The work describes how Scott and his party bravely explored the South Pole. After arriving at their destination, they discovered that the Norwegian expedition led by Amundsen had arrived before them, which made them lose confidence. The story of how they froze to death in the snow due to lack of water, food and lack of heat due to their high ambitions when they arrived praised Scott and his team for their dedication to the honor of the motherland and criticized their discovery that they were no longer able to do so. Pessimism when success comes again. Stefan Zweig's main achievements are reflected in biographical literature and novels.
Lesson 21 in the Chinese textbook for the first grade of junior high school. Selected from "When Humanity's Stars Shine" (Life. Reading. Xinzhi Sanlian Bookstore, 1986 edition) translated by Shu Changshan.
21 The Great Tragedy
Text Discussion
1. Overall Understanding
Anyone who has a little knowledge of Antarctica knows that the establishment The scientific experiment station at 90° south latitude of Antarctica is named Amundsen-Scott Station. This is to commemorate the two first scientific explorers to reach the South Pole in human history-Norwegian Amundsen and Englishman Scott. On June 1, 1910, Scott led an expedition to leave Britain and head to Antarctica. In October 1911, they landed near Cape Evans, New Zealand, preparing to conquer the South Pole from December of that year to January of the following year. But at this time, they received news that the Norwegian Amundsen was leading another expedition to the Antarctic and wanted to "compete with him for the honor of being the first to reveal the secrets of the stubborn earth"! As a result, Scott and his party set off in a hurry on November 1 to "fight for the country's honor." After a fierce competition, the result was that the Amundsen team reached the Antarctic on December 14, 1911, while the Scott team only arrived on January 18, 1912, nearly five years later than the Amundsen team. weeks. In the end, Amundsen returned victorious, and the flag of success was always flying at the South Pole. However, Scott and other five heroes who attacked the Antarctic were hungry, cold, and exhausted due to the sudden early arrival of the cold weather in Antarctica. After fighting the severe cold for more than two months, he finally slept in the vast ice and snow.
Scientists who study the history of Antarctic exploration point out that Amundsen’s victory and Scott’s failure did not lie in the thoroughness of their plans, but in the fact that the former relied on rich practical experience to formulate plans, and the latter Make plans based on reasoning and assumptions. Amundsen concluded that neither human physical strength nor Siberian ponies could withstand the severe cold of the Antarctic. Only Arctic Huskies could pull sleds in the Polar Circle, so he used 20 fat and strong dogs to successfully complete the journey. Round trip to the South Pole. Scott mainly used Siberian ponies and a small number of Huskies. As a result, the dogs ran away and the ponies froze to death, making this team accept a severe challenge prematurely-in the future, They could only move forward by pulling sleds. In this way, the speed of progress will be greatly reduced, and disaster will become inevitable. However, the author Zweig ignored these scientific issues, and instead wrote about this event in a literary style with great emotion and from the perspective of the noble and tragic spirit of human beings conquering nature. It is exciting to read.
This biography was written by the author based on some of the negatives, film reels, letters and suicide notes left by Scott, using his genius literary imagination. Because the original work was too long, when it was selected as a text, the previous part about Scott and his party's expedition preparations and departure to Antarctica was deleted, while the part about their desperate return from Antarctica and their tragic demise was mainly retained. This is the main part of the full text. The main idea of ??the full text, Scott's spirit, and wonderful sentences are mostly concentrated in this part.
When studying this text, you should pay attention to the following aspects.
1. untangle the storyline. The text is mainly written about the five members of the Scott expedition who were exhausted but full of hope and rushed to the South Pole. However, they sadly discovered that someone had already reached the South Pole earlier, so they had to go back dejectedly, and finally died tragically one by one. On the one hand, the author describes the harsh climate and the expedition team's struggle with the severe cold; on the other hand, the author writes the details of the sacrifices of the expedition team members. First, Evans, who was considered the strongest, suddenly went insane and died one night. Then Oates walked into the blizzard alone in order not to drag down his companions - walking toward death like a hero. Finally, the three "tired and weak" people climbed into their sleeping bags and waited for death, "but never lamented to the world the various sufferings they encountered in the end." Once you have grasped the "typical characters" in the above "typical environments", you will have a basic understanding of the content of the text.
2. Pay attention to memorable details. For example, after going through all the hardships and dangers to reach the top, what awaited them was the flag and letter left by the occupier Amundsen, and asked Scott, a loser, to testify about his achievements, but Scott actually accepted this task! Another example is Dr. Wilson, who was in charge of scientific research. Even when he was only inches away from death, he still insisted on scientific observation and dragged 16 kilograms of precious rock samples! For another example, the unfortunate Oates first asked for ten tablets of morphine in an attempt to end himself as soon as possible, but the other team members resolutely rejected his request; the next day, he walked alone into the wind and snow outside the tent. In the end, Captain Scott recorded the diary extremely calmly until the last breath of his life, until his fingers were completely frozen and the pen slipped from his hand.
