An invisible smile

山東 劉寶喜

□語(yǔ)篇導(dǎo)讀

鎮(zhèn)上的每個(gè)人都知道道森先生的脾氣很壞，孩子們也不敢去接近他，但是艾米卻和他很談得來(lái)。艾米說(shuō)一開始碰到道森先生的時(shí)候，他表現(xiàn)得并不友好，后來(lái)試著與道森先生交往就成功了。那么，艾米是用什么方法使這位老人對(duì)她敞開心扉的呢？

Mr.Dawson was an old man with a bad temper.Everyone in town knew about it.Kids knew they could not get into his yard to pick an apple.They were even afraid to pick up an apple fallen on the ground,because it's said that old Dawson would run after them with his gun.

One Friday,12-year-old Janet was going to Amy's house.They had to pass Dawson's house.When Janet saw him sitting on his front porch,she felt scared.So she suggested crossing the street to avoid meeting him.Amy said Mr.Dawson wouldn't hurt anyone.Still,Janet was growing more nervous as they got closer to his house.When they got close enough,he greeted with Amy with a big smile.

Amy smiled back.She also told him that Janet was going to listen to music and play games with her.Dawson told them that sounded fun.He also offered them each a fresh apple picked off his tree.They gladly accepted.

When they walked away,Janet asked Amy,“Everyone says he's the meanest man in town.How was he so nice to us?”

Amy explained that when she walked past his house for the first time he wasn't very friendly and she was scared of him.But she pretended he was wearing an invisible smile and so she always smiled back at him.Finally one day he half-smiled back at her.After some more time,he started showing real smiles and then started talking to her.Just a“Hello”at first,and then more.Now he's not only kind to her but also always offers her apples.

◆詞語(yǔ)積淀

temper/'temp? /n.脾氣；性情；傾向

porch/p??t∫/n.門廊；走廊

mean/mi?n/adj.吝嗇的；卑鄙的

pretend/pr?'tend/v.假裝；佯裝

invisible/?n'v?z?bl/adj.看不見的；無(wú)形的

◆典句賞析

1.They were even afraid to pick up an apple fallen on the ground,because it's said that old Dawson would run after them with his gun.他們甚至不敢撿落在地上的蘋果，因?yàn)閾?jù)說(shuō)老道森先生會(huì)拿著槍追趕他們。

該句為復(fù)合句。because it's said that old Dawson would run after them with his gun是由連詞because引導(dǎo)的原因狀語(yǔ)從句。過去分詞短語(yǔ)fallen on the ground作定語(yǔ)，修飾名詞apple。

It be said that-clause是一個(gè)典型的句式結(jié)構(gòu)，表示“據(jù)說(shuō)……”，相當(dāng)于“sb.be said to do/to be doing/to have done”。

【即時(shí)嘗試】據(jù)說(shuō)我們的英語(yǔ)老師經(jīng)常在周末去照顧那位老人。

2.He also offered them each a fresh apple picked off his tree.他還給予了她們每人一個(gè)從樹上摘下來(lái)的新鮮蘋果。

這是一個(gè)簡(jiǎn)單句。offer sb.sth.是固定詞組，意思是“為某人提供某物”，相當(dāng)于offer sth.to sb.;pick off是由“動(dòng)詞+副詞”構(gòu)成的動(dòng)詞短語(yǔ)，代詞作其賓語(yǔ)時(shí)，要放在這兩個(gè)單詞之間。

picked off是過去分詞短語(yǔ)，在句中作定語(yǔ)。當(dāng)過去分詞短語(yǔ)作定語(yǔ)時(shí)，要置于被修飾詞之后。

【即時(shí)嘗試】我聽說(shuō)經(jīng)理提供了一份不錯(cuò)的工作給他，但是他拒絕了。

3.Now he's not only kind to her but also always offers her apples.他現(xiàn)在不但對(duì)她很友好，而且總是給她蘋果。

not only...but also...是一個(gè)常見的連詞短語(yǔ)，表示“不但……而且……;既……又……”，可連接句中的并列成分。該詞連接兩個(gè)主語(yǔ)時(shí)，謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞的人稱和數(shù)應(yīng)遵循“就近原則”，即與最靠近它的主語(yǔ)在人稱和數(shù)上保持一致。

【即時(shí)嘗試】不但我的父母非常喜歡流行音樂，而且我也非常喜歡。

譯文助讀

老人道森先生的脾氣不好。鎮(zhèn)上的每個(gè)人都知道這一點(diǎn)。小孩子們知道他們不可以進(jìn)入他的院子里摘蘋果。他們甚至不敢撿落在地上的蘋果，因?yàn)閾?jù)說(shuō)老道森先生會(huì)拿著槍追趕他們。

在一個(gè)星期五，十二歲的珍妮特要去艾米家。她們不得不經(jīng)過道森家。當(dāng)珍妮特看到他坐在前面的門廊上時(shí)，她感到害怕。所以她建議過馬路，以免遇到他。艾米說(shuō)道森先生不會(huì)傷害任何人。不過，當(dāng)珍妮特離他的房子越來(lái)越近的時(shí)候，她變得更緊張了。當(dāng)她們走得足夠近時(shí)，道森先生微笑著和艾米打招呼。

艾米笑了笑回應(yīng)他。她還告訴他，珍妮特要和她一起聽音樂和玩游戲。道森告訴她們這聽起來(lái)有趣。他還給了她們每人一個(gè)從樹上摘下來(lái)的新鮮蘋果。她們高興地接受了。

當(dāng)她們離開時(shí)，珍妮特問艾米：“每個(gè)人都說(shuō)他是鎮(zhèn)上最小氣的人。他怎么對(duì)我們這么好呢？”

艾米解釋說(shuō)，當(dāng)她第一次經(jīng)過他的房子時(shí)，他不是很友好，她很怕他。但她假裝道森先生帶著看不見的微笑，所以她總是對(duì)他微笑。終于有一天，道森先生對(duì)她微微一笑。又過了一些日子，道森先生開始真正地對(duì)艾米笑了，并開始和她說(shuō)話。一開始只是一句“你好”，然后更多。現(xiàn)在他不但對(duì)她很友好，而且總是給她蘋果。