1、Message of the Land Pira Sudham,Message of the Land Pira Sudham,About the Author: background / works /comments / map About the Text figures of speech / word study / understanding In-class Discussion After-class Activities,About the Author,Pira Sudham spent his childhood in the rice fields on the Kor
2、at Plateau, helping his parents and tending a herd of buffaloes until he went to Bangkok at the age of fourteen to be a servant to monks in a Buddhist temple where he was also admitted to a school. To support himself through high school and the first year at the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn Univer
3、sity, he sold souvenirs to tourists until he won a New Zealand government scholarship to study English literature at Auckland University and later at Victoria University, Wellington.,About the Author,His writings began to appear in literary publications in New Zealand, Hong Kong and the United State
4、s before his first book, Siamese Drama (entitled Tales of Thailand in the latest editions) was published in 1983, followed by People of Esarn in 1987.He has lived for over ten years in Australia and the United Kingdom, where he wrote Monsoon Country (1988), and its sequel, The Force of Karma (2002).
5、,About the Author,Pira Sudhams literary works are concerned with social-economic-political changes occurring in Thailand. Widely read and highly acclaimed, his books have given a voice to the poor and the voiceless. Considered Thailands leading English language writer, he was nominated（提名） for the 1
6、990 Nobel prize for literature.,About the Author,Monsoon Country It depicts the problems of social transition in present day Thailand and gives insights into Thai life in the rural northeast. It is set in Thailand, England and Germany to convey the cultural tension between the East and the West, the
7、 clashes between the new powers and the old values, covering the span of 25 years of the socio-economic and political changes occurring in Thailand.,About the Author,The Force of Karma This sequel to Monsoon Country covers the tumultuous（骚乱的） years of the economic crisis, the political upheavals and
8、 the massacre of May 1992, right up to the beginning of the year 2002.,About the Author,People of Esarn Pira Sudham conveys the inner voices of his subjects regardless of how illiterate, timid and insignificant they seem in their daily lives. Their simplicity and sensitivity come through his direct
9、and clear prose, yet moving and touching. He writes with understanding and compassion for his people. Foreign writers writing about the Thai people look at Thailand from the outside, but Pira Sudham writes about his people and country as seen from the inside. This is one of the things that makes the
10、m so fascinating.,About the Author,Others Comments: -“Pira Sudham has given a voice to the poor of Thailand.” -“Pira Sudham is undoubtedly one of the foremost Thai writers of today, a formidable vivisector to reveal the hidden aspects of Thai society.”,About the Author,Pira Sudhams Own Words: -“If I
11、 had not left my village then, I would have been subject, like most villagers, to the mercy of nature: floods, drought, disease, ignorance and scarcity. With endurance, I would have accepted them as my own fate, as something I cannot go against in this life.“,About the Author,Pira Sudhams own words:
12、 - “In my mind I carry memories of childhood, of life in villages, much as a pregnant woman carrying a child. Every day these images grow, and I know that one day I shall have to give birth to them through the medium of writing. Besides, I dont want people in our villages, so far removed from other
13、peoples because of distance and poverty, to be born, suffer and to die in vain.“,About the Text Structure,Part 1: (para. 1- 3 ) The wifes speech The wife tells us briefly about each member of her family and how all her children left. (para. 4 - 7 ) This part focuses on the changes that she finds she
14、 cant adjust to. Part 2: The farmers speech (para.8 - 11)The farmer tells us what he thinks are the roots of all evils. He also tells us what joys he finds in life and in farming.,About the Text,Figures of Speech Simile： （明喻）A simile is a brief comparison , usually introduced by the preposition “lik
15、e” or the conjunction “as”, and etc.A simile consists of two parts: tenor and vehicle. The tenor is the primary subject; the vehicle is the thing to which the main subject is compared to.,About the Text Figures of Speech,Examples:,About the Text,Figures of Speech Metaphor:（隐喻，暗喻） A metaphor is also
16、a comparison. The difference is that a simile compares things explicitly- that is , it states literally that X is like Y. A metaphor compares things implicitly. Read literally, it does not state that things are alike; it says that they are the same thing, that they are identical.,About the Text Figu
17、res of Speech,Examples:,About the Text Figures of Speech,Q: Can you find some examples of the usage of simile in the text?1. Sometimes, they get bullied and insulted, and it is like knife piercing my heart. 2. It is no longer fertile, bleeding year after year, and like us getting old and exhausted.
