Integrated English -3
Unit Four
Why I Want a Wife
Pre-text discussion
Select one topic from the two


A wife’s role in the family
Women’s status in China
Present orally to the class next Monday
(G?)
Text I Why I Want a Wife
About the author: Judy Syfers (1937-)
A feminist (男女平等主义者，女权主义者),
political and environmental activist
Her classical satirical essay … was widely
circulated in the women’s movement.
What do you know about feminism and
women’s movement in the late 20th ?
Feminism criticized the idea that women
could only find fulfillment through
childbearing and homemaking.
Women’s movement (1848; 1963): or
Women’s Liberation, largely based in the
United States, is a series of campaigns
on issues such as reproductive rights
(including abortion), domestic violence,
maternity leave, equal pay, sexual
harassment, etc. It seeks equal rights and
opportunities for women in their economic
activities, their personal lives and their
politics.
Text structure
What type of writing is the text?
Argumentative writing.
How many parts can the text be divided
into?
Discuss with your partner what are the
three parts of this essay. Refer to Page 45.
3 parts
Introducing the topic/proposition– wives
are taken for granted

Para. 1-2
Supporting the argument with evidence

Para. 3-9
Conclusion

Para. 10
Text-based questions
What do readers usually expect from the
title of the essay?
/How does the title impress you?
What is the definition of a wife in the
dictionary?
Why does the author as a wife want a
wife?
Whose voice does the author assume in
the essay?
What message is implied in the text?
Define “wife”
Wife: the woman that a man is married to
(Longman)
“Wives are young men's mistresses;
companions for middle age; and old
men's nurses.” – Francis Bacon (15611626)
男人年轻时的情人，中年时的伴侣，老年
时的护士。
Why does the author as a wife want a
wife?
Whose voice does the author assume in
the essay?
What message is implied in the text?
(thesis statement)
Introduction: Para. 1-2
Have you ever considered what a wife’s
duties should be?
For example, what role does your mother
as wife play in the family?
A wife shoulders various responsibilities.
What incident makes the author think
about the topic of wanting a wife?
Her recent encounter with a friend of hers
who has just had a divorce and who is
looking for another wife.
Para. 1-2 -Voc
incident, incidental, incidentally
-- In a way that was not planned, but as a result of sth
else附带地; 不经意地; 偶然地; 顺便提一句
 I must go now. Incidentally, if you want that book,
I’ll bring it next time.
 And, incidentally, it is a chronic complaint of wives
that their husbands do not notice new dresses, new
hats, and changes in household arrangements.

而且，顺便说一句，妻子们经常抱怨，他们的丈夫不
注意新衣服、新帽子和家庭摆设的变化。
Cf. accident, accidentally (happening without being
planned or intended)
ex-wife
-- former wife
 an ex-minister; an ex-policeman
appear on the scene到场, 登场




The leading player is ill. Let his understudy to
appear on the scene.
主角演员病了, 让他的替角出场。
Reporters were soon on the scene after the
accident.
那事故发生后不久记者就都赶到了现场。
(It) occurs to sb.: come into (a person's
mind) 想到; 想起


An idea has occurred to me. 我有主意了.
It never occurred to her to ask anyone. 她从
未想到问问他人.
Para. 1-2 Introduction
Para.1: The author identifies herself.
Para. 2: What’s her tone of voice?


bitter satire (辛辣的讽刺 )
on those men desiring for a wife who fits in with their
ideal notions by pretending that she would like to
have a wife with all possible virtues
fit in with 适合; 与...一致



His ideas did not quite fit in with our aims.
他的想法和我们的目标不完全一致。
His good mood fit in with the joyful occasion.
他良好的心绪与那欢快的场合很和谐
Para. 3-9
How does the author support her
argument?
What duties and responsibilities are
assumed for a wife?
How is a wife’s status in a family?
Para. 3- Q
1. What are the ideal notions most men
are likely to have for a wife?
2. How would a wife help her husband who
wants to go back to school and achieve
economic independence?
3. How would a wife take care of the
author’ children?
4. What household chores would a wife
take care of?
Para. 3 -Voc
If need be
-- If necessary如果需要的话
 We will come to your help if need be.
 If need be, we can take a second car to fit
everyone in.
keep track of
-- To have accurate and up-to-date information
about sth all the time 记录，留意
How do you manage to keep track of the
latest economic development?
了解最新经济发展动态
It’s difficult to keep track of all the new
discoveries in genetics.
要全面掌握遗传学的新发明是困难的。
make sure
-- To take action so that sth will certainly
happen设法确保, 确定
(In the object clause following make sure,
the verb usually appears in the present
tense but refers to the future time.)
Make sure the house is locked before you
leave.
Before you start to fill in the form, make
sure you fully understand the instructions.
Para. 3 – Sentence 1
I want a wife who is a good nurturing
attendant to my children, who arranges…

