現(xiàn)代大學英語精讀第二版（第一冊）學習筆記（原文及全文翻譯）-15A-Clearingin

現(xiàn)代?學英語精讀第?版（第?冊）學習筆記（原?及全?翻ClearingintheSkyJesseStuart"Thisistheway,"saidmyfather,pointingwithhiscaneacrossthedeepvalleybelowus."Iwanttoshowyousomething!""Isn'tittoohotforyoutodomuchwalking?"Iwipedthestreamsofsweatfrommyfacetokeepthemfromstingingmyeyes.Ididn'twanttogowithhim.Ihadjustfinishedwalkingahalfmileuphillfrommyhometohis,carryingabasketofdishestoMom.Iknewhowhotitwas.IknewalsothatfromJanuaryuntilAprilmyfatherhadgonetoeightdifferentdoctors.Andtheyhadalltoldhimnottowalkfar.ButIcouldnotprotesttohimnow.Whenhemadeuphismindtodoathing,hewoulddoit.Hedidn'tcareifitwas100Fintheshadeor20Fbelowzero.SoIfollowedhimdownthelittlepathbetweenthepastureandthemeadow.Suddenlyhestopped,tookouthispocketknife,andcutawispofalfalfa.Hehelditupinthesun."Lookatthis,Jess!"hebragged."Didyoueverseebetteralfalfagrowoutoftheearth?""It'sthebest-lookinghayI'veeverseen,"Isaid."WhenIboughtthislandeverybodysaidIwascrazy."Hebraggedagain."Ittookmethirtyyearstomakeitdothis!"AsIstoodlookingatthismeadowofalfalfainthesaddlebetweentwohills,Irememberedhowhehadhauledleavesfromthewoodsandspreadthemoverthisfieldandthenplowedthemunderandletthemrot.Allthatwouldgrowonthisgroundwhenheboughtitwerepinesandbriars.Thepinesdidn'tgrowwaist-high.Therewasn'tenoughstrengthinthegroundtopushthemanyhigher.Hecutdownthepinesandplowedtheland.Hesowedacovercropandturneditunder.Thenhesowedasecond,athird,andafourth.Inafewyearshehadthelandproducinggoodcropsofcorn,wheatandpotatoes."ButthisisnotwhatIwanttoshowyou,Jess,"hesaid."Comeon.Followme!"Ifollowedhimthroughthepasturegate,thendownalittlenarrowcattlepathintothedeephollow."Wherearewegoing?"Iaskedwhenhestartedtowalkalogacrossthecreek."There,"hesmiled,pointingtowardawoodedmountaintop."That'sthewaywearegoing!"Ifollowedhimacrossthefootloghehadmadebychoppingdownawhiteoak,fellingitoverthedeepstream.Thenwewentupthewindingfootpathunderthetallhickorytrees,aplacewhereIusedtocomewithhimwhenIwasalittleboytohuntsquirrels.Butthathadbeennearlythirtyyearsago.Andthroughtheyears,fromtimetotime,Ihadwalkedovertheruggedmountainslopeandtherewasneverapathonituntilmyfatherhadmadethisone.Itwasaprettylittlefootpathunderthehighcanopyofhickory,walnut,andoakleaves.Wecouldn'tseetheskyaboveourheads.InfrontofmewalkedthelittlemanwhooncewalkedsofastIhadtoruntofollowhim.Buttimehadnowslowedhim,andmuchhardlaborhadbenthisshoulders.Hisbreathdidn'tcomeaseasilyasitusedto,forhestoppedtwice,andleanedonhiscanetorest."Rememberhowweusedtocomeheretohuntsquirrels?ThemorningwindinAugustwassogoodtobreathe.AndinOctoberwhentherabbitswerefatandthefrostshadcomeandthehickoryleaveshadturnedyellowandwhentheOctoberwindsblewtheyrustledthebigleavesfromthetreesandtheyfelllikeyellowraindropstotheground!Thoseweregooddays,Jess!""Isthatwhatyouwantedtoshowme?"Iasked."Oh,no,no,"hesaidashebegantoclimbtheslopethatroseabruptlytowardthesky.Thepinesontopofthemountainaboveuslookedasifthefingersoftheirlongboughswerefondlingawhitecloud."Whydoyoutakethepathstraightup?"Iasked."Lookattheseotherpaths!Whataretheydoinghere?"Withinthedistanceoffewyards,severalpathsleftthemainpathandcircledaroundtheslope,climbingthemountaingradually."Allpathsgotothesameplace,"heanswered."Thenwhytakethesteepone?"Iasked.Mycuriositywasroused.Ithoughthehadfoundanewkindofwildgrass,oranewkindoftree.ForIrememberedthetimehefoundacoffeetreeinourwoods.Itis,asfarasIknow,theonlyoneofitskindgrowinginourcounty.Wefinallyreachedthetallstraightpineswhosebranchesreachedtowardthebluedepthofsky,forthewhitecloudwasnowgone.Isawasmallclearingofnotmorethanthree-fourthsofanacreintheheartofthiswildernessrightonthemountaintop."Now,son,"hesaidashepusheddownthetopwiresohecouldcrossthefence."ThisissomethingIwantyoutosee!""Whodidthis?"Iasked."Whoclearedthelandandfencedit?""Iclearedtheland.AndIfencedit!""Butwhydidyoudothis?"Iaskedhim."Lookatallthefertilelandwehaveinthevalley!""Fertile,"helaughedashereacheddownandpickedupadoublehandfulofthesoil."Thisistheland,son!Thisisit."Thenhesmeltthedirt."Justlikefreshair,"hesaidasheletthedirtrunbetweenhisfingers."It'spleasanttotouch,too,"headded."Iknowwhatyouthink,"heinterrupted."Yourmotherthinksthesamething.ShewonderswhyIeverclimbedtothismountaintoptoraisemypotatoes,yamsandtomatoes!But,Jess,"healmostwhispered."Anythinggrowninnewgroundlikethishasabetterflavor.Waituntilmytomatoesareripe!You'llnevertastesweetertomatoesinyourlife!""ThisisthecleanestpatchI'veeverseen,"Iexclaimed."ButIstilldon'tseewhyyoutookallthistrouble.Andallagainstyourdoctor'sorders!""Twentytimesinmylife,"hesaid,"adoctorhastoldmetogohomeandbewithmyfamilyaslongasIcould.Toldmenottowork.NottodoanythingbuttoliveandenjoythefewdaysIhadleftme.ButIhavecheateddeathmanytimes!Now,I'vereachedtheyearstheGoodBookallowstoaman.Three-scoreyearsandten!"Hegotupfromthetreestumpwherehewassittingandwipedthedropsofsweatfromhisred-wrinkledface."Andaftertheseyears,yourtimeisborrowed,"hesaid,motioningformetofollowhimtotheedgeoftheclearing."Andthen,yougobacktotheplaceyouknewandloved.Seethissteepslope."Hepointedtowardthedeepvalleybelow."YourmotherandI,whenshewasnineteenandIwastwenty-two,clearedthismountainslopetogether.Weraisedcorn,beans,andpumpkinshere,"hecontinued,hisvoicerisingwithexcitement."That'swhyIcamebackuphere.Iwentbacktoouryouth."Ilookedatthevastmountainslopebelow.Itwasonthisslopethatmyfatheroncemademealittlewoodenplow.ThatwaswhenIwassixyearsoldandtheybroughtmetothefieldtothincorn.Now,tolookattheslope,itwashardtobelievethattheyhaddoneitall.Formanyofthetreesweresixtyfeettallandthewildvineshadmattedtheirtopstogether."And,Jess,"hewenton,"thedoctortoldmetositstillandtotakelifeeasy.Icouldn'tdoit.Ihadtowork.Ihadtosmellthissoilandtouchitagain.AndIwantedtotasteyams,tomatoes,andpotatoesgrownontheland."Ifollowedhimfromhisclearinginthesky,downanewpath,towardthedeepvalleybelow."Butwhydoyouhavesomanypathscominguphere?"Iasked."Oh,yes,"hesaid."Earlylastspring,Icouldn'tclimbstraightupthesteeppath.Thatwaswhenthedoctordidn'tgivemeaweektolive.SoImadeaneasierpath.Then,asIgotbetter,"heexplained,"Imadeanotherpaththatwassteeper.AndasIcontinuedtogetbetter,Imadestillsteeperpaths.ThatwasonewayofknowingIwasgettingbetterallthetime!"Ifollowedhimdownthepaththatwoundthiswayandthat,threetimesthelengthofthepathwehadclimbed.半空中的?塊空地杰西·斯圖亞特“就是這條路?！蔽?親??跟我說道，???他的拐杖指了指下?深深??的對?。“我想給你看樣東西！”“你不覺得對你來說今天天?實在太熱，不宜?太多路嗎？”我擦去臉上直往下淌的汗?，以免汗?刺痛我的眼睛。我實在不想和他?起?。我剛剛從??家?帶了?籃?飯菜，爬了半??路上來送給媽媽。我知道天?有多熱。?且我還知道，從??到四?，我爸去看過?個?夫，他們都叫他別?太多路?？墒?，我也知道我現(xiàn)在反對他沒?。他要是拿定主意做某件事情，他就?定要做。他根本不管連蔭涼處的溫度都到了華?100度還是零下20度。所以我只好跟著他往牧場和草地之間的?路?去。他突然停了下來，取出了?袋?的??，割了??把苜蓿，然后在陽光中將它舉了起來?！翱纯催@個，杰西！”他得意地說?！澳氵@輩?見過?這更好的苜蓿嗎？”“這是我見到過的最好的牧草。”我說道?！爱斈晡屹I這塊地的時候，?家都說我瘋了。”他?吹噓說。“我花了三?年的時間才讓它上?的東西長得這么好！”當我站在那?望著兩座??之間的這塊苜蓿地時，我想起了他當年是怎樣?次次把樹林中的落葉拖來，鋪在地上，然后?