假如给我三天光明
我们都读过一些扣人心弦的故事，主人公将不久于人世，长则1年，短则24小时。而我们总是很感兴趣，这个即将辞世的人会如何度过他最后的时日。当然，我指的是拥有选择权利的自由人，不是那些活动范围受到严格限制的死囚。
这一类故事会促使我们思考，在类似的处境下，我们自己会做些什么？身为生命有限的人类，我们会把什么样的事件、经历、联想，塞进这最后的时光里？回首往事，我们又会有哪些快乐和遗憾呢
有时我想，把每天都当作生命的最后一天来度过，会是一个很好的原则。这样的态度将更能凸显人生的价值。每一天我们都会怀着柔情、充满活力、心存感激，而这些，在来日方长时却常被我们所忽视。当然，也有一些人会奉行享乐主义 —— 吃喝玩乐，但是绝大多数人在得知死期将至时都会更加珍惜生命。
我们大多数人都不珍惜生命。我们知道有一天自己定会死去，但是总觉得这一天很遥远。我们身体健康时，死亡是完全无法想象的，我们很少会加以考虑。日复一日，没有尽头。所以我们忙于琐事，几乎不曾意识到自己对生活的态度有多么冷漠。
在运用所有的感官时我们的态度恐怕同样冷漠。只有聋人才珍惜听力，只有盲者才知道能见光明的幸运。对于那些成年后才失明失聪的人来说尤其如此。但是那些听力或视力从未遭受损失的人却很少充分利用这些幸运的能力。他们眼睛看见的、耳朵听到的，都是模糊的，不专心，也不带感激。这个道理，就是常说的失去才懂得珍惜，生病才知健康可贵。
我常想，如果每一个人在刚成年时，有几天突然既盲又聋，也不失为一件幸事。黑暗会令他更感激光明；寂静会教他领会声音的乐趣。
有时我会试探视力正常的朋友，问他们看见了什么。最近，一位非常要好的朋友来看我，她刚刚在树林里走了很长时间，我问她看见了什么。“没什么，”她回答说。我本应觉得难以置信，不过我早已习惯类似回答，因为很久以前我就知道视力正常的人看到的东西很少。
我问自己，在树林里散步一个小时，看不到任何值得注意的东西，这怎么可能呢？我看不见东西，只凭触摸，却也能发现数以百计的有趣的东西。我感觉到树叶的精巧对称。我的手爱抚着白桦树光滑的树皮，或是松树粗糙的树干。春天里，我怀着希望触摸着树枝寻找新芽，那是大自然从冬眠中苏醒后的第一个征象。我感受花朵的悦人纹理，发现它的可爱褶皱，大自然的神奇一角展现在我的面前。偶尔，如果幸运的话，当我把手轻轻地放在一棵小树上，会感到放声歌唱的小鸟欢快的颤动。张开手指，让清凉的溪水从指间冲过，我会很开心。对我来说，厚厚的松针或松软的草坪比奢华的波斯地毯更惹人喜爱。对我来说，多彩的季节如同一场动人心魄的不会完结的戏剧，剧中情节从我的指尖流过。
我的心不时地在呐喊，渴望能亲眼看到这一切。仅仅通过触摸，我就能获得如此多的喜悦，那光明又将展示多少美啊。然而，有眼睛的人看到的却分明不多。整个世界色彩缤纷、生机勃勃，人们却都漫不经心。也许，已经拥有的不加珍惜，还没得到的却想拥有，这是人之常情，但是在光明的世界里只把视物的天赋作为使生活方便的工具，而不是丰富生活的工具，这实在是太令人遗憾了。
啊，假如拥有三天光明，我将能看见多少事物啊！
Specify ['spesifai] vt. state exactly; describe fully so as to choose or name 指定，指明，详述 1. The president specified him by name.
2. She didn't specify precisely how many people were involved in the accident. 3. The instructions specify clearly how the medicine is to be taken.
Condemn [k?n'dem] vt. [(to)] state the punishment for (a guilty person), esp. a punishment of death or long imprisonment [常与to连用] 给···判刑（尤指判死刑或长期徒刑）；给···定罪 1. He was condemned to death for killing an innocent child. 2. That man was condemned to spend the rest of his life in prison. 3. He was found guilty and condemned to death.
