Unit 4 A View of Mountain

Jonathan Schell

Teaching ObjectivesBy the end of this unit, you are supposed

to understand the main idea, structure of

the text and the author’s writing style master the key language points and

grammatical structures in the text learn about the threat of nuclear

weapons to the existence of mankind make the awareness of the necessity of

eliminating the nuclear peril to create a safer world.

Teaching Procedure1. Pre-reading Activities ● Presentation on the topic ● Pre-reading questions2. Text I. A View of Mountains ● Structural analysis ● Main idea of the passage ● Review of the structure ● Text explanation ● Sentence studies ● Vocabulary studies ● Comprehension questions3. Text II. Statement at the 2003 Session

of United Nations Disarmament Commission

4. Exercises

Presentation & Pre-reading Questions1. What do you think is the greatest threat to

the existence of mankind? a sudden and startling surge in human pop

ulation a sudden acceleration of the scientific and

technological revolution (cloning and genetic engineering)

environmental destruction (burning, cutting, digging, moving, and transforming the physical matter that makes up the earth.)

the issue of terrorism the arms race, esp, in nuclear weapons/ ma

ss destructive nuclear weapons

2. Why are we so concerned about nuclear weapons?

The change of not only the relationship between the two superpowers but also the relationship of mankind to the institution at warfare itself.

The consequences of all-out war between nations armed with nuclear weapons result in the destruction of both nations – completely and simultaneously- and even the whole world.

the results of inspiring fear in the other a simple and direct effect on the thinking of

the other.

As early as 1946 one strategist concluded that strategic bombing with missiles "may well tear away the veil of illusion that has so long obscured the reality of the change in warfare – from a fight to a process of destruction.”早在一九四六年就有一位军事战略家下过断言，认为使用核弹进行的战略轰炸“完全有可能撕开长期掩盖着战争性质变化的那一层薄纱，现实是战争已由拼斗厮杀发展成为彻底的毁灭”。

Yamahata Yamahata, a photographer ser

ving in Japanese army, was dispatched to Nagasaki ( 长崎 ) and Hiroshima( 广岛 ), t

he destroyed cities, and took the most valuable and full

est photographic record of nuclear destruction in existence.

Structure Analysis

This text can be divided into 3 parts:Part I (Paragraph 1)In paragraph 1 the writer describes what Yam

ahata’s pictures display: the effects of a nuclear weapon on human beings. And then he presents the main point of his argument: the true measure lies not in the wreckage but in the gone city, and this is where the significance of a view of mountains in the background of one of the pictures lies.

Structure Analysis

Part II(Paragraphs2-3)In this part, the writer first claims the

bombing of Nagasaki is the fitter symbol of the nuclear danger menacing the world; then he argues that we should not just apprehend the nuclear peril but try to dispel it from the earth. For this purpose, he maintains that picture taking is not enough and action is called for.

Structure Analysis

Part III (Paragraph 4)In this part, the writer first calls

on us to take the responsibility of creating a safer world for new generations.

Main Idea ● Puts forward his thesis: a view of

mountains in the background suggests the real extent to which the city was destroyed by atomic weapon.

● Argues that the bombing of Nagasaki is more representative of nuclear peril threatening the world than that of Hiroshima and that we need to take actions to dispel nuclear threat from the Earth.

● Not only should we worry about the nuclear peril but take actions to eliminate it to create a safer world.

1 On August 9, 1945, the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Yosuke Yamahata, a photographer serving in the Japanese army, was dispatched to the destroyed city. The hundred or so pictures he took the next day constitute the fullest photographic record of nuclear destruction in existence. Hiroshima, destroyed three days earlier, had largely escaped the camera's lens in the first day after the bombing. It was therefore left to Yamahata to record, methodically — and, as it happens, with a great and simple artistry — the effects on a human population of a nuclear weapon only hours after it had been used.

Why fullest recor

d?

1.Some of Yamahata's pictures show corpses charred in the peculiar way in which a nuclear fireball chars its victims. They have been burned by light — technically speaking, by the "thermal pulse" — and their bodies are often branded with the patterns of their clothes, whose colors absorb light in different degrees. One photograph shows a horse twisted under the cart it had been pulling. Another shows a heap of something that once had been a human being hanging over a ledge into a ditch.

Why?

a narrow horizontal surface protecting from a wall etc.

