作者：吴文智
出版社：南京大学出版社
格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT
世界上 温情的故事：汉英对照试读：
前言 Preface从事翻译研究二十多年，最大的收获就是认识了很多对英文学习、外国文化有兴趣的年轻朋友，他们身上那种鲜活的热情，使我得到了很多触动和启发。
在我和钱厚生教授主编的《实用汉英翻译词典》获得国家辞书奖以后，就不断有年轻的朋友们向我提一个共同的问题：怎样才能学好英文？
怎样才能学好英文？这确实是一个困扰了我们很久的不是问题的“问题”。对于这个问题，我的答案是“两读一听”——阅读、朗读与听力。
年轻的朋友首先要明确一个概念：英文，不仅是一种语言，也是一种文化，它绝不是枯燥的语法和单词背诵可以代替的，这些是基础，绝不是全部。
阅读优美而正确的英语文章，可以提高阅读能力，扩大词汇量，开阔视野，了解更多西方世界的风俗习惯。在阅读的过程中，可以对照在课堂上学到的语法知识，从感性上进一步掌握英文语法的应用；也可以通过对那些最经典、最优美的文章段落的反复品味，进一步提高英文写作水平。
朗读的好处更加显而易见，口语能力一向是国内学生学习英文的弱项之一，发音不准、不敢开口、磕磕绊绊都是常见的现象。怎样解决这些问题？我建议年轻朋友在阅读美文的时候更多地开口朗读出来，英语对话环境不好找，但是朗读却是人人都可以做到的。
经常朗读可以提高听力，培养英语语感——其实很多人的单词发音都是正确的，但是一旦开口却说不流畅，这就是语感在作祟了。曾发掘了特洛伊遗迹的德国语言天才希泊来，每学会一种外语只用三到六个月，秘诀何在？就是大声朗读。
多听标准语音的材料是非常重要的一个环节，这样能够把自己置身于外语环境中，迫使自己接受，逐渐形成习惯。
由听觉接收到大脑思考，再到发声表达，读和听可以帮助学习者建立这一流畅的反射体系，直到达成如同使用母语般的身体本能。
大量课外阅读、朗读和听力，可以升华我们的人格情操，触及心灵自省，增长语言文化知识，提高语言文化的综合素质，其更本质、更核心的意义，在于培养学习者对英文的浓厚兴趣——这才是一切学习者成功的源动力。
一直以来，我都有一个想法，想要整理一套经典优美的、适合年轻人的英文读物，将很多我认为年轻朋友们有必要读一读的优秀英文作品推荐给大家。但这是一个比较浩大且责任重大的工程，必须静下心花费较长时间来进行。由于我本身的事务一直也比较繁忙，这个想法始终停留在构思阶段。
2008年，常青藤的刘红老师找到我，希望我能主持“每天读点好英文”系列双语读物的编译工作。我很认同常青藤出版的“美丽英文系列”的品质，常青藤那种对读者负责的态度，我也是十分佩服的，刘红老师的提议对我来说是正中下怀，于是我们就此开始了为期将近两年的选撰编译工作。“每天读点好英文”系列图书便于2010年应运而生。
经过一年多的市场考验，证明了此系列图书是成功的，但还是有一些不足，我思前想后，认为要在学习功能上再做加强，于是经过重新筛选编译，再次出版了这套“最美”系列图书，此套图书可以说是“每天读点好英文”的升级版。“最美”系列是专为有提高英文水平需要和兴趣的年轻朋友们量身打造的一套“超级学习版”双语读物，并配有专业外教录制的光盘，将我倡导的“两读一听”真正体现出来。
那么，有读者会问，此系列图书是如何选材的呢？要解释这个问题，首先要明白衡量一部作品质量的最强大标准是什么？是时间。那些超越了
历史与时代局限流传下来的，往往才是文化中最精华的部分。我们经过反复研究，精心选择了各国知名作家最具有代表性的作品来奉献给读者们。一篇篇经典隽永的美文，不仅可以让人在反复咀嚼中唇齿留香，同时也增加了读者的知识面，达到了开阔视野、提升素养的目的。
另外，我一直在强调学习功能，这也是我们在编辑之初就赋予这套书的期许之一。此系列图书的学习功能可谓是目前双语读物市场上学习功能最强大的一套作品。在每篇作品之后，我们都增加了很多实战内容。从“精读”“泛读”“听力”三个方面全面提升英语学习功能。“精读”学基础，主要精讲内文重要词汇及语法知识，增强英语单词能力，并让读者进一步进行翻译训练，提升应用能力；“泛读”练速读，通过多样题型训练阅读速度及理解能力；“听力”学应用，利用随书附赠的光盘及配合习题，提升英语运用能力；另外还有各种动手习题，真正完成了一个完整的反射体系，不愁英语无法提高。
另一点值得注意的是，“最美系列”真正做足了细节，从典雅的版式设计到精美的细节标识，从心灵感悟、作者介绍到各种背景知识的增补链接，我们在细节上下足了功夫，都是为了增加读者的阅读和学习兴趣。时尚的双色印刷技术，清晰地区别了阅读与学习功能，让读者能更轻松地享受阅读，提高英语水平。
主持“最美”系列的编译工作过程中，我收获良多，故此也希望年轻的朋友们在阅读这套书的时候能有所收获，希望这套书能成为波澜壮阔的英文海洋中的导航员，帮助更多的读者发自内心地爱上英文学习，理解英语文化之美。
吴文智中国译协专家会员、中国译协理事、江苏省译协秘书长南京师范大学外国语学院《江苏外语教学研究》杂志主编、研究员2011年5月10日
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Chapter 1 有一种爱叫放手
母亲的爱之味 Taste of Love …………………………………………………… 4
佚名／Anonymous
母女之爱，浩如烟海 Connection …………………………………………… 10
苏珊·B.威尔逊／Susan B. Wilson
爱的小盒子 The Golden Box ………………………………………………… 15
佚名／Anonymous
父亲的等待 A Dance with Dad ……………………………………………… 22
佚名／Anonymous
妈妈，我爱你 Tell Mommy I Love Her ……………………………………… 28
佚名／Anonymous
我最思念的人 My Most Unforgettable Character ……………………………… 33
佚名／Anonymous
递给母亲的甜蜜抚慰 Squeeze My Hand and I’ll Tell You that I Love You … 41
玛丽·马尔丹特／Mary Marcdante
父爱如山 Dad …………………………………………………………………… 47
佚名／Anonymous
那份爱，让我永生难忘 A Dad Who Truly Cares …………………………… 51
里克·赖利／Rick Reilly
令人感动的礼物 A Father’s Gift from a Daughter …………………………… 58
雷蒙德· L. 莫尔黑德／Raymond L. Morehead
女儿上学了 Sending Kids Off to School ……………………………………… 64
苏珊·尤尼／Susan Union
承载着爱与思念的手表 Mother’s Watch …………………………………… 70
雷蒙德·巴里／Raymond Barry
栀子花开 Mystery of the White Gardenia …………………………………… 76
佚名／Anonymous
Chapter 2 有一种快乐叫珍惜
我的好妹妹 The Importance of Conscience …………………………………… 84
伊莱沙·M. 韦伯斯特／Elisha M. Webster
哥哥的心愿 The Wish of Brother ……………………………………………… 88
佚名 / Anonymous
爷爷的藏宝图 A Giant Mystery ……………………………………………… 92
佚名 / Anonymous
从奶奶那儿学到的 What I Learned from My Grandmother ……………… 98
安娜·科佩尔 / Anna Kopel
祖母的瓷器 Grandmother’s China ……………………………………………103
克里斯蒂娜·朗德奎斯特／Kristine Lundquis
健忘的奶奶 The Ice Cream Girl ………………………………………………108
佚名／Anonymous
我的姐妹金纳 The Story of Gina ………………………………………………114
梅利莎·内维利斯／Melissa Nevels
兄弟齐心，其利断金 The Praying Hands ……………………………………124
佚名／Anonymous
另类古董 Jenny’s Antigue ……………………………………………………… 130
佚名／Anonymous
Chapter 3 有一种幸福叫守候
玫瑰之约 Roses for Rose ……………………………………………………… 138
佚名／Anonymous
看不见的线 Love Is Just a Thread …………………………………………… 144
佚名／Anonymous
最后的告白 Words from the Heart …………………………………………… 149
佚名／Anonymous
爱的救生绳 Homemaking ……………………………………………………… 155
佚名／Anonymous
高尔夫罗曼史 Golf Course Romance ………………………………………… 160
佚名／Anonymous
至爱 Moments of Love …………………………………………………………… 167
佚名／Anonymous
点滴使爱延续 The Best Kind of Love ………………………………………… 174
佚名／Anonymous
执子之手，与子偕老 A Gentle Caress ……………………………………… 181
达芙娜·勒南／Daphna Renan
康复医院里的婚礼 Where Love Lands ……………………………………… 186
伊丽莎白·库伯-罗斯／Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Chapter 4 有一种真情叫关爱
情暖今生 The Gift ……………………………………………………………… 198
茹涅·吉尔／Junie Girl
电话里的朋友 A Friend on the Line …………………………………………… 204
金尼斯·迈克尔·比奇／Jennings Michael Birch
77美分 77 Cents ………………………………………………………………… 213
佚名／Anonymous
吉莱斯皮先生的天使 An Angle to Mr. Gillespie …………………………… 217
安杰拉·斯特吉尔／Angela Sturgill
好朋友 A Good Friend ………………………………………………………… 221
佚名／Anonymous
感恩的心 The Hand …………………………………………………………… 225
史蒂夫·古迪尔／Steve Goodier
母亲的礼物 Wherever You Are ……………………………………………… 229
罗杰·迪安·凯泽／ Roger Dean Kiser
谢谢 All It Took Was Two Words ………………………………………………235
韦达·博伊德·乔恩／Veda Boyd Jones
人间天使 One Determined Angel …………………………………………… 239
多萝西／Dorothy
雪 Snow ………………………………………………………………………… 244
朱莉安娜·C. 纳什／Juliana C.Nash
一个朋友 About a Friend ……………………………………………………… 250
克劳迪娅·杜韦 / Claudia Duwe
开启心灵之门 Opening the Door ……………………………………………… 255
父母之爱中蕴藏着的是太阳的光泽，是莽莽苍苍山林的气息。
无须语言，甚至无须何种方式，只默默生成，慢慢积淀，静静流淌……Chapter 1有一种爱叫放手母亲的爱之味 Taste of Love
佚名／Anonymous
After several months of annoying body aches and pains, a friend suggested I start taking vitamins and some organic, unrefined oils to aid in my overall health.
I was interested in getting myself back into better shape and so it didn’t take much to convince me. Then once I began using them, I liked the results, less headaches, more energy; they seemed to be working. I faithfully took the five capsules every day until the time came when I needed to get some refills.
I looked through the mail-order catalog and found the stuff I wanted to order. Then, I looked further down and discovered the product any good mother would want to give her children. I found the children’s version of these oil pills I had been taking. I carefully read the description and without hesitation placed my order.
Soon the small box arrived at our doorstep just before my two oldest boys arrived home from school. My freshly baked brownies were cooling on the kitchen counter and I was excited to greet them. I looked at the delightful bottle their special product had arrived in and smiled contentedly to myself. Darling little jungle animals decorated the bottle. Big, bold lettering emphasized the scrumptious butterscotch flavor. An eye-catching caption said it was delicious over desserts! I suddenly had an idea!
My guys bounded up the street and took their usual places around the kitchen table eagerly awaiting their afternoon snack. I told them about the yummy brownies and they were practically salivating with anticipation! Carefully I cut each of my three sons a warm square of brownie. I diverted their attention and poured a few thick drops of this oil on top of their brownies. The oil sat there on the brownies for a moment, almost like it was saying, “Are you sure you want to do this?” But then it seeped deep into the dark chocolate. They’d never know I had added some health food in the middle of this treat. Ah ha!
I presented each boy with their own plate and it was Nathaniel, the oldest and most discerning that asked me, “Mom, what’s that on the brownies?” I gingerly walk around the question and encouraged him to dig in. The bite had barely entered his mouth when he grimaced and contorted. He held the moist brownie bits on the curl of his tongue hoping not to swallow any and cried, “Ugh! Mom, these are sick! What did you do? They taste terrible!” I tried not to laugh and despite me encouraging him to try another bite, ( he was almost gagging from the first one.) he quickly declined. Seeing their big brother so grossed out, the other boys suddenly lost their interest in their snack.They just wanted to leave the table on an empty stomach without incident.
