1、英美文学考前串讲（2）Part One: English LiteratureChapter I An Introduction to Old and Medieval English Literature from which lingring penanceOf such misery doth she cut me off” 1.Identify the title of the works and author.2.Explain “from whichcut me off”.3.What happened to him, which caused the words?参考答案:The
2、 lines are from “The Merchant of Venice”, William Shakespeare. (P48)2) This sentence means she, Lady Fortune(命运女神), is more kind to him because she is taking away both his wealth and life.3) The speaker is Antonio, its said that his ship have all been lost, and he is penniless, and will have to pay
3、the pound of flesh. (Because Shylock has made a strange bond that requires Antonio to pay him a pound of flesh if he cant repay him the money that he borrowed for his friend in due time.) (P38)2.“Read not to contract and confuse, not to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, b
4、ut to weigh and consider”1)Identify the work and author.2)What idea does the passage express?参考答案：1) The sentence comes from “Of Studies” written by Francis Bacon. (P61)2) The Sentence talks about the proper way to read: When you read, dont be puzzled by the content of the book; dont take it for gra
5、nted; dont quote too much from the book; before accepting its idea, youd better think about its shortcomings and consider it from all sides.3.“ Nor lose possession of that fair thou owst;Nor shall death brag thou wanderst in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou growst:So long as men can brea
6、the, or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.1) Where does the poem comes from? Who wrote it?What does “eternal lines” mean?Interpret it briefly.参考答案：1) The poem is “ Shall I Compare thee to a Summers Day”, by Shakespeare. (P38)2) Eternal lines means the lines of the poem and
7、 other sonnets. (P38) 3) It means: you will not lose your beauty, and death will not threaten you with darkness, either. As long as man can live in the world, they will see your beauty in my lines of my poem, which has given you eternal life. (Or A nice summers day is usually transient, but the beau
8、ty in poetry can last for ever. (P37)4.“ All is no lost: the unconquerable will,And study of revenge, immortal hate,And courage never to submit or yield:And what is else not to be overcome?Irreconcilable to our grand Foe”1) Please identify the poem and the poet.2) Interpret“all is not lost”.3) What
9、does the whole passage mean?参考答案：1) It is taken from John Miltons “Paradise Lost”.(P74)2) “all is not lost” is the word from Satan-Satan and other angels rebel against God, but they are driven from Heaven into hell. In the fire of the hell, Satan is determined to fight back, just like what he says:
10、not all is lost, the unconquerable will, the deep hatred, and the courage to fight till death still remain. (P71)3) This passage shows Satans will not to submit (服从), and the desire to long for freedom; to beg God for mercy and worship his power is more shameful and disgraceful than the downfall.(P7
11、1)5.“If he be not apt to beat over matters, let him study the lawyers cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.”Questions: 3)What does “beat over matters” mean?4)What does “receipt refer to?5)From which essay does the above sentences come, what is the essay mainly about?参考答案：1)I
12、t means: make through examinations of things. (P63)2)“Receipt” refers to cure, prescription. (P63)3)The sentences are from “Of Studies” (Francis Bacon). It is the most popular of bacons essays. It analyzes what studies chiefly serve for, the different ways adopted by different people to pursue studi
13、es, and how studies exert influence over human character. (P6061) 6.“What, is great Mephistophilis to passionate For being deprived of the joys of heaven? Learn thou of Faustus manly fortitudeAnd scorn those joys thou never shalt possess.Say he will spare him Four and twenty yearsLetting him live in
14、 all voluptuousnessHaving thee ever to attend on meQuestions:1)Identify the passage and author;2)“Say he surrenders up to him his soul”, who will surrender his soul? What for?3)Who are thee? What will he do?参考答案：1) The passage comes from “Dr.Faustus” written by Christopher Marlowe. (P2526)2) Dr.Faus
15、tus will surrender his soul to devil. Because he was a great scholar who has a strong desire to get knowledge in vain, finally he made a bond to sell his soul to Devil in return for 24 years of life in which he may get anything he desires. (P22)3) The “thee”, refers to “Mephistophilis”, the Devils s
16、ervant. He helped Dr.Faustus to do anything he wants. (P22) 7.“Busy old fool, unruly sun,Why does thou thus,Through windows and through curtains call on us?”Questions: 6)Identify the work and author.7)What idea does the passage express?参考答案:1)The passage comes from “The Sun Rising”, written by John
17、Donne. (P66) 2) The speaker questions the suns authority and speaks condescendingly, placing the sun in the status of a subordinate. In the lovers kingdom, the sun has no right to dictate the time of day or the passing of seasons. His presence in their bedchamber is an intrusion on their privacy. II
