現(xiàn)代大學(xué)英語(yǔ)精讀第二版（第一冊(cè)）學(xué)習(xí)筆記（原文及全文翻譯）-15A-Clearingin

現(xiàn)代?學(xué)英語(yǔ)精讀第?版（第?冊(cè)）學(xué)習(xí)筆記（原?及全?翻ClearingintheSkyJesseStuart"Thisistheway,"saidmyfather,pointingwithhiscaneacrossthedeepvalleybelowus."Iwanttoshowyousomething!""Isn'tittoohotforyoutodomuchwalking?"Iwipedthestreamsofsweatfrommyfacetokeepthemfromstingingmyeyes.Ididn'twanttogowithhim.Ihadjustfinishedwalkingahalfmileuphillfrommyhometohis,carryingabasketofdishestoMom.Iknewhowhotitwas.IknewalsothatfromJanuaryuntilAprilmyfatherhadgonetoeightdifferentdoctors.Andtheyhadalltoldhimnottowalkfar.ButIcouldnotprotesttohimnow.Whenhemadeuphismindtodoathing,hewoulddoit.Hedidn'tcareifitwas100Fintheshadeor20Fbelowzero.SoIfollowedhimdownthelittlepathbetweenthepastureandthemeadow.Suddenlyhestopped,tookouthispocketknife,andcutawispofalfalfa.Hehelditupinthesun."Lookatthis,Jess!"hebragged."Didyoueverseebetteralfalfagrowoutoftheearth?""It'sthebest-lookinghayI'veeverseen,"Isaid."WhenIboughtthislandeverybodysaidIwascrazy."Hebraggedagain."Ittookmethirtyyearstomakeitdothis!"AsIstoodlookingatthismeadowofalfalfainthesaddlebetweentwohills,Irememberedhowhehadhauledleavesfromthewoodsandspreadthemoverthisfieldandthenplowedthemunderandletthemrot.Allthatwouldgrowonthisgroundwhenheboughtitwerepinesandbriars.Thepinesdidn'tgrowwaist-high.Therewasn'tenoughstrengthinthegroundtopushthemanyhigher.Hecutdownthepinesandplowedtheland.Hesowedacovercropandturneditunder.Thenhesowedasecond,athird,andafourth.Inafewyearshehadthelandproducinggoodcropsofcorn,wheatandpotatoes."ButthisisnotwhatIwanttoshowyou,Jess,"hesaid."Comeon.Followme!"Ifollowedhimthroughthepasturegate,thendownalittlenarrowcattlepathintothedeephollow."Wherearewegoing?"Iaskedwhenhestartedtowalkalogacrossthecreek."There,"hesmiled,pointingtowardawoodedmountaintop."That'sthewaywearegoing!"Ifollowedhimacrossthefootloghehadmadebychoppingdownawhiteoak,fellingitoverthedeepstream.Thenwewentupthewindingfootpathunderthetallhickorytrees,aplacewhereIusedtocomewithhimwhenIwasalittleboytohuntsquirrels.Butthathadbeennearlythirtyyearsago.Andthroughtheyears,fromtimetotime,Ihadwalkedovertheruggedmountainslopeandtherewasneverapathonituntilmyfatherhadmadethisone.Itwasaprettylittlefootpathunderthehighcanopyofhickory,walnut,andoakleaves.Wecouldn'tseetheskyaboveourheads.InfrontofmewalkedthelittlemanwhooncewalkedsofastIhadtoruntofollowhim.Buttimehadnowslowedhim,andmuchhardlaborhadbenthisshoulders.Hisbreathdidn'tcomeaseasilyasitusedto,forhestoppedtwice,andleanedonhiscanetorest."Rememberhowweusedtocomeheretohuntsquirrels?ThemorningwindinAugustwassogoodtobreathe.AndinOctoberwhentherabbitswerefatandthefrostshadcomeandthehickoryleaveshadturnedyellowandwhentheOctoberwindsblewtheyrustledthebigleavesfromthetreesandtheyfelllikeyellowraindropstotheground!Thoseweregooddays,Jess!""Isthatwhatyouwantedtoshowme?"Iasked."Oh,no,no,"hesaidashebegantoclimbtheslopethatroseabruptlytowardthesky.Thepinesontopofthemountainaboveuslookedasifthefingersoftheirlongboughswerefondlingawhitecloud."Whydoyoutakethepathstraightup?"Iasked."Lookattheseotherpaths!Whataretheydoinghere?"Withinthedistanceoffewyards,severalpathsleftthemainpathandcircledaroundtheslope,climbingthemountaingradually."Allpathsgotothesameplace,"heanswered."Thenwhytakethesteepone?"Iasked.Mycuriositywasroused.Ithoughthehadfoundanewkindofwildgrass,oranewkindoftree.ForIrememberedthetimehefoundacoffeetreeinourwoods.Itis,asfarasIknow,theonlyoneofitskindgrowinginourcounty.Wefinallyreachedthetallstraightpineswhosebranchesreachedtowardthebluedepthofsky,forthewhitecloudwasnowgone.Isawasmallclearingofnotmorethanthree-fourthsofanacreintheheartofthiswildernessrightonthemountaintop."Now,son,"hesaidashepusheddownthetopwiresohecouldcrossthefence."ThisissomethingIwantyoutosee!""Whodidthis?"Iasked."Whoclearedthelandandfencedit?""Iclearedtheland.AndIfencedit!""Butwhydidyoudothis?"Iaskedhim."Lookatallthefertilelandwehaveinthevalley!""Fertile,"helaughedashereacheddownandpickedupadoublehandfulofthesoil."Thisistheland,son!Thisisit."Thenhesmeltthedirt."Justlikefreshair,"hesaidasheletthedirtrunbetweenhisfingers."It'spleasanttotouch,too,"headded."Iknowwhatyouthink,"heinterrupted."Yourmotherthinksthesamething.ShewonderswhyIeverclimbedtothismountaintoptoraisemypotatoes,yamsandtomatoes!But,Jess,"healmostwhispered."Anythinggrowninnewgroundlikethishasabetterflavor.Waituntilmytomatoesareripe!You'llnevertastesweetertomatoesinyourlife!""ThisisthecleanestpatchI'veeverseen,"Iexclaimed."ButIstilldon'tseewhyyoutookallthistrouble.Andallagainstyourdoctor'sorders!""Twentytimesinmylife,"hesaid,"adoctorhastoldmetogohomeandbewithmyfamilyaslongasIcould.Toldmenottowork.NottodoanythingbuttoliveandenjoythefewdaysIhadleftme.ButIhavecheateddeathmanytimes!Now,I'vereachedtheyearstheGoodBookallowstoaman.Three-scoreyearsandten!"Hegotupfromthetreestumpwherehewassittingandwipedthedropsofsweatfromhisred-wrinkledface."Andaftertheseyears,yourtimeisborrowed,"hesaid,motioningformetofollowhimtotheedgeoftheclearing."Andthen,yougobacktotheplaceyouknewandloved.Seethissteepslope."Hepointedtowardthedeepvalleybelow."YourmotherandI,whenshewasnineteenandIwastwenty-two,clearedthismountainslopetogether.Weraisedcorn,beans,andpumpkinshere,"hecontinued,hisvoicerisingwithexcitement."That'swhyIcamebackuphere.Iwentbacktoouryouth."Ilookedatthevastmountainslopebelow.Itwasonthisslopethatmyfatheroncemademealittlewoodenplow.ThatwaswhenIwassixyearsoldandtheybroughtmetothefieldtothincorn.Now,tolookattheslope,itwashardtobelievethattheyhaddoneitall.Formanyofthetreesweresixtyfeettallandthewildvineshadmattedtheirtopstogether."And,Jess,"hewenton,"thedoctortoldmetositstillandtotakelifeeasy.Icouldn'tdoit.Ihadtowork.Ihadtosmellthissoilandtouchitagain.AndIwantedtotasteyams,tomatoes,andpotatoesgrownontheland."Ifollowedhimfromhisclearinginthesky,downanewpath,towardthedeepvalleybelow."Butwhydoyouhavesomanypathscominguphere?"Iasked."Oh,yes,"hesaid."Earlylastspring,Icouldn'tclimbstraightupthesteeppath.Thatwaswhenthedoctordidn'tgivemeaweektolive.SoImadeaneasierpath.Then,asIgotbetter,"heexplained,"Imadeanotherpaththatwassteeper.AndasIcontinuedtogetbetter,Imadestillsteeperpaths.ThatwasonewayofknowingIwasgettingbetterallthetime!"Ifollowedhimdownthepaththatwoundthiswayandthat,threetimesthelengthofthepathwehadclimbed.半空中的?塊空地杰西·斯圖亞特“就是這條路?！蔽?親??跟我說(shuō)道，???他的拐杖指了指下?深深??的對(duì)??！拔蚁虢o你看樣?xùn)|西！”“你不覺(jué)得對(duì)你來(lái)說(shuō)今天天?實(shí)在太熱，不宜?太多路嗎？”我擦去臉上直往下淌的汗?，以免汗?刺痛我的眼睛。我實(shí)在不想和他?起?。我剛剛從??家?帶了?籃?飯菜，爬了半??路上來(lái)送給媽媽。我知道天?有多熱。?且我還知道，從??到四?，我爸去看過(guò)?個(gè)?夫，他們都叫他別?太多路。可是，我也知道我現(xiàn)在反對(duì)他沒(méi)?。他要是拿定主意做某件事情，他就?定要做。他根本不管連蔭涼處的溫度都到了華?100度還是零下20度。所以我只好跟著他往牧場(chǎng)和草地之間的?路?去。他突然停了下來(lái)，取出了?袋?的??，割了??把苜蓿，然后在陽(yáng)光中將它舉了起來(lái)?！翱纯催@個(gè)，杰西！”他得意地說(shuō)?！澳氵@輩?見(jiàn)過(guò)?這更好的苜蓿嗎？”“這是我見(jiàn)到過(guò)的最好的牧草?！蔽艺f(shuō)道?！爱?dāng)年我買(mǎi)這塊地的時(shí)候，?家都說(shuō)我瘋了?！彼?吹噓說(shuō)?！拔一巳?年的時(shí)間才讓它上?的東西長(zhǎng)得這么好！”當(dāng)我站在那?望著兩座??之間的這塊苜蓿地時(shí)，我想起了他當(dāng)年是怎樣?次次把樹(shù)林中的落葉拖來(lái)，鋪在地上，然后?犁把它們翻到?壤下?讓它們腐爛的。他剛買(mǎi)下這塊地的時(shí)候，地?只長(zhǎng)松樹(shù)和荊棘。那松樹(shù)都長(zhǎng)不到半??，因?yàn)榈?的那點(diǎn)肥料根本不夠讓它們?cè)偻祥L(zhǎng)了。他就把松樹(shù)砍了，把地犁松了，然后種上肥?植物，再犁地把它們翻到?壌下。然后再種第?次、第三次、第四次。?年?夫，他就讓這塊地?的??、?麥和??有了好收成。“不過(guò)這并不是我要給你看的東西，杰西，”他說(shuō)道，“來(lái)，跟我來(lái)！”我跟著他穿過(guò)牧場(chǎng)的門(mén)，然后順著窄窄的牲??的?路，?直往下?到那深深的????！拔覀兩夏?去？”我看到爸爸?上了橫跨溪流的原?，就?問(wèn)道?！熬驮谀?，”他笑笑說(shuō)，往被林?覆蓋的?頂指了指，“那就是我們要去的地??！蔽腋?過(guò)了原?橋。那是他做的橋，他砍倒了?棵?橡樹(shù)，讓它順勢(shì)倒在那條深深的溪流上。接著，我們?上了那曲曲彎彎的?腸?