Advanced English
(Lesson 2, Book I)
School of Foreign Languages,
Handan College
Shi Yunxia
shiyx806@163.com
Background information
Some important dates:
 1938 Munich Pact, which sacrificed
Czechoslovakia to Germany
 Aug. 1939 Gr. and USSR concluded a nonaggression pact 《苏德互不侵犯条约》
 Sept.1, 1939 Hitler invaded Poland. France and
Britain declared war on Gr. immediately, officially
beginning World War II. At the same time, USSR
annexed (added) Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
 Jun.22, 1941 Gr. invaded USSR
 Dec. 7, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor,
bringing the US into the war

Background information
Sept. 1943 Italy surrendered
 May. 7, 1945 Gr. surrendered unconditionally
 Aug. 6, 1945 the first A-bomb exploded in
Hiroshima
 Aug. 8, 1945 USSR declared war on Japan and
occupied Manchuria
 Aug. 9, 1945 the dropping of the second A-bomb
on Nagasaki
 Aug. 14, 1945 Japan announced its surrender

Atomic Bomb

the explosion produces great amounts of
heat, a shock wave and intense radiation.
The region of the explosion becomes
radioactively contaminated and radioactive
products may be deposited elsewhere as
fallout.
Atomic Bomb
 At
8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, by order of
President Truman, the first Atomic bomb,
nicknamed Little Boy was exploded over a
point near the centre of Hiroshima,
destroying almost everything with a radius of
830-1,450 meters. The damage beyond this
area was considerable, and over 71,000
people were killed instantly. Many more later
died of injuries and the effects of radiation.
Atomic Bomb
 Casualties
numbered nearly 130,000.
Survivors are still dying of leukaemia,
pernicious anaemia and other diseases
induced by radiation. Almost 98% of the
buildings were destroyed or severely
damaged.
Atomic Bomb
 The
Japanese dedicated post-war
Hiroshima to peace. A destroyed area
named "Peace City" has been set aside as a
memorial. A peace Park was build. A special
hospital built here treats people suffering
from exposure to radiation and conducts
research into its effects.
Psychological background


Beliefs rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition dictate that
once one commits a crime, one must bear the
consequences for it as long as one lives. Oriental teachers,
on the other hand, preach that if one admits one's wrongs,
apologizes and atones for them, one can start anew.
To many westerners, it's a crime for the US to use the Abomb, and Hiroshima is a symbol of death, of war crime, of
the horror of nuclear weapons. For example, one of the
pilots of the plane which carried the Little Boy committed
suicide in the post war years.
Japan







National Name: Nippon
Geography: Four main islands: Honshu (本州), Hokkaido
(北海道), Kyushu (九州), and Shikoku (四国)
Area: 371,857 sq.km.
Population: 122,700,000 (1988).
Capital: Tokyo
Monetary unit: Yen
Government: Diet (parliament) consists of a house of
Representatives of 511 members elected for four years,
and a house of Councillors of 252 members, half of whom
elected every three years for six-year terms. Executive
power is vested in the Cabinet, which is headed by a Prime
Minister, nominated by the Diet from its members.
Writing skills

1. Contrast: description of the scenery and of his
own emotion
Psychology: Repentant, Penitent. Hiroshima
symbolizes war crime, sin, death, terror, etc.
Scenery: lively, happy, vigorous, cheerful, etc.

2. Humor: serious looking men, bob up and down,
the cab driver, the usher, meeting the mayor in his
socks, spinal column flexible, Hiroshima---oysters,
small man with very large eye-glasses, his eyes
nearly closed behind their thick lenses, etc.
Narration





