Unit1GrowingUPPartTextAWritingforMyselfⅡWhenwearewritingweareoftentoldtokeepourreadersinmind,toshapewhatwesaytofittheirtastesandinterests.Butthereisonereaderinparticularwhoshouldnotbeforgotten.Canyouguesswho?RussellBakersurprisedhimselfandeveryoneelsewhenhediscoveredtheanswer.我們寫作時(shí)常常被告誡，腦子里要有讀者，筆者所云一定要符合讀者的口味和興趣。但有一位讀者特別不該忘記。你能猜出是誰(shuí)嗎？當(dāng)拉塞爾·貝克找到這個(gè)問(wèn)題的答案時(shí)，他自己和別人都感到大為驚訝。WritingforMyselfRussellBaker1TheideaofbecomingawriterhadcometomeoffandonsincemychildhoodinBelleville,butitwasn'tuntilmythirdyearinhighschoolthatthepossibilitytookhold.UntilthenI'vebeenboredbyeverythingassociatedwithEnglishcourses.IfoundEnglishgrammardullanddifficult.Ihatedtheassignmentstoturnoutlong,lifelessparagraphsthatwereagonyforteacherstoreadandformetowrite.為自己而寫拉塞爾·貝克

從孩提時(shí)代，我還住在貝爾維爾時(shí)，我的腦子里就斷斷續(xù)續(xù)地轉(zhuǎn)著當(dāng)作家的念頭，但直等到我高中三年級(jí)，這一想法才有了實(shí)現(xiàn)的可能。在這之前，我對(duì)所有跟英文課沾邊的事都感到膩味。我覺(jué)得英文語(yǔ)法枯燥難懂。我痛恨那些長(zhǎng)而乏味的段落寫作，老師讀著受累，我寫著痛苦。2WhenourclasswasassignedtoMr.Fleagleforthird-yearEnglishIanticipatedanothercheerlessyearinthatmosttediousofsubjects.Mr.Fleaglehadareputationamongstudentsfordullnessandinabilitytoinspire.Hewassaidtobeveryformal,rigidandhopelesslyoutofdate.Tomehelookedtobesixtyorseventyandexcessivelyprim.Heworeprimlysevereeyeglasses,hiswavyhairwasprimlycutandprimlycombed.Heworeprimsuitswithnecktiessetprimlyagainstthecollarbuttonsofhiswhiteshirts.Hehadaprimlypointedjaw,aprimlystraightnose,andaprimmannerofspeakingthatwassocorrect,sogentlemanly,thatheseemedacomicantique.弗利格爾先生接我們的高三英文課時(shí)，我就準(zhǔn)備著在這門最最單調(diào)乏味的課上再熬上沉悶的一年。弗利格爾先生在學(xué)生中以其說(shuō)話干巴和激勵(lì)學(xué)生無(wú)術(shù)而出名。據(jù)說(shuō)他拘謹(jǐn)刻板，完全落后時(shí)代于。我看他有六七十歲了，古板之極。他戴著得筆齊，梳得紋絲不亂。他身穿古古板的毫無(wú)裝飾的眼鏡，微微卷曲的頭發(fā)剪板的套裝，領(lǐng)帶端端正正地頂著白襯衣的領(lǐng)扣。他長(zhǎng)著古板的尖下巴，古板的直鼻梁，說(shuō)起話來(lái)一本正經(jīng)，字斟句酌，彬彬有禮，活脫脫一個(gè)滑稽的老古董。3IpreparedforanunfruitfulyearwithMr.Fleagleandforalongtimewasnotdisappointed.Lateintheyearwetackledtheinformalessay.Mr.Fleagledistributedahomeworksheetofferingusachoiceoftopics.Nonewasquitesosimple-mindedas"WhatIDidonMySummerVacation,"butmostseemedtobealmostasdull.Itookthelisthomeanddidnothinguntilthenightbeforetheessaywasdue.Lyingonthe

sofa,Ifinallyfaceduptotheunwelcometask,tookthelistoutofmynotebook,andscannedit.Thetopiconwhichmyeyestoppedwas"TheArtofEatingSpaghetti."我作好準(zhǔn)備，打算在弗利格爾先生的班上一無(wú)所獲地混上一年，不少日子過(guò)去了，還真不出所料。后半學(xué)期我們學(xué)寫隨筆小品文。弗利格爾先生發(fā)下一張家庭作業(yè)紙，出了不少題目供我們選擇。像"暑假二三事"那樣傻乎乎的題目倒是一個(gè)也沒(méi)有，但絕大多數(shù)一樣乏味。我把作文題帶回家，一直沒(méi)寫，直到要交作業(yè)的前一天晚上。我躺在沙發(fā)上，最終不得不面對(duì)這一討厭的功課，便從筆記本里抽出作文題目單粗粗一看。我的目光落在"吃意大利細(xì)面條的藝術(shù)"這個(gè)題目上。4Thistitleproducedanextraordinarysequenceofmentalimages.VividmemoriescamefloodingbackofanightinBellevillewhenallofuswereseatedaroundthesuppertable─UncleAllen,mymother,UncleCharlie,Doris,UncleHal─andAuntPatservedspaghettiforsupper.Spaghettiwasstillalittleknownforeigndishinthosedays.NeitherDorisnorIhadevereatenspaghetti,andnoneoftheadultshadenoughexperiencetobegoodatit.AllthegoodhumorofUncleAllen'shousereawokeinmymindasIrecalledthelaughingargumentswehadthatnightaboutthesociallyrespectablemethodformovingspaghettifromplatetomouth.這個(gè)題目在我腦海里喚起了一連串不同尋常的圖像。貝爾維爾之夜的清晰的起圍坐餐桌旁──艾倫舅舅、我母哈爾舅舅──帕特舅媽晚飯做的是意大利細(xì)面條。那時(shí)意很少聽說(shuō)的異國(guó)食品。多麗絲和我都還從來(lái)沒(méi)吃過(guò)，在座的大人也是經(jīng)驗(yàn)不足，沒(méi)有一個(gè)吃起來(lái)得心應(yīng)手的。艾倫舅舅家詼諧有趣的場(chǎng)景全都重現(xiàn)在笑作一團(tuán)，爭(zhēng)論著該如何地把面條從盤子上回憶如潮水一般涌來(lái)，當(dāng)時(shí)，我們大家一在晚親、查理舅舅、多麗絲、大利細(xì)面條還是我的腦海中，我回想起來(lái)，當(dāng)晚我們送到嘴里才算合乎禮儀。

