隽永英文小故事 (73)

The maze of timeSometimes there are some tales in life which are always a pleasure to remember. When we think of the tragic moment spent in the past then it seems that the moment was so horrible and was happy to think that now that moment will not come back again.But if the talk is of a pleasant moment of the past, then we smile through it, and when we rush off the window of the memories, then the eyes are moist with a light smile and then, a chill wave run through our spine which makes us realize that the moments has passed. A memory chains past, present and future. Through our memories we live our past in present and hope to continue it in future but some memories are left behind and failed to enter the future.My life is perfect. I have loving parents, caring siblings and supportive friends. I’m happy in my small world but someone asked me to give some place in my world. I was more than happy to share my world with him. As time passed, he conquered my world with his love, care and affection. It wasn’t m y world anymore but ours. I lived the best moments with him, he knew everything about me. No one can b perfect but for me he was almost perfect. His innocent face, soft eyes, welcoming smile and gentle looks forced me to give up my world and he made it more beautiful than before. His small surprises, long walks, soothing words made me feel like i had all the happiness of the world. I had tears in my eyes at many occasions but i felt happy to shed them as I didn’t have any way to express myself, my tears spo ke for me. They contained all the beautiful memories that showed i’m loved, cared and im important for many people especially for the person whom i loved the most.Five years has passed but i feel we just met yesterday but the memories we have denied our m eeting. Today is going to be the best part of my life, I’ll tie a knot to be forever with him. This ceremony would prove that i was made and meant to look for you and becomes yours forever but, I’m still waiting for him why he is not showing up? Today is my wedding, the environment looks cold my own happiness was killing me inside. I’m decorated in my precious jewels and finest clothes to present myself the best in front of him, but why haven’t he reached yet? Moments passed, the warmth of excitement is turning into cold like the faces around me. Oh! Do they have tears in their eyes? It should be me with tears but i don’t feel them. The shout of loudest cry of my mom brought me back from my thoughts. Finally i can see him, he has appeared with a lady in him arms she looks messy in my contrast . I ran to see the lady. Her face matched with mine, i asked lot of questions but he can’t hear. He is moving lifelessly, he can’t feel my touch. I stood in front ofhim to stop but he passed through me.Then i realized, i don’t only failed in my life but also failed in memory. And even after years when I miss that moment I agree, thinking, in that story my role was too short, you could say that god! had cut off my role. But in the eyes of certain characters of the story, tears still rolls down when I mention. How good it was. i was a part of my family, friends ,and specifically of him. I know and it seems some lives are linked across time, coupled by an ancient calling that echoes through the age.。

Jerry Springer: The Man Behind the ShowPerhaps no other name in daytime variety shows brings out more emotion than Jerry Springer. Springer has been a talk show host for several years on the show that bears his name, the Jerry Springer Show. His show is described as a tabloid talk show because of the controversial subjects covered, and because of the people who appear on the show. Springer does not invite celebrities to his show. Instead, he opts to showcase regular Americans from all walks of life. He is a former politician who served one term as mayor of the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 1970s.His show debuted in 1991 as a politically themed talk show, where he invited celebrities such as Oliver North, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson. The show was designed to mimic another popular daytime talk show, the Phil Donahue show. The show found moderate success, but in 1994, in order to boost ratings, the show transitioned to a more sensational format. In this new format, everyday people were confronted by family members, and friends, about controversial subjects.The show has been highly-rated for decades now, but has also come under fire from many groups who claim the subjects are not appropriate for daytime television. Springer does not shy away from any subject. Guests are confronted about subjects such as adultery, prostitution, homosexuality, and hate group membership. Often, these confrontations become violent, where guests engaged in physical confrontations. The Springer show has spawned numerous copycat shows over the years, but it still out-rates every other show of its kind.In May of 2000, controversy hit the show when a female guest on the Springer show was murdered by her ex-husband after viewing the episode. Springer, his producer, and the network were sued by the woman's children. The suit alleged that the controversial nature of the show led to the murder, eventually though, the suit was dropped.。

