Unit5LoveisaFallacy.docx

Unit5LoveisaFallacy.docx

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Unit5LoveisaFallacy

Unit5

LoveIsaFallacy

MaxShulman

TeachingTips

Themostimportanttake-homelessonofthisessayisShulman’smock-serioustone.Shulmanpokesfunatthepomposityofhischaracter,DobieGillis,alawschoolfreshman,butwhatShulmanreallygetsatistheconceitednessofself-styled“learned”people.Heshowsthatwhattheythinktheyknowcanbackfire,leavingthemwithnothingbutawkwardness.ThesecondlessonishowShulmanachieveshishumor.Callstudents’attentiontothecontrastbetweenthelanguageusedbyGillisandEspy,forexample,Gillis’spedantictoneandEspy’srelaxedcolloquialisms.Shulmanisalsoanexcellentstoryteller,sospendsometimediscussingwithyourstudentshowShulmanbringshischaractersalive,howhekeepsthepaceofthestoryfastbyusingellipses,inversions,shortsentences,etc.,andhowtheessayendsonahighnotewithclimaxandanti-climax.

Beforetheweekstarts,askyourstudentstothinkaboutwhatthetitlecouldpossiblemean,andwhattheycanpredictabouttheessayjustfromthetitle.Itisalsoagoodideatoaskthemtoattributeafewadjectivestoeachcharacteraftertheirfirstreading（skimming）ofthetext,andthentoaddsupportingevidencefromtheirsecondclosereadingofit.Inaddition,duringthepreviewstage,youcanaskyourstudentstolistthelogicalfallaciesthatGillisandEspydiscussintheirmeetingstogether.Iftimepermits/Timepermitting,studentscanputonaplayinclasstorecreatetheessay,usingtheirpreviewnotesasaguide.Beforetheweekends,leavetimetoaskthestudentstothinkabouttheessayasawholeanddiscussthetake-homelessons.Enjoy!

StructureoftheText

I.   SectionOne:

Theauthormocksathisownessayandintroduceshissubjectmatter.Hecreatessuspensebytellingthereadersthattheessaywilldemonstratethatothersideoflogic.（Paras.1-3）

II.   SectionTwo:

Thebeginningpartofthestoryestablishesthecharactersandsettingandintroducestheconflict.

1.    ThenarratorDobieGillis,acollegefreshman,introduceshimselfandhisroommatePeteyBurch.Burchyearnsforaraccooncoat,whichhappenstobeinfashiononcampus,andiswillingtogiveanythingforit.（Paras.4-40）

2.     GillisfindsaraccooncoatandpersuadesBurchtoletgohisgirlfriendPollyEspyinreturnforthecoat.（Paras.41-59）

III.    SectionThree:

GillisendeavorstoturnEspyintoaworthylawyer’swife.

1.     GillishashisfirstdatewithEspyandtriestoteachherafewlogicalfallacies.Espyseemstohavealogic-proofhead.Gillisdebatesifheshouldgiveupbutdecidestogiveitonemoretry.（Paras.60-98）

2.     Intheseconddateandthefollowingweek,GillisplungesaheadwithhislogiclessonswithEspy,whofinallyunderstandsthefallacies.（Paras.99-124）

IV.     SectionFour:

GillisasksPollyEspytobehisgirlfriend,butisrefusedonthebasisoflogic.WhathehastaughtEspybackfiresonhim.（Paras.125-154）

DetailedAnalysisoftheText

1.CharlesLamb,asmerryandenterprisingafellowasyouwillmeetinamonthofSundays,unfetteredtheinformalessaywithhismemorableOldChinaandDream’sChildren.（Para.1）

monthofSundays:

（colloquial）alongtime,quiteawhile

Paraphrase:

CharlesLambisthesortofcheerful,lively,original,andimaginativepersononerarelyencounters.Hewrote“OldChina”and“Dream’sChildren,”whichsetfreetheinformalessay.（Thatis,meantthattherewasnowmuchmorelatitudeinthewayonecouldwritesuchanessay.Lamb’sexamplefreedtheinformalessayfromconventionsthathadpreviouslyapplied.）

Translation:

像查尔斯·兰姆这样快乐和富有创新精神的人物并不常见，他写了《古瓷》和《梦中的孩子》两篇文章，这两篇文章可以说解放了散文。

2.TherefollowsaninformalessaythatventuresevenbeyondLamb’sfrontier.（Para.1）

Metaphor,comparingthenewstandardssetbyLambtoafrontier.

Paraphrase:

ThisinformalessayisevenfreerinformthantheonesLambwrote.

3.Indeed,“informal”maynotbequitetherightwordtodescribethisessay;“limp”or“flaccid”orpossibly“spongy”areperhapsmoreappropriate.（Para.1）

1）limp:

drooping;lackingfirmness

2）flaccid:

soft,flabby;hanginginloosefolds

3）spongy:

likeasponge;softandporous

4）Theauthorisbeinghumorouswithhisself-mockingtone.Hisessayisanythingbut“limp”,“flaccid”and“spongy.”

4.Vaguethoughitscategory,itiswithoutdoubtanessay.（Para.2）

1）Theauthorusesinversionforemphasis.

2）Paraphrase:

Althoughitisdifficulttosaywhichcategoryitbelongsto,itisundoubtedlyanessay.

5.CouldCarlyledomore?

CouldRuskin?

（Para.2）

Theserhetoricalquestionsareusedforemphasis.

6.Read,then,thefollowingessaywhichundertakestodemonstratethatlogic,farfrombeingadry,pedanticdiscipline,isaliving,breathingthing,fullofbeauty,passion,andtrauma.（Para.3）

1）Thesentencecontainsametaphor,whichcompareslogictoalivinghumanbeing.