Perhaps you can relate. I wanted to be the best mom in the world with a homemade snack and some health food all rolled up into one great afternoon treat. Again my attempt to sneak more nutrition into their meals was foiled. The tofu I had added to their tacos one time was a bomb. The seitan mashed soy bean curd I had cooked and tried to present as chicken was a culinary calamity. And although I had experienced moderate success with spinach brownies, it was clear I blew it again!
While the taste of that nasty concoction will hopefully fade from my son’s mind one day, I do hope he does remember one thing. His mom tried. God bless her soul, she tried. She didn’t hit the mark with everything she made but she did have a yummy kind of love for her family. She didn’t always make the best stuff in the world but she had a good recipe for life. She never forgot the secret ingredient of sweet love. It was never omitted.
Perhaps when he gets older, recalling all the food disasters, Nathaniel will be able to reflect upon our life as a family and see the deliciousness in it all. And simply smile remembering the taste of love only a mother can give.
恼人的疼痛纠缠了我几个月后，一个朋友提议让我尝试一下维生素和一些有机的、未提炼的油类产品，以促进我身体健康的全面恢复。
我正对尽快恢复求之不得，所以毫不犹豫地接受了朋友的建议。然后，当我试用这些补品以后，头疼减少了，精力更旺盛，这令我十分满意。看来是这些补品发挥了作用。在需要购买补品之前，我每天都按时服用五粒胶囊。
我查看商品的邮购目录，找到自己要订购的东西。然后，我又往下看，看到任何一位好母亲都不会错过的产品。我发现我一直服用的油类补药还有儿童服用系列。我认认真真地看了一下说明书，然后毫不犹豫地签了订单。
我很快就收到了订购的商品。那会儿，我的大儿子和二儿子还没放学。我先是把刚出炉的果仁巧克力蛋糕放在厨房的案子上凉着，然后满怀兴奋地等待儿子们回家。看着漂亮的小瓶子——里面是为孩子买的特殊商品，我感到很高兴，并且会心地笑了起来。瓶子上的图案是可爱的丛林小动物，大大的粗体字进一步突出了这种产品拥有绝妙的奶油糖果香味。一个非常醒目的标题告诉我们：把它放在甜点上味道会更加美妙！这时，一个想法在我的心里突然闪现。
我的儿子们蹦蹦跳跳地从街上跑回来，然后就坐在厨房餐桌旁各自的位置上，满怀期待地准备享用午后餐点。不出所料，当我说出做了果仁巧克力蛋糕时，他们差点儿口水直流。我小心地给三个儿子每人切了一块还有温度的蛋糕。我先引开他们的注意力，然后在蛋糕上滴了几滴黏稠的补品油。油在蛋糕上待了一会儿，好像在说：“你确定要这么干吗？”可是，不久就渗进了深色的巧克力中。孩子们做梦也不会想到，我在他们的美味里加进了营养物质。哈哈！
我依次把盘子端给孩子们。这时，最有警惕性的大儿子纳撒尼尔问我：“妈妈，蛋糕上是什么东西？”我谨慎地回避他的询问，只是督促他吃蛋糕。还没等到咬的第一口吃到嘴里，他的面部就扭曲起来，显得非常痛苦。他赶忙伸出舌头，希望在舌尖上面已经潮湿的那口蛋糕不要进入自己的嘴里。随后痛苦不堪地哭着说：“啊，妈妈，真恶心，你放了什么？味道太糟糕了。”我强忍着不笑出声来，鼓励他再吃一口，（吃第一口时，他几乎快要吐了。）他不假思索地拒绝了。看到他们的大哥如此受罪，另外两个儿子马上对蛋糕没了兴趣。他们为了安然无恙地离开，宁可饿着肚子。
也许，你能够理解我的苦心。我想做世界上最好的妈妈，所以我为孩子们精心准备了下午的小吃，在自制的甜点里加进了有助健康的营养品。可是，我私下里给孩子们增加营养的计划又一次失败了。
我曾经在玉米面卷中加入豆腐，产生了炸弹似的风波。我曾经努力把豆腐泥做成鸡块的样子，带来了灾难性的结果。尽管我在果仁巧克力蛋糕里放入菠菜被他们接受了，但这次我是彻底失败了。
虽然我希望那令人厌恶的味道一天内就会被儿子遗忘，但我确实希望他能记住一件事：他的妈妈竭尽全力了。上帝会保佑她，她的确竭尽全力了。她做的食物都没有她想得那么好，但是，她有一颗爱家的心。她不是总能做出美味的食物，但是，她有正确的生活处方。她从未忘记甜蜜爱意的要素。它永远不会被舍弃。
也许，纳撒尼尔长大后，想起所体验的食物风波时，能够深深体会到我们一家人生活中的经历，感悟到其中的美味。一旦想起母亲赋予自己的爱之味时，他会心满意足地微笑。
According to the speech, match each of the following words with its meaning.
(1) grimace a. element
(2) contort b. to twist into or as if into a strained expression
(3) calamity c. a disastrous event
(4) ingredient d. a facial expression of pain
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
_______(1) I faithfully took the three capsules every day until the time came
when I needed.
_______(2) They’d know their mother had added some health food in the
middle of this treat.
_______(3) Maybe Nathaniel will know his mother’s love when he grows up.
1. I_____getting myself back into better shape and so it didn’t take much to
convince me.
我正对尽快恢复求之不得，所以毫不犹豫地接受了朋友的建议。
2. I carefully read the description and_______placed my order.
我认认真真地看了一下说明书，然后毫不犹豫地签了订单。
3. I told them about the yummy brownies and they were practically_______
anticipation!
当我说出做了果仁巧克力蛋糕时，他们差点儿口水直流。母女之爱，浩如烟海 Connection
苏珊· B. 威尔逊／Susan B. Wilson
Understand these new words before you read this article.
1. hesitate ['heziteit] v. 犹豫，踌躇
2. contemplation [,kɔntəm'pleɪʃən] n. 沉思，冥想
3. agony ['æɡəni] n. 极大的痛苦
My mother and I are deeply connected by our uncanny ability to silently communicate with each other.
Fourteen years ago, I was living in Evansville, Indiana, 800 miles away from my mother—my confidante, my best friend. One morning, while in a quiet state of contemplation, I suddenly felt an urgent need to call Mother and ask if she was all right. At first I hesitated. Since my mother taught fourth grade, calling her at 7:15 A.M. could interrupt her routine and made her late for work. But something compelled me to go ahead and call her. We spoke for three minutes, and she assured me that she was safe and fine.
Later that day, the telephone rang. It was Mother, reporting that my morning phone call had probably saved her life. Had she left the house three minutes earlier, it’s likely that she would have been part of a major interstate accident that killed several people and injured many more.
Eight years ago, I discovered that I was pregnant with my first child. The due date was March 15. I told the doctor that was just too soon. The baby’s due date had to fall between March 29 and April 3 because that was when my mother had her spring break from teaching. And of course I wanted her with me. The doctor still insisted that the due date was mid-March. I just smiled. Reid arrived on March 30. Mother arrived on March 31.
Six years ago, I was expecting again. The doctor said the due date was toward the end of March. I said it would have to be earlier this time because—you guessed it—Mother’s school break was near the beginning of March. The doctor and I both smiled. Breanne made her entry on March 8.
Two-and-a-half years ago, Mother was fighting cancer. Over time, she lost her energy, her appetite, her ability to speak. After a weekend with her in North Carolina, I had to prepare for my flight back to the Midwest. I knelt at Mother’s bedside and took her hand. “Mother, if I can, do you want me to come back?” Her eyes widened as she tried to nod.
Two days later, I had a call from my stepfather. My mother was dying. Family members were gathered for last rites. They put me on a speakerphone to hear the service.
That night, I tried my best to send a loving goodbye to Mother over the miles. The next morning, however, the telephone rang. Mother was still alive, but in a coma and expected to die any minute. But she didn’t. Not that day, or the next. Every morning, I’d get the same call: She could die any minute. But she didn’t. And every day, my pain and sadness were compounded.
After long weeks passed, it finally dawned on me: Mother was waiting for me. She had communicated that she wanted me to come back if I could. I hadn’t been able to before, but now I could. I made reservation immediately.
By 5:00 that afternoon, I was lying in her bed with my arms around her. She was still in a coma, but I whispered, “I’m here, Mother. You can let go. Thank you for waiting. You can let go.” She died just a few hours later.
I think when a connection is that deep and powerful, it lives forever in a place far beyond words and is indescribably beautiful. For all the agony of my loss, I would not trade the beauty and power of that connection for anything.
因为我们所拥有的非凡默契和感知能力，我和母亲之间存在着深厚的母女情结。
14年前，我住在印第安纳州的埃文斯维尔市，那里距离我的母亲——我的知己、我最好的朋友有八百英里。一天早上，沉思中的我突然觉得急需给母亲打个电话，问问她身体是否还好。起初，我犹豫了。因为母亲是四年级的老师，7:15打电话给她会打乱她的日常规律，使她上班迟到。但是，还是有某种力量驱使着我放下一切顾虑打给了她。我们聊了三分钟，她向我保证自己很安全、很健康。
那天晚些时候，我的电话铃声响起。是母亲打来的，她告诉我说，可能是我早上打给她的电话让她逃过了一劫。如果她早三分钟出门的话，她就很可能是州际公路上交通事故中的一名受害者。在那场事故中，数人死亡，多人受伤。
八年前，我发现我怀上了我的第一个孩子。预产期是3月15日。我对医生说，推算的这个预产期太提前了，孩子会推迟到3月29日至4月3日之间出生，因为母亲在那个时候刚好可以休春假。当然，我希望宝宝出生的时候母亲在我身边。医生仍然坚持说预产期是在3月中旬，而我只是笑笑。最后，里德在3月30日出生，母亲在3月31日到达了。
六年前，我又怀孕了。医生说预产期是在3月底。我说这次孩子会提前出生，你可以猜到，那是因为母亲所在的学校在3月初放假。医生和我都笑了。结果，布雷妮在3月8日出世。
两年半前，母亲正与癌症作斗争。一段时间后，她精疲力竭，失去了食欲和讲话的能力。陪她在北卡罗来纳州度过一个周末后，我不得不准备乘飞机返回美国的中西部地区。我跪在母亲床边，握着她的手说：“妈妈，如果我能赶回来，您愿意等我吗？”母亲一边睁大双眼，一边努力地点点头。
两天后，我接到继父打来的电话。母亲的生命危在旦夕，家庭中的所有成员都聚到了一起，向她作最后的告别。他们打开扬声器，以便我能听到那边的仪式。
在那个晚上，我远隔数千里，尽力用自己最有爱意的声音跟母亲说了再见。然而，第二天清晨，电话里传来的消息却是：母亲还活着，不过一直处于昏迷之中，随时都有可能辞世。可是她没有。不仅那天没有，第二天也没有。每天早上，我都能得到相同的电话消息：她随时都有可能撒手人寰，但是她没有。我的心痛和悲伤在每日里沉积。
漫长的数周过去了，我才终于明白：母亲是在等我。母亲曾向我表示，如果我能赶回来，她会等我。之前我不能赶回去，可是现在我能了。于是，我立即订购了机票。
到那天下午5点时，我已搂着母亲躺在她的床上了。母亲还在昏迷中，但是我还是轻声对她说：“妈妈，我在您身边了。您可以放心地走了。谢谢您等我，您可以放心地走了。”几个小时后，母亲离我们而去。
我想，当一种情结很深厚、很强大时，它会在言语无法表达的地方永存，它具有难以言表的美丽。尽管失去母亲带给我很深的伤痛，但母女情结的美丽和力量是任何东西都无法从我这里换取的。
(1) uncanny a. a female confidant
(2) confidante b. book a ticket
(3) compound c. being beyond what is normal or expected
(4) reservation d. to become joined
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
_______(1) The mother accompanied her daughter when she was pregnant.
_______(2) The mother who had cancer died until her daughter came back to see her.
_______(3) The mother and her daughter had a deep affection.
1. My mother and I are deeply connected by our uncanny ability to
silently_______ .
