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一个信封的故事

时间:2013-04-30 23:36来源:互联网 提供网友:mapleleaf   字体: [ ]
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    (单词翻译:双击或拖选)

   It's just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription1. It has peeked2 through the branches of our tree for the past 10 years or so.

  It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. He didn't hate the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it; overspending, the frantic3 running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry4 and the dusting powder for Grandma and the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.
  Knowing he felt this way, I decided5 one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth6. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
  Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black.
  These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged7 that shoestrings8 seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes.
  As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler's ears.
  It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford. Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado9, a kind of street pride that couldn't acknowledge defeat.
  Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, "I wish just one of them could have won," he said. "They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them."
  Mike loved kids-all kids-and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse. That's when the idea for his present came.
  That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment10 of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously11 to the inner-city church.
  On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years.
  For each Christmas, I followed the tradition, one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.
  The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation12 as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. idzxl0723
  As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure13. The story doesn't end there.
  You see, we lost Mike due to dreaded14 cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, three more joined it. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad.
  The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing15 around the tree with wide-eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike's spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
  我家的圣诞树上挂着一张小小的白色信封。上面既没有收信人的名字和寄信人的签名、也没有任何提示。它挂在我家的圣诞树上已经十多年了。
  一切都因丈夫迈克对圣诞的憎恨而起。他并不憎恨圣诞节本身的意义,但他讨厌圣诞被商业化了。人们大把大把地花钱;在除夕夜的最后一分钟,围着圈不顾一切地跑去为哈里大叔抢些彩带,为外祖母手抢些彩粉;疯狂地瓜分礼物,把一切都抛在脑后。
  正是因为知道他的这种感受,于是有一年我决定打破常规(平时都送些衬衣呀、毛衣或是领带等礼物)。我为迈克准备了一些特别的东西。灵感是有来历的。
  那年我们的儿子凯文十二岁,在学校摔跤队的初级班里接受训练。圣诞节前夕,学校安排了一场非联赛的比赛,对手是本市教会资助的一只队伍,他们大部分队员都是黑人。
  这些小伙子们穿着破烂不堪的运动鞋,唯一能够绑在脚上的仿佛只有那条鞋带。而与之形成鲜明对比的是我们的孩子,他们身披金蓝相间的制服,脚蹬崭新的摔跤鞋,显得分外耀眼。
  比赛开始了,我惊异地发现对方选手在摔跤的时候没有带专业头盔,只有一种好象质地很薄的帽子保护着选手的耳朵。
  对贫民队来说买一顶头盔显然是一种奢侈。毫无疑问我们以绝对的优势获胜,并取得了每个级别的冠军。比赛结束了,他们队的每个男孩从地毯上爬起来,在溃败的失意中昂首阔步装出一副获胜的样子,流露出像街头地痞一样的骄横和蛮不讲理。
  坐在我身旁的迈克伤心地摇摇头说道:“我真希望他们其中一个可以赢。他们很有潜力,但是就这样输掉了比赛就等于输掉了他们的信心。”
  迈克爱孩子——所有的孩子。他曾带过小型的联赛橄榄球队,棒球队和长曲棍球队,所以他了解他们。而我的灵感也由此而发。
  当天下午,我就到本地的一家运动用品商店买了摔跤专用的头盔和鞋子,并以匿名的形式把礼物送到了本市的教会。
  那个圣诞夜,我把一个信封挂在圣诞树上,里面写着我做的事情,并告诉迈克这是我送给他的礼物。他的笑容是那年圣诞节最明亮的饰物,多少年来那笑容还一直延续着。
  每年的圣诞节,我都沿袭了这个传统。我曾送给一群智障儿童一副曲棍球,也曾送给一对年老的兄弟一张支票,因为圣诞节的前一个星期大火烧毁了他们的房子。等等,等等。
  在我家,拆信成了圣诞节的亮点。圣诞节的早晨,那封信总是我们最后拆开的礼物,孩子们甚至忘记了他们自己的玩具,站在一旁,瞪着大大的眼睛,满心希望地看着父亲从树上取下信封,然后打开看里面的内容。
  孩子们渐渐长大,玩具开始给更具有实用性的礼物让位了,但是信封从未失去它的吸引力。我们的故事永远都不会结束。
  现在我们失去了迈克,他患了癌症先我而去。而圣诞依然年年到来,我仍沉浸在失去他的悲伤中,虽然我几乎扶不起圣诞树,但是圣诞夜我仍放一封信在树上。清晨,我看见有三四封信挂在树上。每封都是孩子们挂上去的,对大家都保密,都放了一封信在树上献给他们的父亲。
  这个传统在延续,有一天会被我们的孙子传得更远,当他们瞪着大大的眼睛,满怀希望地等待着他们的父亲从树上取下信封。迈克的精神,像圣诞的精神将永远伴随着我们。

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 inscription l4ZyO     
n.(尤指石块上的)刻印文字,铭文,碑文
参考例句:
  • The inscription has worn away and can no longer be read.铭文已磨损,无法辨认了。
  • He chiselled an inscription on the marble.他在大理石上刻碑文。
2 peeked c7b2fdc08abef3a4f4992d9023ed9bb8     
v.很快地看( peek的过去式和过去分词 );偷看;窥视;微露出
参考例句:
  • She peeked over the top of her menu. 她从菜单上往外偷看。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • On two occasions she had peeked at him through a crack in the wall. 她曾两次透过墙缝窥视他。 来自辞典例句
3 frantic Jfyzr     
adj.狂乱的,错乱的,激昂的
参考例句:
  • I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
  • He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。
4 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
5 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。
6 forth Hzdz2     
adv.向前;向外,往外
参考例句:
  • The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
  • He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。
7 ragged KC0y8     
adj.衣衫褴褛的,粗糙的,刺耳的
参考例句:
  • A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
  • Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。
8 shoestrings 1a111ccd6ad830a719b256bb0da5e37e     
n.以极少的钱( shoestring的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Laura loved him and he was ready to kiss her shoestrings. 劳拉爱他,他都乐于吻她的鞋带。 来自互联网
  • Result: The strong shoestrings were easily restored in the semi-solid medium with rich organic nitrogen source. 结果:在富含有机氮的半固体培养基上蜜环菌最易形成粗壮的菌索。 来自互联网
9 bravado CRByZ     
n.虚张声势,故作勇敢,逞能
参考例句:
  • Their behaviour was just sheer bravado. 他们的行为完全是虚张声势。
  • He flourished the weapon in an attempt at bravado. 他挥舞武器意在虚张声势。
10 assortment FVDzT     
n.分类,各色俱备之物,聚集
参考例句:
  • This shop has a good assortment of goods to choose from.该店各色货物俱全,任君选择。
  • She was wearing an odd assortment of clothes.她穿着奇装异服。
11 anonymously czgzOU     
ad.用匿名的方式
参考例句:
  • The manuscripts were submitted anonymously. 原稿是匿名送交的。
  • Methods A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 536 teachers anonymously. 方法采用自编“中小学教师职业压力问卷”对536名中小学教师进行无记名调查。
12 anticipation iMTyh     
n.预期,预料,期望
参考例句:
  • We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着,期待她的到来。
  • The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安,像是感到了地震即将发生。
13 allure 4Vqz9     
n.诱惑力,魅力;vt.诱惑,引诱,吸引
参考例句:
  • The window displays allure customers to buy goods.橱窗陈列品吸引顾客购买货物。
  • The book has a certain allure for which it is hard to find a reason.这本书有一种难以解释的魅力。
14 dreaded XuNzI3     
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》
15 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
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