The CampStacie wanted to stay at a nice hotel for vacation. But her parents sent her to a terrible camp instead. For breakfast, Stacie liked fresh juice and chocolate milk, but she got water at the camp. In the afternoon she wanted to write poems, but she had to swim. The camp was near an airport with loud planes. Spider webs hung over her bed. To her, the kids’ average behavior was very bad. No girl matched her personality. She hated it.One day, they had a class. Mental exercise sounded good to Stacie. But it was a course on water safety. They learned how to be safe passengers on a boat. Stacie didn’t ever plan to go on a boat.The next day, they played a game. There were a red team and a blue team. Stacie was on the blue team. Each team had to try to re move the other team’s flag from a pole. They also had to use water guns. “I’m not much of an athlete,” she said. But she still had to play.Stacie took a water gun and looked for somewhere to hide. A boy said, “Stacie, you advance to the middle. I will go right. Those two will go left.”Stacie still didn’t want to play. She walked into the forest and saw a red team player coming. Stacie hid behind a tree and then jumped out and shot the other player. “This is fun!” Stacie thought.Several minutes after advancing further, Stacie saw the red flag. A red team member was watching over it. She shot him with her water gun. Then she lowered the flag and ran back to her team. “I got it!” she yelled. The blue team won! Stacie was the hero.For the rest of the week, Stacie had fun. She even made new friends.。

Los Angeles Coroner's Office In Los Angeles, places associated with death are often popular. One such popular place is the Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. When someone dies and the cause of death is undetermined or suspicious, the body is brought here for examination. It is the coroner's job to determine the time, cause, and manner of death. Sometimes the coroner will have to perform an autopsy, which is like an operation on a dead body to try to figure out how the person died. One of the reasons the L.A. Coroner's Office is so popular is because of the number of famous people who have been examined there. Some of those people include Marilyn Monroe, Robert F. Kennedy, Michael Jackson, and Whitney Houston.The Los Angeles Coroner's Office is so popular that there is even a gift shop where visitors can buy items like shirts, caps, and mugs with the Coroner's logo on them. One tee-shirt people can buy even says, "Our bodies of work speak for themselves". They even sell beach towels with body outlines. The store is open five days a week. They also have a website and a paper catalog for those who are not close enough to visit. The Coroner's Office claims the purpose of the store is to tell people how fragile life is and to create awareness and responsibility toward one's actions. Some people feel that having a store in the same place where dead people are is disrespectful.There have been a number of television shows about the L.A. Coroner's Office. Some of these are reality TV shows featuring what workers really do there. An example is called "Death Detectives". Other shows are fictional like "Quincy M.E." The M.E. stands for medical examiner, the person who performs the autopsies.。

Immigration Goes Online Thousands of immigrants who need to file papers related to immigration status, green cards, and resident cards no longer have to stand in line for hours on end. The immigration office now has a new system called Info Pass. Applicants simply schedule a time and a date to meet with an immigration officer using Info Pass. They don't even have to go to the immigration office. Info Pass is a website that they can access on their home computer or a library computer. To beat the crowds, immigrants in Los Angeles used to get in line the night before. They would start lining up outside the building at 6:00 p.m. and spend the night in the cold or, occasionally, in the rain. By the following morning, there might be 200 people in line. This, of course, was an unpleasant surprise to people who thought they were early birds by arriving at 7:00 a.m. Sometimes people would sell their place in line to others for $50 or more. Where there are lines, there are vendors. No one had to worry about going hungry in line because of the variety of hot and cold food and drinks being sold all night long. Occasionally the police received reports about people being pickpocketed while waiting in the overnight lines. But such reports were rare. Many immigrants prefer not to get involved with police for fear of being sent back to their native country. With the new system, people with appointments are in and out of the building within an hour. Applicants show up 15 minutes before their appointment time. Things are so efficient now that about 120 applicants per hour can be processed through the immigration office. Before Info Pass, it was about 40 people an hour.

Lottery —A Chance at Millions In the United States, 43 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, all have their own lottery. A lottery is used for states to raise money. Licensed stores sell numbered tickets, or people can pay to choose their own numbers. When you let a machine pick your numbers, it is usually called a Quick Pick. Many people play lucky numbers, numbers associated with birthdates or other important numbers to them. The money earned from selling lottery tickets goes to pay for schools, roads, bridges, and other public services. Once a week or more, a drawing is held where the numbers are randomly picked. If your ticket has those numbers, you could win a cash prize.There are different types of lotteries, such as Powerball, Mega Millions, and Lotto. Powerball and Mega Millions are known for their large payouts. There are also instant lottery tickets that are scratch-off cards. The winnings tend to be less money, but they are extremely popular.In the United States, you can play the lottery, or buy a ticket if you are 18 years or older. If you win, usually you have the option of being paid the entire amount in one lump sum or of being paid smaller amounts over a number of years. Lottery winnings are taxable, meaning the amount you actually get is smaller than the jackpot number. People can buy lottery tickets or play the lottery at many convenience stores. Lotteries are also very popular since they advertise. There are many television commercials, radio commercials, and billboards urging people to play.Lotteries have been controversial since they are essentially a form of legalized gambling. There is concern that it can lead to people becoming addicted to gambling. There are also illegal lottery games, usually run by some forms of organized crime.。

