LESSON XII
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
THE
LOONS
I. Background knowledge

Author: Margaret Laurence, one of
the major contemporary Canadian
writers, was born in 1926 and died
of lung cancer in 1987. She was
educated in Manitoba, a province in
south central Canada. After
marrying an engineer, she moved
with her husband to Africa and lived
there for a number of years.
I. Background knowledge
 About the Novel: THE LOONS is
included in the 2nd section of her
Norton Anthology (collection) of
Short Fiction. Margaret
Laurence wrote 5 separate short
stories about this community.
The Tonnerre family is one of the
central families.
I. Background knowledge

The touching story tells of the plight of
Piquette Tonnerre, a girl from a native
Indian Family. Her people were
marginalized by the white-dominating
society. They were unable to exist
independently in a respectable, decent
and dignified way. They found it
impossible to fit into the main currents
of culture and difficult to be assimilated
comfortably.
I. Background knowledge

At school, Piquette felt out of place
and ill at ease with the white
children. When she had grown up
she didn't have any chance to
improve her life. In fact her situation
became more and more messed up.
In the end she was killed in a fire.
I. Background knowledge

Her death is like the disappearance of
the loons on Diamond Lake. Just as the
narrator's father had predicted, the
loons would go away when more cottages
were built at the lake with more people
moving in. The loons disappeared as
nature was ruined by civilization. In a
similar way, Piquette and her people
failed to find their position in modern
society.
I. Background knowledge
2. The comprehension and
perception of the title:
 loon: any of several large fish-eating
diving birds of the northern part of
the northern hemisphere that have
the legs placed far back under the
body and as a result have a clumsy
floundering gait on land

I. Background knowledge
loon: distinctive Canadian bird, the
bird of the lakes
 Several years ago, the Canadian
government collected all the onedollar paper notes and issued a onedollar coin with a loon engraved on
it. So, one dollar is slangily called a
loony.

I. Background knowledge
loony: (from lunatic)(person who is)
crazy or eccentric; lunatic
 He does have some pretty loony
ideas.
 From the above coincidence, one can
easily perceive the underlying reason
why the author chooses such a title
for her novel.

II. Detailed Study
1. pebble: small stone made smooth
and round by the action of water, eg.
in a stream or on the seashore
 2. scrub: underdeveloped trees or
shrubs
 oak 橡树， 栎树
 scrub oak: short, stunted (short, notfully-grown) oak tree

II. Detailed Study
cf:
 bush: (large) low growing plant with
several or many woody stems
coming out from the root
 tree: with a single trunk
 shrub: (small) plant with woody
stem, lower than a tree, & usu. with
several separate stems from the root

II. Detailed Study
3. chokecherry: North American
wild cherry tree
 4. thicket: a thick growth of shrubs,
underbrush or small trees
 5. clearing: open space from which
trees have been cleared in a forest
 6. shack: a small roughly built house,
hut
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II. Detailed Study
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7. dwelling: (fml) place of residence,
house, flat, etc.
 Welcome to my humble dwelling.
 dwelling-house (esp. law): house used
as a residence, not as a place of work
8. cabin: small hut or shelter, usu made
of wood
 cabin class: second highest standard of
accommodation on a ship 二等舱
II. Detailed Study
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9. poplar: 杨树
10. chink: close the narrow openings
with, plaster
11. Batoche:巴托什, a village at the
centre of Saskatchewan Province,
Canada. The battle ground where the
Canadian militia beat the rebellious
army in 1885. It’s been established as the
National Park of History now.
II. Detailed Study

12. Métis: [mei’ti:s] half-breed, one of
mixed blood, esp. (often cap.) half breed
混血儿，尤指法国人与印第安人的混血后裔，杂种
动物

13. chaos: complete disorder or
confusion
 The burglars left the house in (a state
of) chaos.
 The wintry weather has caused chaos
on the roads.
II. Detailed Study
chaotic: in a state of chaos;
completely disorganized
 With no one to keep order, the
situation in the classroom was
chaotic.