One of the basic and most frequently adopted way of
writing. Simply defined, narration is the telling of a story. A
good narration has a beginning, a middle and an end.
Narration is concerned with action, with life in motion, with
a meaningful series of action.
A narrative writing usually tells the time, the background of
an event, or the cause and result of it.
In a narrative writing, the actions or the incidents, events
are generally presented in order of their occurrence,
following the natural time sequence of the happenings. It is
called to be in Chronological order.
But it can also start in the middle or at some other point in
the action and move backward to the earlier happenings.
This is called flashback.
three basic components of a
narration




a. Plot: the whole story, the frame of the writing, which
consists of a series of events, with the development of the
actions, or accidents. There are usu. one or several
climaxes, the highest point of the story, with suspensions,
conflicts, to arouse the interest of the audience. After the
climax is reached, the story quickly moves to a conclusion.
b. Characters: the leading character is called the hero or
protagonist.
c. Background: the time and place of the story
The plot / action usually dominates narration, however,
some narratives focus on character or theme or
atmosphere.
The main idea of the text
The main clue of the
text:
 The author’s
experience of his
journey in Hiroshima
 What he has seen and
felt and understood
there

Other spices in this
text:
 The typical
characteristics of the
Japanese nation
 The co-existence and
struggle of the Eastern
and western culture

Paragraph 1
The narrator’s arrival at
Hiroshima:
the fastest,
slipped to a stop
 By train
 Not being aware of the
arrival because of
 Not knowing the language
 Having a lump in the throat
and a lot of sad thoughts
on his mind

His feeling:
 A guilty conscience
 He was an American.
 He considered it to
be at the scene of
the crime, stepping
on the soil and
breathing the air
there

Paragraph 2
little girls,
elderly ladies
in kimono,
teenagers,
what the narrator
sees in the street
others
different clothing
styles
rubbing
shoulders
traditional
Japanese
ritual formula
women
in western
dress
speaking to each other,
seeming oblivious of others,
bobbing in little bows
Serious
looking
men
Making calls in grocery
stores or tobacco shops
The Japanese seem to have
different preoccupations.
The narrator’s taxi ride
to the City Hall (Para3-5)
grinning at
the narrator
 The
One is busy making
money; the other is not
used to his manner.
cab driver
tall buildings of
different
the martyred city
 At top speed
culture again
 Narrow streets
The narrator’s
guilty conscience
 What he sees in the cab
sharp
 Words used to describe the ride:
twists of
Pop open
at top
speed
lurch from
side to
side
the wheel
The narrator’s taxi ride
to the City Hall (Para3-5)
Culture shock
the sudden halt
of the taxi
Making the
narrator
discontented
Showing the
discontentment
in a humorous
way
The clashing of different culture again!
The narrator’s taxi ride
to the City Hall (Para3-5)
the gigantic
City Hall
the end of
the intermezzo
A barge
with a roof
the usher:
bowing to the
narrator;
Heaving a long,
musical sigh
the restaurant
boat
Traditional Japanese houses adrift
amid beige concrete skyscrapers.
The narrator
may finds this
interesting!
Expressing his apology,
telling him of the change
of the meeting place,
and sketching him a little
map
The narrator’s place to meet with
the mayor (Para6-7)
the narrator’s curiosity:
the woman
 stunning,
at the door
 porcelain-faced,
 in traditional costume
 low-ceilinged rooms,
 little floating house.

his embarrassment:
 removing his shoes,
 treading cautiously on
the soft tatami matting,
 meeting the mayor in
his socks

Foreigners are not accustomed
to old Japanese customs.
The returning of the narrator’s
strange emotion (Para 8)
 Very
strong emotion: overwhelming
 Being crushed by the thought of standing at
the very site of the A-bomb.
 Many people being slain in one second
 Others lingering to die in slow agony.
The thought which has pre-occupied
him before returned!
Other people the narrator meets
there (para 9)
 Most
of them are Japanese.
 Few Americans and Germans.
 All the foreigners are as inhibited as the
narrator himself.
Maybe they
share the
same feeling of
guilty.
The speech of the mayor(Para11-16)



The mayor’s greeting and
welcome
people’s bowing including
the foreigners
the narrator’s comment:





The spinal column will
become extraordinarily
flexible.
the great details the
narrator notices
fresh bows
more &more serious faces
each time H. is mentioned.
more &more agitated
being world renown for its
__ oysters
The narrator’s sudden disturbance from his
sad reverie by the speech (para 17-18) & his
discussion with others(para19-21)
the narrator’s talk with
a few men in the far side of the room
his talk with a little Japanese
Whether the Japanese
Still felt the impact of
the atomic cataclysm.
his real
purpose
of this visit to
Hiroshima
The different attitudes of the
Japanese (Para 22-26)
The little Japanese’s
idea
 Two different schools
of thoughts

preserving the traces
of the bomb
It hurts
everybody.
The reason of
their doing so
Although hidden
wounds &burns,
yet still liveliest &
gayest city
Getting rid of everything,
even the monument.
Or even demolishing the
museum
Detailed study of the text (para 1)






