《英語中高職貫通第》課件-lesson 15

FabricCraftsAlastairMacIntyregrippedhissonBlairbythethroatandshookhimtillhiseyeswide-opened.“Lookhere,boy,”hehissed.“I'mwarningyou.Onemoretime,saythatonemoretimeandwhateveritisyouthinkyou'resogoodat,whatever,I'llhaveyouproveit!”“YouletgoofBlairatonce,”saidHelenMacIntyre.“Hisbreakfast'sgettingcoldonthetable.”Andpickinguphisplate,helefttheroom.Blairfittedhislonglegsawkwardlyunderthetableandrubbedhishead.“Whatwasallthatabout?”heaskedhismother.“Whydidhegetangry?Whathappened?”

“Yousaiditagain.”“Ididn't!”“Youdid.”“How!When!”“Youcamedownstairs,walkedthroughthedoor,cameupbehindmeatthestove,lookedovermyshoulderatthebaconinthepan,andyousaidit.”“Ididn't!”“Youdid,boy.Yousaid,‘IbetIcouldfitmoreslicesofbaconintothepanthanthat.’That'swhatyousaid.”“Ididn'thearmyself.”HelenMacIntyreputherhandsonherson'sshouldersandraisedherselfontohertiptoes.“No.Youdon'thearyourself.Andyoudon'tthinkbeforeyouspeakeither.Ireckonallyourfinebrainsaredrainingawayintoyourlegs.”“Blairdoesn'thaveanybrains.”Blair'syoungsister,Annie,lookedupfromherbreakfastplate.“Ifhehadanybrains,hewouldn'tsaythethingshedoes.”“Ididn'tsaythem,”Blairargued.“Theyjustcomeout.Ididn'tevenhearthemwhenthey'resaid!”“Thereyouare,”Anniesaid.“That'swhatMumsaid.Alllegs,nobrain.”Shepushedherplateawayacrossthetableandputdownherschoolbaginitsplace.“Tuesday.HaveIgoteverythingIneed?Swimsuit,gymshorts,metalworkgoggles，fluteandembroidery.”“Sh-!”Blairwarned.“Keepyourvoicedown.”Butitwastoolate.Thesilentmancamebackintothedoorwaylikeadarkangryangel.“Areyouquitesureyou'venotforgottenanything?”heaskedhisdaughterwithbittersarcasm.“Skis?Sunglasses?Archeryset?Saddleandbridle,perhaps?”“Och,no!”saidAnnie.“Iwon'tbeneedinganyofthemtillit'sourclass'sturntogotothelake.”AlastairMacintyreturnedtohisson.“Whataboutyou,boy?Areyouallpackedandreadyforalongdayinschool?Climbingboots?Bee-keepinggear?Snorkelandoxygentank?”“Tuesday,”musedBlair.“OnlyFabricCrafts.”“FabricCrafts?”“Youknow,”hiswifeexplainedtohim.“Sewing.Thatusefullittleskillyouneverlearned.”“Sewing?Aboyofminesittingathisdesksewing?”“Och,no,Dad.Wedidn'tsitatourdesks.Wehavetosharetheskillsandcottons.Wesitroundinacircle,andchat.”“Sitinacircleandsewandchat?”Blairbackedaway.AlastairMacintyreputhisheadinhishands.“Icannotjustbelieveit.”hesaidinbrokentones.“Myownboy,thesonandgrandsonofminers,sitsinasewingcircleandchats.”“Ididn'tjustchat.I'mverygood.I'vestartedonembroideryandnowI'vefinishedhemmingmyapron!”AlastairMacIntyregroaned.“Hisapron!”“Don'tgetupset,”HelenMacIntyrecomfortedherhusband.“Everyone'ssondoesit.Thetimesarechanging.”Sheputapileofgreasydishesintothesink,andadded,“ThankGod.”“Notmyson!”AlastairMacIntyrecried.“Notmyson!Notembroidery!No!Icannotbearit!I'mareasonableman.IthinkImovewiththetimesasfastasthenextman.Ididn'tmakeafusswhenmyowngirltookupthemetalwork.Ididn'tlikeit,butIborewithit.Buttherearelimits.Amanmusthavehisownplace,andthisismine.Iwillnothavemyoneandonlysondoingembroidery.”“Whynot?”demandedBlair.“I'mverygoodatit.IbetIcanembroidermuchmuchbetterthanAnniehere.IhaveenteredtheEndofTermEmbroideryCompetition.AndAnniehasenteredtheschoolmetalworkcompetition.”Aterriblesilencefell.ThenAnniesaid,“Yousaiditagain!”Blair'seyeswidenedinhorror.“Ididn't!”“Youdid.Weallheardyou.Yousaid,‘IbetIcanembroidermuch,muchbetterthanAnniehere!’”“Ididn't!”“Youdid.”