高中生能力型英语课外阅读·真情至善篇(txt+pdf+epub+mobi电子书下载)

作者：陶然　主编

出版社：商务印书馆

格式: AZW3, DOCX, EPUB, MOBI, PDF, TXT

高中生能力型英语课外阅读·真情至善篇试读：

每种语言都是独特而又美丽的，因为它是人与人之间交流必不可少的桥梁。汉语是我们的母语，从呱呱坠地到咿呀学语之时，我们便沉浸在汉语的世界当中。除了汉语之外，在我们的生活当中，涉及最多的也就是英语了。可是当孩子们听到“英语”这两个字时，很少有孩子会意识到，这是一种语言。因为对于他们来说，他们学到的“英语”却不是英语。

作为一名中学英语教师，我深刻感受到，在当今的教育体系当中，我们在课上讲的内容并非英语这种语言。回顾我们的英文课堂，常规步骤无非是背单词、讲解课文和语法点、做题、结束。如果有时间的话会有一些互动贯穿其中来调动积极性。可是我们到底是为什么在学习、为什么在讲课呢？两个字：考试。在应试的大背景之下，不管孩子们是在学校还是在各种培训机构，学到的都不是“英语”，而是“英语考试”。因为要帮助孩子取得良好成绩，所以老师们忽略了要去带领孩子们体会英语这种语言的美丽。

新王朝系列能力型阅读系列丛书，用地道的英文讲述一个个暖心而又富有寓意的故事。让孩子们能够体会到地道的英文表达，感受英文的曼妙辞藻。与此同时，配有准确的中文翻译，能够解决孩子们对于篇章的理解问题。与此同时，也是本书的亮点之一，在每篇文章之后，都有单词列表。这些单词由权威高中英语词汇教师精心挑选出来，所列单词，均为中高考当中的高频单词。这就能保证孩子在阅读过程当中做好单词的积累工作，化整为零，减轻孩子们的单词负担。

能力型阅读，能够带领孩子们领略到真正的英语，能够开启一片全新的英文世界！倪思迪2014年8月A Red Rose

My senior year of high school was no different from any other students—an extremely crazy one. I spent most of my time worrying about my grades, and making plans for my college. I had to spend my spare time juggling multiple extracurricular activities, dealing with my friends and family. It seemed as if my life had become a total chaos, and I was like a ship sailing without a compass,hoping to find some sort of direction.

Finally, as senior year craziness began to die down, I got a part-time job working at the local coffee shop. I had figured that the job would be easy and,for the most part, stress-free. I pictured myself pouring the best gourmet coffees,making delicious doughnuts and becoming close friends with the regular customers.

What I hadn’t anticipated were the people with enormous orders who chose to use the drive-through window, or the women who felt that the coffee was much too creamy, or the man who wanted their iced coffees remade again and again until they reached a certain level of perfection.There were moments when I was angry with the human race as a whole, simply because I couldn’t seem to please anyone.There was always too little ice and not enough non-fat milk, too much sugar.Nevertheless, I kept doing my job.

One miserable rainy day, one of my regular customers came in looking depressed and defeated. My coworker and I asked what the problem was and if we could help, but the customer wouldn’t reveal any details. He just said he felt like crawling into bed, pulling the sheets up over his head and staying there for a few years. I knew exactly how he felt.

Before he left, I handed him a bag along with his hot coffee. He looked at me questioningly because he hadn’t ordered anything but the coffee. He opened the bag and saw that I had given him his favorite type of doughnut.

“My treat,” I told him. “Have a nice day.”

He smiled and thanked me before turning around and heading back into the rain.

The next day was miserable as well,huge droplets of rain falling from the sky.Everyone in town seemed to be using the drive-through window because no one wanted to be exposed in this heavy rain.

I spent my afternoon hanging out the window, handing people their orders and waiting as they slowly counted their pennies. I tried to smile as the customers complained about the weather, but it was difficult to smile as they sat in their temperature-controlled cars with the windows rolled up, while I dealt with cold water hanging from my visor and a shirt that was thoroughly soaked around the collar. On top of that, no one was tipping.Every time I looked into our nearly empty tip jar, I grew more depressed.

