Paras. 13-15

13 After the preliminary sparring over legalities, Darrow got up to make his opening statement. “My friend the attorney-general says that John Scopes knows what he is here for, “Darrow drawled. “I know what he is here for, too. He is here because ignorance and bigotry are rampant, and it is a mighty strong combination."

14 Darrow walked slowly round the baking court. “Today it is the teachers, “he continued, “and tomorrow the magazines, the books, the newspapers. After a while, it is the setting of man against man and creed against creed until we are marching backwards to the glorious age of the sixteenth century when bigots lighted faggots to burn the men who dared to bring any intelligence and enlightenment and culture to the human mind."

15 "That damned infidel, “a woman whispered loudly as he finished his address.

Q1: What do paragraphs 13-41 tell?

A1: They are on the opening, progression and the climax of the prosecution.

Q2: What do paragraphs 13-15 mainly talk about?

A2: They are on the opening of the prosecution.

Q3: How do you paraphrase the following knowledge points?

1. After the preliminary sparring... his opening statement. (Para.13)

1) preliminary: introductory or preparatory; coming before and introducing or preparing for something more important

2) spar: to engage in argument; to fight with words

3) legalities: the requirements and procedure of the law

4) after the preliminary sparring over legalities: after the initial arguments over legal procedures

5) opening statement: opening speech

2."My friend..."Darrow drawled. (Para.13)

"My friend “is used in a sarcastic way. The attorney general said that John Scopes was there because he had broken the law.

Darrow drawled: Darrow was speaking slowly, deliberately and dramatically.

3."He is here because.…a mighty strong combination:"(Para.13)

1) ignorance: lack of knowledge

2) rampant: widespread and impossible to control; spreading unchecked

3) ignorance and bigotry are rampant: non-enlightenment and prejudice are widespread and unchecked.

4)"It “refers to the combination of ignorance and bigotry.

5) mighty:(colloquial) very, extremely

4. Darrow walked slowly round the baking court. (Para.14)

baking: burning hot

5."Todayit is the teachers. the newspapers? (Para.14)

Today the teachers are put on trial because they teach scientific theory; soon the newspapers and magazines will not be allowed to express new ideas, to spread knowledge of science.

1)"It perhaps refers to the target of ignorant and bigoted persecution.

2) tomorrow: used figuratively, meaning in the near future

6."After a while... to the human mind."(Para.14)

1) after a while: eventually; not long after

2) it is: it will become

3) setting of man against man: making people fight each other, causing universal enmity

4) creed against creed: making one religion fight another religion, causing universal intolerance and widespread religious persecution

5) marching backwards: marching usually implies going forward for a great cause; here marching is used ironically, meaning retrogress to the dark age of the l6th century.

6) glorious: used ironically

7)16th century: The 16th century was the time of the Renaissance when new ideas of arts and science began to flourish. The Church led a reactionary movement against the Renaissance which threatened old religious beliefs. They intimidated free-thinkers and even burned them to death at the stake-i.e. tied them to a pole and ignited sticks piled up at their feet.

8) bigot: someone obstinately and intolerantly devoted to his own beliefs, creed or party

9) faggot: a bundle of sticks for firewood bound together

10) intelligence; use of the faculty of reason in solving problems, directing conduct, etc., efficiently

11) enlightenment: knowledge, truth

7. damned (Para.15)

curse, condemn to eternal punishment (hell)

Used interchangeably with damn. Often lightened into weaker word-darn, darned. Both are common.

Other meanings of damn (ed): not worth a damn (darn)-of no value, don't give a damn (darn)-don't care

Para. 16-29

16 The following day the prosecution began calling witnesses against me. Two of my pupils testified, grinning shyly at me, that I had taught them evolution, but added that they had not been contaminated by the experience. Howard Morgan, a bright lad of 14, testified that I had taught that man was a mammal like cows, horses, dogs and cats.

17 "He didn't say a cat was the same as a man? “Darrow asked.

18 "No, sir, “the youngster said. “He said man had reasoning power."

19"There is some doubt about that, “Darrow snorted.

20 After the evidence was completed, Bryan rose to address the jury. The issue was simple, he declared “The Christian believes that man came from above. The evolutionist believes that he must have come from below. “The spectators chuckled and Bryan warmed to his work. In one hand he brandished a biology text as he denounced the scientists who had come to Dayton to testify for the defense.

