Death of a PigDeath of a Pig

E.B. WhiteE.B. White

Key points of the text

White’s writing style: choice of words and humorous tone, free and smooth style

White’s feelings to the death of pig Rhetorical devices: euphemism, personification, parallel

structure, biblical allusion, metaphor, alliteration Key words: synonyms (1) In one’s mind / on one’s mind (2) bruise / chafe / blemish (3) Recur / occur /concur / incur (4) Glitter, gleam, glance, glimmer, spark, sparkle,

shimmer, sheen

Detailed study of the Text

Para. 1: What is the setting of the story? Ailing: sick Feel driven to: feel compelled to account for (1)To constitute the governing or primary factor: E.g. Bad weather accounted for the long delay. (2) To provide an explanation or justification: E.g. The suspect couldn't account for his time that night. (3) make up a particular amount or part of sth. E.g. Repeat purchases account for 73% of our sales. Acco

untable (for / to) adj. Accountability N.

Afflict: to make someone suffer or experience serious problems.

be afflicted with / by. (passive) E.g. It is a country afflicted with famine. He has been afflicted with arthritis; N. Affliction. E.g. the afflictions of old age. Personal deterioration: personal failing In decent health: in good health Sit up: stay up late

Para.2: scheme and tragedy

What is a usual scheme of raising a pig? What is the ending of a tragedy?

enact: (1) act out, as on a stage. E.g. enacted the part of the parent. a drama enacted on a darkened stage. (2) to make a proposal into law. E.g. Congress refused to enact the bill.

Fidelity: Faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances.

fidelity to one‘s spouse; fidelity to one's word of honor. premeditated: (of crime, bad action,

unpleasant remark, etc. ) deliberately planned.

Premeditated murder or the first degree murder.

Para.2-3: What rhetorical device is used?

Tragedy, script, slips, actors, goes up in his lines, performance stumbles and halts, cast in the role of…, character, prop, the play

Metaphor is used Para.3: What is the classic outline of the

tragedy? To buy a piglet in Spring, feed it through summer

and fall, and butcher it in winter. It is not supposed to be sick any time in between.

Para.3: How did he feel about the death of his pig?

presentiment: a feeling that something is going to happen, esp. something bad.

Slapstick: A boisterous form of comedy marked by chases, collisions, and crude practical jokes.

vigil: (1) a period of staying awake, esp. at night, in order to keep watch or to pray.

E.g. For 3 weeks, Jeff kept a vigil while his son lay in a coma.

(2) A silent political sit-in, esp. during the night. E.g. Over 200 demonstrators help a candlelit peace vigil in front of the US embassy.

Vigilant adj. Vigilance. N. E.g. Please remain vigilant at all times and

report anything suspicious.

Preside at / over — be chairman; 作主席。 be the head or director of … 主持，管理。

E.g. The Prime Minister presides at meetings of the Cabinet.

The city council is presided over by the mayor. to the core: in a way that affects all your feeling

s or your character. E.g. That women is rotten to the core. When I saw the accident, I was shaken to the co

re.

Para. 4 What may cause the pig’s sickness? Pigpen: pigsty, pigyard, pighouse Pen: V. E.g. to pen the sheep in for the night; to pen up the dogs in the back yard. penned animals root: to search for food by pushing with its nose. Apply: to be relevant Think well of: to have positive attitude to sth.

Para.5-7

What suggestion did the doctor give the author to treat the pig?

do the trick (turn the trick): To bring about the desired result.达到期望的目

plug up: to stop up or obstruct. The pig suffers from indigestion or constipati

on.