2）Translation:

那么，就读读下面这篇文章吧，它将向我们展示逻辑并不是一门枯燥乏味、迂腐不堪的学科；恰恰相反，逻辑是一个活生生的事物，充满美丽、激情和心灵的创伤。

3）farfrom:

notatall

4）discipline:

abranchofknowledgeorlearning

5）trauma:

aterminpsychiatrymeaningapainfulemotionalexperienceorshock,oftenproducingalastingpsychiceffect

7.CoolwasIandlogical.（Para.4）

1）Inversionisusedtoemphasize“cool.”

2）Howdoesthenarratordescribehimself?

Whatdoesthatshow?

Howdoestheauthorbringoutthenarrator’spomposity?

Whatmakesthesatirehumorous?

Thewriterissatirizingasmug,conceitedlawschoolfreshman.Thenarratorheapsuponhimselfallthebeautifulwordsofpraisehecanthinkof—cool,logical,keen,calculating,perspicacious,acute,astute,powerful,preciseandpenetrating.Thisexaggeratedself-praiseandtheprofuseuseofsimilesandmetaphorshelptomakethesatirehumorous.

8.Keen,calculating,perspicacious,acuteandastute—Iwasallofthese.（Para.4）

1）Notetheuseofthedash,whichemphasizestheadjectivesbeforeit.

2）Alloftheseadjectives—keen,calculating,perspicacious,acuteandastute—refertounusualmentalagilityorperceptiveness.Keensuggestsboththeseattributes,addingtothemavigorousandforcefulabilitytograpplewithcomplexorobscureproblems,e.g.akeenmindfordistinctions.Sometimesbyanalogywithgoodvision,thewordmaysuggestanabilitytoobservedetailsandseethemaspartofalargerpattern,e.g.akeenunderstandingoftheproblemsfacingtheconservationmovement.

Acutesuggestsafinelyhonedsensitivityorreceptivitytonuancesthatmightescapeothers;itmightalsoimplyahigh-keyedstateofnervousattentionthatisnotsustainableforlong,e.g.anacuteawarenessoftheslightestambiguityineachstatementmadebyhisopponent;anacutealertness,heightenedbythestrangesilenceintheenemytrenches.

Astutesuggestsathoroughandprofoundunderstanding,stemmingfromascholarlyorexperiencedmindthatisinfullcommandofagivenfield,e.g.anastuteassessmentofthestrengthsandweaknessoftheplansforreorganizingthedepartment;anastuteevaluationofthegapsinourknowledgeofhowlifeevolved.

Perspicaciousisthemostformalofthesewords;itstressesintensityofperception,withoutbeingveryrichinotherconnotations,e.g.aperspicaciousremarkthatilluminatedthewholeproblemforallofthem.

Calculatingmeansshrewdorcunning.

9.Mybrainwasaspowerfulasadynamo,aspreciseasachemist’sscale,aspenetratingasascalpel.（Para.4）

1）Thenarratorusessimilestocomparehisbraintothreedifferentthings.Itisanobvioushyperbole.

2）Translation:

我的头脑像发电机一样强大，像药剂师的天平一样精确，像手术刀一样锐利。

3）dynamo:

anearlierformforgenerator,amachinethatconvertsmechanicalenergyintoelectricalenergy

4）chemist’sscales:

Theyaremorepreciseandaccuratethanordinaryscales.

5）penetrating:

sharp（asofknife）;keenoracute（asofmind）

10.And—thinkofit—Iwasonlyeighteen.（Para.4）

1）Thedashesintroduceanemphasis.

2）Thinkofit:

anexclamatoryphrasetointensifywhatfollows.Somesimilarphrasesare“Onlythink!

”“Justthink!

”“Canyoubelieveit!

”

11.Itisnotoftenthatonesoyounghassuchagiantintellect.（Para.5）

giantintellect:

greatmindorintelligence.“Giant”isusedforexaggeration.

12.Sameage,samebackground,butdumbasanox.（Para.5）

1）Ellipsis.HeandIarethesameageandhavethesamebackgroundbutheisasdumbasanox.

2）Theuseofellipticalsentences,togetherwithshortsentencesanddasheshelpmaintainthespeedofthenarration.

3）dumb:

（Americancolloquialism）stupid;unintelligent

4）dumbasanox:

simile,asstupidasanox;verystupid.NotetheChineseequivalentis“笨驴”.

5）WhydoesthenarratorconsiderPeteyBurchdumbasanox?

ThenarratorconsidersPeteyBurchdumbbecausePeteyisemotionalandimpressionable.Moreover,Peteyisafaddistandissweptupineverynewcrazethatcomesalong.

13.Aniceenoughyoungfellow,youunderstand,butnothingupstairs.（Para.5）

1）Ellipsis.Heisaniceenoughyoungfellow,youunderstand,butthereisnothingupstairs.

2）nothingupstairs:

（Americanslang）empty-headed;anitwit.ABritishslangequivalentmightbe“unfurnishedintheupperstorey.”

14.Emotionaltype.Unstable.Impressionable.Worstofall,afaddist.（Para.5）

1）Theseareellipticalsentences.Thesubjectandtheverb“heis”areleftout.

2）faddist:

apersonwhofollowsapassingfashionorcraze

15.Fads,Isubmit,aretheverynegationofreason.（Para.5）

1）Paraphrase:

Ibelievethatfollowingpassingcrazesshowsacompletelackofsoundjudgment.

2）submit:

toofferasanopinion;suggest,propose.

3）verynegation:

thecomplete（absolute）lackoroppositeofsomepositivecharacteristicorquality

4）reason:

soundthoughtorjudgment;goodsense

5）