Around eight o’clock that evening, I was in the middle of making another pot of double latte when the customer from the day before drove up to the window.But instead of ordering anything, he handed me a single red rose. He said that fewer people today took the time to care about others, and he was glad there were still people like me in the world. I was speechless and very touched; I nearly forgot yesterday’s deed. After a moment, I happily thanked him. He told me I was welcome and, with a friendly wave, drove away.

As time went by, I had served plenty of picky customers and received less tip than I expected. But anytime I felt tired or frustrated, I would look at the red rose and keep smiling.

一朵红玫瑰

我的高三和其他学生的没有什么两样，是极度疯狂的一年。大部分时间我都在担心自己的学习成绩，为大学制定各种计划。空闲时我穿梭于各种课外活动之间，同时应对朋友和家庭。我的生活看起来就是一团乱麻，我就像一艘没有指南针的小船，希望找到航行的方向。

终于，高三的疯狂开始消退，我在当地咖啡馆找了份兼职。我琢磨着这份工作会十分简单，而且大半没有压力。我想象自己倒出醇香的精制咖啡，制作香甜的甜甜圈，和常客们成为朋友。

我没能预料到的是使用“得来速”窗口点餐的顾客人数会这么多，总有女客人抱怨咖啡里放了太多奶伴，男客人希望我一遍又一遍地重新调制冰咖啡，直至达到某种完美的标准。有些时候我觉得我对全人类都愤怒了，就因为好像没有一个人对我满意。放太多冰块，脱脂牛奶太少，糖太多了。但无论如何，我还是坚持做这份工作。

一个十分糟糕的雨天，一位常客进了咖啡馆，他满脸都是郁闷和挫败。同事和我询问他发生了什么事，我们能否帮上忙，但是他不愿意透露更多的细节。他只说自己想爬到床上，用被子盖住头，在里面待上几年都不出来。我感同身受。

在他离开之前，我递给他一个袋子，还有他点的热咖啡。他疑惑地抬头看着我，因为他只点了咖啡。他打开袋子，看到里面是他最喜欢的甜甜圈。“我请客，”我告诉他，“祝您度过愉快的一天。”

他微笑着向我道谢，然后转身走入雨中。

第二天也同样是糟糕的一天，大滴的雨水从天而降。因为没有人愿意暴露在瓢泼大雨之中，小镇里的每个人都选择了“得来速”窗口。

我整个下午都伏在窗口，给人们递咖啡，等着他们慢慢地数硬币。我努力在客人抱怨天气时保持微笑，但是这实在很难，尤其是当他们都坐在装有空调、窗户紧闭的汽车里，而我得应对冰冷的雨水从帽檐低落，从衣领向下都湿透的衬衫。更惨的是，没有小费。每次我看见那个几乎空无一物的小费罐子时，我就更加沮丧。

当晚八点左右，我正在制作另一壶双倍拿铁的时候，头天的客人开车朝窗口驶来。他没有点任何东西，相反地他给了我一支红玫瑰。他告诉我现在越来越少的人愿意花时间关心其他人，他很开心世界上还有我这样的人。我十分感动，话都说不出来了；我几乎忘了前一天发生的那件事了。之后，我开心地向他表示感谢。他告诉我无须客气，友好地朝我挥挥手，然后开车离开了。

