现代大学英语精读3课文电子版

LessonFour：WisdomofBearWoodMichaelWelzenbach1.WhenIwas12yearsold,myfamilymovedtoEngland,thefourthmajormoveinmyshortlife.Myfather’sgovernmentjobdemandedthathegooverseaseveryfewyears,soIwasusedtowrenchingmyselfawayfromfriends.2.Werentedan18th-centuryfarmhouseinBerkshire.Nearbywereancientcastlesandchurches.Lovingnature,however,Iwasmostdelightedbytheendlesspatchworkoffarmsandwoodlandthatsurroundedourhouse.Inthedeepwoodsthatvergedagainstourbackfence,anetworkofpathsledalmosteverywhere,andpheasantsrocketedoffintothedenselaurelsaheadasyouwalked.3.Ispentmostofmytimeroamingthewoodsandfieldsalone,playingRobinHood,daydreaming,collectingbugsandbird-watching.Itwasheavenforaboy—butalonelyheaven.KeepingtomyselfwasmywayofnotformingattachmentsthatIwouldonlyhavetoabandonthenexttimewemoved.ButonedayIbecameattachedthroughnodesignofmyown.4.WehadbeeninEnglandaboutsixmonthswhenoldfarmerCrawfordgavemepermissiontoroamabouthisimmenseproperty.Istartedhikingthereeveryweekend,upalong,slopinghilltoanalmostimpenetrablestandoftreescalledBearWood.Itwasmysecretfortress,almostaholyplace,Ithought.Slippingthroughabarbed-wirefence,I’dleavethebrightsunandthetwitterandrustleofinsectsandanimalsoutsideandcreepintoanotherworld—avaultedcathedral,withtreetrunksforpillarsandyears’accumulationoflongbrownneedlesforasoftlycarpetedfloor.Myownbreathingranginmyears,andtheslighteststirringofanywoodlandcreatureechoedthroughthisprivateparadise.5.OnespringafternoonIwanderednearwhereIthoughtI’d-----glimpsedapondtheweekbefore.Iproceededquietly,carefulnottoalarmabirdthatmightloudlywarnothercreaturestohide.6.PerhapsthisiswhythefrailoldladyInearlyranintowasasstartledasIwas.Shecaughtherbreath,instinctivelytouchingherthroatwithherhand.Then,recoveringquickly,shegaveawelcomingsmilethatinstantlyputmeatease.Apairofpowerful-lookingbinocularsdangledfromherneck.“Hello,youngman,”shesaid.“AreyouAmericanorCanadian?”7.American,Iexplainedinarush,andIlivedoverthehill,andIwasjustseeingiftherewasapond,andfarmerCrawfordhadsaiditwasokay,andanyhow,Iwasonmywayhome,sogood-bye.8.AsIstartedtoturn,thewomansmiledandasked,“Didyouseethelittleowlfromthewoodovertheretoday?”Shepointedtowardtheedgeofthewood.9.Sheknewabouttheowls?Iwasamazed.10.“No,”Ireplied,“butI’veseenthembefore.Neverclosethough.Theyalwaysseemefirst.”11.Thewomanlaughed.“Yes,they’rewary,”shesaid.“Butthen,gamekeepershavebeenshootingthemeversincetheygothere.They’reintroduced,youknow,notnative.”12.“They’renot?”Iasked,fascinated.Anybodywhoknewthissortofstuffwasdefinitelycool—evenifshewastrespassinginmyspecialplace.13.“Oh,no!”sheanswered,laughingagain.“AthomeIhavebooksonbirdsthatexplainallaboutthem.Infact,”shesaidsuddenly,“Iwasabouttogobackforteaandjamtart.Wouldyoucaretojoinme?”14.Ihadbeenwarnedagainstgoingoffwithstrangers,butsomehowIsensedtheoldwomanwasharmless.“Sure,”Isaid.15.“I’mMrs.Robertson-Glasgow,”sheintroducedherself,extendingherfinehand.16.“Michael,”Isaid,takingitclumsilyinmyown.17.Wesetoff.Andaswewalked,shetoldmehowsheandherhusbandhadmovedtoBerkshireafterhe’dretiredasacollegeprofessorabouttenyearsearlier.“Hepassedawaylastyear,”shesaid,lookingsuddenlywistful.“SonowI’malone,andIhaveallthistimetowalkthefields.”18.SoonIsawasmallbrickcottagethatglowedpinklyinthewesteringsun.Mrs.Robertson-Glasgowopenedthedoorandinvitedmein.Igazedaboutinsilentadmirationatthebookshelves,glass-frontedcasescontainingfiguresofivoryandcarvedstone,cabinetsfulloffossils,traysofpinnedbutterfliesand,bestofall,adozenorsostuffedbirds—includingaglass-eyedeagleowl.19.