新视野第四册第一单元课文

Saying about fame

fame: the state of being known and talked about by many people/ the public.

Here are some proverbs about “fame”:

Fame like a river is narrowest at its source and broadest afar off.

名誉如河流，发源处最狭，愈远愈宽广。

A good name is better than riches.

好名誉胜过有财富。

A good name is sooner lost than won.

美誉难得而易失。

Fame is a magnifying glass.

名誉是放大镜。

Questions about fame

1.How to chase a good fame?

Targeted 目标明确

Firm belief 坚定的信念

The distinct style 独特的风格

2.The benefits of gaining a good fame

A large number of economic income

Be admired by public

Have a good social status

A high material standard of living

3.The shortcomings of gaining a good fame

No privacy

No freedom

One false step brings everlasting grief.（一失足成千古恨。）

Hidden rules(潜规则)

Structure

Part One（1）To seek fame is just like a dog chasing his tail. Those who seek fame will result in destruction.

Devices for developing it?

Similie. To make his statement more convincing, the writer adopts the rhetorical device “simile”, as shown in the first sentence “An artist who seeks fame is like a dog chasing his own tail”. Part Two (2-8) The conquest of fame is difficult at best. To sustain their fame, people have to give up many things, freedom, etc. For most people, failure is the end of their struggle, not the beginning.

General to specific. To explain the details of those who seek fame.

Part Three (9) Rather than try so hard to seek fame, you should be happy with what you are and do what you are strong in. Maybe you won’t be famous in your own lifetime, but you may create better art.

Induction

Key and Difficult Sentences

1.An artist who seeks fame is like a dog chasing his own tail who, when he captures it, does not know what else to do but to continue chasing it. (Para.1)

Sb. who do sth. be like sb. else doing sth. else

做某事的人如同他人做······(表类比)

热衷于网络的青少年就像吸毒的人一样。

A teenager who is addicted to the internet is like one taking drugs.

Para. An artist who tries to achieve fame will not stop doing so even when he succeeds in getting it, just as a dog tries to get its own tail.Even under the most favorable circumstances, gaining fame is difficult, and in the end many artists fail emotionally even if they do not fail financially.

艺术家追求成名，如同狗自逐其尾，一旦追到手，除了继续追踪还能做些什么。

2. The cruelty of success is that it often leads those who seek such success to participate in their own destruction. 自寻毁灭(para. 1)

Lead to : result in

Heart failure leads to her father’s death.

Participate in : take part in

They wanted opportunities to participate in the decision-making process.决策制定

Meaning: the harsh reality of success is that it often destroys those who try hard to achieve it. 3. Don’t give up...(para.2 )

the day job : the normal job where one earns most of his money.(正经工作)饭碗

Budding artist : is one who is beginning to develop or show signs of future success in a particular area. 初露头角的艺术家

Meaning：The budding artist’s family and friends frequently advise him not give up his day job. Their feeling that the artist might fail in his pursuit in understandable.

4.The conquest of fame is difficult...(para.2)

End up: 非正〉(以…)结束; 最终成为〔变得〕(+N/Adj/Preposition)

如不努力工作, 你就一事无成。

If you don't work hard, you'll end up nowhere.

Meaning: Even under the most favorable circumstances, gaining fame is difficult, and in the end many artists fail emotionally even if they do not fail financially.

最乐观的说也是困难重重，许多人到最后即使不是穷困潦倒，也是几近精神崩溃。

5.Still, impure motives such as the desire for worshipping fans and praise from peers may spur the artist on. The lure of drowning in fame's imperial glory is not easily resisted. (Para. 2)

Desire for: longing for; looking forward to …

His desire for success encourages him to go on with the project

对成功的渴望激励着他继续这个项目。

Meaning: Impure motives such as the desire for worshipping fans and praise from peers may push the artist to achieve fame. It is almost impossible to resist the admiration and praise that fame brings.

6. exploit one’s talent for : 发挥某人的特长

--- He has exploited his talent for painting.

Meaning: Very often the reason why some artists become famous is that they make good use of their talent for singing...

7. They develop a style that agents market aggressively to hasten popularity, and their ride on the express elevator to the top is a blur. (Para.3)

market: vt. to promote