·Unda Sledge·
“Can I see my baby?”the happy new mother asked. When the bundIe was nestled in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped.The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window.
The baby had been born without ears. Time proved that the baby's hearing was perfect.It was only his appearance that was marred.
When he rushed home from school one day and flung himself into his mother's arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be a succession of heartbreaks. He blurted out the tragedy,“A boy, a big boy……called me a freak.”
He grew up, handsome but for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that.He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.
The boy's father had a session with the family physician,“Could nothing be done?”
“I believe I could graft on a pair of outer ears, if they could be gotten.”the doctor declared. They searched for a person who would make such a great sacrifice for the young man.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son,“You're going to the hospital, son.Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need.But the identity of the donor is a secret.”
The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged. His talents blossomed into genius.School and college became a series of triumphs.He married and entered the dipIomatic service.
He would ask his father,“Who gave me the ears?Who gave me so much?I could never do enough for him or her.”
“I do not believe you could,”said the father,“but the agreement was that you are not to know……not yet.”
The years kept their profound secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother's casket.Slowly, tenderIy, the father stretched forth his hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to reveal that the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never got her hair cut,”his father whispered gently,“and nobody ever thought your mother less beautiful, did they?”
蕓達(dá)·斯萊奇
“我能看看我的孩子嗎?”剛剛做了母親的女人高興地問。當(dāng)襁褓被放到她懷里,她拿開擋著孩子小臉的布時(shí),她倒吸了一口涼氣。醫(yī)生快速地轉(zhuǎn)過身,向窗外望去。
孩子天生沒有耳朵。時(shí)間證明了他的聽力完全沒有問題,只是容貌上有缺陷。
一天,他從學(xué)校飛奔回家,投入媽媽的懷抱。她嘆息著,知道他的一生將伴隨著一連串的傷心。他說出了那件讓人心碎的事情:“一個(gè)男孩,大個(gè)子男孩,叫我怪物?!?/p>
他長大了,盡管命運(yùn)悲慘,他還是長得很英俊。他人緣很好,如果不是因?yàn)闅埣?,他本可以做班長的。他在文學(xué)和音樂方面很有天賦。
男孩的爸爸去問家庭醫(yī)生:“難道真的一點(diǎn)辦法也沒有嗎?”
“辦法是有的。如果能找到一對合適的外耳,我就可以幫他移植了?!贬t(yī)生說。他們開始尋找,看有誰愿意為年輕人做出這樣的犧牲。
兩年過去了。一天,父親告訴兒子:“孩子,你終于可以做手術(shù)了。媽媽和我找到愿意為你捐耳朵的人了。但是,捐獻(xiàn)者要求身份保密?!?/p>
手術(shù)非常成功,他脫胎換骨了。他的才華宛如鮮花怒放般得到了施展,學(xué)業(yè)也取得了一連串的成功。后來,他結(jié)了婚,還做了外交官。
他問父親:“是誰給了我耳朵?是誰如此慷慨?我永遠(yuǎn)報(bào)答不盡?!?/p>
“我不認(rèn)為你有那個(gè)能力去報(bào)答,”爸爸說,“當(dāng)初協(xié)議中規(guī)定你不能知道他是誰,至少現(xiàn)在還不能?!?/p>
父親的守口如瓶使這個(gè)秘密保持了許多年,但是,這一天終于還是來了。他和爸爸站在媽媽的棺木前。慢慢地,輕柔地,爸爸伸出手撩起了媽媽那濃密的棕紅色的頭發(fā),顯露在孩子面前的竟是:媽媽沒有耳朵!
“媽媽說她很慶幸自己從來不用去理發(fā),”爸爸低聲說道,“但沒人會(huì)認(rèn)為你母親因此缺少了一絲一毫的美麗,不是嗎?”
Practising&Exercise 實(shí)戰(zhàn)提升篇
核心單詞
bundIe['b?ndl]n.捆,卷;包裹
prove[pru:v]v.證明,證實(shí)
favorite['feiv?rit]n.特別喜愛的人(或物);受寵的人
donate[d?u'neit]v.捐獻(xiàn),捐贈(zèng)
dipIomatic[,dipl?'m?tik]adj.外交的;外交人員的
tenderIy['tend?li]adv.溫和地,柔和地;體貼地
實(shí)用句型
They searched for a person who wouId make such a great sacrifice for the young man.
