PART 2

教师进入正文讲解：

Overview:

My Last Duchess was published in 1842, this poem is based on the life of Alfonso II, duke of Ferrara in the sixteenth century. The duke’s first wife died after three years of marriage. The portrait of the late Duchess of Ferrara is a fresco, a type of work painted in watercolors directly on a plaster wall.

Setting and Background

In Browning’s poem, the duke of Ferrara is modeled after Alfonso II, the fifth and last Duke of the principality, who ruled Ferrara from 1559 to 1597 but in three marriages fathered no heir to succeed him.

That’s my last Duchess painted on the wall,

墙上的这幅画是我的前公爵夫人，

Looking as if she were alive. I call

看起来就像她活着一样。如今，

That piece a wonder, now; Fra Pandolf’s hands

我称它为奇迹：潘道夫师的手笔

Worked busily a day, and there she stands.

终日忙碌，从此她就在此站立。

Will’t please you sit and look at her? I said

你愿坐下看看她吗？我有意提起

“Fra Pandolf” by design, for never read

潘道夫，因为生客（例如你）

Strangers like you that pictured countenance,

凡是见了画中描绘的面容、

The depth and passion of its earnest glance,

那真挚的眼神透露的深邃和热情

But to myself they turned (since none puts by

没有一个不转向我（因为除我外

The curtain I have drawn for you, but I)

再没有别人把画上的帘幕拉开

1.Fra Pandolf: Brother Pandolf is a fictitious painter who painted the portrait of the duchess. (fra is an italian word for friar,meaning brother) in the age of the renaissance, many painters and artists were friars.

2.Strangers like you that pictured countenance: for strangers like you never looked at that face in the picture

3.But to myself they turned: Strangers always turned to me.

4.since none puts by The curtain I have drawn for you: Since none but I have the right to draw the curtain behind which the portrait is hung

And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst,

似乎他们想问我可是又不大敢问

How such a glance came there; so, not the first

这样的眼神是从哪儿来的？

Are you to turn and ask thus. Sir, ’twas not

你并非第一个人回头这样问我

Her husband’s presence only, called that spot

先生，不仅仅是她在座的丈夫

Of joy into the Duchess’ cheek; perhaps

使公爵夫人面带欢容，可能

Fra Pandolf chanced to say, “Her mantle laps

潘道夫偶然说过：“夫人的披风

Over my lady’s wrist too much,” or “Paint

盖住她的手腕太多，”或者说：

Must never hope to reproduce the faint

“隐约的红晕向颈部渐渐隐没，

Half-flush that dies along her throat.” Such stuff

这绝非任何颜料所能复制。”

Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough

这种无聊话，却被她当成好意，

1.if they durst: if they dare

2.Her husband’s presence only, called that spot: It was not her husband’s presence that caused that blush to appear.

3.laps: wraps round

4.Half-flush that dies along her throat: The dim reddish blush that gradually disappears along her throat.

For calling up that spot of joy. She had

也足以唤起她的欢心。她那颗心——

A heart—how shall I say?— too soon made glad,

怎么说好呢？——要取悦容易得很，

Too easily impressed; she liked whate’er

也太易感动。她看到什么都喜欢，

She looked on, and her looks went everywhere.

而她的目光又偏爱到处观看。

Sir, ’twas all one! My favour at her breast,

先生，她对什么都一样！她胸口上

The dropping of the daylight in the West,

佩戴的我的赠品，或落日的余光

The bough of cherries some officious fool

过分殷勤的傻子

Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule

在园中攀折一枝樱桃给她

She rode with round the terrace—all and each

或她骑着绕行花圃的白骡——所有这一切，

Would draw from her alike the approving speech,

都会使她同样地赞羡不绝，

1.too soon: too easily

2.Too easily impressed: enthusiasm purity

3.her looks went everywhere: She loved to see everything.

4.Sir, ’twas all one: All the following things meant the same to her.

5.My favour at her breast: The gift I gave her which she wore at her breast.

