Lesson 31 The sculptor speaks 雕塑家的语言

First listen and then answer the following question.

听录音,然后回答以下问题。

What do you have to be able to do to appreciate sculpture?

Appreciation of sculpture depends upon the ability to respond to form in three dimensions. That is perhaps why sculpture has been described as the most difficult of all arts; certainly it is more difficult than the arts which involve appreciation of flat forms, shape in only two dimensions. Many more people are 'form-blind' than colour-blind. The child learning to see, first distinguishes only two-dimensional shape; it cannot judge 5 distances, depths. Later, for its personal safety and practical needs, it has to develop (partly by means of touch) the ability to judge roughly three-dimensonal distances. But having satisfied the requirements of practical necessity, most people go no further. Though they may atttain considerable accuracy in the perception of flat form, they do not make the further intellectual and emotional effort needed to comprehend form in its full spatial existence.

This is what the sculptor must do. He must strive continually to think of, and use, form in its full spatial completeness. He gets the solid shape, as it were, inside his head-he thinks of it, whatever its size, as if he were holding it completely enclosed in the hollow of his hand. He mentally visualizes a complex form from all round itself; he knows while he looks at one side what the other side is like; he identifies himself with its centre of gravity, its mass, its weight; he realizes its volume, as the space that the shape displaces in the air.

And the sensitive observer of sculpture must also learn to feel shape simply as shape, not as description or reminiscence. He must, for example, perceive an egg as a simple single solid shape, quite apart from its significance as food, or from the literary idea that it will become a bird. And so with solids such as a shell, a nut, a plum, a pear, a tadpole, a mushroom, a mountain peak, a kidney, a carrot, a tree-trunk, a bird, a bud, a lark, a ladybird, a bulrush, a bone. From these he can go on to appreciate more complex forms or

20 combinations of several forms.

HENRY MOORE The Sculptor Speaks from The Listener

New words and expressions 生词和短语

colour-blind (l.4) / ˈkʌlə blaɪnd/ adj. 色盲的 mushroom (1.18) /"mʌʃruːm/n. 蘑菇 perception (l1.7-8) /pə'sepʃən/ n. 知觉 carrot (1.18) /’kærət/ n. 胡萝卜 comprehend (1.8) ${/}{1}$ kɒmprɪ'hend/ v. 理解 bud (1.18) $/\mathrm{b} \land \mathrm{d}/n$ . 花蕾 spatial (1.9) $/$ ’speɪʃəl/ adj. 空间的 lark (1.19) $/{l\alpha } : k/n$ . 云雀 visualize (1.12) $/$ ’vɪʒuəlaɪz $/v$ . 使具形象,设想 ladybird (l.19) / 'leɪdibɜːd/ n. 瓢虫 reminiscence (1.16) ${/}$ rem ${\mathrm{I}}^{\prime }$ nIsøns $/n$ . 回忆,联想 bulrush (1.19) /'bʊlrʌʃ/n. 芦苇 tadpole (1.18) /’tædpəʊl/ n. 蝌蚪

Notes on the text 课文注释

1 form-blind, 这是作者仿照 colour-blind (色盲) 生造的一个词,意指 “形盲”。

2 in its full spatial completeness, 存在于空间的整个(形体)。

Unit 4 Lesson 31

Henry Moore and his sculpture, Reclining Figure

3 as it were, 可以说是。

4 whatever its size, 这是一个省略了 maybe 的让步状语从句。

5 from all round itself, 从它的各个角度构想。

6 centre of gravity, 重心。

7 apart from, 撇开。

参考译文

对雕塑的鉴赏力取决于对立体的反应能力。雕塑被说成是所有艺术中最难的艺术, 可能就是这个道理。欣赏雕塑品当然比欣赏平面的艺术品要难。“形盲”的人数比“色盲”的人数要多得多。正在学看东西的儿童起初只会分辨二维形态, 不会判断距离和深度。慢慢地, 由于自身安全和实际需要, 儿童必须发展 (部分通过触觉) 粗略判断三维空间距离的能力。但是, 大部分人在满足了实际需要后, 就不再继续发展这种能力了。虽然他们对平面形的感觉能达到相当准确的程度, 但他们没有在智力和感情上进一步努力去理解存在于空间的整个形态。

