Lesson Three Message of the Land

1. Lesson Three Message of the Land

2. Author Pira Sudham is considered Thailand's leading English language writer, who was nominated for the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.His literary works are concerned with social-economic-political changes occurring in Thailand. Widely read and highly acclaimed, his books have given an expedient voice to the poor and the voiceless.

3. Bangkok from the Chao Phraya River at sunset, July 2004 The Wat Phra Kaew Temple

4. Thai Buddhism

6. Monks in Thailand

7. Style Text Analysis • Style: essay (in a very broad sense) • or interview • The interviewees: a farmer and his wife • (note: Since the World War II it has become popular for writers to interview people, record what they say and, after some, not too much, editing, publish these people’s stories in book form.)

8. Stylistic feature straightforward language colloquial short sentences small and easy words

9. Theme of the story The text tells about the deep regret of the old people over the loss of traditional values and the way of life.

10. Structure of the text Part I the wife’s speech The wife tells us briefly about her family and how all her children left. (paras. 1—3) This part focuses on the changes that she finds she can’t adjust to. (paras. 4—7) Part II the farmer’s speech (paras. 8—11) The farmer tells about what he thinks are the root of all evils and what joys he finds in life and farming.

11. the loss of traditional values and the way of life • no barter, but cash • no pay-free help • plastic things instead • only the old on the land • no practice of the old customs • no respect for the old • All four • children • went away. • Children wear • jeans instead.

12. What’s the message of the land? It’s our history, our culture, our tradition and our life. In a word, it is our root which we cannot live without.

13. Yes, these are our rice fields. They belonged to my parents and forefathers. The land is more than three centuries old. • Question: Why does the wife start her conversation with the talk about the land? • The wife has already regarded the land as part of her life. This is the land where her parents and forefathers lived and it is bound with family history and tradition. It represents the root of her family.

14. Sentences and Language study • They belonged to my parents and forefather. (1) • to belong to: to be owned by sb. e.g. • This computer belongs to my roommate, Wang Lin. • Who does the beeper belong to?

15. Opposites Synonyms descendant offspring ancestor forerunner • forefather • a. (usu. pl.) the people, especially men, who were part of your family a long time ago in the past • b. someone in the past who did something important that influences your life today

16. …it was I who stayed with my parents till they died. (1) • Learn how to use the emphatic form “it is /was …that/who…” e.g. It was my sister who went to teach in a village school upon graduation. It was in Shanghai that I first met Professor Li.

17. My husband moved into our houses as is the way with us in Esarn. (1) • as is the way with us in Esarn: “As” introduces a defining relative clause and functions as its subject, representing what is stated in the main clause. • Paraphrase: (When we got married) my husband came to live in our house. It was the tradition here in Esarn that the bridegroom should come to live with the bride’s family. Examples

18. 1.As is known to all, Taiwan belongs to China. (as—subject of the clause) • 2. As is often the case, girls learn a language more quickly than boys. (as—subject of the clause)

19. The rest, two boys and two girls, went away as soon as we could afford to buy jeans for them. (1) Examples appositive of “the rest” the rest: the remaining people; the others afford to : to have enough money to do Paraphrase: Our other children—two boys and two girls—left as soon as we had the money to buy them jeans.

20. Your father, a proud and unbending man, refused all help that was offered him. • Playing football, his only interest in life, brought him many friends. • 3. A dry lightning storm, that is, a thunderstorm without rain, started a fire in a remote part of the forest in August.

21. They come home to see us now and then, stay a few days, and then they were off again. (2) • Paraphrase: they come home to see us from time to time, stauy with us for a few days, and then leave again. • stay a few days: here the noun phrase “a few days” is used adverbially. • be off : be away from a place, e.g. • My father is off to Russia neat week.