Para.8 catch up on: to do sth. that should have been don

e before. 赶做 , 补做 E.g. I just want to go home and catch up on some

sleep. Be caught up in : be involved in sth. unwillingly E.g. Children who are caught up in the crime are g

etting a lot of media attention Odds and ends Tend to: to pay attention to; to attend to. E.g. I have no time to tend to my diary. 没有时间留心写我的日记

in (close / quick ) succession: E.g. She won the championship four times in suc

cession; a succession of : E.g. A succession of visitors c

ame to the door. The Queen’s succession to the throne. In succe

ssion What rhetorical device is used ? Parallelism Deviation: a difference from usual or expected

way of doing sth. Here it refers to the change of the original pattern

.

Para.9

desultory: showing you have no plan or enthusiasm for what you are doing.

E.g. A desultory talk; desultory reading A desultory society refers to a community where

there is not much purpose or plan, or which is characterized by a leisurely or idle life.

Human intercourse: human communication The evil hour / day: a time when you expect

something unpleasant or difficult to happen.

Para.10-12

What new symptoms did the author find in the pig? What rhetorical devices are used in Para.12?

Para.10: Muffle: to make a sound less easier to hear right: to put someone or sth back into their

usual upright position. Para.11: frowning expression: unpleasant The set smile: the fixed smile

In one’s mind / On one’s mind

In one’s mind: in one’s brain E.g. I don’t know what’s going on in her mind. I kept turning the conversation over in my mind. One one’s mind: keep thinking about something

and worrying about something E.g. With Jim losing his job and her mother being

sick, Jim has had a lot on his mind. Sarah, you look worried, is there something on

your mind?

Bruise N &V.

a mark that you get on your body if you are hit or you knock against something.

E.g. He was covered in bruises after falling off his bicycle.

Her face was badly bruised in the crash.

chafe: N.& V. sore place on the skin caused by rubbing. E.g. Put a soft pad under the saddle to avoid chafi

ng the horse’s back Her skin chafes easily. Chafe (at/under sth) : become irritated or impatie

nt (because of sth) E.g. The passengers sat chafing at the long delay. Blemish: a flaw or defect E.g. Cosmetics are often used to conceal facial bl

emishes.

euphemism

( good speech, sweet talk, gilded words, cosmetic words) — the use of a pleasant, polite or harmless sounding term in the place of those considered unpleasant, rude, or offensive.

disabled people: disabled, handicapped, inconvenienced

the physically / mentally handicapped / challenged;

poor people: the economically deprived / underprivileged / disadvantaged; the have-nots

Being fat: heavy, gain weight, put on weight; matronly

being old: senior citizen; golden age, sunset years, advanced in age; senile

excretion: wash one’s hand, relieve oneself, answer the call of nature, pass air, powder one’s nose,

May I please be excused?

Poor students: underachievers; exceptional students, a below average student;

be pregnant: anticipate, expect, full of heir, in a certain condition . in an interesting condition / situation / stat

e

death: be at peace, be home and free, final sleep, be no more, be at rest, be asleep in the arms of God.

pass away, breathe one’s last, join one’s ancestors, join the majority, kick the bucket; return to dust,

He was both out of pocket and out of spirits by that catastrophe.

I’m afraid she can’t act that part --- she is a little on the plump side.

Para.13 What was the weather like? Why is there a description of w

eather? Unreasonable spell of weather, hot, close, fog, spell: a period of time, usually a short one when there is a

particular type of weather; E.g. a hot / cold / dry spell / in a spell of close: oppressively warm and stuffy. Scale: to rise or lift Blot out: (1) to cover sth. so that you can no longer see it.

To make obscure; hide. E.g. clouds blotted out the moon. (2)To destroy utterly; annihilate: E.g. War blotted out their traditional way of life.

Weanlings: A newly weaned child or young animal.

Ruse: a clever trick used for hiding your true intentions.

E.g. Her apparent illness was merely a ruse. Crave: To have an intense desire for sth. Revul

sion: a sudden, strong change or reaction in feeling, esp. a feeling of violent disgust.

E.g. News of the atrocities produced a wave anger and revulsion.

Para.14

How does the author relate an ailing pig to life in general?

Settle over: to begin to have an effect on someone or something.

