·Tracy Anderson·
No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you!
In 1989,an 8. 2 earthquake almost fIattened America, killing over 30,000 people in less than four minutes.
In the midst of utter devastation and chaos, a father left his wife safely at home and rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be, only to discover that the building was as flat as a pancake. After the unforgettably initial shock, he remembered the promise he had made to his son,“No matter what, I'll always be there for you!”And tears began to fill his eyes.As he looked at the pile of ruins that once was the school, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his commitment to his son.
He began to direct his attention towards where he walked his son to class at school each morning. Remembering his son's classroom would be in the back right corner of the building, he rushed there and started digging through the ruins.
As he was digging, other helpless parents arrived, clutching their hearts, saying,“My son!”“My daughter!”O(jiān)ther well-meaning parents tried to pull him off what was left of the school, saying,“It's too late!They're all dead!You can't help!Go home!Come on, face reaIity, there's nothing you can do!”To each parent he responded with one line,“Are you going to help me now?”And then he continued to dig for his son, stone by stone.
The fire chief showed up and tried to pull him off the school's ruins, saying,“Fires are breaking out, explosions are happening everywhere. You're in danger.We'll take care of it.Go home.”To which this loving, caring American father asked,“Are you going to help me now?”
The police came and said,“You're angry, anxious and it's over. You're endangering others.Go home.We'll handle it!”To which he replied,“Are you going to help me now?”No one helped.
Courageously he went on alone because he needed to know for himself,“Is my boy aIive or is he dead?”He dug for eight hours……12 hours……24 hours……36 hours……then, in the 38th hour, he pulled back a large stone and heard his son's voice.
He screamed his son's name,“ARMAND!”
He heard back,“Dad?!It's me, Dad!I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me and when you saved me, they'd be saved.You promised, no matter what happens, you'll always be there for me!You did it, Dad!”
“What's going on in there?How is it?”the father asked.
“There are 14 of us left out of 33,Dad. We're scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you're here.When the building collapsed, it made a triangIe, and it saved us.”
“Come out, boy!”
“No, Dad!Let the other kids out first, because I know you'll get me!No matter what happens, I know you'll always be there for me!”
特雷西·安德森
不管發(fā)生什么,我永遠都會在你的身邊!
1989年,一次8.2級的地震幾乎鏟平了美國,在短短不到4分鐘的時間里,奪去了3萬多人的生命!
在徹底的破壞與混亂之中,有位父親在安頓好他的妻子后,跑到他兒子就讀的學(xué)校,而觸目所見,卻是被夷為平地的校園??吹竭@令人傷心的一幕,他想起了曾經(jīng)對兒子所做的承諾:“不論發(fā)生什么事,我都會在你身邊?!敝链?,父親熱淚盈眶。目睹曾經(jīng)的學(xué)校成了一堆瓦礫,真叫人絕望。但父親仍然牢記著他對兒子的承諾。
他開始努力回憶每天早上送兒子上學(xué)的必經(jīng)之路,終于記起兒子的教室應(yīng)該就在那幢建筑物右后邊的角落里。他跑到那兒,開始在碎石中挖掘。
當這位父親挖掘時,其他束手無策的學(xué)生家長也趕到了現(xiàn)場,揪心地叫著:“我的兒子呀!”“我的女兒呀!”一些好意的家長試圖把這位父親勸離現(xiàn)場,告訴他:“一切都太遲了!他們?nèi)懒?!這樣做沒用的!回去吧!接受現(xiàn)實吧,你這樣做一點用都沒有!”面對種種勸告,這位父親的回答只有一句話:“你們現(xiàn)在愿意幫我嗎?”然后繼續(xù)一塊一塊地挖,在廢墟中尋找著他的兒子。
消防隊長來了,他也試圖把這位父親勸走,便說:“火災(zāi)頻現(xiàn),四處都有爆炸,你在這里太危險了。這邊的事我們會處理,你回家吧!”對此,這位慈愛、關(guān)切的父親仍然說:“你們現(xiàn)在要幫我嗎?”
警察趕到了現(xiàn)場,對他說:“你現(xiàn)在又氣又急,該結(jié)束了。你在危及他人,回家吧!我們會處理一切的!”這位父親依舊是那句話:“你們現(xiàn)在愿意幫我嗎?”然而,人們無動于衷。
為了弄清楚兒子是死是活,這位父親鼓起了勇氣,獨自一人繼續(xù)挖掘。在挖掘了8小時、12小時、24小時、36小時……38小時后,父親推開了一塊巨大的石頭,他聽到了兒子的聲音。
父親大聲地叫著:“阿曼德!”
然后傳來了兒子的回音:“爸爸嗎?是我,爸爸,我告訴其他的小朋友不要著急。我告訴他們?nèi)绻慊钪?,你會來救我的。如果我獲救了,他們也就獲救了。你答應(yīng)過我,不管發(fā)生什么,你永遠都會在我的身邊,你做到了,爸爸!”
“你那里的情況怎樣?”父親問。
“爸爸,我們有33個,只有14個還活著。我們好害怕,又渴又餓,謝天謝地,你在這兒。教室倒塌時,剛好形成一個三角形的洞,這個洞救了我們?!?/p>
“快出來吧,兒子!”
“不,爸爸,讓其他小朋友先出去吧!因為我知道你會來接我的!不管發(fā)生什么事,我知道你永遠都會在我的身邊!”
Practising&Exercise 實戰(zhàn)提升篇
核心單詞
fIatten['fl?tn]v.使平坦;弄平
chaos['kei?s]n.混亂;雜亂的一團
commitment[k?'mitm?nt]n.承諾;托付,交托;委任
reaIity[ri(:)'?liti]n.現(xiàn)實;真實
anxious['??k??s]adj.焦慮的;掛念的
aIive[?'laiv]adj.活著的;現(xiàn)存的
scare[ske?]v.驚嚇,使恐懼
triangIe['trai??gl]n.三角形;三角板,三角尺
實用句型
No matter what happens, I'II aIways be there for you!
不管發(fā)生什么,我永遠都會在你的身邊!
①這里是no matter引導(dǎo)的讓步狀語從句。
②no matter 無論……。類似的表達還有regardless of不管,不顧。
翻譯練習(xí)
1.在逃亡期間,他在人跡罕至的曠野中走了六天。(in the midst of)
2.誰能幫我照顧一下這個孩子呢?(take care of)
3.他的新小說什么時候出版?(come out)