Unit one Half a Day 1.Introduction to the author Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature.He is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, along with Tawfiq el-Hakim,to explore themes of existentialism.He published 34 novels,over 350 short stories,dozens of movie scripts,and five plays over a 70-year career.Many of his works have been made into Egyptian and foreign films.In his works,he described the development of his country in the 20th century and combined intellectual and cultural influences from East and West.His own exposure to the literature of non-Egyptian culture began in his youth with the enthusiastic consumption of Western detective stories,Russian classics,and such modernist writers as Franz Kafka and James Joyce.Mahfouz's stories are almost always set in the heavily populated urban quarters of Cairo,where his characters,mostly ordinary people,try to cope with the modernization of society and the temptations of Western values 纳吉布·马哈福兹(1911年12月11日-2006年8月29日)，埃及小 说家，被看作是最重要的埃及作家和啊拉伯世界最重要的知识分子之一。1988年 他被授予诺贝尔文学奖，他是第一名获诺贝尔文学奖的阿拉伯语作家。获奖理由： “他通过大量刻画入微的作品一洞察一切的现实主义，唤起人们树立雄心一形 成了全人类所欣赏的阿拉伯语言艺术”。他是阿拉伯文学的一代宗师，生前被 看作是目前活着的、最重要的埃及作家和阿拉伯世界最重要的知识分子之一。 纳吉布·马哈福兹一生中出版了300多篇短篇小说和34部小说，其中16部被 改编成电影。其代表作有著名家族小说“三街”(《宫间街》、《思宫街》、 《甘露街》)(Palace Wak,Palace of Desire,and Sugar Street)和《道路》、 《平民史诗》、《盖贝拉威的孩子们》(1959年)和《尼罗河上的絮语》 (1966年)等。人们普遍认为马赫福兹描绘了埃及“普通人”的真实生活，以
Unit one Half a Day 1. Introduction to the author Naguib Mahfouz was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He is regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, along with Tawfiq el-Hakim, to explore themes of existentialism. He published 34 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie scripts, and five plays over a 70-year career. Many of his works have been made into Egyptian and foreign films. In his works, he described the development of his country in the 20th century and combined intellectual and cultural influences from East and West. His own exposure to the literature of non-Egyptian culture began in his youth with the enthusiastic consumption of Western detective stories, Russian classics, and such modernist writers as Franz Kafka and James Joyce. Mahfouz's stories are almost always set in the heavily populated urban quarters of Cairo, where his characters, mostly ordinary people, try to cope with the modernization of society and the temptations of Western values 纳吉布·马哈福兹（1911 年 12 月 11 日－2006 年 8 月 29 日），埃及小 说家，被看作是最重要的埃及作家和阿拉伯世界最重要的知识分子之一。1988 年 他被授予诺贝尔文学奖，他是第一名获诺贝尔文学奖的阿拉伯语作家。获奖理由： “他通过大量刻画入微的作品—洞察一切的现实主义，唤起人们树立雄心—形 成了全人类所欣赏的阿拉伯语言艺术”。他是阿拉伯文学的一代宗师，生前被 看作是目前活着的、最重要的埃及作家和阿拉伯世界最重要的知识分子之一。 纳吉布·马哈福兹一生中出版了 300 多篇短篇小说和 34 部小说，其中 16 部被 改编成电影。其代表作有著名家族小说“三街”（《宫间街》、《思宫街》、 《甘露街》）（Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, and Sugar Street）和《道路》、 《平民史诗》、《盖贝拉威的孩子们》（1959 年）和《尼罗河上的絮语》 （1966 年）等。人们普遍认为马赫福兹描绘了埃及“普通人”的真实生活，以
及他们在传统和现代社会中所做的平衡。他的小说总是关于他的家乡开罗中几 户家族的生活。他在青年时期的精心杰作里描写了埃及社会在二十世纪前半叶 在西方文化冲击下知识分子的彷徨和疑惑。当时的埃及人民生活在法鲁克国王 统治下半封建半殖民地社会状态，正是阿拉伯世界在西方强权统治下对伊斯兰 最悲观、最黑暗的时代。他早期的作品被西方国家授予诺贝尔文学奖，鼓励阿 拉伯人读他的书，学习他亲西方的思想，但是大多数埃及人认为这是对阿拉伯 文明的文明污辱和政治挑衅，似乎只有顺从和适应西方文化阿拉伯人才有未来 的出路。他的最后一文集《第七重天》在2005年出版发行，他对美联社记者 说：“我完成了《第七重天》的书稿，因为我深信，在我死后，我会得到好的 报应。” 2.Introduction to the text In 1989"Half a Daywas first published in Arabic as part of a short story collection entitled The False Dawn.In 1991 "Half a Day"was included in an English- language collection entitled The Time and the Place. "Half a Day"belongs to the later phase of Mahfouz's literary career,which is characterized by a shift from social realism to a more modem,experimental mode of writing.It is a very short(5-page)allegorical tale in which the narrator begins the day as a young boy entering school for the first time,but leaves the schoolyard an old man whose life has passed in what seemed like only"half a day." Halfa Day"is an allegory in which a child's experiences at school symbolize a typical person's experiences of coming of age and maturation.This allegory is achieved through a multiplication and overlapping of "times."That is,the boy's narration suggests more than one unit of time (some obvious units or concepts of measure are:one minute,childhood,one light year,an average human life-span,a millennium,and so forth) Halfa Day"can only be fully understood if interpreted as an allegorical tale,in which each element is symbolic of some greater meaning.The central allegorical motif of "Half a Day"is that a morning spent in school is symbolic of an entire lifetime spent in the school of life.Everything that occurs in the story represents common experiences of the human condition:birth,childhood,old age.death,the afterlife,religion,love,friendship,pain,fear,joy,leaming.memory,and nostalgia,as well as the cycle of life from generation to generation
