【文章內(nèi)容簡介】 “The Art of Eating Spaghetti”.我作好準(zhǔn)備，打算在弗利格爾先生的班上一無所獲地混上一年，不少日子過去了，還真不出所料。后半學(xué)期我們學(xué)寫隨筆小品文。弗利格爾先生發(fā)下一張家庭作業(yè)紙，出了不少題目供我們選擇。像“暑假二三事”那樣傻乎乎的題目倒是一個(gè)也沒有，但絕大多數(shù)一樣乏味。我把作文題帶回家，一直沒寫，直到要交作業(yè)的前一天晚上。我躺在沙發(fā)上，最終不得不面對這一討厭的功課，便從筆記本里抽出作文題目單粗粗一看。我的目光落在“吃意大利細(xì)面條的藝術(shù)”這個(gè)題目上。This title produced an extraordinary sequence of mental memories came flooding back of a night in Belleville when all of us were seated around the supper tableand Aunt Pat served spaghetti for was still a little known foreign dish in those Doris nor I had ever eaten spaghetti, and none of the adults had enough experience to be good at the good humor of Uncle Allen39。s house reawoke in my mind as I recalled the laughing arguments we had that night about the socially respectable method for moving spaghetti from plate to 。貝爾維爾之夜的清晰的回憶如潮水一般涌來，當(dāng)時(shí)，我們大家一起圍坐在晚餐桌旁——艾倫舅舅、我母親、查理舅舅、多麗絲、哈爾舅舅——帕特舅媽晚飯做的是意大利細(xì)面條。那時(shí)意大利細(xì)面條還是很少聽說的異國食品。多麗絲和我都還從來沒吃過，在座的大人也是經(jīng)驗(yàn)不足，沒有一個(gè)吃起來得心應(yīng)手的。艾倫舅舅家詼諧有趣的場景全都重現(xiàn)在我的腦海中，我回想起來，當(dāng)晚我們笑作一團(tuán)，爭論著該如何地把面條從盤子上送到嘴里才算合乎禮儀。Suddenly I wanted to write about that, about the warmth and good feeling of it, but I wanted to put it down simply for my own joy, not for was a moment I wanted to recapture and hold for wanted to relive the pleasure of that write it as I wanted, however, would violate all the rules of formal position I39。d learned in school, and would surely give it a failing would write something else for after I had written this thing for ，描述當(dāng)時(shí)那種溫馨美好的氣氛，但我把它寫下來僅僅是想自得其樂，而不是為弗利格爾先生而寫。那是我想重新捕捉并珍藏在心中的一個(gè)時(shí)刻。我想重溫那個(gè)夜晚的愉快。然而，照我希望的那樣去寫，就會(huì)違反我在學(xué)校里學(xué)的正式作文的種種法則，弗利格爾先生也肯定會(huì)打它一個(gè)不及格。沒關(guān)系。等我為自己寫好了之后，我可以再為弗利格爾先生寫點(diǎn)什么別的東西。When I finished it the night was half gone and there was no time left to pose a proper, respectable essay for was no choice next morning but to turn in my tale of the Belleville days passed before returned the graded papers, and he returned everyone39。s but was preparing myself for a mand to report to immediately after school for discipline when I saw him lift my paper from his desk and knock for the class39。s ，再?zèng)]時(shí)間為弗利格爾先生寫一篇循規(guī)蹈矩、像模像樣的文章了。第二天上午，我別無選擇，只好把我為自己而寫的貝爾維爾晚餐的故事交了上去。兩天后弗利格爾先生發(fā)還批改過的作文，他把別人的都發(fā)了，就是沒有我的。我正準(zhǔn)備著遵命一放學(xué)就去弗利格爾先生那兒挨訓(xùn)，卻看見他從桌上拿起我的作文，敲了敲桌子讓大家注意聽。7 “Now, boys,” he said.“I want to read you an is titled, 39。The Art of Eating Spaghetti.39?！?“好了，孩子們，”他說。“我要給你們念一篇小品文。文章的題目是：吃意大利細(xì)面條的藝術(shù)。And he started to words!He was reading my words out loud to the entire 39。s more, the entire class was somebody laughed, then the entire class was laughing, and not in contempt and ridicule, but with openhearted stopped two or three times to hold back a small prim 。是我寫的！他給全班大聲念我寫的文章。更不可思議的是，全班同學(xué)都在聽著他念，而且聽得很專心。有人笑出聲來，接著全班都笑了，不是輕蔑嘲弄，而是樂乎乎地開懷大笑。就連弗利格爾先生也停頓了兩三次，好抑制他那一絲拘謹(jǐn)?shù)奈⑿Α did my best to avoid showing pleasure, but what I was feeling was pure delight at this demonstration that my words had the power to make people the eleventh grade, at the eleventh hour as it were, I had discovered a was the happiest moment of my entire school he put the final seal on my happiness by saying, ”Now that, boys, is an essay, don39。t you 39。sit39。