Unit4 the lady of the tiger
TheLadyortheTiger可能性结局The
The End Of The Lady Or The TigerWithout the slightest hesitation, he went to the door on the right and opened it, and there came out an awful tiger. The whole arena fell in a breathless silence. A terrible scream bursted out but soon died down and was replaced by the sounds of tearing clothes and flesh. Doleful iron bells clanged, and never before had the princess’s face been so pale. All of a sudden, she felt that there was a smile flashing by on her father’s face，which was as evil as the Devil did. And now, she understood. Clever as she was, herfather knew her too well. Her childish trick had never escaped his eyes. From the beginning till the end, his father, no, it’s the king that controlled everything, showing no mercy for the poor lady’s feeling whose name was called daughter. “Stupid is what I have done.” The princess finally made a bitter smile to herself. Her lover was dead, eaten up all by the monster but his bones. The most scaring sight of the world. She felt things turned black in her eyes and unconsciously fell into a dead faint.When she came to conscious, the funeral had already been given. She ran out insanely and found herself crying beside her lover’s grave alone. So miserable did she feel that she might even cry to death. But at that time, a shadow stepped towards her, which a broken heart would never have noticed until he stood just in front of her. She kept her eyes wide open and stayed in shock. “Her lover’s soul” tenderly bent over and kissed away her tears, and she felt, felt the breath came from him. He was alive! He handed over a letter to her which explained well for why he stood here and alive.Dear brother,News came that you were casted into prison and the trial is around the corner, which haunts me day and night. Though all our family told me that my illness will be cured of, I know Azrael will take me away soon as it has got harder and harder for me to take even a breath. Now I have found a wonderful end of my life. Yes, quite as you expect at the moment, I will take the place of you. I am sure I can do that for we resemble each other in both appearance and nature if it is not because of my illness. Sorry that I can’t tell you a bit earlier to do the farewell. When you see the letter, I shoule have been in Heaven. So just pray for me, and don’t forget to tell my story to my fairysister-in-law.Farewell…Your sincereThat night, the couple married in front of his brother's tomb. There was no music and no priest , but they had got the most precious blessing of the world.They ran away and no one knew where they had gone, only the moon and the tree that night saw the sweet secret.An Appreciation of “the Lady, or the Tiger” by Frank Richard StocktonAbstract：As the most popular short story written by Frank R. Stockton, “the Lady, or the Tiger”, known for its suspending end, sparked heated and enduring discussion and remained a staple in literature classes. How could a fairy tale be so fascinating as to draw perennial attention among readers? The present paper is an attempt to explore the depth of the story and the subliminal message of the text to throw light on readers’ understanding of Stockton’s works.A widely read American novelist and humorist in his time, Frank R. Stockton produced a number of influential works like “the squirrel Inn”, “Mrs. Cliff’s yacht”, and so on. But today he is remembered chiefly as the author of “the Lady, or the Tiger”, a fairy tale characterized by wizard plotting, bold imagination, archaically elegant language and most of all, a dangling end, or rather, an end without end, that strikes burning curiosity and initiated a persistent “sequel-itis”续集炎，续篇炎amongreaders of intense interest. Its popularity, as a result, has spanned generations since its first publication in 1882.In telling the story, Stockton designed an ancient country as the background where there lived a semi-barbaric king who institutes a savage penal system gloried by himself as an embodiment of the “poetic justice”. As is prescribed by this primal首要的，根本的legal system, when a subject is accused of a crime serious enough to interest the king, he would be taken to an arena in which there are two doors—behind one of them is a ravenous饿极了的tiger and the other a lady. The accused person is given a chance to open either of them to decide his fate. If he chooses the former, he would be ripped into pieces by the tiger as a punishment for his crime. But if chance decides otherwise with his choice of the latter, he would be married to that lady. The system is thus applauded by all subjects for its “absolute justice”. When one day the king happened to discover the romance between his cherished daughter and a young man far beneath her status, he doesn’t hesitate for a single moment to implement his “great scheme of retribution报应，惩罚and reward”. The young man, as a result, is forced to bet his luck in the arena. Before he made a decision between life and death, however, he cast his inquisitive好奇的，好问的eyes upon theprincess, who, with her great power, has made plain to herself the secret of the doors. Then came the most elaborate and intricate description of the inner conflict of the princess who is, as a matter of fact, seared煎熬by the choice day and night. Loving the young man with great ardor热情and fiery火热, she is reluctant to see the tragedy of her lover’s being devoured by the tiger; but her reluctance is greater to see him tie the knot with the fair lady, toward whom she harbored abysmal深不可测的，无底的，极坏的jealousy and venom毒液，恶意. Day after night, love, self-interest, grudge吝啬，怀恨，怨恨and suspicion are intertwined together to complicate her mind, making her waver between the lady and the tiger. W ould she save her lover for old times’ sake? Or would she steel her heart and prefer her lover’s death to his marrying another one? Readers hold their breath