自测题(戏剧)文学英语赏析

Read the extracts and give brief answers to the questions below.
Text 1
Lady Bracknell: … What is your income?
Jack: Between seven and eight thousand a year.
Lady Bracknell (makes a note in her book): In land, or in investments?
Jack:In investments, chiefly.
Lady Bracknell: That is satisfactory. What between the duties expected of one during one’s lifetime, and the duties exacted from one after one’s death, land has ceased to b e either a profit or a pleasure. It gives one position, and prevents one from keeping it up. That’s all that can be said about land.
Jack: I have a country house with some land, of course, attached to it, about fifteen hundred acres, I believe; but I don’t depend on that for my real income. In fact, as far as I can make out, the poachers are the only people who make anything out of it.
Lady Bracknell: A country house! How many bedrooms? Well, that point can be cleared up afterwards. You have a town house, I hope? A girl with a simple, unspoiled nature, like Gwendolen, could hardly be expected to reside in the country.
Jack: Well, I own a house in Belgrave Square, but it is let by the year to Lady Bloxham. Of course, I can get it back whenever I like, a t six months’ notice.
Lady Bracknell: Lady Bloxham? I don’t know her.
Jack: Oh, she goes about very little. She is a lady considerably advanced in years.
Lady Bracknell: Ah, nowadays that is no guarantee of respectability of character.What number in Belgrave Square?
Jack: 149.
Lady Bracknell (shaking her head): The unfashionable side. I thought there was something.However, that could easily be altered.
Jack: Do you mean the fashion, or the side?
Lady Bracknell (sternly) : Both, if necessary, I presume.
(The Importance of Being Earnest )
Questions
1. Why does Lady Bracknell prefer investments to land? Identify a quotation to support this.
2. What are Lady Bracknell’s main criteria for choosing a husband for her daughter?
3. Do you agr ee or disagree with the statement “Lady Bracknell is portrayed as a terrible snob”? Use details from the extract to support your ideas.
参考答案
1. She feels that land involves too many expenses during life, and is then taxed heavily after one’s death. She says, “It gives one position, and prevents one from keeping it up.”
2. Income, property (land and houses) and family connections.
3. (Possible answer) Yes, she is a terrible snob. She has too high an opinion of herself. She implies that, because she does not know Lady Bloxham, that lady hardly exists. In her reasoning, only people she knows are worth knowing! She speaks disparagingly of No.149 Belgrave Square, one of the richest districts of London as being on the unfashionable side. She even suggests that it is in her power to change the fashion or the side of the square where Jack’s house is.
Text2
Inspector:You’re not even sorry now, when you know what happened to the girl?
Mrs. Birling:I’m sorry she should have come to such a horrible end.But I accept no blame for it at all.
Inspector:Who is to blame then?
Mrs. Birling:First, the girl herself.
Sheila (bitterly):For letting Father and me have her chucked out of her jobs!
Mrs. Birling: （Question 1）Secondly, I blame the young man who was the father of the child she was going to have.If, as she said, he didn’t belong to her class, and was some drunken young idler, then that’s all the more reason why he shouldn’t escape.He should be made an example of.If the girl’s death is due to anybody, it’s due to him.
Inspector:And if her story is true -- that he was stealing money --
Mrs. Birling (rather agitated now):There’s no point in assuming that --
Inspector:But suppose we do, what then?
Mrs. Birling:Then he’d be entirely responsible -- b ecause the girl wouldn’t have come to us, and been refused assistance, if it hadn’t been for him --
Inspector:So he’s the chief culprit anyhow.
Mrs. Birling:Certainly.And he ought to be dealt with very severely --
Sheila (with sudden alarm): （Question 2）Mother -- stop -- stop!
Birling:Be quiet, Sheila!
