【導(dǎo)讀】我們寫作時(shí)常常被告誡，腦子里要有讀者，筆者所云一定要符合讀者的口味和興趣。但有一位讀者特別不該忘記。當(dāng)拉塞爾·貝克找到這個(gè)問題的答案時(shí)，他。自己和別人都感到大為驚訝。直等到我高中三年級(jí)，這一想法才有了實(shí)現(xiàn)的可能。在這之前，我對(duì)所有跟英文課沾邊的事。我覺得英文語法枯燥難懂。我痛恨那些長而乏味的段落寫作，老師讀著受累，弗利格爾先生在學(xué)生中以其說話干巴和激勵(lì)學(xué)生無術(shù)而出名。據(jù)說他拘謹(jǐn)刻板，完全落后于時(shí)代。他戴著古板的毫無裝飾的眼鏡，微微卷。曲的頭發(fā)剪得筆齊，梳得紋絲不亂。他身穿古板的套裝，領(lǐng)帶端端正正地頂著白襯衣的領(lǐng)扣。個(gè)滑稽的老古董。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。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(duì)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。

　　

【正文】 workers back to the plants. But on Friday, returning home a little early, I saw Tony again, behind the garage. I plimented him on the work he had done. 接下來的兩天挺忙，我把托尼的事給忘了。我們?cè)诒M力重整業(yè)務(wù)，要讓一部分工人回廠里來。但在星期五，回家略微早了些，我又在汽車庫后面看到了托尼。我對(duì)他干的活夸獎(jiǎng)了幾句。 9 I mow your lawn, he said. “我割你的草坪，”他說。 10 I managed to work out some kind of small weekly pay, and each day Tony cleaned up the yard and took care of any little tasks. My wife said he was very helpful whenever there were any heavy objects to lift or things to fix. 我設(shè)法湊了一小筆微薄的周薪，就這樣托尼每天清掃院子，有什么零活，他都干 了。我太太說，但凡有重物要搬或有什么要修理的，他挺派得上用場(chǎng)。 11 Summer passed into fall, and winds blew cold. Mr. Craw, snow pretty soon, Tony told me one evening. When winter e, you give me job clearing snow at the factory. 夏去秋來，涼風(fēng)陣陣?！翱肆_先生，快下雪了，”有天晚上托尼跟我說，“等冬天到了，你讓我在廠里干掃雪的活。” 12 Well, what do you do with such determination and hope? Of course, Tony got his job at the factory. 啊，對(duì)這種執(zhí)著與期盼，你又能怎樣呢？自然，托尼得到了廠里的那份活兒。 11 13 The months passed. I asked the personnel department for a report. They said Tony was a very good worker. 幾個(gè)月過去了。我讓人事部門送上一份報(bào)告。他們說托尼干得挺棒。 14 One day I found Tony at our meeting place behind the garage. I want to be 39。prentice, he said. 一天我在汽車庫后面我們以前見面的地方看到了托尼?！拔蚁雽W(xué)徒，”他說。 15 We had a pretty good apprentice school that trained laborers. But I doubted whether Tony had the capacity to read blueprints and micrometers or do precision work. Still, how could I turn him down? 我們有個(gè)挺不錯(cuò)的培訓(xùn)工人的徒工學(xué)校?？晌覒岩赏心崾欠裼心芰W(xué)會(huì)看圖紙、用千分尺，是否勝任做精密加工工作。盡管如此，可我怎么能拒絕他呢？ 16 Tony took a cut in pay to bee an apprentice. Months later, I got a report that he had graduated as a skilled grinder. He had learned to read the millionths of an inch on the micrometer and to shape the grinding wheel with an instrument set with a diamond. My wife and I were delighted with what we felt was a satisfying end of the story. 托尼減了薪水當(dāng)了徒工。幾個(gè)月之后，我收到報(bào)告，他已從徒工學(xué)校畢業(yè)，成了熟練磨工。他學(xué)會(huì)了在千分尺上辨識(shí)一百萬分之一英寸，會(huì)用鑲嵌著金剛石的工具制作砂輪。我和太太都挺高興，覺得他的事總算有了個(gè)令人滿意的結(jié)局。 17 A year or two passed, and again I found Tony in his usual waiting place. We talked about his work, and I asked him what he wanted. 一兩年過去了，我在托尼慣常等我的地方又看到了他。我們聊起了他的工作，接著我問他有什么要求。 18 Mr. Craw, he said, I like a buy a house. On the edge of town, he had found a house for sale, a plete wreck. “克羅先生，”他說，“我想買房?！痹谛℃?zhèn)邊上，他看到有房出售，完全是幢破房。 19 I called on a banker friend. Do you ever loan money on character? I asked. No, he said. We can39。t afford to. No sale. 我去見一位當(dāng)銀行家的朋友?！叭似焚J款你干不干？”我問?！安桓?，”他說，“我們承擔(dān)不起。沒門。” 20 Now, wait a minute, I replied. Here is a hardworking man, a man of character, I can promise you that. He39。