Lesson Six Disappearing through the Skylig

ht

------- By Oshborne Bennet Hardison Jr.

Aims To know the features of scientific writing. To analyse the structure of the text. To understand the deeper meaning of the

text. To appreciate the language features

Teaching Contents

1. Scientific writing 2. Structuralism and the main idea of the text. 3. Detailed study of the text 4. Organizational pattern 5. Language features 6. Exercises

Time allocation1. Writing style (15 min.)

2. Introduction of the text (20min.)

3. Detailed study of the text (100 min.)

4. Structure analysis (15 min.)

5. Language appreciation (15 min.)

6. Exercises (15 min)

Scientific writing (English for science and technology)1. technical terms

cylinder block; carburettor; thermodynamics; etc.

2. objective: relying on facts, not involve emotion, seldom use figures of speech,

exclamation the use of present tense the use of passive voice

Scientific writing3. sentences:

a) complete no contractions (dep't -- department)

b) long 1) compound sentences2) appositions3) parenthesis4) logical connectors

such as : however; but; also; yet; finally; while; as ; not only; just as ...so; etc.

Scientific writing Generally this technical writing

tends to be very formal. Yet the characteristics of any kind of language style is not absolute. In order to meet the needs of the work for popular science, many scientific workers try to adopt a more popular style. Then there comes a popular scientific and technical writing style.

Characteristics

1. limit the use of technical terms

2. examples--- to make the writing

more vivid and appealing to the

readers

Characteristics1. figures of speech-- to make the

sentences figurative so that the readers can easily understand and associate them with what they are familiar with

2. noun pre-modifiers game theory; human growth

genes; theme park; museum villages;world car; etc

Structuralism

Structuralism is a mode of thinking and a method of analysis practiced in 20th-century social sciences and humanities.

自然科学和人文科学

Structuralism Methodologically, it analyzes larg

e-scale systems by examining the relations and functions of the smallest constituent elements of such systems, which range from human languages and cultural practices to folktales and literary texts.

Structuralism In the field of linguistics ， the str

ucturalist work of Ferdinand de Saussure 　 long served as model and inspiration.

Characteristic of structuralist thinking,

Saussure's linguistic inquiry was centered not on speech itselfbut on the underlying rules and conventions enabling language to operate.

Characteristic Analyzing the social or collective dimension of la

nguage rather than individual speech, he pioneered and promoted

study of grammar rather than usage, rules rather than expressions, models rather than data, langue 语言 (language) rather than parole 言语

(speech).

Four procedures Levi-Strauss specified four procedures

basic to structuralism. 1 ）  Structural analysis examines un

conscious infrastructures 基层结构 of cultural phenomena;

2 ）  It regards the elements of infrastructures as “relational,” not as independent entities 实体

Four procedures 3 ）  It attends single-mindedly t

o system; 4 ）  It propounds (proposes) gen

eral laws accounting for the underlying organizing patterns of phenomena.

Detailed study of the text Disappearing Through the Skylight

is not only the title of this chapter but also the title of the book.

The book has a sub-title, “Culture and Technology in the Twentieth Century”

C.B. Hardison, Jr.A well-known for his profound insights i

nto the change in modern culture brought about by modern science and technology.

His provocative views are stimulating and informative.

The book As for the central theme of this boo

k, the writer says , “This book is about the ways culture has changed in the past century, changing the identities of all those born into it. Its metaphor for the effect of change on culture is “disappearance”.

The book In the 19th century, science presented natu

re as group of objects set comfortably and solidly in he middle distance before the eyes of the beholders. In the work of D’Arcy Thompson, published around the turn of the century, nature has disappeared. It has become a set of geometric and mathematical relations that lie under the surface of the visible.

In this key chapter1. The writer puts forward the central t

heme of “disappearance”– nature disappears, history disappears and even the solid banks disappears.

2. He puts forward the idea of the universalizing tendency of science and technology

In this key chapter

3. The modern man is no longer a unique individual, the product of a special environment and culture. The homogeneous world he now lives in universalizes him. He becomes a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world. In this key chapter

In this key chapter4. The disappearance of history is a for

m of liberation and this feeling of liberation is often expressed through play. The playfulness of science has produced game theory and virtual particles, in art it has produced the paintings of Picasso and Joan Miro and so on.

