2. Lesson Two The Nightingale and the Rose by Oscar Wilde

4. About the Author See note 1, p45

5. Oscar Wilde’s belief - Art for art’s sake The only purpose of the artist is art, not religion, or science, or interest. He who paints or writes only for financial return or to propagandize political and economic interests can only arouse feeling of disgust.

6. About the Author Quotes from Oscar Wilde’s Works Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood. As long as a woman can look ten years younger than her own daughter, she is perfectly satisfied. Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship. Hatred is blind, as well as love. I see when men love women. They give them but a little of their lives. But women when they love give everything. It is better to be beautiful than to be good. But... it is better to be good than to be ugly. Men always want to be a woman's first love - women like to be a man's last romance. No man is rich enough to buy back his past. One should always be in love. That is the reason one should never marry. The old believe everything, the middle-aged suspect everything, the young know everything.

7. Characteristics of writing ① personification of birds, insects, animals and trees ② vivid, simple narration --- typical of the oral tradition of fairy tales ③ repetitive pattern

8. Summary A young student seemed to be madly in love. He felt wretched because he could not find a Red Rose in the whole garden for his love. The nightingale was so moved by this student’s love that she was determined to help him. But the only way was to get a red rose in this cold winter was for the nightingale to build it out of music and to stain it with her heart’s blood. This was what she did. Thus he sacrificed her life for the student. But at last, the red rose was thrown away by the student just because his love preferred jewels than a red rose.

9. Symbolic meanings “Red rose” : true love, which needs constant nourishment of passions of the lovers. “Lizard”: cynic (cynical people) “Butterfly”: “Nightingale”: a truthful, devoted pursuer of love, who dares to sacrifice his own precious life Student : not a true lover, ignorant of love, not persistent in pursuing love

10. Detailed Learning

11. for want of: for the lack of For want of a better word, let’s call it Big.(As I can’t think of a better word…) For want of something better to do, she went to the movie. ( As she could not find any interesting to do, …)

12. to fill with 使充满 for want of something 因缺乏什么 to give a ball 举行舞会 to hold somebody in one’s arms 搂抱着某人 to dance to the sound of… 伴着乐声翩翩起舞 to be something of a cynic 有点，在一定程度上 to soar into the air 朝空中飞去 to sail across the garden 飞过花园 to pass through 穿过 to nip the buds （冻伤）摧残花蕾 in return 回报 to be fond of 喜欢（爱） to sing of something / somebody 歌颂, 唱歌庆贺 to ask of somebody 要求，期盼某人 to shoot through somebody (said of a feeling) （感觉）袭遍全身 to linger on 徘徊 to go with something (said of color) （颜色）相配 upon my word 的确 Set Expressions or phrases

13. Explain the following words or sentences? (1)“Ah, I have read all that the wise men have written and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made wretched.” Ah, I have read all the books written by the wise men and I know all the knowledge. However, I feel so miserable because I can’t find a rose for my love.

14. Explain the following words or sentences? (2) The Prince gives a ball to-morrow night… The Prince gives a dancing party (a ball is a formal gathering for social dancing)

15. Explain the following words or sentences? (3) In the center of the grass-plot stood a beautiful Rose-tree, There was a beautiful Rose-tree in the center of a small piece of ground with grass.

16. Explain the following words or sentences? (4) But the Nightingale’s voice grew fainter and a film came over her eyes. However, the sound made by the Nightingale became lower and there was a thin covering of water in her eyes.

17. Explain the following words or sentences? (5) And on the topmost spray of the Rose-tree there blossomed a marvelous rose, … And on the top of the Rose-tree a small branch bearing buds, flowers or berries became a marvelous rose

18. Exercises Check-up

19. a) It is important to know/see one’s limitation. d) I want to see you behave like a man. e) It’s very heavy. See if you can lift it f) Please see that the pesticide is put in a safe place. It is poisonous. i) Let me see you out. It’s easy to get lost in such a huge building. Translation, p53

20. k) The fever is gone but my head is still aching. (… but my headache still lingers on.) l) The milk has turned sour. Food goes bad easily in such weather. m) The economy of this country is going from bad to worse. n) It goes without saying that to build socialism, we must have a highly developed culture. o) I hear that you had an evening party last Saturday. How did it go? p) It is said that half of their monthly pay goes for food. s) He went blind in his childhood.