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美国故事 SENEWS-2007-0714-FEATURE

时间:2007-10-10 01:18来源:互联网 提供网友:方易速   字体: [ ]
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This week's story is called "Tomatoes". It was written by John Robinson Junior. Here is Walter Gathery with our story.

Mother let no one touch the tomatoes. Why? was a mystery to me. I watched her working in the tomato patch1. Her sun-browned hands seemed to touch each plant, each green leaf lovingly, as if it were a newborn child. I was worried. She spent so much time in the hot sun. I decided2 to speak to her about it. This was not easy. Since father's death, she liked to be alone. She was withdrawn3 most of the time.

"Mother," I asked, "why do you tire yourself out like a young farmhand, you have plenty of help."

"Oh, Jimmy," she said it in a slow breath as she rose to her feet. She brushed some damp hair from her cheek and breathed deeply for a moment. I had never seen her so short of breath. I had also noticed that she seemed always tired around the house.

"Shoo..!" she said, "Isn't it a hot day for the end of June, a real scorcher?"
"You should stay indoors," I answered, "there is no reason to waste your strength out here." She smiled and let me lead her back to the house holding my arm.

"You must not worry about me, Jimmy!" she walked beside me with slow careful steps. “You have your law studies to worry about. Besides, what do you know about running a farm?"

"Well, not much, I guess." My arm stiffened4. She must have sensed that I was hurt, because she quickly talked about something else.

"Are you sure they will not object to the college you staying home, I mean?"

"No, father's funeral was so near the end of the class term, there is no reason to go back. They'll mail my marks. Besides, I like being here with you. I never seem to be with you enough."

"Yes, yes, it is nice," she said, entering the kitchen. "Now, you sit down and let me get you some lemonade. I know how you used to love lemonade when you were little."

I smiled and shook my head at her, "I always hated lemonade, mother, it was Jenny who loved it!" My sister Jenny died at ten when we were both children.

"Uh, Heavens above," she laughed, "I'm going to be a joke around the farm soon, an absent-minded5 old woman."

She went to the sink and washed her red tomato-colored hands. "The tomatoes are good this year, Jimmy, big and firm and lots of them ripe already."

"Yes, I saw them. And I've seen you out in that field everyday since the funeral. Why don't you let the help worry about the tomatoes, you have enough to do in the house."

She turned and looked at me. "Jimmy," she said firmly, "don't interfere6 with my work on the farm, I know you mean well. But there is so little you understand about things. I'm trying to learn to live with my loneliness, Jimmy, I must do it in my own way." She was close to tears. I said nothing more. She walked hurriedly out of the kitchen.

I sat for a long time without moving. I did not know what to do. My thoughts were all mixed up. I knew I had interfered7 and did not blame her for telling me not to. But this only made me feel even more useless. Every attempt I made to understand her problem only drove us further apart. I'd never been a part of the farm really. Father gave up trying to teach me how to farm early in my life. He saw how much I loved books. I was given small jobs around the farm and no more was expected from me. When business began to get better, seasonal8 farm workers were used and even my small jobs were taken away from me. That seemed to be the final break with the farm, then there was school, college. Jenny was mother's pride and delight. She would always be outdoors, running between the roads of vegetables and fruits, laughing and asking questions. She was everything my parents could have wished for during her ten years of life. Now, mother was left with only a son, who was a stranger, and an empty house, full of memories of father's deep laughter and lively footsteps9 of my sister.

I felt bad and left the kitchen and walked through the hallway and upstairs to my room. Later, mother came to the door and looked in.

"Mrs. Austrimv was just visiting, Jimmy, she is such a nice woman. Remember when she used to bring you a cake when you had the chickenpox?"

"I remember. But it was Jenny who had the chickenpox." I laughed.

"Yes, yes, of course, it was Jenny." She was lost in her thoughts for a moment, but checked herself when she saw I was watching her. "Well, I'm going to take a nice nap10; I'll pick some of those tomatoes later."

I found it hard to read my book that afternoon. I kept wondering about mother. I was puzzled. Why did she give so much of herself to the tomatoes? It was almost dinner time when I went downstairs. Mother was not in the kitchen and dinner had not been started. The house was empty. I left the house and began to walk around the farm. The ground seemed strange under my feet. I tried to make myself realize that this was where I was born and grew up. But it was impossible. The farm seemed to be part of someone else's life, someone I knew, but who was not me. I walked toward11 the tomato patch. I knew where mother was. She was at the farthest end of the patch, too far from the house for me to have seen her before. A large basket of tomatoes lay on the ground. She was on her knees beside it, her face was buried in her hands, her body was shaking. She looked small, smaller than she usually did. I went to her. When she realized she was not alone, she began to wipe her eyes and shame.

"I know I'm interfering12 again, mother," I said softly13, "but I must know how I can help. Please tell me why you spend all your time out here when it makes you so unhappy?" She was silent for a long time.

"Jimmy," she said finally, not looking at me but staring straight ahead, "your father planted these tomatoes."
"Father? But he was so ill." She put out a hand, gently touching14 the bush in front of her. "He was too ill to work. But he would not let the walls of sickroom shut him in and smother15 him to death. He loved the fresh air and sun and working in the ground. You could not stop him from doing something. I tried to talk him out of it and he promised not to tire himself. And so, everyday he came out and planted a few tomato seeds. And these plants are the only part of the crop that was his. I feel there the only part of him I have left still living. And they will be gone at the end of the summer."

