2007年10月25日 星期四

10/25

From Tramp to Champ—Charlie Chaplin
默劇之王卓別林 
by Julia Koprak
As a young man on stage, few knew that Charlie Chaplin would become one of the most important people in movie history. Born in London in 1889, Charlie was a natural talent since both of his parents had been actors. In fact, his skills as a performer helped him survive the hardships of a very difficult childhood. His father died when Charlie was a child and his mother suffered from a mental illness that left her incapable of caring for her children. After the hospitalization of their mother, Charlie and his brother were forced to fend for themselves. They did so through performing on the stage. Chaplin''s comedic personality took him to America, where he became a great star of the silent screen in 1914. His signature character was the Tramp, a pauper with a little moustache, cane, and bowler hat. He paraded around as a gentleman, landing himself in all kinds of interesting situations. As the character of the Tramp, Chaplin made a stream of successful silent films. In 1927, talkies, or films with synchronized sound, were introduced. Nevertheless, Chaplin continued to make silent films, and in fact, some of his best. He had an amazing ability to blend humor with a bit of emotion without uttering a single line of dialogue. Moreover, although seemingly simple on the surface, Chaplin''s films had strong political undertones. In Modern Times, a movie filmed during the Depression, the Tramp is a factory worker struggling in an industrial society. In The Great Dictator, Chaplin made an even bolder move by taking on the role of a leader similar to Adolf Hitler and speaking on film for the first time.


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1.The artical is talking about Chaplin's background. And how he survived in his childhood.
2.
a. moustache n. 八字鬚 talkie n. 有聲電影 pauper n. 乞丐;窮人
fend for...  供養∕照料……
b.specialize in...  專精於…… blend A with B  融合 A 與 B
3.I chose this artical because I sometimes could saw him on the TV. He was very funny in the movie. And when I was in senior high school,my teacher had told me about his story. So I have deep impresstion of him. When he was a child,he was very hardworking. So I hope if I happen to difficult things, i will be hardworking just like him.

2007年10月17日 星期三

2007.10.18


Quieting the Mind

 
by Marcus Maurice
 
Meditation is an exercise in quieting the mind. Meditation can help restore mental balance leading to a feeling of happiness and contentment.
Think of the brain as a faucet where the water is constantly flowing. The flowing "water" is our thoughts about such things as the never-ending list of tasks that we have to do, should do, didn''t do, and might do. Stopping the flow of these thoughts and slowing down the mind is the goal of meditation. By turning off the faucet, a person who practices meditation can attain clearer thinking, improved health, and a greater understanding of their own goals.
When one first sits down to meditate, it may seem as though one''s mind is racing at 100 miles a minute. One thinks of the report that needs to be turned in, the dishes that haven''t been done, and the countless other problems in life that unconsciously stream in. This is because when meditating, one finally realizes how active the mind actually is. The focus must then be taken away from these thoughts and centered instead on breathing in deeply through the nostrils and out through the mouth. Although it seems simple to "just breathe," in reality, it is easier said than done. Blocking out external thoughts takes a great deal of effort. By sitting in an upright position with legs folded and thumbs just barely touching the index fingers, meditation can bring relaxation and inner peace. All thoughts of the things that should, could, and would be fade away as the mind is quieted.
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1.This artical is talking about the meditation can bring benefits to us.
2.stream in 湧入 meditation 冥想 be centered on...  集中於……
take effort 努力 unwind 放鬆
3.I chose this artical because I often cannot sleep well at night.My mom said it's
msut you were not calm dowm.Then when I do the meditation I felt that my heart was very peace.So this artical is very useful for me even for all people.