Lesson4WisdomofBearWood.docx

Lesson4WisdomofBearWood.docx

《Lesson4WisdomofBearWood.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Lesson4WisdomofBearWood.docx（7页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

Lesson4WisdomofBearWood

LessonFourWisdomofBearWood

MichaelWelzenbach

1.WhenIwas12yearsold,myfamilymovedtoEngland,thefourthmajormoveinmyshortlife.Myfather’sgovernmentjobdemandedthathegooverseaseveryfewyears,soIwasusedtowrenchingmyselfawayfromfriends.

2.Werentedan18th-centuryfarmhouseinBerkshire.Nearbywereancientcastlesandchurches.Lovingnature,however,Iwasmostdelightedbytheendlesspatchworkoffarmsandwoodlandthatsurroundedourhouse.Inthedeepwoodsthatvergedagainstourbackfence,anetworkofpathsledalmosteverywhere,andpheasantsrocketedoffintothedenselaurelsaheadasyouwalked.

3.Ispentmostofmytimeroamingthewoodsandfieldsalone,playingRobinHood,daydreaming,collectingbugsandbird-watching.Itwasheavenforaboy—butalonelyheaven.KeepingtomyselfwasmywayofnotformingattachmentsthatIwouldonlyhavetoabandonthenexttimewemoved.ButonedayIbecameattachedthroughnodesignofmyown.

4.WehadbeeninEnglandaboutsixmonthswhenoldfarmerCrawfordgavemepermissiontoroamabouthisimmenseproperty.Istartedhikingthereeveryweekend,upalong,slopinghilltoanalmostimpenetrablestandoftreescalledBearWood.Itwasmysecretfortress,almostaholyplace,Ithought.Slippingthroughabarbed-wirefence,I’dleavethebrightsunandthetwitterandrustleofinsectsandanimalsoutsideandcreepintoanotherworld—avaultedcathedral,withtreetrunksforpillarsandyears’accumulationoflongbrownneedlesforasoftlycarpetedfloor.Myownbreathingranginmyears,andtheslighteststirringofanywoodlandcreatureechoedthroughthisprivateparadise.

5.OnespringafternoonIwanderednearwhereIthoughtI’dglimpsedapondtheweekbefore.Iproceededquietly,carefulnottoalarmabirdthatmightloudlywarnothercreaturestohide.

6.PerhapsthisiswhythefrailoldladyInearlyranintowasasstartledasIwas.Shecaughtherbreath,instinctivelytouchingherthroatwithherhand.Then,recoveringquickly,shegaveawelcomingsmilethatinstantlyputmeatease.Apairofpowerful-lookingbinocularsdangledfromherneck.“Hello,youngman,”shesaid.“AreyouAmericanorCanadian?

”

7.American,Iexplainedinarush,andIlivedoverthehill,andIwasjustseeingiftherewasapond,andfarmerCrawfordhadsaiditwasokay,andanyhow,Iwasonmywayhome,sogood-bye.

8.AsIstartedtoturn,thewomansmiledandasked,“Didyouseethelittleowlfromthewoodovertheretoday?

”Shepointedtowardtheedgeofthewood.

9.Sheknewabouttheowls?

Iwasamazed.

10.“No,”Ireplied,“butI’veseenthembefore.Neverclosethough.Theyalwaysseemefirst.”

11.Thewomanlaughed.“Yes,they’rewary,”shesaid.“Butthen,gamekeepershavebeenshootingthemeversincetheygothere.They’reintroduced,youknow,notnative.”

12.“They’renot?

”Iasked,fascinated.Anybodywhoknewthissortofstuffwasdefinitelycool—evenifshewastrespassinginmyspecialplace.

13.“Oh,no!

”sheanswered,laughingagain.“AthomeIhavebooksonbirdsthatexplainallaboutthem.Infact,”shesaidsuddenly,“Iwasabouttogobackforteaandjamtart.Wouldyoucaretojoinme?

”

14.Ihadbeenwarnedagainstgoingoffwithstrangers,butsomehowIsensedtheoldwomanwasharmless.“Sure,”Isaid.

15.“I’mMrs.Robertson-Glasgow,”sheintroducedherself,extendingherfinehand.

16.“Michael,”Isaid,takingitclumsilyinmyown.

17.Wesetoff.Andaswewalked,shetoldmehowsheandherhusbandhadmovedtoBerkshireafterhe’dretiredasacollegeprofessorabouttenyearsearlier.“Hepassedawaylastyear,”shesaid,lookingsuddenlywistful.“SonowI’malone,andIhaveallthistimetowalkthefields.”

18.SoonIsawasmallbrickcottagethatglowedpinklyinthewesteringsun.Mrs.Robertson-Glasgowopenedthedoorandinvitedmein.Igazedaboutinsilentadmirationatthebookshelves,glass-frontedcasescontainingfiguresofivoryandcarvedstone,cabinetsfulloffossils,traysofpinnedbutterfliesand,bestofall,adozenorsostuffedbirds—includingaglass-eyedeagleowl.

19.“Wow!

”wasallIcouldsay.

20.“Doesyourmotherexpectyouhomeataparticulartime?

”sheaskedassheranthewaterfortea.

21.“No,”Ilied.Then,glancingattheclock,Iadded,“Well,maybebyfive.”Thatgavemealmostanhour,notnearlyenoughtimetoaskabouteverysingleobjectintheroom.ButbetweenmouthfulsofteaandjamtartIlearnedallsortsofthingsfromMrs.Robertson-Glasgow.

22.Thehourwentbymuchtooswiftly.Mrs.Robertson-Glasgowhadtopracticallypushmeoutthedoor.Butshesentmehomewithtwolargetomes,onefullofbeautifulillustrationsofbirds,andoneofbutterfliesandotherinsects.Ipromisedtoreturnthemthenextweekendifshedidn’tmindmycomingby.Shesmiledandsaidshe’dlookforwardtothat.

