美丽英文(故事卷)-第4部分
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e receiver the other voice seemed a hundred miles away。 Oh； how I wish I were anywhere but here。 Her mind wandered to the hot exotic beach of Cabo； Mexico； where she had spent her last summer break。 She still remembered the cool breezes that caressed her skin as she lay on the gritty2 sand。
“Miss Smith， did you hear me？” the secretary annoyingly asked her。 “Oh； sorry。 What did you say？” “Can you send Carla to the office？” the secretary impatiently asked。 “Oh； course；” she replied as she hung up the phone。 She turned from the phone and yelled out Carla’s name。 Carla； who was one of the many who always seemed so needy that were in her class this year。 Carla looked up from her desk； her hair hanging like a matted displaced doll。 Her face was lined with dirt that gave her the appearance of one of those munchkins from the Wizard of Oz。 “You need to go to the office”； she said while Carla slowly rose from her desk。 “Why do I have to go？” whined Carla。 “It’s between you and the office—just go up；” she hastily turned her back as Carla walked out of the room。 Like having free school uniforms is the answer。 It would be nice if just once someone called saying something nice or thanking me for all the endless crap I have to deal with。 With a sigh she walked back to her other students who were clustered at the back table patiently waiting her return。
The rest of the afternoon blurred into one long endless repetition。 Finally the bell rang as a relief。 As she led her students out the door they walked behind her as baby chicks3 returning to their fold。 She noticed that their mother hens clucked to them behind the iron gate。 As she proceeded to walk down the corridor； the air； which rose with the musical tingle of Spanish coloring everything that touched it； greeted her。 She watched with a touch of envy as the children left her to return to those homes that probably were filled with laughter and warmth while she would once again return to the same endless march of boredom。
“Senora； un momento por favor？” she turned her head and noticed the small shriveled man； his brown face lined with a map to places only he knew。 “Thanks for helping my grandson Julio to read。” the gentleman said in his faltering broken English。 She immediately thought of Julio； who once as unreachable as a hardened walnut； slowly cracked opened to reveal the eager child inside。 She thought of the inner struggle Julio must have had as he tried to make sense of the foreign letters and the sudden joy when he had unbroken the mysterious code。 Was the grandfather the same？ She looked up at this elderly gentleman； probably his grandfather； and quickly recognized the sameness of the two。 “Gracias Senora” a weathered hand came out and firmly grasped hers with warmth that radiated from his soul to hers。 Just as abruptly he removed his hand and left her。 As he walked away she thought of that exotic sun and realized maybe it was closer to her than she thought。
师恩如甘露（1）
佚名
史蒂夫12岁了，他的父母都是酒鬼。今年，他就要结束自己的学校生活了。虽然史蒂夫能够阅读，可他还是个差生。从一年级开始他的成绩就很差，在一年又一年的学习中，依然没有什么进展。史蒂夫身材健壮，看起来远远要比12岁的孩子大得多。不过他一直都不被人重视……直到怀特小姐来到。
怀特小姐笑容可掬，年轻有活力，还有一头迷人的红发。这正是史蒂夫喜欢的类型。在年轻的生命中，史蒂夫第一次无法把眼睛从老师身上移开，不过，他的学习仍旧不好。史蒂夫从没有做过家庭作业，还总是给怀特小姐找麻烦。怀特小姐那尖刻的话让他的心都碎了。每次因为不交作业而被罚时，他都感到十分痛苦。然而，他还是不学习。