21"The Bible, “he thundered in his sonorous organ tones, “is not going to be driven out of this court by experts who come hundreds of miles to testify that they can reconcile evolution, with its ancestors in the jungle, with man made by God in His image and put here for His purpose as part of a divine plan."

22 As he finished, jaw out-thrust, eyes flashing, the audience burst into applause and shouts of "Amen. “Yet something was lacking. Gone was the fierce fervor of the days when Bryan had swept the political arena like a prairie fire. The crowd seemed to feel that their champion had not scorched the infidels with the hot breath of his oratory as he should have.

23Dudley Field Malone popped up to reply."Mr. Bryan is not the only one who has the right to speak for the Bible, “he observed. “There are other people in this country who have given up their whole lives to God and religion. Mr. Bryan, with passionate spirit and enthusiasm, has given most of his life to politics. “Bryan sipped from a jug of water as Malone's voice grew in volume. He appealed for intellectual freedom, and accused Bryan of calling for a duel to the death between science and religion.

24 "There is never a duel with the truth, “he roared. “The truth always wins-and we are not afraid of it. The truth does not need Mr. Bryan. The truth is eternal, immortal and needs no human agency to support it!"

25 When Malone finished there was a momentary hush. Then the court broke into a storm of applause that surpassed that for Bryan. But although Malone had won the oratorical duel with Bryan, the judge ruled against permitting the scientists to testify for the defense.

26 When the court adjourned, we found Dayton's streets swarming with strangers.

Hawkers cried their wares on every corner. One shop announced: DARWIN IS RIGHT-INSIDE. (This was J.R. Darwin's Everything to Wear Store.) One entrepreneur rented a shop window to display an ape. Spectators paid to gaze at it and ponder whether they might be related.

27 "The poor brute cowered in a corner with his hands over his eyes, “a reporter noted,

"afraid it might be true."

28 H.L. Mencken wrote sulphurous dispatches sitting in his pants with a fan blowing on him, and there was talk of running him out of town for referring to the local citizenry as yokels. Twenty-two telegraphists were sending out 165,000 words a day on the trial.

29 Because of the heat and a fear that the old court's floor might collapse under the weight of the throng, the trial was resumed outside under the maples. More than 2,000

spectators sat on wooden benches or squatted on the grass, perched on the tops of parked cars or gawked from windows.

Q1: What do these paragraphs tell?

A1: They are on the progression of the prosecution.

Q2: How do you paraphrase the following knowledge points?

1. grinning shyly (Para.16)

showing embarrassment; shy means not bold, not putting oneself forward

2. contaminated (Para.16)

corrupted, made impure can be used in a moral sense, as here, or in a physical sense

3. the experience（Para.16）

referring to being taught evolution

4. mammal（Para.16）an animal of the type which is fed when young on milk from the mother's body.

5."He didn't say a cat was the same as a man？"Darrow asked. （Para.17）

1）This is more emphatic than “Did he say...？”

2）It was said deliberately to ridicule the ignorance of the fundamentalists.

6. reasoning power（Para.18）

the ability to think, understand, and form opinions

7. “There is some doubt about that，"Darrow snorted.（Para.19）

It is doubtful whether man has reasoning power. Darrow is sarcastically referring to the fundamentalists，implying that they don't have reasoning power.

1）“That “refers to having reasoning power.

2）snort: to say in a scornful，contemptuous way as if with a snort（exhale forcibly and noisily through the nostrils，as a horse）

8. “The Christian believes…must have come from below.” （Para.20）

Christians believe that God in heaven made human beings，but evolutionists think human beings come from the earth（or from lowly animals）.Bryan is being sarcastic. The statement implies that there's nothing lofty，noble or great about human beings in the evolutionists' view. The two statements are expressed in such a way that they form a contrast，a definite statement about Christian belief and a “must have come “statement about evolutionist belief，meaning the evolutionists are merely guessing. They think that if people don't come from God，they must come from somewhere else，and coming from below is as good a guess as any.

9.The spectators chuckled and Bryan warmed to his work. （Para.20）

Bryan was encouraged by the audience's appreciation of his sarcasm and became more enthusiastic.