I believe this kind of plot will touch everyone!
3. Grasp the thoughts and feelings expressed by the author. The text praises a human spirit of courage to explore, a noble spirit of dedication to the cause and a strong spirit of collectivism. The five explorers described by the author are heroes of Britain and all mankind, admired by everyone. It can be seen between the lines that the author devoted all his emotions to writing this tragedy, and his admiration for the hero was beyond words. Sometimes the author directly stood up and commented:
In the gloomy loneliness, There are only a few people walking all the time, and their heroism cannot but be admired.
Although a person destroys himself in the struggle against invincible misfortune, his soul becomes extremely noble as a result. All this is the greatest tragedy of all time.
These straightforward discussions are a manifestation of the author's inability to suppress his emotions when writing, and are reminiscent of the expression techniques of reportage.
2. Problem Research
1. Why did Zweig not write a biography for the winner Amundsen, but wrote this tragic scene for the loser Scott with passion?
The answer can be found in the last two sentences of the text: "Although a person destroys himself in the fight against invincible misfortune, his soul becomes extremely noble because of it. All of this It is the greatest tragedy of all times." As a great writer, Zweig never thought mainly of successful people in his career, but of the spiritual shock and enlightenment behind many historical events. According to this value standard, Zweig certainly believed that writing a biography for Scott would be more meaningful and would give people long-term thinking.
2. What excellent human qualities did Scott and his expedition members demonstrate? Where is it specifically reflected in the text?
Integrity and admirable gentlemanly demeanor. Scott and his party failed in the competition with Amundsen, but they had the courage to admit failure and were willing to "testify before the world about the achievements of another man, which was exactly what he himself was passionately pursuing." If this matter is put in front of a person who likes to be dishonest and does not keep his word, you can imagine the result.
Perseverance, perseverance, and heroic spirit of devotion to the cause. In the abridged part, this character trait of Scott is fully explained:
From the photo, his face is as cold and resolute as thousands of British people. The face was expressionless, as if the muscles were frozen by inner strength. Blue-grey eyes, tightly closed mouth. There are no romantic lines or a trace of lightness and joy on his face, only his will and thoughts about considering the reality of the world.
He went to India and conquered many dotted islands. He accompanied the colonists to Africa and participated in countless world battles. But no matter where he goes, he has the same cold, reserved face, with the same strong perseverance and collective consciousness.
In the text, it is written that when they thought that the adventure they were undertaking was an immortal undertaking for mankind, they gained superhuman strength. In fact, it would be impossible to pursue this career without a dedication to adventure, superhuman strength and courage. And when they fought against death on their way back and died one by one, there was no coward, they were all outstanding men, who lived clearly and died tragically.
Strong collectivism spirit. Exploration requires a spirit of unity and cooperation. In order to protect your companions at critical moments, you sometimes have to have the courage to sacrifice your own life. Scott and his team have done just that.
Selfless love. In the last breath of his life, Scott was not thinking about his own interests. He was always thinking about others: friends, companions, wife and children, as well as his motherland and people. His last suicide note was not for posthumous fame, but a true expression of love; the letter was written so calmly, not like a person who was about to die at all! Scott left that cold world with a passionate love and no hatred.
3. What is the significance of Scott's expedition?
Understand nature, challenge human self, realize the value of life, and provide spiritual inspiration to future generations.
Exercise instructions
1. Read the text, retell the story to your classmates, and talk about which details in it are most exciting and unforgettable for you.
There are two purposes for setting this question. One is to grasp the ideological content of the text and practice oral expression; the other is to grasp the essence of the text, chew it over and over, and taste its meaning.
Problem-solving ideas: Divide into groups and let students retell stories to each other, and then each recommends one person to retell the story in front of the podium. It is not necessary to recommend the most active and eloquent students, but to recommend the students who need the most training to go on stage and retell. Which are the most exciting and unforgettable details in the text? Different students may have different answers. They must find it themselves and give their reasons.
2. Connect with the context, understand the meaning of the following sentences, and discuss the issues in brackets.
1. For humans, the first to arrive has everything and the second to arrive is nothing.
(What does the author mean here? Do you agree with this statement?)
2. The Norwegian flag flutters proudly and triumphantly on this fortress that has been breached by humans.
(How can the national flag be "showy" and "smug"? What kind of complicated emotions does Scott show here?)
3. Scott accepts the assignment to faithfully fulfill that most ruthless of duties: to bear witness before the world to the accomplishments of another man, a cause for which he himself passionately pursues.
