The Plot Against PeopleRussell Baker,冯佳轶 陈柏廷,Russell Baker graduated from the Baltimore City College high school in 1943 and received his B.A. from the School of Art& Science at Johns Hopkins University in 1947. He was an essayist, journalist and biographer, as well as the host of the PBS show from 1992 to 2004. He has written or edited seventeen books during his life. Baker won Pulitzer Prize for twice. His first Pulitzer was for distinguished commentary for his “Observer” columns (1979) and the second one was for his autobiography, Growing Up (1982).,The Authors Background,During his long career, Baker was a regular contributor to national periodicals such as The New York Times Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Saturday Evening Post, and McCalls. While still hosting Masterpiece Theatre, he moved to Leesburg, Virginia (not far from his birthplace) where he remains.,Organization Of The Text,1. Classification of inanimate objects into three major categories and the basis of the classification (Paragraphs 1 2)2. Detailed discussion of the three major categories (Paragraphs 3 14) A. Those that break down (3 4) B. Those that get lost (5 10) C. Those that do not work (11 14),Language Points (Paragraph 17),Paragraph 2 as a general rule: also in general, usually; in most cases 一般(或总的)说来; 大体上; 从总体上看Paragraph 3 cunning n.: cleverness, especially in deceiving 狡猾, 狡诈, 诡诈 E.g.: He has the cunning of the secret drinker who hides bottles. 他是个诡诈的酒徒,偷偷喝酒然后有把酒瓶藏掉的本领.intersection: crossroads 交叉点，十字路口irritability: anger,Paragraph 4 in league (with): working together (with), often secretly or for a bad purpose (与) 联合; (与) 结盟; (与) 勾结 E.g.: They were all in league against him. 他们都联合起来反对他.The police officer is privately in league with some crooks. 那警官暗中和一些无赖勾结.Paragraph 6 in the act (of doing): while doing; at the moment of doing E.g.: I was in the act of shooting him when I suddenly recognized him. She had a baby and died in the act. 她在生孩子过程中死去。,be caught in the act 被当场捉住（或发觉）in the very act of doing something 正在做事的过程中plausible: (of a statement, argument, etc.) seeming to be true or reasonable 貌似有理的；貌似真实的；花言巧语的 E.g.: a plausible excuse 貌似有理的借口a plausible plot 貌似真实的情节a plausible commentator (liar) 花言巧语的评论员（说谎大王）locomotion: movement; ability to move,Paragraph 7burrow: move ahead by or as if by digging 钻进（或钻入）某处；偷偷打入某组织；如掘进般前进 E.g.: The train was burrowing through valleys. 火车在群谷中穿行。We burrowed a path through the crowd. 我们从人群中拱出一条路来。,Paragraph 9,Infuriate vt.激怒，使气恼 synonym: anger ,enrage upset: cause to worry 使心烦意乱，使苦恼e.g. The news quite upset him. Hostile: adj. 敌对的，敌方的；怀敌意的e.g. Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention. hostility n. 敌意,Paragraph 8,furnace n. 火炉，熔炉,Invariably adv. 总是，不变地 e.g. They almost invariably get it wrong.,Paragraph 10,conciliatory: tending or intending to conciliate 安抚的；调和的，调解的；谋求好感的a conciliatory attitude: a friendly attitudeHe has been conciliatory about that small and backward city. 他对那座又小又落后的城市没有怨言。a conciliatory policy 和解政策Conciliator n. 抚慰者；调解人 Conciliate vt. 安抚，安慰；调和；赢得,Paragraph 11,quit: stop functioning 停止工作，停止活动e.g. The engine has quit. 引擎不转了。 Barometer n. 气压计，晴雨表 Locomotive n. 机车，火车头,working order: the state of working well, with no trouble （机器等的）工作状态，运转情况 E.g.: Everything is in working order. 一切正常。,Paragraph 13 baffle: make effective action impossible by confusing 使困惑，难住 E.g.: That question baffled me completely. The police were baffled by the total lack of clues to the murder. 那件谋杀案由于没有一点线索把警方难住了。,Paragraph 12,Paragraph 13,aspire: direct ones hopes and efforts to some great orimportant aim 渴望；追求；有志于e.g.: aspire to succeed 渴望成功 aspire after knowledge 追求知识,Paragraph 14,condition: (especially technical or derogatory) train 训练，使适应；使有准备e.g.: condition a horse for a race 把马训练得能参加比赛Our ears have become conditioned to noise.,Paragraph 14,illuminate v. 照亮，阐释，说明e.g. The two instructors use games and drawings to illuminate their subject.illuminating adj.富有启发性的It would be illuminating to hear the views of the club chairman. 听听俱乐部副主席的观点或许会有启发。,All are in league with the automobile to take their turns at breaking down whenever life threatens to flow smoothly for their enemies.(para.4) 所有这些都与骑车为伍，轮流在其敌人一帆风顺时不失时机的坏掉。,Sentence,The goal of all inanimate objects is to resist man and ultimately to defeat him, and the three major classifications are based on the method each object uses to achieve its purpose.（para.2）,所有这些无生命物体的目的就是抵抗人类，最终打败人类。,They have truly defeated man by conditioning him never to expect anything of them.(para.14) 这类事物已经使人类对它们不抱任何希望，真正地打败了人类。,The most interesting holds that the things that dont work have attained the highest state possible for an inanimate object, the state to which things that break down and things that get lost can still only aspire.(para.13) 最有意思的猜测是这类不工作的物品已经达到了无生命物体的最高境界，这种境界是前两者望尘莫及的。,Writing Skills:,essay developed by classification Those that break down, those that get lost, and those that dont work. personifies some inanimate objects e. g., “the method each object uses to achieve its purpose“ (para. 1) “climb,“ “burrow,“ and “travel“ (para. 7). personification of inanimate objects& Exaggerations, to contribute to the humorous tone “. . . in its single-minded determination“ (para. 7). “Scientists have been struck by the fact . “ (para. 8)“Some people have reached advanced ages without ever seeing some of these objects -barometers, for example-in working order.“ (para. 12),