Lesson4 The Blind Man and the Elephant

1、It was six men of Indostan,

2、To learning much inclined,

3、Who went to see the elephant

4、(Though all of them were blind)

5、That each by observation

6、Might satisfy his mind.

7、The first approached the elephant,

8、And, happening to fall

9、Against his broad and sturdy side,

10、At once began to bawl:

11、“Why, bless me, but the elephant

12、Is very like a wall.”

13、The second, feeling of the tusk,

14、Cried, “Ho, what have we here,

15、So very round, and smooth and sharp

16、To me ’tis very clear,

17、This wonder of an elephant

18、Is very like a spear.”

19、The third approached the animal,

20、And, happening to take

21、The squirming trunk within his hand,

22、Thus boldly up he spake:

23、“I see,” quoth he, “the elephant

24、Is very wondrous like a snake.”

25、The fourth reached out his eager hand,

26、And felt about the knee:

27、“What most this wondrous beast is like,

28、Is very plain,” quoth he:

29、“’Tis clear enough the elephant

30、Is very like a tree.”

31、The fifth who chanced to touch the ear,

32、Said, “E’en the blindest man 、

33、Can tell what this resembles most;

34、Deny the fact who can,

35、This marvel of an elephant

36、Is very like a fan.”

37、The sixth no sooner had begun

38、About the beast to grope,

39、Than seizing on the swinging tail

40、That fell within his scope,

41、“I see,” quoth he, “the elephant

42、Is very like a rope.”

43、And so these men of Indostan

44、Disputed loud and long,

45、Each in his own opinion

46、Exceeding stiff and strong;

47、Through each was partly in the right,

48、And all were in the wrong.

(315 words)

Exercises

Ⅰ. How well did you read?

1. [note the fact] The last man thought the elephant was like a rope because______ .

A. he touched its tail B. he touched its trunk C. he touched its knee 

2. [grasp the reason] They had a long argument because ______.

A. they were good at communicating with others 

B. they wanted to learn what the elephant was like 

C. they all wanted to make others believe they were right 

3. [see the point] Each was partly right but all were wrong because ______.

A. they could hardly see what the elephant was like B. they didn’t have a discussion to accept the others’ opinions C. they touched only one of the elephant but didn’t “see the whole picture”

Ⅱ. Read for words.

1. Choose one best paraphrase or Chinese meaning for the underlined words.

(1) That each by observation (Line 5)Might satisfy his mind. (Line 5)A. 觀察 B. 爭論 C. 感受

(2) Can tell what this resembles most; (Line 33)A. get together B. be similar to C. feel like (3) Than seizing on the swinging tail (Line 39)

A. turning suddenly in that direction

B. changing in a sudden or extreme way

C. moving repeatedly backwards and forwards

2. Choose one best paraphrase for the underlined expressions.

(1) The fourth reached out his eager hand,And felt about the knee: (Line 25)

A. stretch hands towards something in order to touch

B. touch something in order to tell its physical quality

C. feel something with hands in order to choose one (2) And, happening to takeThe squirming trunk within his hand, (Line 20)

A. take place

B. plan to do something

C. do something by chance

Ⅲ. Writing practice.

In no more than 50 words show your opinion about whether the six men were partly right but all were wrong.