s got a good job. You39。re not getting a damn thing from your lot. It will stay there for years. At least he will pay your interest. “哎，等等，”我應(yīng)道，“有個(gè)人干活勤勉，人品端正，這一點(diǎn)我擔(dān)保。他有個(gè)好工作。眼下，你從你那塊地上一分錢也得不到。那塊地空在那兒要好多年呢。至少他會(huì)付你利息嘛?！? 12 21 Reluctantly, the banker wrote a mortgage for $2,000 and gave Tony the house with no down payment. Tony was delighted. From then on, it was interesting to see that any discarded odds and ends around our place ─ a broken screen, a bit of hardware, boards from packing ─ Tony would gather and take home. 那位銀行家勉強(qiáng)開了兩千美金抵押貸款，沒要托尼首付就把房子給了他。托尼樂不可支。從那以后，只要我家附近有什么被人扔棄的零星雜物，壞了的屏風(fēng)啦，五金器具啦，包裝紙板啦，托尼都要收起來拿回家，看他這個(gè)樣子真是有意思。 22 After about two years, I found Tony in our familiar meeting spot. He seemed to stand a little straighter. He was heavier. He had a look of confidence. 約摸過了兩年，我在我們見面的老地方又看到了托尼。他身子似乎挺直了些，人也見胖了，樣子挺自信。 23 Mr. Craw, I sell my house! he said with pride. I got $8,000. “克羅先生，我賣房子！”他得意地說?！拔业昧税饲澜稹！? 24 I was amazed. But, Tony, where are you going to live without a house? 我非常吃驚。“可是，托尼，沒了房子你住哪兒呢？” 25 Mr. Craw, I buy a farm. “克羅先生，我買農(nóng)莊?！? 26 We sat down and talked. Tony told me that to own a farm was his dream. He loved the tomatoes and peppers and all the other vegetables important to his Italian diet. He had sent for his wife and son and daughter back in Italy. He had hunted around the edge of town until he found a small, abandoned piece of property with a house and shed. Now he was moving his family to his farm. 我們坐下聊了起來。托尼告訴我說，擁有一個(gè)農(nóng)莊是他的夢(mèng)想。他喜歡番茄、辣椒以及意大利菜肴中相當(dāng)重要的其它各種蔬菜。他把在意大利的妻子和兒子女兒都接來了。他在小鎮(zhèn)周邊到處找，終于找到一處沒人要的一小塊地產(chǎn)，有一幢房，還有間小棚。他正在把家搬到農(nóng)莊去。 27 Sometime later, Tony arrived on a Sunday afternoon, neatly dressed. He had another Italian man with him. He told me that he had persuaded his childhood friend to move to America. Tony was sponsoring him. With an amused look in his eye, he told me that when they approached the little farm he now operated, his friend stood in amazement and said, Tony, you are a millionaire! 又過了一些時(shí)候，在一個(gè)星期日的下午托尼來了，他穿戴得整整齊齊。和他一起來的還有另一位意大利人。他告訴我，他說服了兒時(shí)的伙伴前來美國。托尼為他作經(jīng)濟(jì)擔(dān)保。他眼里露出頑皮的神情，對(duì)我說，他倆來到他經(jīng)營的小農(nóng)莊時(shí)，他的朋友驚奇地站住說，“托尼，你是個(gè)百萬富翁啦！” 28 Then, during the war, a message came from my pany. Tony had passed away. 后來，在戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)期間，公司里傳出了一個(gè)消息。托尼去世了。 13 29 I asked our people to check on his family and see that everything was properly handled. They found the farm green with vegetables, the little house livable and homey. There was a tractor and a good car in the yard. The children were educated and working, and Tony didn39。t owe a cent. 我讓公司的人去他家看看，確保各項(xiàng)事宜都得到妥善安置。他們看到農(nóng)場(chǎng)上長著綠油油的蔬菜，小屋布置得舒適溫馨，院子里有一輛拖拉機(jī)，還有一輛不錯(cuò)的汽車。孩子受過教育，都工作了，托尼身前沒有分文欠債。 30 After he passed away, I thought more and more about Tony39。s career. He grew in stature in my mind. In the end, I think he stood as tall, and as proud, as the greatest American industrialists. 托尼去世后，我一直想著他的經(jīng)歷。他的形象在我心目中越來越高大。最后，我覺得他就和美國那些最大的實(shí)業(yè)家一樣高大、自豪。 31 They had all reached their success by the same route a