E.g. Fear settled over her heart. Derive from: get or obtain… from E.g. to derive great pleasure from one's studies A earnest (of) : a promise or assurance

Vicarious: felt as if one were taking part in the experience or feelings of another.

Vicarious pleasure/satisfaction /excitement.

E.g. He read about mountain climbing and experienced vicarious thrills.

Transitory: Existing or lasting only a short time; short-lived or temporary:

Para.15-16

How does the author describe his dog? Vile, make professional calls, wobble, stagger,

stethoscope dangling, quack, squeeze, ,drink, test, a tower of strength, inconvenience

vile: wicked, disgusting wobble: To move or rotate with an uneven or

rocking motion or unsteadily from side to side. Corrosive: Spitefully sarcastic E.g. corrosive criticism; corrosive wit. corrode. V.

quack: someone who pretends to have medical knowledge or skills.

Assume full charge: to take charge of potency: the strength of a medicine, drug or

chemical. E.g. Improper storage may decrease the

potency of the drug. To one’s liking: something that people like or

approve of E.g. Let’s see if we can find something that’s

more to your liking.

A tower of strength: someone you can depend on to work hard or to help in a difficult situation.中流砥柱

“inconvenience” means the dog was always in the way although he meant well.

carnival: A festival or revel: E.g. winter carnival / a carnival atmosphere / a st

reet carnival colonic carnival: when the pig was given irrigati

on, the dog was excited. He welcomed this event as a festival. Contrast is used here.

Para.17

What did the author do after he failed to free the pig from his misery?

Biblical allusion: the silver cord; in the bowl of my mind

silver cord : Emotional bond, close ties in the bowl of my mind: Very much on my

mind, the bowl refers to head

Para.30:

…I knew that what could be true of my pig could be true also of the rest of my tidy world.

recur: happen again or repeatedly , as in talk or memory

E.g. The symptoms tend to recur. recur to sb / sth : (of ideas, events, etc) come ba

ck into the mind E.g. Our first meeting often recurs to me/my mind. a recurring problem, error, illness

Recur, occur, concur, incur

Occur: To take place concur: To occur at the same time; coincide. E.g. Everything concurred to produce a succ

essful result. Incur: cause oneself to suffer (sth bad); bri

ng upon oneself E.g. incur debts / great expense / sb's anger

Para.32-35

Paraphernalia: The articles used in a particular activity; equipment :

E.g. a photographer‘s paraphernalia. Skiing / climbing / jogging paraphernalia Overhaul: V. (1) examine (sth) carefully and thoro

ughly and make any necessary repairs E.g. have the engine of a car overhauled (2) catch up with and overtake (sth) The fast cruiser soon overhauled the old cargo bo

at.

Overhaul N. thorough examination followed by any necessary repairs

E.g. I've taken my typewriter in for an overhaul. The engine is due for an overhaul. 那台发动机

该大修了 Take a rectal reading Pick up: to bring into range of sight, hearing, rad

io or TV reception A feeling of relief

Glitter, gleam, glance, glare, Glimmer, glisten

Glitter N. & V. : the reflection of such bright, intermittent flashes. E.g. a necklace glittering with diamonds the glitter of decorations on a Christmas tree 圣诞树上饰物的璀灿光华 Gleam: reflected brightness, as from a polished surface; a faint light E.g. The gleam of a lamp 一盏灯闪烁的微光 Glance: A quick flash of light; a gleam. E.g. glancing lights 闪烁的灯光 Glare N. & V. : a bright unpleasant light which hurts your eyes. E. g: the harsh glare of the desert sun 沙漠中耀眼强光。 Glimmer: light that is not bright. E.g. a glimmer of candle 蜡烛微弱的光线

