温馨夜读 PART4 14 The Day I Finally Cried 那天，我终于哭了

 

[ti:]

[ar:]

[al:]

[by:]

[00:00.54]The Day I Finally Cried 那天，我终于哭了

[00:07.98]I didn’t cry when I learned I was the parent of a mentally handicapped child.

[00:13.46]“Go ahead and cry,”the doctor advised kindly¹.

[00:16.84]But I couldn’t cry then nor during the months that followed.

[00:21.33]We enrolled² her in our neighborhood school’s kindergarten at age seven.

[00:25.71]I worried that when she was the“different”child among twenty five-year-olds,

[00:31.06]it was probably the loneliest moment she had ever known.

[00:34.79]However, positive things began to happen to Kristi in her school, 

[00:39.52]and to her schoolmates, too.

[00:41.36]When boasting of their own accomplishments³,

[00:43.96]Kristi’s classmates always took pains to praise her as well,

[00:48.03]“Kristi got all her spelling words right today.”

[00:51.20]No one bothered to add that her spelling list was easier than anyone else’s.

[00:56.78]During Kristi’s second year in school, she faced a very special experience.

[01:02.36]The big public event of the term was a competition

[01:05.97]based on a culmination⁴ of the year’s music and physical education activities.

[01:11.22]Kristi was way behind in both music and motor coordination⁵.

[01:16.58]My husband and I dreaded⁶ the day as well.

[01:19.65]On the day of the program, Kristi pretended to be sick.

[01:23.59]Desperately I wanted to keep her home.

[01:26.32]Why let Kristi fail in a gymnasium filled with parents, students and teachers?

[01:32.56]What a simple solution! But I finally got her onto the school bus.

[01:37.15]Just as I had forced my daughter to go to school, 

[01:40.20]now I forced myself to go to the program.

[01:43.49]Then I knew why Kristi had been worried. 

[01:46.66]Her class was divided into relay teams.

[01:49.73]With her limp and slow, clumsy reactions, she would surely hold up her team.

[01:55.64]But as Kristi’s turn to participate neared, a change took place in her team.

[02:01.11]The tallest boy in the line stepped behind Kristi 

[02:04.72]and placed his hands on her waist.

[02:06.80]Two other boys stood a little ahead of her.

[02:09.64]The moment the player in front of Kristi stepped from the sack,

[02:13.14]those two boys grabbed the sack and held it open

[02:16.64]while the tall boy lifted Kristi and dropped her neatly⁷ into it.

[02:20.91]A girl in front of Kristi took her hand and supported her briefly 

[02:25.46]until Kristi gained her balance.

[02:27.48]Then off she hopped⁸, smiling and proud.

[02:30.54]Amid the cheers of teachers, schoolmates and parents,

[02:34.04]I crept off by myself to thank Heaven for the warm, understanding people in life

[02:40.09]who make it possible for my disabled daughter to be like her fellow human beings.

[02:45.34]Then I finally cried.

1 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

2 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 culmination   

n.顶点；最高潮

参考例句：

• The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。
• It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。

5 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

6 dreaded   

adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
• He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》

7 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

8 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。