5SuddenlyIwantedtowriteaboutthat,aboutthewarmthandgoodfeelingofit,butIwantedtoputitdownsimplyformyownjoy,notforMr.Fleagle.ItwasamomentIwantedtorecaptureandholdformyself.Iwantedtorelivethepleasureofthatevening.TowriteitasIwanted,however,wouldviolatealltherulesofformalcompositionI'dlearnedinschool,andMr.Fleaglewouldsurelygiveitafailinggrade.Nevermind.IwouldwritesomethingelseforMr.FleagleafterIhadwrittenthisthingformyself.突然我就想描述那一切，描述當(dāng)時(shí)那種溫馨美好的氣氛，但我把它寫下來(lái)僅僅是想自得其樂(lè)，而不是為弗利格爾先生而寫。那是我想重新捕捉并珍藏在心中的一個(gè)時(shí)刻。我想重溫那個(gè)夜晚的愉快。然而，照我希望的那樣去寫，就會(huì)違反我在學(xué)校里學(xué)的正式作文的種種法則，弗利格爾先生也肯定會(huì)打它一個(gè)不及格。沒(méi)關(guān)系。等我為自己寫好了之后，我可以再為弗利格爾先生寫點(diǎn)什么別的東西。6WhenIfinisheditthenightwashalfgoneandtherewasnotimelefttocomposeaproper,respectableessayforMr.Fleagle.TherewasnochoicenextmorningbuttoturninmytaleoftheBellevillesupper.TwodayspassedbeforeMr.Fleaglereturnedthegradedpapers,andhereturnedeveryone'sbutmine.IwaspreparingmyselfforacommandtoreporttoMr.FleagleimmediatelyafterschoolfordisciplinewhenIsawhimliftmypaperfromhisdeskandknockfortheclass'sattention.等我寫完時(shí)已是半夜時(shí)分，再?zèng)]時(shí)間為弗利格爾先生寫一篇循規(guī)蹈矩、像模像樣的文章了。第二天上午，我別無(wú)選擇，只好把我為自己而寫的貝爾維爾晚餐的故事交了上去。兩天后弗利格爾先生發(fā)還批改過(guò)的作文，他把別人的都發(fā)了，就是準(zhǔn)備著遵命一放學(xué)就去弗利格爾先生那兒挨訓(xùn)，卻看見他從桌上拿起我的作文，敲了敲桌子讓大家注意聽。沒(méi)有我的。我正

7"Now,boys,"hesaid."Iwanttoreadyouanessay.Thisistitled,'TheArtofEatingSpaghetti.'""好了，孩子們，"他說(shuō)。"我要給你們念一篇小品文。文章的題目是：吃意大利細(xì)面條的藝術(shù)。"8Andhestartedtoread.Mywords!Hewasreadingmywordsoutloudtotheentireclass.What'smore,theentireclasswaslistening.Listeningattentively.Thensomebodylaughed,thentheentireclasswaslaughing,andnotincontemptandridicule,butwithopen-heartedenjoyment.EvenMr.Fleaglestoppedtwoorthreetimestoholdbackasmallprimsmile.于是他開始念了。是我寫的！他給全班大聲念我寫的文章。更不可思議的是，全班同學(xué)都在聽著他念，而且聽得很專心。有人笑出聲來(lái)，接著全班都笑了，不是輕蔑嘲弄，而是樂(lè)乎乎地開懷大笑。就連弗利格爾先生也停頓了兩三次，好抑制他那一絲拘謹(jǐn)?shù)奈⑿Α?Ididmybesttoavoidshowingpleasure,butwhatIwasfeelingwaspuredelightatthisdemonstrationthatmywordshadthepowertomakepeoplelaugh.Intheeleventhgrade,attheeleventhhourasitwere,Ihaddiscoveredacalling.Itwasthehappiestmomentofmyentireschoolcareer.WhenMr.Fleaglefinishedheputthefinalsealonmyhappinessbysaying,"Nowthat,boys,isanessay,don'tyousee.It's─don'tyousee─it'softheveryessenceoftheessay,don'tyousee.Congratulations,Mr.Baker."我盡力不流露出得意的心情，但是看到我寫的文章竟然能使別人大笑，我真是心花怒放。就在十一年級(jí)，可謂是最后的時(shí)刻，我找到了一個(gè)今生想做的事。這是我整個(gè)求學(xué)生涯中最幸福的一刻。弗利格爾先生念完后說(shuō)道："瞧，孩子們，這

就是小品文，懂了沒(méi)有。這才是──知道嗎──這才是小品文的精髓，知道了沒(méi)有。祝賀你，貝克先生。"他這番話使我沉浸在十全十美的幸福之中。PartTextBSummerReadingⅢAsasummerjobtheauthorusedtocutMr.Ballou'slawn.TheonlyproblemwasthatMr.Ballouneverseemedtohaveanymoneytopayforit.Butwhathedidhavetogivewassomethingthatturnedouttobefarmorevaluable.夏天打工時(shí)，作者常常替巴盧先生修剪草坪。惟一的問(wèn)題是，巴盧先生似乎從來(lái)沒(méi)錢支付工錢。然而，他實(shí)際上所給予的卻遠(yuǎn)比工錢珍貴。SummerReadingMichaelDorris1WhenIwasfourteen,Iearnedmoneyinthesummerbycuttinglawns,andwithinafewweeksIhadbuiltupabodyofcustomers.IgottoknowpeoplebytheflowerstheyplantedthatIhadtoremembernottocutdown,bythethingstheylostinthegrassorstuckinthegroundonpurpose.IreachedthepointwithmostofthemwhenIknewinadvancewhatcomplaintwasabouttobespoken,whichparticularrequestwasmostimportant.(1)AndIlearnedsomethingaboutthemeasureofmyneighborsbytheirpreferredmethodofpayment:bythejob,bythemonth─ornotatall.夏日閱讀邁克爾·多里斯