1. slip: to move smoothly & effortlessly, secretly or
unnoticed. It carries a stronger implication of a frictionless
than slide.
2. lump: ⑴ a mass of sth. solid without a special size or
shape
e.g. a lump of lead, sugar
Black coffee, 2 lumps, please!
(2) a hard swelling on the body
She was afraid when she felt a lump in her left breast.
Detailed study of the text (Para 1)
to have a lump in one's throat:
 to have a tight feeling in the throat because of
strong emotion, such as sorrow or gratitude, to
have one's throat choked, to have a feeling of
pressure, being unable to breath, a tight sensation
in the throat caused by unexpressed pity, sorrow,
excitement, etc.
 All during her husband's funeral, she had a lump in
her throat.
 John's mother had a lump in her throat at his
college graduation.

Paraphrase of the sentence
 The
strong sensation of excitement and
sorrow made me unable to breathe or to
speak as if my throat was choked, or as if
my throat got blocked by sth. solid.
 3. on my mind: troubling one's thoughts,
causing anxiety, unhappiness
 His failure weighs heavily on his mind.
He has got too much on his mind to worry
about your problem.
Detailed study of the text (para 1)
I
am glad you want to talk about this.
It's been on my mind for weeks.
 cf:
in one's mind: think about, think of
I think I know what's in your mind.
Her mother was always in her mind.
Detailed study of the text (para 1)
4. the very act of stepping on this soil:
 act and action:
 Action refers primarily to the process of acting; act
to the result, the things done. An action is usually
regarded as occupying some time and involving
more than one step; an act is more frequently
thought of as momentary or instantaneous and as
individual.
The rescue of a shipwrecked crew is a heroic
action while the launching of the lifeboat is a brave
act.

Detailed study of the text (para.1)
 on
this soil: on this land, on this earth, or
ground
 The word SOIL conveys a strong emotion,
here it suggests the emotion of the author.
He thinks his country is responsible for the
A-bomb destruction. He is preoccupied. He
has the feeling of atoning (making
repayment) for the crime.
Detailed study of the text (para 1)
 5.
adventure: a journey that is strange and
exciting and often dangerous, sth. you do or
a situation you become involved in that is
rather unusual, exciting and dangerous.
 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry
Finn
 6. reportorial: belonging to, of, about a
reporter. the adj. form of reporter
 7. crime: an offence which is punishable by
law Here: an immoral act
Detailed study of the text (para 2)
8. appear
Appear, look, and seem can mean to be as stated
in one's view or judgment, but not necessarily in
fact.
 Seem suggests an opinion based on subjective
impression rather than objective signs.
 He seems tired.

Detailed study of the text (para 2)
Look implies that the opinion is based on a
general visual impression.
His lips looked unnatural.
He looks nervous.
 Appear suggests a distorted impression, such as
can be produced by a restricted point of view.
His tongue could make the worse appear the
better reason.
He appeared not to have heard what had been
said about him.
 He appears / seems / looks to be / like an honest
man.

Detailed study of the text (para 2)
9. preoccupy: to fill the thoughts or hold the
interest of, to fill one's mind completely so that not
enough attention is given to other present matters.
 When he is preoccupied with his hobby, he has no
idea of what is going on around him.
I was too preoccupied to hear the bell.
 He had a preoccupied look on his face, as if sth.
was troubling him.