II. Detailed Study
 14. lean-to: small building or
shed with its roof resting against
the side of a larger building, wall
or fence
 They keep hens in a lean-to at
the end of the garden.
 a lean-to greenhouse
II. Detailed Study

15. warp: cause sth to become bent
or twisted from the usual or natural
shape, esp because of uneven
shrinkage or expansion
 The damp wood began to warp.
 The hot sun had warped the cover
of the book.
II. Detailed Study
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16. lumber: (esp Brit) unwanted pieces
of furniture, etc. that are stored away or
take up space
(esp US) = timber
17. coop: cage for small creature
18. tangle: (cause sth to) become twisted
into a confused mass
 Her hair got all tangled up in the
barbed wire fence.
II. Detailed Study
19. strand: a single piece or thread
 Many strands are twisted together
to form a rope.
 20. barb: the sharp point of a fish
hook, arrow, etc, with a curved
shape which prevents it from being
easily pulled out

II. Detailed Study
21. rust: the reddish brown surface
that forms on iron when attacked by
water and air
 rusty: covered with rust
 22. Patois  a dialect
other than the standard illiterate or
provincial speech, jargon 洋泾浜英
语

II. Detailed Study
23. broken: (of a foreign language)
spoken imperfectly; not fluent
 speak in broken English
 (of land) having an uneven surface;
rough
 an area of broken, rocky ground

II. Detailed Study
(of a person) weakened and
exhausted by illness or misfortune
 He was broken-hearted when his
wife died.
 broken home: family in which the
parents have divorced or separated
 He comes from a broken home.

II. Detailed Study
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24. obscene: (of words, thoughts, books,
pictures, etc) indecent, esp sexually;
disgusting and offensive; likely to
corrupt
obscenity: offensive, repulsive remarks,
cursing, vulgarity
 laws against obscenity on the television
 four letter words: fuck, shit, bull shit
II. Detailed Study
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25. belong: to be suitable or
advantageous, be in the right place
 I don't belong in a place like this.
 He doesn't belong in the
beginner's class.
 I refuse to go abroad: I belong
here.
II. Detailed Study
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26. Cree: one of the Indian tribes in
Canada
27. reservation: a piece of land set apart
for N. American Indians
cf: resort: (a) popular holiday centre
 seaside, skiing, health, etc resorts
 Beidaihe is a leading north coast resort.
(b) (US) hotel or guest-house for holidaymakers
II. Detailed Study
28. neither fish, flesh nor good red
herring / neither flesh, fowl, nor
good salt herring:
 difficult to identify or classify; vague;
ambiguous
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II. Detailed Study
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fowl: a. domestic cock or hen
 We keep a few fowls and some goats.
b. flesh of certain types of birds, eaten
for food
 We had fish for the first course,
followed by roast fowl and fresh
vegetables.
c. any bird: the fowls of the air
 waterfowl / barnyard fowl / wildfowl
II. Detailed Study
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herring: Atlantic fish, usu swimming in
very large shoals (鱼群）, used for food
鲱鱼
29. odd: not regular, occasional, casual,
occasional, random
 Life would be very dull without the
odd adventure now and then.
30. section hands / gang: a group of
workmen keeping one section of a
railway line repaired
II. Detailed Study
31. relief: aid in the form of goods,
coupon or money given, as by a
government agency, to persons
unable to support themselves
 on relief: receiving government aid
because of poverty, unemployment,
etc.
 a relief teacher

II. Detailed Study
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32. …with a face that seemed totally
unfamiliar with laughter, would knock at
the doors of the town’s brick houses…
 This suggests that the Tonnerres lived
a very miserable life. They had never
experienced happiness in their whole
life. The “brick houses” indicates the
wealthy people’s home.
II. Detailed Study
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33. lard: pig fat made pure by melting,
used in cookery
34. pail: a usu. round open vessel of metal
or wood, with handles, used for carrying
liquids, bucket
35. bruise: injury caused by a blow to the
body or to a fruit, discolouring the skin
but not breaking it
He was covered in bruises after falling off
his bicycle.
II. Detailed Study
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36. quarter: 25 cents
 dime: 10 cents
 buck: 1 dollar, loon, loony
 yard: 100 / 1000 dollars