I got on my knees beside her and put her head on my shoulder. "Mother, I know I've never been much use to you here."

"But you're going to be a lawyer, Jimmy. I always wanted you to live the life you chose for yourself."

"I know mother, but this is part of my life too. I regret not taking more of an interest, I feel so unnecessary. I want to spend part of my time here even after I begin working as a lawyer. Think you could teach me a little about farming?" She did not answer.

"It sounds foolish to talk this way after all these years, doesn't it? But mother, there is more of father still living than these tomatoes. You have to realize that. There is a part of father that will live after this summer and the next."

Slowly, she drew away from me. Our eyes met and a change came over her face. Her expression showed surprise at what I said, she touched my cheek. "Jimmy," she cried, "Oh Jimmy, I'm such an old fool." And she stood up and with the youthful16 energy I always remember in her, got her basket before I could take it and walked sharply17 ahead of me to the house.

Later, at the dinner table while pouring me a second cup of coffee, she said, "You know Jimmy, the profit on tomatoes is higher all the time. Next year, I think I'll have a bigger and better crop." She smiled over the coffee pot. "If you spend your vacation here, would you like to help with it?"

You have heard the American story "Tomatoes". It was written by John Robinson Junior. Your storyteller was Walter Gathery. The story was published in Best American Short Stories Volume Eight, edited18 by Robert Oberfirst. This story is copyrighted19. All rights reserved. This is Shirley Griffith.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 patch h3Xzw     
n.补丁;斑;一小块地;vt.补,修补
参考例句:
  • This patch looks a bit unprofessional.这块补丁有点像出自外行之手。
  • We managed to patch our quarrel.我们设法平息争吵。
2 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。
3 withdrawn eeczDJ     
vt.收回;使退出;vi.撤退,退出
参考例句:
  • Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
  • All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。
4 stiffened de9de455736b69d3f33bb134bba74f63     
加强的
参考例句:
  • He leaned towards her and she stiffened at this invasion of her personal space. 他向她俯过身去,这种侵犯她个人空间的举动让她绷紧了身子。
  • She stiffened with fear. 她吓呆了。
5 absent-minded Jz5zwh     
adj.心不在焉的
参考例句:
  • You are really absent-minded.你真是心不在焉!
  • He had an absent-minded manner.他表现出心不在焉的样子。
6 interfere b5lx0     
v.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰
参考例句:
  • If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话,可能弊多利少。
  • When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件,棘手的事情就来了。
7 interfered 71b7e795becf1adbddfab2cd6c5f0cff     
v.干预( interfere的过去式和过去分词 );调停;妨碍;干涉
参考例句:
  • Complete absorption in sports interfered with his studies. 专注于运动妨碍了他的学业。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • I am not going to be interfered with. 我不想别人干扰我的事情。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 seasonal LZ1xE     
adj.季节的,季节性的
参考例句:
  • The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
  • The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。
9 footsteps 6508b080b068283fa9f93b103a1b4406     
n.脚步(声),一步的距离,足迹;脚步(声)( footstep的名词复数 );一步的距离;足迹
参考例句:
  • the sound of footsteps on the stairs 楼梯上的脚步声
  • Their footsteps echoed in the silence. 他们的脚步声在一片寂静中回荡着。
10 nap o6bzX     
n.(白天)打瞌睡,打盹
参考例句:
  • The nap of the coat has been worn off.外衣上的绒毛已经磨掉了。
  • Don't bother me while I am taking my nap.我小睡的时候不要打扰我。
11 toward on6we     
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
参考例句:
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
12 interfering interfering     
adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词
参考例句:
  • He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事!
  • I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预,让我自己拿主意。
13 softly HiIzR4     
adv.柔和地,静静地,温柔地
参考例句:
  • He speaks too softly for her to hear.他讲话声音太轻,她听不见。
  • She breathed her advice softly.她低声劝告。
14 touching sg6zQ9     
adj.动人的,使人感伤的
参考例句:
  • It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
  • His letter was touching.他的信很感人。
15 smother yxlwO     
vt./vi.使窒息;抑制;闷死;n.浓烟;窒息
参考例句:
  • They tried to smother the flames with a damp blanket.他们试图用一条湿毯子去灭火。
  • We tried to smother our laughter.我们强忍住笑。
16 youthful DMzzP     
adj.年轻的,有青春活力的
参考例句:
  • Exercise will keep you youthful.体育锻练会使你充满活力。
  • The boy looked very youthful.这孩子看起来岁数很小。
17 sharply UiRziL     
adj.锐利地,急速;adv.严厉地,鲜明地
参考例句:
  • The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
  • Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。
18 edited 683dc5278b1fbbd98a996cecc3ffd06a     
编辑( edit的过去式和过去分词 ); 剪辑(电影、录音磁带、无线电或电视节目、书等); 主编(报纸、杂志等)
参考例句:
  • I know that this draft text will need to be edited. 我知道这篇草稿需要校订。
  • All references to the scandal were edited out of the tape. 所有涉及这件丑闻的内容都从录音带中删去了。
19 copyrighted 32701401a789dc816ef17a1195e74c82     
获得…的版权( copyright的过去式 )
参考例句:
  • That magazine usurped copyrighted material. 那杂志盗用了版权为他人所有的素材。
  • Why is it common for students to download copyrighted music? 为什麽学生下载有版权的音乐如同家常便饭?
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