|
Unit 1
Myths and Legends
In-Class Reading
Why the Tortoise's Shell Is Not Smooth
1 The distant sound of low voices, broken now and again by singing, reached Okonkwo from his wives' huts as each woman and her children told folk stories. Ekwefi and her daughter, Ezinma, sat on a mat on the floor. It was Ekwefi's turn to tell a story. Suddenly the murmuring stopped and all eyes turned to their favorite and most skillful storyteller.
2 "Once upon a time," she began, "all the birds were invited to a feast in the sky. They were very happy and began to prepare themselves for the great day. They painted their bodies deep red and drew beautiful patterns on them with dye.
3 "Tortoise saw all these preparations and soon discovered what it all meant. Nothing that happened in the world of the animals ever escaped his notice; he was full of cunning. As soon as he heard of the great feast in the sky his throat began to itch at the very thought. There was a famine in those days and Tortoise had not eaten a good meal for two moons. His body rattled like a dry stick in his empty shell. Slowly but surely he began to plan how he would go to the sky."
4 "But he had no wings," said Ezinma.
5 "Be patient," replied her mother. "That is the story. Tortoise had no wings, but he went to the birds and asked to be allowed to go with them.
6 "'We know you too well,' said the birds when they had heard him. 'You are full of cunning and you are ungrateful. If we allow you to come with us you will soon begin your mischief. We know you of old.'
7 "'You do not know me,' said Tortoise. 'I am a changed man. I am not the mischievous man you once knew. On the contrary, I am thoughtful and well-meaning. I have learned that a man who makes trouble for others is also making trouble for himself. Rest assured, I promise I will not cause you any trouble.'
8 "Tortoise had a sweet tongue, and within a short time all the birds agreed that he was a changed man, and they all gave him a feather, with which he made two splendidly colorful wings.
9 "At last the great day came and Tortoise was the first to arrive at the meeting place. When all the birds had gathered together, they all set off together. Tortoise was very happy as he flew among the birds, and he was soon chosen as the man to speak for the party because he was a great orator.
10 "'There is one important thing which we must not forget,' he said as they flew on their way. 'When people are invited to a great feast like this, they take new names for the occasion. Our hosts in the sky will expect us to honor this age-old custom.'
11 "None of the birds had heard of this custom but they knew that Tortoise, in spite of his failings in other areas, was a widely traveled man who knew the customs of different peoples. And so they each took a new name. When they had all taken a new name, Tortoise also took one. He was to be called All of you.
12 "At last the party arrived in the sky and their hosts were very happy to see them. Tortoise stood up in his many-colored plumage and thanked them for their invitation. His speech was so eloquent that all the birds were glad they had brought him, and nodded their heads in approval of all he said. Their hosts took him as the king of the birds, especially as he looked somewhat different from the others.
13 "After a selection of nuts had been presented and eaten, the people of the sky set before their guests the most delectable dishes Tortoise had ever seen or dreamed of. The soup was brought out hot from the fire and in the very pot in which it had been cooked. It was full of meat and fish. Tortoise began to sniff aloud. There was pounded yam and also yam soup cooked with palm oil and fresh fish. There were also pots of palm wine. When everything had been set before the guests, one of the people of the sky came forward and tasted a little from each pot. He then invited the birds to eat. But Tortoise jumped to his feet and asked: 'For whom have you prepared this feast?'
14 "'For all of you,' replied the man.
15 "Tortoise turned to the birds and said: 'You remember that my name is All of you. The custom here is to serve the spokesman first and the others later. They will serve you when I have eaten.'
16 "He began to eat and the birds grumbled angrily among themselves. The people of the sky thought it must be their custom to leave all the food for their king. And so Tortoise ate the best part of the food and then drank two pots of palm wine, so that he was full of food and drink and his body grew fat enough to fill out his shell.
17 "The birds gathered round to eat what was left and to peck at the bones he had thrown on the floor. Some of them were too angry to eat. They chose to fly home on an empty stomach. But before they left each took back the feather he had lent to Tortoise. And there he stood in his hard shell full of food and wine but without any wings to fly home. He asked the birds to take a message for his wife, but they all refused. In the end Parrot, who had felt more angry than the others, suddenly changed his mind and agreed to take the message.
18 "'Tell my wife,' said Tortoise, 'to bring out all the soft things in my house and cover the ground with them so that I can jump down from the sky without hurting myself.
19 "Parrot promised faithfully to deliver the message, and then flew away smiling to himself. However when he reached Tortoise's house he told his wife to bring out all the hard and sharp things in the house. And so Tortoise's wife dutifully brought out her husband's hoes, knives, spears, guns, and even his cannon. Tortoise looked down from the sky and saw his wife bringing things out, but it was too far to see what they were. When all seemed ready he let himself go. He fell and fell and fell until he began to fear that he would never stop falling. And then like the sound of his cannon he crashed to the ground."
