Death of a Pig

1. Death of a Pig E.B. White

2. Key points of the text • White’s writing style: choice of words and humorous tone, free and smooth style • White’s feelings to the death of pig • Rhetorical devices:euphemism, personification, parallel structure, biblical allusion, metaphor, alliteration • Key words: synonyms • (1) In one’s mind / on one’s mind • (2) bruise / chafe / blemish • (3) Recur / occur /concur / incur • (4) Glitter, gleam, glance, glimmer, spark, sparkle, shimmer, sheen

3. Detailed study of the Text • Para. 1: What is the setting of the story? • Ailing: sick • Feel driven to: feel compelled to • account for • (1)To constitute the governing or primary factor: • E.g. Bad weather accounted for the long delay. • (2) To provide an explanation or justification: • E.g. The suspect couldn't account for his time that night. • (3) make up a particular amount or part of sth. • E.g. Repeat purchases account for 73% of our sales. Accountable (for / to) adj. Accountability N.

4. Afflict: to make someone suffer or experience serious problems. be afflicted with / by. (passive) E.g. It is a country afflicted with famine. He has been afflicted with arthritis; N. Affliction. E.g. the afflictions of old age. Personal deterioration: personal failing In decent health: in good health Sit up: stay up late

5. Para.2: scheme and tragedy • What is a usual scheme of raising a pig? What is the ending of a tragedy? • enact: (1) act out, as on a stage. • E.g. enacted the part of the parent. • a drama enacted on a darkened stage. • (2) to make a proposal into law. • E.g. Congress refused to enact the bill.

6. Fidelity: Faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances. fidelity to one‘s spouse; fidelity to one's word of honor. premeditated: (of crime, bad action, unpleasant remark, etc. ) deliberately planned. Premeditated murder or the first degree murder.

7. Para.2-3: What rhetorical device is used? • Tragedy, script, slips, actors, goes up in his lines, performance stumbles and halts, cast in the role of…, character, prop, the play • Metaphor is used • Para.3: What is the classic outline of the tragedy? • To buy a piglet in Spring, feed it through summer and fall, and butcher it in winter. It is not supposed to be sick any time in between.

8. presentiment: a feeling that something is going to happen, esp. something bad. Slapstick: A boisterous form of comedy marked by chases, collisions, and crude practical jokes. Para.3: How did he feel about the death of his pig?

9. vigil: (1) a period of staying awake, esp. at night, in order to keep watch or to pray. E.g. For 3 weeks, Jeff kept a vigil while his son lay in a coma. (2) A silent political sit-in, esp. during the night. E.g. Over 200 demonstrators help a candlelit peace vigil in front of the US embassy. Vigilant adj. Vigilance. N. E.g. Please remain vigilant at all times and report anything suspicious.

10. Preside at / over — be chairman; 作主席。 be the head or director of … 主持，管理。 E.g. The Prime Minister presides atmeetings of the Cabinet. The city council is presided over by the mayor. to the core: in a way that affects all your feelings or your character. E.g. That women is rotten to the core. When I saw the accident, I was shaken to the core.

11. Para. 4 • What may cause the pig’s sickness? • Pigpen: pigsty, pigyard, pighouse • Pen: V. E.g. to pen the sheep in for the night; • to pen up the dogs in the back yard. • penned animals • root: to search for food by pushing with its nose. • Apply: to be relevant • Think well of: to have positive attitude to sth.

12. Para.5-7 • What suggestion did the doctor give the author to treat the pig? • do the trick (turn the trick): To bring about the desired result.达到期望的目 • plug up: to stop up or obstruct. • The pig suffers from indigestion or constipation.