37. brawl: noisy quarrel or fight
 a drunken brawl in a bar
II. Detailed Study
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38. howl: long loud wailing cry of a dog,
wolf, etc , loud cry of a person
expressing pain, scorn, amusement, etc
 let out a howl of laughter, agony, rage
howl: v.‘
 wolves howling in the forest
 to howl in agony
syn: bawl, moan, scream, wail, sob
II. Detailed Study
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39. Mountie: member of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police
mount: ~ sb (on sth) get onto or put (sb)
onto a horse, etc for riding; provide (sb)
with a horse for riding
 He quickly mounted (his horse) and rode
away.
 He mounted the boy on the horse.
 The policemen were mounted on (ie rode)
black horses.
II. Detailed Study
40. cell: a small room in a prison
 41. sporadic: happening or seen only
occasionally or in a few places;
occurring irregularly
 sporadic showers
 sporadic raids, gunfire, fighting
 syn: irregular, infrequent,
intermittent occasional

II. Detailed Study
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42. negligible: too slight or
unimportant to be worth any
attention, of little importance or size;
not worth considering
 a negligible amount, error, effect
 This year’s deficit in foreign trade
is negligible.
II. Detailed Study

'negligent: not taking or showing
enough care, careless
 He has been negligent in not
locking the doors as he was told to.
 She was negligent in her work.
 He was negligent of his duty.
II. Detailed Study
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43. She existed for me only as a vaguely
embarrassing presence.
As far as I am concerned, her presence
would only make other people feel ill at
ease / uncomfortable.
44. hoarse: sounding or growling rough
and harsh
 He shouted himself hoarse.
II. Detailed Study
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45. limp: walk unevenly, as when one
foot or leg is hurt or stiff
 That dog must be hurt; he's limping.
 The injured footballer limped slowly
off the field.
cf: shuffle: walk without lifting the feet
completely clear of the ground
 The prisoners shuffled along the
corridor and into their cells.
II. Detailed Study
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totter: walk or move unsteadily
hobble: walk with difficulty because the
feet or legs hurt
stagger: walk or move unsteadily as if
about to fall (from carrying sth. heavy,
being weak or drunk,etc)
stumble: strike one’s foot against sth.
and almost fall
flop: move or fall clumsily
II. Detailed Study
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46. grimy: dirty, messy, filthy
grime: dirt, esp. in a layer on a surface
47. peculiar: odd or strange, eccentric,
strange in a troubling or displeasing way
 a peculiar taste, smell, noise, etc
 a peculiar feeling that one has been
here before.
 My keys have disappeared; it's most
peculiar!
 He's a bit peculiar!
II. Detailed Study
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48. flare: burn brightly but briefly or
unsteadily
 The match flared in the darkness.
flare up: burn suddenly more intensely
 The fire flared up as I put more logs
on it.
reach a more violent state, suddenly
become angry
 Robbery has flared up again.
II. Detailed Study
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He flares up at the slightest provocation.
(of an illness) recur, happen again

My back trouble has flared up again.
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49. It's under control all right

all right:(infml) certainly; beyond doubt;
expressing absolute certainty

That's the man I saw in the car all right.
II. Detailed Study
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50. the dickens: (infml euph) (used to
give emphasis, esp in questions) the
Devil
Who / what / where the dickens is that?
We had the dickens of a job finding the
place.
51. take off: go away, depart
 I grabbed my hat and took off for the
Town Hall.
II. Detailed Study
52. back: ago, into the past
 some few years back
 far back in the Middle ages
 53. contagious: (of a disease) that
can be spread by touch, infectious
 54. distress: pain, agony, misery

II. Detailed Study
55. bet:
 I'll bet you $5 that they'll win the
next election.
 He bet me that I couldn't do it.
 I bet it rains / will rain tomorrow.
 You bet: certainly
 Will you tell her? You bet.

II. Detailed Study
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56. for Peter’s sake: for God's / goodness' /
Heaven's / gosh’s / pity's, etc. sake
used as an interjection before or after a
command or request, or to express
irritation
 For God's sake, stop that whining!
 For goodness' sake! How can you be so
stupid?
II. Detailed Study
57. cross: rather angry
 I was cross with him for being late.
 What are you so cross about?
 She gave me a cross look.
 crossly: madly, angrily, irritably

II. Detailed Study
58. matron: woman in charge of the
nurses in a hospital (now called a
senior nursing officer)
 59. rigid: stiff; not bending or yielding;
strict; firm; unchanging
 Her face was rigid with terror.
 He is a man of very rigid principles
 practise rigid economy 厉行节约
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II. Detailed Study
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60. cameo: ['kmi] (浮雕宝石) a piece of
women's ornamental jewellery consisting of
a raised shape or figure on the background
of a small fine flat stone of a different
colour
61. mauve: [‘mv] (of) a pale purple colour
vein（静脉）
artery（动脉）
blood capillary（毛细血管）
II. Detailed Study
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62. stifle: hold back, suppress, restrain,
inhibit, make unable to breathe
 The children were stifled (killed) by
the smoke.
 I am stifling in this close room.
 She was getting sleepy and tried to
stifle a yawn.
cf: suffocate: to die as a result of not
being to breathe
II. Detailed Study
63. at that: additionally, besides, as
well
 It's an idea, and a good one at that.
 I made a mistake, and a very bad
mistake at that.
 at that: perhaps
 She suggested we should bring the
car, and it's not a bad idea at that.

