Unit 8 The Discus Thrower

1. Unit 8 The Discus Thrower November 2, 2014 1

2. About the author: Richard Selzer • An American surgeon (1928-) • Awards: National Magazine Award, American Medical Writer's Award

3. The Discus Thrower • Myron  • Discobolus (Discus thrower) • 460-450 B.C. Marble copy of  bronze original.  

4. Discussion: Why is the short story entitled “The Discus Thrower”

5. Doctor and patient

6. Pre-reading Questions: • 1. How do you think a dying man will most probably behave? • 2. How do you think the relationship between doctor and patient?

7. Text structure

8. The first part (Para. 1) • The narrator tells us a professional habit of his and justifies himself for it.

9. Language Points: • 1. spyv (pt, pp spied) [I, Ipr] ~ (on sb); ~ (on/into sth) keep watch secretly 暗中监视; 窥探: spy on the enemy's movements * I'm sure my neighbours spy on me.

10. 2. stance n. ~ (on sth) moral or intellectual attitude (to sth); standpoint （对某事物的）态度; 立场: He maintains a rigidly right-wing political stance. * What is your stance on corporal punishment?

11. 3. assemble v [I, Tn] (cause people or things to) come together; collect 集合; 收集: The whole school (was) assembled in the main hall. * assemble evidence, material, equipment, a collection of objects. >assemblyn. 集会, 集合

12. 4. he might the more fully assemble evidence? • …he might gather evidence more fully than without spying? • the structure “all/ so much/ none + the + the comparative” • Sometimes all can be omitted. • 1) She was waiting for the spring. She felt the younger for it. • 2) I walked around for two hours yesterday, and the doctor said I was none the worse for it. • 3) I know there’s danger ahead, but I am all the more set on driving forward.

13. 4. furtiveadj done secretly and quietly so as not to be noticed 偷偷摸摸的; 鬼鬼祟祟的: a furtive glance * furtive movements • >furtivelyadv. furtiveness n [U].

14. Questions: • 1. what is unique about the narrator as a doctor? • 2. What does the author mean by asking the question “ought not a doctor…?

15. 5. tanv (-nn-) [I, Tn] (cause sth to) become brown by exposure to the sun （使某物）晒成褐色, 晒黑: My skin tans easily. * You look very tanned -- have you been on holiday?

16. 6. rustv [I, Tn, Tn.p esp passive] ~ (sth) (away/through) (cause sth to) be affected with rust （使某物）生锈; （使某植物）生病: Brass doesn't rust. * The hinges had rusted away, ie been destroyed by rust. • > rust n. 铁锈 • rustyadj 生锈的；生病的

17. Rusted and tanned, brown

18. 7. vile repose • vile a. extremely disgusting 非常讨厌的; 可憎的: a vile smell, taste, etc * use vile language • repose n [U] (fml) 1 rest; sleep 休息; 睡眠: Her face is sad in repose. • 2 peaceful state; tranquility 安静; 安宁: win repose after months ofsuffering

19. 8. snowboundadjblocked or prevented from leaving a place by large amounts of snow被雪困住的: travelers who are snowbound at the airport

20. 9. bonsain [U and C] a tree that is grown so that it always stays very small, or the art of growing trees in this way盆栽, 盆景艺术>bonsaiadj

21. 10. prunev • 1) [Tn, Tn.p] ~ sth (back) trim the shape of (a tree, bush, etc) by cutting away some of the branches, etc, esp to encourage new growth 修剪（树木等）: She has been pruning the roses. • 2) [Tn, Tn.p] ~ sth of sth; ~ sth down reduce the extent of sth by cutting unnecessary parts 精简某事物: She's pruning down the novel at the publisher's request. • > pruningn [U] 修枝; 修剪

22. 11. dwarfn (pl ~s) person, animal or plant that is much smaller than the normal size 矮子; 侏儒; 矮小的动物或植物 • >dwarfv [Tn] make (sb/sth) seem small by contrast or distance 使（某人[某物]）相比之下显得小:

23. Yao dwarfs all the people.

24. 12. facsimilen [U, C] exact copy or reproduction of writing, printing, a picture, etc 精确的复制品, 模本: reproduced in facsimile, ie exactly * [attrib] a facsimile edition

25. 13. prop v. to support something by leaning it against something支撑prop sth against/on sthe.g. He propped his bike against a tree.

26. 14. awkwardadj 1) causing difficulty, embarrassment or inconvenience 造成困难﹑ 尴尬或不便的: You've put me in a very awkward position. • 2) lacking skill or grace; clumsy 不灵活的; 笨拙的: I was always an awkward dancer. • > awkwardlyadv.awkwardness n [U].

27. 15. stump n. • 1) remaining part of an amputated limb 残肢. • 2) anything similar that remains after the main part has been cut or broken off, or worn down 残余部分: the stump of a pencil, cigar, tooth

28. 16. glazev1) [I] alsoglaze over : if your eyes glaze over, they show no expression, usually because you are very bored or tired（指眼睛）变呆滞, 变得无生气: Sometimes his eyes would glaze over for a second or two.2) [T] to cover food with a liquid which gives it an attractive shiny surface给某物覆上薄而亮的透明表面: Glaze the rolls with egg-white.> glazedadj dull and lifeless, esp with expressionless eyes 呆滞无神的; 光滑的

29. 17. inertadj 1) without power to move or act 无行动或活动能力的: She lay there inert; I thought she must be dead. 2) (derog) heavy and slow in action, thought, etc; without vigour 迟钝的; 呆滞的: an inert management team • >inertly adv.inertnessn [U].

30. 18. athwartadv, prep (esp nautical) obliquely across (sth); from one side to the other side (of) 横跨着; 横穿过; 从一边到另一边: The ship was anchored athwart the harbour mouth.

31. 19. slantv [I, Ipr, Tn, Tn.pr esp passive] lean in a particular direction; not be straight 倾斜; 歪: Her handwriting slants from left to right. * The picture is slanted to the left.

32. 20. accomplicen person who helps another to do sth wicked or illegal 从犯; 帮凶: The police arrested him and his two accomplices.

33. Questions: • 3. Why does the narrator compare the patient to a bonsai? • 4. Why is the patient’s ward empty of all possessions? • 5. When the doctor asks how he feels, he respond with a question “feel?” What does this show?

34. 7. Why does the man ask for a pair of shoes? • 8. What’s the head nurse’s attitude toward the patient? What’s the doctor’s? • 9. Why does he laugh? • 10. Why does the narrator say the laughter could cure cancer?

35. The third part (Para. 14-15) • This part tells about how the man is found dead and what secrets the doctor discovers about him.

36. 21. graveadj (-r, -st) 1) (fml) (of situations, etc) needing careful consideration; serious （指情况等）需认真考虑的, 严重的, 严峻的: This could have grave consequences. * a sick person in a grave condition 2) (of people) serious or solemn in manner （指人）严肃的, 一本正经的: He looked grave. `Is there anything wrong?' I asked. • > gravely adv

37. 22. dignifiedadj behaving in a calm and serious way, even in a difficult situation, which makes people respect you有尊严的; 高贵的: a dignified old lady *She made a dignified departure. • > dignify vt. 使有尊严

38. Questions: • 11. How is the man found dead? • 12. What kind of death did he die?