Sentence structure
 Core: I want a wife; 2 attributive clauses
 Parallelism: arrange, make, take (to emphasize that
a wife has many duties)


Paraphrase: I want a wife who takes good care
of my children physically and emotionally, who
is responsible for their education and makes
sure that they keep a healthy and good
relationship with other children.
Translate the sentence.
Para. 3 – Sentence 2
Needless to say, my wife will arrange and
pay for the care of the children…

Sentence structure
 Needless to say: 1) parenthesis; 2) (It is) needless
to say (that) …

Paraphrase: There is no need to say that it is
my wife who works to pay for the care of my
children.
Translate the last two sentences in
Paragraph 3.
Para. 3 -Q
1. What are the ideal notions most men
are likely to have for a wife?
2. How would a wife help her husband who
wants to go back to school and achieve
economic independence?
3. How would a wife take care of the
author’ children?
4. What household chores would a wife
take care of?
Para. 3 -Q1
1. What are the ideal notions most men are likely
to have for a wife?
A wife should shoulder a lot of duties and
responsibilities.
Various functions or services, e.g. family chores







a breadwinner
a driver/chauffeur
a full-time working mother
a maid/housekeeper
a good nurturing attendant
a nurse
…
Para. 3 -Q2
2. How would a wife help her husband who
wants to go back to school and achieve
economic independence?
 She should work to support him, take
care of him and his children, and pay for
the care of the children while she is
working.
Para. 3 -Q3
3. How would a wife take care of the author’
children?
Feed the children, keep them clean, wash
their clothes, take them to the parks, zoos,
or take them to see the doctor when
necessary (a full-time mother).
A wife would be the one to make sure
that the children grow up healthily and
happily.
Para. 3 -Q4
4. What household chores would a wife take
care of?
A wife would do the washing, cleaning,
shopping as well as attending to the
children.
Para. 4-5 –Q
What duties and responsibilities does a
wife have for her “husband”?
Para. 4 -sentence
I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean,
ironed, mended, and replaced when need be, and
who will see to it that …the minute I need it.

Sentence structure
 2 attributive clauses: who will…, and who
will…so that…

Paraphrase: I want a wife who can wash my
clothes, iron them neat, repair them and buy new
clothes if necessary, and who will make sure that
my personal things lie in good order, therefore, I
can get them easily whenever I need them.
see (to it) that
-- 注意，务必做到，保证
 See (to it) that you are not late again.
the minute 引导时间状语从句，相当于as soon as.其他如
the moment, the second, the instant…

You see the lightning the instant it happens, but you hear the
thunder later.
sympathize with同情; 怜悯; 体谅, 谅解

(feel) sympathy for/towards sb

You have my deepest sympathies on the death of your wife. 对于

令夫人之去世, 谨向您表示最深切的慰问.
have no, some, etc sympathy with sb/sth be unable/able to
share sb‘s views, etc 不同意[同意]某人的观点等
change of scene 改变环境


Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of
scene.
改变自己往往比改变环境更为需要。
Para. 5 -Voc
rambling
-- (of a speech writing) disordered and
wandering散漫的，杂乱无章的，不着边际的
 I’ve just had this rambling, incoherent letter
from my sister.
 His actions were accompanied by a rambling
monologue.
ramble v. to move about aimlessly, or for
pleasure 漫步，闲逛
n. cf. wander, stroll, walk
Para. 4-5 -Q&A
What duties and responsibilities does a
wife have for her “husband”?







A
A
A
A
A
A
A
cleaner /servant
housekeeper
secretary
good cook
baby-sitter
comforter/psychiatrist/psychotherapist
typist …
Para. 6 -Q
How would a wife deal with the
husband’s/writer’s social life?
Para. 6 -Voc
entertain, entertainment





They often entertained their friends at
weekends.
We were all entertained by his humorous
stories.
他的幽默故事使我们大家都很开心。
He entertained himself with his violin.
他用小提琴自娱。
replenish: to fill up again



More vaccines are needed to replenish our
stocks.
补充储备/供应/库存
You’d better replenish the fire.
给炉火再添些燃料
Para. 6 -sentence
I want a wife who takes care of the
needs…, who makes sure that…, that…,
that…, that…, that…



Analyze the sentence structure.
Core: I want a wife
2 attributive clauses; 5 that- object clauses
following makes sure
(parallelism: emphasis on the author’s bitter
voice, the self-centeredness of the husband)
Para. 6 –Q&A
How would a wife deal with the
husband’s/writer’s social life?