十四歲那年，我在暑假里替人修剪草坪掙些錢，不出幾個(gè)星期，我就有了不少客戶。客戶們種植的花卉我得記住不能剪去，他們會(huì)將東西遺落在草地上或故意插在地里，通過(guò)這些我逐漸認(rèn)識(shí)了他們。我對(duì)大多數(shù)客戶了解至深，事先就能知道他們會(huì)抱怨些什么，哪些特別的要求不能掉以輕心。(1)而且，我從鄰居偏愛的付款方式中了解到了一點(diǎn)他們的情況：有的按干的活兒給錢，有的按月支付─或者有的壓根兒不付錢。2Mr.Balloufellintothelastcategory,andhealwayshadareasonwhy.Ononedayhehadnochangeforafifty,onanotherhewasflatoutofchecks,onanother,hewassimplyoutwhenIknockedonhisdoor.Still,exceptforthemoneypart,hewasaniceenougholdguy,alwayswavingortippinghishatwhenhe'dseemefromadistance.Ifiguredhimforathinretirementcheck,maybeawork-relatedinjurythatkepthimfromdoinghisownyardwork.Sure,Ikepttrackofthetotal,butIdidn'tworryabouttheamounttoomuch.(2)Grasswasgrass,andthelittlethatMr.Ballou'spropertycompriseddidn'ttakelongtotrim.巴盧先生屬于最后一類，而且他總有理由。有一天他兌不開一張五十元的鈔了，還有一我上天他干脆就溜出去了。倒也還是個(gè)挺不錯(cuò)的老頭，每次看見老遠(yuǎn)就揮手或脫帽致意。我休金不多，可能出過(guò)工傷，整不了自己的園子。沒(méi)錯(cuò)，我全都記著賬，可我對(duì)這點(diǎn)錢并沒(méi)太在意。票，又有一他支天票用完門時(shí)撇開錢這檔子事，他我，猜他退(2)也就是剪剪草，何況巴盧先生住宅外面的那一點(diǎn)草坪修剪起來(lái)花不了多少時(shí)間。3Then,onelateafternooninmid-July,thehottesttimeoftheyear,Iwaswalkingbyhishouseandheopenedthedoor,motionedmeto

comeinside.Thehallwascool,shaded,andittookmyeyesaminutetoadjusttothedimlight.到了一年中最熱的七月中旬，一天傍晚前，我走過(guò)他家，他開了門，示意我進(jìn)去。門廳里涼涼的，簾子遮去了陽(yáng)光，過(guò)了一會(huì)兒我的眼睛才適應(yīng)室內(nèi)的暗淡光線。4"Ioweyou,"Mr.Balloubegan,"but…""我欠你工錢，"巴盧先生開口道，"不過(guò)……"5IthoughtI'dsavehimthetroubleofthinkingupanewexcuse."Noproblem.Don'tworryaboutit."我想省得他費(fèi)神找新的借口了，就說(shuō):"沒(méi)事。別放在心上。"6"Thebankmadeamistakeinmyaccount,"hecontinued,ignoringmywords."Itwillbeclearedupinadayortwo.ButinthemeantimeIthoughtperhapsyoucouldchooseoneortwovolumesforadownpayment.""銀行把我的賬弄錯(cuò)了，"他沒(méi)理我的碴兒，接著說(shuō)，"一兩天里就會(huì)改過(guò)來(lái)。在這當(dāng)兒，我想你不妨挑一兩本書作為我的首付款。"7HegesturedtowardthewallsandIsawthatbookswerestackedeverywhere.Itwaslikealibrary,exceptwithnoordertothearrangement.他朝墻那邊指了指，我這才發(fā)現(xiàn)到處都堆著書。就跟圖書館一樣，只不過(guò)沒(méi)有分門別類罷了。

8"Takeyourtime,"Mr.Ballouencouraged."Read,borrow,keep.Findsomethingyoulike.Whatdoyouread?""別著急，"巴盧先生鼓動(dòng)說(shuō)，"讀也好，借也好，留著也行。找你喜歡的。你平常都愛讀什么書??？"9"Idon'tknow."AndIdidn't.Igenerallyreadwhatwasinfrontofme,whatIcouldgetfromthepaperbackstackatthedrugstore,whatIfoundatthelibrary,magazines,thebackofcerealboxes,comics.Theideaofconsciouslyseekingoutaspecialtitlewasnewtome,but,Irealized,notwithoutappeal─soIstartedtolookthroughthepilesofbooks."我不知道。"我的確不知道。我通常是弄到什么就讀什么，從藥房里買到的平裝書，圖書館里借得到的書、雜志，到麥片包裝盒背面的說(shuō)明，還有連環(huán)漫畫，什么都看。有意識(shí)地找出一本特別的書來(lái)讀對(duì)我是件新鮮事，不過(guò)我覺(jué)得這主意挺不錯(cuò)──于是我開始在書堆中翻找起來(lái)。10"Youactuallyreadallofthese?""這么多書你都讀過(guò)?。?11"Thisisn'tmuch,"Mr.Ballousaid."Thisisnothing,justwhatI'vekept,theonesworthlookingatasecondtime.""這不算多，"巴盧先生說(shuō)，"這根本不算多，只不過(guò)是我自己的藏書，都是值得再讀一遍的。"12"Pickforme,then.""那就替我找一本吧。"