and wait for an immediate answer as the princess makes a secret gesture to one door.Yet the story ends abruptly here. Stockton refrains from making any personal choice between the Lady and the Tiger. In fact, his own voice as the writer vanishes in the end, leaving ample scope for every reader to search his own conscience and ask himself the natural question: “what would I choose if I were the princess?” The open end just has in it all possibilities forexploration. Since the publication of the story, a multitude of sequels续集have turned up to “round off the suspenseful story” as thus intended. However, “the lady, or the tiger” is far beyond a story or a detective fiction merely for the public entertainment or amusement. Behind its legendary plot there lies profound life reality which necessitates a close scrutiny审视，审查.In a narrow sense, Stockton fictionalizes a love dilemma in which some of us would be entangled, yet more broadly, it is a life confusion that all of us would encounter.The heroine’s vehement强烈的emotional conflict is, as a matter of fact, a revelation of mankind’s preoccupation with self-interest which has gone so wild as to dim是暗淡love, the noblest human emotion, into triviality无足轻重. If love is benevolence, blessing and devotion as eternally extolled赞美，颂扬, the young man could naturally escape the jaw of Death by the princess’s mercy to him that is only too common between doting溺爱的，偏爱的lovers. Ironically, it is none other than 不是别人，正是the princess he loves with his whole being who is irresolute in throwing the light of compassion when his life is on a razor’s edge. It can be easily found that the hesitation is due to her commitment to opposite poles, one commitment to herlover’s interest and the other to her own interest. And as any thinking readers could discern, whatever her choice is, the princess can’t be spared免不了the loss of her lover, the only difference being his death and his marriage to another girl. Her vexation, that is to say, doesn’t primarily originate from the deprivation of her beloved one, but from her perverse reluctance of allowing anyone else to take what she herself would lose possession of. She claims to love him with all fervor and enthusiasm. But somewhere in her soul lurks the spark of egoism, which, if fuelled by impulsion, would spread into a big blaze burning down all around her. Her love toward the youngster is thus in its nature possessive and selfish that go astray from the essence of true love. And the young man is taken only as her personal belonging or an embellishment装饰品serving her needs and comforts. When his life is in collision with her self-interest, she falters犹豫，踌躇. Egoism from within gets the upper hand of love. The violent emotional conflicts harassing her mind day and night explain nothing but her prevailing selfishness and hegemony霸道mentality. Though nothing is exposed in the end, still some clues could be caught by meticulous小心翼翼的，注重细节的readers. For instance, the writer’s description of the princess’s agony fromopening the door of tiger is only half the length of the exhaustive portrayal of her morbid病态的，不正常的craze from another choice. And her distorted psychology from jealousy is much more vividly delineated详细记述than her lamentation upon her lover’s wretched destiny. Stockton does devote more endeavors in depicting a self-interested heroine. The vague end, as a result, could not conceal her seamy恶劣的side, let alone absolve赦免her from the sin of apathy and selfishness. In this sense, it is not the young man but the princess who is actually under the trial------in the court of conscience.A fictitious story as it is, “The Lady, or the Tiger” is a true reflection of the dark side of human nature in reality. The princess is in the tale deliberately depicted as a “semi-barbaric” soul with beastly nature, a fact bespeaking 显示，表示，表明her ferocity凶猛，残暴and absurdity of the choice itself. However, can’t it be said that the semi-barbaric heroine is seized by the egoism 自私自利，that is easy to identify in many of her civilized counterparts. It is not uncommon that modern men tirelessly jostle挤，撞，推with each other for fame and fortune, crush discord minds, slaughter their peers同伴and even provoke sibling兄弟姐妹wars, all merely for the purpose ofmaximizing their own interest. Aren’t these civilized being just as selfish as a semi-barbaric creature when wedged楔入between their own interest and other people? In this way, the evil of egoism hidden in the heart of modern men is startlingly alike with the ancient vulgar beings. Instead of using didactic说教的，为人师表的moralizing, however, the writer applies clever humor and an incomplete plot to invoke read ers’ attention and poke揭穿at jealousy, violence, selfishness and other human foibles小缺点，小毛病. It is vintage葡萄收获季节Stockton, indeed. Apart from that, a multitude of vivid metaphors, vibrant振动的，鲜明的，活泼的description and elaborately-chosen diction greatly spice up the story and set its tone as a light and humorous one. These amalgam混合物of elements helps to attain the writer’s goal of mocking at the modern civilization not violently but in a moderate way, which contributes to the sustaining appeal of the work upon readers.。
李观仪新编英语教程第六册unit 4 the lady or the tiger
TypeБайду номын сангаас of Characters
The people (or animals, things, etc. presented as people) appearing in a literary work. •Round Character圆形人物: convincing, true to life and have many character traits. •Dynamic Character动态人物: undergoes some type of change in story because of something that happens to them. •Flat Character扁平人物: stereotyped, shallow, often symbolic. They have one or two personality traits. •Static Character静态人物: does not change in the course of the story
Setting
can establish the atmosphere of a work.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night… Snoopy
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." A Tale of Two Cities
What is a short story?