20 "Did he die?" asked Ezinma.
21 "No," replied Ekwefi. "His shell broke into hundreds of pieces. But there was a great medicine man in the neighborhood. Tortoise's wife sent for him and he gathered all the bits of shell and stuck them together. That is why the Tortoise's shell is not smooth." (1160 words)
Time taken: ______ minutes
Proper Names
Okonkwo
(男子名)奥康瓦
Ekwefi
(女子名)爱克蔚菲
Ezinma
(女子名)爱金玛
New Words
cannon
n. a large, heavy, powerful gun, usually fixed to two wheels 大炮，加农炮
e. g. The historic fort was lined with cannons once used for defense.
cunning
n. the ability to achieve what you want by deceiving people in a clever way 狡诈
delectable
adj. extremely pleasant to taste 美味的
dutifully
adv. obediently 恭顺地
dye
n. a substance you use to change the color of your clothes, hair, etc.染料
e.g. The dye transformed the old, plain dress.
eloquent
adj. (of speech that is) beautiful and expressive 雄辩的，有说服力的
e.g. Susan gave an eloquent speech to her graduating class.
failing
n. a fault; a weakness of character 缺点，弱点
e.g. Your failing is that you let other people order you around.
faithfully*
adv. in a loyal manner; in a manner that is true to the facts or the original 忠实可靠地
e. g. He served the family faithfully for 40 years.
famine
n. a period of time when there is little or no food available 饥荒
e. g. The church sent canned food to the town struck by famine.
feast
n. a large meal, especially one for a special occasion 盛宴?
e.g. The chef prepared a feast in honor of the president's visit.
grumble
v. speak with a low, indistinct, and possibly complaining voice 抱怨，发牢骚
e.g. When Bill has to wait in line, he often grumbles impatiently to himself.
hoe
n. a garden tool consisting of a small blade attached to a long handle, used to remove the weeds or to break up soil 锄头
hut
n. a small, simple building with only one or two rooms 小屋
e.g. You can warm yourself in the huts along the ski trail.
invitation
n. a request for someone to attend an event or to come for a visit 邀请
e.g. Thank you for the invitation, but I really can't come for the wedding.
mat
n. a piece of material for covering part of the floor 小地毯，席
e. g. My cat is sleeping on the mat.
mischievous*
adj. liking to have fun, especially by playing tricks on people or doing things to annoy or embarrass them 调皮的，恶作剧的
e.g. Gabby looked at him with a mischievous grin (咧嘴笑).
murmur
v. say something in a low voice, or quietly and indistinctly 嘟囔
e.g. He was murmuring to himself in the corner.
orator
n. someone who excels at giving a public or formal speech 演说家，雄辩家
palm
n.
1) a tropical tree with a long, branchless trunk and long, pointed leaves attached to the entire length of a long stem 棕榈树
e.g. The hotel with its tennis court and poolside palm trees was a good place to relax.
2) the inner surface of the hand between the wrist and fingers 手掌
e. g. He held out his open palm which contained some sunflower seeds.
peck
v. (for a bird) strike or bite with its beak 啄; 啄食
e. g . I) The woodpecker (啄木鸟) has been pecking at this tree.
II) Birds twitter (啁啾) and peck in their nests, whether they are large or small.
plumage
n. a bird's feathers 鸟的全身羽毛
e.g. The plumage of the male peacock is very bright and colorful.
preparation
n. things done to make or get something that will happen in the future 准备?
e.g. The teacher didn't seem to have done much preparation for the class.
rattle
v. make a quick set of short noises 发出连续短促的声音
e.g. My car engine rattled when I was waiting at the intersection.
shell
n. the hard covering on the outside of seeds, nuts, eggs, shellfish, or certain types of animal 壳，荚，甲壳，介壳
e.g. Anne removed the peanuts from their shells.
spear
n. a long stick or rod with a sharp, pointed end, used as a weapon 矛, 梭镖
e.g. The hunter threw a spear at the wild pig.
spite
n. (used in "in spite of") taking no notice of, not prevented by; despite 虽然，不顾，尽管
e.g. In spite of the bad weather, I had fun on vacation.
tortoise
n. a turtle, especially one that only lives on land 陆龟
yam
n. (N. America) a sweet potato 番薯，甜薯
Phrases and Expressions
escape someone's notice
not be observed or noticed by someone 逃过某人的注意
e.g. Nothing important escapes her notice.
jump to one's feet
rise up suddenly 突然站起；一跃而起
e.g. He suddenly jumped to his feet and left.
let oneself go
allow oneself to move or fall freely 让……自由地移动或下降
e. g. She let herself go and skied down the hill.
rest assured (that)
not worry, be certain 请放心
e.g. You can rest assured that I will never tell anyone.
slowly but surely
carefully in order to avoid problems 稳扎稳打地
e.g. Slowly but surely we made our way down the hillside.
|