西红柿的故事—优秀英文短文阅读(适合大学四六级水平)

AGoodHearttoLeanon

WhenIwasgrowingup,Iwasembarrassedtobeseenwithmyfather.Hewasseverelycrippledandveryshort,andwhenwewouldwalktogether,hishandonmyarmforbalance,peoplewouldstare.Iwouldinwardlysquirmattheun-wantedattention.Ifheevernoticedorwasbothered,heneverleton.

Itwasdifficulttocoordinateoursteps——hishalting,mineimpatient——andbecauseofthat,wedidn'tsaymuchaswewentalong.Butaswestartedout,healwayssaid,"Yousetthepace.Iwilltrytoadjusttoyou."

Ourusualwalkwastoorfromthesubway,whichwashowhegottowork.Hewenttoworksick,anddespitenastyweather.Healmostnevermissedaday,andwouldmakeittotheofficeevenifotherscouldnot.Amatterofpride.

Whensnoworicewasontheground,itwasimpossibleforhimtowalk,evenwithhelp.AtsuchtimesmysistersorIwould

pullhimthroughthestreetsofBrooklyn,NY,onachild'ssleightothesub-wayentrance.Oncethere,hewouldclingtothehandrailuntilhereachedthelowerstepsthatthewarmertunnelairkeptice-free.InManhattanthesubwaystationwasthebasementofhisofficebuilding,andhewouldnothavetogooutsideagainuntilwemethiminBrooklyn'onhiswayhome.WhenIthinkofitnow,Imarvelathowmuchcourageitmusthavetakenforagrownmantosubjecthimselftosuchindignityandstress.Andathowhedidit——withoutbitternessorcomplaint.

Henevertalkedabouthimselfasanobjectofpity,nordidheshowanyenvyofthemorefortunateorable.Whathelookedforinotherswasa"goodheart",andifhefoundone,theownerwasgoodenoughforhim.

NowthatIamolder,Ibelievethatisaproperstandardbywhichtojudgepeople,eventhoughIstilldon'tknowprecisely

whata"goodheart"is.ButIknowthetimesIdon’thaveonemyself.

Unabletoengageinmanyactivities,myfatherstilltriedtoparticipateinsomeway.Whenalocalsandlotbaseballteamfounditself|withoutamanager,hekeptitgoing.HewasaknowledgeablebaseballfanandoftentookmetoEbbetsFieldtoseetheBrooklynDodgersplay.Helikedtogotodancesandparties,wherehecouldhaveagoodtimejustsittingandwatching.

Ononememorableoccasionafightbrokeoutatabeachparty,witheveryonepunchingandshoving.Hewasn'tcontenttositandwatch,buthecouldn'tstandunaidedonthesoftsand.Infrustrationhebegantoshout,"I'llfightanyonewhowilltitdownwithme!"

Nobodydid.Butthenextdaypeoplekiddedhimbysayingitwasthefirsttimeanyfighterwasurgedtotakeadiveevenbeforetheboutbegan.

Inowknowheparticipatedinsomethingsvicariouslythroughme,hisonlyson.WhenIplayedball（poorly）,he"played"too.WhenIjoinedtheNavyhe"joined"too.AndwhenIcamehomeonleave,hesawtoitthat"Ivisitedhisoffice.Introducingme,hewasreallysaying,"Thisismyson,butitisalsome,andIcouldhavedonethis,too,ifthingshadbeendifferent."Thosewordswereneversaidaloud.

Hehasbeengonemanyyearsnow,butIthinkofhimoften.Iwonderifhesensedmyreluctancetobeseenwithhimduringourwalks.Ifhedid,IamsorryInevertoldhimhowsorryIwas,howunworthyIwas,howIregrettedit.IthinkofhimwhenIcomplainabouttrifles,whenIamenviousofanother'sgoodfortune,whenIdon'thavea"goodheart".