道，路旁都是??的?核桃樹(shù)，我?時(shí)候常常跟他來(lái)這?打松?。但是那已經(jīng)是差不多三?年前的事這么多年來(lái)，我時(shí)不時(shí)地?過(guò)這起伏不平的?坡，?上?本來(lái)沒(méi)有路，直到我爸開(kāi)辟出了這?條。這條路?常美，頭上是?核桃、核桃樹(shù)和橡樹(shù)的枝葉交錯(cuò)?成的??的穹頂。我們抬頭都望不到天空。?在我前?的這個(gè)?個(gè)?男?，當(dāng)年?路快得我必須?路?跑才能跟上?？墒?情的歲?減慢了他的速度，繁重的勞動(dòng)折彎了他的腰。他的呼吸也不如以前順暢，他在路上停了兩次，拄著拐杖休息?！斑€記得從前我們到這?來(lái)打松?嗎？那??的晨風(fēng)是多么清新啊。到??的時(shí)候，兔?都養(yǎng)肥了，秋霜?來(lái),那些?核桃樹(shù)的葉?就都變黃了。??的秋風(fēng)?吹起，樹(shù)上的?葉?就沙沙作響，像黃?的?珠?樣落在地上！多美好的??啊，杰西！”“那就是你要給我看的東西嗎？”我問(wèn)道?！芭叮?，不！”他說(shuō)著，開(kāi)始爬那直指天空的陡峭?坡。我們前??頂上的松樹(shù)長(zhǎng)長(zhǎng)的樹(shù)枝看起來(lái)就像?的?指，正在撫摸著?朵?云?！澳銥槭裁匆?這條直上直下的?路呢？”我?問(wèn)。“你瞧其他那些路！它們通向哪?呢？”就在?碼之外，有好?條?路離開(kāi)了這條主道，環(huán)繞?坡蜿蜒向上。“這些路都是通向同?個(gè)地?的?！彼卮鹫f(shuō)。我的好奇??下?被勾起來(lái)了。我想也許他找到了?種新草或是新樹(shù)種。因?yàn)槲矣浀盟?jīng)在我們的林地中發(fā)現(xiàn)過(guò)?棵咖啡樹(shù)，據(jù)我所知，在我們這個(gè)縣，這種咖啡樹(shù)還只有我們這?棵。我們最終到達(dá)了那些??挺拔的松樹(shù)?長(zhǎng)的地?。松樹(shù)的枝?直插藍(lán)天深處，剛才的?云已經(jīng)飄?了。我看到在?頂這?樹(shù)林的中?地帶，有?塊不到四分之三英畝的空地。“好了，???！彼f(shuō)著就把最上?的鐵絲往下按了按，以便跨過(guò)鐵絲?進(jìn)去?！斑@就是我想給你看的東西！”“這是誰(shuí)弄的？”我問(wèn)?！笆钦l(shuí)開(kāi)辟了這塊地，?拉了這個(gè)鐵絲?？”“是我！是我開(kāi)的地，也是我拉的鐵絲?。”“可是，你?嗎這么做呢？”我問(wèn)他，“我們?cè)???已經(jīng)有那么多肥沃的?地了！”“肥沃，”他笑著彎下?捧起了?捧泥?，“這才叫肥沃呢，??！這才是真貨??！闭f(shuō)著，他聞了聞那泥??！熬拖裥迈r空?那樣?！彼??說(shuō)著，??讓那?從他的指縫間流在地上。“這?摸著都舒服?！彼恿司??！拔抑滥阍谙胧裁??！彼驍嗔宋??！澳銒屢策@么想。她不明?我為什么要爬到?頂去種??、甜薯和西紅柿！但是，杰西，”他這時(shí)?乎像在和我?語(yǔ)，“在這樣新開(kāi)墾的地?種出來(lái)的任何東西，都有特別的風(fēng)味。等到西紅柿熟了的時(shí)候吧，你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)你這輩?從沒(méi)有吃過(guò)那么甜的西紅柿！”“這的確是我見(jiàn)過(guò)的最?凈的?塊地，”我激動(dòng)地?聲說(shuō)道，“但我還是不明?你為什么要去費(fèi)那個(gè)勁，?且還不聽(tīng)醫(yī)囑！”“我這輩?曾有??次，”他說(shuō)道，“醫(yī)?跟我說(shuō)，叫我回家和家?待在?起，能團(tuán)聚?天就團(tuán)聚?天。叫我不要再?作了。叫我什么都不要?，只要在剩下的?天時(shí)間?盡情地享受?？墒敲?次我都躲過(guò)了死神！我現(xiàn)在已經(jīng)?盡了《圣經(jīng)》上說(shuō)上帝賜給每個(gè)?的壽命，我已經(jīng)整七?歲了！”他從剛才坐著的樹(shù)樁上站了起來(lái)，??擦去了他那布滿(mǎn)皺紋的通紅的臉上的汗?。“這以后，你的時(shí)間都是借來(lái)的，”他說(shuō)，并???意我跟他?到那塊空地的邊緣，“于是，這時(shí)候，你就會(huì)回到你以前熟悉和熱愛(ài)的地?。你看這個(gè)陡坡?！彼??指指下???的深處?！澳銒尯臀?，當(dāng)時(shí)她?九，我???，我們倆?起開(kāi)墾了這??坡。我們?cè)谶@?種??、??和南?，”他接著說(shuō)道，因?yàn)榧?dòng)，嗓門(mén)也越來(lái)越?。“那就是我為什么要回到這?來(lái)的原因。我要回到我們的青年時(shí)代?！蔽彝??闊的?坡。當(dāng)年就是在這?坡上，?親有?次給我做了?張??的?犁。記得那年我六歲，他們把我?guī)У竭@塊地?來(lái)給??間現(xiàn)在，看看這個(gè)?坡，你很難相信，這?切都是他們兩個(gè)?完成的。因?yàn)楹芏鄻?shù)現(xiàn)在都已經(jīng)有六?英尺?了，?且那些野藤已經(jīng)把樹(shù)頂纏結(jié)“還有，杰西，”他接著說(shuō)，“醫(yī)?叫我待著別動(dòng)，完全放松地?活?？墒俏肄k不到。我必須做點(diǎn)事情。我得聞聞這泥?，再撫摸撫摸它。?且我要嘗嘗這地?長(zhǎng)出來(lái)的甜薯、西紅柿、??。”我隨他從那半空中的空地，沿著?條新的?路，?向下?的深??！班?，對(duì)了，”他說(shuō)?！叭ツ牯┨?，