随着时间的推移，我已经接待了一大批挑剔的客人，收到的小费比自己预期的少。但是每次感到疲倦或者挫败时，我就会看看这朵红玫瑰，然后继续微笑。

A Word to Readers

赠人玫瑰，手留余香。不经意的一点小事，却可以带给人无限惊喜和感动，让人充满勇气继续踏上新的行程。

Vocabulary

senior ［ˈsiːnɪə］ adj. 毕业年级的

extremely ［ɪkˈstriːmli］ adv. 极其，非常

multiple ［ˈmʌltIpl］ adj. 多重的，多倍的

extracurricular ［ˌekstrəkəˈrɪkjʊlə］ adj.学校课程以外的

chaos ［ˈkeɪɒs］ n. 混乱

compass ［ˈkʌmpəs］ n. 指南针

figure ［ˈfɪɡə］ v. 认为，计算

pour ［pɔː］ v. 倾倒，倒出

gourmet ［ˈɡʊəmeɪ］ n. 美食家

anticipate ［ænˈtɪsIpeɪt］ v. 预料，预见

enormous ［Iˈnɔːməs］ adj. 庞大的，巨大的

nevertheless ［ˌnevəðəˈles］ adv. 尽管如此

miserable ［ˈmɪzrəbl］ adj. 糟糕的

depressed ［dɪˈprest］ adj. 沮丧的

reveal ［rɪˈviːl］ v. 披露，展现

droplet ［ˈdrɒplɪt］ n. 小滴

expose ［ɪkˈspəʊz］ v. 暴露

complain ［kəmˈpleɪn］ v. 抱怨

speechless ［ˈspiːtʃlɪs］ adj. 说不出话的

frustrated ［frʌˈstreɪtId］ adj. 受挫的；恼怒的Sisters

Everybody in the world wants something they do not have. The normal dream of becoming a superstar and enjoying the pleasure of being admired by thousands of hundreds of people. The famous want to escape from the spotlight and live as the normal people. The fat imagine how beautiful they would look like if they could just lose whatever number of pounds. The bony fantasize about how they would look if they could only grow the womanly curves. The single ones want a mate while those in relationships want independence. And naturally all only children want a sibling.

But I am not one of them.

As the only child with two caring, supportive and happily married parents, I was the happiest kid in the world. I was the center of all the attention. I got all the hugs and all the kisses. On all the occasions where gifts were given, every penny went to my presents. When I needed my father’s help with my science project, I didn’t have to wait in line before he solved other kids’ problems first.

You see, I was always first. I was only. I got all the good stuff. I would be crazy to have some other kid ruin my life.

I didn’t believe having a brother or sister would make me happy. All my friends with sisters or brothers were always complaining about some stupid things their siblings had done—fighting over the remote control, ignoring them, borrowing clothes without asking, pulling pranks on them, etc., etc. Only an idiot would want a sibling.

At least that’s what I thought. Ever the spoiled only child, I went to a private high school, an all-girls school. I know it made a lot of people scared, but to me, it was paradise. I had never actually fitted in junior high, but here I found several girls to whom I related in ways I never thought possible. They didn’t laugh at me when I said something stupid. They forgave me when I made mistakes. In their eyes, I was not a nerd because I liked study too much. They were not only my friends, but my family. I truly felt they were sisters I had never had.

At our school, every freshman was matched with a senior who would be their “big sister”. If your big sisters liked you, they’d thought you were their adoptive sisters; therefore their real little sisters became your sisters by connection.Before I knew it, I went from being an only child to the member of a huge family, adopting sisters left and right.

Around that time, my friend Laura （my friend since six, and still my best）, whom I had been fighting with for a few years, became my friend again. Laura came from a big family. She had two sisters, one brother and a baby on the way. I could not imagine how she survived. She wasn’t really happy with them all the time. She would tell me all her problems with her family, school and anything else that was bothering her. Then she would turn to me and say,“You are like the big sister I never had.” Every time she said it, I was flattered. I loved the idea of being so close to someone that they considered you family. I still love it.

I spent my whole childhood denying the idea of having siblings, yet I went out and selected my own sisters. We are not bonded by blood. We do not always get along with each other. Sometimes we fight with each other over little things like real sisters. From time to time, we disappoint each other.

Despite all the differences, we share a special connection with each other. We know how to make each other laugh and how to comfort each other in times of sorrows. More importantly, we are there for each other, for better or worse.