AtsuchtimesIputmyhandonhisarmtoregainmybalance,andsay,"Yousetthepace,Iwilltrytoadjusttoyou."

西红柿的故事

TheTomatoStory

AJoblessmanappliedforthepositionof'officeboy'atMicrosoft.TheHRmanagerinterviewedhimthenwatchedhimcleaningthefloorasatest.

一个失业的人去微软申请办公室文员的职位，人事经理面试他，并且看着他打扫地板，作为测试。

Youareemployed'hesaid.Givemeyoure-mailaddressandI'llsendyoutheapplicationtofillin,aswellasdatewhenyoumaystart.

‘你被录用了’人事经理说：给我你的邮箱地址，我会把申请表发给你填，发给你的同时也意味着你开始上班

Themanreplied'ButIdon'thaveacomputer,neitheranemail'.

这个人回答说：但是我没有电脑，更没有邮箱了

'I'msorry',saidtheHRmanager.Ifyoudon'thaveanemail,thatmeansyoudonotexist.Andwhodoesn'texist,cannothavethejob.'

我很抱歉，人事经理说：如果你没有邮箱，那就意味着你不能生存，一个不能生存的人当然不能有工作。

Themanleftwithnohopeatall.Hedidn'tknowwhattodo,withonlyinhispocket.Hethendecidedtogotothesupermarketandbuya10Kgtomatocrate.

这个人不抱希望的离开了，他不知道要做什么，口袋里只有10块钱，他决定去超市买了10公斤西红柿。

Hethensoldthetomatoesinadoortodoorround.Inlessthantwohours,hesucceededtodoublehiscapital.Herepeatedtheoperationthreetimes,andreturnedhomewith.

接着他在附近门挨着门卖西红柿，不到两小时，他成功的将他的资金翻了一倍，他又做了3个小时，到回家时身上已经有60块钱了。

Themanrealizedthathecansurvivebythisway,andstartedtogoeverydayearlier,andreturnlate.Thus,hismoneydoubledortripledeveryday.

这个人认识到他可以用这种方式生存，以后他每天起的很早，回家的很晚，因此，他的钱每天都翻两三倍。

Shortly,heboughtacart,thenatruck,andthenhehadhisownfleetofdeliveryvehicles.

很短的时间里，他买了个手推车，然后卡车，接着他有了自己的运输车队。

5yearslater,themanisoneofthebiggestfoodretailersintheUS

5年以后，他成了美国最大的食品零售商……

Hestartedtoplanhisfamily'sfuture,anddecidedtohavealifeinsurance.

他开始计划他家庭的未来，就决定买个人身保险

Hecalledaninsurancebroker,andchoseaprotectionplan.

他打电话给保险经济人，然后选择一个保险

Whentheconversationwasconcludedthebrokeraskedhimhisemail.

Themanreplied,'Idon'thaveanemail.'

Thebrokeransweredcuriously,'Youdon'thaveanemail,andyethavesucceededtobuildanempire.Canyouimaginewhatyoucouldhavebeenifyouhadanemail?!!'Themanthoughtforawhileandreplied,'Yes,I'dbeanofficeboyatMicrosoft!'

当谈话结束后保险经济人问他的邮箱地址，他说：我没有邮箱

保险经济人很吃惊的说：你没有邮箱都可以成功的建立一个帝国，你能想象如果你有邮箱的话会怎么样吗？

这个人想了一下然后回答：是的，我会成为微软的办公

室文员

Moralofthestory故事寓意

Moral1

Internetisnotthesolutiontoyourlife.

网络不是你生活的解决办法

Moral2

Ifyoudon'thaveInternet,andworkhard,youcanbeamillionaire.

如果你没有网络，但是努力工作，你仍可以成为百万富翁

Moral3

Ifyoureceivedthismessagebyemail,youareclosertobeingaofficeboy/girl,thanamillionaire……

如果你收到了这封邮件，表示你离办公室文员很近了，而不是百万富翁……

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