13. Para.8 • catch up on: to do sth. that should have been done before. 赶做,补做 • E.g. I just want to go home and catch up on some sleep. • Be caught up in : be involved in sth. unwillingly • E.g. Children who are caught up in the crime are getting a lot of media attention • Odds and ends • Tend to: to pay attention to; to attend to. • E.g. I have no time to tend to my diary. • 没有时间留心写我的日记

14. in (close / quick ) succession: E.g. She won the championship four times in succession; a succession of : E.g. A succession of visitors came to the door. The Queen’s succession to the throne. In succession What rhetorical device is used ? Parallelism Deviation: a difference from usual or expected way of doing sth. Here it refers to the change of the original pattern .

15. Para.9 • desultory: showing you have no plan or enthusiasm for what you are doing. • E.g. A desultory talk; desultory reading • A desultory society refers to a community where there is not much purpose or plan, or which is characterized by a leisurely or idle life. • Human intercourse: human communication • The evil hour / day: a time when you expect something unpleasant or difficult to happen.

16. Para.10-12 • What new symptoms did the author find in the pig? What rhetorical devices are used in Para.12? • Para.10: • Muffle: to make a sound less easier to hear • right: to put someone or sth back into their usual upright position. • Para.11: • frowning expression: unpleasant • The set smile: the fixed smile

17. In one’s mind / On one’s mind • In one’s mind: in one’s brain • E.g. I don’t know what’s going on in her mind. • I kept turning the conversation over in my mind. • One one’s mind: keep thinking about something and worrying about something • E.g. With Jim losing his job and her mother being sick, Jim has had a lot on his mind. • Sarah, you look worried, is there something on your mind?

18. Bruise N &V. • a mark that you get on your body if you are hit or you knock against something. • E.g. He was covered in bruises after falling off his bicycle. • Her face was badly bruised in the crash.

19. chafe: N.&V. • sore place on the skin caused by rubbing. • E.g. Put a soft pad under the saddle to avoid chafing the horse’s back • Her skin chafes easily. • Chafe (at/under sth) : become irritated or impatient (because of sth) • E.g. The passengers sat chafing at the long delay. • Blemish: a flaw or defect • E.g. Cosmetics are often used to conceal facial blemishes.

20. euphemism • ( good speech, sweet talk, gilded words, cosmetic words) — the use of a pleasant, polite or harmless sounding term in the place of those considered unpleasant, rude, or offensive. • disabled people: disabled, handicapped, inconvenienced • the physically / mentally handicapped / challenged; • poor people: the economically deprived / underprivileged / disadvantaged; the have-nots

21. Being fat: heavy, gain weight, put on weight; matronly being old: senior citizen; golden age, sunset years, advanced in age; senile excretion: wash one’s hand, relieve oneself, answer the call of nature, pass air, powder one’s nose, May I please be excused?

22. Poor students: underachievers; exceptional students, a below average student; be pregnant: anticipate, expect, full of heir, in a certain condition . in an interesting condition / situation / state

23. death: be at peace, be home and free, final sleep, be no more, be at rest, be asleep in the arms of God. pass away, breathe one’s last, join one’s ancestors, join the majority, kick the bucket; return to dust, He was both out of pocket and out of spirits by that catastrophe. I’m afraid she can’t act that part --- she is a little on the plump side.

24. Para.13 • What was the weather like? Why is there a description of weather? • Unreasonable spell of weather, hot, close, fog, • spell: a period of time, usually a short one when there is a particular type of weather; • E.g. a hot / cold / dry spell / in a spell of • close: oppressively warm and stuffy. • Scale: to rise or lift • Blot out: (1) to cover sth. so that you can no longer see it. To make obscure; hide. • E.g. clouds blotted out the moon. • (2)To destroy utterly; annihilate: • E.g. War blotted out their traditional way of life.

25. Weanlings: A newly weaned child or young animal. Ruse: a clever trick used for hiding your true intentions. E.g. Her apparent illness was merely a ruse. Crave: To have an intense desire for sth. Revulsion: a sudden, strong change or reaction in feeling, esp. a feeling of violent disgust. E.g. News of the atrocities produced a wave anger and revulsion.

