English Intensive Reading 吉林大学远程教育学院
Introduction Text Language Points Grammar
				Lesson 8   Language Points  ( Page 9)
			grassroots humor humor that is popular among common people. 大众幽默。其中一幅画面就是一个不知天高地厚的人走路时，鼻子朝天，趾高气扬，不料一脚踩在香蕉皮上，摔了个大屁墩。这才明白自己是谁 Mark Twain penlancing the boils of pomposity (“Man was made at the end of the week’s work, when God was tired.”); Meaning: Twain’s humor removed the self-importance in people in the same way that a doctor lanced a boil.Twain is saying that, because God was tired at the end of his week’s work, he didn’t do a very good job of making man, hence all the human depravities and weaknesses. 马克吐温用笔戳穿了自负的脓包。他认为人是上帝在最后一天非常疲劳的情况下创造出来的，所以人并不完美。 (“The oldest boy became a congressman, and the second son turned out no good, too.”); Meaning: 大儿子成了国会议员，然而二儿子也没成个好东西。 注意“too”的使用表明大儿子也不怎么样。 Such masters of comic deflation restore the balance. They bring us back to ourselves. Meaning: Bill Mauldin is a cartoonist who ridiculed those inexperienced and silly young officers during World War II who were overly impressed with their own importance. These humorists (Mark Twain, Will Rogers and Bill Mauldin), make us see ourselves as we really are, without an inflated sense of self-importance. 这些善于笑骂的大师们重新找到平衡。是他们使我们重新认识了自己。 … Commander-in-Chief … Meaning: Under the U. S. constitution, the President is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. 战争时期，总统同时是三军统帅。 debate (v.) to talk about a question, esp. in public, by at least two people or groups each expressing a different opinions in order to reach a decision. 争论，辩论 同义词：argue, discuss, dispute Comparing the following words: debate, argue, discuss, dispute 这几个词都是动词，都有“争论”、“辩论”的意思。 debate 意思是“正式地争论”，着重双方各自陈述理由，因此“交锋”、“往返”的意味较强，多指公开地进行辩论。 1. We have been debating about current affairs. 我们对时事问题一直在进行辩论。 2. They debated about which train to take. 他们争论该乘哪班火车。 argue 着重“说理”、“论证”，指坚持自己的说理、主张，以图说服别人。 1. I argued with him for a long time but he refused to listen to reason. 我和他争论了好久，但他拒不服理。 2. They argued vociferously over who should pay the bill. 他们大声争论谁该付账。 discuss 指“以随便、友好的方式进行讨论”，并强调了人们希望满意解决问题的共同愿望。 1. They discussed selling that house. 他们商量过卖房子的事。 2. His latest book discusses the problems of the disabled. 他的新书论述了残疾人的问题。 4. dispute, 指着重就分歧进行热烈的“争论”，语气较强，常含有“相持不下”，“据理力争”或“未得解决”的意味。 1. There is nothing to be gained by disputing with him. 和他争论不会有任何结果的。 2. The selection result was disputed. 有人对选举的结果提出了质疑。