1. A third shows a girl who has somehow survived unwounded standing in the open mouth of a bomb shelter and smiling an unearthly smile, shocking us with the sight of ordinary life, which otherwise seems to have been left behind for good in the scenes we are witnessing. Stretching into the distance on all sides are fields of rubble dotted with fires, and, in the background, a view of mountains. We can see the mountain because the city is gone. That absence, even more than wreckage, contains the heart of the matter. The true measure of the event lies not in what remains but in all that has disappeared. Why does the author particularly mention

“a view of mountains” in one of the picture?

2 It took a few seconds for the United States to destroy Nagasaki with the world's second atomic bomb, but it took fifty years for Yamahata's pictures of the event to make the journey back from Nagasaki to the United States. They were shown for the first time in this country in 1995, at the International Center for Photography in New York. Arriving a half-century late, they are still news. The photographs display the fate of a single city, but their meaning is universal, since, in our age of nuclear arms, what happened to Nagasaki can, in a flash, happen to any city in the world.

Why?

2.In the photographs, Nagasaki comes into its own. Nagasaki has always been in the shadow of Hiroshima, as if the human imagination had stumbled to exhaustion in the wreckage of the first ruined city without reaching even the outskirts of the second. Yet the bombing of Nagasaki is in certain respects the fitter symbol of the nuclear danger that still hangs over us. It is proof that, having once used nuclear weapons, we can use them again. It introduces the idea of a series — the series that, with tens of thousands of nuclear weapons remaining in existence, continues to threaten everyone. (The unpredictable, open-ended character of the series is suggested by the fact that the second bomb originally was to be dropped on the city of Kokura, which was spared Nagasaki's fate only because bad weather protected it from view. )

Yes or

no?

2. Each picture therefore seemed not so much an image of something that happened a half-century ago as a window cut into the wall of the photography center showing what soon could easily happen to New York. Wherever the exhibit might travel, moreover, the view of threatened future from these "windows" would be roughly accurate, since, although every intact city is different from every other, all cities that suffer nuclear destruction will look much the same.

3 Yamahata's pictures afford a glimpse of the end of the world. Yet in our day, when the challenge is not just to apprehend the nuclear peril but to seize a God-given opportunity to dispel it once and for all, we seem to need, in addition, some other picture to counterpoise against ruined Nagasaki — one showing not what we would lose through our failure but what we would gain by our success. What might that picture be, though? How do you show the opposite of the end of the world?

danger

fear

3. Should it be Nagasaki, intact and alive, before the bomb was dropped — or perhaps the spared city of Kokura? Should it be a child, or a mother and child, or perhaps the Earth itself? None seems adequate, for how can we give a definite form to that which can assume infinite forms, namely, the lives of all human beings, now and in the future? Imagination, faced with either the end of the world or its continuation, must remain incomplete. Only action can satisfy.

The process of being continued

4 Once, the arrival in the world of new generations took care of itself. Now, they can come into existence only if, through an act of faith and collective will, we ensure their right to exist. Performing that act is the greatest of the responsibilities of the generations now alive. The gift of time is the gift of life, forever, if we know how to receive it.

How to ensure a safer world?

Review of the structure

Thesis

Introduction

Body (argumentation

for the thesis) Conclusion

Comprehension questions Decide which of the following best statesthe

author’s purpose of writing?• A. To reveal how Yamahata’s pictures effectively

show the catastrophic consequences of the nuclear bombing.

• B.To highlight the nuclear threat and call on people to rid the Earth of nuclear weaponry for a safer world.

• C.To argue that the bombing of Nagasaki is the fitter symbol of the nuclear threat than that of Hiroshima.

Comprehension questions

Decide which of the following best states the author’s purpose of writing?• A. To reveal how Yamahata’s pictures e

ffectively show the catastrophic consequences of the nuclear bombing.

• B. To highlight the nuclear threat and call on people to rid the Earth of nuclear weaponry for a safer world.

• C. To argue that the bombing of Nagasaki is the fitter symbol of the nuclear threat than that of Hiroshima.

Comprehension questions

Decide which of the following best states the author’s purpose of writing?• A. To reveal how Yamahata’s pictures e

ffectively show the catastrophic consequences of the nuclear bombing.

• B. To highlight the nuclear threat and call on people to rid the Earth of nuclear weaponry for a safer world.

• C. To argue that the bombing of Nagasaki is the fitter symbol of the nuclear threat than that of Hiroshima.

