怀念我的爷爷奶奶(Remembering My Grandparents)
When memory began for me, my grandfather was past sixty-a great tall man with thick hair becoming gray. He had black eyes and a straight nose which ended in a slightly flattened tip. Once he explained seriously to me that he got that flattened tip as a small child when he fell down and stepped on his nose.
The little marks of laughter at the corners of his eyes were the prodnct of a kindly and humorous nature. The years of work which had bent his shoulders had never dulled his humour nor his love of a joke.
Everywhere he went, "Gramp" made friends easily. At the end of half an hour you felt you had known him all your life. I soon learned that he hated to give orders , but that when he had to, he tried to make his orders sound like suggestions.
One July morning, as he was leaving to go to the cornfield, he said : "Edwin, you can pick up the potatoes in the field today if you want to do that. " Then he drove away with his horses.
The day passed, and I did not have any desire to pick up potatoes. Evening came and the potatoes were still in the field. Gramp, dusty and tired, led the horses to get their drink.
"How many bags of potatoes were there?" Gramp inquired. "I don‘t know. "
"How many potatoes did you pick up?"
"I didn‘t pick any. " "Not any! Why not?"
"You said I could pick, them up if I wanted to. You didn‘t say I had to. "
In the next few minutes I learned a lesson I would not forget: when Gramp said I could if I wanted to, he meant that I should want to.
Gram hated cruelty and injustice. The injustices of history, even those of a thousand years before, angered her as much as the injustices of her own day.
She also had a deep love of beauty. When she was almost seventy-five, and had gone to live with one of her daughters, she spent a delightful morning washing dishes because, as she said, the beautiful patterns on the dishes gave her pleasure. The bird, the flowers, the clouds-all that was beautiful around her- pleased her. She was like the father of the French painter, Millet, who used to gather grass and show it to his son , saying , "See how beautif ul this is ! "
In a pioneer society it is the harder qualities of mind and character that are of value. The softer virtues are considered unnecessary. Men and women struggling daily to earn a living are unable, even for a moment, to forget the business of preserving their lives. Only unusual people, like my grandparents, manage to keep the softer qualities in a world of daily struggle.
Such were the two people with whom I spent the months from June to September in the wonderful days of summer and youth.
体坛英语资讯:Vettel still in racing speed despite no rush to secure title
体坛英语资讯:Inter penalised for protesting against referee
体坛英语资讯:Australian former Olympic star Geoff Huegill admits using party drugs
体坛英语资讯:Valencia, FC Barcelona produce thrilling draw
体坛英语资讯:Former US soccer coach appointed to take Egyptian team
体坛英语资讯:French sports minister quits government
体坛英语资讯:Robben to miss Euro 2017 qualifiers
体坛英语资讯:Luxemburgo hails Flamengos victory
体坛英语资讯:Ivanovic receives Bali wild card
体坛英语资讯:French cyclists win gold, silver at U-23 road worlds
体坛英语资讯:NBA cancels 43 pre-season games
体坛英语资讯:Kuznetsova, Schiavone ease into second round at China Open
体坛英语资讯:Real Madrid crush Ajax in Champions League
体坛英语资讯:Fluminenses Gum likely out for remainder of season
体坛英语资讯:Kirilenko reaches last eight at China Open
体坛英语资讯:Kenian Makau sets new world record at Berlin Marathon
体坛英语资讯:Chinas Zou wins gold at World Boxing Championships
体坛英语资讯:London Olympic stadium track completed
体坛英语资讯:Pato out of action for one month
体坛英语资讯:Betis go top in Spain
体坛英语资讯:Bayern defeat Man. City 2-0 at Champions League
体坛英语资讯:U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad fails to cross Florida Strait
体坛英语资讯:England claws back victory from determined Scots at Rugby World Cup
体坛英语资讯:Federer pulls out of Shanghai Masters to rest
体坛英语资讯:Inters loss at Novara is a big slap in the face, says Gaspeirini
体坛英语资讯:Li Na becomes first Chinese to reach WTA Championships
体坛英语资讯:Wozniacki, Zvonareva into third round of China Open
体坛英语资讯:Title holder Zhao dominates womens 50m backstroke in China
体坛英语资讯:S. Korea rallys to clinch bronze at FIBA Asia Championship
体坛英语资讯:Napoli deserve win over Inter, says Mazzarri