Unit 05 Jason and Jeff………………………………………71
父子情深
生命是最令人留恋的，同样，热爱生命的人是最值得纪念的。杰夫和詹森父子俩的感情令人感动，而詹森的生命活力也令人赞叹……
The colorful falling leaves rustle(发出沙沙声)through the trees on this brisk October morning in 1990.Jason and his sister Joanna get into the car and drive to school. Jason is driving this morning. He has just received his permit and is very anxious to start driving on his own. His sister Joanna is one year older than him and is showing him the specific points of driving, as if in a workshop. Today, she decides that he should drive to school. He takes the wheel and proceeds slowly down the back roads to Hill High School. These are backcountry(边远地区)roads and the twists cause Jason to drive slowly and cautiously(慎重地).He takes each turn with a bit of bravado(虚张声势)and his sister teases him that he is becoming a “coward” and tells him to speed up a bit. They will be late for school if he doesn’t step on it! He presses the gas pedal down and accelerates but finds it difficult to tame the steering wheel of the mobile locomotive. His sister tells him to watch the road attentively, but he turns to tell her a witty(机智的)remake and doesn’t see the embankment(路基)ahead of him. Just a second of distraction(分心)rotating the wheel, he sending the car down to the embankment, and the car roils over and over and hits a tree. Jason’s head hits the wind shield and he is trapped between that and the steering wheel. He can’t breathe and is losing consciousness(意识).Joanna tries desperately to free him, but is unable(不能的)to. She does the only thing possible—that is to escape out of the open window and find help… fast!
Ambulances arrive in a few minutes but Jason is unconscious. They have to extricate(救出)him with the “Jaws of Life”(救生颚(商标名)).He is taken to the hospital and for three days he lies between life and death. He is breathing only with the assistance of a respirator(呼吸器).That has limited his brain activity. The doctors take Jeff aside and notify him that Jason has extensive brain damage and that there is no real hope that Jason would be normal again. Jeff must make a decision whether to turn off the respirator and let Jason die in peace. He thinks that it’s the best decision but it is also the most painful one he has ever made in his life.
Jason and Jeff shared a durable bond. They did everything together from the time he was born. When they had a free moment, they would be golfing, skiing, playing badminton. They formed a bond of love that remains even beyond the boundaries of life and death. It is an extraordinary relationship between father and son.
Jason lived only sixteen years but he did so much in his short time on Earth. He was very academic, a musician, an athlete, a golf fanatic, liked archeology(考古学)and was a lover of life. He had many, many friends and thirsted for living, which was quite unlike anyone I had witnessed. He had the kind of boyish charm and he lit up a room when he entered it. He had a beautiful: smile and kind words for everyone. I have never seen him get angry but he was always cheerful and intelligent. I was Jason’s godmother(教母)and when he was baptized(受洗礼)in 1974,he had the coolest priest. The priest had long hair and sandals. I still smile when I think about that priest. Jason cried when I held him for the blessing(祈祷)of the water but not for very long. The ceremony only took a few moments, but looking down at Jason, I knew then, that this was indeed a special child. It turned out my impressions were correct.
Jeff was an enthusiastic, devoted and a superb father to Jason and Joanna. He made sure that he spent a lot of time with his children. Time seemed to be of the utmost importance to him as well as having fun. He always enjoyed life and was a bit of a risk taker. Golf was a pastime that Jason and Jeff shared. It was almost religions. They would even attempt to golf when there was accumulation of snow on the golf course. Jason would just put his gloves on and laugh. “I must golf!” he would say, “I love it!”
One year earlier, Jason was pursuing another kind of sports: Skiing. He liked the skiing attitude. A few of his friends drove up to Sugarloaf Mountain and skied for the whole day. You know, Sugarloaf has a wonderful mountain slope for skiing. Jason spent the day back and forth along the mountain skiing trails for many runs. Once sunset was illuminating the snow and there was a group of trees ahead. The sun blinded him for a second and he tried to avoid the trees but ran into. The ski pole plunged right into his head and fractured his skull. There was a gush of blood on his head but Jason did his best to slide down the mountain. He drove himself to the emergency room, where the doctors scratch their heads wondering how he was injured. But he was lucky to be alive. A few days later, Jason was back on the ski slopes like nothing happened at all. He was just that kind of young man. He overcame the misfortune and lived for exactly one extra year. Jeff told this story at Jason’s funeral. His eyes filled up with tears of love every time he mentioned Jason’s name.
Jason’s bedroom is a testimony to his personality and his life. He has a collection of model airplanes. On the piano there is still the music of the song that was Jason’s favorite of his time, “Chariots(战车)of Fire”. Jason was a very outgoing(对人友好的)young man. He was an accomplished student and a sportsman. Jason had lots of merits and had many, many friends who loved him. I loved Jason very much. Jeff and Jason share a bond of affection that defies death.
Today, Jeff’s home is open to anyone who has a thirst for living. He loves to have fun. He isn’t the one to sit still and let life pass him by. He wants to help young people develop their potentials. He is a member of a mutual aid association. He set up a college fund for the study of music and it would be available to any eligible student who shares Jason’s philosophy of being outgoing and hardworking. It is called the Jason Music Scholarship Fund. It is his way of carrying on Jason’s musical dreams. Now Jason rests by a beautiful river in a bed of roses. Jeff visits him every week, along with his wife.
注释:
brisk
specific
workshop
proceed
twist
tease
coward
gas→★gas
pedal
accelerate
tame
steer
mobile→★motor
locomotive→★motor
attentively
witty
remark→★mark
rotate
shield
desperately
unable
escape
ambulance
unconscious
jaw
assistance
limit→★limit
activity
aside
notify
extensive
painful→★pain
durable→★during
golf
ski
badminton
remain
boundary
extraordinary
relationship
academic
musician→★music
athlete
fanatic(al)
lover
thirst
unlike
witness
kind
intelligent→★elect
priest
blessing
ceremony
impression→★press
enthusiastic
devote→★devote
superb
utmost
risk
pastime→★pass
religious
attempt→★tempt
accumulation
glove
attitude
slope
forth
trail
illuminate
avoid→★avoid
plunge
fracture→★fragment
skull
emergency room
scratch
injure
overcome
misfortune
funeral
testimony
personality
collection
accomplish
sportsman→★man
defy
potential
member→★member
mutual→★mutual
aid
association→★society
fund
available
eligible→★elect
philosophy
scholarship
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