Text Explanationdispatch: send off to a destination; To eat up (food); finish off (a dish

or meal).e.g. 1. Parcels of food were dispatched to him by American friends. 2. The government was preparing to dispatch 4,000 soldiers to sea

rch the island. 3. 他匆匆吃完早饭就离开了。 He dispatched his breakfast and left.Constitute: 1. compose; form 2. be equal toe.g. 1. Nitrogen constitutes 78% of earth’s atmosphere. 2. It is up to the teacher to decide what constitutes satisfactory w

ork. 3. 正确的语法和句子结构本身并不能构成一篇好文章 Correct grammar and sentence structure do not in themselves co

nstitute good writing. cf. compose, consist

destroy: To ruin completely; spoil:The ancient manuscripts were destroyed by fire.大雨打破了野餐的一切希望。 The heavy rain destroyed all hope of a picnic.cf: destroy,demolish,exterminate,wreck,ruin 这组词的一般含义是“毁掉”

或“消灭”。destroy 强调以具有摧毁或杀伤性的力量把某物彻底毁掉。 The enemy destroyed the city.demolish 尤其适用摧毁象建筑物之类的庞大物体，词义引伸后可以表示推翻已

经确立了的理论等。 The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.exterminate 主要用来表示大量的消灭或杀死。 The insects can be exterminated by spraying DDT.wreck 尤其适用于表示碰毁、撞坏。 The car was wrecked by its collision with a big lorry. 注：词义引伸之后， wreck 通常表示抽象含义的彻底毁掉，这时可与 ruin 换用 The constant quarrelling between the couple finally wrecked the marri

age.ruin 亦指彻底毁掉，但不含有以某种摧毁性的力量进行破坏，而含有在一定的过

程中逐渐毁掉的意思 Oxford has been ruined by the motor industry.had largely escaped the camera's lens: had not been recorded by camera

It was therefore left to Yamahata to record, methodically — and, as it happens, with a great and simple artistry — the effects …

The responsibility was therefore placed on Yamahata’s shoulders to record the effects systematically and incidentally with a great and simple artistry.

Artistry: the creative skill of an artist , writer, actor or musician

The artistry of a pianist

Because there were few pictures of the destructive consequences of the first atomic bomb. In contrast, Yamahata’s photos systematically and timely record the effects of the second bomb on Nagasaki.

Char: make or become black by burning Halve the peppers and char the skins under a

hot grill. The soldier was badly charred in the fire.Charred adj. charred remainschar lady, char woman .n 打杂女工char man 勤杂工

Why were their bodies are often branded with the patterns of their clothes?

Because different color of the patterns absorb light in different degrees. That is, they permitted the body to be heated by the thermal pulse in different degrees in accordance with the colors of the patterns. The lighter the color, the less burned the part of the body.

are branded with : are marked withBrand: n. a product line so identified: 品牌： a popular brand of clothes. 一种大众喜爱的服装品牌A distinctive category; a particular kind:特有 /特殊的类别 / 类型

a brand of comedy that I do not care for.我不喜欢的一种喜剧类型

A mark burned into the flesh of criminals烙记v. To mark/ impress withbrand the lesson on one's mind永远记住这个教训On big farms cattle are usually branded.在大农场里 , 牲畜身上通常都打上烙印。They branded him as a liar.他们污蔑他为说谎的人。

smiling an unearthly smile: smiling in a strange and unnatural way

otherwise ad.另外 , 用不同的方法 ; 在其他 [别的 ]方面 ; 要不然 , 否则

think otherwise 有另外的想法 be quite otherwise engaged 完全忙别的事 他爱吵闹 , 但在其他方面却是个好孩子。 He is noisy, but otherwise a nice boy. 他提醒了我 , 要不然我就会把这件事给忘了。 He reminded me of what I should otherwise have forgotte

n.Adj.另外的 , 别样的 , 不那样的 ; 其他方面的 ; 不同的 , 在不同情况

下的 sb.'s otherwise equals 在其他方面和某人不相上下者 有的人聪明 , 有的人不聪明。 Some are wise, some are otherwise. Conj.否则 , 不然 Seize the chance, otherwise you will regret it. 要抓住机会 , 否则你会后悔的。

witness: see, hear, or know by personal presence and perceptionWhat we need to do is to find the person who witnessed the riot.She witnessed the accident. 她亲眼看见该事故。He has witnessed many battles. 他经历过多次战争。 她脸红表示了她的激动。Her blush witnessed her agitation. 没有人能证明他在场。None could witness that he was present.n. One who furnishes evidence; Something that serves as evidence; a witness of the accident 事件的目击者She gave witness on behalf of the accused person.她替被告作证。 这些事实证明了他的粗心。These facts are a witness to his carelessness.dot: cover or sprinkle with or as if with dots e.g. WE have offices dotted all over the region.on the dot 或 at the dot: Exactly at the appointed time; punctual or punctually:准时arrived at nine o'clock on the dot.

