"In war you have to kill to avoid being killed. We're all human beings — Chinese, Japanese, English — but war is about killing.

"Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living." — General Omar Bradley

War does not determine who is right—only who is left." — Bertrand Russell

"Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding."

— Ralph Waldo Emerson "You can't say that civilization don't advance, howev

er, for in every war they kill you in a new way.“ — Will Rogers

"Why does the Air Force need expensive new bombers? Have the people we've been bombing over the years been complaining?“

— George Wallace

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron."

— Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. President, Republican Party

Unit 10

The Diary of the Unknown Soldier

Pre-reading questions

• 1 Have you seen any war film? Can you describe the cruelties of war from the eyes of a soldier?

• Answer: Cruel scenes– explode– strip off—dying comrade– scoop from ---stagger---keep up with----survival

• 2 Can you guess what question a soldier would ask about war before he was killed?

• Answer: question– the necessity of war– a handful of people--- kill each other--- prevent---- miss his family---what had happened to them

Structure of the first entry

• 1 The horrible scene of the war

• 2 The soldier’s wish to be alive

• 3 His longing for his family

Language Points

• 1 be dedicated to :be addressed to • 把 ( 作品 ) 奉献给某人• He dedicated his first book to his mother.• 2 I might have taken it lighter: I might have

felt less sad• 这并不是你最后一次参加四级考试，所以放

轻松点。• This is not the last time for you to take part in

Band-4 exam, so take it light.• Cf. take it serious

• 3 with an air of : seeming to have /be

• 一些学生走出考场，脸上带着自信和胜利。

• Some students waked out of the examination room with an air of confidence and victory.

• 4 Couldn’t those men see that they received was a one-way ticket to death, couldn’t they have opened their eyes!

• 1) Parallel sentences• Couldn’t those men understand that they were

doomed to die, couldn’t they have realized!• 2) one-way ticket : single ticket• This choice is not feasible 可行的 ; it’s a one-

way ticket to failure.• Cf. a round-way ticket, a two-way ticket, a

return ticket

5 D-day

• D-day: designated day • 计划行动开始日• It is the planners’ designation of the

day on which to start a military operation. The actual date of the operation will be fixed later.

• 6 be assigned to : to give someone a task to do sth.

• You have been assigned the task of keeping the records up to date.

• The job of producing a development program was assigned to the minister.

• 7 out of the blue: all of a sudden; unexpectedly

• Her visit came out of the blue.• 8 makeshift:• 1) n. a temporary or expedient

substitute for something else. 暂时或临时替代其它事物的东西

• We lacked a cane but used a stick as a makeshift.

• 2)adj. 权宜的，临时代用的：• We use a rock as a makeshift

hammer.

• 9 I was knocked into a trench: I was suddenly thrown into a trench by a great force.

• be knocked into : be thrown into… by a great force

• 那位过路人被推进一间黑房间，所有的钱物被抢一空。

• The passer-by was knocked into a dark room and robbed of all money.

10 come to: recover consciousness

• Synonym:• come to oneself• 恢复知觉 , 苏醒• come to one's senses• 苏醒过来 , 醒悟• come round• 苏醒过来 ; 恢复知觉或健康• The fainting victim came to.

• 11 the Axis: 轴心国• The alliance of Germany and Italy in 193

6, later including Japan and other nations, that opposed the Allies in World War II.

• 1936 年的德意联盟，后来包括在二次大战中反对同盟国的日本和其它国家

• Cf. the Allies 二战中的同盟国 ( 第一次世界大战时的 ) 协约国

• 12 scoop up: to take up or out; to lift• When the police arrived the traders scooped

up their watches and jewellery and ran out.• 13 aftermath: n. 后果 ( 尤指灾祸 )• 1) the result following a bad event• famine as an aftermath of drought• 旱灾后是饥荒• 2) a period of time following a disastrous

event:• the aftermath of war 战争的后果

14 a sea of blood (metaphor) a sea of blood

seas of blood 大流血 , 大屠杀 The actor looked out from the stage onto a sea

of faces.• a sea of jubilant people 一片欢腾的人海• a sea of troubles 困难重重• a sea of flame 一片火海• a sea of red flags 红旗如海• a mountain of books 堆积如山的书

• 15. I hope the garden that they planted is growing: I hope the plants in the garden are growing.