A wife’s social duties are all directed towards
the success of the husband’s social life.
A wife would have everything organized
whenever there are social activities.
She will entertain the guests with meals, but
would never interrupt them with their talks.
(a waitress/maid)
She would not complain if the writer spends a
night out.
Para. 7 -Q
What does the author say about the
sexual expectations and behavior of the
self-centered husband?
Para. 7 -Voc
sensitive to
-- strongly or easily influenced or changed
by

She is sensitive to the change of weather.

A writer mustn't be too sensitive to criticism.

作家不可对批评意见反应过激.


A sensitive nerve in a tooth can cause great
pain.
牙神经易受损伤, 可产生巨痛. (易受伤害的）
clutter up
--to make untidy or confused, esp. by filling
with useless or unwanted things 使散乱，
把…弄得不整齐



This room is so impressive that it would be a
shame to clutter it up.
Don’t clutter up your mind with useless detail.
别尽想些无关紧要的细节。
entail
-- to make (an event or action) necessary;
to involve使必需; 使承担



Repairing the roof will entail spending a lot of
money.
These plans entail great expense on us.
(entail sth on sb)
这些计划需要花费我们很多的费用。
adhere to

adhere to one‘s opinions, a promise, a political party,
the rules
坚持自己的意见﹑ 坚守诺言﹑ 忠於一政党、依照规则
adherence to
-- acting in accordance with sth; following (sth)
坚持，依附；严守



He gave his adherence to the newly-founded
political party.
他拥护那个新建的政党。
The villagers’ adherence to their religious beliefs
impressed all the visitors.
monogamy
-- the custom or practice of having only one
wife or husband at one time一夫一妻制

mono-: one, single

Other examples
 monologue: 独白，自言自语
 monolingual:仅用一种语言的
 monograph: detailed scholarly study of one subject
专题研究
 monopoly 专卖，独占
 monotonous 单调乏味的


poly-: many polygamy 一夫多妻
bigamy /ˋbɪɡəmɪ/ 重婚，重婚罪
Para. 7 –Sentence 1
I want a wife who is sensitive to my
sexual needs, a wife who …




I want a wife who will sense and satisfy my
sexual needs, and make love with me when I
want to.
feel like后接动名词、代词或名词，意为“想
要做某事”。
We’ll go for a walk if you feel like it.
I feel like staying in bed all day.
Para. 7 –Sentence 2
I want a wife who will remain sexually
faithful to me so that I …

I want a wife who will be faithful to me in sex
so that I can concentrate on my intellectual
life without being affected by jealousies. I
also want a wife who understands that I need
at times to have some affairs so as to have
my sexual needs fully satisfied.
Para. 7 –Q&A
What about the sexual expectations and
behavior of the self-centered husband?



The self-centered husbands demand the
wives to follow their will.
They want the joy but are unwilling to
shoulder any responsibilities for birth control.
The wife has to be a passionate lover when
needed, and meanwhile understand and
accept that her husband’s sexual desire may
demand more than herself to satisfy.
(inequality, women at a disadvantage)
Para. 8-9 -Q
The writer states a wife’s status in a
family.
1. What would one do if one finds a more
suitable wife?
2. What would happen to the wife when
one like the writer completes his studies?
3. What does the writer say, both explicitly
and implicitly, about divorce?
Para. 8-9 -Voc
replace…with将（某物）放回原处, 代替，取代
to change one for another, often better, newer,
etc.


We’ve replaced those typewriters with computers.
He replaced the worn tyre with a new one.
Cf. displace 使离开原位，取代, 替代, 置换
=taking the place of (as if) by pushing out, and
when used of people, it usu gives a feeling of
sadness, anger, or lack of justice

I don’t want to be displaced in your heart by that
young fool.
When I am through with school and …

When I finish/ graduate from…
Para. 8-9 – Q&A
1. What would one do if one finds a more
suitable wife?
 Key word: divorce; remarry
 One would divorce the present wife and
marry a new wife, leaving the ex-wife
solely responsible for the care of the
children.
2. What would happen to the wife when
one like the writer completes his studies?
 The wife would then become a full-time
housewife/mother.
3. What does the writer say, both explicitly
and implicitly, about divorce?
 It is implied that a man or only a man is
at liberty to file for a divorce so as to
replace the old wife with a new one.
A man comes out of a divorce free and
fresh while a woman has to take the pain
and responsibility to take care of their
children solely.
Para. 3-9 -summary
1. How does the author account for family
duties and household chores in a
specific way? Illustrate with examples.
2. Why is “wife” consistently used
throughout the text instead of the
pronoun “she” or “her”?
3. What is the tone of the writer?
Q1: How does the author account for
family duties and household chores in a
specific way?