因为我们所具有的非凡的默契和感知能力，我和母亲之间存在着深厚
的母女情结。
2. That night, I_____to send a loving goodbye to Mother over the miles.
在那个晚上，我远隔数千里，尽力用自己最有爱意的声音跟母亲说了
再见。
3. When a connection is that deep and powerful, it lives forever in a
place_______ and is indescribably beautiful.
当一种情结很深厚、很强大时，它会在言语无法表达的地方永存，它
具有难以言表的美丽。爱的小盒子 The Golden Box
佚名／Anonymous
The mysterious golden box was tied with crimson ribbon and sat upon a shelf above the sideboard in the dining room.
During my childhood, I would often wonder where it had come from and why it was never opened. From time-to-time, I would see my parents look upon that golden box and smile. Sometimes I would climb upon a chair to get a closer look, but would never touch it for fear I would spoil something special.
When I was grown and off on my own, the memory of that box faded. However, I would come home to visit and see that small treasure sitting in its usual place and the mystery would come alive again.
I soon married and had children of my own. But each time we would visit my parents’home, I would spot that golden treasure and wonder what story was held within. Many years passed as that box continued to sit with its mysterious contents, undisturbed.
The tragic loss of my father happened one spring day. Our friends and family gathered to mourn the loss of the biggest hero in my life. He was the one I thought would never die.
After my father’s funeral, I found my mother in their room—on the bed they had shared for so many years, holding that treasured box in her delicate hands. With tears in her eyes and a lifetime of memories in her heart, she carefully untied the ribbon and opened that golden treasure.
On a yellowed piece of paper were written these words:
My Love, I go far away.
I have to go.
I cannot stay.
My love for you
I will hold dear,
Until that time I can hold you near.
So I ask, Darling, wait for me
While I am far across the sea.
’Til I return, Dear, just know this
I leave this box sealed with a kiss.
All My Love,
Frank
Then my mother told me this story: My parents met in high school when their best friends set them up on a blind date. As my parent’s friendship grew, their love also grew. They had planned on marrying as soon as they graduated from high school but “Uncle Sam” had other ideas.
Before my father went off to war, he wrote those words and placed them in that golden box and tied it with the crimson ribbon as a token of his everlasting love for my mother. He asked that she open the box only if she knew he would not be coming home.
As those months passed, their love, faith and prayer sustained them through that difficult time until they would be together again. When my father finally returned from the war, they married. However, Mom kept that box unopened as a remembrance of their love and devotion during that hard time in their lives.
After my father passed away, I saw my mother slowly decline. She had lost the zest for life she’d once had when my father was alive. I knew she was dying of a broken heart because her true love never returned.
Soon, I found myself in my old family home holding that golden box. But instead of a crimson ribbon, it was now tied with a blue one. And with that blue ribbon came another mystery.
As I untied the ribbon I thought of all those wonderful years my parents and I had shared. They had given me a lifetime of love and caring, and I knew I would feel that love for the rest of my life. When I lifted the lid and looked inside, I found that yellowed paper placed there so many years ago and a new page written in my mother’s own hand. It read:
My Dear Son,
The first time I held you, my precious boy,
My heart was filled with so much joy.
As I watched you grow from a boy to a man,
How thankful I am and I know it’s so true,
You’re a wonderful son and I’ll always love you.
Mom
餐具柜的架子上，摆放着一个神秘的金黄色盒子，上面系着一条深红色丝带。童年时的我，常常好奇于这个盒子的来历以及它为何从未被打开过。有时，我会看见父母望着那个金黄色的盒子微笑。有时，我会爬到椅子上，这样就可以近距离看它，但我从未触摸过它，因为我害怕损坏了这件特别的物品。
当我长大后开始独立生活时，对那个盒子的记忆慢慢淡却了。然而，每次回家探望父母时，我都会望一下依然摆放在那里的那件小珍藏，那种神秘感再一次浮现。
不久，我结婚了，并有了自己的孩子。但是每次回家探望父母，我都会看一下那个金黄色的珍藏，想知道其中的故事。多年过去了，盒子和它的神秘内容依然摆放在那里，很安静。
父亲在春季的一天辞世了，这种悲痛始终伴随着我们。朋友和亲人们都前来哀悼这位我生命中最伟大的英雄。我一直认为他是不会离开我的。
父亲的葬礼之后，我在他们的卧室找到了母亲，她在那张他们分享了许多年的床上，用纤细的手捧着那个珍藏的盒子。泪水盈眶，心中的往事浮现，她小心翼翼地解开丝带，打开了那件金黄色的珍藏。
一张泛黄的纸上写着一些字：
亲爱的，我要离你远去了。
我必须要走。
我不能逗留。
我对你的爱，
至死不渝，
直到我再一次将你拥入怀中。
所以我恳求你，亲爱的，等我。
当我穿越海洋。
直到我归来，亲爱的，只要你明白我对你的爱，
我用我的吻封住了盒子。
爱你的，
弗兰克
随后，母亲告诉我这样一个故事：我的父母是在高中认识的，好友为他们安排了一次约会，使他们可以走到一起。他们的友谊日益增长，爱也随之升华。他们计划高中毕业后就结婚，但是“山姆叔叔”另有安排。
父亲入伍之前，写下了这些话，把它放在了一个金黄色的盒子里，并用深红色的丝带系住，作为他对母亲之爱的永久留念。他告诉母亲，如果他永远都不能回来，就打开这个盒子。
几个月后，爱、信任和祈祷支撑着他们度过了艰苦的岁月，最终他们重逢了。父亲终于从战场上归来后，他们结婚了。然而，母亲还保留着那个未开封的盒子，她将其看做他们的爱在那段艰苦岁月中的回忆和奉献。
父亲去世后，我看到母亲慢慢衰老。她没有了那种父亲在世时对生活的热忱。我知道她的心碎了，因为她的真爱已经永远地离去。
不久，在那间老房子里，我又发现了那个金黄色的盒子。但那条深红色的丝带被一条蓝色的丝带替换掉了。然而蓝色的丝带又带来了另一种神秘。
我解开那条丝带，回忆着跟父母一起分享的幸福岁月。他们给了我一生的爱与照顾，我将在余下的岁月中去细细体会。当我掀起盖子，向里面张望时，我发现了那张许多年前泛黄的纸以及一张新纸，上面有母亲的字迹。写着：
我亲爱的儿子：
我珍爱的孩子，当我第一次抱你时，
我的心中涌起一种莫大的欢愉，
当我看着你从一个小男孩成长为一个男子汉时，
我是多么地感激，我知道这是多么真切的幸福感。
你是一个完美的孩子，我永远爱着你。
母亲
1. wonder
作动词：想知道。
No wonder. 怪不得。
例：1. What a wonder! 真奇怪！
不可思议！
2. I wonder what happened.
我想知道发生了什么事。
2. blind date 相亲，指“男女间的初次会面”
have a blind date表示“去相亲”。
例：I meet my wife on a blind date.
我是通过相亲认识我妻子的。
1. When I was on my own, the memory of that box faded. However, I would come home to and that small treasure sitting in its usual place and the mystery would come alive again.
2. Soon, I found myself in my old family home holding that . But instead of a crimson ribbon, it was now tied with a one. And with that blue ribbon came another mystery.父亲的等待 A Dance with Dad
佚名／Anonymous
I am dancing with my father at my parents’50th-wedding-anniversary celebration. The band is playing an old-fashioned waltz as we move gracefully across the floor. His hand on my waist is as guiding as it always was and he hums the tune to himself in a steady, youthful way. Around and around we go, laughing and nodding to the other dancers.
We are the best dancers on the floor, they tell us. My father squeezes my hand and smiles at me. All the years that I refused to dance with him melt away now. And those early times come back.
I remember when I was almost three and my father came home from work, swooped me into his arms and began to dance me around the table. My mother laughed at us, told us dinner would get cold. But my father said, “She’s just caught the rhythm of the dance!Our dinner can wait.” Then he sang out,“Roll out the barrel, let’s have a barrel of fun, ” and I sang back, “Let’s get those blues on the run.”
We danced through the years. One night when I was 15, lost in some painful, adolescent mood. My father put on a stack of records and teased me to dance with him. “C’mon,” he said, “let’s get those blues on the run.”
When I turned away from him, my father put his hand on my shoulder, and I jumped out of the chair screaming, “Don’t touch me!I am sick and tired of dancing with you!” I saw the hurt on his face, but words were out and I could not call them back. I ran to my room sobbing hysterically.
We did not dance together after that night. I found other partners, and my father waited up for me after dances, sitting in his favorite chair. Sometimes he would be asleep when I came in, and I would wake him, saying, “If you were so tired, you should have gone to bed.”
“No, no, ” he’d say, “I was just waiting for you.”
Then we’d lock up the house and go to bed.
My father waited up for me through my high school and college years when I danced my way out of his life.
Shortly after my first child was born; my mother called to tell me my father was ill. “A heart problem, ” she said, “now, don’t come. It’s three hundred miles. It would upset your father.”
A proper diet restored him to good health. My mother wrote that they had joined a dance club. “The doctor says it’s a good exercise. You remember how your father loves to dance.”
Yes, I remembered. My eyes filled up with remembering.
When my father retired, we mended our way back together again; hugs and kisses were common when we visited each other. He danced with the grandchildren, but he did not ask me to dance. I knew he was waiting for an apology from me. I could never find the right words.
As my parents’50th anniversary approached, my brothers and I met to plan the party. My older brother said, “Do you remember that night you wouldn’t dance with him? Boy, was he mad? I couldn’t believe he’d get so mad about a thing like that. I’ll bet you haven’t danced with him since.”
I did not tell him he was right.
My younger brother promised to get the band. “Make sure they can play waltzes and polkas.” I told him.
I did not tell him that all I wanted to do was dance once more with my father.
When the band began to play after dinner, my parents took the floor. They glided around the room, inviting the others to join them. The guests rose to their feet, applauding the golden couple. My father danced with his granddaughters, and then the band began to play the “Beer Barrel Polka.”
“Roll out the barrel.” I heard my father singing. Then I knew it was time. I wound my way through a few couples and tapped my daughter on the shoulder.
“Excuse me, ” I said, looking directly into my father’s eyes and almost choking on my words, “but I believe this is my dance.”
My father stood rooted to the spot. Our eyes met and traveled back to that night when I was 15. In a trembling voice, I sang, “Let’s get those blues on the run.”
My father bowed and said, “Oh, yes. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Then he started to laugh, and we moved into each other’s arms.
