Unit 3 My Stroke of Luck

By Kirk Douglass

Contents

The Author 1

Pre-reading Questions2

Textual Organization3

Text Analysis 4

Discussion 5

Quiz6

The Author: Kirk Douglass

Douglas was the son Russian Jewish immigrant parents in Amsterdam, NY, on Dec. 9, 1916.

Douglas worked as an usher, a bellhop, a waiter, and a professional wrestler while attending St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York (B.A., 1939) and the American Academy of Dramatic Art (1939–41) in New York City. He played mostly minor roles on Broadway before and soon after service in the U.S. Navy (1943–44) and then was drawn to Hollywood.

Once quoted as saying "I've made a career of playing sons of bitches," Kirk Douglas is considered by many to be the epitome of the Hollywood hard man. In addition to acting in countless films over the course of his long career, Douglas has served as a director and producer, and will forever be associated with his role in helping to put an end to the infamous Hollywood black list.

He survived a helicopter crash in 1991 in which two people were killed. He flirted with killing himself after being hobbled by a stroke in 1996, but decided "suicide is stupid and selfish". Instead he wrote another book, My Stroke of Luck.

Pre-reading Questions

1. Think of a person who suffers misfortunes but still does whatever he/she can to help others. Describe him/her to your classmates.

2. Do you believe in luck? Please explain with your personal experience.

Text Structure

Part I(Paras.1-2): The author uses his recent accident as an introduction to the whole story, in which he mentions his wife’s reaction.

Part II(Paras.3-4): The first flashback in the story. It describes Anne’s good judgment on previous occasions and her experience during the WWII.

Part III(Paras.5-7): This is the second flashback. It tells us how the author met Anne, fell in love with her and eventually married her.

Part IV (Paras.8): The author turns back to his recovery from the crash with his wife’s care.

Part V (Paras. 9-10): The author recalls how his wife handled her crisis; she never gave in and always tried to help others.

Part VI (Paras.11-13): It presents a picture of how Anne saved her husband, helped rebuild his confidence and kept him moving on in her own way.

Part VII (Para 14): It offers a general comment on Anne’s character and provides a philosophical conclusion from the event.

Text Analysis-11. What does the author mean by

“Another helicopter ride. Just what I needed!”?

A: He means that he needed the prompt transport to their neighborhood hospital by helicopter.

Language Points stroke: v. / n.

What a stroke of luck that I found you here. The naughty boy always strokes his grandfather’s beard.

stroke sb. the wrong way 激怒某人stroke sb. down 安抚某人 collide ： to hit each other accidentally

The two planes collided with each other in midair.

As the young guy came around the corner, he collided with a beautiful lady, who became his wife two years later.

If the aims of a couple collide, there may be a divorce.

* n. collision

instantly: adv. Immediately; at once

He pressed the button and instantly there was a strange sound.

They quarreled with each other instantly because of their disagreement.

* instant: adj. 立刻的，马上的* instantaneous ： adj. 即刻的 Wreckage n. 失事，破坏，残骸 Investigators are searching the wreckage of the

plane to try to find the cause of the tragedy.

* Wreck v./n.

Stare – to look fixedly. v. & n. She likes being stared at by many people, for

which provides her a sense of satisfaction.The young lady gave the boy a malicious stare

and ran away.

* stare at 凝视 stare sb. up and down 上下打量 stare sb. into silence 用眼睛瞪得某人哑口无言 make sb. stare 使某人惊愕 stare sb. down/out 盯得某人局促不安

Text Analysis - 2

1. How did Anne manage to survive during WWII?

A: To escape Fascism, she fled to Belgium, and then to Paris. With her linguistic ability, she supported herself by writing German subtitles for French films.

What is Fascism?A philosophy of

government that stresses the primacy and glory of the state, unquestioning obedience to its leader, subordination of the individual will to the state's authority, and harsh suppression of dissent. Martial virtues are celebrated, while liberal and democratic values are disparaged.

Fascism arose during the 1920s and '30s partly out of fear of the rising power of the working classes; it differed from contemporary communism (as practiced under Joseph Stalin) by its protection of business and landowning elites and its preservation of class systems.

The leaders of the fascist governments of Italy (1922 – 43), Germany (1933 – 45), and Spain (1939 – 75) — Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and Francisco Franco — were portrayed to their publics as embodiments of the strength and resolve necessary to rescue their nations from political and economic chaos. Japanese fascists (1936 – 45) fostered belief in the uniqueness of the Japanese spirit and taught subordination to the state and personal sacrifice.