26. Para.14 • How does the author relate an ailing pig to life in general? • Settle over: to begin to have an effect on someone or something. • E.g. Fear settled over her heart. • Derive from: get or obtain… from • E.g. to derive great pleasure from one's studies • A earnest (of) : a promise or assurance

27. Vicarious: felt as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another. Vicarious pleasure/satisfaction /excitement. E.g. He read about mountain climbing and experienced vicarious thrills. Transitory: Existing or lasting only a short time; short-lived or temporary:

28. Para.15-16 • How does the author describe his dog? • Vile, make professional calls, wobble, stagger, stethoscope dangling, quack, squeeze, ,drink, test, a tower of strength, inconvenience • vile: wicked, disgusting • wobble: To move or rotate with an uneven or rocking motion or unsteadily from side to side. • Corrosive: Spitefully sarcastic • E.g. corrosive criticism; corrosive wit. • corrode. V.

29. quack: someone who pretends to have medical knowledge or skills. Assume full charge: to take charge of potency: the strength of a medicine, drug or chemical. E.g. Improper storage may decrease the potency of the drug. To one’s liking: something that people like or approve of E.g. Let’s see if we can find something that’s more to your liking.

30. A tower of strength: someone you can depend on to work hard or to help in a difficult situation.中流砥柱 “inconvenience” means the dog was always in the way although he meant well. carnival: A festival or revel: E.g. winter carnival / a carnival atmosphere / a street carnival colonic carnival: when the pig was given irrigation, the dog was excited. He welcomed this event as a festival. Contrast is used here.

31. Para.17 • What did the author do after he failed to free the pig from his misery? • Biblical allusion: the silver cord; in the bowl of my mind • silver cord : Emotional bond, close ties • in the bowl of my mind: Very much on my mind, the bowl refers to head

32. Para.30: • …I knew that what could be true of my pig could be true also of the rest of my tidy world. • recur: happen again or repeatedly , as in talk or memory • E.g. The symptoms tend to recur. • recur to sb / sth : (of ideas, events, etc) come back into the mind • E.g. Our first meeting often recurs to me/my mind. • a recurring problem, error, illness

33. Recur, occur, concur, incur • Occur: To take place • concur: To occur at the same time; coincide. • E.g. Everything concurred to produce a successful result. • Incur: cause oneself to suffer (sth bad); bring upon oneself • E.g. incur debts / great expense / sb's anger

34. Para.32-35 • Paraphernalia: The articles used in a particular activity; equipment : • E.g. a photographer‘s paraphernalia. • Skiing / climbing / jogging paraphernalia • Overhaul: V. (1) examine (sth) carefully and thoroughly and make any necessary repairs • E.g. have the engine of a car overhauled • (2) catch up with and overtake (sth) • The fast cruiser soon overhauled the old cargo boat.

35. Overhaul N. thorough examination followed by any necessary repairs E.g. I've taken my typewriter in for an overhaul. The engine is due for an overhaul. 那台发动机该大修了 Take a rectal reading Pick up: to bring into range of sight, hearing, radio or TV reception A feeling of relief

36. Glitter, gleam, glance, glare, Glimmer, glisten • Glitter N. & V. : the reflection of such bright, intermittent flashes. • E.g. a necklace glittering with diamonds • the glitter of decorations on a Christmas tree 圣诞树上饰物的璀灿光华 • Gleam: reflected brightness, as from a polished surface; a faint light • E.g. The gleam of a lamp 一盏灯闪烁的微光 • Glance: A quick flash of light; a gleam. E.g. glancing lights 闪烁的灯光 • Glare N. & V. : a bright unpleasant light which hurts your eyes. • E. g: the harsh glare of the desert sun 沙漠中耀眼强光。 • Glimmer: light that is not bright. • E.g. a glimmer of candle 蜡烛微弱的光线