22. now and then: now and again; occasionally • Examples: • Now and then we heard shots in the woods. • He loses his temper now and then, but not often. • I hear from him every now and then. Phrases with similar structure here and there up and down ups and downs the ins and outs back and forth • 处处，到处 • 上上下下，起伏地，来回地，详尽地 • 盛衰，浮沉 • 种种复杂详情 • 来来回回地

23. bully: v.a. to threaten to hurt someone or frighten them, especially someone smaller or weaker b. to put pressure on someone in order to make them do what you want • Examples: • The child was bullied almost out of its life. • Don't let them bully you into working on Saturdays. More meanings

24. a local bully • play the bully • a bully idea • a bully good dinner • Bully for you! • bullyboy • 土豪 • 横行霸道，恃强欺弱 • 绝妙的主意 • 极其丰盛的饭菜 • 干得好！ • （受人雇佣且尤指与政治集团有关的）流氓，打手

25. Insult: v. to offend someone by saying or doing something they think is rude e.g. • I hope Andy won't be insulted if I don't come. • She insulted him by calling him a coward. • You insult my intelligence with your crude methods! (= to say or do something that suggests you think someone is stupid) Word formations n. insult a. insulting n. insulter

26. …and tell us they are doing well. I know this is not always true. (2) • …paraphrase: although they always tell us that everything is fine with them, I know they also have difficulties and problems. They just do not tell us because they do not want us to worry. • …it is like a knife piercing my heart. (2) • Paraphrase: when I hear about their hardships, I feel very bad..

27. Pierce:v. a. to make a small hole with a sharp point • b. (of cold, pain, sound) to force a way into • c. to force a way through something • Examples: • She had her ears pierced in order to be able to wear earrings. • Her shrieks pierced the silence. • Her memories sometimes pierced her heart. • Our forces pierced through the enemy’s lines. Word formations a. pierced a. piercing

28. It’s easier for my husband. He has ears which don’t hear, a mouth which doesn’t speak, and eyes that don’t see. (2) parallel structure restrictive relative clause Paraphrase:News about my children’s problems doesn’t make my husband as sad as me. He doesn’t bother about what is happening around us and to our children. He never says anything about them.

29. He has always been patient and silent, minding his own life. (2) • present participle phrase functioning as adverbial of accompanying circumstances • mind: take care of; attend to • minding his own life: paraphrase: He’s always been patient and talks little. He just does his duty and carries on his life. • The usual phrase is “mind one’s own business” which means “don’t interfere.”

30. mind one’s own…to take care of one’s… • Examples: • Will you mind my bag while I buy my ticket? • I was minding my own work when he rushed in. • My father was just driving along, minding his own business, when suddenly a brick came through the window. “mind” phrases • mind one’s own business • mind one’s own p’s and q’s • mind one’s manners • mind your footing • mind your back • Mind how you go. • 别管闲事 • 注意举止言行 • 注意举止行为 • 小心，站稳了 • 当心；让开 • （道别时说）您慢走。

31. Similar expressions regardless of despite • All of them remain my children in spite of their long absence. (3) • Paraphrase: although they are often away a long time, I love and care about them as always because they are my children. • in spite of: without being affected or prevented by something, e.g. • But in spite of the hardships, real efforts and progress are being made. • We went out in spite of the rain. • Kelly loved her husband in spite of the fact that he drank too much.

32. Our piece of land is small, and it is no longer fertile, bleeding year after year and, like us, getting old and exhausted. (3) Examples present participle phrases functioning as a cause Paraphrase: Our land is getting poorer with each passing year, like us who are getting old, weak and tired.

33. Present participle phrases act as adverbials of cause. • They sent us their statement, hoping to get our support. • They went on with their struggle, thinking theirs was a just cause. • 3.Not having received an answer, he decided to write another letter to them. • 4. The doctor, not wishing to make her nervous, did not fully explain the seriousness of her condition.

34. … but in a bad year, it’s not only the ploughs that break but our hearts too. (3) emphatic structure zeugma: “break” governs both “ploughs” and “hearts”. Paraphrase: … but when there is a drought, the land is so hard that the ploughs break. And we become very, very sad.

35. The emphatic structure “It is/was… that…” can be used to emphasize any part of the sentence except the predicate. • It was the policeman that/who caught a pickpocket on No. 933 bus yesterday. • (The subject is emphasized.) • It was a pickpocket that the policeman caught on No. 933 bus yesterday. • (The object is emphasized.) • 3. It was on No.933 bus that the policeman caught a pickpocket yesterday. • (The adverbial of place is emphasized.) • 4. It was yesterday that the policeman caught a pickpocket on No. 933 bus. • (The adverbial of time is emphasized.)

