of support: to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective, to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak... (Para. 10)
5. And if a beachhead of cooperation may push back the jungle of suspicion... (Para. 19)
6. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it, and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. (Para. 24)
V. Translation
A. Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1. We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom, symbolizing an end as well as a beginning, signifying renewal as well as change. (Para. 1)
2. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of these human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. (Para. 3)
3. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. (Para. 4)
4. United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. (Para. 6)
5. Divided, there is little we can do, for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder. (Para. 6)
6. Ifa free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich. (Para. 8)
7. We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. (Para. 12)
8. In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course. (Para. 21)
9. Now the trumpet summons us again—not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are; but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation,’ a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself. (Para. 22)
10. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own. (Para. 27)
B. Translate Paragraphs 23-26 into Chinese.
Read, Think and Comment
The following is part of Martin Luther King’s speech “I Have a Dream— Address at March on Washington” delivered on August 28, 1963, in Washington, D.C. Read it and sum up and comment on his rhetorical devices.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.
This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land
where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!”
And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!
Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California!
But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!
Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
学习指南参考答案
A.
1. Kennedy thinks the world is different now because man has made great progress in science and technology and has not only the power (scientific farming, speedy transportation, mass production, etc.) to abolish poverty, but also the power (missiles, H. bombs, etc.) to destroy all forms of human life. I agree with him.
2. According to Kennedy, the belief still at issue around the globe is the belief that all man are created equal and God has given them certain inalienable rights which no state or ruler can take away from them.
3. These old allies are: Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and in a wider sense one may also include France.
4. Countries Kennedy considers as friends include: a) The old allies of the US, such as Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Western European countries; b) The sister countries in South America; c) Some developed countries in Asia and many of the developing countries in Asia and Africa that rely on US aid.
Countries Kennedy considers as foes include all the socialist countries (the socialist camp headed by the Soviet Union) and those developing countries preparing to take the socialist road.
5. The people in huts and villages are the poor people in backward developing countries in Africa and Asia. Kennedy wants to help them because he thinks it is right to do so. And he thinks if a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
6. The stated policy of Kennedy towards Latin America is summed up in the phrase “alliance for progress”. Kennedy pledged to take concrete steps to assist these governments and people in casting off the chains of poverty.
7. Kennedy’s policy towards “his adversary” is negotiation from a position of strength. The U.S. must first be strong enough to deter her adversary. From this strong position of absolute military superiority Kennedy proposes negotiating with the socialist camp (or the Soviet Union) on the following problems: 1) arms control; 2) cooperation in the fields of science, technology, arts and commerce; 3) a new world system.
8. He calls on his fellow-Americans to make new sacrifices to do what his country calls on him to do. He should be prepared to sacrifice everything, even his life if necessary, to defend freedom, to wage constant war against tyranny, poverty, disease and war.
The “long twilight struggle” is not a hot war but a constant, persevering fight against tyranny, poverty, disease and the threat of war.
B.
1. The rhetorical devices employed included: figures of speech, parallel and balanced structures, repetition of important words and phrases, and antitheses.
2. Here are some examples of antithesis:
a) If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.
b) United, there is little we cannot do in a host of cooperative ventures. Divided, there is little we can do..
c) And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
3. Yes, the address is well organized. Kennedy addressed his old friends first with sweetest words and then his foes with sharp words. The order is clear and the tone appropriate to different group he is addressing.
4. In this highly rhetorical address, there are many examples to show that Kennedy is very particular and careful in his choice of and use of words as well as his choice of sentence patterns and structures. For example, in the sentence “To our sister republics south of our border, we offer a special pledge”, the word “sister” is particularly chosen to connote equality and mutual good relations in his attempt to allay the traditional fears these countries have of their powerful big brother in the north. And in the sentence “Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request”, the phrase “would make themselves our adversary” is again cleverly chosen to throw the blame for confrontation and world tension on the other party. It suggests that the United States has done nothing to create enemies. It is the other side that is challenging the U.S., and the latter is forced to take the challenge although it really wants peace.
5. Kennedy carefully made his tone and message suited to the different groups he addressed. In his address there is proclaimed loyalty to old allies to sustain unity, assured help and support to minor friends to keep them closely tied to the U.S., warning advice to newborns to make them over, and veiled threat, warning and advice to the enemy camp to check ambitions on the part of the enemies.
6. The passages most likely to be quoted are: “we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty”, as this is not only a carefully thought out, well-balanced sentence easy to remember and elegantly pleasant to read aloud, but also a sentence that best expresses the proud feelings of the Americans as the self-appointed leader of the “free democracies” Kennedy’s call for Americans to “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” is also very often quoted because it represents the enterprising spirit of the Americans of which Kennedy is a best example.