在父母50周年结婚纪念庆典上，伴着古老的华尔兹旋律，我与父亲在舞池中优雅地翩翩起舞。他从容地哼着轻快的乐曲，依旧把手放在我的腰际，引领着舞步。我们旋转着四处滑动，不停地笑着对其他舞者点头致意。
这是大家公认的：我和父亲是舞场中跳得最好的一对。父亲紧抓着我的手，冲我微笑。多年来，我拒绝和他跳舞，直到现在，这种隔膜才消失殆尽，最初的美好时光重新回来了。
记得在我大约3岁时，父亲下班回家总会猛地把我抱进怀里，然后开始围着餐桌跳舞。妈妈就会笑着说：“晚饭都要凉了。”可父亲说：“她刚刚跟上节奏，过一会儿吃。”然后便唱起来：“把桶滚出来，让我们拥有一个快乐的桶。”我也会唱着：“让我们滚走忧伤。”
很多年过去了，我们就这样跳着，直到15岁的一个晚上。那晚，我沉浸在青春期莫名的悲伤中，父亲拿出一摞唱片，揶揄着让我跟他跳舞。“来吧，”他说，“让我们滚走忧伤。”
我转过身去，父亲将手放到我的肩上，我腾地从椅子上跳起来，朝他尖叫道：“不准碰我，我不想和你跳舞！”我看见他的脸上流露出受伤的神情，但话已出口，无法收回。我跑回卧室，大哭起来。
从那以后，我们再也没一起跳过舞。我有了其他的舞伴，而父亲总是坐在他最喜欢的椅子上等我跳完回来。有时候，我回来时他已经睡着了，我叫醒他说：“你要是太累，就应该上床去睡。”“不，不累，”他总说，“我只是在等你。”
然后，我们便各自关上房门，上床睡觉了。
整个高中和大学期间，当我跳出他的生命，用自己的方式舞蹈时，他就这样等着我。
我生下第一个孩子不久，妈妈打电话告诉我，爸爸病了。“心脏问题，”她说，“你现在别回来，300英里远的路，会让你爸爸不安的。”
合理的饮食帮助父亲恢复了健康。妈妈来信说，他们参加了一个舞蹈俱乐部：“医生说跳舞是种很好的运动，你还记得，你爸爸曾经多么喜欢跳舞吧。”
是的，我记得，眼里满是回忆。
父亲退休后，我们努力想让彼此的关系回到从前，每次见面时，我们会拥抱和亲吻对方。他和孙儿们跳舞，却从不邀请我。我知道他是在等我道歉，但我总也说不出口。
父母50周年结婚纪念日即将来临，我和兄弟们商量宴会事宜。哥哥说：“你还记得那晚拒绝和他跳舞吗？爸爸真疯狂，真不敢相信他这么迷恋跳舞。我打赌，从那以后你再没和他跳过舞。”
他说对了，但我没搭腔。
弟弟说他去找乐队，我对他说：“一定要找能演奏华尔兹和波尔卡的乐队。”
我没告诉他，自己这样做只是希望能与父亲再跳一次舞。
晚饭后，乐队开始演奏，父母进入舞池，并邀请其他客人加入。他们在房间四周慢慢滑动舞步，大家都站了起来，为金婚夫妻鼓掌祝贺。在父亲与孙女们跳舞时，乐队开始演奏起了《啤酒桶波尔卡》。“把桶滚出来，”我听到父亲在唱歌，是时候了，我绕过几对夫妇，轻轻拍了拍女儿的肩膀。“对不起。”我直视父亲的眼睛，几乎说不出话来，“我想该轮到我了。”
父亲一动不动地站在那里。我们对视着，似乎又回到了我15岁的那个夜晚，我的声音颤抖着，唱道：“让我们滚走忧伤。”
父亲弯下腰来，说道：“噢，是的，我一直在等你。”
然后，他开始笑起来，我们拥抱在一起。
(1) approach a. emotionally or intellectually immature
(2) adolescent b. quivering
(3) trembling c. to draw nearer
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
(1) The father liked to dance with her daughter all the time.
(2) The daughter got well with her father at last.
(3) The daughter forgot the song“let’s have a barrel of fun.”
1. His hand on my waist is as guiding ，and he hums the tune to himself in
a steady, youthful way.
他从容地哼着轻快的乐曲，依旧把手放在我的腰际，引领着舞步。
2. Don’t touch me！I am sick and dancing with you!
不准碰我，我不想和你跳舞！
3. A proper diet him to good health.
合理的饮食帮助父亲恢复了健康。妈妈，我爱你 Tell Mommy I Love Her
佚名／Anonymous
John had been on the road visiting clients for more than three weeks. He couldn’t wait to get back to Ohio to see his wife and children. It was coming up on Mother’s Day, and he usually tried to make it “ back home”, but this year he was just too tired. He was in a small town just outside of Little Rock when he drove by a flower shop. He said to himself, “I know what I will do, I’ll send Mom some roses.”
He went into the small shop and saw a young man talking to the clerk. “How many roses can I get for six dollars, ma’am?” the boy asked. The clerk was trying to explain that roses were expensive. Maybe the young man would be happy with carnations.
“No. I have to have roses,” he said, “My Mom was sick so much last year and I didn’t get to spend much time with her. I want to get something special. It has to be red roses, because that’s her favorite.” He was emphatic.
The clerk looked up at John and was just shaking her head. Something inside of John was touched by the boy’s voice. He wanted to get those roses so bad. John had been blessed in his business, and he looked at the clerk and silently mouthed that he would pay for the boy’s roses.
The clerk looked at the young man and said, “Okay, I will give you a dozen red roses for your six dollars.” The young man almost jumped into the air. He took the flowers and ran from the store. It was worth the extra thirty-five dollars just to see that kind of excitement.
John ordered his own flowers and had the clerk be sure that delivery would include a note telling his mother how much he loved her. As he drove away from the shop, he was feeling very good. He caught a light about two blocks from the shop. As he waited at the light, he saw the young boy walking down the sidewalk. He watched him cross the street and enter a park through two huge gates. Suddenly, he realized it wasn’t a park. It was a cemetery. He could see the young man turn there by gate and walk along the fence.
The light changed, and John slowly crossed the intersection. He pulled over and on an impulse got out and began to follow the boy down the fence line. John was on the sidewalk, thirty or forty steps behind the boy, who walked inside the cemetery fence. The young man stopped by a small monument and went on his knees. He carefully laid the roses on the grave and began to sob. John felt like an intruder but he couldn’t leave. He stared at the little boy’s heaving body and listened to his muted crying.
As he cried, he heard the young man speak, “Mommy, oh Mommy, why didn’t I tell you how much I love you. Why didn’t I tell you one more time? Jesus, please, find my Mommy. Tell my Mommy I love her.”
John turned, tears in his eyes, and walked back to his car. He drove quickly to the florist and told her he would take the flowers personally. He wanted to be sure and tell his Mother one more time just how much he loved her.
三个多星期以来，约翰一直忙得不可开交，不停地联系客户。他情不自禁地想回俄亥俄州去看看妻子和孩子们。母亲节到了，以往的母亲节他都会尽可能回家，但今年他太疲倦了。在小石城外的一个小镇上，他途经一家花店。他对自己说：“我知道该怎么做了，我会给妈妈寄些玫瑰花。”
他来到这家花店，看到一个男孩正在跟店员说话。“小姐，请问6美元可以买多少玫瑰花？”男孩问道。店员尽力说明玫瑰花很昂贵，或许康乃馨会符合他的意愿。“不，我必须要玫瑰花。”他说，“我妈妈去年生病时，十分虚弱，而我没有花很多时间和她在一起。我想送她一些特别的东西。那一定是玫瑰花，因为妈妈最喜爱玫瑰。”他的态度很坚决。
店员抬头看着约翰，只是不住地摇头。约翰内心深处被男孩的话语触动了，他是多么迫切地想要得到那些玫瑰花。约翰的生意一直不错。于是他看了看店员，然后小声对她说自己愿意为男孩买玫瑰花。
店员看了看男孩，说道：“好吧，我收你6美元，给你一打玫瑰花。”男孩高兴地差点儿要跳起来。他接过花，然后跑出了花店。看到小男孩如此兴奋，这额外的35美元没有白花。
约翰订购了自己要的花，一再叮嘱店员确认给母亲的花中要附上一张便条，写上他有多爱她。开车离开花店时，他的心情出奇的好。因为红灯，他在离花店约两个街区的地方停了下来。就在等红灯的过程中，他看见那个男孩正走过人行道。约翰目送男孩穿过大街，经过两扇巨大的门进入了一个公园。突然，他意识到那不是公园，而是一块墓地。他还能看到男孩在大门那儿转过身，沿着篱笆向前走去。
绿灯亮了，约翰慢慢地把车开过十字路口，停在路边。他一冲动下了车，开始沿着篱笆跟着男孩。那个男孩来到了篱笆围着的墓地，约翰与他保持着三四十步的距离，在人行道上跟着他。男孩在一块小小的墓碑前止住脚步，然后跪了下来。他小心翼翼地将花放在坟上，然后开始哭泣。约翰觉得自己是一个入侵者，但他又不忍离开。他看着男孩因哭泣而上下起伏的身体，听着他低低的哭声。
男孩夹杂着哭泣的话语传到约翰的耳朵里：“妈妈，哦，妈妈，为什么我没告诉你我有多爱你？为什么我没有再一次告诉你？上帝，求你找到我妈妈，告诉她我爱她！”
约翰泪流满面地转过身来，走回自己的车里。他飞快地开着车回到那家花店，告诉店员他要亲手把花交给妈妈。他想要亲自把花送给妈妈，并再一次告诉她，他有多爱她。
(1) emphatic a. crossroad
(2) intersection b. tending to express oneself in forceful speech
(3) muted c. silent
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
_______ (1) John doesn’t care his mother.
_______ (2) John followed the boy only out of curiosity.
_______ (3) John finally understood how to love his mother from the boy.
1. John his business, and he looked at the clerk and silently mouthed that he
would pay for the boy’s roses.
约翰的生意一直不错。于是他看了看店员，然后小声对她说自己愿意为
男孩买玫瑰花。
2. He pulled over and got out and began to follow the boy down the fence
line.
他一冲动下了车，开始沿着篱笆跟着男孩。我最思念的人 My Most Unforgettable Character
佚名／Anonymous
Mama’s face was radiant with pride. I knew that everything we had achieved or would achieve was because of my parents.
When we were young children, my mother was, especially, our mentor. Not until I became an adult did I realize how special she was.
Delight in Devotion. My mother was born in a small town in northern Italy. She was three when her parents immigrated to this country in 1926. They lived on Chicago’s South Side, where my grandfather worked making ice cream.
Mama thrived in the hectic urban environment. At 16, she graduated first in her high-school class, went on to secretarial school, and finally worked as an executive secretary for a railroad company.
She was beautiful too. When a local photographer used her pictures in his monthly window display, she was flattered. Her favorite portrait showed her sitting by Lake Michigan, her hair windblown, her gaze reaching toward the horizon. My mother always used to say that when you died, God gave you back your “best self.” She’d show us that picture and say, “This is what I’m going to look like in heaven.”
My parents were married in 1944. Dad was a quiet and intelligent man who was 17 when he left Italy. Soon after, a hit-and-run accident left him with a permanent limp. Dad worked hard selling candy to Chicago office workers on their break. He had little formal schooling. His English was self-taught. Yet he eventually built a small, successful wholesale candy business. Dad was generous, handsome and deeply religious. Mama was devoted to him.
After she married, my mother quit her job and gave herself to her family. In 1950, with three children, Dad moved the family to a farm 40 miles from Chicago. He worked the land and commuted to the city to run his business. Mama said good-by to her parents and friends and traded her busy city neighborhood for a more isolated life. But she never complained. By 1958, our modest white farmhouse was filled with six children, and Mama was delighted.
Think Big. My mother never studied books on parenting. Yet she knew how to raise children. She heightened our self-esteem and helped us reach our potential.
One fall day, I sat at the kitchen table while Mama peeled potatoes. She spied Dad out the window on his tractor and smiled. “Your father has accomplished so much.” she said proudly. “He really is somebody.”
My mother wanted each of us to be somebody too. “Your challenge is to be everything you can. Mine is to help.” she always said.
She read to us every day and used homemade flash cards to teach us phonetics. She bolstered our confidence, praising even our most ordinary accomplishments. When I was ten, I painted a stack of wooden crates white and nailed them together to make a wobbly bookcase.“It’s wonderful!” Mama exclaimed.“Just what we need.” She used it for many years.
In the dining room are two paint-by-number pictures that my sister Gloria and brother Leo did as kids. Several years ago, Leo commented that the pictures weren’t very good and offered to take them down. But Mama wouldn’t hear of it. “They are there to remind you how much you could accomplish even as children.” she said.
From the very beginning, she urged us to think big. One day, after visiting our grandparents on the South Side, she made Dad detour past the Prudential Building construction site. Mama explained that when finished, the 41-story building would be Chicago’s tallest. “Maybe someday one of you can design a building like this.” she said.
Her confidence in us was infectious. When my sister Carla was 12, she announced she was going to be a lawyer.
“You can do that.” Mama said. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”
Tour Guide. To Mama, education was a key part of her blueprint for success. Four of us went to a nearby, one-room school-house. My mother made up for its shortcomings by getting us educational toys, talking to us about history, politics and current events, and helping with home-work. The best part of getting a good report card was her unstinting praise.
When I was in the third grade, she urged our teacher to organize a field trip to Chicago museums. My mother helped the teacher rent a bus and plan the trip. She even served as tour guide, pointing out landmarks and recounting local history.
When it came time to think about college, there was never a question that we’d all go. Inspired by our parents’sacrifice, we studied hard to earn scholarships, and applied for grants and financial aid. We also took jobs to earn money for school. Working in a grocery store, I learned the value of a dollar. “Work is a blessing.” Mama always reminded us.
She never asked for anything for herself. “You don’t have to buy me a birthday present.” she said one time. “Instead write me a letter about yourself. Tell me about your life. Is anything worrying you? Are you happy?”...