Sheila:But don’t you see --
Mrs. Birling (severely):You’re behaving like an hysterical child tonight. (Sheila begins crying quietly.Mrs. Birling turns to Inspector)And if you’d take some steps to find this young man and then make sure he’s compelled to confess in public his responsibility - instead of staying here asking quite unnecessary questions - then you would be doing your duty.
Inspector (grimly):Don’t worry, Mrs. Birling.I shall do my du ty.(He looks at his watch.)
Mrs. Birling (triumphantly):I’m glad to hear it.
Inspector:No hushing up, eh?Make an example of the young man, eh?Public confession of responsibility -- um?
Mrs. Birling:Certainly.I consider it your duty.And now no doubt you’d like to say good night.
Inspector:Not yet.I’m waiting.
Mrs. Birling:Waiting for what?
Inspector:To do my duty.
Sheila (distressed):Now, Mother - don’t you see?
Mrs. Birling (understanding now):But surely…I mean…it’s ridiculous… (She stops, and exchanges a frightened glance with her husband.)
Birling (terrified now):Look, Inspector, you’re not trying to tell us that --that my boy -- is mixed up in this --?
Inspector (Question 3):If he is, then we know what to do, don’t we?Mrs. Birling has just told us.
Birling (thunderstruck):My God!But -- look here --
Mrs. Birling (agitated) :I don’t believe it.I won’t believe it…
Sheila:Mother -- I begged you and begged you to stop --
(Inspector holds up a hand.We hear the front door.They wait, looking towards door.Eric enters, looking extremely pale and distressed.He meets their inquiring stares.
(Curtain falls quickly.)
Questions
1. Read the underlines parts closely. What “horrible end” has come to the working-class girl?
2. Why does Sh eila say “Mother—Stop—Stop!”?
3. How do you think the Inspector would say the lines in bold type (黑体部分) Sternly? Distressed? Or with sudden alarm?
参考答案
1．She has committed suicide.
2.Because Sheila can see where the Inspector’s questions are leadi ng. She knows that he will force her mother into a trap, so that she will condemn her own son.
3.He would have said the lines sternly.
Text3
Elizabeth: I see what I see, John.
Proctor: (Question 4_) You will not judge me more, Elizabeth. I have good reason to think before I charge fraud on Abigail, and I will think on it. Let you look to your own improvement before you go to judge your husband any more. I have forgot Abigail, and --
Elizabeth: And I.
Proctor: Spare me! You forget nothin’ and forgive nothin’. Learn charity, woman. I have gone tiptoe in this house all seven month since she is gone. I have not moved from there to there without I think to please you, and still an everlasting funeral marches round your heart. I cannot speak but I am doubted, every moment judged for lies, as though I come into a court when I come into this house!
Elizabeth: John, you are not open with me. You saw her with a crowd, you said.Now you --
Proctor:I’ll plead my honesty no more, Elizabeth.
Elizabeth (now she would justify herself): John, I am only --
Proctor: No more! I should have roared you down when first you told me your suspicion. But I wilted, and, like a Christian, I confessed. Confessed! Some dream I had must have mistaken you for God that da y. But you’re not, you’re not and let you remember it! Let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not.
Elizabeth: I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man, John -- (with a smile ) -- only somewhat bewildered.
Proctor (laughing bitterly): Oh, Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer!
（The Crucible. ）
█Questions
1. What is the relationship between Proctor and Elizabeth?
2. What kind of play does the extract belong to? The Theatre of social commentary or Historical drama?
3.How do you interpret Proctor’s statement “Oh, Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer”?
4. How do you think Proctor would say the lines in bold type (黑体部分)? With a touch of pride？With deep admiration ？Or with solemn warning？
参考答案
1. Proctor and Elizabeth are husband and wife. OR
They have mixed feelings towards each other. Elizabeth loves her husband yet she doesn’t trust him; Proctor loves his wife yet he cannot bear to be accused all the time.
2. Historical drama.
3. Proctor meant to say that Elizabeth only wore the cloak of justice to hide her extreme frigidness and coldness.
4. With solemn warning.。