13Heraisedhiseyebrows,cockedhishead,andregardedmeasthoughmeasuringmeforasuit.Afteramoment,henodded,searchedthroughastack,andhandedmeadarkredhardboundbook,fairlythick.他眉一抬，頭一側(cè)，望著我，就像是在給我量體裁衣似的。過(guò)了片刻，他略一點(diǎn)頭，便在一堆書中搜尋，然后遞給我一本暗紅色封面的精裝本，挺厚的。14"TheLastoftheJust,"Iread."ByAndreSchwarz-Bart.What'sitabout?""《最后的正義》，"我念道，"安德烈·施瓦茲巴特著。是講什么的？"15"Youtellme,"hesaid."Nextweek.""你來(lái)告訴我，"他說(shuō)，"下個(gè)星期。"16Istartedaftersupper,sittingoutdoorsonanuncomfortablekitchenchair.(3)Withinafewpages,theyard,thesummer,disappeared,andIwasplungedintotheachingtragedyoftheHolocaust,theextraordinaryclashofgood,representedbyonedecentman,andevil.TranslatedfromFrench,thelanguagewaselegant,simple,impossibletoresist.WhentheeveninglightfinallyfailedImovedinside,readallthroughthenight.晚飯后我坐在室外一張不舒服的餐椅里打開了書。(3)讀了幾頁(yè)，院子就消失大屠殺這一令人悲派人物為代表的善與惡之間非同尋常的沖突中。書自法文，譯文優(yōu)美樸素，令人不忍釋手。天色終于暗了下來(lái)，我回到室內(nèi)，讀了一個(gè)通宵。了，夏夜也消失了；我一下子就進(jìn)入了二戰(zhàn)期間納粹對(duì)猶太人的痛的慘劇中，進(jìn)入了以一個(gè)正譯

17Tothisday,thirtyyearslater,Ivividlyremembertheexperience.Itwasmyfirstvoluntaryencounterwithworldliterature,andIwasstunnedbytheconcentratedpoweranovelcouldcontain.Ilackedthevocabulary,however,totranslatemyfeelingsintowords,sothenextweek,whenMr.Ballouasked,"Well?"Ionlyreplied,"Itwasgood."時(shí)至三十年后的今天，我仍清晰地記得當(dāng)時(shí)的經(jīng)歷。那是我初次有心地接觸世界文學(xué)，我被一部小說(shuō)所能包含的集聚的力量深深震撼。但我缺乏足夠的詞匯表達(dá)我的情感，因此，第二個(gè)星期，當(dāng)巴盧先生問(wèn)我"怎么樣"時(shí)，我只回答說(shuō)："書真好。"18"Keepit,then,"hesaid."ShallIsuggestanother?""那就留著吧，"他說(shuō)，"要不要我再介紹一本？"19Inodded,andwaspresentedwiththepaperbackeditionofMargaretMead'sComingofAgeinSamoa.我點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，拿到了一本平裝本的瑪格麗特·米德的《薩摩亞人的成年》。20Tomaketwolongstoriesshort,Mr.Ballouneverpaidmeacentforcuttinghisgrassthatyearorthenext,butforfifteenyearsItaughtanthropologyatDartmouthCollege.(4)SummerreadingwasnottheinnocententertainmentIhadassumedittobe,notalight-hearted,instantlyforgettableescapeinahammock(thoughIhavesinceenjoyedmanyofthose,too).Abook,ifitarrivesbeforeyouattherightmoment,intheproperseason,atanintervalinthedailybusinessofthings,willchangethecourseofallthatfollows.

長(zhǎng)話短說(shuō)，無(wú)論當(dāng)年還是次年，巴盧先生分文未付我替他割草的工錢，但我在達(dá)特默思大學(xué)教了十五年的人類學(xué)。(4)盛夏閱讀不是我原先認(rèn)為的僅僅借以消磨時(shí)光的娛樂(lè)，不是躺在吊床上無(wú)憂無(wú)慮、打開書本就什么都忘掉的一種消遣（雖然自從那個(gè)夏天以來(lái)我曾多次以這種方式自?shī)首詷?lè)）。一本書，如果在恰當(dāng)?shù)臅r(shí)候，恰當(dāng)?shù)募竟?jié)，在日常事務(wù)的間歇中出現(xiàn)在你的面前，就會(huì)改變你此后的人生道路。Unit2FriendshipPartTextAAallTheCabbieHadWasALetterⅡHowdoyoufeelwhenoldfriendsarefaraway?Doyoumakeanefforttokeepintouch?Sometimesitiseasytoputoffwritingaletter,thinkingthattherewillbeplentyoftimetomorrow.Butthensometimes,asthisstoryshows,weleaveittoolate.Perhapsreadingitwillmakeyouwanttoreachforyourpen.老朋友天各一方，你心有何感？你是否努力保持聯(lián)系？有時(shí)候?qū)懶诺氖潞苋萃显偻?，總以為明天有的是時(shí)間。然而，正如這讀一讀這個(gè)故事會(huì)讓你提起筆來(lái)。易會(huì)一則故事所表明的，有時(shí)我們拖得太晚了。也許AlltheCabbieHadWasaLetterFosterFurcolo1HemusthavebeencompletelylostinsomethinghewasreadingbecauseIhadtotaponthewindshieldtogethisattention.出租車司機(jī)擁有的就剩一封信

福斯特·弗克洛他準(zhǔn)是完全沉浸在所讀的東西里了，因?yàn)槲也坏貌磺脫躏L(fēng)玻璃來(lái)引起他的注意。2"Isyourcabavailable?"Iaskedwhenhefinallylookedupatme.Henodded,thensaidapologeticallyasIsettledintothebackseat,"I'msorry,butIwasreadingaletter."Hesoundedasifhehadacoldorsomething.他總算抬頭看我了?！澳愠鲕噯?？”我問(wèn)道。他點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，當(dāng)我坐進(jìn)后座時(shí)，他抱歉地說(shuō)：“對(duì)不起，我在讀一封信。”聽上去他像是得3"I'minnohurry,"Itoldhim."Goaheadandfinishyourletter."“我不著急，”我對(duì)他說(shuō)，“你接著把信讀完吧。”4Heshookhishead."I'vereaditseveraltimesalready.IguessIalmostknowitbyheart."他搖了搖頭?！拔乙呀?jīng)讀了好幾遍了。我想我都能背出來(lái)了?！?"Lettersfromhomealwaysmeanalot,"Isaid."AtleasttheydowithmebecauseI'montheroadsomuch."Then,estimatingthathewas60or70yearsold,Iguessed:"Fromachildormaybeagrandchild?"“家書抵萬(wàn)金啊，”我說(shuō)。“至少對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)是這樣，因?yàn)槲依鲜窃谕饴眯??！蔽夜懒克辛呤畾q了，便猜測(cè)說(shuō)：“是孩子還是孫子寫來(lái)的？”6"Thisisn'tfamily,"hereplied."Although,"hewenton,"cometothinkofit,itmightjustaswellhavebeenfamily.OldEdwasmy