II. Detailed Study
64. muse: reflect, ponder
 Ogilvie's voice took on a musing
note.
 65. roadway
 1. the part of a road that is used by
traffic
 2. the strip of land over which a
road passes.
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II. Detailed Study
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66. Bide-a-Wee: tolerate a little, stay
with us a little while
Bide: stay
Wee: a little
Boonie Doon:
boonie: love, beautiful
 My Boonie lies over the Ocean
Bonny: attractive, fair, excellent, fine
 A bonnie ship 美丽的小船
II. Detailed Study
67. bear: show (sth); carry visibly;
display
 The document bore his signature.
 The ring bears an inscription.
 68. austere: without ornament, plain
 an austere style of painting
 She dressed austerely rather than
smartly.

II. Detailed Study
69. filigree: ornamental lace-like
work of gold, silver or copper ware,
delicate ornamental wire work 金、
银、铜丝细工饰品
 silver filigree jewellery 银丝首饰
 70. fern 蕨类植物
 71. raspberry：覆盆子，山莓
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II. Detailed Study
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72. moss: very small green or yellow
flowerless plant growing in thick masses
on damp surfaces or trees or stones
 moss-covered rocks, walls
73. fragrant: aromatic, perfumed,
having a sweet or pleasant smell (esp. of
flowers)
cf: flagrant
II. Detailed Study
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74. miniature: very small detailed
painting, usu. of a person
 miniature dogs
 miniature bottles of brandy, etc.
 a miniature railway, ie a small model
one on which people may ride for
short distances
 She is just like her mother in
miniature.
II. Detailed Study
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75. scarlet: bright red
 She blushed scarlet when I spat
forth the obscenities.
 scarlet fever: infectious /
contagious disease causing scarlet
marks on the skin
 scarlet woman (dated derog)
immoral woman; prostitute
II. Detailed Study
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76. lantern: light for use outdoors in
a transparent case that protects it
from the wind, etc.
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77. moose: a type of large deer, with
very large flat horns, that lives in the
northern parts of America (and in
some northern countries of Europe,
where it is called an elk) (麋鹿)
II. Detailed Study
78. antler: either of the pair of
branched horns of a male deer
 79. bleach: whiten
 80. fissure: long deep crack in rock
or earth
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II. Detailed Study
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81. otherwise: in other or different
respects; apart from that
 The rent is high, (but) otherwise
the house is fine.
 Daddy still has a bit of his cold,
but otherwise all are well.
 He has a brandy nose, but is
otherwise a handsome fellow.
II. Detailed Study
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82. cone: fruit of certain evergreen trees,
such as fir, pine and cedar
a solid object with a round base and a
point at the top
a hollow or solid object shaped like this
 Many children would rather eat ice
cream from cones than from dishes.
II. Detailed Study
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83. meticulous: giving or showing great
precision and care; very attentive to
detail
 a meticulous worker, researcher, etc.
 meticulous painting and free sketch
painting 工笔 / 写意画
84. tote: (infml) carry
 to tote a gun
II. Detailed Study
85. winter: spend the winter
 It became fashionable for the rich
to winter in the sun.
 birds wintering in the south
 86. fell: to cut down (a tree)
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II. Detailed Study
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87. lame: unable to walk normally
because of an injury or defect
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88. scuff: scrape, to make a rough mark
or marks, with one’s shoes, on the
smooth surface of furniture, or floor, etc

The floor was badly scuffed up where
they had been dancing.
II. Detailed Study
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89. coarse: not fine, rough or loose in
texture, vulgar, crude, harsh
a coarse complexion / skin
coarse manners, laughter, tastes, etc
II. Detailed Study
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90. stamp: put (one's foot) down heavily
on (the ground, etc); walk with loud
heavy steps

stamping the ground to keep warm

She stamped the soil flat round the
plant.