36. Fertile： Word formations • a. a. (of land, plants) producing much b. (of a person, his mind) full of ideas, plans • c. a fertile situation is one in which something can easily develop and succeed • This shrub likes sun and water as well as a • fertile well-drained soil. • a fertile imagination/mind/brain • He is always fertile in new plans. • That period had made the city a fertile news • ground for freelancers such as myself. n. fertility v. fertilize n. fertilizer a. fertilizable a. infertile

37. Question: What’s the main idea of Paras. 1—3? • The wife makes a brief introduction of her family and tells us how all her four children left for cities. She feels sorry about this and she also feels sorry about the land. The land is no longer fertile, like her and her husband, getting old and exhausted.

38. Ten years ago, you could barter for things, but now it’s all cash. (4) • Paraphrase: just ten years ago, we could exchange one thing for another, but today we have to use more money to get everything we need. (In the past we were more or less self-sufficient. But now we have to buy everything in the market.)

39. barter… for: to exchange (goods, property, etc.) for • other goods, etc. without using money • Examples: • I had to barter with the locals for food. • In the local market, meat and vegetables are bartered for electrical goods. • The prisoners tried to barter with the guards for their freedom.

40. Men used to make things with fine bamboo pieces, but no longer. (4) • Paraphrase: in the past men made fine bamboo crafs but they no longer do that. • used to do sth….but no longer…: this expression is often used to show a change, e.g. • They used to come and see their parents every week, but no longer.

41. Shops have sprung up, filled with colorful plastic things and goods we have no use for. (4) Examples relative clause past participle phrase functioning as post-modifier to modify “shops” Paraphrase: Many shops appear in a short time. In these shops there are lots of colorful plastic things and things that are useless for us.

42. A post-modifying past participle phrase corresponds to an elliptical relative clause. • The men, soaked with sweat from an all-night march, immediately went into action. • The substance, discovered almost by accident, has revolutionized medicine. • The book, written in 1957, tells of the struggle of the miners.

43. come into being/existencearise be born Similar expressions • spring up: to appear, develop, grow, etc. quickly or suddenly • Examples: • New houses were springing up all over the town. • Dozens of websites have sprung up to provide information for travelers. • New dot-com companies are springing up all the time.

44. “spring” phrases • 一跃而起 • 十万火急地赶去救援某人 • 在脑海中突然闪现 • 一举成名 • 焕发生机 • 从床上跳起来 • 使某人大吃一惊 • 雨后春笋般地涌现 • 出身于贵族 • spring to one’s feet • spring to sb.’s assistance • spring to mind • spring into fame • spring to life • spring out of bed • spring a surprise on sb. • spring up like mushrooms • spring from aristocracy

45. to be filled with sth.: to be made full of sth., e.g. • The girl’s room is filled with toys. • Her eyes filled with tears. • to have no use for sth.: to not need sth., e.g. • Our children are all gone; we have no use for this big house. • When their son started school, he had no use for his toys and gave them away.

46. These rough fingers and toes are for working in the mud of our rice fields, not for looking pretty. (4) • Paraphrase: What is the good for painting the nails of my fingers and toes? Their place is in the paddy fields where I work, so there is no point of making them look pretty.

47. In my day, if I were to put on a pair of trousers like they do now, lightning would stike me. (4) • Paraphrase: when I was young, I surely would be punished by God if I ever wore trousers. • This means that in those days it was considered very important for girls to wear such trousers. (In Thailand, females wore wrap-around skirts.) In some Asian countries, to be stuck dead by lighning is believed to be a punishement by God. (Note: Don’t confuse lightning and lightening.) • In sb’s day: when sb. Was young.

48. Question: What is the topic sentence of • Para. 4? What are the supporting details? • Topic sentence: “… we two haven’t changed much, but the village has.” • Supporting details: • Cash instead of barter • Paid help • Plastic things instead of village crafts • The old alone on the land • Young people’s different way of thinking, • dressing and behaving

49. …but certain things should not change. (5) • Paraphrase: …but we shouldn’t abandon /give up certain things, for example, our duty to our parents, our religious beliefs, our sympathy for others, etc. • Young people tend to leave these things to old people now, and that’s a shame. (5) • Paraphrase: it is shameful that young people don’t do these things, thinking that they are only for the old.

50. 6. tend to: to be inclined to; have a direction; to be likely to do sth. (usually bad) • Examples: • People tend to need less sleep as they get older. • Young children tend to get sick more often than adults. • Recent studies show that girls tend to be better at languages than boys.