Transcript Unit 2

Unit Two
The Woman Who Would Not Tell
American Civil War
April 12, 1861—May, 1865
Causes:
1. The Northerners opposed and wanted to abolished
slavery, or at least to stop its spread to new states.
While the Southerners held that slavery should be
allowed everywhere.
2. The North believed in a strong central government,
that is , the federal government should have more
power than the state government. While most
Southerners regarded the nation as a union of
separate and more or less independent states.
In November, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th
President of the United States.
In December, South Carolina seceded from the Union. By
Feb, 1st , six other states-Mississippi, Florida, Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceded.
Early in Feb, They formed the Confederate States of
America, with Jefferson Davis as President.
Lincoln Government that the Union should be preserved by
force.
On April 12, 1861, the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter in
the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina. The Civil War
began. More states joined the Confederacy and the capital was
moved to Richmond, Virginia.
But I could picture her as she was in the story she
told me.
Paraphrase: I could imagine what she looked like
when the story took place.
picture–to form a mental image of; visualize.
构想，想象使…形成视觉形象
• It is hard to picture life a hundred years ago.
我们很难想象一百年前人们的生活。
--to describe vividly in words; make a verbal picture
of: 描述生动地用语言描绘；制成一幅生动的画：
• He pictured her heroism in glowing language.
他生动地描述了她的英雄事迹
barely:
--by a very little; hardly:
• I could barely see the road in the fog.
--in a scanty manner; sparsely: 简陋地；很少：
• a barely furnished room.陈设简陋的房间
Useful expressions:
bare hill秃山 bare floors 不铺地毯的地板
a tree bare of leaves 没有树叶的树
the bare necessities of life 最起码的生活必需品
bare facts 简单明了的事实
He earns a bare living by his work.他工作收入仅够维持生活。
Bettie Van Metre had good reason to hate the Civil War.
have good reason to do sth.
a. one brother killed
b. anther taken prisoner
c. husband captured and sent to an unknown prison
Question: Why did the author mention this to the readers?
Answer: to form an impressive contrast to what she did next
groan: (V. N.)
--to voice a deep, inarticulate sound, as of pain, grief, or
displeasure. 呻吟, 因痛苦、悲痛或不快发出低而含混不清的声音
--to make a sound expressive of stress or strain
•
The chair gave a groan when fat woman sat down.
当胖女人坐在椅子上时，椅子发出吱吱声。
--to give the sound of discontent, sarcasm or criticism.
•
The speaker was groaned down by the audience.
演讲人被听众嘘下台来。
bearded man
When we want to use a part of something to modify
the word, we can use the pattern N+ed N.
E.g.: a one-eyed dragon
a fair-haired person
a storied building
…her first sight of the bearded man…
on sight--immediately upon being seen
• threatened to shoot looters on sight 看见暴民就威胁要射击
out of sight --remarkable; incredible 奇特的；不可置信的
• The graduation party was out of sight. 毕业生晚会太棒了
sight for sore eyes--one whom it is a relief or joy to see.
乐于见到的人或物
sight unseen--without seeing the object in question
没有看见被谈论的物体
• bought the horse sight unseen. 未经察看买下那匹马
…she should report the presence of this Union
officer to the Confederate army.
…she should report to the Confederate army that
the Union officer appeared in her farmhouse.
presence–
1. the state or fact of being present; current
existence or occurrence.
• Your presence is requested.
敬请光临。
2. a person's bearing, especially when it commands
respectful attention 举止个人举止，尤指引起尊敬的
• a man of no presence
其貌不扬的人
It seemed to me that the only thing that mattered
was to get her husband back to her.
matter- be of importance.
• It doesn't matter about the price buy it,
whatever it costs. 价钱没什么关系; 不论多少钱都买。
• We usually see eye to eye on the things that
really matter. 我们对于重要事情总是看法一致。
James Van Metre’s wife fanned the spark of life
that flickered in Henry Bedell.
fan--to stir (something) up by or as if by fanning:
• fanned the flames in the fireplace;
把火煽旺
• an otherwise quiet employee who fanned
resentment among her colleagues.
一个看似沉默的职员出乎意料在她的同事间煽起仇恨的火焰
spark-- one thrown off from a burning substance.
火星从正在燃烧的物质上掉落下来的火星 (本意）
（引申）--
a vital, animating, or activating factor:
• the spark of revolution.革命的火种
James Van Metre’s wife fanned the spark of life
that flickered in Henry Bedell.
flicker-- to burn unsteadily or fitfully.
