1、英国文学选读Poems: Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1, lines 55-86) 生存或毁灭, 这是个必答之问题 是否应默默的忍受坎苛命运之无情打击, 还是应与深如大海之无涯苦难奋然为敌, 并将其克服。死即睡眠, 它不过如此!倘若一眠能了结心灵之苦楚与肉体之百患, 那么, 此结局是可盼的! 死去, 睡去. 但在睡眠中可能有梦, 啊, 这就是个阻碍: 当我们摆脱了此垂死之皮囊, 在死之长眠中会有何梦来临? 它令我们踌躇, 使我们心甘情愿的承受长年之灾, 否则谁肯容忍人间之百般折磨, 如暴君之政、骄者之傲 失恋之痛、法章之慢 贪官之侮、或庸民之辱假如他能简单的一刃了之? 还有谁会
2、肯去做牛做马, 终生疲於操劳 默默的忍受其苦其难, 而不远走高飞, 飘於渺茫之境 倘若他不是因恐惧身後之事而使他犹豫不前? 此境乃无人知晓之邦, 自古无返者进入我们无法知晓的地域 所以,理智能使我们成为懦夫 而顾虑能使我们本来辉煌之心志变得黯然无光, 像个病夫 再之, 这些更能坏大事, 乱大谋, 使它们失 去魄力。 Hamlet P81. Why is sleep so frightening, according to Hamlet, since it can “end” the heartache and the thousand natural shocks”? Nobody can p
3、redict what he will dream of after he falls asleep. Death means the end of life, you may go to or unknown world and you cant comeback. If he dies, Hamlets cant realize his will. Though “sleep” can end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks, it is a state of mind. Hamlet didnt know at all. He
4、is frightened by the possible suffering in the long “dream”. He cant predict what will happen in the sleep, may be good may be evil.2. Why would people rather bear all the sufferings of the world instead of choosing death to get rid of them, according to Hamlet? Death is so mysterious that nobody kn
5、ows what death will bring to us. Maybe bitter sufferings, great pains, heartbreaking stories Because people hold the same idea “to grunt and sweat under a weary life, but that the dread of something after death-the undiscovered country, form whose bourn no traveler returns-puzzle the will, and make
6、us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?” People also are frightened by the myths in another world after death.3. What, after all, makes people lose their determination to take action? Please explain in relation to the so-called hesitation of Hamlet.Conscience and ov
7、er-considerations. He wants to revenge, but doesnt know how. He wants to kill his uncle, but finds it too risky. He lives in despair and wants to commit suicide. However, he knows if he dies, nobody will comfort his fathers ghost. He is in face of great dilemma. They dont know the result after their
8、 taking the action. Such as Hamlet, he doesnt know what would happen if he kills his uncle or kills himself. So Hamlet was hesitated.Sonnet 18 P15我怎么能够把你来比作夏天？你不独比它可爱也比它温婉：狂风把五月宠爱的嫩蕊作践，夏天出赁的期限又未免太短：天上的眼睛有时照得太酷烈，它那炳耀的金颜又常遭掩蔽：被机缘或无常的天道所摧折，没有芳艳不终于雕残或销毁。但是你的长夏永远不会雕落，也不会损失你这皎洁的红芳，或死神夸口你在他影里漂泊，当你在不朽的诗里与时同
9、长。只要一天有人类，或人有眼睛，这诗将长存，并且赐给你生命。1. How does the poet answer the question he puts forth in the first line? The poet opens with a question that is addressed to the beloved, “Shall I compare thee to a summers day?“ This question is comparing “thee” to the summer time of the year. It is during this time w
10、hen the flowers are blooming, trees are full of leaves, the weather is warm, and it is generally considered as an enjoyable time during the year. The following eleven lines in the poem are also dedicated to similar comparisons between the beloved and summer days. 2. What makes the poet think that “t
11、hou” can be more beautiful than summer and immortal?At the very beginning, the poet puts forth a question: “Shall I compare thee to a summers day?” Then he gives an answer: “Thou art lovelier and more temperate.” On the one hand, “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summers lease hath
12、all too short a date;” on the other hand, “Sometime too hot the heaven shines, and often is his gold complexion dimmed.” So from the above two aspects the poet thinks that “thou” can be more beautiful than summer. In addition, “And every fair from fair sometime declines, by chance, or natures changi
