1. Background Information
On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Four days later, Nagasaki was hit. Both cities were rebuilt from the rubble, but the nightmare of the world’s only nuclear attacks remains. In Hiroshima, at 8:15 AM on August 6, a bell commemorates the precise moment of explosion. By the end of 1945, some 210,000 Japanese had perished from the explosions and subsequent radiation. Those who survived confronted a future of probable disease, trauma and death. Since one modern nuclear weapon could unleash more than a thousand times the force of the two bombs – such horror is best not forgotten.
Recovery was slow, given the scale of the devastation, and black markets thrived in the first few years after the war. However, the reconstruction of Hiroshima became a symbol of Japan’s post-war pacifism.
2. Text Analysis
This piece is taken from an American radio program presented by Ed Kay.
The text is a piece of narrative writing. The author narrates his reportorial experience in Hiroshima. He uses many figures of speech to make the text impressive and striking. The author appeals to the reader’s feelings in the narration of his special assignment in Hiroshima.
3. Structure of the Text
The text is divided into two parts:
Part1 (paragraph1-27): arrival in Hiroshima and meeting the mayor
Part 2 (paragraph 28-to 39): short visit to the atomic ward in the hospital
4. Key Words and Expressions
slip, lump, to have a lump in one’s throat:, on my mind, adventure, reportorial, be preoccupied with, rub shoulders with, be oblivious of, bob, rite, formula, facade, rear-view mirror, martyr, lurch, in response to, twist, screech, halt, ignorance, intermezzo, usher, sketch, embankment, barge, moor, arresting, spectacle, adrift, beige, incessant, stunning, tread, cautious, twinge, prospect, bombardment, slay, linger on, agony, inhibit, agitate, assent, sink in, jolt, reverie, heinous, cataclysm, erect, impact, somehow, spare, humiliate, genetic damage, earthly, earthly care
5. Analysis of Rhetorical Devices
irony; rhetorical question; onomatopoeia; synecdoche; metonymy; anti-climax;alliteration; euphemism
6. Writing Techniques
1) effective use of contrast: description of the scenery (lively, happy, vigorous, cheerful, etc.) and of the author’s own emotion (sorrowful and repentant)
2) effective use of humour: the usher’s bow; meeting the mayor in his socks; flexible spinal column; Hiroshima known for its oysters; a small man with very large eye-glasses; the small man’s eyes nearly closed behind their thick lenses.
