现代大学英语精读3课文电子版.docx
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现代大学英语精读3课文电子版
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.