Five_famous_symbols_of_American_Culture

A General Survey of American Culture 美国文化概况1. SYMBOL 象征Five famous symbols of American culture: 5个著名的美国文化的象征: The Statue of Liberty (where: New York, a present given by France to America) 自由女神像Barbie 芭比娃娃American Gothic 美国哥特图画Buffalo Nickel 布法罗镍币Uncle Sam (originally a real person, nickname of US) 山姆大叔symbols of political parties 政党的象征Democratic Party: Donkey 民主党:驴Republican Party: Elephant 共和党:大象two-party system: there are two major parties that take power in turn. 两党制:有两个主要政党轮流掌权2.COUNTRY 国家3.official name: The United States of America官方名称:美利坚合众国nickname: Uncle Sam 昵称:山姆大叔location: North America 地点:北美neighbors: north, south, west, east? 邻居:北,南,西,东?rank: population (third ), total area (fourth) 排名:人口第三,总面积第四makeup: 50 states and a federal district (the largest state: Alaska; the smallest state: Rhode Island)50个州和一个联邦区(最大的州:阿拉斯加;最小的州:罗德岛)district: Washington, D.C. (capital, named after George Washington and Christopher Columbus)区:华盛顿特区(以乔治·华盛顿和克里斯托弗·哥伦布命名)cities: 城市:capital: the White House, Capitol Hill 首都:白宫、国会山largest city: New York (Big Apple), UN Headquarters, Times Square 最大城市:纽约(大苹果),联合国总部,时代广场second largest city: Los Angeles (Hollywood, Disneyland)→other cities where there is Disneyland (Orland, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai) 第二大城市:洛杉矶(好莱坞,迪士尼乐园)→其他城市那里有迪斯尼乐园(奥兰、巴黎、东京、香港、上海)historic city: Philadelphia (Continental Congress, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell)历史名城:费城大陆会议,独立大厅,自由钟)San Francisco: Chinatown, Golden Gate Bridge旧金山:唐人街,金门大桥space city: Houston (Rockets) 空间城市:休斯顿(火箭)makeup of the population: Salad Bowl Theory 沙拉碗理论The American society is best described as a big bowl full of different ingredients. They all make up the salad by being there, and the more the ingredients, the more the salad becomes rich and tasty.美国社会是最好的形容为一大碗完全不同的成分。

