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 fame1.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 fameA large number of economic incomeBe admired by publicHave a good social statusA high material standard of living

3.The shortcomings of gaining a good fameNo privacyNo 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, notthe 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 tocontinue 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 getits own tail.Even under the most favorable circumstances, gaining fame is difficult, and in the end many artists fail emotionallyeven 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 artistmight 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 emotionallyeven 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 ofdrowning 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. Itis 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 topis a blur. (Para.3)market: vt. to promote

aggressively: adv. exaggeratedlyhasten popularity: make…popular quicklya blur: the state of being unclear to sb.

the ride on the express elevator to the top : becoming famous quickly青云直上be hard-pressed to do sth: have difficulty doing sth

--- This year this company is hard-pressed to make a profit.困难重重

Meaning: These artists demonstrate a style that agents promote forcefully to make them popular more quickly. Most of themwould find it difficult to tell you how they became famous.

为了能够迅速⾛红，经纪⼈会极⼒吹捧他们的这种风格。他们青云直上的过程让⼈看不清楚。他们究竟怎么成功，⼤多数⼈也说不出来。

8.When the performer..(para.3)

Meaning: When the artist becomes tired and impatient, their work will lose its charm and they will find it hard to keep thepublic’s attention.

9. After their enthusiasm has dissolved, the public simply moves on to the next flavor of the month. (Para.3)dissolve本义是溶解的意思，这⾥意为消失

flavor of the month：an idea, person style that is very popular at a particular time, but only for a short while短暂的时髦(可以指⼈、⽆、想法等)

Many youngsters tend to admire the glory of being a flavor of the month and that is really innocent!公众的热情消磨之后，就会去追捧下⼀个⾛红的⼈.10.Artist who do attempt..

Meaning: Even if artists make very small changes to their style of writing, in order to sustain their popularity, they will probablylose the support, approval, or affection of the audience.11.The public simply..other than:

1. FORMAL different from or except(书⾯语,不同,除了)The work cannot be done by anyone other than yourself.作业必须⾃⼰做

2. in a negative sentence, used to mean ‘except’:(否定句中做除了讲)There‘s nothing on TV tonight, other than rubbish.今晚的电视,除了垃圾什么都没有。

Meaning; The public only accepts the styles for which the artist had become famous and they think other styles are not worththeir attention.

公众对于藉以成名的艺术风格以外的任何形式都将不屑⼀顾。

12.. The same is true of painters like Monet, Renoir, or Dali and moviemakers …Zhangyimou. (Para.4)The same is true of…这也同样适⽤于

Those whose oral English are poor would adopt “practice makes perfect”. The same is true of those who do not read well. 孰能⽣巧

同样，像莫奈、雷诺阿、达利这样的画家，希区柯克、费⾥尼、斯⽪尔伯格、陈凯歌或张艺谋这样的电影制作⼈也是如此。13. Their distinct styles marked a significant change in form from others and gained them fame and fortune. However, theypaid for it by giving up the freedom to express themselves with other styles or forms. (Para. 4)Pay for: 付出代价at the cost of

早晚你会为你的懒惰付出代价，那就是：你将会付出更多的努⼒来通过补考。

Sooner or later you will pay for your laziness by working more hard to pass the make-up tests. Meaning: Their clearly differentstyles brought them fame and fortune. However, they got it at the cost of giving up their freedom to use other styles to expressthemselves.

但也让他们付出了代价，那就是失去了⽤其他风格或形式表现⾃我的⾃由。14.Fame’s spotlight can be hotter than...(para.4)

Meaning: Fame leads to a lot of publicity. If a famous person commits a fraud, it will be exposed quickly.And the famous

people attract so much public attention that they can hardly endure the pressure it brings. 名⽓这盏聚光灯可⽐热带⾬林还要炙热。很快会被拆穿，过多的关注带来的压⼒会让⼤多数⼈难以承受。

15. It takes you out of yourself: You must be what the public thinks you are, not what you really are or could be. (Para.5)It takes sb. out of …使得某⼈缺乏……

It takes me out of mind to learn driving under the guide of an absent-minded coach.在那么⼀个粗⼼的教练指导下学车我简直是疯了.

Meaning: You have to forget your true self. You have no freedom to be what you really are or could be and you must act andbehave in the way the public thinks you should.

