专业学位硕⼠研究⽣英语教程15
Unit 15
specialsAesthetics
Preview
Beauty is a virtue which no one can deny. But in the history of human life, people's attitudes towards it have changed a lot. The ancient Greeks, following Socrates' pedagogy, kept a balance between beauty inside and beauty outside. Christianity, depriving beauty of classical ideals of human excellence, t beauty adrift, and associated it only with women. In order to prop up the mythology of the "feminine", women need to get some critical distance from that excellence and privilege of beauty.
Text Reading
'W arm-up
What is beauty?
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Beauty is a vital and central element of human experience. It is associated with pleasure, which influences personal choices and cultural developments. Poets prai it, artists strive to capture it in their works, moralists warn against its deceiving influence, scientists ek to uncover its crets, and philosophers reflect on its illusive nature.
Plea discuss your understanding of beauty with your partner. The following words and expressions may be uful for your discussion.
perceptual experience, generating pleasure, feelings of attraction and emotional well-being, visual field, feminine, masculine, xism, xual lection, xual feelings, human appearance and natural scenery, morally good, appropriate, pleasing, talent, good reputation and behavior, direct experience, unreliable, inparable, ugliness, artistic beauty, natural beauty, cross culture, cultural values and traditions, aesthetics
Beauty vs. ugliness.
How do we judge what is beauty and what is ugliness? The following are some definitions. Discuss with your partner and give your own definition.
Beauty:
catch my breatha characteristic of a person, a thing or an idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, or satisfaction.
an entity which is admired, or posss features in a particular culture, for perfection.
being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being. Ugliness:
a property of a person or thing that is unpleasant to look upon and results in a highly unfavorable evaluation.
aesthetically unattractive, repulsive, or offensive.
having visible characteristic, and internal attribute.
How has beauty acquired the overtone of xism
Beauty has been attributed to women and therefore has acquired the overtone of xism both in China and the West. However, such a trend has developed in different routes. Tell the different process through which beauty has undergone such a change in China and the West.
Text
Beauty
Susan Sontag①
[1] For the Greeks, beauty was a virtue (a particular good quality or habit): a kind of excellence (the quality of being extremely good). Persons then were assumed (believed) to be what we now have to call—enviously (admirably)—whole persons. If it
did occur to the Greeks to distinguish between a person's "inside" and "outside", they still expected that inner beauty would be matched by beauty of the other kind. The well-born (from a rich family or a family of high social class出⾝名门，出⾝⾼贵的) young Athenians who gathered around Socrates②found it quite paradoxical (absurd, illogical, unexpected荒谬的) that their hero was so intelligent, so brave, so honorable, so ductive (xually attractive)—and so ugly. One of Socrates②main pedagogical (教育学的, 教学法的) acts was to be ugly—and teach tho innocent, no doubt splendid-looking disciples (persons who believe in and follow the teachings of a religious or political leader) of his how full of paradoxes (contrarieties⽭盾, 相反物) life really was.
[2] They may have resisted Socrates' lesson. We do not. Several thousand years later, we are
of) the enchantments (the state of being under a magic spell) of beauty.
from, a larger object or group)—with the greatest facility (a natural ability to learn or do sth easily)—the "inside" (character, intellect) from the "outside" (looks); but we are actually surprid when someone who is beautiful is also intelligent, talented (gifted), good.
[3] It was principally (chiefly) the influence of Christianity (the religion that is bad on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the belief that he was the son of God) that deprived beauty of the central place it had in classical (traditional in style or idea, connected with or influenced by the culture of ancient Greece and Rome) ideals of human excellence. By limiting excellence (virtues in Latin) to moral virtue only, Christianity t beauty adrift (adj. no longer attached or fixed in the right position)—as an alienated (foreign), arbitrary (subjective, not eming to be bad on a reason, system or plan and sometimes eming unfair), superficial (not concerned with anything rious or important and lacking any depth of understanding or feeling) enchantment (attractiveness, charm). And beauty has continued to lo prestige (the respect and admiration). For clo to (=nearly) two centuries it has become a convention (rule, habit or tradition) to attribute beauty to (to say or believe that sb is respo
nsible for doing sth) only one of the two xes: the x, which, however Fair is always Second. Associating beauty with women had put beauty even further on the defensive (protecting sb/ sth against attack), morally (spiritually)③.
[4] A beautiful woman, we say in English. But a handsome man. "Handsome" is the masculine equivalent (a thing, amount, word, etc. that is equivalent to sth el) of—and refusal of—a compliment (prai) which has accumulated (amass, build up) certain demeaning (humiliating) overtones (an attitude or an emotion that is suggested and is not expresd in a direct way暗⽰), by
being rerved for women only. That one call a man "beautiful" in French and Italian suggests that Catholic (=Roman Catholic) countries—unlike tho countries shaped by the Protestant (a member of a part of the Western Christian Church that parated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century新教徒的, 清教徒的) version (a form of sth that is slightly different from an earlier form or from other forms of the same thing版本) of Christianity—still retain (keep) some vestiges (remains遗迹, 痕迹) of the pagan (a person who holds religious beliefs that are not part of any of the world's main religions异教徒) admiration for beauty. But the difference, if one exists, is of degree only. In every modern country that is Christian or post-Christian, women are the beautiful x—to be detriment (the act of causing harm or damage; sth that caus harm or damage损害, 损害物) of the
nation as well as of women.