1）spectator: observer of an event；onlooker

2）chuckle：to laugh quietly or to oneself in amusement

3）warm: to become more enthusiastic，animated

49. In one hand…for the defense. （Para.20）

1）denounce: to condemn as evil

2）Words "brandish" and "denounce" give a sense of Bryan behaving as if he had a sacred calling（duty）from God. This sentence and the next paragraph suggest

that he is implying that the theory of evolution comes from the devil (Satan), and that the supporters of the defense are doing the devils work.

10."The Bible. as part of a divine plan:" (Para.21)

1) thunder, sonorous, organ: All these words convey the sound of his voice-deep, full, loud, rumbling, impressive. Ministers, evangelists, other religious leaders cultivate such a voice (it's actually taught in seminaries) to evoke emotion on the part of their listeners.

2) thunder: to shout loudly

3) expert: The word is used sarcastically because Bryan means the opposite.

4) who come hundreds of miles: subtle implication of them as outside trouble-makers

5) reconcile: to find agreement between; to make (arguments, ideas, etc.)

consistent, compatible, etc.

6)… they can reconcile evolution. with man made by God in His image.: They can prove that the theory of man descending from monkey is compatible with the theory of man created by God.

7) with its ancestors in the jungle: with monkeys (or apes) as their ancestors; a phrase designed to represent evolution as the degradation of human beings.

8) in His image: in His likeness, reflecting God

9) with man made by God…a divine plan: full of words (God, His image, His purpose, divine plan) that are designed to uplift, to show loftiness in contrast to the lowly jungle evolution idea

10) This is an interesting construction: If he were being open-minded and fair, he would have said that evolution and the Bible can be reconciled. By putting it this way, he implies that they (the "experts") claim(falsely) that they can do the impossible. This construction, together with the use of the word "experts" implies that they are fakes.

11) His purpose and the divine plan are never specified more clearly than this because God is supposed to be mysterious, beyond human knowledge; so it's believed that God has a master plan for the world but humans can't possibly figure it out, even though Bryan and people like him seem sure that evolution isn't part of Gods plan.

12) The whole sentence is full of trickery as Bryan uses sarcasm and degradation and plays on the jury's religious emotions to undermine the defense.

11. As he finished... shouts of "Amen."(Para.22)

His impressive voice and dramatic words and gestures had the desired effect.

People were carried away, greatly moved emotionally, to the point of completely inappropriate behavior in court. They applauded his speech with "Amen"(word uttered at the end of a prayer).

1) jaw: one of the two bony parts of the face in which the teth are set

2) out-thrust: pushed out

3) flash:(of eyes) to shine (with excitement or feeling); to express in an excited way; to sparkle or gleam

4) burst: to start suddenly and with force

12. Gone was the fierce fervor...a prairie fire. (Para.22)

1) Inverted sentence for emphasis.

2) Despite his eloquence, he was not as forceful and persuasive as he used to be.

3) fierce fervor: ardent, extreme intensity of emotion

4) political arena: field of politics; arena is a place usually where contests are held.

5) swept. like a prairie fire: moved quickly with the speed of a fire in a large flat grassland; a prairie fire is a simile; it is perhaps referring to the speech tours Bryan took in the election campaigns, making fiery speeches, overwhelming his opponents and rallying people.

13. The crowd seemed to feel... as he should have. (Para.22)

1) their champion: their spokesman; champion usually means winner in a competition.

2) scorch: to parch; to wither; to burn (used metaphorically here)

3) oratory: skill or eloquence in public speaking

4) scorched the infidels with the hot breath of his oratory: images of heat and fire bring to mind the 16th century burning of infidels at the stake, but this time not burning with firewood but with caustic attacks, with heated condemnation.

5) hot breath of his oratory: vivid image of his breath coming out heatedly as he spoke

14.. who has the right to speak for the Bible..."(Para.23)

who is qualified to defend the Bible

1) have the right to: be qualified to

2) speak for: to uphold; to defend; to speak on behalf of

15."Mr. Bryan... to politics."(Para.23)

Although Mr. Bryan was emotional and enthusiastic, he has been devoted to God and religion less than many other people because he has channeled most of his energy to politics, not religion. Malone here is making a highly ironical statement, hinting that Bryan is more a politician than a defender of God.