Household chores are broken into 3 parts
according to the husband’s needs – looking
after his children, meeting his physical needs,
and taking care of his social life.
First, the wife is supposed to be the nurturing
mother of his children.
E.g. she has to take leave to nurse the sick
child though she cannot lose her job.



Second, the wife must meet the husband’s
physical needs such as washing, cleaning,
cooking, and she has to be on his bedside
when he is sick.
Third, she must never overlook her duty for
her husband’s social life – i.e., she has to
play a perfect hostess for his friends if they
are invited to her home.
All these chores are for the benefit of the
husband.
Q2: Why “wife” instead of “she” or “her”?

It helps to emphasize a wife’s role, duties and
responsibilities by deemphasizing her sex.
Q3: What tone?
 Key word: ironical; satirical




irony [U] expression of one‘s meaning by saying the
direct opposite of one’s thoughts in order to be
emphatic, amusing, sarcastic, etc 反语; 反话
satire [U] attacking foolish or wicked behaviour by
making fun of it, often by using sarcasm and parody
讽刺; 讥讽: a work of bitter satire 充满尖刻讽刺的作
品
Sarcasm is speech or writing which actually means
the opposite of what it seems to say. Sarcasm is
usually intended to mock or insult someone.
挖苦，讽刺
parody :speech, writing or music that imitates the
style of an author, composer, etc in an amusing and
often exaggerated way; comic imitation 诙谐模仿的言
语﹑ 文字或音乐（作品）:
Para. 10 -conclusion
My God, who wouldn’t want a wife?


A wife can do so many things and anyone in
the world would like to want a wife.
A crisp, one-sentence rhetorical question
used for stress
Para. 10 –Q
1. What does the writer actually tell us
when she concludes the essay by saying
“My God, who wouldn’t want a wife?”
2. The writer asks two questions in this
essay. Find out these two questions.
What is the value of each of the
questions?
3. Does the writer state the thesis
statement explicitly? What is it?
Q1: What does the writer tell us?
(Open for discussion)
2 questions in the essay
Para. 2: “Why do I want a wife?”
Para. 10: “My God, who wouldn’t want a
wife?”
The first question leads to the main body
of the essay – a wife’s duties and
responsibilities.
The last rhetorical question satirically
concludes the essay.
The thesis statement
No. The thesis is implied in the essay.
It is: A wife shoulders various
responsibilities but is unfairly treated.
Rhetorical features of the text
Repetition


