【国外英文文学】我的父亲.doc
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1、【国外英文文学】我的父亲My fatherMy father was an exceptional man. He may not have been a perfect man. But he was a good man. And he loved us. All I wanted to do today was to give him a dignified有威严的, 有品格的sending. Is that really so much to ask?So. Maybe. Maybe he had some things he liked to do. Life isnt simple
2、. Its complicated. Were all just thrown in here together in a world full of chaos(混沌,混乱) and confusion, a world full of questions and no answers, with Death always lingering(徘徊,沉思) around the corner.And we do our best. We cant always do our best. My dad did it best. He always tried to tell me, you h
3、ave to go for what you want in life, because you never know how long youre gonna be here. And whether you succeed or you fail, the most important thing is to have tried. A parent can only drive you in the right direction. In the end though, youve got to run for yourself. You have to grow up yourself
4、.So when you leave here today, Id like you to remember my father for what he really was-a decent and loving man. If only(要是多好) we could be as giving and generous and understanding as my father was. Then the world would be a far better place.Banana pudding 香蕉布丁Anytime I see banana pudding on a menu,
5、Im filled with an euphoric(精神愉快的) sense of well being and taken back to a special moment in my life when I learned an important lesson about jealousy and love.It all began when my stepchildren came for a visit shortly after their father and I were married. Cheryl was 8, and Chuck was 10. Our small a
6、partment soon became an obstacle course littered with stuffed animals, toys, and games.But I liked the kids from the start. They were everything I could have wanted in a son and daughter.Of course, I wanted to win them over. They seemed to like me well enough, but I wasnt sure, especially at mealtim
7、e. Cheryl, in particular, enjoyed watching me prepare the evening meal and shadowed my every move in the kitchen. She had an insatiable(贪得无厌的,不知足的) curiosity combined with an enchanting(迷人的,妩媚的) , yet somewhat disconcerting, honesty.Whatcha doing? she asked.Making potato salad, I replied.She stood o
8、n her tiptoes and scrutinized(详细检查) the bowls of chopped pickles, eggs, and onions. Her lips curled in disgust(厌恶,讨厌) . She pointed at the bowls. Whats that? And that . and that!My answers did not seem to please her. She shook her head in disapproval. My mama doesnt make it that way, she informed me
9、.Well, just taste it at dinner, I countered, smiling thinly to mask my irritation. If you dont like it, you dont have to eat it.It became a nightly ritual. Unfortunately, her father believed that children should eat everything on their plate, including a sample of any dreaded(可怕的) dish that their mo
10、ther made in a different way than I did.As a result, I started to feel like Snow Whites wicked(邪恶的,恶劣的) stepmother, plotting against the princess as I willed her to succumb to my culinary magic. Chuck, who at first ate anything and everything, developed critical tendencies. He soon took up the hue a
11、nd cry(大声抗议) of Mama doesnt make it that way.Each night after dinner, we sat on the sofa with Dad in the middle, a child on each side, and me on the outside. It seemed appropriate. I was feeling more and more like an outcast.One night while wrestling with his father on the sofa, Chuck found some str
12、ay popcorn kernels under the cushions. Cheryl chastised(惩罚,责骂) me, saying that her mama always vacuumed under their sofa seats every week.By this time, I was developing a serious dislike both for her mother and her methods.Then, at last, I found a dish their mama didnt make one both the kids liked b
13、anana pudding. They helped me in the kitchen. Chuck beat the egg whites for the topping while Cheryl carefully lined the pan with vanilla(香草味的) wafers. I cut up the bananas and prepared the filling. They both licked the bowl. We all had fun. It was a time of sharing and laughter.Later, making banana
14、 pudding became a cherished family tradition.On the last night before they were to return home, we had arranged a family get-together. When the doorbell rang, Cheryl scampered to answer. My sister-in-law Carol stood framed in the doorway with a large bowl clutched in her hands. Whats that? Cheryl im
15、mediately wanted to know.Its banana pudding, Carol offered proudly.Cheryl took a closer look, then shook her head from side to side and said, Karen doesnt make it that way.I dissolved in laughter that no one else understood. Suddenly, my tension and anxiety disappeared, and I knew that when those ki
16、ds got back home, their mother would be hearing a lot about how Karen doesnt do it that way. She had my sympathy and respect.It seemed their mom and I had more in common than I thought, we both used one important ingredient(原料,要素) in our cooking, the most active one love.The little tin heartAfter 20
17、 years as a full-time wife and mother, I decided now that my kids were grown, I needed a part-time job to keep me busy. I decided to drive a school bus.Charlie began riding my bus in September of my fourth year driving. Eight years old, with blond hair and crystalline(透明的,水晶般的) gray eyes, he got on
18、with a group of children. They all had stories to tell me about their summers. Charlie, though, ignored me. He didnt even answer when I asked his name.From that day on, Charlie was a trial. If a fight broke out I didnt have to turn my head to know who had started it. If someone was throwing spitball
19、s(纸团,唾沫球) I could guess the culprit(犯人,罪犯) s name. If a girl was crying, chances were Charlie had pulled her hair. No matter how I spoke to him, gently or firmly, he wouldnt say a word. Hed just stare at me with those big gray eyes of his.I asked around some, and found out Charlies father was dead a
20、nd he didnt live with his mother. He deserves my patience, I thought. So I practiced every bit of patience I could muster. To my cheery “Good morning,” he was silent. When I wished him a happy Halloween, he sneered. Many, many times I asked myself how I could reach Charlie. “Im at my wits end,” Id s
21、ay. Still I was sure that this child needed to feel some warmth from me. So, when hed pass by, Id ruffle(弄皱,扰乱) his hair or pat him on the arm.Toward the end of that year, the kids on my bus gave me a small trophy(奖品,纪念品) inscribed “To the Best Bus Driver Ever”. I propped it up on the dashboard(仪表盘)
22、 . On top I hung a small tin heart that a little girl had given me. In red paint she had written, “I love Polly and Polly loves me.”On the next-to-last day of school I was delayed a few minutes talking to the principal. When I got on the bus I realized that the tin heart was gone. “Does anyone know
23、what happened to the little heart that was up here?” I asked. For once with 39 children, there was silence.One boy piped up, “Charlie was the first one on the bus. I bet he took it.” Other children joined the chorus, “Yeah! Charlie did it! Search him!”I asked Charlie, “Have you seen the heart?” “I d
24、ont know what youre talking about,” he protested. Standing up, he took a few pennies and a small ball out of his pockets. “See, I dont have it.” “I bet he does!” insisted the girl who had given me the heart. “Check his pockets.”Charlie glowered(怒视) when I asked him to come forward. His gaze burned i
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