到了第一学期的期中，整个七年级要进行基础技能测验。史蒂夫草草地完成了自己的测验，开始像以往那样幻想其他的事情。他的心思根本不在学校，而是在树林里。他经常独自躲藏在那里，试图摆脱酒鬼之家的声响和气味。没有人关心他是否安全，也没有人知道他走开了，因为所有的人都没有心思顾及其他。令人意想不到的是，史蒂夫从没有旷过一次课。
一天，怀特小姐不耐烦的声音打破了他的白日梦。
“史蒂夫！！”史蒂夫吃惊地转过头看着她。
“注意力要集中！”
当怀特小姐开始宣布七年级的测验成绩时，史蒂夫用那种青春期才有的崇敬目光盯着怀特小姐。
她对全班说：“你们考得都很好，只有一个男生例外。告诉你们这些让我感到伤心，可是……”她停下来，眼光转向史蒂夫的座位，用犀利的目光盯着他的脸。
“七年级最聪明的孩子，居然会在我教的科目上不及格！”
她盯着史蒂夫，全班同学也都转过头来看着他。史蒂夫低下头，看着自己的指尖。这件事情之后，战争依然继续！史蒂夫还是不肯做作业。即使受到的惩罚更加严厉，他还是坚持如此。
“只尝试一下！就一个星期！”他无动于衷。
“你非常聪明！你会有很大的变化！”任何话语都奈何不了他。
“给自己一个机会！不要放弃自己的生活。”他还是一切照旧。
“史蒂夫，求求你。我很关心你！”
哇！史蒂夫突然受到了触动！有人关心他？太不可思议了，居然有人关心他？ 那天下午，史蒂夫心事重重地回家去了。走进屋子之后，他扫视了一下四周，看到父母裸露着身子已经睡了。屋子里的恶臭让人无法忍受！他很快找齐自己的露营装备，拿了一瓶花生酱，一块面包，一瓶水，这次……还有他的课本。他神情严肃，决心已定，朝树林走去。
下周一早上，史蒂夫准时到了学校，等着怀特小姐走进教室。怀特小姐神采飞扬地走进来，脸上带着微笑。天哪！她真是太漂亮了！他希望她能对他微笑，但是她没有。怀特小姐很快决定对周末的家庭作业进行测验。史蒂夫飞快地完成了测验，第一个交了卷子。怀特小姐接过他的卷子，满腹狐疑地批阅起来。史蒂夫回到自己的座位上，心里紧张得怦怦直跳。当他坐下来时，忍不住再次看了一眼这位可爱的女士。
怀特小姐的脸上完全是一副震惊的表情。她匆忙地瞥了史蒂夫一眼，然后又低下了头，接着又再次抬起头来。突然，她的脸上露出了灿烂的笑容。七年级最聪明的男孩第一次通过了测验！
从那一刻起，史蒂夫完全变了一个人。虽然家里的生活还是和从前一样，但他的生活的确发生了变化。他发现自己不但能够学习，而且能够学得很好！他能够理解并牢牢记住知识，还能将学到的知识运用到自己的生活中。史蒂夫开始变得优秀！整个学生生涯，他都在进步。
高中毕业后，史蒂夫加入了海军，并且度过了一段精彩的军旅生涯。那段时间，他邂逅了生命中的最爱，有了自己的家庭，并从马尼亚库姆劳德大学毕业。在他的海军生涯中，他的事迹激励了很多年轻人。假如没有他，这些人可能无法意识到自己的价值。从海军退伍之后，史蒂夫开始了第二阶段的职业生涯。作为附近一所大学的副教授，他继续激励着他人。
师恩如甘露（2）
怀特小姐留下了一笔宝贵的财富。她挽救了一个男孩，正是这个男孩使许多其他的生命发生了改变。我知道这些，因为我就是他生命中的最爱。
你知道的，完全是一个老师的关心，使一个男孩的内心发生了天翻地覆的变化。
The Difference a Teacher Can Make
Anonymous
Steve； a twelve…year…old boy with alcoholic1 parents； was about to be lost forever； by the ； he could read； yet； in spite of his reading skills； Steve was failing。 He had been failing since first grade； as he was passed on from grade to grade。 Steve was a big boy； looking more like a teenager than a twelve year old； yet； Steve went unnoticed。。。 until Miss White came。
Miss White was a smiling； young； beautiful redhead； and Steve was in love！For the first time in his young life； he couldn’t take his eyes off his teacher； yet； still he failed。 He never did his homework； and he was always in trouble with Miss White。 His heart would break under her sharp words； and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework； he felt just miserable！ Still； he did not study。
In the middle of the first semester of school； the entire seventh grade was tested for basic skills。 Steve hurried through his tests； and continued to dream of other things； as the day wore on。 His heart was not in school； but in the woods； where he often escaped alone； trying to shut out the sights； sounds and smells of his alcoholic home。 No one checked on him to see if he was safe。 No one knew he was gone； because no one was sober enough to care。 Oddly； Steve never missed a day of school。
One day； Miss White’s impatient voice broke into his daydreams。
“Steve！！” Startled； he turned to look at her。
“Pay attention！”
Steve locked his gaze on Miss White with adolescent2 adoration； as she began to go over the test results for the seventh grade。
“You all did pretty well；” she told the class；“except for one boy； and it breaks my heart to tell you this； but。。。” She hesitated； pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp stare； her eyes searching his face。
“The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class�
