搜索
Unit7Unit7TheChaserTheChaserUnit7Culturalinformation1CulturalInformation•Theproposalofmarriageisaneventwhereonepersoninarelationshipasksfortheother’shandinmarriage.•Ifaccepted,itmarksthebeginningofengagement.1.ProposalofMarriageItoftenhasaritualquality,sometimesinvolvingthepresentationofanengagementringandaformalizedaskingofaquestionsuchas“Willyoumarryme?”•Oftentheproposalisasurprise.•InmanyWesterncultures,thetraditionhasbeenforthemantoproposetothewoman.Culturalinformation1CulturalInformation1.ProposalofMarriage•InIreland,thereisacustomthatonleapdaywomancanproposetotheman.2.EngagementCulturalinformation2CulturalInformation•Anengagementisapromisetomarry,andalsotheperiodoftimebetweenproposalandmarriage—whichmaybelengthyortrivial.•Futurebridesandgroomsareoftenreferredtoasfiancéeorfiancésrespectively(fromtheFrenchword“fiancé”).2.EngagementCulturalinformation2CulturalInformation•Longengagementswereoncecommoninformalarrangedmarriages.•In2007,theaverageengagementtimeintheUnitedStateswas17months,butthefigurearoundtheworldvariesgreatlydependingoncultureandcustoms.3.WeddingceremonyCulturalinformation2CulturalInformation•Inwesterncountries,mostnewly-marriedcoupleschoosetohaveaweddingceremonyinthechurchwiththepresenceandblessingoftheirfamilies,friends,andthegod.Culturalinformation2CulturalInformationI,[Groom'sname],takeyou[Bride'sname],tobemywife,mypartnerinlifeandmyonetruelove.Iwillcherishourfriendshipandloveyoutoday,tomorrow,andforever.Iwilltrustyouandhonoryou.Iwilllaughwithyouandcrywithyou.IwillloveyoufaithfullyThroughthebestandtheworst,Throughthedifficultandtheeasy.WhatmaycomeIwillalwaysbethere.AsIhavegivenyoumyhandtoholdSoIgiveyoumylifetokeepSohelpmeGodCulturalinformation2CulturalInformationI,[Bride'sname],takeyou[Groom'sname],tobemyhusband,mypartnerinlifeandmyonetruelove.Iwillcherishourfriendshipandloveyoutoday,tomorrow,andforeverIwilltrustyouandhonoryouIwilllaughwithyouandcrywithyou.IwillloveyoufaithfullyThroughthebestandtheworst,Throughthedifficultandtheeasy.WhatmaycomeIwillalwaysbethere.AsIhavegivenyoumyhandtoholdSoIgiveyoumylifetokeepSohelpmeGodCulturalinformation2CulturalInformationEntreatmenottoleaveyou,ortoreturnfromfollowingafteryou,ForwhereyougoIwillgo,andwhereyoustayIwillstay.Yourpeoplewillbemypeople,andyourGodwillbemyGod.Andwhereyoudie,IwilldieandthereIwillbeburied.MaytheLorddowithmeandmoreifanythingbutdeathpartsyoufromme.BrainTeaser•Whycannotthebridemarrythebestman?•Thebestman:伴郎Theshortstoryisafableoflovewithastrongsarcastictone.Theprotagonist,AlanAusten,wantstofindaneasysolutiontotheproblemoflovebypurchasingalovepotion.However，it’snotthelovepotionthattheoldmanintendstosellprimarily,but“lifecleaner”.GlobalReading-TextAnalysisTextAnalysisThethemeof“TheChaser”isthecynicismofexperience,portrayedthroughAlan’syouthfulnaivetyandtheoldman’spessimisticcertainty.Thetitleofthisshortstoryissomehowapun.“Achaser”canbeapersonthatpursuessomeonelikein“awomanchaser”.Inaddition,itcanrefertoaweakeralcoholicdrinktakenafterastrongone.Awhisky,likethelovepotion,intoxicates.Abeerchaser,likethe“lifecleaner”,mollifiestheharshnessofthespirits.Thelovepotionandthepoisongotogetherlikeastrongalcoholicdrinkandachaser.GlobalReading-TextAnalysisTextAnalysisStructuralanalysisStructuralAnalysisThisshortstory,whichcombineselementsofhorrorandlove,isbuiltalmostentirelythroughdialoguebetweenayoungman,AlanAusten,whoisdeeplyinloveandwantstopossesshisloverentirely,andanunnamedoldmanwhobelievesinalifefreeofromanticinvolvement.StructuralanalysisStructuralAnalysisParagraph1:Inthispart,theprotagonist,AlanAusten,hasbeenintroduced.Paragraphs13-45:AlanAustengottoknowaboutthelovepotionandboughtitintheend.Paragraphs2-12:Theoldmanistryingtosellhismixture:thelife-cleaner.Detailedreading1DetailedReadingTheChaserJohnCollier1AlanAusten,asnervousasakitten,wentupcertaindarkandcreakystairsintheneighborhoodofPellStreet,andpeeredaboutforalongtimeonthedimhallwaybeforehefoundthenamehewantedwrittenobscurelyononeofthedoors.Detailedreading2-32Hepushedopenthisdoor,ashehadbeentoldtodo,andfoundhimselfinatinyroom,whichcontainednofurniturebutaplainkitchentable,arocking-chair,andanordinarychair.Ononeofthedirtybuff-colouredwallswereacoupleofshelves,containinginallperhapsadozenbottlesandjars.3Anoldmansatintherocking-chair,readinganewspaper.Alan,withoutaword,handedhimthecardhehadbeengiven.“Sitdown,Mr.Austen,”saidtheoldmanverypolitely.“Iamgladtomakeyouracquaintance.”DetailedReadingDetailedreading4-7DetailedReading4“Isittrue,”askedAlan,“thatyouhaveacertainmixturethathas…er…quiteextraordinaryeffects?”5“Mydearsir,”repliedtheoldman,“mystockintradeisnotverylarge—Idon’tdealinlaxativesandteethingmixtures—butsuchasitis,itisvaried.IthinknothingIsellhaseffectswhichcouldbepreciselydescribedasordinary.”6“Well,thefactis…”beganAlan.7“Here,forexample,”interruptedtheoldman,reachingforabottlefromtheshelf.“Hereisaliquidascolourlessaswater,almosttasteless,quiteimperceptibleincoffee,wine,oranyotherbeverage.Itisalsoquiteimperceptibletoanyknownmethodofautopsy.”8“Doyoumeanitisapoison?”criedAlan,ver