“I want a wife who…”
Find more examples.
Parallelism
Alliteration
Text Comprehension
I. Decide whose voice Syfers assumes in
this essay.
B. Throughout the passage, Syfers
assumes the voice of a self-centered man
who makes endless demands on his wife
from every aspect of his life: his
occupation, his children, his home, his
friends, and himself. This is a demanding
and dominant voice which represents all
the male voices at that time.
II. T or F
1. T. The first sentence of the third
paragraph “I would like to go back to
school so that I can become economically
independent ...” indicates that the author
was financially dependent on her husband,
which was a common practice at that time.
2. T. Syfers depicts an ideal wife and mother
who takes care of every aspect of the
husband’s life from physical, intellectual, to
social and sexual aspects. Above all, she has to
take care of the physical side of his life: She has
to keep the house clean, cook the meal, take
care of him when he is sick, and meet his sexual
needs when needed. She should also attend to
his other needs like intellectual or emotional
needs, but meeting a husband’s physical needs
is the first and foremost duty of a wife.
3. T. Though the wife has to be a
passionate lover when needed, she has to
understand and accept that her
husband’s sexual desire may demand
more than herself to satisfy because as an
intellectual he has to “relate to people as
fully as possible.” This is a double moral
standard for men and women which
places women at a disadvantage.
4. F. Syfers’s tone is satirical and bitter in the
disguise of light-hearted humor. Her satire and
bitterness are revealed in many details which show
the absurdity of men’s demands on their wives and
the unfairness of the social conventions for women.
The title itself is an example of satire: The author is
a woman, yet she claims that she herself wants a
wife, which sounds absurd but reasonable in view of
all the things a wife does for her husband. In the
eighth paragraph, she mocks an irresponsible
husband who wants to divorce his wife and evade
his paternal responsibilities, which is unfair and
outrageous. The author does not use heavily-loaded
words to express her anger, but you can feel
between the lines her complaint about and outrage
against the inequality between men and women.
III.
1. Household chores are broken down into three
parts according to the husband’s needs. They are
looking after his children, meeting his physical
needs, and taking care of his social life. First, the
wife is supposed to be the nurturing mother of his
children – for instance, she has to take leave to
nurse the sick child though she cannot lose her job.
Second, the wife must meet the husband’s physical
needs such as washing, cleaning, cooking, and she
has to be on his bedside when he is sick. Third,
she must never overlook her duty for her
husband’s social life – i.e., she has to play a
perfect hostess for his friends if they are invited to
her home. All these chores are for the benefit of
the husband.
2. According to Syfers, a wife has to take
sole charge of child care while working.
She has to feed the children properly and
keep them clean; she has to arrange for
their schooling and take care of their
social life; she has to keep close track of
their medical care and lose time at work
when needed to take care of the sick child
though she cannot lose her job. In a word,
she has to be a full-time mother to her
children. As for the father, his role and
duty can be overlooked.
3. According to Syfers, a wife’s social duties
are all directed towards the success of the
husband’s social life. She has to make
arrangements so that the children won’t be
in the way when they have a night out or
have guests home. She has to clean the
house, prepare special meals, and attend to
the needs of every guest so that they will
feel comfortable. Apart from that, she has to
understand and accept the fact that
sometimes her husband needs a night out by
himself. As for the wife’s own social life,
Syfers mentions nothing, which implies the
wife should have no social life of her own at
all.
4. The essay implies that a man or only a
man is at liberty to file for a divorce so as
to replace the old wife with a new one. A
man comes out of a divorce free and
fresh while a woman has to take the pain
and responsibility to take care of their
children solely.
5. Open for discussion.
IV.
1. The wife I would like to have is one
who pays utmost heed, both physical and
emotional, to my children, who takes care
of their education and makes sure that
they keep a healthy and good relationship
with other children.
2. I want a wife who will be faithful to me
in sex so that my intellectual life will not
be adversely affected by jealousies. I also
want a wife who understands that I need
at times to have some affairs outside
wedlock so as to have my sexual needs
fully satisfied.
Vocabulary exercises
I.
Explain the underlined part in each sentence
in your own words.
1. having just experienced
2. have accurate and up-to-date information
about
3. As you would expect
4. a different place or environment to be in
5. do not feel like it
6. finish / graduate from
II.
II. Fill in the blank in each sentence with a
word taken from the box in the proper
form.
1. solely
3. passionately
5. replenish
7. adhere
2.
4.
6.
8.
entail
assumed
rambles
entertain
III.
III. Fill in the blank in each sentence with
an appropriate phrasal verb or collocation
taken from the text.
1. saw to
3. came across
5. sympathize with
2. relates to
4. cluttered up
6. occur to
IV.
1. A. incidentally
B. accidentally
Things happening accidentally occur by
chance, not by plan or intention.
Incidentally, meaning “by the way,” is
used to introduce something additional
that the speaker has just thought of.
2. A. economical
B. economic
Although both the adjectives derive from
the noun economy, economic and
economical are quite distinct in meaning.
While economic is concerned with the
organization of the money, industry, and
trade of a country, region, or society,
economical means using money, time,
goods, etc., carefully and without waste.
3. A. vacation
B. vocation
The two words are frequently confused
due to their similarity in pronunciation and
spelling. Vacation is an Americanism for
holiday. Vocation refers to a job,
especially a job one does because one
has a special fitness or ability to give
service to other people.
4. A. care for
B. care about
You care about somebody or something
as you are worried, concerned or
interested; when you care for somebody
or something, however, you have a taste
or liking for them. Also note that the latter
phrase is usually used in negative or
interrogative sentences.
5. A. sensuous
B. sensitive
C. sensual
D. sensible
Unlike sensitive people, who have delicate
feelings and are quick to enjoy or suffer, sensible
people are not so easily influenced or offended
because they base their actions or decisions on
reasons rather on emotions. The words sensual
and sensuous are often used interchangeably to
mean “gratifying the senses,” especially in a sexual
sense. Strictly speaking, this goes against a
traditional distinction, by which sensuous is a
more neutral term, meaning “relating to the senses
rather than the intellect,” as in “swimming is a
beautiful and sensuous experience,” while sensual
relates to satisfaction of the senses, especially
sexually, as in “a sensual massage.”
6. A. jealous
B. envious
C. jealous
Jealousy is usually considered to be a more
unpleasant feeling than envy. Compare
“Miranda is jealous of Andrew (= feels strong
dislike for him) because she thinks that she
should have got the job” with “You are really
lucky to get such a nice job – I am envious (= I
wish I had a job like that).” Besides, jealous
(not envious) is often used about somebody
who is afraid of letting a person (especially a
husband or wife) be liked or admired by others.
V.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
make understood
tried to get
is formed by
thought seriously about
settle
interrupting
II. -self / -selves
II. Fill in the blanks with proper forms of self / -selves if possible.
1. themselves
3. himself
5. herself
7. /
2.
4.
6.
8.
/,/,/
yourselves
yourself
/
Reflexive pronoun
1. 作动词或介词的宾语：经常在enjoy, teach,
hurt, buy, introduce, seat, dress, express,
amuse, behave等动词和by, for, to, of等介词后
作宾语。