Naughty SonuLet’s get to know Sonu! He is a sweet but naughty 10-year-old boy. He is mischievous, full of fun and yet very smart. People tend to be careful with Sonu as he outsmarts them easily. Sonu is the typical kid; he could be your kid, your neighbo r’s kid, a relative, or just about any kid. Read on to find more about Sonu’s theatricals, tricks, and acts of innocence.Sonu in the ZooOnce, during a holiday, Sonu’s father took him to the zoo. His father was explaining everything, and he listened carefully to his father. He was so silent as he was observing everything and listening to each word. His father told him about the species, food habits, lifestyle habits, activities, etc., of birds and animals. They went to see a tiger. Sonu’s father explained how ferocious and fierce the tigers were.Sonu listed to all of this very attentively and asked his father, ‘Dad, you told me that tigers are very ferocious animals. What happens if the tiger jumps out of his cage?’His dad remained silent! Sonu added, ‘Please dad, tell me the way back home, so that I can escape from the tiger, while the tiger is eating you!’His dad stood still!A Black KnotSonu was so playful that he often forgot many things. Nilu was one of Sonu’s good friends. They were classmates and studied together. During holidays, Nilu often met Sonu in a park.Once, when they were playing in the park, Nilu saw a black thread tied to Sonu’s wrist. Nilu never saw Sonu wearing any bands or threads on his hand before. Although initially hesitant, Nilu finally asked Sonu why he was wearing a black thread with a big knot!Sonu said, ‘It was tied by my mother. Since I have this forgetful habit, my mother tied this knot to remind me that I should not forget to post her letter!’ Nilu then asked, ‘Wher e is the letter, you have nothing in your hand and you are not carrying any bag!’Sonu laughed and said, ‘My mom forgot to give me the letter that I was supposed to post!’Both of them found this funny, and were rolling on the ground with laughter!Sonu And A BeggarSonu was participating in a health campaign that highlighted issues on health, hygiene, and cleanliness. He was a volunteer issuing pamphlets about maintaininghygiene to ensure good health to the public. There he saw a dirty man, begging for money.The beggar approached Sonu. Since he was part of the health campaign, he issued a health pamphlet and started to talk about the cleanliness, as the beggar was very dirty. He told Sonu, ‘Boy, I don’t need your pamphlets or advice. I need money for f ood!’Sonu asked the beggar, ‘Why do you beg for money? Don’t you ever get ashamed of begging? It is totally shameful!’The beggar smiled and said, ‘Dear boy, I feel ashamed of asking for money. But when I took money without asking, the police arrested me and took me to jail!’ Sonu was left speechless!Mosquito NetSonu went to market to buy a mosquito net. He requested the shopkeeper to show him quality mosquito nets. The shopkeeper showed him some best quality nets.Sonu was a bit confused to pick the right net. After a while, he picked two nets. Sonu asked the shopkeeper to explain about the two nets. The shopkeeper told him that both are same, except the color and brand. He added that ‘You have picked the best nets. You cannot get better quality nets elsewhere. Not even a single mosquito can enter through the net. You can enjoy undisturbed sleep!’Sonu was silent and left the place, saying that he would come back.Sonu’s father asked why he came home without buying a net. Sonu replied, ‘The shopkeeper told me that not even a single mosquito can enter through the net. Since we are bigger than a mosquito, how are we to enter through the net?Sonu’s father roared in laughter!。