oldestfriend.Infact,weusedtocalleachother'OldFriend'─whenwe'dmeet,thatis.I'mnotmuchofahandatwriting."“不是家里人，”他回答說(shuō)?！安贿^(guò)，”他接著說(shuō)，“想起來(lái)，也可以算是一家人了。埃德老伙計(jì)是我最老的朋友了。實(shí)際上，過(guò)去我倆總是以‘老朋友’相稱的——就是說(shuō)，當(dāng)我倆相見時(shí)。我這人就是不大會(huì)寫東西?！?"Idon'tthinkanyofuskeepupourcorrespondencetoowell,"Isaid."IknowIdon't.ButItakeithe'ssomeoneyou'veknownquiteawhile?"“我看大家寫信都不那么勤快，”我說(shuō)，“我自己筆頭就很懶。我看，你認(rèn)識(shí)他挺久了吧？”8"Allmylife,practically.Wewerekidstogether,sowegowayback."“差不多認(rèn)識(shí)了一輩子了。我倆小時(shí)候就一起玩，所以我倆的友誼確實(shí)很長(zhǎng)了。”9"Wenttoschooltogether?"“一起上的學(xué)？”10"Allthewaythroughhighschool.Wewereinthesameclass,infact,throughbothgradeandhighschool."“都一起上到高中呢。事實(shí)上，我倆從小學(xué)到高中都在一個(gè)班里。”11"Therearenottoomanypeoplewho'vehadsuchalongfriendship,"Isaid.

“保持這么長(zhǎng)久友誼的人可真不多見啊，”我說(shuō)。12"Actually,"thedriverwenton,"Ihadn'tseenhimmorethanonceortwiceayearoverthepast25or30yearsbecauseImovedawayfromtheoldneighborhoodandyoukindoflosetoucheventhoughyouneverforget.Hewasagreatguy."“其實(shí)呢，”司機(jī)接著說(shuō)，“近25到30年來(lái)，我跟他一年只見一兩次面，因?yàn)槲覐脑瓉?lái)住的老街坊搬了出來(lái)，聯(lián)系自然就少了，雖說(shuō)你一直放在心上。他在的時(shí)候可真是個(gè)大好人?！?3"Yousaid'was'.Doesthatmean─?"“你剛才說(shuō)他‘在的時(shí)候’。你是說(shuō)——？”14Henodded."Diedacoupleofweeksago."他點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭?！扒皟蓚€(gè)星期過(guò)世啦?！?5"I'msorry,"Isaid."It'snofuntoloseanyfriend─andlosingarealoldoneiseventougher."“真遺憾，”我說(shuō)，“失去朋友真不是個(gè)滋味，失去個(gè)真正的老朋友更讓人受不了?！?6Hedidn'treplytothat,andwerodeoninsilenceforafewminutes.ButIrealizedthatOldEdwasstillonhismindwhenhespokeagain,almostmoretohimselfthantome:"Ishouldhavekeptintouch.Yes,"herepeated,"Ishouldhavekeptintouch."

他開著車，沒(méi)有接話兒。我們沉默了幾分鐘。可我知道他還在想著老埃德。他又開口時(shí)，與其說(shuō)是跟我說(shuō)話，還不如說(shuō)是自言自語(yǔ)：“我真該一直保持聯(lián)系。真的，”他重復(fù)道，“我真該一直保持聯(lián)系?！?7"well,"Iagreed,"Weshouldallkeepintouchwitholdfriendsmorethanwedo.Butthingscomeupandwejustdon'tseemtofindthetime."“是啊，”我表示贊同，“我們都該與老朋友保持更多的聯(lián)系。不過(guò)總是有事情冒出來(lái)，好像就是抽不出空來(lái)?！?8Heshrugged."Weusedtofindthetime,"hesaid."That'sevenmentionedintheletter."Hehandeditovertome."Takealook."他聳了聳肩?！拔覀冞^(guò)去總能抽出空來(lái)，”他說(shuō)?！靶爬镞€提到呢?！彼研胚f給我，“你看看吧?！?9"Thanks,"Isaid,"butIdon'twanttoreadyourmail.That'sprettypersonal."“謝謝你，”我說(shuō)，“不過(guò)我不想讀你的信。這純屬私事?！?0Thedrivershrugged."OldEd'sdead.There'snothingpersonalnow.Goahead,"heurgedme.司機(jī)聳一聳肩。“老埃德人都死了。沒(méi)什么私事不私事了。念吧，”他催促說(shuō)。21Theletterwaswritteninpencil.Itbeganwiththegreeting"OldFriend,"andthefirstsentenceremindedmeofmyself.I'vebeenmeaningtowriteforsometime,butI'vealwayspostponedit.Itthen

wentontosaythatheoftenthoughtaboutthegoodtimestheyhadhadtogetherwhentheybothlivedinthesameneighborhood.Ithadreferencestothingsthatprobablymeantsomethingtothedriver,suchasthetimeTimSheabrokethewindow,theHalloweenthatwetiedOldMr.Parker'sgate,andwhenMrs.Culverusedtokeepusafterschool.信是用鉛筆寫的。稱呼寫著“老朋友”，而開頭第一句話讓我想到自己。“早就想寫信了，可就是一拖再拖?！毙爬锝又鴮懙?，他常?；叵霃那皟扇俗≡谝粋€(gè)街坊時(shí)的快樂(lè)時(shí)光。信里提到些事，可能對(duì)司機(jī)很重要，比如“那次蒂姆·謝打破窗子，那年萬(wàn)圣節(jié)前夕，我們把老帕克先生的大門拴了起來(lái)，還有卡爾弗太太老是在放學(xué)后把咱倆留下訓(xùn)斥的那陣子”。22"Youmusthavespentalotoftimetogether,"Isaidtohim.“你們倆準(zhǔn)是在一起度過(guò)了不少時(shí)光，”我對(duì)他說(shuō)。23"Likeitsaysthere,"heanswered,"aboutallwehadtospendinthosedayswastime."Heshookhishead:"Time."“就跟信里寫的那樣，”他回答說(shuō)，“我倆在那個(gè)時(shí)候能花的只有時(shí)間?！彼麚u頭嘆道：“時(shí)間啊?！?4Ithoughtthenextparagraphoftheletterwasalittlesad:Ibegantheletterwith"OldFriend"becausethat'swhatwe'vebecomeovertheyears─oldfriends.Andtherearen'tmanyofusleft.信里接下來(lái)的那我段覺(jué)得有點(diǎn)凄涼：“信的開頭我寫著‘老朋友’，因?yàn)檫@么多年來(lái)，我們這對(duì)老朋友漸漸都老了。我們這些人當(dāng)中留下的也不多了?！?/p>