18、I. Questions and answers:1.How do you know about Renaissance? Give a summery about English literature in the period?(No more than 150 words)参考答案:1.The Renaissance refers to the period between 14th-mid-17th century. It first started in Italy.2.The Renaissance means rebirth or revival-the discovery of
19、 ancient Roman and Greek culture.3.In essence, The Renaissance is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers and scholars tried to get rid of the old feudalist ideas in medieval Europe, to introduce new ideas that expressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie/middle class, and t
20、o recover the purity of the early church from the corruption of Roman Catholic church.4.Humanism is the essence of Renaissance -Man is the measure of all things. The humanism exalted/praised human nature and emphasized the dignity of human beings and the present life. They thought man had the right
21、to enjoy the beauty of life and had the ability to perfect himself and made wonders, which got ready for the appearance of the great Elizabethan writers in Britain. Poetry and drama were the most outstanding literary forms.5.Shakespeare, Marlowe and Francis Bacon etc. were the remarkable representat
22、ives of the English Renaissance.(可参考课本 P7-12)2. Please give a brief analysis of Hamlets “To be or not to be” soliloquy (独白).参考答案:“To be or not to be” is a philosophical exploration of life and death. The soliloquy condemned the hypocrisy and treachery and general corruption of the world, and reveale
23、d the character of Hamlet-so speculative, questioning, contemplative and melancholy./gloomy. It was not because he was not able to take action to revenge, but because of his hesitative/hesitant character, when the chance for action came, it seemed defeat. It can be interpreted as: Hamlet bears the h
24、eavy burden of the duty to revenge his fathers death, he is forced to live in the suspense of facts and fiction, language and action. He considers that it would be better to commit suicide, but being scared of what might happen to him in the afterlife. So he put off the thing because of the sin. He
25、considers the plan carefully only to find reason for not carrying it out. The soliloquy conveys the sense of world-weariness (厌世) . (P33-34)3. What common features do the characters share in Marlows works? (No more than 150 words) 参考答案:The creation of The Renaissance hero is one of Marlows contribut
26、ions. 1)Such a hero is always individualistic and full of ambition, facing bravely the challenge from god and men. They had human dignity and capacity, trying to get heaven/highest ideas on the earth by their own efforts.2)For example: Tamburlaine is a character written by Marlowe. By depicting a gr
27、eat hero with high ambition and sheer brutal forc4e in conquering, Marlowe voiced the supreme desire of man for infinite/ limitless power and authority. In Dr.Faustus, Marlowe celebrated the human passion for knowledge, power and happiness.3) Tamburlaine and Dr.Faustus are typical in owning such Ren
28、aissance spirit, Tamburlaine, being a cruel conquer, found happiness in conquering other kingdom. Only death could defeat him. While Dr.Faustus, a more introspective and philosophical figure, had high spirit for knowledge but he had sin for having despair in God and trust in Devil. (P2022)4. What ar
29、e the main themes of Shakespeares plays?参考答案：Shakespeares plays are divided into 3 types: comedies, tragedies and historical plays.1) His historical plays are with the theme-national unity under a might and just sovereign/ruler is necessary.2)In his romantic comedies, he takes an optimistic attitude
30、 toward love friendship and youth.3)In his tragedies, Shakespeare always portrays some noble heroes, who faces the injustice of life and is caught in a difficult situation and whose fate is closely connected with the fate of his nation. Each hero has his weakness of nature. We also see the conflict
31、between the individual and the evil force in the society. And his major characters are always individuals representing certain types.5. Please comment on the character of Satan in “Paradise Lost.”参考答案：Satan is a rebellious (叛逆的) figure against God in literature, defeated, he and his rebel angels wer
32、e cast into hell. However, Satan refused to accept his failure, swearing that “all was not lost” and that he would revenge for his downfall. The freedom of the will is the keystone of Satans character, which was the important spirit of the rising middle class. While he tempted Adam and Eve, which pr
33、oved his evilness. 6. What are the characteristics of the Humanism?参考答案：1)Humanism is the essence of Renaissance.2)Humanists see that human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development in the direction of perfection, and that the world they inhabited was theirs not to despise (轻视) but to question, explore, and enjoy.3)They also believe that man did not only have the right to enjoy the beauty of this life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders (创造奇迹). (P8)