Unit 4 Section A Five Famous Symbols of American CulturePart One: Objectives1. To learn and talk about five symbols of the United States;2. To develop a story by time sequence;3. To hold a press conference on the Statue of liberty;4. To explore the famous symbols in Chinese culturePart Two: Warming up1. These symbols stand for …The Eiffel Towel FranceThe Pyramids EgyptThe Opera House AustraliaPantheon GreeceBig Ben EnglandRed Square RussiaThe Leaning Tower ItalyBeijing Opera China2. Other American SymbolsThe White HouseHollywood MovieThe statue of LibertyMcDonalds, KFCBarbieCountry MusicUncle SamCoca-colaNBA…3. Chinese SymbolsChinese Musical InstrumentsKongfuConfuciusDragonPotteryQi-paoChinese SilkChinese MedicineThe Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑)CalligraphyThe Imperial Palace4. Which can be a tribute to an event of historical significance?1)The Statue of Liberty was designed to celebrate US victory in the war of independence, as a tribute to the desire of US people for liberty and freedom.2) The Monument of the People’s Heroes was dedicated to the lives given for the founding of New China, as a token of the Chinese people’s resolve to abolish the exploiting system.3) Peking Opera, though characteristic of Chinese people’s quest for excellence in music and art, it does not meet our given criterion for cultural symbols.4) NBA (short for the National Basketball Association) is not in line with our criterion here despite the fact that it has already been descriptive of the American culture and popular all over the world.5. Which can be descriptive of people’s inspiration?American Gothic, Compass, and Barbie Doll all shine with people’s inspiration. American Gothic is a painting of inspiration from the Gothic window of an old farmhouse, but the faces in it make it peculiar to American spirits. The compass is an instrument of inspiration from earth induction, which in turn glows with the Chinese wisdom. And Barbie Doll is the outcome of inspiration from a German doll, but now the refashioned doll has become the queen of all dolls. The White House and the Imperial Palace in Beijing may be descriptive of architectural styles peculiar to American and Chinese cultures respectively, but it is their special residents that make them typical of both cultures. The White House is a building where every American president in office lives, naturally it stands for the American government, similarly The Forbidden City was once a place where every emperor of Qing Dynasty lived.6. What can serve as a typical witness to tragedies in history of one culture?Some cultural symbols serve to remind a nation of her tragedies in history. When it comes to Yuanming Yuan, for instance, we tend to think of Eight-Power Allied Forces and the scars they made on China. Buffalo Nickel bears witness to two tragedies in US history—the destruction of the buffalo herds and the destruction of the American Indians. As for the Great Wall, most of us believe it reflects the inspiration and industriousness of our ancestors, but in view of its purpose, some also regard it as a witness to our nation’s self-seclusion and vulnerability.7. Which of the following can be seen as a product of times?It is said that times produce their heroes. If so, the greatness of Abraham Lincoln lies in his epoch that gave full play to his talents in abolishing slavery and bringing states into a unity, which in turn proved him to be a symbol of justice and democracy. Uncle Sam was born into the era of American Revolution to liberate America from Britain, thus turning him into a figure of trust, strength, and patriotism.Lei Feng is a hero of times in our culture. In effect, Lei Feng was a mirror of the age when the Chinese people were full of enthusiasm for socialist construction as well as gratitude for their liberty. But the concept of times and heroes has no bearing on the birth of Confucius. Instead, he was such a great philosopher that his school of thought has had great effect on our pattern of seeing things.8. Why does the guide in the video see the Statue of Liberty as the most enduring symbol of the American culture?“It’s as American as baseball, hot dogs and apple pie”is commonly used to express that something owes its invention to the United States. But, while very few would dispute baseball’s origin, the claim to hot dogs and apple pie can be argued at length. Here are five more inventions and symbols that are definitely American: the Statue of Liberty, which, though given as a gift from the French, has always symbolized the concept of freedom; the Barbie doll, which has become the queen of all toys; American Gothic, a portrait showing a farmer and his wife; the Buffalo nickel, atribute to the buffalo and the Native American people who were killed and displaced to make room for European expansion; and finally, the image of Uncle Sam, which represents American resolve, strength, and patriotism.The Statue of Liberty stands not only for the most important event in the US history, the War of Independence, but also for the nation’s quest for the spirit of liberty, as the Declaration of Independence goes, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. That is why the statue is ranked as the first symbol of the American culture.9.Is it necessary to conduct the patriotic education among the youth of today?Much to our distress, these years have seen a gross neglect of patriotic education in our society, as a result of more and more weight being attached to the economic effects or the material gains. According to some official reports, many of the national heroes in the Chinese history have given way to pop stars in young people’s minds. In view of the above, there is a great need to inculcate patriotism in the youth of today. Through patriotic education, young people will know more about the glorious history of our nation, thus building up their sense of pride as Chinese. Moreover, young people will cherish today’s hard-earned life and draw on more of their potentials to make tomorrow’s life better for the sake of our nation.Part Three: Related Information1. The Statue of Liberty:The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France, unveiled on 28 October 1886 at Liberty Island in New York Harbor as a welcome to all visitors, immigrants, and returning Americans.2. Uncle Sam:Historians aren't completely certain how the character “Uncle Sam”was created, or who he was named after. The prevailing theory is that Uncle Sam was named after Samuel Wilson. Wilson was born in Arlington, Mass., on September 13, 1766. His childhood home was in Mason, New Hampshire. In 1789, he and his brother Ebenezer walked to Troy, New York. During the War of 1812, Wilson was in the business of slaughtering and packing meat. He provided large shipments of meat to the U.S. Army, in barrels that were stamped with the initials “US”. Supposedly, someone who saw the “US”stamp suggested—perhaps as a joke—that the initials stood for “Uncle Sam”Wilson. The suggestion that the meat shipments came from “Uncle Sam”led to the idea that Uncle Sam symbolized the federal government. Samuel Wilson died in 1854. His grave is in theOakwood Cemetery in Troy.3. American Gothic:American Gothic depicts a farmer and his spinster daughter posing before their house, whose gabled window and tracery, in the American Gothic style, inspired the painting’s title. In fact, the