s of the very essence of the essay, don39。t you , .“ 我盡力不流露出得意的心情，但是看到我寫的文章竟然能使別人大笑，我真是心花怒放。就在十一年級，可謂是最后的時(shí)刻，我找到了一個(gè)今生想做的事。這是我整個(gè)求學(xué)生涯中最幸福的一刻。弗利格爾先生念完后說道：”瞧，孩子們，這就是小品文，懂了沒有。這才是——知道嗎——這才是小品文的精髓，知道了沒有。祝賀你，貝克先生。“他這番話使我沉浸在十全十美的幸福之中。How do you feel when old friends are far away? Do you make an effort to keep in touch? Sometimes it is easy to put off writing a letter, thinking that there will be plenty of time then sometimes, as this story shows, we leave it too reading it will make you want to reach for your ，你心有何感？你是否努力保持聯(lián)系？有時(shí)候?qū)懶诺氖潞苋菀讜?huì)一拖再拖，總以為明天有的是時(shí)間。然而，正如這則故事所表明的，有時(shí)我們拖得太晚了。也許讀一讀這個(gè)故事會(huì)讓你提起筆來。All the Cabbie Had Was a Letter Foster Furcolo 1 He must have been pletely lost in something he was reading because I had to tap on the windshield to get his 福斯特弗克洛他準(zhǔn)是完全沉浸在所讀的東西里了，因?yàn)槲也坏貌磺脫躏L(fēng)玻璃來引起他的注意?！盜s your cab available?“ I asked when he finally looked up at nodded, then said apologetically as I settled into the back seat, ”I39。m sorry, but I was reading a letter.“ He sounded as if he had a cold or 。“你出車嗎？”我問道。他點(diǎn)點(diǎn)頭，當(dāng)我坐進(jìn)后座時(shí)，他抱歉地說：“對不起，我在讀一封信?！甭犐先ニ袷堑昧烁忻笆裁吹摹? ”I39。m in no hurry,“ I told him.”Go ahead and finish your letter.“ “我不著急，”我對他說，“你接著把信讀完吧?！?He shook his head.”I39。ve read it several times guess I almost know it by heart.“ 他搖了搖頭。“我已經(jīng)讀了好幾遍了。我想我都能背出來了?！?”Letters from home always mean a lot,“ I said.”At least they do with me because I39。m on the road so much.“ Then, estimating that he was 60 or 70 years old, I guessed: ”From a child or maybe a grandchild?“ “家書抵萬金啊，”我說?！爸辽賹ξ襾碚f是這樣，因?yàn)槲依鲜窃谕饴眯小！蔽夜懒克辛呤畾q了，便猜測說：“是孩子還是孫子寫來的？” ”This isn39。t family,“ he replied.”Although,“ he went on, ”e to think of it, it might just as well have been Ed was my oldest fact, we used to call each other 39。Old Friend39。when we39。d meet, that 39。m not much of a hand at writing.“ “不是家里人，”他回答說?！安贿^，”他接著說，“想起來，也可以算是一家人了。埃德老伙計(jì)是我最老的朋友了。實(shí)際上，過去我倆總是以‘老朋友’相稱的——就是說，當(dāng)我倆相見時(shí)。我這人就是不大會(huì)寫東西。” ”I don39。t think any of us keep up our correspondence too well,“ I said.”I know I don39。 I take it he39。s someone you39。ve known quite a while?“ “我看大家寫信都不那么勤快，”我說，“我自己筆頭就很懶。我看，你認(rèn)識(shí)他挺久了吧？” 8 ”All my life, were kids together, so we go way back.“ “差不多認(rèn)識(shí)了一輩子了。我倆小時(shí)候就一起玩，所以我倆的友誼確實(shí)很長了?！?9 ”Went to school together?“ “一起上的學(xué)？” ”All the way through high were in the same class, in fact, through both grade and high school.“ “都一起上到高中呢。事實(shí)上，我倆從小學(xué)到高中都在一個(gè)班里。” 11 ”There are not too many people who39。ve had such a long friendship,“ I said.“保持這么長久友誼的人可真不多見啊，”我說。”Actually,“ the driver went on, ”I hadn39。t seen him more than once or twice a year over the past 25 or 30 years because I moved away from the old neighborhood and you kind of lose touch even though you never was a great guy.“ “其實(shí)呢，”司機(jī)接著說，“近25到30年來，我跟他一年只見一兩次面，因?yàn)槲覐脑瓉碜〉慕謪^(qū)搬了出來，聯(lián)系自然就少了，雖說你一直放在心上。他在的時(shí)候可真是個(gè)大好人?！?13 ”You said 39。was39。.Does that mean?“ “你剛才說他‘在的時(shí)候’。你是說——？” 14 He nodded.”Died a couple of weeks ago.“ 他點(diǎn)了點(diǎn)頭?！扒皫讉€(gè)星期過世啦?！?”I39。m sorry,“ I said.”It39。s no fun to lose any friendand losing a real old one is even tougher.“ “真遺憾，”我說，“失去朋友真不是個(gè)滋味，失去個(gè)真正的老朋友更讓人受不了?！?He didn39。t reply to tha