6.some officious fool: some obliging person

7.Broke in the orchard for her, the white mule: Her only crime was enjoying life and not respecting his rank/title

Or blush, at least. She thanked men—good! but thanked

或至少泛起红晕。她感激人．好的！

Somehow—I know not how—as if she ranked

但她的感激（我说不上怎么搞的）

My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name

仿佛把我赐她的九百年的门第

With anybody’s gift. Who’d stoop to blame

与任何人的赠品并列。谁愿意

This sort of trifling? Even had you skill

屈尊去谴责这种轻浮举止？即使

In speech—which I have not—to make your will

你有口才（我却没有）能把你的意志

Quite clear to such an one, and say, “Just this

给这样的人充分说明：“你这点

Or that in you disgusts me; here you miss,

或那点令我讨厌。这儿你差得远，

Or there exceed the mark”—and if she let

而那儿你超越了界限。”即使她肯听

Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set

你这样的训诫

1.My gift of a nine-hundred-years-old name: refers to the Duke’s family being an ancient family with a long history of 900 years

2.This sort of trifling? Even had you skill: Who would lower oneself to find fault with this kind of frivolous behavior?

3.In speech—which I have not—to make your will: He accidentally reveals more of his weaknesses.

4.such an one: referring to the Duchess

5.Herself be lessoned so, nor plainly set: If she lets herself be admonished in this way, and do not argue with you

Her wits to yours, forsooth, and made excuse—

毫不为自己辩解，——我也觉得

E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose

这会有失身份，所以我选择

Never to stoop. Oh, sir, she smiled, no doubt,

绝不屈尊。哦，先生，她总是在微笑

Whene’er I passed her; but who passed without

每逢我走过；但是谁人走过得不到

Much the same smile? This grew; I gave commands;

同样慷慨的微笑？发展至此，

Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands

我下了令：于是一切微笑都从此制止。

As if alive. Will’t please you rise? We’ll meet

她站在那儿，像活着一样。请你起身

The company below, then. I repeat,

客人们在楼下。我再重复一声：

The Count your master’s known munificence

你的主人——伯爵先生闻名的大方

Is ample warrant that no just pretense

足以充分保证：我对嫁妆

1.Her wits to yours: set her mind against you mind

2.forsooth: indeed

3.made excuse: apologized

4.E’en then would be some stooping; and I choose: Even in that case it would mean that I should be lowering my dignity; even in that case I should lose my fully dignity

5.pretense: purpose

Of mine for dowry will be disallowed;

提出任何合理要求都不会遭拒绝；

Though his fair daughter’s self, as I avowed

当然。如我开头声明的，他美貌的小姐

At starting, is my object. Nay, we’ll go

才是我追求的目标。别客气，让咱们

Together down, sir. Notice Neptune, though,

一同下楼吧。但请看这海神尼普顿

Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,

在驯服海马，这是件珍贵的收藏，

Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!

是克劳斯为我特制的青铜铸像。

1.avowed: 宣布、承认

2.Neptune：refers to the statue of Neptune, the roman sea-god

3.cast: 浇铸

Disclosure of Duke’s Power in My Last Duchess Through Analysis of Transitivity

According to Halliday, systematic functional grammar, ideational function, interpersonal function and textual function are the three main metafunctions of language. Ideational function indicates that language can help people construe a mental image of the things both in reality and in their mind with this kind of function. Ideational function is usually achieved through transitivity system, voice and polarity, and transitivity referred to as “a system for describing the whole clause, rather than just the verbal and its object”.

Duke’s Dominating Position in Material Process

Material process is generally related to physical actions and it usually contains a verb in the sentence, and this verb can represent the process itself. Actor and goal are two participants in the material process, and actor shows the doer of a physical action, while goal represents the" of this action.

In My Last Duchess, there are nearly 39 material processes:“worked, sit, look at, read, turned, puts, have drawn, came, turn, ask, called, reproduce, dies, cause, made, impressed, went, broke, draw, thanked, ranked, miss, exceed, let, lessoned, set, choose, passed, passed, grew, gave, stopped, rise, meet, repeat, be disallowed, go, cast”. For most of the material processes, Duke is the actor, implying his dominating position in front of his wife and his guests.

For instance, when the Duke intended to introduce the portrait of his last Duchess, he proudly mentioned that,

“But to myself they turned (since none puts by

the curtain I have drawn for you but I) ”

In these two lines, Duke is the actor in the material process of I have drawn curtains for you, and he also emphasizes that he is the only person that possesses the power to draw the curtains. Moreover, it is rather obvious that in Dukes monologue, he uses verbs that followed nouns, so he powerfully demonstrated his controlling power among everything, including his families and guests.

Upon talking about the Duchess flirtatious smile, Duke threw his contempt over her and also showed his authority in their relation,

“Much the same smile? This grew: I gave commands

Then all smiles stopped together. There she stands”

In this material process of “I gave commands”, Duke is still the actor who has the initiative power and right to take action. Evidently, Duke finally exposed his cruelty and cold heart towards the innocent lady even if she is his wife which enables Dukes absolute authority in the family and his disrespect towards others become more prominent in the monologue.

