英语时文泛读 Current News Articles for Extensive Reading

1. 英语时文泛读Current News Articles for Extensive Reading BOOK III

2. The Changing English Language

3. I. Overview • In this unit, you will read 3 passages about various aspects of the English language. Read them carefully and you will find it is great fun to use the language for communication.

4. Structure • The English language is changing, just like everything else. In this unit, first of all, the interesting phenomenon of euphemism is introduced in Text A. This can help one to understand that the surface meaning and the intended real meaning of a word or sentence are sometimes very different. Secondly, the English used outside the UK is in a way different from that used in the UK, in terms of some grammatical categories at least. This is shown in Text B. Thirdly, the interesting history of English is introduced, particularly with reference to the Bible.

5. Double Trouble Speak Double Speak, i.e. the euphemistic way of talking, is found in many aspects of people’s life. In the ordinary use of euphemistic words, the difference may be only in the style of language. But in the political use of euphemistic words, subtle difference of attitudes may be perceived. Text A

6. Grammatically speaking, a noun in English does not have a gerund form. However, there is a tendency of using this ungrammatical construction, particularly among non-native speakers of English these days. Like it or not, remember that the English language is changing constantly. The World is Englishing Text B

7. The Holy Bible is not only a religious publication. It also helps to have developed the English language. Moreover, the different versions of the bible in different languages show the long and interesting history of the interaction between this popular publication and the contemporary lingua franca, i.e. the international language today. Bible and the English Language Text C

8. Focus of this session

9. II. Text A Double Trouble Speak • Main Idea of the Text • In medicine, some common uses of language are replaced by more technical ones. In international trade and social work, they are replaced by nicer sounding but more ambiguous words. In the work place, double speak seems to be becoming the norm of talking, especially between the management and the employees. All this are perhaps due to the fact that people prefer using more polite language in formal public situations. However, the double talk, or double speak, by politicians, is produced for other reasons. In short, language style is a clear indicator of people’s social status.

10. Author John Leo (born June 16, 1935) is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and the editor of MindingTheCampus.com, a webmagazine dedicated to chronicling developments within higher education in an effort to restore balance and intellectual pluralism to our American universities. His popular column, “On Society,” ran in U.S. News & World Report for 17 years, and was syndicated to 140 newspapers through the Universal Press Syndicate. Background Information

11. Source U.S. News & World Report is a weekly American newsmagazine. Founded in 1933 as United States News, it merged with World Report in 1948. The magazine’s founder, David Lawrence (1888–1973), sold it to his employees. In 1984, it was purchased by Mortimer Zuckerman, who is also the owner of the New York Daily News. The editorial staff of U.S. News & World Report is based in Washington, D.C., but the magazine is owned by U.S. News & World Report, L.P., which is based in the Daily News building in New York City. “U.S. News & World Report” is scheduled to become a biweekly publication in 2009 Background Information

12. Walt Disney Co. In 1922 Disney and his friend Ub Iwerks, a gifted animator, founded the Laugh-O-gram Films studio in Kansas City. In 1923 Disney produced the short subject Alice in Cartoonland, which turned out to be a surprise hit. In 1927 Disney began his first series of fully animated films, featuring the character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mortimer Mouse and Mickey Mouse, etc. New Disney theme parks were opened in Paris and Tokyo, and DisneyQuests—indoor theme parks featuring interactive virtual-reality arcades—debuted in Orlando, Florida, and Chicago. Today, Disney is divided into four major business segments: Studio Entertainment, Parks and Resorts, Consumer Products, and Media Networks. Cultural Notes

13. Cultural Notes

14. The Church of England In the early 1500s, there was widespread discontent both at the extent of corruption within the English Catholic Church and at its lack of spiritual vitality. Under Henry VIII, in 1534 the Act of Supremacy transferred papal supremacy over the English Church to the crown. Until the 1550’s, under Edward VI, the English Church became Protestant in doctrine and ritual. When Elizabeth I succeeded to restore a moderate Protestantism, codifying the Anglican faith in the Act of Uniformity, the Act of Supremacy, and the Thirty-Nine Articles。From then on, the Church of England (the Anglican Church) attempted, with varying degrees of success, to consolidate its position both as a distinctive middle way between Catholicism and Puritanism and as the national religion of England. However, after the victory of Cromwell’s (frequently Puritan) parliamentarians over Charles’s (frequently Catholic) Royalists in the Civil Wars of 1642-1651, the Anglican Church, by now the Church of England, was largely dismantled. Cultural Notes