25"Youknow,"Isaidtohim,"Whenitsaysherethattherearen'tmanyofusleft,that'sabsolutelyright.EverytimeIgotoaclassreunion,forexample,therearefewerandfewerstillaround."“你要知道，”我對(duì)他說(shuō)，“信里說(shuō)我們這些人當(dāng)中留下的不多了，說(shuō)得一點(diǎn)不錯(cuò)。比如說(shuō)，每次我去參加老同學(xué)聚會(huì)，來(lái)的人總是越來(lái)越少?！?6"Timegoesby,"thedriversaid.“時(shí)間不饒人啊，”司機(jī)說(shuō)。27"Didyoutwoworkatthesameplace?"Iaskedhim.“你們倆以前在一起工作嗎？”我問(wèn)他。28"No,butwehungoutonthesamecornerwhenweweresingle.Andthen,whenweweremarried,weusedtogotoeachother'shouseeverynowandthen.Butforthelast20or30yearsit'sbeenmostlyjustChristmascards.Ofcoursethere'dbealwaysanotewe'deachaddtothecards─usuallysomenewsaboutourfamilies,youknow,whatthekidsweredoing,whomovedwhere,anewgrandchild,thingslikethat─butneverarealletteroranythinglikethat."“不，不過(guò)沒(méi)成家時(shí)我倆總在一起閑蕩。后來(lái)，兩人都成了家，就不時(shí)相互串門?？勺罱@二三十年來(lái)，主要就是寄寄圣誕卡了。當(dāng)然，我倆都總在卡上寫幾句——通常是關(guān)于各自家里的情況，不是嗎，孩子們?cè)诟尚┦裁矗l(shuí)搬到哪兒，添了個(gè)小孫子，都是這類事——可一直都沒(méi)正兒八經(jīng)地寫過(guò)信什么的?！?9"Thisisagoodparthere,"Isaid."WhereitsaysYourfriendshipovertheyearshasmeantanawfullottome,morethanIcansaybecauseI'mnotgoodatsayingthingslikethat."Ifoundmyself

noddinginagreement."Thatmusthavemadeyoufeelgood,didn'tit?"“這一處寫得好，”我說(shuō)，“這里寫道：‘你多年的友誼對(duì)我非常重要，遠(yuǎn)比我能說(shuō)出來(lái)的重要得多，因?yàn)槲也簧瞄L(zhǎng)說(shuō)這樣的話?！蔽翌h首稱是?！斑@話準(zhǔn)讓你聽著開心，是吧？”30ThedriversaidsomethingthatIcouldn'tunderstandbecauseheseemedtobeallchokedup,soIcontinued:"IknowI'dliketoreceivealetterlikethatfrommyoldestfriend."司機(jī)說(shuō)了句什么，可我沒(méi)聽明白，因?yàn)樗坪踹煲脜柡?。于是我接著說(shuō)：“我也真想收到這樣一封老朋友的來(lái)信?！?1WeweregettingclosetoourdestinationsoIskippedtothelastparagraph.SoIthoughtyou'dliketoknowthatIwasthinkingofyou.Anditwassigned,YourOldFriend,Tom.我們快到目的地了，于是我跳到最后一段?！耙虼宋蚁肽阋欢ㄏ胫牢业胗浿?。”信末署名：“老朋友湯姆”。32Ihandedbacktheletteraswestoppedatmyhotel."Enjoyedtalkingwithyou,"IsaidasItookmysuitcaseoutofthecab.Tom?TheletterwassignedTom?我們?cè)谖业穆玫昵巴Ｏ?，我把信遞了回去?！昂芨吲d能和你聊聊，”我將衣箱從車上提下時(shí)說(shuō)。湯姆？信的署名是湯姆？33"Ithoughtyourfriend'snamewasEd,"Isaid."WhydidhesignitTom?"“我記得你朋友叫埃德，”我說(shuō)，“為什么他署名湯姆呢？”

34"TheletterwasnotfromEdtome,"heexplained."I'mTom.It'saletterIwrotetohimbeforeIknewhe'ddied.SoInevermailedit."“這封信不是湯姆寫給我的，”他解釋說(shuō)，“我是湯姆。這是我在得知他去世前寫給他的信。所以我一直沒(méi)寄出?！?5Helookedsortofsorrowful,orasifheweretryingtoseesomethinginthedistance."IguessIshouldhavewrittenitsooner."他神情有點(diǎn)悲傷，似乎想看清遠(yuǎn)處什么東西?！拔蚁胛艺嬖撛缧戇@封信。”36WhenIgottomyhotelroomIdidn'tunpackrightaway.FirstIhadtowritealetter─andmailit.我進(jìn)了旅館房間之后，沒(méi)有馬上打開箱包。首先我得寫封信——而且要寄出去。PartTextBNeverLetAfriendDownⅢIfIdon'tmakeit,myfriendwilldieoutthere,BillMcIntosh,theoldhunter,toldhimselfoverandover.如果我不能挺住的話，我的朋友就會(huì)死在那里，老獵手比爾·麥金托什一次又一次地告誡自己。NeverLetaFriendDownJimHutchison

