美国国家公共电台 NPR--2 brothers from Weumpka, Ala., remember their father Ben Davis

2 brothers from Weumpka, Ala., remember their father Ben Davis

Transcript¹

Arguster and Lebronze Davis grew up in the 1950s on their family's farm. The brothers came to StoryCorps to talk about their childhood and the lessons that their father passed down to them.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Time now for StoryCorps. Arguster and Lebronze Davis grew up on their family's farm in Wetumpka, Ala. The brothers came to StoryCorps to talk about their 1950s childhood and their dad, Ben.

LEBRONZE DAVIS: There were nine of us at home at one time. All the boys was in one room. We had two beds, two slept at the head and two slept at the feet. And there was one thing about them feet - you washed them feet before you went to bed.

ARGUSTER DAVIS: (Laughter) We only had one cash crop, which was cotton, and we were just breaking even. You had a hole in your jeans - Mama'd put a patch on it.

L DAVIS: Patch on it, and you kept right on going.

A DAVIS: You kept right on going.

L DAVIS: Kids today...

A DAVIS: Yup.

L DAVIS: ...They take jeans out, hang them on the line...

A DAVIS: Yeah.

L DAVIS: ...And shoot them to put holes in them.

A DAVIS: (Laughter) My first lesson in economics² - Daddy taught it to me. We had worked and made a little extra money, and we wanted to go to the fair. I had made $6. Six dollars, man - I was on top of the world. I played games. I ate cotton candy.

I came back home, and Daddy asked me, boy, how much money did you spend at the fair? And I just held my head down and said, Daddy, I spent it all. He said, boy, you spent all your money, and haircuts gone up to 75 cents. (Laughter) So I always keep me enough money to get me a haircut.

L DAVIS: Daddy was warm. If he got it, he'd give it to you. If he didn't have it, he would tell you how to get it.

A DAVIS: You remember when Daddy started the syrup³ mill?

L DAVIS: Yes.

A DAVIS: Yes. And people in the community would bring their cane⁴ and millet⁵ for us to grind⁶ up and make syrup. And people would pay with buckets of syrup. I said, Daddy, why don't you let these people pay you? Because we got enough syrup to last us for a long time. And he looked at me, and he said, son, these people don't have no money to pay. That's the only way they can pay.

L DAVIS: Daddy taught us all how to do the right thing and wanted us to do the right thing.

A DAVIS: He kept me out of school one day because he was delivering lumber⁷. The directions that were given to him were not very clear. And since Daddy - you know, he only went to the third grade, he couldn't read the address. And I said, I'll help you, Daddy. I couldn't have been no more than 8 or 10 years old. It was just heartbreaking.

You know, there are things that I try to pass on to my son. There's only two things in life a person actually owns, and that is his name and his word. And in his own way, that's what Daddy left me with.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

FADEL: Arguster and Lebronze Davis remembering their dad, Ben Davis. Their interview will be archived in the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 economics   

n.经济学，经济情况

参考例句：

• He is studying economics,which subject is very important.他正在学习经济学，该学科是很重要的。
• One can't separate politics from economics.不能把政治与经济割裂开来。

3 syrup   

n.糖浆，糖水

参考例句：

• I skimmed the foam from the boiling syrup.我撇去了煮沸糖浆上的泡沫。
• Tinned fruit usually has a lot of syrup with it.罐头水果通常都有许多糖浆。

4 cane   

n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的

参考例句：

• This sugar cane is quite a sweet and juicy.这甘蔗既甜又多汁。
• English schoolmasters used to cane the boys as a punishment.英国小学老师过去常用教鞭打男学生作为惩罚。

5 millet   

n.小米，谷子

参考例句：

• Millet is cultivated in the middle or lower reaches of the Yellow River.在黄河中下游地区，人们种植谷子。
• The high quality millet flour was obtained through wet milling.采用湿磨法获得了高品质的小米粉。

6 grind   

n.（常贬义）用功的学生，书呆子；vt.磨，磨碎

参考例句：

• Would you please grind a pound of coffee for me? 请给我磨一磅咖啡好吗？
• Do you find learning English a grind?你觉得学英语是一件苦差事吗？

7 lumber   

n.木材，木料；v.以破旧东西堆满；伐木；笨重移动

参考例句：

• The truck was sent to carry lumber.卡车被派出去运木材。
• They slapped together a cabin out of old lumber.他们利用旧木料草草地盖起了一间小屋。