btlew lesson 15 – touched by the moon part three enter

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Text Text AppreciatioAppreciationn

Lesson 15 - Touched by the Moon

I. Text Analysis 1. General Analysis 2. Structure 3. Further Discussion

II. Descriptive Language

III. Sentence Paraphrase

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I.I. Text AnalysisText Analysis General Analysis

This article is about the moon and about how the author was awe-struck by the sight of the moon during his visit to his friend’s house in Manila as well as on three other occasions.

The author expresses his concerns about our neglect of nature, the whole of which is represented by the moon here, as a result of modernization.

To be continued on the next page.

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I.I. Text AnalysisText Analysis

It is composed with deliberate brevity and compactness. The author intends to express personal ideas and emotions aroused by the sight of the moon. The author is rethinking the relationship between human beings and nature, doubting about the modern or civilized life in great cities.

This text is a fairly short prose.

The end of General Analysis.

General Analysis

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Depiction of the sight of the moon

Structure of the Text

Transitional paragraphs

Argument & Conclusion

Text

Paras. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Paras. 6, 7

Paras. 8, 9, 10


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Part 1 (paras. 1—2 )

Part 2 (paras. 3—4 )

Part 3 (para. 5)




On the way to a friend’s house, I was awe-struck by the moonrise in Manila and mentioned the moon’s influence on my friend’s life.

During the visit to the northern India, the author witnessed the beautiful moon over mountains and the plain respectively.

In the Philippines, the author watched the full moon over the sea.


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Part 4 (paras. 6—7)

Part 5 (paras. 8—10)




The author viewed the whole nature and revealed the relationship between man and nature.

The author rethought the modern life and expressed the willingness to live close to nature.

The end of Structure.

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How did the common sight of the moon catch the author’s attention and set him thinking one recent evening?

Why did the author say the moon meant a lot to his friend back home?

What are the three other beautiful memories of the author about the moon? List them.Did the moon look the same on the plains?

How did the moon look to the author on the beach one night?


Further discussion about the text


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What was the author’s experience in the Indian Himalayas last summer?

Why did the author and the caretaker sit in the sun?

Why did the author mention that neither the caretaker nor anybody else in their village had a watch or calendar?

What was the author’s view of nature?


Further discussion about the text

The end of Further Discussion.

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II. Descriptive II. Descriptive LanguageLanguage

In the text, there are quite

many descriptive expressions

which help to show the sight of

the moon vividly and

aesthetically. Read the text

carefully and try to locate them.


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II. Descriptive II. Descriptive LanguageLanguage

The end of Descriptive Language.

the full moon

huge and swollen

a bright, distant silver of white

gleaming white

a quiet supernatural light

hiss against the sand

a huge lantern in the sky

shape

color

sound

sight

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III.III. Sentence Sentence Paraphrase 1Paraphrase 1

I was awe-struck by the sight of the full

moon rising just above Manila rooftops,

huge and swollen, yellow through the

dust and smoke of the city. (Para. 1)the complex object of the preposition “of”

More examples

I was greatly impressed by the sight of the full and bright moon. It appeared yellow and big through the dust and smoke of the city.

go to 2


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III.III. Sentence Sentence Paraphrase Paraphrase

1. I was amused by the sight of peasants carrying live pigs on their bikes.

2. She heard the sound of the door opening in the middle of the night.

back to 1

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It had touched many aspects of his life, including those concerning his ordinary daily life. (Para. 2)

For many practical reasons in his daily life he had to pay attention to the moon. For example, it could provide some light; it could tell people about the time and possible weather changes, etc.

go to 3

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... to make sure that he had his torch with him when he was outside in the evening, or when the moon was due to rise late or was at its newest. (Para. 2)

… to make sure that he had not forgotten to take his torch with him when the moon would rise late or be at its newest.

go to 4

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I can remember going out at 10pm and seeing the great Nanda Devil mountain like a ghost on the horizon, gleaming white in the moonlight and flanked by Trishul. (Para. 3)

I can remember that once I went out at 10pm and saw the great Nanda Devil mountain like a ghost on the horizon, gleaming white in the moonlight and with Trishul on both sides.

go to 5

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We sat in the sun looking at the scattering of stone-tiled roofs, … (Para. 6)

We sat in the warmth and light of the sun, looking at the few houses which spread out over a large area.

go to 6

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The cycles of the sun and moon are simple but gigantic forces which have shaped human lives since the beginning. (Para. 8)

The changes of days and nights, months and seasons, or the changes of the weather are simple but great forces which have long affected human lives.

to influence; to make sth. have a particular shape

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Wise men and women studied them not as scientists, but as mystics; … (Para. 8)

Wise men and women studied them not as scientists who tried to understand the cycles of the sun and moon through testing and examination, but as mystics who felt the religious, spiritual or magical powers of these natural phenomena.

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We have lost our sense of wonder at the elements—our lives are full of forces that are so new and barely understood that we are confused shadows of what we should be. (Para. 8)

Explanation

go to 9


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III.III. Sentence Sentence ParaphraseParaphrase

We used to be awed by nature. It filled us with

wonder. But now we have lost our sense of

wonder. We can no longer enjoy that feeling

because our lives are full of new things that

are made by ourselves but not quite

understood by ourselves. As a result, we are

no longer what we should be. We have

become different persons and totally confused

by these changes.

back to 8

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Today our lives are defined by glass, concrete, metal, plastic and fiber-glass. (Para. 9)

Today we talk about out lives in terms of glass, concrete, etc.

to describe with the distinctive features

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We eat and breathe things our bodies were not designed to process. (Para. 9)

The author is talking about polluted food and polluted air today as a result of the use of fertilizers, pesticides and other agricultural chemicals. Human beings cannot eat or breathe these things because they are not made that way.

go to 11

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Energy flies around us. (Para. 9)

Modern cities depend on energy to provide heat and drive machines, etc., but energy production produces pollutants. The author obviously does not like the fact that “energy flies around us”.

go to 12

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… wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled and measure out my life in coffee spoons. (Para. 10)

… wear my trousers with the bottoms rolled and spend the rest of my life drinking coffee and enjoying nature.

Explanation


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These lines echo a poem by T.S. Eliot.

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” 　　For I have known them all already, known them allHave known the evenings, mornings, afternoons,I have measured out my life with coffee spoons; ...I grow old... I grow old... I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

III.III. Sentence Sentence ParaphraseParaphrase

The end of Sentences Paraphrase.


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Part ThreePart Three

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