George Benard Shaw (1856-1950)
Benard Shaw in China
Major Works
• Arms and the Man (1894)
• Mrs Warren’s Profession (1898)
• Man and Superman (1903)
• Major Barbara (1905)
• Pygmalion (1913)
A Painting of Pygmalion (Greek)
Pygmalion in Greek Myth
Pygmalion, King of Cyprus,
was a famous sculptor. He
made an ivory image of a
woman so lovely that he fell in
love with it. Every day he tried
to make Galatea up in gold
and purple, for that was the
name he had given to this
mistress of his heart. He
embraced and kissed it, but it
remained a statue.
Pygmalion in Greek Myth
In despair, he went to
Aphrodite’s shrine for
help. Offering rich
sacrifice and sending
up a passionate
prayer, he begged the
goddess to give him a
wife as graceful as
Galatea.
Pygmalion in Greek Myth
Back home, he went straight
up to the statue. Even as he
gazed at it, a change came
over it. A faint color appeared
on its cheeks, a gleam shone
from its eyes and its lips
opened into a sweet smile.
Pygmalion stood speechless
when Galatea began to move
towards him. She was simple
and sweet and alive! Soon the
room was ringing with her
silver voice. The work of his
own hands became his wife.
Cover Designs of Pygmalion
Pygmalion
Film Version: My Fair Lady
Mr. Higgins,
• He works as a phonetician.
• He helps the transformation of Eliza.
Metamorphosis
• Eliza, the flower girl, by
learning standard English
accents.
• From the bottom of the
society tot he garden of
ambassadors, she
achieved herself by
changing the way she was
treated.
The Importance of Accent
• Once you speak, a lot of
secrets were revealed.
• identity
• social status
• birth
• family background
Shaw’s Pygmalion and the Greek Version
• similarities:

the transformation of the female by male

the rebirth of the female
• difference


happy marriage in Greek version
rebellion in Shaw’s writing
Significance of the Rewriting
• Shaw has further developed the story of
Pygmalion by presenting the rebellion of
female character Eliza, which resists the
obedience of women to men in the ancient
story.
• Eliza as a woman is not merely a doll but a
human being with flesh and blood.
The King’s Speech
• Lionel Logue , an Australian speech therapist in
London
Zhao Yuanren
）
赵元任是语言天才，他会说
33种中国方言，到全国大
部分地方，都可以用方言跟
当地人交谈。他又精通英、
德、法、日、俄、希腊、拉
丁等外语，甚至精通这些语
言下面的方言，比如他在巴
黎讲巴黎的土语，到了柏林
又有了柏林的口音。他因此
得了个“赵八哥”的绰号。
赵元任《施氏食狮史》
• “石室诗士施氏，嗜狮，誓食十狮。
氏时时适市视狮，十时，适十狮适市
。是时，适施氏适市。氏视是十狮，
恃矢势，使是十狮逝世。氏拾是十狮
尸，适石室，石室湿，氏使侍拭石室
。石室拭，氏始试食是十狮尸。食时
，始识是十狮尸，实十石狮尸。试释
是事。”
• 住在石头做的屋子里的姓施的诗人，喜欢狮子，
发誓要吃十头狮子。姓施的常常到市集里看狮子
。十点钟，刚好十头狮子来到市集。这时，刚好
姓施的（也）来到市集。姓（施）的看这十头狮
子，仗着箭的力量，使这十头狮子死了。姓（施
）的收拾这十头狮子，到石头做的屋子。石头做
的屋子潮湿，姓（施）的命令侍者擦拭石头做的
屋子。石头做的屋子擦（好了），姓（施）的开
始尝试吃这十头狮子。吃的时候，才知道这十头
狮子，实际上是十座石头做的狮子的尸体。试解
释这件事。
Pygmalion (Act III)