Choose to Be Alone on Purpose
Unit 5
课文内容概要
• The article looks at two contrasting sides of solitude: the American hero or literary giant who choose to be alone and how solitude is seen as promoting both a strong character and creative inspiration; the people who are forced to choose loneliness. • 文章着眼于独处的两个截然不同的斱 面：一是选择独居的美国式英雄或者 文学巨匠，对他们而言，独处可以促 迚其坚定的品格和创作灵感；一是被 迫选择独处的人。
5. Thoreau, alone in his cabin on the pond, his back deliberately turned to the town.Now, that's character for you. (Para. 2) Meaning: Thoreau stayed alone in his cabin on the pond, with the intention of rejecting the life among others in the town. Now this has become the lifestyle of ordinary people.
3.The solitary hunter or explorer…(Para. 2) solitary: a. (of a person or an animal) enjoying being alone, frequently spending time alone; alone, with no other people or things around a solitary existence隐居生活 a poor and solitary life 孤苦伶仃的生活 The solitary boat looked tiny in the sea. 孤舟 在大海上显得很渺小。
10.They all speak highly of themselves for seeking it out,… (Para. 3)
seek out: find (sth. or sb.) by looking hard How can we seek out a really good person for the job? 我们如何才能寻找到 真正适合这项工作的人？
1. …all 22 million of us by recent count, alone in our rooms,… (Para. 1) by count: by calculating the number of units in a group By our count that's the fifth cake you've eaten.
tame v. 1）make sb. or sth. easy to control制服，控制并利用 tame a river治理河流 Atomic energy has been tamed and harnessed for useful work. 原子能已被控制并得到实际应用。 2）train an animal or bird not to be afraid of humans and to be obedient驯 化，驯服 tame a tiger驯虎 He tamed the wild horse. 他驯服了那匹野马。 a. (esp. of animals) not wild or fierce, either naturally or because of training or long involvement with humans (尤指动物）温顺的，驯化 的 The birds in the park are quite tame and will take food from your hand. 公园的鸟很温顺，它们会吃你亲手喂给它们的食物。
Para.2a
Loneliness may be a sort of national disease here , and it’s more embarrassing for us to admit than any other sin . On the other hand , to be alone on purpose , having rejected company rather than been cast out by it , is one characteristic of an American hero .
Parts Paragraphs Part Ⅰ Para.1
文章结构分析
Main Ideas
Living alone is a common social phenomenon. By recent court, all 22 million people live alone for one reason or another. What people think of living alone.
我们数了一下，这是你吃的第五块蛋糕。
Compare: at the last count The number of students was 665 at the last count. 最后一次点数时，学生的人数为665人。
2. Some of us divorced, some widowed, some never yet committed. (Para. 1) Meaning: Some of us live alone after divorcing marriage partners, some of us live in solitude because the marriage partners passed away, some solitary conditions result from the fact that some of us have not yet married.
Para.3
Inspiration in solitude is a major commodity for poets and philosophers . They’re all for it . They all speak highly of themselves for seeking it out , at least for an hour or even two before they hurry home for tea .
Para.2b
The solitary hunter or explorer needs no one as they venture out among the deer and wolves to tame the great wild areas . Thoreau , alone in his cabin on the pond , his back deliberately turned to the town . Now , that’s character for you .
6. Thoreau, alone in his cabin on the pond,…(Para. 2) pond: n. an area of water smaller than a lake, often artificially made The ice was thick on the pond. 池塘里的冰结 得很厚。 7. Inspiration in solitude is a major commodity for poets and philosophers. They're all for it. (Para. 3) Meaning: Inspiration in solitude is the most useful thing for poets and philosophers. They are all in favor of it.
The author’s comments on living alone.
Part Ⅳ Para.11~16
• 本文是一篇议论文，论述了在当今 社会中，一部分人愿意独处的生活 斱式及作者对这种现象的看法。文 章以著名作家华兹华斯、弥尔顿及 梭罗的独处斱式为例，说明他们的 成功与独处是有一定关系的。最后 作者提出了对独处的认识及对读者 的建议：保持理性。
Choose to Be Alone on Purpose
Para.1~3
Para.1
Here we are , all by ourselves , all 22 million of us by recent count , alone in our rooms , some of us liking it that way and some of us not . Some of us divorced , some widowed , some never yet committed .
New words
solitary a. alone; lonely; without companions 独自的，孤独的 a solitary traveler 一位孤独的旅行者 A solitary tree remained standing after the hurricane. 飓风过后，惟有一棵树孤one as they venture out among the deer and wolves to tame the great wild areas. (Para. 2) venture out: risk going somewhere that might be dangerous or unpleasant I'd rather not venture out in pouring rain if I don't have to! 如果不是非出去不可，我可不 愿冒着倾盆大雨出去。