Don't stamp, you'll wake everyone up.
II. Detailed Study
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91. bizarre: strange in appearance or
effect; grotesque; eccentric
92. Unlikely it may seem: although it
may seem not likely to happen,…
 It is unlikely to rain.
 His condition is unlikely to improve.
 In the unlikely event of a strike,
production would be badly affected.
II. Detailed Study
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as…as: (introduces adverbial clause of
comparison)
 You know as much as I do.
Sometimes the subject of the
subordinate clause can be omitted:
 He said the situation there was not as
bad as had been reported.
 The 2 houses were as clean as could be.
II. Detailed Study
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93. spring from: arise or come from
 He is sprung from (springs from)
royal blood: of royal ancestry
 If you ask someone where they
have sprung from you are asking
them where they have come from
in a rather surprised way, because
they have appeared unexpectedly.
II. Detailed Study
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94. Tecumseh, 1768-1813, chief of the
Shawnee Indians; born in Ohio. A noted
military leader, he planned a
confederacy of tribes to resist U.S.
encroachment, but the defeat of his
brother, the Shawnee Prophet in 1811
ended the Indian military movement.
Tecumseh then fought alongside the
British against the Americans in the War
of 1812. He died in the battle of the
Thames.
II. Detailed Study
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95. Iroquois:（易洛魁人） an American
Indian confederacy of New York
96. Brebeuf, Jean de, Saint, 1593-1649,
French Roman Catholic missionary. One
of the Jesuit Martyrs of North America.
A missionary to the Huron Indians,
Brebeuf with his colleague Gabriel
Lalemant was killed by the Iroquois. 圣
布雷伯夫， 法国天主教耶稣会传教士。
II. Detailed Study
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97. Emily Pauline Johnson, 1862-1913,
Canadian Indian. Daughter of an Indian
tribe chief and a British woman. Her
poems sang high praise of the Indian
tradition and were very popular at her
time. She traveled around Canada,
America and Britain, giving recitals in
deer skin robes, which won enormous
fame for her.
II. Detailed Study
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98. exalt: elevate, exhilarate
99. prophetess: female prophet
prophet: a man who tells, or claims to be
able to tell the nature or course of future
events. A person who spoke for God and
who communicated God’s message
courageously to God’s Chosen People.
Elisha, Abraham, Moses, David, Nathan,
Solomon, etc. are prophets.
II. Detailed Study
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100. impart: give, pass on (a secret,
news, etc to sb.)
 A teacher's aim is to impart
knowledge.
 The Prime Minister imparted the
news at the conference.
II. Detailed Study
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101. coyote: small wolf of the plains of
western N America
102. She undoubtedly knew … whatever
it was that it said in Hiawatha.
 It said this/ that/whatever in Hiawatha.
 It was whatever that it said in
Hiawatha.
 She knew whatever it was that it said
in Hiawatha.
II. Detailed Study
103. squash: flatten, crush
 104. sullen: silently showing dislike,
silently bad-tempered, unforgiving,
dark, gloomy (Blackmail)
 look sullen, to wear a sullen look
 “Shut up”, D said. Sullenly,
Ogilvie complied.

II. Detailed Study
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105. lore: knowledge or wisdom, esp.
of an unscientific kind, about a
certain subject or possessed by a
certain group of people
bird lore, a countryman's weather
lore
II. Detailed Study
106. reed: tall hollow stem of any of
various types of grass-like plants
growing near water
 cf:
reef: ridge of rock, shingle, sand, etc
at or near the surface of the sea
a coral reef
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II. Detailed Study
107. nut:(sl derog)
(a) (Brit also nutter) foolish,
eccentric or mad person
 He drives like a nut; he'll kill
himself one day.
 b) (preceded by a n) person very
interested in sth; fanatic
a movie / fitness / health / soccer nut

II. Detailed Study
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108. dogged: (apprec.) determined;
not giving up easily
 a dogged defence of the city
 Although he's less talented, he won
by sheer dogged persistence.
II. Detailed Study
109. perseverance: continual steady
effort made to fulfil some aim,
persistence
 110. rebuff: rejection
 Mark Twain flirted with the
colossal wealth available to the
lucky and the persistent, and was
rebuffed.
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II. Detailed Study
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111. give:
used in the idiom: sb. doesn't/couldn't
give a damn, a hoot(cry of an owl), etc
(about sb/sth) (infml): sb does not care at
all (about sb/sth)
 He couldn't give a damn whether he
passes the exam or not.
Cf: Blackmail
 Like letting me know what gives and
where…
II. Detailed Study

