Lesson 10 – Diogenes and Alexander Lesson ten Lesson ten Diogenes and Alexander ENTER BTLEW

Lesson 10 – Diogenes and Alexander

Lesson tenLesson ten Diogenes and Alexander

ENTERB T L EW


ENTERB T L EW

DiscussionDiscussion

1. what should you do to make your life meaningful?

2. Which life style do you prefer, a simple life or a luxurious life?

Diogenes and a dog 2. what do you think of this kind of lifestyle? Make comments!


3. What did dogs symbolize in the ancient world?

II.II. discussiondiscussion

B T L EW The end of Do you know.

They were symbols of shamelessness.

How do you treat dogs

nowadays?

4. “dog” talkto lead a dog's life

to live in a dog-eat-dog world

to work like a dog

dog-tired

every dog has its day

you can never teach an old dog new tricks.

to let sleeping dogs lie

to rain cats and dogs

Main idea of the text

The text is mainly about two persons with and

without possessions. For Diogenes, he believes that

people should all live a simple life, a life without too

many worldly possessions. While Alexander represents

power and money. They are all free, because Diogenes

does not have any of those desires and Alexander has

power and money to satisfy people’s desires.

Text analysis and Appreciation

Introduction

The main hero in this story is obvious Diogenes. His main idea is that we should all live a simple life. A simple life means a natural life,and a natural life means a life without too many worldly possessions. He believes that our worldly possessions have no true value and tend to take away our freedom and happiness and turn us into slaves. At a time when many people are made to believe that money is everything,what Diogenes says can be a very valuable antidote, something that can help to restore our balance.

About the Text


I.I. Text AnalysisText Analysis

Men should live a free life, a life free from the dependencies introduced by culture, society, civilization and opinion. Men are free when they stop toiling and sweating only for themselves. Great men are free and they are few in number.

Theme of the storyThe theme is summed up at the very end.

To be continued on the next page.

About the Text structure

o Part 1 (para 1-10) Diogenes the beggar: Description of Diogenes as a beggar, a philosopher and a missionary, his life style and doctrine: cynicism

o Part 2 (para 11-13) Alexander the conqueror in sharp contrast to the beggar

o Part 3 (para 14-17) (climax) the dramatic encounter between Diogenes and Alexander

About the Text

style: contrast1.Contrast between Diogenes and Alexander2. Contrast within this contrast 1). The contrast between Diogenes and ordinary beggars between him and ordinary people between him and the other philosophers of his time between him and all those people who are busy

preparing for war between him and all those who are ready to kiss the

boats of Alexander 2). The contrast between Alexander and other

Macedonians

Words and Expressions


Word StudyWord Study

1. acclaim

v. to praise enthusiastically and often publicly n. enthusiastic applause Examples:

Penicillin was acclaimed as the most

important discovery during the 1940's.

He was acclaimed as the winner.

B T L EW

acclamatoryacclamationSynonym

applausepraise hail

Word formation



2. content

a. a. satisfied b. willing

v. to make satisfied n. a. something contained b. subject matter of a written work c. substantive or meaningful part d. proportion of a specified substance

B T L EW

Word formation

contentedcontentmentdiscontented

be content to dobe content withcontent oneself withto one’s heart content

Collocation




Examples:

She was content to step down after four

years as chief executive.

She is content with very little.

He contented himself with one piece of cake.

The brain is hungry not for method but for

content.

B T L EW



11. emulate

v. to strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation

Synonyms

Example:

You must work hard to emulate your

brother's success.

B T L EW

rivalimitatecopyfollow



fiery hair a fiery sunset fiery cheeks a fiery boil a fiery temper a fiery denunciation

15. fiery

火红的头发火红的夕阳发红的脸蛋红肿的水疱暴躁的脾气激烈的控诉

B T L EW

a. flaming, growing, passionate like fire



v. a. to compliment excessively and often insincerely

b. portray favorably

Examples:What really flatters a man is that you think him worth flattering.The photograph flatters its subject.

