英语学习

It was Christmas 1961. I was teaching in a small town in Ohio where my twenty-seven third-graders eagerly anticipated the great day of gift-giving.

Each day the children made some new wonder — strings of popcorn, hand-made decorations, and German bells made from wallpaper samples, which we hung from the ceiling.

Through it all she stayed indifferent, watching from afar, seemingly miles away. I wondered what would happen to this quiet child, once so happy, now so suddenly unsociable.

I hoped the festivities would light her up. But nothing did.

The day of gift-giving finally came. We oohed and aahed over our handiwork as the presents were exchanged. Through it all, she sat quietly watching.

I had made a special package for her, red and green with white lace. I wanted very much to see her smile. She opened it so slowly and carefully. I waited but she turned away.

那是1961年的圣诞节。我在俄亥俄州的一个小镇教书，在那里我的27个三年级学生热切地期待着送礼这一伟大的日子。

每天孩子们都会做一些新的奇葩——爆米花串、手工装饰品和墙纸样品做成的德国铃铛，我们把它们挂在天花板上。

在这一切中，她一直无动于衷，远远地看着，似乎有好几英里远。我不知道这个安静的孩子会发生什么事，曾经那么快乐，现在突然变得不合群。

我希望庆典能使她振作起来。但什么也没做。

送礼的日子终于到了。交换礼物时，我们对我们的手工艺品赞不绝口。整个过程中，她静静地坐着看着。

我给她做了一个特别的包裹，红绿相间的白色蕾丝。我很想看到她的微笑。她慢慢地，小心翼翼地打开它。我等着，但她转过身去。

After school, the children left in little groups, but she hesitated, watching them go out of the door.

I sat down to catch my breath, hardly know what was happening when she came to me reaching out her hands, holding a small white box, unwrapped and slightly soiled, as though it had been held many times by unwashed, childish hands.

"For me?" I asked with a weak smile. She didn't say a word, but nodded her head. I took the box and carefully opened it. There inside, lay a golden chain.

In a flash I knew — she had made it for her mother, a mother she would never see again, a mother who would never hold her or brush her hair or share a funny story, a mother who would never again hear her childish joys or sorrows, a mother who had died in a car accident just three weeks before.放学后，孩子们成群结队地走了，但她犹豫了一下，看着他们走出家门。

我坐下来喘口气，几乎不知道发生了什么事，她向我伸出手来，手里拿着一个白色的小盒子，盒子没有包装，有点脏，好像是被没洗过的、孩子气的手拿过很多次似的。

“为了我？”我微微一笑问道。她一句话也没说，只是点了点头。我拿起盒子，小心地打开了它。在里面，放着一条金链子。

转眼间我就知道了——她为她的母亲做了这个，一个她再也见不到的母亲，一个永远不会抱着她，也不会梳头，也不会分享一个有趣的故事的母亲，一个再也听不到她孩子气的悲欢离合的母亲，一个三周前死于车祸的母亲。

I held out the chain. She took it in both her hands, reached forward, and put it on the back of my neck. She stepped back then as if to see that all was well.

I looked down at the golden chain, then back at the giver, "Maria, it is so beautiful. She would have loved it."

Neither of us could stop the tears. She threw herself into my arms and we were in tears together.

And for that moment I became her mother, for she had given me the greatest gift of all: herself.

我把链子拿出来。她双手拿着它，向前伸出手，放在我的后颈上。她往后退了一步，好像看到一切都很好。

我低头看了看那条金项链，然后又回头看了看那位送礼者，“玛丽亚，它太漂亮了。她会喜欢的。”

我们俩都止不住眼泪。她扑到我怀里，我们一起哭了。

她成了我母亲最伟大的礼物。

美文阅读

㈠林中鸟比笼中鸟善鸣，因为林子里面鸟多，大家可以互相观摩。笼中鸟“孤陋寡闻”，难有大长进。养鸟的人常常把鸟笼挂在树下，加以补救。

人要增进语言表达的能力，也得经常接近长于辞令的“先进”者，吸收养分，徐徐成长。能言者未必肯多言，幸而社会上有一些以说话为专业的人，他们分布在舞台上和讲台上，或者高水准的广播节目里。多找机会做这些人的听众，可以提高自己的语言水准。

㈡麦子疯长，果子上浆，藤蔓爬高，一朵花与另一朵的初恋升温……天上的一阵雷鸣，与地上的一记鸣唱，从小满撕扯到大满，在丰收与欢乐里沦陷。每一声劫后余生的快乐，都在推着时光与民歌翻山越岭，滚过春夏秋冬，一往无前；都在呼唤着属于自身独到的体验与发现，还有陡峭的思想与精神暗示。

㈢得理时宽容，得势时谦让，不要挥舞自己的“权利”大棒去恐吓他人，棒杀他人，这是最智慧的为人处世之道。