English Children's Literature(Week Fourteen)

12.17.2015
Week 14: Hans Christian Andersen


1. Introduction
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. Andersen's popularity is not limited to children; his stories, called eventyr in Danish, or "fairy-tales" in English, express themes that transcend age and nationality.
Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125 languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness, readily accessible to children, but presenting lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity for mature readers as well. Some of his most famous fairy tales include "The Little Mermaid", "The Snow Queen", "The Ugly Duckling", "The Nightingale", "The Emperor's New Clothes" and many more. His stories have inspired plays, ballets, and both live-action and animated films.

* Mendelssohn(Andersen's good friend)--Felix Mendelssohn,was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. His work is known as happiness.

2. "The Ugly Duckling"
"The Ugly Duckling" is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. The story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from the others around him until, much to his delight (and to the surprise of others), he matures into a beautiful swan, the most beautiful bird of all. The story is beloved around the world as a tale about personal transformation for the better. "The Ugly Duckling" was first published 11 November 1843 with three other tales by Andersen in Copenhagen, Denmark to great critical acclaim. The tale has been adapted to various media including opera, musical, and animated film. The tale is completely Andersen's invention and owes no debt to fairy tales or folklore.

*duckling:little duck



3. "The Nightingale"
"The Nightingale"  is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about an emperor who prefers the tinkling of a bejeweled mechanical bird to the song of a real nightingale. When the Emperor is near death, the nightingale's song restores his health. Well received upon its publication in Copenhagen in 1843 in New Fairy Tales, the tale is believed to have been inspired by the author's unrequited love for opera singer Jenny Lind, the "Swedish nightingale". The story has been adapted to opera, ballet, musical play, television drama and animated film.

*Jenny Lind was a Swedish opera singer, often known as the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and across Europe, and undertook an extraordinarily popular concert tour of America beginning in 1850. She was a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music from 1840.

Jenny Lind and Rudolf Walin (song)

4. "The Red Shoes"
"The Red Shoes" is a fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen first published by C.A. Reitzel in Copenhagen 7 April 1845 in New Fairy Tales. First Volume. Third Collection. 1845. (Nye Eventyr. Første Bind. Tredie Samling. 1845.). Other tales in the volume include "The Elf Mound" (Elverhøi), "The Jumpers" (Springfyrene), "The Shepherdess and the Chimney Sweep" (Hyrdinden og Skorstensfejeren), and "Holger Danske" (Holger Danske).

5. 英英字典推薦
(1) (Macmillan English Dictionaries, Merrian-Website Online)
(2) 政黨「輪替」用哪個詞

• change  fundamental but not precise
• alter      來來回回（時間）         
•               alternative n./adj   Is there an alternative?/Is there an alternative plan?
•               alternation, alternating current(交流電）
• rotate   rotation       大家輪流打掃教室，下週換你。
• shift      automobile  張小姐從業務部換到公關部門。（沒有輪流，也沒有來來回回）
• switch   v./n/ on and off(開關） 你們兩個互換位子好嗎？（兩個都有位子）

(3)字源初步

• monogamy
• bicycle
• triangle(trigonometry)三角學
•                        n.
• quarter(quatrain)
• pentagon (pentameter)
•            星                測量
• octopus(Augustus, Octave)
• November (innovation)
•  新        

6. 五段論
Introduction+ Supporting evidence+ Conclusion

7. How to Take Great Notes?
(1) conclusions
    Q: central themes
    A: ...
(2) color pens
(3) review

8. Vocabulary and Phrases
(1) peculiarity       n. 怪癖
(2) attend              v. 出席；照顧
      attend school
      attend meeting
(3) pursue             v. 追求
      pursuit             n.
(4) approximately adv.大約地
(5) xerox copy      靜電複印本
(6) c.c= carbon copy
(7) play the lead   演主角
      lead                 頭條新聞
(8) rotation            n. 變化
(9) party alternation  政黨選舉
(10) astronaut       n. 宇航員
        astronomy    n. 天文學
        astrology       n. 占星術
(11) foul language
(12) prolific          adj. 多產的
         多
(13) predatory      adj. 掠奪的
        prey              v. 吃；捕食
(14) be obliged to  被迫
(15) barefoot        adj. 赤腳的
(16) clumsy          adj. 窘迫的
(17) confirm
        confirmation  見證禮