而雕塑家就必须做到这一点。他必须勤于想像并且利用形体在空间中的完整性。可以这样说, 当他想像一个物体时, 不管其大小如何, 他脑子里得到的是一个立体的概念, 就好像完全握在自己手心里一样。他的大脑能从物体周围的各个角度勾画出其复杂的形象,他看物体的一边时,便知道另一边是个什么样子。他把自身和物体重心、质量、重量融为一体。他能意识到物体的体积,那就是它的形状在空气中所占的空间。

因此, 敏锐的雕塑观赏者也必须学会把形体作为形体来感觉, 不要靠描述和印象去感觉。以鸟蛋为例, 观赏者必须感觉到它是一个单一的实体形态, 而完全不靠它的食用意义或它会变成鸟这样的文学概念来感觉。对于其他实体,如贝壳、核桃、李子、梨子、蝌蚪、蘑菇、山峰、肾脏、胡萝卜、树干、鸟儿、花蕾、云雀、瓢虫、 芦苇以及骨头也应这样来感觉。从这些形体出发,观赏者可进一步观察更为复杂的形体或若干形体的组合。

Comprehension 理解

Answer these questions:

1 What does the author mean when he says that many people are 'form-blind'? (1.3)

2 What do you understand by the following statement: "The sensitive observer of sculpture must also learn to feel shape simply as shape, not as a description or reminiscence.'? (ll.15-16)

Vocabulary 词汇

Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: in three dimensions (1.1); involve (1.3); distinguishes (1.4); roughly (1.6); they may attain considerable accuracy in the perception (II.7-8); strive (I.10); visualizes (I.12); combinations (II.19-20).

Summary 摘要

A Drawing your information from the first two paragraphs (lines 1-14), write a list of points in note form to answer the following question: How does a sculptor's appreciation of form differ from that of an ordinary person?

B Using this list of points, reconstruct the author's argument in not more than 90 words. Your answer should be in one paragraph.

Composition 作文

Write a composition of about 300 words on the following subject:

'The arts (music, literature, painting and sculpture) cannot be enjoyed unless one has a specialized knowledge of them.'

Argue against this statement. You may use some or all of the ideas given below if you wish:

1 Many people enjoy listening to music, reading novels or poetry, looking at pictures or sculpture without knowing anything about the technical difficulties involved in creating works of art.

2 There is a difference between appreciation and enjoyment: in order to appreciate a work of art, one should have a great deal of specialized knowledge; in order to enjoy a work of art, no such knowledge is necessary.

3 Specialized knowledge can increase one's enjoyment: a trained mind knows what to look for.

4 Specialized knowledge can diminish one's enjoyment: it may make you hypercritical and interfere with your response.

5 Artists do not create works of art for those who have specialized knowledge only: often they attempt to communicate to large numbers of people.

6 If specialized knowledge were necessary to enjoy the arts, then only those engaged in the arts would be in a position to enjoy them-something which is demonstrably untrue.

Key structures 关键句型

A Supply the missing words in the following sentences. Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:

1 That is perhaps why sculpture has been described as _____ difficult _____ all arts; certainly it is _____ difficult _____ the arts which involve appreciation of flat forms. (II.1-3)

2 _____ people are 'form-blind'_____ colour-blind. (II.3-4)

3 But having satisfied the requirements of practical necessity, _____ people go no _____ . (11.6-7) B Compare these two sentences: Instead of saying: When they have satisfied the requirements of practical necessity, most people go no further. We can say: Having satisfied the requirements of practical necessity, most people go no further. (II.6-7) Write three sentences beginning with Having.