姐  妹

世界上的每一个人都渴望得到自己没有的东西。普通人梦想着成为巨星，享受万众瞩目的喜悦；而名人们想要逃离聚光灯，过寻常人的日子；身材丰腴的人们想象着自己减掉身上多余的不管多少磅肉后会多么美丽；瘦骨嶙峋的幻想着自己要是长出女性曲线会是什么样子；单身的想要个伴侣；有伴侣的想要独立。自然而然的，所有独生子女都想要个兄弟姐妹。

但是我不是其中一个。

作为家里的独生女，我拥有慈爱、支持我的、享受幸福婚姻生活的父母，我是世界上最幸福的孩子。我总是大家关注的焦点。我得到了所有的拥抱和亲吻。在所有要送礼物的场合，每一分钱都用于给我购买礼物。当我的科学项目需要爸爸帮助时，我不需要等待爸爸先解决其他孩子的问题。

你看吧，我总是第一位。我是唯一。所有好东西都是我的。我疯了才会想要其他孩子来毁掉我的生活。

我不认为有兄弟姐妹会让我开心。我所有有兄弟或姐妹的朋友总是向我抱怨兄弟姐妹们做的蠢事：和他们抢遥控器、忽视他们的存在、未经允许就借走他们的衣服、捉弄他们，等等。只有傻瓜才会想要个兄弟姐妹。

至少我以前一直是这么想的。作为一个曾经被众人溺爱的独生女，我上的高中是一所私立女子学校。我知道很多人觉得女子学校让人恐惧，但对我而言，这就是天堂。实际上我没能很好地融入初中，但是在这里我和一些女孩关系十分融洽，我们相处的方式是我以前从未想到的。她们不会因为我说傻话而笑话我。她们会原谅我犯的错误。在她们看来，这么喜欢学习的我也不是书呆子。她们不光是朋友，还是我的家人。我真的觉得她们是我未曾有过的姐妹。

在我们学校，每个高一新生都会和一个高年级老生配对，老生是新生的“大姐姐”。如果你的大姐姐喜欢你，她们就会把你当成领养的妹妹，因此她们的亲姐妹也就成了你的姐妹。不知不觉中，我就从一个独生女成了大家庭的一员，身边都是领养姐妹。

那段时间，过去几年一直和我争吵的朋友劳拉（我们从六岁起就是朋友，她现在依旧是我最好的朋友）跟我和好了。劳拉来自一个大家庭。她有两个姐姐，一个弟弟，还有一个即将出生的小宝宝。我无法想象她是如何生存下来的。她也不是一直都能和兄弟姐妹们相处愉快。她会告诉我她的家庭、学校以及一切让她烦心的问题。然后她会转头对我说：“你就像我从未有过的大姐姐。”每次她这么说的时候我都觉得受宠若惊。我喜欢身边亲近的人将我当成家人。我现在也喜欢这种感觉。

整个童年我都否认再有一个兄弟或姐妹的想法，但是我还是出去选择了自己的姐妹。我们之间没有血缘关系。我们也不能一直愉快相处。有时候我们也会像其他真正的姐妹一样因为鸡毛蒜皮的小事儿争吵。偶尔，我们也让彼此失望。