Detailed study of the text (para 2)
 preoccupation:
extreme concern for sth.
Reading is his main preoccupation.
 It seemed to me that the Japanese did not
have the same extreme concern which is
bothering me.
 I was totally absorbed in the consideration of
the crime, but the Japanese did not appear
to be so.
 My mind was completely filled with sad
thoughts ...
Detailed study of the text (para 2)
 10.
rub shoulders with: to meet and mix with
(people)摩肩接踵
 This is not the sort of club where the great
rub shoulders with the humble.
 A person in my position rubs shoulders with
all kinds of people.
 In our class, people of all trades (porter,
carpenter, coppersmith, etc.) rubber
shoulders with each other.
Detailed study of the text (para 2)
11. oblivious: be unaware of, not noticing,
unconscious of, lacking mindful attention
Their government is oblivious of the rights of the
governed.
I am oblivious of my former failure.
I was so preoccupied with the book that I was
oblivious of the surroundings.
 I was so preoccupied with the beautiful woman I
met on the bus that I was oblivious of the
pickpocket beside me / of what the conductress
was yelling when the bus came to a stop.

Detailed study of the text (para 2)
12. bob: to move up and down quickly and
repeatedly
The cork on the fishing line bobbed up and down
on the water.
 13. rite: form of behavior with a fixed pattern. A rite
is a series of words and actions which as a fixed
order and which is used for a special religious
purpose.
I don't know much about the rites of that church.
ceremonial / burial / funeral rites
the rites of hospitality
the marriage rite of the church

Detailed study of the text (para 2)
 14.
formula: an expression which is often
used in a particular situation, esp. one that
has come to sound stupid and meaningless
 15. facade: front or face of a building
towards a street or open place
Detailed study of the text (para.3)
16. grin: broad smile that shows the teeth, it
intends to imply naive cheerfulness
 17. rear-view mirror: a mirror (as in an automobile)
that gives a view of the area behind the vehicle
 18. martyr: person who is put to death or caused
to suffer for his beliefs or for the sake of a great
cause or principle
 a martyr to a cause / love (殉情) / duty (殉职)
Eternal life to the revolutionary martyrs! (革命英雄
永垂不朽)
 v.: to put to death, cause to suffer, to torture, out of
cruelty

Detailed study of the text (para.3)
19. flash by: pass swiftly
 20. lurch: to move with irregular sudden
movements, to move unsteadily, clumsily, with
heavy rolling and swaying back and forth
 21. in response to: as an answer to
 In response to your inquiries, we regret to inform
you that we cannot help you in this matter.
 Twice I put the request to him but he said nothing
in response.

Detailed study of the text (para.3)
 21.
sharp twist: abrupt change of direction
 to turn, to change direction abruptly
to twist the cap of a tube of tooth paste
He twisted my arm.
Give the handle a twist, that will open the
box.
 The high buildings passed swiftly and when
the driver made abrupt changes of direction,
we sometimes swung to one side,
sometimes to the other side in response to
the swaying motion of the car.
Detailed study of the text (Para 4)
22 ride: a riding, esp. a journey by horse, car,
bicycle etc.
 23 the taxi screeched to a halt: the taxi stopped
with a harsh piercing sound as when the brakes
were suddenly applied 刹车
 24. to ask the way: to ask the direction
 25. loss of face: inability to keep up dignity, self
respect, prestige; loss of reputation; humiliation
 26. will accept any destination without concern
for…: will agree to go where they are asked to
without caring

Detailed study of the text (Para 5)
 27.
intermezzo: a short, light dramatic,
musical or ballet entertainment between the
acts of a play or opera;
 here the word is used figuratively to refer to
anything that fills time between two eventsthe cab ride that took place between his
arrival at Hiroshima and his planned
meeting with the mayor
Detailed study of the text (Para 5)
28. I found myself: This pattern gives the
idea of “suddenness” “unexpectedness”;
 I suddenly discovered that I was in front of
the gigantic City Hall.
 29. usher: an official doorkeeper
 30. heave a ….sigh: utter a sigh

Detailed study of the text (Para 6)
31. sketch a map: draw roughly and quickly with
outlines but little detail
 32. thanks to: on account of ; because of
 33. embankment: a raised bank built to confine a
river or canal 运河大堤
 34. barge: a large flat-bottomed boat for carrying
goods or people on rivers or canals
 35. a sort of: a sort of is used to suggest that what
is referred to does not fully deserve the name, a
kind of, something like a….类似于

detailed study of the text (para 6)
36. barge: a large flat-bottomed boat for
carrying goods or people on rivers or canals
 37. moor: secure a boat with cables系，泊
 38. arresting: attracting and holding the
attention , striking
 39. spectacle: sight, view or scene
 40. adrift: afloat without being steered
 41. beige: brownish grey or grayish yellow
( the color of sand stone ) 浅黄