16. flatter

B T L EW

Synonym

complimentpraise

Guffaw, grin, titter, chuckle, giggle

guffaw: to laugh loudly and perhaps rudely eg. A loud guffaw came from the back of the room.

grin: to smile widely so as to show the teeth, expressing amusement, foolish, satisfaction, contempt etc.

eg. He grinned at me, as if sharing a secret joke.

titter: to laugh quietly in a high voice, esp became you are nervous.

eg. At the word “sex”, some of the class tittered.

chuckle: to laugh quietly to oneself. eg. I could hear him chuckling to himself

as he read that funny article. giggle : to laugh repeatedly in an uncontr

ollable manner, esp by young girls . eg. The girls went into a fit of (the) giggle.

发出一阵傻笑


Word StudyWord Study17. hollow

a. a. having a cavity( 窝，腔） , gap, or space within b. sunken c. without substance or character d. devoid （没有，空虚） of truth or validity

Examples: a hollow wall a hollow person hollow footsteps hollow in one's life His bearded face already has a set, hollow look. Theirs is at best a hollow form of flattery.

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20. neglect

v. to pay little or no attention to; fail to heed （注意） ; disregard n. habitual lack of care

Examples: If you neglect this property, it will

depreciate.

Don't neglect to lock the door.

He was criticized for his neglect of duty.

B T L EW

Word formation

negligibleneglectfulnegligentnegligence

Synonyms

ignoreoverlook

Translation: 这次意外是由于疏忽所致。

The accident was due to negligence.

至于这些小数目，可以不计算在内。Since the quantity is negligible, it may not be taken into account.

男孩子往往不注意自己的仪表。

Boys are often neglectful of their appearance.

stroll Note the differences between totter, walk, pace, st

roll, shuffle, stagger. stroll: to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way. eg. We strolled around the park for an hour or so. shuffle: to walk slowly and nosily, without lifting o

ur feet off the ground. eg. The old man shuffled along the sidewalk. stagger: to walk or move unsteadily from side to si

de as if you are going yo fall over. eg. He staggered under the weight of the box.

totter: to walk or move unsteadily, almost falling over.

eg. The baby stood and tottered forwards. walk: to move along putting one foot in fro

nt of the other. eg. We must have walked ten miles today. pace: to walk with slow, regular, steady ste

ps, usually backwards and forwards. eg.He paced nervously up and down the h

ospital room, waiting for news.

Homework 1. Convention, custom, habit, tradition 2. Hollow, empty, vacant, bare 3. convert, change



6. convention

n. all habits or traditions

Examples:

It is the convention for men to wear suits on formal occasions.

By convention, north is at the top of most maps.

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Word formation

Synonyms

conveneconventionalunconventional

customhabitstradition

Notice the subtle differences between the following synonyms convention, habit, custom, tradition

convention: behavior and attitudes that most in a society consider to be normal and right.

custom: sth. which has been done for a long time by a group, for example, a school ,company, or society, perhaps every year.

habit: sth. that you do regularly, often without thinking about it because you have done it so many times before.

tradtion: it is similar to a custom, but may be older and passed down from parents to their children.

Questions in Part 1

What kind of person Diogenes is?


Question : Ss are asked to make a description of the man on the picture of P288?(shoeless, beard, long hair, half-naked, scoop, lunatic)

Part 1 (para. 1)



Structure of the text

Topic


Supporting details

Appearance of a beggar

Daily life typical of a

beggar

Attitude&behavior of a

beggar

Sanity of a philosopher

Diogenes, a beggar, not a lunatic

Part 1 (paras. 2-3)

Part 1 (para. 4)




topics

Diogenes’ doctrine on house & the reason he chose to live in a cask


topic

Diogenes, a philosopher, who preached his theory of life by his personal practice of doggishness

Part 1 (paras. 5-9)

Part 1 (para. 10)(Transitional Paragraph)




topics

Diogenes, a missionary, an actual public practitioner of cynicism, who was different from hermits or other great philosophers of his time


topic

Diogenes, in his natural state of a free man, to receive his visitor

Diogenes: Greek cynic philosopher, who decided to live like a dog and the word “cynic” means “dog” in Greek. He rejected all conventions － whether of religion, of manners, dress, housing ,food, or of decency. He advocated self-sufficiency and extreme simplicity in life. In fact, he lived by begging.