1"Comingtothefootballmatchthisafternoon?"BillMcIntoshasked59-year-oldRoyceWeddingastheydrankbeerattheEurekaHotelintheAustraliantownofRainbow.Royceshookhishead."IpromisedMomI'dburnofftheweedsononeofourfields."決不拋棄朋友吉姆·赫奇森“下午去看足球賽嗎？”比爾·麥金托什問(wèn)59歲的羅伊斯·韋丁。他們兩人正在澳大利亞的虹鎮(zhèn)尤里卡飯店喝啤酒。羅伊斯搖搖頭?！拔掖饝?yīng)我媽給我家的一塊地?zé)??！?Bill,whowasthinbutstrong,lookingfarlessthanhis79years,peeredoutsideattheheat.Alightbreezewasblowingfromthenorth,makingconditionsperfectfortheburn.ButBillfeltuneasyaboutRoycedoingthejobalone.Thefarmerhadabadlegandwalkedwithgreatdifficulty.比爾瘦削而結(jié)實(shí)，79歲，但看上去遠(yuǎn)沒(méi)有那么老。他望著外面的炎熱空氣。一陣輕風(fēng)自北向南吹，這條件最適宜燒荒了。不過(guò)比爾對(duì)羅伊斯獨(dú)自干這活不放心。這個(gè)農(nóng)夫有條腿不好，行走很費(fèi)勁。3Thepairhadbeenbestoffriendsfor30years,eversincethedayswhentheytraveledtogetherfromfarmtofarminsearchofwork.Now,livingalone12mileseastoftown,Billscrapedalivinghuntingfoxesandrabbits.OnceafortnighthewenttotowntobuysuppliesandcatchupwithRoyce,whohelpedruntheWeddingfamily'sfarm."I'llgiveyouahand,"Billsaid.

兩人曾一起從一個(gè)農(nóng)場(chǎng)走到另一個(gè)農(nóng)場(chǎng)尋些活兒干，迄今已是30年的好朋友了。如今比爾獨(dú)自一人住在鎮(zhèn)東12英里處，靠打狐貍和野兔勉強(qiáng)過(guò)活。他兩個(gè)星期一次前來(lái)小鎮(zhèn)購(gòu)物，會(huì)會(huì)幫著經(jīng)管自家的農(nóng)場(chǎng)的羅伊斯?！拔?guī)湍阋话?，”比爾說(shuō)。4ThepairsetoffinRoyce'scar.Soontheywerebumpingoverasandytracktotheweed-choked120-acrefield."Fire'stheonlywaytogetridofthisstuff,"saidBillastheytiedanoldtiretothetowbarwitha50-footchain.Soakingthetirewithgasoline,Billputamatchtoitandjumpedinthecar.兩人坐著羅伊斯的車動(dòng)身了。沒(méi)多一會(huì)兒他們就顛簸在一條沙土路上，朝一塊面積120公頃、雜草叢生的說(shuō)。他們用根50英尺長(zhǎng)的，油劃根火柴一點(diǎn)，便跳進(jìn)車?yán)?。田地開去。“火是除去這玩意兒的惟一辦法，”比爾鏈條把一個(gè)舊輪胎綁在牽引桿上。比爾在輪胎上澆透汽5Drivingslowlyfromthesouthernedgeofthefield,theyworkedtheirwayupwind,leavingalineofburningweedsintheirwake.Halfwayupthefield,andwithoutwarning,thecarpitchedviolentlyforward,plowingintoahiddenbankofsand.兩人從農(nóng)田的南邊緩緩開車逆風(fēng)而行，所過(guò)之處留下一條燃著的草帶。開到地當(dāng)中，車猛地朝前一顛，沒(méi)等察覺(jué)，就陷進(jìn)了一個(gè)被草遮著的沙堆。6Thebreezesuddenlyswungaroundtotheirbacksandbegantogatherstrength.Fannedtowhiteheat,thefirelinesuddenlyburstintoawallofflame,headingdirectlytowardthem."Let'sgetoutofhere!"Roycesaid.

微風(fēng)突然轉(zhuǎn)向，朝兩人身后吹來(lái)，而且越吹越強(qiáng)。火仗風(fēng)勢(shì)，燒得熾熱，一條火帶頓時(shí)就變成一道火墻，直撲兩人而來(lái)。“咱們快離開這兒！”羅伊斯說(shuō)道。7Desperatelyhetriedtobackthecaroutofthesandbank.Butthewheelsonlyspundeeperinthesoftsand.他拼命想把車倒出沙堆?？绍囕喸谲浬忱镌睫D(zhuǎn)陷得越深。8Suddenlythefirewasonthem.Billpushedopenhisdooronlytofindhimselfflungthroughtheairas,witharoar,thegasolinetankexplodedandthecarleaptthreefeetofftheground.WhenitcrashedbackdownRoycefoundhimselfpinnedagainstthesteeringwheel,unabletomove.Thecar'sseatsandroofwerenowonfire.火頓時(shí)就撲到兩人身上。比爾推開車門，卻聽得一聲巨響，油箱爆炸了，車子飛離地面三英尺，他自己則被拋到空中。車子摔回地面后，羅伊斯發(fā)現(xiàn)自己被方向盤卡住，動(dòng)彈不得。這時(shí)，車座和車頂也都燒著了。9Billlaywherehefell,allthebreathknockedoutofhim.Thefrontofhisshirt,shorts,barearmsandlegsweresoakedinburninggasoline.Thenthesightofthecarinflamesbroughthimuprightwithastart."Royce!"hecried,strugglingtohisfeetandheadingforthecar.比爾躺在跌落的地方，摔得氣都喘不過(guò)來(lái)。他的襯衣前襟、短褲、光裸的手接著汽車著火了，見此情景他驚坐起來(lái)?！傲_伊斯！”他邊喊邊掙扎著站起身來(lái)，向汽車沖去。臂和雙腿都浸在燃燒著的汽油里。10Pullingopenthedoor,heseizedRoyce'sarmsthroughthesmoke."I'mstuck,"Roycesaid."Getyourselfaway!"