A short work of narrative prose fiction. The distinction between the short story and novel is mainly one of length. As opposed to the tale, a mark of a short story is a fully delineated (depicted) character
读后感--theladyorthetiger
【Title】The Lady or The Tiger , written by Frank R. Stockton【Summary】When he turned and looked at her, he saw that she knew behind which door crouched the tiger, and behind which stood the lady. The only hope for the youth was based upon the success of the princess in discovering the mystery.Then it was that his quick and anxious glance asked the question, "Which?"She raised her hand, and made a slight, quick movement to the right. No one saw her. Every eye was fixed on the man in the arena.He turned, and with a firm and rapid step he walked across the empty space. Every heart stopped beating, every breath was held...He went to the door on the right, and opened it...【Personal Feelings】Here I am sitting on a chair alone, in the library, thinking about what I have just finished reading with various wonderful thoughts hitting in my mind. The question which the author leaves for us unconsciously revives my exhausted soul that has been sleeping for quite a long time without introspecting myself and pondering for life. It is this short story that raises me to think about something more deeply, more about humanity and true love.If I were the man, I would definitely follow my princess’s instruction without any hesitation. No matter die or survive, no matter what there will be behind the door , no matter what I will be greeted with, I will follow her, and open the door . For I believe that true love means 100% trust, even if my life will come to an end,But supposed I were the princess, the problem seemed to be more complicated. Given the situation in which the beautiful woman will rob my lover, how can I endure it and live the long life alone? Therefore will I guide him the door with the tiger? No, of course not. Being alive is much more important than anything.He’s a citizen, and I just happen to be a princess, but nothing can stop true love, not mention the class distinction. I’ve waited for all my time, and I have him. “But now I am going to lose him, anyway.” . The woman? The tiger? How poor I am, a princess can own nothing.It reminds me of a recent event. A few days ago I went to Fudan University to attend a lecture delivered by Harvard Professor Michael Sandel . The topic was “Justice—What’s the right thing to do”. The lecture lasted nearly 2 hours during which Mr. Sandel talked about morality, humanity, justice and so on. I remembered there was a case:One unexpected storming night, the big snow attacked the city and then the city was covered by the snow. Everyone needed a shovel or other tool to remove the snow. Therefore, the shopkeeper raised the price from $1 to $10 toearn profit through natural disaster..Is it fair or unfair? Is the shopkeeper moral or immoral? Or it is just an response according economic theory? Can you give me your answer?No answer or various answers. Questions like these really raise our deep thought about the humanity, about life. And this is what the power of knowledge lies.The bridge between me and the book makes me feel not only the kindness and the wickedness of all the characters in the novel, but what this aloof society lacks, and what I lack deep inside. These supreme resources I’m talking about right now are somewhat different from minerals, oil that we usually mention. They’re abstract like feelings, and some kinds of spiritual stimulation that all of us desire anxiously from one another ——love and humanity..。
解读The Lady or the Tiger的悲剧叙事
整个 小说 交替使 用非聚焦型叙 事方式和 声音 叙事方式 ，从视 觉和 听觉上强化 悲剧 的冲击力和震撼
力。小说 的字里行 间从始 至终 弥漫 着无奈的 悲情 色彩 ，悲剧 情节扣人 心弦。
关 键 词 ：Ｔ ｈ ｅ ａ ｏ ｒ ｈｅ ｔ Ｔ ｉ ｇ ｅ ｒ ； 悲剧 ；伦 理
周知 的俄狄浦斯 命运悲剧模 式来叙述人 物的命运悲剧 ，也没有沿 袭气吞山河 的 “ 永恒正义胜 利”
的伦理 悲剧模式 来呈现人 物的伦理 纠结 ，而正是这 种反传统 的悲剧叙事 ，情 节更揪读者 的心 。本
文从叙事理论视角对小说 中的社会和个人悲剧叙事进行 阐释 。
一
、
小 说 的 社 会 悲 剧 叙 事
第４ 卷第５ 期 ２ ０ １ ４ 年ｌ ０ 月
福 建 江 夏 学 院 学报 Ｊ ｏ ｕ ｒ ｎ ａ ｌ ｏ ｆ Ｆ ｕ ｊ ｉ ａ ｎ Ｊ ｉ ａ ｎ ｇ ｘ ｉ ａ Ｕ ｎ ｉ ｖ ｅ ｒ ｓ ｉ ｔ ｙ
Ｖｏ １ ． ４ ＮＯ． ５ Ｏｃ ｔ ． ２ ０１ ４
摘 要 ：Ｔ ｈ ｅ Ｌ ａ ｄ ｘ ｏ ｒ ｔ ｈ ｅ Ｔ ｉ ｇ ｅ ｒ是 美 国法 兰克 ・史塔 顿 １ ８ ８ ２ 年 出版 的一 部 著 名 悲剧 短 篇 小说 。
小说从践踏 生命权 、漠视 尊严权 的人权 悲剧 叙事 开始 ，描 述 了一 个充满悲凉和残 酷的社 会 悲剧现 状 ，并借 此 引出人 物悲剧 。在 个人 悲剧叙 事部分 ，小说 对人 物 内心的伦 理纠结进行 了详尽 叙述 。
９ ５
国度里住着 一个暴君 。他 的想法有些是先进 的 ，但 总是给百姓们带来苦难 。其 中一个主意就是把
公共竞 技场改为伸张正义 的机 构 。扬善惩恶 ，全 凭侥幸 。一旦有人遭 到指控 ，这个人将在这个公 共竞技 场被审判 。”很 明显 ，国王是国家权 力和权 力实施 的代表 。国王的想法可 以随 时成 为该 国 的法令 ，这无疑影响 国家司法体系的公 正性 。以开 门之运定 夺罪行 ，显然是对司法公 正的一种讽 刺 。这 种貌似公正 的审 判制度 ，其实质是权 力者玩民众生命于股 掌的社会悲剧 。但更 悲怜 的是 ，
the lady or the tiger
This method was a popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they would see a bloody killing or a happy ending. So everyone was always interested. And the thinking part of the community would bring no charge of unfairness against this plan. Did not the accused person have the whole matter in his own hands?
From the day it was decided that the sentence of her lover should be decided in the arena, she had thought of nothing but this event.
The princess had more power, influence and force of character than anyone who had ever before been interested in such a case. She had done what no other person had done. She had possessed herself of the secret of the doors. She knew behind which door stood the tiger, and behind which waited the lady. Gold, and the power of a woman's will, had brought the secret to the princess.