Pay much attention to the author’s way to describe a person.

The author not merely gives details of his appearance, but also reveals his character, thought, and feelings which may be shown in what he does and says, or in how he behaves to others.

And it’s important to grasp the characteristic features that distinguish him from all other people.


Language points and analysis in Part 1

1.He had opened his eyes…, done his business like

a dog at the roadside, … eaten them squatting

on the ground, and washed them down with a

few handfuls of water scooped from the

spring. (1)

“-ful” is used as a noun suffix.

lifted out as if with a ladle

had answered nature’s call like a dog

go to 2

----had done his business like a dog: What method is used?

Euphemism

scoop up 舀起 ( ladle)

2.Everybody knew him, or knew of him.

“To know sb.”:you are quite familiar with the person

“to know of sb.”: you have been told read or heard about this problem

Examples: 1)To know everything is to know nothing. 2)I know of a shop where you can buy things li

ke that. 3) I know of him from the newspaper but don’

t know him.


3. Sometimes they threw bits of food, and got scant thanks; sometimes a mischievous pebble, and got a shower of stones and abuse. (1)

A pebble (a small round stone, indicating the teasing manner of the pitcher) is sharply contrasted with a shower of stones.

A pebble playfully thrown by a naughty person

Repetition, the second is followed by a paralleled structure

go to 4

3. Sometimes they threw bits of food, and got scant thanks; sometimes a mischievous pebble, and got a shower of stones and abuse.

What method is used?

1). Contrast: A pebble (a small round stone, indicating the teasing manner of the pitcher) is sharply contrasted with a shower of stones.

2).Transferred epithet: an adjective transferred from the noun it should modify to another to which it does not belong


II.II. Writing Writing DevicesDevices

… sometimes a mischievous pebble…

Transferred epithet: an adjective transferred from the noun it should modify to another to which it does not belong

Transferred epithet

“Mischievous” modifying the person who threw a pebble

The end of transferred epithet.

There was an amazed silence.

“Amazed” describing the people who were amazed

An epithet is an adj., used to modify a noun.

It is a figure of speech, where an adj. is transferred from the noun it should modify to another noun, to which it does not belong.

More examples:

A dizzy height A sleepless night A winning football season A murderous life An icy look

1)He threw a reassuring arm around my shoulder as were waiting for the court to open.

2)Whether you are surrounded by the noisy friendliness of a pub or whether you are seated in the peaceful comfort of someone’s home, you will be sipping( 啜饮） away on a drink.

3) Franklin Roosevelt listened with bright-eyed smiling attention, saying nothing, and applauded heartily with the rest.

4) I enjoyed the cool support of the water. 5)They prolonged the clasp( 握手） for the p

hotographers, exchanging smiling words.

Question: What are the

features of transferred epithet?

Out of one’s expectation but rather acceptable

Original Thought-provoking( 引

人思考） Concise Reflecting the autho

r’s way of understanding the world

4. He knew they were mad, each in a different way. . (1) In what way, do you know?

He knew they were mad, each in a different way.

Some were mad about money;

some were mad about power;

some were mad about sex, etc.

5. It was not .. .even a squatter's hut.. . (2)

A squatter is a person who lives in an empty building or on a piece of land without permission and without paying any rent. A squatter's hut naturally is in a poor condition.


It was not a house, not even a squatter’s hut. (2)

A crude or makeshift dwelling or shelter

A general term for a dwelling place for a man or his family

He did not live even in a deserted hut.

go to 5

6..He thought everybody lived far too elaborately, expensively, anxiously.（ para.2)

far too: too… Eg； The room was small and contained far too much

furniture. Paraphrase: He thought that our life is too complicated, too costly, a

nd gives us too much pressure.