尽管存在诸多差异，我们之间还是有特殊的联系。我们知道怎样逗彼此开心，怎样在悲伤的时候安慰对方。更重要的是，我们一直都陪在彼此身边，不管好坏。

A Word to Readers

不是姐妹，胜似亲姐妹。维系人与人关系的不是血缘关系，而是彼此之间的那份感情。

Vocabulary

normal ［ˈnɔːml］ adj. 通常的；正常的

admire ［ədˈmaɪə］ v. 赞赏，羡慕

spotlight ［ˈspɒtlaɪt］ n. 聚光灯

occasion ［əˈkeɪʒn］ n. 场合，时机

stuff ［stʌf］ n. 东西

ruin ［ˈruːɪn］ v. 毁坏

complain ［kəmˈpleɪn］ v. 抱怨，抗议

idiot ［ˈɪdɪət］ n. 傻瓜

spoil ［spɔɪl］ v. 宠坏

connection ［kəˈnekʃn］ n. 联系

huge ［hjuːdʒ］ adj. 极大的

adopt ［əˈdɒpt］ v. 采用；领养

survive ［səˈvaɪv］ v. 幸存，留存

bother ［ˈbɒðə］ v. 打扰

deny ［dɪˈnaɪ］ v. 否认

bond ［bɒnd］ v. 黏合;建立亲密关系

disappoint ［ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪnt］ v. 使……失望

sorrow ［ˈsɒrəʊ］ n. 悲伤Two Mugs

As a single child, I was lucky to have my own bedroom. It was simply decorated. There was a closet, a computer desk, a bed and a dresser. On the dresser stood two similar white mugs with a colorful rainbow on them. The left one was perfect. And the right one was beautiful from a distance. But if you took a close look, you would notice the cracks like spider webs all over the mug. They told a story about two girls.

I met Cheryl in the annual employee trip of my mother’s company. Our mothers were colleagues. On our way back from Hawaii, Cheryl sat next to me. While our moms were chatting in whispers, Cheryl turned towards me and handed me a white mug with a beautiful rainbow on it. It was a small gesture,but a symbol of friendship. I accepted, and we smiled shyly at each other. And on that day, a simple friendship between two six-year-olds were established.

Eight years had passed.Cheryl and I grew up together, played together,studied together. We became each other’s best friend. I cried on Cheryl’s shoulder when my little kitten died in a car accident. I was there for Cheryl when she fell in front of the whole school on the stage and everybody laughed at her. Cheryl was a part of my life and I was hers.

However,life is not always full of laughters. People change as they grow up, for better or for worse. Sometimes these changes are hard to accept. And even the most special friendships can be destroyed. When we entered junior high school, things began to change between us. Cheryl met these “cool and popular” girls. She started hanging out with her new group of cool girls all the time, and spent less and less time with me. And although I was hurt, I tried to be understanding. I was still there for Cheryl when Cheryl had arguments with her new friends and needed a shoulder to cry on. But Cheryl wasn’t always there for me when I needed her.

Upset and depressed about the state of our friendship, I invited Cheryl over to my house to talk. When I tried to tell her all my worries and problems, Cheryl rejected by saying, “Later.” Anger, sadness, hatred, betrayal and disappointment washed over me. I exploded. I started crying and yelling at Cheryl.

“What am I to you, Cheryl? Your friend or just your little dog?” I cried, hoping for an apology and some support. Instead, Cheryl yelled back at me. I thought this was the end of our friendship.

“That’s it, Anne! I hate you!” Cheryl yelled. “Yeah, me too.” I was so angry that I grabbed the mug on the dresser she gave me when we first met. “Here you are. Your stupid mug. We are over.” I handed over the mug, but she was not willing to take it. As I tried to shove it into her bag, she struggled. All of a sudden, the mug fell on the floor, breaking into pieces. I was shocked. Cheryl looked surprised too, but she stood still for a second and left without saying a word. Kneeing down on the floor, I started crying. I realized our friendship was over, just like this mug.

Two months passed. It was my fifteenth birthday, but I felt upset. I remembered my fourteenth birthday. It had been a great one, and Cheryl and I had giggled over the silliest things and engaged in a food fight.

The doorbell rang. I jumped up and rushed to the door. I was expecting my cousin. The door swung open. There stood Cheryl, with a small package in her hand. “I just want to say, well, I...” My former best friend looked at me, “Hap...happy birthday, Anne,” Cheryl finally spoke out. She shoved the gift into my hand and ran down the pathway before I could say anything.

Going back to my room, I sat on my bed and opened the gift. It was a white mug with a rainbow on it. Attached to it was a note that read, “Dear Anne, Happy Fifteen Birthday,Cheryl.” At the bottom was a small, “I am sorry.” Three words. Three simple words that filled my heart with joy. I picked up the telephone to call Cheryl.

Now on my dresser stand two mugs: one is perfect and the other not. They are just like friendship, containing peace as well as fights.