[5] To be called beautiful is thought to name something esntial to women's character and concerns (desires). (In contrast to men—who esnce (the most important quality or feature of sth) is to be strong, or effective, or competent.) It does not take someone in the throes (violent pains, especially at the moment of death) of advanced feminist awareness④to perceive that the way women are taught to be involved with beauty encourages narcissism (the habit of admiring yourlf too much, especially your appearance⾃恋), reinforces dependence and immaturity. Everybody (women and men) knows that. For it is "everybody", a whole society that has identified (considered) being feminine (having the qualities or appearance considered to be typical of women; connected with women) with caring about how one looks. (In contrast to being masculine—which is identified with about what one is and does and only condarily, if at all, about how one looks.) Given the stereotypes (a fixed idea or image that many people have of a particular type of person or thing, but which is often not true in reality), it is no wonder that beauty enjoys, at best, a rather mixed (repute->) reputation (credit, prestige信⽤，名声).
[6] It is not, of cour, the desire to be beautiful that is wrong but the obligation (commitment, the state of being forced to do sth becau it is your duty, or becau of a law, etc责任) to be—or to try
⑤. What is accepted by most women as a flattering (saying nice things about sb/sth) (idealize: to consider or reprent sb/ sth as being perfect or better than they really are; ->) idealization () of their x is a way of making women feel inferior to what they actually are—or normally grow to be. For the ideal of beauty is administered as a form of lf-oppression (⾃我施压). Women are taught to e their bodies in parts, and to evaluate each part parately. Breasts, feet, hips, waistline (腰围), neck, eyes, no, complexion (肤⾊), hair, and so on—each in turn is submitted to (subjected to) an anxious, fretful (behaving in a way that shows you are unhappy or uncomfortable烦燥的), often despairing (desperate绝望的, 失望的) scrutiny (examination). Even if some pass muster (summon, gather), some will always be found wanting. Nothing less than perfection will do⑥.
[7] In men, good looks is a whole, something taken in at a glance. It does not need to be confirmed by giving measurements of different regions (part) of the body; nobody encourages a man to disct (to cut up a dead person, animal or plant in order to study it, or to study sth cloly and/or discuss it in great detail解剖，分开来研究) his appearance, feature (a part of sb's face such as their no, mouth and eyes⾯貌的⼀部分(眼,⼝,⿐等)特征, 容貌, 特⾊, 特写) by feature. As for perfection, that is considered trivial (small or unimportant) —almost unmanly (not having the qualities that are admired or expected in a man). Indeed, in the ideally good-looking man a small imperfection or blemish (a ma
中国新年习俗rk on the skin or on an object that spoils it and makes it look less beautiful or perfect瑕疵) is considered positively desirable. According to one movie critic (a woman) who is a declared Robert Redford fan, it is having that cluster (a group of things of the
same type that grow or appear clo together) of skin-colored moles (胎块, 鼹⿏) on one cheek that saves Redford from being merely a "pretty face (⼩⽩脸)". Think of the (appreciate<->depreciate to become less valuable over a period of time贬值->) depreciation of women—as well as beauty—that is implied in that judgment⑦.
[8] "The privileges (a special right or advantage that a particular person or group of people has) of beauty are immen (enormous)," said Cocteau. To be sure, beauty is a form of power. And dervedly (in the way that is derved; correctly) so. What is lamentable (deplorable, regrettable) is that it is the only form of power that most women are encouraged to ek. This power is always conceived (to form an idea, a plan, etc. in your mind; to imagine sth) in relation to men; it is not the power to do but the power to attract. It is a power that negates (to stop sth from having any effect否定, 拒绝) itlf. For this power is not one that can be chon freely—at least, not by women—or renounced (give up放弃, disown断绝关系) without social censure (strong criticism责难).
[9] To preen (to spend a lot of time making yourlf look attractive and then ad miring your appearance打扮), for a woman, can never be just a pleasure. It is also a duty. It is her work. If a woman does real work—and even if she has clambered
(=climbed攀登) up to a leading position in politics, law, medicine, business, or whatever—she is always under pressure to confess that she still works at being attractive. But in so far as she is keeping up as one of the Fair Sex, she brings under suspicion her very capacity (ability, competence) to be objective, professional, authoritative, thoughtful (considerate, kind). Damned if they do—women are. And damned if they don't⑧.
[10] One could hardly ask for more important evidence of the dangers of considering persons as split between what is "inside" and what is "outside" than that interminable half-comic half-tragic tale (story), the oppression of women. How easy it is to off, start out, begin) by
defining women as caretakers of their surfaces，look down upon蔑视) them (or find them adorable (lovable, attractive"superficial". It is a crude (offensive or rude, especially about x拙劣的) trap (trick), and it has worked for too long. But to get out of the trap requires that women get some critical
distance from that excellence and privilege which is beauty, enough distance to e how much beauty itlf has been abridged (reduced or be shortened删节的) in order to prop up (support) the mythology (ideas that many people think are true but that do not exist or are fal神话) of the "feminine". There should be a way of saving beauty from (protecting sth. from damage) women—and for them.
