佚名/Anonymous
Despite the three feet of snow, we plodded our way down to the sledding hill. I discovered a few things during that short three-block walk.
First, it isn't easy to blaze a trail through snow that deep. You have to have strong leg muscles, good lungs, and patience.
Our son, Douglas, had no problem at all. Although the snow was taller than him in some places, he plunged on. I followed more slowly.
Second, I discovered my boots had a small leak. Nothing huge, but big enough to allow snow to creep in and create a soggy, cold wet feeling.
We finally arrived at the sledding hill. My husband Marty and Douglas were off, sliding down the hill. I found a comfortable looking mound of snow to sit on so I sat down to watch. Snowflakes drifted down and settled on my coat.
My eyes settled on a strange sight. There, on top of the snow, sat a pair of children's boots. There was no one else in sight, just these boots by themselves. They sat on top of the snow so they couldn't have been left there very long.
Where, I pondered, was the owner of the boots? And how did he get home?
My imagination took over. I envisioned a child, eight or nine years old, sledding probably just an hour ago. He was having a great time, laughing and joking and sliding down the hill. Like me, he discovered his boots had a leak.
Trudging up the hill wasn't so much fun anymore. Each step further drenched his socks and worsened his mood.
It got so bad, he couldn't stand it anymore. He had to make a change.
Now, most people would go home and then take their boots off but not this child! He must have removed his boots immediately.
This may have seemed like the right thing to do at the time but I'm sure he learned a valuable lesson during his journey home in socks even soggier than before.
As I stared at the abandoned boots, something became clear to me. In my struggle to achieve all that I want to accomplish, I often act just like that boy. I behave on impulse.
I have believed that action is always better than no action. I realized that sometimes there is wisdom in not acting. In fact, a rash action can result in a situation even worse than before.
As the three of us headed home, I glanced one last time at the boots. The snow was slowly burying them.
I may never discover the answer to the mystery of the boots. But I will remember them.
為了去滑雪橇，我們已顧不上已有三英尺厚的雪了。我們艱難地一直向山坡走去。在只有三個街區的路程中，我發現了一些事情。
首先我發現，你得有強壯的腿部肌肉、良好的肺活量和耐心，要不然很難在那么深的雪上行走。
我們的兒子道格拉斯走這樣的路根本沒問題。他能跳上那些比他還高的雪堆。而我卻慢騰騰地跟在后面。
第二個發現是我的靴子漏了一個小洞。盡管漏洞不大，但足以讓雪慢慢地滲進來，弄得靴子里潮濕冰冷。
終于，我們到達了滑雪橇的山坡。丈夫馬丁和道格拉斯都從山坡滑下去了，我則找了個舒服的雪堆坐下來看雪景。雪花飄下來，落在我的衣服上。
這時我看到一個奇怪的景象：雪地上有一雙小孩穿的靴子。奇怪的是我沒有看到任何人。這雙鞋在雪的上面，看來是剛丟在那兒不久。
我就在想，這雙靴子的主人去哪兒了？他又是怎么回家的呢？
我開始發揮自己的想象力：一小時前，有個八九歲的孩子正在這里滑雪。他玩得很開心，一邊笑著一邊鬧著滑下了山坡。就像我一樣，他也發現靴子上有個小洞。
他再上山時，就不好玩了。每走一步，襪子就會更濕，他的心情也變得越來越糟。
這種感覺糟糕透了，他實在忍受不了了。他得想個辦法才行。
盡管多數人都是回到家才脫下靴子，但小男孩沒有，他要馬上脫掉靴子。
當時看來，這似乎是個不錯的做法。但我確信他一定會從中得到寶貴的教訓，因為在回家路上，他會發現襪子比之前濕得更嚴重。
我看著這雙被丟棄的靴子，突然明白了：當我努力想完成一件事情時，常常會像那個小男孩一樣沖動行事。
我以前相信做總比不做好。但我現在意識到，有時明智的行動恰恰就是按兵不動。事實上，沖動行事往往會導致更嚴重的后果。
當我們三個人往家走時，我最后看了一眼那雙靴子，它們已經慢慢地被雪蓋住了。
那雙靴子為什么會在那里，我可能永遠也不會知道，但我會一直記得這件事。
記憶填空
1.First, it isn't____________to blaze a trail through snow that____________. You have to have strong leg muscles, good lungs, and____________.
2.My eyes settled on a strange____________. There, on top of the snow, sat a____________of children's boots. There was no one else in sight, just these____________by themselves. They sat on top of the snow so they couldn't have been____________there very long.
3.As the three of us____________home, I glanced one last time at the boots. The____________was slowly burying them.
佳句翻譯
1.雪花飄下來，落在我的衣服上。
譯___________________________________________________
2.他玩得很開心，一邊笑著一邊鬧著滑下了山坡。
譯___________________________________________________
3.我看著這雙被丟棄的靴子，突然明白了：當我努力想完成一件事情時，常常會像那個小男孩一樣沖動行事。
譯___________________________________________________
短語應用
1.There was no one else in sight, just these boots by themselves.
in sight：看得見；在望；臨近
造___________________________________________________
2.I behave on impulse.
on impulse：一時沖動；心血來潮
造___________________________________________________