theladyorthetiger课件(一)
theladyorthetiger课件(一)课件：The Lady or the Tiger?教学内容：•《The Lady or the Tiger?》的故事背景介绍•故事主要人物及其性格特点•故事核心问题的思考和讨论教学准备：•教学材料：故事《The Lady or the Tiger?》的文本、幻灯片或者黑板写字工具•学生材料：纸和笔，用于笔记和讨论教学目标：•深入理解故事的背景和情节•分析和推理故事核心问题的答案•提高学生的阅读理解和批判性思维能力设计说明：•通过故事的背景介绍，引发学生的兴趣，激发他们的想象力•结合故事中的人物，以角色分析的方式讲解他们的性格特点•通过小组讨论或者课堂讨论的方式，让学生思考和解答故事核心问题教学过程：1.导入（5分钟）–激发学生对故事的兴趣，通过提出以下问题引导学生思考：你们有没有做过一个艰难的选择？你们会怎样做？–引入故事《The Lady or the Tiger?》的背景，简要介绍故事情节。
2.人物分析（10分钟）–介绍故事中的主要人物，如国王、王女和王臣等，并概述他们的性格特点。
–引导学生从故事的描述中，推测人物的行为和决策的原因。
3.故事核心问题的思考和讨论（20分钟）–提出故事的核心问题：公主选择了哪条门？–以小组讨论或者整堂讨论的方式，让学生表达出他们的观点，并给出理由和证据支持。
–引导学生思考不同的观点和解释，并分析故事中的线索和暗示。
4.总结和反思（5分钟）–整理学生的观点和理由，以及他们对故事的理解和想法。
–引导学生思考故事背后的哲学问题，如选择、命运和道德等。
–结束课程，鼓励学生进一步阅读和思考故事。
课后反思：本节课通过引入《The Lady or the Tiger?》的故事情节，让学生深入理解故事背后的哲学问题。
学生积极参与讨论，并提出了不同的观点和解释。
在后续课堂中，可以引导学生进一步关注故事的文化背景和故事结构等方面，并鼓励他们进行更深入的阅读和思考。
英语小说欣赏入门The Lady Or The Tiger
The Open WindowBased on a story by Frank StocktonAbout the author:Frank Stockton (1834-1902) was born in Philadelphia. Stockton was an engraver by trade, but he spent much of his time writing stories. His earliest stories were for children, but later he began writing for adults. Stockton was one of the most famous American writers of the 1880s and 1890s.He was widely admired in his day and even Mark Twain was one of his fans. “The Lady or the Tiger?” is Stockton’s best known work. When it was punished in 1882, it caused a sensation throughout the country as readers debated what the ending should be.The textMany years ago there lived a cruel and savage king. This king had a wild and violent imagination, and since he was king, he had the power to make his wishes come true.The king loved to discuss things with himself. When he and himself agreed on something, the king commanded that it be done, and it was done at once because everyone in the kingdom was afraid of the king.When thing went smoothly, the king was pleasant and calm. But when a problem arose, his eyes gleamed and he rubbed his hands together with glee since there was nothing he loved more than correcting things that were wrong and destroying those who needed to be punished. [1] The kinghad heard about the public arena—a place where men and wild animals could demonstrate their courage and strength by fighting each other, The idea appealed very much to this barbaric king. But he used it in a different way—to punish the guilty and reward the innocent.Here is how it worked. When a man was accused of a serious crime, the king posted a notice. It said that in a certain day the man’s fate would be decided in the king’s arena. Everyone was invited to attendthe trail.The king’s ar ena! Ah, how well it deserved that name! You see, the idea of an arena was not new, but the way it was used here was different, and came solely from the brain of the king. He thought of it because it delighted him and gave him pleasure.On the day of the trail, a large crowd would gather in the king’s arena. After everyone was seated, the king entered, followed by his court. The king sat on his royal throne on one side of the arena. When the king gave a signal, a door would open and the accused man would step out into the arena. Opposite him, on the other side of the arena, were two doors, exactly alike and side by side.The person on trail would walk to these doors and open one of them. He could open either door he pleased. No one spoke to him or offered any advice. The choice was his own.Behind one of the doors was a hungry tiger, the fiercest and most cruel that could be found. If the man opened that door, the tiger immediately leaped out and tore the man to pieces. That was the punishment for his guilt! Then iron bells began to clang, cries ofsorrow were heard, and the vast crowd, with heavy hearts, slowly madeits way home. Everyone felt sad that the man had deserved to meet such a horrible fate.But if the accused person opened the other door, a lady stepped out. She was as perfect amatch for him as could be found in the land. The king nodded his head and singers and dancers came forward. Musicians played beautiful melodies on golden horns, and the two people were married at once. Then joyous bells rang out, the people shouted and cheered, and everyonethrew flowers in the path of the innocent man as he led his bride to his home,[2]It didn’t matter if the man already had a wife and family, or ifhe was in love with another lady .For as the king often said, “Nothing can interfere with my wonderful plan for punishing the guilty and rewarding the innocent.”The king was very proud of his way of administer justice. Hethought is was perfectly fair. After all, the accused man could open either door he pleased. The choice was his. Of course, the man never knew whether he was going to be devoured married, for sometimes thetiger came out one door and sometimes out if the other. Still, theman’s fate was in his own hands. And, in every case, justic e was swift and final.[3]The plan was popular with the people too. They never knew what they were going to see. Would it be a bloody murder, or a joyful wedding? There was lots of suspense.This savage king had a beautiful daughter. She was wild andreckless as her father and, a as you might expect, he loved her very much. As I have said, the reckless was reckless. She was so reckless she fell in love with one of the king’s servants.[4] And though he was handsome and brave, he was , after all, only a servant. Still, he loved her very deadly.Their love affair went on happily for many months. And then one day the king happened to discover its existence.The king did not hesitate or waver for a moment The young man was immediately thrown into jail, and a date was set for his trail in the king’s arenas.This was, of course, an especially important occasion. The king,and all of the people, were very interested in how the trail would turn out. Never before had such a case occurred. Never before had a slave dared to love the daughter of a king!The king sent out men to find the fiercest tiger in the land. Atthe same time the kingdom was searched for a young lady suitable in beauty and rank, so that the young man could have a fitting wife in case fate did not throw him to the tiger.Of course, everyone knew that the slave was guilty of the crimewith which he had been charged. He had fallen in loved with the princess. Both he and she admitted this fact! But the king would not think of allowing this to stand in the way of the trail. No, nothing could interfere with the workings of his arena. He simply enjoyed it too much.Besides, it didn’t really matter how things worked out. The young man would be murdered—or married—and in either case he’d be out of the way.The great day family arrived. People came from near and far,filling up every seat in the huge arena. Those who could no get in huddled together against the out side walls and waited for news.The king entered and took his place on the royal throne. They were ready to begin. The king gave a signal. A door opened and the salve walked into the arena.What a sight he was—tall, handsome, and proud! No wonder the princess loved him. What a terrible thing for him to be there!The youth took his time as he walked across the arena. Then he turned and bowed to the king, for that