現(xiàn)代大學英語精讀3課文電子版

4/4現(xiàn)代大學英語精讀3課文電子版MichaelWelzenbach

1.WhenIwas12yearsold,myfamilymovedtoEngland,

thefourthmajormoveinmyshortlife.Myfather’sgovernmentjobdemandedthathegooverseaseveryfewyears,soIwasusedtowrenchingmyselfawayfromfriends.

2.Werentedan18th-centuryfarmhouseinBerkshire.

Nearbywereancientcastlesandchurches.Loving

nature,however,Iwasmostdelightedbytheendlesspatchworkoffarmsandwoodlandthatsurroundedourhouse.Inthedeepwoodsthatvergedagainstourbackfence,anetworkofpathsledalmosteverywhere,andpheasantsrocketedoffintothedenselaurelsaheadasyouwalked.

3.Ispentmostofmytimeroamingthewoodsandfields

alone,playingRobinHood,daydreaming,collectingbugsandbird-watching.Itwasheavenforaboy—but

alonelyheaven.Keepingtomyselfwasmywayofnot

formingattachmentsthatIwouldonlyhavetoabandon

thenexttimewemoved.ButonedayIbecameattachedthroughnodesignofmyown.

4.WehadbeeninEnglandaboutsixmonthswhenoldfarmer

Crawfordgavemepermissiontoroamabouthisimmenseproperty.Istartedhikingthereeveryweekend,upalong,slopinghilltoanalmostimpenetrablestandoftreescalledBearWood.Itwasmysecretfortress,almostaholyplace,Ithought.Slippingthroughabarbed-wirefence,I’dleavethebrightsunandthetwitterandrustleofinsectsandanimalsoutsideandcreepintoanotherworld—avaultedcathedral,withtreetrunksforpillarsandyears’accumulationoflongbrownneedlesforasoftlycarpetedfloor.Myownbreathingranginmyears,andtheslighteststirringofanywoodlandcreatureechoedthroughthisprivateparadise.

5.OnespringafternoonIwanderednearwhereIthought

I’dglimpsedapondtheweekbefore.Iproceeded

quietly,carefulnottoalarmabirdthatmightloudlywarnothercreaturestohide.

6.PerhapsthisiswhythefrailoldladyInearlyraninto

wasasstartledasIwas.Shecaughtherbreath,

instinctivelytouchingherthroatwithherhand.Then,recoveringquickly,shegaveawelcomingsmilethatinstantlyputmeatease.Apairofpowerful-lookingbinocularsdangledfromherneck.“Hello,young

man,”shesaid.“AreyouAmericanorCanadian?”7.American,Iexplainedinarush,andIlivedoverthe

hill,andIwasjustseeingiftherewasapond,andfarmerCrawfordhadsaiditwasokay,andanyhow,Iwasonmywayhome,sogood-bye.

8.AsIstartedtoturn,thewomansmiledandasked,“Did

youseethelittleowlfromthewoodovertheretoday?”

Shepointedtowardtheedgeofthewood.

9.Sheknewabouttheowls?Iwasamazed.

10.“No,”Ireplied,“butI’veseenthembefore.Never

closethough.Theyalwaysseemefirst.”

11.Thewomanlaughed.“Yes,they’rewary,”shesaid.

“Butthen,gamekeepershavebeenshootingthemeversincetheygothere.They’reintroduced,youknow,notnative.”

12.“They’renot?”Iasked,fascinated.Anybodywho

knewthissortofstuffwasdefinitelycool—evenifshewastrespassinginmyspecialplace.

13.“Oh,no!”sheanswered,laughingagain.“Athome

Ihavebooksonbirdsthatexplainallaboutthem.In

fact,”shesaidsuddenly,“Iwasabouttogobackforteaandjamtart.Wouldyoucaretojoinme?”

14.Ihadbeenwarnedagainstgoingoffwithstrangers,

butsomehowIsensedtheoldwomanwasharmless.

“Sure,”Isaid.

15.“I’mMrs.Robertson-Glasgow,”sheintroduced

herself,extendingherfinehand.

16.“Michael,”Isaid,takingitclumsilyinmyown.