他們開始尋找,看有誰愿意為年輕人做出這樣的犧牲。①who在這里修飾a person。
②search for搜查,搜尋。類似的表達(dá)還有search into探究,調(diào)查;search out找到。
翻譯練習(xí)
1.他一不留心說出了一個(gè)深藏心底的秘密。(blurt out)
2.他今天穿了一雙新鞋子。(a pair of)
3.當(dāng)心!你要撞到樹了。(look out)
Kobe Bryant’s Growing Road“小喬丹”科比·布萊恩特的成長之路
Kobe Bryant first started turning heads on the basketball court when he was in middle school. His talents dominated the game so much that high shools from all over the Philadelphia area watched him grow up.The almost six-foot tall seventh grader definitely had the make-up and genes for the game, as his dad was former NBA forward, Joe Bryant.Kobe developed his basketball skills under the watchful eye of his father, helping his mission to become a professional basketball player.He worked daily on his game, watching video, playing in the playgrounds and listening to his father's advice.
When he entered high school in Philadelphia, Kobe was a highly touted recruit. He proved that he had the skills and work ethic to be a star at the next level and the scouts noticed this.Kobe didn't let anybody down either, as he played on the varsity basketball team his freshman year.He wouldn't immediately be a superstar, though.Rather it was the countless hours of early morning workouts by himself in the gymnasium that escaIated Kobe's talents.
Kobe became a better player when he played in high school and soon enough, he had developed into one of the premier talents at the high school level. He sold out the games everywhere he played during his junior and senior years and he didn't disappoint anyone.He once packed the school gym so much that it caused a traffic jam on the main highway just outside the school.
He went on to finish his high school career as the all-time leading point scorer in Pennsylvania history with a total of 2,883 points. Kobe's highly decorated high school career made him the 13th overall choice by the Charlotte Hornets in the 1996 NBA draft.
科比·布萊恩特第一次關(guān)注籃球是在他上初中的時(shí)候。他在籃球方面很有天賦,費(fèi)城的各所中學(xué)都密切關(guān)注著他的成長。這個(gè)近六英尺高的七年級(jí)學(xué)生的確有打籃球的氣質(zhì)和基因,因?yàn)樗陌职质乔癗BA前鋒喬·布萊恩特。科比在他父親的關(guān)注下發(fā)揮自己的籃球天賦,父親幫助他成為了一名職業(yè)籃球運(yùn)動(dòng)員。他每天都努力改進(jìn)籃球技術(shù),看錄像帶,在操場上練習(xí),并聽從爸爸的建議。
當(dāng)科比進(jìn)入費(fèi)城的一所高中時(shí),他已是一個(gè)備受吹捧的新人了。他證明自己有成為下一屆球星的技術(shù)和職業(yè)道德,球探也發(fā)現(xiàn)了這一點(diǎn)??票葲]有讓任何人失望,他在高一時(shí)就加入了校隊(duì),盡管他沒一下子成為超級(jí)球星。無數(shù)個(gè)清晨在體育館的單獨(dú)訓(xùn)練使他的才華得到了進(jìn)一步的提升。
科比剛進(jìn)高中時(shí)就很出色了。不久,他就成為高中組的佼佼者。他在高三、高四時(shí)的每場比賽都備受關(guān)注,并且沒有讓任何人失望。他曾經(jīng)使學(xué)校體育館擠滿了人,還造成了學(xué)校外面的主要高速公路交通堵塞。
他繼續(xù)完成了他的高中學(xué)業(yè),而此時(shí)他已經(jīng)是賓夕法尼亞州歷史上創(chuàng)紀(jì)錄的得分王了,他的總分為2883分。科比充滿榮譽(yù)的高中生涯使他在1996年的NBA選秀中以第十三順位被夏洛特黃蜂隊(duì)選中。
Practising&Exercise 實(shí)戰(zhàn)提升篇
核心單詞
dominate['d?mineit]v.支配,統(tǒng)治,控制
gene[d?i:n]n.基因,遺傳因子
mission['mi??n]n.外交使團(tuán);使命,任務(wù)
recruit[ri'kru:t]v.征募;吸收 n.新成員
scout[skaut]n.偵察者;偵察兵;星探;球探
escaIate['esk?leit]v.提升;提高
decorate['dek?reit]v.裝飾,修飾
實(shí)用句型
He sold out the games everywhere he played during his junior and senior years and he didn't disappoint anyone.
他在高三、高四時(shí)的每場比賽都備受關(guān)注,并且沒有讓任何人失望。
①這是everywhere引導(dǎo)的狀語從句。
②sell out賣光。類似的表達(dá)還有sell up賣掉。
翻譯練習(xí)
1.他們兩人逐漸產(chǎn)生了友情。(grow up)
2.別擔(dān)心,我決不會(huì)讓你失望的。(let……down)
3.這家商店的襯衫都賣光了。(sell out)