Confine [k?n'fain] vt. [(to)] keep within limits; restrict [常与to连用]把…局限于，把…限制于
1. The boy has been confined in a dark narrow room from early childhood by his parents. 2. Owen did not confine himself to writing only one type of poem. 3. Confine yourself to the facts in the discussion.
set sb. doing sth. make sb. start doing sth. 使某人开始做某事 1. Her last remark has set me thinking. 2. The wind set the trees rustling (沙沙响).
3. Anything could set me laughing in those days when I felt so happy with my life and work. under / in ... circumstances in ... situation 在···情况下
1. Prisoners can only leave their cells under certain circumstances.
2. Under the circumstances, it seemed better not to tell him about the accident. 3. Don't open the door in any circumstances.
4. Under no circumstances should you lend Paul any money.
Emphasize ['emf?saiz] vt. give special force or attention to sth. to show that it is particularly important; place emphasis on 强调，着重
1. He emphasized the importance of extensive reading in the learning of a foreign language. 2. She strongly emphasized that their plan would mean sacrifices and hard work. 3. Logan made a speech emphasizing the need for more volunteers.
Stretch [stret?] vi. spread out in space or time （时间和空间）延伸，延续，绵延 1. Berg's career as a government official stretched over twenty years. 2. Endless hot summer days stretched out before us. 3. Row after row of orange trees stretched to the horizon.
Adopt [?'d?pt] vt. start to deal with or think about sth. in a particular way 采取 1. All three teams adopted different approaches to the problem. 2. We should try to adopt a greener and more healthy lifestyle.
3. The school has decided to adopt a different approach to discipline (纪律). take ... for granted
treat (sb. or sth.) with too little attention or concern; not recognize the true value of; expect that sb. or sth. will always be there when you need them and never think how important or useful they are （对某人或某事）不注意，不关心；认为是当然的，（因视作当然而）不重视 1. Her husband did all the housework, and she just took it for granted.
2. We take it for granted to have an endless supply of clean water all the year round. 3. Bridget was careful not to take the little boy for granted. picture sb. / sth. As imagine sb. or sth. as 将···想像成···
1. We found it hard to picture him as the father of two teenage sons. 2. Rob has pictured her as serious, but she isn't like that. 3. She's been pictured as a difficult, demanding woman. Picture ['pikt??(r)] vt. imagine 想像，设想 1. I can still picture the house I grew up in.
2. I tried to picture what it would be like to live alone. 3. She pictured herself at school in a foreign country. all but almost; nearly 几乎，差不多
1. The party was all but over when we arrived.
2. —\ —\— I've all but finished my work.\3. It was all but impossible to read his writing.
Characterize ['k?rikt?raiz] vt. be typical of a person, place or thing 是···的特征，以···为特征 1. He has the confidence that characterizes all successful businessmen. 2. Bright colours characterize his paintings.
3. Your work is characterized by lack of attention to detail. take in notice or see (sth.) fully 看到，注意到 1. He took in every detail of her appearance.
2. His eyes quickly took in the elegance (典雅，雅致) of her dress. 3. He took in the scene at a glance.
the (same) old story (used to say that the present bad situation has often happened before) what usually happens 老一套
1. It's the same old story ─ too much work and not enough time.
2. It's the same old story of a badly managed project with inadequate funding (资金不足). 3. It's the same old story for Brazil heading into next year's World Cup finals: everyone is aiming for the five-time champions. grateful to sb. for sth.
feeling or showing thanks to sb. for sth. 因某事而对某人怀有感激之情 1. I am extremely grateful to you for the assistance you have provided. 2. I am very grateful to all those who took the trouble to write to me. 3. I am grateful to you for helping me at a time when I most needed it.
Conscious ['k?n??s] a. [(of)] knowing, understanding or recognizing sth.; aware [常与of连用]意识到的，察觉到的
1. Suddenly I became conscious of someone watching me from a distance. 2. He was conscious that Marie was listening to every word he said.