18、3. When each of them has a pair of jeans, they are off like birds on the wing.,About the Text Word Study,marry: vt./vi. They married young. John is going to marry Jane. marry sb off He married his daughter off to a rich man. married: a. be married to sb. He is married to a famous writer. married to
19、sth.: dedicated to sth He is whole-heartedly married to his work. marriage: n.,About the Text Word Study,afford to: can / could be able + afford sth to do sth They walked because they couldnt afford (to take) taxi. I mustnt annoy my boss because I cant afford to lose my job. now and then: now and ag
20、ain; occasionally here and there: everywhere ups and downs: alternate good and bad luck the ins and outs: the details and complexities (of sth) 详情；细节,About the Text Word Study,in spite (n. ) of: (used as a prep.) not being prevented by; regardless of; despite They went out in spite of the rain. rega
21、rdless of: (used as a prep.) (infml) paying no attention to She carried on regardless of the danger. despite (prep.): without being affected by They had a wonderful holiday, despite the bad weather.,About the Text Word Study,mind ones own : mind ones own business: not interfere in other peoples affa
22、ir mind ones own ps and qs: be careful and polite about what one says or does bleed: v. (bled; bled) loose or emit blood bleed to death bleed for sth: suffer wounds or die (for a cause ,ones country) bleed for revolution bleed sb for sth: (infml) extort (money) from sb 勒索；敲诈 The blackmailer bled him
23、 for every penny he had.,About the Text Word Study,barter: v./ n. exchange (goods, property, etc) for other goods, etc without using money barter sth for sth: barter wheat for machinery barter with sb for sth: The prisoners tried to barter with the guards for their freedom.,About the Text Word Study
24、,replace: v. -put back in its place replace the book on the shelf -take the place of Can anything replace a mothers love? -provide a substitute for sb / sth replace a broken window with a new one litter: n. light rubbish(eg. bits of paper, wrappings, bottles) Please do not leave litter. v. make unti
25、dy with scattered rubbish Newspapers littered the floor.,About the Text Word Study,spring: v. jump from the ground in a single movement spring out of bed A cat sprang out of the bushes. spring to life: suddenly become active On hearing his name called, the sleeping dog sprang to life. come / spring
26、to mind: present itself to ones thoughts Nothing immediately springs to mind. spring from sth: have sth as a source or origin Hatred often springs from fear. spring up: appear, develop, grow, etc. quickly or suddenly New houses were springing up all over the town.,About the Text Word Study,fashion:
27、n. in / after the fashion of sb: (fml) like sb She paints in the fashion of Picasso. come into / be in fashion: become or be popular go / be out of fashion: become outdated fashionable: a. old-fashioned: a. hairdresser: n. beautician: n. barber: n.,About the Text Word Study,occur: v. come into being
28、 as an event or a process; happen Dont let it occur again. occur to sb: come into (a persons mind) An idea has occurred to me. It never occurred to her that he might be cheating her. occurrence: n. event; incident, happening incident: n. unimportant or minor things happened event: n. a happening of
29、importance,About the Text Word Study,a bag of bones: a very thin person or animal The cat was just a bag of bones. bag and baggage: with all ones belongings, often suddenly or secretly Her tenant left, bag and baggage, without paying the rent. be in the bag: (of an result, outcome) be as desired Her
30、 re-election is in the bag. pack ones bags: (prepare to) leave He was told to pack his bags,About the Text Word Study,rag: n. torn, odd cloth I use a rag to clean my bike. rags: (pl.) old, worn or torn clothes He gave five dollars to a tramp dressed in rags. tie sb down to sth: restrict sb to certai
31、n conditions Children do tie you down, dont they? tie sb up: -bind sb with rope, etc so that he cannot move or escape - (use passive) occupy sb so that he has no time for other things Im tied up in a meeting until 3 p.m,About the Text Word Study,pass sth on to sb: hand or give sth to sb else, esp af
32、ter receiving or using it oneself I passed her message on to her mother. Pass the book on to me when youve finished with it. pass sth down: (esp passive) pass sth from one generation to the next We gained much knowledge which has been passed down over centuries. pass sth up: (infml) refuse to accept
33、 a chance, an opportunity, etc. Imagine passing up an offer like that!,About the Text Sentence Paraphrase,My husband moved into our house as is the way with us in Esarn. (When we got married) my husband came to live in our house. It was the tradition here in Esarn that the bridegroom should come to
34、live with the brides family. and tell us that they are doing well. I know this is not always true. although they always tell us that everything is fine with them. I know they also have difficulties and problems. They just do not tell us because they dont want us to worry.,About the Text Sentence Par
35、aphrase,News about my childrens problems doesnt make my husband as sad. He doesnt bother about what is happening around us and to our children. He never says anything about them.Its easier for my husband . He has ears which dont hear, a mouth which doesnt speak, and eyes that dont see.,About the Tex
36、t Sentence Paraphrase,All of them remain my children in spite of their long absence.Although they are often away for a long time, I love and care about them as always because they are my children.In my day, if I were to put on a pair of trousers like they do now, lightning would strike me.When I was
37、 young, I surely would be punished by God if I ever wore the kind of trousers they wear today.,About the Text Sentence Paraphrase,My eyes do see- they see more than they should. My ears do hear-they hear more than is good for me.Im not what my wife says I am. I do see and hear- I see and hear too mu
38、ch evil, too many ugly and terrible things, things that I wish I did not have to see and hear. And this is not good for me. Still the land could not tie them down or call them back.My children grew up and had happy days on this land. But this couldnt prevent them from leaving or making them return.,
39、In-class Discussion,What is the style of writing adopted in the text? What is the wifes philosophy of life? What is the husbands philosophy of life? What is the message of the land?,Questions:,In-class Discussion,Topics for discussion: List some facts that attract the young man away from countryside
40、 to cities. What are the typical characters of young people? What about the old ones? What is the message in the old couples mind? What do you think of the message?,In-class Discussion, Do you find similar happening here in China today? Give examples. Is there the so-called generation gap between the old couple and their children? Why or why not?,After-class Activities,Read the following poem about a mans growth. Do you share the same feeling with the poet?,
