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1、E. B. White,Lesson Six Death of a Pig,Advanced English,About the author,Advanced English,I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority,Advanced English,E.B. White, th
2、e author of twenty books of prose and poetry, was awarded the 1970 Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for his childrens books, Stuart Little and Charlottes Web. This award is now given every three years “to an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have, over a period of years, m
3、ake a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children.“ The year 1970 also marked the publication of Mr. Whites third book for children, The Trumpet of the Swan, honored by The International Board on Books for Young People as an outstanding example of literature with international im
4、portance. In 1973, it received the Sequoyah Award (Oklahoma) and the William Allen White Award (Kansas), voted by the school children of those states as their “favorite book“ of the year. Born in Mount Vernon, New York, Mr. White attended public schools there. He was graduated from Cornell Universit
5、y in 1921, worked in New York for a year, then traveled about. After five or six years of trying many sorts of jobs, he joined the staff of The New Yorker magazine, then in its infancy. The connection proved a happy one and resulted in a steady output of satirical sketches, poems, essays, and editor
6、ials. His essays have also appeared in Harpers Magazine, and his books include One Mans Meat, The Second Tree from the Corner, Letters of E.B. White, The Essays of E.B. White and Poems and Sketches of E.B. White. In 1938 Mr. White moved to the country. On his farm in Maine he kept animals, and some
7、of these creatures got into his stories and books. Mr. White said he found writing difficult and bad for ones disposition, but he kept at it. He began Stuart Little in the hope of amusing a six-year-old niece of his, but before he finished it, she had grown up. For his total contribution to American
8、 letters, Mr. White was awarded the 1971 National Medal for Literature. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy named Mr. White as one of thirty-one Americans to receive the Presidential Medal for Freedom. Mr. White also received the National Institute of Arts and Letters Gold Medal for Essays and Critic
9、ism, and in 1973 the members of the Institute elected him to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, a society of fifty members. He also received honorary degrees from seven colleges and universities. Mr. White died on October 1, 1985.,Advanced English,About the text,This famous 1947 essay was ins
10、pired by the authors own experience the death of a young pig. E. B. White recorded the last few days he spent with his pig. In looking after the sick pig, his role was changed, from the butcher in winter to “the pigs friend and physician”, and with the change of the role came the change of feelings.
11、 The pain and suffering of the pig made him think of the fate of man and the insecure, suffering world. In this story White is not only portraying a tragic scene; he is conveying an important message: Life is impermanent and earthly affairs are capricious and unpredictable;( 人生无常，世事难料。) time may be
12、circular for the seasons, the weather, and the human nature, but for humans, or animals in this case, time is one-directional.,Advanced English,Analysis of the structure of the text,The text is made up of three parts: Part I: paragraph 1, the beginning part, providing the background information of t
13、he story. Part II: paragraphs 240, the middle part, describing how the story starts, develops and declines. Part III: paragraph 41, the ending part, conveying the theme of the story, the authors message, and his epiphany.,Advanced English,Detailed Study of the Text,Advanced English,Part I,1. The fir
14、st sentence introduces the setting of the story : in mid-September and in a rural environment. a. I feel compelled to record what had happened during this period of time. b. It might have been me who had died and the pig might have survived; if that had happened, there would be nobody left to tell t
15、he story, since the pig cannot write.,2. The fact that I cannot remember exactly when the pig died shows that my physical health is deteriorating or declining.,Advanced English,3. 九月中旬，我和一头生病的猪共同度过了好几个昼夜，我感到有必要记录下这段时间所发生的事情，由于那头猪最后死了而我却依然活着，这感觉就更加强烈了。事情也许很容易是另外一种结局，那样的话就没有谁来记录这段往事了。即使现在，往事近在咫尺，我也无法清
16、晰地回忆期间的细节，说不清死神究竟是在第三个夜晚还是第四个夜晚降临的。这种糊涂让我感到了自己身体的衰退；如果我身体健康的话，我是会记得陪那头猪熬过多少个夜晚的。,Advanced English,4. Notice the solemn and formal tone of the author. The death of a pig normally does not require such serious attention and treatment. By using long and involved sentences and formal words, the author conveys a sense of pseudo-solemnity which creates humor. The whole story is written in a humorous tone.,Advanced English,Part II,Advanced English,paragraph 2: 1. The raising of a pig is li