Related phrases of “far” Your work is far from (being) satisfactory. This is the far and away the best book I have read this

year. (usu modifies superlative degree, and means “undoubte

d”) He really went too far when he hit me in the face. (do sth. too much or in an extreme way, esp so that peop

le get angry.) You conduct,as far as I can see, is absolutely unjustifia

ble.(up to a particular point )

Convert V.S. CHANGE

WORDS ending with the suffix “-ware”SoftwareHardwareGlasswareSilverwareOvenware( 耐热盘碗）ironware

7.He was not the first to inhabit such a thing. But he was the first who ever did so by choice, out of principle. （ para.3)

by choice: voluntarily e.g. I did not become a teacher by choice. I was assigned to be a

teacher as was the practice in our time. But soon I began to like my job.

out of (principle): because of ， based on a principle e.g.

Out of principle you should not give the contract to your relative's company.

More examples of the use of “out of ” ； 1). I opened the box out of curiosity and found it filled w

ith gold.

2). I decided to visit him out of respect.

3). She began to learn how to cook out of interest, not out of necessity.

Paraphrase:

He was not the first to live in a cask. But he was the first who ever did so because he wanted to, based on a principle, and not by necessity, not because he was forced to.

Paraphrase:

He was not the first to live in a cask. But he was the first who ever did so because he wanted to, based on a principle, and not by necessity, not because he was forced to.

8. But he taught chiefly by example.

Diogenes also taught by talking to people, but he mainly taught by setting an example for others to learn.

9. Live without conventions, which are artificial and false; escape complexities and extravagances: only so can you live a free life. （ para.4) ( the differences of the words: convention, habit custom, tradition)

Paraphrase: Diogenes despised conventions believing them to be arti

ficial and false. Only when you live without artificial and false conventi

ons and avoid complex lives can you live a free life.


Live without conventions, which are

artificial and false; escape complexities and

extravagances: only so can you live a free

life. (4)

Only when you live without artificial and false

conventions and avoid complex lives can you

live a free life.go to 9

Inverted order

More examples



back to 8

More Examples:

Only in this way can we learn English well.

Only if all their conditions are met will the strikers go back to work.


10.In order to procure a quantity of false,

perishable goods he has sold the only true,

lasting good, his own independence. (4)

People get only some false and easily spoiled material goods at the cost of their own everlasting independence.

Antonyms to show contrastantonyms

go to 10

Root repetition

goods: possessions and personal propertiesgood: positive moral quality, goodness, virtue

Paraphrase:

In order to get a certain amount of material properties or worldly possessions which actually have no value and will not last, he has allowed himself to be controlled by those things and has given away his own independence which is the only thing that is true and can last.

Diogenes is using the analogy of “restamping the currency” to mean the change of human values.

11. His life’s aim was clear to him: it was “to restamp the currency”: to take the clean metal of human life, to erase the old false conventional markings, and to imprint it with its true values. (5) (What does it mean?)


Writing DevicesWriting Devices

AnalogyAnalogy chiefly used for the purpose of persuasion

The end of Analogy.

His life’s aim was clear to him: it was “to restamp the currency”: to take the clean metal of human life, to erase the old false conventional markings, and to imprint it with its true va

lues.

Analogy developed through parallel similarities

Analogy v.s. Metaphor Analogy:Drawing the similarities between

one thing (or process) and another in order to facilitate explanations.

Metaphor 比喻 An expression which describes one thing or

idea using words usually used of something else but with very similar quality, e.g. sunshine - smile, rain came down in buckets. [an object exploited for its imagined qualities]

Examples:

There‘s no analogy between his position and yours. 他的见解与你的并无相似之处。

The author explained the movement of light by analogy with that of water.

作者通过对水的运动的类比来解释光的运动 He cast back (in his mind) to the fiction of his own region fo

r a helpful analogy 他回忆自己所写的小说，以寻找有用的类比。 We know nothing of what will happen in future, but by the

analogy of past experience.——Abraham Lincoln 除了凭着过去的经验加以类推之外，我们对于未来所将发生的事

情一无所知。——林肯

Diogenes and his father were once convicted for defacing( 毁损 ) the coins.