他拉開車門，在煙霧中抓住羅伊斯的手臂?！拔医o卡住了，”羅伊斯說(shuō)，“你快走！”11(1)ThefirebitatBill'sarms,faceandlegs,buthetightenedhisgriponRoyce."I'mnotleavingyouhere,"hesaid.(1)火舌舔著比爾的雙臂、臉和雙腿，但他緊緊地抓住羅伊斯不放。“我不會(huì)把你丟棄在這兒的，”他說(shuō)道。12NowBilldughisheelsintothesandandpulledashardashecould.Suddenlyhefellbackward.Roycewasfreeandoutofthecar.AssoonashehaddraggedhimawayhepattedouttheflamesonRoyce'sbodyandonhisownlegsandarmswithhisbarehands.比爾兩個(gè)腳跟扎在沙堆里，拼命用力拉。突然他仰面倒下，羅伊斯被拉出了汽車。他一把將羅伊斯拉開，便趕緊赤手去撲滅羅伊斯身上以及自己腿上、手臂上的火。13Roycesawasecondexplosionrockthecar,asitwaseatenupbyflames.I'dbeashesnowifBillhadn'tgottenmeout,hethought.Lookingdown,Roycewasshockedbytheextentofhisinjuries.Hisstomachandlefthipwerecoveredindeepburns.Worsestill,hisfingerswereburnedcompletelyoutofshape.羅伊斯看著又一次爆炸把汽車震得直晃，車一下子被火苗吞噬?！耙皇潜葼柊盐依鰜?lái)，我這會(huì)兒就燒成灰了，”他暗想。他低頭一看，身上傷勢(shì)之嚴(yán)重令他大為驚訝。他腹部及左臀嚴(yán)重?zé)齻?。更糟糕的是，手指被燒得完全變了形?4Lyingonhisback,Billwasinequallybadshape.Piecesofblackenedfleshandskinhungfromhisforearms,handsandlegs.

比爾仰天躺在地上，也一樣被燒得不成樣子。前臂以及手和腿上，一塊塊燒得焦黑的皮肉掛了下來(lái)。15Billlookedacrossathisfriend.ReadingthedespaircloudingRoyce'sface,Billsaid,"I'llgethelp.Youhangon."Roycenodded,butashewatchedBillsetoffslowlyacrosstheblackenedfield,hewonderedhowhisfriendwasgoingtowalkalmosttwomilesandgetoverthreefences.比爾朝自己的朋友望去，看出羅伊斯?jié)M臉絕望，便說(shuō)：“我去叫人。你頂住?！绷_伊斯點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭，可當(dāng)他看著比爾穿過(guò)焦黑的田地緩緩走開時(shí)，真不知道這位朋友怎么去走那幾乎整整兩英里的路，還要跨越三道柵欄。16(2)AlifetimespentaroundthetoughpeoplewhomaketheirhomeintheAustralianbushhadpermanentlyfixedintoBill'ssoultwoprinciples:nevergiveupnomatterhowbadtheoddsandneverletafrienddown.Now,witheverystepsendingpainpiercingthrougheverypartofhisbody,hedrewonthosetwinpillarsofcharacter.(3)IfIdon'tmakeit,Roycewilldieoutthere,hetoldhimselfoverandover.(2)一輩子與居住在澳大利亞灌木地帶的那些剛強(qiáng)的硬漢一起生活的人生經(jīng)將兩條準(zhǔn)則永久地銘刻在比爾心頭：無(wú)論么多艱難，決不泄氣，決不拋棄朋出一步，渾身針扎似地疼，他完全是靠這兩種品質(zhì)支住的話，羅伊斯就會(huì)死在那里，比爾一次又一次地告誡自歷，友。此時(shí)此刻，他每邁上下便撐著。(3)如果我不能挺己。17"What'sthematterwiththatdog?"saidVickyWedding,Royce'smom,peeringoutherwindow.Startledbyanoisebehindher,sheturnedtoseeBillleaningagainstthedoor.

“那條狗怎么啦？”羅伊斯的母親維基·韋丁說(shuō)著朝窗外望去。聽到身后響動(dòng)，她嚇了一跳，轉(zhuǎn)身一看，比爾正倚靠在門上。18"DearGod,whathappened?"sheexclaimed,grabbingBillashesliddownthedoorframe.“天哪，出了什么事？”她驚問(wèn)道，趕緊扶住正沿著門框癱坐下去的比爾。19"Wegotcaughtinthefire,"hewhispered,barelyabletospeak."Gethelp."VickysatBilldown,coveredhiminwettowelstoeasethepainofhisburns,andthenpickedupthephone.“我們?cè)饣馃?，”他低聲道，幾乎說(shuō)不出話來(lái)?！翱烊ソ腥??！本S基扶比爾坐下，用濕毛巾敷在他身上以減輕燒傷的疼痛，隨后便拿起了電話。20Throughoutthebumpy,hour-and-a-halfridetothehospitalinHorsham,neitherofthetwoinjuredmenspokeoftheirpain."Weshould'vegonetothefootballmatch,"Roycesaid,tryingtokeeptheirspiritsup.Billgrinnedweakly.他們坐上汽車前往霍舍姆的醫(yī)院，在長(zhǎng)達(dá)一個(gè)半小時(shí)的顛簸的路途中，兩位傷者只字未提自己的傷痛。“咱們真該去看足球賽，”羅伊斯開口說(shuō)道，想讓和朋友振作一下精神。比爾也輕輕一笑。21NotlongafterBillfoundhimselfatGovernmentHousebeingpresentedwiththeBraveryMedalforhiscourageousrescue.(4)ButtherealhighlightforBillcamesixmonthsafterthefire,whenRoyce,justoutofhospital,walkedintotheEurekaHotelandboughthimabeer.

不久，比爾在鎮(zhèn)公所被授予勇敢獎(jiǎng)?wù)?，以表彰其勇救他人的壯舉。(4)但真正最令比爾激動(dòng)的時(shí)刻是火災(zāi)發(fā)生六個(gè)月之后，剛剛出院的羅伊斯走進(jìn)尤里卡飯店，請(qǐng)他喝啤酒。22"Wemadeit,"saidRoyceastheyraisedtheirglasses."Here'stothebestfriendamancouldhave."“咱們贏了，”兩人舉杯時(shí)，羅伊斯說(shuō)道，“為生死之交干杯?！盪nit3UnderstandingSciencePartTextAAPublicAttitudesTowardScienceⅡProfessorHawkingthinksitimportanttokeepeverybodyintouchwithwhats