妈妈的脸上洋溢着骄傲的光芒。我知道，我们所取得的和将要取得的每一点成就，都是我们的父母所赐。
在我们还是小孩子的时候，妈妈便是我们的良师益友。直到我长大成人，才意识到她是多么不平凡。
甘于奉献。母亲是在意大利北部的一个小镇出生的。1926年，她的父母移民到这个国家的时候，她才3岁。他们一家居住在芝加哥南区，在那里，我的外祖父做着冰淇淋生意。
在这个喧嚣的都市氛围中，妈妈茁壮成长着。16岁的时候，她以第一名的成绩从高中毕业，进入到文秘学校学习，并最终在铁路公司做行政秘书工作。
妈妈长得也很漂亮。当地的一位摄影师用她的照片做每月的橱窗展示，这令妈妈的心里美滋滋的。她最喜欢那张坐在密歇根湖畔的照片，照片上她眺望着远方，头发被风吹拂着。妈妈常说，一个人死去的时候，上帝就会将“最完美的自我”归还给他。她喜欢拿这张照片给我们看，她说：“这就是我在天堂的样子。”
妈妈在1944年与父亲结了婚。父亲虽然少言寡语，却是一个很聪明的人。他17岁便离开了意大利。之后不久，他遭遇了一场肇事司机逃逸的交通事故，而这次事故让他永远成了跛脚。父亲在芝加哥办公大楼里的工作人员休息的时候，向他们兜售糖果，他很勤奋地工作着。父亲没受过什么正规的教育，他的英语都是自学的。然而，他终于有了一家自己的小店，成功地做着糖果批发生意。爸爸不仅慷慨大方、相貌堂堂，还是一个虔诚的教徒。妈妈深深地爱上了他。
结婚后，妈妈辞去工作，做起了家庭主妇。1950年，父亲带着母亲和3个孩子搬到一片农场居住，那里距离芝加哥有40英里。他既要做农田里的活，还要去城里做生意。妈妈离开她的父母和朋友，告别身边喧嚣的城市，过起了离群索居的生活。然而，母亲从来没有抱怨过。到了1958年，我们这座简朴的农舍里有了6个孩子，母亲很高兴。
胸怀大志。妈妈从来没有看过育儿方面的书籍，但她知道该如何养育她的孩子们。她提升我们的自尊心，帮助我们发挥自己的潜能。
秋日里的一天，我坐在餐桌前，妈妈正削着土豆皮。她透过窗子看到爸爸坐在拖拉机上笑了，她自豪地说：“你爸爸取得了这么多的成就，他真是个了不起的人！”
妈妈希望我们每个人也都能成为了不起的人。她总是说：“你们的挑战就是做你能做之事，而我的挑战则是帮助你们去完成它们。”
她每天都会读书给我们听，还用自制的卡片教我们学语音。对于我们取得的最普通的小成就，母亲也会进行表扬，以此来增强我们的信心。10岁的时候，我把一堆木板涂成白色，把他们钉在一起制成了一个不牢固的书架。“太棒了！”妈妈称赞道，“我们正需要一个书架呢！”这个摇摇晃晃的书架母亲一用就是很多年。
我家的餐厅里挂着两张按数字涂颜色的画，那是姐姐格罗丽亚和哥哥利欧小时候画的。几年前，利欧说那两幅画不是很好看，提议把它们取下来，母亲没有同意。她说：“它们挂在那里是要提醒你们，孩提时的你们也是那么的能干。”
从一开始，母亲就要求我们要胸怀大志。一天，在看望过居住在南区的外祖父母之后，母亲让父亲绕路而行，带着我们?过普鲁登希尔大厦的施工场地。母亲为我们解释说，工程竣工后，这座41层的大楼将成为芝加哥最高的建筑物。“或许有一天，你们当中的人也能设计出这样的建筑物。”
母亲对我们的信心深深地感染了我们。12岁的姐姐卡拉宣称，她将来要成为一名律师。“你一定能的。世上无难事，只怕有心人。”妈妈对她说。
人生向导。对于妈妈而言，教育是她成功蓝图的一个重要部分。我们四兄妹去了附近只有一间教室的学校上学。通过为我们找来一些有教育意义的玩具，同我们一起探讨历史、政治和时事，帮助我们做好作业，母亲为我们弥补了学校教学的不足之处。取得优异成绩后，她对我们的赞扬是最好的事情。
当我读到三年级的时候，母亲劝说我们的老师组织一次芝加哥博物馆的实地参观。她还帮老师租借了汽车，安排了行程。母亲甚至还当起了向导，指出一些标志性建筑，讲述了当地历史。
到该考虑上大学的事情时，我们毫无疑问的都要去上。我们被父母作出的牺牲鼓舞着，大家都努力地学习以获得学士学位，申请助学金和财政补助。我们也都找了工作，自己挣钱上学。在一家杂货铺打工的过程中，我懂得了一美元所包含的价值。母亲总是提醒我们牢记：“工作就是幸福。”
母亲从来不向我们索求什么。有一次，她说：“你们不需要为我买什么生日礼物，只要给我写封信，跟我讲讲你们的生活就行了。让我知道你们有没有烦心事？你们过得快不快乐？”
1. 在我们还是小孩子的时候，妈妈便是我们的良师益友。直到我长大成人，才意识到她是多么不平凡。
2. 世上无难事，只怕有心人。
3. 母亲总是提醒我们牢记：“工作就是幸福。”
1. immigrate to: If you want to immigrate to that country, you must prepare lots of things.
2. confidence in: If you have confidence in the job, you should make a great effort beforehand.递给母亲的甜蜜抚慰 Squeeze My Hand and I’ll Tell You that I Love You
玛丽·马尔丹特／Mary Marcdante
Remember when you were a child and you fell and hurt yourself? Do you remember what your mother did to ease the pain? My mother, Grace Rose, would pick me up, carry me to her bed, sit me down and kiss my “owwie.” Then she’d sit on the bed beside me, take my hand in hers and say, “When it hurts, squeeze my hand and I’ll tell you that I love you.” Over and over I’d squeeze her hand, and each time, without fail, I heard the words, “Mary, I love you.”
Sometimes, I’d find myself pretending I’d been hurt just to have that ritual with her. As I grew up, the ritual changed, but she always found a way to ease the pain and increase the joy I felt in any area of my life. On difficult days during high school, she’d offer her favorite Hershey chocolate almond bar when I returned home. During my 20s, Mom often called to suggest a spontaneous picnic lunch at Estabrook Park just to celebrate a warm, sunny day in Wisconsin. A handwritten thank-you note arrived in the mail after every single visit she and my father made to my home, reminding me of how special I was to her.
But the most memorable ritual remained her holding my hand when I was a child and saying, “When it hurts, squeeze my hand and I’ll tell you that I love you.”
One morning, when I was in my late 30s, following a visit by my parents the night before, my father phoned me at work. He was always commanding and clear in his directions, but I heard confusion and panic in his voice. “Mary, something’s wrong with your mother and I don’t know what to do. Please come over as quickly as you can.”
The 10-minute drive to my parents’home filled me with dread, wondering what was happening to my mother. When I arrived, I found Dad pacing in the kitchen and Mom lying on their bed. Her eyes were closed and her hands rested on her stomach. I called to her, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. “Mom, I’m here.”
“Mary?”
“Yes, Mom.”
“Mary, is that you?”
“Yes, Mom, it’s me.”
I wasn’t prepared for the next question, and when I heard it, I froze, not knowing what to say.
“Mary, am I going to die?”
Tears welled up inside me as I looked at my loving mother lying there so helpless.
My thoughts raced, until this question crossed my mind: What would Mom say?
I paused for a moment that seemed like a million years, waiting for the words to come. “Mom, I don’t know if you’re going to die, but if you need to, it’s okay. I love you.”
She cried out, “Mary, I hurt so much.”
Again, I wondered what to say. I sat down beside her on the bed, picked up her hand and heard myself say, “Mom, when it hurts, squeeze my hand and I’ll tell you that I love you.”
She squeezed my hand.
“Mom, I love you.”
Many hand squeezes and “I love you” passed between my mother and me during the next two years, until she passed away from ovarian cancer. We never know when our moments of truth will come, but I do know now that when they do, whomever I’m with, I will offer my mother’s sweet ritual of love every time. “When it hurts, squeeze my hand and I’ll tell you that I love you.”
小时候跌倒了受伤后的情形，你还记得吗？还记得妈妈是怎样抚慰我们的伤痛吗？在这种情形下，我的妈妈雷格斯·罗斯就会把我抱起，放到她的床上，亲吻我摔痛的地方。然后坐在我身旁，握住我的小手说：“痛的时候，握紧我的手，我会告诉你我爱你。”一次又一次，我握紧了她的手。无一例外的是，每次我都能听到她说：“玛丽，我爱你。”
我发现，有时自己假装受伤，那样做只是为了得到她这样的抚慰。尽管这种抚慰的形式伴随着我的成长而有所变化，但是她总会找出一种方法抚慰我的伤痛，增加我生命中各个角落的欢乐。高中生活中那些艰难的日子里，妈妈会在我回家的时候给我准备好她最喜欢的“荷西”巧克力。20岁的时候，妈妈时常会打电话给我，提议去易斯特布鲁克公园野餐，庆祝威斯康星州温暖明媚的日子。妈妈和爸爸来我家探望我之后，便会有一张手写的感谢便条邮寄过来，那是为了提醒我：对她来说，我这个女儿是多么重要。
然而，最令我记忆深刻的抚慰，还是小时候妈妈握着我的手说：“痛的时候，握紧我的手，我会告诉你我爱你。”
我30多岁的一天早晨，爸爸在我上班的时候打来电话。爸爸做事一向有条不紊，但那天我从他的声音中听出了慌乱不安。要知道，前天晚上妈妈和爸爸刚来看望过我。爸爸说：“玛丽，你妈妈出了点儿问题，可是我不知道该怎么办。你尽快回来吧。”
开车到父母家的10分钟车程中，恐惧充斥着我的头脑。一路上，我都在猜测着妈妈出了什么事。到家的时候，我看到父亲正在厨房里忙，而妈妈则躺在床上。她闭着双眼，双手放在胃上。我用尽可能平静的声音轻唤她：“妈妈，我在你身边呢。”“是玛丽吗？”“是的。妈妈。”“玛丽，真的是你吗？”“是的，妈妈。真的是我。”
我没想到母亲会问下一个问题，当我听到这个问题时，我不寒而栗，无言以对。“玛丽，我是不是要死了？”
看到亲爱的妈妈如此无助地躺在那里，我的泪水在心里开了闸。
我的思绪很乱，直到脑子里闪出这样一个问题：“如果是我这样问，妈妈会如何回答？”
一时间我无言以对，这一刻似乎停滞了百万年。“妈妈，我不知道您是否会死，但是如果您愿意，一切都会平安的。我爱你。”
妈妈哭了，她说：“玛丽，我痛得很厉害。”
该说些什么呢？我又一次迟疑了。坐在母亲床前，握住她的手，我听见了自己的声音：“妈妈，疼的话，就握紧我的手，我爱你，妈妈。”
她紧紧抓住了我的手。“妈妈，我爱你。”
在接下来的两年里，直到她因卵巢癌去世，我和妈妈有过无数次握手，传递过无数声“我爱你”。我们无法知道我们的关键时刻何时会出现，但此刻我知道，当它真正到来时，无论我是和谁在一起，我都会时刻传递妈妈的甜蜜抚慰：“痛的时候，握紧我的手，我会告诉你我爱你。”
1. suggest v. 建议
suggest doing sth. 建议做某事。
suggest后面接从句，一般要用虚拟语气。
例：I suggest that we should go home by bus.
我建议我们乘公车回家。
2. pass away 去世
pass away是表示“去世”的委婉说法。
passed away from disease 因病去世。
例：He passed away peacefully .
他安详地去逝了。
1. Sometimes, I’d find myself I’d been hurt just to have that ritual with her. As I grew up, the ritual , but she always found a way to ease the pain and the joy I felt in any area of my life.
2. The 10-minute drive to my parents’home me dread, wondering what was happening to my mother. When I arrived, I found Dad pacing in the and Mom lying on their bed. Her eyes were closed and her hands rested on her stomach. I called to her, trying to keep my as calm as possible. “Mom, I’m here.”父爱如山Dad
佚名／Anonymous
“It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.” some bumper-sticker author said. I think it is never too late to need Dad.