13、ng course untrimmed.” Compared with immortal, “But thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou owst, nor shall death brag thou wand rest in his shade, when in eternal lines to times thou growst.” Therefore, the poet draws a conclusion: “So long as men can breathe or eyes
14、 can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.” In this poem, the poet makes “thou” more beautiful than summer and immortal because of his beautiful lines. So in this case, “thou” in the poem can be regarded as female because love can beauty eternal. Or “thou” can be referred to male, fo
15、r friendship can make beauty everlasting. Even “thou” can be abstract “love” or “beauty” which will become eternal in the wonderful poem.莎士比亚诗歌的两个主题：时光不饶人，青春和美丽是短暂的；只有诗歌才有力量使美丽与爱情永存。(theme: 只有文学可与时间抗衡 )Change, Fate, and EternityHowever much it might look hes praising a beloved, this poet is definite
16、ly more concerned with tooting his own horn. Really, you could sum up the poem like this: “Dear Beloved: Youre better than a summers day. But only because I can make you eternal by writing about you. Love, Shakespeare.“ That message is why images and symbols of time, decay, and eternity are all over
17、 this poem. Whether or not we think the beloved is actually made immortal (or just more immortal than the summers day) is up in the air, but its certainly what the speaker wants you to think.Line 4: This is where the speaker starts pointing to how short summer feels. Using personification and metaph
18、or, the speaker suggests that summer has taken out a lease on the weather, which must be returned at the end of the summer. Summer is treated like a home-renter, while the weather is treated like a real-estate property.Lines 7-8: These lines give us the problem (everythings going to fade away) that
19、the poet is going to work against.Lines 9-12: These lines are full of all sorts of figurative language, all pointing to how the speaker is going to save the beloved from the fate of fading away. The beloveds life is described in a metaphor as a “summer,“ and then his or her beauty is described in an
20、other metaphor as a commodity than can be owned or owed. Death is then personified, as the overseer of the shade (a metaphor itself for an afterlife). Finally the “lines to time“ are a metaphor for poetry, which will ultimately save the beloved, and “eternal“ is a parallel with “eternal summer“ in l
21、ine 9.Lines 13-14: Whats so interesting about these lines is that its hard to tell whether the speaker is using figurative language or not. Does he actually mean that the poem is alive, and that it will keep the beloved alive? Well, it depends what we mean by “alive.“ If we read alive scientifically
22、, as in breathing and thinking, well then alive is definitely a metaphor. But if we read it as describing a continued existence of some kind, well then maybe he does mean it literally, since surely the poem and the beloved exist for us in some sense.Sonnet 18 deals with the conventional theme that n
23、atural beauty will surely be knocked out with the passing of time and that only art (poetry) can bring eternity to the one the poet loves and eulogizes.I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud P61我好似一朵孤独的流云，高高地飘游在山谷之上，突然我看见一大片鲜花，是金色的水仙遍地开放，它们开在湖畔，开在树下，它们随风嬉舞，随风波荡。它们密集如银河的星星，像群星在闪烁一片晶莹，它们沿着海湾向前伸展，通往远方仿佛无穷无尽；一眼看去
24、就有千朵万朵，万花摇首舞得多么高兴。粼粼湖波也在近旁欢跳，却不如这水仙舞得轻俏；诗人遇见这快乐的旅伴，又怎能不感到欣喜雀跃；我久久凝视却未领悟 这景象所给我的精神至宝。后来多少次我郁郁独卧，感到百无聊赖心灵空漠；这景象便在脑海中闪现，多少次安慰过我的寂寞；我的心又随水仙跳起舞来，我的心又重新充满了欢乐。1. What is the relation between the poet and nature as described in the poem?Theme of Man and the Natural World: Wordsworth is the granddaddy of all
25、 nature poets, and hes in top form in “I wandered lonely as a Cloud.“ In her journal entry about the day in question, Wordsworths sister Dorothy wrote about their surprise at finding so many daffodils in such a strange place, next to a lake and under some trees. “Howd those get there?“ she wondered,