Spark, sparkle, shimmer, sheen

Spark: a small bit of brightly burning materials produced by a fire 火星，火花 E.g. The spark of genius Sparkle: a number of brief, bright intermittent flashes. E.g. He has eyes that sparkle. There was a sudden sparkle as the fireworks were lit. Sunlight was sparkling the waves. 阳光使波浪闪闪发光 Shimmer: a soft light that looks as if it shakes slightly. 发微光 , 闪闪发亮 . E.g. The shimmer of the desert air in the midday heat . 中午酷热时分沙

漠热气中发出的闪光 The lake shimmered in the moonlight. Sheen: Glistening brightness; luster: 闪烁的光辉；光泽 E.g. the sheen of old satin in candlelight. 旧缎子在烛光下的光泽

Para.36-41

Para.36: What was the pig like during the last day?

At intervals: 不时 , 相隔一定距离 Attend: to take charge of: E.g. They attended our affairs during our absence. Para.37: What was the expression on the pig’s

face? How did the author feel? Mild, expressive Cried internally __ deep hemorrhagic inters

Para.38: What’s the main idea of it? The scene of the grave being dug: dismal, sorrowf

ul, sad, gloomy overcast: with a sky full of clouds. dismal: dark and gloomy E.g. To take a dismal view of the economy. imminence : N. likely or certain to happen very so

on, esp. said of danger, evil or misfortune. Adj. Imminent. E.g. A declaration of war now seemed imminent.

Garnish: N. vegetable, herb, etc used to decorate a dish of food or add to its flavor

E.g. a garnish of mixed herbs 什锦装饰菜料 .

V. garnish sth (with sth) : to decorate (food for the table) with small additional amounts of food

E.g. fish garnished with slices of lemon garnish

Para.39-41 How does the burial of a pig generally differ from huma

n burial? Words related to funeral burial, undertaker, foul parlor, wreath, spray, pallbearer, po

st-mortem, ghoul, grave, premature expiration, departure,mourner

Para.39: Undertaker: funeral director (euphemism for mortician)

business of an undertaker: 殡仪业 . A wake of: a track or course of anything that has gone bef

ore or passed by. Pallbearer: One of the persons carrying or attending a coffi

n at a funeral. 抬棺者

Para.39 foul: adj. (1) Unpleasant smell. E.g. I gulped down some water to take the foul

taste out of my mouth (2) Very dirty. E.g. foul air or water. (3) rude words. E.g. foul language. V. & n. (1) to do something that is not allowed by

rules. E.g. A player fouled in the penalty area (2) to make something very dirty. Foul up: to spoil something, to do something

wrong.

Para.39

perverse: unreasonable, or doing the opposite of what is expected or wanted.

任性的 , 不合情理的 , 一意孤行的 . E.g. He gets some kind of perverse satisfaction fro

m embarrassing people. N. Perversion. 性变态 , 歪曲 , 曲解 . bereavement: the situation you are in when a clos

e friend or family member has just died. E.g. She was absent because of a recent bereave

ment.

Para.40 Ghoul: A grave robber. 盗坟者 file: To march or walk in a line. 成纵列行进 In file: walking in file 鱼贯而行 feign: to pretend to have a particular feeling or to

be ill or asleep. E.g. Feigning a headache, I went upstairs to my ro

om. Be possessed of: to have a particular quality, abil

ity, knowledge, etc. E.g. She is possessed of a wonderfully calm temp

erament. 她性情非常文静 .

Para.41

How did the author and Fred do to show their memory of the dead?

Premature expiration / death / baldness / senility a premature infant / end Expiration / Departure : death; Expire: 1) die; E.g. The patient expired early this morning. 2) terminate E.g. My membership in the club (passport) has expired. In penitence: regret for wrong doing In grief: in sorrow

Assignment (Mid-Term Paper)Due time: April 29th, 2011

Selective written work (300-400 words) 1. Can you illustrate on the author’s humoro

us description of the death of a pig ？ Is there any feature about such humor?

2. Comment on Death 3. Make comments on any topics relevant to

the first four texts.