16. Bryan sipped from a jug of water as Malone's voice grew in volume. (Para.23)

1) sip: to drink, taking only a little at a time into the front of the mouth

2) volume:(degree of) fullness or loudness of sound

3) grow in volume: to grow louder

17. He appealed. between science and religion. (Para.23)

Malone, while a Catholic, was also a liberal His view was that people should be allowed to think all sorts of things Science and religion could coexist and there needn’t be a deadly combat (as Bryan was waging) to prove one right and the other wrong

1) appeal(for): to make a strong request (for help, support, mercy, etc.)

2) calling for a dud to the death: demanding that a life or death struggle be fought

3) duel: combat with deadly weapons between two people (In Middle Ages, an insult would be sufficient cause for a duel. People dueled to defend their honor.

It is used metaphorically here.)

18.".… we are not afraid of it."(Para.24)

"It" refers to the truth.

19."The truth is eternal... to support it!"(Para.24)

The truth is everlasting and unchanging regardless of human activities. It does not need any human effort to support it.

1) eternal: going on for ever; it refers to what has no beginning or end.

2) immortal: living for ever; it applies to what cannot or will never die.

3) agency: the power or force which causes a result; influence; means; instrumentality

20. When Malone finished... surpassed that for Bryan. (Para.25)

When Malone finished it was silent for only a very brief time and then there was an outburst of applause, greater than Bryan had received.

1) momentary: lasting for a very short time

2) hush: stillness; quiet, silence, especially a peaceful one

3) break into: to begin suddenly

4) storm of applause: loud, noisy applause, like a thunder storm; "storm” is used metaphorically.

5) Note the contrast between hush and storm. This is like a summer storm when the sky blackens and there is quiet before the storm breaks.61. But although Malone... to testify for the defense. (Para.25)

21. But although Malone… to testify for the defense. (para. 25)

Even though Malone's speech defending intellectual freedom was better received than Bryan's, the judge still would not allow the scientists to speak on behalf of John Scopes.

1) oratorical duel: fight in words, in speeches

2) rule against: to decide against; even in a jury trial the judge decides on matters of procedure like this

22. When the court adjourned… with strangers. (Para.26)

When the court session finished (not the end of the trial) the people left the courtroom and found the area around the court full of people from other places (out-of-towners).

swarm:(n) a large number of insects especially bees usually in motion;(u) to move or emerge in a swarm

23. Hawkers cried their wares on every corner. (Para.26)

1) hawker: a person who peddles goods in the streets by shouting

2) cry: Hawkers often shout out what they are selling and exaggerate the value to attract customers.

3) ware:(usu. in pl) any piece or kind of goods that a store, merchant, peddler, etc.

has to sell

4) This sentence shows how all sorts of people are trying to take advantage of the trial. It takes the reader back to the circus atmosphere. Crying your wares is very antiquated language. Maybe he is adding to the impression of the town being backward.

24. One shop announced… Everything to Wear Store. (Para.26)

1) one shop announced: announced in its sign; the sign on one shop said

2) Everything to Wear Store: clothing store (outdated phrase)

3) DARWIN IS RIGHT-INSIDE: This is a pun. The author plays on the different meanings of the words: “Darwin “and "right” “Darwin “can refer to the English naturalist or to the shop owner, while "right “can mean correct or directly. So when one pauses before the dash, the sign means Darwin (the naturalist) is correct; when you read out the whole sign in a breath, it means the shop owner is directly inside.

25. ape (Para.26)

tailless monkey, especially anthropoid

26. Spectators paid… be related. (Para.26)

People had to pay in order to have a look at the ape and to consider carefully whether apes and humans could have a common ancestry.

1) gaze: to look steadily for a period of time

2) ponder: to spend time in considering carefully, implying a weighing mentally and suggesting careful consideration of a matter from all sides

3) This remark is made in a sarcastic tone.

27."The poor brute.… afraid it might be true."(Para.27)

The reporter wrote in an assumingly sympathetic way for the ape but the intention

was to ridicule the foolishness of the fundamentalists. Even the ape shrank in fear when it realized that it might share the same ancestry with those irrational human beings.