Psychiatrist n. 精神病医师，精神病学家 intuition: n. the power of knowing sth.

without reasoning

women usually have strong intuition, which is one of the factors that contribute to good science.

she had an intuition her husband had a lover.

* intuitive adj. 凭直觉获知的

Fatal adj. ending in deathThe bus driver was knocked down by a lorry and received fatal

injuries.Tomorrow is the fatal day to this wretched girl. (of destiny; like

fate)* Compare: fatal, lethal, deadly, mortal

Exercise:A doctor should be familiar with the ____ dose of a

drug.All men are _____.Meningitis is a serious illness, ____ in some cases.The inhabitants soon came to regard the white

settlers as their ____ enemy.

Depressed adj. 沮丧的，降低的，不景气的，萧条的

She got depressed and began to let things slide.

The market is rather depressed at the moment.

* Depress vt. 使沮丧，降低，压抑，使萧条 The threat of war has depressed

business activity. * compare: depress, repress, suppress,

oppress

Language Points

Fluent adj. 流利的，流畅的 She is fluent in English.

Her fluent movements surprised us.

* Fluency n.

A person who is able to use three languages, especially with equal fluency.

Subtitle n. 副题 ( 书本中的 ), 说明或对白的字幕

Questions

1. Why did the author feel miffed in his interview with Anne?

A: He expected Anne to accept the job whit eagerness, as most girls would do, because he was a famous American movie star. But Anne declined the offer.

2. Why did the author have the thought “to hell with her”?

A: Anne’s refusal was out of the author’s expectation, because he took it for granted that Anne would more than willing to accept his invitation, as most other girls would do.

Act of Love

It’s a movie produced in the year 1953. While vacationing on the Riveria, Douglas flashes back to the end of WWII and his romance with a beleaguered French girl who is labeled a prostitute and denied the right to emigrate with him.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining.

Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of casino resorts and associated entertainment.

A growing retirement and family city, it is the 28th most populous city in the United States with an estimated population by the U.S. Census Bureau of 558,383 as of 2008. The estimated population of the Las Vegas metropolitan area as of 2008, was 1,865,746.

Show up: to arrive at a place

At midnight Joanne’s boyfriend showed up drunk.

The CEO of this company we invited to the party didn’t show up.

Her wrinkles showed up in the strong sunlight. (obvious)

show sb./sth. off: 使显眼steal the show: 抢镜头give the whole show: 走漏消息 Dressing room n. 更衣室， ( 尤指后台 ) 化妆室 striking adj. 吸引人的，显著的

Miffed adj. slightly annoyed or upsetShe was miffed after she received her mother-in-law’s

telephone.Temporary: adj. lasting only for a limited period of timeWe apologize for the temporary inconvenience caused

by the building work. Temporary adj. 暂时的，临时的There must be some difficulties in our life, but we

believe they are temporary and our future will be bright.

Take some doing On one’s part 就 ... 而言，站在 ... 一边，代表 ... To hell with 让 ... 见鬼去吧

Tour d’ Argent La Tour d'Argent (The Silver

Tower) is a restaurant in Paris France that dates from 1582, and said to have been frequented by Henry IV.

Duck, especially the pressed duck, is the specialty (Canard à la presse, Caneton à la presse, Caneton Tour d'Argent). The restaurant has its own farm on which it raises its ducks. Diners ordering the duck receive a postcard with the serial number of the duck.

The restaurant also has a wine cellar containing more than 450,000 bottles of wine that services a 400-page wine list with 15,000 wines listed, with an estimated value in 2009 of about 25 million euros (£22.5 million).The wine cellar is guarded twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. The dining room features an excellent view of the river Seine and Notre Dame.

Poignant: keen or strong in mental appeal 强烈的，痛快的

It was a poignant moment. They held hands and looked into each other’s eyes for the last time.

The poignant remarks delivered by Mary hurt Tom deeply.

I was struck by the poignant contrast between his lively mind and his old frail body.

* Poignancy n. 令人伤心 Poignantly ad. 令人伤心地

Ulysses & James Joyce Ulysses is a novel by Irish author James Joyce, first

serialized in parts in the American journal The Little Review from March 1918 to December 1920, then published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach on February 2, 1922, in Paris. One of the most important works of Modernist literature,it has been called "a demonstration and summation of the entire movement".