• “the garden” is a metonymy ( 换喻，转喻 )

• Metonymy (转喻） It is a figure of speech that has to do with the substitution of the mane of one thing for that of another. For instance,

• The pen (words) is mightier than the sword (forces). （以 pen ， sword 喻指使用这物的人）。

• e.g. The whole church is singing a song.• The grey hair should be respected.• The buses in America are on strike now. 美

国的公共汽车司机正在罢工 .• （这里 buses 喻指司机 drivers) 　 • Mrs. Smith is nice but her husband is such a

bear that nobody likes him.• 史密斯夫人和蔼可亲， 但她丈夫为人粗

鲁，脾气暴躁，谁都不喜欢他（以兽喻人）。

• cf. simile ; metaphor

• Simile： (明喻）• It is a figure of speech which makes a co

mparison between two unlike elements having at least one quality or characteristic ( 特性 ) in common. To make the comparison, words “like, as, as...as, and as if are used to transfer the quality we associate with one to the other.

• Metaphor： (暗喻）• It is like a simile, also makes a comp

arison between two unlike elements, but unlike a simile, this comparison is implied rather than stated. For example,

• The world is a stage.

• 16. spot: to see ,esp. with effort

• 一个有经验的经理能十分迅速的在他的职员身上发现问题。

• An experienced manager will spot problems among his staff quite quickly.

• a spot on one's fame 名誉上的污点• a scenic spot 风景胜地• a historic spot 古迹• vice spots 堕落场所• price on spot 现货价格 , 现金售价• the meeting on the spot 现场会议• spots of rain 雨点• I have a blind spot where classic musi

c is concerned.• 我对古典音乐一窍不通。

The second entry• Structure:

• 1 His reflections on war, interwoven with descriptions of his grim( 严酷的 )situation in a small European town;

• 2 facts: they are staying at the town , without food and ammunition( 军火 , 弹药 )when the Nazi troops are coming;

• 3 reflections: war creates more problems

Language points• 1 K- ration: Ｋ配额• an emergency field ration( 定量 ) for

U.S. armed forces in World War II, consisting of a single packaged meal.

• 应急口粮二战期间美国军队战场应急口粮，由包装好的一顿饭食构成

• C-ration : canned ration (food and water) used in the field.

2 run• 2 run: to develop or pas into the stated

condition

• 1) Our supply of coal is running low.

• 2) Several people shouted at the chairman; feelings were running high.

• 3) Since their parents divorced those children have been running wild.

• 3 have it that: to state , to say, to express

• Chinese traditions have it that the whole family should stay at home for family reunion on the New Year’s Eve.

• …words has it that… : it is reported that …; it is said that…

• Cf. rumour has it that… • tradition has it that …• legend has it that … • custom has it that …

• 4 odds: the probability that sth. will or will not happen 成败的可能性

• The odds are against us.

• at odds: in disagreement; in conflict: 争执；意见冲突

• odds and ends n. 零碎的东西• against heavy odds

• 在极端不利的条件下 ; 众寡不敌

• 5 shed blood: to cause wounding or esp. killing

• shed (shed, shed;) shedding; sheds• They wanted to bring down the

government , but without shedding blood.• This is also a metonymy .• 6 it will make the children feel like their

fathers made a difference: it will make the children feel that their fathers made great contributions with their death.

feel like • 1) have a feeling that • I feel like my choice is right.• 2) have a wish or inclination for • I felt like going for a walk.• 3) touch sth. like• The table felt like plastic, not wood.• 4) to sense oneself as being in one’s normal

state of health or spirits• I just don’t feel like myself today.

2) make a difference

• 2) make a difference; have a significant effect

• The fact that I can now organize my own time makes a difference.

• Cf. make a great difference/ make a great deal of difference/ make some difference/ make no difference/ make all the difference/ make a world of difference

• 7 take precautions:: to do everything that is necessary to avoid danger or risk

• to take precautions against diseases• He took the precaution of locking his

door when he went out.• 8. fall apart (fall- fell- fallen): 崩溃• to lose control of emotions and become

unable to deal with a difficult situation• Facing the sudden death of her father,

she fell apart immediately.