Detailed study of the text (para 6)
42. concrete: cement mixed with sand and gravel
etc. 混凝土
 43. struggle between the kimono and the miniskirt:
“Kimono” and “miniskirt” here are used
symbolically to represent the “old” and the “new”
or the East and the West.
 44. the traditional floating houses among high
modern buildings represent the constant struggle
between old tradition, ( traditional culture ) and
new development ( Western style)

Detailed study of the text (para 7)
45. stunning: very attractive; delightfully beautiful
 46. porcelain –faced: using the traditional white
make-up; a face with a fair delicate complexion
 47. remove: take off
 48. tread: to move on foot; to walk
 49. cautious: careful to avoid danger, harm
 50. treading cautiously on the soft tatami matting: I
was not accustomed to walking in my socks so I
walked carefully, fearing that something
unpleasant or dangerous might happen.

Detailed study of the text (para 7)
51. a twinge of embarrassment: a sudden
sharp feeling of shame
 52. at the prospect of: at the expectation of
 53. experiencing a twinge of
embarrassment… in my socks:
 Suffering from a strong feeling of shame
when I thought of the prospect of meeting
the mayor of Hiroshima in my socks

Detailed study of the text (para 8)
 54.
sad-eyed: looking sad
 55. the strange emotion which had
overwhelmed me at the station returned:
 I was again overcome by a guilty
conscience as I had been when I first
arrived at the station.
 I was again crushed by the thought that …:
the thought that …once again overwhelmed
me
Detailed study of the text (para 8)
 56.
slay: (literary) kill or murder
 57. lingered on to die in slow agony: died
slowly and on great pain
 linger: be slow in dying
 58. agony: great pain or suffering
Detailed study of the text (para 9-11)
59. just why we were gathered here: the exact
reason for our coming here
 60. Just: exactly
 61. inhibited: feeling restrained, having to
suppress one’s emotion 拘谨的
 62. after three days in Japan one gets quite used
to bowing to people as a ritual to show gratitude
 63. spinal column: the backbone
 64. flexible: easily bent; pliant

Detailed study of the text (para 9-16)
 65.
familiar to: well known to ( cf. familiar
with; having a good knowledge of )
 66. the company: the group of people
present
 67. agitated: disturbed, upset
 68. seldom has a city gained such world
renown: seldom has a city become so world
famous
Detailed study of the text (para 16)
69. a town known throughout the world for itsoysters:
 This is called anti-climax, a common literary
device to achieve humor, surprise, satire, etc.
 The mayor said this because he did not want to
embarrass (cause to feel awkward or ashamed)
the foreigners by talking about the disaster and he
wanted people to forget the tragic past and
because Hiroshima was famous for its oysters.

Detailed study of the text (para 17)
70. about to: on the point of (doing sth.), just going
to do
 71. assent: an acceptance (of a statement) as
true; agreement
 72. sink in: be fully absorbed or understood;
penetrate esp. gradually
 73. jolt: shock or surprise
 74. reverie: dreamy thinking, esp. of agreeable
things; daydreaming
 I was on the point of showing my agreement by
nodding when I suddenly realized what he meant.
His words shocked me out of my sad dreamy
thinking.

Detailed study of the text
(para 18-19)
75. heinous: (literary) wicked in a high degree;
atrocious
 76. humanity’s most heinous crime:
 the most wicked crime mankind has ever
committed
 77. backed away: moved backwards away from
the mayor
 78. I cautiously backed away and headed toward
the far side of the room
 moved toward the other end of the room

Detailed study of the text (para 20)
 79.
you look puzzled: you look bewildered
 80. I must confess that I did not expect a
speech about oysters here:
 I must admit that it never occurred to me
that I would hear the mayor of Hiroshima
talk about oysters.
 81. impact: strong effect
 82. cataclysm: disaster
Detailed study of the text
(para 21-24)
83. I thought that Hiroshima still felt the impact of
the atomic cataclysm:
 I thought that people here had not forgotten the
disaster the city had suffered.
 84. live through: experience and survive
 85. to preserve traces of the bomb: to maintain
and protect
 86. erect: construct; put up
 87.at the point of impact: at the exact point over
where the bomb exploded