112. dead loss: If you say that
someone or something is a dead loss,
you mean that they do not work
properly or successfully, an infml
expression.
 This pen is a dead loss: it just
won't write properly.
 That goalkeeper is a dead loss.
II. Detailed Study


113. scramble: to move or climb quickly,
esp. over a rough or steep surface
 I scrambled up the rock for a better
look at the sea.
114. pier: an ornamental bridge-like
framework built out into the sea at
which boats can stop to take in or land
their passengers or goods
II. Detailed Study
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
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115. undergrowth: (US underbrush)
mass of shrubs, bushes, etc growing
closely on the ground, esp under trees
 clear a path through the undergrowth
116. bracken: a kind of fern, which
grows in forests, on wasteland, and on
the slopes of hills, and becomes a rich
red-brown colour in autumn
cf: bush, scrub, shrub
II. Detailed Study
117. streak: a line or mark of a
different colour or texture from the
ground, long, thin usu. irregular line
or band
 118. amber: hard clear yellowishbrown gum used for making
ornaments or jewellery 琥珀

II. Detailed Study

119. flicker: shine with an unsteady light,
wave, tremble, to move backwards and
forwards unsteadily
 The self-assurance of Ogilvie flickered
for an instant.
 flickering eyelid
 shadows flicked on the wall
 The wind blew the flickering candle
out.
II. Detailed Study

120．phantom: a shadowy likeness
of a dead person that seems to
appear on earth; sth. which exists
only in one's imagination; ghostly
image or figure; ghost
 the phantom of his dead father
 Phantom（鬼怪式） / Mirage（幻
影式）fighter plane.
II. Detailed Study


121. ululate: howl or wail
 the ululations of the mourning women
122. plaintive: expressing suffering and a
desire for pity, lamentable, mournful,
forlorn
 The plaintive cries of the child locked
in the cupboard.
 a plaintive old song
II. Detailed Study
123. chill: refrigerate, to cause to
become cold, esp. without freezing
chilled beer
 cf: chilli

II. Detailed Study
124. mock. make fun of (sb/sth), esp
by mimicking him / it
contemptuously; ridicule; defy
(sb/sth) contemptuously
 a mocking smile, voice, laugh
 It is wrong to mock cripples.
 mockery: ridicule, despising, open
disrespect

II. Detailed Study
125. aeon / eon [‘i:n] : a period of
time too long to be measured
 The earth was formed aeons ago.
 126. chipmunk: small striped
squirrel-like N American animal金
花鼠

II. Detailed Study

127. strike: If an idea or thought strikes you,
it comes into your mind suddenly
 The next morning it struck me that there
was no shower in the flat.
 If something strikes you in a particular
way, it gives you a particular impression,
usually a strong one.
 Betty strikes me as a very silly girl.
 How did London strike you?
II. Detailed Study


128. birch: a type of northern forest tree
with smooth bark and thin branches 白
桦
129. catch: If you catch someone doing
something, you find them doing what
they should not be doing.
 He caught them in bed together.
 She caught him smoking at the toilet.
II. Detailed Study


130. squawk: (esp. of some birds) to
make a loud rough-sounding cry
 hens squawking at the sight of the cat
131. be ill at ease: not comfortable
because of lack of skill or understanding
 She was ill at ease as she had never
been to such parties.
 I am terribly ill at ease with strangers.
II. Detailed Study

132. fail: neglect or be unable (to do
sth)
 He never fails to write (ie always
writes) to his mother every week.
 She did not fail to keep (ie She did
keep) her word.
 Your promises have failed to (ie did
not) materialize.
II. Detailed Study

123. reproach: blame, sth. that brings
disgrace or discredit
 She remained as a reproach to me: I
blame myself, because I could not
reach her.
 The corrupt cadres are a reproach to
the Party.
 The slums are a reproach to our city.
II. Detailed Study
134. immerse: to put deep under
water
 I immersed myself in work so as to
stop thinking about her.
 135. jukebox: coin-operated record
player, about two times the size of a
home refrigerator

II. Detailed Study
136. boom: to make a deep hollow
sound, roar
 137. tune: melody, esp a wellmarked one
 tuneful：having a pleasing tune;
melodious

II. Detailed Study
138. chrome: (铬) an alloy of
chromium （铬） with other metal
(esp when used as a protective
coating on other metals)
 Here: something plated / coated /
gilded with chromium, it refers to
the shining edge of the jukebox,
which was made of chrome.