Because the view of mountains reminds the viewers of the city that had been erased from the earth. It is in the vanished city rather than in the wreckage that the significance of the event lies.

That absence, even more than wreckage, contains the heart of the matter. The vanished city rather than its remains represents the true measure of th

e event.Flash v. to burst forth into or as if into flame突然迸发出火焰to appear or occur suddenly:闪现：突然显现或出现： The image flashed onto the screen.形象闪现在荧光屏上To move or proceed rapidly:飞驰：迅速移动或行进： The cars flashed by.汽车飞驰而过To think of or remember something suddenly【俚语】 突然想起或记起某事： 突然想起他被困在暴风雨中的情景 He flashed on that time he got caught in the storm.n. A sudden perception:突然领悟： a flash of insight.突然的洞察A split second; an instant:即刻；一瞬间：I'll be on my way in a flash. 我马上就上路

their meanings is universal: their meaning is applicable to any other places around the world.

Why the meanings of his picture is universal?

Because Hiroshima was the city on which the first atomic bomb was dropped and it has drawn almost all the attention of the world. By contrast, Nagasaki has nearly been forgotten as an atomically devastated city.

In the photographs Nagasaki regains its own status.Shadow n. v. a twilight shadow暮色苍茫 ;shadow cabinet影子内阁the shadows of old age老态 ;the shadow of a name虚名There is not a shadow of doubt.毫无可疑之处。Coming events cast their shadows before. 事未发生先有苗头。 他们的友谊暂时中断了。A shadow came over their friendship.shadow forth some future occurrence 预示将来的事 那房子被一棵巨大的树所遮蔽。 The house is shadowed by a huge tree.in the shadow of在 ... 的附近 ; 在 ... 的阴影笼罩下 ; 在 ... 的强烈影响或控制下 The human imagination had been exhausted and stopped

at the wreckage of the first ruined city and failed to reach even the outskirts of Nagasaki.

Had stumbled to exhaustion: had stopped working Stumble: walk or go unsteadily e.g. Having drunk half a bottle of whisky, I stumbled upsta

irs and into bed.

Hang over: threaten, menace; overshadowThe threat of nuclear war hangs over mankind.With the court case hanging over us, we couldn’t enjoy our

vacation. Spare: refrain from harming, punishing or killingIt will spare him embarrassment if you speak to him about i

t in private.Spare us the suspense and tell us who won the first prize.spare no efforts [pains]不遗余力spare sb.'s feelings 不使某人难过 [ 难堪 ] 她烤东西的时候从不吝惜奶油。She never spares the butter when baking. 你能抽出这段时间帮我吗 ?Can you spare the time to help me?Collocations:if one is spared 要是不死的话not spare oneself 不宽恕自已 , 严格要求自已 , 不疲塌spare oneself怕吃苦 ; 偷懒 ; 不努力

Not so much…as…: not … but rather这本小说与其说未完成 ,还不如说根本完成不了 .The novel was no so much unfinished as unfinishable. Intact city: city which is not destroyed by nuclear weapon

s Intact: Remaining sound, entire, or uninjured; not impair

ed in any wayDespite the bombing, the house was still intact.His honor remained intact.他的名誉完整无损。虽然他遭到一连串的不幸 , 他的信心和乐观丝毫未减。 Despite his misfortunes, his faith and optimism remained in

tact.

Glimpse: a very brief passing look, sight, or view

I caught a glimpse of the driver of the getaway car, but I doubt I would recognize her if I saw her again.

This biography offers only a few glimpses of his life before he became famous.

Apprehend v. To grasp mentally; understand:To become conscious of, as through the e

motions or senses; perceive.Do you apprehend any difficulty?你担心会有困难吗 ?最后 , 我理解了他的意思。At last I apprehend ed his meaning.

dispel: cause to vanishI’d like to start the speech by dispelling a few ru

mors that have been spreading recently.He managed to dispel my doubts.once (and) for all: now and for the last time, finall

y 断然地 , 坚决地 … apart from the pictures of Nagasaki we seem t

o need other picture to inspire in us a hope of life to counterbalance the sense of doom suggested by the ruined Nagasaki…

counterpoise: counterbalance; keep equal

We ensure their right to exist: … we guarantee a safe living environment for them.

ensure: make (something) certain to happen

The role of the police ia to ensure that the law is obeyed.

Thank you for your attention!