models were the painter’s sister and their dentist. Wood was accused of creating in this work a satire on the intolerance and rigidity that the insular nature of rural life can produce; he denied the accusation. American Gothic is an image that epitomizes the Puritan ethic and virtues that he believed dignified the Midwestern character.4. Political cartoons:Virtually every newspaper in the US, and many other countries, publishes at least onepolitical cartoon on its editorial page. These cartoons satirize events reported in the newspaper. Often, they include caricatures, or funny drawings, of politicians, such as the president. For example, Uncle Sam, the representation of the United States, appears frequently in political cartoons.5. Country Music:Country music is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, blues, gospel music, hokum, and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s. The term country music began to be used in the 1940s when the earlier term hillbilly music was deemed to be degrading, and the term was widely embraced in the 1970s, while country and western has declined in use since that time, except in the United Kingdom, where it is still commonly used. 6. White House:The White House is the official home and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Built between 1792 and 1800 of white- painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style, it has been the executive residence of every U.S. President since John Adams. When Thomas Jefferson moved into the home in 1801, he, with architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe expanded the building outward, creating two colonnades which were meant to conceal stables and storage.7. McDonald’s:McDonald's is the world's largest chain of fast food restaurants, serving nearly 47 million customers daily. McDonald's primarily sells hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes and desserts. More recently, it also began to offer salads, wraps and fruit. Many McDonald's restaurants have included a playground for children and advertising geared toward children, and some have been redesigned in a more ‘natural’style, with a particular emphasis on comfort and the absence of hard plastic chairs and tables.8. The Buffalo Nickel:The Buffalo nickel is a five-cent coin in the US that bears “truly American”symbols on it, i.e. buffalo and native Indians. It was designed by sculptor James Earle Fraser and its first production began in 1913.9. The Central Park Zoo:The Central Park Zoo, located in New York City’s Central Park at 64th Street and Fifth Avenue, features two separate areas: the wildlife center and the petting zoo. One of the most visited events at the zoo is sea lion feedings which take place in the Central Park several times per day.Part Four: Text UnderstandingI. Idea CatchingThe Birth of the TextCriterion I: A tribute to something significant in history, like the Statue of Liberty.Criterion II: Descriptive of Americans’inspiration, like the Barbie Doll and American Gothic. Criterion III: A witness to tragedies in the American history, like the Buffalo Nickel.Criterion IV: A special product of times in history, like Uncle Sam.II. Structure Analysis1.What is the text mainly about?The text is about five famous symbols of American culture, telling readers these information: who, in what time, designed these symbols, what made them come up with such idea...The passage is about five famous symbols of American culture, telling readers their historical backgrounds, origins and relevant stories.2. How is the text organized?The writer organized the overall structure of the passage by listing, which means that the text falls into five parts. For each part, the writer centers on one specific symbol, dealing with it from different aspects such as who created it, how he created it, when, and how the symbol was accepted, etc. Now let‟s see the block diagram below:Part I Main idea: To celebrate US independence and the France-America alliance, a French artist created the Statue of Liberty, with his wife’s arm and his mother’s face as models for his creation.Devices for developing it: Time SequenceTime markers: In the mid-1870s, At the same time, in 1876, That same year, In 1886. Characteristics: the description of an event resulting from the combination of two events occurring at the same time. (Refer to Para. 1)Part II Main idea: Barbie originated from a German doll and an American girl, Barbara, whose parents made Barbie popular. Barbara and her brother Ken, the human models of Barbie and her boyfriend, had different opinions on the doll.Devices for developing it: Time Sequence: (Refer to Para. 5)Characteristics: the description of a result from two events occurring at different space.Part III Main idea: Inspired by the Gothic window of an old farmhouse, Grant Wood produced American Gothic. It was the faces of his dentist and sister in the painting that captured the world’s attention.Devices for developing it: Time Sequence: (Refer to Para. 9)Characteristics: the description of a result from observing a static object.Part IV Main idea: Contrary to the tradition, the image of a buffalo and three actual American Indians were used on two sides of the coin, the Buffalo Nickel, by a famed artist James Earle Fraser.Devices for developing it: Time Sequence and Contrast :The device “contrast”is used in this part to show the significance (refer to Para. 12) and the uniqueness (refer to Para. 13) of the coin.Part V Main idea:When Sam Wilson was providing meat to the army in a war, some explained the initial letters “US”as Uncle Sam. It became popular later because of a character in political cartoons. An artist created its portrait in army recruiting posters.Devices for developing it: Time Sequence: (Refer to Para. 15-17)Time markers: during the American Revolution (1775-1783), when Sam Wilson was 23 years old, during a later war in 1812, after the war, during World Wars I and II1. The Statue of LibertyTime: Mid-1870sDesigner: French artist Frederic Auguste BartholdiModel: His wife’s arm and his mother’s faceHistory: Celebrating US independence and the France-America alliance2. BarbieTime: 1959Designer: Elliot and Ruth HandlerModel: Daughter BarbaraHistory: After watching her daughter play with paper dolls, Ruth had the idea.3. American GothicTime: August of 1930Designer: Grant WoodModels: His sister and his dentistHistory: Grant Wood was visiting the town of Eldon in the southern part of Iowa when he came upon the farmhouse.What did the serious-looking face and a pitchfork imply? (a pitchfork)Serious-looking face: the solemn pride of American farmers; hard–working and diligent.The pitchfork: haying in the 19th century; masculinity（男子气概）; the devil and farming; to echo the repeated lines of the Gothic Window.4. Buffalo NickelTime: From 1913 to 1938Designer: FraserModel: An aging buffalo from Now York City’s Central Park ZooHistory: It honored a pair of connected tragedies from the settlement of the American frontier —the destruction of the buffalo herds and the American Indians .5. Uncle SamTime: After 1913 to 1938Model: Sam WilsonDesigner: James Montgomery FlaggHistory: Happening to get the name “Uncle Sam”, Uncle Sam soon replaced Brother Jonathan as American’s most popular symbol.Part Five: Notes To The Text☆New words and expressions1.to work on an enormous project 设计一个大项目全世界的科学家正在致力于揭开SARS之谜。