He is teaching herself English.她在自学英语。
She was talking to herself.她自言自语。
He lives by himself in the country.他独自住在乡下。
2. 作主语或宾语的同位语：主要起加强语气的作用，
译作“亲自，本身，本人”。如：


Did you make the cake yourself?这蛋糕是你亲自做
的吗?
The work itself is easy.这工作本身很容易。
3. 作表语：在be, feel, look, seem等系动词
后作表语，表示身体或精神状态处于正常。
如：


I’m not myself today.今天我感觉不舒服。
I am feeling myself again.我觉得健康如昔。
4. 用于一些简短的会话用语或固定说法中。




Help yourself! 请随便吃吧！/请自己去取吧!
Make yourself at home! 别客气！
Don’t upset yourself! 别自寻烦恼！
Make yourself heard /understood. 使你的话被人
听得见/理解。
III. Rewriting
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
an idea of John’s
two colleagues of mine
some friends of ours
a dictionary of Tom’s
a book of Prof. White’s
a neighbor of his
IV.
IV. Put the verbs in the brackets into the
negative.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
need not hurry / doesn’t need to hurry
dare not take
need not have paid
need not have been
dare not cross
dare not take
V. Sentence making
1. He wore warm clothes so that he
wouldn’t be cold in the winter snows.
Speak clearly so that they may
understand you.
2. The little girl traveled from London to
New York by herself.
She changed the flat tyre all by herself.
Translation exercises -I
1. This company is mostly composed of
young people fresh from school.
2. It never occurred to me that he would
ever do such a thing.
3. I’ll try my best to persuade him if need
be.
4. It is difficult to keep track of my fellow
students after graduation.
5. Who is going to see to the desserts after
dinner?
6. Don’t bother your boss with such trifles.