It is unquestionable that the Duke is always the "doer in these three processes, and he always functions on something, such as the curtain and the commands, which shows his controlling power over others. While the Duchess is always a "receiver in the passive position, and she is controlled by the Duke. Therefore, the Duchess has no single voice in their relations, but the Duke is always in the superior position to dominate everything.

Duke’s Hypocrisy in Mental Process

Mental Process describes human beings’ understanding of their inner world and the world around them, including peoples’ inner world thoughts, such as thinking, loving, imagining, and so on Sensor and phenomenon are two participants defined in this process, and sensor is the subject that experiences the action, while Phenomenon is the object that is experienced.

In this poem, there are six mental processes, hope, thought, liked, know, disgusts, notice, and the Duke always shows his negative attitudes as a sensor in the mental processes, so his arrogance and egocentricity becomes more obvious.

When the Duke introduced his wife the Duchess to his guests, he described her as" Too easily impressed, she liked whate’er. In this mental process of “like”, the Duchess acts as a sensor, while the phenomenon is whatever, so her innocence and easygoing personality is quite obvious to the guests. However, the Duke deliberately twisted the Duchess’ innocent personality and criticized her as a flirtatious woman who was easily impressed so as to achieve the effect of misleading the guests to deem the Duchess as a terrible woman with moral problems and the Duke himself as a tolerant and innocent husband. Therefore, his hypocrisy is clearly shown in this monologue.

Besides, in order to emphasize his own authority and his innocence, Duke deliberately mocked the Duchess "this sort of trifling” … “Or that in you disgusts me here you miss”. In this mental process of “disgust”, Duke acted as a sensor, while the phenomenon was the duchess' “trifling”. Thus, Duke stressed the point that the strong feeling of disgust that the Duke had was merely caused by his wife, and this kind of mental process was totally triggered by her misbehavior, so he once again maliciously defamed his wife and misguided the guests.

Similarly, when the Duke described the duchess's mile, he said,

“half-flush that dies along her throat: such stuff

Was courtesy, she thought, and cause enough

For calling up that spot of joy. She had”

In this mental process of "thought”, Duke showed his contempt again over the Duchess usual smile. Actually, the duchess’ smile was quite charming and lovely, but Duke would rather consider it as a "trifling”, which showed his suspicious and narrow-minded personality as well as his willing to control everything, including his Duchess’ smile.

The Duchess’ innocence and the Duke’s suspicious personality and his willing to control everything have all been revealed in these three mental relations. In reality, the Duchess was very kindhearted and easygoing, but Duke just purposely cursed it as a sort of flirtatious behavior, which showed Dukes negative emotions towards his wife. Evidently, to the guests who were listening to him, the Duke was just narrow-minded and hypocrite.

Duke’s Egocentricity in Relational Process

Relational process usually relates or associates to the participant to its description or identity. Copular verbs such as be, seem, become, etc are often used in this kind of process. According to Halliday, there are two different types of relational process, attributive process and identifying process. In attributive process, carrier and attribute are the two participants, while in identifying process, the two participants are identified and identifier.

There are totally 13 relational processes in this poem, “ ‘s, seemed, Are, was, Was, had, was, had, have, make be, Is, is”. In all those processes, the Duke showed his authority among all relations, and his arrogance and egocentricity are quite evident.

At the beginning, Duke claimed his authority in front of all guests, as he said, “And seemed as they would ask me, if they durst”. In this attributive process, the guests were carrier, and the fact that they could ask the Duke for sure was attribute, so Duke just presented his supreme power and decision-making right among others.

When talking about the Duchess, the Duke said, “Sir, ‘t was all one! My favour at her breast”. In this identifying process, Duke identified Duchess as a flirtatious woman, and the only thing he liked was the jewelry in front of her breast because it was given by him. Consequently, Dukes hypocrisy and arrogance became even more noticeable, which makes Duchess kindness and liveliness more obvious to the guests and readers.

Theme

The main themes are power, influence, marriage, aristocracy and egoism. It is possible to use blanket terms such as love and death when commenting on themes, yet love does not seem to play on the duke's mind heavily. At least he does not love women, however he does love the painting and gains joy from intimidating the messenger by commenting on how he had her killed. Death does occur prior to the poem, but can only be considered as an expression of the duke's control and not a comment on death itself.