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1、Unit Two The Fine Art of Putting Things OffLord ChesterfieldlLord Chesterfield(1694 - 1773), English statesman, orator and author. His literary reputation rest upon his letters to his illegitimate son, Philip Stanhope, who was born in Holland in 1732. The letters, filled with wit and worldly wisdom,
2、 were published under the title Letters to His Son (1774)Dr. JohnsonlJohnson Samuel (1709 1784), English poet, critic, and man of letters, the literary dictator of England in the latter half of the eighteenth century and one of the most famous personalities of his time. He is best known for his Dict
3、ionary of the English Language (1755), which is in some respects an innovation in lexicography. He had the strongest influence of any of his contemporaries on the literary thought and style of the latter part of the eighteenth century.Quintus Fabius Maximus CunctatorlQuintus Fabius Maximus Cunctator
4、(d.203 B.C.), Roman general whose cautious delaying tactics during the early stages of the Second Punic War(218-201 B.C.) gave Rome time to recover its strength and take the offensive against the invading Carthaginian army of Hannibal(247-163 B.C.) ,who swore eternal enmity to Rome. Fabianism, a wor
5、d derived from Fabius, has come to mean a gradual or cautious policy.lA Roman politician and soldierl (c. 275 BC-203 BC). His nickname Cunctator means “delayer“ in Latin, and refers to his tactics in deploying the troops during the Second Punic War. lFabius was well-aware of the military superiority
6、 of the Carthaginians, and when Hannibal invaded Italy he refused to meet him in a pitched battle. Instead he kept his troops close to Hannibal, hoping to exhaust him in a long war of attrition. Fabius was able to harass the Carthaginians, limiting Hannibals ability to wreak destruction while conser
7、ving his own military force. lThe Romans were unimpressed with this defensive strategy and at first gave Fabius his nickname as an insult. 费边主义l19世纪后期，流行于英国的一种主张采取渐进措 施对资本主义实行点滴改良的资产阶级社会主义思 潮。它是英国费边社（Fabian Society）的思 想体系和机会主义路线。1884年一部分知识分子 创立了费边社，该社成员认为社会改革应循序渐进 ，故以公元前3世纪古罗马一位因主张等待时机、 避免决战的战略而著名的将
8、军费边的名字命名社名 。其学说故称为“费边社会主义（Fabian Socialism）”简称“费边主义（Fabianism）” 。MoseslMoses (flourished ca. 14th century to 13th century B.C.) ,Hebrew prophet and lawgiver, and founder of the Hebrew nation. According to the biblical account, Moses had the experience of seeing God, who commanded him to lead the Heb
9、rews out of Egypt to Canaan. Moses was to give this message to Pharaoh, ruler of ancient Egypt. But because Moses was a stammerer, his brother Aaron was to be his spokesman.FaustlAccording to legend, Faust was a wandering scholar in Germany. He was known for his magic deeds. After Fausts death, peop
10、le began to tell more and more of his magic deeds.Faustian encounters“Faustian encounters” refer to Fausts encounters with the devil Mephistopheles. Naturally they are undesirable. Similarly, most people are unwilling to visit barbers, doctors, and dentists, so the author says like “Faustian encount
11、ers”. Jean Collins Kerrl19232003, American comic author and playwright. Kerr had a knack for finding wry humor in the worlds of marriage, suburbia, and show business. lHer novel Please Dont Eat the Daisies (1957) was made into a movie and a television series. Her other books include The Snake Had Al
12、l the Lines (1960) and How I Got to Be Perfect (1978). Among her plays are Mary, Mary (1961), Poor Richard (1964), Finishing Touches (1973), and Lunch Hour (1980).GoethelGoethe(1749-1832) , the great German poet, dramatist, and novelist, turned the legend into a dramatic poem. In Goethes Faust, the
13、hero had many encounters with Mephistopheles, the devil.Present Richard NixonlPresent Richard Nixon (1969-1972) , more specifically, the burglarizing of the Democratic Party national headquarters in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington, D.C. , in 1972. the antecedents of Watergate were step
14、s taken by Nixon from 1967 to 1971 allegedly in the cause of national security.lIntelligence operatives were hired by the White House. The Federal Bureau of Investigation began to tap the telephones of officials and newsmen in order to discover who was leaking secret information to the press. The te
15、rm Watergate has come to denote not merely the original break-in but more or less related allegations of misconduct, including the purchase of governmental favours with campaign contributions, the use of government agencies to harass political opponents, and an extralegal intelligence unit set up in
16、 the White House.WatergatelWatergate (1972)lPolitical scandallPresident Richard NixonlThe burglarising of the Democratic Party national headquarters in the Watergate apartment complex in Washington,D.C.lThe first resignation of a U.S. president ldesignation of a major United States political scandal that began with the burglary and wiretapping 窃听 of the Democratic Partys campaign headquarters, l