3. I was very conscious of the fact that I had to make a good impression on my new boss. appreciative of feeling or showing that one is grateful for sth. 因某事而心存感激 1. She was appreciative of Greg's concern for her health. 2. We are extremely appreciative of your friendly advice. 3. The company was very appreciative of my efforts. in particular especially 尤其
1. Automobile (汽车) prices in particular have fallen in recent months. 2. Was there anything in particular that you wanted to talk about? 3.— \ —\Response [ri'sp?ns] n. [C (to)] a reply [常与to连用]回答 1. They make a quick response to my inquiry.
2. We've tried to offer further assistance to them but so far we've got no response yet. 3. I am writing in response to your letter of June 12.
4. Write your responses to the questions on the back of the sheet.
Convince [k?n'vins] vt. [(of)] make (sb.) completely certain about sth.; persuade [常与of连用]使确信，使信服
1. He convinced me of his honesty. 2. We convinced her to stay at home.
3. Facts convinced everyone that the first report was true. 4. He'll try to convince you of Mitchell's innocence (无辜). worthy of deserving 值得
1. A couple of other books are worthy of mention, too. 2. He is a teacher who is worthy of our respect. 3. These points are worthy of your attention.
Rough [r?f] a. having an uneven surface; not smooth （表面）粗糙的，不平的 1. Her hands were rough from hard work. 2. I was driving on a rough road.
3. He fell, cutting his forehead on the rough edge of a rock. in search of trying to find 搜索 1. Mark went in search of water.
2. Many people have been driven to neighboring cities in search of better jobs. 3. The music teacher went to the forest in search of new sounds and inspiration. Sign [sain] n. [(of)] [常与of连用]迹象，痕迹，征兆 1. The play shows every sign of being a big success. 2. There are signs that the situation is improving fast. 3. Call the police at the first sign of trouble.
Awaken [?'weik?n] v. (cause to) wake up; [(to)] become aware or make sb. aware of sth. and its possible effects or results 醒来；叫醒，唤醒；[常与to连用]（使）意识到；（使）认识到 1. She was awakened by a noise at two in the morning.
2. It was a nightmare from which he would awaken at any moment.
3. The exhibit is designed to awaken a deeper understanding of Mexican culture. 4. We should awaken him to a sense of duty.
Remarkable [ri'mɑ:k?bl] a. [(for)] esp. apprec worth mentioning, esp. because unusual or noticeable [常与for连用]〖尤褒〗值得注意的；十分不平常的；出众的
1. The restaurant is remarkable not for its size or decorations but for the quality of its food. 2. It is remarkable that the interviews carried so much weight.
3. It is remarkable to see such clean streets in the business center of the city.
Reveal [ri'vi:l] vt. show or allow (sth. previously hidden) to be seen 展现，显露（出） 1. She revealed the secret to us.
2. He revealed to us that his mother had been ill for years.
3. The document revealed her to be a conscientious (尽责的) employee. 4. His letters reveal a different side of his personality. Action ['?k??n] n. （剧本等的）情节；故事；行动，活动；动作 1. Most of the action takes place in San Francisco.
2. The action starts in a New York subway station, and then slowly takes you all over the city. 3. The rock has been worn away by the action of the falling water. Stream [stri:m] vi. flow fast and strongly; pour out 奔流，倾注；涌流 1. People were streaming towards the town square. 2. Sunlight was streaming in through the window. 3. Tears streamed from her eyes. Long [l??] v. want sth. very much 渴望 1. I'm longing to see you again. 2. She longed to see Pat every day.