Detailed study of the text (para 26)
 88.
time marches on: things are changing;
history is advancing
 89. gay: pleasure-loving ( Note: today it
often refers to homosexual)
 90. bear: carry
 91. burn: an injury produced by fire, heat, or
a heat-producing agent灼伤
 92. hidden wounds and burns: visible and
invisible scars
Text (Part 2)
The hospital in general Sending
 What the narrator smells: Shivers
down the
 Formaldehyde & ether
spine of any
healthy
 what he sees:
visitor
 Stretchers & wheelchairs
 Whom he meets:
 Nurses carrying nickel-plated
instruments

The atomic
section:
 Located on
the third
floor
 17 beds

The fisherman in the hospital
a fisherman by trade
 staying in the hospital
for more than 20 years
 in Japanese pajamas
 What’s wrong with him:
 no burns on the face or
body
 running all over the city
looking for missing
friends & relatives

thinking he had been
spared
 his hair beginning to
fall out
 his belly turning to
water
 his feeling sick
 being tested and
treated in the hospital

The doctor’s explanation & comment
a handful of patients
like the old man
 being kept alive by
constant care
 died as a result of the
injuries
 committing suicide

reasons for committing
suicide:
 Humiliating
 Children will encounter
prejudice
 No one would like to
marry the daughter or
niece
 Genetic damage from
the radiation

The lucky birds
 Making
little paper birds can free him from
the earthly care.
 It can also improve his character:
 Purify his soul
 Improve his moral standard.
The end of the story
 The
narrator didn’t ask the patients the
questions ha had prepared before.
 He thought it was not necessary for him to
ask them because he had read the answer
in every eye.
 The answer was that Hiroshima was not the
liveliest city in Japan.
Detailed study of the text (part 2)
1. smell of: give out a smell of
 2. stretchers and wheelchairs… corridors:
stretchers and wheelchairs are put against
the walls in the corridors.
 3. the very sight … any healthy visitor: even
healthy visitors would shiver when they see
those surgical instruments.
 4. by trade: by occupation; by way of making
a living

Detailed study of the text (part 2)
5. I thought somehow I had been spared: I thought
for some reason or other I had not been affected;
 I thought for some reason or other no harm had
been done to me.
 6. fall out: fall off
 7. my belly turned to water: water began to
accumulate in my belly
 8. I felt sick: I felt nauseous; I wanted to vomit
 9. they have been testing and treating me:
 Testing and treating are used here also to achieve
musical effect; this is called alliteration.

Detailed study of the text (part 2)
10. humiliate: hurt the pride or dignity of
 11. It is humiliating to survive in this city:
 It is a disgrace for an atomic victim to remain alive
in this city (or to continue to live in this city)
 12. …your children will encounter prejudice on the
part of those who do not:
 Your children will be looked down upon by those
who are not atomic victims.
 13. encounter: meet with; face
 14. on the part of : by somebody

Detailed study of the text (part 2)
 15.
genetic: of or relating to genes
 16. People are afraid of genetic damage
from the radiation:
 People fear that the effect of the atomic
radiation may be hereditary ( may pass on
from parents to children ). People suffering
from genetic damage may not be able to
produce offspring or may give birth to
deformed or otherwise unhealthy children.
Detailed study of the text (part 2)
17. lucky birds: According to Japanese tradition, if
one makes one thousand little paper cranes, one’s
wishes will be realized, hence the lucky birds.
 18. each day of suffering that helps to free me
from earthly cares: One more day of suffering
would mean a day nearer my death (would bring
me closer to my death).
 19. earthly: worldly as opposed to spiritual;
 20. care: concern, worry, anxiety

Detailed study of the text (part 2)
21.I have the opportunity to improve my character:
 I have the chance to raise my moral standard, to
purify my soul.
 22. I could read the answer in every eye:
 The expression of the people told me what the
answer was.
 23. read: understand the nature, significance, or
thinking of as if by reading