Ulysses chronicles the passage of Leopold Bloom through Dublin during an ordinary day, June 16, 1904. The title parallels and alludes to Odysseus (Latinised into Ulysses), the hero of Homer's Odyssey (e.g., the correspondences between Leopold Bloom and Odysseus, Molly Bloom and Penelope, and Stephen Dedalus and Telemachus). Joyce fans worldwide now celebrate June 16 as Bloomsday.

詹姆斯 ·乔伊斯（ James Joyce, 1882-1941 ），被认为是继莎士比亚后英语文学史上最伟大的作家，他在小说领域取得的成就，代表着现代主义文学的一座高峰。确切地说，乔伊斯是个爱尔兰作家。他于 1882 年 2 月 2 日出生于爱尔兰首府都柏林，当时爱尔兰在英国统治下，是英国的殖民地。 1898 年乔伊斯进入都柏林大学学院学习现代语言， 1902 年 6 月大学毕业，他选择离开爱尔兰，侨居欧洲大陆，曾在意大利东北部城市的里雅斯特住了 10年，以教授英语为生。从 1920 年起他定居巴黎。乔伊斯的早期作品包括短篇小说集《都柏林人》（ Dubliners, 1914 ）和自传性小说《一个青年艺术家的画像》（ A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man ， 1916）。《尤利西斯》（ Ulysses ， 1922 ）为作者赢得声誉，小说情节简单，主要记载迪达勒斯、布卢姆和布卢姆的妻子莫莉三个人物的一天里的日常琐事，乔伊斯力图展现的是生活的本质和对人的精神世界的探索。

《芬尼根的苏醒》（ Finnegans Wake, 1939 ）将意识流技巧推向极致。乔伊斯对小说形式和内容进行的探索标志着英国小说史上的重大突破。他塑造的布卢姆是 20世纪文学中“反英雄”的典型，反映了现代小说关于人的观念的变化；他的意识流打破了以时间为顺序的小说模式，改变了传统小说的时空观念；他对英语语言的创造性运用极大地丰富了英语的表意功能。 1940年 6 月法国巴黎沦陷，乔伊斯于年底携全家前往苏黎士， 1941 年 1 月 13 日病逝。

Keep apart 使分离 to remain separate

Nothing can keep us apart.

He is a strange boy, who keeps apart from all the activities in the university.

* Keep away 远离 Keep down 控制，抑制 Keep out of 不卷入 Keep to 履行Tie the knot 打结 (婚礼的一项仪式 ), 结婚

Slip away 逃走 * slip: fall or almost fall as a result of itHe slipped on the deep step and broke his leg.She slipped into the dean’s office and stole an

important tape. (move quietly and quickly)The fish slipped out of my hand.The phenomenon of a slip of tongue is very

common in our daily speech. (n.)* slip through one’s fingers:未抓住，为掌握住 slip up: 犯错误 slip away: 溜走 slip one’s mind: 被忘记

Questions

1. What is survivor’s anguish?A: Survivor’s anguish is a kind of depression

in which the survivor suffers an aftermath fear of a disaster and uncertainty about what would happen to him/her in the future.

2.Did Anne’s attitude towards her own disease agree with what she demanded her husband to do?

A: Yes. It is her consistent philosophy that one should keep moving on, instead of complaining, in face of misfortune .

3. How did Anne offer help to others?A: She shared her experience with

others, raised a fund for research facilities in a hospital and initiated a program to rebuild some school playgrounds.

Language Points

be wrapped up in: to be totally absorbed in

He doesn’t have much time for a social life, because he’s too wrapped up in his work.

She is wrapped up in her son, devotes all her time, care, and attention to him.

Ego n. 自我，自负，自尊心 * Egoistic adj. 自我中心的，自私自利的 Egoist n. 自我主义者

Station wagon 客货两用车，旅行车 Stretch out

The cat stretched out in front of the fire. （伸展肢体）

I’m just going to stretch out on the bed for half an hour. （躺下）

Tom stretched out his hand to take the water-melon. （伸出，伸开）

* Stretch the truth: 夸大，言过其实 At full stretch: 全力以赴，极尽所能

Console : to give comfort to sb. in times of sadness

Susan did her best to console her daughter by promising to buy her another doll.

He consoled himself with the thought that it might have been worse.

Consolable: adj. 可安慰的

Anguish n. 苦闷，痛苦 v. 使苦闷，使极痛苦Physical disability causes mental anguish. The child was badly hurt and was in anguish

all the evening.

Malignant: adj. (of a disease) serious enough to cause death.

The old lady had a malignant tumor, which brought a lot of trouble with her.