琐碎的小事：trifle [C] n. trifling adj.
This is no trifling matter, ie It is serious. 这可
不是小事.
triviality n (derog 贬) [C] trivial adj.
waste time on trivialities 把时间浪费在琐碎的
小事上
7. My work was to replenish our stock time
and again (repeatedly).
8. He often clutters up his study.
由…组成，构成
1. Comprise, consist of或be composed of, 即
由...形成﹑ 组成或构成（整体由部分构成）:
The British Parliament comprises/consists of/is
composed of the House of Commons and the
House of Lords. 英国国会是由下议院和上议院组成
的.
2. compose或constitute, 形成﹑ 组成或构成（部
分构成整体）:
The House of Commons and the House of Lords
comprise/compose/constitute the British
Parliament. 下议院和上议院组成了英国国会.
*comprise一词的这一用法并不多见, 用词考究的
人避免用be comprised of于上述第1义.
Translation -II.
许多妇女对自己在家里的地位感到不满。她们埋
怨说，作为一个典型妻子的妇女承受着沉重的负担。人
们认为，她应该照料好她的丈夫和孩子。孩子有病的时
候，她即使要付出收入下降的代价也应该守在孩子身边，
因为丈夫永远也不能在工作或学习中有任何的损失。人
们认为，她应该做好所有的家庭琐事。她应该保持房子
整洁，准备好每日的用餐，买好所有的杂货。人们甚至
认为，她应该照料好丈夫社会生活中细枝末节的小事。
当丈夫的朋友应邀来他们家里做客时，她应该准备一顿
有特色的饭菜，并且满足他们的需要，使他们感到惬意，
以示好客。她应该随时准备理解丈夫的需要，毫无怨言
地尽一切可能使丈夫高兴。她的幸福似乎主要源于丈夫
和孩子的幸福。但是，这一切是不对的。我们应该采取
一些行动，为获得两性间的真正平等而努力。
Dictation
To be called beautiful / is thought to name
something essential to women’s character and
concerns, / in contrast to men, / whose essence is to
be strong, or effective, or competent. / It does not
take someone with advanced feminist awareness / to
find that the way women are taught to be involved
with beauty / reinforces dependence and immaturity. /
Everybody (women and men) knows that. / For it is
“everybody,” a whole society, / that has identified
being feminine with caring about how one looks, / and
being masculine with caring about what one is and
does / and only secondarily about how one looks. /
Given these stereotypes, / it is no wonder that beauty
enjoys, at best, a rather mixed reputation.
II. Cloze
1. sharing
3. What
5. many
7. in
9. achievements
11. while
13. ran
15. raised
2. at
4. bulbs
6. doing
8. than
10. alive
12. upper
14. kept
Text II Of Marriage and Single Life
Francis Bacon
Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of
humility. 谦虚的外表最易使人上当。
He conquers twice, who upon victory overcomes himself.
在胜利后能控制自己的人赢得了第二个胜利。
No man is angry that feels not himself hurt.每个愤怒的
人都认为自己受到伤害。
Prosperity is not without many fears and disaster；and
adversity is not without comports and hopes.顺境之中亦
有许多恐惧和艰险,逆境之中亦不乏安慰和希望。
He knows not his own strength than hath not met
adversity.没有遇到过挫折的人不了解自己的力量有多大。
Knowledge makes humble, ignorance makes
proud.
知识使人谦虚，无知使人骄傲。
Natural abilities are like natural plants that need
pruning by study.
天生的才干如同天生的植物一样，需要靠学习来修
剪。
Wisdom is to the mind what health is to the body.
智慧之于头脑，犹如健康之于躯体。
Knowledge is like the spring water underground –
the deeper you dig, the clearer is the water.
知识好像地下的泉水，掘得越深越清澈。
Reading makes a full man, conference a ready
man, and writing an exact man.
阅读使人渊博，会谈使人机敏，写作使人严谨。
Text analysis
He that hath wife and children hath given
hostages to fortune; for they…
He who has wife and children is governed and
controlled by fortune, for his wife and children
are drawbacks to the success of his career,
whether he has a good career or a bad one.
17th century English vs. modern English:



hath=has; maketh=makes, raiseth=raises
He that hath…=He who has…
mischief=harm, as in contrast with virtue
Yet it were great reason that those that
have children should have greatest care
of future times; unto which…
It is very reasonable that those who have
children care about the future times, for
they know they must spend their future
times with their children.
2 that clauses: the first is an appositive
clause; while the second leads an
attributive clause (=who).
Should: subjunctive mood

It is my proposal that he be sent to study
further abroad.
Nay, there are some other, that …but as bills
of charges. Nay more, there are some…,
because…the richer.
What’s more, there are some other people who
consider their wives and children as nothing
more than bills of charges. Moreover, there are
some foolish men who though rich enough, still
want to get more money and who feel happy
because they have no children, since they may
be considered much richer.
Bill of charges:帐单，“负担”
Nay=Moreover, not only so but
But=only
Unmarried men are best friends, best
masters,…; but not always best subjects;
for…of that condition.
Single men are best friends, masters, servants,
but they are not always best citizens, for
without the burden of a family, they are more
likely to run away from some restraints. All the
people who run away have one thing in
common, that is, they are unmarried.
Not always部分否定