及他们在传统和现代社会中所做的平衡。他的小说总是关于他的家乡开罗中几 户家族的生活。他在青年时期的精心杰作里描写了埃及社会在二十世纪前半叶 在西方文化冲击下知识分子的彷徨和疑惑。 当时的埃及人民生活在法鲁克国王 统治下半封建半殖民地社会状态，正是阿拉伯世界在西方强权统治下对伊斯兰 最悲观﹑最黑暗的时代。 他早期的作品被西方国家授予诺贝尔文学奖，鼓励阿 拉伯人读他的书，学习他亲西方的思想，但是大多数埃及人认为这是对阿拉伯 文明的文明污辱和政治挑衅，似乎只有顺从和适应西方文化阿拉伯人才有未来 的出路。 他的最后一文集《第七重天》在 2005 年出版发行，他对美联社记者 说：“我完成了《第七重天》的书稿，因为我深信，在我死后，我会得到好的 报应。” 2. Introduction to the text In 1989 ‘‘Half a Day’’ was first published in Arabic as part of a short story collection entitled The False Dawn. In 1991 ''Half a Day'' was included in an Englishlanguage collection entitled The Time and the Place. ‘‘Half a Day’’ belongs to the later phase of Mahfouz's literary career, which is characterized by a shift from social realism to a more modern, experimental mode of writing. It is a very short (5-page) allegorical tale in which the narrator begins the day as a young boy entering school for the first time, but leaves the schoolyard an old man whose life has passed in what seemed like only ''half a day.'' ‘‘Half a Day’’ is an allegory in which a child's experiences at school symbolize a typical person's experiences of coming of age and maturation. This allegory is achieved through a multiplication and overlapping of "times.'' That is, the boy's narration suggests more than one unit of time (some obvious units or concepts of measure are: one minute, childhood, one light year, an average human life-span, a millennium, and so forth) ''Half a Day'' can only be fully understood if interpreted as an allegorical tale, in which each element is symbolic of some greater meaning. The central allegorical motif of "Half a Day'' is that a morning spent in school is symbolic of an entire lifetime spent in the school of life. Everything that occurs in the story represents common experiences of the human condition: birth, childhood, old age, death, the afterlife, religion, love, friendship, pain, fear, joy, learning, memory, and nostalgia, as well as the cycle of life from generation to generation
The author of the story uses a strategy commonly used in fiction writing-the protagonist returns after being absent for a short time to find everything changed beyond recognition.The best example is perhaps Rip Van Winkle,a short story by American writer,Washington Irving(1783-1859).Rip is a simple good-natured man. One fine day he went with his dog to the mountains to hunt squirrels.He drank something a queer old man offered him,and fell fast asleep.When he woke up he found himself an old man and that great changes had occurred in his village during his absence.In the village inn the portrait of King George I had been replaced by one of General Washington.This technique is often used to emphasize rapid changes in society. 3.Note Date palm:It is an important multipurpose tree in the Middle East,Asia and North Africa.The Date palm tree is a holy symbol.It was historically mentioned in the Bible the Koran and other religious books.Many cultures are based on this tree It has been called"the tree of life".The real Date palm can provide all life necessities food,medicine.shelter,fuel,building materials and materials for weaving and basket making.It is a symbol of fertility and hospitality in many countries
The author of the story uses a strategy commonly used in fiction writing—the protagonist returns after being absent for a short time to find everything changed beyond recognition. The best example is perhaps Rip Van Winkle, a short story by American writer, Washington Irving(1783-1859). Rip is a simple good-natured man. One fine day he went with his dog to the mountains to hunt squirrels. He drank something a queer old man offered him, and fell fast asleep. When he woke up he found himself an old man and that great changes had occurred in his village during his absence. In the village inn the portrait of King George III had been replaced by one of General Washington. This technique is often used to emphasize rapid changes in society. 3. Note Date palm: It is an important multipurpose tree in the Middle East, Asia and North Africa. The Date palm tree is a holy symbol. It was historically mentioned in the Bible, the Koran and other religious books. Many cultures are based on this tree. It has been called “the tree of life”. The real Date palm can provide all life necessities: food, medicine, shelter, fuel, building materials and materials for weaving and basket making. It is a symbol of fertility and hospitality in many countries