Lesson Nine Forty Years On
Norah Lofts
人有时像马一样，须要从后面戳一下才肯动起来，才能不断前进。戳的方式可以多种多样，课文所描述的是其中之一。两个未曾谋面、年龄相仿的远亲，从孩提时期到成年一直想像对方从长相到智力都远远胜过自己。双方家长也不断用对方的成绩激励自己的儿子上进。当两人已过花甲之年，都已小有名气终于见面时，才恍然大悟：原来双方家长玩的是同样的把戏，他们不禁开怀大笑。之后，他们举杯怀念这把戏的导演、他们已故的嘉丽阿姨。不论故事是真是假，难道你不认为一个人的精神面貌对事业成功与否十分重要吗?
1 John Bullyer and I met for the first time in 1956 when we were both in our early sixties, but it is true to say that he did more to shape my life than any other person.
2 John Bullyer came into my life through my Aunt Carrie. She was also aunt to John Bullyer, whom she referred to as " Little-John-my-other-nephew " all in one word, and she referred to him too often.
3 From Aunt Carrie's point of view it was fortunate, from mine, disastrous, that John Bullyer and I were the same age. Probably hundreds of comparisons were made before I became aware of them. The first that I remember was made soon after I began school where I had lain on the floor and wailed that I wanted to go home. Shortly after that my mother reported that Little-John-Aunt-Carrie's-other nephew had started school on the same day and taken to it like a duck to water.
4 And so it went on. Incredible boy, he knew his nine-times table, while
I was still hopelessly bogged in the fours; I began to dread Aunt Carrie's formerly most welcome visits. She was certain to produce chocolate or sixpence from her purse; but as soon as she had gone, Mother was sure to say the dread words:
5 " Aunt Carrie was telling me that John Bullyer... "
6 The comparisons were, without exception, to my disadvantage. The wretched boy never set foot upon a football field without scoring a goal; I became conscious of my inferiority, for I was hopeless at games.
7 To me it seemed sinister that Mother always passed on any small achievement of mine. Once, at my prep. school, I had a story in the magazine and Mother was beside herself.
8 " I must have another copy of that, " she said, " so that Aunt Carrie can send it to John Bullyer's mother. " What a boomerang that proved! By return
of post came the news that John had won a scholarship.
9 It will seem strange that we boys never met, but in those days Gloucestershire was as far removed, in travelling time, from Suffolk, as New York is today. Aunt Carrie kept saying, " Really, you boys should know one another, I'm sure you'd be such friends, " and once or twice she tried to arrange that John should stay with her in the holidays. Mercifully for me something always prevented him from doing so.
10 I did have, however, one horribly narrow escape. An elderly couple, distant relatives of my father's, were celebrating their golden wedding. They lived in London, and they issued such a sentimentally-worded invitation that Father was bound to accept. As soon as he had done so Aunt Carrie came over in a state of excitement. Wasn't the world a small place, the Bullyer family and Father's relatives had once been near neighbours, and all three Bullyers had been invited to the feast. When Aunt Carrie had gone Mother said to me:
11 " You sit there huddled over a book until your back is bent like a bow. Go out and get some air. You look so much better with a little tan. " I realised that she and I visualised John Bullyer in the same way, tall and straight, big for his age, with a handsome brown face. I stood up, obediently.
12 Walking made no noticeable difference to my back and the sun remained hidden, so Mother tried another tack:
13 " You'll need a new suit at Easter anyway, you might as well have it now. "
14 On the evening before we were to make our early morning start for London, Mother came into my room and made me try on the new suit. I could see, by the expression on her face, that it worked no miracle. But Mother did not take defeat easily; looks weren't everything, my manners, at least, should pass muster! So she gave me a few final instructions. I kept saying, " Yes, Mother " and " No,Mother " , and " I'll remember, Mother " . Finally she said:
15 " Well, hurry into bed and get a good night's sleep. "
16 I did not sleep well; I had the worst night I had ever known. My jaws ached. The pain spread up into my head, back into my ears, down into my throat. In addition to my physical woes I had mental agonies; I prayed that something might occur to prevent this meeting.
17 I saw the dawn that morning and heard the first bird chorus. After several centuries had dragged by I heard the alarm go off in my parents' room and thankfully rose from my bed. I washed more thoroughly than usual; then