Unit 4 Lesson 31

C Rewrite each of these sentences replacing has to by must:

1 This is what the sculptor has to do. (1.10)

2 He has to strive continually to think of, and use, form in its full spatial completeness. (II.10-11)

3 And the sensitive observer of sculpture also has to learn to feel shape simply as shape, not as description or reminiscence. (ll.15-16)

4 He has, for example, to perceive an egg as a simple single solid shape. (I.16)

D Note the construction in italics:

He thinks of it as if he were holding it completely enclosed in the hollow of his hand. (II.11-12)

Complete the following sentences using the same construction:

1 He acted as if _____ 2 He talked as if _____ 3 It looked as if _____

Special difficulties 难点

A Study the following pairs of words and then write sentences of your own to bring out the difference.

1 appreciation (1.1) - estimation

I wish to express my appreciation of the numerous courtesies extended to me by the company.

Your estimation of the time needed seems about right. (= approximate calculation, judgment)

2 distinguish (1.4) - perceive

We have to distinguish carefully between fact and legend.

I don't perceive any improvement in the economy.

3 depth (l.5) - deeps

What depth is this well?

Up till now, we have known more about Space than about the deeps/depths of the oceans on this planet.

4 displace (1.14) - replace

Coal is being displaced by natural gas as a major source of energy.

They are replacing the old windows with double glazing.

5 single (I.16) - unique

There is not a single public phone in the village.

Each person's fingerprints are unique.

B Explain the meaning of the word form in these sentences:

1 It is more difficult than the arts which involve appreciation of flat forms. (II.2-3)

2 A new golf club has just been formed in our district.

3 How many children are there in your form?

4 I don't feel like playing tennis. I haven't been in very good form lately.

5 There were not enough chairs to go round so we had to sit on forms.

6 Would you please fill up this form?

C Explain the meaning of the phrases in italics:

1 ... he knows while he looks at one side what the other side is like. (1.13)

2 What is your new school like?

3 What was the weather like yesterday?

Unit 4 Lesson 31

Multiple choice questions 多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension 理解

1 Sculpture has been described as the most difficult of the arts because _____.

(a) it is not two-dimensional (b) most people are 'form blind'

(c) of the difficulty of working in stone (d) it depends on special abilities

2 We all learn about three dimensions _____.

(a) as a matter of practical necessity and no more

(b) to appreciate sculptural forms

(c) through intellectual and emotional effort

(d) with considerable accuracy

3 A scuptor must be able to _____.

(a) hold his sculpture in the hollow of his hand

(b) think of his sculpture viewed from every angle

(c) identify himself with his sculpture

(d) carry his sculpture inside his head

4 The important thing for a sculptor is the appreciation of the _____ of objects.

(a) form (b) ideas behind (c) meaning (d) description

Structure 句型

5 _____ more people are 'form-blind'. (1.3)

(a) Lots of (b) Lot of (c) A lot of (d) A lot

6 But _____ the requirements of practical necessity ... (1.7)

(a) to satisfy (b) when it has satisfied

(c) it has satisfied (d) having to satisfy

7 He knows _____ he looks at one side what the other side is like. (1.13)

(a) as (b) that (c) since (d) during

8 And so with solids _____ . (1.17)

(a) like to shells (b) as shells (c) such as shell (d) like shells

Vocabulary 词汇

9 It depends on the ability to _____ form in three dimensions. (1.1)

(a) surrender to (b) reply to (c) answer (d) react to

10 The child learning to see, first makes _____ only two-dimensional shape. (1.4)

(a) away (b) off (c) out (d) off

11 They do not make the _____ intellectual effort. (1.8)

(a) exceptional (b) additional (c) more (d) farther

12 He must learn to feel shape not as description or _____ . (ll.15-16)

(a) souvenir (b) remembrance (c) memorial (d) something remembered