新视野大学英语3原文.docx

新视野大学英语3原文.docx

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新视野大学英语3原文

a

Mybrother,Jimmy,didnotgetenoughoxygenduringadifficultdelivery,leavinghimwithbraindamage,andtwoyearslaterIwasborn.

Sincethen,myliferevolvedaroundmybrother's.

Accompanyingmygrowingupwasalways"gooutandplayandtakeyourbrotherwithyou".

Icouldn'tgoanywherewithouthim,soIurgedtheneighborhoodkidstocometomyhouseforsomeout-of-controlkid-centeredfun.

MymothertaughtJimmypracticalthingslikehowtobrushhisteethorputonabelt.

Myfather,asaint,simplyheldthehousetogetherwithhispatienceandunderstanding.

IwasinchargeoutsidewhereIadministeredjusticebytrackingdowntheparentsofthekidswhopickedonmybrother,andtellingonthem.

MyfatherandJimmywereinseparable.

Theyatebreakfasttogetherandonweekdaysdroveofftothenavyshippingcentereverymorningwheretheybothworked—Jimmyunloadedcolor-codedboxes.

Atnightafterdinner,theywouldtalkandplaygameslateintotheevening.

Theyevenwhistledthesametunes.

Sowhenmyfatherdiedofaheartattackin,Jimmywasawreck,beneathhiscarefuldisguise.

Hewassimplyindisbelief.

Usuallyveryagreeable,henowquitspeakingaltogetherandnoamountofwordscouldpenetratethevacantexpressionheworeonhisface.

Ihiredsomeonetolivewithhimanddrivehimtowork,butnomatterhowmuchItriedtomakethingsstaythesame,evenJimmygraspedthattheworldhe'dknownwasgone.

OnedayIasked,"YoumissDad,don'tyou?

"

Hislipsquiveredandthenheasked,"Whatdoyouthink,Margaret?

Hewasmybestfriend."

Ourtearsbegantoflow.

MymotherdiedoflungcancersixmonthslaterandIalonewaslefttolookafterJimmy.

Hedidn'tadjusttogoingtoworkwithoutmyfatherrightaway,sohecameandlivedwithmeinNewYorkCityforawhile.

HewentwhereverIwentandseemedtoadjustprettywell.

Still,Jimmylongedtoliveinmyparents'houseandworkathisoldjobandIpledgedtohelphimreturn.

Eventually,Iwasabletoworkitout.

Hehaslivedthereforyearsnowwithmanydifferentcaretakersandblossomedonhisown.

Hehasbecomeessentialtotheneighborhood.

Whenyouhaveanymailtobepickeduporyourdogneedswalking,heisyourman.

Mymotherwasright,ofcourse:

Itwaspossibletohaveahomewithroomforbothhislimitationsandmyambitions.

Infact,caringforsomeonewholovesasdeeplyandappreciatesmyeffortsasmuchasJimmydoeshasenrichedmylifemorethananythingelseevercouldhave.

ThishithomeafewdaysaftertheSeptemberthdisasteronJimmy'sthbirthday.

IhadapartyforhiminmyhomeinNewYork,butnoneofourfamilycouldjoinusbecausetravelwasdifficultandtheywerestillreckoningwiththesheerterrorthedisasterhadbrought.

Icalledonmyfaithfulfriendstohelpmakeitamerryandfestiveoccasion,ignoringthefactthatmostofthemwereemotionallydrainedandexhausted.

Insteadofthecustomary"Nogifts,please",Ishouted,"Gifts!

Please!

"

Myfriends—peopleJimmyhadcometoknowovertheyears—broughttheidealpresents:

countrymusicCDs,asweatshirt,oneleatherbeltwith"J-I-M-M-Y"onit,aknittedwoolhatandacowboycostume.

Theeveningleduptothegiftsandthenthechocolatecakefromhisfavoritebakery,andofcoursetheceremonywasn'tcompletewithoutthesinging.

AthousandtimesJimmyasked,"Isittimeforthecakeyet?

"

AfterdinnerandthegiftsJimmycouldnolongerberestrained.

Heanxiouslywaitedforthecandlestobelitandthenblewthemoutwithonelongbreathasweallsang"HappyBirthday".

Jimmywasn'tsatisfiedwithoureffort,though.

Hejumpeduponthechairandstooderectpointingbothindexfingersintotheairtoconductusandyelled,"One...more...time!

"

Wesangwithalloftheenergyleftinoursoulsandwhenwewerefinishedheputbothhisthumbsupandshouted,"Thatwassuper!

"

Wehadwantedtolethimknowthatnomatterhowdifficultthingsgotintheworld,therewouldalwaysbepeoplewhocaredabouthim.

Weendedupremindingourselvesinstead.

ForJimmy,thelovewithwhichwesangwasawelcomebonus,butmostlyhehadjustwantedtoseeeveryoneelsehappyagain.

Justasmyfather'sdeathhadchangedJimmy'sworldovernight,Septemberthchangedourlives;theworldwe'dknownwasgone.

But,aswesangforJimmyandheldeachothertightafterwardprayingforpeacearoundtheworld,wewereremindedthattheconstantloveandsupportofourfriendsandfamilywouldgetusthroughwhateverlifemightpresent.

ThesimplicitywithwhichJimmyhadreconciledeverythingforusshouldnothavebeensurprising.

TherehadneverbeenanylimitationstowhatJimmy'slovecouldaccomplish.

b

ItwasanautumnnightinmynativeNovaScotia.