Science is committed to… Science is engaged in the task of maki

ng its basic concepts understood and accepted by scientists all over the world. This concept of universality and uniformity is one of the basic views of the author.

thermodynamics -- (sing) 热力学

science of the relations between heat and mechanical work

genetics --- science (branch of biology) dealing with

heredity

mutation – change, alternation1. a change in the genetic structure of an

animal or plant which causes a new sort of animal or plant to develop

A series of mutations has resulted in large grains of wheat.

2. a very important change in the structure or organization profound mutations in culture and attitudes

discredit (fml) –- refuse to believe or have confidence in c

ause the truth to seem doubtful His theories were discredited by scient

ists. Scientific discoveries have discredited

religious belief. (question)

corollary (fml)– a corollary of sth is an idea, argum

ent or fact which is the direct result of it 必然的结果

= consequence this change is the inevitable corol

lary of the social revolution.

homogeneous ---

having similarity in structure because of common descent

= uniform The working class is not quite so

homogeneous in its political preference.

Children … diminishes

Children who grow up in this world feel that countries and people are more or less the same. As their thoughts and feelings are shaped by this sameness. Their sense of differences among cultures and people becomes weak.

diversity – variety, difference

innovation --- making change introducing new thi

ngs technical innovations in industry

streamline – make more efficient (by simplifying, getting ri

d of , wasteful method etc) 提高效率 ~ production

streamlined --- adj. Having nothing likely to impede progress 有效率的

~ controls / methods 高效率管理 / 方法

streamlining ---

design or construct a contour (outline) that offers the least resistance in moving through air, water etc. 流线型

economics ---

thing related to the economy of automobile manufacturing, such as production costs, consumer appeal, sale price, etc

asset --- a valuable or desirable thing

benefit 财产 , 资本 , 有价值的东西 An asset is someone or sth that is consi

dered useful or that helps a person or organization to be successful

Her only ~ was a gentle nature. With all his experience abroad he was

a major ~ to the company.

cylinder --- 汽缸 block ---

main part of a petrol engine, consisting of the cylinder and valves 汽缸与阀

carburetor --- that part of an internal combustion en

gine in which petrol and air are mixed to make an explosive mixture ( 内燃机中的 ) 汽化器

inevitable --- that can’t be avoided, that is sure to ha

ppen

equivalent –

n. sth that has the same use, function as sth else

A good quilt can be the equivalent of at least three blankets.

be hard put to it (to do sth) --- find it difficult

He was hard put to explain what had happened.

As in … automaking This is an elliptical balanced sentence.

The full sentence may read: “Things that are happening in automaking are similar to those happening in architecture.”

If man …. creator This short balanced topic sentence int

roduces the second important view of the writer. Man creates machines and the machines then turn around and change those who created them. Man creates the World Car and by driving this kind of car the modern man himself becomes universalized. He is becoming a cosmopolitan.

cosmopolitan ---

of or from all or many different parts of the world

the ~ gatherings at the United Nations Assembly

联合国各种世界性集会

The price … of the word The disadvantage of being a

cosmopolitan is that he loses a home in the old sense of the word.

The benefit of being a cosmopolitan is that he begins to think the old kind of home probably restricts his development and activities.

suspect To think it probable or likely; guess; s

uppose

The universalizing … The compelling force of technology to

universalize cannot be resisted.

Barring ..culture Excepting a great disaster brought about by

a nuclear war, the universalizing power of technology will continue to influence modern culture and the consciousness of people who inhabit that culture.

barring: unless there should be; excepting

Para.9

From this paragraph onwards the writer puts forward

and develops the main theme of this chapter and the

central theme of his book ---the insubstantiality of th

e world, the disappearance of traditional concepts, of

the material objects we used to see with our ordinary

eyes. This is specially and clearly reflected in moder

n art and architecture.

