·Anonymous·
Years of storms had taken their toll on the old windmill. Its wheel, rusted and fallen, lay silently in the lush bluegrass.Its once animated silhouette was now a tall motionless steeple in the twilight sun.
I hadn't walked across our old farm in fifteen years. Yet the sensations came flooding back.I could smell the freshness of new mown alfalfa.I could feel the ping of the ice cold summer rain, and the sun's sudden warmth on my wet shoulders when it reappeared after a brisk July thunderstorm.
Rain or shine, I used to walk this path each day to see Greta. She always made me smile, even after Sis and I had just had a big squabble.I would help Greta with her chores.Then we would visit over a generous helping of her deIicious homemade chocolate cookies and ice cream.Being confined to a wheel chair didn't stop Greta from being a fabuIous cook.
Greta gave me two of the greatest gifts I've ever received. First, she taught me how to read.She also taught me that when I forgave Sis for our squabbles, it meant I wouldn't keep feeling like a victim.Instead, I would feel sunny.
Mr. Dinking, the local banker, tried to foreclose on Greta's house and land after her husband passed away.Thanks to Pa and Uncle Johan, Greta could keep everything.Pa said that it was the least he could do for someone taIented enough to teach me to read!
Soon folks were coming from miles around to buy Greta's homemade cakes, pies, breads, cookies, cider, and ice cream. Hank, the grocery store man, came each week to stock his shelves and bring Greta supplies.
Greta even had me take a big apple pie to Mr. Dinking who became one of her best customers and friends.That's just how Greta was.She could turn anyone into a friend!
Greta always said,“Dear, keep walking in sunshine!”No matter how terrible my day started, I always felt sunny walking home from Greta's house-even beneath the winter starlight.
I arrived at Greta's house today just after sunset. An ambulance had stopped a few feet from her door, its red lights fIashing.When I ran into the old house, Greta recognized me right away.
She smiled at me with her unforgettable twinkling blue eyes. She was almost out of breath when she reached out and softly touched my arm.Her last words to me were“Dear, keep walking in sunshine!”
I'm sure that Greta is walking in the brightest sunshine she's ever seen. And, I'm sure that she heard every word I read at her memorial service.I chose a beautiful verse by Leo Buscaglia.It's one that Greta taught me to read many years ago……
“Love can never grow old. Locks may lose their brown and gold.Cheeks may fade and hollow grow.But the hearts that love will know, never winter's frost and chill, summer's warmth is in them still.”
逸名
多年的風(fēng)雨侵蝕了古老的風(fēng)車。車輪銹了,掉了,靜靜地躺臥在茂盛的藍(lán)色禾草中。落日余暉下,風(fēng)車那一度生機(jī)勃勃的形象如今變成了死氣沉沉的高大尖塔。
我已經(jīng)有十五年沒(méi)有步行穿過(guò)我們的農(nóng)場(chǎng)了,然而,昔日的感覺(jué)如今如潮水般卷來(lái)。我又聞到了新割苜蓿的清新味道,感受到了夏天的冰冷雨滴敲打在身上,還有七月雷雨后,太陽(yáng)重現(xiàn)天際,被打濕的肩膀上瞬間便能感受到的溫暖。
曾經(jīng)無(wú)論晴雨,我天天沿著這條小徑去探望葛麗塔。葛麗塔總能使我開(kāi)心起來(lái),即使我剛和姐姐大吵了一場(chǎng)。我會(huì)幫葛麗塔做些雜事,然后,我們會(huì)大吃她親手做的美味巧克力曲奇餅和冰激凌。盡管坐在輪椅上,但這并不妨礙葛麗塔成為一名出色的廚師。
葛麗塔送給我兩件我有生以來(lái)收到的最棒的禮物。首先,她教會(huì)我認(rèn)字。另外,葛麗塔還讓我懂得,不再記恨和姐姐的爭(zhēng)吵并原諒姐姐,可以使我自己不再覺(jué)得像個(gè)受害者,相反,寬恕會(huì)令我心情開(kāi)朗。
在葛麗塔的丈夫去世后,當(dāng)?shù)氐你y行家丁肯先生要收取她抵押給銀行的房子和土地。幸虧有爸爸和約翰叔叔的幫忙,葛麗塔才保住了一切。爸爸說(shuō),對(duì)一位本領(lǐng)高強(qiáng)到居然能夠教會(huì)我認(rèn)字的人,這只是他力所能及的一件小事!
很快,方圓數(shù)英里的人們都來(lái)買(mǎi)葛麗塔自制的蛋糕、餡餅、面包、曲奇餅、蘋(píng)果酒和冰激凌。每個(gè)禮拜,雜貨店老板漢克都會(huì)來(lái)這里進(jìn)貨,并帶給她新的材料。
葛麗塔甚至讓我給丁肯先生送去一個(gè)大大的蘋(píng)果餡餅,他后來(lái)也成了她最好的顧客和朋友之一。這就是葛麗塔,她能把所有人都變成朋友!
葛麗塔總說(shuō):“親愛(ài)的,要一直走在陽(yáng)光里!”不管這一天是多么的糟糕,從葛麗塔的小屋走回家時(shí),即使頭頂上是冬夜的星光,我都覺(jué)得心情無(wú)比燦爛。
這天,我來(lái)到葛麗塔家時(shí),太陽(yáng)剛下山,她門(mén)外幾英尺處停著一輛救護(hù)車,車上的紅燈不住閃爍。當(dāng)我沖入那所老房子時(shí),葛麗塔立刻認(rèn)出了我。
她沖我微笑著,那雙令人難忘的藍(lán)眼睛閃著光芒。當(dāng)她伸手輕輕撫摸我的臂膀時(shí),已經(jīng)奄奄一息了。她最后對(duì)我說(shuō)的話是:“親愛(ài)的,要一直走在陽(yáng)光里!”
我肯定葛麗塔此時(shí)正走在前所未有的燦爛陽(yáng)光里,我還肯定她聽(tīng)見(jiàn)了我在她的追思儀式上所念的每一個(gè)字。我選了里歐·巴斯卡格利亞的一首優(yōu)美的詩(shī)念給她聽(tīng),那是多年前葛麗塔教我念的……
“愛(ài)永不會(huì)老。鎖頭會(huì)銹蝕,紅顏會(huì)消退。只要心中有愛(ài),嚴(yán)冬便永不降臨,夏日的溫暖永駐?!?/p>
核心單詞
animated['?nimeitid]adj.栩栩如生的;活躍的;熱烈的
sensation[sen'sei??n]n.感覺(jué),知覺(jué)
generous[d?en?r?s]adj.慷慨的,大方的
deIicious[di'li??s]adj.美味的;香噴噴的
fabuIous['f?bjul?s]adj.驚人的;難以置信的
taIented['t?l?ntid]adj.有才能的,有才干的
fIashing['fl??i?]n.閃光;閃爍
fade[feid]v.凋謝,枯萎
實(shí)用句型
She was aImost out of breath when she reached out and softIy touched my arm.
當(dāng)她伸手輕輕撫摸我的臂膀時(shí),已經(jīng)奄奄一息了。
①這里是由when引導(dǎo)的時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)從句。
②reach out伸出,類似的表達(dá)還有out of reach夠不著;reach for伸手去拿等固定搭配。
翻譯練習(xí)
1.此房年久失修。(used to)
2.太陽(yáng)一出來(lái),霧就會(huì)消失了。(pass away)
3.幸虧有你的幫忙,我們才得以按時(shí)完成任務(wù)。(thanks to)