(Why should Scott accept this task of vouching for the performance of others? Can’t he accept it?)
4. But in this snowy desert there was only a mirage in the mind, which summoned the images of all the people who had been connected to him by love, loyalty and friendship, and to all of whom he had left words.
(Looking at the context, what does "mirage in the heart" mean? Why does the author use this metaphor?)
5. Although a man destroys himself in the struggle against invincible misfortune, his soul becomes extremely noble as a result. All this is the greatest tragedy of all time.
(What does this expression mean? What role does it play in the whole text?)
The purpose of setting this question is to make students pay attention to the meaningful sentences in the text and guide students to read When writing a text, you must be able to grasp the key sentences.
Reference answers:
1. Here, the author stands from Scott's perspective and expresses his extremely depressed and sad mood after losing the competition. But in fact, the author himself does not think so. The reason is that the author's biography of Scott, a loser, shows that the author does not agree with the view that "the first arrival has everything, and the second arrival is nothing." .
2. The author uses personification here to express the mood of Scott and his companions. At this time, in the eyes of Scott, who was in great pain, the Norwegian flag fluttering in the wind was his opponent. The victor Amundsen seemed to be standing there showing off his power and being proud. This is really "looking at things with me, everything has my color".
3. British people generally emphasize gentlemanly behavior, advocate honesty and trustworthiness, and face success and failure calmly. Influenced by this cultural tradition, Scott had to accept the task of vouching for the performance of others. It is precisely because of his behavior that his personality appears extremely noble and he has won people's respect.
4. Viewed in context, "the mirage in the heart" refers to the beautiful past memories that Scott recalled before leaving the world and his nostalgia for his distant motherland, relatives and friends. They are in sharp contrast to the harshness of reality. Mirages are beautiful, but they are simply unattainable. Writing in this way highlights the tragic effect and gives people a spiritual impact.
5. These two sentences express the author's high praise for Scott, which means that although Scott failed in the fight with nature and his body fell, his mind withstood the test and became extremely strong. Sublime. The destruction of value and beauty is of course a great tragedy. This sentence can be used as the theme sentence and the starting point in the whole text.
At the last moment of his life, in a cold and windy Antarctic tent, Scott wrote a desperate letter to the British public. The following excerpt is part of the letter. After reading, combine the text content (if possible, you can find other information about Scott outside class) and write a reading note.
(Short article omitted)
The purpose of setting this topic is to allow students to further experience the noble dedication of explorer Scott, strengthen extracurricular Chinese activities, and practice fragment writing.
Processing suggestions: If conditions permit, try to let students have access to some extracurricular materials, or teachers provide some reading materials; if conditions do not exist, you can write a little bit based on reading the text and the attached materials in the exercises. Read the notes.
Teaching Suggestions
1. Teachers should not make preconceptions, but let students read the text first and express their first impressions of reading. Teachers then use in-depth explanations to enhance students' first feelings and turn them into a kind of rational thinking.
2. It can capture typical events and characters and allow students to retell the story emotionally.
3. Guide students to read important parts of the text. This is a masterpiece that embodies the author's strong thoughts and feelings. You can selectively read some important passages aloud, and deeply understand the feelings expressed by the author during the reading. These paragraphs include paragraphs 2, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, etc.
4. If possible, some pictures about the severe weather in Antarctica or video materials of human Antarctic expeditions can be played to allow students to enter the preset situation.
5. The spirit of Scott and his partners is touching, and their excellent qualities are worth learning by students. When teaching, we can focus on highlighting their spirit of unity, cooperation and sacrifice, and use it to educate students as the teaching goals of emotions, attitudes, and values. But this kind of education should be infected and guided, naturally derived from the text, rather than empty preaching and indoctrination.
6. Strengthen the accumulation of words and sentences. There are many new words in this lesson. For those words in "read and write", you need to put them in a specific context to understand and master them. Because Zweig was a literary master and very thoughtful, students may not understand the profound meaning of many sentences, which requires some explanation from the teacher.
Relevant information
1. Author introduction (Huang Wenhua)
Zweig (1881-1942), Austrian writer. Born into a wealthy Jewish factory owner family in Vienna. In his youth, he studied philosophy and literature in Vienna and Berlin. After 1904, he served as editor of "New Free Press". Later, he traveled to Western Europe, North Africa, India, America and other places. In France, he met Verhaeren, Romain Rolland, Rodin and others, and was influenced by them. Before World War I, he was engaged in the translation of foreign literature (mainly poetry). After the war broke out, he published the anti-war play "Jeremiah" (1917), engaged in anti-war activities with Romain Rolland and others in Switzerland, and became a famous pacifist. After 1919, he lived in seclusion in Salzburg for a long time and devoted himself to writing. In 1928, he was invited to the Soviet Union and met Gorky. He fled to Britain in 1938 and became a British citizen. Arrived in Brazil in 1941. He committed suicide with his wife in Petropolis, near Rio de Janeiro, on February 23, 1942.