“Wow!”wasallIcouldsay.20.“Doesyourmotherexpectyouhomeataparticulartime?”sheaskedassheranthewaterfortea.21.“No,”Ilied.Then,glancingattheclock,Iadded,“Well,maybebyfive.”Thatgavemealmostanhour,notnearlyenoughtimetoaskabouteverysingleobjectintheroom.ButbetweenmouthfulsofteaandjamtartIlearnedallsortsofthingsfromMrs.Robertson-Glasgow.22.Thehourwentbymuchtooswiftly.Mrs.Robertson-Glasgowhadtopracticallypushmeoutthedoor.Butshesentmehomewithtwolargetomes,onefullofbeautifulillustrationsofbirds,andoneofbutterfliesandotherinsects.Ipromisedtoreturnthemthenextweekendifshedidn’tmindmycomingby.Shesmiledandsaidshe’dlookforwardtothat.23.Ihadmadethebestfriendintheworld.24.WhenIreturnedthebooks,shelentmemore.SoonIbegantoseeheralmosteveryweekend,andmywellofknowledgeaboutnaturalhistorybegantobrimover.Atschool,Iearnedthenickname“Prof”andsomerespectfrommyfellowstudents.Eventheschoolbullybroughtmeadeadbirdhehadfound,orprobablyshot,toidentify.25.DuringthesummerIspentblissfullylongdayswithmyfriend.Idiscoveredshemadethefinestshortbreadintheworld.WewouldexploreBearWood,munchinghappilyanddiscussingthebooksshehadlentme.Intheafternoonswewouldreturntothecottage,andshewouldtalkaboutherhusband—whatafinemanhe’dbeen.Onceortwicesheseemedabouttocryandlefttheroomquicklytomakemoretea.Butshealwayscamebacksmiling.26.Astimepassed,Ididnotnoticethatshewasgrowingfrailerandlessinclinedtolaugh.Familiaritysometimesmakespeoplephysicallyinvisible,foryoufindyourselftalkingtotheheart—totheessence,asitwere,ratherthantotheface.Isuspected,ofcourse,thatshewaslonely;Ididnotknowshewasill.27.Backatschool,Ibegantogrowquickly.Iplayedsoccerandmadeagoodfriend.ButIstillstoppedbythecottageonweekends,andtherewasalwaysfreshshortbread.28.OnemorningwhenIwentdownstairstothekitchen,therewasafamiliar-lookingbiscuittinonthetable.IeyeditasIwenttotherefrigerator.29.Mymotherwasregardingmewithastrangegentleness.“Son,”shebegan,painfully.AndfromthetoneofhervoiceIkneweverythinginstantly.30.Sherestedherhandonthebiscuittin.“Mr.Crawfordbroughtthesethismorning.”Shepaused,andIcouldtellshewashavingdifficulty.“Mrs.Robertson-Glasgowleftthemforyou.”31.Istaredoutthewindow,tearsstingingmyeyes.32.“I’msorry,Michael,butshediedyesterday,”shewenton.“Shewasveryoldandveryill,anditwastime.”33.Mymotherputherarmaboutmyshoulder.“Youmadeherveryhappy,becauseshewaslonely,”shesaid.“Youwereluckytobesuchagoodfriendforher.”34.Wordlessly,Itookthetintomyroomandsetitonmybed.Then,hurryingdownstairs,Iburstthroughthefrontdoorandrantothewoods.35.Iwanderedforalongtime,untilmyeyeshaddriedandIcouldseeclearlyagain.Itwasspring—almostexactlyayearsinceI’dmettheoldwomaninBearWood.IlookedaroundmeandrealizedhowmuchInowknew.Aboutbirds,insects,plantsandtrees,thankstoherhelp.AndthenIrememberedthatbackinmybedroomIhadatinofthebestshortbreadintheworld,andIshouldgoandeatitlikeIalwaysdidonweekendsatMrs.Robertson-Glasgow’scottage.36.Intime,thatoldroundtinfilledupwithdriedleaves,fossilsandbitsofcolorfulstone,andcountlessotheroddsandends.Istillhaveit.37.ButIhavemuchmore,thelegacyofthatlong-agoencounterinBearWood.Itisawisdomtutoredbynatureitself,abouttheseenandtheunseen,aboutthingsthatchangeandthingsthatarechangeless,andaboutthefactthatnomatterhowseeminglydifferenttwosoulsmaybe,theypossessthepotentialforthatmostprecious,rarething—anenduringandrewardingfriendship.专业资料可修改可编辑范文范例可行性研究报告指导范文38.