fourteen steps课文作文态度的转变
They say a cat has nine lives, and I am inclined) to think that possible since I am now
living my third life and I'm not even a cat. My first life began on a clear, cold day in November
1904, when I arrived as the sixth of eight children of a farming family. My father died when |
was 1 5, and we had a hard struggle to make a living. As the children grew up, they married,
leaving only one sister and mylf to support and care for Mother, who became paralyzed2)
in her last years and died while still in her 60s. My sister married soon after, and | followed
latterher example within the year.
This was when I began to enjoy my first life. I was very happy, in excellent health, and
quite a good athlete. My wife and I became the parents of two lovely girls. I had a good job in
San Jo and a beautiful home up the peninsula3) in San Carlos. Life was a pleasant dream.
Then the dream ended. I became afflicted with a slowly progressive dia of the motor
nerves, affecting first my right arm and leg, and then my other side. Thus began my cond
In spite of my dia I still drove to and from work each day, with the aid of special
equipment installed in my car. And I managed to keep my health and optimism, to a degree,
确凿不移
becau of 14 steps.
Crazy? Not at all. Our home was a split-level affair with 1 4 steps leading up from the
山东2014高考分数线
) to the kitchen door. Tho steps were a gauge') of life. They were my yardstick, my
challenge to continue living. | felt that if the day arived when I was unable to lift one foot up
utterly spent, 1 would be through- - - | could then admit defeat and lie down and die. So I kept
on working, kept on climbing tho steps. And time pasd. The girls went to college and
雅虎英文网站were happily married, and my wife and | were alone in our beautiful home with the 14 steps.
a btterly disllusioned cripple, a man who held on to his sanity and his wife and his home and
his job becau of 1 4 mirable steps leading up to the back door from his garage. As I
became older, I became more disillusioned) and frustrated.
Then on a dark night in August, 1971, 1 began my third life. It was raining when I started
home that night; gusty winds and slashing rain beat down on the car as 1 drove slowly down广西公务员考试真题
布兰妮好听的歌one of the less-traveled roads. Suddenly the steering wheel jerked in my hands and the car
fought the car to stop on the rain-slick shoulder of the road and sat there as the enormity of
the situation swept over me. It was impossible for me to change that tire.Utterly impossible.A
knew | wouldn't. Then I remembered that a short distance up a lttle side road was a hou. 1神盾局特工第三季百度云
started the engine and thumped slowly along, keeping well over on the shoulder until I came
to the dirt road, where I turned in--thanktully. Lighted windows welcomed me to the hou
健身培训学费
and plll into the divewey and honked? the homename-orlenldontowintow
The door opened and a ltte girl stood there, peering at me.
ndow
and called out that | had a flat and needed someone to change it for me becau | had a
hupleain Cainroat Cadbatolliowetrenmaweae aeheertunretiaercatthere
comfortable and drv and felt a bit sorrv for the man and the lttle airl workina so hard in the
storm. Well, 1 would pay them for it. The rain emed to be slackening a bit now, and | rolled
down the window all the way to watch. It emed to me that they were awfully slow and I wasgetty images
beginning to become impatient. | heard the clank of metal from the back of the car and the
lttle girl's voice came clearly to me.“Here's the jack-handle, Grandpa. "She was answered
by the murmur of the man's lower voice and the slow tilting of the car as it was jacked up.
There followed a long interval of nois, jolts and low conversation from t he back of the car,
but finally it was done. I felt the car bump as the jack was removed, and | heard the slam of
the truck lid, and then they were standing at my car window.
美国电影排行榜
He was an old man, stooped and filooking under his slicker. The itle girl was about
eight or ten,I judged, with a merry face and a wide smile as she looked up at me. He said,
“This a bad night for car trouble, but you're all t now.”“ Thanks, "I said.“How much do |
owe you? "He shook his head.“Nothing. Cynthia told me you were a cripple--on crutches" .
Glad to be of help. | know you'd do the same for me. There's no charge, friend. "I held out a