他让你失去⾃我。你必需是公众认可的那个你，⽽不是真实的你或是可能的你。16.One drop of fame(para.6)

Meaning: One drop of fame could poison a person’s soul, and so an artist who acts according to his or her beliefs and doeswhat he or she thinks is right is particularly amazing.⼀滴名誉之⽔有可能玷污⼈的⼼灵这⼀整⼝井。17.You would be hard-pressured...(para.6)

Meaning: You would have difficulty listing many names of artists who have not given up their principles in order to please theiraudiences and still succeeded in their careers.

你肯能答不上来哪些⼈没有妥协，却仍然在这场名利游戏中获胜。

18. An example, the famous Irish writer Oscar Wilde, known for his uncompromising behavior, both social and sexual, towhich the public objected, paid heavily for remaining true to himself.(Para.6)

The public disagreed with Oscar Wilde’s stubborn social and sexual behavior for which he became famous. And just becauseOscar remained true to himself he suffered a lot.

个例⼦就是爱尔兰著名的作家奥斯卡·王尔德，他在社交⾏为和性⾏为⽅⾯以我⾏我素⽽闻名于世。虽然他的⾏为遭到公众的反对，却依然我⾏我素，他也因此付出了惨痛的代价。. known for his uncompromising behavior形容词词组作状语补充说明；

. social and sexual形容词词组作后置定语修饰behavior;. to which the public objected⾮性定语从句修饰behavior.. pay…for…因为…⽽付出…19.The mother of a young man...

be intimate with: have close friendship with 密友--- She is intimate with the President.

Meaning: The mother of a young man with whom Oscar had a close friendship blamed him at a banquet before his friendsand fans for being a bad influence on her son sexually.

20. was permanently expelled from the wider circle of public favor.--- lost the public support forever.

21. When things were at their worst, he found that no one was willing to risk his or her name in his defense. (Para. 6)At one’s/its worst: as bad as one can be

E.g. You saw the garden at its worst, I’m afraid. 我想你所看到的花园处于最糟糕的时候。risk his or her name in his defense.

--- run the risk of damaging his or her own fame to support him .

Meaning：The worst thing was that he found no one was ready to defend him at the risk of damaging his or her own name.22. His price for remaining true to himself was to be left alone when he needed his fans the most.(Para.6)句式：One’s price for doing sth. is to do sth. else…为了做某事，某⼈所付出的代价是······(表做某事的代价)为了赢得名⽓，她所付出的代价是失去了⽆拘⽆束⽣活的⾃由.

Her price for gaining fame was to lose the freedom to lead a free and easy life.

Meaning：In order to remain true to himself, he paid heavily. That is: when he need the support of their fans, nobody is willingto beside him.

为保持真我，他付出的代价是，在最需要崇拜者时，谁也不理他。

23. Curiously enough, it is those who fail that reap the greatest reward: freedom! (Para. 7) Meaning: It is very strange thatthose who fail get the greatest reward: freedom!24.Failed artists may find...(para.7)

Meaning: Failed artists may find comfort in knowing that may great artists won name only many years after they had died or inknowing that they didn’t give up their principles in order to gain fame. They may think their genius(才华) is too advanced forcontemporary audiences to appreciate and that explains why they fail.

失败的艺术家寻求安慰时，可以想想许多伟⼤的艺术家都是过世多年以后才成名，或是他们没有出卖⾃⼰。他们也可以为⾃⼰的失败辩解：⾃⼰的才华实在过于⾼深，不是当代听众或观众所理解得了的。

25. Single-minded artists who should continue their quest for fame even after failure might also like to know that failure hasmotivated some famous people to work even harder to succeed. (Para. 8)

Meaning: Those artists who are determined in their search for fame，even after they have suffered failure, might also like toknow that failure has made some famous people work even harder to succeed.

那些失败却仍不肯放弃的顽固派也许会乐于知道，某些名⼈曾经如何越挫越勇，直⾄成功。26.I say to those (para. 9)

Meaning: I wish good luck to those who have a strong desire for fame and fortune.Summary

Just as a dog chases its own tail, seeking fame often leads to self-destruction. As the writer argues, the conquest of fame isdifficult at best, for many end up emotionally if not financially bankrupt. Even those who gain fame are hard-pressed to sustaintheir fans’favor, because making minute changes to their popular style leaves them with a significant risk of losing favor withtheir fans. To sustain their fame, they have to give up the freedom to express themselves with any style other than their

famous one. Oddly, the greatest winners are those who remain true to their remain for quest after repeated failures. For most

people, however , failure is the end of their struggle, not the beginning. Rather than try so hard to seek fame, you should behappy with what you are and do what you are strong in. Maybe you won’t be famous in your own time , but you may createbetter art.