He advanced towards them with a malignant look. （ showing hatred and a strong desire to harm someone ）

mali-: bad

Authorize: to give permission forThe government authorized $8 million

on a new gym.I had authorized her to act for me while

I was in hospital.Only the Congress can authorize the

President to declare war.* authority, authoritative; authorization

Questions

1. Did Anne really kick her husband out of bed each morning?

A: No. The phrase “kick out” is used here as an exaggeration to mean “to get me out of bed despite my reluctance”.

2. What does the author mean by “tough love”?“Tough love” refers to Anne’s belief that you

should be a bit tough with your loved ones in order to get them back to normal life as quickly as possible.

It is a case of oxymoron. Which is a rhetorical device in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined. The following are similar examples:

a deafening silence

her cruel kindness

a mournful optimist

Finance vt. 给 ... 提供资金，负担经费 The repairs to the school will be

financed by the educational department.

Unless we can get more finance, we'll have to close the store.

Deplorable adj. 可叹的，悲惨的，凄惨的 deplorable fate 悲惨的命运

beneficiary: the receiver of a benefitPeople on high incomes will be the main

beneficiaries of these changes in the tax laws.

benefit: 受益；获得利益beneficial: 有益的；有利的 endure: to bearThe report describes how political prisoners

have to endure.She had to endure countless attacks on her

reputation from popular newspapers.They endured months of despair as their

daughter’s illness grew progressively worse.

What is manicure? A manicure is a cosmetic

beauty treatment for the fingernails and hands performed either at home or in a nail salon by a licensed professional nail technician or manicurist. A manicure treatment is not only a treatment for the natural nails but also for the hands. A manicure consists of filing, shaping of the free edge, cuticle treatments, massage of the hand and the application of polish. There are also manicure services that are specialties for the hands and feet.

For the hands, the soaking of a softening substance and the application of a lotion is a common speciality. This procedure can be applied to the toenails and feet, this treatment is referred to as a Pedicure. The word "manicure" derives from Latin: manus for "hand," cura for "care."

inspire: to influence, to give a sudden good idea

The novel is obviously inspired by her experience of Christianity in her childhood.

These designs are inspired by the colours of Italian peasant pottery.

* Translation: 是什么促使我向他提供果断的支持？What inspired me to give such a decisive

support for him.有灵感的时候，她可以一天之内写出一篇文章。In an inspired moment, she can write an article

within one day.* n. inspiration

set apart: to make (sth. Or someone) different, or distinguish

What set the play apart was the way it dealt with the murder case.

His dedication really set him apart from previous party leaders.

* Translation:他的新政使他不同于以往总统。His new deals really set him apart

from previous presidents.

Questions for Discussion

1. Love is meant to be a spirit that works in adversary as well as in happiness. I can endure enough rough times, because I can remember what we had together in the past, and because I know what we will have together in the future. Do you agree? Give your reasons.

2. Real love does not imply “I love you only when you are perfect” or “when you are what I expect you to be”. Real love is unconditional.

Quiz

1. SpellingWreckage, psychiatrist, intuition

poignant, console, diagnostic, malignant, beneficiary, manicure, therapist, epiphany

Phrases: 偷偷溜走 Slip away; 全神贯注于 be wrapped in; 送某人一程 give sb. a ride; 结婚 tie the knot; 信任 believe in; 使…不同 set apart; 立刻，马上 then and there;前进；改变话题 move on

Sentences Translation: 大火烧毁那幢房子时，我们呆呆地站着，注视着这一切。 When the fire was destroying the building, we just

stood and stared at all this. 地震后这个国家正经历着一个非常困难的时期。 The country is going through a very difficult period

after the earthquake. 上星期董事会授权安装一个新的电脑系统。 An installation of a new computer system was

authorized by the board of directors last week. 尽管警方不相信他的话，他仍然坚持说他说的是实话。 He insisted that he told the truth, even though the

police did not believe him.

Sentence Making:

beneficiary; collide; fatal; show up; miffed; poignant; be wrapped up in

DictationLove means that I know the person I love.

I’m aware of the many sides of the other person—not just the beautiful side but also the limitations. I have an awareness of the other’s feelings and thoughts. I can see the other person on a deeper level.

Love means that I care about the welfare of the person I love. If I care about you, I’m concerned about your growth, and I hope you will become all that you can become.

Love means trusting the person I love. If I love you, I trust that you will accept my caring and my love and that you won’t deliberately hurt me. I trust that you will find me lovable and that you won’t abandon me. If we trust each other, we are willing to be open to each other and reveal our true selves.

Thank you……