生命的亏欠
塞尔玛·拉格洛夫
几天前，我坐在火车上，前往斯德哥尔摩。天刚入夜，车厢内光线幽暗，车外已是一片漆黑。同车的旅客在各自的角落里打瞌睡，我静静地坐着，听着火车喀嚓喀嚓地行进。
这时，我开始回想过去前往斯德哥尔摩的一桩桩往事。通常都是些劳神费力的事 —— 去考试或是为书稿找出版商。这次，我是去领“诺贝尔文学奖” 的，但我想这也绝不轻松。
不过，在内心深处，我还是会因为得奖而欣喜。我想着那些会为我的好运而高兴的人们，以此来排遣自己的焦虑心情。我的好朋友，我的兄弟姐妹，都会为我高兴，最重要的是，我年迈的母亲，坐在家中，也会很高兴她能活着看到这一天。
但随后我又想到父亲，不禁悲从中来，他已不在人世，我不能告诉他我得了诺贝尔奖。可我知道，听到这个消息，他一定会比谁都高兴。
坐过夜车的人都知道，火车在黑夜中疾驰，有时一连数分钟，车厢会平稳地滑行，没有任何颤动，簌簌声、喧嚣声都停止了，车轮的声音汇成了抚慰、平和的乐曲。这正是当时的情形。我坐在那儿，想着自己多么渴望再次见到我的老父亲。于是我的思绪开始飘飞。“假设，我现在是去天堂见父亲！我好像听说过类似的事情曾发生在别人身上，那发生在我身上又何妨？”火车继续平稳前进，但前路漫漫，我的思绪越过列车而驰骋。父亲肯定是坐在阳台上的摇椅上，面前是阳光灿烂、鸟语花香的庭园。
他会说，“你好啊，我的女儿，见到你真高兴，” 或者说，“哟，你来了，你好吗，我的孩子？” ，一如从前。
他会坐回到摇椅上，这才想起问我为什么来看他。“你肯定没什么问题吗？” 他会突然问道。 “没有，爸，一切都好着呢，”我会回答。随后，我正想告诉他这个消息，临时决定故意再多隐瞒一会儿，用间接的方式告诉他。“我是来向您求助的，爸，”我会说，“因为我负债累累。”
“这事我恐怕帮不上什么忙啊，”父亲会说。“这地方可说是什么都有，就是没钱。” “噢，可我欠的不是钱，爸。”这时父亲就会说，“那就更难办了。从头说起吧，女儿。”
“我来让您帮忙，可不算过分，爸，因为全都是您的错，从一开始就是。您可记得，我们小时候，您弹着钢琴为我们唱贝尔曼的歌曲吗？还有，每年冬天至少两次，您都会让我们读鲁内贝格和安徒生呢。从那时起我就开始欠债。爸，让我怎么回报他们呢？正是他们教我热爱童话，英雄传奇，我们生活的土地，还有所有人类的生活。”
父亲会在摇椅中坐直身子，眼睛里有一种奇妙的眼神。 “我很高兴我让你背上了这笔债，” 他会说。 “是啊，也许你是对的，爸，不过请记住，这还不是全部呢。想想我还欠了多少人的债。想想你年轻时，那些贫穷的、无家可归的流浪艺人在我们的家乡游荡，演滑稽戏，唱着所有那些歌谣。还有那些老人家，坐在小小的灰色农舍里，给我讲精彩的故事。是他们教会我，坚硬的岩石和黑暗的森林中也蕴藏着诗意。爸，想想我们自己的农夫 —— 他们如此光辉的事迹为我提供了写作素材，我就什么也不欠他们吗？我欠的债不只是人类的；还有整个自然的。地上的走兽、空中的飞鸟、花草树木 —— 它们都告诉了我各自的一些秘密。”
父亲会微笑，点点头，根本不着急。“可是，您还不明白吗，爸？我负着一笔沉重的债务啊。”我会说，神情也越来越严肃。“世间没人知道我要如何才能偿还这笔债务，可我还以为你们天国的人会知道呢。”
“我们知道啊，”父亲会说，一副轻松随意的模样，一如从前。“别怕，孩子，你的烦恼会有解决办法的。” “不错，爸，可是我还没说完呢。还有那些人，他们把我们的语言锻造成如今这么精良的工具，并教会我如何使用，我也欠他们太多。还有啊，那些在我出生之前就写下各种诗文的人，将写作变成艺术，传递知识、开创道路的人，我难道不欠他们的吗？那些伟大的挪威人，伟大的俄罗斯人，在我孩提时就已在写作的他们，难道我不欠他们一千一万笔债吗？”
“是，是，”父亲会说。“你说得对，你是负了沉重的债，不过，别怕，我们总会想出办法的。” “爸，我还欠了读者的债。欠他们太多了。”
新世纪大学英语综合教程2unit2课文详解