17.Wesetoff.Andaswewalked,shetoldmehowsheand

herhusbandhadmovedtoBerkshireafterhe’dretiredasacollegeprofessorabouttenyearsearlier.“Hepassedawaylastyear,”shesaid,lookingsuddenlywistful.“SonowI’malone,andIhaveallthistimetowalkthefields.”

18.SoonIsawasmallbrickcottagethatglowedpinkly

inthewesteringsun.Mrs.Robertson-Glasgowopenedthedoorandinvitedmein.Igazedaboutinsilentadmirationatthebookshelves,glass-frontedcasescontainingfiguresofivoryandcarvedstone,cabinetsfulloffossils,traysofpinnedbutterfliesand,bestofall,adozenorsostuffedbirds—includingaglass-eyedeagleowl.

19.“Wow!”wasallIcouldsay.

20.“Doesyourmotherexpectyouhomeataparticular

time?”sheaskedassheranthewaterfortea.

21.“No,”Ilied.Then,glancingattheclock,Iadded,

“Well,maybebyfive.”Thatgavemealmostanhour,notnearlyenoughtimetoaskabouteverysingleobjectintheroom.Butbetweenmouthfulsofteaandjamtart

IlearnedallsortsofthingsfromMrs.

Robertson-Glasgow.

22.Thehourwentbymuchtooswiftly.Mrs.

Robertson-Glasgowhadtopracticallypushmeoutthedoor.Butshesentmehomewithtwolargetomes,onefullofbeautifulillustrationsofbirds,andoneofbutterfliesandotherinsects.Ipromisedtoreturnthemthenextweekendifshedidn’tmindmycomingby.

Shesmiledandsaidshe’dlookforwardtothat.

23.Ihadmadethebestfriendintheworld.

24.WhenIreturnedthebooks,shelentmemore.SoonI

begantoseeheralmosteveryweekend,andmywellofknowledgeaboutnaturalhistorybegantobrimover.Atschool,Iearnedthenickname“Prof”andsomerespectfrommyfellowstudents.Eventheschoolbullybrought

meadeadbirdhehadfound,orprobablyshot,toidentify.

25.DuringthesummerIspentblissfullylongdayswith

myfriend.Idiscoveredshemadethefinestshortbreadintheworld.WewouldexploreBearWood,munchinghappilyanddiscussingthebooksshehadlentme.Intheafternoonswewouldreturntothecottage,andshewouldtalkaboutherhusband—whatafinemanhe’dbeen.Onceortwicesheseemedabouttocryandlefttheroomquicklytomakemoretea.Butshealwayscamebacksmiling.

26.Astimepassed,Ididnotnoticethatshewasgrowing

frailerandlessinclinedtolaugh.Familiarity

sometimesmakespeoplephysicallyinvisible,foryoufindyourselftalkingtotheheart—totheessence,asitwere,ratherthantotheface.Isuspected,ofcourse,thatshewaslonely;Ididnotknowshewasill.

27.Backatschool,Ibegantogrowquickly.Iplayed

soccerandmadeagoodfriend.ButIstillstoppedbythecottageonweekends,andtherewasalwaysfreshshortbread.

28.OnemorningwhenIwentdownstairstothekitchen,

therewasafamiliar-lookingbiscuittinonthetable.

IeyeditasIwenttotherefrigerator.

29.Mymotherwasregardingmewithastrangegentleness.

“Son,”shebegan,painfully.AndfromthetoneofhervoiceIkneweverythinginstantly.

30.Sherestedherhandonthebiscuittin.“Mr.Crawford

broughtthesethismorning.”Shepaused,andIcouldtellshewashavingdifficulty.“Mrs.

Robertson-Glasgowleftthemforyou.”

31.Istaredoutthewindow,tearsstingingmyeyes.

32.“I’msorry,Michael,butshediedyesterday,”she

wenton.“Shewasveryoldandveryill,anditwastime.”

33.Mymotherputherarmaboutmyshoulder.“Youmade

herveryhappy,becauseshewaslonely,”shesaid.

“Youwereluckytobesuchagoodfriendforher.”

34.Wordlessly,Itookthetintomyroomandsetiton

mybed.Then,hurryingdownstairs,Iburstthroughthefrontdoorandrantothewoods.

35.Iwanderedforalongtime,untilmyeyeshaddried

andIcouldseeclearlyagain.Itwasspring—almostexactlyayearsinceI’dmettheoldwomaninBearWood.