Lesson 6

1. Lesson 6 • Blackmail • Arthur Hailey

4. Objectives of Teaching • To comprehend the whole text • To lean and master the vocabulary and expressions • To learn to paraphrase the difficult sentences • To understand the structure of the text • To appreciate the style and rhetoric of the passage.

5. Background Information • Title of the novel • Hotel • Arthur Hailey • born and educated in Britain. 1939, RAF, emigrated to Canada 1949. Famous novels: Hotel, Airport, The moneychanger.

6. Setting: • The story happened in a hotel named St. Gregory in New Orleans, Louisiana which is in the south of US.

7. Main character of the novel: • McDermott: assistant general manager of the hotel

8. Characters of the novel: • Ogilvie: chief house detective • the Duke of Croydon: newly appointed British ambassador to the United States • the Duchess of Croydon: wife of the Duke • a prostitute called lady friend by Ogilvie

9. Plot: • Gregory was now at the brink of bankruptcy, but Peter McDermott, the assistant general manager, is trying every means he could to save it. Several events happened during the week with the present text as part of it.

10. Plot: • The Duke of Croydon was an internationally famous statesman and the newly appointed British ambassador to Washington. They occupied the best suite of the hotel--- the Presidential Suite.

11. Plot: • Monday evening, the Duke went to the gambling house. Later, his wife pursued and found him. On their way back, the car Jaguar knocked down a woman and her child. Both killed.

12. Plot: • Then we have the present text. • ... ...

13. Type of writing • This kind of novels are called thrillers.Generally defining, a thriller is a work of fiction or drama designed to hold the interest by the use of a high degree of intrigue, adventure or suspense.

14. Type of writing • Others can be called cop-criminal novels, detective novels. The main purpose is for entertainment, amusement.

15. Type of writing • Very often this kind of novels contain a lot of action, usu. suspension, not very much deep thought, without moral intention, not considered classic.

16. Type of writing • The basic technique is to make the whole story of crime into sth. like a jigsaw puzzle. You can not see the outcome until the final part is put in.

17. Detailed study • 1. blackmail: the obtaining of money or advancement by threatening to make known unpleasant facts about a person or group

18. Detailed study • Croydon: The name of a manor supposed to belong the Duke • Duke / Duchess • marquis(marquess)/ marchioness • count / countess • viscount / viscountess • baron / baroness

19. Detailed study • 2. suite: a set or rooms. A suite in a hotel is usually expensive. The suite the Croydons are staying in is St. Gregory Hotel's largest and most elaborate, called the Presidential Suite.

20. Detailed study • 3. cryptic: hidden, secret, mysterious • 4. excessively frayed • excessive: derog. too much, too great, too large • Excessive rainfall washes out valuable minerals from the soil.

21. Detailed study • If you sell the article at that price, the profit will be excessive. • excessive profit

22. Detailed study • fray: a. to cause rope, cloth etc. to become thin or worn by rubbing, so that loose threads develop • frayed button holes • His shirt is frayed at the neck / elbows.

23. Detailed study • b. to cause a person's temper, nerves, etc. to become worn out • His nerves were frayed by the noises in the street.

24. Detailed study • 5. eventually: in the end, especially after a lot of delays, problems, or argument. • All men will eventually die.

25. Detailed study • 6. dispatch: (fml.) to send away / off with promptness for a particular reason or in order to carry out a particular task • The cruiser despatched boats to rescue the survivors.

26. Detailed study • 7. errand: a short journey made to get sth. or to carry a message • I have no time to run errands for you! • I've got a few errands to do in town.

27. Detailed study • 8. terrier: any of several types of small active dogs, originally used for hunting (for pictures, see Longman) • *image – 1* 狗图

28. Detailed study • Wolf dog 狼狗, • hound 猎狗, • Pekinese 京吧, • pug-dog 狮子狗, • bull dog 牛头犬 etc.

29. Detailed study • 9. tension: (Here) anxiety, nervousness, worry • The doctor said that tension made her ill. • an untrusting or possibly dangerous relationship • International tension should be reduced when this agreement is signed.

30. Detailed study • 10. accompany: to go or come together with • Lightning usually accompanies thunder. • I'll be very glad to accompany you to the church.

31. Detailed study • 11. pointedly: directly, in a noticeable and often unfriendly way, • 12. offensive: causing unpleasant or hurting feelings • to have an offensive manner / language

32. Detailed study • offensive: (n) attack • spring offensive, counter offensive • offend: to hurt the feelings of • His words offended me.

33. Detailed study • 13. piggy eyes: small eyes lost in the mess of flesh. • piggy: dirty, greedy • You are a pig (dirty, greedy, ill-mannered) • I've made a pig of myself.

34. Detailed study • 14. sardonically: disdainfully, showing a feeling of being too good or important to consider a matter or person seriously, scornfully, cynically

35. Detailed study • 15. gross: unpleasantly fat, vulgar, not refined • gross weight / net weight • 16. jowl: the lower part of the side of the face, esp. loose skin and flesh near the lower jaw.

36. Detailed study • 17. gaze: steady fixed look • 18. appoint: to provide with complete and elegant furnishings or equipment • well / badly / luxuriously appointed room

37. Detailed study • 19. encompass: to surround on all sides, to form a circle about, enclose • The enemy encompassed the city. • cf: compass: an instrument for showing direction • a pair of compasses

38. Detailed study • 20. set-up: the arrangement of furniture • 21. flip: to send sth. spinning, often into the air by striking with a light quick blow.

39. Detailed study • 22. butt: large thick or bottom end of sth. • (slang) the part of the body on which a person sits. • 23. décor: the decorative furnishing and arranging of a room, house or stage

40. Detailed study • 24. appreciative: showing admiration, pleasant, understanding • an appreciative audience • appreciate: v. • I’d appreciate it if you would turn the radio down.

41. Detailed study • 25. chuckle: laugh inwardly or quietly, quiet laugh with close mouth • 26. incongruous falsetto voice: • incongruous: not harmonious, absurd, inappropriate

42. Detailed study • Red and green are generally considered in incongruous colours. • a modern building that looks incongruous in that old fashioned village • falsetto: unnaturally high voice by a man, esp. in singing

43. Detailed study • 27. emission: the act of sending out heat, light, smell, sound, etc. • the emission of light from the sun, • of heat from a fire • 28. apparently: easily seen or understo（）od, obviously

44. Detailed study • 29. disgusting: strong feeling of dislike caused by an unpleasant sight, sound or smell, or by bad behaviour, highly distasteful • What a disgusting smell / behaviour.

45. Detailed study • 30. ridiculous: silly, absurd • 31. blandness: gentle or polite in manner or talk

46. Detailed study • 32. adversary: a person or group to whom one is opposed, opponent or enemy.This word implies active hostility • Do as adversaries do, strike mightily, but eat and drink as friends. • cf: rival: a person with whom one competes • a rival in love

47. Detailed study • 33. your high-an-mightiness: (here) used for ridicule, mockery • Your Grace（大人）: to duke, duchess, archbishop • Your Mightiness (大人): to marquis, count,viscount, baron, baroness:

48. Detailed study • Your Highness （殿下）: to prince, princess • Your honour （阁下）: to judge • Your Majesty （陛下）: to emperor, empress, king, queen:

49. Detailed study • Your Excellency（阁下）: to governor, ambassador, archbishop, premier • When directly addressing sb., use His or Her…

50. Detailed study • 34. high-tail: (colloq.) run away in a hurry • 35. throw the book • If you throw the book at sb., you accuse them of every offence that is possible in a particular situation, or give them the greatest punishment that you are allowed to.