When we’re little, Daddy is in charge of the world as we know it. Yes. I know we have a President, some countries have kings or prime ministers, but they are really not in charge of the world.
Dad knows everything, he can do anything, he is always right, he can always fix things. He’s almost like God.
“Hey, Daddy! Where is Helsinki?” My father always replied, “If you put things away where they belong, you would know where they are.” “Hey, Daddy! I really need to know about Helsinki.” “OK, let’s get the encyclopedia.”
“Hey, Dad! Can I use the car for a date tonight?” “Yeah. Be home before midnight.” Arriving home at 2:30 a.m., Dad was up waiting. We don’t understand about love and anger when we’re kids. Dads yell and shout, and we don’t realize it is because they care; we think it is because they have to be tough. Not this time. He said, “Thank God you’re safe. Go to bed, we’ll talk about this in the morning.”
“Hey, Dad! I got into trouble at school today. I didn’t really do anything wrong. That stupid teacher won’t listen to me.” “I’ll listen. What happened? Is that really what happened?” Next day, Dad is at my school, talking with my teacher, fixing the misunderstanding. He has such power! I can always count on Dad.
Regardless of what they know or don’t know, they mostly care, and can be counted on to be on your side. The small things Dad does for us make us feel valuable and important.
“Hey, Dad! Do you have fifty bucks I could borrow?” He does. Even if he doesn’t, he will find it or go without something so he will have it. Then he feels embarrassed when we pay him back, and he says, “Now, you don’t have to pay it.” but we do because it is important to do the right thing. Dad taught us that.
Dad presides over all festive events. “How is today different from other days?” Of course he knows, and knows how to explain; it is he who takes charge and knows how to do everything; he is the leader, and he is in charge of our world. The Captain of the ocean sea.
It is also okay to become the Dad who knows everything, can do everything, and who is in charge of the world.“想拥有一个快乐童年永远都不晚。”有些人在汽车贴纸上这样写道。而我认为，对父亲的需要永远都不会晚。
小时候，世界就如我们所想的那样由父亲掌控着。的确，我知道我们国家有总统，别的国家有国王或首相，但他们并不是真正掌控这个世界的人。
父亲通晓一切，所向披靡，他永远是对的，且总能把一切安排妥当。他无异于上帝。“嘿，爸爸！赫尔辛基在哪里？”父亲总会答道：“若你把东西归放原位，就会知道它在哪儿了。”“嘿，爸爸！我确实需要知道赫尔辛基的位置。”“好吧，那我们去翻百科全书。”“嘿，爸爸！我今晚赴约用一下车，可以吗？”“当然可以，但你必须在午夜前回来。”结果，我凌晨两点半才到家，父亲一直没睡，在等着我。小的时候，我们不懂什么是爱，什么是愤慨。父亲大喊大叫，我们不知道是因为他在意，还以为他是在耀武扬威。但这次例外。他说：“上帝保佑你平安归来。去睡吧！我们有话明天再说。”“嘿，爸爸！今天我在学校惹麻烦了，我真的没做错事，可那个愚蠢的老师根本不听我的解释。” “说给我听听，发生了什么事？真是那样吗？”第二天，父亲去学校找老师谈话，将误会解除了。父亲竟如此有能耐！我甚至可以永远依赖他。
无论知道的多与少，父亲们大多是充满关爱的慈父，而且会站在我们的立场上。他为我们所做的，即使是很小的事，也会让我们觉得重要且有意义。“嘿，爸爸！能借给我50元钱吗？”如果他有，就会借给我。即使他没有，也会想办法借给我。我们还钱给他时，他会很不自在，并说：“不必了，你不用还。”但我们要还，因为正确地做事很重要——这也是父亲教育我们的。
父亲操办着所有的庆祝活动。“今天与平日有何差异？”他当然知道差异之所在，而且知道如何解释，因为他负责和通晓一切事务的筹办。他是领导，掌控着我们的世界。他是汪洋大海中的船长。
能成为通晓一切、所向披靡、掌控世界的父亲是很不错的。
1. valuable adj. 有价值的；值钱的；贵重的。
valuable还可以做名词，表示“贵重珠宝”，通常用复数形式表示。
valueless 微不足道的。
例：He has a valuable collection of stamps.
他收藏了很有价值的邮票。
2. in charge of... 负责……
charge在这里的意思是“掌管，负责”。
短语in the charge of表示“在……的领导下”。
例：I’m in charge of this project.
我负责这个项目。
1. We don’t understand about and when we’re kids. Dads yell and shout, and we don’t it is because they care; we think it is because they have to be tough. Not this time. He said, “Thank God you’re . Go to bed, we’ll talk about this in the morning.”
2. Dad presides over all events. “How is today different from other days?” Of course he knows, and knows how to ; it is he who takes charge and knows how to do everything; he is the , and he is in charge of our world. The Captain of the ocean sea.那份爱，让我永生难忘 A Dad Who Truly Cares
里克·赖利／Rick Reilly
I try to be a good father. Give my kids gifts. Take them to swim. Work nights to pay for their text messaging...
But compared with Dick Hoyt, I’am lousy. Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he’s not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on bicycle handlebars—all in the same day. Dick’s also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father? Not much—except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester, Mass. 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs. “He’ll be a vegetable the rest of his life,” Dick says doctors told him and his wife when Rick was nine months old. “Put him in an institution.”
But the Hoyts weren’t buying it. They noticed the way Rick’s eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. “No way,” Dick says he was told. “There’s nothing going on in his brain.”
“Tell him a joke,” Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? “Go Bruins!” And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, “Dad, I want to do that.”
Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described “porker” who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. “Then it was me who was handicapped,” Dick says.“I was sore for two weeks.” That day changed Rick’s life. “Dad,” he typed, “when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!”
And that sentence changed Dick’s life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon. “No way.” Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren’t quite a single runner, and they weren’t quite a wheelchair competitor.
For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.
Then somebody said, “Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?” How’s a guy who never learned to swim and hadn’t ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried. Now they’ve done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don’t you think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you’d do on your own? “No way. ” he says. Dick does it purely for “the awesome feeling” he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together. This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992—only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don’t keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time. “No question about it,” Rick types. “My dad is the Father of the Century.”
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95 clogged. “If you hadn’t been in such great shape,” one doctor told him, “you probably would’ve died 15 years ago.” So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other’s life.
Rick, who has his own apartment he gets home care and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father’s Day.
That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy. “The thing I’d most like, ” Rick types, “is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.”
我努力去做一个好爸爸。我送孩子们礼物，带他们去游泳，上夜班为他们挣信息费……
但是，与迪克·霍伊特相比，我是一个糟糕的父亲。有85次，他在马拉松赛跑中，推着自己身患残疾的儿子跑完26.2英里。其中有8次，他不仅推着坐在轮椅中的儿子跑26.2英里，还接着在游泳比赛中，拖着坐在橡皮艇上的儿子游了2.4英里，用自行车载着儿子走了112英里——这一切都是在同一天里做的。迪克也带着儿子去越野滑雪，背着儿子爬山，他还骑自行车拖着儿子穿越了美国。比起迪克的所作所为，你带着儿子去打保龄球，就显得太差劲了，对吗？
那么，儿子里克又为父亲做了什么呢？除了救了父亲一命，就没有别的了。
这一动人的故事开始于马萨诸塞州的温切斯特镇。43年前，里克出生时因脐带绕颈而差点被勒死，这使他的大脑受到损伤，丧失了肢体的支配能力。迪克说，在里克九个月的时候，医生告诉他和妻子“他的余生都将是一个植物人了，把他送去一家福利院吧”。
但是，霍伊特夫妇并不接受这样的结局。霍伊特发现，当他和妻子在房间里走动时，里克的眼睛可以跟随着他们转动而转动。里克11岁的时候，霍伊特夫妇带儿子去了塔夫斯大学工程系，询问是否有什么方法可以帮助孩子进行交流。“没有办法，他的大脑是空白的。”他们告诉迪克。
迪克反驳说：“你给他讲个笑话试试。”工作人员这样做了，结果里克笑了。这说明，他的大脑中是有思维意识的。里克终于可以通过安装在他身上的电脑进行交流了。这台电脑会在里克的一侧头部触碰开关时，由他自己控制光标。他“说”的第一句话就是：“我要看熊队！”一位高中生在一次事故中瘫痪后，学校为他组织了一次义跑。里克敲出一句话：“爸爸，我想跑步。”
是的，不错。迪克这样一个自喻为“肥猪”的人，怎样推着自己的儿子跑5英里？要知道，他从来没有一次跑过1英里以上。 然而，迪克尽力做了。“跑完之后，我就累瘫了。”迪克说，“我全身疼痛了两个星期。”那一天改变了里克的生活。他写道：“爸爸，当我们跑起来的时候，我觉得自己不再是个残疾人了!”
这句话也改变了迪克的生活。他变得热衷于尽可能多地给儿子这种感觉。迪克拥有了结实健壮的身体，于是他和里克决定尝试参加1979年的波士顿马拉松比赛。赛事官回答迪克：“不行。”霍伊特父子不算是一个独立的赛手，但也不算是残疾人选手。
接下来的数年里，里克和父亲只能进入大众领域，跟着赛手们一起跑。后来，他们得以正式地参加赛跑。1983年，他们跑得非常快，以至于赢得了次年马拉松比赛的参赛资格。
后来有人说：“喂，迪克，为什么不报名参加三项全能比赛？”迪克从6岁以后就再没有骑过自行车，而且从来没有学过游泳的他，又怎样拖着110斤重的儿子完成三项全能的比赛呢？然而，迪克尽力去做了。今天，他们已参加了212场三项全能比赛，其中包括四次在夏威夷举办的15小时铁人三项比赛。作为一个25岁的小伙子，坐在橡皮艇上被一位老人拖着，一定会很尴尬，你觉得呢？
迪克，为什么不尝试一下自己一个人参加比赛？迪克回答说：“我不会这样做的。”每当他们跑起来、一起游泳、一起骑车时，里克的脸上就会洋溢着幸福的笑容，而迪克这样做仅仅是为了那种看到儿子笑时的“美好的感觉”。今年，65岁的迪克和43岁的里克完成了他们的第24次波士顿马拉松比赛。在20000多名选手中，他们位居第5083位。他们最好的成绩是什么？是在1992年取得的2小时40分的比赛成绩，与世界纪录仅相差35分钟。也许你不知道，这个世界纪录当时是由一名残疾青年创造的，他完全依靠自己的力量推动轮椅前进。里克写道：“毫无疑问，我的父亲是百年不遇的好爸爸。”
除了这些，迪克还得到了一些其他收获。两年前，在一次比赛中，他患上了轻微的心脏病。医生们发现，他的一条动脉已堵塞了95%。一位医生告诉迪克：“如果不是你的身体好，在15年前你可能就死去了。”因此，从某种程度上说，迪克与里克拯救了彼此的生命。
里克现在自己生活（他雇用了家庭看护），在波士顿工作。迪克居住在马萨诸塞州的荷兰镇，也退出了高强度的运动生活。父子二人时常会聚在一起。他们在全国进行巡回演讲，每个周末都要参加某项高强度的比赛。今年的父亲节，他们也聚在一起了。
那天晚上，里克请父亲吃了一顿饭，可是里克真正想送给父亲的礼物是永远也买不到的。他写道：“我最想做的，就是爸爸坐在轮椅上，我为他推一次。”
1. 这句话也改变了迪克的生活。他变得热衷于尽可能多地给儿子这种感觉。
2. 从某种程度上说，迪克与里克拯救了彼此的生命。
3. 里克真正想送给父亲的礼物是永远也买不到的。
1. compete in: If you want to win them, you must compete in the race.
2. buy one’s dinner: If you buy their dinner, you’ll cost an arm and a leg.令人感动的礼物 A Father’s Gift from a Daughter
雷蒙德· L. 莫尔黑德／Raymond L. Morehead
To successfully raise any child these days is hard work, to say the least, and it is often both physically and mentally taxing for a mother and father. The fruit of this labor of love may not be seen for years after the child has left home and becomes a parent. There is no instruction manual or book of “what-ifs” that comes with each child when they are born, nor a timetable of what to do and when. Each day is a new challenge unto its own, where success is often marked in fractions of an inch rather than yards and miles. So how and when do we as parents know when we have had success?