26、 even guessing that maybe the seeds floated across the lake. The event is one of the minor miracles that nature produces all the time, as anyone who has seen the documentary Planet Earth or the Disney movie Earth knows. Wordsworths nature is full of life and vitality. He appreciates its wildness and
27、 unpredictability, but he humanizes the landscape and fits it to his own mind.Theme of Happiness“ I wandered lonely as a Cloud“ is a poem that just makes you feel good about life. It says that even when you are by yourself and lonely and missing your friends, you can use your imagination to fine new
28、 friends in the world around you. As John Milton famously wrote, “The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven.“ The speaker of this poem makes a heaven out of a windy day and a bunch of daffodils. His happiness does not last forever hes not that unrealisti
29、c but the daffodils give him a little boost of joy whenever he needs it, like recharging his batteries.Theme of Spirituality The 19th century Scottish writer Thomas Carlyle coined the phrase “natural supernaturalism,“ which has been used by later critics to describe how the Romantic poets, and espec
30、ially Wordsworth, viewed the natural world as a spiritual realm. The idea is that Heaven comes down to earth and is viewed as part of the world. This poem illustrates the principle of natural supernaturalism. The daffodils are like angels and twinkling stars, and the “bliss“ of heaven occurs in spea
31、kers imagination. He uses Christian ideas and images to make an ode to nature without any reference to God.Theme of Memory and the Past “I wandered lonely as a Cloud“ is almost like a simpler version of “ Tintern Abbey ,“ one of Wordsworths other most famous works. In both poems, the memory of beaut
32、iful things serves as a comfort to the speaker even after the experience of viewing them has ended. He can always draw on his imagination to reproduce the joy of the event and to remember the spiritual wisdom that it provided. In the case of “I wandered lonely as a Cloud,“ we do not realize just how
33、 far in the future the speakers perspective is located until the fourth stanza, when he describes just how often the daffodils have comforted him.2. Do you think nature can have healing effect on mind?I think nature can have healing effect on mind, but the precondition is that the nature should be p
34、eaceful and earthly. Lets imagine a scene. At the very beginning, we felt a little sad. Then, we place ourselves at a peaceful and clean lake. We sit on the comfortable and green grass. There are several wild flowers on the grass. Some little birds are walking near us with chirp. We can breathe the
35、smell of the earth. When we are watching it glistening in the sunshine, there may be a smile on our face again. Nobody will be not touched in this condition unless there is something wrong with his mind. It is just like a picture. Or it is just like a clean bracing and ethereal melody. We can close
36、our eyes to listen to it without any distracting thoughts. It always can comfort our hearts, and we will not feel that desperate. Every time I feel not happy I will listen to a piece of piano music. That makes me good, all my fidgeting will go away from me. Sometimes I will reflect where the problem
37、 is. Peaceful music is just like the nature. Both they can give me a kind of feeling like mother. Do not be scared at all. Sometimes I suppose if the criminal can live in the nature and experience it, they will not do that evil. In another hand, those artists maybe can not create the works. As the a