Human life , in his opinion, is like clean metal, but marked with false and conventional values.

His life task is to remove those false markings and imprint a true value on it.

12.Diogenes took his old cask and began to roll it up and down. “When you are all so busy,” he said, “I feel I ought to do something! (What does this show about his attitude towards war?)

This shows Diogenes's attitude towards war. He obviously thinks that war is silly. War is fought over land and other worldly possessio

ns. Therefore it does not make any sense for people who

do no care for these possessions.


Diogenes took his old cask and began to roll it up and down. “When you are all so busy,” he said, “ I feel I ought to do something!” (9)

When the Corinthians were busy preparing for the coming war, Diogenes rolled his cask up and down to ridicule their silly behavior.

The end of Sentence Paraphrase.

Sharp contrast between Diogenes and the Corinthian people attitudes and behavior

13.Now he was lying in the sunlight, contented and happy, happier (he himself used to boast) than the Shah of Persia. (10)

(What function is this sentence?) shah: formerly king of Iran

Notice that this sentence serves as the transition to the second half of the article which describes the other chief character: Alexander.

Oral Practice

Retell a typical day in Diogenes’ life with the help of the following words and phrases：

（ scratch, do his business, beg, squat, scoop, stroll, scant thanks, a shower of stones and abuses, mock, satire, convert, barrel, inhabit, lighted lamp)

Questions in Part 2 The author describes the conqueror, Alex

ander. Questions: How would you contrast Diogenes and Alexander? What do you know about Alexander? What had he learned from Aristotle? What do you think made him decide to see Dioge

nes? Please describes the conqueror, Alexander.

Text Analysis

1. Only twenty, Alexander was far older and wiser than his years. (12)

than his years: than his age would suggest

Paraphrase: Alexander looked far older than a man of his age normally d

oes, and was much wiser than a man of his age normally is.

Notice the modifiers of comparatives: far better; much wiser; a lot more mature; a great deal more complex; a head taller; twenty miles longer; five minutes earlier etc.

2.. .... the young prince slept with the Iliad under his pillow and longed to emulate Achilles, who brought the mighty power of Asia to ruin. (12)

emulate vt. try to do as well as or better than sb. esp. through

imitation.

The struggling companies want to emulate the successful overseas competitors.

Achilles

A hero of the Trojan War, son of Peleus and Thetis( 海洋女神忒提斯（ Thetis ）与国王佩琉斯（ Peleus ） ) 的儿子 . During his infancy his mother plunged him in the Styx, thus making his body invulnerable except for the heel by which she held him. During the Trojan War, Achilles killed Hector but was later wounded in the heel by an arrow shot by Paris and died

Achilles

In Greek mythology, Achilles (Ancient Greek: Ἀχιλλεύς) was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.

Achilles also has the attributes of being the most handsome of the heroes assembled against Troy.[1]

Later legends (beginning with a poem by Statius in the first century AD) state that Achilles was invulnerable in all of his body except for his heel. Since he died due to an arrow shot into his heel, the "Achilles' heel" has come to mean a person's principal weakness.

Homer

Homer (Ancient Greek: Ὅμηρος, Hómēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. The ancient Greeks generally believed that Homer was a historical individual, but modern scholars are skeptical: no reliable biographical information has been handed down from classical antiquity,[

paraphrase： Aristotle taught Alexander poetry. The young prince pa

rticularly loved Homer's poems, so much so that he would sleep with the Iliad under his pillow and longed to follow Achilles's example. His dream was to use his power for the exchange of Greek and Middle Eastern cultures.

3. He taught him philosophy, in particular the shapes and uses of political power. (12)

the shapes and uses of political power: how the government is organized and how it fun

ctions.

4.a large corps of scientists (12)

a large corps of : a large group of people working together to do a particular job.

A corps of technicians is/are accompanying the band on their tour.