was the custom. However, the young man was not thinking at all about the king. His eyes were staring at the princess, who sat next to her father.From the moment the had ordered her lover to appear in the arena, she had thought, day andnight, of nothing else but this great event. The princess had more power and influence than any person who had ever person who had ever been interested in a case. And so she did what no one else before her had ever done. She had learned the secret of the doors. She knew behind which door waited the tiger, and behind which door stood the lady. Gold and her power as princess had brought her the secret!But she knew more than which door hid the lady. She also knew who the lady was one of the loveliest and most beautiful ladies in the king’s court. She , alone, had been selected to be the wife of the youth, if he was found innocent of daring to fall in love with the princess.Yes, the princess knew who she was,And the princess hated her!The princess had seen—or thought that she saw—the lady was! And she thought he had even glanced back. Once, she had seen them talking together. It was only for a minute, it is true. But much can be said in a minute! Perhaps they were speaking about nothing at all. But how could the princess know that? The young lady was lovely—but she had dared to look at the princess’ lover! So the princess hated the woman silently waited behind the door.When the young man turned and looked at the princess ,his eyes met hers. He searched her face, which was paler than any in the ocean of faces around her. And then, as their eyes and souls met, he saw that she knew. She knew! She knew behind which door crouched the tiger, and behind which door stood the lady. She knew! He had expected her to know. He understood her, and he was certain that she would not rest until she had discovered the secret—the secret hidden to everyone else, even to the king.The only way the youth could be sure of success was for the princess to discover the secret the doors. And as he looked at her, he saw that she and discovered the secret, as he knew she would.As he stared at her, his eyes burned with the question: WHICH? It was as plain to her as if he was shouting it to her from where he stood. There was not a second to lose. The question was asked in a flash. It must be answered in an instant!The princess raised her hand and made a sudden, quick movement to the right. No one but her lover saw her. Every eye was staring on the man in the arena.He turned and with a firm step walked quickly across the arena. Every heart stopped beating, every breath was held, every eye was onthat man. Without the slightest hesitation, he went to the door on the right and pulled it open.Now the point of the story is this: Did the tiger come out that door, or did the lady?The more we think about this question, the harder it is to answer. It means we must study the human heart—something that is very difficult to do.Think about this. She was a wild and savage princess whose soul was burning with jealousy and hate. She had lost her lover. Should another woman have him?How often, during the day and in her dreams, she had thought about the tiger leaping out with its cruel, sharp claws. Then she covered her face with her hands and was filled with horror.But how much oftener she imagined him at the other door! She pictured his look of delight as he saw the lady. Her soul burned in agony as she saw him rush to the woman she hated. She could hear the glad shouts of the crowd and the bells ringing wildly. She imagined the priest marrying the couple right before her eyes, while she sat there helpless and in pain. Then she clenched her fists and tore her hair.Would it not be better for him to die at once!And yet —that awful tiger, those shrieks, that blood!She had given her answer in an instant. But it had been made after many days and nights of anguished thought. She had known she would be asked. She had decide what she would answer. And without the slightest hesitation, she had moved her hand to the night.Now the question I leave to you all is this: Which came out of the opened door—the lady or the tiger?Use Context CluesUse context clues to work out the meaning of the following words and idioms from the story. You may look back at the story to get more help if necessary. Put a √ in the box next to the correct answer.Words1.The king rubbed his hands together with glee because he loved correcting things.The word glee means.a. joyb. angerc. gloves2.Men and wild animals could demonstrate their courage by fighting each other. Theword demonstrate meansa. loseb. showc. run away from3.If he opened the wrong door, he would be devoured by a tiger. The word devouredmeansa. watchb. chasedc. eaten4.The king did not hesitate or waver for a moment. The word waver here meansa. move gently in differentb. hesitatec. waste5.She knew behind which door crouched the tiger, and behind which door stood thelady. The word crouched possibly meansa. slept soundlyb. stood close to the ground preparing to leapc. hid6.At the thought of her lover marrying another lady, she clenched her fists and toreher hair. The word clenched meansa. held tightlyb. clappedc. let goIdioms7.But the king would not think of allowing this to stand in the way of the trail.Nothing could interfere with the workings of his arena. The idiom stand in the way meansa. interfere withb. supportc. suffer from.8.The youth took his time as he walked across the arena. The idiom took his timemeansa. asked for more timeb. ran veryc. did not hurryChecking ComprehensionAnswer each question with a complete sentence. You may look back at the story.1.What happened when the king wanted something to be done?___________________________________________________________________ ________2.What was behind one of the doors in the king’s arena? What was behind the other door?___________________________________________________________________ ________3.Why was the king’s arena so popular with the people?___________________________________________________________________ ________4.With whom did the princess fall in love?___________________________________________________________________ ________5.How did the author describe the salves as he entered the arena?___________________________________________________________________ ________6.Who was the lady behind the door?___________________________________________________________________ ________7.How did the princess feel about the lady behind the door?___________________________________________________________________ ________8.In which direction did the princess move her hand?___________________________________________________________________ ________9.Which door did the young man open?___________________________________________________________________ ________10.How did the princess make up her mind to direct her lover to the right?___________________________________________________________________ ________。
The Lady or the Tiger英文原文