My answer came on Father’s Day. To coin an old saying, “It’s not the gift but the thought that counts.” So it was on this day when I was given two craft boxes as gifts from my grown daughter, one the size of a cigar box and the other the size of a large ring box. “Daddy, ” she said, “please sit with me on the floor like you did years before.” So we sat down upon the floor together and she handed me the first box. “Open it.” Inside was a letter and what appeared to be a child’s collection of odds and ends. “Daddy, ” she said, “read the letter first.”
Dear Dad,
The older I get the more I realize what an important influence you’ve been in my life. So for Father’s Day I decided to give you two memento boxes, both filled with special memories and things I keep close to my heart, things that you once gave me. In the first and larger box you will find just a few of my special reminders of you and times we shared together just we two.
1. A pair of shoestrings tied with a bow. These are reminders of the hours you spent teaching me to tie my own shoes so long ago.
2. A Band-Aid, to remind me of all the scrapes and cuts you fixed on my elbows and knees teaching me to ride my first bike.
3. A wee storybook, for all the special made-up bedtime stories you read to us all at night.
4. A pack of a child’s learning flash cards, a symbol of your teaching me and helping me through my years of school even when I thought I knew it all.
5. A marble. I wish it was one of the ones you gave to me and I lost, from your special ones you played with when you were in school.
6. A sewing kit and a wee sewing machine reminds me of the real ones you gave me and on which you taught me how to sew.
7. A piece from my childhood blanket that you would always cover me up with each and every night.
8. A broken heart, symbol of all the broken hearts and heartaches you helped me through.
9. A silver dollar reminds me of all the times you gave me your last dollar when you least could afford to but knew in your heart when I really needed it the most.
10. A tissue. This is for all the times I cried on your shoulder and you dried up all the tears because you cared.
11. A leaf. A symbol of nature that you taught me to understand, enjoy and respect
12. One aspirin reminds me of all the headaches I must have given you and Mom over the years, yet you seldom complained. I know it should be a truckload if the truth be told.
13. A piece of candy, to let you know how sweet these memories are still to me.
14. Last but not least, a photo of my children and me, to remind me to teach my children all that you and Mom have taught me, and to share with them the love that only parents like you both have given to me.
I had tears in my eyes and an ache in my heart as she gave the second, smallest box to me. “Open it now, please.” she said.
Inside I found another note and in this one she wrote:
Daddy,
In this box I was going to put all of what really made a difference to me. All of what it was that you gave me to make me what I am today. But if I gave it back to you then I would have the best part of me missing, which is all the love, hugs and kisses you gave me from the time I was born till now, and for which there is no box large enough. So I think I will hold on to these and share them with my children who I hope one day will understand what a wonderful gift they are to give and receive. I love you, Daddy, and Happy Father’s Day!
成功地抚养一个孩子长大是件艰辛的事，起码对于父母来说，养育孩子会令他们身心俱疲。在自己的孩子离开家门、为人父母之前，这种爱的劳动成果或许在很多年里都得不到收获。在每个孩子出生时，并没有什么手册或者“预测未来”的书跟随他们而至，也同样不会有一张写着什么时间做什么事情的时刻表。每天都是一个新的挑战，巨大的付出却只是获得微不足道的成功。那么，身为父母的我们，如何知道什么时候获得了成功呢？
我的答案在父亲节这天不期而至。套用一句老话，那就是“礼轻情义重”。父亲节那天，已长大成人的女儿送给我两个盒子，其中一个盒子有烟盒般大小，另一个则与戒指盒差不多大。女儿对我说：“爸爸，请陪我一起坐在地板上吧，就像多年以前那样。”于是，我们一起坐下来。她把第一个盒子递给我，说道：“打开来看看。”盒子里面装着一封信和一些似乎像是小孩子收集的零碎东西。女儿说：“爸爸，您先读读那封信吧。”
亲爱的爸爸：
随着我年龄的增长，我愈加明白您在我生命中的影响有多么重要。于是，我决定在父亲节这天，送给您两个具有纪念意义的盒子。里面都装满了我特别的记忆和珍藏的东西。那些都是您曾经送给我的。盛放在第一个大盒子里面的东西，会让我回想起与您共同度过的美好时光。
1．用丝带系着的一双鞋带。它们勾起了很多年之前您教我系鞋带的记忆。
2．创可贴。它让我回想起您教我第一次骑车时的情景。我的肘部和膝盖都被擦伤了。这是您帮我贴在伤口处的创可贴。
3．袖珍故事书。这本书中的故事是特地为孩子们编写的，您在每个夜晚，读着故事伴我们入睡。
4．一沓儿童学习卡片。它们是您教授、辅导我学习的标志。在我的学习生活中，您孜孜不倦地帮助我，甚至在我自认为无所不知时也是一样。
5．一颗玩具弹球。我多么希望它就是您送给我的那颗啊，可是我把它弄丢了。它的特别之处就在于，它是您上学时玩过的。
6．一个针线包和一架袖珍缝纫机。这让我想起您教我做针线活，后来又教我使用缝纫机的一点一滴。
7．我童年时用过的一条毯子。我小的时候，您总是在每个夜晚把这条毯子盖在我的身上。
8．一颗破碎的心。它代表着您陪我一起挺过的所有伤痛。
9．一枚银色的硬币。它让我想到了，当您捉襟见肘时，您还是一次又一次将最后的一枚硬币给我花。在您心里，您知道我何时最需要。
l0．一张纸巾。多少次我伏在您的肩头哭泣，你都会用一张纸巾将我所有的泪水擦干，因为您爱我。
11．一片树叶。它是您教我理解、享受、尊重大自然的象征。
12．一片阿司匹林药片。这么多年里，每次头疼，您和妈妈都会给我一片阿司匹林药片。我让您和妈妈操碎了心，可是你们却很少有怨言。我知道，如果你们要抱怨的话，那些苦恼真的是一言难尽。
13．一颗糖果。我是想通过这颗糖果让您知道，那些记忆在我的心里还是那么甜蜜。
14．最后一件，但并不是最不重要的一件，是我和我的孩子们的照片。它让我记得，将您和妈妈教给我的东西教给我的孩子们；像您和妈妈给予我的爱一样，把我的爱分享给他们。
泪花在我的眼中涌动，我充满渴望地接过她递给的第二个盒子——最小的那个。“爸爸，请把它打开吧。”女儿说。
我在这个盒子里找到了另外一张字条，上面是这样写的：
爸爸：
我在这个盒子里，放上了所有曾使我有所改变的东西。它们都是您曾给我的，它们铸就了今天的我。但是如果我把这些归还给您，那么我将失去我最美好的东西。它们就是从我出生到现在，您曾给过我的全部关爱、拥抱和亲吻。这些是任何盒子都装不下的。于是，我想继续保留着，并与我的孩子们一起分享它们，希望有一天他们可以明白，他们给予和收到了多么美好的礼物。爸爸，我爱您。父亲节快乐！
(1) challenge a. to consider worthy of high regard
(2) memento b. a stimulating task
(3) respect c. something that serves to remind
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
_______(1) There are same things in the two boxes.
_______(2) The daughter knows how to love her children.
_______(3) The father didn’t quite understand the meaning of his daughter’s gifts.
1. To successfully raise any child these days is hard work, , and it is often
both physically and mentally taxing for a mother and father.
成功地抚养一个孩子长大是件艰辛的事，起码对于父母来说，养育孩子
会令他们身心俱疲。
2. The older I get I realize what an important influence you’ve been in
my life.
随着我年龄的增长，我愈加明白您在我的生命中的影响有多么重要。
3. In the first and larger box you will find just a few of my special reminders of
you and times we just we two.
盛放在第一个大盒子里面的东西，会让我回想起与您共同度过的美好
时光。女儿上学了 Sending Kids Off to School
苏珊·尤尼／Susan Union
My girl is going to school.
However, I still could see how several weeks ago the scene was playing itself out as clearly as if it had been written in a movie script. “Five more minutes, honey, then we have to leave.” I called to my five-year-old daughter, who had been frolicking in the Pacific Ocean for the past hour. She was a proficient pool swimmer, but the deep blue sea was a different matter.
Maybe she didn’t hear me calling her name above the roar of the ocean; maybe she did hear and was just ignoring me—it was impossible to tell.
“Hey, time’s up, we have to go now.” She turned, gave me a “see ya, Mom” look and headed farther into the surf. I splashed out and grabbed her arm. My shorts were soaked.
“No!” she screamed, “I don’t want to leave!” She jerked her arm away from me and pushed her little body away.
Now she was in over her head. Overcome with fear and rage I grabbed her, firmly this time, and began to drag her out. She screamed and thrashed about like a wild animal caught in a trap, growling and scratching. The gritty sand clung to our wet skin.
By now I was shaking. I could hardly believe what happened next. I smacked her on the bottom hard. It stunned her enough to make her freeze and stop her hysterical ravings. She stood there almost completely covered in sand and with her mouth wide open, unable to take a breath.
“Come on!” I said through clenched teeth as I pulled her along toward the path that would lead us away from the beach. She hopped alongside of me, seething and jibbering. I realized she was trying to tell me something. Her unintelligible words alternated with jagged sobs as she shifted her weight from one foot to another. Her feet!Now that we were out of the surf, the sand was scalding hot. I had been clutching her thongs all along. “I’m so sorry, sweetie. Put these on.” I slipped her thongs on her trembling feet.
That was weeks ago. Now it was September, and I was back on the beach, alone. As I walked the beach, tears welled up in my eyes. I could see the image of my daughter earlier that morning, heading into her freshly painted kindergarten classroom for her first day of school. Her new day pack was slung proudly over her shoulder. The design of yellow and purple puppies and kittens verified her tender years.
I’d driven straight to the beach after dropping her off. There was something so reassuring in the never-ending cresting and breaking of the waves. I hoped the pounding surf would soothe my anxious thoughts.
I had dreamed of this day for years—five to be exact. I dreamed of this day when she was only a year old and she spent her days lurching through the house unsteadily, learning to walk. I was so concerned that she might maim herself. I followed her around, hovering with arms outstretched like a giant bear.
When she was two, I needed a break from full-time mommyhood badly. I had left her with my parents. Since the job required me on frequent business tours, whenever I heard her tiny little voice over the long-distance phone lines, my voice cracked so badly that I could hardly answer her back.
And this past summer, our days on end of being constantly together caused her to demand my unfailing attention. As the summer’s heat grew more oppressive, I got listless but she became more spirited. Every day I heard, “Mom, let’s go to the park, let’s go to the beach, let’s go to the Wild Animal Park, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.”
Why the tears then? I stopped walking and sat on a rough rock, on a lovely beach on a glorious day feeling miserable. I should be happy, I thought. No more incessant chatter bombarding me twelve hours a day. Now I could think free, uncluttered thoughts in a stream of connected ideas. I would be free to go back to school or start the business I’d been thinking about. I could go shopping by myself. I could roll up the windows in my car, pick a CD and sing at the top of my lungs.
The truth is, I’d miss having her by my side. I’d become used to having a constant companion for the past five years. “Don’t worry, Mom, we’ll still have our afternoons together.” she had reassured me at the breakfast table that morning.
With that thought in mind, I collected my things off the beach and headed for my car. It was time to go pick up my baby—from her first day of school. Oh, my angel, I was looking forward to spending the wonderful afternoon together.
