The bl anket

精彩導讀

彼得從未想到爸爸因為再婚要把爺爺送到養老院去，因此他對爸爸很失望。爸爸給爺爺買了一條很好的毛毯讓爺爺帶走，誰知要和他結婚的女人不滿這是一條雙人毯，責備爸爸浪費錢。彼得便要把毛毯一分為二，說另一半留給爸爸年老體衰的時候到養老院去用，彼得的這句話讓爸爸百感交集，最終三人相擁而泣。讓我們來一起來閱讀并思考下這個發人深省的故事吧。

Petey hadn't really believed that dad would be doing it—sending granddad away.This was the last evening they'd be having together.Dad was off seeing that girl he was to marry.Granddadbrought outa blanket.It was a big double blanket.

“Now,isn't that a fine blanket?”said the old man.“And isn't your father a kind man to be giving the old fellow a blanket like that togo away with?”Granddad was trying to make it easier.“Oh,yes,it's a fine blanket.”said Petey.

Granddad said,“It's a fine girl your father's going to marry.He'll be feeling young again with a pretty wife like that.And what would an old fellow like me be doing around their house,getting in the way?It's best that I go away,like I'm doing.”

They didn't hear the two people coming down the path.Dad had one arm around the girl,whose bright face was like a doll's.Dad didn't say anything,but the girl came forward and spoke to granddad prettily:“I won't be here when you leave in the morning,soI came overto say goodbye.”

“It's kind of you,” said Granddad,with his eyes cast down.Then,seeing the blanket at his feet,he stooped （俯身） to pick it up.“And will you look at this,” he said,“The fine blanket my son has given me to go away with.”

“Yes,”she said, “It's a fine blanket.” She felt the wool and repeated in surprise.“A fine blanket—I'll say it is！” She turned to dad and said to him coldly, “that blanket really cost something.”

Dad cleared his throat and said,“I want him to have the best...” “It's double,too.” The boy could hear that girlscoldingdad.She realized how much of dad's money—her money,really—had gone for the blanket.And she was suddenly going away in anger...

Dad was looking after her as if he wasn't sure what he ought to do.

“Oh,she's right,” Petey said, “Cut the blanket in two,” the boy said coldly. “A single blanket's enough for an old man when he's sent away.We'll save the other half,dad—when you're old and I'm sending you away.”

There was a silence.Then dad went over to granddad and stood before him,not speaking.But granddad understood.Heput outa hand and laid it on dad's shoulder.And he heard granddadwhisper, “It's all right,son.I knew you didn't mean it...”And then Petey cried.But it didn't matter—because they were all crying together.

Reading check

What should we do to fully respect a senior person？What do you think of Petey according to the text？

Language study

Vocabulary

scold v.斥責；責罵

whisper v.小聲說話；耳語

bring out取出（某物）；呈現；出版

go away with與……一同離開

get in the way擋路；妨礙

come over過來；順便來訪；突然感到

as if好像；似乎

put out伸出

Difficult sentences

1.“It's kind of you,” said Granddad,with his eyes cast down.

翻譯：______________________________________

【點石成金】在“it+be動詞中 +adj.+for/of sb to do sth”句型中，當形容詞為表示人的品性的形容詞時，要用of，常見的形容詞有wise/generous/kind/nice/friendly/selfish等。句中的with his eyes cast down是with的復合結構，因為his eyes和cast down是動賓關系，所以用過去分詞cast down。

2.Dad was looking after her as if he wasn't sure what he ought to do.

翻譯：___________________________________________

【點石成金】as if意為“好像；仿佛”，引導方式狀語從句，as if后常接虛擬語氣表可能性較低或不可能的情況，但本句不是虛擬語氣，而是陳述語氣表示實際情況。本句中what引導的是賓語從句。