犁把它們翻到?壤下?讓它們腐爛的。他剛買下這塊地的時候，地?只長松樹和荊棘。那松樹都長不到半??，因為地?的那點肥料根本不夠讓它們再往上長了。他就把松樹砍了，把地犁松了，然后種上肥?植物，再犁地把它們翻到?壌下。然后再種第?次、第三次、第四次。?年?夫，他就讓這塊地?的??、?麥和??有了好收成?！安贿^這并不是我要給你看的東西，杰西，”他說道，“來，跟我來！”我跟著他穿過牧場的門，然后順著窄窄的牲??的?路，?直往下?到那深深的????！拔覀兩夏?去？”我看到爸爸?上了橫跨溪流的原?，就?問道?！熬驮谀?，”他笑笑說，往被林?覆蓋的?頂指了指，“那就是我們要去的地?。”我跟著他?過了原?橋。那是他做的橋，他砍倒了?棵?橡樹，讓它順勢倒在那條深深的溪流上。接著，我們?上了那曲曲彎彎的?腸?道，路旁都是??的?核桃樹，我?時候常常跟他來這?打松?。但是那已經(jīng)是差不多三?年前的事這么多年來，我時不時地?過這起伏不平的?坡，?上?本來沒有路，直到我爸開辟出了這?條。這條路?常美，頭上是?核桃、核桃樹和橡樹的枝葉交錯?成的??的穹頂。我們抬頭都望不到天空。?在我前?的這個?個?男?，當年?路快得我必須?路?跑才能跟上?？墒?情的歲?減慢了他的速度，繁重的勞動折彎了他的腰。他的呼吸也不如以前順暢，他在路上停了兩次，拄著拐杖休息?！斑€記得從前我們到這?來打松?嗎？那??的晨風是多么清新啊。到??的時候，兔?都養(yǎng)肥了，秋霜?來,那些?核桃樹的葉?就都變黃了。??的秋風?吹起，樹上的?葉?就沙沙作響，像黃?的?珠?樣落在地上！多美好的??啊，杰西！”“那就是你要給我看的東西嗎？”我問道。“哦，不，不！”他說著，開始爬那直指天空的陡峭?坡。我們前??頂上的松樹長長的樹枝看起來就像?的?指，正在撫摸著?朵?云?！澳銥槭裁匆?這條直上直下的?路呢？”我?問。“你瞧其他那些路！它們通向哪?呢？”就在?碼之外，有好?條?路離開了這條主道，環(huán)繞?坡蜿蜒向上?！斑@些路都是通向同?個地?的?！彼卮鹫f。我的好奇??下?被勾起來了。我想也許他找到了?種新草或是新樹種。因為我記得他曾經(jīng)在我們的林地中發(fā)現(xiàn)過?棵咖啡樹，據(jù)我所知，在我們這個縣，這種咖啡樹還只有我們這?棵。我們最終到達了那些??挺拔的松樹?長的地?。松樹的枝?直插藍天深處，剛才的?云已經(jīng)飄?了。我看到在?頂這?樹林的中?地帶，有?塊不到四分之三英畝的空地?！昂昧?，???！彼f著就把最上?的鐵絲往下按了按，以便跨過鐵絲?進去?！斑@就是我想給你看的東西！”“這是誰弄的？”我問?！笆钦l開辟了這塊地，?拉了這個鐵絲?？”“是我！是我開的地，也是我拉的鐵絲??！薄翱墒牵?嗎這么做呢？”我問他，“我們在???已經(jīng)有那么多肥沃的?地了！”“肥沃，”他笑著彎下?捧起了?捧泥?，“這才叫肥沃呢，??！這才是真貨??！闭f著，他聞了聞那泥??！熬拖裥迈r空?那樣。”他??說著，??讓那?從他的指縫間流在地上?！斑@?摸著都舒服?！彼恿司??！拔抑滥阍谙胧裁础！彼驍嗔宋摇！澳銒屢策@么想。她不明?我為什么要爬到?頂去種??、甜薯和西紅柿！但是，杰西，”他這時?乎像在和我?語，“在這樣新開墾的地?種出來的任何東西，都有特別的風味。等到西紅柿熟了的時候吧，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)你這輩?從沒有吃過那么甜的西紅柿！”“這的確是我見過的最?凈的?塊地，”我激動地?聲說道，“但我還是不明?你為什么要去費那個勁，?且還不聽醫(yī)囑！”“我這輩?曾有??次，”他說道，“醫(yī)?跟我說，叫我回家和家?待在?起，能團聚?天就團聚?天。叫我不要再?作了。叫我什么都不要?，只要在剩下的?天時間?盡情地享受?？墒敲?次我都躲過了死神！我現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)?盡了《圣經(jīng)》上說上帝賜給每個?的壽命，我已經(jīng)整七?歲了！”他從剛才坐著的樹樁上站了起來，??擦去了他那布滿皺紋的通紅的臉上的汗??！斑@以后，你的時間都是借來的，”他說，并???意我跟他?到那塊空地的邊緣，“于是，這時候，你就會回到你以前熟悉和熱愛的地?。你看這個陡坡。”他??指指下???的深處。“你媽和我，當時她?九，我???，我們倆?起開墾了這??坡。我們在這?種??、??和南?，”他接著說道，因為激動，嗓門也越來越?。“那就是我為什么要回到這?來的原因。我要回到我們的青年時代?！蔽彝??闊的?坡。當年就是在這?坡上，?親有?次給我做了?張??的?犁。記得那年我六歲，他們把我?guī)У竭@塊地?來給??間現(xiàn)在，看看這個?坡，你很難相信，這?切都是他們兩個?完成的。因為很多樹現(xiàn)在都已經(jīng)有六?英尺?了，?且那些野藤已經(jīng)把樹頂纏結“還有，杰西，”他接著說，“醫(yī)?叫我待著別動，完全放松地?活?？墒俏肄k不到。我必須做點事情。我得聞聞這泥?，再撫摸撫摸它。?且我要嘗嘗這地?長出來的甜薯、西紅柿、???！蔽译S他從那半空中的空地，沿著?條新的?路，?向下?的深??！班?，對了，”他說?！叭ツ牯┨?，