A great scholar is not always a very wise man.
for表示所说的理由是一种补充说明，一般不放
在句子的开头。
It is indifferent for judges and
magistrates; for if they be facile and
corrupt, you shall have a servant five
times worse than a wife.
It makes no difference to be married or
single for the judges and magistrates, for
if they don’t work hard and are corrupt to
take briberies, a bad servant beside them
can be worse than a wife.
Indifferent “无关紧要”
If引导的从句中动词be虚拟式。
For soldiers, I find the generals
commonly…; and I think the despising
of...
For soldiers, I find that the generals
always remind them of their wives and
children at home and urge them to fight
for them. I believe the uncultivated
Turkish soldiers are made more inferior
just because they look down upon
marriage and regard marriage as
something unworthy.
For =as for, concerning; amongst=among
It is one of the best bonds, both of…, in
the wife, if she think her husband wise;
which…, if she find him jealous.
A wife will be morally pure and obedient
to her husband if she thinks her husband
a wise man. On the other hand, if she
finds that her husband is jealous and
suspicious of her, she will never be chaste
and obedient.
If she think…; if she find…:if 引导的从句
中动词用虚拟式；这与现代英语不同。
But yet he was reputed one of the wise
man, that made answer to the question,
when … “A young man not yet, an elder
man not at all”.
A man named Thales who was considered
as one of the wise men once answered
the question as to when a man should
marry: “When a man is young, it is too
early for him to be married; when he gets
old, it is too late and there is no need to
get married.”
That 引导一个非限制性定语从句，在正式
文体中避免使用。
Text II -Questions for discussion
1. According to Bacon, a man who has wife
and children is at the mercy of his fortune.
Burdened by his family, he is less likely to
devote himself to great enterprises,
therefore, less likely to score great
achievements. As a single man, however,
can dedicate his whole life to the course
of serving the public, he is more likely to
achieve the greatest fame and do the best
work.
2. The biggest attraction of single life, according
to Bacon, is liberty. A man who is sensitive to
restriction should choose to be single as
marriage is, at best, a certain type of restriction.
Of course, single life has other merits such as
dedication to one’s work, no family burden, and
more charity, but it is liberty that induces many
men to remain single throughout their lives.
3. According to Bacon, men with grave natures,
led by social customs, can make faithful and
loving husbands such as Ulysses.
4. Wives, according to Bacon, are “young men’s
mistresses; companions for middle age; and old
men’s nurses.” A man’s wife plays different
roles at different stages of his life.
5. According to Bacon, bad husbands usually
have good wives either because their goodness
seems more precious compared with their
badness or because the wives take pride in their
patience. Once a good woman marries a bad
man of her own choice, she will make every
effort to make a better man of him.
6. Open for discussion.
Gist of Text II
Marriage is an impediment to great enterprises;
the great works have proceeded from the
unmarried, who have endowed the public their
affection and means. Those married men care
about the future, while the single men account
future times impertinences. There are some
others who consider wife and children as bills of
charges and many rich men take pride in having
no children, regarding raising children as an
abatement to his riches. The most common
cause of a single life is liberty.
Unmarried men are best friends, best masters,
best servants, but they are not always best
subjects. A single life is good with churchmen, but
marriage does well with soldiers. Wife and
children are a kind of discipline of humanity, and
therefore single men are more cruel and
hardhearted. Wives are young men’s mistresses;
companions for middle age and old men’s nurses.
As to the question when to marry, a sage says: “A
young man not yet, an elder man not at all.” it is
often seen that bad husbands have good wives. If
bad husbands were of their own choosing against
their friend’s consent, they will be sure to taste
their own folly.
Dictation
browse: look through 浏览
pasture 牧地，草地
graze: eat growing grass 吃青草
twig 细枝; 嫩枝
When a student goes to a library for the
first time /he may be puzzled as to what to
read of all the different subjects./ So a student
must learn to pick and choose, /and he must
also learn to browse in a library like a camel
browsing in the pasture. /If he watches a
camel grazing, he will see that although it is
supposed to be one of the most stupid animals
in creation, /it has at least one of the
characteristics of the cultured man, the power
to pick and choose. /A student looking for
mental food in a library should take the camel
as his model. /
The camel wanders about and grazes first here
and then there, /sometimes from a tree, that is
the top shelves of its library,/ or a bush, the
middle shelves, /or the grass, the bottom shelves.
/It bites off a twig, chews a bit, and if it likes the
twig it takes another bite. /If it finds it tasteless or
bitter, /it leaves it and wanders to another tree.
/Sometimes after trying several trees and plants it
comes back to its first one. /In the end it will
probably sit down and chew it over. /Mental
chewing over is a very good process for a man,
/as physical chewing over is for a camel. /It helps
digestion.
Francis Bacon
Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of
humility. 谦虚的外表最易使人上当。
He conquers twice, who upon victory overcomes himself.
在胜利后能控制自己的人赢得了第二个胜利。
No man is angry that feels not himself hurt.每个愤怒的
人都认为自己受到伤害。
Prosperity is not without many fears and disaster；and
adversity is not without comports and hopes.顺境之中亦
有许多恐惧和艰险,逆境之中亦不乏安慰和希望。
He knows not his own strength than hath not met
adversity.没有遇到过挫折的人不了解自己的力量有多大。
Knowledge makes humble, ignorance makes
proud.
知识使人谦虚，无知使人骄傲。
Natural abilities are like natural plants that need
pruning by study.
天生的才干如同天生的植物一样，需要靠学习来修
剪。
Wisdom is to the mind what health is to the body.
智慧之于头脑，犹如健康之于躯体。
Knowledge is like the spring water underground –
the deeper you dig, the clearer is the water.
知识好像地下的泉水，掘得越深越清澈。
Reading makes a full man, conference a ready
man, and writing an exact man.
阅读使人渊博，会谈使人机敏，写作使人严谨。