Man Leaves $50K to WaitressA waitress who worked in a truck stop restaurant received $50,000 in a will. The popular Do-Drop-In Truck Stop is on interstate 10 just west of El Paso, Texas. It's open 24/7, and it seats 80. Matthew had been a regular customer there for the last ten years. He was 70 when he started eating breakfast there. He drove a 1980 Cadillac that was missing three of its hubcaps. The car looked like it hadn't been washed since 1981.Matthew was a skinny, bald guy. He wore glasses that sat crooked on his nose, and he was missing one of his front teeth. Every so often he joked about his missing tooth. "Ask me what happened to it," he would ask his waitress. She would ask. "I ran into a door," he would reply, and then laugh like it was the funniest joke in the world. Most waitresses thought he was a little weird. Each of them hoped he wouldn't sit in her section. He usually sat at a four-person booth all by himself. He often spilled food onto the table and seat. To make matters worse, he was a terrible tipper—one dollar was it, even though he usually had several free refills of black coffee."Oh, he's just a harmless, lonely old guy," said Amber. Matthew had taken a shine to Amber. After the first couple of months of eating at Do-Drop-In, he made it a point to sit in her section. He had other jokes which he shared with Amber, but they were as bad as his tooth joke. She laughed at them anyway.Whenever the other waitresses saw Matthew pulling up in his old car, they would tell Amber that her "boyfriend" had arrived. They teased Amber about the day the elderly Matthew would propose to her."What are you going to tell him?" asked Chelsea. "If you say no, he might go home and drink himself to death. If you say yes, the shock might give him a heart attack." Amber put up with her coworkers' jokes.Matthew continued to visit the Do-Drop-In regularly, but never proposed to Amber. The last time he ate breakfast there, he told her he was not feeling well. That's why he didn't finish the pancakes, he said. And he had only one refill of coffee. For the first time ever, he left Amber a two-dollar tip. She tried to return one dollar, figuring that he had made a mistake. He said no, she had earned that second dollar. She thanked him.In his will, Matthew left a dollar each to the Republican and Democratic parties; the rest of his money, $50,000, he left to Amber. He noted in his will that Amber's friendly smile was the "syrup on my pancakes." Amber's coworkers were happy for her, at first.But later, when she hadn't offered to share her money with them, some of themgot angry. "You're supposed to share the tips," said Chelsea. "We've always pooled all the tips for each shift, and then distributed the total amount equally. This $50,000 was just an extra-large tip from a regular customer, and she should share it with the rest of the breakfast crew."。

Muhammad Ali: The Greatest BoxerThe greatest boxer of the modern era is Muhammad Ali. There is generally no question about this in the boxing circles. However, there are those who would argue that there were others who were just as great. Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and was first called Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., but changed his name in the late 1960s after adopting Islam as his religion.Ali was not only one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever to step into the ring, but also a deeply spiritual person who defied the United States government by standing on his ethics. He was a controversial and divisive man who elicited great emotion from those who loved him, and those who wanted him jailed.Ali was on top of his profession in the late 60s when his draft classification was changed. He was ordered to enlist in the Army, but he refused. He claimed that he could not go to war because of his religious convictions. Many saw this move by the U.S. government as a way to silence the outspoken boxer because he was well beyond the age most young American men were being drafted at the time. Ali was stripped of his title, and was banned from boxing, while his case went through the U.S. court system. Ali was inactive during his ablest years from the age 25 to almost 29. There is no telling how many more victories and titles he could have won during his stolen prime.Eventually, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an 8 - 0 decision in Ali's favor, overturning his conviction of draft evasion. His stance was not popular at the time among conservative Americans; many people disliked him very much, but his determination and moral principles held up his decision. He is now regarded as one of the most influential persons in the history of the U.S. He was named "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated magazine, and "Sports Personality of the Century" by the BBC.。

One Country, Many Religions The United States is a country that has people from all over the world. Not only do many people speak different languages, many people practice different religions. Most people in the U.S. identify as being Christian, but only half of those people attend church on a regular basis. The second most popular religion is Judaism. The third most common religion in the U.S. is Islam. Other religions practiced in the U.S include Hinduism, and Buddhism. About 20 percent of all people in the U.S. say they don't practice any religion. One of the founding principles of the United States is religious freedom, which means people can practice whatever religion they want without being discriminated against. This is even guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. This is one reason why the United States has no official religion.Because there are so many different religions in the United States, there are many different types of houses of worship. Christians attend churches. Jews and Hindus attend temples. Muslims attend mosques. Many people use what they wear to reflect their religious beliefs. For example, some Islamic women wear a scarf called "hijab" to cover their head. It is disrespectful to ask a Muslim woman to take off her hijab or ask for her to show you what is under it. Male followers of an Indian religion called "Sikhism" usually wear cotton turbans. Again it is wrong to take a person's turban off or ask that they take it off. Male followers of Hasidism, a branch of Judaism, have long curls on the side of their heads. They wear a fringed prayer shawl. Other Jewish men may wear a small cap on their heads called a yarmulke. This is supposed to be a constant reminder that God is above them.。