Zweig’s literary activities began with poetry creation. His early poetry collections "Silver Strings" (1901) and "Wreaths of the Past" (1906) were deeply influenced by French Impressionism and Hofmannsthal, Rilke and others. His main achievements are in biographical literature and novel creation. His works include "The Three Masters" (1920), a biography of Balzac, Dickens and Dostoevsky; "Romain Rolland" (1921); "The Struggle with the Spirits" (1925), a biography of the German writers Holderlin, Kress and Nietzsche; "Three Poets Describing Their Lives" (1928), a biography of Tolstoy, Stendhal and Casa Nova's biography; "Joseph Foch" (1929); "Psychiatric Therapy" (1931), for Mesmer, the inventor of hypnotism, Mary Baker-Eddy, the founder of "Christian Science", psychologist Foch Lloyd's biography; "Maria Stuart" (1935) and "The Success and Failure of Erasmus of Rotterdam" (1935). His biography does not stick to historical facts, but focuses on character development.
His major short story collections include "First Experience" (1911), "The Malay Madman" (1922), "Fear" (1925), "Confusion of Feelings" (1927), " "A Moment of Destiny for Mankind" (1927), "The Story of Chess" (1941). His only novel, "The Restless Heart" (1938), describes the tragic love and suicide of a paralyzed girl. Zweig's short stories and short stories mostly describe the strange experiences of lonely people. The characters in his works are often tricked by some mysterious fate and indescribable power, and are eventually destroyed by some kind of passion. "Twenty-Four Hours in a Woman's Life" and "Letter from an Unknown Woman" use delicate psychological analysis techniques to depict the thoughts and feelings of middle-class women. Zweig's dramatic works include the poetic drama "Jeremiah" (1917), the tragedy "Vleboni" (1927) and the opera "The Silent Woman" (1935).
After Zweig's death, his posthumous works "The World of Yesterday" (1942) and "Balzac" (1946) were published successively. The former is a long memoir that records life in Austria and Europe between the two world wars, while the latter is an unfinished biography that took more than ten years to complete.
(Selected from "Encyclopedia of China·Foreign Literature", 1982 edition of Encyclopedia of China Press)
2. Letters about Scott before his death (Zwei grid)
Those letters were very touching. Death is imminent, but there is no trace of sadness and despair in the letter, as if the letter is also permeated with the clear air under the lifeless sky. Those letters were written to people he knew, and they were also addressed to all mankind; those letters were written to that era, but the words they said will last forever.
He wrote a letter to his wife. He reminded her to take good care of his most precious legacy, his son, and his main concern for her was not to let his son become lazy. At the end of completing one of the most noble deeds in world history, he actually made this confession: "You know, I have to force myself to pursue something-because I always like to be lazy." Before his death, At this moment, he still felt honored rather than regretful for his decision. "What can I tell you about this expedition? It's infinitely better than sitting comfortably at home!"
He expressed his most sincere friendship to those who were with him. Wives and mothers of fallen comrades wrote letters testifying to their heroism. Although he himself was about to die, he used strong and superhuman feelings - because he felt that such a death was worth remembering and such a moment was great - to comfort the bereaved families of those companions.
He wrote letters to his friends. He spoke of himself with great humility, but of the nation as a whole with great pride, saying that at such moments he rejoiced in the fact that he was a son of this nation—a man worthy of being called a son. He wrote: "I don't know if I am a great discoverer. But our outcome will prove that our nation has not lost that courageous spirit and endurance." He also made a speech to his friends before he died. A friendly confession, this is what he has not said out loud in his life due to male stubbornness.
He wrote in a letter to his best friend: "In my life, I have never met a person who I admire and love as much as you, but I have never expressed it to you, Your friendship means so much to me, for you have so much to give me and I have so little to give you.”
His last and most wonderful letter was written to him. of the motherland. He felt it necessary to say that, although he had failed in this struggle for British honor, it was through no personal fault. He listed the various accidents that led to his defeat one by one, and at the same time, in the extremely sad voice unique to the dead, he earnestly appealed to all British people not to abandon his survivors. His last thought still wasn't his fate. The last words he wrote were not about his own death, but about the living others: "For God's sake, please take care of our families!" Here are a few blank pages of letter paper.
(Excerpted from "The Struggle to Seize Antarctica", translated by Shu Shanchang)
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Shuo Xing Tian Xia: There are thousands of novel websites, there is always one suitable for you. Novels are the most powerful when it comes to talking the world.
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