THE LADY, OR THE TIGER?by Frank R. StocktonIn the very olden time there lived a semi-barbaric king, whose ideas, though somewhat polished and sharpened by the progressiveness of distant Latin neighbors, were still large, florid, and untrammeled, as became the half of him which was barbaric. He was a man of exuberant fancy, and, withal, of an authority so irresistible that, at his will, he turned his varied fancies into facts. He was greatly given to self-communing, and, when he and himself agreed upon anything, the thing was done. When every member of his domestic and political systems moved smoothly in its appointed course, his nature was bland and genial; but, whenever there was a little hitch, and some of his orbs got out of their orbits, he was blander and more genial still, for nothing pleased him so much as to make the crooked straight and crush down uneven places.Among the borrowed notions by which his barbarism had become semified was that of the public arena, in which, by exhibitions of manly and beastly valor, the minds of his subjects were refined and cultured.But even here the exuberant and barbaric fancy asserted itself The arena of the king was built, not to give the people an opportunity of hearing the rhapsodies of dying gladiators, nor to enable them to view the inevitable conclusion of a conflict between religious opinions and hungry jaws, but for purposes far better adapted to widen and develop the mental energies of the people. This vast amphitheater, with its encircling galleries, its mysterious vaults, and its unseen passages, was an agent of poetic justice, in which crime was punished, or virtue rewarded, by the decrees of an impartial and incorruptible chance.When a subject was accused of a crime of sufficient importance to interest the king, public notice was given that on an appointed day the fate of the accused person would be decided in the king's arena, a structure which well deserved its name, for, although its form and plan were borrowed from afar, its purpose emanated solely from the brain of this man, who, every barleycorn a king, knew no tradition to which he owed more allegiance than pleasedhis fancy, and who ingrafted on every adopted form of human thought and action the rich growth of his barbaric idealism. When all the people had assembled in the galleries, and the king, surrounded by his court, sat high up on his throne of royal state on one side of the arena, he gave a signal, a door beneath him opened, and the accused subject stepped out into the amphitheater. Directly opposite him, on the other side of the inclosed space, were two doors, exactly alike and side by side. It was the duty and the privilege of the person on trial to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open either door he pleased; he was subject to no guidance or influence but that of the aforementioned impartial and incorruptible chance. If he opened the one, there came out of it a hungry tiger, the fiercest and most cruel that could be procured, which immediately sprang upon him and tore him to pieces as a punishment for his guilt. The moment that the case of the criminal was thus decided, doleful iron bells were clanged, great wails went up from the hired mourners posted on the outer rim of *the arena, and the vast audience, with bowed heads and downcast hearts, wended slowly their homeward way, mourning greatly that one so young and fair, or so old and respected, should have merited so dire a fate.But, if the accused person opened the other door, there came forth from it a lady, the most suitable to his years and station that his majesty could select among his fair subjects, and to this lady he was immediately married, as a reward of his innocence. It mattered not that he might already possess a wife and family, or that his affections might be engaged upon an object of his own selection; the king allowed no such subordinate arrangements to interfere with his great scheme of retribution and reward. The exercises, as in the other instance, took place immediately, andin the arena. Another door opened beneath the king, and a priest, followed by a band of choristers, and dancing maidens blowing joyous airs on golden horns and treading an epithalamic measure, advanced to where the pair stood, side by side, and the wedding was promptly and cheerily solemnized. Then the gay brass bells rang forth their merry peals, the people shouted glad hurrahs, and the innocent man, preceded by children strewing flowers on his path, led his bride to his home.This was the king's semi-barbaric method of administering justice. Its perfect fairness is obvious. The criminal could not know out of which door would come the lady; he opened either hepleased, without having the slightest idea whether, in the next instant, he was to be devoured or married. On some occasions the tiger came out of one door, and on some out of the other. The decisions of this tribunal were not only fair, they were positively determinate: the accused person was instantly punished if he found himself guilty, and, if innocent, he was rewarded on the spot, whether he liked it or not. There was no escape from the judgments of the king's arena.The institution was a very popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they were to witness a bloody slaughter or a hilarious wedding. This element of uncertainty lent an interest to the occasion which it could not otherwise have attained. Thus, the masses were entertained and pleased, and the thinking part of the community could bring no charge of unfairness against this plan, for did not the accused person have the whole matter in his own hands?This semi-barbaric king had a daughter as blooming as his most florid fancies, and with a soul as fervent and imperious as his own. As is usual in such cases, she was the apple of his eye, and was loved by him above all humanity. Among his courtiers was a young man of that fineness of blood and lowness of station common to the conventional heroes of romance who love royal maidens. This royal maiden was well satisfied with her lover, for he was handsome and brave to a degree unsurpassed in all this kingdom, and she loved him with an ardor that had enough of barbarism in it to make it exceedingly warm and strong. This love affair moved on happily for many months, until one day the king happened to discover its existence. He did not hesitate nor waver in regard to his duty in the premises. The youth was immediately cast into prison, and a day was appointed for his trial in theking's arena. This, of course, was an especially important occasion, and his majesty, as well as all the people, was greatly interested in the workings and development of this trial. Never before had such a case occurred; never before had a subject dared to love the daughter of the king. In after years such things became commonplace enough, but then they were in no slight degree novel and startling.The tiger-cages of the kingdom were searched for the most savage and relentless beasts, from which the fiercest monster might be selected for the arena; and the ranks of maiden youth and beauty throughout the land were carefully surveyed bycompetent judges in order that the young man might have afitting bride in case fate did not determine for him a different destiny. Of course, everybody knew that the deed with which the accused was charged had been done. He had loved the princess, and neither he, she, nor any one else, thought of denying the fact; but the king would