23.Ihadmadethebestfriendintheworld.

24.WhenIreturnedthebooks,shelentmemore.SoonIbegantoseeheralmosteveryweekend,andmywellofknowledgeaboutnaturalhistorybegantobrimover.Atschool,Iearnedthenickname“Prof”andsomerespectfrommyfellowstudents.Eventheschoolbullybroughtmeadeadbirdhehadfound,orprobablyshot,toidentify.

25.DuringthesummerIspentblissfullylongdayswithmyfriend.Idiscoveredshemadethefinestshortbreadintheworld.WewouldexploreBearWood,munchinghappilyanddiscussingthebooksshehadlentme.Intheafternoonswewouldreturntothecottage,andshewouldtalkaboutherhusband—whatafinemanhe’dbeen.Onceortwicesheseemedabouttocryandlefttheroomquicklytomakemoretea.Butshealwayscamebacksmiling.

26.Astimepassed,Ididnotnoticethatshewasgrowingfrailerandlessinclinedtolaugh.Familiaritysometimesmakespeoplephysicallyinvisible,foryoufindyourselftalkingtotheheart—totheessence,asitwere,ratherthantotheface.Isuspected,ofcourse,thatshewaslonely;Ididnotknowshewasill.

27.Backatschool,Ibegantogrowquickly.Iplayedsoccerandmadeagoodfriend.ButIstillstoppedbythecottageonweekends,andtherewasalwaysfreshshortbread.

28.OnemorningwhenIwentdownstairstothekitchen,therewasafamiliar-lookingbiscuittinonthetable.IeyeditasIwenttotherefrigerator.

29.Mymotherwasregardingmewithastrangegentleness.“Son,”shebegan,painfully.AndfromthetoneofhervoiceIkneweverythinginstantly.

30.Sherestedherhandonthebiscuittin.“Mr.Crawfordbroughtthesethismorning.”Shepaused,andIcouldtellshewashavingdifficulty.“Mrs.Robertson-Glasgowleftthemforyou.”

31.Istaredoutthewindow,tearsstingingmyeyes.

32.“I’msorry,Michael,butshediedyesterday,”shewenton.“Shewasveryoldandveryill,anditwastime.”

33.Mymotherputherarmaboutmyshoulder.“Youmadeherveryhappy,becauseshewaslonely,”shesaid.“Youwereluckytobesuchagoodfriendforher.”

34.Wordlessly,Itookthetintomyroomandsetitonmybed.Then,hurryingdownstairs,Iburstthroughthefrontdoorandrantothewoods.

35.Iwanderedforalongtime,untilmyeyeshaddriedandIcouldseeclearlyagain.Itwasspring—almostexactlyayearsinceI’dmettheoldwomaninBearWood.IlookedaroundmeandrealizedhowmuchInowknew.Aboutbirds,insects,plantsandtrees,thankstoherhelp.AndthenIrememberedthatbackinmybedroomIhadatinofthebestshortbreadintheworld,andIshouldgoandeatitlikeIalwaysdidonweekendsatMrs.Robertson-Glasgow’scottage.

36.Intime,thatoldroundtinfilledupwithdriedleaves,fossilsandbitsofcolorfulstone,andcountlessotheroddsandends.Istillhaveit.

37.ButIhavemuchmore,thelegacyofthatlong-agoencounterinBearWood.Itisawisdomtutoredbynatureitself,abouttheseenandtheunseen,aboutthingsthatchangeandthingsthatarechangeless,andaboutthefactthatnomatterhowseeminglydifferenttwosoulsmaybe,theypossessthepotentialforthatmostprecious,rarething—anenduringandrewardingfriendship.

倒吸一口冷气

Thecowboydrewadeepbreath,asifhismindwaspassingintothelaststagesofdissolution.

牛仔倒抽了一口冷气，仿佛他快魂飞魄散了。

Igaveaquickgasp…

我骤然倒吸了一口气。

。

。

Theothersuckedinhisbreathandsmiled.

对方倒吸了一口冷气，露出了笑容.

Catchone’sbreath…（p.159）

1）ThisisMr.Jin,thenewlyelectedchairmanoftheEnglishDepartment.

2）DreamoftheRedChamber,anovelbyCaoXueqin,isregardedasoneofChina'sfourfinestclassicnovels.

3）Withtoomanyexamstoworryabout,myplan—towriteanovelaboutlifeatcollege-doesn'tseemfeasible.

4）Collegefreshmen—particularlythosewhoaretheonlychildrenintheirfamilies—havedifficultyadjustingtodormitorylife.

5）WhenIwasachild,myfavoriteadultwasanolduncle,aretiredseacaptainwhoalwaystoldmeabouthisadventuresinfarawaylands.

6）Inwhateverform—cigarettes,cigars,pipetobacco,orchewingtobacco—tobaccoisbadforthehealth.

7）TheprofessorappealstothevaluesdeepestintheheartofallChinese—loyalty,filialduty,benevolenceandrighteousness.

8）Thequestionwhetherheshouldconfessornottroubledthecriminal.

9）MuchasIrespectConfucius,Icanneveragreewithhisviewthatwomenareborninferiortomen.

10）Theyarefacedwithabigproblem:

howtogettheprojectapprovedbytheMinistryofEducation.

1）Whereverthereareairandwater,lifeispossible.

2）Joggingeveryday,hehaslostfivepoundsthismonth.

3）Twoofthemtalkedinawhispersoasnottodisturbtheotherguests.

4）We'llletyouknowassoonasthepersonneldepartmentreachesadecision.

5）Allthosewhoworkforthegoodoftheirco