1) brute:(often derogatory) an animal, especially a large one

2) poor brute; unfortunate animal

3) cower: to crouch or huddle up, as from fear; to shrink in fear

28. sulphurous (Para.28) violently emotional; heated; fiery

29. in his pants (Para.28) without shirt because of the heat

30. run(someone) out of (Para.28)

(informal) force(someone) to leave (a place)

31. citizenry (Para.28)

citizens (residents of a city or town)

32. yokels (Para.28)

(humorous or derogatory) naive, gullible, narrow-minded small town or country people; hicks, bumpkins

33… collapse under the weight of the throng... (Para.29)

give away as a result of so many people sitting on it throng: crowd of people, multitude

34. More than 2,000 spectators.… from windows. (Para.29)

1) squat: to crouch so as to sit on the heels with the knees bent and the weight resting on the balls of the feet

2) perch: to rest, stand or sit on some elevated place, usually referring to birds

3) gawk: to look at something in a foolish way

4) Note the use of specific verbs here to give depth of description to the situation.

Paras. 30－41

30 Then came the climax of the trial. Because of the wording of the anti-evolution law, the prosecution was forced to take the position that the Bible must be interpreted literally. Now Darrow sprang his trump card by calling Bryan as a witness for the defense. The judge looked startled. “We are calling him as an expert on the Bible, “Darrow said. “His reputation as an authority on Scripture is recognized throughout the world."

31 Bryan was suspicious of the wily Darrow, yet he could not refuse the challenge. For years he had lectured and written on the Bible. He had campaigned against Darwinism in Tennessee even before the passage of the anti-evolution law. Resolutely he strode to the stand, carrying a palm fan like a sword to repel his enemies.

32 Under Darrow's quiet questioning he acknowledged believing the Bible literally, and the crowd punctuated his defiant replies with fervent "Amens."

33 Darrow read from Genesis: “And the evening and the morning were the first day."

Then he asked Bryan if he believed that the sun was created on the fourth day. Bryan said that he did.

34 "How could there have been a morning and evening without any sun? “Darrow enquired.

35 Bryan mopped his bald dome in silence. There were sniggers from the crowd, even among the faithful. Darrow twirled his spectacles as he pursued the questioning. He asked if Bryan believed literally in the story of Eve. Bryan answered in the affirmative.

36 "And you believe that God punished the serpent by condemning snakes for ever after to crawl upon their bellies?"

37 "I believe that."

38 "Well, have you any idea how the snake went before that time?"

39 The crowd laughed, and Bryan turned livid. His voice rose and the fan in his hand shook in anger.

40 "Your honor" he said. “I will answer all Mr. Darrow’s questions at once. I want the world to know that this man who does not believe in God is using a Tennessee court to cast slurs on Him.…"

41 "I object to that statement, “Darrow shouted. “I am examining you on your fool ideas that no intelligent Christian on earth believes."

Q1: What can be known from these paragraphs?

A1: They are on the climax of the prosecution

Q2: What do you understand the following knowledge points?

1. Because of… interpreted literally. (Para.30)

The law was written in such a way that the prosecution had to base its case on a literal explanation of the words in the Bible.

1) wording: the words used; the words chosen to express something and the phrases they form.

2) position: stand, attitude toward or opinion on a subject

3) interpret: to understand the likely meaning of (something)

4) literal: following or representing the exact words of the original; word-for-word

2. Now Darrow... for the defense. (Para.30)

1) spring: to present suddenly, unexpectedly; to produce as a surprise

2) trump card: in some card games, a certain suit is declared trump, i.e. as outranking all other suits; the winning card; an important advantage

3) spring his trump card: to use suddenly what is most advantageous to his cause in order to improve his position

3. startle (Para.30)

implying a shock of surprise or fright of a kind that often causes one to literally jump or shrink

4. expert on the Bible (Para.30)

one who was considered an authority on matters concerning the Bible

5."His reputation... throughout the world."(Para.30)

People all over the world admitted that he was an expert on the Bible. This is an exaggeration meant to ridicule Bryan and to put him in a disadvantageous position.

