High Life Low Life

Reading impressions fromS302 NO.5 WU PEI TZU

CAMBRIDGE

Music: TSUBASA翼If you are my love

Alan Battersby

Contents

Chapter 1 Summer in the city Chapter 2 Central Park West Chapter 3 The will Chapter 4 Beneath the city streets Chapter 5 Inside information Chapter 6 East Village Chapter 7 Developments

Chapter 8 A death in the family Chapter 9 The lost son found Chapter 10 We’re the good guys Chapter 11 Martha Bianchi Chapter 12 Atlantic City Chapter 13 Rain Chapter 14 The Annie Clayton Center

Contents

The Summary

The story of two old ladies from the opposite ends of New York society – the high life and the low life. Two old ladies who had never met and whose lives were very different. This is the story of how those lives came together.

中文簡介

中文簡介： 私家偵探 Nathan Marley 同時接了兩個不同的案子，一個案子是一位無家可歸的女性想要尋找她失蹤的兒子；一位是富有卻古怪的寡婦委託，同樣的時間，紐約最有錢與最貧窮的女性同時委託Nathan Marley 替她們辦事，不過在偵察的過程中卻面臨了危險的處境。本書以富有與貧窮兩種不同世界衍生的罪惡事件讓《 High Life, Low Life 》成為一本好看的推理小說。

Back摘自 : 劍橋英語學習網http://cambridge.hwatai.com.tw/serch_3.asp?ISBN=0521788153

Main Characters Nat Marley: New York private investigator Stella Delgado: Nat Marley’s personal assistant Annie Clayton: a homeless woman Mrs. Joanna Whittaker: a rich widow Martha Bianchi: Mrs. Whittaker’s maid Charlie Whittaker: Mrs. Whittaker’s son Betty Osborne: Mrs. Whittaker’s daughter

Main Characters Wilma Patterson: a lawyer Jackie Robinson Clayton: Annie Clayton’s son Ernie Wiseman : a criminal Captain Oldenberg: detective with the New York

Police Department (NYPD) Joe Blaney: colleague of Nat Marley, ex-NYPD Dr. Fischer: a doctor at Bellevue Hospital

My Impression In my opinion, having lots of money doesn’t

mean everything in lives. Take Nat Marley, for example, he leads a more delightful life than rich Joanna. He enjoys the freedom as a private investigator, and doesn’t have to take orders from anybody. He has many friends as well. On the contrary, Joanna is a lonely, hopeless widow, who has been lived in the past. Although she has a beautiful apartment, eats well, and lives well, she is still unhappy about her life owing to her late husband. What’s worse, Mrs. Whittaker saw nobody except for Martha, who works for her as maid for many years.

Mrs. Whittaker represents a typical example of low life because she lives without happiness. She even doesn’t cherish what she has-her children. However, another main character who inspires me a lot is Annie, a homeless women. She has never given up looking for her son-Jackie. And after Nat found him, she reminds Jackie to put the money in good use; thus Jackie builds the Annie Clayton Center for homeless women. To sum up, both Nat and Annie are not rich, but they bravely face what they confront instead of running away from it. That’s the spirit we should have.

Remarkable Phrases I went off to work like a machine. Not a

thought or an idea in my head.(p21) Once a reporter, always a reporter.(p20) Often, when you turn over a stone, you

find something unpleasant beneath it.(p30) “Don’t stick your big nose in here again!”

(p34)

I know the city of New York like the back of my hand.(p6)

I felt both sad and angry as I put down the phone. Sad for the people who had to live out their lives on the streets. Angry about the society that put them on the streets. (p37)

Remarkable Phrases

Setting – New York 紐約市（ New York City，官方名稱為 The City of New York），簡稱紐約，是美國人口最多的城市，包括其都會區，它擁有世界上最大的城市區。

紐約是美國最大城市及第一大港，位於美國大西洋海岸的東北部，紐約州東南部。該市有曼哈頓區、皇后區、布魯克林區、布朗克斯區、史泰登島區等五個區。 紐約有獨特的大眾運輸系統。因為該市廣大、二十四小時營業的地下鐵路系統，和繁華的建築物、交通及人們，所以紐約也常被稱為不夜城（ The City that Never Sleeps ）。 摘自：維基百科

Flag & Seal of NY

市 旗 市 徽

Five Zones in New York

Discussion

What do you think about high life and low life? Is it classified by wealth or by anything else?

People who live in the same places have quite different lifestyles, what can we do to make it better instead of ignoring them?

“A friend in need is a friend indeed.” Have you ever helped your friends when they have troubles?

補充 low life:美式口語意義為社會底層人物、卑鄙的人、罪犯、惡人，又有下層社會生活或 是道德低的行為的意思。相對的

high life: 指上流社會生活的意思 摘自 :yahoo 奇摩知識

High life low life describe the different ways we live realistically. And we should take this issue seriously--how to make the world a better place. Try to understand those people in need and help them if we can, even say some concerning words may make people warm.

YES or NO (Q&A)YES or NO (Q&A)

DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?

Game time!!Game time!!1.Annie came across Nat on 42nd street. 1.Annie came across Nat on 42nd street. 2.Annie asked Nat to look for her daughter.2.Annie asked Nat to look for her daughter.3.Nat was a patrolman with the NYPD, and 3.Nat was a patrolman with the NYPD, and

now he is a private investigator.now he is a private investigator.4.Mrs. Whittaker is a rich widow who 4.Mrs. Whittaker is a rich widow who

doesn’t like to social with people. doesn’t like to social with people. 5.Mrs. Whittaker had a delighted marriage 5.Mrs. Whittaker had a delighted marriage

with her husband.with her husband.

Son

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