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Piano Musicc

时间:2005-06-08 16:00:00

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(单词翻译)

 

     There are 1)advantages and 2)disadvantages to coming from a large family. Make that a large family with a single parent, and they double. The disadvantages are never so apparent1 as when someone wants to go off to college. Parents have cashed in life insurance policies to cover the cost of one year.

     My mother knew that she could not send me to school and pay for it. She worked in a 3)retail store and made just enough to pay the bills and take care of the other children at home. If I wanted to go to college, it was up to me to find out how to get there.

     I found that I qualified2 for some 4)grants because of the size of our family, my mom's income and my 5)SAT scores. There was enough to cover school and books, but not enough for room and 6)board. I accepted a job as part of a work-study program. While not 7)glamorous, it was one I could do. I washed dishes in the school cafeteria.

     To help myself study, I made flash cards that fit perfectly3 on the large metal dishwasher. After I loaded the racks, I stood there and flipped4 cards, learning the makeup5 of atoms while water and steam 8)broke them down all around me. I learned how to make y equal to z while placing dishes 9)in stacks. My 10)wrinkled fingers flipped many a card, and many times my tired brain drifted off, and a glass would crash to the floor. My grades went up and down. It was the hardest work I had ever done.

     Just when I thought the bottom was going to drop out of my college career, an angel appeared. Well, one of those that are on earth, without wings.

     I heard that you need some help, he said.

     What do you mean? I asked, trying to figure out which area of my life he meant.

     Financially, to stay in school.

     Well, I make it okay. I just have trouble working all these hours and finding time to study.

     Well, I think I have a way to help you out.

     He went on to explain that his grandparents needed help on the weekends. All that was required of me was cooking meals and helping6 them get in and out of bed in the morning and evening. The job paid four hundred dollars a month, twice the money I was making washing dishes. Now I would have time to study. I went to meet his grandparents and accepted the job.

     My first discovery was his grandmother's great love of music. She spent hours playing her old, off-key piano. One day, she told me I didn't have enough fun in my life and 11)took it upon herself to teach me the art.

     Grandma was impressed with my ability and encouraged me to continue. Weekends in their house became more than just books and cooking; they were filled with the wonderful sounds of the out-of-tune piano and two very out-of-tune singers.

     When Christmas break came, Grandma got a chest cold, and I was afraid to leave her. I hadn't been home since Labor7 Day, and my family was anxious to see me. I agreed to come home, but for two weeks instead of four, so I could return to Grandma and Grandpa. I said my good-byes, arranged for their temporary care and return home.

     As I was loading my car to go back to school, the phone rang.

     Daneen, don't rush back, he said.

     Why? What's wrong? I asked, panic rising.

     Grandma died last night, and we have decided8 to put Grandpa in a retirement9 home. I'm sorry.

     I 12)hung up the phone feeling like my world had ended. I had lost my friend, and that was far worse than knowing I would have to return to dishwashing.

     I went back at the end of four weeks, asking to begin the work-study program again. The financial aid advisor10 looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I explained my position, then he smiled and slid me an envelope. This is for you, he said.

     It was from grandma. She had known how sick she was. In the envelope was enough money to pay for the rest of my school year and a request that I take piano lessons in her memory.

I don't think The Old Grey Mare11 was even played with more feeling than it was my second year in college. Now, years later, when I walk by a piano, I smile and think of Grandma. She is tearing up the 13)ivories in heaven, I am sure.

 

钢琴曲

                      丹宁·考夫曼·温德凯(著)

                     

   来自大家庭既有好处也有坏处。如果是个单亲大家庭,好坏都会变成双倍。当有人要离家去念大学时,坏处尤其明显。为了支付一年的开销,父母只好将寿险兑换成现金。

   母亲一早知道她无力送我上学与支付学费。她在一家零售店工作,挣的钱刚够养活家里的其他孩子。如果我想上大学,就得自食其力。

   我发现我的家庭人口、妈妈的收入与我的学业能力测试分数符合拿助学金的标准。那只足够用来交学费和买书,但维持不了食宿。于是我半工半读,找了一份工作。虽然工作不讨人喜欢,可那是我力所能及的事情。我在学校饭堂里洗碗。

   为了促进学习,我做了一副恰好能装在大金属洗碗机上的学习卡。把碗碟放在架子上之后,我就站在那儿翻卡片,四周弥漫着水汽,而我在学习原子的构成。我学会了如何在叠碟子的时候背下方程式。我起皱的手指翻过许多卡片,很多时候我疲倦的大脑恍恍惚惚,令玻璃杯也摔破到地上。我的成绩时起时落。那是我做过的最艰难的工作。