1) authority: a person whose knowledge is dependable, good and respected

2) Scripture: the Bible

3) recognize: to acknowledge the authority of; to admit (something or someone) as having the right to be the stated thing

6. Bryan was suspicious... the challenge. (Para.31)

Bryan suspected that Darrow had some tricks up his sleeves, but it was impossible for him not to accept the call to fight. It was impossible for him to refuse to take the stand to be cross-examined, too.

1) suspicious(of): not trusting: showing or expressing distrust

2) wily: clever in tricks, especially for getting something one wants; crafty; sly

("wily “implies the deceiving of others by subtle, cunning pretences, usually unscrupulous regarding the means to one's end)

3) challenge: a call to engage in contest or fight

7. Resolutely... to repel his enemies. (Para.31)

1) resolutely: with determination, firmness of decision

2) stride: to walk with long steps in a vigorous manner

3) the stand: the witness stand

4) repel: to drive back by or as if by force (Note: One can repel or repulse an enemy but one can only repulse an offer of friendship.)

5) The author depicts Bryan as a soldier going to battle with the palm fan as his weapon. The depiction creates a vivid and ridiculous image in the reader's mind: The three-time Democratic presidential nominee, the authority on Scripture walked bravely to the witness stand to meet the challenge with a palm fan in his hand. A Don Quixote type of hero.

8. Under Darrow's quiet questioning... with fervent "Amens."(Para.32)

The fickle spectators, who were mainly fundamentalists, switched back to Bryan's side, and took his words as if they were prayers, interrupting frequently with "Amen."

1) quiet: calm; not easily excited or disturbed

2) acknowledge: to admit

3) punctuate: to interrupt periodically

4) defiant: showing no fear or respect

5) defiant reply; answers that show strong resistance, standing up for his beliefs

6) fervent: showing great warmth of feeling; intensely devoted or earnest (Note: fervent suggests a fiery feeling of enthusiasm, devotion.)

7."How could…"Darrow enquired. (Para.34)

1) enquire: (American English) inquire

2) Darrow first tricked Bryan into making positive assertions before showing that what he believed was not logically possible. Darrow's intention was to show how indefensible Bryan's position was.

8. Bryan mopped his bald dome in silence. (Para.35)

Bryan wiped the sweat off his bald head in silence.

1) mop: to make dry by rubbing with something dry: “mop “implies that Bryan was sweating a great deal, not just from the heat, but from embarrassment as well.

2) dome:(slang) the human head, especially when hairless

9. the faithful (Para.35)

the believers, the religious people This shows that even Bryan’s followers were not impressed with his answers at this moment

10. the story of Eve (Para.35)

Adam, first man, made by God, who then decided Adam should have a companion.

Therefore, He took a rib from Adam’s side and made Eve. They lived ignorant, blissful, naked, without any thought of a sexual relationship in the Garden of Eden, which was Paradise (Heaven) on earth. In the Garden was a Tree of Knowledge with apples. God told them not to eat from the Tree. The Serpent(snake) representing evil, persuaded Eve to have an apple, which she ate and then persuaded Adam to eat, too. God punished the snake for luring Eve into evil by condemning it and all snakes after it to crawl on their bellies. Adam and Eve were banished from paradise and condemned to live and die in sorrow and misery.

11. The crowd laughed... in anger. (Para.39)

1) livid: pale with rage

2) This is another description of the reaction of the audience to the new interchange.

The crowd, which a few minutes before was sniggering, is now laughing. Bryan, who a few minutes before was sweating in embarrassment, is now pale with rage. He is shaking and his voice is rising (growing in volume or getting higher in pitch; not clear here-possibly both) in anger.

12."Your honor... to cast slurs on Him..."(Para.40)

1) your honor: form of address when speaking to a judge

2) Bryan is attempting to save face, turn the tables on Darrow and win back sympathy from the audience for himself by charging Darrow with being an infidel who is making use of the court to belittle God. Actually, whether or not Darrow believed in God was irrelevant.

13."I am examining. on earth believes."(Para.41)

1) examining you on: questioning you about

2) fool ideas: foolish, ridiculous ideas

3) intelligent: the ability to learn or understand from experience or to respond successfully to a new experience

4) no intelligent Christian believes: Thoughtful Christians accept the basic principles of Christianity, e.g. one God, brotherhood, charity-but not the literal truth of the Bible as do Bryan and the fundamentalists.