女儿就要上学了。
然而，我还清晰地记得几个星期前的情景，它就像被写在电影剧本里一样在我眼前浮现。“宝贝，再玩五分钟，五分钟过后我们就得走了。”我对五岁的女儿喊道。她已经在太平洋里嬉闹了一个小时了。尽管她是游泳池中的高手，但是在这深蓝色的海洋里就不尽然了。
或许是游在海洋咆哮声中的她没有听到我喊她的名字，或许她听到了，只是不在意我的话——这很难说得清楚。“嘿，宝贝，时间到了，我们得走了！”我对她说道。她给我一个“再见了，妈妈”的眼神，转身向更远处的海浪游去。我冲了过去，抓住她的胳膊。我的短裤都被浸湿了。“不！我不想走！”她尖声喊叫着，使劲挣脱了我的手，游得更远点儿。
此时，海水已经超过了她的头顶。我战胜了恐惧与慌乱，这一次紧紧地抓住了她，并开始拖着她向岸边游去。她尖叫着，像掉进陷阱的野兽一样踢打着。细沙粘在我们潮湿的皮肤上。
现在，我已经被气得浑身发抖了。接下来发生的事情令我难以置信。我朝她的屁股上重重地打下去。女儿被这出乎意料的举动惊呆了，停止了歇斯底里的狂躁举动。她全身沾满了沙粒，呆呆地站立在那里，嘴巴长得大大的，惊讶得喘不过气来。“快走！”我从牙缝中挤出这句话的同时，推着她沿着离开海滩的小径走去。她气愤而犹豫地在我身边一跳一跳地走着。我意识到她有话对我说。当她把身体的重心从这条腿上移到另一条腿上时，她含含糊糊的话语变成了断断续续的哭诉。她的脚！现在已经离开了海水，沙子被太阳晒得滚烫！而她的鞋子一直抓在我的手里。“我很抱歉，小甜心。快把鞋子穿上吧。”我把鞋子穿在她那被烫得颤抖的脚上。
那件事都过去好几个星期了。现在已是9月，我独自一人来到那片海滩。在海滩上，泪水不觉间溢满了双眼。我可以想象得到，清晨女儿走进色彩斑斓的幼儿园上学时的样子，这是她第一天上学。她骄傲地把新书包背在肩上，书包上黄色和紫色的小猫、小狗的图案设计，映衬出她无邪的童年。
送她到幼儿园后，我开着车径直来到这片海滩。在这永不停息的海浪声中，一定有某种力量可以宽慰人心。我希望这重击的海浪可以平息我的焦虑之情。
我热切地等待这一天的到来已经整整五年了！当她只有一岁大的时候，我就开始梦想这一天了。那些日子里，她摇摇晃晃地在屋子里穿行，蹒跚地学习走路。我是多么担心她会伤到自己。于是，便跟随在她的左右，像一只大狗熊一样，伸展着胳膊围护着她。
她两岁的时候，我急需结束全职妈妈的角色，便把她交给我的父母照看。我的工作需要频繁地出差，每当我从长途电话里听到她那细小的声音时，我的嗓子就会沙哑得几乎说不出话来。
今年的夏天，我们一直待在一起，这使她时刻依赖着我。当天气越来越炎热的时候，我变得无精打采，而她越发神采奕奕。每天我都会听到女儿对我说：“妈妈，我们去公园玩吧，去海滩吧，去野生动物园吧！去吧，去吧，我们去吧！”
可是，我为什么哭了？在一个有些悲伤的美好日子里，我停下脚步，坐在美丽海滩上一块粗糙的岩石上。我想，我应该高兴才对。再也没有无休止的喋喋声一天24小时折磨我的耳朵。现在，我可以自由地思考了，可以沉浸在思索中而不会被打扰；可以自由地回到学校去继续学习，或者可以开始考虑已久的事业了；我可以一个人去逛街；可以摇起车窗，选一张CD放声歌唱了。
她不再在我身边，这却是事实。在过去的五年里，我已经习惯了有她的陪伴。“妈妈，不用担心，我们下午还是可以在一起的。”那天早上，她在吃早餐的时候安慰我。
想到这些，我收拾起自己的东西，离开海滩朝车走去。这是我第一次接孩子放学，也是孩子第一天去上学。啊，我的小天使，我期待着和你一起度过一个愉快的下午。
1. cling to 坚持。
cling的过去式是clung。
cling to sth. 坚持某事。
例：I cling to my thought no matter what you say.
不管你说什么，我都坚持自己的想法。
2. take a breath 喘气。
这个短语不能省略定冠词a。
breath的动词是breathe“呼吸”。
out of breath 喘不过气。
例：Take a deep breath, and then you may feel relaxed.
深吸一口气，你会觉得轻松一些。
3. soothe 安抚，抚慰。
soothe a cough 平复咳嗽。
例：The music soothes the soul.
音乐抚慰精神。
1. By now I was . I could hardly believe what happened next. I smacked her on the bottom hard. It her enough to make her freeze and stop her ravings.
2. Since the job required me on frequent , whenever I heard her tiny little voice over the long-distance phone , my voice cracked so that I could hardly answer her back.承载着爱与思念的手表 Mother’s Watch
雷蒙德·巴里／Raymond Barry
It was a seventeen-jewel Elgin in a locket-style case, and my mother bought it before she was married in September 1916. It was a typical watch of the era, functional yet decorative—a prized piece of jewelry for a woman of that time. When you pressed on the winding stem, the locket would spring open, exposing the face of the timepiece. The watch was given to me around the time I was thirteen or fourteen, and I had it converted into a wristwatch. For me, it was just another one of the things I owned. When I left for the service in April 1941, I took the watch with me.
My unit was sent to the Philippine Islands. On board ship, crossing the Pacific, I almost lost the watch after carelessly leaving it tied to a waterline while taking a shower. Thankfully, an honest GI found it and returned it. The watch still did not seem that special to me. It was just one of my practical possessions.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, we retreated to the Bataan Peninsula. Now I started to become a little concerned about my watch. With the enemy so close by, I felt foolish for bringing something that had been given to me by my mother. When we were told to surrender to the Japanese. I knew that my watch could become a Japanese souvenir. I couldn’t bring myself to throw it into the jungle, but I didn’t want to lose it to the enemy, either. I did what I could to outsmart my captors. I fastened the watch onto my left ankle and pulled my sock over it. For more protection, I put on a pair of leggings. Little did I know that I was about to embark on thirty-four months of playing a “hide the watch” game.
My unit surrendered, and then we were forced into the now infamous Bataan Death March. I wrapped the band around the watch and squeezed it into the small watch pocket of my pants. One day, while out on a work detail in northern Luzon, I was standing in the dump box of a truck, guarded by one of the ever present Japanese soldiers. His eyes were at just the right level to notice the lump in my small pocket. He reached out with a gloved hand and touched the spot. I froze and held my breath, fearing that I was about to lose my now prized possession. Surprisingly, the guard was not curious enough to ask about what I had in my pocket, and again the watch was safe for a while. Later, I managed to find a new chamois, and I swaddled the watch in it, concealing it in my shirt pocket. No matter how wet I became, the watch remained safe and dry.
The work detail lasted about seventy days. After that, it was back to another death march and on to Cabanatuan Prison Camp where I remained for two and a half years. There I removed the band from the watch and wrapped the face in medical gauze and tape. It made a small, easy-to-hide package. At last, when my camp was liberated, the watch and I made the trip home. When I walked through the door, I learned that my mother had died. Now her watch, which had become a reminder of my own survival, was also a reminder of her life.
I had the watch restored to its original case and added a chain identical to the original. Once again, my mother’s watch was a delicate ladies’locket-style watch. I gave it to my wife. Later, I found that my brother still had the original watch chain. When he heard that I had restored the watch, he gave me the chain. Now, eighty-four years after my mother bought it, my daughter wears the watch. It is still in working condition.
放在精美礼品盒里的是一块镶有17颗宝石的“爱而近”牌手表，那是我的母亲在1916年9月结婚前买的。那块表极具时代感，功能齐全又有装饰作用——对于当时的女性而言，那是一件非常珍贵的饰物。当你按一下发条钮，小盒就会弹开，表盘便随之露出。在我十三四岁时，母亲将那块表送给我，我让人把它改造成了一块手表。对我而言，那仅仅是另一件属于我的物品。1941年4月，我离家参军时，带走了那块表。
我们的部队被派往菲律宾群岛。在横渡太平洋的海船上，我很粗心，在洗澡时将表系在吃水线上，险些丢掉。幸运的是，一位好心的美国兵发现了它，并将其归还于我。当时，那块表对我来说只是一件物品。除此之外，似乎再没有什么特别之处了。
空袭珍珠港之后，我们退到巴丹半岛。我开始关注我的手表了。敌军如此临近，我将母亲给我的手表带在身边真是笨极了。当我们被告知要向日本投降时，我意识到我的手表可能会成为日本人的战利品。我不忍将其扔进丛林，又不想其落入敌军之手，我想靠智慧躲过逮捕人员。我将表拴在左脚踝上，用袜子盖上。为了加强保护，我又穿了一双护腿。想不到的是，从此我开始了一场长达34个月之久的“藏表”游戏。
我们的部队投降了，被迫进入现在臭名昭著的“巴丹死亡行军”。我用带子将表裹住，塞入短裤的小表袋里。一天，我被遣往吕宋岛北部进行分队劳作，在一辆卡车的后斗里，我被一个始终都不离开的日本兵看守着。他的眼睛恰好看到了我小口袋的鼓包。他伸出一只带着手套的手摸了一下鼓包。我整个人都僵住了，屏住呼吸，恐怕会失去这件现今已很珍贵的物品。令人惊奇的是，守卫并没有好奇地询问我的口袋，我的表再一次安全了一段时间。之后，我想方设法找到了一件新的皮革，并将表放在里面，藏在了我的衬衣口袋里。无论我的身体或衣服有多么潮湿，这块表都始终完好无损并保持干燥。
持续了大概70天的分工劳作后，我们再一次回到死亡行军中，步行到了卡巴那端战俘集中营。我在这里待了两年半。我取下表的绷带，用药、纱布和胶带裹住表面，这样的包既小又易于藏匿。最终，我所在的集中营得到解放，我带着表回到家。进门后，我得知母亲已经去世了。如今，这块表让我回忆着自己的劫后重生，也让我回忆着母亲的一生。
我将表放回到它原来的盒子中，并加了一条与原来相同的链子。母亲的表再次成为一款精美的女士纪念表，我将它送给了妻子。后来，我发现我的兄弟还保留着原先的表链。当听说我要重修这块表时，他将表链送给了我。如今，在母亲买这块表的84年之后，我的女儿带上了那块表。它还一直在工作着。
1. 那块表极具时代感，功能齐全又有装饰作用——对于当时的女性而言，那是一件非常珍贵的饰物。
2. 无论我的身体或衣服有多么潮湿，这块表都始终完好无损并保持干燥。
3. 如今，在母亲买这块表的84年之后，我的女儿带上了那块表。它还一直在工作着。
1. convert into: If you convert the trousers into a skirt, nobody could identify it.
2. hold one’s breath: If you don’t want to be detected, you must hold your breath.栀子花开 Mystery of the White Gardenia
佚名／Anonymous
Every year on my birthday, from the time I turned 12, a white gardenia was delivered to my house in Bethesda, Md. No card or note came with it. Calls to the florist were always in vain—it was a cash purchase. After a while I stopped trying to discover the sender’s identity and just delighted in the beauty and heady perfume of that one magical, perfect white flower nestled in soft pink tissue paper.
But I never stopped imagining who the anonymous giver might be. Some of my happiest moments were spent daydreaming about someone wonderful and exciting but too shy or eccentrics to make known his or her identity.
My mother contributed to these imaginings. She’d ask me if there was someone for whom I had done a special kindness who might be showing appreciation. Perhaps the neighbor I’d help when she was unloading a car full of groceries. Or maybe it was the old man across the street whose mail I retrieved during the winter so he wouldn’t have to venture down his icy steps. As a teenager, though, I had more fun speculating that it might be a boy I had a crush on or one who had noticed me even though I didn’t know him.
When I was 17, a boy broke my heart. The night he called for the last time, I cried myself to sleep. When I awoke in the morning, there was a message scribbled on my mirror in red lipstick: “Heartily know, when half-gods go, the gods arrive.” I thought about that quotation from Emerson for a long time, and until my heart healed, I left it where my mother had written it. When I finally went to get the glass cleaner, my mother knew everything was all right again.
I don’t remember ever slamming my door in anger at her and shouting, “You just don’t understand!” because she did understand.
One month before my high-school graduation, my father died of a heart attack. My feelings ranged from grief to abandonment, fear and overwhelming anger that my dad was missing some of the most important events in my life. I became completely uninterested in my upcoming graduation, the senior-class play and the prom. But my mother, in the midst of her own grief, would not hear of my skipping any of those things.
The day before my father died, my mother and I had gone shopping for a prom dress. We’d found a spectacular one, with yards and yards of dotted Swiss in red white and blue, it made me feel like Scarlett O’Hara, but it was the wrong size. When my father died, I forgot about the dress.
My mother didn’t. The day before the prom, I found that dress—in the right size—draped majestically over the living-room sofa. It wasn’t just delivered, still in the box. It was presented to me—beautifully,
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