   正当我的大学学业快进行不下去时,天使出现了。是在地球上的天使,没翅膀的。

   “我听说你需要帮助,”他说。

   “你说什么?”我问道,竭力想弄清楚他说的是我生活中的那些方面。

   “经济上的,留校念书。”

   “这个,我还好。只是我工作得太久了,找不到读书的时间。”

   “啊,我想我可以有办法帮你一把。”

    接着他解释道,他的祖父母周末需要人帮助。我只用做做饭、早晚帮他们上下床就好了。这份工作的报酬是一个月四百美元,两倍于我洗碗赚的钱。现在我可以有学习的时间了。我去与他的祖父母见面并接下了工作。

   我的第一个发现是他的祖母无比热爱音乐。她许多时候都在弹她那架又旧变调的钢琴。有一天,她说我的生活缺乏乐趣,并执意亲自教我艺术。

   祖母非常赞赏我的能力,她鼓励我继续学下去。在他们家度过的周末并非只有书本与烹调;那些日子里洋溢着走调钢琴与两个走调歌手的动人音乐和歌声。

   圣诞假期来临了,祖母患上胸口冷的疾病,我非常不愿离开她。可自从劳动节后我就没回家,家人都急切希望见到我。所以我还是同意回家去,但只住上两周而不是四周,然后我就回来看祖母和祖父。我道了别,安排好他俩的暂时看护后就回家去了。

   等我装车要返校的时候,电话响了。

   “丹宁,别赶回来了,”他说。

   “怎么了?出什么事了?”我心急火燎地问。

   “祖母昨晚去世了,我们决定让祖父搬到老年人之家去。很抱歉。”

   我挂上电话,感觉世界末日到了一般。我失去了我的朋友,那比起知道我还得回去洗碗要糟糕得多。

   四周后我回去要求再加入半工半读计划。奖助学金顾问看着我的模样好像我疯了似的。我解释了自己的情况,他于是微笑着传给我一个信封。”给你的,”他说。

   是祖母的信。她早已知道自己的病情有多严重了。信封里有足够的钱支付我剩下几年的学费,她还请求我去上她记忆中的钢琴课。

   我觉得《那匹老灰马》不会再有大二时我弹的那样深情。如今,多年之后,当我走过钢琴旁,我总会微笑着想起祖母。她正在天堂里大弹特弹着钢琴呢,我敢肯定。

1) advantage   n. 优势,利益

2) disadvantage   n. 不利,劣势

3) retail   n. 零售

4) grant   n. 奖助金

5) SAT: Scholastic12 Apptitude Test 学业能力倾向测验,也称教育能力测试,是美国大学在招生时对成绩的一项主要参考。

6) board  n. 伙食

7) glamorous   a. 富有魅力的

8) break down 分解

9) in stacks 堆成堆

10) wrinkled  a. 起皱的

11) take sth. upon oneself 承担责任

12) hang up 挂(电话)

13) ivory  n. 象牙,文中指象牙制的钢琴键

 


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 apparent FMsyP     
adj.表面上的,貌似真实的,显然的,明明白白的
参考例句:
  • The apparent truth was really a lie.表面上看似实话,实际上是个谎言。
  • His guilt is apparent to all.他的罪恶尽人皆知。
2 qualified DCPyj     
adj.合格的,有资格的,胜任的,有限制的
参考例句:
  • He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
  • We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。
3 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
4 flipped 5bef9da31993fe26a832c7d4b9630147     
轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 ); 按(开关); 快速翻转; 急挥
参考例句:
  • The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转,撞毁了。
  • The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。
5 makeup 4AXxO     
n.组织;性格;化装品
参考例句:
  • Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
  • Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗?
6 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
7 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
8 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
9 retirement TWoxH     
n.退休,退职
参考例句:
  • She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
  • I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。
10 advisor JKByk     
n.顾问,指导老师,劝告者
参考例句:
  • They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
  • The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。
11 mare Y24y3     
n.母马,母驴
参考例句:
  • The mare has just thrown a foal in the stable.那匹母马刚刚在马厩里产下了一只小马驹。
  • The mare foundered under the heavy load and collapsed in the road.那母马因负载过重而倒在路上。
12 scholastic 3DLzs     
adj.学校的,学院的,学术上的
参考例句:
  • There was a careful avoidance of the sensitive topic in the scholastic circles.学术界小心地避开那个敏感的话题。
  • This would do harm to students' scholastic performance in the long run.这将对学生未来的学习成绩有害。

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