Unit One
The Temptation of a Respectable Woman
I. Pre-reading activities
It is a story about what happens between Mrs. Baroda and the guest to their home. Then
I’ll tell you briefly why Gouvernail came to visit Mr. Baroda, what Mrs. Baroda thought of
Gouvernail at first and then why she decided to leave the plantation.
Initially Mrs. Baroda found her husband’s friend’s silence both puzzling and boring. Her
husband, Gaston, had informed her that his friend, Gouvernail, would be staying at the
plantation for a few weeks and that he had a great wit. But she found his solemn silence
lacking in any interest. The truth was, however, that he was a run-down, exhausted man merely
seeking a short rest from overwork. Once he opened up and revealed his true personality, Mrs.
Baroda was surprised and shocked by the temptation and desire he created in her, a respectable
married woman. She felt it best to depart from the plantation as soon as possible.
II. Text Structure Analysis
Writing in chronological order is common in narrative, where events are presented
according to time sequence. This kind of writing is much used in telling stories, in brief
biographical and autobiographical sketches. This reading passage is made up of several
episodes arranged according to time sequence even though the author employs many different
writing techniques, esp. cause-and-effect in developing the episodes.
1. The first part of the passage is Para. 1, which is the general situation of the story and
also the starting
point of the story. Mrs. Baroda was a little annoyed that her husband’s friend, Gouvernail, was
to spend a week or two on their plantation.
2. The second part consists of 9 paras, from Para 2 to Para 10, telling us what happened
and Mrs. Baroda’s impressions of her guest─Gouvernail. The descriptions are presented in
chronological order. Para 2 deals with Mrs. Baroda’s impression of her guest─she was feeling
puzzled, not being able to penetrate her silent guest. Para 3 to 10 are about a conversation
between Mr. and Mrs. Baroda concerning their guest ─Bouvernail. Mrs. Baroda was troubled
to find Gouvernail a terrible nuisance ─not a man of wit, but a dull man difficult to understand.
Time Markers: after a few days, then, one day, in the morning, until,etc.
3. The third part is made up of 9 paragraphs, from Paragraph 11 to Paragraph 19,
concentrating on what happened “that night”. The author uses a succession of verbs and
adverbs to describe what happened that night in chronological order. In this part, the author
also describes some sort of emotional change in Mrs. Baroda but all this came along with a
succession of actions.
Time markers: that night, the next morning, then, when, etc.
4. The fourth part is Paragraph 20 only. Paragraph 20 is about what happened the day after
“that night”. The next morning, Mrs. Baroda took an early train without even saying farewell.
She did not return until Gouvernail was gone.
Time markers: the next morning, not return until
5. The fifth part is Paragraph 21. Paragraph 21 describes what happened during the time
after “that night”. During the summer that followed, Mr. Baroda greatly desired that his friend
should come to visit them again but this was vigorously opposed by Mrs. Baroda.
Time marker: during the summer that followed
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6. The sixth part consists of Paragraph 22 to Paragraph 24, which is the continuing part of
the story, still, according to time sequence. Before the year ended, Mrs. Baroda proposed to
have Gouvernail visit them again as she had overcome everything.
Time marker: before the year ended
因果关系法（Cause and effect）；时间顺序法（Time Sequence）
因果关系法一般用于解释产生某种结果的原因或分析某些原因带来的结果。如：第
二段，作者讲述了个性沉默的 Gouvernail 令 Mrs. Baroda 颇为不解的三个原因：第一，在
一起待了几天，她仍感到他很陌生；第二，她只得大部分时间让丈夫陪着客人，但她发
现自己不在场几乎并未引起 Gouvernail 的注意；第三，而后她执意要陪他散步到磨坊去，
试图打破他这种并非有意的沉默，但仍不奏效。 这三个原因使 Mrs. Baroda 对 Gouvernail
由不理解进而产生厌恶之感。
作者还使用了时间顺序法，这是记叙文中经常采用的一种手法。文中出现了许多“时
间标志词”（Time Markers）如：after a few days, then, one day, in the morning, during the
summer that followed, before the year ended 等。
III. Language Points
Words & phrases
tempt: try to persuade someone to do sth. Which may be unwise or immoral
He was tempted to cheat in the exam.
Tempt sb to do sth /into doing sth/
tempt sb with with sth
temptation:
the temptation of a big city
He resisted the temptation to smoke a cigarette.
Most people can’t resist the temptation of clever ads.
Yield/give way to temptation 经不住诱惑 fall into temptation 受诱惑
Tempter 引诱者
tempting 诱人的
idle a.
without any particular purpose
There are few idle people in their department.
unwilling to work or be involved in any activity; lazy; wasting time
A man, like a sword, rusts in idleness.
Useless
It’s idle to expect help from him.
Vi 无所事事
I asked him to stop idling about and do something useful. (东游西荡)
penetrate into/thru/to
1. move into or through
the cold seemed to penetrate his bones.
The sun penetrated thru the thick clouds and started to shine.
