BOTM November 2007，《雷雨》

[imron]

Do you think that because the current BOTM is just a short-story, everyone willl have finished it by the end of october?

In that case does anyone have suggestions or preferences for November?

Continuing with the theme of 现代文学, how about something like《雷雨》? It's a play, so not as long as a novel, but not as short as a short-story. It's also split into acts, making it easy to have separate discussions (if necessary) about events that occur.

The recent movie 《夜宴》 is also supposed to be loosely based around the same story, except with the events and happenings transposed onto the imperial family.

[muyongshi]

I like the idea...glanced over a couple paragraphs of the 景 and it would be good for discussion but in terms of what people can learn from it there will be a real multifaceted experience.

One, descriptions will be very 丰富 due to it being a play as well as there will be a lot of 书面表达 in it. Second, it will be a mix of more "口语" stuff as well because there will be a good amount of dialog in it. Thirdly there is a great exercise in understanding the descriptions as the background, changes, etc will all be in regards to specific things and this is will provide a good opportunity to test understanding of the descriptives.

It looks good and I'm game!

[文言訓開班]

I haven't given it a good looking over yet, but it looks manageable. I'm game

[imron]

Ok, looks like this is it then. If we go one act a week, we should be finished by the end of the month. Based on this pace, the deadline for reading 景 is Sunday.

[muyongshi]

In terms of the links 景 and 第一幕 are actually the same so I am just clarifying that we read all of 第一幕?

[文言訓開班]

I'm game. Let us proceed...

[gato]

A bio of the author. Is 温家宝 named after him?

http://baike.baidu.com/view/1674.htm

曹禺（1910-1996），祖籍湖北潜江，1910年9月24日出生于天津，原名万家宝

[imron]

In terms of the links 景 and 第一幕 are actually the same

No they aren't. 景 links to http://www.oklink.net/99/1125/leiy/001.htm, which at the top of the page says 第一幕.

第一幕 links to http://www.oklink.net/99/1125/leiy/002.htm, which at the top of the page says 第二幕. It seems to be a bit confused.

Anyway, start reading from 景.

[studentyoung]

In terms of the links 景 and 第一幕 are actually the same so I am just clarifying that we read all of 第一幕?

景－－大致和序幕相同，但是全屋的气象是比较华丽的。这是十年前一个夏天的上午，在周宅的客厅里。

I think 景 here means “布景stage set”, not “the First Act第一幕”.

Cheers!

[imron]

So, to clarify, please read based on the order listed on the index.

景 http://www.oklink.net/99/1125/leiy/001.htm

第一幕 http://www.oklink.net/99/1125/leiy/002.htm

第二幕 http://www.oklink.net/99/1125/leiy/003.htm

第三幕 http://www.oklink.net/99/1125/leiy/004.htm

第四幕 http://www.oklink.net/99/1125/leiy/005.htm

The above makes it a little clearer that they are not the same links.

[muyongshi]

Okay.... I see where I got confused....consistency is a good thing to avoid my own confusion....

And thank you studentyoung but I was referring to the links not the meaning of the words.

[文言訓開班]

Is there something wrong with my browser, or is 景 empty?

[c_redman]

The oklink.net index does seem to be off, as well as the rar download. The subpages start at 000.htm, although there is no link to that page. I think these links are more accurate:

景

第一幕

第二幕

第三幕

第四幕

尾声

[gato]

Maybe change the title of this thread to include the name of the play since it's now been decided what to read.

[文言訓開班]

thanks alot, c_redman!

[imron]

Maybe change the title of this thread to include the name of the play

Done.

[imron]

How are people coming along with this? I've just finished 第一幕 (i.e leiy/001.htm)

So far we know: 3 people are going to die before the end of the play, and 2 of them are going to go crazy.

The main characters introduced so far include:

1) 周朴园 owner of a mine, husband of 周繁漪， father of 周萍 and 周冲

2) 周繁漪 wife of 周朴园, step-mother of 周萍 (who she also has had an affair with), and mother of 周冲.

3) 周萍 son of 周朴园, had an affair with step-mother 周繁漪, currently in love with 四凤, a servant in the 周 household.

4) 周冲, son of 周朴园, half-brother of 周萍, also in love with 四凤.

5) 四凤 servant of the 周 household, in love with 周萍, sister of 鲁大海

6) 鲁贵, servant of the 周 household, father of 四凤 and 鲁大海.

7) 鲁大海, son of 鲁贵, works in 周朴园's mine, and is responsible for a recent strike there.

[roddy]

I saved this into Word docs for (theoretical, future) viewing on my PDA, attaching here in case they're of use to anyone.

雷雨-景.doc

雷雨-1.doc

雷雨-2.doc

雷雨-3.doc

雷雨-4.doc

雷雨-尾声.doc

[muyongshi]

Sorry last week was busy and finally finished 第一幕 yesterday.... It's interesting but I can't say much else for it.

Does anyone know the time era they are shooting for? Sounds like an early 1900's time frame maybe even up to early 1930's....

[imron]

Well, if you think the character synopsis from act 1 was worthy of "days of our lives", wait until you finish the second act. It gets even more complicated!