父與子

李現(xiàn)寶

這是一篇由美國作家Bob Greene所寫的夾敘夾議的雜文。作者以一個旁觀者的身份，講述了一對黑人父子在周六的早晨以乘坐機場免費往返接送車為樂的故事。故事通過對父子的描寫，展現(xiàn)出了一個對兒子充滿著關(guān)愛，給予兒子恰當教育和適時陪伴的父親的形象。同時，這與漠然、冰冷的環(huán)境和周圍忙忙碌碌、毫無表情的乘客形成了鮮明的對比。這引發(fā)了作者對當今美國社會中存在的教育問題的思考和擔憂。但作者在眼前快樂的父子身上找到了答案，即父母的關(guān)愛和陪伴，與財富、種族和社會地位都無關(guān)，這也就是Bob Greene想通過此文向讀者傳遞的信息。全文549詞，建議用時8分鐘。

閱讀時應(yīng)達到以下三個目標：

1.通過對故事和作者觀點的閱讀和理解，深刻體會那對父子真正的快樂，及思考作者提出的社會問題的解決方法;

2.品讀文本語言，分析作者的寫作技巧，即通過對比的方式，凸顯父子之間的快樂、幸福、愛和相互的陪伴;

3.批判性思維的運用。

詞匯預(yù)熱

1.terminal? n.（火車、公共汽車、輪船客運或貨物運輸?shù)模┘⒄?終點站

2.sterile? adj.刻板的;無個性的;缺乏新意的

3.impersonal? adj.沒有人情味的;冷漠的; 冷淡的

4.distinction? n.差別;區(qū)別;對比

5.crane? v.伸長（脖子）看;探頭看

6.shuttle? n.（定期往返于兩地之間的）短程穿梭航班（班車/火車）

7.mock?exasperated? 假裝惱怒或者不耐煩的

Passing through the Atlanta airport one morning， I caught one of those trains that take travelers from the main terminal to their boarding gates. Free， sterile and impersonal， the trains run back and forth all day long. Not many people consider them fun， but on this Saturday I heard laughter.

At the front of the first car—looking out the window at the track that lay ahead—were a man and his son.

We had just stopped to let off passengers， and the doors were closing again. “Here we go！ Hold on to me tight！” the father said. The boy， about five years old， made sounds of sheer delight.

I know were supposed to avoid making racial distinctions these days， so I hope no one will mind if I mention that most people on the train were white， dressed for business trips or vacations—and that the father and the son were black， dressed in clothes that were just about as inexpensive as you can buy.

“Look out there！” the father said to his son. “See that pilot？ I bet hes walking to his plane.” The son craned his neck to look.

As I got off， I remembered something Id wanted to buy in the terminal. I was early for my flight， so I decided to go back.

I did—and just as I was about to reboard the train for my gate， I saw that the man and his son had returned too. I realized then that they hadnt been heading for a flight， but had just been riding the shuttle.

“I want to ride some more！”

“More？” the father said， mock?exasperated but clearly pleased. “Youre not tired？”

“This is fun！” his son said.

“All right，” the father replied， and when a door opened we all got on.

There are parents who can afford to send their children to Europe or Disneyland， and the children turn out rotten. There are parents who live in million?dollar houses and give their children cars and swimming pools， yet something goes wrong. Rich and poor， black and white， so much goes wrong so often.

“Where are all these people going， Daddy？” the son asked.

“All over the world，” came the reply. The other people in the airport were leaving for distant destinations or arriving at the ends of their journeys. The father and the son， though， were just riding this shuttle together， making it exciting， sharing each others company.

So many troubles in this country—crime， the murderous soullessness that seems to be taking over the lives of many young people， the lowering of educational standards， the increase in vile（可惡的） obscenities（淫穢的語言） in public， and the disappearance of simple civility. So many questions about what to do. Here was a father who cared about spending the day with his son and who had come up with this plan on a Saturday morning.

The answer is so simple： parents who care enough to spend time， and to pay attention and to try their best. It doesnt cost a cent， yet it is the most valuable thing in the world.

The train picked up speed， and the father pointed something out， and the boy laughed again.