新标准大学英语综合教程4(unit1-8)课后答案及课文翻译

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marriage, and The Inferno (vol.3), a study of his religious conversion, delusions and neuroses which reflect Strindberg’s periods of mental instability.

Blaise Cendrars (1887–1961) is the pen name of Frédéric Sauser, a Swiss-born French novelist, shortstory writer, poet, and film-maker, who led a life of constant travel (he was born in an Italian railway train) doing various jobs in Russia, Europe, North and South America and Asia – he is said to have shoveled coal on steam trains in China. He lost his right arm fighting for France in World War I. His prose includes vivid, witty, action-packed novels, like Moravagine (1926), which describe travel and adventure, or works directly inspired by his own experience, like The Astonished Man (1945) and The Cut Hand (1946), and four volumes of memoirs. Miller admired his work and lists ‘virtually the complete works’ of Cendrars as influential reading.

Rémy de Gourmont (1858–1915): a French writer of 50 books: essays, novels and poetry, with a strong interest in medieval Latin literature; as a critic he was admired by T. S. Eliot. He was a librarian at the National Library in Paris; later, a painful skin disease kept him largely at home. He was influential in the symbolist movement in literature. He claimed that a work of art exists only through the emotion it gives us. He asserted the need to get away from the

unquestioning acceptance of commonplace ideas and associations of ideas, and believed it was necessary for thought to proceed by imagery rather than by ideas.

Julius Caesar (110 BC–44 BC): a Roman statesman, known as a great military strategist. As a general he was famous for the conquest of Gaul

(modern France and Belgium) which he added to the Roman Empire. He also made two expeditions to Britain, was governor of Spain and traveled in North Africa and Egypt. He was a good speaker and he wrote several books of commentaries and memoirs on Roman wars and military campaigns. Caesar’s writing is often studied today by those who learn Latin.

The Julius Caesar of literature: this phrase compares Cendrars with Caesar: both were men of action, travelers, adventurers, explorers, who somehow found time to read a lot and write books.

Language points

1 The fact, however, that in the past I did most of my work without the aid of library I look upon as an advantage rather than a disadvantage. (Para 1)

This is irony. Miller is writing about the importance of reading and about key books in his life, but there is a paradox: Only recently has he been able to get all the books he has wanted all his life (ie he now has money, as a best-selling writer, to buy books) and, as a writer, he wrote books without the help of a library. He says that not having books was an advantage. The explanation is probably that Miller’s early writing was a mixture of autobiography and fiction, so he didn’t need to read other books or refer to them to do his own writing. The irony is that he is saying this in a book about the books the influenced him.

2 A good book lives through the passionate recommendation of one reader to another. (Para 3)

Miller thinks that a good part of the ‘life’ of a book is how one reader recommends it to another

with enthusiasm, ie books are about sharing experience, not just the author’s experience in the book and the reader’s experience of reading it, but also the experience of word-of-mouth or face-to-face recommendation by other readers.

3 And the better the man the more easily will he part with his most cherished possessions. (Para 4)

This continues Miller’s thought that books are for sharing. A good person will share things he or she loves. In this case, such a person will give or lend favourite books and such generosity makes friends: When you give books you get friendship.

4 If you are honest with yourself you will discover that your stature has increased from the mere effort of resisting your impulse. (Para 6)

Miller’s argument here is that you should not read everything, but that you should choose very carefully and selectively. This means you should resist the temptation to read some things which are not really going to add to your knowledge or enjoyment (not every book will do this, only some). Here, he says that in this way, we grow (we “increase our stature”). That is, we grow by not reading many books. The implication is that if we choose the very best books and read these few really carefully we will get the best from them – and grow by such selection. Miller discusses 100 books which he things are such books.

5 All on the side, as it were. (Para 7)

Cendrars was a man of action who spent most of his time on travels and adventures. Surprisingly (you would think he did not have time), he read a lot in different languages and even wrote many books – this was in addition to his main activities.

6 For, if he is anything, Cendrars, he is a man of action, an adventurer and explorer, a man who has known how to “waste” his time royally. (Para 7)

Cendrars had a huge reputation as a man of action, travelling, having adventures and exploring different countries and yet he read a lot (he knew how to use the little time available to read). “Waste” is in quotes to show irony (reading isn’t a waste of time), that he reads in a royal manner (ie very thoroughly). The sentence structure here is quite French with the repetition of “he”.

Reading and understanding

2 Choose the best answer to the questions.

1 What does Miller consider to have been an advantage during his writing career?

(a) To have been able to read all the books he wanted.

(b) To have grown up in a room full of books.

(d) The fact that he never wanted to own any books.

2 What did three stars on a book mean in the public library in Miller’s youth?

(a) Young people weren’t allowed to read them.

(b) They were the most popular books in the library.

(d) They were more exciting than one-star books.

3 Why does Miller hope the star system still exists in public libraries?

(a) It is an efficient system which works well.