Similar phrases: a crowd of； a large quantity of

Thanks to Aristotle's instructions, Alexander was immensely interested in science. During his invasion of Persia he took with him a large corps of scientists and shipped back hundreds of zoological specimens back to Greece for study

Questions in Part 3 Their dramatic encounter (climax)

Questions: 1)What does the brief dialogue mean to you? 2)Why did Diogenes say that Alexander blocking the sunlight?3)Did Alexander know what he meant? 4)Why did Alexander say that if he were not Alexander, he should be Diogenes? Did the two have anything in common?

1.He was the man of the hour, of the century.

the man of the hour:

the most successful, important, powerful, or talked about person of the present time.

e,g. Pollution is one of the serious issues of the hour. 2. to seek employment with him (13) to ask for an appointment from him; to beg the king to

assign them to a certain position; to look for a job from him

3. With his handsome face, his fiery glance, his strong body, his purple and gold cloak, and his air of destiny, he moved through the parting crowd toward the Dog's kennel. (14)

fiery glance: passionate or fierce look air of destiny: the air of someone who has the power to de

termine the course of events in future. the Dog's kennel: the humorous reference to Diogenes's c

ask.


a piece ofbits of a few handfuls ofa crowd ofa quantity ofa large corps of hundreds of

back to 5

air of destinyman of the century man of the hourfigure of Hercules

use of “of”

the trouble of kickingthe city of Corinth

amount typical of

that is

citizens of the world

possession Please find more uses of

“of” in the text.

purple

The symbol of powere.g. to be born in the purple 出身名门 marry into the purple 嫁入豪门

4. When a king approaches, all rise in respect. Diogenes merely sat up on one elbow. When a monarch enters a place, all greet him with a bow or an acclamation. Diogenes said nothing. (14)

Contrast is used: Notice how the author makes contrasts in this essay. Som

etimes he uses conjunctions like "as" and "while", but often he does not use any conjunctions at all, like in this sentence above.

5. Alexander spoke first, with a kindly greeting. Looking at the poor broken cask, the single ragged garment, and the rough figure lying on the ground, he said: "Is there anything I can do for you, Diogenes?" (15)

1). kindly: It is all adjective, not an adverb.

2). ragged garment: The "-ed" in the word "ragged" is pronounced. More examples:

their beloved leader; one blessed morning; a wicked man; my aged parents; a rugged coastline

6. "Yes," said the Dog. "Stand to one side. You're blocking the sunlight."(16)

When Alexander asked Diogenes whether there was anything he could do for him, he of course was thinking of money, power, a job, a decent house or a warm garment. But Diogenes did not want any of these. What he wanted from the king was not to block the sunlight, not to interfere with his life, not to stand in his way.

Notice that "blocking the sunlight" here has both a literal and a symbolic meaning.

The dialogue between them

When they met, Alexander said, “I am the great king, Alexander.”

“And I, I am Diogenes,” replied the philosopher. “Aren’t you at all afraid of me?” went on Alexander. “Are you good or wicked?” asked Diogenes. “I am good,” said Alexander. “Eh! Whoever is afraid of what is good?” exclaimed Di

ogenes.

Alexander admired the spirit and frankness of Diogenes, and said to him,

“You are poor, Diogenes. I will be very glad to help you. Ask me for anything you want.”

“Please step aside a bit,” answered Diogenes. “You are standing between me and the sun.”

7. There was an amazed silence. Slowly, Alexander turned away. A titter broke out from the elegant Greeks. The Macedonian officers, after deciding that Diogenes was not worth the trouble of kicking, were starting to guffaw and nudge one another. (17)

a) amazed silence: transferred epithet. It is of course "the people" who are amazed, and not "silence".

b) the differences between the following words: smile, grin, guffaw, titter, laugh, chuckle, giggle

8. They took it as a paradox... (17) They regarded it as a paradox.

paradox: a statement that seems impossible because it contains two ideas that are impossible but both true. e.g. The more haste, the less speed. That is a familiar paradox.

