最新Unit 1 A Class Act 课文翻译

Unit 1

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A CLASS ACT

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Florence Cartlidge

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1. Growing up in bomb-blitzed Manchester during the Second World War 6

meant times were tough, money was short, anxiety was rife and the pawnshop 7

was a familiar destination for many families, including mine.

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2. Yet I could not have asked for more enterprising and optimistic 10

parents. They held our family together with hard work, dignity and 11

bucketloads of cheer. My sturdy and ingenious father could turn his hand 12

to almost anything and was never short of carpentry and handyman work.

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He even participated in the odd bout of backstreet boxing to make ends meet. For her part, our mum was thrifty and meticulously clean, and her

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five children were always sent to school well fed, very clean, and attired 16

spotlessly, despite the hard conditions.

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3. The trouble was, although my clothes were ironed to a knife-edge, 19

and shoes polished to a gleam, not every item was standard school uniform 20

issue. While Mum had scrimped and saved to obtain most of the gear, I 21

still didn’t have the pres cribed blue blazer and hatband.

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4. Because of the war, rationing was in place and most schools had

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relaxed their attitude towards proper uniforms, knowing how hard it was

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to obtain clothes. Nevertheless, the girls’ school I attended made it

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strict policy that each of its students was properly attired, and the

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deputy headmistress who ran the daily assembly made it her mission to

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teach me a lesson.

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5. Despite my attempts at explaining why I couldn’t comply, and

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despite the fact that I was making slow progress towards the full uniform,

every day I would be pulled out of line and made to stand on the stage 32

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as a shining example of what not to wear to school.

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6. Every day I would battle back tears as I stood in front of my peers,

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embarrassed and, most often, alone. My punishment also extended to being

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barred from the gym team or to not taking part in the weekly ballroom

dancing classes, which I adored. I desperately wished that just one

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teacher in this horrid school would open their eyes and see all I could

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do, rather than constantly telling me what I couldn’t do.

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7. However, in my 12-year-old mind I had no choice but to see the

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punishment through. I knew it was very important not to let my

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well-meaning mother know about this ritual humiliation. I didn’t dare

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risk her coming to the school to speak up for me as I knew the blinkered,

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hard-nosed staff would similarly mortify her and that would mean two of

us unhappy and indignant. And, Heaven forbid, if she ever told my father

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he would have instantly been on the warpath in my defence.

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8. Then one day our family won a newspaper competition for a free 51

photographic portrait sitting. I was beside myself with excitement: my 52

imagination fuelled by glamorous shots of the popular Hollywood temptresses. I couldn’t wait to te ll my friends the thrilling news.

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9. That was, until Mum told me that I would have to wear my best,

lace trimmed bright green dress to school that day, as the portrait

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sitting was straight after classes. She had no hint of the torment I faced.

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10. There was none of my usual pleasure in putting on the

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cherished dress that day. Heavy-hearted, I dragged myself to school, an 61

emerald green target in a sea of blue. At assembly I didn’t bother to wait for the command but trudged up to the stage of my own accord to endure

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the sniggers of the other girls and the beady eyes of the deputy head.

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11. Tears of frustration threatened to break free as I wondered

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for the umpteenth time why the unfeeling teacher couldn’t look past my 67

clothes for once and see the obedient and eager-to-participate young girl 68

beneath.

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12. After assembly our first class was English Literature, my 71

favourite lesson with my favourite teacher. I consoled myself that I could 72

at least lose myself in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities for a whi le

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at the back of the class to recover and regain my composure. Imagine my

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dismay when, immediately the class began, Miss McVee ordered me to come

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and sit in the front row, directly before her. I slowly rose and, blinking

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back tears, headed to the front of the class. Surely Miss McVee hadn’t

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crossed into the enemy camp, too?

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13. With downcast eyes and bowed head, tears once again

threatened to betray my dejection, even though I had always tried my

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hardest not to show how miserable I was at being singled out time after

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time.

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14. As I took my seat at the front, Miss McVee cocked her head

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to one side and looked me up and down carefully. And then she came out

with the most welcome sentence I had ever heard at that mean-spirited 86

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place.

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15. “My dear, I dec lare you are the brightest and loveliest

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sight in this entire dreary school. I am only sorry that I shall have

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the pleasure of looking at you for just one lesson and not the entire

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day.”

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16. The block of ice that was my young heart thawed instantly

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and my shoulders rose back to their full height. I’m sure the smile I

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gave that woman must have been the widest she’d ever seen. I floated

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through the rest of the day buoyed by the warmth generated by her

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thoughtfully chosen words.

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17. Although English Literature was her forte, that day Miss McVee 100

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taught me, and perhaps the whole class, a lesson in compassion that I 102

have never forgotten. She taught me that one kind word in a time of need can last a lifetime. Indeed, her thoughtful words strengthened a part 103

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of my soul that has never been weakened by anyone or anything since. 105

课堂义举

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弗洛伦斯·卡特里奇

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1. 二战时，曼彻斯特饱受空袭之苦。成长在那里，意味着岁月艰难、钱财109

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短缺、心情焦虑，也意味着许多家庭都是当铺的常客，包括我家。

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2. 不过，我的父母最是乐观向上。他们用勤劳、自尊和满屋子的欢笑撑112

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起了这个家。我父亲身体结实，心灵手巧，他那双手几乎无所不能，从不缺木114

匠和手工活儿。他甚至偶尔还会参加偏僻街道的拳击比赛来补贴家用。我母亲115

勤俭节约，把家收拾得干净利落。尽管条件艰苦，但她总能让自己的五个孩子116

吃得饱饱、穿得整整齐齐、干干净净地上学去。

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3. 问题是：虽说我的衣服熨得有棱有角，皮鞋擦得铮亮铮亮的，可总有118

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些地方不符合标准校服的要求。尽管母亲缩衣节食为我筹到了大部分装束，但

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我仍然没能凑齐学校指定的蓝色运动上衣和帽圈。

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4. 由于战争影响，开始实施配给制度，大部分学校也放宽了对正规校服

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的要求，因为学校明白能有衣服穿已属不易。然而，我就读的女子学校却严格

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规定，每位学生必须穿正规的校服。于是那位负责每天集合的副校长就将训斥

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我视为她的任务来做。

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5. 尽管我试图去解释我为何没能按规定着装，尽管我也正逐渐向全套校

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服靠近，我每天依然会被揪出队列，在台上罚站，作为对违反校服规定者的惩

戒。

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6. 我每天站在同学面前，只能强忍泪水，不仅羞愧难耐，而且常常只有

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我一人挨罚。对我的惩罚还扩大到不能上体操课或者我钟爱的每周一次的交谊

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舞课。我多么希望在这所可怕的学校里，哪怕只有一位老师能睁开双眼看看我

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能够做什么，而不是不停地告诉我不能做什么啊！

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7. 不过，12岁的我在心里也毫无选择，只有眼睁睁地挨受惩罚。我明白

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不能让仁厚的母亲知道我所遭受的这种习惯性羞辱，这点非常重要。我也不敢

冒险让她到学校替我求情，因为我知道那些心胸狭隘、不讲情面的教员们也同138

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样会令她难堪，这意味着到时我们母女俩都要伤心、愤怒。老天！要是母亲再

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告诉父亲的话，他立马会大发雷霆，冲到学校来保护我。

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8. 一天，我们全家在一家报纸举办的不收取费用的肖像模特摄影比赛中

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