The Loons

1. The Loons Margaret Laurence

2. Unit 9: Teaching Aims • the comprehension of the text and the language points • the paraphrase of complicated sentences • the enlargement of the vocabulary • the appreciation of the styles of composition and devices of figuration

3. 4 5 1 Background Information 3 Unit 9(1): Procedures 2 Structure and stylistic Analysis Students’ presentation Detailed Study of paras. 1-2 Assignment

5. an analysis of the surroundings • an analysis of Piquette’s personality • an analysis of Piquette’s changing • an analysis of Piquette’s death. • an analysis of the loons

6. The Author The loons Métis 1 2 3 Background Information

7. Margaret Laurence玛格丽特·劳伦斯(1926-1987)

8. Margaret Laurence • Born in Manitoba, Canada(曼尼托巴省) • Educated at the University of Winnipeg(温尼伯大学) • Marring Jack Laurence, a civil engineer in 1947 • Margaret Laurence and her husband left for England In 1949 • They lived in Africa from 1950 to 1957 (Somalia; Ghana )

11. she moved with her two children to England in 1962 • In the early 1970s, Margaret Laurence returned to Canada for good • Margaret Laurence Fund; • The Margaret Laurence Award for Excellence玛格丽特劳伦斯优秀作品奖

12. Concerning such as nuclear disarmament, the environment, literacy, and other social issues. • Writing about women & their struggles for self-understanding & acceptance

13. Laurence’s Works ( on Africa) • A Tree of Poverty • 《贫困之树 》1954 • This Side of Jordan • 《约旦河岸》1960 • The Prophet’s Camel Bell • 《预言人的驼铃》1963 • The Tomorrow Tamer • 《驾驭未来的人》1963 • Long Drums and Cannons • 《长鼓与大炮》1952-1966

14. Laurence’s Works ( on Canada) • The Stone Angle 《石头天使》1964 • A Jest of God 《 上帝的嘲弄》1966 • 1967 Governor General’s Award（总督奖） • “Rachel, Rachel” • The Fire-Dwellers 《受煎熬的人》1969 • A Bird in the House 《笼中鸟》 1970 • The Diviners 《先明者》1974 • 1975 Governor General’s Award winner

15. essays • Heart of a Stranger 1976 • 陌生的心灵 • The Olden Days Coat 1979 • Six Darn Cows 1979 • The Christmas Birthday Story 1980 • Dance on the Earth 1987 (posthumously published)

16. The loon

17. Loons are excellent swimmers. • Loons are poorly adapted to moving on land, and usually avoid going onto land, except when nesting. • All loons are decent fliers. • They are protected in Canada.

18. 1 dollar: Loonie

19. The Loons 潜鸟 • Being very special creatures • Being man-shy and only being heard at night when they start their cry-like calling • It is said that one that has heard the loons cry, will not ever forget it.

20. Métis • People of mixed European and Indian (Cree, Ojibwa, or Saulteaux) blood • (French Métis; Anglo Métis) • They spoke either Métis French or a mixed language called Michif • Manitoba (Part of Red River)

22. Louis Riel, leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. The red river rebellion to protect the rights of the Métis to gain rights for when the settlement is annexed into Canada.

23. Structure Analysis • Part I. Para 1 – 2 • Introduction of the novel, when, where, who, etc. • The general background

24. Structure Analysis • Part II. The whole story • Para.3 – Para.70 • Section 1. Para.3–Para.15 • Introducing Piquette • Section 2. Para.16 – Para.47 • Days together with Piquette at Diamond Lake • Section 3. Para.48– Para.62 • Second meeting with Piquette several years later • Section 4. Para.63– Para.70 • Piquette’s death

25. Structure Analysis • Part III. Para. 71 – the end. • The fate of the loons

26. Stylistic Analysis • Characters • Plot • Point of View (The first-person narrator) • Theme

27. Why did Piquette die in the end? • Did she commit suicide or just die accidentally? • What are the fate of the loons and the fate of Piquette? • What do the loons symbolize?analogy

28. an analysis of the surroundings

29. paragraph 1------general reading • Para. 1: introduction of the story: where when, and who, etc • Answer ? • In a clearing at the centre of the thicket stood the Tonnerre family’s shack.