“Mum?”Mrs.MacIntyrereachedupandlaidacomfortinghandonhisshoulder.“Youdid,boy.I'msorry.Ihearit,too.”SuddenlyAlastairMacIntyrelookedasifanunpleasantthoughthadjuststruckhim.Hequicklyrecoveredhimselfandbegantowhistlecasually.Hepickeduphislunchboxandstartedwalkingtowardsthebackdoor.Heseemedtohaveadmittedhisdefeat.Mrs.MacIntyreturnedawayandslidherarms,asshe'ddoneeverymorningforthelastnineteenyears,intothegreasywashing-upwater.“Ithink,”shesaid,“itwouldbeverygoodforhim.”“Goodforme,nothing,”saidBlair.“I'denjoyit.”“Ididn'tmeangoodforyou,”saidMrs.MacIntyre.“Imeantitwouldbegoodforyourfather.”...OnthemorningoftheSchoolPrize-GivingfortheEndofTermcompetitions,AlastairMacIntyrewokefeelingsick.Hegotnosympathyfromhiswife,wholaidhissuitoutonthedoublebed.AlastairMacIntyreputhisheadinhishands.“Ican'tbearit!”hesaid.“Ican'tbearit.Myownson,winningfirstprizeforFabricCrafts,forhissewing!Itellyou,Helen.Ican'tbearit!”Whentheyreachedtheschoolhall,AlastairMacIntyresankontohisseat,closetotears.Hekepthiseyesclosedformostoftheceremony,openingthemonlywhenAnniewaspresentedwiththeJuniorMetalworkPrize.Here,toprovehewasamanofthetimesasmuchasthenextfellow,heclappedloudlyandenthusiastically,thenshuthiseyesagaindirectly,forfearofseeinghisonlysonpresentedwithanewpackofneedles.Whenthemomentoftruthcame,hecrackedandpeepedaroundattheotherparents.Nobodywaschortling.Nobodywaswhisperingcontemptuouslytoaneighbor.Sowheneveryoneelseclapped,heclappedtoo,soasnottoseemstrange.Somebodyleanedforwardfromtherowbehindandtappedonhisshoulder.“Iwanttosaythatyoumustbeaproudfathertoday,AlastairMacIntyre.”Androughashewas,hecoulddiscernnotraceofsarcasmintheremark.Astheywalkedoutofthehall,AnnieandBlairjoinedthem.AlastairMacIntyrecongratulatedhisdaughter.Hetriedtofollowupthissuccessbycongratulatinghisson,butthewordsstuckinhisthroat.Hewasrescuedbythearrival,inshortsandshirts,ofmostoftheschoolfootballteam.“Blair!Areyouready?We'rewaitingforyou!”Theteamlead,ahugestrongyoungmanwhosefatherworkedwithAlastairMacIntyreinthemine,suddenlyreachedforwardandsnatchedatBlair'sembroidery.Blair'sfathershuddered.Butalltheteamleaddidwastofolditupneatly.“Afairpieceofwork,that,”hesaid.“IsawitondisplayintheHall.Ididn'tknowhowyoumanagedallthosefinedetails.”“Och,itwasnothing,”saidBlair.“Ibetifyoutried,youcoulddoonejustasgood.”AlastairMacIntyrestaredathisson,thenhiswife,thenhisdaughter,thenhissonagain.“Och,no,”saidtheyoungman.“Icouldn'tmanagethat.I'venotgotyourcolorsense.”HehandedtheembroiderytoAlastairMacIntyre.“Willyoukeepholdofthatforhim,”hesaid.“He'sgottocomeandplayfootballnow.Wecan'twaitanylonger.”HeturnedtoAnnie.“Andyou'llhavetocometoo,Annie.Neil'sawaysick.You'llhavetobethereferee.”Beforesheranoff,Anniedroppedherprizeintooneofherfather'spockets.Blairdroppedalittlepacketintotheother.AlastairMacIntyrejumpedasifscalded.“What'sinthere?”hedemanded,afraidtoreachinandtouchitincaseitwaspoisonousmushroom,orasnake.“Iron-letters,”Blairsaid.“Iaskedforthem.They'rejustthejobforfootballshirts.WelearnedtoironinHomeEconomics.I'mgoingtofitupthewholefootballteam.”“Whatwith?”“KIRKCALDYKILLERS,”Blairtoldhimproudly.“InFlamingOrangeandBabyBlue.”Discussthedifferenceofthefamilyaboutthegenderrolesbasedonthestory.Heisaminer.Hisistraditional,rough,strict...Sheisahousewife.Sheishardworking,understanding,gentle,caring,patient,virtuous...H