not think of allowing any fact of this kind to interfere with the workings of the tribunal, in which he took such great delight and satisfaction. No matter how the affair turned out, the youth would be disposed of, and the king would take an aesthetic pleasure in watching the course of events, which would determine whether or not the young man had done wrong in allowing himself to love the princess.The appointed day arrived. From far and near the people gathered, and thronged the great galleries of the arena, and crowds, unableto gain admittance, massed themselves against its outside walls. The king and his court were in their places, opposite the twin doors, those fateful portals, so terrible in their similarity.All was ready. The signal was given. A door beneath the royal party opened, and the lover of the princess walked into the arena. Tall, beautiful, fair, his appearance was greeted with a low humof admiration and anxiety. Half the audience had not known so grand a youth had lived among them. No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there!As the youth advanced into the arena he turned, as the custom was, to bow to the king, but he did not think at all of that royal personage. His eyes were fixed upon the princess, who sat to the right of her father. Had it not been for the moiety of barbarism in her nature it is probable that lady would not have been there, but her intense and fervid soul would not allow her to be absent on an occasion in which she was so terribly interested. From the moment that the decree had gone forth that her lover should decide his fate in the king's arena, she had thought of nothing, night or day, but this great event and the various subjects connected with it. Possessed of more power, influence, and forceof character than any one who had ever before been interested in such a case, she had done what no other person had done,--she had possessed herself of the secret of the doors. She knew in whichof the two rooms, that lay behind those doors, stood the cage of the tiger, with its open front, and in which waited the lady. Through these thick doors, heavily curtained with skins on the inside, it was impossible that any noise or suggestion shouldcome from within to the person who should approach to raise thelatch of one of them. But gold, and the power of a woman's will, had brought the secret to the princess.And not only did she know in which room stood the lady ready to emerge, all blushing and radiant, should her door be opened, but she knew who the lady was. It was one of the fairest and loveliest of the damsels of the court who had been selected asthe reward of the accused youth, should he be proved innocent of the crime of aspiring to one so far above him; and the princess hated her. Often had she seen, or imagined that she had seen, this fair creature throwing glances of admiration upon the person of her lover, and sometimes she thought these glances were perceived, and even returned. Now and then she had seen them talking together; it was but for a moment or two, but much can be said in a brief space; it may have been on most unimportant topics, but how could she know that? The girl was lovely, but she had dared to raise her eyes to the loved one of the princess; and, with all the intensity of the savage blood transmitted to her through long lines of wholly barbaric ancestors, she hated the woman who blushed and trembled behind that silent door.When her lover turned and looked at her, and his eye met hers as she sat there, paler and whiter than any one in the vast ocean of anxious faces about her, he saw, by that power of quick perception which is given to those whose souls are one, that she knew behind which door crouched the tiger, and behind which stood the lady. He had expected her to know it. He understood her nature, and his soul was assured that she would never rest until she had made plain to herself this thing, hidden to all other lookers-on, even to the king. The only hope for the youth in which there was any element of certainty was based upon the successof the princess in discovering this mystery; and the moment he looked upon her, he saw she had succeeded, as in his soul he knew she would succeed.Then it was that his quick and anxious glance asked the question: "Which?" It was as plain to her as if he shouted it from where he stood. There was not an instant to be lost. The question was asked in a flash; it must be answered in another.Her right arm lay on the cushioned parapet before her. She raised her hand, and made a slight, quick movement toward the right. No one but her lover saw her. Every eye but his was fixed on the man in the arena.He turned, and with a firm and rapid step he walked across the empty space. Every heart stopped beating, every breath was held, every eye was fixed immovably upon that man. Without the slightest hesitation, he went to the door on the right, and opened it.Now, the point of the story is this: Did the tiger come out of that door, or did the lady ?The more we reflect upon this question, the harder it is to answer. It involves a study of the human heart which leads us through devious mazes of passion, out of which it is difficult to find our way. Think of it, fair reader, not as if the decision of the question depended upon yourself, but upon that hot-blooded, semi-barbaric princess, her soul at a white heat beneath the combined fires of despair and jealousy. She had lost him, but who should have him?How often, in her waking hours and in her dreams, had she started in wild horror, and covered her face with her hands as she thought of her lover opening the door on the other side of which waited the cruel fangs of the tiger!But how much oftener had she seen him at the other door! How in her grievous reveries had she gnashed her teeth, and torn her hair, when she saw his start of rapturous delight as he opened the door of the lady! How her soul had burned in agony when she had seen him rush to meet that woman, with her flushing cheek and sparkling eye of triumph; when she had seen him lead her forth, his whole frame kindled with the joy of recovered life; when she had heard the glad shouts from the multitude, and the wild ringing of the happy bells; when she had seen the priest, with his joyous followers, advance to the couple, and make them man and wife before her very eyes; and when she had seenthem walk away together upon their path of flowers, followed by the tremendous shouts of the hilarious multitude, in which her one despairing shriek was lost and drowned!Would it not be better for him to die at once, and go to wait for her in the blessed regions of semi-barbaric futurity?And yet, that awful tiger, those shrieks, that blood!Her decision had been indicated in an instant, but it had been made after days and nights of anguished deliberation. She hadknown she would be asked, she had decided what she would answer, and, without the slightest hesitation, she had moved her hand to the right.The question of her decision is one not to be lightly considered, and it is not for me to presume to set myself up as the one person able to answer it. And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door,--the lady, or the tiger?。
