Christmas Day in the Morning

 Step 1. Background InformationBackground Information  Warming-up questions  Question 1: How much do you know about Pearl S. Buck( )?

About Pearl S. Buck A friend of Chinese people A Literature Nobel Prize Laureate

I should not be truly myself if I did not, in my own wholly unofficial way, speak also of the people of China, whose life has for so many years been my life also, whose life, indeed, must always be a part of my life. The minds of my own country and of China, my foster country, are alike in many ways, but above all, alike in our common love of freedom.

Birthday: June 26, 1892 Came to China: 3 months old Period of stay in China: 40 years Residential area: Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province

 In 1915 she met a Cornell graduate, John Lossing Buck, who became her husband in They moved to South Xuzhou, Anhui province where she gathered the materials she would use in The Good Earth and other stories. Their marriage was unhappy but would last 18 years. Pearl’s first child proved to be retarded （智力 迟钝的，低能的） and Pearl herself underwent a hysterectomy （子宫切除术）. The couple later adopted a baby girl.

Pearl and her family  1 st husband: John Lossing Buck, a Cornell graduate  Carol (first child): Profoundly retarded  Janice: adopted child  1 st Marriage: unhappy but last 18 years  2 nd husband: Richard Walsh, a publisher

Pearl’s works:  East wind, West Wind  The Good Earth  Dragon Seed  The Big Wave  Satan Never Sleeps

Pearl and Her Prizes  Pulitzer Prize and Howells Medal for The Good Earth  Nobel Prize in Literature 1938 for The Good Earth “----for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces"

Do you know how to decorate for Christmas? Tell us next time!

 we wish you a merry Christmas; we wish you a merry Christmas; we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year. good tidings we bring to you and your kin; we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.  oh, we all want some figgy pudding; oh, we all want some figgy pudding; oh, bring us a figgy pudding and bring it right here we won't go until we get some; we won't go until we get some; we won't go until we get some, so bring some out here

 Question 2: Can you tell us something about Christianity and Christmas?

The Story of the Christ Child and Christmas  When Rome was a great Empire ruled by Caesar Augustus and Israel was governed by King Herod, in the village of Nazareth lived Joseph and Mary. Joseph was a carpenter and Mary was a young virgin who would become his wife. Mary told Joseph of a dream in which she was visited by an angel who told her she had been chosen to bear the Son of God and his name was to be Jesus.

 One day the emperor sent notice that all persons were to register for a new tax. They were instructed to return to the towns of their birth. Joseph and Mary left Nazareth for Bethlehem. Mary who was with child, and close to the birth, rode on a donkey while Joseph walked beside her. They traveled for many days and only rested at night.

 When they reached Bethlehem it was night. They looked for a place to rest but there were no empty rooms when they reached the inn. As they were being turned away Joseph mentioned his wife was with child and close to birth. The inn keeper took pity on them and told them of some caves in the nearby hills that shepherds would stay with their cows and sheep.

 So Joseph and Mary went up into the hills and found the caves. In one cave was a stable room. Joseph cleaned it and made beds of fresh hay. He found a feeding trough which he cleaned and filled with hay to use as a crib. The next night Mary gave birth to a son and they named him Jesus, as the angel had said.

 When the child was born a great star appeared over Bethlehem that could be seen for miles around. In the fields nearby shepherds were tending their flocks. An angel appeared to them surrounded by bright light. The shepherds were frightened and tried to run.

 "Fear Not," said the angel, "For I bring you tidings of great joy. For unto you is born this day in Bethlehem - a Saviour who is Christ the Lord."  "And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."

 Suddenly the sky was filled with angels, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men."  After the angels departed the shepherds set out for Bethlehem. When they reached the cave they found the stable and inside was the child wrapped in swaddling clothes.

 As the star shined over Bethlehem, in the east three kings would see it. They knew it was a sign and they set off to follow the star. There was Caspar - the young King of Tarsus, Melchior - a long bearded old man and leader of Arabia, and Balthazar - the king from Ethiopia. They traveled on camels for many days over the mountains, and through the deserts, and plains. Always following the bright star.

 When they finally arrived in Bethlehem they found the child in the manger. The 3 kings bowed to their knees and offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They would stay the night in the cave and the next day returned to their lands to spread the news.

 The exact day of the Christ child's birth has never been pinpointed. Traditions say that it has been celebrated since the year 98 AD. In 137 AD the Bishop of Rome ordered the birthday of the Christ Child celebrated as a solemn feast. In 350 AD another Bishop of Rome, Julius I, choose December 25th as the observance of Christmas.

Step 2. Structure analysis  This article can be divided into 3 parts. The first part (para.1-8) describes the current experience. It offers a brief introduction to the text. The second part (para.9-41) retells the story in his childhood. The third part (para.43-46) brings us back to the present in the story.

Pre-class Work II Say which of the following statements are true or false. 1. f 2. f 3. t 4. f 5. f 6. t 7. t 8. t 9. f 10. f 11. t 12. f 13. f

Step 3. In-class Discussion Love alone could waken love. Do you agree?  Faults are thick where love is thin.  Love is blind.  Love is full of trouble.  Love me little, love me long.  Love lives in cottages as well as in courts.

 Love will find a way.  Love laughs at locksmiths.  Love me, love my dog.  Love is the mother of love.  Love makes the world go round.

Step 4: Language understanding  1. …help with the milking. (P.1) To help with: to give a hand in  2. Strange how the habits of his youth clung to him still! (P.1) It was strange how up to that moment he had continued doing things the way he had always done them from boyhood.

 3. Yet what was the magic of Christmas now? (P. 2)  Is this a question?  This is a negative statement in question form.  Another example: What’s the use of going there?  This sentence shows that Christmas no longer had much attraction since they were old and there were only the two of them at home.