（火焰）忽明忽暗不稳地或一阵阵地燃烧
Paraphrase: James Van Metre’s wife brought life
back to dying Henry Bedell.
Of drugs or medicines she had almost none.
Inversed order:
She had almost none of drugs or medicines.
** in order to emphasize on drugs and
medicines.
flare
--to flame up with a bright, wavering light.
（火焰）摇曳燃烧起来，并伴随有明亮、摇曳的光
--to erupt or intensify suddenly: 突然爆发或加剧：
• His tempers flared at the meeting.
他在会上大动肝火
--to become suddenly angry:突然发怒：
• The candidate flared at the reporter's question.
候选人对记者的提问突然发起火来
…a blood-stained paper bearing the official War
Department seal.
Paraphrase: …a paper which is stained with blood
and had the official War Department seal on it.
bear--to have as a visible characteristic; to have as
a quality; exhibit; to carry (oneself) in a specified
way; conduct
• He bore a scar on the left arm.
他左臂上有伤痕
• It bears a thousand different shapes
它有一千种不同的形状。
• She bore herself with dignity. 她举止高贵
seal-n. the design or emblem itself, belonging exclusively to
the user 印信图案或纹章，只属于使用人
•a monarch's seal 皇帝的御玺
--a small disk or wafer of wax, lead, or paper bearing such an
imprint and affixed to a document to prove authenticity or to
secure it. 封缄上有印章的圆形的小蜡片、铅片或纸片，附在文件后用
来证明权威或保证文件的安全
--v. to affix a seal to in order to prove authenticity or attest to
accuracy, legal weight, quality, or another standard;to close
with or as if with a seal. 盖章盖章并以此证明其真实性或证明准确性、
法定重量、质量或其他标准; 封固加印用印章或类似东西封固
• seal the letter with a kiss
“I’m not going to risk the lives of a patrol just to find out.”
--I’m not going to find out whether he’s still alive at the cost
of the lives of a patrol.
Usages of “risk”
• a poor risk for insurance 风险大的保险户
• at risk 在危险中
• at all risks (=at any risk) 无论冒什么危险; 无论如何
• risk everything on a single throw 孤注一掷
• at the risk of (=at risk to) 冒...之险; 不顾...之风险
• run [take] a risk(s) 冒险
• run[take] the risk of doing sth. 冒险做某事
• take no risks 慎重行事
“See that Mrs.Van Metre gets the supplies.”
see that/see to it that--to make sure; take care: 务必；当心
• See that it gets done right away. 确定可以立刻完成
see about--to attend to 料理 to investigate 调查
see through--to understand the true character or nature of
识破理解…的真正特点或特性：
• We saw through his superficial charm. 我们很清楚他的表面功夫
--to provide unstinting support, cooperation, or management in good times
and bad: 帮助…度过（困难）在顺利或艰难时期给予慷慨的支持、合作与安排：
• We'll see you through until you finish your college education.
我们会帮助你直到你大学毕业。
• I saw the project through and then resigned. 我将这个计划完成后就辞职
see to--to attend to 照料
• See to the chores, will you? 你会整理家务吗?
brush aside—disregard, ignore
• He brushed aside all our objections.
• The doctor’s opinions cannot be brushed aside.
--to dismiss abruptly or curtly:
• brush the matter aside;
• brush an old friend off.
The man fell to the ground dead—The
man fell to the ground and was dead.
•A dog is lying there dead.
•This kind of vegetable is impossible to eat
raw.
Stanton wrote a letter of thanks to Bettie and signed an
order to free….
sign--to approve or ratify (a document) by affixing a
signature, seal, or other mark: 签准通过在上面签名、盖章或用
其它记号表示同意或批准（一个文件）
• sign a bill into law 签字批准一项法案
--to hire or engage by obtaining a signature on a contract:
签约通过使其在合约上签字而雇佣或聘请
•The club signed a rookie pitcher for next season
俱乐部为下一个赛季签约雇了一个刚刚参加比赛的投手
• sign up actors for a tour. 为了巡回演出签约雇佣了许多演员
Bettie Van Metre fought back a chilling fear that
her husband was dead.
--Bettie Van Metre tried hard to resist the horrible
feeling that her husband was dead.
chill--a checking or dampening of enthusiasm,
spirit, or joy 沮丧热情、精神或快乐的抵制或降低：
• bad news that put a chill on the celebration.
使庆祝活动变得扫兴的坏消息
-- a sudden numbing fear or dread.
恐惧一种突然的、使人失去知觉的害怕或恐惧
Class discussion:
What do you think of Bettie Van Metre?
What does the author want to reveal to
the readers?