• 9 break into: burst forth with (a song, laughter)

• Break into tears/break out crying/ break into laughter/ break out laughing

• 10 strike a … note: to express the stated feeling or message

• A series of unamiable actions by the Japanese government strike a hostile note to Chinese people.

• 11 The person who said it had a valid point: the person who said it spoke the truth.

• 1) valid: a. reasonable, well grounded , just

• 生病是不去上班的正当理由。• Illness is a valid excuse for being absent

from work.• 2) have a ...point: to be …• In understanding the real meaning of his

instructions, you had a wrong point.

• 12 Never have I been so enraged at my fellowman before.: I have never been made furious at any person as I am now at Hitler. (inversion)

• 1) enrage vt.[常用于被动式 ]触怒 , 使愤怒• be enraged at [by] sb.'s conduct• 因某人的行为而极为愤怒• be enraged with sb.• 对某人勃然大怒• 2) fellowman • fellowman (usu. iin pl. ) all the mankind• Here the author uses the singular form:

“fellowman” to refer to Hitler.

13 Human do err.• It is human to err. 人非圣贤 ,孰能无过 .• 1) err vi. 做错，犯错误• To err is human. 人都会犯错误。• err from the truth 背离真理• err from the right path 误入歧途• err in believing 误信• err on the side of 在 ...方面做过了头• 2) do : emphasize the certainty• I promise that he did attend the meeting

yesterday.

• 14 strew vt. (strewed; strewed, strewn [stru:n])

• 撒 ( 某物 )于面上 (over);

• strew flowers over a path

• ( 用撒布之物 )遮蔽 (表面 )(with)

• 把花撒在路上 strew a path with flowers

• 草地上撒满了秋叶。 • Autumn leaves strewed the lawn.

The third entry

• Structure:

• This last paragraph is like picture-taking with the focus shifting from the approaching death on the battlefield to the author’s envisioned 想象 , 预想peace at home. Then it ends abruptly with one last question about the sensibility of war: “Why?”

Language points:

• 1 with all my soul: whole-heartedly, without any reserve 保留

• 2 I am so close to death that I can actually feel its fiery breath engulfing me: I can actually feel that death is coming to me, so I will die at any time.

• 1) fiery: a. violent; spirited• a fiery revolutionary struggle 一场轰轰烈烈

的革命斗争• a fiery speech 激烈的演说• fiery temper 暴躁脾气

2) engulf

• engulf: to swallow up or overwhelm by or as if by overflowing and enclosing:

• 吞没，吞噬被或似乎被过多压倒，吞噬：• 汹涌的大海吞没了那艘小机帆船。 The stormy sea engulfed the small motor sailboat.春潮吞没了海滩上的房子 .

• The spring tide engulfed the beach houses.• engulf oneself in• 专心致志地 ..., 孜孜不倦地从事于 ...

2 …to help keep me from panicking…

• …to help keep me from panicking…: to help not to make me fear.

• Some verbs ended with the letter “c” need to be added the letter “k” in spelling their past and present participle forms.

• panic- panicking- panicked

• mimic-mimicking-mimicked 模仿 , 摹拟• traffic-trafficking-trafficked

3 The faces are all aglow with delight

• The faces are all aglow with delight: Their faces are al glowing because of delight.1) aglow: adj. in a glow; glowing

• 发红的；发亮的； 兴奋的• 她去见他时，兴奋得脸通红。• Her face was aglow as she went to meet him.• 夕阳的光辉染红了天空。• The sky was aglow with sunset colors.

4. Why?

• Why do human beings start this mad war?

• Why should I join the war?

• Why must I be killed before I return to my home?

• Why …?

5 at the doomed battle site• at the destroyed battlefield• doom • 1) n. 厄运 , 毁灭 , 死亡 , 世末日• Pronounce doom upon/on sb 宣判某人的罪行

• 2)v. destroy ; ruin 使毁灭• The whole city was doomed in a war.• be doomed to注定 ( 后接名词或不定式 )• 3) go/ fall to one's doom 死亡 , 灭亡• meet one's doom 死亡 , 灭亡• send sb. to his doom 将某人处死