1.3　考研真题和典型题详解

I. Fill in the blanks.

1．Among the members of the small band of Jamestown settlers was _____, an English soldier of fortune, whose reports of exploration, published in the early 1600s, have been described as the first distinct American literature written in English.

【答案】Captain John Smith

【解析】约翰·史密斯上校（1580.1-1631.6.21）因在北美弗吉尼亚州建立了英国第一个永久殖民地詹姆斯敦而扬名天下。他的《关于弗吉尼亚的真实叙述》（A True Relation of Virginia）则是美国文学的“第一书”，其实也是整个美国历史的“第一书”。

2．_____ was a famous explorer and colonist. He established Jamestown.

【答案】Captain John Smith

【解析】约翰·史密斯上校（1580.1-1631.6.21），新英格兰的舰队司令，是英国军人，探险家和作家。他因在北美弗吉尼亚州建立了英国第一个永久殖民地詹姆斯敦而扬名天下。

3．The General History of Virginia contains Smith’s most famous tale of how the Indian princess named _____ saved him from the wrath of her father.

【答案】Pocahontas

【解析】约翰·史密斯在《弗吉尼亚通史》中讲述了他与印第安公主波卡虹塔斯（Pocahontas)之间的故事。公元1608年史密斯与当地印第安部落的一位叫波瓦坦的酋长谈判，这位酋长年轻的女儿波卡洪塔斯挽救了史密斯船长的性命。

II. Multiple choices.

1．The establisher of Jamestown was the famous explorer and colonist _____.

A. John Winthrop

B. John Smith

C. William Bradford

D. John Goodwin

【答案】B

【解析】约翰·史密斯上校（1580.1-1631.6.21）新英格兰的舰队司令，是英国军人，探险家和作家。其因在北美弗吉尼亚州建立了英国第一个永久殖民地詹姆斯敦而扬名天下。

2．Who discovered America? The credit is often attributed to _____.

A. Captain John Smith

B. Christopher Columbus

C. Amerigo Vespucci

D. William Bradford

【答案】B

【解析】人们一般将美洲的发现归功于哥伦布，尽管美洲是以阿美利哥·韦斯普奇（Amerigo Vespucci）命名的。

III. Explain the following terms.

1．Trickster tales

Key: Trickster tales are humorous tales featuring trickster characters. Trickster figures are people in the form of animals such as Coyote, Raven, Blue Jay, Mink, or Rabbit. One might also say that they are half animal and half human. A good Chinese analogy for the “trickster” would be Sun Wukong the Monkey King.

IV. Short answer questions.

1．Who discovered America?

Key: The credit is often attributed to Christopher Columbus. The moment when the new continent was “discovered” is even determined by some historians at the exact hour of 2:00 A.M., Friday, October12, 1492 when Columbus recorded how he spotted the land. Another noteworthy discoverer of America as a distinctly new region is the Florentine navigator Amerigo Vespucci. It is because of Vespucci’s story that the New World was named “America.”

2．Who is John Smith?

Key: The name of Captain John Smith is now associated with the English expedition that founded the Jamestown colony in 1607. Since his writings were the first ones appearing in English in the New World, those who believe Americanness should be defined more in connection with British cultural sources suggest that American literature should begin with Captain Smith.