My Life Was Saved by a Smile
·Tracy Anderson·
I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous. I fumbled in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes , which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands , I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches — they had taken those.
I looked through the bars at my jailer. He did not make eye contact with me. I called out to him ,“ Have you got a light? ” He looked at me , shrugged and came over to light my cigarette.
As he came close and lit the match , his eyes inadvertently locked with mine. At that moment , I smiled. I don ’ t know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness , perhaps it was because , when you get very close , one to another , it is very hard not to smile. In any case , I smiled. In that instant , it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts , our two human souls. I know he didn ’ t want to , but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips , too.
He lit my cigarette but stayed near , looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile. I kept smiling at him , now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension , too.
“ Do you have kids? ” he asked.
“ Yes , here , here. ” I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He , too , took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes filled with tears. I said that I feared that I ’ d never see my family again , never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes , too.
Suddenly , without another word , he unlocked my cell and silently led me out. Out of the jail , quietly and by back routes , out of the town. There , at the edge of town , he released me. And without another word , he turned back toward the town.
My life was saved by a smile. Yes , the smile — the unaffected , unplanned , natural connection between people. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could recognize each other , we wouldn ’ t be enemies. We couldn ’ t have hate or envy or fear.
特雷西·安德森
一想到自己明天就没命了 , 我不禁陷入极度的惶恐之中 。 我翻遍了口袋 , 终于找到一支没被他们搜走的香烟 , 但我的手紧张地不停发抖 , 连将烟送进嘴里都成了问题 , 而我的火柴也在搜身时被拿走了 。
我透过铁栏望着外面的狱警 , 他并没有注意到我在看他 。 我叫了他一声 :“ 能跟你借个火吗 ?” 他转头望着我 , 耸了耸肩 , 然后走过来 , 点燃了我的香烟 。
当他帮我点火时 , 他的眼睛无意中扫到我的眼 , 这时我突然冲着他微微一笑 。 我不知道自己为何有这般反应 , 也许是因为过于紧张 , 也许是因为当你如此靠近一个人时 , 你很难不对他微笑 。 不管是出于什么理由 , 我对他笑了 。 就在这一刹那 , 这抹微笑如同火花般打破了我们二人心灵间的隔阂 。 受到了我的感染 , 他的嘴角也不自觉地现出了笑容 , 虽然我知道这并不是他的原意 。
他点完火后并没立刻离开 , 而是两眼盯着我看 , 脸上仍带着微笑 。 我也以笑容回应 , 仿佛他是我的朋友 , 而不只是守着我的警卫 。 他看我的眼神仿佛也少了当初的那股凶气 。
“ 你有小孩吗 ?” 他开口问道 。
“ 有 , 你看 。” 我拿出了皮夹 , 手忙脚乱地翻出了我的全家福照片 。 他也掏出了照片 , 并且开始讲述他对家人的期望与计划 。 这时我眼中充满了泪水 , 我说我害怕再也见不到家人 , 害怕没机会看着孩子长大 。 他听着也流下了两行热泪 。
突然 , 他二话不说打开了牢门 , 悄悄地带我从后面的小路逃离了监狱 , 逃出了小镇 。 就在小镇边上 , 他放了我 , 之后便转身往回走 , 不曾留下一句话 。
一个微笑居然能救自己一条命 。 是的 , 微笑是人与人之间最自然真挚的沟通方式 。 如果我们能用微笑去认识彼此 , 世间就不会有结怨成仇的憾事 ; 恨意 、 妒忌 、 恐惧也就不复存在了 。
实战
提升篇
核心单词
terribly
[
5terEbli
]
adv.
可怕地
;
很
,
非常
inadvertently
[
7inEd5vE:tEntli
]
adv.
不慎地
;
非故意地
generate
[
5dVenEreit
]
v.
产生
,
发生
;
造成
,
引起
fumble
[
5fQmbl
]
v.
乱摸
;
摸索
release
[
ri5li:s
]
v.
释放
,
解放
;
放松
;
松开
envy
[
5envi
]
n.
妒忌
;
羡慕
实用句型
I said that I feared that I ’ d never see my family again , never have the chance to see them grow up.
我说我害怕再也见不到家人,害怕没机会看着孩子长大。
①这里的 I ’ d 是 I would 的省略形式。
② see 后用不带 to 的不定式,类似的词还有 help 、 suggest 、 hope 等。
翻译行不行
1. 他们从南方远道来看我 。( come over )
2. 医生已拔掉了我的坏牙 。( take out )
3. 积雪的山上挤满了年轻的滑雪者 。( fill with )