英美散文名篇选读上U2.pptVIP

Unit 2 Nine Years for A and B Wilma HU About the Text The present text is a review of Caught in the Web of Words, a biography of James A. H. Murray by his granddaughter K. M. Elisabeth Murray. Text Comprehension Paragraph 1 Murray was the man who made the greatest dictionary, the O. E. D. Paragraphs 2-3 To make the O. E. D. is a great amount of work How did Dr. Johnson define the word lexicographer? What did he mean? Dr. Johnson had earned the right, as we have not, to call the lexicographer a harmless drudge (an understatement). (P. 2) Text Comprehension Lexicographer: a writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge, that busies himself in tracing the original, and detailing the signification of words.---Samuel Johnson Even other author may aspire to praise; the lexicographer can only hope to escape reproach, and even this negative recompense has been yet grated to very few.---Samuel Johnson Text Comprehension P.2-3　 What does “it” refer to in the sentence “Even the dictionary maker fortunately cant make it real to himself in advance” (P. 2)? What makes the lexicographer think that the letter A is typical? Is it really typical? Is there a typical letter? The hardest words are the ones that might seem easiest from the lexicographical point of view. Does this apply to the study of English as a second language?--- “set”, “black” (look them up in the dictionary) (black despair) Text Comprehension P.2-3 Paraphrase The whole idea of a typical letter is a will-o-the -wisp. (P. 3) Language Points grasp at vista chase up plunge into Paragraph 4-5 Murray overcame the three great difficulties of space, time and money to make the dictionary Why does the lexicographer have to run against time? Text Comprehension P. 4-5 Explain the title of Elisabeth Murray’s biography of her grandfather. What does the reviewer think of the book? Sentence Analysis He has to because unless he gets a move on he will fall further and further behind, while the dictionary is taking longer to record