19世纪70年代中期，法国艺术家弗里德里克?奥古斯特?巴托尔迪正在设计一个大项目，名为“自由照耀世界”。

这是一座庆祝美国独立和美法联盟的纪念碑。

与此同时，他爱上了一位他在加拿大认识的女子。

他母亲不赞成自己的儿子和一个她没有见过的女子恋爱，然而巴托尔迪不为所动，和心中所爱于1876年结为伉俪。

同年，巴托尔迪组装完雕像的右臂和火炬，并将它们陈列在费城。

据说，他用了妻子的手臂为模本，但觉得她的脸太漂亮，不适合做雕像模本。

他需要这样一个女人：面容沧桑却不失坚定，庄重多于美丽。

他选择了自己的母亲。

1886年，自由女神像在纽约湾北部落成。

雕像综合了他母亲的脸和他妻子的身材，不过巴托尔迪称之为“我的女儿，自由之神”。

芭比娃娃在现今销售的各式各样的芭比娃娃之前，原本部门只有一种芭比娃娃。

实际上，她的名字叫芭芭拉。

芭芭拉*汉德勒是马特尔玩具公司的联合创始人艾略特和鲁思?汉德勒夫妇的女儿。

鲁思是在见到女儿玩纸娃娃之后才想到做芭比娃娃的。

芭比娃娃的三维模特是一个德国洋娃娃，一个哄成年人开心的礼物，被描绘成具有“风尘女子”的模样。

马特尔公司将这个娃娃做了一番改造，变成了体面而地道的美国版本，尽管胸围有些夸张。

它以当时10多岁的少女芭芭拉的名字命名。

自从1959年面世，芭比娃娃就成了全球公认的“娃娃女王”。

马特尔公司说，一般的美国女孩拥有10个芭比娃娃，全球每秒钟就有两个芭比娃娃售出。

如今芭芭拉已有60多岁了，她拒绝接受采访，但据说她非常喜欢芭比娃娃。

她可能是当今世上最著名的不为人知的人物了。

1961年，芭比娃娃的男朋友面世，按芭芭拉的弟弟肯的名字命名。

真正的肯于1994年去世。

他对令自己全家名扬天下的娃娃极为厌恶。

他在1993年说：“我可不想让我的孩子玩这洋娃娃。

”《美国哥特人》1930年，格兰特?伍德因其画作《美国哥特人》一举成名。

此画体现了美国农民庄严的自豪，常常被人复制。

画面展示了一位神色严肃的男子和一位女子站立在农舍之前。

Analysis of Five Famous Symbols ofAmerican Culture浅析美国文化的五大象征Abstract: American culture is unique, Statue of Liberty, American Gothic, Buffalo Nickel, Uncle Sam and Barbie dolls are five famous symbols of it. Statue of Liberty represents democracy and freedom of American culture. American Gothic represents the pursuit of diligence of American culture. Buffalo Nickel represents the pursuit of pioneering spirit of American culture. Uncle Sam represents the pursuit of patriotism of American culture. Barbie dolls represent the pursuit of women's liberation of American culture. Analysis of five famous symbols of American culture is important for us to know American culture comprehensively.Key words: Culture Symbol,Cultural Connotation, American Culture摘要：美国文化独具特色，具体的表现在其五大文化象征上，即自由女神像、美国哥特式、野牛镍币、山姆大叔以及芭比娃娃，五大文化象征分别从对民主自由的追求，对勤劳耕作、勇于开拓精神的嘉奖，对诚实爱国等美好品质的肯定，以及女性的独立几个方面多角度地诠释了美国文化，研究每个文化象征所体现的象征意义有助于更全面地认识美国文化。