38、uthor said, a host of golden daffodils beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze. The memory made him excited and brought his lonely heart happiness. If a writer does not watch any beautiful scenery, I believe he or she cant be a good writer. Peaceful nature is a place
39、 people can release themselves and remove the unhappiness. In this circumstance, the writer digs their inspiration.Yes, I think so. Some people may think that our nature has been highly polluted by our human beings. And it wont have any effects on us. The others may think the nature has bad influenc
40、e on our bodies because of the contamination. But I think nature must have a lot of healing effect on mind. As the development of the society, people may meet more and more difficulties, and it may lead to more stress. For example, when a person has worked for a long time, it is hard for him to do m
41、ore. He would like to spend sometime travelling to somewhere. The place is best to be beautiful, clean, comfortable, with clear sky and green grass. People can breathe the fresh air there. When he lies on the grass and watches the sky, he may forget all the stress on work. The only thing he can do i
42、s to enjoy the charming scenery and great nature.Nature also can affect people when they are ill especially serious disease. The patient may feel their life meaningless. At that time, their families will take them to a remote place. They may also let the patient have a pet. During the feeding period
43、, the patient may feel that a life is so difficult to bring up. He will heal the spirit to live. Different people have different ideas. I cant say that nature doesnt have mischief, but in my opinion, its good effects are more.Ode to the West Wind P83 西风颂第一节哦，狂暴的西风，秋之生命的呼吸！你无形，但枯死的落叶被你横扫，有如鬼魅碰到了巫师，纷纷
44、逃避：黄的，黑的，灰的，红得像患肺痨，呵，重染疫疠的一群：西风呵，是你 以车驾把有翼的种子催送到黑暗的冬床上，它们就躺在那里，像是墓中的死穴，冰冷，深藏，低贱，直等到春天，你碧空的姊妹吹起她的喇叭，在沉睡的大地上响遍，唤出嫩芽，像羊群一样，觅食空中）将色和香充满了山峰和平原。不羁的精灵呵，你无处不远行；破坏者兼保护者：听吧，你且聆听！第二节没入你的急流，当高空一片混乱，流云象大地的枯叶一样被撕扯脱离天空和海洋的纠缠的枝干。成为雨和电的使者：它们飘落在你的磅礴之气的蔚蓝的波面，有如狂女的飘扬的头发在闪烁，从天穹的最遥远而模糊的边沿 直抵九霄的中天，到处都在摇曳欲来雷雨的卷发，对濒死的一年 你唱出
45、了葬歌，而这密集的黑夜将成为它广大墓陵的一座圆顶，里面正有你的万钧之力的凝结；那是你的浑然之气，从它会迸涌黑色的雨，冰雹和火焰：哦，你听！第三节是你，你将蓝色的地中海唤醒，而它曾经昏睡了一整个夏天，被澄澈水流的回旋催眠入梦，就在巴亚海湾的一个浮石岛边，它梦见了古老的宫殿和楼阁在水天辉映的波影里抖颤，而且都生满青苔、开满花朵，那芬芳真迷人欲醉！呵，为了给你让一条路，大西洋的汹涌的浪波把自己向两边劈开，而深在渊底那海洋中的花草和泥污的森林虽然枝叶扶疏，却没有精力；听到你的声音，它们已吓得发青：一边颤栗，一边自动萎缩：哦，你听！第四节哎，假如我是一片枯叶被你浮起，假如我是能和你飞跑的云雾，是一个波浪
46、，和你的威力同喘息，假如我分有你的脉搏，仅仅不如你那么自由，哦，无法约束的生命！假如我能像在少年时，凌风而舞便成了你的伴侣，悠游天空（因为呵，那时候，要想追你上云霄，似乎并非梦幻），我就不致像如今这样焦躁地要和你争相祈祷。哦，举起我吧，当我是水波、树叶、浮云！我跌在生活底荆棘上，我流血了！这被岁月的重轭所制服的生命原是和你一样：骄傲、轻捷而不驯。第五节把我当作你的竖琴吧，有如树林：尽管我的叶落了，那有什么关系！你巨大的合奏所振起的音乐将染有树林和我的深邃的秋意：虽忧伤而甜蜜。呵，但愿你给予我狂暴的精神！奋勇者呵，让我们合一！请把我枯死的思想向世界吹落，让它像枯叶一样促成新的生命！哦，请听从这一
47、篇符咒似的诗歌，就把我的话语，像是灰烬和火星从还未熄灭的炉火向人间播散！让预言的喇叭通过我的嘴唇把昏睡的大地唤醒吧！西风啊，如果冬天来了,春天还会远吗?Shelly 雪莱 Ode To The West WindShelley was an idealist and most of his nature poems are about the need for revolution and a desire to break the status quo. Ode to the West Wind is no different. Here Shelley sees the west wind
48、 as a symbol of revolution, of a new world order that would replace the old one. He identifies with the wind in that he knows that just as the west wind spells the arrival of the new year, similarly his poetic ideas will usher in a new world order and change the present world for the better. The poe
49、m has a note of despair when he says: I fall upon the thorns of life, I bleedbut soon enough he gains his composure and towards the end hes filled with hope and optimism which is expressed beautifully in the last two lines:When winter comes, can spring be far behind?Ode to the West Wind Theme of Man and the Natural WorldIn “Ode to the West Wind,“ Nature is grander and more powerful than man can hope to be. The natural world is especially powerful because it contains elements like t
