节目资讯
刊物:空中英語教室
日期:2012-03-01
难易度:High
关键字:illustrator, lonesome, bizarre, ensure, critter


























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(Music).
Hi, everybody.
Welcome to Studio Classroom Worldwide.
Thanks for joining us.
My name is Steve.
Many, many years ago, a book was written about a talking rabbit named Peter.
Generations of children around the world loved this book so much that it is now
considered a classic.
Now before we go forward and discuss the story of Peter Rabbit, let's go back
and look at another story.
This particular story involves a young girl with a creative imagination, a
talent for drawing and real rabbits for friends.
Let's open our Studio Classroom magazines now to page 12 and read together:
Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit.
(Music).
Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit.
This story began with a little girl and her rabbit.
"Write what you know" is one of the first rules that every writer is given.
No matter the setting of the story, authors try to stick to this guideline.
Famous children's author and illustrator Helen Beatrix Potter made sure to
follow this rule with all of her works.
This was quite impressive considering her stories tended to be about talking
animals.
Potter had what many would call a lonesome childhood.
Instead of attending school, she was taught at home, so other than her brother
Bertram, she had few friends; few human friends, that is.
Hello, everyone.
Thank you for joining us.
Today we are talking about Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit.
Now Ryan, did you read the story of Peter Rabbit as a kid?
Yes, I did read the story when I was little.
And if you're watching the show, today you can see that we have some friends
with us, some animal friends.
That's right.
We have friends out here because just like Beatrix Potter, we also grew up with
Peter Rabbit and her wonderful story about him.
Well, this story began with Beatrix Potter as a little girl playing with her
rabbit.
Yeah, so we'll see how this childhood story got its beginnings with its writer
Beatrix Potter.
Now we start off this article by seeing "Write what you know." Now Kaylah, what
does this phrase mean?
Well, first of all, we know it's one of the first rules every writer is given.
So when you start writing, you are told to write what you know.
That means if you don't understand what you're writing about, you should not
write about it.
Right. So you should write about things that you already know, and this is a
good rule for writers.
So if you're writing, no matter whether it's in Chinese or in English, make sure
you write about something you know.
Now why is that important?
Oh, well, because if you're writing about something that you don't know, then
you will not be able to completely write it well.
So make sure you're writing what you know.
So no matter the setting of the story, it is important to stick to this
guideline.
It's important to follow this rule so that your stories make sense and are
complete as you... as you write.
So as any author, this is good to follow.
Yes. And then we see the phrase "stick to this guideline." The word "stick"
usually means that something is attached to something else.
But here, Kaylah, we see it used a little differently.
What does it mean if you stick to the rules or stick to a guideline?
That means you simply follow the rules.
But Ryan, it is kind of like sticking to something else like glue or something,
you are attached to it.
And that makes sense.
You are following, you are attached to the rules, to the guidelines of this
writing tip.
Yeah, this is a great rule to follow for authors.
And we see here Beatrix Potter is an author.
And she was a famous children's author as well as an illustrator.
That's right.
Now a children's author is someone who writes stories and books for children.
That does not mean they are a child.
It means they are writing for children.
And she was also an illustrator of her stories as well.
Right. And an "illustrator" is someone who draws pictures for books or maybe,
Kaylah, even for cartoons on TV.
They're someone who is a very good artist.
That's right.
Now an illustrator is the person doing the drawing.
Now a famous Taiwanese illustrator of stories is Jimmy.
He's very good.
And I had the pleasure of seeing some of his art last year at a display in
Taipei, and it was wonderful.
He is a very good illustrator.
That means he's doing the drawing.
Now an easy way to remember this is there's a verb that matches this.
That's right. If you are an illustrator, that means that you illustrate.
The word "illustrate" means to draw pictures.
That's right. So he is a famous illustrator as is Helen Beatrix Potter.
Now she made sure to follow the rule with all of her works.
And that rule, once again, is to write what you know.
Right. Now this was really impressive for her considering that her stories
tended to usually be talking about animals.
That's right. Now for an adult to be writing stories for children about animals,
it's confusing to figure out how did she know, why does that... what about her
makes that something she knows.
What is she writing about?
Now what do you think about that?
Well, obviously if you write what you know, and she's writing about animals and
she follows that rule, well, I guess that means she knows a lot about animals.
That's right. And apparently she learned a lot about them in her childhood
because she was writing for children.
Exactly. Now Potter had what many people might call a lonesome childhood.
That's right.
Now this is Beatrix Potter we are talking about, not the famous Harry Potter.
This is Beatrix Potter.
She came first for sure.
Now she did have a bit of a lonesome childhood.
Now in the beginning of that word we see... four letters, lone.
That "lone" also goes into the word "alone." So "lonesome" means to be alone or
to be without other people around you.
Right. Now usually when you're lonesome, you are unhappy because you are alone.
And here we see that means, well, she didn't have very many friends, but maybe
she wasn't actually unhappy.
That's right.
Now Ryan, have you ever felt lonesome?
Oh, of course! I think many of us have felt lonesome.
I think I felt most lonesome when I moved to Taiwan from home because I didn't
have friends yet.
You'd feel very alone and a little bit sad.
But she didn't have human friends, but that didn't stop her from having friends,
really.
Yeah. Well, now we see how she did not have human friends is because she did not
attend school.
Instead, she was taught at home, so other than her brother Bertram, she had few
friends.
"Few human friends," Ryan.
She did have her brother Bertram with her.
But that did not mean they were the only two friends they had.
They had lots of animal friends.
That's true.
So now we're starting to see how Beatrix Potter learned more about animals and
was able to write Peter Rabbit.
All right. We'll keep learning more about this in a little bit.
But right now, let's take a look at the skit.
Beatrix, we have a lonesome childhood.
Lonesome? What ever do you mean?
Well, we don't attend school like other children.
Oh. But we don't need school.
Mother and Father teach us at home.
But other than me, your adorable little brother, you have few friends.
Few human friends, that is.
But look at all of the pets we've ended with!
Yes, and bizarre pets they are.
Yes.
Critters like frogs and bats and raccoons.
And don't forget my lovely rabbits, Benjamin and Peter.
Yes, your beloved bunnies.
You take Peter with you everywhere you go.
Yes, I do.
Pete... I love little Peter so.
He's such a special little rabbit.
He will forever be in my heart.
Indeed. Peter is your dear friend.
Maybe you should write a book about him.
A book about Peter Rabbit?
What a wonderful idea!
Beatrix, I was just joking.
But why not?
Writers should write about what they know, and I know Peter.
Fine. Then write a book about Peter.
I will. I'll write about Peter and his talking animal friends.
But Beatrix, animals don't talk!
It's my book! And they'll talk if I want them to.
Fine, let them talk.
I will. And I'll get started right away.
Hmm, Beatrix, would you need any help writing your book?
Yes. And Peter can help me!
So Peter, what do you think?
What should we start writing about?
Oh, speak up, little rabbit.
Speak up! Oh, that's a very good idea...