15. The Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides/南极犬牙鱼) is one of the largest fishes in the Southern Ocean. They can grow up to 2 m long and weigh over 100 kg when fully grown. Toothfish can live up to 45 years. They are found in the cold, temperate waters (from 50 to 3850 m depth) of the Southern Atlantic, Southern Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans on seamounts and continental shelves around most sub-Antarctic islands. Patagonian toothfish feed largely on squid, fish and prawns and, in turn, constitute a large part of the diets of sperm whales, Southern Elephant Seals and colossal squid. Cultural Notes

16. Republicans The Republican Party was born in the early 1850’s by anti-slavery activists and individuals who believed that government should grant western lands to settlers free of charge. The name “Republican” was chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of Thomas Jefferson’s Democratic-Republican Party. The symbol of the Republican Party is the elephant. For a long time Republicans have been known as the “G.O.P.” And party faithfuls thought it meant the “Grand Old Party.” Presidents during most of the late nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century were Republicans. The White House was in Republican hands under Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Bush. Cultural Notes

17. Democrats The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in the world. The Democratic Party traces its origins to the Democratic-Republican Party, founded by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and other influential Anti-Federalists in 1792. Since the division of the Republican Party in 1912, it has consistently positioned itself to the left of the Republican Party in economic matters. The White House was in Democrats’ hands under Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and now Barack Obama, etc. Cultural Notes

18. The International Society for Stem Cell Research is an independent, nonprofit organization established to promote and foster the exchange and dissemination of information and ideas relating to stem cells, to encourage the general field of research involving stem cells and to promote professional and public education in all areas of stem cell research and application. Cultural Notes

19. Language Points Key Words & Expressions • toss (para. 1): • to throw sth lightly or carelessly （轻松或漫不经心地）扔，抛，掷 • e.g. • I tossed the book aside and got up. （我把书丢在一边，站了起来。）

20. Language Points • back out of (para. 1): • to decide that you are no longer going to take part in sth that has been agreed 退出，撒手 • e.g. • He lost confidence and backed out of the deal at the last minute. （他失去了信心，在最后一刻退出了协议。）

21. Language Points • liable to do sth (para. 2): • likely to do sth 可能做（某事） • e.g. • We’re all liable to make mistakes when we’re tired. （ 人在疲劳时都可能出差错。）

22. Language Points • shake up (para. 3): • (slang) to start/be living with sb that you have a sexual relationship with, but that you are not married to （俚语）和（性伴侣）同居 • e.g. • I hear he’s shacked up with some woman. （我听说他和一个女人同居了。）

23. Language Points • old hat (para. 4): • something that is old-fashioned and no longer interesting 陈腐的事物，过时的东西 • e.g. • Today’s hits rapidly become old hat. （今日红极一时的东西，很快就会过时。）

24. Language Points Difficult Sentences • Many companies now employ a “director of first impressions,” also known as a receptionist. (para.2) • director 意为 “总监”，first impressions 指第一印象，receptionist 是公司的接待员，类似“公关小姐”。用director of first impressions （第一印象总监）来指代receptionist （公关小姐），可见这些公司为了公司形象真是煞费苦心。

25. Language Points • A Pittsburgh steel company, liable to pay workers a great deal of money if it closed a mill, halted all operations and tried to argue that it wasn’t really shutting the place down, just “indefinitely idling” it. (para.2) • liable to pay workers a great deal of money if it closed a mill 是一个形容词短语作定语，等于说 which was liable to pay workers a great deal of money if it closed a mill。argue 后面的第一个 it 指 a Pittsburgh steel company，第二个 it 指 a mill 。

26. Language Points • The list of euphemisms for firings keeps growing. (para.4) • 在这个句子里，firings 是意思最明确的词，指解雇。后面那个句子中表示同样意思的词都是委婉的说法，其实，我们中文里的“下岗”就是一个很委婉的说法，以前有人认为 to be laid off 就可以表达这层委婉的意思，但是，有学者认为 to be between jobs 才是汉语“下岗”最贴切的译法。该句中，keeps growing 是系表结构，keeps 为半系动词。

27. Language Points • Also in England, firing someone is referred to as “icing” from ICE – “involuntary career event.” (para.4) • 参考译文：同样是在英国，解雇某人被称为 icing，这个词来自 ICE， 即“不自愿的职业事件”。值得注意的是，ICE 是个名词，却被当成动词使用，而且有了派生形式 icing（动名词），这不是正好符合本单元 Text B 作者的论点，即 The World is Englishing 吗？

28. Language Points • In America’s clone wars, politicians have argued for years over the alleged distinction between “therapeutic cloning” and “reproductive cloning.” (para.7) • “therapeutic cloning” 指“用于治疗目的的克隆研究”， “reproductive cloning” 指“用于生殖目的的克隆研究”，作者认为，这些其实是一码事，因为作者使用了引号，而且前面他还用了关键词alleged。