7. Kennedy’s argument and persuasion is based mainly on emotional appeal rather than fact and logics.
This type of speech would not be successful on all occasions. It can be successful only when the audience is already excited and does not have much time to think or when the audience is already susceptible to the message of the speaker.
1. Our ancestors fought a revolutionary war to maintain the belief that all men were created equal and God had given them certain unalienable rights which no state or ruler could take away from them. But today this notion has not yet been agreed upon in many countries around the world.
2. This much we promise to do and we promise to do more.
3. United and working together we can accomplish a lot of things in a great number of joint undertakings.
4. The United Nations is our last and best hope of survival in an age where the instruments of war have far surpassed the instruments of peace.
5. We pledge to help the United Nations enlarge the area in which its authority and mandate would continue to be in effect or in force.
6. Before the terrible forces of destruction, which science can now release, overwhelm mankind; before this self-destruction, which may be planned or brought about by an accident, takes place.
7. Yet both groups of nations are trying to change as quickly as possible this uncertain balance of terrible military power which restrains each group from launching mankind’s final war.
8. So let us start once again (to discuss and negotiate) and let us remember that being polite is not a sign of weakness.
9. Let both sides try to call forth the wonderful things that science can do for mankind instead of the frightful things it can do.
10. Americans of every generation have been called upon to prove their loyalty to their country (by fighting and dying for their country’s cause).
11. Let history finally judge whether we have done our task welt or not, but our sure reward will be a good conscience for we will have worked sincerely and to the best of our ability.
A.
1. prescribe: set down or impose
2. mortal: of man (as a being who must eventually die)
3. disciplined: received training that developed self control and character
4. undoing: abolishing
5. at odds: in disagreement; quarreling
6. iron: cruel; merciless
7. bonds: chains; fetters
8. invective: a violent verbal attack; strong criticism, insults, curses, etc.
9. run: to continue in effect or force
10. stays: restrains
11. tap: draw upon or make use of
12. bear: take on; sustain
B.
1. fatal描述条件、环境或事件已引起或注定不可避免地会引起死亡或悲惨的结果，如：a fatal illness（致命的病症）。 deadly指武器、药品等的杀伤力，还可以指想要或企图致使他人死亡的人，如：a deadly weapon（致命的武器）。mortal表 示“致命的”，通常用于描述已经发生的死亡的上下文中，如：He was struck down by a mortal blow upon the head.（他头部 上致命的一击使他倒了下去）。lethal指那些所含物质必然导致死亡，但有特殊用途的东西，如：Cyanide is a lethal poison. （氰化物是一种致命的毒药）。以上除lethal外，所有词都可以用于形容带来巨大恐惧或不适，以及导致灾祸或者毁灭的事 物，但不指生理死亡：a fatal mistake（一个致命的错误）；a deadly insult（正中要害的侮辱）；in mortal terror（在死一般 的恐怖中）。
2. faithful所表示的“忠诚”是指由于对个人荣誉、友谊或爱情等的珍惜，如：a faithful wife（忠实的妻子）。loyal也含有对感 情的忠贞，可以与faithful互换，但loyal更强调政治上的绝对效忠或对某项事业的忠诚，如：be loyal to a cause（忠于事 业）。constant指对爱情或事业上的用心专一，强调独立性和不变性，如a constant lover（用情专一的情人）。staunch强调 的是不动摇的依附或忠诚，通常是为了维护某种原则或信念，如：a staunch supporter of the monarchy（君主制的坚定拥护 者）。resolute多指在小事上或为私人目的而表现出的坚定的决心，如：He was resolute in carrying out his plan.（他执行计划 是坚决的。）
C.
1. But we shall not always expect … to remember that, in the past, those who foolishly sought power by calling in （depending on） strong, greedy countries ended up by losing their independence to these countries.
2. We will not allow any enemy country to subvert this peaceful revolution which will bring hope of progress to all our countries.
3. And let every other power know that this hemisphere will not tolerate any interference in their affairs by countries outside this hemisphere.
4. We renew our pledge: to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective, to strengthen its power so that it can protect the newly independent and weak nations.
5. And if a little bit of cooperation can lessen the deep suspicion that exists on both sides.
6. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will inspire not only the United States and her people but also the whole world.
V. See the translation of the text.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech I Have a Dream is one of the greatest speeches in American history and one of the most famous speeches around the world. The speaker employs a variety of rhetorical devices to give force and rhythm to his speech. The following are some examples:
1.Parallel sentence structures: “I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day...”; “Let freedom ring...”“With this faith...”.
2. Repetition of key words: “together”.
3. Metaphors : “whose governor’s lips are presently dripping with the words”; “every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight;” “the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood;” etc.
4. Biblical style: “the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together”; “when all of God’s children will be able to sing”; “Let freedom ring from...”.