两个杯子

作为家里的独生女，我很幸运拥有一间属于自己的卧室。房间装饰简单，只有一个衣柜、一张电脑桌、一张床和一个梳妆台。梳妆台上放着两个相似的白色杯子，上面印着色彩亮丽的彩虹。左边的杯子完美无缺。右边的杯子从远处看也十分漂亮，但是如果仔细观察，就会发现上面布满了蜘蛛网一样的裂纹。它们讲述了两个女孩子的故事。

我在妈妈公司的年度员工旅行中遇到谢丽尔。我们的妈妈是同事。从夏威夷回家的路上，谢丽尔坐在我旁边。在我们的妈妈小声交谈的时候，谢丽尔转身给了我一个印有美丽彩虹的杯子。这是一个小小的表态，但是却是友谊的象征。我收下杯子，然后我们害羞地对彼此微笑。就在那一天，两个年仅六岁的小女孩建立了简单的友情。

八年过去了，我和谢丽尔共同成长、玩耍、学习。我们成了最好的朋友。当我的小猫咪在车祸中丧生时，我伏在她肩头哭泣。当谢丽尔在全校人面前跌倒在舞台上而受到大家嘲笑时，我陪在她身边。谢丽尔是我生活的一部分，我也是她生活的一部分。

然而生活并不是只有欢声笑语。随着成长，人们总会改变，变好或者变坏。有时候这些改变令人难以接受。即便是最特别的友谊都会被破坏。升入初中之后，我和谢丽尔之间开始发生变化。谢丽尔遇到了一群“又酷又受欢迎”的女孩。她开始和她们一直混在一起，和我一起的时间则越来越短。虽然十分受伤，但是我试着去理解她。当谢丽尔和新朋友吵架，需要一个肩膀来哭泣时，我陪在她身边。但是当我需要她的时候，她却不一定在我身边。

我对我们的友情既沮丧又担忧，便邀请了谢丽尔到我家来好好谈一谈。当我试着给她讲述我的担忧和问题时，谢丽尔拒绝听我说话，只说：“一会儿再说。”愤怒、悲伤、憎恨、背叛和失望的感觉一拥而上。我爆发了。我开始哭泣，对着谢丽尔大吼。“你把我当成什么，谢丽尔？你的朋友还是你的小狗？”我冲她大嚷，希望她能道歉，给我一点支持。但是相反的，谢丽尔反而冲我大喊。我觉得这是我们友谊的终结。“我受够了，安妮！”谢丽尔嚷道。“对，我也是。”我怒火冲天，一把抓过放在梳妆台上我和谢丽尔第一次见面时她给我的杯子。“还给你，你愚蠢的杯子。咱们完了。”我把杯子递给她，但是她不愿意伸手。我强硬地想把杯子塞到她书包里，她开始挣扎。突然，杯子掉到地上，摔成碎片。我惊呆了。谢丽尔看起来也十分吃惊，但是她只呆站了几秒，然后一言不发地离开了。我跪在地上开始流泪。我意识到就像这个杯子一样，我俩的友情结束了。

两个月很快过去。15岁生日到了，我却十分沮丧。我想起了我的14岁生日。那是一个很棒的生日，一点点蠢事都可以让我和谢丽尔笑个不停，我们还展开了食物大战。

门铃响了，我跳起来冲向门口。我想着是堂姐来了。我推开门，谢丽尔站在那里，手里面拿着一个小包裹。“我只想说，嗯，我……”，前好友看着我，“生……生日快乐，安妮。”谢丽尔终于脱口而出。她将礼物一股脑塞到我手里，我还没来得及说什么，她就沿着街道跑了。

我回到房间，坐在床上拆开礼物。里面是一个印着彩虹的白色杯子。上面附着一张纸条：“亲爱的安妮，祝你15岁生日快乐。”纸条最下方写着一行小小的三个字：“对不起。”这简单的三个字让我的心中瞬间充满喜悦。我拿起电话打给谢丽尔。

现在我的梳妆台上放着两个杯子：一个完美无缺，另一个布满裂痕。它们就如同友情一样，既有和平，又有纷争。

A Word to Readers

友情的道路不可能一帆风顺。经历坎坷的友情反而越发牢固。

Vocabulary

decorate ［ˈdekəreɪt］ v. 装饰

crack ［kræk］ n. 裂缝

colleague ［ˈkɒliːɡ］ n. 同事

establish ［ɪˈstæblɪʃ］ v. 建立

shoulder ［ˈʃəʊldə］ n. 肩膀

enter ［ˈentə］ v. 进入

depressed ［dɪˈprest］ adj. 沮丧的

hatred ［ˈheɪtrɪd］ n. 仇恨，厌恶

betrayal ［bɪˈtreɪəl］ n. 背叛

appology ［əˈpɒlədʒi］ n. 道歉

shove ［ʃʌv］ v. 猛推

giggle ［ˈɡɪɡl］ v. 吃吃地笑

engage ［ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ］ v. 使参加

package ［ˈpækɪdʒ］ n. 包裹

former ［ˈfɔːmə］ adj. 以前的， 前任的

pathway ［ˈpɑːθweɪ］ n. 小路

attach ［əˈtætʃ］ v. 附上

contain ［kənˈteɪn］ v. 容纳，含有Uncle Alan

The word “retarded” was not strange to me. However， I was shocked when it was used to describe Uncle Alan. And it was Alan who used it. Since I could remember, he had always been a part of the family. He stayed with us during the winter, and he came to visit us in the rest of the year frequently. He was my father’s youngest brother, and his voice was always like someone who got a serious cold. Our family had just moved and our house was far away from my grandmother’s. It required complicated bus transfers. Innocent as I was, I asked Uncle Alan when he was going to get his driver’s license so he could see us more often. Uncle Alan was twenty years old and worked as a cleaner. His hands were cracked and red from the harsh detergents, but he was a responsible and reliable worker.

“I cannot get a license.” He looked down and rubbed those red hands together.

“Why?”

“ You just know, retarded.”

This word was not strange to me. One year ago I volunteered in a nursing home, talking and playing with patients there. I knew what retarded person looked like. But Alan was like a regular person to me. Indeed, sometimes his words were too difficult to understand, but a bunch of people talked the same way as he did. He could read, he could tell very funny jokes, he could lift the heaviest furniture, and he loved to swim and travel. He wasn’t very good with money, that was for sure. But I wasn’t good with numbers, either. Alan could never figure out how much the bus ticket was, even though he took the same route every day. He had his own way of paying, though. He got on a bus, held out his hand with lots of change, and the bus drivers, who knew him well, would just take what was need-ed.

I was angry. Alan was far from being retarded. He was not drooling, limping or wagging his tongue. I wondered who had put that idea in his head that he could not do anything he wanted to do. I went to talk to father, asking him why Alan couldn’t get a driver’s license.

“Alan can do lots of things, but driving a car is not one of them. You know he reads, but most of the books are cartoons. He knows what he is capable of. He’s okay with it.”

How could Alan be okay with this? My father had always told me nothing was impossible once you made up your mind. But here he was, telling me that Alan could not get a driver’s license even though he could lift me into the air and make me laugh. Alan had many friends who loved him. He was smart in so many ways. Why didn’t other people see that? Why should that keep him from doing anything he wanted?

I got my driver’s license when I turned sixteen. By then Alan was still working as a cleaner. For the first time I realized I had passed him by. I was now more clever than he was. According to the definition in some books, I guessed Alan was retarded. But I refused to accept that. In my mind, Alan lived a meaningful life. He went backpacking, hitch-hiked to another state and made more friends during the trips.

Alan passed away at the age of 35. He lived 15 more years than the doctors had anticipated. My father always said that there was something wrong with Alan’s brain. Even though he was not as smart as many people, he struggled to understand the world. His heart was as full and rich and strong as anyone’s I have ever known. If IQ was determined by the ability to love, share and make people laugh, my Uncle Alan was definitely the smartest person I have ever known.

艾伦叔叔“智障”这个词对我来说并不陌生。但是当这个词用来形容艾伦

试读结束[说明：试读内容隐藏了图片]

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