II. Detailed Study



139. rainbow glass: on top of the jukebox
is the cabin for storing all the records,
the front of which is a piece of glass of
some fancy colour like rainbows
140. astound: amaze, astonish, surprise
 We were astounded to read your letter.
141. stolid: showing no excitement when
strong feelings might be expected
II. Detailed Study







142. carmine: deep purplish red colour
scarlet: bright red
cardinal: bright red
crimson: deep red
florid: (face) red
143. frizzle: (of hair) to curl tightly, to
set the hair in a mass of tight curls
frizzy: (of hair) very curly, like wool
II. Detailed Study
144. perm: (also permanent wave,
AmE. infml permanent) the putting
of waves or curls into straight hair
by chemical treatment so that they
will last for several months
 145. blunt: Here: not trying to be
polite or tactful

II. Detailed Study

146. to advantage: in a way that shows its
good points or merits
 The picture is seen to better advantage
from a distance.
 Hang the picture opposite the window so
that it will show up to advantage.
 Her tight-fitting skirt and sweater in
orange colour displayed a soft and slender
body in an effect good enough to be
envied.
II. Detailed Study

147. teeter: to seesaw , to move up
and down or to and fro, to move
uncertainly or unsteadily
 The drunken man teetered on the
edge of the pavement.
 She was teetering about in very
high-heeled shoes.
II. Detailed Study
148. sore: (of a part of the body)
tender and painful, sensitive,
hurting when touched
 a sore knee
 149. jerkwater: remote and
unimportant, trivial

II. Detailed Study
150. stink: to give a strong bad smell
 the stinking ninth category (in
addition to landlords, rich
peasants, counter revolutionaries,
bad elements, Rightists, traitors,
spies, and capitalist roaders)
 151. confide: to tell a secret, to tell
sth. confidentially, reveal, disclose

II. Detailed Study

152. blur: become unclear, obscure,
dim; that appears hazy and
indistinct
 The town was just a blur on the
horizon.
 Everything is a blur when I take
my glasses off.
 Her eyes blurred with tears.
II. Detailed Study

153. repel: to cause feeling of dislike, to
drive back by or as if by force
 Let go at once! You repel me.
 Her untidy appearance repelled him.
 His filthy hair and grimy clothes
repelled her.
 Bryan carried a palm-fan like a sword
to repel his enemy.
II. Detailed Study
154. despise: to regard as worthless,
low, bad; dislike very angrily
 I despise such people; they've no
character.
 He despises people who were
lavish with their praises.
 cf: mockery

II. Detailed Study
155. biddy: a hired woman, esp. a
cleaner, an eccentric woman
 156. stockyard: a yard in which
cattle, sheep, swine or horses are
kept temporarily for slaughter,
market or shipping

II. Detailed Study
157. handle: (sl) title: have a handle
to one's name, ie have a title, eg ‘Sir'
or ‘Lord’
 Churchill has a handle to his name
--- Sir.
 some handle: a special name
 Isn't that an impressive name?
 some: considerable

II. Detailed Study
158. mere: nothing more than
 the merest: as small or unimportant
as possible
 The merest little thing makes him
nervous.
 159. defiant: showing defiance;
openly opposing or resisting sb/sth
 a defiant manner, look, speech

II. Detailed Study
160. momentary: lasting for a very
short time
 161. swell: stylish, socially
prominent, excellent
 162. perturb: trouble, make anxious,
agitate
 a perturbing rumour

II. Detailed Study
163. gauche: socially awkward,
clumsy, lacking social experience or
grace
 164. slattern: an untidy slovenly
woman, also slut, prostitute

II. Detailed Study


165. dressed any old how: dressed in a
very careless way
anyhow: without any regular order, in a
careless manner
 You can arrange them anyhow.
 The well-groomed (taken good care of)
woman can't wear her hair just
anyhow.
 The books were lying on the shelves
just/all anyhow.
II. Detailed Study
He made notes anyhow across the page.
Anyhow can be used as an adj. as well
 The room was all anyhow.
old: used as an intensive
 Any old thing will do.
 Come any old time.
 We’re having a high old time (very
good time).