The knife penetrated his stomach.
2. understand or discover sth that is difficult to understand or is hidden.
Don’t bother to penetrate girls’ minds as they are always changing.
别费心机去洞察女孩们的心思，因为她们很善变。
penetration 渗透 领悟力 洞察力
penetrating 渗透的，有洞察力的
wit n the ability to use words in a clever and humorous way
His speech is full of wit and humour.
He hadn’t the wit to say no. 他笨得连说一声拒绝的话都不会。
Debates sharpen your wits. 辩论能增长你的才智。
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Oscar Wilde was a famous with. 有名的才子
At one’s wit’s end 智穷计尽 keep your wits about you 随机应变
sheer
1. very thin, delicate and weighing very little
i.e. lady’s sheer stockings
2. nothing except; complete
It was sheer luck.
He won by sheer determination./ He won by sheer chance.
3. 陡峭的
The cliff was quite sheer.
Vi 突然改变路线
When he saw me coming, he sheered off in the opposite direction.
observation
1. make observation on /upon
He made an observation on my plan of study. 作出评论
The book is full of interesting observation make on the nature of life.
满是对生活本质的有趣评述。
2．观察（记录）
She was admitted to hospital for observation. 住进医院接受观察
3． 观察力
Slager is a man of keen observation. 敏锐的观察力
Keep…under (close) observation 对…（密切）监视
melt
1. slowly go away or disappear
The tension in the room began to melt.
缓和
2．(cause to) turn from sth. Solid into sth. Soft or liquid
He only has to look at her, and she melts. 他只需看着她，她的心便软了。
The noon sun will melt away the fog.
melt away 消失
keen
There is keen competition for the position. 竞争激烈
Eagles have keen eyesight.
Many parents are keen to send their children to the best schools. 热衷于
The knife has a keen edge.
刀刃锋利
be keen on doing sth
keep a keen eye on
be keen to do sth
propose fml.
1. offer or state (possible plan or action) for other people to consider
He proposed that the book be banned.
It is proposed that…
He proposed changing the name of the company.
2. intend to do
How do you propose to explain your long absence.
3. recommend
He proposed his new neighbor for club membership.
4. 求婚
He proposed to Miss Brown.
overcome
1. defeat or succeed in controlling or dealing with 设法克服
She managed to overcome her fear of the dark.
2．make helpless or weak by smoke, fumes, or feelings 使不堪， 使软弱
We were overcome by the heat.
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Overcome with emotion 激动得不能自已
deserve have earned by one’s actions or character; be worthy of
deserve sth/ to do sth.
deserve a mention
She deserved to win.
You have been working all the morning—you deserve a rest.
tender
1. gentle and loving
She was tenderer toward her child than her husband.
2. (of meat or vegetable) easy to bite thru
Would you like to try the tender beef I cooked?
3. painful; sore; sensitive to the touch
The swollen side of my jaw is still tender. 一碰就痛
count upon/on
1．Depend on
Don’t count on others for help. 指望
2. expect
I didn’t count on John arriving so early. 料想
Count against 被认为对…不利 count down 到计时 count in 把…算在内
count out
逐一数出；不把…算在内 count up 达到（总数），总计
make a fuss about 对…大惊小怪 make a fuss of/over 对…关怀备至
There is nothing to make a fuss about.
Don’t make so much fuss over the children.
照顾得太过分
run down
He is run down from working too hard. 筋疲力尽
She is always running down her friends. 说…坏话，贬低
The company is running down its staff. 减少，缩减
A man was run down by a speeding car when he crossed the street. 撞倒
The detective ran down some leads in the murder case. 查找出，搜索到
object to oppose
I object to the plan.
object to (doing) sth.
yield to
She yield to his request.
We shall never yield to force.
Long sentences:
1. She left her husband and his guest, for the most part, alone together, only to find that
Gouvernail hardly noticed her absence.
Leave
alone 不打扰，不干预
He is busy; we’d better leave him alone.
Only to find..
不定式作结状。加 only 修饰，表示结果往往出乎意料之外。
Yesterday I went to see him, only to learn that he had gone abroad two days before.
2. “No. I should like him better if he did —if he were more like others, and I had to plan
somewhat for his comfort and enjoyment.”
本句是 if 条件句，表示对现在情况的虚拟。
If there were no gravitation, we gravitation, we and everything else would fly off the earth
into space.
Somewhat ad.
a little
The situation has improved somewhat.
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3. “…Her you are,” he went on, “taking poor Gouvernail seriously and making a fuss about
him, the last thing he would desire or expect.”
Take sb./ sth. seriously 认真对待
You can’t take her promises seriously; she never keeps her word.
The last thing 最不愿意干的事
A teacher is the last thing he will be.
4. She wanted to reach out her hand in the darkness and touch him—which she might have
done if she had not been a respectable woman.
Reach out 伸出手（臂、足等），:如：
He wanted to become a writer, but his father didn’t think it was a respectable profession.
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