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Unit Four Text I The Lady, or the Tiger? Part I (1)Unit Four Text I The Lady, or the Tiger? Part IFrank R. StocktonFrank Stockton：Frank R. Stockton was born in 1834 in U.S.A. He wrote many humorous stories. When “The Lady, or the Tiger?” was published in 1882, it c aused excitement all over the country. Many letters asked for an answer to t he question which the story asks. Wisely, Stockton never answered any of the letters. The story remains as fresh today as it was then. Frank Stockton die d in 1902.Try to answer some of the questions after your first reading:(1) When does the story take place?(2) What kind of people appear in the story?(3) How many people do you remember in the story?(4) Does the story ask a question, or give an answer?(5) What does the story seem to be about?(6) What are a few interesting words that you remember?(7) Do you think you will enjoy reading the story? Why or why not?The King:•He was semi-barbaric.•Ruthless and bloodthirsty, the King was also partly compassionate.•This set him up for great internal conflict between good and evil.The Princess:•Much like her father, she was semi barbaric.•Violating her father’s social code, she fell in love with one of his subject s.•She also suffered internal conflict.The Princess’ Lover:•He was of a lower socioeconomic class than the princess.•This commoner was charged with the crime of falling in love with the prin cess, an offense of which he was guilty.•He was to be tried by the King’s judicial system.The Judicial System:•In the judicial system created by the king, the accused was given a choice between two doors.•Whatever was behind the door was one’s fate.•Because it was based on luck, this system wasn’t fair.•It provided entertainment for the king and his people.Door #1: The Tiger•Behind one of the doors was concealed a tiger.•This vicious beast was chosen for being the fiercest and hungriest in the kingdom.•If one chose this door, he would be killed; and hired mourners would grieve o r the death of the criminal.Door #2: The Lady•If one chooses the other door, a woman would be made your wife instanta neously.•She was chosen for being the most beautiful maiden of the defendant’s s ocial class and age group.Classified Info Revealed•Because it was her lover who was being tried, the king’s daughter discover ed which door concealed the tiger.•Out of her own interest, she found out who the maiden was behind the other door.•The possible bride-to-be had previously spoken with the defendant. •Jealousy and hatred for this woman overcame the princess.The Dilemma:•With the knowledge that her lover would ask which door to chose, the Pri ncess toiled for a long time over her decision.•Out of compassion and love, she could choose to spare his life by signaling the door masking the maiden.•If her barbarianism got the better of her, she could send him to his grave because she didn’t want him to be with another woman, especially themaiden whom she hated.The Trial•With the people packing the arena, the accused lover turned to bow to the king.•Having already made up her mind, the princess signaled for him to choose the door on the right.•Completely trusting her, the commoner turned and opened the door to whi ch she had motioned.Dictionary Work1. exuberant: adj. wild and excessive 狂野的；极度的basic meaning: full of energy, etc.; strong and healthy 精力充沛的；繁茂茁壮的n. exuberancee.g. She gave an exuberant performance.We can excuse his behavior as youthful exuberance.2. withal: adv. together with this; besides 此外；而且3. bland and genial: adj. composed and gracious 沉着亲切的4. hitch: n. difficulty 妨碍；困难 e.g. a hitch in our plan5. assert oneself: act in such a way as to show one’s power or authority6. poetic justice: an outcome in which vice is punished and virtue rewarded 理想的赏罚7. emanate: come out from 发出，散发emanate from sth. : to come from sh. or somewhere 发源于；从…发出8. wend one’s way: travel over a distance, esp. slowlye.g. Tom wended his way home through the wet streets.汤姆沿着潮湿的街道缓缓地朝家走去。
9. air: tune, melodyrel. in the air: prevalentup in the air 未决定；未确定e.g. Excitement was in the air. 到处充满了兴奋之情10. hilarious: adj. joyous, jubilant 欢闹的e.g. Do you know Pete? He’s hilarious.你认识皮特吗？他风趣的很。
III. Library WorkGladiator（角斗士）：A man, usu. a slave or captive criminal, trained to fight with a sword or ot her weapon against other men similarly trained or wild animals, in combats fre q. to the death, staged for public entertainment.Gladiators were armed fighters performing for the public in ancient Rome. Throughout the history of ancient Rome, it remained fashionable to commemorate the dead with a gladiatorial fight. Gladiatorial games became so popular t hat by the first century B.C. they were presented throughout the Roman Emp ire many times a year to celebrate holidays. Many Romans believed that gladia torial contests promoted the ideals of toughness and courage.Most gladiators were prisoners of war, but some of them were convicted cr iminals, or occasionally, Christians. Gladiatorial combats were fought one to on e as a rule, but occasionally mass battles were fought. Shows in the arena at Rome lasted all day. In the morning there were mock, bloodless battles. In t he afternoon the true fights began to the accompaniment of music. Trainers stood by their gladiators and urged slaves with whips to drive them on. When a gladiator fell, the provider of the games had to decide whether he would be permitted to live. “Thumbs up” from the sponsor meant that the man woul d live; “thumbs down” meant his death. The sentiment of the crowd was usuall y the decisive factor.Thousands of gladiators died annually in amphitheatres of the Roman Empir e. Gladiatorial combat was probably the cruelest sport ever widely accepted in an advanced civilization.Outline of the TextSection 1 A semi-barbaric king (Para. 1)A.. TimeB. PlaceC. PersonalitySection 2 His borrowed notion: arena (Para. 2-6)A.The purposeB.The processSection 3A brief summary (Para. 7-8)Language points1. olden (L 1): existing a long time ago in the past 古老的；悠久的e.g. in the olden days/timesemi-barbaric(L 1): half barbaric, partly barbaricsemi-: a prefix1) exactly half, e.g., a semicircle, semi-cylinder2) partly, in some degree, e.g., semi-conscious, semi-official, semi-darknes s, semi-literatebarbaric: adj. cruel and violent; not educated or cultivated 残暴的；野蛮的barbarian: n. uncivilized person or uneducated person 野蛮人；粗人barbarism: n. the state of not having any education, respect for art, etc. ; cr uel or violent behavior 野蛮；残暴的行为barbarity: n. behavior that deliberately causes extreme pain or suffering 暴行；残忍rel. barbarous: adj. extremely cruel; showing lack of education or good manner s野蛮的，未开化的e.g. the barbarous treatment of these prisoners of war 对这些战犯的残酷待遇2. polish(L 2): v. to make changes to sth. in order to improve it 修改；润饰e.g. Four years of prep school should polish those children.四年的预科学习应该让这些孩子变得温文尔雅polish one's piano technique 提高某人的钢琴演奏技艺polished up the lyrics. 给歌词润色other meaning:e.g. polish shoes (make smooth and shiny by rubbing it with cloth)He polished his glasses with a handkerchief.polish: n. e.g. shoe polish 鞋油floor polish 地板蜡furniture polish 家具上光漆She though that her husband’s family lacked polish. (elegance of style or ma nner) 她认为她丈夫的家人缺乏品味。