II. Detailed Study
166. brew: to prepare beer, etc. by
soaking or boiling grain, leaves, etc.
 167. attributes: the accessories,
modifiers, nowadays so called, in
China, hardware; what is needed for
a resort to be considered flourishing;
objects recognized as symbols

II. Detailed Study
168. place of belonging: place they
belong to
 169. Perhaps they had been unable
to find such a place ...having ceased
to care any longer whether they
lived or not.

II. Detailed Study

This obviously is an analogy (类比),
in which the loons are compared to
Piquette, who had been unable to
find a place to live, and had simply
died out, having ceased to care any
longer whether SHE lived or not.
III. Structural Analysis


Part I. Paras. 1 - 2
 Introduction of the novel, when, where,
who, etc. The general background.
Part II. Paras. 3 – 4 (p. 218)
 The whole story
 Section 1. Paras. 3 (p.206) - 6 (p.208)
 Introducing Piquette.
I. II. Structural Analysis
Section 2. Paras. 7 (p.208) – 2 (p.214)
 Days together with Piquette at
Diamond Lake
 Section 3. Paras. 3 (p. 214) – 2 (p.217)
 Second meeting with Piquette
several years later
 Section 4. Paras. 3 (p.217) – 4 (p.218)
 Piquette’s death

III. Structural Analysis

Part III. Paras. 5(p. 218) – end.
 Analogy
IV. Rhetorical Devices

Hyperbole
 …dresses that were always miles
too long.
 …those voices belonged to a world
separated by aeons from our neat
world
IV. Rhetorical Devices

Exaggeration by using numerals:
 1. Thanks a million.
 2. The middle eastern bazaar takes
you back hundreds even thousands of
years.
 3. I see the ten thousand villages of
Russia where the means of existence is
wrung so hardly from the soil.
IV. Rhetorical Devices

B. Exaggeration by using
comparative and superlative degrees
of adjectives
 1. Sherlock Holmes is considered
by many people as the greatest
detective in fictional literature.
 2. There was never a child who
loved her father more than I do.
IV. Rhetorical Devices
3. I never saw a prettier sight.
 4. You write ten times better than
any man in the class.
 . Exaggeration by using extravagant
adjectives:
 1. … where goods of every
conceivable kind are sold.

IV. Rhetorical Devices
2. The burnished copper
containers catches the light of
innumerable lamps and braziers.
 3. The apprentices were incredibly
young.

IV. Rhetorical Devices

D. Exaggeration by using noun or verb
phrases:
 1. It is a vast cavern of a room, so
thick with the dust of centuries that the
mud-brick walls and vaulted roof are
only dimly visible.
 2. I am already in debt again, and
moving heaven and earth to save
myself from exposure and destruction.
IV. Rhetorical Devices
3. The sister cried her eyes out at
the loss of the necklace.
 4. They beat him into all the colors
of rainbow.
 5. Her dress was always miles too
long.
 6. I was scared to death.

IV. Rhetorical Devices
7. I sat there for a while, frozen
with horror.
 8. She was so beautiful--- her
beauty made the bright world dim.

IV. Rhetorical Devices

Metaphor
 …the filigree of the spruce trees
 daughter of the forest
 I tried another line
 A streak of amber
IV. Rhetorical Devices

Personification
 The two grey squirrels were still
there, gossiping…
 The news that somehow had not
found its way into letters.
IV. Rhetorical Devices

Transferred epithet
 All around, the spruce trees grew tall
and close-set, branches blackly sharp
against the sky which was lightened by
a cold flickering of stars.
 I was ashamed, ashamed of my own
timidity, the frightened tendency to
look the other way.
IV. Rhetorical Devices

My brother, Roderick, who had not
been born when we were here last
summer, sat on the car rug in the
sunshine and examined a brown
spruce core, meticulously turning it
round and round in his small and
curious hands.
IV. Rhetorical Devices

Metonymy
 Those voices belonged to a world
separated by aeons from our neat
world of summer cottages and the
lighted lamps of home. (our
modern civilization)
IV. Rhetorical Devices
Synecdoche
 the damn bone’s flared up again

Thank You!
The End