37. Spark, sparkle, shimmer, sheen • Spark: a small bit of brightly burning materials produced by a fire • 火星，火花 • E.g. The spark of genius • Sparkle: a number of brief, bright intermittent flashes. • E.g. He has eyes that sparkle. • There was a sudden sparkle as the fireworks were lit. • Sunlight was sparkling the waves. 阳光使波浪闪闪发光 • Shimmer: a soft light that looks as if it shakes slightly. • 发微光, 闪闪发亮. • E.g. The shimmer of the desert air in the midday heat .中午酷热时分沙漠热气中发出的闪光 • The lake shimmered in the moonlight. • Sheen: Glistening brightness; luster:闪烁的光辉；光泽 • E.g. the sheen of old satin in candlelight.旧缎子在烛光下的光泽

38. Para.36-41 • Para.36:What was the pig like during the last day? • At intervals:不时, 相隔一定距离 • Attend: to take charge of: • E.g. They attended our affairs during our absence. • Para.37: What was the expression on the pig’s face? How did the author feel? • Mild, expressive • Cried internally __ deep hemorrhagic inters

39. Para.38: • What’s the main idea of it? • The scene of the grave being dug: dismal, sorrowful, sad, gloomy • overcast: with a sky full of clouds. • dismal: dark and gloomy • E.g. To take a dismal view of the economy. • imminence :N. likely or certain to happen very soon, esp. said of danger, evil or misfortune. • Adj.Imminent. • E.g. A declaration of war now seemed imminent.

40. Garnish:N.vegetable, herb, etc used to decorate a dish of food or add to its flavor E.g. a garnish of mixed herbs 什锦装饰菜料. V. garnish sth (with sth) : to decorate (food for the table) with small additional amounts of food E.g. fish garnished with slices of lemon garnish

41. Para.39-41 • How does the burial of a pig generally differ from human burial? • Words related to funeral • burial, undertaker, foul parlor, wreath, spray, pallbearer, post-mortem, ghoul, grave, premature expiration, departure,mourner • Para.39: Undertaker: funeral director (euphemism for mortician) • business of an undertaker: 殡仪业. • A wake of: a track or course of anything that has gone before or passed by. • Pallbearer: One of the persons carrying or attending a coffin at a funeral. 抬棺者

42. Para.39 • foul: adj. (1) Unpleasant smell. • E.g. I gulped down some water to take the foul taste out of my mouth • (2) Very dirty. E.g. foul air or water. • (3) rude words. E.g. foul language. • V. & n. (1) to do something that is not allowed by rules. • E.g. A player fouled in the penalty area • (2) to make something very dirty. • Foul up: to spoil something, to do something wrong.

43. Para.39 • perverse: unreasonable, or doing the opposite of what is expected or wanted. • 任性的,不合情理的,一意孤行的. • E.g. He gets some kind of perverse satisfaction from embarrassing people. • N. Perversion. 性变态, 歪曲, 曲解. • bereavement: the situation you are in when a close friend or family member has just died. • E.g. She was absent because of a recent bereavement.

44. Para.40 • Ghoul: A grave robber. 盗坟者 • file: To march or walk in a line.成纵列行进 • In file: walking in file 鱼贯而行 • feign: to pretend to have a particular feeling or to be ill or asleep. • E.g. Feigning a headache, I went upstairs to my room. • Be possessed of: to have a particular quality, ability, knowledge, etc. • E.g. She is possessed of a wonderfully calm temperament. 她性情非常文静.

45. Para.41 • How did the author and Fred do to show their memory of the dead? • Premature expiration / death / baldness / senility • a premature infant / end • Expiration / Departure : death; • Expire: 1) die; • E.g. The patient expired early this morning. • 2) terminate • E.g. My membership in the club (passport) has expired. • In penitence: regret for wrong doing • In grief: in sorrow

46. Assignment (Mid-Term Paper)Due time: April 29th, 2011 • Selective written work (300-400 words) • 1. Can you illustrate on the author’s humorous description of the death of a pig？Is there any feature about such humor? • 2. Comment on Death • 3. Make comments on any topics relevant to the first four texts.