 4. His childhood and youth were long past, and his own children had grown up and gone. (P. 2) Question: What is meant by “his childhood and youth were long past”? It means that he was no longer young.  5. It isn’t worthwhile, perhaps…(P. 3) Complete the sentence: Perhaps we shouldn’t bother about the celebration.

 6. Yes, Alice, even if there are only the two of us…(P.4) Question: Did he agree with his wife? No, he didn’t agree with his wife. He felt that although their children were not coming, they should still have a proper Christmas.  7. to trim (P. 5) To make neat, even or tidy by cutting

 8. Why did he feel so awake tonight? For it was still night, a clear and starry night. (P. 8) Question: Why did Rob call it “tonight” since the title is “Christmas Day in the Morning”? The reason is given in the second sentence.  9. He slipped back in time, as he did so easily nowadays. (P. 9) He had recently got into the habit of recalling things in the past /of reminiscing/ of letting his thoughts go back to the old days.

 10. He was fifteen years old…when he had overheard what his father was saying to his mother.(P. 9) To be on his father’s farm: Note the use of “on ”before the noun “farm”. He had not known it until one day…: The past perfect is used here because the state of not knowing had lasted up to that day. “It ”refers to the fact that he loved his father/ When: on which day To overhear: to hear something spoken without intention

 11. Mary, I hate to call Rob…I wish I could manage alone.(P. 11) I hate to call: I don’t want to call…/I’m sorry that I have to call… I wish I could manage alone: This is expressed in subjunctive mood, indicating that in fact he couldn’t.

 12. His mother’s voice was brisk, “…It’s time he took his turn.”(P. 11)  Brisk: quick, sharp and vigorous  To take one’s turn: to do one’s share  “Took” is used to indicate subjunctive mood. Notice the pattern “It’s time +v. in the past tense”

 13. He had never thought of it before, taking for granted the tie of their blood. (P. 13)  He had never thought of the fact that his father loved him because he took the relationship of father and son as a matter of course. He had never given this another thought.

 14.…there would be no more loitering in the mornings and having to be called again. (P. 14)  …he would never loiter in the morning and need no longer to be called again and again.  to loiter: to move or go about business slowly and with many stops

 15.… stumbling blind with sleep and pulled on his clothes. (P. 15)  When he got up, it was still very dark and he was still very sleepy. He could hardly open his eyes and could not see or think clearly, so he walked or moved unsteadily and blindly.  16. And then on the night before Christmas,…And he always saved and bought them each something, too.  This paragraph describes how Rob and the family usually celebrated Christmas. The way they celebrated Christmas revealed their poverty.

 17. the ten-cent store(P. 15): a store where everything is sold cheap, supposedly no more than ten cents.  18. He lay on his side and looked out of his attic window.(P. 15)  To lie on one’s side  To lie on one’s back  To lie on one’s stomach

 19. Then Jesus had been born in a barn,… bring their Christmas gifts. (P. 18)  Bible: New Old Testaments  …And when they had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts: gold and frankincense, and myrrh…

 20. A thought struck him like a silver dagger. (P. 19): An idea suddenly crossed his mind.  The metaphor of a silver dagger is used to suggest the lightening speed with which the brilliant idea flashed across his mind.  21. He laughed to himself as he gazed at the stars.(P.20)  To laugh to oneself/to laugh at sb  To gaze: to look intently and steadily(as in wonder)

 22. …he got up and crept downstairs, careful of the creaky boards…(P. 22)  He had to be careful so that the boards would not make any noise and wake up his father, thus spoiling his plan.  23. The cows looked at him, sleepy and surprised.(P.22)  The cows seemed sleepy and surprised to him because this reflected his own feelings.

 24. Two strong streams rushing into the pail, frothing and fragrant. (P. 24)  To froth: to cause to form a whitish mass of bubbles; to cause to foam.  Fragrant: sweet smelling  Frothing and fragrant: alliteration  25. The task went more easily than he had ever known it to before.(P.25)  After “to”, “go ” is left out.

 26. Milking for once was not a chore. (P. 25) For the first time milking was not a tedious, unpleasant and boring task.  27. He put the stool in its place… (P.25) He put the stool back to its original place…

 28. He put the covers over his head to silence his quick breathing. (P. 26) Question: why did Rob put the covers over his head?  He did not want his father to hear his quick breathing and find out the truth.  29. His dancing heart was ready to jump from his body. (P. 30)  The word “dancing” suggests that he was very excited and his heart was beating fast and dancing with joy.

 30. The minute was endless…. (P. 31) The minute was endless, because he was so eager to see how his father would react to his special gift. The feeling of the length of time is often connected with one’s emotion.  31. a queer sobbing sort of a laugh. (P. 34) His father was so moved that he was choked with emotion.

 32. His father was standing beside his bed, feeling for him…(P. 34)  To feel for sth: to try to find sth. by touching; to grope for sth.  33. He found his father and clutched him in a great hug. He felt his father’s arms go around him.  Words like “found” and “felt” indicate that it was dark and they couldn’t see each other.

 34. His heart was bursting with love. (P. 38) His heart was filled/overflowing with love.  35. No, come to think of it…(P. 39) I’ve never thought about it before, but now when I think about it, I realized that…

 36. Outside the window now the stars slowly faded. (P. 42) Question : Why is the word ”now” used here?  It is used here to indicate the switching back of time.  37. Love alone could waken love. (P.44) Only love could waken love. Love could not be bought or forced.

Step 5. Summary  By the author’s experience, the article wants to convey the idea of universal love as advocated Christianity.

Step 6. Exercise