Notes
①Susan Sontag (1933-2004): American essayist, short story writer, and novelist, a leading commentator on modern culture. Sontag also wrote screenplays and directed films. She had a great impact on experimental art in the 1960s and 1970s, and she introduced many new stimulating ideas to American culture.
②Socrates (苏格拉底，469 Bc⼀399 Bc)：a Greek philosopher.
③Associating beauty ... morally: Beauty lost its central place and prestige due to the influence of Christianity and the fact that beauty was ud only to refer to women made it even more degraded.
④It does not take someone in : It does not take someone / It is
⑤It is ... to try: Here, in this ntence, beauty as a freedom of choice is emphasized.
⑥Nothing less than perfection will do: People tend to hold a critical, almost fault- finding attitude towards beauty in women, wishing that every part of the body were perfect.
⑦Think of ... judgment: An ideally good-looking man needs to be imperfect, while an ideally beautiful woman must be perfect.
⑧Damned if they do—women are. And damned if they don't: If they have the capacity, they are wrong, and if they lack such capacity, they are also wrong. This shows a very paradoxical attitude towards women.
W ord Bank
abridge：to make sth. shorter删节，缩略
administer：to manage or direct管理
alienate：to make someone unwilling to give support使疏远
arbitrary：bad on personal opinion rather than facts or reason任意的，随意的
assume：to believe sth. to be true without strong proof; to expect假设；假定
blemish：sth. that spoils perfection瑕疵，污点
complexion：the natural color or appearance of the skin, esp. of the face⾯⾊；肤⾊
conceive：to become pregnant with (a child) 孕育
confess：to admit (a fault, crime etc) 承认；坦⽩
demean：to cau to lo n of personal pride贬损，降低⾝份
lady gaga 麦当娜
detriment：the condition of suffering harm or damage损害，伤害
noisydisciple：a follower信徒
disparage：to speak about without respect贬低，轻视
disct：to cut up so as to study the shape and relationship of the parts, as medical students do 解剖，切开enchantment: a delightful influence or feeling of delight魅⼒，着迷
honorable：derving honor值得尊敬的
inferior：not good or less good in quality or value次的，差的
lamentable：very unsatisfactory令⼈惋惜的，可叹的
masculine：of or having qualities suitable for a man男性的，阳刚的
narcissism：too great love for one's own abilities or physical appearance⾃恋，⾃我陶醉overtone：things that are suggested but not shown or stated clearly含义，弦外之⾳
pagan：of a person who is not a believer of any of the chief religions of the world异教徒的paradox：a statement that contradicts itlf悖论
pedagogy：the practice of teaching or the study of teaching methods教学法，教育学
preen：to dress up打扮
privilege：a special advantage limited to a particular person or group特权，特殊待遇
renounce：to give up (a claim) 声明放弃
scrutiny：a clo study or look仔细检查，详审
ductive：very desirable or attractive有魅⼒的
trivial：of little worth or importance琐碎的，没有价值的
vestige：a sign, mark, track, or other proof that sb. or sth. formerly existed痕迹，残余
Phras and Expressions
<：to believe (sth.) to be the result or work of归因于，认为是…的结果
be wary of：to be careful of谨防，谨慎
distinguish：between to make a difference between区分，区别
dully
pass muster：to be accepted as satisfactory通过，合格
prop up：to support⽀撑，⽀持
<：to offer sth. to sb. for consideration上交，提交
Reading Comprehension
I. Choo the best for each of the following.
1. In Para. 1, we can know that in ancient Greece, _____.
A. there ud to be the match of "inside" beauty and "outside" beauty
B. inner beauty would be matched by beauty of the other kind
C. "outside" beauty was more important than "inner" beauty
D. one could be beautiful "inside" and ugly "outside"
2. Beauty has acquired the implication of xism mainly becau of _____.
A. the pedagogical acts of Socrates
B. the influence of Jesus
C. men's ill intention
D. its being attributed to women
3. The ntence "To be called beautiful is thought to name something esntial to women's character and concerns." in Para.
5 implies _____.
A. women only care about their looks
B. beauty is women's obligation
C. women are beautiful
D. women are not intelligent
4. In Para. 9, men's attitude towards women's beauty is _____.
四六级成绩公布的时间2021
姘头是啥子意思A. disgusting
B. confusing
C. contradictory
D. changeable
5. The author's tone in describing beauty is _____.
A. appreciative
B. negative
C. objective
D. critical
李阳口语宝典II. Complete the following summary of the text by filling in the blanks with words. The initial letter of each word has been given to you.
Beauty has (1) acquired certain demeaning (2) overtones with the passage of time. In ancient Greece, beauty was considered a (3) virtue and it had nothing negative at all. If there was really a ne
ed to make a distinction between the inner