Alightrainwasfalling,makingtappingsoundsonthetinroofandthesmellofmouldfilledtheoldlodgewewerevacationinginfortheweekend.

AshiverintheairinspiredafireontheFranklinstove.

Wewereallsippinghotchocolateandthenmyfatherwentovertotheuprightpiano,pushedupthesleevesofhisshirtandbeganpickingoutatunewithonefinger.

Hewasnotmuchofapianist,butheknewtheloveofsongandfamily.

Mymotherputdownhersewingandjoinedhimonthebenchandthenmybrotherdriftedtothepianoaswell.

Finally,apoorsingerandsousuallyaviolinistinstead,Iaddedmyvoiceforalineortwo.

Myfather,everconsiderate,said,"See,youcansing,darling.Thatwasgood."

Ihaveoftenrememberedhowwarm,happyandlovedIfeltgrowingup.

Ittookmeyears,though,tolearnthattheloveinourfamilydidn'tjusthappen.

Infact,loveneverjusthappens—noteventopeoplewhoseemasnaturallylovingasmymotherandfather.

But,Iwouldhedgetobet,thereisaframeworkyoumustlivewithintoletthisgiftthathasnorivalsmature.

First,loveneedstime.

Perhapspeoplecanrecognizeinamomentthepossibilityforlove,andmakegranddeclarationssuchas"Iloveyou"withinweeksofhavingmet,butthisloveiscomparabletothebeginningofalongroadupamountainwithmanyupsanddowns.

Matureloveislikealivingorganism.

Itparallelsthelifeofanoaktree,growingslowlyfromaseedinthemudtoaslendertrunkwithbarelyanyleavesandfinallyintoitsshelteringglory.

Wecannotmanipulateorspeeduptheamountofyearsitneedstogrow,butmustinstead,withwitandpatience,appreciateoneanother'sdifferencesandshareoneanother'sjoysandpainsovertime.

Soitissadwhendivorcesarecausedbysmallprovocations,whenparentsandchildrengiveupononeanother,whenfriendshipsfallapartatthefirstinjury,whenwegiveuponlove.

Toooftenwesay"farewell"tosomeonewehavelovedwithoutduethoughtandenduppayinganemotionaltollthatisquitecostly.

Ionceknewafatherandsonwho,saddledwiththeirrespectivetroublesinlife,haddrawnsofarapartovertheyearsthattheyfoundlittletosaytoeachother.

And,withouteachother,theirliveshadbecomehollow.

Theson,justoutofcollege,hadplannedtospendthesummertravelinginanoldyellowlorryonthetwo-lanehighwaysthatconnectedthecountrytogetherbeforefreeways.

Oneday,whenhewasnearlyreadytoleave,hespottedhisfatherapproachingonabusystreetandwasstruckbyasingularlonelinessinthatlongfamiliarface.

Heinvitedhimtostopforabeer.

Thenonimpulse,hesaid,"Dad,comealong.Let'sspendasummertogether."

Atgreatrisktothefamilybusiness,thefather,afurnituresalesman,wentalongwithhisson.

Togethertheycamped,climbedmountains,satbytheseaandexploredcitystreetsandsleepyvillages.

"Ilearnedmoreaboutbeingafatherinthelasttwomonthsthaninallmyson'syears,"thefathertoldmeshortlyaftertheirtrip.

Everyone'slifeshouldhaveroomforlovesworthriskingsizablepiecesoftimewethinkwecan'tspare.

Weshouldnotmisleadourselvesintothinkingthattheoneswelovemustbelikeus.

Thekeyistorecognizeandappreciateourdifferences.

Thosedifferencesprovidethemysteryandwonderofhumanrelationships.

Loveneedsanother,harder-to-findqualityaswell,theabilitytoletgo.

Intheearlyyearsofmymarriage,Ihadfaultynotionsthatmyhusbandshouldwanttobewithmeallthetime.

Onourfirstvisittohisfamily'shouse,Idiscoveredthatthemendidthingstogetherandthewomendidthesame.

Myfather-in-lawstolemyplacenexttomyhusbandinthefrontseatofthecar,andthetwoofthemoftenwentouttogether,leavingmewiththewomen.

Icomplainedandmademyhusbandmiserable,caughtashewasbetweenthepeopleheloved.

Mymother-in-lawsaidwisely,"Beingwithhisfatherisonepartofhislife;beingwithyouisanother.Behappyaboutbothofthem."

Ilearnedthatloveislikeanelasticbandthatmuststretchapartbeforeitpullsyoubackclosetooneanother.

Itisacomingtidewhosewatersretreatalittleafterasinglewave,butthenextoneisclosertoyourheartthantheonebefore.

Finally,loveneedswordstomakeitreal.

Withoutwords,quarrelscan'tberesolvedandwelosethepowertosharethemeaningofourlives.

Theimportantthingistoacknowledgeandexpressourfeelings.

Inthisway,wecantrulysendthespiritsofthoseweloveaswellasourownsoaringupwards.

Loveisnotasingleact,butalifetimeadventureinwhichwearealwayslearning,discovering,growing.

Itisneitherdestroyedbyasinglefailurenorwonbyasinglekiss.

Itcanonlybeachievedthroughpatienceandunderstanding.

a

Sportsmedicineexpertshaveobservedforyearsthatenduranceathletes,particularlyfemales,frequentlyhaveirondeficiencies.

NowanewstudybyateamofPurdueUniversityresearcherssuggeststhatev