People often say that many hands make light work. But the paradox is, in some cases, too many hands spoil the broth.

9. He was what Diogenes called himself, a "citizen of the world". Like Diogenes, he admired the heroic figure of Hercules, who labored to help mankind while all others toiled and sweated only for themselves. (17)

a) "a citizen of the world": a man whose mission is to help mankind. ("Mankind" is now considered old-fashioned. It is replaced by "humanity". )

b) to toil and sweat: to work very hard for a long time Example: ·The laborers toiled and sweated during the hot summer. c

C ) Notice how the author makes contrast by using "while" and "like". e. g.

Like her father she is extremely talented and honest.

10. He knew that of all men then alive in the world only Alexander the conqueror and Diogenes the beggar were free. (17) ( Why did Alexander think so? What did they have in common?)

Alexander thought that he was free because he had absolute power and Diogenes was free because he didn't need any power.

→They are in common because both of them are free. Alexander is free because he has all the power and money to satisfy people’s desire; Diogenes is free because he does not have any of those desires. He treats power and money as dirt. And it is for the same reason that Alexander admits that like himself, Diogenes is a citizen of the world, and if he were not Alexander, he would be Diogenes.

Retell the encounter of the Diogenes and Alexander with the help of the following words and phrases.

( move, contented, circle, tottering drunks, realm, congratulate, employment, kennel, rise, respect, sit up on the elbow, bow, acclamation, silence, block, titter, guffaw, nudge)

V. Style and writing skills 1. Style type of writing: description & narration


V. Style and writing skills 2. Writing skills


way of developing paragraphs: contrast

This essay is an excellent example of contrast, the contrast of two legendary figures.Diogenes—the beggar vs. Alexander—the conquerorTheir encounter—the dramatic contrast

Other contrast in the text:Diogenes vs. ordinary beggars/ ordinary people/ other philosophers of his time/ all those people who are busy preparing for war/ all those who are ready to kiss the boots of Alexander.Alexander vs. other Macedonians

Figure of speech adopted in this lesson


Simile: it is a comparison between distinctly different things and the comparison id indicated by the word “as” or “like” 明喻 Many examples can be found in paragraph one.Euphemism: it is the substitution of a mild or vague expression for a harsh or unpleasant one. 委婉语 “…done his business like a dog…” in para one more examples : to die to pass away, to leave us mad emotionally disturbedParallelism: the structural similarity of two sentences. 排比 “sometimes they threw bits of food, and got scant thanks; sometimes a mischievous pebble, and got a shower of stones and abuse.”

Paradox: a statement that seems impossible because it contains two ideas that are both true. 隽语

“‘If I were not Alexander, I should be Diogenes.’ They(the followers) took it as a paradox” in para 17

The more haste, the less speed. That is a familiar paradox.

Synecdoche: when a part is substituted for the whole or the whole 提喻

“the Dog ” in para 16 stands for Diogenes

Transferred epithet: an epithet is an adjective or descriptive phrase that serves to characterize sb. or sth. A transferred epithet is one that is shifted from the noun it logically modifies to a word associated with that noun. 修辞语移置

“amazed silence” in para 17 of course “the people” who are amazed, and not “silence”.

Lesson 4 - Wisdom of Bear Wood

VI.VI. Hercules Hercules

Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alcmene, a hero of extraordinary strength who won immortality by performing 12 labors demanded by Hera.

The end of Hercules.

A hero of superhuman strength and courage who performed twelve immense tasks or “labors” imposed on him and who after death was ranked among the gods

A man of exceptional strength or size

罗马神话中的赫丘利或者赫拉克勒斯（ Hercules ）。宙斯 (Zeus) 与阿尔克墨涅 (Alcmene) 之子。他神勇无比，完成了十二项英雄伟绩，被升为武仙座，是白羊座的守护神。

在现代语言中，他的名字是“大力士”的同义语。

Documents

Lesson 10 – Diogenes and Alexander Lesson ten Lesson ten Diogenes and Alexander ENTER BTLEW