Where Do We Go from Here? ---- Martin Luther King Jr.
Teaching arrangement
Key points: features of King’s speech (clarity;persvasive)
Cultural background (Bible) Figures of speech New words learning Key paragraphs and sentences analysis
Part I: Pre-readingIntroduction to the writer
Martin Luther King, Jr.(1929-1968): “I Have a Dream” Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on January 15,
1929 at his family home in Atlanta, Georgia. King was an eloquent Baptist minister and leader of the civil-rights movement in America from the Mid-1950s until his death by assassination in 1968. King promoted non-violent means to achieve civil-rights reform and was awarded the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
Introduction to the writer
Assassination.On April 4, 1968, King was shot by James Earl Ray while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. He was only 39 at the time of his death.
Martin Luther King Day: the 3rd Monday of Jan.
Part I: Pre-readingSocial Background
Turbulent times in 1960s. Racism/ economic exploitation/ war (triple e
vils) King’s solution to the problems;
Guide to Reading Turbulent: adj. Violent; disorderly; stormy. e.g. a turbulent period of history. the turbulent winds boycott: to refuse to attend or do business with. r
efuse to sponsor ( boycotting foreign imports 抵制外国货物进口 )
Supremacist: some one who believes their own race is much better than others and they should have power and control.
triple: of three parts. Triple crown/ triple jump. tri-: of three. (très) (triangle; trident; trilogy 三部曲; tricolor) riot: rebel; a violent protest by a crowd of pe
ople.
Part II: While readingText explanation
It’s not easy to educate a people who have been told over centuries that they were inferior and of no importance to see that they are humans, the same as any other people.(para.3)
blot: a disgraceful act or quality. grim: sinister; gloomy. foul: disgusting; revolting. A lie concerning a trivial matter used for good intention i
s certainly better than a sinister lie. 一个善意的谎言总比一个恶意的谎言要好。 败家子.
Strip: to remove; take off. To cultivate in him (the black) a sense of inferiori
ty. Homicide: murder/the killing of a human being
by another human being. upset: to defeat or overthrow unexpectedly. Self-abnegation: self-denial/self-control/
self-renunciation . (Metaphor) 肉体奴役的漫漫长夜.(漫长历史)
Text para.6.
in terms of: from the point of view of;with regard to Legitimate: correct and allowable; lawful e.g. I'm not sure that his business is strictly legitimate whimsical: oddly out of ordinary; eccentric. It's only a whimsical story for children. 这不过是一个希奇古怪的儿童故事。
被剥夺了决定自己生活和命运的权利,他只能听任这个白人当权的社会结构作出的决定的摆布.这些决定是专断的,有时甚至是反复无常的。
status quo: existing state of affairs. e.g.They are opposed to changes in the ta
x laws and want to maintain the status quo.
bring about: to change the direction of; to cause. off base: (sl.) completely or foolishly mistaken; u
nprepared. abhor:hate very much;detest. e.g: Most people abhor cruelty to children. industrious: hardworking;diligent. He succeeded both because he was industrious a
nd because he had many friends to help him. fiber:quality;strength. dislocate: put out of order; disrupt.
-fold: used with numbers to make adjectives or adverbs.
事实上,人们从事改善人类环境的工作,从事传播知识、增强实力、丰富文学财富以及升华思想的工作并不是为了谋生。
result from: be caused by. to put God’s children on their own two feet right her
e on earth: to put them in a healthy condition. futility: uselessness.(futile)
Contend: 1. to claim; to say with strength. e.g.The police contended that the man was in
the area at the time of the robbery. 2. (+against/for/with) to compete or
struggle with difficulties. e.g. They are contending for the championship. at best: at most. allot: allocate; to give as shares. Incarcerate: to put into prison;imprison.
allegiance: faith;loyalty;dutiful support to a king/ country/ idea.
Steadfast in allegiance to one's homeland, government, or sovereign.
忠心的对自己的祖国,政府或主权无限忠诚的 Blatantly:roughly.shamelessly; Guerrilla/Gorilla Potent: powerful. convince: to make completely certain about sth. e.g. We finally convinced them of our innocence.
through violence…through violence..through violence…
Parallelism(parallel structure) bosh: empty talk;nonsense. Sheriff: an elected officer in a local
area(USA) edifice:a large fine building.
bog down: to be involved with one particular thing that you cannot make any progress. 陷入困境
Paragraph.25. Parallelism.(let us be dissatisfied…) anemia: (anemic) a disease that there’s too fe
w red cells in one’s blood. Vine(a climbing plant)/fig( a broad-leaved tree
无花果 ) buoyancy: the tendency of an object to float or t
o rise. 浮力/恢复力.
buoyant. Adj. A buoyant economy. 欣欣向荣的经济; A buoyant stock market .行情看涨的股票市场 Ethereal:like a spirit,fairy;of unearthly lightness and
delicacy. (像空气的,飘渺的.) Bier: coffin and its platform. snuff out: to kill; Dastard: of a coward. Bard: poet. Chart: to make a plan.
Stride: a long step in walking. cosmic: universal. Key to the exercises(1. 6. 10) It’s no easy job to educate a people who have been
told over centuries that they were inferior and of no importance to see that they are humans, the same as any other people.
A person was poor because he was lazy and not hard-working and lacked a sense of right and wrong.
Let us be dissatisfied until America no longer only talk about racial equality but is unwilling or reluctant to take action to end such evil practice as racial discrimination.
Part III: Post-reading Conclusion of the speech (for discussion) (linguistic features, social effect, etc.) key to exercises Home work
key to exercises Lesson one: 1. 一个无关紧要的善意的谎言总比一个恶意的谎言要好 . 2. 为了挫败各种蓄意培植的低人一等的心态 ,黑人必须直起
腰杆来宣布自己高贵的人格 . 3. 黑人必须以一种竭尽全力自尊自重的精神大胆抛弃自我克
制的枷锁 . 4. 必须懂得没有爱的权利是毫无节制且容易被滥用的 ;而缺
乏权利的爱则是多愁善感 ,脆弱无力的 . 5. 正是这种邪恶的权利和没有权势的道义的冲突构成了我们
时代的主要危机 .
6. 在本世纪处 ,这种建议会受到嘲笑和谴责 ,认为它对主动性和责任感带来负面影响 .
7. 事实上 ,人们从事改善人类处境的工作 ,从事传播知识 ,增强实力 ,丰富文学财富以及升华思想的工作并不是为了谋生 .
8. ... 它也能够花几十亿美圆来改善上帝的孩子自立于这个世界 .
9. 除非主张暴力的少数人得到大多数人的同情和支持 ,不和他们对抗 ,否则 ,暴力革命很少或者说几乎没有成功的 .
10. 我们要知道道义的苍穹长又长 ,但它终将落向正义 .
Home work
summary writing: Write a short passage by summarizing the s
peech within 300 words.