Francis Picabia

*6image-1,2 picabia*

Francis Picabia

Marcel Duchamp

*6image-345duchamp

aesthetic --- the appreciation of beauty 审美论，美

学原则

blasphemy --- contemptuous or irreverent talk about G

od and sacred things 亵渎神明， 对神不敬的话

rehabilitation --- restoring 恢复 , improvement

a ~ center 伤残恢复中心

generate --- produce, cause to exist or occur

proposition --- a person or matter to be dealt with 要对付处理的人或事物

a tough ~ 难对付的人或事物

evade – get, keep out of the way of

~ a blow ~ one’s enemies ~ an attack ~ paying income tax

plasticity --- state or quality of being plastic 可塑性，

适应性

main idea of para.9 When every artist thought it was his duty to

show his contempt for and objection to the Eiffel tower which they considered an irreverent architectural structure. Machines soon originated new ideas and problems that could not be handled by the old ways of thinking, which is a flexible and pliable quality that was beyond human powers and absolutely new.

In paragraph 10 The writer uses many rhetorical questi

ons to introduce his central theme and to emphasize his arguments on the insubstantiality of the world.

insubstantiality --- 非实在，无实体 insubstantial ---

not solid or real, lacking substance ~ vision 幻象

undermine --- weaken gradually 逐渐削弱或损坏

His health was ~d by smoking.

thingliness --- object, a physical object

molecule --- n. smallest unit 分子

molecular --- adj. Molecular structure 分子结构

galaxy --- any of the large-scale clusters of stars i

n outer space 星系

artifact / artefact --- artificial product 人工制品

skepticism skepticism ---

doubting state of mind, sceptical attitude of mind

怀疑主义，怀疑态度

consistent (with) --- in agreement with

What you say now is not ~ with what you said last week.

radically --- radical ---- fundamental, thorough and compl

ete根本的，基本的，彻底而完全的

~ reforms make a ~ change in a scheme 彻底改变

计划

It is a form of perception…

The world of nature that modern art reveals no longer contains the material objects we were familiar with instead the world is now filled with images produced by the mind. This has made the world almost empty of history because history has to be associated with the objective existence of material things.

Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 *6image-6.7picasso

Three Musicians

Guernica

Joan Miro 1893-1983

*6image-8miro village

Dada

mock-heroic --- 嘲弄地模仿英雄风格的（作品、诗歌）

game theory --- theory of games 策略运筹法，博奕论

virtual ---being sth in effect though not commonly calle

d by that name the ~ ruler of a country

black holes *6image-11blackhole*

genes – any of several small parts of the materi

als which makes up the center (nucleus) of a cell. Each of these parts controls the development of one or more qualities in a living thing, which have been passed on from its parents

ethics --- the science which deals with morals

伦理学

cannibalism --- the act or practice of eating one’s own k

ind (esp of people who eat human flesh) 同类相残

by introducing …. Science, in its playfulness, introduces

human growth genes into cows and this forces students of ethics to redefine cannibalism. Does the eating of such cows with their human genes constitute cannibalism?

fantastic --- odd, strange or wild in shape, meaning etc not

controlled by reason ~ dream ~ story ~ fears postmodernism neo-modernism

juxtaposition --- the act of placing, or the state of being

placed, side by side or close together 并列， 并置

Collage city A city that is a rich mixture of

styles.

*6image-12-14*

geometry ---

The mathematics of the properties, measurement, and relationships of points, lines, angles, surfaces, and solids.

facadism *6image-15facadism*

gamesmanship – the art of winning by using the rules to

one’s own advantage without actually cheating 制胜绝招

linear – of or in lines

sculpture --- the art of shaping solid figures out of ston

e, wood, clay, metal etc

virtuosities --- a very high degree of skill in appreciati

on performance in one of the arts 艺术的鉴赏力， 精湛的技巧

lacy --- of or like lace

weaving --- pattern

etch – to draw ( a picture) by cutting lines on a meta

l plate with a needle and then using acid to eat out the lines so that one can print from the plate

assertiveness assertive ---

having or showing positive assurance 断然的， 确然无疑的

bulldozer --- powerful tractor that pushes a broad st

eel blade or sheet in front, used for leveling land

trusses --- framework supporting a roof-bridge 构

架， support 支架

geodesic --- (archit) having a structurally strong sur

face made up of short, straight, light weight bars that form a grid of polygons 筑成圆顶的，

geodesic dome

abound – exist in large numbers or amounts, be plentiful

Tropical plants abound in the jungle.

bleary – dim or blurred

Leonardo’s self-portrait *6image-16leonardo’s self-potrait* *6image-17leonardomonalisa*

having made one order…Having made one set of harmonious arrange

ments, this power is quite capable of putting it aside and creating an entirely different one just as a child playing with his Tinkertoy set might build one structure and then playfully without any ill-will destroy it and build another new one.