30. paragraph 1 • Riel: • Louis Riel(1844-1885) led two rebellions of Indians and Metis (梅提斯人, people of mixed French and Indian blood). Riel was hung at the latter rebellion. • Jules Tonnerre The background of the story

31. paragraph 1 • scrub: • small bushes and trees矮树丛 • chokecherry: • North American cherry tree with very sour fruit that is usually eaten cooked 稠李 • thicket: • a group of bushes or small trees growing closely together灌木林 • E.g. a dense thicket of bamboo

32. paragraph 1 • Just below Manawaka…in a dense thicket • (translation) • 马纳瓦卡山下流淌着一条名叫瓦卡科瓦的小河，浑浊的河水咆哮着冲打着河边的鹅卵石.矮小的橡树、灰绿的柳树和北美稠李丛，茂密地生长在山脚下，形成一片林地。

33. paragraph 1 • In a clearing… family’s shack: • Clearing: • an open space in a forest where there are no trees • shack: ----house? • a small building, usually made of wood or metal, that has not been built well • 简陋的小木屋 • Translation • 林中央的空地上矗立着Tonnerre家的小木屋。

34. paragraph 1 • the basis: • 地基 • a small square cabin : • 四方形的小屋 • made of poplar poles: • 用杨木柱子搭成 • chinked with mud: • Chink: a narrow opening in something • closed the opening of … with mud • 木头与木头之间糊着泥巴

35. paragraph 1 • Riel: • Louis Riel(1844-1885)1869年加拿大从哈德逊海湾公司手中购买了卢伯特地区，11月，Riel带领梅提斯人占据了Fort Garry 地区。1885年， Riel带领梅提斯人发动武装叛变，被镇压，并处以绞刑。

36. paragraph 1 • Metis: • 梅提斯人，北美印第安人与欧洲人的混血，包括英裔混血与法裔混血 • As the Tonnerres…and rusty tin cans: • …had increased: • the family had become larger and larger

37. paragraph 1 • settlement: • a small or isolated community, village • The village is a settlement of just fifty houses. • be added to: • be expanded

38. paragraph 1 • The clearings at the foot of the town hill was a chaos oflean-tos, wooden packing cases, warped lumber, discarded car tyres, ramshackle chicken coops, tangled strands of barbed wire and rusty tin cans.

39. paragraph 1 • a chaos: • a complete disorder or confusion 混乱，乱作一团 • lean-tos: • 披屋，单坡棚 • Wooden packing cases: • 木制包装箱 • warped lumber： • 变形的木料

40. paragraph 1 • Discarded car tyres: • 废弃的轮胎 • Ramshackle chicken coops: • 摇摇欲坠的鸡窝 • Tangled strands of barbed wire : • 缠绕在一起的带刺的铁丝 • rusty tin cans: • 生锈的罐头盒

41. paragraph 1 • (translation) • 披屋，单坡棚,木制包装箱, 变形的木料, 废弃的轮胎, 摇摇欲坠的鸡窝, 缠绕在一起的带刺的铁丝, 生锈的罐头盒

42. Analyzing • Tonnerre family’s shack. • chinked with mud, • the clearing at the foot of the town hill was a chaos of lean-tos, wooden packing cases, warped lumber, discarded car types, ramshackle chicken coops , tangled strands of barbed wire and rusty tin cans.

43. Questions • What about their living condition? Did they live together with local people? • Can you guess their identity?

44. Paragraph 2 • An introduction to the Tonnerres • Question? • What about the Tonnerres’ language and their identity?

45. Paragraph 2 • halfbreed: • a person whose parents are of different ethnic types • Patois: • a form of language, a provincial or local dialect • 法裔混血儿讲的语言，既不是法语，也不是英语（象征了其边缘生存的特点）

46. Paragraph 2 • broken: • not fluent • obscenities:---bad words • offensive remarks (concerned with sex)粗话 • They did not …, either: • They didn’t have a proper and suitable place among the Cree.

47. Paragraph 2 • They were neither flesh, fowl, nor good salt herring: • Neither fish nor fowl • 在白人统治的社会里， 梅提斯人不仅仅处在社会边缘，作为混血儿，他们遭到歧视、被嘲讽、“不伦不类”，并不被主流社会所接受。 • odd jobs: • small jobs of various types

48. Paragraph 2 • section hands: • sb. who does the maintenance work 养路工 • C.P.R. • 加拿大太平洋铁路公司 • live on relief: • receiving government aid

49. Paragraph 2 • With a face which was totally unfamiliar with laughter: • who looked deadly serious , never laughed • offer for sale: • offer for purchase, to be sold

50. Paragraph 2 • full of bruised wild strawberries: • full of strawberries with injured face • I had only bruised my knee . • …had time to change her mind: • had time to decide not to buy the bruised strawberries