malice – ill will, evil intent, desire to harm another or to d

o mischief

neoclassic --- designating or of a revival of classic style and

form in art, literature etc as in England from 1660 – 1740

granite – a very hard, crystalline, plutonic rock, grey to pi

nk in color, consisting of field-spar, quartz, and smaller amounts of other minerals 花岗岩

ponderous – very heavy

slot-machine – machine worked or started by inserting a

coin or token in a slot a vending machine 自动售货机 a gambling device 吃角子老虎机

terminal --- a device through which a user can co

mmunicate with a computer

vault – a secure room, often with individual

safe-deposit boxes, for the safekeeping of valuables or money as in a bank

In a computer … In a computer money becomes a serie

s of electrical pulses representing numerical digits. These figures are handled and processed by the various computers.

medium – media

transaction --- a business deal

That,perhaps,establishes… That, perhaps, shows how far logically

modern aesthetic can go. The solid bans can become almost abstract and invisible. This is perhaps the furthest limit of how solid objective things may be disappearing.

haze --- a dispersion of fine sand, smoke, dust in t

he air that reduces visibility a slight confusion or vagueness of mind

theme --- the disappearance and the insubsta

ntiality of the world The thesis --- The result is described

precisely in a phrase that is already familiar: the disappearance of history.

nature disappears, history disappears and even the solid things, such as banks disappear

Organizational pattern Sect. I para 1-8

Science is committed to the universals. The basic concepts of science are understood, accepted and adopted by scientists all over the world. This universalizing effect is reflected in automaking, architectural, dress and musical styles. They all tend to become world styles.

The modern man is no longer a unique individual. He becomes a cosmopolitan, a citizen of the world. “If man creates machines, machines in turn shape their creators”.

Organizational pattern Sect. II. Para 9-15 Science has show

n the insubstantiality of the world1. The world is not made up of solid mate

rial objects that we see with our eyes. This is the basis of the writer’s central theme of “disappearance”, “insubstantiality of the world”.

Organizational pattern2. Beautiful art reflects the inner need of

a man’s soul. Modern art does not depict the material objects in nature we see but things that we see in our minds.

3. The disappearance of history frees the mind from traditional concepts.

Organizational pattern4. The feeling of liberation is often expre

ssed through play. The playfulness of science has produced game theory and virtual particles, in art it has produced the painting of Picasso and Joan Miro and so on .

Organizational pattern5. Modern culture is full of images

1) It includes a) the simple geometric designs of the internation

al styles.b) the fanciful patterns of facadismc) the playfulness of the theme parks and museu

m villages

Organizational pattern2) It displays structures that reflect the straight lines

a) It displays the fine artistic streamlining of cars and airplanes.

b) It displays oil tankers and bulldozers.c) It displays the complicated designs and structure of

Tinkertoy models, geodesic domes and lunar landers.

Sect III. Para 16-19 Banks are disappearing.

Language features 1. Exhibiting certain features of

scientific English 1) scientific and technical terms 2) short sentences/ simple present tense

2. The use of figurative language to reach a wider audience. Metaphors, analogies, rhetorical questions,

repetition and balanced structure 3. Clear,concise, objective and logical

Paraphrase:1. Science is to make people of the wo

rld understand and accept its basic concepts.

2. The Fiesta seems to have disappeared completely.

3. The idea of a world car is almost the same as the idea of having a world style for architecture.

Paraphrase:4. Things happening in automaking are simi

lar to those happening in architecture.5. The modern man is no longer an individu

al, no longer the one shaped and molded by a distinct environment and culture.

6. The disadvantage is that he loses a home in the old sense of the word.

Paraphrase:7. The advantage is that he begins to believe t

hat traditional home means restriction.8. The compulsory force of technology to univ

ersalize can not be resisted.9. When every artist thought that he was boun

d to show his contempt for the Eiffel Tower, which they considered an unnatural architectural structure.

Paraphrase:10. a changing and flexible quality that

was beyond human power and completely new.

11. Science has weakened the people’s firm belief on the real material objects seen with their eyes.

12. Perhaps, that shows how far logically modern aesthetic can go.